Incantation – Unholy Deification (Relapse Records) [Matt Bladen]
Along with fellow founders of the NY death metal scene; Suffocation, Mortician and Immolation, Incantation have been dwelling in the subterranean terror of hardened, pissed off death metal for many years now. On their 13th album Unholy Deification they again rise from the New York sewers with more punishing groove driven death, where blast beats and tremolo picking Offerings (The Swarm) are counteracted by crushing glacial doom, Convulse (Words Of Power) and vocals dragged from the very deepest point of the Hudson.
As the blistering Chalice (Vessel Consaguineous) is followed by the sludgy Homunculus (Spirit Made Flesh), you are once again clawed at from the shadows to join with Incantation once again and worship the occult. Bassist Chuck Sherwood, is an avid reader and occult logician so he wanted to make the auspicious 13th record a concept album that deals with evolution through enlightenment, where a mortal can become a deity, inspired by rage and an unwillingness to compromise, Unholy Deification is a lot to take in with one listen as it does it’s best to batter you.
This thematic style of record means that the veterans can perhaps play around a little more with their established musical sound, bringing in black metal dissonance to the album, in some of the background atmospherics, Megaron (Sunken Chamber) for example reminds me of Celtic Frost. In the music too, there’s influence from other extreme metal genres, founding member/guitarist John McEntee and guitarists Luke Shively unleashing ferocious riffs, divebombs, tremolo picking and lead melodies without really breaking a sweat, the changes directed by Chuck Sherwood and drummer Kyle Severn.
Of course being around for a long time means that you can easily call on friends to bring their own style to the record and Unholy Deification features Jeff Beccera (Possessed), Henry Veggian (ex-Revenant), and Dan Vadim Von (Morbid Angel) to join in the death metal frenzy. Incantation always do death metal with a side order of fear, Unholy Deification praises the occult with mechanical tenacity. 8/10
Exmortus - Necrophony (Nuclear Blast Records) [Mark Young]
So, now that you are with us, let’s go.
What we have is 59 minutes of the finest Sword and Sorcery meeting Bram Stoker meeting Lovecraft meeting Tolkien meeting Werewolves and it is fucking brilliant. No dodgy politics, no messages of any sort, just straight-ahead full tilt metal. It’s the perfect palate cleanser to listen to as they just want you to rock out with them, that’s it. Like most, they suffered from a halting of the arts, of performing during the pandemic and they used this time to reset their approach and the result is this rascal.
You can argue that the song names and content is hokey, but you would be a dick for doing so. Masquerade kicks us off with a grand opening instrumental that just sets the scene for what is to follow, with a theme that you would find at a society ball that’s straight into the Mask Of Red Death (if you haven’t, check out Vincent Price’s film) which is all furious riffs and double bass and is exactly what I wanted to hear. Oathbreaker takes the baton and flies with it with a storming main riff and some top-class solo’s that are completely over the top.
I could go through each song to try and describe them in a different way, but that would be missing the point. You should take this album as a whole because they manage to squeeze so many solos in, each is highlight in its own right. Each song is arranged so well that they just fly, slow, fast doesn’t matter as each has their own path and are executed brilliantly.
They know what they are, and what they aren’t. They know how to write and know what they want to write about, and it shows. This is uplifting in places because the music makes it so, and because they want to make music that way.They expect you to come to their shows and listen to their music leaving any baggage at the door and just forgetting what ails you for an hour or so. Will it convert fans from those who love edgy, modern metal? No idea but flavours of the month come and go but I will always go out of my way to hear music played to this level. It might be an age thing (probably it is) but if you like Iron Maiden then you will dig this. Just approach it with a view to having fun and not being a dick. 8/10
Vandenberg - Sin (Mascot Records) [Rich Piva]
Adrian Vandenberg is by all accounts an incredible guitarist, best known for (by me at least) being in the most successful version of Whitesnake, you know, the 1987 self-titled one. The guy brought next level musicianship to Whitesnake which was more of a bluesy, hard rock bar band more than anything else pre lineup changes.
Exmortus - Necrophony (Nuclear Blast Records) [Mark Young]
Necrophony is the 6th album, their first in 4 years and can be approached in a number of ways. By now, you should know that their well of inspiration is located firmly within the fantastique, in the classics of horror fiction which is welded to a neo-classical musical attack. So, possibly certain genre bases may discount this as non-worthy of their time. This is fine, those who appreciate a healthy dose of Iron Maiden and some absolutely fiendish fretboard skills that present another side of the technical coin will love it. I certainly did.
So, now that you are with us, let’s go.
What we have is 59 minutes of the finest Sword and Sorcery meeting Bram Stoker meeting Lovecraft meeting Tolkien meeting Werewolves and it is fucking brilliant. No dodgy politics, no messages of any sort, just straight-ahead full tilt metal. It’s the perfect palate cleanser to listen to as they just want you to rock out with them, that’s it. Like most, they suffered from a halting of the arts, of performing during the pandemic and they used this time to reset their approach and the result is this rascal.
You can argue that the song names and content is hokey, but you would be a dick for doing so. Masquerade kicks us off with a grand opening instrumental that just sets the scene for what is to follow, with a theme that you would find at a society ball that’s straight into the Mask Of Red Death (if you haven’t, check out Vincent Price’s film) which is all furious riffs and double bass and is exactly what I wanted to hear. Oathbreaker takes the baton and flies with it with a storming main riff and some top-class solo’s that are completely over the top.
I could go through each song to try and describe them in a different way, but that would be missing the point. You should take this album as a whole because they manage to squeeze so many solos in, each is highlight in its own right. Each song is arranged so well that they just fly, slow, fast doesn’t matter as each has their own path and are executed brilliantly.
They know what they are, and what they aren’t. They know how to write and know what they want to write about, and it shows. This is uplifting in places because the music makes it so, and because they want to make music that way.They expect you to come to their shows and listen to their music leaving any baggage at the door and just forgetting what ails you for an hour or so. Will it convert fans from those who love edgy, modern metal? No idea but flavours of the month come and go but I will always go out of my way to hear music played to this level. It might be an age thing (probably it is) but if you like Iron Maiden then you will dig this. Just approach it with a view to having fun and not being a dick. 8/10
Vandenberg - Sin (Mascot Records) [Rich Piva]
Adrian Vandenberg is by all accounts an incredible guitarist, best known for (by me at least) being in the most successful version of Whitesnake, you know, the 1987 self-titled one. The guy brought next level musicianship to Whitesnake which was more of a bluesy, hard rock bar band more than anything else pre lineup changes.
Full disclosure, I am minimizing Whitesnake pre-Adrian, and I also prefer that version of Whitesnake but that is a discussion for another time. Vandenberg had his own band prior to joining Coverdale and crew, named after himself that played some solid 80s hard rock /metal that was fashionable at the time and had some minor hits in the US and bigger success in Europe. After leaving Whitesnale for good in the late 90s Adrian did a lot of his solo stuff but brought back Vandenberg as a real entity in 2020 for a run with some original members. That album was fine, but then after a falling out with said originals he is now back with a new crew and has released Sin, the fifth official longer player from the band, and it sounds pretty much like you would expect.
My wife came in the room while I was listening to Sin and said, “listening to Whitesnake, huh?”. This pretty much sums up the review. By extension, listening to Whitesnake also means you are listening to Zeppelin worship, which solidifies exactly what to expect from Sin. Take the title track, which shares a bit too much from Kashmir, but that solo is killer. But who doesn’t borrow from Zeppelin? (Kingdome Come anyone?) Also, who better to borrow from if you are Adrian Vandenberg? Thunder And Lightning is the song that elicited the Whitesnake comment, and not just musically, because new singer, Mats Leven, sounds eerily like Coverdale. Don’t sleep on Mats, dude sung for Candlemass for two EPs, so, much respect.
My wife came in the room while I was listening to Sin and said, “listening to Whitesnake, huh?”. This pretty much sums up the review. By extension, listening to Whitesnake also means you are listening to Zeppelin worship, which solidifies exactly what to expect from Sin. Take the title track, which shares a bit too much from Kashmir, but that solo is killer. But who doesn’t borrow from Zeppelin? (Kingdome Come anyone?) Also, who better to borrow from if you are Adrian Vandenberg? Thunder And Lightning is the song that elicited the Whitesnake comment, and not just musically, because new singer, Mats Leven, sounds eerily like Coverdale. Don’t sleep on Mats, dude sung for Candlemass for two EPs, so, much respect.
Walking On Water has the trademark Vandenberg guitar that could have been pulled from the 1987 sessions and is one of those not quite ballads but not quite rockers that Whitesnake perfected in the late 80s. Adrian is in top form on tracks like House Of Fire and Burning Skies, which if you asked me which band wrote songs named with those titles my first guess would have been Whitesnake, and yeah, it sounds like Whitesnake too, which makes me start to think he had way more influence on those big hits than just about anyone else. Out Of The Shadows closes us out with some very serious ‘87 Snake vibes, but more Still Of The Night than Here I Go Again.
It's a good thing I like Whitesnake, because by extension I enjoy Sin. Vandenberg, both the man and the band, are in top form here. Don’t expect anything earth shatteringly new or unique, but if you like hard rock heavily influenced by Zeppelin and Whitesnake or just enjoy Adrian’s work overall, this is worth your time to check out. Baby You’ve Changed sounds a bit too much like Is This Love for my comfort level. 7/10
It's a good thing I like Whitesnake, because by extension I enjoy Sin. Vandenberg, both the man and the band, are in top form here. Don’t expect anything earth shatteringly new or unique, but if you like hard rock heavily influenced by Zeppelin and Whitesnake or just enjoy Adrian’s work overall, this is worth your time to check out. Baby You’ve Changed sounds a bit too much like Is This Love for my comfort level. 7/10
GraveRipper - Seasons Dreaming Death (Wise Blood Records) [Richard Oliver]
Although the current blackened speed/thrash metal scene is becoming rapidly crowded, nearly all the bands within said scene that I have heard are absolutely brilliant. Although wholly unoriginal sounding, this caustic throwback to rapid fire 80’s metal sounds mixed with blackened leanings and throat shredding vocals is a feast of riffs and there is now another band ready to make their stamp with their debut album Seasons Dreaming Death and that is Indianapolis based four-piece GraveRipper.
Although this isn’t the first release by the band - with two E.P.’s and a split already under their collective belts - this is their first full length release and it definitely sees the band step up their game both in terms of songwriting, production and sheer fucking ferocity. This is one album that just does not stop for breath during its near 34 minute run time with ten songs of flesh shredding carnage mixing old school thrash with elements of cold menacing black metal and blistering death metal. Songs such as Influx Of Fear and Divine Incantations are about as subtle and gentle as putting bricks in your washing machine and putting it on the fastest spin cycle although there are some brief moments of melody such as during Premeditated and the stunning lead guitar solo in Into The Grave. The black metal elements come to the fore in the vicious title track and the punishing And I Curse Reality with lashings of tremolo riffing bringing forth that cold sound.
GraveRipper have a beast of a debut album with Seasons Dreaming Death. It is excellently performed and written and also boasts a stunning production and mix meaning these songs sound massively ferocious. Whilst you won’t hear anything new or original here what you will hear is some gloriously vicious blackened thrash metal and as I’ll keeping harping until my dying day if it sounds great then bollocks to originality. Give me riffs, riffs and even more riffs and on this GraveRipper deliver in bucketfuls. 8/10
Although the current blackened speed/thrash metal scene is becoming rapidly crowded, nearly all the bands within said scene that I have heard are absolutely brilliant. Although wholly unoriginal sounding, this caustic throwback to rapid fire 80’s metal sounds mixed with blackened leanings and throat shredding vocals is a feast of riffs and there is now another band ready to make their stamp with their debut album Seasons Dreaming Death and that is Indianapolis based four-piece GraveRipper.
Although this isn’t the first release by the band - with two E.P.’s and a split already under their collective belts - this is their first full length release and it definitely sees the band step up their game both in terms of songwriting, production and sheer fucking ferocity. This is one album that just does not stop for breath during its near 34 minute run time with ten songs of flesh shredding carnage mixing old school thrash with elements of cold menacing black metal and blistering death metal. Songs such as Influx Of Fear and Divine Incantations are about as subtle and gentle as putting bricks in your washing machine and putting it on the fastest spin cycle although there are some brief moments of melody such as during Premeditated and the stunning lead guitar solo in Into The Grave. The black metal elements come to the fore in the vicious title track and the punishing And I Curse Reality with lashings of tremolo riffing bringing forth that cold sound.
GraveRipper have a beast of a debut album with Seasons Dreaming Death. It is excellently performed and written and also boasts a stunning production and mix meaning these songs sound massively ferocious. Whilst you won’t hear anything new or original here what you will hear is some gloriously vicious blackened thrash metal and as I’ll keeping harping until my dying day if it sounds great then bollocks to originality. Give me riffs, riffs and even more riffs and on this GraveRipper deliver in bucketfuls. 8/10