Defiled: Infinite Regress (Season Of Mist) [Charlie Rogers]
It’s my first time listening to this band, not being familiar with the Japanese death metal scene I was eager to give something different a listen that I might not stumble upon by chance otherwise. The self proclaimed Samurai have been going since 1992, and are currently on tour with Polish legends Vader - my hopes are high given they’re in such good company. Opening the album is a short intro, with the “Humans are a plague” cutting through the rumbling as a short paragraph is read. Cliche, but it works. The band launches into Divide And Conquer with gusto, setting the scene for the album to come. It’s got a live sort of feel to the production, with the bass booming out of the bottom end, and the guitars alternating between frantic riffing and cutting through the mix. The song itself is quite different to the sort of death metal I’m used to, with frequent tempo changes, bursts of riffage before twisting away to play something else. Clocking in at only 2 minutes and 30 seconds, it’s a short but sweet open to their music. Swiftly moving on, Tragedy opens with more frantic playing, and incorporates some unusual timings into the melodies, typically associated with two-tone and ska. It’s refreshing to hear a variety of influences coming through in new music, however on first listen this style choice is a little jarring.
It’s less jarring than a sudden BeeGees cover though. Systematic Decomposition treats us to a more traditional death metal style, reminding me of early Pestilence. Thrashy, choppy riffs move the tempo forward, as throaty vocals bark the lyrics at the listener. So Blind has a strange melting vibe to it, where the speed of the track, and it’s fluidity seems to move around, like a wax figure being lit and pieces falling off it. At this point I noted that the tracks are mostly quite short, with only 3 tracks on the album lasting longer than 3 minutes, and one of them by 1 second! It fits the style though, as the tempo is consistently upbeat, and it’s not hard to imagine the band whipping fans up into a frenzy with live performance of these songs. The album takes a turn for the weirder around track 8, where the song writing feels a lot looser. Centuries is a very strange track, which reminded me of jazz improvisation where nobody communicated what they were doing before they started playing.
Occasionally the playing lines up and we get coherent riffs, but for the most part, it sounds like insanity. The style continues into the next track, Aftermath, which has a plodding, punky feel when not sounding like someone threw a bag of riffs down the stairs. The chaotic writing continues, slowly edging back until the end of the album, where more standardised death metal takes over again, specifically in the track Slaverobot which I particularly enjoyed. Infinite Regress is the final song on the album, and is a solid song that leaves you feeling satisfied with the listen overall, and I would question the need for the short outro tape at the end as the final stomping riffs would close the album very well there. In summary, it’s a strange journey that this band takes you on. I certainly enjoyed the steadier and straightforward compositions than the swirling maelstrom of chaos that some songs brought forth, and would be interested in both checking out some of their earlier releases and seeing the band live if they ever came my way. 6/10.
Midnight: Rebirth By Blasphemy (Metal Blade Records) [Dr Claire Hanley]
Drawing on multiple influences, culminating in a blackened thrash sound with obvious punk rock elements, Midnight throw a middle finger to the norm. This is not a band afraid to take risks. Quite the opposite. And therein lies the appeal. Despite being an outright death metal enthusiast, their unique brand of raucous frivolity had me in a state of ecstasy from start to finish. Anthemic and infectious, Rebirth By Blasphemy is full of passion and purpose: Maximum sleaze with none of the cheese. You're instantly locked in a choke hold, with the opening track igniting the desire for riotous behaviour from the first few bars. Fucking Speed And Darkness is a relentless onslaught of riffs and savage, grizzly vocals. A lesson in fury and anarchy, it firmly establishes that this album takes no prisoners, and you're most certainly in for one hell of a ride. The rest of the album does not disappoint, transcending comprehensible levels of filth and ferocity.
The visual imagery evoked by the lyrics elevates the already sleaze-spattered tracks to dizzying heights of grotesque. It's anything but predictable, offering a dynamic and versatile range of material, underpinned by the bands; signature sound and penchant for the satanic, which bridge this diversity and provide cohesion to ease the transition between tracks. The contrast between the chugging power-pose of Rising Scum, with all its intent and razor sharp precision, against high-octane powerhouse Warning From The Reaper, provides the perfect example of this. As you're greeted with Raw Attack, one of the strongest all-rounders on the record, it evident that there are zero filler tracks and the end of the album is as strong as the start. The intro to “You can drag me through hell is pure electricity and had me vibrating in anticipation as it's viciousness was unleashed, drawing the album to a close. This is an immersive experience of a record; a masterclass in how to push boundaries and excite the listener. 9/10
Royal Deceit: Animus I (Prime Collective) [Liam True]
There’s something about this album that makes me think that i’ve heard it all before, but at the same time it sounds fresh and new to the scene. That’s exactly what we need and the Danish Metal crew have fixated their eyes on taking over the world. And Animus is their first step in doing that. Full of deep growls, high chorus’, ripping guitars and pointing drums the quintuplet make the most destructive noise of the year so far with heavy breakdown after crushing riffs and everything in between. Vocalist Mathias Uldall-Jessen hits the spot for me for one of the best Metalcore vocalists at the moments with his range of highs and lows melting into the instrumentals from the rest of the band as they keep you on your toes. You don’t know what to expect with this album, be it either a catch chorus or a chuggy breakdown. But know this. It’s a glorious album that needs to be toured and appreciated in it’s love setting. 8/10
Atena: Drowning Regret & Lungs Filled With Water (Indie Recordings) [Manus Hopkins]
It’s a little hard to get past the awkward mouthful of a title with this record. The contents are pretty much what should be expected given an album name like this. While Atena’s work isn’t terrible, and is pretty typical by 2010s metalcore standards, it’s not particularly enjoyable, and it’s entirely too forgettable for this band to sit amongst the ranks of the big players in this scene. Guitar chugs, choppy breakdown riffs, screeched verses and melodic choruses make up nearly the entirety of this record (though there is some slightly cringeworthy rapping on Let Them Hang In The Halls), just like any other of its genre. It’s the lack of hooks that makes it fall flat; there’s hardly a catchy chorus or memorable riff on any of the 10 songs. This style isn’t wildly popular among many groups of metalheads, but there are huge bands that dominate the scene, and Atena just isn’t doing enough to be noticed as long as those bands are around. 4/10
Midnight: Rebirth By Blasphemy (Metal Blade Records) [Dr Claire Hanley]
Drawing on multiple influences, culminating in a blackened thrash sound with obvious punk rock elements, Midnight throw a middle finger to the norm. This is not a band afraid to take risks. Quite the opposite. And therein lies the appeal. Despite being an outright death metal enthusiast, their unique brand of raucous frivolity had me in a state of ecstasy from start to finish. Anthemic and infectious, Rebirth By Blasphemy is full of passion and purpose: Maximum sleaze with none of the cheese. You're instantly locked in a choke hold, with the opening track igniting the desire for riotous behaviour from the first few bars. Fucking Speed And Darkness is a relentless onslaught of riffs and savage, grizzly vocals. A lesson in fury and anarchy, it firmly establishes that this album takes no prisoners, and you're most certainly in for one hell of a ride. The rest of the album does not disappoint, transcending comprehensible levels of filth and ferocity.
The visual imagery evoked by the lyrics elevates the already sleaze-spattered tracks to dizzying heights of grotesque. It's anything but predictable, offering a dynamic and versatile range of material, underpinned by the bands; signature sound and penchant for the satanic, which bridge this diversity and provide cohesion to ease the transition between tracks. The contrast between the chugging power-pose of Rising Scum, with all its intent and razor sharp precision, against high-octane powerhouse Warning From The Reaper, provides the perfect example of this. As you're greeted with Raw Attack, one of the strongest all-rounders on the record, it evident that there are zero filler tracks and the end of the album is as strong as the start. The intro to “You can drag me through hell is pure electricity and had me vibrating in anticipation as it's viciousness was unleashed, drawing the album to a close. This is an immersive experience of a record; a masterclass in how to push boundaries and excite the listener. 9/10
Royal Deceit: Animus I (Prime Collective) [Liam True]
There’s something about this album that makes me think that i’ve heard it all before, but at the same time it sounds fresh and new to the scene. That’s exactly what we need and the Danish Metal crew have fixated their eyes on taking over the world. And Animus is their first step in doing that. Full of deep growls, high chorus’, ripping guitars and pointing drums the quintuplet make the most destructive noise of the year so far with heavy breakdown after crushing riffs and everything in between. Vocalist Mathias Uldall-Jessen hits the spot for me for one of the best Metalcore vocalists at the moments with his range of highs and lows melting into the instrumentals from the rest of the band as they keep you on your toes. You don’t know what to expect with this album, be it either a catch chorus or a chuggy breakdown. But know this. It’s a glorious album that needs to be toured and appreciated in it’s love setting. 8/10
Atena: Drowning Regret & Lungs Filled With Water (Indie Recordings) [Manus Hopkins]
It’s a little hard to get past the awkward mouthful of a title with this record. The contents are pretty much what should be expected given an album name like this. While Atena’s work isn’t terrible, and is pretty typical by 2010s metalcore standards, it’s not particularly enjoyable, and it’s entirely too forgettable for this band to sit amongst the ranks of the big players in this scene. Guitar chugs, choppy breakdown riffs, screeched verses and melodic choruses make up nearly the entirety of this record (though there is some slightly cringeworthy rapping on Let Them Hang In The Halls), just like any other of its genre. It’s the lack of hooks that makes it fall flat; there’s hardly a catchy chorus or memorable riff on any of the 10 songs. This style isn’t wildly popular among many groups of metalheads, but there are huge bands that dominate the scene, and Atena just isn’t doing enough to be noticed as long as those bands are around. 4/10