Inexorable (Gr: II) - Sea of Dead Consciousness EP

Artist: Inexorable (Gr: II)
Release Title: Sea of Dead Consciousness EP
Year: 2015 (2017 re-issue)
Label: Self-Titled/Independent (Godz of War Productions re-issue)
Genre: Avant-Garde/Technical Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. I
2. II
3. III
4. IV
5. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (Mayhem cover)
6. I Feel Nothing (Immolation cover)
7. Black Magic Mushrooms (Mysticum cover)

Still fine-tuning their sound, German technical death metallers Inexorable have continued to explore the fine line between the churning complex patterns and eerie, dissonant chords that have been at the forefront of their sound from the beginning. Taking their brand to the darkest extremes possible, the bands’ third EP was released March 15, 2015 on Unholy Prophecies with a reissue January 31, 2017 on Godz ov War Productions.

As was the case with the bands’ other works, the emphasis here is decidedly akin to their previous works with plenty of the same overall feel throughout this one. The main element present here is the preponderance of jangled, discordant riff-work that’s a strange mixture of angled, buzzing and generally avant-garde rhythms in complex technical passages which are so prominent that it’s quite a shock to see a vast majority of the album caked in the swampy, filth-riddled passages that are featured here. The bands’ rather epic nature of blending these elements into tight, swirling and extended passages that work quite well throughout here as the vast majority of the work creates that clattering feel throughout here which tends to bury their technical prowess quite adeptly, and it becomes even more apparent with the multitude of cover tracks at the back end of this one. That really is the biggest problem here, in that the cover tracks are such faithful recreations in such distinctive genres and styles that this one really seems split into two distinct sections and styles here, with the first half being jangled and chaotic death metal while the second half is full of straightforward and pummeling black metal without much variation, and there’s a clear difference between the two such that it leaves this one feeling quite disorganized. Still, it’s not all that detrimental as the enjoyable tracks do have a great feel and vibe from them which evens it out a little more.

Despite not really offering up much of a point with the inclusion of the cover tracks at the back end due to their rather disorganized and jarring feel from the original material, the fact that there’s still so much to like here really makes for quite a strong and worthwhile release for fans of challenging material or their past works.

Score: 80/100

Does it sound good? Order the reissue here:
https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/inexorable-sea-of-dead-consciousness

Balfor - Black Serpent Rising

Artist: Balfor
Release Title: Black Serpent Rising
Year: 2017
Label: Drakkar Productions
Genre: Melodic Black/Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Serpents of the Black Sun
2. Dawn of Savage
3. Unbounded Wrath of Venom
4. Heralds of the Fall
5. Among the Fallen Ones
6. Wolfbreed
7. A Vulture's Spell
8. Crimson Stronghold

Never dwelling on their past achievements, Ukrainian melodic black/death metal horde Balfor have certainly taken their time to craft their barbaric black metal assault with the band fine-tuning their approach and style through years of extensive touring and live performances. Now, after a six-year gap between records, the group finally unleashes their third full-length effort released January 15, 2017 on Drakkar Productions.

Taking the cue from their past, the band explodes out with plenty of traditional elements in place to showcase their charging sound in grand fashion. Firmly lodged in swirling tremolo riff-work and explosive melodic leads throughout, the album contains all the brimstone-soaked intensity favored in their blistering approach as the warm, rich accents throughout here create quite the fevered tempos. When this turns around into the more slowed-down, sprawling sections that integrate folk sections and epic-styled rhythms into the flow of the music, generating compelling melodic rhythms through the blackened riff-work as well as these more relaxed areas featured together with the bombastic keyboards and choir sections. For the most part, this approach is given equal time and devotion on the album which makes for quite a striking and highly effective approach that’s quite an exciting and varied effort here as the continually shifting tones and tempos offers up some striking work at times. Despite all the goodwill established by this setup, there’s one small detrimental factor weighing this done in that there’s very surprises in store for the record the deeper it goes, weighing in on the same set-ups and arrangements without really changing them up all too often which really cuts back on the dramatic qualities simply utilizing the same general riffs and approaches. It lowers this just slightly enough even though there’s still a lot to like here.

With plenty of highly enjoyable and worthwhile elements within this one and only a minor flaw that’s not really detrimental, this is yet another strong effort in their catalog that offers up plenty to like for fans of melodic black/death metal or those who are into this style of extreme metal.

Score: 94/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://balfor.bandcamp.com/album/black-serpent-rising

Viranesir - Supports Flag Burning and Female Raping

Artist: Viranesir
Release Title: Supports Flag Burning and Female Raping
Year: 2017
Label: Merdümgiriz
Genre: Avant-Garde Black Metal/Synthpunk
Tracklisting:
1. I Only Like Meat When I Know the Animal Suffered Thoroughly
2. Metal Is Full of Faggots
3. NSBM = Nigger Sucking Bi Metal
4. Burning the Flag of USA
5. Christians Oppose Abortion Because They Like to Fuck Orphans
6. I Support Isis, Nazism and Child Rape
7. Instagram Orospusu / Fat Bitch
8. 666 - Köylü Orospu
9. 666 - Gülsene Orospu
10. 666 - Gerzek Orospu

Jumping headlong into controversy, Turkish experimental black metallers Viranesir have taken more than a fair share of attempted censorship in their quest to break down the barriers of artistic expression and freedom by willfully inviting any act or topic into their influences. The second full solo album by the band after Emir Toğrul became the sole member, the projects’ tenth full-length effort was originally released January 5, 2017 on the band-owned Merdümgiriz label.

Due to the willingness to involve a slew of influences into the mix, the album is a chaotic and certainly jarring mixture of extreme metal that ranges through a wide mix of elements. Though based mainly in the realm of chaotic black metal, resulting in a solid backbone of frenetic tremolo riffing firing off utterly blistering blasts of chaotic noise against relentless walls of distortion and vehement, violent vocals that forms a solid part of the majority of the album. Suitably plotting alongside the ravenous work is absolutely maddening ambient-tinged keyboards and synths that add a dissonant, haunting atmosphere to the savagery and relentless energy elsewhere throughout the album and making for quite a striking opposition. This approach enables for a truly overwhelming attack that consistently maneuvers from shattering black metal to haunting synths that add a truly nightmarish vibe to the album as a whole. If the album has a failing at all, it’s the utterly low-budget recording as the production never allows the material to generate its full impact as the haze-riddled guitars and triggered drumming is all swept into a nearly-indecipherable blur of noise that really does a disservice to the music as the ripping riff-work and constant tempo-shifts just wash themselves out. This isn’t a detrimental factor, though, and can certainly help this out just as easily as strike it down.

Another top-notch highlight from one of the scenes’ most impressive figures, this continues Toğrul’s run of consistent, high-quality releases in the field and certainly makes for a highly enjoyable and worthwhile effort to look into for fans of his previous works or any adventurous extreme metal aficionado looking for something else beyond the norm.

Score: 87/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.merdumgiriz.org/Supports.html

Battery (Den) - Martial Law

Artist: Battery (Den)
Release Title: Martial Law
Year: 2016
Label: Punishment 18 Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The Rapture
2. Proxy Warfare
3. Kukulkan
4. Downfall of an Age
5. 2083
6. Forced Retaliation
7. Battery by Authority
8. Evil Offspring
9. Evoke the Morbid
10. Martial Law

Taking their influences even further, the Danish thrashers under the banner Battery have continued to bring out the bands’ absolute dedication to the old-school Bay-Area style of thrash which has been a part of the group’s history from the start. Being the last recorded output of long-time drummer Andreas Joen before leaving the band, the sophomore release was originally released November 25, 2016 on Punishment 18 Records.

As was the case for the bands’ career, the vast majority of this one concerns the absolutely frenetic and enjoyable bursts of old-school flavored thrash metal. Like many of their compatriots, there’s a strong sense of the rhythms taking plenty of influence from the Bay-Area style here with the fiery, crunchy riff-work and that ever-familiar rumbling series of bass-lines that clang and rattle along with the music quite nicely. With these being the more vibrant and intense tracks, they capture that sense of frantic, engaging thrash-scene effectively with the tight, ripping rhythms being given that old-school sheen due to the crunchy riff-work while also allowing for the group to descend into more laid-back and mid-tempo gallops in order to offer some rather nice diversity which rounds this out nicely. That also does highlight the main issue in that the album is incredibly one-note and one-sided in its appreciation and devotion to the scene that it never once comes off all that original in terms of appearance and generally feel. This one manages to play that same general tactical approach in the old-school riffing and blistering leads which really makes for a rather familiar time that really overwhelms and lowers it somewhat. As well, the fact that it’s quite short due to the tight, frantic rhythms does lower this one somewhat as the intensity levels do bring it back down from what it could’ve been as they’re over before it really matters. However, it’s not nearly as big a detriment as the overall familiar attack.

Although it does have a rather familiar approach and attack that does get hindered here somewhat, the overall infectious attitude and enthusiasm that’s featured here is quite able to overcome much of that in order to make for a solid and worthwhile if non-essential choice for revivalist thrash fanatics or less-discerning thrash fans.

Score: 83/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://batterythrash.bandcamp.com/album/martial-law

Olÿphant - Expedition to the Barrier Peaks

Artist: Olÿphant
Release Title: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks
Year: 2016
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Traditional Heavy Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Dreams in the Witch House
2. Brown Jenkin
3. Incidents in the Butterfly Garden
4. The Grey Havens (To the Sea)
5. S3
6. The Expedition
7. Before the Fall
8. Slave

Formed in 2009, Massachusetts metallers Olÿphant were originally conceived as a classic metal cover band before quickly moving on to writing original music that brings a classic metal with doom and stoner influences to prog and thrash elements alongside. With the group rounded out by second-guitarist Brett Hess prior to the release, the group prepares to self-release it’s debut full-length October 7, 2016.

This has a quite prominent and wholly enjoyable burst of old-school style heavy metal which features a grand assortment of stylistic elements to like about it. Basically dripping with sprawling, mid-tempo dirges, the album’s main focus becomes quite clear early on with the ability to effortlessly shift from these wide-ranging elements as there’s a strong showing of spindly, galloping heavy metal, swirling stoner riff-work and plodding, oppressive doom rhythms that all come together here. This wide-ranging set of influences creates a wide-ranging sense of free-flowing and unpredictable work, never really journeying through the expected realms of the genres in order to continually warp themselves into a finely-tuned effort that’s quite enjoyable when it drops these vastly-varying elements into the journey without warning. At times, though, that does the album a slight disservice as this rarely manages to feel like it shifts all that cohesively, being essentially a wide-ranging hodgepodge of influential elements coming together to create a seemingly jarring and discordant array of tracks without a singular connecting vibe between any of it. That can make for a draining experience rather than what’s expected here with this one being so disjointed in approach that it can take away the surprises in store when it drops in these elements, and is an issue to contend with as the band carries on. Since this is a debut, it does get a slight pass in that regard, but it’s a noticeable issue.

Despite not really containing too many detrimental issues that sprung up throughout this one, the fact that not only was this a debut offering but had a lot to like anyway was more than enough to overcome that in order to be a solid-if-overall unremarkable addition to any fan of classic old-school metal.

Score: 72/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://olyphant.bandcamp.com/album/expedition-to-the-barrier-peaks

Impure Devotion - Raping the God Privileged Flesh EP

Artist: Impure Devotion
Release Title: Raping the God Privileged Flesh EP
Year: 2014
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Black'n'Roll
Tracklisting:
1. Lusting for Lilith
2. Locusts of the Omen's Wake
3. Raping the God Privileged Flesh
4. Entombed in Silent Eternity
5. 5.
6. Sluts of Hell (Nattefrost cover)

Storming out of the underground, Texas-based punk/black’n’rollers Impure Devotion have come together to bring out the exceptionally depraved and demented sounds they crave that gets explored quite adamantly throughout this piece. Representing their first professional release, the bands’ debut EP was originally released December 11, 2014.

Featuring a rather raw and garbled approach, the band certainly steps out in the spotlight with a fierce and fiery first assault that’s quite decent at its overall style. The main genesis to be found here is the filthy, thrashing riff-work that carries out the same dirty, high-energy style and content generally featured in a raucous, simplistic manner that really exposes their punk leanings due to the overall simple-minded nature of the material. This rattling, ferocious material gets plenty of work here over the pounding drumming and fierce vocal work that contains a rather high amount of engaging rhythms full of explosive thrash and punk leanings, and when it’s then taken a step further with the low-fi, ultra-raw and near-garage-band quality production here it makes this all the more frantic and intense. Still, that production is going to be a major hurdle to overcome as the vast majority of the album blends into an indecipherable blur of thrashing guitar noise and thudding drumming which is pretty much what the entire album as a whole consists of. There’s not a whole lot of differences in the tracks which gets emphasized by the simple-minded nature of what’s on offer, and basically that all comes down to lower this one somewhat. Even with these flaws, though, it’s still got quite a lot to like at times.

Despite a few minor missteps that hold it back, the main part of this one offers up enough to like here in terms of raucous energy and intensity that manages to generate enough interest for those that can appreciate this kind of style while those that look for more professional output in the music should heed caution.

Score: 60/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://impuredevotion.bandcamp.com/releases

Откровения Дождя (Revelations of Rain) - Акрасия (Akrasia)

Artist: Откровения Дождя (Revelations of Rain)
Release Title: Акрасия (Akrasia)
Year: 2016
Label: Solitude Productions
Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Алтарь блудниц (Altar of Whores)
2. Сквозь ночь Фобетора (Through Phobetor's Night)
3. Эшафот (Scaffold)
4. В грусти и радости (In Joy and Sorrow)
5. Вместо тысячи слов (Instead of a Thousand Words)
6. Демоны милосердия (Demons of Mercy)
7. Корень всех бед (Root of All Evil)
8. На снежных крыльях (On Snow Wings)

Still exploiting their melancholy vibes, Russian melodic doom/death metallers Откровения Дождя, romanized as Revelations of Rain, continue to bring the anguish, atmosphere and power that has remained at the forefront of their sound for over a decade. Coming together after a three-year break, the group finally releases their fifth full-length album October 24, 2016 on powerhouse label Solitude Productions.

There’s very little reinvention going on throughout this album, and that tends to be one of it’s more impressive marks as it’s focused on their previous works. Continuing forth with an epic grandeur, the album is backed with crushing, monolithic riffing that’s slow, deep and immensely heavy which allows the band to effortlessly shift to varying stylistic approaches without losing their own identity. Utilizing the agonized, lethargic sprawling tempos for the vast majority of their tactical style and then balancing that out with sections of light atmospheric trinkling that showcases a fine melodic bent alongside fiery, up-tempo sections containing the band putting a lot more energetic and riffier segments of more melodic death metal elements getting introduced which really completes the whole dynamic on display. The fact that this one manages to stay on course throughout here without really deviating too much from their standard sound as this one manages to go for a wide range of gloom-infused melancholic doom/death featuring the fine melodies, haunting riff-work and simply crushing patterns that make up the majority of this one that are wholly impressive in their delivery and execution which really helps this one generate quite a large amount of positives over the one low-riding flaw to be found here. This one is exceptionally overlong and really does manage to feel it’s length as it’s quite weighty during various segments in here. It’s not necessarily a detrimental effort, but it’s still noticeable.

Although it gets too weighty and lengthy at times for its own good, the fact that this is still a highly impressive and completely crushing effort which really works nicely here in regards to the genre so that all fans of their past works or melancholic doom metal are encouraged to take notice of this one.

Score: 95/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://revelationsofrain.bandcamp.com/album/akrasia

Vesen - Rorschach

Artist: Vesen
Release Title: Rorschach
Year: 2016
Label: Soulseller Records
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Damnation Path
2. Pray for Fire
3. Target: Horizon
4. Blood, Bones and Pride
5. Screaming Sane
6. Crown of Scars
7. Vulgar, Old and Sick Blasphemy
8. All in Vain
9. Away the Tormentor
10. Final Insult

Finally returning to active duty, Norwegian black/thrashers Vesen have brought forth a concept album about the deteriorating mental state of an individual and how they deal with that told with the traditional sense of style found in their previous work. As the four-year break has brought along their same progressive edge to the forefront, the groups’ fourth full-length was released December 16, 2016 on Soulseller Records.

As what was so prominently a part of the bands’ past catalog, there’s a loud, raucous attack featured throughout here that makes for a generally explosive effort. Fueled by furious, swirling thrash rhythms and a generally full-throttle approach, the vast majority of the release carries this high-energy surge through the material aided nicely by the dark, filthy production style that adds more life to the proceedings. Unleashing the thrashing riff-work to delve into a raucous charge with the high-energy, fire-spitting rhythms that are nicely topped off by the darker patterns featuring plenty of the swirling black metal patterns that are introduced here to give this one quite a prominent darker facet to the music. Balancing it out quite nicely are efforts which drop the high-energy thrashing in favor of the slow, sprawling elements that extend this one out far longer into epics that counteract the tight, vicious thrashing elsewhere here, which is a nice feature though it does seem somewhat out-of-place here with the slow, ponderous rhythms being quite jarring against the more vicious, intense stuff throughout here. It does get a little slack here being that this is a concept album requiring those be placed here to carry the storyline out, but it’s still somewhat of an issue.

As there’s a lot to like here with the bands’ vicious and intense side rather than the more epic, sprawling material which holds it back, those few minor problems are just enough to knock this one back and makes this one really for the most devout and undiscerning fan of blackened thrash metal.

Score: 85/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://soulsellerrecords.aisamerch.com/item/42826

Enemy of Reality - Arakhne

Artist: Enemy of Reality
Release Title: Arakhne
Year: 2016
Label: F.Y.B. Records
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Martyr
2. Reflected
3. Weakness Lies Within
4. Time Immemorial
5. Nouthetisis
6. Afraid No More
7. Showdown
8. The Taste of Defeat
9. In Hiding
10. I Spare You
11. A Gift of Curse

After the success of their previous works, Greek symphonic metallers Enemy of Reality have taken the style and musings of their Greek heritage to present yet another concept album about the titular spider’s creation and carries on from what occurred in the debut. With keyboardist Marianthie being replaced by Leonidas, the groups’ second full-length effort was originally released October 23, 2016 on F.Y.B. Records.

Once again fueled by the bands’ leanings, the main focus here is once again dwelling mainly in bombastic and grandiose rhythms and melodies as befits their symphonic leanings. Loaded with swirling operatic rhythms at the forefront of the music here with the main use of cinematic keyboards offering the dramatic and wholly soaring material present here which cuts through the album as a whole nicely, and fits alongside the remaining parts of the album. Featuring plenty of progressively-tinged Gothic riff-work, dripping with atmospheric touches and a rather strong beefy tone it creates quite an impactful connection here which makes for a much nicer and cohesive whole here that’s given quite a wide berth over the album with the remaining sections going for a more plodding operatic style that keeps this one much more inline with the simplistic side of the Gothic spectrum. Combined into a cohesive whole there’s quite a lot to really like here as this one gets quite a complete sound together, though it does stand as a bit out-of-place at times when it goes for the raspy male shrieks here as the vast majority of the album is quite competent with the dual vocalists together while those other parts just stick out quite badly. It’s not nearly enough to ruin the experience but it’s distracting at times.

Despite a few minor elements where it’s not nearly as impressive as it really could’ve been, for the most part, this here is a highly enjoyable and impressive slice of Gothic-infused symphonic metal that really comes off quite nicely here for hardcore fans of this style or those looking for impressive female-fronted metal acts.

Score: 89/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://enemyofrealityofficial.bigcartel.com/product/arakhne-album

Decayed - The Burning of Heaven

Artist: Decayed
Release Title; The Burning of Heaven
Year: 2016
Label: Hellprod Productions
Genre: Old-School Black Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The Rise of Darkness - Prologue
2. The Burning of Heaven
3. Son of Satan
4. Dark Soul - The Prophecy
5. War of the Gods
6. Defy thy Master
7. The Mirror of Usire
8. Halls of Torment Part II
9. Night of the Demons - Introduction
10. Deaf Forever
11. Cravado na cruz

One of the country’s first genre practitioners, Portuguese black metallers Decayed have brought a rather charging and damaging attack that has been their main basis throughout their twenty-five-plus years of existence that began nearly at the birth of the genre itself. With the power-trio having honed their material into a coherent whole, the groups’ twelfth full-length album comes nearly a calendar year after their last album on July 31, 2016 on Hellprod Records.

Given their history and durability in the genre, there’s quite a prominent and heavy influence here with the bands’ old-school influence firmly on display. This one goes for a mostly simplistic, buzzing quality to the rhythms that features utterly straightforward and truly one-note tremolo-styled riffing firmly entrenched in the crossover area between the first and second-wave black metal movements, containing that fiery, frost-riddled atmosphere while containing the rocking energies and simplistic rhythms that manage to merge these two styles together quite well, and given the genesis of their creation it’s quite appropriate to mix together these styles. While these make up the majority of the album overall, it’s given a nice boost of variety here with the inclusion of vicious, punk-laced efforts that drop all pretenses of mixing together these styles and just go for raging, dirty-thrash styled rhythms and blistering speed. There’s little pretense about these, they’re just straightforward and utterly devastating as a result by focusing primarily on the energy generated by these patterns, and on the whole, there’s not a whole lot to dislike about this. The main issue this brings up here is the fact that the jarring approach that creates here is a rather obvious and wholesale one going through so many wild and varying tones here with the simplistic approach clashing with the raging rhythms as if this were two separate works mashed together for a split album. Likewise, there’s little need for the album to go from twisting, turning ten-minute epics to minute-long interludes which aren’t part of a concept album and leaves the release even more obvious about its discordant feel. However, these are really all it has going against it.

While there’s not a great deal to dislike here, this one still comes off with a somewhat scattered feel and tone that clashes against each other part here that it really seems to offer itself mainly for the bands’ fans or to fans of the more raw, first-wave style of black metal as aficionados of more modern black metal should heed caution.

Score: 81/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://decayed666.bandcamp.com/album/the-burning-of-heaven