5 New Reviews 8/4/2014
Monsterworks- Overhaul- Vinyl. Digital ( Eat Lead Die)
With its kind of very DIY artist you have a mix of a few different worlds. Progressive Rock, Hard Rock and Extreme Metal all at the same time. I feel at times they have feel into the curse artist like Devin Townsend, Dan Swano, Opeth , Amorphis and Katatonia have all gone towards. Where maturity comes from years of crafting a sound and ideal that other elements as you expand you music horizons come in. I would say Monsterworks has fell in love with Porcupine Tree, Yes and Amorphis to make something that is as experimental, grooving and bombastic as any modern album today. James Plotkin mastered this beast and the album could not sound more full or massive in creation. The mix of Melodic , Death and Post Hardcore vocals are in the mix through out. There is a very distant haunting quality to this album that has not been in others were I feel that an Anathema or Opeth flavor is really starting to shine as well. Underground music has really become something that is splintering and dividing into new frontiers always. Who thought a Dozen notes could have make some of the mosting interesting of arts for over 6 decades now . Long live rock and roll ...
Malhkebre- Revelation- CD, LP, Digital ( I Voidhanger)
More in the every twisting and winding sage of Post Black metal sounds. I would say this is a mix of Tribal, Raw Pagan elements, South american elements and some of the most dissident avant Black metal chaos going on today but what to you expect from this label it's the fringe division of A.T.M.F. This is a french black metal unit with much in common with bands like Aborym, D.H.G and Negura Bunget . Especially with those odd eastern european blackened metal elements going on. The vocals are just so painful on this album it sounds like the vocalist is being tortured into signing like that and the group vocal moments are some kind of primitive incantation on an unforgiving land. Bizarre is an understatement with this project. I swear at time I'm listening to tracks from a 70's hammer horror film as well. Unsettling yes but all the more worth the album as a whole. This again will not be for the massive but if you like the bands mentioned above you need to have Malhkebre a very long and hard listen.. You will not be disappointed.
http://www.i-voidhanger.com/
Empryium- The turn of the tides- CD/ Digital ( Prophecy Productions)
So are you a fan of bands like Tenhi, Anathema, Antimatter, Arcana, Devil Doll, Dead can dance, Elend etc then you know where I'm going with this . Gothic Post Pock with Neoclassic and Folk element all in an epic Prog rock shell. This is something that is going to either blow you away or come across as the most epic of pompous albums ever. Empryium is all about human emotions, spirit and how it is impacted with nature and the unknown realms . I know this album was a massive undertaking and how fragile the balance of this release is. The Black / Death vocals remind me of early Elend albun in presentation. The neoclassic arrangements are just breathe taking to say the least. If you want to know what passion for your art and how to wear it on your sleeve then just take a few listens to " The turn of the tides" .
http://en.prophecy.de/
YOB- Clearing the path to ascend- CD/ Digital ( Neurot )
YOB seems to have taken a major lesson from the founding labels own project Neurosis in dynamics and power but then come to full circle with classic doom and heavy metal element of bands like Candlemass, Dio , Cathedral and Mercyful Fate. YOB makes you rethink how music should have ever been presented in the 1st place. The vocals remind me of Power metal in the presentation again. The music has elements of bands like Isis, Mastodon and Crowbar as well. Clearing the path to ascend is just a crushing type of release ( mentally , emotionally and spiritual ). I was not ready for this from YOB. Albums come like this once maybe twice in a lifetime from a band. The mix of passion and hypnotic clean vocals and the deep guttural vocals we know from Neurosis. The layers and complexity that goes into one single track forget the album is more then bands put into several releases. I promise you I am not talking up this album it's really is that major and defining of a release for both band and label. Neurot you have always impressed but with YOB the bar have been truly elevated to levels beyond words.
http://neurotrecordings.com/
Madmans Esprit- Nacht- CD/ Digital ( ATMF)
South Korea isn't a common place for Extreme metal but its growing for sure with a few labels there. This band dwells from the conflicted nation and if your a fan of bands like Sigh, Mayhem, Solefald, Acid Bath, Arcturus and Manes then you need to enter this perplexed temple of wonder, oddity and majesty. This is absolutely one of the most amazingly confusing albums I've heard period but would not missed it for a moment. It's like watching a game show, horror movie and play all at the same time . It makes me want to pull out my Oxiplegatz and Savatage album and play them at same time with Dimmu Borgir playing in the background. Circus music for the damned is really where I want to go with the review I'm trying to write. I would even say there are strong elements of Dorenreich in the way the album sounds. Impressive most impressive..
http://www.atmf.net/
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