Highrider - Armageddon Rock EP

Artist: Highrider
Release Title: Armageddon Rock EP
Year: 2016
Label: The Sign Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
Tracklisting:
1. S=Txl
2. Agony of Limbo
3. The Moment (Plutonium)
4. Semen, Mud and Blood

The debut EP from Swedish heavy metallers Highrider starts this group off on a fine note with some enjoyable work here that makes for quite a solid opening impression. The main basis here is on tight, hard-rocking metal with a mostly enjoyable mid-tempo crunch that’s quite nicely propelled along here with the dynamic drumming which fully manages to feature some rather dynamic pairing. With this all being given a solid mid-tempo pace, on top of it all is a series of swirling, majestic keyboards that spin around the rhythms with a fine flair which makes the album take on a far lighter tone and overall approach than what is normally expected in these hard-rocking efforts. Rather than use them in a sense of grandiose symphonics and bombastic rhythms as expected, there’s a nice bit of experimental offerings attempted here with that slight deviation from the norm here which gives this a nicely unique feel. The fact that this doesn’t really merge nicely with the riff-work though tends to draw the music out into far more dragging mid-tempo work than what would usually be the case here as this one doesn’t really generate the kind of enthusiastic or blistering charge of action usually associated with such material and can feel draining at times.

For the most part the songs here aren’t that bad. Opener ‘S=Txl’ uses an extended keyboard melody into a series of fiery churning riff-work with stylish drumming and spirited keyboards bouncing along to a fine up-tempo pace with the majestic keyboards carrying along through the sprawling mid-section and bringing the rocking rhythms into the charging finale for a grand opener. ‘Agony of Limbo’ takes tight, crunchy riff-work and steady, up-tempo pounding drumming along through the hard-hitting series of mid-tempo paces as the blistering rhythms and choppy chugging riffing brings along the spacey atmospheric keyboards along through the final half for another rather enjoyable offering. ‘The Moment (Plutonium)’ features an extended sci-fi intro with spacey keyboards droning over the series of churning riffing as the pounding mid-tempo drumming and simple riffing that continues on alongside the spacey keyboards shine against the mid-tempo rhythms charging along in the finale for a decent if unspectacular effort. Lastly, ‘Semen, Mud and Blood’ uses a fiery, charging series of rhythms with plenty of charging up-tempo drumming with spacey keyboards swirling along throughout the blistering rhythms as the up-tempo patterns, swirling leads and energetic riffing leads move along into the final half for a rousing finishing impression.

There’s a lot here to really enjoyable about this one as the work on the whole is highly enjoyable even with the few minor spots holding it back enough that this one here really serves itself best for those that prefer the slightly more experimental side of traditional heavy metal although all fans of the style are advised to check it out.

Score: 70/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://thesignrecords.bandcamp.com/album/highrider-armageddon-rock

Throne of Heresy - Antioch

Artist: Throne of Heresy
Release Title: Antioch
Year: 2016
Label: The Sign Records
Genre: Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The God Delusion
2. Serpent Seed
3. Nemesis Rising
4. Flagellum Daemonum
5. Exordium
6. Black Gates of Antioch
7. Blood Sacrifice
8. Phosphorus
9. Souls for the Sepulchre
10. Where Bleak Spirits Pass

The second album from Swedish death metallers Throne of Heresy offers a rather solid enough outing here of solid and dependable death metal even there’s nothing all that impressive about it. Basing itself mostly around the churning riff-work that allows for some rather heavy, mid-tempo riffing featured that drives in some pounding rhythms that can change tempos rather nicely.  With plenty of opportunities for the effort to bring in scores of melodic flurries running through the songs that mix rather nicely with the intensity of the remaining rhythms which leaves this with a far darker concept of melodic death metal than usually offered with the focus on driving rhythms accented by melodic leads rather than just lighter rhythms and easily-accessible melodies which are scattered throughout in occasional spurts. While this sets up an overall enjoyable aspect to be found here within their sound, the fact that the music isn’t all that dynamic and overall varied tends to run the greatest damage against this one by keeping the music overall straightforward and rather one-dimensional. With a few minor exceptions, there’s little change-up here in what the music has on display being just a straightforward and unchanging work that keeps the dynamic death metal rhythms on track with the occasional bits of melodic tendencies to make for a rather engaging but forgettable affair without much to bring it back on repeat listens. This is really the biggest mark against the album otherwise.

The first half offers a solid impression of what’s in store here. Opener ‘The God Delusion’ takes a steady series of charging riffing and pounding drumming throughout a steady blast of up-tempo thumping rhythms taking on plenty of rocking patterns with plenty of melodic flurries running throughout the pounding drumming and mid-tempo riff-work through the finale for a solid opening blast. ‘Serpent Seed’ features hard-rocking riffing and plenty of stylish drumming working through a series of twisting riffing with plenty of straightforward rhythms offering plenty of melodic trills littered throughout the solo section and thumping along through the charging final half for a much more engaging and impressive effort. ‘Nemesis Rising’ uses a steady series of thumping mid-tempo riff-work and a fine series of pounding drumming to make for a dynamic mid-tempo charge with melodic swirling riffing carrying the thumping charge along into the strong series of extended swirling rhythms throughout the finale for one of the album’s better efforts. ‘Flagellum Daemonum’ takes immediate thumping drumming and pounding rhythms charging through thrashing up-tempo paces and settles on a driving mid-tempo rhythms with swirling melodic flurries throughout the blasting drum-work clattering through the finale for a short, vicious highlight effort. The mid-album instrumental breather ’Exordium’ uses haunting melodic rhythms and stylish drumming to weave a tribal flair through the series of charging mid-tempo rhythms pounding away leaving this as a fine enough instrumental.

The second half is slightly below the first but still has a lot to like throughout here. ‘Black Gates of Antioch’ uses a steady intro with plodding rhythms with plenty of pounding double-bass blasts firing through the up-tempo second half with fiery energetic riff-work and scorching melodies dropping for a series of discordant banging leading into the solo section and through the finale for a decidedly enjoyable enough offering. ‘Blood Sacrifice’ features sprawling rhythms slowly working into a plodding pace equipped with sluggish rhythms turning into a solid mid-tempo pace with a more intense series of riff-work against the sparkling swirling rhythms of the solo section on through the charging final half for a weak if still enjoyable effort. ‘Phosphorus’ features utterly blistering drumming running through frantic, intense patterns with plenty of charging riff-work keeping the intensity level up throughout the frantic, intense patterns full of furious rhythms with melodic leads through the intense finale for another strong highlight. ‘Souls for the Sepulchre’ uses a fade-in intro which turns into a stylish mid-tempo march with charging riffing and pounding drumming into a straightforward series of churning riff-work with the sprawling melodic leads of the solo section leading into the blistering fury of the final half for a decent enough effort. Lastly, the album-closer ‘Where Bleak Spirits Pass’ features a lilting guitar intro into a sprawling series of mid-tempo swirling riff-work with lilting melodies featured throughout the plodding paces with the main driving rhythm full of lethargic paces leading into the sprawling final half for a decidedly low-key finish.

Despite possessing a few minor sluggish areas throughout here that could’ve easily been fixed without much difficulty, the fact that there’s still quite a large amount of positives here makes this a nice change for fans looking for melodic death without veering too far from their traditional roots or just fans of driving straightforward death metal in general.

Score: 82/100

Does it sound good? Order from here:
http://throneofheresy.bandcamp.com/