Avatarium: An Evening With Avatarium (Nuclear Blast)
When the press release states that this record is for fans of old-Opeth, Gorguts, Black Crown Initiate, Fallujah then you sort of know what to expect from this Aussie trio before you press play on their debut album The Smothering Arms Of Mercy. It's the first part of a conceptual trilogy around "connection, trauma, despair, and the fragility of hope." Mostly though it deals with recovering mental illness, using the music to put across the trauma, vulnerability, and suffering dealt with when trying to return to a healthy mind. The music here comes from the Barnes brothers, Tristan taking guitars & bass, while Nelson is behind the kit. They recorded it themselves in Australia the album was mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordstrom (Opeth) making it an album that abuses your earlobes with fusion of technically ferocious death metal, shifting time signatures, dissonant post metal detailing in sometimes horrifying detail the mental health struggles of both Tristan and vocalist Luke Frizon.
Dendera: Reborn Into Darkness (Self Released)
The follow up to their 2017 EP Blood Red Sky sees Dendera shifting their style a little, they are now a nastier, heavier more aggressive act than the Maiden/Priest-aping metal act they were on their debut in 2013, each subsequent release has given the band another layer resulting in what we have on this new EP, the aptly titled Reborn Into Darkness which draws from the more extreme style of metal as much as it does those classic galloping bands. Blood Red Sky was the first release from the band to up the aggression and Reborn Into Darkness does it again this time even adding some guest screams from CJ McMahon (Thy Art Is Murder) and Tom Barber (Chelsea Grin) for the most vicious release of the bands career.
As the intro of Insurrection subsides we get into the meat of the album quickly with The Void reinforcing that shift in direction as Andy Finch's drums and Bradley Edison's bass gives it a crushing groove while the riffs of Steve Main and David Stanton shifting between technical riffs and intricate leads as we get more melodic on The End Of Days which brings some melo-death sensibilities the powerful clean vocals of Ashley Edison counteracted by Tom Barber, it's Ashley's voice that has most benefited this shift into the more down-tuned and heavy style as he no longer needs to hit top level shrieks as he did on the debut record showing a much more rounded vocal style. The End Of Days is the EP's most progressive song as it leads into the thrashy Endless Suffering where Sabaton's Tommy Johansson gets to do something a little different from the bouncy power metal he normally deals in.
The EP closes with another death metal influenced rager CJ McMahon providing the harsh shouts. If this is the way Dendera are moving as a band then I can't see any issues, they have slipped into the heavier sound easily and in the long run it's going to gain them more attention, than being 'just another melodic metal band' this is the new Dendera, focussed, pugnacious and aiming at the top. 8/10
High Command: Everlasting Torment (Southern Lord)
High Command's debut full length Beyond The Walls Of Desolation was probably one of my favourite albums of 2019 the crossover thrashers had a punk/hardcore crossover edge but with conceptual fantasy edge that stems from their love of Michael Moorcock and Robert E Howard and this two track EP keeps that swords & sorcery style with some more face melting crossover nastiness. Kicking off with the title track that shifts through numerous rapid riffs as it gallops towards the climax the blasting drums and roared vocals as Sword Of Reason brings a slightly more progressive sound. A stopgap yes but one that shows that High Command are keeping things nice and nasty ready for a second full length. 6/10