Back once more with another hour of metal and hard rock for your listening pleasure.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Review: Nephelium - Coils of Entropy (2012)
Nephelium [Facebook | MySpace]
Coils of Entropy
(2012)
self-released
Although currently based out of Toronto, Canada, the origins of the death metal outfit Nephelium can be traced back to the Middle Eastern nation of Dubai when guitarist Alex Zubair and drummer Alan Madhavan came together with a brutal vision of metallic domination. After completing the line-up, releasing a demo and an EP, and sharing the stage with notables of the genre like Decide and Neuraxis, Nephelium have unleashed their debut full-length in the form of Coils of Entropy.
The album is undeniably brutal, considerably technical, yet interestingly approachable. The six tracks are dominated by swirling riffs, seemingly wayward beat patterns, and familiar belching guttural death metal vocals. Frequently, however, the chaos is held in check by some very weighty, mosh-inciting riffs and sharp solos containing just a hint of Middle Eastern melodies. Each track is an attention-grabbing conglomeration of ferocity and groove, with blast beats serving as complimentary backdrops for deliberate, chugging riffs.
Devlin Anderson's sulfurous vocal performance is well executed, though his incoherent blathering toward the end of "Malediction" provides one of the few questionable aspects of Coils of Entropy. Otherwise, Nephelium's debut long player has just enough cacophony to please the anarchists while keeping the pit fiends engaged with plenty of primal groove.
| Track Listing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burial Ground | 5:04 |
| 2 | Merciless Annihilation | 6:17 |
| 3 | Hellborne | 5:02 |
| 4 | Malediction | 8:52 |
| 5 | Halls Of Judgement | 5:56 |
| 6 | Coils Of Entropy | 10:05 |
| Total Runtime | 41:16 | |
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Review: The Devil's Blood - The Thousandfold Epicentre (2012)
The Devil's Blood [Website | Facebook]
The Thousandfold Epicentre
(2012)
Shrouding their origins in mystery and theatrically drenching themselves in blood during their live performances, or rituals, Dutch occult rockers The Devil's Blood live and breathe the early-'70s psychedelic horror lifestyle from which they draw inspiration. The band's sophomore full-length, The Thousandfold Epicentre, is an often groovy, though sometimes wayward, tribute to the music and vocal styles that helped define an entire genre of filmmaking and propelled the practice of "dark rites" to mainstream audiences.
If you're old enough to have enjoyed flicks like Messiah of Evil and A Virgin Among the Living Dead on late night TV, or are a member of later generations who discovered these ghoulish treats through the Interwebs, The Thousandfold Epicentre will strike a familiar chord. Psychedelic keys mingle with a sharp '60s guitar tone and mind-altered solos, all bolstered by the organic vocal performance of .... who the hell knows, really. Adopting a set of initials/symbols as a stage name, The Devil's Blood frontwoman is nonetheless a capable, soulful singer that reminds me a lot of Shirley Bassey - particularly on the track "Cruel Lover". Her confident, mid-range style presides over the groovy goings on with a classiness that veils the dark subject matter of her lyrics, making The Thousandfold Epicentre that much more alluring. Her standard delivery is often accentuated with some nicely multi-tracked touches, such as the layered harmonies on "Die the Death" and the ritualistic chants of "On the Wings of Gloria", which also features some background howls and growls from the other initialed member of the band.
As the strongest track on The Thousandfold Epicentre, "On the Wings of Gloria" sets the tone early with an irresistible classic rock groove and a head-shaking '60s tone. Distorted and somewhat unrestrained solos join with the aforementioned growls to haunt the otherwise uplifting melodies, reinforcing the overall sense of disarming menace that flows throughout the album. The plucky leads and wistful vocal harmonies carry over to "Die the Death", where frontwoman SL/TDB/A-O reaches a bit higher in her range and adds a soft vibrato to her already potent arsenal. The "Crimson and Clover" memories are dusted off as "Within the Charnel House of Love" gets going, as a bit of psychedelic processing is added to the vocals to go along with another dose of sharp, groovy guitar.
After the slow gallop of "Cruel Lover", The Thousandfold Epicentre begins to loosen up a bit as more and more ambient moments arrive to push the guitars deeper in the mix. Surrealistic tones blend with disarming orchestration to dominate that latter half of the album, though the prominent bass and plentiful solos of the title track serve to remind that all is not as it seems. The vocals recede to mostly whispers on the final three tracks, while the 15-minute album closer "Feverdance" eventually builds in volume with a nice riff underscored by some scratchy soloing and a bit of a psycho-circus keyboard ambiance.
Non-musical gimmicks aside, The Thousandfold Epicentre is a good album of groovy psychedelic rock. Its strongest moments are mostly confined to the first half of the record, making for a bit of an unbalanced listen, but there's still plenty to satisfy classic rock fans and aficionados of '70s era occult films.
| Track Listing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unending Singularity | 2:36 |
| 2 | On the Wings of Gloria | 7:22 |
| 3 | Die the Death | 4:11 |
| 4 | Within the Charnel House of Love | 3:53 |
| 5 | Cruel Lover | 7:44 |
| 6 | She | 5:58 |
| 7 | The Thousandfold Epicentre | 9:20 |
| 8 | Fire Burning | 5:24 |
| 9 | Everlasting Saturnalia | 6:31 |
| 10 | The Madness of Serpents | 8:47 |
| 11 | Feverdance | 15:33 |
| Total Runtime | 1:17:19 | |
Friday, February 3, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Review: King Giant - Dismal Hollow (2012)
King Giant [Website | Facebook | MySpace]
Dismal Hollow
(2012)
With a style of doom that sounds straight out of the hollers and hills of Appalachia, rather than the band's verdant Virginia 'burb of origin, the sophomore album from Pimmit Hills' King Giant is an astounding collection of groovy melodies and provocative lyrics. Dismal Hollow, created with traditional blues-heavy doom sensibilities and filtered through a sense of Southern Lost Cause resignation, grasps the concepts established by bands like Black Sabbath and refines them with a uniquely American style of grit and energy.
The first thing that struck me about King Giant's sound was frontman Dave Hammerly's uncanny Glenn Danzig vocal style. With a whiskey-fueled shout more genuine than anything Danzig ever managed, the album begins with Hammerly recounting from a Confederate perspective that fateful April day in Southern history when Robert E. Lee surrendered his sword, and the Army of Northern Virginia, to what was perhaps the inevitable outcome. Phrases such as "if blood was money, the soil would be wealthy" pepper "Appomattox", and the remainder of Dismal Hollow, with a colorful and authentic Southern vernacular that Hammerly projects with convincing effect.
 |
| Photo: Caroline Deutermann |
The fuzzy, groovy riffs generated by Todd Ingram and David Kowalski carry over to the album's second track, "Tale of Mathias", resulting in Dismal Hollow's most engaging cut. Backed by touch of soulful female vocals, Hammerly tells the story of domestic abuse and revenge, another theme all too common within Southern culture. The gritty subject matter stands in stark contrast to the upbeat, foot-tapping melodies - a common aspect of Dismal Hollow that lends weight to the album's overall impact.
Hints of Gary Rossington can be heard in Ingram's solos, particularly on "A Steward's Prayer", while a bit of a Corrosion of Conformity influence lies at the root of many of the riffs. Influences aside, King Giant does an exemplary job of crafting gripping tunes, the mournful "Pistols and Penance" standing out in my mind for its expert use of plucky acoustic leads and somber strings. The simple yet entrancing theme riff of "6 O'Clock Swill" and the mesmerizing instrumental track "Road To Eleusis" are two more highlights on a strong album that benefits from an overabundance of standout moments.
There's not a lot about Dismal Hollow that could be considered innovative, but the exceptional musicianship and songwriting abilities of Virginia's King Giant make this an album that is a must-have for any fan of muddy doom and gritty Southern metal.
| Track Listing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appomattox | 7:30 |
| 2 | Tale Of Mathias | 4:58 |
| 3 | A Steward's Prayer | 6:27 |
| 4 | Pistols and Penance | 7:58 |
| 5 | 6 O'Clock Swill | 7:08 |
| 6 | The Fog | 7:11 |
| 7 | Road To Eleusis | 5:08 |
| 8 | O' Drifter | 7:01 |
| Total Runtime | 53:21 | |
Friday, January 20, 2012
Harvest Moon Radio Episode 3
The trials and tribulations of my day job have, over the last couple of weeks, kept me from updating Harvest Moon Music as much as I'd like - even forcing me to miss posting Harvest Moon Radio last week. Despite the deadlines, I've managed to scratch together enough time to finally bring you Episode 3. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Review: Souldrainer - Heaven's Gate (2011)
Souldrainer [Website | Facebook | MySpace]
Heaven's Gate
(2011)
Sweden's Souldrainer, spawned in 1999 by guitarist/vocalist Marcus Edvardsson, is a melodeath outfit with a bit of a remarkable sound. Inspired by extraterrestrial contact and the music of Hypocrisy and Samael, Souldrainer's sophomore full length Heaven's Gate escapes what has become a rather stale melodic death metal subgenre by incorporating strong, industrio-Gothic synth elements. The requisite throat-shredding vocals are buoyed by a heightened sense of atmosphere and melody, making Heaven's Gate a rather catchy and accessible listen.
Really the only thing pedestrian about this album is Edvardsson's vocals. His scratchy style is common to the style though he's occasionally backed by some clean choruses, such as on the album's standout title track. The remainder of Souldrainer's sound bucks the melodeath trends and instead embraces touches of Gothic and industrial metal, specifically majestic keyboard tones, synthesized strings, and robust melodic riffs. Also responsible for crafting said riffs, Edvardsson eschews flash for substance by routinely delivering basic but engaging riff patterns. Oftentimes, as on album opener "The Quest", Edvardsson's multi-tracked performance results in chugging core riffs sharing time with quality melodic leads.
Credit for the keyboard contributions, so integral to Souldrainer's sound, is unfortunately not given. The mysterious musician's impact is nevertheless quite potent, lending a sometimes otherworldly quality to Heaven's Gate that probably couldn't be so effectively achieved any other way. The string flourishes on "Low" and "The God Delusion" make those tracks noteworthy, while the grandiose keys give "The Legacy", "Remember Me", and "Goodbye Farewell" decidedly Gothic overtones. The lyrics to several tracks on the album delve into subjects of an interstellar nature and result in yet another opportunity for the keys to contribute appropriate atmospheric qualities. "Gate Guard" is perhaps the most spacey, while the impact of the title track is enhanced through the use of strong synth and creepy Marshall Applewhite sound bites.
Heaven's Gate is a melodeath album for those who are not fans of the style. Souldrainer reaches beyond the typical, formulaic sound that has retarded the subgenre and delivers an album that isn't quite revolutionary, but is certainly fresh and engaging.
| Track Listing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Quest | 4:29 |
| 2 | Fed By Fire | 2:50 |
| 3 | Low | 3:55 |
| 4 | Alien Terror | 3:34 |
| 5 | Hung On The Wall | 3:42 |
| 6 | The God Delusion | 4:00 |
| 7 | Gate Guard | 3:11 |
| 8 | The Legacy | 5:48 |
| 9 | Remember Me | 4:54 |
| 10 | Dying For Your Sick Belief | 2:19 |
| 11 | Goodbye Farewell | 3:33 |
| 12 | Heaven's Gate | 7:37 |
| Total Runtime | 49:52 | |
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