Make – The Golden Veil

Given the amount of music we listen to here at Feedbackmetal HQ, it is always a magnificent feeling when you discover a new band or sound that inspires you.  After one listen to The Golden Veil from North Carolina’s doom-metal trio MAKE, I just had to find out more about them.  Having explored their previous work, I also discovered The Pod, by the same trio.  Which is well worth checking out too.  Opening track ‘I Was Sitting Quietly, Peeling Back My Skin’ is a gorgeous instrumental that fades in against the sound of gentle rain, giving way to some stirring acoustic guitar and chilling Synthesizers.  The perfectly built tension soon shorts out and we are straight into second track ‘Breathe’ cavernous drums herald the piercing guitars of Scott Endres.  One thing this group do extremely well is build the momentum and expectation of the listener.  ‘The Absurdist’ is the brightest jewel in the crown of this seven track album and vocally this trio, tick all the right boxes.  This piece of work is haunting, soaring, angered and unsettling all in the space of seven and a half minutes.  The guitars are vast and masticating, whilst the drums are solid and complimenting.  Following track ‘The Architect’ takes a while to get out of first gear but when it does, it soars and meanders expertly.  Incidentally, there are two digital exclusive tracks available ‘We Are Coiled’ and ‘In the Final Moments, Uncoiling’ which is an added treat for anyone who is not going to be able to get their hands on one of the limited edition 180gm vinyl versions with deluxe packaging, which will be available in September.

Make is:
Scott Endres (Guitar, Synthesizers, Vocals), Spencer Lee (Bass, Vocals), Matt Stevenson (Drums, Beats)

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Hexenjäger – Demo

March 2015 saw the release of one of the finer demo’s this year by French doom metal quartet Hexenjäger.  The band take their name for the German meaning for Witch Hunter.  Opening track ‘Hexenjäger’ has an unsettling spoken dialogue intro.  Bassist Flo explains.  “The exchange at the beginning of the demo is an audio sample from the movie ‘Inquisicion’ (the first ever film directed by Spanish actor, Paul Naschy).  He is tryin to get an assumed witch to confess to making a pact with the prince of darkness.  The woman keeps reiterating that she is not a witch (No lo soy bruja).  The pace of the track does not waver throughout, with the main riff is undoubtedly a tip of the hat to the legendary Black Sabbath, on the title track of their self-titled masterpiece of 1970.  The vocals of are haunted, elongated and bellowing.  Chilling stuff.  Second track ‘Murk’ boasts a lurking behemoth of a riff.  Unfortunately the vocals are not as strong here.  Lead singer Charly seems to struggle to hit the high notes at around five minutes in.  However, it is not something that could not be rectified in future releases and on the strength of this demo, there will surely be many more to come.

Hexenjäger are
Charles (Guitars), Ben (Drums), Charly (Vocals), Flo (Bass).

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Thine – Demo 2015

Thine are a post black-metal quartet hailing from Linz, Austria.  Originally formed in 2012 by current drummer and vocalist #.  With the intention of playing his songs live, 3 full time members were recruited the following year and the band have recently self-released this two song demo.  Mixing and Mastering of the demo was overseen by Bazoka Jürxn.

Both songs are great pieces.  However it is second track ‘Precious Mind’ which sticks out personally.  A strong chorus and classic black metal guitars are here in abundance.  The four-piece are currently hard at work on their debut album.  If this release is anything to go by then this is a band you may be hearing off alot more in the coming years.

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Red Apollo – Altruist

OK, so things have been a little quiet at Feedback HQ of late, but thanks to this band in particular, I have felt the urge to get back on the literary horse somewhat.  Thank you Red Apollo for stoking the embers.  So now that the hallmark stuff is out of the way, onwards!  Altruist is yet another gem of a release from much loved label Moment Of Collapse.  Dortmund Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal outfit Red Apollo have had numerous split releases since their well received debut and the quality of each release has been steadily increasing.  So, is the second full-length any good?  In short, hell yes of course it is!  ‘Prurience’ is the lead track and is the perfect opening to the album.  Elsewhere, the opening minute of  ‘Sacrificing Permanence’ calls to mind Cult of Luna circa 2013’s Vertikal.  However, after this track has completed it is more than clear that the similarities with the Umeå post, sludge metallers here is merely a coincidence.  In our opinion this album doesn’t have a bad track on it and the piece de resistance is undoubtedly the title track which heralds the halfway point of the album.  The fast paced riffage and concentrated percussion works very well here, in particular.  ‘The Slaving Eyes’ follows, and starts at a canter and is slower paced for the majority until the final minute of the track, which suddenly bursts into a more fast paced blast beat fuelled outro.  Overall, this album has reaffirmed what I already knew about Red Apollo.  This band is surely destined for great things and Altruist is a natural progression from their 2012 debut ‘Marche Funèbre’.  Check this out as soon as possible!

Red Apollo are: Christoph, Björn, David, Sascha

Genre: Modern Black Metal / Postmetal.

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Broken Down – First Spit

Whenever I listen to a new band, I hope to be lucky enough to be reviewing the next Slipknot or Royal Blood. Something that reeks of quality from every pore.  It was clear from the outset that this wasn’t going to be one of those albums.  Maybe a decent singer could have lifted it a bit, but these guys have been let down badly by some of the worst mixing and sound engineering I’ve ever encountered.  A bit of experienced guidance would have yielded a few improvements.  Firstly, the vocalist (I couldn’t bring myself to say singer) is a focus for most bands and this guy isn’t cut out for it. His vocal is pretty much awful throughout.  Next, if they want to sing in English, they need to use English properly.  As they get to the end of Track 4 ‘On The Way To Be Yourself‘, in a badly advised acapella ending they have the diction of a youtube video shot in Venezuela.  All the band give us a demonstration of their vocal and again I find myself asking where the sound engineer was while they were all singing out of tune with the music and each other!  That brings us onto the role of actually engineering the music.  It would have been hard enough to wring a decent result from this format, but someone should have stepped in to avoid the disaster that is the badly covered Eiffel 65 track, “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” which was terrible the first time around in 1998 and somehow worse here in it’s guise as a fusion metal.  To make it worse they go on to copy the tune from Boney M’s “Daddy cool” on the track “Like a Witch Daddy Doom”.  I’m sorry to say, this has been a complete ‘miss’.  I get the direction, but the execution is poor and amateurish and unless they get some personnel changes both in and around the band, I suspect they’re destined to fail. 1/10

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Grey Widow – I

I is the debut album from English group Grey Widow. The group was formed by members of other bands such as Dopefight, Parole, Thread and The Ergon Carousel and as such is seriously heavy. The album has an oppressive sound with snarling bass and anguished vocals with a distinct sludge metal style mixed with black and doom metal. Each track has a strong feeling of Despair and anger punctuating everything from the vocals to the drums and there is a somewhat distorted sound also in the mix which adds to the malicious atmosphere that permeates the album. The album gets more aggressive the further you progress with vi being a highlight and viii sounding like the onset of hell. Overall the album has an old school approach in that it sets out its theme and expands on it impressively but also manages to keep it minimalist, there is no filler here, no track to simply bulk up the numbers. What is here is dark, nasty, uncompromising, seething with rage and it wants to smash your head in. Fans of doom, sludge or just good metal in general will find plenty to love here and many may find their new favourite band. An excellent listen.

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Hammerstorm – The Lonely Wanderer

The Lonely Wanderer is the debut release from international Atmospheric / Black Metal duo Hammerstorm. Featuring Immortal Frost Productions’ very own Surtur on vocals and Slikver (Astral Winter’s Josh Young) handling all instruments this long running relationship has had a hand in some of the genres best work and this is a strong first release that deserves to be heard and indeed successful. Opening with ‘Mystics Of His Soul’ where Surtur screams over some medieval keyboard. It essentially acts as an intro to second track ‘The Lonely Wanderer’, which carries the same melody on keyboards but it soon takes a back seat to some traditional Black Metal guitars and frenzied drumming. ‘Along The Shades Of Darkness’ is a battle hymn that opens with combative percussion, speared with classic Black metal shredding from Slikver. Unfortunately, the momentum gained from previous songs is lost somewhat by long intros to most of the tracks. ‘Whispers From The Depths Of The Forest’ is a personal favourite due to the varied musicianship on it. The quickly executed guitar riffs are comparable to classic Iron Maiden. The only downside is that the lyrics seem slightly lost in the mix. Elsewhere ‘When Darkness Falls Upon Me’ leads the second half of the album. The opening drum track sounds misplaced though and lets the track down. However, after a minute and a half this is no longer the case and business is resumed. Well worth checking this one out.

Hammerstorm is:
Slikver (All instruments), Surtur (Vocals).

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Doom:VS – Earthless

After almost 6 years Doom:VS is finally back with a new album, “Earthless”. “Earthless” is the third full length from this side project of Draconian guitarist Johan Ericson and was released this past May by the Russian Doom label Solitude Productions.  On previous releases Ericson took on all of the vocal duties himself – and did a really nice job of it. This time around however, he has enlisted the help of Saturnus vocalist, Thomas A.G. Jensen who brings his trademark deep, guttural growls and soft spoken words. Jenson’s vocals bring a strong Saturnus feel to the music which blends with uncanny ease into the Doom:VS, Draconian style. Although Jenson’s vocals are very strong and his spoken words add a new element to the music, I’m a bit disappointed that Ericson has chosen to leave out a lot of the clean vocals that made the previous album “Dead Words Speak” so great. This is not to say he has forgotten about them entirely. They do find their way into the last two songs “Oceans of Despair” and “The Slow Decent”. In any case Jenson’s thunderous growls have a way of sending chills through your spine and his spoken word is as strong and sorrowful as ever which more than makes up for the lack of clean singing.

There’s no arguing the fact that “Earthless” is a very solid, doom metal release. In fact it’s one of the best extreme doom releases this year in my opinion. It can be however, slightly predictable. Sometimes though predictability is a welcome thing. Sometimes it’s nice to throw on an album knowing full well that you will find quality song writing, strong production and you can sit back and relax, loosing yourself in the familiar, welcoming feel of the music. I’ve always been fond of the guitar tones Ericson uses. They are unique and recognizable. There’s feeling in the slow, dark riffs and sweeping harmonies of the leads which create a very melancholic yet familiar atmosphere. With Doom:VS this sound is a bit more raw and organic than with Draconian or Saturnus.

As with all Doom:VS releases the music is slow death/doom and does not quite reach funeral doom territory. There are six tracks on the album with the shortest being just under 7 1/2 minutes. The songs flow very well from the opening song “Earthless” to the very last note of “The Slow Ascent”. I can’t say there are any weak moments. Every song is strong and well thought out.  The whole album is just over 50 minutes long but it flows through quicker than you might expect. A sign of a good album and not something a lot of bands in this genre can accomplish.

No matter which way you cut it, “Earthless” is a must listen for any fan of death/doom or even funeral doom. It continues down the tried, tested and true path set by the project’s earlier releases so if you’re expecting ground breaking innovation you will be slightly disappointed. If you just want some very strong, melancholic doom then this album will fulfill all of your expectations and more.

Doom:VS is:
Johan Ericson (All instruments)
Guest vocals performed by Thomas AG Jenson (Saturnus)

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Open Tomb – Dead Weight

New Zealand Funeral Doom / Sludge trio Open Tomb follow up their warmly received split with Meth Drinker and ‘Servants of Slow’ cassette with a new LP entitled Dead Weight. Featuring three new tracks of absolute misery and forbidding torture lasting under forty minutes, they seem to be sticking to the formula that served them so well on their aforementioned releases. This release is another raw open wound, vulnerable and angry, very angry. This is also the first venture by label Dry Cough Records into vinyl territory on their own, so this will have particular importance to the label. And, as this is a new chapter in the labels somewhat short history, Dead Weight sounds like someone’s last dying moments caught on vinyl for all to hear. Raw, slow and disconsolate to the point of insanity. This particular sub-genre is often overlooked and disregarded altogether by fans and critics who are too comfortable with their own more favoured genres. Opening and stand out track ‘Blood and Flies’ features all of the above and is an uncomfortable listen. The overdub of a female inconsolable weeping and buzzing of flies, paints a dark and disturbing picture. Not a record to have on while the in-laws are visiting, but very good and also an important and very significant release from an impressive label that is still very much in it’s infancy. A tough listen but repeated visits to this will prove fruitful. Time and patience are once again required in abundance for this one. The vomit inducing artwork (a bit too strong to show on here) is not for the faint hearted either.

Open Tomb are:
Dane (Drums, Backing Vocals), Tonamu (Bass), Sean (Guitar, Vocals)

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ICOSA – The Skies Are Ours

Progressive / Metal trio ICOSA have been turning heads of late with their debut EP entitled The Skies Are Ours. It’s not difficult to understand why either. Lead track ‘Ermangulatr’ kicks off the EP rather calmly with some gentle guitar work before the drum work of Jack Ashley pierces the speakers with a catchy yet complex beat that is soon followed by dual guitars from Messrs Tattersall and Douglas. There are some clever tempo changes on here, showcasing the talents of this London based group even further. The EP is available to purchase through the band and it comes in a very well presented card wallet with artwork having been supplied by Hannah Tattersall. Sandwiched nicely between the aforementioned ‘Ermangulatr’ and closing track ‘Trepidation’ is ‘The Skies Are Ours: 1′ and ‘The Skies Are Ours: 2’. Part 1 sounds much like Mastodon, with a catchy and swirling riff that creates the backbone of the track. Part 2 is a little shorter in length but a lot more groove-laden with the rhythm section sounding more like Tool this time. There are blast beats here and some frenetic riffage which you will find yourself nodding along to. Final track and my personal favourite ‘Trepidation’ is yet another monster track, the main riff is fast, dirty and superbly executed. The outro features a brilliant trickling guitar riff hovering nicely over the main rhythm guitar that bursts to life in the closing minutes. Overall a very impressive offering from ICOSA, and they certainly have a lot of fresh ideas that I for one will be looking forward to hearing more of in albums to come.

ICOSA will play The Horn, St. Albans in September and Esquires, Bedford in November. Well worth checking out.

ICOSA are:
Tom Tattersall (8 String Guitars & Vocals), Stacey Douglas (7 String Guitars), Jack Ashley (Drums).

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Hagstone – Ancient, Majestic

The story of Hagstone begins in 2009 as four men sat in a “boozer” in the north of London. On that fateful night the guys gave themselves unto the God of Doom and set forth determined to create heavy, riff driven music. The result of their efforts is their debut EP “Ancient, Majestic”.

As you may have gathered from the title and perhaps the cover artwork, “Ancient, Majestic” is heavily influenced by ancient, mythological stories and legends. It also borrows from some darker concepts inspired by writers such as Poe, Byron, Coleridge, Shelly and Lovecraft. Hagstone combines elements of stoner rock with some of the more down tempo elements of traditional doom. I’d go so far as to suggest that Hagstone leans more towards the traditional doom metal side. The clean, quivering sound of the vocals really gives the music a classic doom kind of a feel. Hagstone does lack some of that oh so precious dirty fuzz of other stoner branded acts opting instead for a slightly cleaner, overdriven sound. That being said it can still be heavy at times. There’s a bit of an 80’s metal vibe that shines through like on the track “Not a Dream”. Something that might just be amplified by the sound of the vocals. It may be appealing to some but if I’m being completely honest it is a bit of a buzz kill for me. It’s not that it is necessarily a bad thing, it just doesn’t quite fit in with my own personal tastes. All of this together gives “Ancient, Majestic” a somewhat classic era doom metal vibe.

The first song “Nowhere Child” is one of stronger tracks featured on “Ancient, Majestic”. The opening riff is by far the best riff on the EP bringing visions of tripping on peyote as desert sands swirl and tumble weed bounces beneath a blistering sun. It immediately sets the head in motion without so much as a second thought. The song looses some of its muster midway through as it turns into an 80’s ballad but regains strength as it builds back up, returning to the desert rock groove of the opening riff. “Like a Rat” showcases more of the traditional doom aspect of Hagstone’s sound with chunky, palm muted riffs. “A Moment of Clarity” is a cool little instrumental track that lives up to its name acting as a quick break before the final two tracks. As I mentioned already “Not a Dream” has a bit of that classic 80’s vibe I’m not so keen on but “Burn Me Blind” might just be my favourite track. There’s nothing overly special about it, it’s just heavy and catchy as shit.

Overall Hagstone have put forth a strong debut offering. The production is solid, the music is tight and for the most part the songs are all different and memorable. It is music that you can re-listen too without any hesitation.

Hagstone are:
Andy (Bass), Istvan (Drums), Deko (Guitars), Rob (Guitars), Gio (Vocals)

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Wolvhammer / Krieg – Split 7″

This July will see much admired Broken Limbs Recordings release a mouth watering split featuring two of America’s finest bands in Wolvhammer and Krieg. Side A features Wolvhammer with their track ‘Slaves to the Grime’. This Minneapolis/Chicago blackened sludge quintet are due to release their third LP entitled ‘Clawing into Black Sun’ through Canadian label Profound Lore Records in the same calendar month as this offering. Therefore hardcore fans will undoubtedly be salivating with agitation at the prospect of two physical releases in such a short space of time. The track is six minutes of pummeling guitars that is carved only by the frenetic vocals of Adam Clemens. The guitars (in parts) are somewhat reminiscent of Danish, Funeral/Doom metal trio Black Wreath on their 2009 Magnum Opus ‘A Pyre of Lost Dreams’. A very strong offering altogether. Side B features New Jersey Black metallers Krieg’s ‘Eternal Victim’.  Once again the quality of the guitar playing is something that is of most prominence here. Having been around since 1995, these guys effortlessly convey a unique ambience that many bands strive, unsuccessfully for their whole career. There are indeed similarities in the sound of both acts, this is most likely due to the fact the bands have crossed paths in the past, Wolvhammer guitarist Jeff Wilson has previously played guitar with Krieg. There will only be 500 copies of the split 7″ available through the label so fans will need to act fast if they would like to own a physical copy.

Wolvhammer are:
Adam Clemens (Vocals), Jeff Wilson (Guitar), Brenden Seven (Guitar), Joe Noel (Bass), Heath Rave (Drums).

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Krieg are:
Neill Jameson (Vocals), D. Weston-Ball (Guest Vocals), A. Poole (Guitar), D. Zdanavage (Guitar, Bass), J. Dost (Drums).

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Corrosion of Conformity – IX

By Lee Webb

Its fair to say that if you’re getting the new C.O.C. album, it’s not because you’ve heard all the media and hype first. C.O.C. do ‘low key’ better than most and have done since they began some 30 years ago. To that end, you have an idea about what you’re expecting from a new release before you even put it in the player. This new L.P. is split almost right down the middle between two of their past styles. First you have that dirty, down tuned, sludge style of ground out heavy riffs you got from tracks like ‘Man or Ash’ (Wiseblood). It was a style that featured heavily on 2005’s In the Arms of God. This slower, more distorted sound continues throughout the first four tracks, with a small break for and almost Ramones inspired ‘Denmark Vesey’ where you can hear Mike Dean yelling, “Kill, Kill, Kill” like a true rebel! While we’re on the subject of Dean’s voice, it’s still clear that he’s not up to the standard of Pepper Keenan, but he’s definitely improved since their last record with him handling all the vocals himself. Track 5 is entitled ‘Interlude’ in a similar way to ‘Mano de Mono’ (Deliverance) and what follows is so tangibly different, you could be forgiven for thinking the tracks had all been lifted from studio sessions that were ten years apart. This second half of the record is much more like the cleaner, crisper guitar sound you had on Deliverance and in my opinion is the better for it. Compared to the last record, this is a major improvement. I’m not sure if they lost their way or didn’t know where to start with it, but either way, this is better. It’s not going to dazzle the way Deliverance or Wiseblood (or even America’s Volume Dealer) does, but it is a solid 7/10 performance.

 

IX is available from 23 June through Candlelight Records.

Corrosion of Conformity are:
Woodroe Weatherman (Guitar), Mike Dean (Bass & Vocals), Reed Mullin (Drums & Vocals).

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Weltschmerz – Odium Humani Generis

Weltschmerz (more or less translated as, world-pain or world-weariness) is a Black Metal band originating from Amersfoort in The Netherlands. Having been playing together since early 2009, Odium Humani Generis is the groups inaugural full length, having previously released a handful of recordings including their debut EP Cry For War. Opening track ‘Ab Æterno’ is a classic black metal outburst, boasting an attractive mixture of slow and fast guitars that set the tone of the record. The brooding ‘None of Us Will See Heaven’ culminates in a crescendo of blast-beats and irate guitars. Elsewhere, tracks such as ‘Geschrei in der Nacht’ and closing track ‘The Night is My Domain’ are further highlights of note. The dazzling artwork is another remarkable piece by Polish painter, Zdzisław Beksiński, it complements the album’s sound perfectly. Overall Odium Humani Generis is a favourable debut that the band seem to have taken their time to record just the way they wanted. Having played a smattering of live shows already this year, the group will undoubtedly benefit on album number two. Weltschmerz will play Switzerland in November, check them out if you can.

Weltschmerz are:
Hreim (Vocals), Hræsvelg (Guitar, Bass), Eitr (Guitar), Valr (Drums).

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Scutum Crux – The Second Sun

The Second Sun is the debut album of British Black Metal group Scutum Crux. ‘Reign of Apzu’ starts the album as an instrumental piece that has a militaristic sound akin to music that an army would march to. Fitting perhaps as it leads to ‘Chaos Ritual’ a blisteringly fast track that is destined for live show highlight status.  The sound of the band is similar to Cannibal Corpse with guttural, snarling vocal work paired with machine gun drums and riffs.  ‘Demon Scutum’ carries on with this style to great effect as does ‘Invocation of Powers’ that has a disorienting stop/start pacing broken up by some heroic drum and guitar shredding.  ‘View from Niburu’ is the albums second instrumental piece and is a moody electronic track that would not sound out of place in Blade Runner.  ‘Under the Second Sun’ is slower paced than the other songs on the album but compensates for an initial lack of urgency with a more sinister opening before going into high gear. ‘Black Winter’ is a more brooding track with a more reserved pacing than its predecessors but still has moments of eye watering speed. ‘Horus’ is the final track and is another instrumental.  The Second Sun is an impressive first album with excellent guitar and drum work to help the band differentiate themselves from others in the black metal genre. If you are on the hunt for a new band Scutum Crux is a good place to start.

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Scutum Crux is:

Demiurge (Vocals, Guitars), Svarth (Drums), Nebullah Q (Bass).

Gazpacho – Demon

Demon is the latest offering from Norwegian Progressive Rock sextet Gazpacho. The band’s name reflects the eclectic mix of musical styles which each member has, and indeed brings to the group. Having formed in 1996, the group have had a steady stream of releases and the follow up to 2012’s March of Ghosts is another truly exceptional piece of musicianship. The record opens with ‘I’ve Been Walking Part 1’, the stronger of both of this two part song. The theme of Demon is based on a conversation that keyboardist Thomas Andersen had with his father some years ago. He spoke of an old manuscript that he found at an apartment in Prague, in it were the recordings of a previous resident. The subject was a dark force moving through history. According to the band, “He claimed to have discovered the source of what he called an evil presence in the world. This presence, ‘The Demon’, was an actual intelligent will, with no mercy and a desire for bad things to happen. The author wrote as if he had lived for thousands of years stalking this presence and the manuscript contains references to outdated branches of mathematics, pagan religions unknown to the present world and an eyewitness account of the bubonic plague”. Pretty intense subject matter, yet in Jan Henrik Ohme, they have a great frontman with a unique style, complementing the sound very well and enables the listener to visualise the lyrics superbly. Each track is a real pleasure to listen to and is bursting with creativity and emotion. If you can pick up a copy, then check out the digibook CD version, which has an exclusive bonus track ‘The Cage’.

Demon is available through KScope now.

Gazpacho are:
Jan Henrik Ohme (Vocals), Jon-Arne Vilbo (Guitars), Thomas Andersen (Keyboards, Programming), Lars Erik Asp (Drums), Kristian Torp (Bass), Mikael Krømer (Violin, Mandolin).

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Walk Through Fire – Hope Is Misery

Following 2011’s mirthless and deeply shaded masterpiece ‘Furthest From Heaven’, Gothenburg’s Walk Through Fire make a welcome return with album number two for parent label Aesthetic Death. ‘Hope is Misery’ is another wretched chapter of cataclysmic doom in their career and is their longest album to date (almost eighty minutes in length). Having formed in 2008, they have had more than their fair share of personnel changes, but this line-up sounds tight and in sync with each other. Kicking things off with a slow building, pummelling instrumental ‘Sustained on Grief’, it soon becomes crystal clear at what direction the album will be taking, or should that be tar thick?! The title track is an intimidating deluge of feedback and stabbed drumming from Juliusz Chmielewski, who is also a member of on hold Symphonic Black Metal group Fall ov Serafim. ‘Next to Nothing’ is the sole let up in an otherwise relentless barrage of devastating doom. Every beat hits the listener like a pile driver, hammering home the group’s unique sound impeccably. ‘Another Dream Turned Nightmare’ is a staggering twenty one minute epic, that bleeds despair and anguish. If you liked their debut album, you are going to love ‘Hope is Misery’, it is much like Furthest From Heaven, yet on a much grander scale. The music is unquestionably bigger, darker (if that was possible) and heavier than it’s predecessor. In conclusion, this album needs to be in your collection, album of the year so far.

Walk Through Fire are:
Ufuk Demir (Guitars & Vocals), Andreas Olsson (Bass & Vocals), Fredrik Flegar (Guitars), Juliusz Chmielewski (Drums).

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Artwork by Cihat Aral

Axecatcher – We Watch The Sun Burn

To use a Video Game analogy -entering nerd territory- We Watch The Sun Burn has a little in common with the latest Metal Gear Solid entry.  The latest in that series (Ground Zeroes) feels very much like a teaser.  Something to get you primed for the main event which is still some way off, to build excitement, hype and get you over excited so that you’re throwing money at imaginary salesmen.  The same can be said of the latest extended play from Northern Ireland four-piece Axecatcher.  Some of you may be familiar with them for their previous work which is reviewed here.  We Watch The Sun Burn is a relatively short EP consisting of three tracks but while short they are sweet.  ‘Genghis Thrash Khan’ is fast and furious with blistering riffs and shrill vocal’s which lead to ‘Cinders’ which while not as fast paced as its predecessor is just as heavy.  ‘N.O.V.A’ completes the set, it’s a thrilling thrash/punk track with some excellent guitar work and frantic drumming.  I have described this as a teaser because it is, what’s here is excellent and there’s some amazing riffs here for fans of Hardcore/Thrash metal but there’s more to come from this Limavady quartet and I can’t wait to hear it.

Axecatcher is:
Karson Browne (Lead Vocal), Ryan Montgomery (Guitar & Lead Vocals), Colin Wilson (Bass & Backup Vocals), Danny Kane (Drums).

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Alaskan – Despair, Erosion, Loss

Ottawa three piece Alaskan are back with yet another dose of atmospheric post metal to feast upon. The band have again enlisted the talents of Topon Das at Apartment 2 Studios, who also twiddled the knobs on The Weak and the Wounded (2010) and Adversity; Woe (2011). So how does Despair, Erosion, Loss measure up against previous Alaskan releases? Well, firstly the production is considerably better on DEL. There is also the addition of strings throughout the record. The artwork is cold and eerie photography of a derelict building is provided by Niki Feijen. That is not to say that the older work is poor. In fact, newcomers to the band are strongly advised to delve deeper into their catalogue of work as they have consistently released strong material since their inception. Tracks of note include ‘Inferno’, which is an anger fueled, unrestrained and highly charged eruption of sound. Incidentally you can also check out the official video for the track here. Elsewhere the violin tinged despair provided by Mark Molnar on ‘Guiltless’ adds something extra to this release. The Canadians have recently visited mainland Europe in support of this release. Unfortunately there has been no UK dates. Let’s hope they stop here next time. Until then, why not download the album through their BandCamp page here?

Alaskan are:
Gary (Guitar & Vocals), Scotty (Drums), Cory (Bass & Vocals).

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Moment of Collapse

Dö – EP

In a music genre that is frequently overcrowded with bands vying for listeners attention, prospective fans can be forgiven for overlooking new acts. One trio that has recently been winning fans across the globe are Helsinki stoner/doom band Dö. This debut EP is certainly worth delving deeper into. Lead track ‘G.O.D.’ is a heaving slow paced behemoth, evoking a lurking beast in the shadows, that awaits the perfect moment before pouncing on its unaware prey. ‘The Await’ follows with a sublime fuzzed guitar riff. The vocals are immense against the wall of noise created by the trio. Unfortunately, it sounds as though the band struggle somewhat to get into top gear as they did with relative ease on the preceding track. This is merely a blip however. Closing track ‘Everblast’ is by far the longest, dwarfing the previous two songs, clocking in at close to fourteen minutes in total. Doomy rhythms are the order of the day and the band have also recently released their first video for the track, which you can check out here. Overall a really exciting EP from Dö, let’s hope that there is more from these guys real soon!

Dö are:
Big Dog (Guitars), Peat Rex (Drums), Deaf Hank (Vocals).

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