Slaughter of the Soul-25 Years Later

Every band or artist who releases a masterpiece never goes into the studio knowing that all their hard work is about to change the face of music forever. At the Gates, a band of young metal fans from Gothenburg, did just that with Slaughter of the Soul in 1995. They, along with other bands like In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, and the album Heartwork by Carcass, propelled the genre of melodic death metal into the limelight. At the Gates did things differently however. Unlike the other bands mentioned, who all in one way or another changed their sound, (In Flames did a 180 after the release of Reroute to Remain and have become a shadow of their former selves. DT focused more on aggression and less clean vocals as seen on the excellent Fiction. Then, shifted to a more atmospheric based sound with albums like Atoma. Carcass flopped with Swan Song in 1996, eventually regaining steam 17 years later with Surgical Steel), At the Gates evolved with the release of Slaughter of the Soul and continue to put out some of the best melodic death metal today. This album is the blueprint for making excellent melodic death metal and aided in influencing the huge wave of metalcore bands in the early 2000s. It provided extreme metal with a revitalizing shot of adrenaline during a time when metal was becoming stagnant. Laden with groove and excellent musicianship, it is an album that is an absolute must-listen; one that will be listened to and talked about for generations. 

At the Gates did not begin their career with the sound present on Slaughter. Formed in 1990 in Gothenburg, Sweden, a city that became the moniker of the genre they would soon perfect. After dropping a demo titled "Gardens of Grief" in 1991, the band released The Red in the Sky is Ours the following year. A straight forward, no fuss death metal album. Their sophomore effort, With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness, the band continued down the same path set by their debut. On 1994's Terminal Spirit Disease, At the Gates showed inklings of things to come the following year. The production is noticeably better than their previous efforts. The guitar work from Ander Bjorler and Martin Larsson is punchier and more melodic. Tomas Lindberg's vocals are gruff but actually audible in the mix. The rythmn section, Jonas Bjorler on bass and Adrian Erlandsson on drums, are tight and groovy. "Forever Blind" showcases the band's new sound perfectly. The album does suffer from copycat syndrome in some tracks. The instrumental "And the World Returned" sounds like a thrown out acoustic passage from an early In Flames record. Terminal Spirit Disease is also very short with the six "real" tracks only clocking in around 23 minutes with 3 live tracks placed at the end of the album. With the foundation laid by Terminal, At the Gates entered the studio during the summer of '95 and released Slaughter of the Soul on November 14, 1995 via Earache Records.

The industrial intro of "Blinded by Fear" begins the album. The sound of broken electronics and ripping metal masks the compressed vocals stating "We are blind to the worlds within us. Waiting to be born." The band immediately slam into a fast and pummeling melodic riff. Tomas' vocals are rough yet clear. The lyrics, unlike the typical death metal lyrics of blood and guts, reflect on reality and one's perception of it. The lyrics on the album as a whole take a grim look at reality. 

"I cast aside my chains

Fall from reality 

Purgatory unleashed

Now burn the face of the earth."

The guitar tone is open and bass heavy. According to producer Fredrik Nordstrom, the band used a old Peavey Bandit head with the infamous Boss MT-2 Metal Zone to create the guitar tone. Martin's drumming is crazy as well. Nordstrom stated in a interview that Martin developed his own technique to bearably to hit the snare and cymbals as quickly as possible. "Blinded by Fear" also features a slower section right before the solo. The rhythm guitar plays simple power chords and the lead is clean, playing arpeggiated  chords. 

The end of "Blinded" leads right into the title track featuring the famous "Go!" shout right before the main riff kicks in. At the Gates and Nordstrom stated that they added the "Go!" at the last minute and to give the song a more hardcore feel. The guitars are at their best here. The riffs are melodic and show Anders Björler and Martin Larsson's love of creating a groove. The chorus riff backs Lindberg shouting "There won't be another dawn. We will reap as we have sown." A force to be reckoned with, the title track more than likely the one song outside listeners heard from At the Gates. "Cold" continues the uphill climb established by the first two tracks. The lyrics are still desolate with lines like "I feel my soul grow cold. Only the dead are smiling." Andy LaRacque, King Diamond guitarist and friend of Nordstrom, plays a guest solo on this track. "Under a Serpent Sun" is the best showcase of At the Gates' transition in a melodic death metal powerhouse. The intro, triplet riff leads into the verse riff that mimics the melodic grooves seen in the past three tracks. Clean section that pops in near the end the song provides with album with a nice change of pace. However, this respite doesn't last as they launch into a furious section that leads into a repeat of the intro.

"Sweetfleshed, hellbent creature

Artist of the fevered soul

Heavenly, venomous rapture

Stricken numb by fear I fall"  

Following the classical guitar laden instrumental track "Into the Dead Sky," the second half of the album features shorter, more thrash orientated songs. Both "Suicide Nation" with it's low B string chugging and across the fretboard riffage and "World of Lies" are groovy through and through with a tinge of thrash thrown in for good measure. "Nausea" and "Unto Others" harken back to the days of quality 80's thrash metal, keeping the groove but flying by at a blistering pace. "Need" caps off the album nicely by combining the styles of both halves of the album. The melody seen in the opening tracks mixes well the faster time signatures of the second half. All of these tracks feature lyrics showing the dystopian outlook the band has on life. 

"Utopia - lost in chaos

As the sky turns black

Suicide legacy

There is no turning back"

...

Suicide nation

Mass-appeal, death-addiction

Dead but dreaming

Restrained by phobia, brainwashed into submission

Control, control" (Suicide Nation)

"Genetic barcode hell

Mental genocide

Repulsive human shells

Choke on the fruits of life" (Nausea)

The final track "The Flames of the End" honestly feels out of place on Slaughter. The digital synths sound like a ripped sound file from the Metal Gear Solid OST. Switching "Into a Dead Sky" with this track may have made the album finish on a stronger note.

After touring for the album, At the Gates called it quits for eleven years. During their hiatus, members started or join new bands. Linberg fronted Greek melo death band Nightrage for their albums Sweet Vengeance and Descent into Chaos and sang for grindcore super-group Lock Up's debut Hate Breeds Suffering. Jonas Björler and Adrian Erlandsson formed The Haunted; a groove metal leaning, melodic death band featuring an all star lineup throughout it's history. In 2007, At the Gates reunited for a brief, year long tour. The band made an official come back 2010, released a few live albums, and returned to the scene with their 2014 album At War With Reality. An album that showed that At the Gate hardly missed a beat during their time apart. The great but poorly produced To Drink from the Night Itself dropped four years later. At the Gates have remained active to this day.     

Slaughter of the Soul encapsulates the sound of generation. The album is a masterpiece released alongside other highly influential albums in 1995 like Demanufacture, Destroy Erase Improve, and The Gallery. The song writing and lyricism on Slaughter helped revitalize the slowly stagnating metal of the mid-90s and acted as a pivot point for the genre as a whole. Shortly after the release of Slaughter, the metalcore wave rose. Many of the riffs used by bands like Unearth, As I Lay Dying, and Trivium studied the blueprint set by At the Gates. It is a record that was not a flash in the pan and will never fade into obscurity. Slaughter of the Soul is a litmus test of what separates a good album from a masterpiece.

Stream the album here

Banger TV special on the album here

Interview with At the Gates and Nodstrom here

Review: Nothing as the Ideal by All them Witches

 

Tennessee workhorses All Them Witches are one of the best in business. With now six albums under their belt, each sounding better and more dynamic than the last, ATW show that they are never ready to settle into a certain sound or be pigeonholed into a single genre. With their first two albums, Our Mother Electricity and Lightening at the Door, the band took a straight forward approach to psych rock; utilizing heavy fuzzed out guitars mixed with more laid back and atmospheric instrumentation. Songs These albums also showcases the band's love for the blues and maintaining a hypnotic groove (see "Until it Unwinds" and "Charles Williams") as well. ATW's more atmospheric side shined through on their next two albums: the folk focused Dying Surfer Meets His Maker and the all over the place Sleeping Through the War. Their last album, 2018's simply titled ATW, acts as the perfect middle ground for all the sounds heard through All Them Witches discography. In 2019, the band provided fans with a brief taste of things to come with the single "1x1" released on Halloween. Little else was released in regards to a new album. Soon, the band let it slip that they would be heading across the pond and recording their new album at Abby Road Studio 2; the same studio where The Beatles recorded their most famous album. Now, after a year of writing and restructuring, ATW presents Nothing as the Ideal released on New West Records.

Right from the start, All Them Witches makes it clear that they are determined to bring the heavy on this album. "Saturnine & Iron Jaw" starts with a lengthy, creepy intro featuring the bit crushed sounds of deep breaths backed by horror movie synths. After a brief blues guitar intro, ATW explodes into some of the heaviest guitar riffs ever heard in the band's discography. Guitarist Ben McLeod cranks up the distortion while the bass work from Charles Parks Jr. thunders. In an video with Hiwatt Amps, McLeod stated that he was trying to go for more Black Sabbath-style riffs and the first track is good indication of his desired direction.  Robby Staebler's pulse pounding drumming really ties the track together. The lyrics quote the album title stating:

"Higher force of perception
Nothing, that's the ideal.
Lead me back to myself

Gentle hand of confusion" 

"Enemy of my Enemy" continues in the precedent set by the opener. McLeod's guitar take on a stoner rock vibe with great use of wah for the solos. The bass and drums pull out all the stops. The fast paced section that starts at the 2:24 mark is great addition really shows off the band's technicality. Following the massive riffs of the first two tracks comes a nice respite in the form of "Everest." A short guitar interlude with McLeod playing some bluesy, reverb drenched chords. The creepiness heard on the intro to the opener returns on "See You Next Fall." Horrific ambient noises and pulses with answering machine sounding  vocals being pitch shifted up and down lead into a groovy, psychedelic section with Parks and Staebler keeping a steady beat while McLeod solos. The lyrics reflect the laid back nature of the track.

"Good day
For me at least 
I'm not grinding my teeth 
I'm not laying in wait
There's something warm
The dragons to slay
It's something of charm
To have nothing to say"

The instrumentation overall on "See You Next Fall" is very hypnotic and relaxing. After two verses, a splatty fuzz is placed on the guitars and the band turns up the distortion once again for an ending solo section. 

"The Children of the Coyote Woman" is another entry in the "Coyote Woman" songs as heard on Lightening at the Door. The song does a great job of easing the listener into side B of the album This track takes a folky blues approach and uses the mythical Roman figures of Romulus and Remus to tell a story. The lyrics of this track are not just a simple rehash of the well-known Roman myth. Instead of the establishment of the city that would become the hub for the Roman Empire, All Them Witches place the mythical brothers in rural America, Arkansas specifically, and give them the surname of "Hill." 

"Romulus and Remus Hill
Lived at the top of Ouchita Bend
Momma died, they laid her down
And quickly took to squabbling."

The lyrics also discuss how the fighting between Romulus and Remus causes great destruction throughout the country side, causing others to flee outward into the vast lands.

"They get to thumping and the house quaked
They call the lightening down from God's front gate
And all the neighbors had to move along 
For fear they'd get caught of in the wake
Of the titan gods
Good old boys in the oubliette of life."

This twist in the lyrics is really unique and sets up a very interesting story. It's as if an old frontiersman is telling the telling of the origins of America through the lens of Roman mythology. The instrumentation of the song is very acoustic and slide guitar focused. The drums are washed in reverb with the toms leading the rhythm.

"41" acts as a bridge between the heavy and laid back style featured on Nothing as the Ideal. The heavy, almost sludge metal chugging is counterpointed by clean verse riffs and twangy open chords. The drums are very cymbal heavy and the bass is constantly thumping throughout the track. The lyrics take a Lovecraftian turn with "The great form, Has no shape nor evilness upon its face." The style heard on "Saturnine & Iron Jaw" and "Enemy of My Enemy" comes back on "Lights Out." Each member goes full force with the bass and guitar never playing clean and the drums pounding away. The outro of the track is another eerie section that leads into the closer "Rats in Ruins"

The most beautiful track on the album, "Rats in Ruin" is a ballad with Parks' voice being passed through a warbled, "Planet Caravan" filter. McLeod plays acoustic and some modulated, jangly clean electric guitar. The lyrics are what really steal the show on this track. Each verse is drenched in melancholy, are extremely thought provoking, and read like a poem.

"Found all my arrogance
Hung from the barbed wire fence
'Cause you never gave me
A little ground
Found all my belly fire
On the concertina wire
I had to get over it
Or go underground"

...

"I must confess

Happiness

Eats away

At the mind today

Would you journey to view

If all seems well

Is Gutter King out pacing gutter hell?"

The prose of "Rats in Ruin" is some of the best lyrics present throughout all of ATW's expansive work. The lyrics juxtaposed with the overall heavier route this album takes, ends the album on a relaxing exhale rather than a headbang. It provides a moment of reflection, a brief snapshot in time to look inward and just think.  Following the two verses, this amazing track ends on an uplifting, post-rock solo section. The drums finally join in with a slow and steady beat with well done fills. The guitar solo is very simple and features a lot of feedback. One hell of a track to cap off one hell of an album.

All them Witches really showcase all of their talents on Nothing as the Ideal. Despite leaning more toward an overall heavier sound, the psychedelic blues and folks seen on all their past work shines through. It is an album that will stomp listeners with distortion and simultaneously pick them up with some beautiful clean songs and passages. In an interview with Spin magazine, the band stated that after the release of "1x1" and trying their best to utilize a new studio space they built in Nashville, they needed a change of scenery to help break the funk they found themselves in. Recording in the legendary Abby Road Studio 2 definitely paid off for the band and helped produce one of their best albums. All in all, Nothing as the Ideal is a diverse and fun rock album that will be hard to top this year as one of the best in the genre.

Stream the album here
ATW discography here
Buy ATW merch here and here

Book Review: The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

The legacy of H.P. Lovecraft stretches far and wide throughout numerous forms of media. Countless writers, artists, directors, and musicians claim him as one of their biggest influences. He crafted a type of horror completely ahead of it's time. Cosmic Horror. A type of horror that harnesses the power of the unknown. Lovecraft created stories that shocked readers. He also created his own mythos, a pantheon of gods whose tendrils stretch through all of reality and are waiting to once again rule the earth. His vast legacy is tainted however. A staunch racist and xenophobe, even more than the typical racism seen throughout early-twentieth century America, Lovecraft made his stance known throughout his stories. In his most well-known story, "The Call of Cthulhu," a voodoo cult of local African Americans and Creole folk are the main source of trouble around New Orleans due to their worship of a strange, underwater deity. He married a Jewish woman and continued to spout anti-Semitic rhetoric in her presence. He also named his household cat a racial slur.

Many modern writers try to put a twist on Lovecraft's writing and The Ballad of Black Tom is one such novella. Written by Victor LaValle and published by Tor in 2016, the main point behind the story is a reimagining of Lovecraft's 1927 short story "The Horror at Red Hook." Lovecraft wrote this story during his brief stay in New York. He loathed New York City and wanted nothing more than to return to Providence, Rhode Island as quickly as possible. Biographer S.T. Joshi, who wrote the massive, two volume I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft, states that Lovecraft wrote this short story on a dare from one of his colleagues. The story is typical Lovecraft through and through. An old man who appears young out of nowhere, an undercurrent of occultism, and overtly racist prose. The story also acts as a showcase of Lovecraft's hatred for New York and large cities in general. In the modern era, few fans of Lovecraft and horror fiction in general give even a passing glance to "The Horror at Red Hook."  Even Joshi, in his abridged biography H.P. Lovecraft: A Life, called the story "horrendously bad" due to Lovecraft's over-reliance on racist prose.   

Lovecraft will always remain a controversial figure in history. His place in literary fiction will always be protested. Many wish for him to be swipe onto the ash pile of history and forgotten. However, this is easier said than done. His influence is too deeply rooted to simply be erased. In modern times, the problems that surround Lovecraft and his legacy are as plain as day. Those who claim him as an influence address these issues of racism head on. Victor LaValle is a clear fan of Lovecraftian horror with some obvious reservations. He makes this clear in the dedication of the book. "For H.P. Lovecraft, with all my conflicted feelings." LaValle keeps the named characters of the original story,  Detective Thomas Malone and Robert Suydam, intact. Malone remains ever-superstitious and Suydam keeps his obsession with the arcane and occult. LaValle turns Lovecraft's traditional racist and xenophobic writing on it's head by placing a black man at the forefront of the narrative. Told in two parts, part 1 of the novella focuses on Charles Thomas Tester, or Tommy Tester as everyone calls him. A young musician and hustler living in Harlem with his father Otis. Tommy keeps food on the table and the lights on at his apartment by venturing out to the richer areas of New York City and hustling unsuspecting passersby by playing his guitar. Part 2 is told from the perceptive of Detective Malone as he dives deeper into an investigation involving Suydam. Malone and Tommy cross paths several times throughout the story with Malone always questioning what Tommy is up to. Each character feels unique and routed in 1920s culture. Tommy is crafty and quick to joke while also showing his more furious side later in the novel. 

LaValle includes several nods to the original story and to other elements of Lovecraft's bibliography. After asking Tommy to play guitar at a house party, Suydam gives him a password to gain entrance to his home, "Ashmodai." In "Red Hook," this is the name of one of the demons that Suydam possesses great knowledge about alongside "Samael" and "Sephiroth." The same incantation used in the original story is partially brought into Ballad with the line "Gorgo, Mormo, thousand-faced moon." Cthulhu is mentioned after Tommy gains the madman's knowledge that transitions him into mysterious, powerful figure known only as Black Tom. "I'd take Cthulhu over you devils any day." LaValle does a superb job at retaining Lovecraft's sense of the unknown and uncanny while still being very descriptive. Some of the beings in the realm of the Sleeping King mentioned by Suydam go unnamed due to Tommy and Malone being unable to comprehend their existence. LaValle also writes in Lovecraft as a cameo in the story. He frames him as an investigative journalist who keeps prodding the NYPD about what exactly happened in Red Hook. He proves so persistent that a pair of officers are sent to his house and urge him to return home to Rhode Island. "The man left the city soon afterward, never to return."

The Ballad of Black Tom is an excellent edition to the rising wave of neo-Lovecraftian horror. Victor LaValle joins the ranks of writers like John Langan, Matt Ruff, and Caitlin Kiernan by using the universe and style created by H.P. Lovecraft as a foundation for great, modern horror fiction. By reconstructing and dismantling Lovecraft's traditional, race based narrative structure, LaValle brings the power of cosmic horror into the twenty-first century. LaValle also provides examples of the problems faced by African Americans during the early-twentieth century. Tommy being questioned, mistrusted, and assaulted by the police ultimately leads to his frustrations culminating in his turn to the arcane and inhuman. Immense praise is in order for LaValle's writing. Lovecraft's writing is often hit or miss. His language is archaic and he was completely useless at writing dialogue. LaValle brings Lovecraft into the 21st century with easily digestible prose and dialogue that sounds like actual flesh and blood people talking to one another. Fast readers could easily finish this book in a single day due to it's short length of 160 pages. The audiobook is fantastic as well. The narrator, Kevin R. Free, keeps the listener engaged and provides every character with a unique voice. The Ballad of Black Tom is superb template on how to fix the glaring problems from one of horrors greatest yet controversial writers. 

Purchase the book here

Check out LaValle's other work here

Review: Alphaville by Imperial Triumphant

 

New York is a metropolis drenched in music history. From Broadway, to the era of Frank Sinatra, to the rise New York hardcore, the city always finds a way to musically shine. Many of the artists and crooners of New York's heyday loved to hold the city on a very high pedestal. Few native New York bands/artists, minus some in the NY hardcore scene, tended to disrespect their beloved city. Hardcore and punk band's of New York focused on ideas of anti-establishment and anti-authority in their lyrics. The darker side of New York, the sleaze and grime seen in the dark back alleys, the high cost of living, and the crushing need to succeed in such an iconic city are often ignored in music. Avant-garde black metal band Imperial Triumphant use the bleak aspects of New York as a backdrop for their lyrics and song craft. Since their debut Abominamentvm, Imperial focus on the history and ever-present decay of the city they call home. The band gained more widespread attention with their 2018 album Vile Luxury; which expanded on their typical lyrics and themes by adding a dash of retrofuturism into the mix. Imperial's love for retrofuturism can be seen in their artwork and stage costumes. Now in 2020 comes Alphaville, a weird, dizzying, and musically dense journey into the aphotic depths of New York City

(Stream the album here. Currently, Imperial Triumphant are in a battle with Bandcamp over the legitimacy of their page. A hacker is stealing album download revenue from right under the band.)

"Rotted Futures" starts slowly with an eerie orchestration featuring swelling organ chords and dissident horns and woodwinds. Around the 1:30 mark the band comes in with pretty traditional black metal instrumentation. The bass playing from Steve Blanco is a particular highlight here, almost acting like another guitar rather than just a bland backing piece of the rhythm section. The track transitions into an abrasive section with the guitars and bass slipping and sliding across the fretboard. Kenny Grohowski's drumming follows the chaos perfectly with his crazy fills. Close to the end of the track, Imperial go into a breakdown shouting "Behold the future!" The intro section repeats with Zachary Ezrin's bellowing about a bleak approaching future destined for nuclear annihilation.

"Alas, the eclipsing hour

where our fear turns to profit.

Lithium to Hydrogen

in an atomic age of decimation."

The bass work on "Excelsior" steals the show with Blanco going all over the place. The tremolo picked, discordant guitars and frantic drums add to the unsteady nature of the track. The lyrics focus on the perils of luxury in such a huge city like New York. Stating how to achieve any sort of luxury, one must work constantly.

"The dead kiss

of luxury.

Keeps you a slave

Whispering softly:

'Now, get back to work'"

The end of the track sees the band use a recording from what sounds like a crowded mall then slam the listener with industrial noises and synths which bring the guitars and bass back into the mix. Despite this crazy section, "Excelsior" is arguable the most straight forward track on the album.

The band take a jab at the elitism seen in New York with "City Swine." The instrumentation is clean for the first part of the track. The guitars still use strange chord progressions and a chorus effect while the double bass and fills of the drums back them up. The lyrics argue that despite their vast wealth and high status, the elite of New York do nothing by poison the city and leave those less fortunate to rot in their wake.

"You know not of real suffering

True sacrifice in envy of the world

The ugliness of your every breath"

The distortion returns with Ezrin chanting "city swine, blessed swine." Following this pseudo chorus is a stand alone tribal drum section. The guitars go into a heavy chugging, polyrhythmic breakdown backed by a piano that sounds like it's being played by a madman. The track ends with one last stab in the lyrics:

"How very apt

Always ready to take

Ready to waste 

And what waste you've become."  

A staticy barbershop quartet kicks off "Atomic Age," the most layered song on the album (minus the "Happy Home" cover). The song structure is very math rock-esque with the guitars and bass stopping and starting. It also features modulated organs and strings, East Asian drums and chanting, and samples of planes flying overhead. According to Erzin, the lyrics discuss the differences seen in the U.S. and Japan following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. One country thrived in victory while the other saw two cities and thousands of citizens vaporized in a instant. The following four decades of the Cold War only added to the growing global fear of complete destruction via atomic weaponry. 

"Black spooling sickness

In radiance of a thousand suns

No memory of what is to be

No memory of what we will achieve"

"Transmission to Mercury" features a beautiful, noire jazz introduction that sounds like it was ripped straight out of a smoky New York nightclub or old school detective movie. This intro provides a much needed, short break from the first half of the album. The beauty set in place by the intro is smashed and deformed by the rest of the song as horns wale behind distorted guitars and operatic vocals. The dissident guitar bends, slapped erratic bass, and all-over-the-place drumming opens the title track. Erzin sounds like a madman throughout the song. Spouting lyrics in English and French, the song discusses the population of New York being blinded by it's greatness which leads them to be controlled.

"All order provides

Population complacent

Suffering in black filth

Ce que tout le monde dit doit être vrai (what everyone says must be true)"

"Alphaville" is easily the album's most chaotic and head-spinning track; harsh noise samples, heavy use of a whammy bar on the guitar riffs, lo-fi synths, and Erzin's panned screams of "état de contrôle" at the conclusion. On the official closing track, "The Greater Good," the guitars display a ton of variety. Erzin ping-pongs from death metal chugs, tech death insanity, and open black metal strumming. The same can be said for Blanco's bass playing on this track as well. The lyrics seemingly reflect the concept established on previous track. The now controlled population is always doing what they are told, always looking upward, living an "indoctrinated life" as stated in the lyrics. Harsh shrieks are accompanied by the band chanting "All for the greater good." The track ends with a hauntingly beautiful orchestration that sounds like it is being played on a warped record or broken tape machine. The deluxe version of the album includes two bonus cover tracks. Imperial Triumphant's take on "Experiment" by Voivod and "Happy Home" by The Residents. The band do both covers properly, meaning they put their own spin on each track. "Experiment" is more technical and black metal inspired. Their take of "Happy Home" easily out werids the original; a feat which is hard to do when dealing with such an out-there band like The Residents.

Imperial Triumphant have released a real gem with Alphaville. Evolving their sound from their previous album, New York's leading avant garde black metal band have made their experimental sound more focused while simultaneously keeping listeners guessing with what will come next throughout every song. The trio pulled out all the stops when crafting this album and their hard work definitely shines through. Alphaville is definitely not an album for the feint of heart and does require multiple listens to hear all the more subtle nuances fall into place in the grand narrative. Overall, Alphaville is an excellent album overflowing with insane musicianship and truly thought provoking lyrics about the horrific side of New York City.

Buy the album and merch here

Stream their other albums here (this is their actual Bandcamp page)

Behind the scenes interview with the band here

Quick Review: Modern Ways by Abrams

It's a beautiful sight when an underground band starts making a stir in the music community and gains a larger following. The persistent, DIY bands of any genre deserve a boarder audience for their hard work to be heard by many. Denver post-rockers Abrams are gaining more and more attention thanks to their new album Modern Ways, both by releasing singles via big name extreme music outlets like Kerrang and Metal Injection and reviewing very well on various music blogs and publications. Lust. Love. Loss. the band's 2016 debut, is a straight forward, no frills post-hardcore banger. Their 2017 album Morning, a short yet dense trip through various "post-insert genre here" styles, is a fantastic listen. Fun, angry, sad, and aggressive. Three years later the band returns with Modern Ways and continue to expand on their vast tonality.

The title track sets the pace of the album with a chugging, twangy fuzz riff. Abrams, like other modern heavier inclined bands (like Pallbearer), use single coil equipped guitars to change up the dynamics of their songs. Vocalist/guitarist Zachary Amster's affinity toward the Fender Jazzmaster pays off well in this track."Poison Bullets" features a slide riff supported by the wall of sound bass from Taylor Iversen. On "Joshua Tree" (no relation to U2, which is a good thing), Abrams slows things down and transition into a more atmospheric post-hardcore vibe. The distortion of the rhythm guitars is replaced by cleaner, shimmering chords. Amster showcases his clean vocal chops during the verses. The verse riff is a simple scale run covered in reverb and delay. Drummer Ryan DeWitt keeps a simple beat throughout and gets very cymbal heavy during the chorus.

"That Part of Me" sounds like a B-side from the era of 90s alternative metal in the vein of Helmet. The instrumentation is laid back and Amster's vocals are filtered; almost giving his voice a kind of Zakk Wylde/Black Label Society feel to it oddly enough. "My War" (not a Black Flag cover) and "Pale Moonlight" see Abrams soften up while still maintaining their heavy edge. The focus on clean guitar work on these tracks shows how far the band have evolved since their debut. "Silence" is anything but and is ironically the most loud and aggressive track on the album. The guitar here do not let up. "Find a Way" takes a turn into noise rock, the guitars relying more on bends throughout the song. The doomy  "Silver Lake" features huge chords and reverb-drenched clean passages. The ender "Marionette" pulls everything the band have demonstrated on previous tracks under one roof.

Modern Ways definitely deserves all the praises from the various sites and publications touting it. It is a rock-solid and fun listen with facets of post-hardcore that will appeal to veterans and new listeners alike. The album shows that Abrams love what they do and are proud of their work. Hopefully with Modern Ways gaining more ground, Abrams will grab the ear of new listeners.


Stream the album here
Abrams merch here

Review: Abysmal Dawn-Phylogenesis

Since their debut album From Ashes in 2006, the Los Angeles band Abysmal Dawn have released some of the best modern death metal of the past two decades. Their solid output earned them touring spots alongside legends of the genre like Cannibal Corpse and Obituary. The best quality of the band is their use of technicality through their songs but they are not afraid to slow things down and focus on a groove. This mindset toward songwriting makes their songs complex yet still meat and potatoes death metal. (See "In Service of Time" and "Inanimate") Their lyrics are bleak, painting the world as desolate. Abysmal Dawn are often overshadowed by other bands in death metal but are more than capable of standing on their own.      

Phylogenesis is the band's fifth studio album in six years following the excellent Obsolescence in 2014 on Relapse Records. Abysmal Dawn's fifth foray is the first to be released by the French extreme music label Season of Mist. Right of the bat, the cover art is eye catching as always. Abysmal Dawn have commissioned Swedish artist Par Olofsson for this and every other album in their discography. Olofsson is one of the most recognizable cover artists in the extreme music genre. Each of his works are vibrant yet disturbing, often using bright colors to convey a bleak portrait.    

The album kicks off with "Mundane Existence." Opening with a warped quote stating "Are we not gods? But for the wisdom," the intro track starts off business as usual for Abysmal Dawn. The riff work from vocalist/guitarist Charles Elliott and lead guitarist Vito Petroni is relentless. The intro features fast tremolo picked riffs and scale runs. The drum and bass from James Coppolino and Eliseo Garcia respectively holds the song together tightly. Garcia also supplies some backing vocals behind Elliott's guttural roars. The lyrics discuss living an unfulfilled life, of owning the knowledge to become something greater but never achieving it. This song is a great showcase of Abysmal Dawn's ability to balance technicality, brutality, and groove perfectly. The ending repeats the line: "You are sin and a disease, A failure for a dying god."

The fury continues with "The Path of the Totalitarian," one of the many singles released for the album. Keeping with the desolate nature of the vocals, this track focuses on how ignorance leads complete control from power-hungry authoritarian figures."Sewn shut eyes cannot see the truth before them. Deafened ears cannot hear the cries of fraud. Severed tongues cannot speak the words of reason. Vacant minds can't perceive what's really going on." Elliot and Petroni showcase their solo chops perfectly on this track following this lyrical section. "Hedonistic," arguably the most riff focused song on the album, chugs along with some fast-paced riffs and suddenly slows for mid-tempo section where all the instruments lock together for catchy, breakdown-esque riff.

"A Speck in the Fabric of Eternity" pummels the listener from the very beginning with a fast chugging riff that locks into a groove thanks to Coppolino's tight drumming. The concept of time plays a major role in the lyrics seen throughout Abysmal Dawn's discography and "Speck" is no exception. Here, much like "In Service of Time" from Leveling the Planes of Existence, the lyrics discuss the futility of mankind. "Coerced Evolution" features a heavy, stop-and-start triplet riff. Groove is the name of the game for this track with it's consistent mid-paced riffing and dense drum work. The tracks shifts however around the 2:13 mark with technical guitar runs and Elliott verging on beat-boxing. Coppolino's drum work really shines through on this track. "True to the Blind" is the most straight forward, meat and potatoes death metal track on Phylogenesis. Not overly flashy with technicality or too bogged down in a groove, just a fine example traditional death metal. 
     
The main riff of the track, "Soul-Sick Nation," hearkens back to groove metal of the 90's with it's bluesy and slidey structure. The track sounds downtuned compared to the rest of the album; adding to the heaviness and making the riffs stand out. In traditional Abysmal Dawn fashion, the band ends the album with an epic closer. "The Lament Configuration," the longest track on the album, is a sweeping, expansive track that shows all the musical prowess that the band has to offer. The intro builds up anticipation with distorted open chords, a thumping audible bass, and muted guitar ryhtmn bringing the song forward. The song focuses on self-demise, how someone can be their own worst enemy. "Your dream have all but died and left, crushed by the weight of your own desires. The traps you laid yourself are finally tripped, you thrived in chaos but your time has expired." This closing track serves as a perfect exhibit of Abysmal Dawn as a whole and what makes them a force to be reckoned with in modern death metal. The bonus track is an excellent cover of Death' "Flattening of Emotions" off their album Human. This cover shows some love to the late Chuck Schuldiner and makes it more obvious why the surviving members of Death chose Elliott to man the mic and guitar on the Death to All tour back in 2012.

All in all, Abysmal Dawn have once again crafted a masterclass in death metal. The lyrics, although it is doubtful the band originally intended this, reflect the strange and unsettling times the world is facing at this very moment. The guitars are second to none and the drumming is superb. The bass unfortunately suffers from the usual trappings of death metal production; often being muted behind guitars and vocals. But Eliseo Garcia does a great job providing the mortar for the overall structure of the band. Phylogenesis is vigorous display of extreme music that will be hard to top this year.   

Listen/purchase the album digitally here

Purchase CD/LP/Merch here
Check out AD's beautiful cover of doom classic "Bewitched" by Candlemass here

Symbolic-25 Years Later

Granting the nickname "the Godfather of Death Metal" to vocalist/guitarist Chuck Schuldiner, a title he ultimately did not admire, is appropriate. Without his influence on the genre and on extreme music, some of the now numerous subgenres of death metal would have taken longer to gain full attention. Death's first three albums, Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy, and Spiritual Healing, laid the foundation for death metal in the late 80s and very early 90s. Following the release of Human in 1991, Schuldiner's approach to songwriting took more progressive turn. While hinted at very briefly on Spiritual Healing, the overall instrumentation displayed on Human featured more technicality and elements of jazz than any previous Death album. The track "Lack of Comprehension," with it's slow, spacey intro and crazy soloing showed that Death planned on heading in a very different direction compared to their earlier releases. This is due partially to who Chuck surrounded himself with in the studio. Guitarist Paul Masvidal and drummer Sean Reinert (R.I.P.), of the prog-metal pioneers Cynic, both played on Human and expanded the overall composition greatly.

Human's follow-up, 1993's Individual Thought Patterns, continued along these new guidelines. The track "Trapped in a Corner" is a great example of the proggier instrumentation. Chuck and Andy LaRocque focus more on tapping and bass master Steve DiGorgio uses a fretless bass that adds so much to the overall nature of the track (and the album overall for that matter.) Symbolic released two years later in 1995 and demonstrated another watershed moment in Death's history. This album is the last "Human-era" Death release before the band went full-on progressive death metal on their last album The Sound of Perseverance in 1998; an album that is one-of-a-kind when compared to the entirety of Death's discography. While picking a favorite Death album is subjective and one's pick will always lead to some form of debate from fellow Death die-hards, Symbolic is Death's most personal, positive, and masterfully written album.

Stream the album here
Pardon the lack of a proper Bandcamp streaming link. This album is currently in limbo between several different record labels despite Relapse Records owning nearly all the rights to Death's music. Symbolic is available on major streaming services.

Symbolic starts with the title track. A slow chugging riff and mid-paced tempo brings in some oddly positive lyrics. Normally, the lyrics featured in Death songs are negative yet thought-provoking and discuss Schuldiner's personal outlook and philosophy on organized religion, greed, the treatment of others, and life itself. However, "Symbolic" sees Schuldiner wax nostalgic on the value of vivid memories and how they bring him joy.

"I don't mean to dwell,
but I can't help myself.
When I feel the vibe and taste a memory,
of a time in life,
when years seemed to stand still"

The dark instrumentation counters the positive lyrics and the track also shows the band's petion for speed. "Zero Tolerance" slows the album to a crawl with legendary drummer Gene Hoglan taking center stage. The mid-section of the song features some melodic and almost doomy riffing and subtle clean guitars behind the distortion. "Empty Words" features a clean and modulated intro that mimics those seen on the two previous albums. This track also showcases Schuldiner's vocal shift into the upper register; a concept he dove headfirst into on The Sound of Perseverance. (Look no further than his performance on Spirit Crusher or his cover of Judas Priest's Painkiller. The vocals on Painkiller alone could shatter glass!)

"Sacred Serenity" features more positive lyrics, this time discussing Schuldiner's love for cats and dogs. An outspoken animal lover, this track is Chuck's ode to his furry friends.

"Wherever we go, whatever we do.
Your shadow is not far behind our steps and our breath.
Protecting and watching all,
Observing spirits on the wall"

The bass steals the show on this track. Kelly Conlon shows that he can hold his own despite having to follow the immense standard set by DiGiorgio on the previous albums."1,000 Eyes" thrashes away and discusses the growing concern of constant surveillance due to increasing crime rates. Chuck opines on how many of the populace remain blind to the fact that they are "living in the pupil of 1,000 eyes." The intense distorted riffage, driving bass, and various fills from both the drums and guitars define the track. Schuldiner wrote the track, "Crystal Mountain," about his snooty, religious neighbors. While not opposed to religion in general, Schuldiner hated when religious people saw and actively believed themselves to be better than anyone else. He stated "They believe they live a perfect life in a crystal mountain. Unfortunately, I live next door to these religious fanatics, who live [on Earth] and certainly not in [those] mountains." The track ends with some classical guitar solos over the main verse riff. The switch around fast, thrash-like riffs in the intro and Cynic-like song writing in the chorus of "Misanthrope," a track that is apparently about aliens looking at the actions of humanity, makes for yet another quality song.

Breaking away from the track list, "Without Judgment" and the closer "Perennial Quest" represent some of the best progressive death metal songs later-era Death has to offer. These songs see each individual member lock perfectly in sync with what Schuldiner is yearning to achieve on this album. Both of these tracks display Death's new style to a perfect T. "Without Judgment," dense with proggy riffs moving up and down the fretboard and tapping atmospheric composition in the later half, is equal parts aggressive and beautiful. "Perennial Quest" is exactly that, more of a journey than a song. Positive lyrics about one's quest for happiness in life and some fantastic acoustic guitars in the outro, caps off the album perfectly.

"Won't you join me on the perennial quest
Reaching into the dark, retrieving light
Search for answers on the perennial quest
Where dreams are followed, and time is a test"

After the release and supporting tour of Symbolic, Schuldiner put Death on hiatus to focus on a more traditional yet still progressive metal project, Control Denied. The new band featured a who's who of metal musicians including former Death members Steve DiGiorgio and Richard Christy. After recording a few demos, the label Nuclear Blast Records put the release of the band's debut on hold for The Sound of Perseverance, the final Death album. The Fragile Art of Existence released one year later in 1999 and displays Chuck's more melodic and progressive guitar playing perfectly. Control Denied partially recorded a follow-up, When Man and Machine Collide, but unfortunately Chuck Schuldiner passed away due to brain cancer on December 13, 2001 at the age of 34. Another legend in music taken far too soon.

While there is a clear division in Death's discography with fans gravitating toward either the earlier albums or the more ambitious later releases, there really is something for everyone here. However, Symbolic is arguable Death's magnum opus. It provides all the components of Death's music into one convenient package. Simple yet effective rhythm riffs, progressive song structures, intricate solos and scalar fills, a tight and virtuosic rhythm section, and intriguing lyrics. The album marked the end of an era for Death and is a clear pivot point leading into Chuck's more progressive focused end of his career. 25 years on and Symbolic still stands as a testament to the legacy of Chuck Schuldiner. 

Official Death CDs/LPs/Merch available here

Article featuring links to interviews with Chuck about Symbolic here