ALBUM REVIEWS!; New Music From Konkeror, Rob Zombie, Eyehategod, Crowbar, Sabaton, Marty Friedman, Elvenking, Misery Index, Black Anvil, Enabler, Bury Tomorrow, Gluttony; May 27th 2014
This week we've got new music from Crowbar, Misery Index, Gluttony, Enabler, Black Anvil, Sabaton, and more! Plus the long-awaited self-titled comeback album from Eyehategod, and the brand new "The Zombie Horror Picture Show" concert DVD from industrial metal heavyweight Rob Zombie!
And finally, one of my most anticipated albums of 2014; "Inferno" by Marty Friedman, the same genius behind Cacophony and Megadeth's masterpieces "Rust In Peace" and "Countdown To Extinction". And of course, he's brought some friends along for the ride including Revocation guitarist/frontman Dave Davidson, Children Of Bodom guitarist/frontman Alexi Laiho, and even Danko Jones. Pretty sweet eh?
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"The Abysmal Horizons" (Re-Release) by Konkeror
Death Metal/Progressive Metal
To be fair, this album has technically been around since 2012, but Lacerated Enemy Records is putting the record back on the market for those of us who have yet to experience "The Abysmal Horizons", and see just what exactly we missed out on a few years back. While it's not exactly the next masterpiece in tech-death, it's a solid and surprisingly mature album for a debut, blending a little bit of Suffocation and Gojira into a powerful album. To be fair, this isn't tech-death in the traditional sense, moreso progressive death metal with an old school base, and it works well for Konkeror; 'Towers' is a brooding and empowering death metal number with tons of groovy chugs, 'Incantations' packs some creepy acoustic flair before diving headfirst into breakdowns, and 'Usurpers Of The Primal Womb' is every bit as heavy as you'd expect, with some Deicide influence to add to the mix. Subtly melody carries throughout the album, just enough to keep the momentum going and complement the progressively changing scales and times, but the real focus and highlight is the fury and intelligence hidden beneath a relatively simple formula, one many bands tend to fumble. Here's hoping this leads to more stuff from Konkeror very soon.
"The Zombie Horror Picture Show" by Rob Zombie
Heavy Metal/Industrial Metal
I've seen Rob Zombie on two occassions now; first on tour with Ozzy Osbourne and In This Moment in 2008, and the second just last year when Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival came to Toronto. Both times, he shook the entire place. While that experience is hard to contain in a single release, "The Zombie Horror Picture Show" is the closest he's come in quite some time. Recorded in Texas, "The Zombie Horror Picture Show" encompasses a blistering set from the 90's metal icon, spanning his entire discography with solo material, covers, and some vintage White Zombie to boot. Whether it be through the industrial hammer of 'Superbeast', the slow head-banger of 'Teenage Nosferatu Pussy', or the wildly catchy stomp 'Ging Gang Gong De Go Gong De Laga Raga', Rob and his band deliver on every level with the upmost enthusiasm. Just watch the entire stadium jump and scream when they play Grand Funk Railroad's 'We're An American Band!', and how that energy is redirected straight back with nothing but a riff and a beat. "The Zombie Horror Picture Show" is the definitive Rob Zombie live album, and comes with enough other extras to keep the diehards happy for some time.
"Eyehategod" by Eyehategod
While it's been many a year since Eyehategod's last album, "Confederacy Of Ruined Lives" was released in 2000 to be specific, this self-titled affair proves quick that age is only a number to these titans of sludge, as the album pummels, twists, and throbs away. After opening on the immediate hardcore of 'Agitation! Propaganda!', the album delves into Eyehategod's signature sludge in the likes of 'Parish Motel Sickness' and 'Robitussin & Rejection', but you'll notice this isn't quite as sloppy as previous material, instead tighter with a beefy modern production. It doesn't ruin Eyehategod, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss that more natural almost drowsy feel. Still, these guys deliver; Joey LaCaze's last recorded performance is a sure hit, as he grooves pounds alongside his bandmates, backing up some dark and sometimes thought proving lyrics, to create evocative imagery that lives up to the very name of Eyehategod. This isn't quite the gamechanger that "Dopesick" was, but "Eyehategod" is a wildly solid album nonetheless, as it ignites sludgy and heavy fires in attempts to assume, corrupt, and destroy. Definitely a good return for a band that we almost forgot about.
"Symmetry In Black" by Crowbar
Say what you will about Crowbar, they can still knock you down harder than anyone else. While they're certainly one of the most musically conservative bands in the industry, regardless of genre, its hard to deny they still know what they're doing. Whether it be on the fat gloomy riffs and harmonies of 'Reflection Of Deceit', the brooding power of 'Walk With Knowledge Wisely', or the moving atmospheric moments of 'The Piety Of Self-Loathing', Crowbar prove that they are Crowbar, love 'em or hate 'em. Fans expecting new sounds and directions for Crowbar will be upset by "Symmetry In Black"'s very stubborn outlook, but lets face it; chances are you already know EXACTLY what type of band this is and what they're about, so while I'll admit that I'd be lying if I didn't want to see these guys expand their horizons after almost 20 years in the business, I can't blame them for going this route, after all, they're Crowbar. The riffs are solid, the writing is solid, the music is slow and grueling, and "Symmetry In Black" displays a band settling in a great comfortable spot where nothing can go wrong.
Sabaton will never top "Carolus Rex". It is their smartest album, their most emotional, and most interesting. Perhaps knowing this, Sabaton opted to return to their simpler and WWII-oriented brand of power metal, instead of continuing to explore new territory. The results are mixed; something that Sabaton fans that will no doubt enjoy simply because its Sabaton, but an album that just doesn't set itself apart from previous releases, revelling in the same lyrical tropes and an absurd amount of testosterone filled war metal. Joakim himself is still a fantastic vocalist, straying from the typical over-the-top wails and instead sporting a deeper more natural tone, one that complements the grand battles his lyrics praise, but everything else is the same tired tripe you expect from Sabaton; big choirs, war imagery, synths, and a history textbook's worth of battle-themed lyrics. 'To Hell & Back' is an exception due to some odd but fitting folk metal influence, and their cover of Metallica's 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' is as fearsome and grueling as the original, but the rest of it fails to impress, especially not the out-of-place 'The Ballad Of Bull', a ridiculously cheesy and poorly written number that stands among the worst of Sabaton's career. You could go back and listen to early Sabaton albums and get the same experience you get on "Heroes", making this album utterly forgettable unless you're a diehard fan, and a sad way to follow-up what was the best album of 2012.
"Inferno" by Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman is a fucking maniac on guitar, no doubt about it, but how can he handle performing for us North Americans after playing and recording almost exclusively in Japan so long? Apparently extremely well; "Inferno" is everything you expect a great instrumental metal album to be, and much more. It's crafted with the complexity and fire of an Animals As Leaders album, but not nearly as introspective or progressive. It becomes clear quickly that Marty's thrash and speed metal roots are still very true to him, but experimentation is still present, notably in the subtle J-rock/thrash hybrid of the title track, the groove metal influenced number of 'Sociopaths', and the classic yet diverse NWOBHM guitar melodies of 'Hyper Doom'. Each song is something relatively new for Marty, while still staying true to mostly thrash and speed, even with some special guests to boot who bring along their own flavours and spices; Revocation's Dave Davidson somehow steals the show on 'Sociopaths', Jorgen Monkeby shocks with a saxophone part on 'Meat Hook', and even Cacophony bandmate Jason Becker shows up on 'Horrors'. There are plenty more guests, even a surprising spot from Danko Jones, and all of them mesh so well with Marty's own bombastic style. These aren't mere duo's or instrumental tracks, these are full on powerful and innovative collaborations, and they all rock. "Inferno" is the best thing Marty Friedman has done since "Rust In Peace", period.
Rating: 4.5/5 (Incredible!)
"The Pagan Manifesto" by Elvenking
The latest Elvenking is every bit as cheesy and bombastic as you've come to expect from any album in this genre, but as usual, that doesn't mean its bad, far from it actually. The opening flutes are a sweet and natural touch, as they pave the way for a big blast of power and folk metal, and it's the trade-off between the shimmering guitars and flutes that often steal the spotlight; they weave in and out of different melodies and harmonies constantly, always in time with one another despite the actual time changes in the song, and strings often follow behind to create some scale on top of that. This is best demonstrated on 'King Of The Elves', which also packs the albums best hooks. The grand almost thrash-like scale and composition of 'Elvenlegions' is another standout, as does the big drinking melody of 'Pagan Revolution', which bounces like a happy bar song. Lyrically the album is as light-hearted and magic-heavy as "The Hobbit", and that's where a good majority of the cheese comes from. But hey, who really cares? In the end, "The Pagan Manifesto" is wildly fun, with some fantastic song-writing, big hooks, and awesome use of folk music. Another solid round of catchy metal from Elvenking for sure.
"The Killing Gods" by Misery Index
If we're being honest; this is actually my first encounter with Misery Index. Somehow, I just haven't listened to them before, but "The Killing Gods" showcases everything people have told me about Misery Index. Its dark, its heavy, and it reeks of hatred and death. While certainly not a drastic experiment for death, Misery Index's knack is their penchant for groove and timing; 'Cross To Bear' packs gigantic chugs of roofs with battering ram percussion, 'Colony Collapse' has a crusty/hardcore feel to it with a steady rock base, 'Heretics' pounds away like true death metal and a rumbling bass, and 'The Weakener' is borderline modern groove metal with driving riffs and a winding solo to boot. This knack gives the music great characteristic and allows Misery Index to draw influence from multiple places, which they proudly do in many subtle ways. Their drummer stands out a lot for me personally, but everybody plays great, and while some songs hit harder than others, none of them fail to impress. So yeah, while I'm not super familiar with Misery Index, this encounter with "The Killing Gods" could encourage to look further into their discography in the near future.
"Hail Death" by Black Anvil
Black Anvil is a strange but very unique little beast; a celebration of the diverse end of black metal and New York's driving crossover and hardcore scene that enjoys punching people in the face. Not shocking, seeing as how 3 of these guys were once a part of hardcore unit Kill Your Idols, but that black metal element comes into play far more than you'd think, and the hardcore is subtle, along the lines of Trap Them or even All Pigs Must Die, but it's there just enough to drive the point home and give everything a great visceral edge. As noted though, that black metal is fairly diverse, blending with early thrash worship on 'Still Reborn', stomping Watain-influence and monster riffs on 'Redemption Through Blood', slow-burning fire and melancholy on 'Until The End', and almost progressive influence on the 11 minute closer 'Next Level Black'. There's a lot of stuff going on, and it all sounds fantastic thanks to solid writing, fantastic performance, and some great sound mixing, all encompassed by a band that had a very clear goal from the start. If the album has one itty bitty mis-step, it's the inclusion of 'Under The Rose', a KISS cover. Its not bad at all, but it lacks that sharp and abrasive assault that the rest of "Hail Death" packs. Still, one 'ok' song amongst an albums worth of blackened gold is a fair price to pay if you plan to hail death with Black Anvil.
Rating: 4.5/5 (Incredible!)
"La Fin Absolute Du Monde" by Enabler
Hardcore Punk/Death Metal
"La Fin Absolute Du Monde" sits in a wildly comfortable spot in between old school hardcore and brimming death metal, literally on a line between the two genres. The result is not only heavy, but incredibly abrasive and uncompromising, a somewhat rare thing for anything hardcore-related to have nowadays, unfortunately enough. Whether it be through the classic punk fueled mayhem of 'Close My Eyes', the modern metal carnage of 'Neglect', or the eerie attacks of 'Balance Of Terror', Enabler never stops for a single breath in the albums span, relentlessly hammering away. It's that immediate and constant attitude that makes the album such a monster, coupled of course with an almost sludgy sound mix that makes every note all the more potent and every riff all the more crunchy. The band is a true monster when they slow things down a bit though, borrowing from metalcore but staying true to their sound; by slowing down the riffs, their energy and ferocity is emphasized even more, and soon they sound like the spawn of Satan himself. Enabler is taking hardcore into darker and heavier places, and is a force that any band who DARES to label themselves as 'genuine hardcore' needs to be afraid of.
Ah yes, Bury Tomorrow. Yet another metalcore band that relish in every single trope of modern metalcore, with plenty of breakdowns, introspective lyrics, and uplifting choruses with clean vocals. With that said, Bury Tomorrow seems to have found that extra spice needed to make this often over-cooked recipe WORK to their advantage, crafting some decently catchy tunes and solid music that fans of the genre will surely appreciate. Opener 'Man On Fire' is a strong example, with added scale and some cool guitar flares that give the song a sense of scale, quickly followed up with a strong hook. The trend continues on 'The Torch', which opens immediately on a big hook and some crunchy riffs, and later on with 'Watcher', packing a more traditional hardcore punk riff at first with great guitar interplay, and 'Another Journey', a bouncy and riff-heavy track that packs some powerful and effective hardcore screeches. Bury Tomorrow's knack for writing guitar harmonies with their naturally big hooks helps them big time, and thats where the songs all succeed, but the lyrics are pure emotional tripe; more stuff about believing in yourself, personal battles, etc. The same stuff you'd find scribbled on the note of a fortune cookie or in somebody's diary. Musically the album is significantly stronger than I expected, and vocals are handled with a subtle rasp that gives weight to the introspective themes, but its generic lyrical tendencies bring it down. Here's hoping the next album see's these guys exploring more interesting territory.
"Beyond The Veil Of Flesh" by Gluttony
Gluttony is the perfect name for a band as dark and twisted as this, as they dig straight into the depths of swedish death metal, straying from technicality and progression in favour of pure death and destruction, the kind of death metal that spent all night watching "Evil Dead" and eating pizza before laughing at videos of explosions. The songs are simple as shit, but thats the charm of it all; the riffs and leads absolutely RIP out of the gates, with a primal fury that few death metal bands of today manage to even touch, and the band follows with brooding gutturals and massive rhythm. It brings to mind a much more stripped-down Bloodbath, but despite that raw and basic death metal approach, the sound is beefed up with wall to wall riffs and a solid mix, and every single instrument is given moments to shine, even amongst the crusty chaos. To put it simply, this is a guilty pleasure for death metal fans everywhere. It may not be the most original, or even all that smart, but it knows how to have fun, and that's ultimately all I really ask for when it comes to music of ANY genre.
