It’s the little things
How do you make Meshuggah heavier? Slow it down enough to drop the tuning by 4 semitones, that’s how.
Author Archives: arse
Soulburn — The Suffocating Darkness
★☆☆☆ If you like sloppily-performed black metal with endlessly shifting tempos and more vocal reverb than the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, this is the album for you! See the rest here
Ghost Brigade — IV – One With The Storm
★★☆☆ The various sounds on this album belie the split personality of Ghost Brigade, who are now borrowing as from Alice In Chains and Queensrÿche as they do from Katatonia and Soilwork. After the energetic opening track, what follows is a long progression of downtempo anthems. There are some compelling tracks (“Stone and Pillars” is a fantastic example), but the majority of the material here is hard to feel strongly about either way. See the rest here
Nightingale — Retribution
★☆☆☆ This is some lovingly crafted schmaltz. We’re talking album-oriented gloss, like a modern update on ending credits music to a movie from the 80s. I kept expecting a duet with David Coverdale. See the rest here
Earth — Primitive And Deadly
★★☆☆ This is a weird combination of drone metal, shoegazer, and Metallica’s “Lulu.” See the rest here
Bloodbath — Grand Morbid Funeral
★★☆☆ For the pedigree that comes along with this supergroup (Opeth, Katatonia), the resulting album is surprisingly so-so. It’s a perfect and credible fusion of Entombed, Morbid Angel, and a smattering of other classic deathgrind acts. And you’ll nod your head throughout your listening experience. Just don’t be surprised if you feel like you’ve heard this before. See the rest here
Re: Knotfest Japan Full Report
I well understand the importance of keeping oneself well-fed and hydrated for these grueling festivals. Also, since when are we worrying about what time of day is the start of our drinking hours?
I’ll have to check out Crossfaith — as is not unusual, I’d never heard of them before! And, you’re going to make me re-listen to Korn and Trivium, dammit. See the rest here
Beyond Creation — Earthborn Evolution
★★★☆ Since I’m a graduate of the Steve DiGiorgio School Of Excess Bass, it’s almost impossible for me to not admire this album from Beyond Creation, especially with some of the songs being thinly-veiled excuses for fretless bass worship. And to be honest, those egregious moments are when the album falters the most. See the rest here
Skyharbor — Guiding Lights
★★★☆ If you liked TesseracT’s last album, you’re going to like this one as well for a few reasons (not the least of which is that Daniel Tompkins is the lead vocalist for both bands). It’s lush and layered and gorgeous. I just wish it was slightly more metal than it is. See the rest here
Sidious — Revealed In Profane Splendour
★★☆☆ The second EP from this by-the-numbers blackened death group is good for what it is: a lovingly but self-consciously faithful homage to Dimmu and Behemoth. As such, the album is a faithful facsimile, but not a terribly moving one. See the rest here
