Ex Libris — Medea
★☆☆☆ This is some seriously self-indulgent stuff. The musicianship is fantastic… but it seems to only serve as an excuse for some out-of-place arias. Also, I can’t imagine ever willingly listening to this again. See the rest here
Category: First Listens
Skull Fist — Chasing The Dream
★★☆☆ On the one hand, this is very capably executed speed metal, akin to Racer X or Accept. On the other hand, this album retreads on territory that’s already well worn, with nothing new to offer. Nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake isn’t always a winning policy. See the rest here
Narcotic Wasteland — Narcotic Wasteland
★★☆☆ Imbecilic, but really great fun nonetheless. If you’re expecting Nile-like death metal, you’ll get the speed but not exactly the darkness. That’s okay, though; this album stands on its own. Also, the riffs here are really kinda novel and unusual, so that’s worth a couple of listens already. See the rest here
Iced Earth — Plagues Of Babylon
★★☆☆ This is some seriously old-school shit right here. Think Rage-For-Order-era Queensrÿche or Maiden. It’s enjoyable, for what it is, but it’s also got the palpable feel of stale bread to it. The war’s over, Johnny. See the rest here
Al-Namrood — Heen Yadhar Al Ghasq
☆☆☆☆ I just can’t get behind a band that sounds like System Of A Down covering The Shaggs. Look, I’m all for taking the cultural high road, but just because you can play a double harmonic scale on distorted guitars doesn’t mean your work is done. See the rest here
Murmur — Murmur
★★★☆ I think I love this. At first, I was ready to dismiss it as just another noisefest… but there’s a lot of depth to the album. Elements of all my favorite sounds: old Genesis, Isis, Don Caballero, even Fredrik Thordendal’s solo work. (And you can’t go wrong with the excellent cover of Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part II.) See the rest here
Legion Of The Damned — Ravenous Plague
★★☆☆ This is an interesting conundrum. On the one hand, this album is rockin’ a very alternate-universe-Slayer vibe. On the other hand, it’s kinda forgettable. Worth a second listen, but there’s something very humdrum about it all. See the rest here
Mechina — Xenon
★★☆☆ A djenty symphonic blend of Fear Factory, the Inception soundtrack, and the gothic sensibilities of the movie “Prometheus” (without all the shitty lack of logic). It drags at times from its own meandering aimlessness, but it’s got a smattering of good and heavy ideas. See the rest here
Cryostatic Dream — Boundaries
★☆☆☆ This sounds exactly like the kind of music I always wanted to make: jazzy djent for video games. Also, this music should not really be made by anyone. See the rest here
Bear — Noumenon
★★☆☆ There’s a lot to commend this album: it’s djenty but with more fury than technicality (which is a good thing), and it’s high energy and eminently listenable. At the same time… there’s a vague whiff of Korn or crabcore about the whole thing that’s hard to shake. I think I’d feel better about it if I wasn’t so allergic to popped collars, bro. See the rest here
