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DAWN OF OUROBOROS – The Art of Morphology – REVIEW

 

The San Francisco Bay Area has always been a hot spot for Metal from the early 80’s Thrash scene to today. Dawn of Ouroboros proudly carry on the tradition of bringing fresh and exciting new exteme music to the masses with their debut release, “The Art of Morphology.”

This album is somewhat difficult to review but I do not mean that in any bad way whatsoever. In fact it is quite the opposite as this is an extemely great listen. Let’s start off by taking everything you know about Black Metal and toss it aside. Yes, I know that is a cliche thing to say but that principle completely applies here. From the gentle opening chords of “Revivied Spirits,” the album sets an deep atmospheric tone then hits hard into blast beats, harsh vocals and buzzsaw guitars for the second half of the song. The next song, “Pinnacle Induced Vertigo” also starts in the same kind of matter but this track has a more melodic feel. The clean vocals are really effective here as well. Vocalist Chelsea Murphy has some incredible range and talent. Normally I hate when bands mix vocal styles with a  passion but somehow it the folks in Dawn pull it off.

“Gateway to Tenebrosity” is a short piano instrumental that leads perfectly into “Lunar Cathexis.” Here Murphy blends vocals styles again, going from sweet to demonic on a more Black Metal sounding track. This is the theme throughout the entire album and what leads into it’s difficulty to review. Dawn of Ouroboros are constantly changing their sound and style. The change, however, is never jarring and flows well with the rest of the song. This is a highly recommneded listen as it takes all of your preconceived notions and flips them on their head. I am sure after a few more listens, I will pick up on more subtleties and complexities.

I’ll just close this by saying, “Go forth and listen now!”

 

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TOMBTOKER / HAZE MAGE – Split – REVIEW

 

My first impression of this album based on the psychedelic looking Dungeons and Dragons inspired artwork, is that it looks like a cross between Eddie from Iron Maiden and Rita Repulsa from The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. That may sound like an offbeat and strange comparison but it somehow works. Tombtoker and Haze Mage are a strange combination that also somehow just works. Both bands come from a very Doom and Sludge background and can lay out some heavy and thick grooves.

Tombtoker is the heavier of the 2 with guttural vocals and sludgy guitars tones. Braise the Dead is a catchy opener with some great riffing and killer grooves. Botched Bastard (which is a great song title) slows things down but keeps the heaviness.

Haze Mage is on the other side of the spectrum here with their Sabbath meets Sleep style of hazy guitars and Doom and Groove sound. Sleepers takes you on a trip back in time of thick smoke covered venues and 70’s stoner jam bands. Pit Fighter is more upbeat with some great tempo changes and crawling solos.

Splits are a great way to introduce yourself to a band you may have never heard or heard of before. This split does an incredible job of taking 2 different types of bands with the same sound that go great together.

Find this EP in this month’s Coffee Subscriptions!

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AKURION – Come Forth to Me – Album Review

 

From Montreal, Canada comes Akurion and they are here to kick your ass with some brtual Death Metal. No matter how you like your Death Metal; technical, melodic, blackened, etc, this debut album is worth a listen for any fan of exteme music. It come as no surprise here as Akurion features members of Cattle Decapitation and Cryptopsy, you know you are in for a treat of killer riffs and brutal melodies.

From the opening track, Leave them Scars, Akurion, comes off with a vengeance with growling vocals courtsy of Mike DiSalvo and the pounding bass of Oli Pinard. Pedals from a Rose… slows things down a bit but does not skimp on the brutality. Souvenir Gardens is an epic piece clocking in at a little over 11 minutes. It begings with an incredible atmospheric piece that has classical feel to it that is rounded out quite well with some acoustic guitar work. Year of the Long Pig is an unapologetic crushing piece that comes off as raw and chaotic and one of the best tracks featured here.

Come Forth to Me is an enjoyable debut from a Death Metal, “super group” that does not feel it was just piece together as a side project as most of these types of collaborations can often feel. This album was made for multiple listens with it’s raw, gritty, melodic and atmospheric riffs ,pouding and grooving bass lines and crushing vocals. This is a well crafted album that will perfectly fit in your library.

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IAPETUS – The Body Cosmic – Album Review

 

Most of the time, I like my Death Metal fast, aggressive and unrelenting. But sometimes I need to change the pace a little. With The Body Cosmic, Iapetus add plenty of atmosphere and progressive and technical touches to make this album a complex and satisfying listen. Don’t worry fans of extreme metal. This isn’t a snobbish prog record. There is plenty essential Death Metal aggression to spare.

What works best here is the seemingly easy fusion of both Death Metal and Black Metal to a Progressive background. The Body Cosmic is the first track and runs over 10 minutes. Most Grind fans can listen to entire discographies in this time, but don’t let the run time scare you away. The track blasts off with harsh vocals and heavy guitars. About halfway through the song takes an atmospheric turn. This change doesn’t feel jarring or abrupt. It just works. Many reviewers have this release near the top of their lists for 2019, not for nothing, this is dynamic and different release that has little something for everyone. Just when you think a part of a song is starting to feel tired, they change it up with a different style or a different pace.

And this where The Body Cosmic really shines, in it’s instrumental structures. Progressive music often gets a bad wrap for it’s complex and longer songs. Iapetus have mastered the prefect balance to keep both fans of Progressive and Extreme Metal happy. The Body Cosmic is so full of atmospheric energy it sets itself up for multiple listens.

Be sure to give this album and do not let the 70 minute run time intimidate you. This is an epic, almost spiritual and reflective piece to listen to. Sometimes it’s good to slow down. Pure yourself a nice cup of (Black!) coffee and give this a spin.

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VIDE: VIDE II Review

VIDE: VIDE II Review
Reviewed by Andrew Risch

Vide is an extremely mysterious act. Not much is known other than the artist refers to himself
as a nobody from the swamps between Louisiana and Texas. The mystery surrounding Vide
fits perfectly alongside their musical output. With their latest EP release, Demo ii, Vide offers the
listener a haunting and atmospheric journey into despair.

Despite billing itself as a demo, there is some fantastic stuff here. From it’s atmospheric riffs and
torched vocals, Vide proves have the potential to go even further with their raw and energetic
sound. These Nightmares is the stand out track here. The song title is aptly named as it feels
and sounds like a nightmare come to life with a killer opening riff and haunting atmospheric
background. The only negative to this release is that it is too short. The intro and outro track
clock in under 2 minutes each leaving only 3 actual songs but all in all that’s not bad for a
release billing itself as a demo and the intro and outro perfectly bookend the songs in between.
It will be exciting to see what Vide has in store for an “official” album.

 

 

LIMITED EDITION VIDE 15oz BLACK MUG