Metal Moments with Max

I talk about music. Expect to find lots of reviews and editorials pertaining to a variety of genres. As the name might suggest, I deal with Metal for the most part. Rest assured that an eclectic array of underground music (whatever that actually means) is fair game here. I'll try to find a balance between topical and retrospective material.

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Nails give music another kick in the teeth.

Nails don’t tune the lowest or play the fastest, but I’ll be damned before I say they’re not the most brutal band in history. Combining Swedish death metal’s obsession with guitar tone, the unbridled adrenaline rush of grindcore and modern hardcore’s raging groove, the Oxnard based trio lets their powerviolence cocktail speak for itself. With venomously personal lyrics with an unhealthy dose of crew politics, no other band captures malicious hatred like Nails or hits harder while doing so.

After hitting their stride so strongly with 2010’s “Unsilent Death” and 2013’s “Abandon All Life,” Nails bring heightened rhythmic variation and streetwise grit to the mix. “You Will Never Be One of Us” maintains the inexorable ferocity of Nails while exhibiting the inspired songwriting that got them signed to Nuclear Blast.

The longest LP Nails has released, clocking in at over 21 minutes, “You Will Never Be One of Us” still wastes no time with pleasantries. Front man Todd Jones said that the only emotion he wants to express with this band is anger, and this album proves he and his bandmates will not slow down. Every single track on this album perfectly amalgamates of the most hateful elements of punk and metal. The fact Nails can still deliver fresh material from such an impenetrable template is almost incomprehensible, yet these 10 tracks provide extreme music yet another breath of fresh air from one of the scene’s finest acts.

“You Will Never Be One of Us” allows the Entombed-esque death metal undercurrents of the previous record to take a backseat in favor of a stripped down sound. Whether it be the unabashedly spiteful fury of “Parasite” or the multifaceted stylistic choices in “Savage Intolerance,” Nails makes good on their claim that they are a hardcore band with attention from the heavy metal community. The riffs are less creepy, and more conducive to crowd-killing. However, the impossibly massive guitar tone is still the star of the show. The riffs on this effort are incredible in their own right, but meticulously constructed low-end rumble and filthy distortion make them truly seismic.

Instead of beefing up the riffs, John Gianelli’s bass tone increases Jones’ tone clarity. There’s a reason Nails aren’t afraid of sounding generic while riding on the bottom string during the album’s last groove. Each chug is as murky as it is clear, and as vicious as it is bludgeoning. The most chaotic or colossal riffs sport undeniable clarity as Nails meld blinding speed (“In Pain”) and horrific sludge-fests (“They Come Crawling Back”). With this sonic weapon cocked and loaded, Nails decimate continents with a surprising array of arrangements.

“Made to Make You Fall” is one of three songs that use infectious 6/8 groove to complement a familiar stampede, preventing the style Nails perfected from stagnating while taking its third spin. Drummer Taylor Young adds more to his repertoire of blast beats and double-bass patterns, giving songs like “Into Quietus” the extra propulsion it needs to reach apex sonic punishment. This gives Jones and Gianelli more creative room without forcing them to sacrifice their uncompromising sound. All three musicians know how to play cohesively, making for a tight, straightforward, and hideously unhinged experience. Nails’ desire to build upon their style without changing it too much stands as a testament to their songwriting chops.

Nails continue to astound with their ability to do so much with so little. The 49-second “Friend to All” fits multiple feels into its runtime, while “Violence Is Forever” cleverly uses a conventional beatdown section to throw a curveball at listeners. This album never branches too far out too far, but has no problem maintaining the right amount of variety. While the title track and “Life Is a Death Sentence” hold closer to the mold introduced early in the band’s career, “You Will Never Be One of Us” transcends the pitfalls of its genre with sheer quality. Essentially, Nails have done it again. This is 21 minutes of powerviolence, grindcore, and hardcore simultaneously epitomized. If I haven't made myself clear already, “You Will Never Be One of Us” is the only record in any of those genres anyone needs to check out this summer.

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Gnaw Their Tongues and Actuary expand musical horizons by destroying them.

This split provides two lenses one can use when looking into the ugliest regions of experimental music.

Although many can’t listen to such opuses and understand this, the nuances of harsh noise separate its amateurs from its masters. Truly accomplished noise artists can create compelling atmospheres using decidedly unpleasant material. I’ve known Gnaw Their Tongues to be one of the greatest examples of noise used correctly. Combining hellish blackened doom with noise ambient and eerie samples, the Netherlands-based solo project of Mories has been upsetting people with his distinctive racket for over a decade. LA’s Actuary have existed for less than a decade. However, their impenetrably experimental combination of grindcore and noise music attracted a lot of attention from masochistic music fans. The split LP between these two ends up being quite an interesting ride.

Actuary’s side of the LP is comprises of two straight ahead harsh-noise brain crushers. Grindcore this is not, but grinding it certainly is. Glacial distortion and half-tone drones put the listener in a strange trance as a meticulously thought out dynamic range allows tension to rise and fall with surprising fluidity. Although I am admittedly not well-versed in the genre, I found the pulsating wall of sound oddly soothing as it ground my brain into paste.

The uncompromising filth that comprises both of these tracks are certainly difficult to listen to, but attention to detail within this decadent side makes each voyage surprisingly rewarding. “A Grand Tradition of Overreaction” and “Concrete Outings” are actually very distinct from each other, standing as a testament to Actuary’s conviction to produce cohesion from a vile cesspool of sonic torment. I couldn’t help but think of a massive slug slowly enveloping Los Angeles while her population screamed their last throughout these side’s runtime. Actuary’s excruciatingly gratifying contribution to this split only scratches the tip of the iceberg on GTT’s side.

The eclectic array of genres Mories has delved into during his storied career allow no prediction as to what direction his side of this split would take. Although 2015 saw him adopt a more metallic approach with Abyss of Longing Throats and a collaboration with Dragged Into Sunlight, the trio of songs in question harken back to the nameless horror that defined previous releases. “Blood Rites of the Hex Temple” opens with ritualistic chanting over an amorphous behemoth of orchestral and alien sounds, making me wonder — yet again — why this man has not been contacted to compose scores for horror movies. Mories continues to reassert himself as a bridge between extreme metal and modern classical music with “Into the Fire Thou Servant of Pain.” Industrial doom metal erupts out of blackened murk, complete with misshapen basslines, anti-rhythmic drums, and Mories’ signature howls.

Whereas Actuary is content to punish, Gnaw Their Tongues provides additional musicality while opening the blood-gates of insanity. “As Above So Below” returns to spaced out demonic chanting over tension-filled ambience while retaining deformed metal in the spotlight. Nonlinear blast beats and black metal shrieks coincide with mutilated symphonic bombast and hideously layered soundscapes, making this a fitting conclusion to a worthy addition to Mories’ impressive discography. The only thing I was left wanting was more. I wanted these explorations more long-winded. Even so, these three tracks are continue GTT’s tradition of meticulously executed opuses of nightmarish beauty.

This split features two approaches to experimental music which contrast in all of the right ways. Actuary’s adherence to the least friendly traditions of harsh noise and GTT’s visionary neuroticism provide two sides — no pun intended — of a coin from draconian wastelands.

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Can’t an album be lauded for its compositional merits instead of how original it is? Apparently not. Bands like the now defunct Ocoai are often dismissed as generic simply because they don’t try to wow listeners with how “experimental” or “forward thinking” they are. I respectfully disagree with that thought process. Although Ocoai’s The Electric Hand was far from groundbreaking, it still displayed a vast amount of musicality. It is Post-Metal done by the book… and it is done extremely well. One of the first things I noticed when I listened to this album was the production and composition. This album balances traditional rock instruments with orchestral arrangements (played on real instruments, I might add) with electronic ambience thrown in for good measure. The fact each element has room to breath can only be credited to the skill of the musicians making the music. Injecting orchestral soundscapes into rock music is nothing new in the post rock community, but Ocoai still caught my attention. That is the theme of The Electric Hand: ignoring the fact many would consider a musical approach played out as they revitalize it with surpassing artistry. Complete with an intro, interlude, and outro, the 7 tracks on The Electric Hand feels very conceptually as a single unit. Every track on the record is supposed to be there. Every sonic element is an integral part of the overarching whole. Even the three aforementioned tracks serve a vital purpose. “Waking Fear” introduces warm guitar and cello before dropping into a harrowing noise assault that unexpectedly ends with a clean major chord. The appropriately titled “Somnium” features simple, meandering cello lines over plinking citar, misshapen violin noodling, and sound collages. The concluding “Morte Audaciter” sports mournful piano and guitar interplay that ends with footsteps leaving the studio, along with a shutting door. Although short ventures into the purely atmospheric can be more than just an excuse to call an EP an LP, The Electric Hand exemplifies how one could use them as a way to accentuate the overall emotional vibe of the album by bringing bring odd instrumentation into play. The 4 traditional songs, like the others, are instrumental. The lack of vocals made musicality even more important to the quality of the album. As one could guess by this point, Ocoai delivers exquisite post rock/metal goodness throughout The Electric Hand. The riffs are crushingly heavy while maintaining melody and discernibility. Each passage is executed with an incredible amount of cleanliness. Don’t come here looking for the griminess of sludge metal, because these guys have a knack for balancing the monstrous with the delicate. While nothing about this is particularly daring, it still rules. There’s plenty of stylistic diversity on the album, ranging from the upbeat shuffle that begins “La Main D'electrique” to the callosal durge at the end of “Grimpeur.” Because of this, the drums get many chances to shine on The Electric Hand as they provide a backbone of unwavering groove throughout the changing styles. Although Ocoai’s creativity is within familiar parameters, their output is still stunningly compelling. They don’t try to dazzle listeners with grandiose experimentalism because they are perfectly capable of winning audiences over with their sheer knack for songwriting.

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Plenty of bands change their style over the course of their career, but few have done so to the degree of Norway’s Ulver. Gaining their early recognition within the second wave of black metal from their home-country, Kristoffer Rygg and friends bade their contemporaries farewell as they explored everything from trip-hop to film score music. Listening to various albums in Ulver’s discography is like listening to completely different bands, which would be fairly accurate considering Rygg is the only original member of the band’s lineup. The current incarnation of Ulver continued their collective musical explorations in 2014 by playing 11 shows comprised of new material in addition to improvised pieces centered around some of their previous songs and themes. 2 years after this small tour, the band revisited the multi-track recordings of the music they made with the help of Daniel O’Sullivan in the studio to edit and polish hours of material into an 80 minute long opus. ATGCLVLSSCAP is often as challenging to listen to as its name is to say, and it contains some of the most riveting music I’ve heard from Ulver.

As listeners must have come to expect by now, Ulver did a great job of producing and mixing ATGCLVLSSCAP. No matter how dense or frantic the music gets, everything can be heard and appreciated to its fullest potential. This not only adds to the dynamic range of the album, but prevents songs from becoming tired. Each minute detail of the song can be easily heard, giving listeners maximum gratification. The inclusion of Daniel O’Sullivan in the production process essentially gives the raw creativity of the live sessions Ulver played a more structured and directional quality than might be expected from pure improvisation.

Those who are familiar with the music Ulver has made in more recent years will indeed hear familiar motifs, themes, and stylistic choices on ATGCLVLSSCAP. A more obvious example of playing around with a theme can be heard in “Glammer Hammer,” which is a reimagining of the orchestral “Glamour Box (Ostinati)” off of Messe I.X-VI.X in an improv rock style. Dubbed “free rock” by the band, this musical approach gives each song a distinctly spontaneous feeling, in that it puts just as much emphasis on freedom as rocking out. “England’s Hidden” and the aptly named “D-Day Drone” embrace the ambient leanings of Ulver, whereas the aforementioned “Glammer Hammer” and the following “Moody Sticks” have a hard-hitting percussiveness to them that I don’t recall hearing in any of Ulver’s back catalogue. These styles are complemented by the electronic explorations of “Desert / Dawn.” Many songs on ATGCLVLSSCAP are decidedly heavy, something I didn’t expect to hear from a band that has so adamantly distanced themselves from metal. I never thought I’d be able to say that there are some distorted riffs on a new Ulver album, but I couldn’t be happier about it. One could also draw a lot of connections to the highly improvisational music of Swans. “Cromagnosis” and “Om Hanumate Namah” are great examples of Ulver elaborating on a repetitive but entrancing rock groove with subtle layerings and meticulously executed crescendos. As has been the case with Ulver’s recent output, ATGCLVLSSCAP has few vocal performances. Although the first and concluding tracks feature processed and sample heavy voices, only the 10th and 11th tracks feature defined lyrics and vocal lines. Kristoffer Rygg’s voice is as rapturous as ever. His melodic choices are as astounding as his technically and emotionally nuanced style of singing. Ulver’s volumes of material in this record are executed to the utmost. I wish I could say the same about how they were compiled.

Although O’Sullivan did a great job of polishing individual tracks on ATGCLVLSSCAP, I can’t say that he did a particularly impressive job of arranging them into a cohesive unit. The first half of the album flows well, with an ambient intro giving way to more band oriented songs, but things start to feel odd at the end of “Om Hanumate Namah.” This isn’t a conclusion that leads the listener out of the song. It feels nonchalant and jarring. The next three tracks re-embrace ambience and electronica, leading into the two showcases of Rygg’s voice. Just like the first section, These tracks flow from somber drone music to passionate art-rock with ease. However, the choppy editing comes back with a vengeance when what feels like the natural ending of the album is complemented by “Solaris,” an admittedly compelling electronica song that propels and builds up to… another awkward ending… and then the albums over… Why couldn’t it have ended with the delicate pads at the end of “Ecclesiastes (A Vernal Catnap)?” That’s my main gripe with this record. The transitions between the two halfs of the album take from the overall continuity of ATGCLVLSSCAP, making it more of a collection of songs than a conceptual experience.

Ulver continue to earn their prestige in the experimental music community with ATGCLVLSSCAP. Fans of the band will certainly be pleased by many tracks on this album, and I would certainly recommend it as a wonderful celebration of Ulver’s musical skill. Although its overall structure has its flaws, the songs on ATGCLVLSSCAP are too good for me to hold that against them.

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Since expanding into a multidimensional movement since its inception in the early 90’s, it has become increasingly difficult to think of post-metal as specific style. Everything from the blackened rage of Deafheaven to the orchestral instrumentals of Ocoai can be put under the post-metal umbrella, but the genre actually traces its roots back to the sludgy dirges of the visionary Neurosis. This primal foundation is something Chicago’s Bloodiest have been about since their debut LP. 2011’s Descent had a fairly predictable approach to the post-metal template. This isn’t to say it was underwhelming, but there wasn’t anything to be found in the album that you couldn’t hear from plenty of other bands. By contrast, Bloodiest’s self-titled LP sports a level of ingenuity that is a terrifying as it is engrossing.

Before I had finished the second track on Bloodiest, I understood its main influences; Neurosis and Swans (for the latter I’m mostly referring to their two most recent albums). Shameless name dropping notwithstanding, the combination of these two giants of forward-thinking music can be heard throughout the album's runtime. Don’t believe me? Listen to “The Widow.” It literally sounds like Enemy of The Sun meets To Be Kind. Still don’t believe me? “He Is Disease” sports the staggeringly heavy sludge riffage of Neurosis and the unrelenting sonic torment of Swans. This amalgamation makes Bloodiest enduringly compelling by taking from the affinity for pushing boundaries found in both bands.

Bloodiest also delivers in terms of production. This album has a better mix than Descent, which had a good sound in of itself. Each track offers an expansive range of dynamics and emotionalism, which includes anything from delicate acoustic/keyboard interludes and unsettling ambience to abusively heavy riffage and grating sonic lunacy. Each of these elements can be heard in all of its glory. The guitars and bass sound unbelievably thick while maintaining clarity, just as the drums sound earthy without sacrificing tight execution. In addition, a tasteful use of keyboards and synth that add atmosphere and modulative depth. “Separation” is a wonderful example of all of these styles and approaches synthesizing into a ginormous emotional depth charge. While I was admittedly surprised by the brazen songwriting chops on this record, the vocals truly took me aback on many occasions.

“Mesmerize” lived up to its name by lulling me into a false sense of security in the vocal department. Indeed, the impassioned caterwauls that make up a good portion of the delivery on this album have a less harsh sense of anger, especially when compared to the tortured shrieks that greet listeners in “The Widow.” These are quite frankly some of the most disconcerting sounds I’ve heard come out of human vocal chords. When coupled with the least friendly parts of Bloodiest’s sound, connoisseurs of musical pain can expect to be gratified, and any mental sound person can expect to find themselves profoundly upset. In other words, It rules.

Bloodiest have certainly regained my attention as a great addition to the vanguard of post-metal with this solid follow up. If you like Swans or Neurosis, or want to explore some of the more challenging recesses of post-metal, checking this band out should be a no-brainer.

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Purge: Conjure The Dead

Having established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the Los Angeles extreme music scene with 2014’s In Expurgate, Purge takes a noticeably different approach on their sophomore release. Conjure the Dead trims the fat off their original sound, focusing more on their beatdown and downtempo influences than the technical deathcore that was present in their debut. Although some aspects of the results take some getting used to, Purge remains a solid band after making this transition.

Whereas deathcore essentially injects death metal into metalcore, beatdown and downtempo are both sub genres of hardcore. With that being said, those who are familiar with Purge’s previous sound might be a bit thrown off by what they hear on Conjure the Dead. Hard hitting, straight ahead groove is what Purge is about. There’s little bells and whistles to be found here as the seven tracks attack with pulverizing precision. Great production gives the album an incredible amount of punch and accuracy, and the undeniable skill of the musicians makes each track sound professional and gutwrenchingly brutal. Since there are less genres thrown into the mix on Conjure the Dead, the record has a more streamlined approach than In Expurgate. Overt metal influence gives way to a primal hardcore assault that is more interested in pummeling listeners into submission than showing off technical skill. Having listened to their previous effort, I was already aware of how technical these guys could be. Listening to them play more simple material showed me that they were more concerned with writing good songs than shredding, which is something I respect a lot in an extreme band.

The transition from thrash to groove can be felt most obviously in the drums, which sport less blastbeats and more straightforward rhythms. As a sucker for good groove, it’s hard for me to say anything negative about the percussion on Conjure the Dead, especially since the face-breaking intensity is not lost in the change. The more subtle differences found in the guitar and bass are what give this record a true beatdown feel. Bottom-heavy riffs chug along with thick tone and pervading clarity, which keeps songs from feeling muddy while keeping the savagery of what is being played in the spotlight. While there aren’t tremolo picking sections or particularly complex syncopations to be found here, Purge show that they can get straight to the core of their sound and bludgeon eardrums with the results. The songs don’t draw on for too long, and have enough deviations between them to keep Conjure the Dead interesting through its entire length.

Other than the subdued influence from metal, Conjure the Dead features a different vocalist who brings Purge farther into the realm of beatdown with his delivery. While they are less varied, the vocals work well with the stripped down instrumentals. I also enjoyed how genuine the vocalist sounds. A lot of vocalists of this sort sound angry but don’t feel angry. His emotion can be felt rather than just heard. This makes up for the fact that he has a less diverse range than the guy he replaced, and adds to the unadulterated hate that defines Conjure the Dead. The guest vocalists on this record all add great performances into the mix as well.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this record, I think those who are looking for a different take on beatdown or downtempo might be left in the cold after listening to Conjure the Dead. A record like this needs to be appreciated for its quality rather than its originality. Fans of this style of playing won’t find something new here… So what?? It’s tightly executed music with real passion poured into it. For those who love downtempo, beatdown, or hardcore in general, do yourself a big favor and add Purge to your rotation.

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Purge: In Expurgate

Just like nu metal did in the mid 2000’s, deathcore has become oversaturated to the point where it can seem impossible to find bands that aren’t laughably derivative or just straight up cringeworthy. With that being the case, there’s something to be said about a band that maintains a fresh approach to the genre. Purge of Los Angeles provide just that with their 2014 EP In Expurgate: injecting something interesting into something many would write off as played out.

Purge describe their style as an amalgamation of deathcore, beatdown, and downtempo. This combination works in the band’s favor, as each element keeps the others from becoming mundane as In Expurgate progresses. Every track sports a different variation of the these three influences. While tracks like “Divine Putrification” sport faster deathcore sections to contrast with ultra slow downtempo passages, “No Salvation” and “Human Filth” lean more towards straight ahead beatdown. The result is a multifaceted listening experience that keeps one engaged from the opening sample to the closing chugs. Speaking of samples, “Commence” and “Expurgate” use samples to a convincing effect. The opening monologue from the movie which shares its name with the band, adds a certain level of conceptuality to the lyrics of the EP. In a similar way, the opening track uses the abysmal sobs of a terrified woman to build tension before dropping into downtempo. The assorted influences and effective use of samples in In Expurgate keep you guessing through the six tracks.

Cameron Marygold did a great job on this record in the producing and mixing departments. In Expurgate sounds as professional as it does emotional. The fast parts don’t sound muddy, and the slow parts don’t sound empty. The guitars and bass have a massive sound, as do the drums and vocals. Each musical aspect can be heard clearly and powerfully, and there’s a couple of production surprises thrown in to keep the listener guessing. The conclusions of “Divine Putrefaction” and “Servant” showcase this with somber piano notes and reverby tremolo picking (respectively). In Expurgate sports an incredibly amount of professionalism, especially for an unsigned band.

In terms of what’s actually being played on In Expurgate, Purge make up for a lack of overt originality through the sheer quality of their material. Every song is tightly executed and strikingly brutal. With the tremolo picked guitar lines, chunky grooves, and thrashy passages one could expect from a band like this, those who are looking to hear something that is obviously distinguishable in the scene won’t necessarily find it here. However, the technical flare on this record keeps things engaging and fun to listen to, and the juxtaposition of several different subgenres allows songs to be distinguishable from one another. Some credit for this could be given to the drums, as Jonathan Salazar takes songs in and out of passages that wouldn’t transition well otherwise and create variation through subtle syncopation within a familiar backdrop. The vocals function in a similar way. Anyone who has even a passing interest in music that ends in “core” has heard vocals that sound a lot like this (unless you’re talking about Jordan LeGore’s guest vocals. they’re a different breed), yet this didn’t lessen how much I enjoyed them. There’s a visceral rage in the lyrics and delivery that I resonated with. Hearing “THE PURGE HAS BEGUN” screamed in “Expurgate” sent chills down my spine, and the subsequent breakdown got my blood boiling. When all's said and done, In Expurgate is a killer record from a killer band that delivers the recognizable hallmarks of their genre in a riveting way. If you like technical deathcore that drops into killer beatdown grooves or pulverizing downtempo breakdowns, give In Expurgate a listen and catch the band live if you get the chance.

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KING: The Gathering

In a scene plagued by a myriad of mediocre trend chasers, it’s always refreshing to find a beatdown/downtempo hardcore band with its own unique approach. KING of Los Angeles certainly have originality in spades. Even on their 2014 EP The Further, KING strayed from the path with an emphasis on horrific soundscapes, interesting lyrics, and bombastic songwriting. I was hooked on their style after hearing the EP, and jumped at the opportunity to catch them live in Long beach at Dipiazzas on the 27th of December. Taking the stage with disconcerting austerity, I can’t think of a band who genuinely creeped me out the way KING did. Although it’s mostly found in vocalist Jordan LeGore’s eye rolling and back bends, there’s a level of demonism in their stage presence that is revoltingly compelling. Their well-executed and emotional set had me wanting more (seriously, SEE THIS BAND), which is why I picked up their full-length after they played. I’m glad I did.

Released on the 17th of April, The Gathering is a 13 track-long monster that clocks in at over an hour. All of said tracks are fully formed songs, with the shortest one being 3 minutes and 9 seconds long. This relatively lengthy for a downtempo record, especially when one considers that it’s twice as long as The Hate Campaign by Traitors, and around 15 minutes longer than Black Tongue’s The Unconquerable Dark. This had me wondering if KING could pull off such a sprawling undertaking. For the most part, I would say they succeeded.

The first thing I noticed about The Gathering was the production. Cameron Marygold, also the drummer in the band, does an incredible job of capturing the weight of KING’s music. Vocals, drums, bass, guitar, and ambience are mixed perfectly, allowing each element its time in the limelight. The production showcases the musicality of the band and how tight they can be as a unit, and keeps songs from melding together in a style that often becomes redundant.

The vocals on The Gathering would be incredible even if LeGore was the only featured vocalist. His delivery is some of the nastiest in the game. Vomitous growls and grunts are complemented by layered screams (and a couple well-placed “bleghs”), making for consistent brutality. Living up to its name, this album gathers the talents of 14 great voices in heavy music. Each guest vocalist adds more flare and variation to the already solid performances, and makes this album feel like a unified celebration of the scene. This is another factor that keeps The Gathering from getting too repetitive. Each track has a different flavor to offer in the vocal department, and such diversity carries over into the instrumentals, although it’s not as obvious.

As is often the case with downtempo, the guitarists in xKINGx use low-tuned guitars and pound the hell out of the bottom string. This isn’t to say the guitar parts are boring. In fact, they’re actually really compelling. The guitar tone used for The Gathering is ginormous. Zach Gilman and Randol Moreno deliver breakdown after crushing breakdown with a stupefying amount of heaviness, but there’s more to their parts that just that. Songs like “Deceiver” feature ripping thrash sections while those like “Deranged Diagnosis” and “The Collector” feature eerie lines in the high register, providing just enough breathing room in between the face-breaking mosh parts and hideously slow breakdowns that tend to dominate the record. The drumming on The Gathering shares a similar degree of variance as the guitars, in that there’s enough blastbeats and skankbeats to keep the lumbering grooves from becoming redundant over the course of the album. However, even within the most simplistic breakdown patterns the vibe is kept interesting through well placed hits and fills. KING doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel here, but in no way does that mean The Gathering is boring. The familiarity has more than enough creativity to maintain validity.

Special attention should be given to the soundscapes on The Gathering, because they are what makes this album truly unique. Anything from atonal strings to demonic choral music can be heard in them, and the purpose they serve is really interesting. From the sinister drones that begin the album to the noisy ambience that ends it, a very different vibe is created with these ominous passages. They make pissed off songs genuinely terrifying whilst adding the continuity of the album as a whole. KING never relies on this element of their music, but use them to their fullest capacity as a complement to their style. They never feel out of place, and always do their job of setting the mood and taking KING to another musical level.

As I said before, the question I had about this album was whether KING could keep over an hour of their material as interesting as they could on their shorter EP. While I can honestly say that I didn’t feel the length of the record too much, I still think that this album can become a bit repetitious over the course of its runtime. I don’t think this is a reflection on the quality of the music, as much as it is a byproduct of this type of music. While KING certainly stand out from their peers and feature interesting sonic choices, The Gathering still tends towards the pitfalls of its genre.

Altogether, I’d say that The Gathering is an incredible album by an extremely promising band. I recommend it to any fan of heavy music, and certainly hardcore fans looking for a twist on the downtempo formula.

[heilmax1995]

Throwback review: Norma Jean - Bless The Martyr and Kiss The Child

There was once a time, when Christian hardcore bands were consistently releasing music that could stand on its own feet in the larger scene. Some bands still are (ABR comes to mind), but one can’t deny the potency of what was being produced in the early to mid 2000’s. In such a diverse explosion of creativity within extreme Christian music, I’d be hard pressed to choose an album more pivotal than Norma Jean’s Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child. Released in 2002, it is the only album in the band’s discography to feature Josh Scogin on vocal duties. Bless The Martyr sports a level of visceral rage and artistic brazenness that is hard to match inside and outside their sphere of influence.

While the style of turbulent, mathematical, relentless metalcore Norma Jean helped popularize had already been pioneered by acts like Botch and Dillinger Escape Plan during previous years, the Douglasville natives added a healthy dose of accessibility to an intimidating wall of sound. Traditional notions of melody and songwriting are still forsaken in favor of dissonance and nonlinear arrangements, yet there are more followable and catchy passages to be found here. Whereas Dillinger’s Calculating Infinity (1999) stampedes over musical boundaries, Bless the Martyr allows some room to breathe without sacrificing heaviness or grit. This makes for a listening experience that can be as cohesive as it is jarring.

“The Entire World Is Counting On Me And They Don't Even Know It” (remember when it was cool to use complex sentences as song titles?) gets straight to the point. Chaotic, atonal riffage and frenetic drumming create a perfect platform for Scogin’s unhinged delivery, which soon drops into the style of playing that makes Bless the Martyr so striking. Polyrhythmic band hits stab through the mix, with entirely incomprehensible vocals following suite. This is essentially Norma Jean seeing how far they can step over the line before ending up with nonmusical lunacy. Many would say that they found just that, but lots of people (including me) saw it as raw expression. This is what makes Bless the Martyr stand out: it’s entirely unapologetic about what it is, shoving itself down the listener's throat.

While the opening track does do a good job of summing up what this album is all about, the following songs are far from derivative. “Face: Face” introduces infectious groove within the pandemonium, something that pervades throughout this album, and “Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste” serves as the ‘hit single’ of it. “Memphis…” is Norma Jean’s the flagship song for a reason. It destroys. With obliterating breakdowns, creepy interludes, and a killer spoken word outro in the midst of the style of songwriting was introduced in “The Entire World,” I can’t say enough about how great this song is. This isn’t to say that the rest of the album goes downhill.

Norma Jean is often associated with mathcore, which is understandable when one listens to “Creating Something Out Of Nothing, Only To Destroy It.” Largely centered around a 11/8 time signature, this track exemplifies an unprecedented amount of musicality before segueing into one of the most pissed of passages I’ve heard in any song. “LIKE BRINGING A KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT” repeats over a crushing breakdown, only to collapse into the intro groove with an ever increasing wall of feedback. Said feedback transitions into the longest track on the album. “Pretty Soon, I Don't Know What, But Something Is Going To Happen” is a strange animal. Drawing on sludge metal as much as it does mathcore and metalcore, listeners are greeted by a hypnotic dirge instead of taking a vicious beating. Even the midsection of the song, which starts to resemble what is expected from Norma Jean, maintains a trance-inducing quality. The drums are the musical standout on this track, keeping the repetitious from becoming monotonous and adding some tasty flare to sparse arrangements.

The rest of Bless the Martyr revolves around the elements that have been introduced thus far, albeit in various combinations. While “Sometimes It's Our Mistakes That Make For The Greatest Ideas” and “It Was As If The Dead Man Stood Upon The Air” feature lurching broodiness, tracks like “The Shotgun Message” and “I Used To Hate Cell Phones But Now I Hate Car Accidents” feature unbridled sonic mayhem. “The Human Face, Divine” and the final track, “Organized Beyond Recognition,” bring Bless the Martyr to a close with compositional splendor. Sludgy, pandemonious riffage meshes with stirring atmospheres and progressive tendencies, which provides a solid ending to a brilliant album.

Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child stands with Underoath’s The Changing of Times and Zao’s Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest as a true milestone in the Christian music underground that can hold its own in any discussion of 00’s era metalcore.

[heilmax1995]

20 songs you should listen to before 2015 ends.

Up Into The Heavens Down Into The Circles Of Hell - Gnaw Their Tongues

The Netherlands based madman Mories returns with a (dare I say) more accessible approach than he is known for. This basically amounts to having a bit more sections to headbang to while sonic dismentation envelops you.

Luna - Deafheaven The San Francisco natives deal more damage than ever before while maintaining the sweetened post-rock elements that they’ve become known for. A wonderful track from a genre-defining record.

Pull the Thorns from Your Heart - Senses Fail This is essential listening for anyone who thought they knew anything about Senses Fail, or how the emo/pop-punk bands have been riding with the times. Superb songwriting charged with artistic bravery and emotional bluntness.

Young Gloom - Black Tongue Thought you knew heavy? Ha… Black Tongue combine doom and beatdown to a devastating effect. This track encompasses everything good about both genres, and certainly worth the time of any aficionado of extreme music.

Enemigo - Xibalba Heavy hardcore from Pomona, California with old school death/doom metal to boot. This is the golden standard for the current trend.

Iron Moon - Chelsea Wolfe Proving once again that doom metal can be a perfect medium for a singer/songwriter sensibility, Chelsea Wolfe crushes one’s senses as easily as she soothes them. Definitely essential for eclectic folksters or doomsters alike.

Doomed - Bring Me the Horizon Arguably the Metalica of metalcore, BMTH proves that they can shed their tough exterior in favor of a hookier feel without losing credibility. This is a great track to throw in the face of people who believe going soft is selling out.

The Coma Machine - Between the Buried and Me. When a progressive metal act orchestrates a rock-opera, you’d better listen up. This track is a perfect example of how BTBAM stay ahead of the pack by avoiding the cliches of their genre.

Xenophobe - Zao The metalcore legends are back in business with a single to be reckoned with. This song is a reminder of how fresh the genre can still sound.

Burn It All - Shining Putting NIN-style industrial rock through the filter of free-jazz and mathcore, Jørgen Munkeby and friends deliver more blistering “black jazz” that leaves you unsure of what you just heard, but desperate for more.

u - Kendrick Lamar I’m well aware than recommending one song from this landmark album is impossible to do without taking other equally awesome tracks out of the spotlight, but “u” has an emotional weight to it that cannot be replicated. This is a true-to-the-heart exploration of the less savory depths of Kendrick’s mind.

Sovereignty of Grief - Fourth Crusade Hailing from Hesse Germany, these guys are still trying to get their footing in the larger hardcore scene. This stuff is visceral, genuinely pissed off, and painfully underrated.

Lilac Queen - mewithoutyou Riveting spoken word vocal delivery in a crossroads between folk and post-hardcore isn’t new, but Aaron Weiss and company remind listeners how emotionally stimulating this form of music can be.

Something Divine - Nyves When two well known figures in the Christian rock/metal scene collaborate to make electro-rock and call the result Anxiety, the result should be a melodramatic, disingenuous piece of crap. Ryan Clark and Randy Torres defied expectations and made something truly unique.

Bigot - Alters When a Christian(?) hardcore band calls out their own scene, you’d better listen up. This adrenalin pumping, brutally honest track is as real as it gets.

Suffocation, A Burial: I - Awoken (Breathing Teeth) - Bell Witch Bell Witch is the only funeral doom band you need to listen to this year. There. I said it. Get mad about it.

Reign Array - Liturgy After profoundly upsetting metal elitists with their brand of “transcendental black metal,” the Brooklyn based quartet again challenges any pre existing notions of what metal should sound like. The results are polarizing, but rewarding.

Birch Bark Box - Steve Von Till The post-metal master behind Neurosis releases some killer ambient folk that retains the morosity he is known for while exploring new sonic territory. This song showcases Von Till’s diverse musicality and songwriting chops in a way that hasn’t been seen before.

Circo Inhumanitas - Cattle Decapitation I’m sure there’s plenty of solid death metal bands out there that deserve recognition, but Cattle Decap take the cake with this spectacular opus. I feel that this track sums it up best: undeniable melody pervading through a viciously meticulous assault of anti-humanitarian death metal.

What You Keep Alive - Red Post-grunge isn’t known for producing anything of much worth… at all… but Red maintain artistic integrity though orchestral brilliance and hard hitting intensity.

[heilmax1995]

Deafheaven Flex Their Metal Muscles

San Francisco's Deafheaven created quite a splash when they dropped their sophomore album Sunbather. Some referred to it as the most important metal album of the decade, while others called it the worst thing to ever happen to black metal. I certainly respect Deafheaven as songwriters, but I don’t by any means see them as seminal within the post-black metal scene. Bands like Agalloch and Wolves In The Throne Room laid down the groundwork for the style during the previous decade, which essentially made Deafheaven the Metallica of blackgaze. Sunbather brought an underground movement to the masses and showed them a gentler, more romantic side of metal through their sheer musical chops and knack for toying with the listener’s emotions. As years continued to pass since that album dropped, it became apparent that it would be hard to top. How does a band approach songwriting after many people believe they already created their magnum opus? Deafheaven set out to blow away expectations, and did so quite beautifully. They could’ve made Sunbather part two, but they chose to blaze a different artistic trail with New Bermuda. Deafheaven maintains much of what made their back catalogue superb whilst introducing new levels of heaviness.

When I first heard that the new Deafheaven record was going to have influence from Slayer, I was tempted to dismiss the hype as an attempt to get metal elitists to buy their album. New Bermuda was either going to improve the formula of Sunbather, or completely ruin the spark they had in an attempt to win over the people who always dismissed them. The former possibility became more realized for me as I listened to the album. The guitar duo of Shiv Mehra and Kerry McCoy often embrace the alternate picking of old school thrash metal in sections like the intro riff of “Luna” and the outro for “Baby Blue” and it sounds incredible. The chord progressions are also much less overtly happy than those found on Sunbather, giving way to dissonant chords and tremolo picking lines played at blistering speeds. While there is still plenty of resolve within the melodic structure of the songs, the listener must first journey through a harrowing extreme metal wilderness before reaching the clearing of post-rock solace; said wilderness is not without its frostbitten winds.

The vocals on New Bermuda are much higher in the mix than before, and pack a much more vicious punch. George Clarke gives the most brutal vocal performance of his career in these tracks, with his startling vocal range and powerful delivery becoming much more prominent in the overall sound. His growls, snarls, and shrieks cut through the instrumentation and terrify as much as they pacify. The drums are similar in this regard because they too are given much more sonic space than they had before. Everything from blastbeats to cool-cat grooves are charged with brazen aggression and grit, adding much welcomed power to the austere beauty Deafheaven was known for in their prior material. However, I would advise metal elitists to hold their applause.

Although there’s an undeniable increase of metalness to New Bermuda, it’s still very much a post-metal record. For every headbanging assault, there’s delicate piano interludes (the outro of “Brought to the Water”) or soothing post-rock balladry (the ¾ mark of “Luna”) to send the tr00est of the tr00 running back to their havens of goregrind and slam-death metal. In fact, it is this duality between ugly and pretty sides of the musical spectrum that makes New Bermuda such an engaging listen. The fact Deafheaven is still capable of lulling their listeners to sleep even after melting their faces is a testament to how strong their songwriting chops are and how adept they are at mixing many elements together in a way that is as exquisite as it is unique.

In short, listen to this album. It’s another great post-metal album with sonic diversity to boot.

[heilmax1995]

Always evolving... Ever crushing: Gnaw Their Tongues-Abyss of Longing Throats

It’s hard to talk about Gnaw Their Tongues in musical terms, because nothing about this Netherlands based project of the enigmatic Mories is in any way normal. Taking from the harshest noise music, the most sinister ambient, the heaviest doom metal, the most frigid black metal, and a ton of alien sampling, GTT is truly a sonic monstrosity. Mories is still just as determined to be the most industrious person within the darkest reaches of the extreme metal underground. Since the 2012 release of Eschatological Scatology, he has contributed to a split with Ancestry, Don Yule, and Alex Mein Smith, collaborated with Alkerdeel, and released two EPs and a 15-track compilation. With this 37th release, Mories shows that he has no intention of slowing down. Abyss of Longing Throats certainly packs a punch. It takes cues from Eschatological Scatology, in that there are more elements that can be directly associated with metal without having to bring up “noise,” or “experimental” first. Abyss of Longing Throats might be a bit less perplexing than previous works, but is no less punishing.

The purpose of this album is clear: to take black metal and doom metal to the farthest extremes possible while maintaining distinctive characteristics from those genres. Does that mean Gnaw Their Tongues sold out? Hardly. But when you compare Abyss of Longing Throats with All the Dread Magnificence of Perversity it becomes clear that Mories has become more calculated in his methods of sonic dismentation. For example, hearing what sounds like a guitar instead of souped up bass on opening track “Lick The Poison From The Cave Walls” didn’t make the song less GTTish as much as it made it more identifiable as a slow-motion black metal song. In the same way, the blast beat that opens the title track provides familiarity as bass and synth create a misshapen atmosphere. For every soul crushing noisescape, there’s a mournful melody to remind you that what you’re actually listening to a song. However, it would be unwise to assume that this would make these songs listener friendly.

Those who are crazy enough to enjoy Gnaw Their Tongues’s back catalogue (like me), can rest assured that Abyss of Longing Throats won’t be an album you’ll break out for a headbanging good time. Mories still brings top tier vocal torment, and it’s higher in the mix than usual. This gave me newfound appreciation for his voice and how much character it can have. Complete with unnerving samples from God knows what, off kilter sound manipulations, and grating harshness amidst all the crushing metal, this album delivers plenty of what GTT is known for -- complete pandemonium. Just when a song seems to be going somewhere (dare I say it) conventional, it drops into that maddening racket that has become so polarizing in the metal community. While there are more things for the less experienced noise monger to grab hold of, Abyss of Longing Throats will still send the faint of heart running for the hills.

I know it’s a melodramatic thing to say, but I would say that Mories has created the most compelling work of his career with Abyss of Longing Throats. The added musicality doesn’t take away from the harshness, and actually adds to the emotional weight of the album. Longtime fans will be as satisfied while the less initiated listener could find a way to “ease” themselves into this style of music.

[heilmax1995]

An Interview with Tyler Campbell of Nott

Anyone with an interest in extreme music has had that moment where they listen to a band and wonder, “could music get any heavier than this?” A one-man project called Nott caused that moment to me. When Tyler Campbell turns up to eleven, you’d better brace yourself before he moves continents with the sheer weight of his music. The self proclaimed “seismic storyteller” has been at it for 3 years and counting, and his music has yet to relent. Some people call it downtempo deathcore, some people call it doom-djent, and some (or maybe just me) call it the sound of the apocalypse. Regardless of its definition, it’s safe to say that Nott is a force to be reckoned with. Campbell was recently kind enough to answer some of my questions about him and his musical ventures. Hope you guys dig it!

Oh and also, check out the Nott Bandcamp page to download tunes and order physical copies!

Q: What were the first bands that inspired you to make music in the first place?

A: I’ve always wanted to make music, but it took me many years to make any serious attempts at writing my own. I noticed that there were a lot of people putting out their own solo-project metal albums that didn’t rely on expensive studios, input from the band, or anything. That was fairly inspiring, but no bands in particular really provoked me to put pen to paper. When the time came where I actually gave it a shot, the bands that I listened to the most were Meshuggah, Gojira, and Lamb of God.

Q: Were there any bands that helped you form the style of playing you are known for today?

A: Not exactly. I try not to sound like any of my influences –at least not directly, and I hope that comes through in the music. What I create is what I want to hear filtered through what I know how to do. Oftentimes the result is a bit different than the intent, but I’ve been satisfied with it. I never know how to classify Nott because I don’t deliberately write “death metal” albums, or “progressive deathcore” albums, for example, so I let other people play the whole genre game. Many of the bands I’ve been compared to recently are bands I hadn’t heard before then.

Q: It’s often said that a person’s environment can greatly influence how they approach creative expression. How did living in Alaska influence your output in Nott?

A: I wrote Devouring Deities, the first Nott EP, during a bitter, cold, Alaskan winter. I don’t recall relying on much external stimulus to write the music or lyrics, but being in that environment certainly affected my headspace; it was a very subconscious, indirect influence, so it’s difficult to quantify the impact it had on the EP itself.

Q: All of your releases deal with Godlike monsters with a bone to pick with the human race. What drives you to write these apocalyptic depictions?

A: For many bands, the music is a vehicle for the lyrics. That is not the case with Nott. In my mind, the music comes first. When I listened back to the stuff I was writing, it sounded seismic and destructive. I wanted to tell stories with my music, so I decided to write about things that were equally massive and devastating to back up what the music was doing. I figure everything should be synergistic to create as solid of a work as possible.

Q: You cite Ahab as an influence on Nott in the project’s Facebook page. In what way, and to what extent, do you consider doom metal to be a part of your sound?

A: I’ve found a deep appreciation for doom metal, and I listen to it quite often. Ahab in particular inspires the hell out of me nowadays. They have an approach to creating size and atmosphere with their layering and progressions that really makes me think, and gives me new ways to approach building music.

I know that Nott doesn’t sound traditionally doomy, but the songwriting and moods are heavily doom-influenced, to a point where I personally consider doom to be a large part of my sound.

Q: Which is more important to you: technicality, or atmosphere?

A: Both are important, and it all depends on what you’re trying to achieve. There are masterfully technical records that are jaw-droppingly impressive, but there’s no texture to them. Similarly, there are atmospheric passages that are stunning and evocative, but there’s really nothing impressive about them from a performance perspective.

That being said, I don’t believe they’re mutually exclusive; a solid record should have its fair share of both. As for which is more important to me -and for Nott- I more often than not think that atmosphere trumps technicality, and that’s only because of the types of albums I’m writing. I’m not compiling a collection of riffs and wankery; I’m telling stories. Each new work up to this point has been a concept piece, where the whole album is telling its own tale through not only the lyrics, but especially through the music. In order to convey the feel and content of each passage, I rely heavily on the tone and atmosphere of the music behind the messages being delivered.

Q: What’s the most un-metal band you currently listen to?

A: I’ve been listening to a lot of The Black Keys lately.

Q: One thing that especially stands out to me about Nott is the vocals. Do you put effects on your vocals, or is this monstrous delivery natural?

A: Completely natural. Outside of standard production chains -compression, EQ, natural saturation, delays, and reverb- it’s just my voice through a Shure SM7.

Q: If you had the opportunity, would you ever assemble a band and bring your seismic storytelling to the masses?

A: A live band for Nott is absolutely something I’m working towards at the moment. The tricky bit is finding the right people for the job.

Q: What’s in the future for Nott?

A: More music, and hopefully a live band as previously mentioned. I’m currently based out of Seattle, so I’m aiming to capitalize on the robust music scene here and seeing where that takes the project.

Q: Is there anything you can share at the moment?

A: I’m currently writing the first Nott full-length. I don’t have much to say about it thus far, but it is actively in progress, and it will be harder hitting than anything I’ve written before now. Stay tuned.

[heilmax1995]

The mere fact that I’m even sitting here writing about the new Senses Fail album at all is still hard for me to grasp. I remember being shown this band almost a decade ago by my cousin, and falling in love with their combination of post-hardcore fury and pop punk hookiness. Since then, I’ve grown to think of them in the same way I think about every emo/pop punk/whatever band of the 00s: great nostalgic value, but not very stimulating on an artistic level. I was honestly surprised to hear this band still existed. I finally decided to suck it up and listen to Pull The Thorns From Your Heart expecting to hear a sad attempt of outdated musicians to cope with the changing times. What I heard was something truly astounding. Pull The Thorns From Your Heart is the sound of Senses Fail thriving in the current musical landscape through sheer skill and musicality.

It’s difficult to explain what Pull The Thorns From Your Heart is actually trying to accomplish. The post-hardcore/emo stuff that Senses Fail is known for is punctuated by forays into dream pop, and that’s not when it gives way to a savage hardcore and even extreme metal. This makes for an eclectic listen. I certainly wasn’t expecting to hear powerviolence in “Dying Words” and a tip of the hat to Deafheaven in “We Are All Returning Home” only to be soothed by “Carry The Weight” and “My Fear of an Unlived Life,” but Senses Fail makes it work. No concern is given to whether something will go over well, or whether audiences will understand it. The mentality shown here seems to be that if you do something well enough, the unexpected twists and turns can only win people’s approval. There are some tracks that stick to one feel, but others incorporate many. The title track makes use of the latter approach to an incredible effect. It begins as a straight ahead hardcore song, lulls the listener into a false sense of security with an uplifting post-rock passage, and then drops into a bone crushing breakdown that would leave the likes of Xibalba green with envy. These transitions were a bit jarring at first listen, and I can only credit the incredible musicality of Senses Fail for the fact I was won over.

While the qualitative consistency of Pull The Thorns From Your Heart in the face of its striking diversity is impressive on its own, there’s a lot more to it than that. Nothing on this album sounds disingenuous. Blast beats sound just as natural as slow grooves, just as the feral growling is with melodic singing. It’s apparent that Senses Fail is not content to be dabbling in stylistic weirdness, as is the fact that they want to do everything they set out to do better than everyone else. When they play hardcore, they play great hardcore. When they play dream-pop, they play great dream-pop. They’re there to take you on an emotional journey, not dazzle you with their eclecticness. This is what has me listening to Pull The Thorns From Your Heart over and over. Each unique approach that is taken adds to the larger whole. Seeing how they all pour into each other is truly what makes Senses Fail shine.

The overall message of this album differs from what one might expect considering the music. “Love is not a song sung by the weak” might seem like a strange line in the ripping hardcore song “The Three Marks of Existence,” but Senses Fail makes it work. This pervading sense of hope is what makes Pull The Thorns From Your Heart unique. They’re not afraid of being cheesy or melodramatic, which is a huge breath of fresh air in a scene that has started to take itself way too seriously. Why not scream about the strength it takes to love recklessly instead of violent hatred? Why not sing about transcending one’s spotted past instead of reveling in the cruelty of this world? Senses Fail’s ability to inject positivity into all of the diverse atmospheres on Pull The Thorns From Your Heart makes it a light in a famously dark scene.

To say that Senses Fail has outdone themselves would be an understatement. The flawless execution, brazenly powerful musicality, and enduringly resonant lyrics result in an engrossing experience that is sure to be cherished by old school fans and newcomers alike. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Pull The Thorns From Your Heart will be one of the best things to happen in music this year, and that it will be remembered as a triumph.

[heilmax1995]

5 Nu Metal Albums That Actually Don’t Suck 

“It’s a dirty word today, but not to the extent of hair metal… People will turn their nose up at it and make jokes and stuff, but I think nu metal definitely still has some kind of cache to it. It is still alive because (those) bands… are just so part of the fabric of metal at this point that they’re not called nu metal.” Monte Conner, Senior VP of Roadrunner Records, was certainly right about one thing when he made the above statement in 2012. With Korn and Limp Bizkit still selling out stadiums, and bands like Sworn In and Emmure injecting the style into their brand of deathcore, it’s hard to deny the fact that nu metal has not only endured, but that it has profoundly influencing generations of angsty teenagers. It’s no secret that nu metal is the subject of a lot of hatred within the larger music community, so how has it managed to continue the way it has? Could it be possible that maybe, just maybe nu metal isn’t quite as awful as people make it out to be? These 5 albums are examples I have found that show how nu metal succeeded and brought something interesting to the table.

Sepultura - Roots (1996)

After they established themselves as one of the greatest bands deathrash had to offer, the Brazilian headbangers pulled a complete one-eighty. Leaving behind blinding speed in favor of fist pumping groove, Sepultura effectively disassociated themselves from what their fans would call “true metal.” From the production provided by the infamous Ross Robinson, to the guest appearances of Limp Bizkit’s DJ Lethal and Korn’s Jonathan Davis, this record is unabashedly nu metal… and it’s great. Roots stands out because of the restraint Sepultura uses. These guys were capable of shredding, as exemplified on albums like Beneath The Remains, but made a decision to bypass all of that on this record. The resulting songs are extremely well executed and even tasteful. This album isn’t simple because it has to be. It is because it can be. Rhythm and groove dominate the album in a way that is as aggressive as it is danceable. This vibe is accentuated through ethnic percussion and chanting. This not only adds emotion and variety to the album, but shows Sepultura’s capacity for inventiveness. Max Cavalera maintained his brutal vocal delivery in the midst of these changes, giving each track its nod back to a savage past. Instead of cashing in on what happened to be cool at the time, Sepultura used a new environment as a means of exploring their cultural roots (HA) while exploring a new form. Roots showed the world that even metal gods could rock the nu school.

Deftones - Around The Fur (1997)

Deftones left nu metal behind after Around The Fur, but still made an incredible contribution to the movement and music in general with that sophomore album. If co-writing a song with Max Cavalera wasn’t proof enough, songs like “My Own Summer” and “Lotion” were as nu as can be. However, it would be unwise to write this album off as another dunderheaded workout anthem. Around The Fur sports a plethora of influences, including dream pop and shoegaze. This makes for an emotional rollercoaster of an album with a great dynamic range. They manifest in the instruments through the exploration of oddball arrangements and effects. “Mascara” and “Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)” are prime examples of how Deftones courageously explored a spectrum far removed from their brethren. However, the vocal delivery of Chino Moreno is the most drastic departure from the norm. He uses his voice as an instrument, providing layers of melancholy, ferocity, and ambience to Deftones in a way that is unique to himself There will never come a day when the eerie croons on “My Own Summer” don’t send chills up my spine. While Deftones would fully embrace their eccentricities later in their career, Around The Fur stands as a triumph in the genre of nu metal.

Slipknot - Slipknot (1999)

Since Mate.Feed.Kill.Repeat, the nine maniacs from Iowa have changed their style quite a bit. Even so, it’s hard to deny the their place in the nu metal when listening to their major label debut. Turntables, angsty lyrics, and guitarists with an affinity for riding the bottom string are all there, but the band still had one foot in their oddball beginnings. Besides the re-recorded M.F.K.R. tracks, “Prosthetics” and “Scissors” are not afraid to alienate the people who fell in love with “Wait And Bleed” as they explore industrial metal and even noise music. Another step up is the influence from death metal, which manifests in Joey Jordison’s wildfire drumming and (sometimes) Corey Taylor’s vocals. This adds to the intensity of the record, as well as the variety and dexterity. “Eeyore” is the most obvious example of this, as it had full on blast-beats and death growls, but DM is an integral part of many passages in this album. Corey probably gave the most insane vocal performance of his career on this album. Whether he’s rapping, growling, singing, or literally having a nervous breakdown, I’d be hard pressed to find a more unhinged assault. The two custom percussionists, as gimmicky as they might seem, are used to a surprisingly musical effect. They add weight and diversity to each song (you have to listen for it to notice all of the nuances), and songs like “Scissors” and “Prosthetics” feature inventive interplay between them and the drumset. Slipknot were able to maintain brutality and bravery as they exploded into the mainstream market.

Mudvayne - L.D. 50 (2000)

Because the genres takes a lot of influence from funk, bass players are important in nu metal. Fieldy of Korn is probably the most famous, but even he is trumped by the prowess shown by Ryan “Ryknow” Martine of Mudvayne. Not only is his groove on point, but he’s not afraid to go on his own melodic and modulative tangents. There are multiple points on this album where the bass still blows my mind, and this is after listening to Dream Theater and Primus. I would go so far as to say Martine is the Cliff Burton of Nu Metal, as his playing truly shines. Not only that, but L.D. 50 features some of the greatest songs that were ever released in the scene. With riffs that crush as much as they disturb, and a drummer who knows exactly when to cut loose and when to serve the song, this record never has a dull moment. Mudvayne is able to bridge the gap between experimentation and aggression. For every showy bass lick or oddly timed synchronized hits, there’s a hard-hitting groove for kids to rage to. The vocals are also superb. Unlike a lot of his contemporaries, Chad “Kud” Gray could muster a compelling melody as well as a gut wrenching growl or angst ridden wail. Instead of making the excuse that his voice “fits the music” to compensate for the fact he sucks, I can honestly say Gray is a stellar vocalist with consistent delivery. L.D. 50 will continue to be a standard for the nu metal movement in terms of musical chops and variety in a sea of shameless mediocrity.

Motograter - Motograter (2003)

This band is known for being the band Ivan Moody was in before he became the vocalist Five Finger Death Punch (he went by “Ghost” back then), and they weren’t ever very successful. I probably wouldn’t have discovered them if Metalsucks.net hadn’t made fun of them for reuniting (with a completely different lineup). I’m certainly glad I did, because Motograter exemplifies second generation nu metal that isn’t atrocious. Their self-titled album isn’t without its faults (some of Moody’s lyrics could’ve been written by an 8-year-old), but they still stand above the likes of Staind and Disturbed. Firstly, and most obviously, is the instrument that shares its name with the band. It’s essentially a tabletop guitar with industrial cables for strings. The cables are struck with a drumstick to generate sound, and that sound is actually really cool. The motograter’s tone embraces the “Clickity-clack” bass tone that the likes of Korn and Coal Chamber were often maligned for. By creating a bass-ish instrument that is stylistically designed to be percussive and rhythmic instead of melodic, Motograter embraced the stigmas of their genre by embracing them in an inventive way. Like Slipknot did before them, Motograter transitioned away from a more experimental background when they dropped their debut. The band’s industrial background maintains presence through short transition tracks while the motograter and extra percussion contribute to that influence within the actual songs. Speaking of songs, they still sound the way one would expect from nu metal, but the above factors keep it from becoming forgettable. Like I said, the lyrics on this album are awful, but the musical elements of Motograter make the album worth checking out.

[heilmax1995]

Exiled From Light: If Xasthur Didn’t Suck

Depressive suicidal black metal has become a scene to be reckoned with. Bands have sprouted from all corners of the globe with sounds ranging from the progressive black’n’roll chops of Shining to the claustrophobic dirges of Xasthur. Exiled From Light fall into the latter category. In fact, I draw many connections between this band and Xasthur in terms of song structure and vocals. The difference, of course, is that whereas Scott Conner’s project lacks memorable musicianship, the New Zealand based project mastermind Mort is actually as artistically compelling as it is depressive.

Like I said, Mort takes a lot of pointers from Xasthur in the vocal department. His screams are throaty, tortured, and powerfully resonant. They mix well with the music, giving the instruments room to breathe. There’s really nothing else to say about his vocals. They don’t deviate much from the template of Scott Conner. If you like that style of vocals, you’ll like these a lot. What really makes this album stand out is the music in which these vocals find a home.

I’m usually iffy about drum machines in depressive black metal. The mechanical nature of that approach often conflicts with the floatier, reverb soaked guitars, and 90% of the beats end up being redundant and boring. There Is No Beauty Left Here officially cured me of that response. Mort escapes from the pitfalls of his scene, in that while others would choose to play drums badly (hi there, opening fill of Portal of Sorrow!) or copy and paste a meandering loop, Mort uses drum programming to his advantage. What results is a tight, varied, and driving percussive attack that actually inspires me as a drummer. The fills are well constructed and even technical. The beats feel relatively natural; especially considering a real person is not playing them. Each hit has weight behind it. You can actually <gasp> headbang to a solo DSBM project! WHAT?? The rest of the instruments on this album have less punch, so the drums truly save the day with their power. They keep the vibe from getting stale by balancing the dirgey with the propulsive. Mort didn’t treat programming as an excuse to avoid playing real drums, and created something admirable. I wasn’t prepared to be impressed by the work Mort did in this area, but it’s probably my favorite part of the album.

The rest of the elements on There Is No Beauty Left Here don’t stand out for originality as much as they do for how calculated they are. Ambient keyboard pads lay the foundation of much of the music, while buzz saw guitars drive the modulative and melodic parts. The keyboard pads rarely become more than washy soundscapes. However, the sounds Mort uses are still distinctive, giving each song its own unique shade of despondency. Because they don’t deal with moving lines or anything overtly melodic, Mort makes that part of his sound that listeners only notice when it’s not there. This isn’t to say that the guitars are particularly flashy either, though. They’re pretty run-of-the-mill. There isn’t anything Mort does that hasn’t been done a lot of times in the DSBM genre. The familiar bassless production and reverb filled guitar tone will certainly leave listeners expecting curveballs disappointed. If Mort wasn’t so great at what he does, his songs would be completely forgettable. There’s something to be said about doing something so well that people forget that they’ve technically heard it before, and that’s what Mort does on There Is No Beauty Left Here. Whether it be Tremolo picking, finger picking, or fuzzed out chords, each style of playing is used to superb effect. There are no points during which I thought, “Wow, that was generic.” This is especially impressive because There Is No Beauty Left Here features 6 songs by Exiled From Light that go well over the 10-minute mark. Attention to dynamics is largely to thank for it. Mort knows when to blast people’s faces off and when to lull them into a false sense of security. This reflects in his playing and song writing. I certainly wouldn’t go into this album looking for something easy to listen to, but each of these long winded explorations of despair will horrify and completely engross even the most hardened veterans of the genre.

I was expecting the extra tracks to be more of the same. To my surprise, the 3 tracks by Funereal go in a noticeably different direction than those before them. I would describe them as death doom. There’s still black metal influence, but the low tuned guitars are crushing and chunky (bass is audible!), the drums are simpler, and the vocals are mostly growled instead of shrieked. The craftsmanship Mort displays on Exiled From Light is evident in Funereal, and he makes use of other aspects of his musicianship. Focusing on simple, hard hitting groove and cavernous riffage, Mort shows that he can create a doom metal mudslide as naturally as he can create a black metal blizzard. One thing that stuck out to me was his use of piano sounds instead of synth. There are many times where they shine, creating wonderfully mournful atmospheres.

There Is No Beauty Left Here is a well-crafted album of depressive suicidal black metal goodness with some death doom thrown in for good measure. I recommend it to people who think they’ve heard all DSBM has to offer once they’ve heard the likes of Xasthur. Go for a walk during the twilight hours, put this record on, and listen to the genre in all its sublimity.

[heilmax1995]

Zao: The Violent Return

Whenever I talk about Zao, I end up wanting to discuss every aspect of the band. This is probably because I’ve watched The Lesser Lights of Heaven DVD more times than I care to disclose, and definitely because Zao is my favorite thing to come out of the metalcore movement. I’m going to try my best to talk about “Xenophobe” without sounding like a shameless fan-boy. I’ll fail, but please give me credit for trying.

From the moment this track began, I had a smile on my face. This is Zao. This is metalcore in its most emotionally riveting form. The first thing I noticed was a return to a dirty sound. 2009’s Awake? had polished production and relatively safe songwriting, something many longtime fines disliked. Those who were worried that Zao had started to fall into the clichés of their scene can breath a sigh of relief… or I guess they could try as they get eviscerated.

The reunited guitar duo of Scott Mellinger and Russ Cogdell intermingle the more chaotic riffs heard on 2006’s The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here with the crushing heaviness of 1999’s Liberate Te Ex Inferis. However, “Xenophobe” sports an exceeding amount of technicality. Complete with a harmonious guitar solo followed by a proggy post rock passage (alliteration! I Love it!), Zao displays a flashier side without sacrificing the blistering assault they’re known for.

Speaking of blistering assaults, the high register stabs of “Xenophobe” could pierce a Minotaur's heart, and the sludgy grooves could flatten a mountain. I thought I knew what Zao was capable of, and then the song hit the 2:10 mark. Chills ran up my spine as the band dropped into the heaviest, most dissonant, and most stand-outish breakdown/jam/crushfest I’ve heard in a while. I was head banging from the moment I heard it, and am still recovering from the resulting bangover.

The drums on this record are what you’d expect from Jeff Gretz. They’re precise, tasteful, and dynamic. This is hard to find within the metalcore genre, and I’m glad I can still find it in him. In a similar way, Marty Lunn continues to deliver what he’s known for - melodic bass sensibilities with an enduring hardcore ethos. The two musicians lock up to not only give the perfect rhythmic backdrop for the song, but to add depth to arrangements. And then... there’s Dan.

Oh man, where do I even begin with Dan Weydant. Besides being one of the (if not actually the) most profound lyricists in the metalcore genre, his vocal style is iconic and monstrous. If I had to compare the vocals on “Xenophobe” to previous outings, I’d put it somewhere between Liberate and The Fear. The distortion and aggression of the former is present, but the visceral layerings of the latter punctuate the emotional weight of his delivery. Lyrically, Dan goes in a more straightforward direction than many would expect from him. He’s still Dan though, so the discernable lyrics remain as irate as they are deep.

In short, I’m completely blown away by this single. Everything about it is perfect. The fact Zao can do so much within 3 minutes and 10 seconds attests to how incredibly musical they can be as a unit. Words can’t describe how excited I am to hear their upcoming material.