Death Angel: Humanicide (Nuclear Blast) [Paul H]
You know what you get from California’s Death Angel. Veterans of the Bay Area Thrash movement, few bands can touch their technical onslaught. Like several of their counterparts in the genre, Death Angel have been tapping into a rich source of form over the past decade and their latest release, album number 9, maintains the quality that we saw with The Evil Divide and The Dream Calls For Blood. As in previous reviews, there’s little to quibble about here. It’s frenetic, powerful and force ten from the start with the title track and Divine Defector blasting hard. Vocalist Mark Oseguda is in fine form, his distinctive roar straining, sinews pulsing as he spits out the chorus to Humanicide, a reflective piece on the way humanity is destroying itself.
You know what you get from California’s Death Angel. Veterans of the Bay Area Thrash movement, few bands can touch their technical onslaught. Like several of their counterparts in the genre, Death Angel have been tapping into a rich source of form over the past decade and their latest release, album number 9, maintains the quality that we saw with The Evil Divide and The Dream Calls For Blood. As in previous reviews, there’s little to quibble about here. It’s frenetic, powerful and force ten from the start with the title track and Divine Defector blasting hard. Vocalist Mark Oseguda is in fine form, his distinctive roar straining, sinews pulsing as he spits out the chorus to Humanicide, a reflective piece on the way humanity is destroying itself.
Alongside Oseguda Rob Cavestany, the sole original member slices and lacerated with his ferocious lead guitar work. Old school style in Aggressor, punishing drumming from Will Carroll driving the beast forward, although this track does allow for a pause at the midway point, Damien Sisson’s rumbling bass underpinning the intricate guitar work as the atmosphere builds before the crushing riffs slowly build the pace once more. I’m not over fussed on I Came For Blood, possibly the weakest track on the album but it’s a grower and packs a punch with real fire.
There is variety packed away within this gem of an album, the soulful approach on Immortal Behated fuelled by a solid rhythm section and chunky thick guitar work contrasting with the blistering thrash of Alive And Screaming and the monstrous The Pack which demands circle pits. Of Rats And Men maintains the momentum and closes the album in style. Little to complain about here. It’s Death Angel. It’s quality thrash and it’s as fresh today as that first blast of The Ultra Violence in 1987. 9/10
Majesty Of Revival: Timeless (Wormholedeath) [Matt]
Any band that describe themselves as "crazy metal" will mean that Timeless will be a hard album to review and as if they know this the band who shorten their name to MOR opening their album with a jarring mix of Mastodon-like heavy prog and some off the wall The Mars Volta oddness. Destroy Space has thumping grooves to it paired with rhythmic drumming and some wild vocal differences much like The Mars Volta, especially on the spacey Disposable Clown. These Ukrainians have thrown everything at this record, with every song catching you by surprise with something you wouldn't think they'd attempt. Void bridges a gap between Talking Heads and David Bowie in it's art-pop oddness before it leads up into a guitar solo that brings back the chorus that moves out into a ambient realms while S7 brings heavier riffs modern prog metal riffs meeting soaring choruses.
Dream Dealer is bit punchier, probably the most straightforward song on the record as a riff based stoner rocker, Sinners & Saints is a more of a ballad, while Doppelganger brings roared vocals and a death metal bent, though alt/grunge creeps in on Consciousness Beyond which gets more trippy as it goes on sprawling into prog, with the title track bringing the Canterbury Scene to the modern day as it meets oppressive metal in the middle, it's probably the most mental track on the album a real melting pot of influences and soundscape the finale of this album. Timeless is a madcap, modern progressive record that dances between genres nimbly, a thoroughly enjoyable listen. 8/10
Hunt The Witch: Strange Gods (Self Released) [Matt]
Well this is was a surprise, just when you thought Alien Weaponry were the be all and end all of Kiwi metal you stumble upon a band like Hunt The Witch, a tasty mix of 90's alternative and desert rock there's touches of Kyuss on the heady Sirens while Whole Lot Of Trouble is a filthy rocker and Sold The World takes a a page from the Soundgarden as The Clamoring brings some slow burning doom. Hunt The Witch are Sam Whitley (vocals), Jason Peters (drums), Bevan Carbines (guitar) with Jason Clarke and Anthony Lakin on bass and they make a glorious noise on the early part of the record but towards the end it suffer a little from bloat, The Clamoring especially could have been dropped. Along with less emphasis on the slower numbers, no matter how psychedelic they get on Magnitude, Hunt The Witch are at their best when they are blasting out solid riffs such as City Of Lights and Sold The World. A big chunk of New Zealand rocking here that reminds me of quite a bit of Clutch or Orange Goblin. 7/10
Despite The Reverence: Plethora (1289124 Records DK) [Matt]
A tolling bell begins this record from Saskatoon groove metal band Despite The Reverence, as Wilderness grows there's a build of rain and a singular guitar to set an atmosphere before a bass comes in to start Into To Void the first full song on here. However this is where we get the first problem of this album which are the vocals, specifically the clean vocals which fall flat, though the harsher vocals are much better with Reckless Hero have low death grunts. Apparently the band contributed 5 tracks to Ferocious a movie starring Kim Coates from Sons Of Anarchy but this fourth album doesn't do anything for me really, it's reasonably boring groove metal, delivered well but the simplicity of the songs and those vocals. 5/10
Majesty Of Revival: Timeless (Wormholedeath) [Matt]
Any band that describe themselves as "crazy metal" will mean that Timeless will be a hard album to review and as if they know this the band who shorten their name to MOR opening their album with a jarring mix of Mastodon-like heavy prog and some off the wall The Mars Volta oddness. Destroy Space has thumping grooves to it paired with rhythmic drumming and some wild vocal differences much like The Mars Volta, especially on the spacey Disposable Clown. These Ukrainians have thrown everything at this record, with every song catching you by surprise with something you wouldn't think they'd attempt. Void bridges a gap between Talking Heads and David Bowie in it's art-pop oddness before it leads up into a guitar solo that brings back the chorus that moves out into a ambient realms while S7 brings heavier riffs modern prog metal riffs meeting soaring choruses.
Dream Dealer is bit punchier, probably the most straightforward song on the record as a riff based stoner rocker, Sinners & Saints is a more of a ballad, while Doppelganger brings roared vocals and a death metal bent, though alt/grunge creeps in on Consciousness Beyond which gets more trippy as it goes on sprawling into prog, with the title track bringing the Canterbury Scene to the modern day as it meets oppressive metal in the middle, it's probably the most mental track on the album a real melting pot of influences and soundscape the finale of this album. Timeless is a madcap, modern progressive record that dances between genres nimbly, a thoroughly enjoyable listen. 8/10
Hunt The Witch: Strange Gods (Self Released) [Matt]
Well this is was a surprise, just when you thought Alien Weaponry were the be all and end all of Kiwi metal you stumble upon a band like Hunt The Witch, a tasty mix of 90's alternative and desert rock there's touches of Kyuss on the heady Sirens while Whole Lot Of Trouble is a filthy rocker and Sold The World takes a a page from the Soundgarden as The Clamoring brings some slow burning doom. Hunt The Witch are Sam Whitley (vocals), Jason Peters (drums), Bevan Carbines (guitar) with Jason Clarke and Anthony Lakin on bass and they make a glorious noise on the early part of the record but towards the end it suffer a little from bloat, The Clamoring especially could have been dropped. Along with less emphasis on the slower numbers, no matter how psychedelic they get on Magnitude, Hunt The Witch are at their best when they are blasting out solid riffs such as City Of Lights and Sold The World. A big chunk of New Zealand rocking here that reminds me of quite a bit of Clutch or Orange Goblin. 7/10
Despite The Reverence: Plethora (1289124 Records DK) [Matt]
A tolling bell begins this record from Saskatoon groove metal band Despite The Reverence, as Wilderness grows there's a build of rain and a singular guitar to set an atmosphere before a bass comes in to start Into To Void the first full song on here. However this is where we get the first problem of this album which are the vocals, specifically the clean vocals which fall flat, though the harsher vocals are much better with Reckless Hero have low death grunts. Apparently the band contributed 5 tracks to Ferocious a movie starring Kim Coates from Sons Of Anarchy but this fourth album doesn't do anything for me really, it's reasonably boring groove metal, delivered well but the simplicity of the songs and those vocals. 5/10