Enslaved: Utgard (Nuclear Blast Records) [Paul Scoble]
Way back in 1991 when Ivor Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson formed Enslaved (aged 13 and 17), I doubt they had any idea that the band would have lasted 29 years, or produced 15 albums. The Norwegian band started out playing savage Viking themed Black Metal, but over those 15 album the band have added more and more progressive elements. They are now seen as one of the worlds foremost Progressive Metal bands, however they have never lost their love of Black Metal and always manage to inject some aspects of Black Metal into their Progressive Metal sound. During that 29 year career they have moved from highly respected Black Metal act to one of the most loved acts in Heavy Metal (If I’m being honest, I don’t trust Metal fans who don’t like Enslaved). The bands constant need to push their music forward and create albums that are creative, innovative and unique has garnered them this huge respect. Have the band; whose lineup is now Ivor Bjørnson on Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Electronics, Percussion and Backing Vocals, Grutle Kjellson on Bass, Vocals, Mouth Harp and Electronics, Arve Isdal on Lead Guitar, Håkon Vinje on Keyboards and Clean Vocals and Iver Sandøy on Drums and Clean Vocals, managed to produce another amazing album of Black Metal infused Progressive Metal?
The album opens with the track Fires In The Dark. Gently strummed acoustic guitar and chanting opens the song before a big Progressive Metal riff comes in, it feels dramatic which is emphasised by harsh vocals. This then goes into a section that is faster and very purposeful with harsh vocals. The Progressive Metal sections on Utgard are similar in feel to the Progressive parts on Enslaved’s album Riitiir. The progressive style is pushed further by a part that feels huge and expansive, Enslaved have an ability to make Progressive Metal seem limitless, sweeping and spacious. The song drifts off into softer guitars and keyboards. The next track Jettegryta is a slightly harder proposition. The song opens with mid-paced, very heavy riffs with harsh vocals, the track then gets much faster with some savage Black Metal tremolo picked riffs again with harsh vocals. These two feelings; Heavy and driving and F=fast savage Black metal juxtaposition a few times before the song goes into a lush and melodious Progressive section, the song then comes to an end with one last bit of huge and heavy riffs.
Sequence opens with mid-tempo Progressive Metal, with a mix of harsh and clean vocals, this part builds in intensity and feels both positive and energetic, the song then takes a bit of a turn for a fast and frenetic Black Metal section. After this savage section the track then heads in another direction by dropping down to a softly strummed guitar, this softer section then slowly builds, clean vocals are added and the song now feels ethereal and dreamlike. This section builds to a progressive, instrumental section that reminds me of Peaches En Regalia by Frank Zappa. The song then goes back to driving Progressive Metal til the end of the track.
Homebound is a simpler song. The track is a mix of expansive and positive feeling Progressive Metal, and very fast and harsh riffs. The fast and more aggressive sections share the positive feeling that the Progressive parts have. Utgardr is a short electronic track with spoken word vocals. Urjotun is probably the most interesting and in many ways least traditionally Enslaved track on the album. Urjotun opens with a simple keyboard riff. A taut, simple drum beat comes in accompanied by electronica. Next a huge driving, pulsing Bass line is added and this suddenly feels like Joy Division. As the track develops deep vocals that are verging on chanting are added, the track builds, new progressive elements arrive until it sounds like Joy Division playing Progressive Metal.
Flight Of Thought And Memory is a stunning track. It opens with a fast and thrashy part that is packed with energy and inertia. This then heads off into a very Black metal part full of tremolo picked riffs and blasting drums. After this savagery the song then goes into a stunning piece of Progressive Metal that is expansive, cathartic, ethereal and beautiful. The track then takes a turn back to savage Black metal again, this time with a fantastic melody guitar lead. The track drifts off to an end with a part that is soft and introverted.
Storms Of Utgard opens with huge, sweeping Progressive Metal that reminds me of Pink Floyd a little. Then we get an interesting tempo change to a galloping horse rhythm with harsh vocals, which is an interesting tempo for Progressive Metal, but Enslaved manage to pull it off without it feeling odd. There is a soft section with chanted vocals, before things get heavy and expansive to the end of the song. The album comes to an end with the song Distant Seasons. The song stars with soft strummed guitar and clean vocals, there is a gentle guitar solo before the track gets heavier and tauter. The track comes to an end with a soft section with clean vocals and a dreamlike and drifting feel.
So, to answer the question I asked earlier; Yes Enslaved have released yet another brilliant piece of Black Metal infused Progressive Metal. The main feeling on Utgard is beautifully expansive and huge Progressive Metal, but the band always seem to have half an eye on their past with the Black metal elements, whilst seeming to have an eye on pushing boundaries as well with the electronic parts. What is particularly impressive on this album is the balance between all the different parts. There are some very disparate ingredients on Utgard, yet despite how dissimilar some of the parts are, they are combined without anything feeling glaring or out of place. The transitions between different sections are seamless and feel totally natural. This is a stunning album, a beautiful, ethereal, savage piece of Progressive Metal that is going to be near the top of all the AOTY lists in December. 9 / 10
Nightmare: Aeternam (AFM Records) [Paul Hutchings]
There are 85 bands called Nightmare according to Metal Archives, including a slew of thrash and death metal outfits from South America. This version are the French metal veterans who were founded in 1979, and so are naturally pioneers for the entire metal movement in the land of decent cheese and wine. The band’s big break came supporting Def Leppard in 1983 after which their classic line-up produced two full length albums before they split in 1988, only to reform in 1999. Since then, they have swerved through a variety of musical styles, currently favouring a symphonic power metal approach, with 2016’s Dead Sun featuring Maggy Luyten receiving a solid 7 from yours truly before the vocalist moved on after completing the touring cycle for that album.
Aeternam’s line-up comprises founder member and bassist Yves Campion, long serving guitarist Franck Milleliri, fellow guitarist Matt Asselberghs, and new members Neils Wuiais on drums and Madie (Marianne Dien – Faith of Agony) on vocals. And it is a quality release, perfectly crafted, polished, crisply produced and professionally performed. The guitar work is top class, the rhythm section locked tight and the symphonics rarely threaten to overwhelm, adding a nice touch without drowning any of the songs. It’s Madie’s vocals that make the main difference though with a strong and impressive performance.
There’s plenty to get excited about during the 48 minutes which Aeternam spans. The band possess a sharp cutting edge on tracks such as the riff-heavy Black September which has an epic feel, the majestic Downfall Of A Tyrant and the thunderous Annaliese which concludes the record (although I’m not sure about the message contained in the lyrics) There’s a blend of melody mixed with a more urgent metal sound which makes this a pleasing listen, albeit at times the tracks do tend to merge. Mixed and mastered in Simone Mularoni’s Domination Studio in Italy, it’s unsurprising that this album is being lauded as Nightmare’s finest album to date. Whilst I can’t make that judgment, there is certainly a continued desire and passion to take their music forward. 7/10
If you take a minute and glance at the history of San Francisco’s Hexx, you may be surprised to see their history dates to 1978. That is, until you listen to Entangled In Sin, or specifically the opening track Watch Me Burn, for this is what immediately ages the band. Their sound is firmly rooted in the 1980s. A combination of thrash and speed metal, the retro vibe that thumps through this album is both warming and a little dated. Hexx were known as Paradox between 1978 – 83, morphing into Hexx until their demise in 1995. And then a return in 2013, fourth album Wrath of the Reaper arrived three years ago which brings us to the current day. The modern day line-up bears little resemblance to those early days but there are two stalwarts of the band in guitarist Dan Watson and drummer Jon Shafer who are joined by new bassist Don Wood and returning for album number two, guitarist Bobby Wright and vocalist Eddy Vega. Now, this isn’t a bad metal album by any stretch. It’s sharp, fast and at times rocks comprehensively. The main challenge is trying to distinguish between songs because after about five tracks they started blurring into one. In fact, it wasn’t until track ten, Over But The Bleeding that the tempo, style and approach changed in any significant way.
The album opens with the track Fires In The Dark. Gently strummed acoustic guitar and chanting opens the song before a big Progressive Metal riff comes in, it feels dramatic which is emphasised by harsh vocals. This then goes into a section that is faster and very purposeful with harsh vocals. The Progressive Metal sections on Utgard are similar in feel to the Progressive parts on Enslaved’s album Riitiir. The progressive style is pushed further by a part that feels huge and expansive, Enslaved have an ability to make Progressive Metal seem limitless, sweeping and spacious. The song drifts off into softer guitars and keyboards. The next track Jettegryta is a slightly harder proposition. The song opens with mid-paced, very heavy riffs with harsh vocals, the track then gets much faster with some savage Black Metal tremolo picked riffs again with harsh vocals. These two feelings; Heavy and driving and F=fast savage Black metal juxtaposition a few times before the song goes into a lush and melodious Progressive section, the song then comes to an end with one last bit of huge and heavy riffs.
Sequence opens with mid-tempo Progressive Metal, with a mix of harsh and clean vocals, this part builds in intensity and feels both positive and energetic, the song then takes a bit of a turn for a fast and frenetic Black Metal section. After this savage section the track then heads in another direction by dropping down to a softly strummed guitar, this softer section then slowly builds, clean vocals are added and the song now feels ethereal and dreamlike. This section builds to a progressive, instrumental section that reminds me of Peaches En Regalia by Frank Zappa. The song then goes back to driving Progressive Metal til the end of the track.
Homebound is a simpler song. The track is a mix of expansive and positive feeling Progressive Metal, and very fast and harsh riffs. The fast and more aggressive sections share the positive feeling that the Progressive parts have. Utgardr is a short electronic track with spoken word vocals. Urjotun is probably the most interesting and in many ways least traditionally Enslaved track on the album. Urjotun opens with a simple keyboard riff. A taut, simple drum beat comes in accompanied by electronica. Next a huge driving, pulsing Bass line is added and this suddenly feels like Joy Division. As the track develops deep vocals that are verging on chanting are added, the track builds, new progressive elements arrive until it sounds like Joy Division playing Progressive Metal.
Flight Of Thought And Memory is a stunning track. It opens with a fast and thrashy part that is packed with energy and inertia. This then heads off into a very Black metal part full of tremolo picked riffs and blasting drums. After this savagery the song then goes into a stunning piece of Progressive Metal that is expansive, cathartic, ethereal and beautiful. The track then takes a turn back to savage Black metal again, this time with a fantastic melody guitar lead. The track drifts off to an end with a part that is soft and introverted.
Storms Of Utgard opens with huge, sweeping Progressive Metal that reminds me of Pink Floyd a little. Then we get an interesting tempo change to a galloping horse rhythm with harsh vocals, which is an interesting tempo for Progressive Metal, but Enslaved manage to pull it off without it feeling odd. There is a soft section with chanted vocals, before things get heavy and expansive to the end of the song. The album comes to an end with the song Distant Seasons. The song stars with soft strummed guitar and clean vocals, there is a gentle guitar solo before the track gets heavier and tauter. The track comes to an end with a soft section with clean vocals and a dreamlike and drifting feel.
So, to answer the question I asked earlier; Yes Enslaved have released yet another brilliant piece of Black Metal infused Progressive Metal. The main feeling on Utgard is beautifully expansive and huge Progressive Metal, but the band always seem to have half an eye on their past with the Black metal elements, whilst seeming to have an eye on pushing boundaries as well with the electronic parts. What is particularly impressive on this album is the balance between all the different parts. There are some very disparate ingredients on Utgard, yet despite how dissimilar some of the parts are, they are combined without anything feeling glaring or out of place. The transitions between different sections are seamless and feel totally natural. This is a stunning album, a beautiful, ethereal, savage piece of Progressive Metal that is going to be near the top of all the AOTY lists in December. 9 / 10
Nightmare: Aeternam (AFM Records) [Paul Hutchings]
There are 85 bands called Nightmare according to Metal Archives, including a slew of thrash and death metal outfits from South America. This version are the French metal veterans who were founded in 1979, and so are naturally pioneers for the entire metal movement in the land of decent cheese and wine. The band’s big break came supporting Def Leppard in 1983 after which their classic line-up produced two full length albums before they split in 1988, only to reform in 1999. Since then, they have swerved through a variety of musical styles, currently favouring a symphonic power metal approach, with 2016’s Dead Sun featuring Maggy Luyten receiving a solid 7 from yours truly before the vocalist moved on after completing the touring cycle for that album.
Aeternam’s line-up comprises founder member and bassist Yves Campion, long serving guitarist Franck Milleliri, fellow guitarist Matt Asselberghs, and new members Neils Wuiais on drums and Madie (Marianne Dien – Faith of Agony) on vocals. And it is a quality release, perfectly crafted, polished, crisply produced and professionally performed. The guitar work is top class, the rhythm section locked tight and the symphonics rarely threaten to overwhelm, adding a nice touch without drowning any of the songs. It’s Madie’s vocals that make the main difference though with a strong and impressive performance.
There’s plenty to get excited about during the 48 minutes which Aeternam spans. The band possess a sharp cutting edge on tracks such as the riff-heavy Black September which has an epic feel, the majestic Downfall Of A Tyrant and the thunderous Annaliese which concludes the record (although I’m not sure about the message contained in the lyrics) There’s a blend of melody mixed with a more urgent metal sound which makes this a pleasing listen, albeit at times the tracks do tend to merge. Mixed and mastered in Simone Mularoni’s Domination Studio in Italy, it’s unsurprising that this album is being lauded as Nightmare’s finest album to date. Whilst I can’t make that judgment, there is certainly a continued desire and passion to take their music forward. 7/10
Mind Wars: The Fourth Turning (Dissonance Productions) [Paul Scoble]
Mind Wars are a four piece based partly in Turin, Italy and partly in Los Angeles. The band, made up of Danny ‘Z’ Pizzi on Guitar and Bass, Roby Vitari on Drums, Mike Alvord on Guitar and Vocals, and Rick Zaccaro on Bass, have been making music together since 2013. Mind Wars have released 3 albums before The Fourth Turning; The Enemy Within in 2014, Sworn To Secrecy in 2016, and Do Unto Others in 2018. Clearly Mind Wars are a band you can set your watch to, as 2 years after their third album, the band have released their forth. Musically Mind Wars play Thrash Metal, and as with all Thrash metal bands there is a huge reverence for the nineteen eighties. Mind Wars style of thrash is closest to Exodus, with a little bit of early Slayer, out of their New Thrash contemporaries their sound is a little bit reminiscent of Bonded By Blood, with maybe a little Warbringer as well. So, this is strait down the line Thrash, no progressive elements, no (obvious) keyboards.
Just fast, tight riffs, pounding tempos and screaming vocals. All of the song lengths are 3 or 4 minutes long, short blasts of hugely enjoyable thrash. The level of energy and vigour of this album is really high, riffs crackle with exuberance and drive, the drumming is very good, driving everything forward, and in the few slower parts the patterns are appropriate and interesting. The vocals are in the upper register with a bit of a rasp, maybe halfway between Steve Souza and Bobby Ellsworth. Most of the material on The Fourth Turning is fast and frenetic; the track MindWars is a blast of high energy thrash, as is (Who'll Stop The) Aryan Race the track that comes strait after it, both have really fast, tight choruses, with slightly slower choruses. Both songs are standout tracks and feel energised and exiting. There are slower parts on some of the songs and these are very well done as well. The opening of Fall In Line is slow and very heavy, it’s also very atmospheric.
The beginning of The System has some very effective slower harmonies that show this band can be melodious as well as savage and fast. The album comes to an end with a cover of Slayer’s Criminally Insane; it’s a decent cover and feels like a genuine homage to a band that every Thrash band owes a debt to. The Forth Turning is a great piece of Thrash Metal. It has what all thrash needs to be effective, and that is Excitement. If Thrash isn’t exciting, then it’s missing the point of Thrash; this album is very exciting. It’s full of energy and drive and that makes it exciting and ultimately great fun. 7/10
Hexx: Entangled In Sin (High Roller Records) [Paul Hutchings]If you take a minute and glance at the history of San Francisco’s Hexx, you may be surprised to see their history dates to 1978. That is, until you listen to Entangled In Sin, or specifically the opening track Watch Me Burn, for this is what immediately ages the band. Their sound is firmly rooted in the 1980s. A combination of thrash and speed metal, the retro vibe that thumps through this album is both warming and a little dated. Hexx were known as Paradox between 1978 – 83, morphing into Hexx until their demise in 1995. And then a return in 2013, fourth album Wrath of the Reaper arrived three years ago which brings us to the current day. The modern day line-up bears little resemblance to those early days but there are two stalwarts of the band in guitarist Dan Watson and drummer Jon Shafer who are joined by new bassist Don Wood and returning for album number two, guitarist Bobby Wright and vocalist Eddy Vega. Now, this isn’t a bad metal album by any stretch. It’s sharp, fast and at times rocks comprehensively. The main challenge is trying to distinguish between songs because after about five tracks they started blurring into one. In fact, it wasn’t until track ten, Over But The Bleeding that the tempo, style and approach changed in any significant way.
Over 40 minutes before I looked up and noted the variation surely suggests that Hexx may be overcooking the formula. And the formula is decent enough for several tracks. Over But The Bleeding stands out just for being different and not because it is the best track on the album, which is probably the brute force of Internal Enemy with its Metal Church feel. The other challenge about this album is the length. 55 minutes is a long player, especially when the tracks are somewhat similar in style. It’s more interesting towards the final few songs, with the thick riffage of Signal 30 I-5 a brave attempt at a Megadeth style; disappointingly the vocal delivery jars rather than gels. Ultimately, the choice is obviously down to the listener. I’m a huge Metal Church fan and this album bears many similarities with them. Throw in a bit of Exciter, some Megadeth and a bit of prototype Accept and there you have it. It’s retro speed metal, delivered well enough but with just a little bit of the sparkle missing to make it a truly exciting record. 6/10