Just when I thought I was out, they pull me right back in.

Anyone reading this who has ever compiled a fanzine will know that completion of an issue leaves a feeling of exhaustion and depletion and usually gets followed by a statement off “that's the last one” or “I'm not doing this shit any more.” It is a largely thankless task for very little reward, but it also an addictive form of spiritual and financial self-destruction that I just can't seem to kick. That feeling arrived after completing WAR ON ALL FRONTS #1, my proudest achievement to that point, but dissipated quickly enough and I started working on an issue 2 some time in early 2012.

WAR ON ALL FRONTS #2 got shelved indefinitely around September of that year, the main reason being the enthusiasm to top what I had already done just wasn't there. I was entering the final year of my degree which meant the time wouldn't have been available to me even if I had that desire to raise the bar for myself again, and when I graduated in the summer of 2013 I simply didn't have the finances. Every zine I have ever done has cost me money, and with no job and no more student loan it simply didn't seem viable again for the time being. But a junkie always knows how to get a fix, and if my addiction is writing zines then by fuck was I going to get another one out there.

I can't recall the exact moment when the project of W.O.A.F. Anno Domini 2013 which you know hold in your hands (or have on your computer/tablet screen) was birthed, but I do know the important factors that came to making this decision. Primarily, and this reflects the choice of name over simply calling this issue #2, was the fantastic year of Metal releases we have had. I think it would have been around September or October I started bringing up the idea in conversation of 2013 being the best year in Metal in at least 2 (and quite possibly 3) decades.

Just think of what we have seen in the last 12 months- legends the likes of Satan, Queensrÿche, Attacker, Protector, Satan's Host and even the godfathers Black Sabbath have delivered impressive albums in their twilight years; veterans like Thou Art Lord, Rotting Christ, Solstice, Mourning Beloveth and Inquisition have delivered some of their strongest efforts to date, and bands like Argus, Black Oath, Slidhr, Procession and Atlantean Kodex have blossomed into the scene-leaders and world-beaters they have spent years becoming. We have seen the boundaries of Metal get pushed once again by Antediluvian, Oranssi Pazuzu, Bölzer, In Solitude and Tribulation; and Stallion, Sign Of The Jackal, Dead Lord and Visigoth have proven that the old forms still have plenty of mileage left.

Sure there has been some turds along the way too, and those rightly get admonished in these pages, but looking at the sum total of 8/10, 9/10 and 10/10 (and even one 11/10) albums I have come across I would put them up against most “glory years” of the 80's and 90's for variety, creativity, depth and sheer quality. I really do mean that.

Second of all was my reason for making this first available in a digital format. Such an idea was pitched to me by a website I occasionally

write for back when WOAF #1 was due to be released and I baulked at the idea, due to being angry at the time over the direction that print media was undergoing. I was firmly of the opinion that to give a digital copy away for free showed contempt for your physical product, and held webzines, file-sharing websites and and anyone who felt they were entitled to all music and information for free with equal amounts of hatred. Back then with a student loan at my disposal I was buying heaps of music and books each month and only used the internet for deciding which records to buy. Nowadays without as much disposable income my music-buying has slowed down and consequently, maybe partly out of necessity, my opinion on digital musical distribution has changed.

In particular I think Bandcamp is a wondrous invention, a platform where bands can link to free streaming of their music and give direct access to fixed price or pay what you want downloads in high fidelity formats, and sell their physical products too all in the same location. The fact that so many bands now use this website was beneficial to me as it cut out a lot of the messiness and time consumption that comes with digital and physical promos, and the website itself is even laid out like a promo sheet. For better or worse this is now the world we live in when it comes to music distribution, but something that allows me to connect instantly with a vast chunk of Metal releases that are out there and support with purchases that I think are worthy can only be a good thing.

At some point it occurred to me that this is how zines must be distributed now as well. When I turned by nose up at the idea of a free digital edition of WOAF three years ago I couldn't see the wave coming, but now I see the necessity in the situation. There are still people out there appreciate the physical written word like there are those who still love vinyl, CDs and tapes but in an oversaturated market place you have to give prospective customers a taste before they will pay for the meal. I could have stuck to my old ways of doing things and tried to get by on the reasonable amount of brand loyalty I engendered with WOAF #1, but I wanted to see my baby grow and expand rather than stagnate. A free .pdf format used to generate interest for a subsequent print edition seemed the logical way to go.

The way necessity has shaped has the world of musical distribution also influenced the differences between the digital and physical edition of this zine. After all, the experience of listening to an album you have downloaded and listening to a record you have bought are vastly different and so it is too with fanzines. Reading this from your computer screen is a poor substitute for how well my words will be communicated to you in a printed format just like listening from a laptop is a poor substitute of listening to vinyl on a stereo. And like how you are rewarded by artists and labels these days for supporting them financially and giving their art the attention it deserves by buying their physical product I have given something extra to anyone who has bought a printed copy of WOAF A.D. 2013.

At the time of writing these extra pages are not yet written, but by the time it comes to sending to the printers I hope to have added 20 or more pages to the total, bringing it well over a hundred. Some of those may be advertisements

to help with the printing costs, but mostly this expanded content will be worthy of the purchase. Any interviews that were not completed before the digital edition deadline will be added to the physical edition, as will be as many albums that I failed to review in time, taking the shape of specific label catalogue profiles. So if you are reading these words from a page then I thank you for your support, monetary of course but also more importantly for showing an interesting and respecting what I do enough to want to own a physical memorandum of it. And to those who are reading these words from a electronic device I hope my enticement for you to get the full printed edition has been enough.

Page numbers is not the only improvement that has been made to WOAF in the interim years since the first issue, and if you have read it then you will probably have already noticed one of these changes. Ditching the intentionally sloppy cut n paste style of WOAF #1 in favour of a high art aesthetic was important not only for wanting to give something more visually pleasing to you my readers, but also because of the desire to make something I could take pride in. Safe to say this is something I have achieved and the words and images making up this tome are the proudest thing I have done yet in my life- even more than my university degree.

Aside from visual aspect another area I committed to improving in my work was the depth and quality of the interviews. Looking back now there was some golden opportunities wasted with some of the interviews in issue #1, particularly Portrait, to go into more spiritual and esoteric topics and with the follow up I vowed not to make that mistake again. I gave myself the ambitious task of making sure every interview this time around lived up to the standard of the one I conducted with Fuíl na Seanchoille in WOAF #1, an interview for the ages if I do say so myself. I may not have achieved that- after all I can only control the quality of the questions, not the answers- but I think WOAF A.D. 2013 will make for much fuller reading.

My chat with Manuel from Atlantean Kodex is the oldest here, dating back to the indefinitely shelved issue #2 which can be told from how we refer to The White Goddess in the future tense, but I think the information contained therein is still in date enough to not only feature but take pride of place here. I wish the same could be said for my delving into esotericism with Acherontas and on the topics of Lovecraft and Howard with Evangelist that were also a part of the aborted issue, but the fresh conversations have more than made up for that disappointment.

Knowing them both by reputation I was thrilled to have both Paul from Solstice and Joseph from Slidhr on board for this issue. My ease of rapport with fellow Irishmen is one of the things that made my Fuíl Na Seanchoille interview so special, but I also have to give credit to Joseph's bluntness and Paul's dry humour for making these two of the best interviews I have ever conducted. Thanks have to also be given to KzR from Bölzer for finally giving me the sort of discussion of occult topics I have been yearning for in these pages but I can't go on without mentioning Josh from

Alleyway, Butch from Argus, the lads from Bewitcher, Hakim from Dead Lord, Matt from Malthusian and all of Protector for their contributions, both to this project and to Metal in the year 2013 in general. This would only be half the zine it is without you.

One of my driving forces for writing this zine has always been the desire to provide a genuine and better alternative to mainstream or faux underground glossy Metal mags, and this time more than ever I think that has been achieved. Hidden behind their veneer of professional production these rags that are barely fit to wipe arses have reacted to falling revenue from distribution the same way the newspaper industry has- firing their most competent and well-paid staff, handing work over to freelance amateurs, slashing meaningful content in favour of lowest common denominator drivel and, worst of all, exchanging favourable reviews for advertising investments. It is a situation getting perpetually worse, and this year has seen some more blood-boiling stories arise including magazines in Germany blackmailing labels for physical promos to fill the writers' own collections and more laughably a “respected” London mag allow a junior freelance to review one of the biggest underground events of the year, and failing to notice she had checked out the wrong band named Eliminator at home rather than actually watch the gig.

It beggars belief and raises the all important question- where is the passion? Well seemingly it is right here, in the financially-crippling-but-by-fuck-we-will-do-it-anyway fanzine land. Admittedly there are some terribly written and lazy zines out there, but when it comes to me and my kindred spirits in Pariah Child, Hell Bent For Metal, Cimmerian Shadows, Horrible Eyes, Devilment, Kaleidoscope... there is no contest. We won this battle the moment the mainstream Metal press shot themselves in the foot by sacrificing quality content for revenue at any cost. To borrow a phrase from Luís from Hell Bent For Metal- I've fucking shit 'em.

My biggest gripe with these magazines however is the brevity and complete pointlessness of their reviews, both live and of releases. I have severely cut down the live reviews section in this issue simply because they are and always have been filler, though some of my more interesting adventures have this year have made it into these pages with some chatter about what the bands were like around the debauchery and misdeeds. When it comes to album/demo reviews though there is simply no excuse for skimping out on depth and insight. My primary motivation for writing has always been personal, probably stemming from some autistic need to catalogue and make sense of something vaster than myself in encyclopaedic form, but by putting this out there into the public there has to be an element of wanting to communicate something to you as my readers. Simply put if I had have written any less than I have here I would feel as though I have cheated you.

As always though, a balance has to be struck between the depth and the breadth of my listening, that fine line between reviewing enough albums to get as close as I can to that impossible ideal of a complete picture of Heavy Metal 2013 years after the death of some beardy

Jewish guy, but also going into enough depth on those albums I have chosen so that my words might actually be of some use to you. This is not a topic I alone have been pondering it seems, and with good reason too when you look at the numbers at the heart of the matter. Even when we exclude video releases and boxsets metal-archives.com still lists over 13 thousand Metal releases for this year- that's 3000 more than a decade ago, triple what it was in 1993 and more than 10 times the 1983 amount. Even when filtering out all the stuff outside of WOAF's remit of Heavy/Speed/Black/Thrash/Death/Doom Metal subgenres and occasional forays into the wider spectrum that is an impossible amount of releases to contend with, a problem made worse by the fact that as a chronicler of Metal I constantly try to expand my knowledge of the recesses of our musical history as well as the present, and the haywire effect this has on my fear of missing out on something truly spellbinding is horrific.

In a recent article on invisibleoranges.com Doug Moore postulated on this conundrum that all Metal scribes now face, summarising that “it’s become quite impossible to hear all the metal albums that come out in a given year, especially when they’re competing for your attention with countless canonical albums from metal’s past... It’s also impossible to clearly identify and articulate the direction in which the metal scene at large is currently going... There’s no way for one person, or even one publication, to paint a sensible, digestible picture of the whole, and yet we try to do so anyway... There are only so many hours in a day, so those who want to keep up take on a Sisyphean consumption regimen that is thoroughly unfriendly to repeated spins. This schedule eventually burns out even the truly dedicated.”

As well argued Doug's case was the stubborn kid in me still rubbing his eyes in amazement at the musical Cave Of Wonders we currently inhabit refuses to accept this defeatist attitude of his. Creating a true complete chronicle of Metal in a whole year, even just the varieties of it that I personally love, is of course impossible but it is something I had to try anyway- I literally did not have a choice in the matter. Has my mad obsession to cover every base I possibly can affected the depth of my insight? I will leave that to you to read on and decide.

As for the idea of trying “to paint a sensible, digestible picture of the whole”, I think this is one area where Doug worries more than even I do. 30 years ago was there one singular cultural context you could neatly place Hellhammer, Quiet Riot, Dio, Metallica, Demon, Discharge, Mercyful Fate, Running Wild, Pagan Altar and Queensrÿche into? Why then in an even more diverse age would you try and do the same with Black Oath, Witchgrave, Mael Mórdha, Bilskirnir, Asomvel, Rotting Christ, In Solitude, Antediluvian, Solstice, Krypts, Àrsaidh, Slidhr, Oranssi Pazuzu and Bölzer (just to name a few)?

We live in what may well be the most exciting time to be a Metalhead. We have not only unparalleled access to everything that has come before us but we can freely access and easily obtain and support everything that is contemporary. Yes it can be disorientating and time consuming, but I think the answer isn't as Doug Moore suggests to and reduce how much

we listen to in some vain hope that our actions will stem the overwhelming tide. That is not only impossible, but to me it is incomprehensible. Why would you refuse this beautiful gift circumstance has given us rather than gorge yourself stupid on it?

Yes, sifting through the crap to find the gold can by time-consuming and draining. Yes, I have had to make a lot of social life sacrifices to consume and process so much music this year and yes my findings will inevitably be incomplete. And yes I would jack it all in just to travel back in time and have all the experiences the older Metal generations had, even just to see Ronnie James Dio live on stage just once. But this is the hand we have been dealt and I see no reason to reject it when we can revel in it. So all the missed gigs and drinking occasions, missed TV, films and books, missed hours of sleep- were these misses time misspent? Was it all worth it? In the words of the great philosopher Danny Dyer, of course it fucking was!

What then does the future hold? Well as long as all the quality bands out there keep giving me such fantastic music then I imagine WOAF will continue in some shape or form. And with releases on the horizon for 2014 from Dead Congregation, Iced Earth, Portrait, Zom, Battleaxe, Sparta, Grand Magus, Slough Feg, Dark Forest, Nocturnal, Deep Machine and more it is entirely possible that next year might even top this one.

My plans are not set in stone yet but keep your eyes peeled on whatever platform you found WOAF A.D. 2013 as the likelihood is I will continue with the digital format in a quarterly rather than yearly fashion, and deliver a printed compendium at year's if the interest is there. Long may Heavy Metal continue so that long may WOAF continue!

Buarainech

Special thanks to the following people;

Into The Void Records in Dublin, Dragon Records in Belfast and anyone who stocked issues of WOAF #1. My family for being hugely supportive, my housemates and (ex) girlfriends for putting up with me, and to Louise for being a perfect friend. To the Armour brothers for always being awake for Bathory O'Clock, to Nathan for always amusing me with your Tony Martin fetish and to Saggers The Salmon, Carl The Carp and Jack The John Dory of The Shankill Fishmongers for being the best 3 retards to be at a festival with. To Andy Cunningham whose criticism proved invaluable, and to Luís from Hell Bent For Metal and Danny from Pariah Child for not leaving me alone in this fight. Thanks to my fellow Druids Of The Purple Fluid- Chemical Ally, Toenail and Darren Trainwreck- for being a welcome bad influence and being such good travelling companions, to anyone and everyone who has supported to War On All Fronts and to anyone who continues to make Metal music and promote gigs and festivals in Ireland and abroad. Lastly a pre-emptive thank you to anyone who feels moved to by me a pint for my efforts here- this is for you.

By now I must have listened at least 20 times to the title track from your second album The White Goddess (both the name of an instrumental on the last record and the title track of the new one) which you have released online ahead of the album, and although it is very clearly the work of Atlantean Kodex it does have a certain quality that separates it from the material on The Golden Bough. Do you feel it is important to have albums distinct from each other rather than re-hashing your own work, even with a musical style as individual and nuanced as yours?

[Manuel Trummer- guitars] Well, to me the most important thing about a new album is that the music on it doesn‘t suck. Quality is the crucial point for us. It doesn‘t really matter to us if it sounds the same or completely different, as long as we can identify with the songs. Having said that, I think it‘s pretty natural for every band to progress from album to album. Maybe not consciously, but you‘ll always have slight changes. An album should always reflect the artist and his current thoughts, values and tastes. People change and so

does the music people play. It‘s the most natural thing, I guess.

What do you think will separate the two albums, how do you think they will compare (musically and lyrically?)

Generally speaking, I think The White Goddess is the consequential successor to The Golden Bough. It appropriates all the elements The Golden Bough was made of, but it also adds something new. For instance there are a lot of classic 1970s Heavy Rock vibes – not “1970s” like in Occult/Retro Rock, but “1970s” like in Rainbow, Uriah Heep and Deep Purple. People surely will be surprised by a few parts on the album. On the other hand we‘ve been delving even more into the sound of Twilight of the Gods-era Bathory. There‘s some seriously epic shit going on in tracks like “Enthroned in Clouds and Fire”. All in all I think it‘s safe to say that The White Goddess will sound more focused, maybe gloomier and definitely heavier than The Golden Bough. It has a strange air of earnestness to it. While you had some sparks of hope on The Golden Bough now and then, the new album is much more solemn, musically and also lyrics-wise.

Is the fact you are spending so long on making the album (the Winter 2012/2013 release date is still correct?) a rejection of the norm in Metal where bands release an album (often indistinguishable from the last one) every 18 months to continue feeding the tour cycle for the benefit of their label?

You already named the main reason. We‘re not doing it for anyone but ourselves. There‘s no label to bother us with its demands, there‘s no schedule we need to fulfil. We‘re completely independent. And this gives us the freedom to keep working on the songs until we feel that they‘re 100% perfect. Even if it takes until 2016.

Speaking of touring, Atlantean Kodex by contrast definitely seem to me to be one of these bands who are less into touring and more into playing special one off dates and festivals. Not only that but the variety of festivals where you have fitted into the bills such as Dublin Doom Day, the more Heavy Metal inclined Keep It True and the Epic Metal one-dayer in Yorkshire last year (Battles In The North) make it difficult to know where to

place you musically i.e. Doom Metal, Traditional Metal or Epic Metal. Where do you feel you fit on the spectrum?

We‘re a Heavy Metal band first and foremost. We‘re fuelled by classic Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, but also by Epic Metal and Doom Metal. We‘re definitely not a Doom Metal band though. Epic Heavy Metal is what we use to describe our sound to people who don‘t know us.

If you draw influence from all three who specifically do you see as influences?

We‘re standing on the shoulders of countless titans. Where to start? The main influences on our sound and probably the reason why we formed the band are Ross The Boss-era Manowar and Viking-era Bathory. I guess you can clearly tell this by listening to our stuff. Moreover Solstice (UK) are a huge influence, as are the more epic bands of the NWOBHM and some of the arcane US Metal bands like early Fates Warning and Warlord. Everything put together and topped off with hints of 1970s British Folk Rock and all sorts of traditional Folk music from all over Europe.

Aside from the multifariousness of your influences the variety of shades of emotion in Atlantean Kodex’s music is another thing that sets you apart from most Metal which often sticks to just one emotional extreme. Is it natural for you to fly between the melancholy of a song like “A Prophet In The Forest” to

the more optimistic vibe of “Vesperal Hymn” to the triumphant tone of “The Atlantean Kodex” or was this something intentionally created on the first album?

No, there was no intention behind it. See, the music we‘re creating is reflecting us as persons. And nobody is living only in emotional extremes. No one is just hateful or just cheerful all the time. People are more complex than that. So why should our music be limited to only one emotion. Some songs were written while being nostalgic, some were written while being enthusiastic, another one was written while being enraged about something. That's why 99% of so called “Extreme Metal” simply bores me to death. I understand it‘s about rage, hate and pissing people off, but there‘s gotta be more to life. I see when a frustrated 16-year old teenager is totally into this Black/War/Extreme Metal and “fuck society” thing, but it doesn‘t work for me, being the old cunt that I am. Most of that stuff doesn't do anything for me. All this “Hail Satan” and “Death to mankind” crap. Jeez ... can it get more cliché?

Do you think there is any other Metal bands in the past or currently who have a similar range of emotion as Atlantean Kodex? (To me, Darkest Era are maybe the only bands currently on the same level as yourselves)

Maybe early Manowar had it all. You had really hateful, gloomy stuff like “Hatred” or “Bridge of Death” and also glorious, epic, righteous

material, like “Blood Of My Enemies”, “Battle Hymn” etc. They had melancholic stuff like “Mountains” or “March for Revenge”, but on the other hand some straight-forward good time Rock anthems. They were pretty much perfect from 1981 to 1984.

Almost equally as interesting as the music of The Golden Bough is the creation of your own mythology within the lyrics which you say is a living link to an imagined prehistoric utopia. How much would you equate this yearning for an Atlantis with R.E. Howard’s assertion that “barbarism is the natural state of man”?

Of course there‘s also a level of anti-civilization to it. You can interpret it in an anti-modern way, as a longing for a less complex, confusing and frustrating world, a world not wholly in the grip of cold ratio. But the horrors of World War II, the ratio of the industrialized mass murder should show us, that barbarism and modern civilization are linked pretty closely. Take nuclear power as an example. It‘s probably the peak of civilization's evolution, but in the wrong hands it is the epitome of utter barbarism. We‘re always living on the edge. Despite our super-civilized ways, the barbarian of old is always in us, waiting to break free. It‘s about finding the right balance between fire and fire. That‘s what living in the present age is all about, finding your way between the Scylla of cold modern ratio and the Charybdis of encumbering spiritual pipe-dreams. I think R.E. Howard was a romanticist

as well. His Conan was an idealized figure, a noble savage, the type which never existed. And I think he knew it as clearly as we do, although maybe he wouldn‘t want to believe it.

Howard is mentioned in the thanks list of the album, as is J.R.R. Tolkien who is also given lyric credits on some track. How much have Tolkien, Howard (and others) impacted your lyrics?

Tolkien is clearly the single most important influence on our lyrics. The way he‘s writing about an ancient world slowly coming to an end, with an unbelievable atmosphere of melancholy, is breath-taking. The nostalgia, which permeates his whole work is what inspires us to write songs such as “A Prophet In The Forest” or “Pilgrim”. Especially Tolkien's poems - also the ones not included in his Middle-Earth books - are incredible. Check out “The Sea Bell”, for instance.

As well as sharing the name of The Golden Bough the album also shares the over-arching theme of all European religions originating from the magic and fertility rites of the Neolithic utopia mentioned above as Sir James Georg Frazer’s famed scholarly work. Such an outlook is very different from the usual view of Christianity within European Metal that sees it as a foreign religion that adopted elements of European paganism in order to become the dominant faith in the continent. As you see your primitive utopia as possibly

purely imagined and Frazer’s theory as largely discredited do you accept the latter as being closer the truth?

I know that a lot of people in the Heavy Metal scenes, especially in the Pagan and Black Metal scenes, want to believe in the myth of a once-proud pagan Europe, which has fallen prey to the evil and violent agents of Christianity. Nothing could be farther from the truth if you take a serious look at the historical sources. What a lot of people tend to forget is how Christianity preserved the knowledge of the antique Roman and Greek writers and scientists during the dark ages and thus laid the foundation not only for the Renaissance, but also for the Age of Enlightenment. People often seem to overlook how Christianity built both the physical, political and spiritual infrastructure for modern Europe and how Christian scholars built up Europe anew, after the Roman civilization was laid to waste by the Germanic tribes. People obviously fail to see how Christianity as a common faith united the European rulers against the forces of Islam. If there's one thing to unite us as Europeans it‘s Christianity, not the superstitious rites of a bunch of seafaring farmers living in a fjord, praying to Odin and living on a diet of fish and salted meat until they die of an infected tooth by the age of 37. Like it or not, but you can‘t deny Christianity's historical importance for our common Western civilization.

In the lyric sheet for the album you also say the

mission of the album is to aid the listener to transcend the dreariness of the modern age. Whether real or imagined do you feel modern man is disconnected from his spiritual ancestry?

Not only his spiritual ancestry, but also his ancestry in a more general sense. Can you tell me the names of your great grandparents if I asked you, for example? Globalization and modern technology are disconnecting us from our own cultural identities and from our own traditions. I feel there is a severe lack of interest for one‘s own home region, cultural traditions and history when I look at the younger generation. It all just one big blur. The disorientation is great already, but it will become even greater. It is an age of confusion and false prophets are preying on the many who are in need of guidance.

Do you equate the simplicity and homogeny of the idealised Neolithic utopia with spiritual purity in opposition to the confusion and diversity of modern life?

Hm, I like the diversity of modern life. It‘s a good thing being able to choose. It‘s good to have the freedom to decide for oneself. But with the freedom of choice comes the risk of taking the wrong decisions and losing ones way in the countless possibilities of today. Especially now, when the safety net of cultural traditions is growing thinner and thinner. We tend to be absorbed by unimportant issues, which are distracting us from what‘s really important and which are

disconnecting us from ourselves. If that‘s what you mean with a loss of spiritual purity, I‘m with you.

Does the lack of political or scholarly motivation with the album mean you think the return to or creation of this Atlantis as being impossible?

Yes. It will never happen. It‘s not the way of mankind to slow down and look back while there‘s still money to be made or a Facebook status left to be updated.

Given the grand themes of your lyrics and music do you feel Atlantean Kodex are better suited to larger stages than small ones? Do you have ambitions for taking your music to bigger and bigger audiences or are you happy with the scale of the “Iron Battalions” so far?

No, quite the opposite. We played in front of 8,000 people once at the Rock Hard festival and we didn‘t like the performance at all. Our songs

are all about atmosphere, and you don‘t have that on an open air stage or a huge arena. We need the intimacy of a small venue, the face-to-face-situation with a crowd going insane, no distance between the band and the audience. That‘s what it‘s all about.

Lastly will the same themes continue into the next album or is there more ideas you want to explore with the band?

I‘ve been thinking a lot aboutthe state Europe is in at the moment. This and ideas of cultural heritage, traditions, faith, mythology etc. definitely will stay a main topic on The White Goddess. Maybe the whole Atlantis metaphor is overdone by now. Things have become bleaker. Quite a few songs are dealing with the downfall of our civilization, with death, and what comes after. Which are the forces that give us strength in the face of certain death? What or who inspires us? Is it maybe even death itself and the knowledge

about our own mortality that inspires us to aim for greatness?

Anything you'd like to add?Thanks for the interview. See you soon in a club somewhere in Europe.

Atlantean Kodex Discography

-The Hidden Folk/Two Stones Split 7'' with Vestal Claret (2007) on Metal Coven-The Pnakotic Demos MLP (2007) on New Iron Age (re-released 2009 as a double 10'' on Iron Kodex and in 2010 as a MCD on Cruz Del Sur with bonus tracks)-A Prophet In The Forest EP (2008) on Iron Kodex (limited to 10 copies!)-The Annihilation Of Koenigshofen live LP (2009) limited to 89 copies at KIT XII-The Golden Bough DLP/CD (2010) on Iron Kodex/Cruz Del Sur-The Annihilation Of Nürnberg live tape (2010) on A Forja (limited to 300 copies)-The White Goddess CD/DLP (2013) on Ván Records/Cruz Del Sur Music/20 Buck Spin

Hails to Bölzer!

I don't think I can recall a band whose name ever so brilliantly matched their arrival upon the Metal consciousness as the bolt-like explosion of Bölzer in the past 2 years. What is even more striking to me is how you are also one of the few bands in recent memory I can think of to create such an immediate buzz without having any members being reasonably well-known for past exploits. My research tells me that KzR played in a band in New Zealand about a decade ago (where he now also sings for Witchrist), but aside from also being in the recently formed Deathcult I can't find any more info on your musical endeavours and none whatsoever on HzR. Is there an intentional building of a sense of mystique here or is this merely incidental? How long had this explosive assault on the stagnant Death Metal pond been brewing and how much care was taken to ensure that Bölzer would be as standout as possible?

Ave! Thank you for the generous praise! Initially we had no intention of having our band become recognized in any immediate sense, nor did we take extra precaution to ensure any kind of "buzz", for want of a better word, would arise from our releases. We are extremely grateful that the music we enjoy making is of interest to others.Any mystique presented, through lack of personal details is not exactly voluntary but also not necessarily negative. Most people seem to be aware of my other exploits and I am certain HzR would admit to any further offence upon questioning.

-Were you surprised by the quickness with which your Roman Acupuncture demo was lauded and well-received? Although it is now seemingly the bands who think outside the box who are crafting the best Metal it also is often the case that bands taking an atypical approach musically and aesthetically will get left out in the wilderness unlike more comforting and status quo reassuring genre-specific

acts. Given the stripped down look of the demo cover that doesn't give anything away about the music contained within, and the omitting of a more regular Death Metal-style logo and song titles did you expect that awareness of your music would be slower coming, or were you confident enough in the material that it would ignite instantly?

We are definitely not interested in trends or appeasing the expectations of others, and we most certainly do not change our views when creating music. Music or any form of creativity flowing potent and unhindered from an inner source is a profound and sacred process of expression, usually birthed of some spiritual catalyst, wherein there is little or no place for conformity. In this sense we simply give voice to the inner self.

-When you played in my home city of Belfast in May of this year on tour with Gospel Of The Horns what struck me was not just the quickness with which you reached these shores but the ability of promoters in Ireland to bring over a band on the radar not even a year at that point. It seems to fly in the face of everything that is accepted as truth about the difficulties of touring and playing abroad in this day and age, but should this quickness not be mistaken for ease? Just how challenging has it been to get Bölzer playing abroad so quickly? Also, are you excited for your return to Ireland on December 30th of this year? (incidentally the day before the digital version of WOAF Anno Domini 2013 will go live)

As said, we are eternally thankful to the people showing interest in, and assisting Bölzer as a somewhat "unconventional" entity within the larger scene. I think the methods of expression I mentioned above have been beneficial in allowing us to circumvent certain obstacles on the way. Our live performances are generally intense and people respond to this, especially given there are but two of us. Bölzer is a challenge in every sense of the word! But it is one we both live to undertake in it's entirety. We are very

pleased to return to Dublin this year, it has become somewhat of a tradition for us and performing for all our comrades there is always a pleasure!

-On February 1st next year you are also set to travel for your first ever assault in Belgium on a bill along with The Ruins Of Beverast, Saturnalia Temple and others, and also in this year you played Germany at the Deathkult Open Air festival. Have you made any other forays abroad yet? How often do you play in your home country of Switzerland and what is the scene like there, both the live circuit and for releases? The only Swiss band that I think I have encountered in the course of WOAF in the past few years was a young Death Metal act called Funeralopolis.

Yes we are very much looking forward to the show in Brussels. This year has been good to us, we were presented the opportunities to perform at a number of amazing festivals abroad, namely Hells Pleasure, Noctis in Calgary, Canada and Til Dovre Faller in Norway. We choose not to perform too regularly in Switzerland as the scene and attendances at gigs are always very concentrated according to which genre of artist is playing and where. Additionally there are few live bands here with whom we could or would want to play with regularly. Overplaying home turf is never optimal in my opinion. That said, we have yet to perform in the french and italian speaking regions but hands are already in motion to organize this for next year. Yes, they (Funeralopolis) are one of a handful of bands/friends we consort with musically.

-Although HzR mightn't have a point of comparison as to the best of my knowledge he has no previous bands, how does it compare being a 2-piece live act? Were additional live members ever considered? How do you manage to translate that thick musical muscularity and monumental heaviness into a live performance a live performance with just a guitarist and drummer, and how does the lack of presence of a bassist or an additional

guitarist help or hamper you when it comes to recording?

The formation is as it is due to the connection and understanding we share as two close friends and like minded musicians. Initial consideration to adopt a bassist were soon abandoned upon learning we functioned best as a duo. Given that we also rehearse and write as two, all the material is more or less fit for a live setting upon inception. Considerable time and effort was invested in calibrating my present equipment set-up but most of it was common sense. If anything recording sessions are all the less stressful without additional members! We enjoy the oversight and honesty present when writing and recording as a duo so that is not about to change.

-I am also interested to know how being a duo affects the vision and focus of the band. Would the same singular imagination, aesthetic and musical creativity of Bölzer be possible with additional members? What sort of brotherhood is really needed to make such an atypical approach to Death Metal work, and are your shared tattoos a literal symbol of that? Indeed, what is the meaning of the bolt symbol and is there any significance to why it appears inverted as the “l” character in your logo?

I think I touched on most of that within the previous question, but we share a strong bond within friendship and our general interest of art and philosophy which makes the creative process a very natural one. The "bolt symbol" is one of many energies. It represents primarily the enlightening and empowering blow of the lightning bolt, as well as the destructive and ensnaring qualities of the wolfram or wolf's hook. It is indeed the raw components of chaos. Duality, the phallus and vulva in eternal dance.

-As I said before what was remarkable about Bölzer's quick acceptance in the underground that usually requires sleeves to be worn on hearts aesthetically speaking was how unusual for Black/Death Metal your imagery, song titles and lyrics are. There are certain commonalities to be found, and the lyrics definitely become closer to Death Metal orthodoxy on the Aura EP, but still artistically speaking everything about Bölzer is very unique and mysterious. Similarities may be drawn to other cosmic-focussing acts like Dissection or Fanisk, but I am unsure as to what the symbology on the demo and EP artwork pertains to. Does the partial black sun on the tape sleeve pertain to a representation of the divine

I wonder, or of inner divine awakening? The figure on the sleeve to Aura carries a sun in one hand whilst I assume the sun cross in the other to be the astrological symbol for the earth? Also, is there a link to be drawn between the bolt symbol and belomancy, the ancient art of divination by arrows? Please enlighten me if you can.

Once again, I think I jumped ahead of myself when answering the previous question. All of the symbology I/we use within lyrics and imagery pertain to the aforementioned. Chaos is the A-O. The divine is certainly a theme, as is everything I cannot see. The sunwheel on the tape sleeve is balance collapsed into chaos, the seed or vulva, birthplace of the unknown. The lightning bolt is harmonic enlightenment, the phallus, the thrust of knowledge.

I do not care to divulge any further. This all very logical to me and should be discovered by the willing.

-Equally unconventional for the genre are some of the musical points of comparison in the Bölzer sound, especially on the EP. The far-ranging vocals for example incorporate a wolfish sort of howl I equate with Depressive Suicidal Black Metal and also some unusual clean vocals which to me have a Post-Hardcore flavour, whilst there is an almost uplifting tone on “Entranced By The Wolfshook” which in my review I have likened to American solar-themed Black Metal duo Fanisk. The usual avant-garde names like Voivod, Deathspell Omega, Neurosis and your countrymen Coroner have been thrown about by people online to describe your style of riffing but I think that for all your earthy Celtic Frost type of heaviness there are no real comparisons for how you string chords together. Just how broad is the musical palette from which you create your sound? Does the uniqueness flow naturally or is there a determination to be individualistic? Who in Metal or indeed over musical styles would you call your closest peers, past or present?

I utterly despise the constant need to compare or categorize, especially when ridiculous sub-genres are mentioned. Music is all about the feelings it evokes and the actions it inspires. We do not limit ourselves in what we listen to, anything stimulating is taken in. Again, we do not aspire to be similar or unique, we just do what feels right. Any soul, giving his all to the great Unknown, the Abyss, is my peer.

-Another group of bands you have been likened to are Mitochondrian and Antediluvian, and while I do detect a similar chaotic vibe in Bölzer there is also a sense of control and mastery that complicates this comparison. Oddly, my assessment seems to conflict as well with your own statements about the meaning of the name Bölzer- “a powerful force or blow or strike that has no regard for the consequences or the repercussions. And in that sense it’s not directed either, it’s just a chaotic strike of energy.” How do you view Bölzer's musical and philosophical affinity to the notion of chaos?

Haha. Please see Questions 6, 7 & 8.

-The final comparisons that have been made in the buzz surrounding you online that I want to discuss is the placing of Bölzer with Dead Congregation, Necros Christos and Cruciamentum. This is one relationship I do think is perfectly fitting as it works on two levels- first of all the Incantation-style of dissonant riffing which is about the only conventionally Death Metal element to your music, but also the atmosphere you create which I liken to being dangled by your ankles over a vast chasm or abyss. How do you feel about comparison to these most venerated bands, not only as far as musical similarities go but also the quickness with which you have been placed into this hallowed hall? Do you think such an association may lead to you resting on your laurels or are you determined now to prove that this comparison is a worthy one? Just what plans do Bölzer have for future releases to further climb to the top of the Death Metal throne?

I have been writing music for the last 14 years so I hope I have achieved at least something. Being compared to these bands is venerable but it is not of much relevance to me. We all walk our separate paths and so we should. I will never rest on my laurels as I choose to keep none.

The release of our second EP Soma through Invictus Productions is pending for early next year. There is a vinyl package of our demo Roman Acupuncture planned for 2014 also. In the meantime we continue to work on new material.

-Anything you'd like to add?

We look forward to what the new year brings! Thank you for your time and thoughtful questions!

Thank you!

Hi Paul,

-You joined Solstice in 2011 after the brief tenure of Procession's Felipe Kutzbach, who had not long before replaced Trappazat/Scarab man Paul Britton. How did joining the band come about? Did you have any history with Rich Walker or any of the members prior to this? Was there any trepidation in being the third vocalist in such quick succession?

Being the third vocalist in such quick succession never even entered my mind, well not as as far as putting me off. Plus there's been a few through the doors over the years so I'd imagine people are less likely to put Solstice under the microscope when a change in personnel happens. Felipe was announced as a short term stand in, an agreement between friends. I considered myself a replacement for Paul Britton. Which is good 'cos replacing Felipe isn't something I'd be confident with. Not at all.

I had no relationship with any of the members really when I initially put my name in the hat for consideration. When Solstice had played Dublin in 1999 with Primordial I had gone to the dressing room to introduce myself and say hello to Rich because I had been big into their 1993 promo “Neither Time Nor Tide” and followed them since but that was about it. How I got in touch regarding singing for them was through reading online that they had let Paul Britton go. Initially I was pissed off because it was a Sunday, six days before they were due to play a small indoor festival called Metal Merchants in Oslo and I was very much looking forward to seeing them.

I was really fucked after a heavy weekend and it took me ages to actually put something together (a reasonably written email, samples, pictures etc) I thought might catch the interest. Since they wanted photos too, so I also had to find some pictures that had been taken with myself and Alan from Primordial on one of his trips to Oslo (he's been here a lot of times), knowing the long history between Primordial and Solstice I thought that would make them, Rich especially, take that little bit more

notice.

This was in January 2011. Anyway Rich got back that same day which surprised me and we decided I would come over to try out in March. Which I did. The audition went OK but not great, it had been a long time since I had been singing at that kind of volume for a few hours (maybe 10 years) and my voice fatigued pretty quickly but they'd liked what they heard enough so that when they decided to have a second round of auditions I was asked to come over again in June. This time I found a place I could rehearse in Oslo and by the time June came around I was far more prepared and they told me I was in if I wanted after the session.

-When you were announced for the position there was a big positive response from Solstice's sizeable Irish fanbase who remembered you from your time fronting a string of Death/Doom bands throughout the 90's up until 2003 or so. As someone who came along after Fifth Dominion, Arcane Sun and Eden Obscured and is therefore unfamiliar with your previous work was there any difficulty in adapting from singing Death/Doom to Epic Doom Metal? Also more generally did you find any difficulty into getting back into singing after such a long absence? Why did you spend so long away from music in any case, and was it an easy decision to come back when the offer was made to join Solstice?

Well Eden Obscured, with any involvement from me at least, was just a band in name really. Fifth Dominion I was just really a super enthusiastic and eager tag along to a band that didn't actually need me at all. So Arcane Sun was really the first band situation where I was more than eye candy (boom, boom). Now most who read this will have never heard the name Arcane Sun, most likely. True enough, the band did kinda sink without trace, as did the demos and the album but when it was active nothing came close in importance in my life. This mad enthusiasm and eagerness is common for most people's first band (proper, as I considered Arcane Sun to be) and through those 3

or 4 years when it was all going forwards at least it was almost all I thought about. I loved constantly planning, organising and this and that. The other lads weren't as over the top enthusiastic as I was so I was essentially the mother hen doing whatever needed to be done. I had enthusiasm and energy for all of us.

Fergal was guitars and also wrote nearly all the music. Initially our shared worship of Fields of the Nephilim had been enough to convince me to ask him aboard. Turned out I loved the music he wrote as well. My mind never changed on that topic. Gradually he drifted more and more and his initial disinterest grew to be apathy towards me, probably because I was Mr. Enthusiastic. So the last year or more I felt like a doormat 'cos I knew he was edging towards quitting and I was afraid my speaking my mind as I should in fear it would have would triggered what was inevitable anyway. So I no longer had the interest or drive to go through all of those starting a new band motions again after it all eventually fizzled away.

Going from singing Doom/Death to singing Epic Doom makes no difference really I don't think. However the ten years away from a microphone, a rehearsal studio and somewhere you can sing loudly, bellow even definitely had an impact. Add to this that it's also ten years worth of ageing to body, mind and soul and you'll notice changes. I probably also burned the candle at both ends more than I should have during that time which didn't help. It doesn't take that long to get back on the horse but there's probably always going to be work to be done if you want to keep improving. When I got the offer to join, there was no hesitation.

-What Metal vocalists would you consider to be your biggest influences?

As far as how I sing? I couldn't name anyone. I'm not one of those guys with a load of natural talent that can treat singing like a craft. I'm more of a close my eyes and hope for the best person. As far as vocalists I have looked up to and admired what they did and how they

did it. Whether through lyrics or their aesthetic agenda.....without doubt Carl McCoy from The Nephilim. A role model and a pioneer I think. Also David Vincent was, for me, the only man that could come close to McCoy between Altars Of Madness to Domination. Nick Holmes made a big impression on me with what he did on the Gothic album too.

More recently? I think Addi from Solstafir is fucking brilliant. But it's gotta be Keith from Destroyer 666 these last years. As well as writing some of the best music I know possibly, some of his lyrics are just breathtaking. Also I think his drive and motivation is so genuine and without any agenda it's commendable.

-Since you joined Solstice 2 years ago there have been several other lineup changes, notably the departure of Asomvel members who made up the rhythm section, adding to the list of, often disgruntled, ex-members which has led to a reputation for Solstice being a band with a revolving door lineup. If it's not too impertinent to ask have these departures been due to personality clash, commitment levels or over factors? How certain are you of the current lineup including Lamp Of Thoth guitarist Andy Whitaker, Lazarus Blackstar bassist Ian Buxton and Craven Idol/Deceptor/Cimmerian Shadows drummer/zine scribe James Ashbey of surviving in the long run?

How certain am I of the line up surviving in the long run? Ha...what do you want me to say? One week at a time, this is Solstice after all. Personally I loved having Lenny (Asomvel) on board, I was very fond of him but sometimes things just don't work out. Izak is the man though, I especially admire the fact that having been involved in the scene for as long as he has that he's still interested in music. So many guys in our age group who've been playing in bands regardless of “success” or lack of through the years have no interest in discovering new music but Izak's not one of those.

Richard and Del, the two ex drummers. Well both had ability but neither had any drive, motivation or discipline when it came to Solstice's music. Certainly neither had even the slightest interest in Doom Metal or underground Heavy Metal. No offence to them but it could

have been another 15 years before anything was recorded if they'd remained. James is the polar opposite. Two or three rehearsals with him were more productive than the previous two guys combined had been in two years. He impressed me so much.

-How significant for you was it to play your first gig with the band on your home soil in Dublin, and were you nervous about the scale of the 1000-strong crowd in attendance? The mammoth Primordial gig on that night was definitely a milestone for Irish Metal. How does the scene now compare to your experience of playing Dublin 15 years ago?

It was cool to do that show. On many levels, me being a Dubliner especially. It being with Primordial was a massive, massive thing too. When they recorded “A Journey's End” in 1998, they used Academy Studios. Rich and Chaz (then Solstice bassist) lived close by and did everything for the band that they could – gave them shelter, fed them, got them drunk, lent them equipment so I know the lads in Primordial have always felt a gratitude and kinship because of that. Then, myself and Alan have been good friends, with a bump or two along the way, for 20 years now. Myself, him and Ciaran (guitars) shared a house together for a couple of years at one point and, of course, I've been friends with all those guys a long time too.

I was very, very nervous but having more people there was a lot better. A small pub type gig would have felt as if I was one on one with each person in the audience...very close and personal. They're easily the best kind of gigs but the Primordial show was a baptism of fire and having so many people in a bigger venue made me feel a little bit anonymous and that was ideal for a debut gig.And as far as comparisons to how it was 15 years before in Dublin? Fuck, no comparison. Maybe what I imagine it would be like going from North Korea to South Korea!

In November 1999 myself and Alan booked a pub in Dublin called Slattery's to put on a Primordial/Arcane Sun show. We had 228 people show up. It was basically a room upstairs in the pub, a stage that rose 20 or 30 centimtres, a pocket sized PA but we thought 228 people was amazing. And it was for the time. November 2002 I saw Primordial play a bigger venue, again in Dublin, to

about 80 people who weren't really interested. It wasn't inspiring. Then in September 2011. They sell over 800 tickets. Have actual gear, equipment, crew, merchandise, people (quite a lot) travel from abroad just to see Primordial? Insane. It was night and day compared to how it had been before.

Since then Solstice have played a handful of shows in the north of England as well as being main support to Manilla Road in London and the Hell's Pleasure, Heavy Days In Doom Town, Dutch Doom Days and Hammer Of Doom festivals throughout Europe, a one-off date in Switzerland and a return to Dublin for the final Dublin Doom Day. Do any memories of these gigs stand out? For anyone who witnessed the second Dublin show I think it will be fondly remembered as the heaviest bass-less Metal performance in history! Also, having now played probably the biggest and smallest shows Solstice have ever done how does playing in sweatboxes like The Pint in Dublin and The Yorkshire House in Lancaster compare to the open fields and beer halls of the German festival circuit? Which is Solstice's music best suited to?

I love it all but for slightly different reasons. The festivals 'cos it's fun to be on an outdoor stage, lots of different people around, maybe things can get a bit wild and interesting. I have not really taken a regular holiday since I was 18 or something...just about all of my travelling was to go to gigs or festivals anyway so with Solstice I am doing the same thing except I get to play and it costs me a bit less. It's ideal for me. I would say, though, my favourite gig was probably Dublin Doom Day. Small venue, sweaty, good attendance, people right up against the stage. It was great. Even when I go to see a band live the show loses a lot if the venue is too big or if the crowd is sparse. It would be the same to be in the band and actually playing a show like that...only worse.

-How does living in various parts of Ireland and England affect the band's ability to effectively write and rehearse together, and how are those songwriting duties spread across the members? Do you take advantage of any modern technologies for writing and rehearsing purposes? Also, was their any culture shock when confronted with the technology of modern music production given that

it was the first time Solstice had been in a studio in 15 years, and 10 years since you had recorded anything yourself? In the studio was there any trepidation in having to follow Morris Ingram's performance on the now mythical New Dark Age album?

Actually, the band is split between England and Oslo. I've been in Oslo for a number of years. As far as songwriting goes, Rich and Andy are able to meet and go over stuff together and myself and James will get the songs or parts they record on a four track or whatever but only to familiarise ourselves. There's no file sharing between us apart from that. Well, I recorded vocal ideas for Death's Crown Is Victory just by singing along with the instrumental version in my kitchen using my phone to record it! But it was just to get some feedback about the ideas I had. The studio technology was no problem, the engineer takes care of everything anyway.

However, I was not exactly idle in the years between Arcane Sun and Solstice. I had recorded some stuff in the meantime actually. A demo under the name The Pale Fall with Cathal, my buddy who was in Eden Obscured and is now in Parhelia. I also recorded vocals a song for Void Of Silence from Italy a few years ago when they were looking for a singer. I was really happy with it actually but I don't think they liked it too much. I never heard back from them, ha! I also had a more Pop oriented project with a friend here that we did quite a bit of recording on. So I wasn't inactive completely but it was just studio stuff, so I had none of the 'glamour' of being in a band, rehearsals etc.

As far as following Mozz's vocal from 'New Dark Age'? That didn't even enter my mind honestly. Not 'cos he doesn't bear thinking of, quite the opposite, but I think whenever people have associated anything with Solstice it's always been Rich Walker so I believe that made it easier for myself or Andy or whoever to slip in without too much fuss. No matter your opinion on Rich, and the boy has managed to split opinion, you could hardly question his devotion or the fact that Solstice has always been associated with his cult of personality...this made my slipping in as the new 'frontman' mysteriously absent from the most Solstice discussion I'd say.

How happy are you with the outcome

and the response so far to the Death's Crown Is Victory EP? How would you personally rate your creation in a year that has seen some of the strongest releases ever, both in Metal in general and from your contemporaries like Atlantean Kodex, Procession, Black Oath and Mael Mórdha?

I'm very pleased overall. I love the production, Andy's brother Richard did it and I never expected such a gritty edge to it. I couldn't fault the others in any way at all. As for myself? I can do better and hope to next time. I don't believe in assessing what's already done too much but I picked up a few things that I'll be wary of next time.

I wouldn't ever try and compare it or rank it against other strong releases this year, that'd be pointless considering I'm part of it and would be far from impartial. As far as I am concerned there have been some great albums this year. Mourning Beloveth's Formless is probably the one I have been most consistently blown away by...it is fucking immense. After that, I love the new albums from Rotting Christ, Procession and In Solitude.

In the run-up to the initial digital unveiling/download release of the EP it was very heavily promoted across social media, and I think at one point was the most popular hit for the tag “Doom Metal” on Bandcamp. How important has it been for Solstice to embrace social media and new platforms of online distribution? Do you think an effective online promotion and the ability to “try before you buy” is essential to shifting a a physical music product in this day and age? Also, would you agree that commitment to bespoke and high fidelity physical products on vinyl and tape (and to a lesser extent CD) are now more important than ever to avoid diminishing the value of music?

Social media is obviously very important and it is, as things are now, the tool (or tools) that seems to increasingly dwarf the old school methods. Of course you'll try to harness it as much as you can and reap benefits because the name of the game is still getting people to actually listen to your music. Getting them to actually buy it after that is another thing. So, yeah, you gotta at least get your stuff out there so that people can actually hear it in the easiest possible way, which is the

advantage of social media – everything is laid out in front of you and generally a few clicks will have you checking out something.

There is of course the downside that when it's all so easy and convenient it can also be more throwaway. When you had to trade tapes, rely on friends getting the albums you couldn't or actually get off your ass and go get the music instead of the music being brought right to you I think this obviously somehow influenced your own valuation of music generally. I'm not talking about particular albums, or this band or that band but rather music in general. Certainly social media is a sign of the times when convenience is key but I do wonder if this is just another prong in the fork, the same one that became the new hot topic when downloading first became an issue for the big wigs behind the music industry.

I don't think our streaming the songs online before an official release as “try before you buy” because that term is arguably redundant now with the whole 'leak & download' process that often happens. That point can be argued but anyway I was very much for that because it had been so long since Solstice had released anything we all thought it was essential to have it out there....in part or in full as soon as we could because we had delayed enough as it was.....like 15 years. Give or take millennium.

I can see your point too about the packaging etc. becoming more of an issue with the overall devaluation of music and I don't disagree really. It would be hard to anyway. On the other hand I think it should primarily be because you have pride in how you deliver your finished product and not as an attempt to put more gloss and shine on so someone is more likely to buy rather than download for example. I understand it's a slightly idealistic view but I would like to think it is that pride that would still be the motivation to go that extra bit.

As always the complex lyrics which are one of Solstice's calling cards are present on this EP- how responsible for the lyrics on this release were you? Was there an intentional linking of the songs “I Am The Hunter” and “Death's Crown Is Victory” via the line “Only death is the crown, that all men shall wear” in the former? How fair is it to say that the lyrics on this

latest EP have less of an arcane/mythical and more of an anti-christian/heathen focus than previous Solstice releases?

Well good on you for spotting that because it had never occurred to me, ha! I suppose that separates which one of us is the smarter one. Rich wrote the lyrics to “I Am The Hunter” and the “Death's Crown Is Victory” title is his too but I would imagine it's coincidence since he never mentioned it.

As I said “I Am The Hunter” was written entirely by Rich, so those lyrics were all done when I joined. With “Death's Crown....”, he had the first seven lines and the chorus done and asked me to have a bash at finishing. I did and he liked what I did so you could say approximately half of the lyrics for that were my contribution.

Considering “Death's Cown...” is the more recent of the two full length tracks I think you're very right to point out the shift from the arcane or mythical tones. The anti-Christian theme you mentioned would be a bit narrow though, that's part of it but it's about a broader defiance. There are some words finished for newer songs too. “Behold, A Man Of Straw” and “White Horse Hill”. They're more like laments I think and it's a theme I like a lot.

Do you find any awkwardness in fronting what is such an institution of Englishness and source of pride for English Metal fans (second perhaps only to Forefather), either as an Irishman or as an outsider in general? On Solstice's facebook page Fairport Convention's Sandy Denny is listed as an influence. How direct do you think this influences is on Rich, or do you think such English Folk influences are more unconscious like that, similar to how Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy might be to any Irish musician? What, if any, unconscious Irish influences do you think you might bring to the table with your vocals?

I think Fairport Convention is far from an unconscious influence for Rich, I believe he seems them as having played a real part in shaping his playing and writing. I don't think for one second that English folk music has seeped into the consciousness of their rock music as Irish folk has into Ireland's rock culture but in Rich's case it has.

Yeah, I admit I had to pause and think when I first got in touch with the band about trying out. “Would I feel like an idiot singing “Englaner”? Of course there is a bit of that or rather there would be if we end up doing that song which is a possibility – “Oh here's an Irish guy singing a song called Englander”. It's be the same if I sang something like Storm, being that it's very Norwegian.

There were a few mutterings about my joining an English band because of the history between Ireland and England as well. I would most certainly consider myself very proud of Ireland, more so of the Irish people and very much so of Dublin and the spirit that has always been a part of the Dublin folk. As such I completely respect the rest of the band feeling a similar pride for their own people and history. It would be stupid to think anything else. Aside from all of that, Heavy Metal has always been a sanctuary away from all of that for the most part.

As far as an unconscious Irish influence? Hard to say. The Irish in their arts have always tended to have some kind of undercurrent of melancholy maybe. I think feelings of loss and lament are often not too far from our music and words, if that was something that could be felt even a little bit in the future it would be no bad thing I reckon but I couldn't really say to be honest, it'd probably be better for someone other than me to assess that in the future.

Last but not least we look to the future. Having touted the arrival of a full length album Englander the band's official site now seems to be reporting that the next release will be another EP/mini-LP entitled To Sol A Thane. Is the full length still planned to happen eventually? Is there any reason other than time limitations that means 2 successive shorter releases have been chosen over the full-length option? On this next release what can we expect in terms of developing on from the style and the lyrical themes/direction shown on Death's Crown Is Victory?

A full length eventually would be the ideal thing, however....having just come out of a long, long silent period and knowing the previous output rate between New Dark Age and Death's Crown... (which in case anyone missed it was a steady 15 year rate of zero) I would rather not reappear just to then

disappear for another extended period. The idea to put out two mini-LPs is simply to have something in quicker succession than committing to getting a full length together because obviously a full length is going to take longer.

To be honest I couldn't say I was confident that the next mini-LP will arrive in any kind of prompt time either but I fucking hope it does. Rich himself is strongly against playing off past glories, and I am aware of that sounding hypocritical considering that long quiet period... although his mindset has always been actively opposed to that at least, as are the rest of us. However, he has the advantage of at least having been a part of every piece of music Solstice have made, the rest of us don't. Looking past the fact that Death's Crown... and it's follow up (hopefully) will both be short players, they will both act in part to solidify Solstice as a band who are actively into creating music. That may sound silly, it should sound silly but unfortunately it's tragically looking like becoming the exception rather than the rule. So fucking tragic. Reunion, reunion, reunion. Classic album tour etc etc. It's breaks my heart because it's got nothing to do with music as a creative thing but merely to pump up either faltering financial situations or fragile egos. It's revolting.

Tell me this – Black Sabbath's new album? If that was released by someone like Procession would people love it? I doubt it seriously. People want to like it because they either subscribe to the nostalgia exploitation bullshit that makes this slow asphyxiation of music as a creative force possible or they're easily led. For the most part, I think this is the case. Of course, there are those who probably like it genuinely and I have trouble faulting that... because people having such low standards is why men like me have managed to have any kind of active sex life.

I already mentioned that I have written lyrics for two new songs and those are very much more in the style of Death's Crown.... and much more the kind of thing I would like to see us develop further.

Anything you'd like to add?Yes, buy the new Mourning Beloveth album. It's fucking stunning. If you don't like it, the band will refund you... (haha)

Cheers!

After a couple of years now you might think that the revival of Old School Death Metal might slow down some- the likes of Morbus Chron have proven themselves worthy of the genre's canon whilst Tribulation have been the first to show the willingness to go beyond it. Despite that though 2013 has seen no shortage of bands in the genre cropping up with releases in that perfect format for self-introduction- the humble 7'' EP.

Gravecrusher from Hungary seem intent on proving with their Mutilation Ritual 7'' (original out on tape on Stygian Shadows in October 2012, this vinyl edition now on Blood Harvest) that while there seems to be no shortage of bands still crawling out of the worm-rotten woodwork this whole revival might be beginning to run on a creative empty. Considering the excellent releases from the likes of Bombs Of Hades, Bloody Sign, Karnarium and Tribulation that Blood Harvest has handled in the past this really is rather poor by comparison. The deep vocals on here have a touch of Demigod about them but ultimately its an Incantation vibe they strive for, and fail to achieve. The problem is that the riffs are right, but they are buried to far beneath the drums to give off the right atmosphere. All in all this is pretty flat and atmosphere-less- the solo section at the end of “Deranged Massacre” in particular thanks to the poor mixing. They may be in the same position as today's current cream of the crop were 5 years ago, but I wouldn't hold my breath for Gravecrusher being close to dropping a genre classic even 10 years from now. [4/10]

Ritualization from France are a

similarly unexciting prospect. In spite of the cool name and artwork that gives the impression of something a bit darker, a bit more occult, or at least a bit more considered in some fashion, what they offer on their Beyond The Shrine Of Shattered Bones 7'' (also on Blood Harvest) is the same old rehashing of the early 90's Floridian style as we all have heard done a hundred times before and a hundred times better. Real fanatics of Deicide, Vital Remains and Malevolent Creation might want to check it out on the off-chance, but otherwise this two-track EP has precious little to recommend it. [2/10]

The Stockholm sound has been done to death almost as much as the Florida style of the genre, but Verminous get a pass for unoriginality by virtue of the fact they began playing this style over a decade ago, and have the most Metal reason of all time for going on a 10-year hiatus as one of their band members had hearing difficulties. 10 years apart during the most creative period for Swedish Death Metal in a very long time should engender a hunger to prove oneselves again you might think, and in fairness to the band the title track a side to their The Curse Of The Antichrist 7'' (also out on Blood Harvest) is a fairly catchy slab of Repugnant-influenced Swe-Death. The problem lies in the production really as the guitar tone sounds a little thin, there is little to no filth and the cavernous reverb- classic Sunlight Studio sound this is not. The choice of cover songs for the B side don't help either as we all know how “Hang The Pope” and “Revel In Flesh” go and we don't need to even hear them to imagine

how the Verminous treatment of them will sound. If you are keen to pick something up by this band I would suggest going for their comeback LP from earlier in the year instead. [3/10]

Pentacle from The Netherlands may have only spent 8 years rather than 10 without any new recordings (whilst frontman Wannes Gubbels was in Asphyx), but for Eternal Solstice whom they share this split out on Dark Descent Records with, the wait has been 16 years. Rather than new material though the band have reformed only to re-record unreleased tracks from their early days. Their 2 tracks on this double 7'' gatefold split are basically what you'd expect for this style of chesty-vocalled, Thanatos-esque old school Death/Thrash, but also what you'd expect for songs not good enough to make the cut 16 years ago. The standard is higher today than it was in 1997, and these songs and that flat guitar tone just won't cut it for Eternal Solstice. While the age of the Eternal Solstice material suggests they were already a spent force creatively at the time of their demise in '97, Pentacle's descent into mediocrity has been much more recent. Gubbels must've used up all his good ideas to write Death... The Brutal Way for Asphyx because what is on offer here is as generic as this style of Celtic Frost-influenced groovy Death Metal gets. I would still suggest this split for vinyl packaging junkies though thanks to Manuel Tineman's fantastic muted artwork- there is also a silver haze vinyl version only available direct from Dark Descent, and an orange haze vinyl through Me Saco Un Ojo and Iron Pegasus Records. [3/10]

16 years of no new material for

Eternal Solstice pales in comparison to the 21/22 years out of the game for Chilean hordes Death Yell and Atomic Aggressor who this year shared a 7'' slab on Hells Headbangers, and at last we have a return to actually rave about. Atomic Aggressor play an ancient-sounding style of thrashing Death Metal in the vein of their countrymen Pentagram, early Morbid Angel and Poison and their razor sharp effort on here, “Blind Servants” shows absolutely no rust on their decimating playing after all these years. They may not have changed their mode of attack one iota but their buddies in Death Yell have come back more mature with better songwriting, better production (but by no means clean) and as a much tighter playing unit. “Back From The Depths” is still a nasty cut of bestial Black/Death Metal comparable to Beherit and early Sepultura, but this is the sound of that style grown up. 2 excellent bands with equally valid approaches creating an essential purchase for fans of the Metal Sudamerica style- you can't ask for more than that (oh go on then- new full length albums please?) [7/10]

On top of the returns from bands last seen in the early noughties, the late 90's and the late 80's even the latest generation of Death Metal bands have been around long enough to start enjoying a bit of nostalgia. Blood Harvest have been the first to do this with the Carnivores EP by Bombs Of Hades that they originally put out in 2008 with a snazzy new white background to the cover replacing the old black. “Necronomicus Kanth” is the first of 5 tracks and has a bit of a Blackened atmosphere quite similar to frontman Jonas Stalhammar's more well-known band God Macabre, but otherwise this takes its form of attack straight from the Bolt Thrower playbook. All chesty and throaty vocals, stenchy riffs and cutting cymbal splashes correct and present while on “Slaughter The Dead” that Bolt Thrower sound is stripped back to show the noisome Punk roots beneath. The other 2 tracks are duds to be honest, but this

EP is worth picking up solely for “Disrespect Their Bones” which is still one of catchiest songs to come out of Death Metal in the past 5 years. Their albums are great, but this little record is still the best introduction to Bombs Of Hades and the most concise document of their sound yet. [7/10]

Swedish Death Metal is alive and well at home but stylistically the flame is being kept burning elsewhere as well, such as with Mexico's Putrefact whose latest release, the Of Those Who Were Deceased 7'' is out on Pulverized Records. Given that the members have spent time in more brutal acts like Disgorge and C.A.R.N.E. you could be forgiven for surprise at the direction they have taken here, and even more so for how well they nail down this Stockholm circa 1989 style. Aside from the nice drum fills towards the end the self-titled A side is a bit bog standard, but “II” on the other side of this record is in a whole other league. Beginning with a doomy as all hell vibe not unlike Claws/Hooded Menace, an almost depressive interlude exploding into a killer hypnotic repetitive drumbeat and finishing off with a haunting outro reminiscent of “Left Hand Path”- why this track wasn't leading as the A side I do not know. The production is still a little thin, but I cannot fault the song in the slightest. I just hope Putrefact re-record this when it comes to doing a full length album. [7/10]

Across the border in Finland there has been lots of Death Metal activity in recent years with the likes of Krypts, Vorum and Stench Of Decay and now Ghastly can be added to that list to. The strongest thing about their Demonhood Productions Serpentine Union/The Divine Fire 7” is its rusty chain-like clanking drum sound that gives a unique edge and fits in well into the doomed out early Celtic Frost groove that they utilise. Fans of the Finnish sound will have lots to be happy about as well with obvious hints of Abhorrence, Demigod and Funebre all present and correct here, as well as the fact

the simple logo on black cover is an obvious homage to Amorphis' 1991 self-titled demo. This is a nice touch of course, but it makes it difficult to guess what visual and thematic avenues Ghastly plan to go down, but if they can match an interesting aesthetic to songs of this quality then we may soon be counting them among the best of Finland's esoteric Death Metal acts. [7/10]

Although the most well known acts from this region ply in hybrid styles of Black/Death/Thrash I have heard rumblings of pure Old School Death Metal coming from Southeast Asia in recent times as well. Humiliation are one such band from Malaysia whose 3 albums and 2 EPs to date have only been available on labels based in their home country, but now they are ready to storm the northern hemisphere for the first time, on a split from Eldritch Lunar Miasma. Their fondness for Bolt Thrower can be sensed even before a note is played thanks to the warzone samples in the intro to the song “Enemy's Perimeter” while the drum patters, gruff vocals and punkish riffs confirm the love. Yes it may be total Bolt Thrower/Benediction worship, but they do it better than most imitators. On the flip side, from that eternal fertile ground for Death Metal called the United States, we have Decrepitaph, who, quickly approaching become elder statesmen of the scene, I imagine are a name many readers will be familiar with already. Although it is refreshing to know that “The Carnal Slumber” is no departure from their trademark Autopsy/Coffins-esque monolithically slow style it is far from their best track and a little weak on the guitar tone front. If you're keen to check out Humiliation check out their latest long-player on Deepsend Records, while if you still haven't heard Decrepitaph then you're better off going back to 2010's Beyond The Cursed Tombs- both are much better introductions to these bands. [4/10]

Chile is another hotbed for Death Metal right now, and not just because of the returning hordes such

as Death Yell and Atomic Aggressor, the pick of the bunch undoubtedly being Horrifying whose Euphoric Existence 7'' is out on Blood Harvest. Some riffs lean towards an Immolation influence, but for the most part the best reference point throughout is early Death, or more specifically the Mantas demos with Kam Lee on vocals. The madness in the vocals could also be likened to their Chilean Metal heritage but in any case what is so impressive about this EP is that Horrifying succeed at being so raw and primitive, insane and off-key, yet also so musically tight and masterful and can create such a horrible and unsettling atmosphere. The faster passages still need a little bit of work but the doomy sections on “Euphoric Existence” are excellent. “Petrifying Hallucinations” kicks things up another gear with a disrhythmic vibe that will please fans of Antediluvian and the like and a completely wild and impulsive solo that is almost at Vomitor levels of insanity. Make no mistake, this is one of the best Death Metal releases of the year. [8/10]

Speaking of Antediluvian they have a 7'' out as well entiteld Septentrional Theophany, made up of 2 songs left over from the Logos album sessions, only available with issue #1 of Haruspex zine release by Nuclear War Now! To call this material leftovers would be a disservice to these 2 songs though as they accompany the album so perfectly. Being from the same recording sessions there's an obvious similarity in sound as well as style, but for a band so raw, primitive and chaotic Antediluvian have no problem with dynamics and injecting each song with its own personality. “Mouth Of The Congregation...” mixes sections of Grind-like speeding intensity with utterly harrowing doomed out sections that creates a feel not unlike some sort of terrifying Black/Death/Powerviolence hybrid while “...In The Sides Of The North” is separated from anything on the album by its wolfish atmosphere and spasmodic, convulsive riffs. This 7'' is as tough going as the rest of their

discography, but if you liked Logos this is an obvious next purchase. [7/10]

Ireland's Zom keep things bestial in this section and round out the Death Metal portion of it with their Multiversal Holocaust 7'' out on Iron Bonehead Productions. Whilst there may have been an element of novelty from the fact Zom are the first Irish band to be recognised for playing this style (Lethiferous actually did something similar a few years before to much less fanfare) that helped their 2011 demo sell out of 3 pressings from Invictus Productions, this time they have no such luxury. It is a good thing for Zom then that the actual material stands up even stronger than before. On the a side the previous core influences of Blasphemy/Diocletian-style War Metal still abound, but the level of madness and the mastery of choatic sounds even at seemingly impossible speeds have rarely been done better by anyone. The vocals that sound like cawing raven on this track as well are just pure brilliance. “Terror Of The Cosmos” switches gear with the influences but rather than diluting Zom this merely keeps them fresh, with doses of everything from early Voivod, Autopsy, Repulsion, Carcass and 80's Mayhem being present as well as a horror/sci-fi vibe from the samples. With this small showing of progressing on from the first demo being done Zom are even more of an exciting prospect than before- an impressive début album cannot be far off now. [8/10]

Black Metal is not nearly as associated with the 7” format as Death Metal is, but Blood Harvest Records have branched out in that direction too with the Ascensum Serpens EP from Chile's Malignant Asceticism. According to the label “Ascensum Serpens gets inside the most sublime subjects of spiritual elevation, through the mysteries of sexual magick”, and while there may be something faintly vaginal about the cover art this talk is, as it happens to be 95% of the time, complete waffle. Musically it is not

bad, but not good enough to stand out or stand up on its own. The chanting intro to “Seventh Breath” reminds me in a way of Nåstrond, while the brief bass solo (and even the fact of how audible the bass is) are unusual for Black Metal, but otherwise this becomes pretty generic pretty quickly. The off-beat drums and horror feel to the riff in the bridge section that sounds like the musical equivalent of the slow drip of damp is impressive, as is the feeling of being suspended over a chasm in the bridge of B side track “The Black Dance”, but unless you really invest the time for repeated listens they are not overly memorable. These features make the song stand out whilst listening to it, but they don't help to create a cohesive identity for the and to make the memory last any longer than that. [6/10]

Doom is also a genre not normally associated with the 7” format thanks to the typical song-length, and while they are not strictly a Doom Metal band, and this their first release is actually a double 7” EP, Electric Citizen nevertheless merit inclusion here. This Chicago-based coven self-describe their self-titled debut as West Coast Psych meets Dark Folk and opening track “Shallow Water” lives up to this description and more. From the San Francisco Psych bands of the 60's it captures that mix of doom-laden and uplifting spirits, keeping things just on the low enough side of distortion to push that Folk element and pop sensibility. Mellow Candle would be the obvious point of comparison for obscure 60's or 70's female-sung Folk Rock, but similarities could also be drawn to Kari Rueslåtten of Norwegian bands Storm and 3rd And The Mortal, as well as Andréa Nebel of Hagalaz' Runedance. Unusually the very faint synths on this track also remind me of Burzum's prison albums in tone and atmosphere, but they are quite deep in the mix as to make the connection hard to fully form. If I have one bone to pick with this EP it is the production as it not only stiffles this vibe, but also the pop sensibility. Of the remaining

tracks “Beggar's Need” is the one that most shows the potential to become as prominent in this style as Jess And The Ancient Ones while the jangly The Bangles-via-Jefferson Airplane vibe of closer “Hawk Nightingale” shows that its crossover appeal stretches as far out of Metal as in to it. An excellent debut record to appeal to Metalheads with open minds. [8/10]

From a band that will appeal to Doom fans of a certain persuasion now to a band that are 100% undoubtedly Doom Metal- Berlin/Okahoma globe-spanners Atomic Cries. Resolutely and unmistakeably Doom it may be, but their 7” entitled Suspended Between The Mouth Of God And The Fist Of Man (on Svart Records right at the beginning of this year) demonstrates a quite unique sound. The fuzz and droning vocals bring to mind prime Revered Bizarre, but this is still pretty atypical. Saint Vitus' plodding rhythms are also present, but the feel is very dark and cinematic, quite like Werner Herzog's films (The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser is even referred to on the Bandcamp page.) The distancing of the vocals also have a touch of the most avant-garde of 80's Goth Rock in there too. It's interesting, but I think still too rough, experimental, poorly recorded and unrefined for mass dissemination. This is the primordial soup of what could become a powerful new strain of the Doom genome. [7/10]

Another of the rare Doom 7” releases of the year is likewise from Berlin, and like Electric Citizen may have appeal to fans of Jess And The Ancient Ones, but that is where the similarity between The Oath and Electric Citizen ends. The band's pedigree is good given that guitarist Linnéa Olsson plays in In Solitude-related heavies Sonic Ritual and was formerly a part of Slingblade, while vocalist Johanna Sardonis has sang for 90's German Black Metal band Dies Ater, and much more recently guested on a Secrets Of The Moon track. Despite this their début 7” out on High Roller Records (Electric

Assault in the states) is one of the worst examples of this female-fronted Doom style I have yet heard. It sounds rushed and sloppy and therefore contrived. Ultimately Johanna has to take a lot of the fall for this failure as her voice so well suited to the Symphonic Black Metal style is ill-fitting here, but ultimately a better vocalist alone wouldn't be sufficient to rescue either of these songs. The B side “Black Rainbow” in particular suffers from riff-salad syndrome and the bumpy key changes don't quite thread these disparate riffs together successfully. All these things can be fixed off course though, so I will be keeping The Oath on my radar to see what they come up with next. [3/10]

Rarest of all is 7” split releases of bands of 2 different genres, but that is what Unborn Productions have done, I suspect due to the fact that town in Norway that both Reptilian and Inculter hail from is so small that they undoubtedly share members. If my inkling is true though I would urge them to put Inculter and their standard issue (though catchy) Black/Thrash Metal a la early Nifelheim on hold and concentrate more fully on Reptilian. It is rare that a band will develop such a unique aura right from their first release but that's what Reptilian manage with those heavily reverb-laden drums that are pulled as nervewrackingly tight in the fast sections of “Huitzilopochtli” and those vocals that are halfway in between the Depressive/Suicidal BM and South American Black Death schools of insanity. Combined with the untapped potential of Aztec mythology as a lyrical theme of Death Metal and Reptilian have real potential to stand out from the crowd on future release. [6/10]

Atlanta, GA's Sadistic Ritual ply a similarly hackneyed approach to Thrash on their Hellish Mercenary 7” from Boris Records than Inculter, but they just about pass muster thanks to their songs being choc-full of killer riffs. Their influence is mostly American, most notably Slayer and Exodus, but there is also

a slight Black/Thrash vibe evoked via early Kreator, especially in the vocals. It is the sheer energy and rawness that makes Sadistic Ritual tick though and wipe the floor with many lily-livered Thrash bands from their country who have cropped up in the past few years. Imagine Warbringer getting their asses kicked by Antichrist for a rough idea of how this sounds. [6/10]

Speaking of whom, it has been 2 years of complete silence from Swedish Thrash maniacs Antichrist and we finally have a follow-up to 2011's killer Forbidden World long-player. I'm not going to say it was worth the wait, but nevertheless the Burned Beyond Recognition 7” on Electric Assault Records does not disappoint. More than ever before Antichrist sound manic and insane thanks in large to how the production is both so raw and so loud- going to the limits of volume without compromising the quality. Obvious and old comparisons to Slayer, Possessed etc. can still be made, but this sounds so unhinged that I think the band have been going even further underground for inspiration this time, a likelihood given that on the B side here they cover “Kill With Napalm” by 80's Croatian Black/Speed Metal underground heroes Evil Blood. When a new album comes I hope they don't make it any more polished than this EP is- in this new style they've carved out the next full length could be their breakthrough moment. [7/10]

Also on the fast and furious front comes the long-awaiting (at least at WOAF HQ anyway) follow up to 2011's mighty Knights In White Phosphorous album by Hot Graves. Instantly I am disappointed however, not so much by the fact the band have devolved a step into a sleazier, rawer and cheaper sound as that was to be expected on a stop-gap release like this, but more the fact that “Fuck U- U Suck” has none of the charm of the GG Allin or Anal Cunt that it aims for. “Follow Yr Dreams” is a little more like the album, at least the less melodic and most

straight-up numbers like “Scarred” or “Kill For Satan”, without the quality of either unfortunately. “Out Ov Time” is the most throwaway track on here thanks to its very thin sound- this momentary taking the foot off the proverbial gas would've been a perfect time to inject some of that melodic flair found on the debut to fill the void, but it never comes. The title track “Fashion Victim” is the best track on here thanks to its Poison Idea meets early Agnostic Front vibe, and the bonus cover of Bad Religion's “Yesterday” is not bad either, but a worthy successor to one of the most highly-rated albums in from the aborted WOAF #2 issue this is not. [4/10]

Cleveland, OH-based Death-Punks Nekrofilth had a different kind of hype to live up to than Hot Graves- not because of my previous knowledge of them but rather from internet talk over their sex, drugs, suicide and Satan-fuelled music video on youtube. Musically they play a heavily punked-up brand of Death Metal indebted to fellow Cleveland heads Nunslaughter (whom they share a guitarist with) as well as bands like Norwegian madmen Lobotomized. The utter ugliness, nihilism and degradation of GG Allin is a big influence too but what strikes me most about the first 2 tracks from their Doomentia-released 7” entitled Street Bitch is the utter sense of control that they have in comparison to the sloppier acts who usually play this style. It makes the nastiness factor all the more visceral, but what drags this release down is how the covers of “Argh Fuck Kill” from Canadian Punk master-offenders Dayglo Abortions and “Street Walker” by Cleveland Heavy Metal legends Black Death, though both faithful and good in their own way, don't have this same trademark vibe replicated on them. [6/10]

One 7'' slab of Metalpunk that didn't disappoint this year however was Work Sucks by the brilliantly-named AsI sI . Following on from their Speed Krusher tape (also reviewed in this issue) and its “5 songs about speed,

meth hookers, beating the shit out of frat guys and Satan” we get another 3 tracks about frustration, beating the shit out of more frat guys and immature dicks. Ostensibly this is a big party with all the Crossover Thrash greats invited with the obvious guests of honour being fellow Texans D.R.I. whose style is stamped all over the title track A side (mixed with some of the misanthropy of The Germs.) Gang Green and Crumbsuckers leave their mark here too, but there is something intangible about this that makes it more than just the sum total of its parts. It may not be big, and clever would be the wrong sort of word for what is being expressed, but this band shouldn't be mistaken for being stupid in my book. Take for example the very heavy repetition in the lyrics, which are not done in a lazy or unimaginative way, but seemingly just to hammer home that point at little more and let you know what is being sung is believed- It is a vital factor rarely heard it today's Punk and Hardcore music. On “Man Child” especially the anger is visceral and palatable in every note played and shouted. [7/10]

As_ s_ may be the best band name I have heard in a while, but for release names it is Death Of Kings' Knifehammer 7” (on Boris Records) that takes the biscuit. Musically most of the influence on these guys comes from 80's Speed Metal, but everything from the intense drumming to the cartoonishly huge vocals ramps everything up to a new level, capped off with a modern yet ballbusting production. Imagine a punkier version of 3 Inches Of Blood mixed with Cauldron and you've got what this band are about. Added to the fact that this 7” slab comes on toxic green glow in the dark vinyl and has artwork garish cover art to put Thrash Metal goons Lich King to shame and the appeal that this may have to fans of Municipal Waste and White Wizzard is massive. Unashamed commercial potential, unabashedly daft, but undeniably Heavy Metal all the same. [7/10]

This rundown of the year's shortest releases comes to an end with a look at that other subgenre so closely associated with singles, Heavy Metal- particularly the NWOBHM. Hitten who hail from Spain may have more of a German Speed Metal sound than the NWOBHM but still have to get a mention in as one of the best new bands who may have kept beneath most people's radars this year with their Evil Power 7” on Anger Of Metal Records. They never get quite as full-speed ahead or as heavy as the likes of Atlain or early even Helloween, but fans of Running Wild, Stormwitch or especially Gravestone will love this, and while they don't sing in their native tongue anyone who likes Barón Rojo will probably like the heavy accent present here. The A side and “Night Of The Hunter” are both top notch catchy and melodic tracks but it is “Midnight Riders” that takes the prize with its Di'anno-era Maiden gallop that makes me think it should have been the song at the head of this release. Definitely keep an eye out for this band. [8/10]

Last but by absolutely no means least are Sweden's Night and what is perhaps the best attempt at creating a 7” that could legitimately bluff as being a long-lost NWOBHM rarity. This band have the perfect name, owl mascot and cover for this single, entitled Gunpowder Treason- so much so that it is hard to fathom how none of these were already taken by a NWOBHM band back in 1980! Musically this is a mid-paced rocker in the vein of Saxon, with some excellent high histrionic vocals (almost defying masculinity) and the theme and lyrics show an obsession for all things English too- fans of Diamond Head, Tokyo Blade and Tygers Of Pan Tang will lap this up also. Strangely for something so authentic though it has been released on a label not exclusively dedicated to Metal (Gaphals), making it likely this will have slipped through the cracks even more than the Hitten single above. Don't let this happen- this band deserved to be heard! [8/10]

Hails to Argus!

-Let's start with a little history. How and when did the band form? Were your key influences and intended style the same then as they are now? From what I understand Erik was also the original vocalist- was Butch headhunted for the band based on his previous work with Penance?

[Butch Ballich- vocals] The band was formed prior to me joining in 2006. Erik was the original vocalist and the style was much more stoner rock/groove oriented really. I met the band at their final gig with Erik who was leaving the band due to a move down south. I had been out of Penance for some time and had just about given up on playing music again. I was floored by the talent in the band – first thing I said to Kevin after their set was “Your bassist is a badass”. But the whole band was talented. And they had some harmony guitar parts that were excellent along with writing big riffs…So Kevin and I got to talking and saw a possibility to see if things could work out. And lo and behold here we are 7 years later. As far as key influences we’re all over the map – our common ground lies in Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, among others… If we laid out our influences individually folks would likely be surprised we are not only in the same band but also that our sound is so solidly what it is.

-Given the epic bent of the band I always assumed that the name Argus would be related in some way to the Wishbone Ash album of the same name, but I have since heard that the name comes from a vision Erik had while in a hospital bed. Is there any truth to this?

He was recovering from a wound he sustained in the county jail while doing time for a mopery charge that was eventually overturned, freeing him to follow his musical dreams. I guess the morphine reacted with something else they were giving him and he had a number of visions…which from what he says he will publish in a book one of these days. He won’t let us read the manuscript yet but promises it will make the Marquis De Sade look like C.S. Lewis.

-Your first album was released remarkably quick, at least by Doom Metal standards. Was there a concerted effort to get something out there quickly in your early days, and if so how much was this tempered by a desire to get things right first time and make something of real quality that Argus is? How immediate was the response to the album locally, nationally and internationally? Did it allow you to start gigging out of your home state of Pennsylvania immediately or did that come later?

Actually we worked on material for a couple of years, playing live shows, developing our sound, discarding the old material as we wrote and honed what we wanted the band to sound like. So that process took from 06 to 09 when we recorded the album. Our goal from the start was to write great songs and to not force anything. To this day we follow that. We know what we like as a band for us to sound like. Everyone contributes either with riffs or in arrangements and we are fearless in being critical of the songs as the develop. We are all adult enough that we can do this without fear of any major blow-ups. Everyone is at least willing to try an idea and accept it if it is for the betterment of the song/album we are working on.

I think we were surprised at how quickly we were accepted into Doom circles and then branching out from there but it was a building process that we are still going through. We are hardly a household name. We gigged in Western PA and West Virginia early on and then branched into a couple of out of state festivals such as Doom Or Be Doomed in Baltimore 2007 leading to Europe in 2011 at Hammer of Doom. It’s all been a building process but yeah I’d say we were lucky early on to get a quick boost from the Doom scene.

-Argus was a bold statement that laid the foundation of your style, mixing Thin Lizzy/Iron Maiden dual guitar harmonies with the

epicness of Candlemass/Solitude Aeternus and Manilla Road/Slough Feg tempered by the heavy simplicity and Hard Rock sway of the likes of Iron Man, Pale Divine, Orodruin and of course Butch's previous band Penance. How important were these influences, and do you think they came out in your sound consciously or unconsciously? Thin Lizzy are often seen as an inescapable influence on all Irish guitarists so I'm interested to know if there's an American influence that is equally indelible in this way.

Mostly unconscious though for sure it was our intent from the get go to incorporate harmony guitar parts because we love that style. So yes we did bring Thin Lizzy and Maiden into the forefront in that way but we don’t set out to write in a certain style. Other than that these things just come out due to the way the riffs are created and then what we each suggest during the process. So there are lots of things going on and each guy is pulling from his background but in a way that supports our sound. For contemporary influences on us you can look at Slough Feg, Valkyrie, While Heaven Wept and Orodruin as modern bands we love and have respect for and are inspired by. We never stopped being fans so our influences of course change as we discover new bands that we admire.

-On the subject of dual guitar harmonies do you think it is an element of Metal that has been lost somewhat in recent years? There is not many pairs these days that can be compared to the likes of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson from Thin Lizzy, Andy Powell and Ted Turner from Wishbone Ash, Glenn Tipton and KK Downing of Judas Priest or Dave Murray and Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden. Except for maybe Mike Scalzi and Angelo Trigani of Slough Feg I really think Argus' Erik and

Jason are the best duo for a twin-guitar attack these days.

I’m not sure if it has been lost but it certainly hasn’t been done by many in a way that is inspiring. Slough Feg gets it. Valkyrie gets it. Corsair gets it. Bible of the Devil….A lot of bands have harmonies all over the place but they overdo it or just make parts that really aren’t that interesting. We always have harmonies in mind but never force them. It has to be the right part in the right spot in a song in order to have maximum impact. If you do it constantly they don’t stand out and lose their effectiveness. -On your Facebook page you describe yourselves as having a working class sound and I have seen promo photos of the band with steel mills in the background. How important has your backdrop of Western Pennsylvania been in moulding your sound and outlook? To me the de-industrialisation of the American rustbelt and heartland is a story that is woefully under-represented in the American media and culture, but is perfect for being told in Heavy Metal. Has being affected by these issues influenced Argus' gloomy and mournful style? Also more generally, do you think there might be a link between the recent resurgence in quality of Metal releases in the same way that Thatcherism impacted on the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, or Reaganomics on US Heavy Metal in the 80's?

Well, we’re really a no frills kind of band. What you see is what you get. I didn’t grow up in Western Pennsylvania but I did grow up not too far from Bethlehem and Allentown, PA where steel and concrete were big industries at one time. I think by working class sound it is intended to convey that this is gritty, no real frills Heavy fucking Metal…. We’re not trying to out-think or out-cute anyone or

put something out that sails over people’s heads. It’s also reflected in who we are – down to earth, hard working guys with families and responsibilities. As far as the impact on us of the area being deindustrialized – I think it keeps us grounded but it doesn’t affect the mood of the music…leastways not that I can tell. It doesn’t have a bearing on the lyrics either. The guys in the band have definite opinions on politics and definitely have an understanding of this region. I don’t wade into those waters – my mother taught me to never discuss politics or religion.

I do think hard times are perfect times for metal though. It creates an atmosphere where it is easy to tap into feelings of hopelessness and struggle because you see it all around you. It’s no surprise to me that Metal is booming at a time when people are looking to express themselves and also to escape from their lives for a little while.

-As well as laying the foundation of your sound your début album also began your association with artist Brad Moore. Were you familiar with Brad's work in the comic book world or with other bands prior to this? To me Brad perfectly captures that mixture of larger than life and down to earth in your music in the same way Jim Fitzpatrick did with Thin Lizzy. How true would you say that comparison is to Brad's collaborations with you, or more recently also with Züül? Also, I've noticed that the same clawed and bejeweled starfish-looking figure appears on all 3 of your album covers- is there a special significance to this?

I’ve known Brad for years through the doom scene. We met at festivals years ago and he’s been a friend since and I’ve long admired his work. When we did the first album he was the first artist I thought of and we’ve been honoured to work with him ever since. He’s always

managed to floor us with his concepts and finished pieces. I recently said he is like our Derek Riggs at this point or Fitzpatrick. We all say “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”.

That character is just one he developed for the first album and we found ways to work it into the last two as well. No real significance other than we like the beastie. Next album it may be time to give him a rest and move in a different direction with Brad. We’ll see.

-Something I've always found interesting about the lyrics of Argus is the historical focus and the narrative skill with which they are often retold that as a literature student I find impressive. Do you research topics for lyrics through factual books or through literature- for example, was “The Damnation Of John Faustus” penned after reading history books or rather Marlowe or Goethe's plays on the famed alchemist? Or both?

“….Faustus” was written based on Marlowe’s play. In fact you would find if you delved into the lyrics and compare to the play that quite a bit was brought in directly from the play. I find the story to be fascinating and tragic. I have been meaning to read Goethe. Basically anything literature related is spun from me reading the story several times over and then interpreting it – trying to both convey the story in some form as well as the mood. Songs like “None Shall Know The Hour” or “By Endurance We Conquer” were researched to an extent using a combination of factual sources on the internet and in books. I wish I had more time really be thorough in these things but often the base information is all I need to get moving on lyrics and convey what I want to convey. It would be nice to read several books and see some films, for example, on the Endurance expedition.

-Another thing that impresses my inner literary critic is the poetic quality of the lyrics, especially “Pieces Of Your Smile” from Boldly Stride The Doomed which was one of the most haunting and beautiful Metal songs ever. Do any particular poets influence songs such as these?

“Pieces of Your Smile” was adapted from the story “Berenice” by Edgar Allen Poe which I highly recommend to anyone. Read it- it is tremendous. When I’m writing based on a story or historical event it is my dual goal to advance the narrative but also capture an emotional element. I truly thank you for your kind words about “Pieces…” – it seems to resonate with people. A tearjerker of a song really.

-A criticism I've often heard from fans who prefer the Di'anno era of Maiden is that Bruce Dickinson's historical and literary-based lyrics somehow eliminate the more working class, rock n roll and (allegedly) Punk influenced earlier phase of the band. How would you respond if someone was to allege that the same would be true, and that songs like “The Hands Of Time Are Bleeding” would negate your working class credentials?

“The Hands of Time Are Bleeding” is straight from my personal experience, heart and soul and emotions… All people, no matter their social status/class can relate to emotions so I’d say any criticism that my lyrics don’t fit with who we are as people or the image of the band …that it is invalid.

-As a last question on your lyrics I've recently started making a mental connection between the way repetition is used in your chorus refrains and Christian hymns and catechisms. “None Shall Know The Hour” from the début album is may be the most

obviously “Christian” song in your back catalogue in a Trouble/Pale Divine sort of way, but over half the songs on Beyond The Martyrs have been giving me a prayer-like vibe as well. Has this been intentional? What, if any, religious background of the members has impacted this part of your sound? The connection between Doom and Christianity seems stronger than ever in recent years, for example as with WOAF-favourites Evangelist who you recently played with in Poland. Why do you think Christianity and Doom make such excellent bedfellows?

None of us are practicing members of any religion. Kevin is an atheist. I call myself agnostic. I can’t speak for Erik, Jay or Andy. Any connections between our music and religion of any sort is either coincidental or purposeful only in that I am telling a story. “None Shall Know the Hour” was about a sect called the Millerites who believed the end was coming, gave up their livelihoods, possessions and literally waited on a hill for the lord to take them based on a date fixed by their leader William Miller. Of course he was wrong and the song is more of a tale based on how easily people are led and how something as powerful as religion can affect someone to the point that they blindly believe what they are told by their leaders.

I want to make it clear I have no issues with Christians or people of faith in the general sense. Some of my best friends in life or people I respect greatly as human beings are deeply religious or spiritual. As far as Doom and religion being easy bedfellows – any reading of the Bible answers very quickly why. The bible is full of heavy, dark, depressing stories. It is perfect fodder for lyrics in the imagery it portrays.

-Did you notice a big upsurge in

international attention in the band after the release of Boldly Stride The Doomed? That was certainly the point I noticed a buzz building in Ireland. Two important advocates for Argus in this country have been Danny Angus who put out your Sleeping Dogs 10” vinyl on his Pariah Child imprint and Mark Leigh who has brought you twice to Ireland and accompanied you on your recent Euro-tour. Would you now look upon Ireland as a sort of home away from home? Also, were you introduced to Philomena Lynott on either of your trips? I have heard she is very fond of meeting musicians influenced by her son and Thin Lizzy.

There was definitely an uptick but I wouldn’t say it was big. Our visibility was certainly increased but as of yet we haven’t achieved the kind of name recognition we’d like. Our inability to mount a true, sustained tour really hinders us in this area.

We love Ireland. The folks there embraced us and made us feel welcome and like we were really appreciated as a band. We have made some good friends over there. I hope we can play there any time we go to Europe, it is a must as far as I am concerned. We met Philomena in 2012! She was a wonderful lady! She was at Bruxelles on Grafton Street and our friend Máirtin (Fart) introduced us to her by saying “These guys are in a band who covered “Black Rose””. She traded info with Kevin and the next day we were off to Phil’s grave site and her home. It is one of my fondest memories in my lifetime. Such a nice woman and to hear stories about Phil and see the memorabilia was really really special. Made that whole trip that much better.

-Recently I have noticed more and more posters appearing for 1-2 day festivals in the states,

particularly in the Midwest, such as Days Of The Doomed in Kenosha, WI and Ragnarokkr in Chicago, IL, both of which you have played. Are these sorts of shows chosen more out of preference or necessity? For small bands is it really difficult to tour these days outside of the cluster of big cities in the northeast? How do these sorts of events compare to similar setups in Europe like Dutch Doom Days or Hammer Of Doom? Do you think your music is better suited to bigger stages like the Posthalle in Würzburg, or small venues like those you play in Ireland and Pennsylvania?

We like those kinds of shows because generally you play to larger crowds than you would a regular tour stop. A band like us it is near impossible to do real meaningful touring. We would lose too much money and have too many real life responsibilities. We haven’t yet tried to play much outside of the Northeast and Midwest though we did finally get to North Carolina and Georgia this year and had a great time.

I think most US festivals mean well. Some do better than others at growing the fests and running them. Some not as much. The fan base in the US is so spread out and Metal just isn’t as big here as it is in Europe so the crowd sizes just don’t compare. That doesn’t mean that Days of The Doomed in Wisconsin isn’t an exceptional fest because it is. But that fest will draw under 200 whereas Hammer of Doom does like 1,000. Both expertly organized and run. It’s all about location and fanbase.

I think our music translates well no matter the venue size. It is neither overly simplistic or overly larger than life and pompous. I think we are tight as a live act and no matter the stage size or crowd size would like to think we have our shit together to put on a good show.

-Have you noticed another rise in how you are regarded in the international Doom scene since the release of the phenomenal Beyond The Martyrs album? Are you getting more offers now to play other countries? I know a lot of English heads who made the trip over for your Ireland dates are itching for you to play a gig there.

I haven’t noticed a significant bump yet. Lately it seems more reviews are rolling in that are in the 8s, 9s range and maybe there is a hair more chatter about it. Time will tell if this translates into more offers. Hopefully – we’d love to come back over and I think we’re a good addition to any bill.

-Anything else you'd like to add?

Thanks for the interview! It’s an honour for us. Anyone out there reading – thanks for taking the time to check us out. You can check out our site at www.argusmetal.com We’re also on Facebook. Hopefully we’ll be back in Europe in 2014 as well as some US dates as well including the Ragnarokkr Festival in April 2014 in Chicago, IL.

Thank you!

Argus Discography

-Demo Spring 2007 digital download (2007) on Bland hand Records -Argus CD/DLP (2009) on Shadow Kingdom Records -Boldly Stride The Doomed CD/DLP (2011) on Cruz Del Sur Music-Sleeping Dogs 10” MLP (2011) on Pariah Child -Live At Hammer Of Doom V DVD (2011) on Cruz Del Sur Music (lim. 500 copies)-Blood, Fire, Beer CD (2012) self-release (lim. 100 copies)-Beyond The Martyrs CD/LP (2013) on Cruz Del Sur Music

Hails to Protector!

-First of all to Martin, what was your reason for leaving Protector in 1989? Did you ever have a problem with the band continuing on without you, especially after 1991 when there was no original/classic lineup members left?

Martin (vocals): I got really big problems with anxiety/panic attacks and depression in the beginning of 1989. My psychic state of mind was so down, that I knew I couldn't continue with the band. All I could focus on was to stay sane and to survive each day one at a time. In the summer of 1989 I felt a little better again, wrote the lyrics to Urm the Mad and recorded the vocals in the studio. But my motivation and enthusiasm had gone. So when the others replaced me with Olly Wiebel, I didn't react that much about it. I followed the band from a distance, bought their records and went to 2-3 of their gigs. It didn't feel strange for me to see another lineup on stage. It was just a new incarnation of the band.

-When and why did you move to Stockholm? How did you keep yourself busy during the 90's and what prompted your return to music with bands like Ruins Of Time, Phidion and Talion starting in 2002? How did you meet Mathias, Michael and Carl around this period, and were you longing to play your old Protector material again this whole time?

Martin: My mother is from Sweden. In 1995 I decided to move to her homecountry, just to see what it would be like to live there...and I have been living here ever since. In the 90s I didn't do much music myself (with the exception of two cover bands and a project-band called R.A.U.). I also didn't listen to that much new Metal either. I listened to my old records, went to some gigs occasionally, and that was that. In the 90s I didn't miss playing any Protector-songs live, that came up again a couple of years ago. In the beginning of the new millennium it started to itch in my vocal chords again. I found a note in a record store from a band called Ruins of Time, that was looking for a vocalist, so I joined them. Through this I started to get to know more and more Metalheads and people from other bands in Stockholm. In the years that followed I joined two more bands, Talion and Obrero. Ruins of Time split up and the two guitarists and me formed a new band called Phidion. Mathias, Carl-Gustav and Michael live in Uddevalla, which is about 500 kilometres from Stockholm. If it

weren't for a guy named Jonas Svensson, I would probably never have met my fellow band collegues in the new Protector lineup.

-Since you all got together as Martin Missy And The Protectors in 2006 you have all slowly quit most of your other bands. Was this a conscious decision to focus on Protector? Also, how active is Martin still with his Stoner/Doom project Obrebro and Mathias with Axis Powers and Suicidal Winds? And Martin, considering how well known you are as a Thrash singer do you find it difficult adapting your style for Obrero? Has this style always been another passion of yours? How much of a crossover in fanbase do your 2 bands have in your hometown of Stockholm?

Mathias (bass): Well I still play in Suicidal Winds and Axis Powers, so nothing has changed, haha.

Martin: The decision to quit Phidion and Talion was a conscious decision, but not only to focus Protector. In the end of 2011 I became father of twins. There's a lot to do there as well! I still sing in Obrero though. It was not that difficult to sing with a different style. I have always liked to sing (in different styles), so I just needed a couple of months to get into the “Stoner/Doom”-feeling. Protector is an underground band in Sweden. Most Thrashers know the band, but the “common Swedish Metalhead” has probably never heard of Protector. And Obreros fanbase in Sweden is even smaller. Sub-underground, so to say.

Carl-Gustav (drums): I have just quit Grief of Emerald because of my work situation and I need more time to take care of my body (I have some problems with my shoulder for instance). Protector has now become my first priority. Music and ordinary work is sometimes very hard to combine. If we had the chance I think we all would love to focus just on music. If we could live on making music, I think we all would have 3-4 other projects. Music is fun and to try different styles like Doom, Death Metal, Heavy Metal would be really fun. I think we all share these thoughts.

-Given that Marco Pape's incarnation of the band through the 90's never had any original/classic era lineup members were you not tempted in 2006 to ditch the longer name and simply refer to yourselves as Protector? Was there any reasons for shortening the name in 2011 other than the decision to record new

material?

Martin: When Marco kept Protector alive, he was not an original band member, that's correct, but he was a part of a development the band had went though. When I “picked up the ball”, the band had been inactive for a couple of years, so in the beginning I thought that it would not feel right to call the band Protector, because I was the only original band member in the band. That's why we picked another name and started playing live as a cover band. After playing live together in the same lineup for 5 years, we thought that the time had come that we could change the name to Protector and to write new songs for the band.

-In addition to Martin Missy And The Protectors playing material written after Martin's departure in 1989 you rerecorded a song originally on 1991's A Shedding Of Skin on your split with Ungod and a song from the 2000 demo on the new album. Did you keep up with Protector releases after you left the band? Can we take it from the fact you have continued to play material written for Protector in his era that you are on good/friendly terms with Marco Pape and his lineups in spite of never having played together?

Martin: Well, I bought Leviathans Desire and A Shedding of Skin back in the days, but The Heritage and the demo from 2000 first came a couple of years later. We chose to play songs from all Protector-lineups because we think that our fans want to hear songs from all periods, and also because we see Protector like “one big family” and songs from all lineups should appear in the set. We rerecorded “The End” (from the 2000-demo Resurrected) for Reanimated Homunculus because we wanted to create a connection to the last know lineup that had existed before us. I am on good terms with all the old Protector members, and still have contact with them all. Every former Protector member received a copy of Reanimated Homunculus on CD and LP for instance, so they would know what we are publishing under the name of Protector these days.

-Despite singing on the 2 albums generally perceived to be Protector's classics your original spell in the band was only 2-3 years at which time you were in your late teens/early 20's. Years later how do you view that time in retrospect- was there a feeling amongst the guys in Protector at the time that you were creating something special and long-lasting? How does it feel for something you were a part of so briefly early on in your life to be praised and

regarded so highly by fans of dirty, ugly Thrash everywhere?

Martin: It's amazing to hear that there still are a lot of Thrashers out there who like our albums. It feels great. Back then we had no idea that we were creating something that would last for decades. We just wrote songs the way that we liked best and had a lot of fun on the way.

-What was the general feeling of being in a German Thrash band at that time? Given that the big 3 had pretty much gone on to playing more American-style Thrash and singing about political topics at this stage was there a conscious choice from Protector to keep things raw, nasty and evil? Did you feel a kinship in those days with other 2nd generation Teutonic bands like Poison, Minotaur, Violent Force, Necronomicon and Baphomet, and did you ever gig together?

Martin: I think it was no conscious decision. We just tried to be the most brutal and aggressive Thrash Metal band in Germany. And for a while I think we were. We had not so much contact with other German bands, at least not as long as I was in the band. The main reason for this was probably the distance. The Ruhr area is about 400 kilometers away for instance. The only ones we had a little contact with were Sodom, Living Death and Mille from Kreator. We played live with Sodom and Tankard. When I had left the band, the others also played with Kreator. We didn't play that much with bands from the 2nd German Thrash wave. The only ones I can remember that we played with were Paradox. With the “new Protector” we've also played together with Holy Moses, Destruction and Desaster.

-I first heard about Martin Missy and The Protectors when I saw the logo on the back of a Desaster 20th anniversary gig shirt that I won at a charity gig raffle in Belfast. Did it ever feel strange to you opening for younger bands who you had influenced and paved the way for, like Desaster? Are you proud to have been an influence on the next 2 generations of fast and evil German music? Aside from Desaster, and Erazor who you shared a split with last year, what do you think of the following bands- Witchburner, Hellish Crossfire, Nocturnal, Old, Cruel Force, Blizzard, Witching Hour, Division Speed, Ketzer, Quintessenz, Delerium Tremens, Conspirator, Nocturnal Witch, Diabolical Imperium, Deathfist, Prosatanos, Shrine...?

Martin: It never feels strange to open for any band, regardless if they are younger or older than us. We just love to play live. And I'm not sure how much Protector influenced the next generations in hard German music. If someone, who plays in one of these bands, tell me that Protector has had a big influence on their music, I feel proud of course. I'm not listening much to newer bands, but I know Witchburner, Hellish Crossfire, Blizzard,

Nocturnal and Witching Hour. They're cool bands.

Mathias: Well I have not heard all the bands you named but I like Hellish Crossfire, Bilzzard, Nocturnal and Witching Hour. Actually i think we have played with all of them. Its cool that there still is some bands that play old school Metal.

Carl-Gustav: I really like Hellish Crossfire, Delirium Tremens, Witchburner and Nocturnal that keep the old flame still alive. It’s really nice to hear some new bands that want to play old school music in general.

-By far the hardest-drinking band I have ever had the pleasure of interviewing was Desaster, and they delighted in telling me that no one drinks like German Thrashers. Do Protector have any tales of drunken debauchery worth sharing? What is your favourite poison?

Mathias: Haha, well I guess some of us are in the same league as the Desaster guys. I don't know if thrashers in Germany are the most drunk ones. I think Finland is a quite extreme drunk country for example, haha. But yeah, beer is very common in Germany and we like to drink it a lot. Well I have some memories about alcohol-related stories. Too many to be honest. Some really extreme ones as well.

Carl-Gustav: Hehe, okay well we drink beer and whiskey and have always really fun when we play at live shows and go to afterparties. There is some hellraising sometimes, but that we want to keep for ourselves.

Martin: I remember that we drank quite a lot the night before our gig at Desasters 20th

anniversary-party. I had the mother of all hangovers the next day, but fortunately I got better by the evening, so I was able play the gig.

-How did the 4 of you come together for Martin Missy And The Protectors in 2006? Was their auditions held or did Martin headhunt you? Was there a plan back then already to record new material somewhere down the line and did knowing that you would need guys you could write an album with influence your decision? How does the different levels of experience you all have help or hamper the creative process for writing Reanimated Homunculus?

Mathias: Well we have a friend named Jonas Svensson who met Martin on a party up in Stockholm, and he told Martin he could fix a band that could play the old Protector songs. So when Jonas went home he asked me, Calle and Mike if we were interested, and of course we were. I guess we were really influenced by the music of Protector when we wrote some new songs since we had played the tracks for maybe 4-5 years before writing new material. So we thought it would be fun to have some new tracks in the classic

Protector style. The process in creating Reanimated Homunculus was actually quite long. It took some time to put all the tracks together. And I must say I'm really happy with the result.

-One of the most striking things about the album is the huge Sunlight Studios production. How important was it to you to get this menacing sound? Were you fans of Tomas Skosberg's legendary work with all the Swedish Death Metal greats of the 90's and did this influence your decision to record there?

Mathias: Yeah of course we like Tomas' works. He has done some fantastic recordings in many genres. And also Mike had recorded an album with his Rock n Roll band Rawhide there. So he told us Tomas was great to work with. And I must say I agree. He is a master of sounds and a really cool and nice man.

-Given the lyrical allusions in the title track to “Golem” and in “Sons Of Kain” of course to “Kain And Abel” what kind of statement were you trying to make about the band's return? By trying to create a clear continuation on from the late 80's Protector material do you think the new album stands up to being compared to those first few records in terms of quality? What are the future plans for Protector in terms of new recordings, festival appearances and touring?

Mathias: Well Sons of Kain is a song about our fans that Martin has written a tribute to them, a cool way to make a tribute to them. I think this new album is like the old records music-wise. That was a must. It had to sound like Protector, that was important to us. Well, there will be some festival gigs next year. I don't know how many exactly, but it will be damn cool to meet a lot of Metal fans out there.

Carl-Gustav: It’s very hard to compare the new album with the old albums, but I hope that you can recognize Protector when you put on the record. At the moment we are having some rest. But in January we will start writing new material and prepare ourselves for the upcoming gigs in 2014. There will be no tour, but a couple of gigs and festival appearances.

-Anything else you'd like to add?

Mathias: Thanx for the interview! Keep headbanging and Stay Metal!

Carl-Gustav: Thank you so much for this interview! Hails!

Martin: Thank you for the interview, and everybody is welcome to check out our Protector

Facebook-page https://www.facebook.com/Protector.666not777

-The obvious place to start this discussion then is with Deluge, Slidhr's long awaited debut album. Immediately catching the attention is that almost monochromatic cover art, similar in style to your work on the Haud Mundus/Wormlust split from a few years ago though with the colouring reversed. As much as I love the current kind of art in vogue in Black Metal circles (the last album in your personal discography, Myrkr's Black Illumination being a prime example), what I like most about this is that it forgoes the fashionable detailed grey and brown drawings seen on nearly every album these days and instead lays things out in simple black and white. I gather two things from this- firstly the resolutely old school attitude of Slidhr is evoked through a mental link to the monochrome sleeves of old Darkthrone, Mutiilation and so forth, and secondly that it allows the symbolism to speak much more strongly. Were either of these factors present in your mind when doing the art for this album?

It really is just personal preference. I've never been a big fan of colour layouts for the simple reason that it is very easy for it to be shitty. I've been in bands in the past who have attempted to apply the super slick Photoshop style and it just looked plastic and horrible. My personal favourite style of artwork has always been minimalist print work. Even if the imagery itself is detailed, the stripped down use of black and white ink is just beautiful.

Oddly enough the cover art for Myrkr's Black Illumination was painted in grey, the guy who did the layout changed the tones. When Myrkr started we intentionally applied the old Black Metal aesthetic of monochrome photos and such. It just deviated a little by the time the album was ready.

-How do the symbols of the 2 serpents and 3 daggers fit into the album's cataclysmic concept? Serpents are present in several world destruction myths, but to my knowledge never two of them together. Could they be interpreted as being a severed ouroboros, a shattering of eternity? I also find it interesting that in spite of the name Slidhr being taken from old Norse and your stubbornly old school ethic you forgo any overt references to Black Metal's usual topics of Judeo-Christianity or European Paganism, even when using a symbol found in both. Is there any impact from either of these in the album's concept or the unpublished lyrics?

Yeah, the serpents feature heavily in various destruction myths in many civilizations. That was my main intention behind using them. The blades were added by me to convey a militant, perhaps human aspect in such destruction. Mankind's end is certainly coming and it is very likely by his own hand. You don't even need to pay much attention to current affairs to see what a fucked up, unnatural place the world is.

There is very little influence from Judeo-Christianity on my lyrics in the usual way because I think it is really tired at this stage. It comes across as childish. It's a far more complicated situation. The same goes for the Pagan approach. It's just theatre for most bands, they don't have any real insight.

-Although the lyrics are not published along with the album one common thread I pick up from a few of the song titles is the malevolence of nature, such as “Rejoin The Dirt” and “Earth's Mouth Open” evoking images of a forced burial from the earth itself and “Rays Like Blades” creating the notion of a murderous sun. One has to wonder then if this apocalyptic theme of the album ponders on the idea of the earth itself rebelling against a humanity that has poisoned it, similar to sentiments evoked by the “Holy Terror” branch of Hardcore Punk bands? Do ecological concerns play a part in the thematic landscape of Slidhr or is it a more human hatred that inspires this desire for destructiveness?

The apocalyptic theme is definitely the factor that connects all of the lyrics. There are many different ways to view this, though. Humans live a very unnatural existence, try to look at it objectively. We don't live like any other creature on this planet. It could be a physical or mental apocalypse. Just look at the etymology of the word itself, it's an awakening. When I say "Rejoin the Dirt" I am saying this will inevitably happen to us all and if your physical existence is the only one you are aware of, it truely will be the end for you.

"Rays like Blades" is about the perception of light. We are told that the light is something good and illuminating but it really depends on where the light is coming from. And if this light casts a shadow, what does that imply?

-Another thing I couldn't fail to notice was how the idea of nature annihilating humanity was explored before by Slidhr, such as on “Through The Roots” from the

fantastic split with Rebirth Of Nefast. Is this something that has always been a part of Slidhr and in that way is this album a crystallization of what has gone before, something you have been building up to the whole time the project has been going?

I suppose it has always been there from the earliest references to nature and plague, it's all connected. "Through the Roots" is about bleeding into the soil and the physical body rotting away. We will make the earth richer by ending out physical existence.

-“Through The Roots” was my first introduction to Slidhr and I still remember the shock that juddering explosion of a song gave me. It also carried with a certain kind of (for want of a better word) groove that is present on this album too, particularly on the tracks “Death Of The Second Sun” and “Unseen”. As well as the familiarities from your previous work though your songwriting has definitely advanced on this release and has a complex, labyrinthine, (perhaps fittingly) serpentine sort of quality. Did you approach for writing this material differ in anyway to how you did in the past? Were you intentionally trying to broaden your musical scope? How do you think it compares to your previous work? Compared to Myrkr's Black Illumination the atmosphere and production is less choking, less nauseating which to me seems odd because of the apocalyptic theme of this album.

I remember wanting the production on Ex Nihilio to be noisier and more atmospheric than the demo and 7" as well as less riff orientated. While it is quite raw and simplistic in many ways it was a bit more experimental for me. There was quite a long gap between that release and Deluge so I guess it was just the natural progression that took place over the four or so years I was working on material. It was scattered over that time, not a constant thing. Whenever I was inspired to write, I would write. When you try and force the process nothing good will come of it.

A huge part of what might be seen as progression is actually down to the production. Wann just did his thing, of course I had input but he knows what he is doing on the technical end so it was in good hands. I have seen it happen all too often that bands try to get a very specific sound when they go to a studio and it kind of hinders the spirit of the moment. It's great to let things just flow sometimes.

-Similar to the jolt of hearing “Through The Roots” for the first time I also remember being quite surprised when in your interview with metalireland.com you were photographed in full colour chilling on a sofa without any corpsepaint or other typical paraphernalia (well, except for the skull) and speaking candidly rather than in the faux mystical double talk and riddles that most Black Metal solo artists usually spout. At the time it was hard to fathom why you would give up the mystique like that, but in hindsight it did nothing to dampen the experience of the music. Given that this is the only convention of Black Metal that you dispense of does this equate feeling as though the music can do the talking on its own and it doesn't require a human personality or puerile shtick to go along with it?

That shoot was done after work one day in the studio where I worked at the time. The last thing I wanted to do was put on corpsepaint. It was also a decent interview which deserved to be answered without any pretence.

I've rarely gotten caught up in the "too cool" Black Metal bullshit that ruins so many otherwise decent interviews. It's fucking embarrassing. I am guilty of being a bit blunt and perhaps coming across as uninterested in interviews sometimes but some of the shit questions a lot of these guys have sent are difficult to suffer. If someone loses interest in my art because I don't act like a Norwegian teenager from 1994, well boo fucking hoo.

-While on the subject of maturity it has now been at least 14 years since you have been playing and recording music and are only delivering your second (and strongest) album now. Compared to the 80's and 90's glory periods of Metal from which you draw the bulk (if not all) of your influence where Metal was being defined and evolved mostly by teenage musicians nowadays it seems the real creativity is coming from more mature and seasoned people, usually into their 30's before they begin delivering their masterpieces. Do you think this is because of the avenues through which the music can still be original have shrunk and been used up so much, or for any other reason? Given as well that Slidhr are one of the only bands still creating interesting music out of nothing but the tired old bare bones of the Black Metal genre (look for example at the musical and artistic experimentation your labelmates like Blut Aus Nord have introduced) how do you approach the challenge of making original and unique sounding music out of the same elements that have been in the genre for the past 20 years?

Those teenagers in the 80's and 90's were making some serious fucking music. Even going back to the 60's and 70's, so many classic bands were little more than kids. Honestly, I think the world of music has changed so drastically that it's hard to say what is going on. A band's success is dictated by social media and it seems there is very little longevity in most of it. I listen to a lot of

different types of music these days and only a small percentage is metal. When I make music I try to following whatever happens naturally. There is no point in trying to do something different for the sake of it, usually the end result is dated and plastic. I still feel compelled to make music so that is what has led me here today.

-Was the departure of Vordr the reason for the demise of Myrkr? Seeing as you seem to have always had an issue with reconciling musical visions with other people, even people of great talent like the guys in Sol Axis, it is therefore kind of unsurprising that it is your solo project (til before this album anyway) that has lasted the longest. Looking at the past work of your new drummer Bjarni he too seems to have had this same problem as he has never gotten beyond recording one release with any of the half-dozen or so bands he has drummed for in Iceland. Was this a reason why he was chosen to perform drums for you on this album? Is he now a permanent member of Slidhr, or just a session member? Also, is your Haud Mundus collaboration with Wann from Rebirth Of Nefast still active and are we likely to see more material from that at some point?

It didn't feel like Myrkr anymore after he left so I decided to let the project die. The music for the album was already recorded when he quit so it would have been a shame to leave it unreleased, Wann was nice enough to step in and contribute vocals. Once again, I knew he'd do a great job on it.

It can be hard playing in a full band, too chaotic for me. Sometimes you are just not in the mood to stand in a freezing cold rehearsal room for hours. It's nice to just create when you are inspired. I guess this is why Slidhr has outlasted my other bands.

Bjarni was actually suggested to me as a session drummer because I don't really play drums anymore. He was clearly a better drummer than myself so I was delighted to have him play on the album. He is more than welcome to play on future releases.

Haud Mundus is still technically active although we haven't done anything in ages. We are both pretty busy with other projects as well as our jobs so when we get the time we will put something new out. Looking back on it I definitely think it was something interesting. We'll see what happens.

-How have the string of bands you have spent time in and then departed from or laid to rest (Cacodemon, Sol Axis, Myrkr) contributed to where Slidhr is now in terms of being a part of your personal and musical journey?

Everything will leave some kind of mark on where you are now. Slidhr started up right after I left Sol Axis so in many ways it feels like Slidhr is a continuation of what I would have written for that band had I remained a member. Since Slidhr and Myrkr were both active side by side they feel quite strongly connected.

-In addition to being your longest surviving project Slidhr is one of only a few Irish Black Metal acts to get beyond the demo stage and actually record an an album. Excluding Primordial, early Cruachan, Geasa, Celtachor, Altar Of Plagues and Wound Upon Wound whose status as Black Metal would be contentious anyway only Altus Astrum, Eternal Helcaraxe, Olde, Fuíl Na Seanchoille, Beithíoch and your own Myrkr have achieved this. Is there any Irish bands who disappeared after just a few demos (Caro Maledicta, Funeral Winter, Garm, Gorvomd, Moonfog, Nimh Stil, Temple Of Opposites, Thrallenolc, Necrophile, Weary Of Empires, Lethiferous...) that you think could have gone on to do something worthwhile at the album stage? Likewise do you think any of the current crop of bands like Sodb, Dirge In Extremis or Ceaseless Blight (or the more Blackened Death acts Zom and Malthusian) could create something lasting down the line?

I really don't pay a huge amount of attention to what is going on. Over the years there have been a few promising demos but the bands have almost always died out shortly after. Obviously Rebirth of Nefast stand out to my mind since I still work closely with Wann. Malthusian will go on to do something very special I'm sure. Besides that I'm way too disconnected to have an informed opinion.

-As far as I know your lack of enjoyment in playing live was the reason for your departure from Sol Axis and you have refused all requests to play live with any of your projects since. Would you consider it though if the money and setting were right, for example, not for a few pints worth in a pub attic in Dublin but at at more fitting place such as festivals like Prague Death Mass or Nidrosian Black Mass? What sort of visual accompaniment, stage props or other atmospheric assistance do you think would be fitting for a Slidhr performance?

That was only part of the reason I left Sol Axis. Playing live is a lot of hard work for little reward. However, it looks like Slidhr will do something live in 2014. It's something that myself and the guys from Chao have talked about for a while now. It's early days but I have some ideas. Hopefully we can avoid some of the amateurish bullshit from previous endeavors and do something interesting.

-Anything final you'd like to add?

Thanks for taking the time. Much appreciated.

Thank you!

Slidhr Discography

Demo 1 (2007) MCD on Debemur Morti Productions (lim. 300)Slidhr (2007) 7” on Niessedrion Records Ex Nihilio (2008) CD/LP split with Rebirth Of Nefast on End All Life ProductionsDeluge (2013) CD on Debemur Morti Productions

Unlike 2013 which will go down in Metal history as the best year for the album format in 2, possibly even 3 decades, the previous year was somewhat lacklustre in terms of full lengths. Aside from a few standouts débuts from the likes of Pallbearer, Putrefaction, Horrendous and Jess And The Ancient Ones 2012 was mostly bouyed along by solid yet unspectacular efforts from the old guard like Accept, Saint Vitus, Asphyx and Grave. Where the year was really made was in the demo tape arena.

The turning point for revived interest in the format for some came back in 2011 with Amulet's awesome Cut The Crap demo, and for others with Electric Wizard's Legalize Drugs And Murder EP freebie with Terrorizer magazine, but when the toll of great releases from Visigoth, Johnny Touch, Convent Guilt, Bolzer, Obscure Burial, Sodb, Deathcult, Manifesting, Eliminator and most of all Graven Rite was counted it is clear that a full-blown resurrection has occurred. Can the magic be repeated in 2013?

Rather than give into my inclination for cliché and “save the best for last” in this rundown article I am actually going to put the year's best foot forward first in praise of the excellent Stallion from Germany, and their Mounting The World EP. Sarlacc Records were responsible for some of the best tapes of 2012 and this year it is no different, here uncovering a band akin to the sound of Blackie Lawless fronting an 80's German Speed Metal supergroup/party. They might namedrop some contemporaries like Skull Fist and Striker in opener “Canadian Steele” but it is stuff like Running Wild, early Helloween and more obscure acts like Risk, Atlain, Warrant and Angel Dust to whom musical homage is paid. Rock Goddess might be an odd choice of cover to complete this six-track cut with (the song being “Heavy Metal

Rock n Roll”) but for a band that will reawaken your belief in how fun Heavy Metal can be (assuming you ever lost it in the first place) it is a perfect pick, and the original is given a fair trouncing in the process. I mean, how can you not get excited about a band whose artwork features an undead horse causing a solar eclipse by humping the globe?

“Killing Time” works with a more mid-paced Judas Priest-cum-Accept sound that calls to mind the likes of Gravestone, Tyrant and early Warlock while the Speed Metal factor is ramped up into darker Iron Angel/Paradox territories on “Shadow Run”, and both are blended together with a touch of Mötley Crüe-meets-Scorpions stadium rock panache on “Give It To Me.” It is definitely “Killing Time” that takes the throne on this release though with its to die for lyrics (“Come on boys, let's have some fun!/1-2-3-4 party time!”) that alone could convince Hollywood to bring back the Bill And Ted or Wayne's World franchises just to get this band in the soundtrack. What is most amazing though is how this band manage to simultaneously pay tribute to the obscure 80's underground and its biggest Cock Rock stars, and the effect is frighteningly cool. This band outdo Skull Fist and Volture for pure cheese, piques High Spirits for sense of fun and already could go toe to toe with Enforcer for songwriting and lyrical quality. In short, this deserves nothing short of being hailed as a modern classic. [9/10]

Keeping things in Speed Metal territories we have Evil Killer from Spain whose debut self-titled cassette on Swords And Chains Records storms into the runner up spot here. Like with Stallion this is an awesome achievement for a band's first effort witnessed by the anthemic title track. Eponymous songs like this always have a certain charm for me, but when one boasts a great virtuosic solo, complex bridge section, takes it almost to the 6 minute mark without

losing any power and has a strong Savage Grace vibe all over it then it is really impressive. Even on “lesser” tracks on this tape like closer “Return Of My Nightmare” Evil Killer prove themselves at least the equals if not better than their other young speed freak contemporaries like Steelwing, Holy Grail and Evil Survives. What really draws my attention here though is the melancholic vibe on the lengthy intro track “On Guard” that goes well beyond the typical for this type of Agent Steel/Exciter gear, and although this isn't fully integrated into the songs (“Adventures Mind” makes a decent attempt at it) the very fact that the potential to do so in the future makes Evil Killer another band to watch out for. [8/10]

Back to Sarlacc Records and their tape reissue of Lightning and their Promo 2013 CD-R which brings up the rear just behind Evil Killer for top marks outings in this style. Everything from the the simple artwork and the fact there are only 3 tracks (the sign of a real demo tape!) gives off a NWOBHM air, as does the music. “Fear (No More)” despite the Grim Reaper-baiting title revolves more around an early Iron Maiden/Samson core whilst the main influences on “Heavy Metal Power” tend more towards underground icons like Sparta, Virtue and Tytan. “Supersonic Madness” proves though that isn't an exercise in kvlt box-ticking though and all that matters here is strong vocals, great riffs, great drumming and making great songs. A bolt out of the black from Peru here, but this makes it an all the more exciting band to discover. [7/10]

It's not all bright flashes from Sarlacc this season though as their tape version of the Secondhand Demons CD-R by New England Doom-rockers Ogre turns out to be a bit of a dud, at least by Sarlacc's impossibly high standard. The killer comic book-style artwork of the

original is ditched in favour of a Sabbath spoof so favoured by their musical brethren like Church Of Misery and Orchid (We Sold Our Soul Our Soul For Rock n Roll getting the treatment this time), and the final track of “Retro Music Sucks” covered from American Punks Big Meat Hammer is cut from this lengthy compilation, taking away 2 of the biggest sources of this band's humourous edge. There is no taking away from the quality of the original songs on here which show an intense love for the mighty Sir Lord Baltimore, especially “The River” which has a notable similarity to Sarlacc band Brains, only with a more pronounced psychedelic feel à la acts like Socrates Drank The Corium.

The mish-mash of cover tracks (some studio and some live) that make up the second half of this release are where the problems lie. A decent job is made of Saint Vitus' “Mystic Lady”, whilst the live “Symptom Of The Universe”/”Behind The Wall Of Sleep” medley is interesting, and any attempt to bring wider attention to little known 70's Aussie band Buffalo through covering their track “The Prophet” has to be applauded. The issue is though that frontman Ed Cunningham's voce is not quite distinctive enough to make these songs his own. The great live version of Rush's “Working Man” is the best number on here aside from the original cuts, but the shine of this is taken right off by the very weak and weedy studio version of “What You're Doing.” This release will appeal to hardcore fans of Ogre, but does not serve best as a general introduction. [5/10]

Witching Altar from Brazil are another band just below Sarlacc's usual standard with their Vol. 1- Goat tape. The usual influences from Pentagram and Saint Vitus abound, with touches of Reverend Bizarre and Cathedral, and a little of The Obsessed/Leather Nun America's southern smokiness on “Tower Of The Black Wizard.” Add in some obligatory samples from The Devil Rides Out and a Pentagram cover

(“Relentless”) and the box-ticking exercise is complete. This demo is reasonably well-composed and well performed, but in a year so choc-full of superior releases there just really isn't room for this to rent space in your head and stay there. Listening to this there is a nagging feeling that unless Witching Altar go on to do something spectacular in the future this is a release most of us will quickly forget about. [5/10]

Invictus Productions, who share shop premises with Sarlacc at Dublin's mighty Into The Void, also have a bit of a blip in their impeccable catalogue with their reissue of Demo MXIII by Occult Burial. These Canadian's put on a fairly enjoyable box-ticking exercise in Black/Thrash with the totally Sodom-atic “Black Adoration” and more Destruction-influenced eponymous track, and like with Ogre's similarities to Sarlacc's very first release I can see why Darragh from Invictus is enamoured with this crew as they bear more than a passing sonic resemblance to his own Gospel Of The Horns. Aside from the obvious confusion factor in releasing a tape by a band called Occult Burial less than a year after putting out one by Obscure Burial, I still think this release is a little ill-fitting in the Invictus canon, at least alongside such highly creative acts as Tribulation, Negative Plane, Reveal, Portal and Blood Revolt. This is not to say that Occult Burial will never amount to that level, but on this first cut from them only “Mysteries Of The Worm” reeks of the potential to craft something bona-fide and world-beating. Everything else here has been done before, right down to the ten-a-penny Bathory cover. [5/10]

By contrast, Demo MMXIII by Dublin-based Malthusian is much more in keeping with the Invictus Productions canon. Ostensibly the style is Blackened Death Metal with a really sinister and grating edge, but also from the very first notes of “Wraith/Plague Spore” heapings of Doom as well. And by that I don't simply mean slow tempos and heavy riffs- there is a much more innate understanding of the genre and seamless blending in of this

influence going on here, clearly a product of years spent in acts like Wreck Of The Hesperus, Mourning Beloveth, On Pain Of Death and Altar Of Plagues.

Abaddon Incarnate also figure into the members' past work but despite being for the most part Death Metal this demo doesn't blast with Grind-like intensity. Instead the focus is on memorable riffs, not catchy but insidious, and the opening one for “The Mother's Blade” has to be considered a contender the most stomach-churning of the year. Final track “Hallucinogen” is aptly titled for how it takes its Cruciamentum/Ignivomous-esque style through a warped and reality-bending grinder, but even in those chaotic moments where this demo's greatest strength lies it its unrelenting total control, total mastery. Malthusian sound like a far more experienced band here thanks to the precision with which everything is focussed- the riffs, the lyrical themes (over-population makes a welcome change from often hackneyed occult ideas) and the excellent and unique art provided by Irish artist Bone Divinations. Malthusian might provide the soundtrack of the dissolution of reality, but this is certainly more terra firma for Invictus. [8/10]

Sarlacc have also landed on firmer territory with Cult Of The Headless Witch whose self-titled demo cassette is as interesting a take on the Swedish Epic Doom style as I have heard in recent years. What they play is catchier than Anguish, groovier than Cardinal's Folly, and though they are as dark as the latter songs like “Master Your Fate” show they are not as reliant on songwriting cliches of the genre. I haven't gotten such a buzz off a Swedish Doom demo since I first heard Ereb Altor's The Awakening, whose early material they show similarities to on closer “The Fallen Ones.” My only issue with how Cult Of The Headless Witch are with the very average vocal and lyrical quality, especially on “Master Your Fate.” From what I understand though vocals on this preliminary release were done by the

studio engineer, so all is not lost. In future if paired up with a stronger frontman Cult Of The Headless Witch could produce something quite unique. [6/10]

The vocals are also the bone I have to pick with fellow Swedish doom-mongers Aniara, pet project of Portrait/Hands Of Orlacc guitarist David “The Puritan” Oloffson, who take vocal duties on their self-released Carress Of Darkness tape. Appropriately enough for his moniker Oloffson takes most of his vocal cues from Albert Witchfinder as part of a wider Reverend Bizarre feel all across this demo, but there is also a sense that he should maybe stick to guitar-playing. Either that or he needs to bring in a bit more variety and learn to inject more power into his choruses. Aside from that this is fairly good for a first effort, but I don't understand the need to change the band name from the much better Oak and swap in the much more doomy artwork that last year's CD release of this demo came under. For something so generic as this (a term I use without any negative connotations intended) it really needs a more genre-standard aesthetic. [5/10]

Over the border into Norway and in Trondheim the self-released self-titled demo tape from Sadhak is a much less generic affair with its well-deserved Warning/40 Watt Sun comparisons. It isn't at that sophisticated stage yet where every note is as heartwrenching as the last, but it still manages to be utterly dour and devoid of light through a subtle melodic sheen, and heavy as fuck all the same. The vocals have a similar delivery to Pat Walker's, though nothing approaching his very distinctive tone. The very raw recording values hamper the dramaticism somewhat, but it is made up for by the faint dark psychedelia element, as well as a DSBM like wash to the droning guitars which is complemented nicely by the occasional hollow, glassy blips of keyboards on “The Perfection Of Wisdom” and there's a real vintage early 90's feel as well with “On The Arrival Of Man” that

faintly calls to mind the likes of early Officium Triste/Lacrimas Profundere. Quality, classy Doom. [7/10]

Those touches of 90's Gothic stuff can be felt in Finland-based Solothus' Ritual Of The Horned Skull tape from 2011, rereleased earlier this year by Nihilistic Holocaust, with early Tiamat and Lake Of Tears in particular being evoked. There is a whole load of other stuff going on too, such as some Cathedral-meets-Acid Witch psychedelia and Candlemass like epic overtures on “A Call To War” and traditional Metal riffing on “Throne Of Bones” which are enough to fit them into the rich history of Death Metal anti-orthodoxy from the land of a thousand lakes, and make Solothus stand apart from their fellow Autopsy/Asphyx-influenced brethren like Runemagick and Hooded Menace. It's is bold stuff, but unfortunately it is still in need of a lot more work, particularly in the vocal department where the all-important function of providing continuity between these genre-bending songs isn't achieved. Unfortunately I haven't yet heard Solothus' debut full length out this year on Memento Mori so I cannot comment on how they have come along in the past few years. [5/10]

Another promising sound-melding in need of some refinement comes to us from Chicago in the shape of Wizard Castle and their Tridroid Records-released Snow And Gold demo. The rock this is built on is somewhere in between the real formative Doom giants of the early 80's and the more recent Savannah, GA Stoner sound with extra elements that range from 70's Classic Rock to bursts of Thrash that sound like a punch up between Motörhead, early Metallica and Amebix's Monolith, though a certain Doom factor is kept even at the fast tempos thanks to vocals that are delivered with equal parts Eric Wagner and Rob Miller. “Bone Reader” opens with a riff that sounds like a Doom version of “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin though unfortunately the twin-guitar

harmonising that comes after is a little bit awkward and jarring, made up threefold though by the killer closer “Cobra Death” which treads a very similar path to Corsair. “(Destroying) The Hive Mind” diversifies further by bringing in a slight Post-Rock vibe on the solo, but even without this it is still the standout track here. Wizard Castle's sound is far from fully crystallized , but it will be exciting to see where they go from here. [7/10]

Also on St. Paul, Minnesota-based Tridroid Records comes 2 tapes, Experiencias en el Vicio Supremo by Peruvian Black/Death mob Offensor and Servant Of Evil by Aussie Black-Thrash merchants Altars Of Sin, both of whom bring a 90's Euro-BM style of production to their respective styles. Altars Of Sin first of all bring this influence in various forms like a big Norsecore cavernous sound and waspish fuzz to the guitars on the first 2 tracks, and an Immortal/Maniac Butcher vibe on “Lone Wolf.” Strangely though for a band so proud of their locale (they have previously released a trio of demos based around nearby Lake Narracan and one called Newboroughian Darkness in tribute to their home) there is very little in the way of Australia's Black/Thrash heritage despite hailing from little over an hour outside of Melbourne. In fact, aside from the hint of early Gospel Of The Horns on “Hail Goat Lord” and the Black n Roll of “The Bloody Stench Of War” there is not much in the way of Black/Thrash at all, but aside from that potential disappointment this is fairly decent stuff. [6/10]

Offensor's musical style on their tape is not untypical for their region, though perhaps a little closer to Polish acts Throneum and Stillborn than Anal Vomit and the like, but with its thin 90's European style production a really lifeless, morbid atmosphere takes hold on opening track “Iniciados en el Vicio Supremo”, and after that things go back to more conventional lo-fi Sudamerican territories. “El Último Elemento” brings back the alternate production style in a Vlad

Tepes/Strid/Drowning The Light sort of vein, but the effect of this unique aura is squandered by the fact the production is so changeable on this release. Whether or not they know it Offensor have happened upon a really unparalleled vibe with this demo, but next time round they need a lot more focus to tease it out to the full. [4/10]

When it comes to conventional European Black Metal though Montségur from Russia pull out the most interesting demo of the year with the Legion Blotan-released Under The Banner Of Witchcraft cassette. As the interesting and unique intro track fades into “Dark Spells Over The Twilight Hills” a Vlad Tepes/Torgeist-style droning repetitive swirling darkness is formed with a dark strain of melodicism and epicness à la Moonblood and Satanic Warmaster for good measure. It is nothing groundbreaking, but it's quality is undeniable and when those melodic and epic elements are ramped up to the absolute maximum on the title track and it sounds like this band are trapped in a time capsule. It is a shame that minus the intro and outro (the latter of which has a faint Post-Rock vibe that thankfully is not developed any further) there is only 3 songs here, but even as a short release this is still very near the top of the year's Black Metal releases. Total Black Metal historical re-enactment! [8/10]

The law of averages means that for every band as great as Montségur there must be one as awful as the ridiculously named Arizona-hailing one man band Goatlucifer and his 23 minute “album” The Nekrorder (self-released of course.) This is absolute lowest common denominator anti-songwriting shitty Black Metal whose only saving grace is that only a maximum of 25 people will ever be dumb enough to part with money for it. Think of Gloomy Grim for idiocy, Vodnur for production and Zarach Baal Tharagh for complete pointlessness and you'll get the idea. I'm not sure which track has more annoying vocals, “A Seance Into Demise” with its

“spooky” moaning or the way it sounds like Bläk Blüd was actually inside the tape recorder for “Suppressed Impurities”, but most annoying of all has to be the horrible production. Until I heard this I had actually forgotten how bad Black Metal could get. Avoid at all costs. [1/10]

Also flying the flag for the “goat” brand we have Goatblood from Germany, who despite having an equally unimaginative name to Goatlucifer, manage to make something interesting with their Invocation of Doom and Sadistic Body Rites tapes on Dunkelheit Productions. All the general issue influences for Goat Metal are correct and present (namely Von, Beherit and Blasphemy) but there is also a strong Doom vibe running through tracks like “Attack From Below” that calls to mind Barathrum at its most primitive and Goatlord at its darkest. “Goatblood Invocation” has some slow tempos too but is closer to early Burzum in vibe than anything else, and there is also some Incantation-style riffing on “Moon Of Blasphemy.” Nothing exactly breaking the mould then, but combined with the crushing yet perfectly clear and dynamic production it is enough to make 2 very enjoyable 20-odd minute tapes. Real fanatics of this style would do well to check this new band out. [7/10]

Also on Dunkelheit we have Dead Out From The Graves by Morast, whose mix of Doom-laden Beherit and Hellhammer-like primitivism crossed with Pentagram Chile-meets-Sodom bestial Thrash on paper sounds slightly more interesting than Goatblood, but for the most part it turns out to be total muck. Appropriately enough for the title, “Countess Bloodlust” has a bit of a Bathory vibe to accompany its early groovy riff before taking on an almost Occult Rock vibe and throwing in a slightly spacey atmosphere, making it the most enjoyable track on here. The other 4, all averaging around the 7-8 minute mark, are completely unremarkable, plodding affairs which makes this 37

minute effort on the whole a tasking listen. Don't be fooled by the logo and artwork style into picking this up in the mistaken belief it will be some Swedish-style Death. Heed this advice and simply ignore this. [3/10]

Wisconsin-based Black Metal Speed Punk outfit Panther are an interesting prospect on paper too, given that the paper in question is the insert to their self-released Ride The Ice tape printed with song titles like “Speed Bitch Motor Fuck”, “Whiskey Mama” and “Ride Fight Fuck” and adorned with the white on black drawing of vehicle skidding off a snow-lined (or possibly cocaine-lined) road. For the most part this is a slop of Motörhead/Venom/Metallica influence, with a little bit of Suicidal Tendencies groove added in on “Midnight Overdrive” for good measure. The solos are good and messy, the production has a real garage vibe and on the title track in particular there is a sweet guitar tone, but there is next to nothing here to help endear repeat listens. Part of the problem lies with frontwoman Siberian Tigress, whose cavernous Black Metal vocals could do with a bit more variety and Rock n Roll vibe to make these tunes a bit catchier. Without that, all Panther have really achieved here is using up perfectly good song titles that other bands could've done more justice to. [4/10]

Satan's Vomit from Spain take a slightly different path by taking a title already used by a much better band, namely Unholy Rock n Roll, and true to form their self-released tape is not a patch on the Maax album of the same name from a few years ago. This one man band attempts to emulate Sodom and Venom, but aside from a well-executed melodic lead on the bridge on “Eternal Flame” it has more in common with the hundreds of forgotten CD-R-releasing bedroom bands of the early noughties. In particular on “Rock n Roll Queen” not only do the drums sound programmed, but even the guitars seem digitised, which is disappointing as it yet again shows some decent songwriting. Luckily

enough this tape is limited to only 15 copies, but with several other bands playing roughly this style in Spain right now, Satan's Vomit should concentrate on finding more members. [3/10]

Wasteland also from Spain have many similarities to Satan's Vomit, including being a one man band and right down to releasing in small quantities (33 copies of their self-titled tape this time.) Some friends join in here for gang vocals in the chorus of “Feel The Steel”, but otherwise this solo project is as lacking in the same substance that could be afforded by being a full band as Satan's Vomit- though at least this time only the drums are sampled and not the instruments too. Wasteland's influences are also slightly different, with Hirax and early Onslaught being audible on “Total War”, and Punk in general being a bigger sonic factor. Of the two cover songs serious obscurity points are earned by their homage to an old Spanish Punk band by the name of R.I.P. with the song “Brigada Criminal”, but there is something uneasy about covering a band who have not achieved legendary status such as Toxic Holocaust, besides which “Hell On Earth” is actually given a pretty sub-standard rendition here. [4/10]

From Spain's capital of Madrid comes 2-piece combo Lurking Evil who are having their Arrival Of The Tyrant tape from 2012 reissued on Ancestral Records, complete with new Hellhammer cover bonus track. For the most part like on “Spell Of The Necromancer” this revolves around the usual trio of Sodom, Bathory and Venom, but on the last 2 tracks the Hellhammer influence becomes more pronounced and there is some 90's Black Metal influences too. “Apostasy” is an instrumental intro track calling to mind early Satyricon whilst “Tortured” and “Army Of The Night” are more menacing thanks to traces of bands like Root, Master's Hammer and Tormentor. Despite there not being much Punk influence on here to earn the Metalpunk genre tag what this demo does have is a pretty strong

Rock n Roll vibe in the solos and some comparisons to be made with the top crop of Teutonic Thrash like Hellish Crossfire and Cruel Force, but unfortunately there is also a few tracks that are far too short and go absolutely nowhere. Those few songwriting discrepancies aside though this is a very good first foray into the hound-eat-hound realm of Black/Thrash. [6/10]

Automuro definitely come tops here for new Spanish bands with their Demo 2013 on Raw War Tapes, peddling a very interesting brand of Blackened Crust Punk. Advocates of Black Metal purity might be put off by the possible politics of this band, given that the cassette starts with a quote from the anime film Princess Mononoke that suggests an Eco-warrior lyrical theme in “This Is The End”, and finishes with a cover of the Anti-Cimex classic “Victims Of A Bombraid”, but if there is a political element here it is certainly not in your face like it tends to be with bands like Iskra, or that “Red Anarchist Black Metal” crap. The music is definitely given much more attention here than declaring any allegiance, with Darkthrone joining Anti-Cimex as one of the main influences and more melodic and epic strands of those 2 genres coming with Tragedy/His Hero Is Gone vibes on “Grievance” and hints of Ancient, early-Gehenna and The Covenant bleeding all across “The One”, without ever compromising the Punk intensity of the drumming. “Wolves Skulls” drags the tempo right down to create a Gallhammer-vibe while “Enemy Inside” goes the opposite route into Black/Thrash n Roll territories. Automuro are not yet the worthy successor to the much-missed Dishammer that Spanish Black/Death/Crust deserves, but they are the band it needs right now. [7/10]

Across the Atlantic in America we find Punk-influenced Metal in as rude a health as ever, with Texas youngsters AsI sI also topping my list of favourite new band names for 2013. The band self-describe their Speed Krusher tape on Cerveza Records as “5 songs about speed,

meth hookers, beating the shit out of frat guys and Satan”, and they could not be more spot on in defining themselves. Humour is obviously a big part of what these guys do, as witnessed by Realities Of War/Let's Start A War... spoof cover, but despite their obvious huge consumption of Lone Star beer the music is taken with deadly seriousness too. The opening title track works a treat as a shout-a-long anthem with its combination of Adrenalin OD, Accüsed and of course fellow-Texans D.R.I. while “Down And Out” shows that they are not merely influenced by those bands but very nearly on par with their classic material. “Beer Predator” is an all-American party anthem while things take a darker turn with “Meth Mouth” that carries the same ugly vibe as Nekrofilth, though without their Death Metal edge. “Upsidedown Cross” rounds the tape off in a more Metal fashion, calling to mind bands like Wehrmacht and Cryptic Slaughter, and provides some simple but excellent lyrics in the shape of “There is no religion/Or morals left/There is no God/Believe in yourself!” To borrow the bands own phrase, THIS SHIT RULES. [8/10]

Michigan-dwelling 2-piece Aksumite are a totally different prospect with their Return compilation out on their own Colloquial Sound Recordings imprint, but this demo collection of African tribal/prehistory-themed Blackened chaotic Hardcore equally stands out as much as As_ s_ do in the current American landcape. In particular Aksumite are a breed apart from other Black Metal/Punk tap-releasing acts like Raspberry Bulbs, Furdidurke and Bone Awl with the Ambient leanings being shunned in favour of pure raw and grating short songs with a hateful and mournful atmosphere. “Eternity's Slow Rape” is perfectly titled for such nauseatingly abrasive song full of dissonant head-wrecking riffs while “Existence Of Sin” and “Parallel To Hell” take things to Siege/Deep Wound/Drop Dead levels of intensity. It's not all mindless grinding though as “Blessed Be

Cush, Phut and Mizraim” makes an intriguing mixture of Cro-Mags style Crossover with The Minutemen's Punk Avant Garde-isms while “Touch the Hem of Evil's Flowing Garment” has a fairly unique take on Black/Thrash/Punk n Roll and closing track “Witch Doctor” sounds like a really demented The Stooges. It's an enormous mixed bag, but it is still killer stuff. [7/10]

Providence, Rhode Island necro-thrashers Sangus Legionaris are much more focussed in terms of influences than Aksumite, best described as Impaled Nazarene raging over the top of G.I.S.M./Gauze/S.O.B. 80's Hardcore beats, yet their 3 track self-released Vengeful Brutality is nevertheless sloppy and confused-sounding at times. When it works it works, like the total mayhem descended to in the last minute of “Gaspipe”, but unless you have a taste for completely unrefined messiness you might find this hard-going. [5/10]

By contrast Fuming Mouth from Massachusetts are a much more tame and focussed beast on their self-released demo tape, limited to just 40 copies. This young power trio definitely deserve to be heard by more people than that though and given how on the pulse their blending of stenchy Death Metal flecked up-beat Crustcore in the vein of Trap Them, Black Breath and Rotting Sound's groovier moments is, the potential for wider dissemination is definitely there. The seamless transition from opening cut “Immolate” into “Executioner's Song” shows a songwriting level not often seen by bands made up of those in the late teen/young adult phase of life, which added to the off-kilter riffing of “Adverse Ritual” and the Acid Witch/Hooded Menace doom-mongering of “Infernal Void” makes for a very promising first outing. Great to see that in a time when most of the truly interesting heavy music is being made by more seasoned musicians that the youth can still hang with them in terms of pushing substance over style. [7/10]

If that all sounds a little clean cut and fresh-faced for your tastes and you are on the hunt for pure sonic ugliness then Aggressive Mutilator from Sweden and their two self-released tapes from this year entitled They Want To Cut Off My Head and Death Toll VI could do the trick. Despite it's sickly and croaking yet perfectly comprehensible Black Metal-style primitive vocals a lot of this musically is as close to Hardcore/Punk as it is Metal, in particular the late 80's NYHC drumbeats on “Struggle To Survive” and the riffing on “Storms Of Evil” that could have easily belonged on Age Of Quarrel as it could have on Triumph Of Death. When it does go full on the Metal pedal like on “Destroyers Of The World” it is full on worship of Bathory, early Mayhem and Hellhammer (the last of which are paid tribute to with a cover of “Massacra”) in the vein of bands like Mordhell, but this never loses that purposely undeveloped vibe shown through the childish anti-art of the tape covers, or the attempt to disguise any and all musical talent on the strangely Misfits-esque “Sterilization Of The Unwanted.” In a way it is similar to what Nuit Noire and Woods Of Infinity aim for, but with a much more genuine sense of child-like simplicity and abandon like that exhibited by Ireland's resident savant Black/Death act, Venusian Death Cell.

The problem is though, Aggressive Mutilator never quite escape the nagging sense that they are trying too hard to be crude, artless and primitive here and that if they were really being honest this would not be so drastically under-produced. In fact, I get the feeling they could increase the production values by quite a lot and still not compromise their raw and maniacal vibe. At the very least it would certainly make repeat listens of this band a much more excitable prospect. [6/10]

South America is one region where tapes have never lost their appeal (along with Southeast Asia who have been unfortunately quiet on that front this year), so much so that The Return... Records' pressing of the

Vomitodio tape by Chilean speedsters Hatecharged is actually the 3rd

edition (limited to 50 copies), after the band released 50 copies themselves and 66 on Nuclear Nightmare Records in 2012. There is definite South American heritage here heard through the Ratos De Porão vibe on “Lobos de la Destruccíon” and on the vocals which throughout are halfway between South American crossover style and rough European Speed Metal like Acid (a mix that is not always successful), but overall this is actually a bit of an international love fest of all things fast. Amebix/Hellbastard-style Motörpunk is the name of the game on “Todos Arderan” while Poison Idea infect “Magia y Fuero”, “Devocíon” rams the UK82 sound of Conflict and Chaos UK with the Northeast NWOBHM/Speed Metal of Avenger and Warfare in a head-on collision and the whole thing is rounded off with the seriously dark Sabbat-meets-N.M.E. feel of “Lapidacíon.” That sounds fantastic, and really it should be, but there is a niggling inconsistency with the vocals (both in themselves and how they are mixed) that makes the impact of the whole tape a little lukewarm. [6/10]

South America's strongest firing into the arena this season comes from another Chilean band, Ancient Crypts, and their Iron Bonehead backed tape Devoured By Serpents. A side project of the drummer from thrashers Invincible Force and guitarist from Death Metal mouthfuls Unaussprechlichen Kulten, there is definite points of comparison with both their main bands. From the former it is unsurprisingly mostly to do with the tempos and the Morbid Angel-referencing drum fills whilst from the latter it is an unabashed fondness for Incantation-style riffing, topped off with some Martin Van Drunen/Chris Reifert-loving vocals to complete the unholy triumvirate of Old One influences. This band are a willing sacrifice at the altar of the true masters of Death, but it is not without its own power despite being so heavily enthralled. Tiny yet all-important elements like the early

Mourning Beloveth-esque melodic flair to the intro, the great riff in the bridge of “Between The Mortuary Remains”, the title track's infectiously malicious groove and the pinch harmonic-heavy closer of “Procession To Nyarlthotep” all combine to put this well above most of their contemporaries. Old school Death Metal worship par excellence. [8/10]

Another Iron Bonehead offering is Antichrist Dominum by the interestingly named Trajeto De Cabra. Given the Portuguese name and the Goat Metal style it should be a safe assumption that these first-timers are Brazilian, but in fact the South American connection proves instead to be fetishistic as this lot actually hail from Canada and feature members of the Goat Metal-by-numbers crew Necroholocaust.

Ancient, morbid and sloppy Death Metal is Iron Bonehead's bread and butter and that's exactly what Necroholocaust serve up here, and not too bad a job of it either. Nothing here is set out to reinvent the wheel, but this should be able to rent some space in your memory at least temporarily by sheer blunt force of will and the repetitive, hymn-like quality to its Anal Vomit-esque pummeling.

The chanting samples that link together the title track and the closing “Chaos Serpent” are a nice touch, but in this day and age even ritualistic and occult elements can be passé in Black Death Metal. Whether Trajeto De Cabra are looking to stand out with these touches or to follow the latest trend I do not know, but in this unassuming generic demo there might be stirrings of a more individual take on the genre somewhere down the line. [6/10]

Also on Iron Bonehead is another supergroup of sorts, and once again though not Sudamerican themselves Sacrocurse are enormously indebted musically to the continent and its style. Given that this 3-piece is made up of the drummer of Turkish blasphemers Godslaying Hellblast and former Morbosidad/Obeisance

stand-in Zolrak this love for the likes of Anal Vomit, Goat Semen and Perversor on their Sulphur Blessing tape is hardly surprising. The world is already full of bands peddling this style and while Sacrocurse are not the most futile and derivative of the bunch, they are far from the best too. “Command Demonic Prayers” is a particular low-point with some noticeably inconsistent vocal lines showing a certain sloppy nature, but what saves this release is that all 4 songs incorporate a catchy and appealing Autopsy like groove, in particular “C.O.N.V.U.L.S.E.” where this style takes centre stage. So while Sacrocurse still waver on the edge of hordes of useless and forgettable bands peddling this style they for now get a pass for showing willingness to mix it up a bit. [5/10]

Acualli are another band roughly slotting into the nastier end of Black/Death on their Pact Of Possession demo thanks to their deep guttural vocals and heavy reliance on Incantation-style riffs, but fittingly for being released on Crepusculo Negro there is obvious comparisons with several Black Twilight Circle acts too- namely The Haunting Process, Tukaaria and Rhinocervs. Hats must be taken off to Acualli for some interesting percussive noises throughout, but aside from vocal variety on “Six Eyes Open” this is entirely generic, dull and un-enthralling stuff. Given the similarities in artwork to Antediluvian it comes as a bit of a surprise that this is not more challenging a listen, but when the band's answer to creativity is to get even more boring on the tortuously slow “Mortem” it is a safe bet that Acualli aren't the musical ambitious types. [4/10]

from England (pronounced שfT ואו“Sheol” for non-Hebrew speakers) may show ambitiousness with that name, but unfortunately the same cannot be said for their 2-track Promo MMXIII. There is elements of fellow-English primitivists Grave Miasma and Cruciamentum, as well as some leanings towards a more warped sound shown more strongly this year by Ireland's Malthusian. In

the slower moments of the instrumental track “Spiritual Dessication” there is a definite bang of Encoffination to this, and a more sinisterly melodic aspect to “Deluge Of Tehom”, but overall this tape can't hide from being fairly generic. It is definitely promising, but too obvious, too simple-sounding in terms of riff-construction and overall complexity and too thin-sounding production-wise to fully stand out in the current Death Metal climate. [6/10]

Black/Thrash Metal is no less susceptible to inane and useless bands than bestial Black/Death, but the scope for doing something special within the style is much more open and in 2013 Infant Death from Trondheim are one of the bands achieving that. Their Cursed To Damnation tape (out on Prostata Records) opens with the sound of pure chaos that soon settles into a strong Bathory influence that in rare style captures everything great about that band from the self-titled album right up to Blood Fire Death in one fell swoop, and this mixture of reining in and reigning over chaos and of innate understanding of this style only continues as this cassette winds on. There is similarities to countrymen Nekromantheon on final jam “Fornication Of The Death” while fans of their mental Swedish neighbours Antichrist will dig this too, but despite being a newly formed band there is a definite feel of experience, which is far from surprising given that the members first played together in a Black/Thrash outfit called Hellstorm 14 years ago. It is the madness factor though, like the off-kilter riffing and spastic intensity of “Violent Death” and “criminal insanity” of the Slayer-ific “Destruction And Death” is this demo's biggest strength, making Infant Death are easily one of the best Norwegian bands of recent years. [8/10]

Portland, Oregon's newest Black/Thrash sons (also Toxic Holocaust's hometown) Bewitcher are a band making waves as well with their Infernal Kommando-released Satanic Panic tape, and

given how well down they nail their Venom/Motörhead/Midnight style with added lashing of early Celtic Frost on this first attempt it obvious why this is. In one respect they actually surpass Midnight in how utterly unhinged and chaotic their most Rock n Roll sections, but this over-enthusiasm also has the unfortunate effect of making the choruses much less catchy than they could be. For a first effort thought this is very promising stuff and with plenty of time to improve to Midnight's standard of total intensity without sacrificing tightness in the future. Other things worth mentioning here are the rapid fire vocal delivery at the end of “Sin Is In Her Blood” and how “In The Night (The Cult Will Rise)” explodes from its “Into The Crypt Of Rays” like crawl into an Iron Maiden-like gallop through the bridge. Bewitcher are not quite the total package yet, but an exciting prospect nevertheless. [7/10]

Further down the East Coast in the City Of Angels we have Kriegg, a one man band whose Lust In Midnight tape on Nuclear Nightmare Records can also be fitted into this crop of American Black/Thrash/Punk acts, but such a tag diminishes what it is that makes Kriegg stand out. “Sodomized King” where Kriegg peddle a more conventional Metalpunk vibe (halfway between Maax and Tyrant) is by far the weakest track on here compared to cuts like “Demoniac Rites” with its rabid vocals and total Black Metal primitivism that has more in common with Von or Ride For Revenge, or the utterly filthy cover of Bathory's “Equimanthorn” that closes this demo. “Burning Alive” wins out for most unique song on here thanks to the intro with a proper bang of 70's vintage off it somewhere in between prime Black Sabbath and Italian horror Prog, but the self-titled opening track is not far behind with its really understated and seething atmosphere, not unlike what Vomitor do. It is an interesting way to play this Venom/Bathory-loving style, and separates Kriegg from contemporaries like Bewitcher- if those bands are the sound of a Black/Thrash/Metalpunk party then

Kriegg are the nightmarish hangover that follows the morning after. As with Hatecharged this is not yet perfect, but Lust In Midnight's high rating is well-deserved by how it achieves that increasingly rarest of accolades in Metal- and individualistic atmosphere! [8/10]

Califonia, Santa Ana specifically, is also home to Plagüe who have a similarly characterful but wholly different take on Black/Thrash to Kriegg on their self-released Unholy Offerings cassette. From the intro to “Sea Of Noir” it is obvious that this will be different thanks to a real early Death SS-like atmosphere, but that is traded in for a different breed of lunacy as soon as the music and vocals really kick in. The overall production feel is of long-forgotten sloppy 80's garage Thrash bands and the sickeningly poor guitar sound, off-kilter vocals and primitive songwriting to match that are all here too. Musically it ranges from the most obvious of Black/Thrash influences like Bathory to the less obvious like Blood Feast, though strong points of comparison to the madness of early Slayer, the rabid rawness of Mantas/Death rehearsal tapes and even Transylvanian Hunger-era Darkthrone on “Infernal Death” combine to create the overall feel of caustic, mayhemic insanity. This is poorly played, terribly recorded and at times completely directionless in terms of songwriting, but for some completely unexplainable reason it is totally enjoyable. It might be for nostalgia or even for hipster reasons, but if you are on the hunt for something totally off the wall to remind you of all those nasty demo tapes from 1987 you have worn out, then Plagüe are maybe the band for you. [6/10]

Over the border into Mexico we have Survival who are re-releasing a slimmed down version of their 2011 EP/compilation Chainsaw Demon via Tridroid Records, keeping only the 3 studio tracks plus intro, one rehearsal song and the Metalucifer cover from the original tracklisting of 13. One thing that is immediately noticeable from this band is the virtuosity of the guitar-playing,

which is all the more impressive for the fact this band are a power trio, and is especially prevalent in the intro and the opener “Feel The Cold Of My Steel.” Aside from the tone of the vocals which is more like that middle of the road 80's US Thrash flatness this number also has a strong early Destruction vibe, right down to the heavily rhythmic riffing and the high shrieks traipsing off the vocal lines, but unfortunately the latter does not continue throughout.

Keeping that vibe could have helped the stale Bay Area style of “Beer Awaits” and the disappointingly flat and safe Exumer-inspired “Speed Metal Freaks”, but instead it creates a quality dip that it takes all of the Possessed-esque intensity and 3 Inches Of Blood-like OTT vocal factor of “Chainsaw Demon” to recover from. Despite this save though the fact this song comes from a different recording session and that after 4 songs Survival have failed to highlight any overarching style for themselves does not help this release from feeling more like a random jumble of songs rather than a concise EP. Already dangerously lukewarm the closing cover of “Heavy Metal Hunter” leaves this release on a cold note. It goes without saying that no one could ever match the original, but the other problem here is that there is something undeniably awkward about someone who sings naturally in a pretty heavily Mexican-accented way to mimic Gezol's trademark “Metaw Engrish” style. Since this EP was first released the band have released one demo and 3 splits, and even without having heard those I would still recommend them over this tape as an entry point to the band. [4/10]

Back in the USA Frost Rot prove that the Gezol love is not restricted to south of the border (and neither is pinching Maax's song titles restricted to Satan's Vomit) with their self-released Rot And Roll tape. Sabbat's early material is a good shout for a comparison point to this young Boston band, especially on “Infernal Firestorm”, but the major letdown is with the failure to create any sort of catchiness, an even bigger problem

on the title track where the need to produce something anthemic was at its highest. The excessive sloppiness of the playing and lazily out of time vocals are another reason why this is amateurish even by Black/Thrash standards, and the massively noticeable change in recording sessions from middle track “Extermination Of The Blessed” onwards leaves that sour taste in the mouth too. “Death To False Metal” aims again for being an elitist's anthem, but the fact the lyrics sound like an indolent random jumble of stolen Venom clichés makes it anything but, and more of a mocking pastiche than anything else. The sleazy mid-paced riff to “Evil Inserter” wins Frost Rot some points back, but any energy created by it is unfortunately sucked out by the grating and one-dimensional vocals. Total disappointment all round here, but at least it is not offensively bad. [3/10]

Speed Metal is not an easy genre to master for some it seems and on the opposite seaboard to Frost Rot this is proven by Seattle-based Blood Of Kings with their Starvation full length tape on Tridroid Records. Although they tick a lot of the necessary boxes inspiration-wise such as Raven, Tank and Exciter, with some of the heavier tracks like “Flatline” even exhibiting hints of Warfare/English Dogs or even a less blackened Celtic Frost or Voivod, this never really reaches true album quality despite being an album length release. A few tracks aim high by trying to bring in a Mercyful Fate factor in the guitar leads and vocal lines, and although the riffs on “Without Fear” nearly achieve this these attempts never get close to the level of The King and Hank Sherman in quality while the Maiden-lite riffing of “Shakes” and Metal Church thrashing on “Symbols Of Man” completely fail to ignite into anything anthemic. The vocals are the biggest point of contention here, ranging from the average but passable to the downright awful on the tracks like “Heart For The Land” where they take on a Steelwing-like retro-Speed Metal vibe, but ultimately it is the fault of no single

element of Blood Of Kings- they simply need to go back to the drawing board after this one. [3/10]

Manacle from up in Toronto, Canada have an even more elementary and more easily discernible problem and that simply is that the recording of their self-released rehearsal tape is downright awful. Now the fact they have elected to use the word “rehearsal” rather than “demo” should be a sign of things to come, but all the same unless the rehearsal was intended for band use only it should still be some sort of useful demonstration to potential fans of what the band is about. Putting out a tape where the music is practically inaudible does your band absolutely no favours and could even damage you in the long run. From what I can make out of the first of 2 tracks, “Live Fast, Die Fast” the composition seems to at least be fairly decent on what is at speedy take on Tokyo Blade and Tygers Of Pan Tang-style NWOBHM, but frankly it had better be more than decent because after this pointless first strike Manacle have an even bigger uphill struggle to impress next time round. [1/10]

Ironically for a band hailing from the poorer half of the Americas in the southern hemisphere Virgin Killer from Columbia manage a better recording and all round better demo with their self-released Killer tape. This is still raw and lo-fi to the bone and the playing is far from perfectly tight, but it definitely has a charm value if you stick with it for repeated listens. Like Manacle seem to be this is firmly in NWOBHM territory musically, with the rough but undeniably feminine vocals having a strange resemblance to those of the Welsh NWOBHM obscurity Y Diawled in spite of the obvious differences between the Spanish and Welsh languages. More generally this skirts around a mix Grim Reaper, Diamond Head and Avenger though with fair comparisons to Barón Rojo and forgotten South American acts like Arkangel and V8 being good shouts also, yet the cover art of this tape sits rather uneasily with these influences. It is not so much the

photograph of the hairy vagina itself that is the issue, as this could be seen as a forceful and unabashed expression of Virgin Killer's collective femininity, but the way the photo is bathed in red makes me think that it would be better suited as a cover to an awful Brutal Death Metal band. This anomaly aside though this is a wonderfully characterful if very flawed demo. If you are in desperate need of a female-fronted South American Speed Metal band in your collection I would sooner recommend you Demona, but if you are on the look out for unusual and unique Heavy Metal tapes this could be worth picking up. [5/10]

Keeping things to female-fronted bands next we have the Urtod Records release Demon by Spanish purple-logo'd Doom mob Misty Grey, and if the Masters Of Reality-referencing logo wasn't a dead enough giveaway already then the very first note of “Grey Mist” announces this band's intentions as a purely Sabbathian/Pentagramian affair. There's a genuine vintage warm fuzz to the tone on these big monster riffs, but in the grand scheme of things that hardly matters as the only thing people will be talking about in relation to this band from now til their end of their tenure is those crazy vocals of frontwoman Malicia. If I described them as Bobby Liebling were he a 92 year old crone that might be some help, but really the only way to understand how out there the pipes on these woman are is to hear them- and therein lies the problem. Is overdoing it on the vocal front inevitably a bad thing as it could end up focussing only on that one element to the exclusion of the rest of your music, even to cynics stating that this is a trick being employed cover for musical deficiencies?

Aside from the bridge section of “The Shadow Of A Doubt” where opting for a stereotypical Hammer Horror film sample would have perfectly timed, Misty Grey barely waver at all here from their 2 key influences, and do seem to wallow somewhat in Doom's most clichéd

waters which is a criticism they will find hard to deflect. To lambast the band as though they are hiding this fact behind the zany witch-like vocals misses a key point though, and that is that this band should not be taken too seriously. This is not intended to be anything but some fun, headbanging retro-Doom and to hold it to any higher standard is silly. Chill out, Sabb off and enjoy yourself with this release. [7/10]

Trenchrot from Philadelphia prove with their Dragged Down To Hell tape on Nihilistic Holocaust that in the early stage of a band's career when they are putting out their first demo, you don't need a definitive, creative sound or even a trademark/gimmick like Misty Grey. To get by all your really need is one good song that will entice people to check you out again next time, when hopefully you do nail everything exactly right. The band's take on the Old Stockholm sound on this 3-track demo is thoroughly decent but unspectacular, and shackled by sound problems. With a thicker, beefier guitar tone and fuller and more rounded guttural vocals they could do much better, but even in their current state the middle track of this trio, entitled “Trapped Under Treads”, let a few sparks fly loose with its monumental downward tempo change into Autopsy/Hooded Menace/Anatomia territories. This time Trenchrot impress enough to watch with interest as to what they grow into in the, but next time round it had better be fireworks, not just sparks. [5/10]

With demos one is the magic number when it comes to song quality, but with albums a greater deal of consistency is needed and that unfortunately is where Canadian Epic Metallers Iron Kingdom fall down on their second full length, Gates Of Eternity (tape version on Tridroid Records.) The album certainly has its moments with its mix of late 80's Maiden progressive streak, Rush/Manilla Road-like compositional savvy, doses of Blind Guardian and Ywingie Malmsteen in the most epic and melodic parts and a bit of Judas Priest riffage on

“Guardian Angel” for good measure, but unfortunately there is more troughs than peaks on here. The cheesy as hell piano and shred interlude of “Candeloro” throws the album flow off by arriving too early, and is a bit of a stinker in any case, while the opening track “At The Gates” creates an uphill struggle for the rest of the album thanks to some jilted guitar performance. There is also the issue that frontman Chris Osterman fancies himself as a much better vocalist than he really is, and that the production is too muted to really draw out the dynamic potential of the Rush influence, but without a doubt the biggest mistake here is dedicating 15 minutes, over a quarter of the album's running time, to the track “Egypt (The End Is Near)” without having any overarching motif to thread the multifarious epic sections together and make the track truly memorable. After that closing track “Shadow Of Death” boasts a pretty cool Dark Quarterer-like riff, but the fact this comes right in the very last minute is the definition of too little too late. [5/10]

Despite having a much more muted production than Iron Kingdom, one of Storm Warning's biggest triumphs on their self-titled demo cassette (out on Swords And Chains Records) is doing what the young Canadians failed to and perfectly tease out those 70's Epic Hard Rock influences. In spite of the artwork and logo style that might make you think of fellow Germans Stormwarrior and that Power Metal style what this demo turns out to be is a masterclass in proto-Epic Metal. It may take a few listens to fully sink in, but opening cut “Leaving The Circle” is an exceptional blend of the first 2 Manilla Road albums, From The Fjords by Legend and of course Ashbury. That same laid-back production doesn't fit as well on the follow-up song, “Thunder In The Night” with its mix of Dio-era Sabbath, early Maiden, UFO, Rainbow and Uriah Heep as the only place thunder really rumbles or any lightning strikes is in this song's solo, but despite this there is no denying the level of songcraft. The fact both this song and the final self-titled

number both have live version on this tape edition of the demo too should allay any fears of this material coming off as weedy on stage, but despite this I think the production on this will still be divisive. Wisely then, the final song that rounds off the studio portion of this demo in the most up-tempo and fist-banging off fashions and an increased NWOBHM feel that takes in everything from Pagan Altar and Cloven Hoof, to Gaskin and Virtue in the duelling and melodic leads and even Traitor's Gate and Damascus for the more obscure and epic vibe. Whether the production will please everyone or not is irrelevant- this is just short of being an Epic Metal masterclass. [8/10]

Speaking of those though it is only fair to end this article with Eternal Champion and their Last King Of Pictdom tape (also on Swords And Chains) as they share a vocalist in the shape of James Tarpey with 2012's undisputed best demo tape band, the now-defunct Graven Rite. The glory-driven end of Epic Metal is emphasised here more than in Graven Rite's melancholic feel, meaning appropriately enough the main influences here are Manilla Road, Slough Feg and Michael Moorcock for the lyrics, and though the opening title track feels a little shaky to begin with by the final minute the power is well and truly turned out to create one of the strongest statements in Epic Metal this year. The second of the two songs here, “War At The Edge Of The End”, is by far the stronger of the 2 though, and takes this to the level of minor monument in the sub-genre. On the one hand the lack of a third track may constitute disappointment, but on the other it makes this release all the more impressive as in just two fell swoops Eternal Champion have surpassed more established acts like Borrowed Time for quality. To me it doesn't quite make up for the demise of Graven Rite who had all the potential in the world, but Eternal Champion's achievement with this demo in 2013 ensures that the album format will be in safe hands as far as Epic Metal goes in the immediate future. [8/10]

-Although in the brief time your demo tape has been out you have garnered quite a bit of interest, in Ireland and further afield, I suspect that some readers might be discovering you via this interview. For the benefit of the uninitiated give us the background to the band- when did you form? Which member or members were the original impetus behind the band? How were the other members selected? How easily and how soon did you have a concrete idea of a direction for the band?

(MB) The rough idea of the band was there for a number of years but never quite acted on. After a number of practices with just one guitar and drums we were happy with the direction the rehearsals were taking and decided to push to fill out the line up. AC was always the intended guitarist to fill the slot and PG, despite being a guitarist by trade, was the only person considered or asked to play bass. The songs or ideas we had worked on took a different shape once a full line up was in shape with maybe the exception of “Wraith///Plague Spore” and the band took more of it's own direction while obviously still within the confines of the genre.

-Your arrival on the Metal consciousness in Ireland was explosive to say the least, beginning with your live début opening the bill for Gospel Of The Horns in May. I remember the atmosphere before that show being one of anticipation for Dread Sovereign's first home soil show, and yourselves and the rising Zom being more of added bonuses to the bill, but for days afterward and for most of the rest of the year Malthusian was all people could seemed to talk about. Are you surprised in anyway by the rapidness and fervour with which people have taken notice of your rumblings? Given that you are far from being social media whores and have chosen your live performances very selectively (leaving half the year before returning to the stage to support Urfaust and rounding the year off with the mighty Bölzer) it would seem all to easy for you to be ignored, but it seems your reticence has engendered the opposite. Do you see these as a testament to your music which is forefronted to the exclusion of all else? It would seem so especially compared to the path of shameless self-promotion that bands especially in Ireland are fond of it seems a much healthier basis for hype to be created upon.

Yes and no. There is a very limited number of bands in Ireland playing in the vein we play and in recent years it is a

style that has been welcomed back, for the most part, with open arms. I think that through this people were happy to have a band that could hold their own in this "scene" and were happy to support. If a band is a constant at gigs locally the sense of occasion is lost and it is hard to excite people about one. We have been lucky with being asked to play good gigs with bands that we share characteristics with be it musically or idealistically. If something is being forced down my throat either intentionally or just coincidentally and starts to annoy my fickle nature my natural reaction is to avoid it.

-In addition to your live performances there has been a ravenous response to the MMXIII tape, as far as I am aware selling out from you and Invictus Productions almost immediately. Again, has this surprised you in anyway? For what it lacks in the personal touch that tape trading had, do you think that the internet's ability in creating a buzz so instantaneously like has happened with Malthusian is a welcome development? In a way the feeling surrounding the tape reminds me of 2 previous Irish demos, from bands playing a roughly similar style. Firstly Lethiferous who caused a bit of a stir before disappearing almost as quickly, and Zom of course whose lethal demo went through 3 pressings. Are you determined to not to end up like Lethiferous (as well as countless other promising Irish acts) whose candle burnt out too quickly, or will Malthusian be more than a flash in the pan and last the long haul? Do you expect to follow Zom's example quickly with European club and festival performances in 2014?

We've been pretty much taken aback by the positive response that the released has garnered. We obviously had the utmost confidence in the songs but, as with the initial buzz after the gig it's good that people seemed to understand what we were going for and were more than happy to support us. Could not have imagined the magnitude or speed in which it took off though. I don't know of a huge amount of bands that have the intention to be a flash in the pan. I think with Lethiferous, there were problems getting a line up together that really hampered that going much further. This is always going to be a problem playing a more niche like style in a country with a small Metal scene and a smaller amount of musicians. We would be happy to follow Zom's example in regards to gigs abroad. There is only so much we can do in Ireland with it's small audience and I think we've essentially

reached our goals regarding that already.

-To me the demo's 2 greatest strengths lie in the vicious memorability (n.b. not “catchiness”) of the riffs, and the masterful feel to how everything is executed. While obvious comparisons can be drawn to some very chaotic Death Metal acts of the past few years which I know you are fans of the very apparent care and attention with which these 3 tracks are focussed and how the sections morph together definitely are stand-out features. I would describe Malthusian then as equal parts pernicious and pernickety if you will. Were either of these goals you had in mind when you entered the studio? Was there an intention to create something that could be considered alongside the dissonant likes of Antediluvian and Mitochondrian, but also something that would have its own personality and stand out?

No. We had the songs written and laid out exactly as we intended them to be recorded since late last year so when we entered the studio everything was well rehearsed and ready to be laid down. As far as the songwriting goes though, very much so. We spent a lot of time chopping, changing, layering sections in rehearsals and were definitely pernickety in that regard but I think that is an essential part of writing music. We didn't intend to sound like those bands beyond playing in that style, there was no real overtly direct influence despite all being fans. We take from a number of different influences and put them together in whatever mangled way suits us and if we like it, we keep it or work on it.

-In addition to Antediluvian etc. being somewhat lazy points of comparison, or at least comparisons that don't tell the whole story, I've noticed the same being done in online quarters with people lazily trying to exploit the membership link with Altar Of Plagues. Although you've made no serious attempt at hiding the band members' identities you haven't done much to publicise them to further Malthusian either, which leads me to assume you want the band to stand on its own merits and not on a loose connection to your previous works? If any links are to be made surely it would make more sense to draw a point between the triple vocal attack you employ and that of Abaddon Incarnate, or between the doomier passages and Mourning Beloveth/On Pain Of Death/Wreck Of The Hesperus?

Altar of Plagues were a big band with a big following that finished abruptly so I think many people are looking for something to fill that gap which is understandable. It does however seem strange to make comparison between us and them musically because, while we are all fans of the band, there is nothing in our music that ties us to them. For the first gig we mentioned our associated bands to rouse some interest but that was the only time we have mentioned it and we now rely solely on our own merits. It's ridiculous to even suggest that we would want to distant ourselves from our own bands. While again I don't think that any aspects of our music sound too similar I can definitely relate our sound to AI, OPoD and WoTH. Mourning Beloveth are a whole different beast though.

-What I think is also a testament to the quality of the release as a whole product is the relative inexperience of the 2 young collaborators- firstly Matt from Bone Divinations designs who had previously only designed art for his own band Tome, and also Ola Ersfjord behind the desk who had only recorded Dread Sovereign and Dead Lord at his new Dublin studio prior to this (and also Morbus Chron's Creepy Creeping Creep EP back in Sweden a few years before.) The result is an undeniably fresh looking and sounding demo, but one that also keeps all the necessary hallmarks of the genre without descending into pointless repetition or pastiche. The band logo I think typifies this quality as well with it's sense of das unheimliche (uncanniness.) It is simultaneously recognisable and built on familiar letterforms, but distorted to the point of near-complete illegibility. It harkens to the best of Christophe Szpajdal's fine work but also perfectly compliments the unnerving feeling of the music.

Matt at Bone Divinations did an excellent job with the art work. I think it encapsulates the atmosphere and feeling that we are trying to portray with our music. It has an almost hallucinogenic feel to it, but there is also something dark and other-worldly going on too. The same can be said with the logo. Manuel Tinnemans at Comaworx designed it. We went through a few drafts of the logo, ironing out bits and pieces as we went along. The font is nasty, sharp and evil. The girl levitating through the circles just helps add to the other-worldly atmosphere. We met Ola a couple of times and chatted about our goals with the recording and he was on the same wavelength so we went with him. Both choices proved to be very good ones.

-In fact the only elements I find completely typical of the genre (almost

surprising that you have chosen them given they are often smoke-screen used as by unoriginal Blasphemy-worshippers) is the stage garb of hoods and bone jewellery and the graveyard promo photos. How conscious are you of this line you straddle between the wholly typical and the refreshingly different for the Black/Death genre? Is there a definite awareness paid to neither seeming too drastically far from the style's key aesthetic tropes but also to not descending into a mere box-ticking exercise?

As far as the bones, corpse-paint, hoods and smoke for our stage show… That is up for you to decide if a box-ticking exercise or not. Obviously it has been done before, but what hasn’t in this day and age? We felt that it was a no-brainer to carry on the fine tradition of bones, hoods, paint and graveyards. It may be an obvious choice but if done well it is still absolutely vital. Simply put, if we think it adds to our show, we’ll do it. Things might change as time goes on and we grow and evolve. We also use a projector for our live shows, showing images of death, disease, insanity, plague etc… to keep things interesting.

-Undoubtedly the biggest factor in differentiating Malthusian from typical bands for this style is the unprecedented lyrical focus on the works of Thomas Robert Malthus. On the one hand he seems an odd source for a Metal band as he was a clergyman prone to moral prescriptivism, though on the other other Malthus' ideas' influence on eugenics and his justification of capitalist inequality arguably represent a real world “evil” much more frightening than any Satanic medievalism that many Metal bands still thematically cling to. In spite of Malthusian's lack of truck with any Metal Satanic clichés though the sense I get is that you focus more on the disease and famine aspects of the Malthusian Catastrophe prediction itself, highlighting the element of human hubris and nature's revenge. Is this a closer assessment of the lyrical impulse behind Malthusian?

The Malthusian Theory ties in with some ideas we would have been exploring anyway, it just gives it a bit more of a shape. I don't see there being any huge leap thematically from what we have been writing in our various bands, it is a natural progression. Malthusian is a strong, eye-catching name but we don't intend to solely focus on Malthus's ideas.

-I think it's interesting also how the implications of a title like “The Mother's Blade” correlates to other Irish acts, namely Slidhr who tread a

similar subject of natural catastrophe as an act of a vengeful earth on Deluge, but also Fuíl na Seanchoille who broaches the subject of famine in an Irish context as an entirely man-created phenomena. When it came to constructing this theme for Malthusian then was there at any time a point where you thought about how your treatment of famine as a lyrical topic compared to these or any other act?

No. We had no intention of bringing in the Irish famine as a particular theme but the idea if taken more universally certainly applies. Lyrically the band is just getting warmed up and while the Malthusian thread will no doubt continue in a general way, we will not be using that as a gimmick as we carry on. We have plenty of ideas to toy with and feel there is no reason to limit ourselves to one specific thing merely because we have taken that as our band name. However, we are happy to be spoken of in the same breath as Slidhr and Fuil na Seanchoille as both bands have developed strong unique identities and continue to release music of a very high standard.

-When you recorded with Ola earlier in the year you apparently recorded one song that wasn't used on the demo, apparently to be used on a split early in 2014. Can you reveal who the band you will be releasing with is? Will this track continue with the Malthusian Catastrophe theme and do you have plans to develop this further on all future releases?

Indeed we are planning on using the fourth song for a split in 2014. The other band are on board with it, so we’re just waiting for the right time to release it. As of now, we cannot reveal the name of the other band. All will be revealed in due course.

As mentioned before, the demo doesn't exclusively deal with the Malthusian Catastrophe and the song for the split has little or no connection with that idea. It deal with the idea of metamorphosis, the bleeding of hard reality into a more abstract, indefinable sense of unreality and the slipping from life to death. To leave this world behind, in one way or another. As we melt through the fabric of reality, the mind slips through the pours. Time become viscous. Forms become vapour.

When we describe our music as hallucinogenic this is exactly what we mean. It's that sense of chaos interfering with order to place you out of your comfort zone and project you into an uncomfortable and unfamiliar place.

Hails to Bewitcher!

-First of all give us a little history of how your 2-man band came to be? Did you come together as friends, through a shared love of the same bands or were you know to each other through playing in previous local acts?

Hails! Yes and yes. The two of us met as teenagers through a mutual friend several years ago and became friends through a shared love of Metal. We started playing in bands together and have been now for the past 10 years or so. Since then, we’ve quite literally been through hell and back together and have become blood brothers in the process. The road to forming Bewitcher started last year when it became evident that what we were doing musically was not in tune with where our hearts are. It became obvious and necessary to start playing music that stemmed exclusively from the late ‘70’s/early ‘80’s vibe that has always been our primary inspiration.

-From the perspective of an outsider looking in Portland seems to be one of the most active and diverse cities in the US for Metal. It houses everything from Stoner/Sludge bands Red Fang and Lord Dying; hipster Black Metal types Agalloch, Fall Of Rauros and Chasma; underground ritual style Black Metal such as L'acephale, Fanisk, The Howling Void and Kuxan Suum and some of the flat out nastiest Black/Death Metal the states has to offer right now like Ritual Necromancy, Weregoat, Ævangelist and Shroud Of The Heretic. Back in the 80's it was also home to one of WOAF's favourite guilty pleasures, Christian Power Metal band Glacier and has produced some legendary names in the world of Crossover/Crust Punk like

Wehrmacht, Spazztic Blur, Guided Cradle and Hellshock, not to mention fellow Venom worshippers Toxic Holocaust.

What is it they put in the water in that town to produce so many (mostly awesome) bands? How cohesive or how fractured is the scene in Portland? Given how you draw a line in the sand between old school and modernity in the mission statements on your online presence do you try only to associate with those bands in your area that follow the same Metal creed as you? Is there any other gems of Metal bands with an old school outlook from Portland you think we ought to know about?

What do they put in the water? I don’t know, maybe it’s the lack of fluoride, hehe. The Metal scene here has always been more of a collective of cliques, rather than a cohesive “scene”, per se. However, I will say that right now it’s definitely the healthiest and most vital that it’s been in the decade that we’ve lived here. I think ideally, we of course want to associate with bands that have a similar mentality as ours, but that’s not always possible. It doesn’t really matter though. We view Bewitcher as an entity unto itself and not really a part of any particular clique or collective. The “line in the sand”, so to speak, is more of a statement for ourselves. We don’t care about what anybody else is doing.

Aside from the menagerie of bands you already listed here in Portland, there is also Weresquatch, who play some very killer Thrash. There’s Dark Crucible, a one-man (for now) Black Metal outfit that is absolutely crushing. And Portland is also home to the semi-legendary Doom band, Roanoke, who split-up some years back, but are apparently on the

rebound. Their frontman also has a project called Withering of Light, for fans of Dark Ambient music. We definitely share a common bond with all of them.

-Have you begun playing live in Portland yet? Do you plan to conquer there first before venturing further afield? Given that Oregon is quite remote in terms of clusters of large cities in America how feasible is it for you to play live in other places and states? From what I've heard touring the US in general is becoming a disappearing privelege for small bands.

Bewitcher hasn’t played live yet. After the second demo is done we will be on the hunt for a permanent live drummer to complete the lineup. Yeah, I imagine we’ll play Portland quite a bit before taking the show on the road. Touring the States is neither easy nor cheap, but it is very doable. Our previous band did a full 20 date coast-to-coast run in 2012 as well as several other DIY tours all over the country in years past. But yeah, if you live anywhere in the western U.S., touring is going to be difficult, as the cities are mostly spread very far apart.

-The melange of filthy Bathory, Venom, Motörhead and Celtic Frost influence that your sound is based on is a very oversubscribed style in this day and age. What do Bewitcher do to stand out from the crowd? You have said online that another key influence of yours is the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal- do any of those bands influence you especially?

I don’t think in the grand scheme of things, that standing out will prove to be a problem for us. While the four bands you mentioned have certainly provided the foundation for what we

do, we draw from a pretty deep well of inspiration. NWOBHM bands? Obviously Diamond Head and Iron Maiden top the list, but we’re also fans of Pagan Altar, Angel Witch, Cloven Hoof, and Virtue to name a few. There are also plenty of bands with a similar vibe outside of that movement such as Mercyful Fate, Candlemass, Judas Priest, and W.A.S.P., not to mention other First Wave of Black Metal bands like Tormentor and Sarcofago.

-In spite of all your major influences being European there is something undeniably American in feel to the Satanic Panic demo. On the one hand it might be the strong sonic similarities to Midnight, but also the effect of that T.H. Matteson painting, The Examination Of A Witch, as the cover artwork is striking. It reminds me of something I wrote in WOAF #1 about an album from a young Massachusetts band in that America's dark history (for example, the Salem witch trials) is shockingly under-explored as a lyrical theme. Given that Matteson has many more paintings on the subject do you think that you might do a further conceptual exploration into the topic of early American witchcraft on future releases? Is the witchcraft theme also partly allegorical for the Christian right's war on Metal from which you took the name Satanic Panic?

You’ve touched on something very interesting here, in that most Metal bands that focus on witchcraft/occult themes tend to focus exclusively on Europe. It makes sense, considering the vast and rich history of the region, nut like you said, America has a very dark past that is pretty under-explored by metal bands, especially the ones that come from here. One of the things we’ve planned to do from the beginning was to focus lyrically on North American pagan and occult traditions, shamanism, witchcraft and the like. Contrary to popular belief, there IS history in America… and it doesn’t just begin in 1492!

Regarding the allegory of the cover art and the title, yes, there was meant to be a double meaning there. The Bewitcher manifesto makes it pretty

clear that we are not a band that is interested in being politically correct and we seek to make Metal and Rock n Roll one in the same again, in terms of the wild, rebellious spirit that it was born with. The Evangelical right is very opposed to art that promotes this type of rebelliousness, because it takes control out of their hands. The cover was meant to make a statement that these so-called “Satanic panics” and witch hunts have happened frequently throughout history and will continue to do so as long as radical Christianity is given power like it has here in the U.S.

As well as having a rich Metal history Portland is also famous for having more breweries than any other city in the world, and more strip clubs even than Las Vegas, which to me sounds like a perfect environment for a sleazy boozed up Black/Speed Metal band. Although your demo avoids a lot of the beer n boobs cliches very in vogue with Black/Speed/Thrash/Punk at the moment. Do you think your hometown has been a factor in your traditional Heavy Metal/Rock n Roll outlook?

Heh, yeah I’d say so. Portland does sleaze pretty well- better than most, I’d dare to say. It doesn’t hurt that we have the best beer in the country here, either! The song “Sin Is In Her Blood” is all about the licentious and salacious Punk/Goth/Metal chicks we’ve encountered over the years, and of course, having a few cocktails…We don’t intentionally avoid the sex, drugs, Rock n Roll motif by any means -it’s pretty important to this style of music- but there are plenty of other subjects to write about, and we tend to gravitate more toward the esoteric side of things.

-In addition to being very image focused another thing about the particular style you play is there has been an emphasis in recent years on having a Punk undercurrent and an intentional, often faux, sloppiness. By contrast Bewitcher to me seem to be unafraid of having a relatively good quality of recording, are generally pretty tight (especially for a 2-piece band) and most of all, where the comparison to Midnight

comes in I think is that you focus on writing good songs above any box-ticking exercises in rawness. How closely do you think this matches your approach? Are you intentionally trying to stand out from some of the more unimaginative retro bands out there, like some of the incredibly sloppy bands on the Infernal Kommando Records label who have put out your tape?

I don’t really understand this concept of playing sloppy on purpose to be more ”Punk” or to add some kind of street cred to your music. That reminds me of what the grunge bands did in the early 90’s and we fucking hate that shit. The reason it worked for the early Punk bands and for, say, Venom or Hellhammer, was because they actually didn’t know how to play their instruments! But they had passion and focus…that IS Rock n Roll. We just do what feels right and play from an honest place- that’s the only way to do it. We do concentrate on writing the best songs possible and part of that is capturing as much spontaneity as possible. Most of these songs from our first two demos were written in a few hours each. It was important not to overthink any of it and just go with the first gut instinct. We want the production to be on the raw side, in the classic sense, but we’re not a necro BM band, so we’re also not going for the shittiest sound possible either. Just keeping it stripped down and simple, that’s what it’s about. It’s the essence of the true spirit of Rock n Roll. Like I said before, we want Bewitcher to be a solitary entity, so we’re just not paying much attention to what our peers are doing.

-Anything else you'd like to add?

Thank you for the excellent questions. Very refreshing to do an interview with someone who has clearly done some homework! Thanks to the rabid hordes who have supported us thus far by buying the demo and spreading the word. Our second demo, titled Wild Blasphemy is released on 666mas day, so go get it!

Thank you!

Amon-Ra- In The Company Of Gods[Pure Underground Records]

A real disinterred obscurity is this one. In The Company Of Gods, this Cleveland, Ohio band's sole output was originally released on CD only in 1992, re-released on CD in 2010 with 3 bonus tracks from related project Prodigy, and now for the first time on vinyl with 4 completely unreleased bonus tracks. So wildly different are these bonus tracks from the album proper that I'd like to give them proper consideration at the end because as far as the original 31 minute release is concerned, there is very little good to speak of.

Pure Underground have done a great job of dressing this up with the excellent new cover artwork that does justice to the Egyptian mythological theme of the lyrics, and as the spacey intro track fades into the proto- Symphonic Metal of “Graveyard Of The Dragon” it momentarily seems like there might have been something of quality unearthed here. It sounds jarring and unpolished, which is unfortunately unsuitable for the style but probably a result of the fact this was a self-released album in a time when Traditional Metal was at it's nadir and Amon-Ra were attempting something that wouldn't become commonplace for several years. For the Metal parts there is a big dose of Fates Warning as well an proggy inventiveness to the vocal lines, but the illusion that this might have been a gem of long lost groundbreaking Power Metal is quickly dispersed.

“Forever” is a frankly awful ballad sub-par even for the standard of the 80's Hair Metal gods with whose hit it nearly shares its title and further cracks form when the seemingly complete lack of mixing and mastering starts to show. Low budget production could have been overlooked if the rest of this album tread the same sort of path as the opening track, and as said before was probably unavoidable given the circumstances of the band in their brief history. For attemtping to rehash musical ideas 5 years past their sell-by though the lifeless production here is wholly inadequate. The guitars are buried in the mix, the drums sound barely real at times and the mid-tone vocals are flat, powerless and should in no way be the most prominent feature on this display. On this track in particular it is so bad that it is actually better to listen to at a quiet volume.

“Middleground” sounds like the montage music of some long-forgotten 80's high school movie made on a Fisher Price keyboard whilst the pointless, nonsensically titled and overly long interlude of “Seasons Of May” and wetter than even before low-point “When The Glitter Fades Away” are similarly terrible efforts, questionable even as to whether they can be called Metal or not. Pure Underground call this “Traditional US Metal for open minds”- but if anything having a closed mind to all the irreparable problems about this album is the only way to be able to enjoy it. The final 2 tracks of the album “As The Mirror Cracks” and “Cloak And Dagger” give some hope that

this might have been rescued by a decent remastering job, but really is there any cure for a performance so flacid, a singer so lifeless and a band that from what I can tell seemed to be just one man (guitarist and lead songwriter Byron Nemeth) having delusions of grandeur played out by a group of hired guns?

When it comes to the unreleased songs “Garden Of Eden” is so different from what has come before that it could even be a completely different band. The playing is still juddering and shoddy in places, but the mixing is far more balanced, the vocals hit some powerful high notes and most importantly of all, it is authentically Metal. “On The Shore” continues the attempted rescue mission with it's Warlord-like gallop before there is more idiosyncratic Hair Metal balladry in the form of “She's My Lady”, this time a la Whitesnake. Last of all “Long Overdue” is an interesting experiment in what Queensryche may have sounded like if they had have kept their heaviness post-Empire but the title pretty much sums up the sentiment at the end of this listening experience. After 53 minutes it's hard not to be glad that this is over.

The awkward length is another issue as it means that tracks 1 through 7 are crammed onto side 1 of the record whilst the last track of the original 31 minute release sits incongruously alongside the unreleased stuff on the other. Releasing this as a DLP would incur the same problem as the much-needed expensive remaster job (and that new artwork doesn't look cheap either), but all the same would it not have made more sense to have the album as originally intended and the far superior (“She's My Lady” aside) bonus tracks on a separate slab of wax? Whilst we're going down that route, was their really any need to re-release an album so poor at all, especially when there is no sought after first vinyl pressing going for $$$ on ebay, anyone who has a CD copy will probably pay you just to take it off their hands and Byron Nemeth has the mp3s on his website for free? The only thing I can hear on here worthy of being re-released are 3 of the 4 bonus tracks, and those could've been done as a separate EP. If you can find these songs online to check out first you may want to pick this up to have those, or maybe even just for the sake of US Power Metal completism. Otherwise this whole thing is an unmitigated failure. [2/10]

Aska- Nine Tongues[Pure Steel Records]

Aska are somewhat of an anomaly in the respect that they did what few others dared do in the mid-1990's and play traditional Heavy Metal. Having released two fairly decent LPs with Aska already since 2000 this 1997 album has been uneathed by Pure Steel Records. Given that in 1997 only a handful of US Metal veterans remained (Chastain, Jag Panzer, Halloween as well as Warlord off-shoot Lordian Guard) does this album sit alongside as another relic of a time when only a few bastions of Metal purity remained? Opening

track “The Stalker” would definitely suggest so with that rapid-fire opening riff sits somewhere between Judas Priest and Warlord, and George Call's natural range, powerful deep vocals and well-placed high screams make me see why he once sang live for Omen. It's by no means the stuff of classics, but it is solid enough especially given its time, but as soon as the song fades into the follow-up “Leprosy” the wheels well and truly fly off the cart.

On paper the bringing in of a pinch of mid-paced Hard rock stomp to flavour the album's sound like a fair enough proposition, and really on this track the Krokus vibe that is supplied is not all that bad. The lyrics however are woeful and immediately turn this album from a potential true Metal rarity to a mid 90's ill-advised cock rock turkey. Instead of providing an additional sonic instead this vibe is allowed to dominate.

“Question” makes the mistake of trying to mix the two opposing styles from the opening 2 tracks whilst “Little Sister” with it's awful Sunset Strip borderline paedophilia and “Captain Crunch” with it's GWAR vibe shorn of any real balls are the album's 2 lowest points. Where actual Heavy Metal does crop up again it is unfortunately not in the way hinted at with the opening track, but instead occupying a strain of commercial late 80's Metal that is equal parts Helloween and Queensryche with a touch of Dio here and there. When it is not being ruined by sub-Guns n Roses balladry like on “Blood Of The Wolf” it actually works pretty well, but the big soppy love number “Killashandra” that inexplicably seems to be dedicated to a woman named after a village in rural Ireland made famous by an IRA song and the album topper “The Dream” comes too late to make any real difference. This album may not be the Nu Metal monstrosity that I thought it would have been when I first saw the red moodlit photo of the dreadlocked devil woman on the cover, but nevertheless Pure Steel should have left this in the mid-90's where it belongs. [3/10]

Bloody Climax- Back To The Wall[Kathargo Records]

Does anyone ever actually think those re-release album series covers where the original artwork is framed in a vault or some sort of stone actually look good? This Bloody Climax reissue is the first in one such series from Kathargo Records entitled “Heavy Metal Classics” and while the original muted plain black sleeve with its slanted sci-fi band logo and bizarrely chosen Chinese takeaway menu album font was not exactly much of a looker to begin with, it certainly has not been improved by this treatment. More to the point I have to take issue with the decision to reissue this on CD at all, especially when the half hour of bonus tracks on the same disc break up the flow of the album and make this feel like more like a compilation. Given the fact as well that this 1985 rarity is one of the most difficult to find and expensive to buy German Metal records of all time (in the same league as triple

figure relics like Black Fate and Creature) surely a double LP with the bonus tracks would have made much more sense?

One thing that I have absolutely zero arguments with though is the music. One of the rarerst records in German Metal history it may be, but the people this will appeal to most by far are NWOBHM fanatics. Opening cut “Edge Of The Daring” lays down the foundation of Saxon/Tygers Of Pan Tang influence that prevails throughout, as well as introducing the uniquely melodic and almost fragile vocals of Matthias Müller that call to mind the likes of Paul Gaskin. Other NWOBHM classic bands are evoked too, such as Holocaust on the title track, early Def Leppard on “Turning In Circles” and a host of great bands like Demon, Sparta and Virtue on “Living In The Night.” In short, for real fans of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal this is utterly essential.

It's influences may be worn firmly on the sleeve but Bloody Climax were not without their own discernible style, and the songwriting is at times wonderfully unique and inventive. The closest they come to dud tracks are on the anti-climatic closer to the album portion of the CD, “No Paragon”, and the earlier instrumental “Bloody Climax”, but when it comes to songs like “Turn To Ice”, “Living In The Night” and “Turning In Circles” they rank as some of the best songs I have ever heard in this style. They really are that good!

The first of the 2 bonus tracks are taken from a 1987 split that was to be the band's swansong which shows that they seemed to be taking a faster route towards the end, verging into Avenger-esque Speed Metal territories but retaining their sweet ultra-melodic vocals and guitar lines. First among the unreleased songs “Fight For My Life” has a thinner yet rougher production to accompany its more rocky vibe, similar to the Jameson Raid-like album track “Cinderella”, and really stands out thanks to the raw unproduced vocals which sound quite unlike any of the other songs. This anomaly aside though the remaining bonus tracks are all stone cold killer cuts in their own right, and “Taken By Force” in particular demonstrates just how much more this band had to offer than what they did in their short lifetime as a band. Make no mistake, this may be the best unearthed 80's Metal rarity of recent times. [9/10]

Branikald- Тингов наслаждаясь распрей[BlazeBirth Hall]

Originally self-released on tape in 2000 during Branikald's most musically fruitful, yet also most obscure, period this album (known in English as Ravaged By The Battle Of Things) finally sees the light of day on CD. Viewed alongside earlier efforts (essentially everything from début Varg Fjerne a Tornet up until Жизнеотрицанью жизневероломство/A Life Betrayal To A Life Denial) there is much less emphasis on lengthy compositions and droning Norse-style buzzing darkness, and this album definitely figures into the 1999 til 2001 creative burst for Branikald where it once again for the first time since the demos became a solo project of Kaldrad.

That phase was bookended by 2 releases on Stellar Winter records, firstly the all-time genre classic Хладавзор/Blikk Av Kald and the swansong of Триумф Воли/Triumph Des Willens, but the core of it was a trilogy of ambient-leaning self-releases in 2000 that to this day even with the aid of the internet are hard to find in either hard copy or digital formats. Раздувая Тинг Ветров/Rising Up The Thing Of Winds was reissued on CD in 2011 by Stellar Winter, and now this leaving only the first part of the series, Струн Натянутых Вдохновенья Сталь/The Strings Of Inspiration Sing yet to be unearthed. That of course means that this is not the last piece of the Branikald puzzle, but for fans of the BlazeBirth Hall sound, especially it's musical and spiritual heights, this is just as essential.

Aside from the total straight-ahead Black Metal blitzing of the title track here (distinguished by its unique and distant crashing drum sound) which is actually pretty refined this is the rawest effort of the 3 Branikald albums from 2000. After a brief haunting piano intro track “By The Surf Of The Waves Of Inspiration” takes flight with a rawness that is very similar to the Kveldulv album, but also an undeniably epic strain in the rough melodies and vocal style that is equal parts Moonblood, Bathory and even early Falkenbach. Along with the raw, blustery and quite hypnotic track that follows, “To The Spirit Of Valour” you can really see where this band had major stylistic influence on raw melodic acts of the future like Pagan Hellfire and the whole Metal Noír Quebecoís scene in Canada. Aside from an admirably seamless blending of the second of two 6-minute long ambient interludes to bridge between the title track and the closer “Of Will And Fury” there is not much to shout about in the second half of this album, and it also suffers slightly from the fact 13 years on it is beginning to sound a little dated. I would definitely not recommend this over Kveldulv or Blikk Av Kald as an entry point to this band or style, but for anyone looking for a more in-depth initiation, for a complete collection or even just an important piece of Black Metal evolution this is definitely an album to pick up. [7/10]

Halloween- No One Gets Out[Pure Steel Records]

A gap of 7 years between a first and second album is a rare thing, and rarer still that a band seven years older can keep the flame of youth and creativity burning for that long without choking out. Halloween achieved that feat with this sophmore LP all the way back in 1991 though, and here it is at last with a vinyl re-release, the first 100 on green vinyl.

The unusual gap between recordings is alluded to in the song “7 Years” which is a powerful statement of distaste at the collapse of Metal in the early 90's and of a stubborn willingness to give up regardless of that. In that interim the Detroit Horror Metal masters evidently kept up with shifting trends as in tracks like the opening title track, “Crawl To The Altar” and even the more mid-paced number from deep in this 51 minute opus “The Thing That Creeps.” Touches and Megadeth and Overkill are detectable, but ultimately the template of

traditional US Metal, particularly of the slow variety, is not abandoned.

“If I Die You Die” is the first track of this type coming in right behind the contrasting “No One Gets Out Alive”, and boasts some pretty killer lyrics positing on mortality, but it really isn't til the run of great songs beginning with the almost inspirational “Kings” that this takes off. From there the epic 8 minute “Sanity In Danger” begins with its genuinely unnerving spoken intro (one of the best in Metal history, hands down) and captures upon a vibe like King Diamond at his solo material's best, and with huge touches of Candlemass for the doomy elements. The triumvirate of classics is rounded off with almost equally as long slow-burn ballad “Miss Eerie's Child.” Both musically and lyrically this track is so simple, yet so infectious and genius at the same time. Without a doubt the central 20 minutes of this album are the best that Halloween, and among the best than any US Heavy/Power Metal band, ever committed to tape.

The only thing that stops this surpassing the 1984 classic of Don't Metal With Evil is that this quality is not maintained throughout. There is nothing at all bad about the Lizzy Borden-ish mid-paced rocker “Halloween” and the homage to their hometown and heroes with a cover of “Detroit Rock City” (though personally I felt the Kiss cover would've worked better as a live recording), but they take the edge off the album's concision and power just enough to stop this becoming Halloween's finest ever output. It is still among the best traditional Heavy Metal albums of the 1990's though, and an essential purchase for anyone with an interest in the band. [8/10]

Halloween- Horror Fire[Pure Steel Records]

The decision by Pure Steel to reissue this particular Halloween album from 2006 alongside No One Gets Out (with 1997's Victims Of The Night getting the treatment last year), thereby skipping out the interceding Tricks, Treats And Tales From The Crypt from 2003, would seem to suggest a discerning level of quality control from the label. Alarm bells start to ring straight away though when the daunting 68 minute length and 19 track album looms. Given that keeping consistent throughout the album length was the only letdown factor with No One Gets Out, surely an even longer album might prove to not be Halloween's forte?

The album starts with “I Am”, an overlong and frankly daft spoken word intro (even by Halloween's standards who occasionally can make these sounds genuinely spooky) that is a similar bad omen for the overall quality of this album- as are the 2 intros to the proper opening track “Wake Up Screaming” that follow. It is fully 3 and a half minutes in total before the first riff is heard, and while this song has other features to recommend it like the slick and powerful modern production and Brian Thomas clever use of internal rhyme in the lyrics, overall it is a bit average and not worth the wait. The growing feeling seems to be that this album has a lot of excess fat in need of trimming compared to their leaner and more straight-to-the-point previous efforts.

The rest of the first side of this DLP is actually pretty decent thanks to the melodic rocker “Halloween Night” that incorporates a vibe somewhere in between early Demon and early Def Leppard, the powerful number “The Crush” and album high-point “Exist.” The latter of these 3 tracks in particular show not only the band being able to adapt to modern production values without losing the core of their classic sound, but also how much Brian Thomas' has kept his characterful voice and status as one of the best lyricists in Metal. “The Crush” and “Exist” in particular could not have been written without a sense of venerable world-weariness so in one respect at least Halloween have gotten better with age. Unfortunately that is the only respect in which this is true, and this is the last thing on this album to be positive about.

Some of the tracks on the other 3 sides to this DLP are merely filler rather than outright bad- in particular “Candles”, “Nobody's Home” and “The Battles.” Writing an album of this length late into a band's career is a pretty risky venture unless they have a strong concept to work from as it goes against the natural decline of a band's well of creativity as age sets in. “Fire Still Burns” ironically proves this point by showing Halloween's creativity flame flickering dangerously close to burning out. The attempt from the band to counter this by modernising is what turns this from an album of dullness to one of embarrassment.

The less that is said about the pointless interludes and outro and the surprisingly ill-fitting cover of Alice Cooper's “Go To Hell” the better, but where this really falls down is the inclusion of modern “groovy” riffs. It starts with the utterly flat and lifeless “The Seer” and gets steadily worse by trying to incorporate sound mid-90's Sepultura bounce and Hatebreed aggression on “Rage” but where it becomes really difficult to take is on “Head Against The Wall” with it's use of the word fuck in the lyrics, “Coming To Life” with its tough guy shtick and closing track “Fighting Words” which has both. It is even more disappointing because at the beginning of “Fighting Words” it sounds almost like it is going to be a big ballad number, something that would have worked so much better. Just as it requires the weight of years to be palatable behind the voice to make it sound authentic, anger needs youth to make it sound real, and that is something that Brian Thomas simply doesn't have.

I haven't heard Halloween's latest album from 2012, but after this to get back on track they really need to reassess their limitations. The fact that it exceeds even this 70 minute steamer for length and carries the Sepultura namesake title of Terrortory would suggest that they haven't though. How the mighty have fallen. [3/10]

Jackal- Cry Of The Jackal[Pure Underground Records]

In an unusual fashion for a reissue of a late 80's obscurity like this one this edition is actually the first time Jackal's sole 1989 album has been available on vinyl as the original release in The Netherlands was only as a self-

released CD. For extra attractiveness to collectors and completists the original 6-track 30 minute long album has been squeezed on to the first side of the wax while tracks from their 1987 and 1991 demos make up the flipside, and also rather unusually for rarely heard-of records from that era it also sounds fairly fresh for its time. Rather than taking part in the recycling of decade old ideas that helped to foster Heavy Metal's decline this album fits into the timeframe of where the melodic and progressive sides of the genre were headed at the tail end of the 80's.

Despite the often somewhat simplistic riffs on the album points of comparison can be made to Queensrÿche and Somewhere In Time/Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son-era Maiden throughout, and always for better or for worse Jackal utilise a pretty unique sound. On the first 2 of the final 3 tracks, the ones from their 1991 demo, the similarities to Queensrÿche become even more pronounced while the final song “Enchantress” has a bounce and groove to it whilst retaining metal traditionalism that bridges the gap with the popular acts of the time like Faith No More and Living Color. If Jackal had have been picked up by a label at this time they could possibly have achieved a modicum of success where it not for one massive spanner in the works- the vocals.

There has certainly been worse attempts made on the mic in this genre but frankly they make looking positively on this band as a whole an insurmountable task. On album opener “Pain In The Ass” they are more of a curiosity, though they also show the total flatness and lack of drama that makes “Pharaoh” such an awkward listen. They improve slightly on “The Law” whilst the higher notes managed on “Nightmare” give a bit of a post-Keepers Helloween vibe. It's unfortunate though that the best song on this album is the self-titled instrumental, and with nothing else to say I think that sad fact says it all. [3/10]

Mystifier- The World Is So Good That Who Made It Doesn't Live Here

[Nuclear War Now!]

Although this obscure 1996 cut from Mystifier's back catalogue deserved this re-release on the basis of it being the first ever vinyl edition alone, it is also an important piece of Black Metal history in dire need of unearthing and wider dissemination. 3 years in the making after Göetia this was an ambitious album that drew away from Mystifier's primitive roots by mirroring and even furthering a lot of what was going on in European Black Metal at the time, and was lightyears ahead of any of their South American peers. For the most part the playing is still raw and riddled with imperfections, but compared with the stifling and primitive school of blasphemy where they had their genesis this is incredibly layered and atmospheric stuff with more in common with the Hellenic and Central European, and occasionally English, styles of Black Metal.

Opening track “Give The Human Devil His Due” still has all the hallmarks of their first 2 albums- killer wicked solo, menace-dripping riffs, bestial vocals and those keyboards that

littered the previous albums now swamp this one. The first example of them here combined with the whispered vocals give a sort of Cradle Of Filth/Hecate Enthroned feel, but elsewhere this has the rich, dense layers and ambitious structuring of the likes of Masters Hammer, Mortuary Drape and Necromantia. The lyrics too are a big signifier of the ambitiousness that no other Brazilian band was showing at the time, but for fans of real 80's Metal ov dess there is thankfully room for some Metalenglish speak as well- my personal favourite being “Hey! Have a look as your spirit is so weight” on the third track “The Death Of An Immortal (According To The Astral Light).”

Even compared alongside such timeless classics that this shares a sound with such as All The Witches Dance and Crossing The Fiery Path this album has aged remarkably well. In fact the only elements to take issue with are those that would have sounded as goofy in 1996 as they do now- namely the clean vocals. They range from wonderfully amateur attempts at Pavarotti-style tenor canti (good), to the heavily accented more spoken style (not so good.) In fact, those that begin the album are so daft it might even put first time listeners off venturing any further, and even many listens it will be hard not to giggle at that opening drunken splutter of “Attack fire against fire, when your enemies attack you.” The last time I heard vocals this absurd it was on the truly awful Monty Python-referencing album by French Thrash band Résistance that got slated in WOAF #1.

These dopey half-baked vocals are a bad that unfortunately has to be taken with the good on this album, but thankfully nearly everything else is of sterling quality. The keyboard parts tend towards extreme simplicity, very basic melodies made of only two or three notes, but their evocativeness cannot be understated- especially on “Idolatry.” The bass guitar deserves a special mention too for the strange melody it provides on “A Chant To The Goddess...” and also “The Death Of An Immortal” which has to rate as one of the strongest bass performances ever on an album in this genre. The album finale “Moonick (Why Does It Never Rain On The Moon)” is by far the best track on here though with its emotionally deep Death/Doom atmospherics mixed once again with that sickly, Gothic Cradle Of Filth vibe, some great guitar lead work too courtesy of Headhunter D.C. man Paulo Lisboa and is a total riff-fest too to boot! The last minute and a half though are where it is really at; simply spectacular songwriting that moved South America out of the Black/Death Metal dark ages and paved the way for other ambitious acts from the region like Inquisition. Ignoring the ill-fitting 2 bonus songs that NWN! have tacked on to this, losing a point in the process for ruining the album flow, The World Is So Good... is one of the pieces of Black Metal wax you will pick up this year. [8/10]

Skinflint- Iklwa[Pure Steel Records]

If you haven't heard of Skinflint before then you can hardly be blamed seeing as they are Botswana's first Heavy Metal band, making them geographically speaking one of the most

obscure acts around. They are now also now the first band (to my knowledge) to hail from sub-Saharan Africa to have proper distribution in the northern hemisphere, both for their 3rd

album released earlier in 2013 and this reissue of their second album from back in 2010. Considering how, whether a fan of traditional Heavy Metal or not, most people will have a natural curiosity in how this band sounds I have to say releasing these 2 albums is a smart business choice for Pure Steel. One might expect the label to promote this find of theirs rather shamelessly, like a conquistador returning with “savage” people in chains, or that the promo sheet for this release might read like one of Alexander The Great's letters to Aristotle, but in fact what they have written is very sober, preferring to talk about the music rather than dwell on the curiosity of the band's location. In their haste to infer that this is a band whose music would stand up regardless of where they came from Pure Steel even make bold comparisons to the mighty Manilla Road and Cirith Ungol- boasts that unfortunately prove to be hollow.

Pure Steel don't seem to be interested of playing a game of trivialising or fetishising Skinflint's difference, but there will still be listeners looking to do so, some out of innocent curiosity some maybe out of a more sinister intention of wanting to find grounds to reinforce their stereotypes of Africa and its people. Unfortunately this album's 2 and a half minute intro track seems to do that for them. It sounds equal parts like Iron Maiden's “Quest For Fire” and those “New Age/World Music” albums made by anthropologists where they exploit choirs of pygmy natives and never pay them royalties- narrated by the baboon from The Lion King.

Before anyone attempts to aim of a charge of racism at me for that description let me say that it comes from the fact I feel it has a potential to be demeaning and embarrassing, the same way as an Irishman I find a lot of “Celtic” Metal embarrassing and even offensive. There's incorporating your own culture into Metal and that's all well and good, but you also need to know when it fits and when it doesn't, and unfortunately this kitsch spoken word piece just doesn't add anything positive.

For anyone listening with racialized motivations the “fun” for them mostly stops there. Sure there is some “ooh-ooh!” chants on opening track proper “Iron Pierced King” and the lyrics do dwell on Botswana warrior culture and history (for example “Mbube The Great”) but at no point does this break into Sepultura style tribal Metal. The music is far from great though, and those comparisons to Manilla Road and Cirith Ungol never really materialise. A case might be made for the slower tracks like “Burning The Soul With Diesel” and “The Fallen” but it's hard to make a true analysis between these tracks and an album like Frost And Fire when it sounds so thin. That lack of dynamism in the production is the main issue, rather than anything to do with the musicianship and in any case sounding thus was probably inevitable given the location. Most bands from impoverished southern hemisphere countries get away with poor production values as part of their charm,

as is the case with South American or Southeast Asian Black/Death/Thrash bands, but as a traditional Metal band Skinflint aren't really afforded that luxury. Rather than distributing their 3 albums to date maybe Pure Steel would be better helping the band get to somewhere in Europe for future recordings?

There is musical aptitude here, particularly in the solo sections where this album is at its most enjoyable, but overall I would say that Skinflint are far too indebted to Iron Maiden. There is taking influence from someone and then there is hero-worship in need of toning down, like on “Profit Making Funeral” which sounds like various guitar, bass and drum bits from various Maiden songs simply stitched together in new combinations. It is far from the worst Maiden rip-off band I've come across, but without a second guitarist to harmonise those guitar leads they are not going to be one of the best at it either. Curiosity, for whatever purpose, is going to be the main reason to check this album out, but as for a reason for repeat listens there really is none. [2/10]

Skinflint- Dipoko[Pure Steel Records]

I toyed with the idea of putting this review in the main section, as Dipoko only had its African CD-R release in 2012 I figured the material was still fresh enough to warrant inclusion, especially as this is the first time it's really been available in the rest of the world. Instead I put it here along with Pure Steel's recent reissue of the Botswana band's 2nd

longplayer, and compared to previous efforts by Skinflint, this is a big step-up in quality.

Aside from the fact the spoken word intro is a hell of a lot less kitsch this time the most obvious sign of this is the improvement in the guitar tone. Sections such as the mid-paced Maiden gallop on “Blood Ox Ritual” and the melodic leads at the end of “Mask Of The Dead” are good enough that they successfully disguise the fact that this band have only one guitarist which previously, apart from the low production values and poor guitar tone, was the biggest factor in how flat and empty the music sounded. With this advancement though has come a catch which is that the early Iron Maiden bass sound so well mimicked on Iklwa has disappeared and been replaced by a pretty horrible elastic band plucking noise, and despite the fact previously I thought Giuseppe Sbrana's heavily-accented Bruce Dickinson impersonation was a bad example of excessive hero worship here I really do wish he was able to hit some high notes more appropriate to this style than his own natural growl.

Piece Of Mind and Powerslave are still the foundations that this is built on, but it is the songs where this plays less of a role where Skinflint's biggest advancements become clear. I still don't get that Cirith Ungol vibe that the label insists is there even on the slower “Blood Ox Ritual” but it nevertheless shows some semblance of power as do the slightly Thrash-tinged “The Mists Of Madness” and the chorus-driven “Iron Mamba.” I still think that if they are left to their own devices in Botswana their newfound northern hemisphere listeners will still see only their novelty value.

Skinflint's future should hopefully lie in being flown north to Europe where they can be partnered with an experienced producer to untap their potential, as left on their own at this rate of progress it will still take several albums more til they show anything of true quality. [5/10]

The Mezmerist- The Innocent, The Forsaken, The Guilty

[Shadow Kingdom Records]

Given that it is a rarity that has only appeared on ebay less than 2 dozen times and fetches between $150-500 the physical rarity and monetary value of this 12” EP from 1985 doesn't need to be elaborated much more than that. However this records's appeal I believe is as much to do with its back story and character as its extreme rarity, so while this CD reissue won't affect those high prices it seems almost a shame to allow such a mysterious Metal artefact to be pressed onto that ignoble format. This looks and sounds like a deleted episode of Doctor Who in which the Doctor arrived to earth in 1983, disguised himself as a California guitar-wizard with a skullet called “Thomas Mezmercado” (a man who nothing is known about except for this release), replete with the Doctor's usual outrageous fashion sense, somehow managed to recruit Bill Ward (yes, that Bill Ward) on drums and then record this 4 song EP, which has been bumped with 3 songs from a later unreleased demo for the benefit of those who already have the vinyl.

The intro track titled “The Forsaken” is a piece of pure Hawkwind worship with its poetic fantasy narration, particularly akin to their Warrior At The Edge Of Time LP, and this old Psych/Prog influence is spread through the soloing on all these tracks and begs comparison's to Paul Chain Violet Theatre at every turn. The Doom side of the equation that begins on “Dead Ones Cry No More” is very similar to early Cirith Ungol rhythms, both in the drumming and the basslines, and the percussive claps give this an irresistibly catchy vibe in spite of how nuts it is. What separates this from other bands in this style and of that era though is the crazy vocals, a child-like nasal early Mercyful Fate-style falsetto.

Those comparisons to the Danish Metal kings don't stop at the vocals on “Arabian Nights” which sounds like a really demented, trippy outtake from around the time of “Nuns Have No Fun”, and “Victim Of Environmental Change” provides a similarly leftfield on a standardised Metal sound by adding a slightly Nu Wave robotic vocal approach to it's Witchfinder General-meets-Jameson Raid vibe. As the bass gets funkier in the second half of this track it seemingly pre-empts what Faith No More would be doing a few years later, and this bizarre clairvoyance rears its head on the bonus tracks again when the Thin Lizzy/Iron Maiden gallop of “No Family, No Friends” gives way to riffing that is a dead ringer for Nirvana- half a decade before Grunge was incepted. The more I think about it, maybe my Doctor Who theory isn't so unlikely after all... Either way, this is one of the true unique relics of Metal history. It has its pointers, but on the whole it is quite unlike anything that has gone before or come since. [7/10]

Hails to Dead Lord!

Although a good few of our readers may be familiar with you by now, either from your excellent Goodbye Repentance album on High Roller Records or from live appearances like at Muskelrock festival, I still always find it's good to get a bit of history of the band to start with. How did you form? Who had the original vision of what Dead Lord would be? As members were gathering how were each chosen? Was their a goal or a vision in mind straight from the beginning? How long were you together as a band before going in to record your No Prayers Can Help You Now 7”?

(Hakim Krim- guitar and vox) Hey! Well I guess it all started with me getting tired of my old band. I decided to quit that band and move to Stockholm. I didn’t really have a plan, but I knew Adam from meeting him at gigs and festivals. I asked him to try some songs out with me. At first he wasn’t too keen on it, but after a few weeks of nagging, he eventually gave it a try and it sounded great right away. After that we looked around for musicians who's playing we liked. We both knew Olle and Tobbe, also from meeting them at parties and at gigs. We asked them and they were up for it.

I think we hit the studio after maybe three weeks as a band. And by that time we had only rehearsed together as a whole band three times or so. While recording the 7”, we didn’t really know what would become of the recordings. Eventually I talked to Sven from Antichrist and asked him whether he could pass the recordings on to the High Roller Records guys. He did, and a few weeks later we had a 7” in our hands.

I guess I have always been the driving force in the band. I write most of the songs, take care of the business part, etc. I also did the band logo, merch layouts and website. I think I must have been pretty clear on what I wanted when starting Dead Lord. A good clean twin guitar rock band. The only thing I didn’t really plan was to do the vocals. It just ended up that way.

From the sound on both on the 7” and the LP I get a feeling that you have a very loose and organic way of working in the studio. How relaxed do you approach songwriting and recording? Are things like using vintage gear or working specifically Ola as producer on both releases (going as far as to head to Sun Studios in Dublin for the album) important in creating your authentically 70's-referencing sound?

I guess you could say that it’s a pretty relaxed atmosphere in the studio. We like to get in there and really just play the songs, have a couple of beers and have a good time. Just like we do on stage. Maybe add a harmony or extra solo here and there, but that’s pretty much it. We feel that a band should sound on record the way they sound on stage. And that’s what we set out to capture. Using gear that is old isn’t too important, but the thing is that the vintage style amps sound way better. Way more organic and dynamic. That’s why we use them. We like drums that sound like drums, bass that sound like bass, and vocals that doesn’t sound like synthesizers. We never really talked about it, though. We just happened to have the same taste in tone. In my opinion nearly all of the modern rock bands nowadays use way too much distortion and compression, and that

tends to just sound dull and boring. When it comes to writing, It’s pretty relaxed as well. Everyone usually gets into it. Even if I write most of the songs, Olle and Adam usually come up with ideas too. Some songs are written through jamming, and some by co-writing with each other.

Thanks in particular to Hakim and Olle's twin guitar style the band has so far been most heavily compared to Thin Lizzy, sometimes coming close to being written off as a tribute act. While the Lizzy comparison is not one I would shy away from I feel it runs a lot deeper in your music than simply the harmonising guitar style. Hakim's vocal style for example definitely evokes Phil Lynott at least in delivery and timbre, the lyrical themes and patterns on “Hank” make it a perfect listening accompaniment to to Lizzy classic “Johnny” and “No More Excuses” shows a brilliant understanding of all facets of Thin Lizzy's brilliance, not just their straight up rocking, by calling to mind their ballads. To me the song is like a combination of “Sarah” and “Got To Give It Up.”

Does Thin Lizzy cast a long shadow over your songwriting style then, without being so overbearing as to dominate what you do? Also, while you were recording did you find time to do any Thin Lizzy tourist activities, like his statue outside Bruxelles pub or meeting Philomena Lynott? I have heard she is always keen to meet young bands influenced by her son.

Thin Lizzy has had an influence on my songwriting, but I think it has gotten

way too much focus. To me, we don’t sound more like Lizzy than any standard heavy metal band sounds like Accept or Iron Maiden. But my listening to Lizzy may have coloured my song writing a bit more than I’d like to understand.

I’m not really into all that fan stuff. I like to listen to songs and see concerts. Sometimes read a book about a band but that’s pretty much it. So I didn’t really care to do the Lizzy fan stuff when we were in Dublin. But somehow everyone in Dublin seems to have a story about how they know some guy from Lizzy. The cab driver who picked us up from the airport said that he was Brian Downey´s cousin. We heard stories like that our whole visit. Probably none of them were true.

However, I did meet Scott Gorham at a local pub here in Stockholm a few weeks ago. I gave him a copy of our album. I hope he likes it.

In addition to Thin Lizzy I hear a lot else going on in your sound, like other Classic Rock bands such as UFO and maybe a little bit of Rainbow, upbeat fellow Swedes like The Hellacopters and Imperial State Electric, but most of all Roky Erickson who Hakim tonally is a dead ringer for and that I also hear in that “clean” vintage sound you have on your recordings. “Ghost Town” in particular sounds like it could have fitting easily on Roky's classic The Evil One (Plus One) LP from the vocal lines to the spooky vibe right to the way it kicks up a notch for the final chorus. Have these or any other bands been big influences on you in the way that Thin Lizzy clearly has?

As a Swede Hellacopters is of course a great influence. Both me, Olle and especially Adam are huge Hellacopters fans. I don’t know about Martin (or Tobbe) but I’ve never heard them complain when we spin a Hellacopters record in the van. We know the guys as well, and that’s really inspirational too. We sometimes sit like little children listening when they tell us touring stories. Great guys, all of them!

As for other influences, you’re spot on. But we listen to everything from Venom and Darkthrone to Abba and Otis Redding.

Late in the Summer you announced that Tobbe had departed to focus on Enforcer, being replaced by Martin Nordin on bass. I am not familiar with Martin's background, so how did this changeover come about? Will this positively or negatively affect that great chemistry the band had in the studio on the first 2 recordings? Are Olle or Adam likely to have to follow suit at some point due to commitments with Morbus Chron or Sordid Flesh?

Tobbe told us straight up after a weekend tour, that he really didn’t feel 100% about Dead Lord There were no hard feelings and we are still friends. I understand him. I mean, he was on tour when we had our release party and he’s missed a lot of great gigs because of Enforcer. After all Enforcer is his main band, and we knew that from the start.

Adam and Olle however seems to have become Dead Lord as much as me, and that really is a heart warming feeling. It would be hard to have a Dead Lord without them, and I know they feel thesame way too. Martin, I’ve known since I was three years old. We went to the same school and he just happened to move to Stockholm the same week Tobbe decided to quit. He is a great musician and singer, and I really don’t know why we never played together before. I believe the chemistry has improved since he joined us. We have done some of our best shows with him and we recently recorded a split 7” with Black Trip. It sounds killer!

How have the level of gigs you play changed since the album release? The only bills I have seen your name on was Muskelrock and Hells Pleasure festivals over the Summer. Do you find yourself playing both Metal and specifically Hard Rock events and is important for your to target both scenes? How separate are the two in Sweden? Do you think a commercial breakthrough in your own country similar to The Hellacopters or Imperial State Electric might be possible at some stage?

We’ve been playing a few festivals and some clubs in Sweden. This spring we will be playing some more festivals in Sweden, a Spain tour and Hell Over

Hammaburg and Rock Hard festivals in Germany. More is being booked, and we are working our asses of.

I think a commercial breakthrough could be possible. It’s all about working hard. Whenever I talk to musicians who’s had their break they always seem to say that. I take their word for it, and try to do my best. We have the advantage of having both metalheads, rockers and dads in our fanbase. That’s great.

Speaking of the dual scenes you straddle of Hard Rock (thanks to your sound) and Metal (thanks to your associated members), how are you perceived by each of these? So far from what I have seen the response has been very positive from the Metal community, though with a few detractors. Often it seems that bands playing a Classic Rock style get criticised from Metal quarters for being overly derivative, though the same often doesn't get applied to purposefully retro Metal acts. Has their been much mudslinging of this kind aimed at Dead Lord?

To me it would make no sense as the band is no less indebted to Thin Lizzy than Adam's other band Morbus Chron are to Autopsy, or former member Tobias' other band Enforcer are to Iron Maiden/Tokyo Blade. Also, lately thanks to the efforts of yourselves and Vanderbuyst, as well as a resurgence in the likes of Ashbury and some knock-on effect from the Occult Rock craze the perception of Hard Rock in Metal circles seems to becoming a lot more favourable again. Have you noticed this?

We don’t really think too much about those things. We play and have fun. The response we have gotten so far has been overwhelmingly good. He have played Metal festivals, like the Getaway Rock Festival, and we played for a full house that night. So I don’t think there’s any conflict there. If there is, I’m too busy to mind it.

Anything you'd like to add?

Check out our video to Hammer To the Heart. It got done somewhat late, but it’s finally here. Check it out here: www.deadlord.com

Hails to Alleyway!

-Start off by giving us the history of the band. How did you join together to make this new 3-piece? Did you know each other from previous musical outfits beforehand? Some WOAF readers may remember Nick's band Razor Fist whose Metal Minds LP came out on High Roller a few years ago, but otherwise I think you may be complete unknowns to most.

Nick and I have been friends for many years now, as well as the other guys in Razor Fist. We’re all from the same city (Oskosh, Wisconsin) so naturally our earlier bands played a lot of shows together over the years. I attended a lot of Razor Fist shows and rehearsals. I guess you could say I was some sort of roadie at one point.

In my old bands I primarily played bass guitar, but a few years back I took an interest in the drums and started playing on my own. Then one day Nick called me up and asked to play with him on a new project he wanted to get started, which eventually became Alleyway.

To find a bass player that would fit well with Alleyway we recorded a demo (with Nick recording the bass tracks), just to make sure that our future bassist would be into what we were doing. Andy was on the top of our list for bass players. His old band, Upon Extinction has played some shows with Razor Fist, and is a big supporter of local Heavy Metal, and has promoted shows in the past. We asked him to come down and check us out, and he immediately hopped on board with Alleyway.

-How quickly did you get musical ideas together for your debut LP No Last Call? Was it confidence in the material that meant you went to this stage rather than go through releasing demos first? Given the style I think you might have a pretty loose approach to songwriting so was this a factor in the quickness of getting your shit together too?

I believe it’s safe to say that Nick is a good songwriter. He has most of the songs written before we even started playing together. As stated in the previous question, we did record a demo(although never released). It was the same eight songs that are on the LP. The next step was to go into the studio, record, and release it as soon as we could. Many bands in the local scene (including bands we’ve previously played in) take far too long to have anything released, so we wanted to have something out right away. We wanted a real raw sound so to answer your question, yes we were confident in our material to release a record right away.

-The most obvious influence seems to be Motörhead, but is there anyone else who has had a particularly big impact on your sound? How closely aligned do you feel to other heavily Motörhead-influenced band who abound these days, such as Midnight, Panzerbastard, Hammer Fight and Iron Fist in the United States, or internationally guys like Baphomet's Blood, Atomic Roar, Inepsy, Asomvel and Whipstriker? Even though the seeds for the style were laid as far back as Gehennah in Sweden in the mid-90's and their “Headbangers Against Disco” campaign the past decade has probably seen the biggest mixing of Heavy and Death/Black Metal styles with Punk to create what is generally called Metalpunk, but lately there seems to be a trend within the trend to ditch the Black Metal and Punk bits and focus just on the Motörhead and NWOBHM/proto-Speed Metal elements. In particular this has been happening in America with the likes of Speedwolf and even the last Midnight album, so do you feel comfortable to but put in the same category as those guys?

Nick’s concept for Alleyway was do something COMPLETELY different than Razor Fist. He wanted it to be stripped down and raw, with a Rock n Roll party aesthetic. Much less technical

than RF. Much of our sounds draws influence from old Punk and Metal bands we listened to in our younger days. Some of our song structure is heavily influenced by The Misfits and Samhain. Some of those old Misfits songs are so raw and simplistic, which was something we wanted to do with Alleyway. We’re all Motörhead fans but we never said “Ok let’s start a band that sounds like Motörhead”, but we never said we wanted to sound like anyone. We wanted our music to be our own. For myself and being a new drummer I was listening to a lot of crossover bands I haven’t listened to in years- Sacrilege, English Dogs, and Black Uniforms a lot of Metal and Punk out of the UK. I think some of my drum parts came out differently than I expected, but overall we were satisfied with our sound.

I think it’s great to be put into the same category as some of those bands you mentioned. I’m glad to see this “Metalpunk” genre make some sort of comeback. While we were putting the album together some of us started to discover some of these bands. We’ve actually been compared to Midnight a few times, which is appreciated. The Midwest doesn’t have many bands that do anything like what we are doing, so it’s fuckin' cool to see a band like Midnight, coming straight out of Cleveland, gain in popularity and play Heavy Metal festivals all over the world.

Lastly, Alleyway has no problem being put into the same category with bands that veer more into the NWOBHM style, but I can’t say that we will ever ditch the Punk influence. We’re still a young band so there’s know way of knowing what we will evolve into yet. We just wanna party!

-One of the things I like most about your album is the downright simplicity of it all, and that literally all the tracks just drip with sex, drugs and Rock n Roll. None of it seems forced or tongue in cheek, or like it is trying to cash in on a trend. Is

Alleyway a reflection of how you guys live outside the band? Are any of these songs influenced by real life tales of debauchery worth being retold here?

Yeah, it's definitely a reflection of how we live outside of the band. Some things are obviously exaggerated, but the songs on the album are all based off our experiences in our lives.

-It's also worth mentioning that No Last Call is only available on vinyl. Why did you choose only to release on this format? I have to admire the DIY ethic of going the whole hog yourself rather than releasing on a cheaper and easier format and use that to try and attract a label into footing the bill for the vinyl version. Are you considering releasing on CD or tape also if you get an offer from the right label though?

Well, one of the main reasons we decided to release the album ourselves was from Nick’s experience with the Razor Fist LPs being released from a German label. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have a label whatsoever release your music, and from Germany at that, but those guys didn’t received very many LPs from the label as they were expensive to ship. People from the US often complained that they couldn’t find the LP within the US at the time.

So we just decided to go ahead and release the vinyl ourselves. We did want to release it on CD as well but we really could only afford to do one so we decided to go all out and release it on vinyl.

It’s always great to see a label take interest in your music. So, we would be more than willing to let a label release the album on a different format.

-Another reason why I like the fact you have self-released your vinyl album is because it puts me in mind of all the “private press” LPs that came out of the midwest during the glory era of 80's American Metal from bands like Lester Maddox, Halloween, Coven, Dungeon, Ivory Tiger, Fortress and of course, the first couple of Manilla Road records. To me this was America's equivalent to the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, and the relative remoteness of the Midwest from the glitz and glamour of the cluster of big cities in the Northeast seems to have fostered a lot of creativity and individuality in that period. That being said, is your location an issue when it comes to playing live? How often do chances to play outside of your home state arise? Is it ever really possible to recoup your costs for driving a state or two over for single gigs, and is touring a financial possibility for small bands at all these days?

Our location has never been an issue, and haven’t had any big problems getting gigs. Due to working on our LP we have only played outside of our home state twice this year, and both shows went well and were worth the long drive... Sure, it’s possible for small bands to tour these days without losing any money doing it. It’s all about connections and who you know. From all the bands that we’ve played with

over the years, we have quite a few contacts. I’d also like to add playing with touring bands on a local show is a great way to get a show outside of the area. Most smaller bands are willing to trade shows- if you help them get a gig on their tour, most of the time they’ll do the same for you when you’re on the read. It’s all about networking. Nearly all of the shows we’ve played thus far have been in the DIY Punk/Metal circuit, and it’s worked well for us as well as other bands. Everybody helps each other out and no one is trying to get rich off of anyone else.

-What are you plans for the future now? Are you already working on a follow-up album?

Right now we’re rehearsing songs for our second LP. We actually had over half of the new songs ready by the time No Last Call was released. Hopefully we’ll be going into the studio early 2014 to record. After that we plan on going on a US tour.

-Anything else you'd like to add?

Thanks for your interest in Alleyway! We still have copies available on our website alleyway.bandcamp.com. We’re also looking for distribution outside of the US., so if any labels or distros are interested in carrying our LP please contact us via our bandcamp. CHEERS!

Thank you! Cheers and beers!

[No Last Call is available now from alleyway.bandcamp.com as an LP or digital download]

Abysmal Grief- Feretri[Terror From Hell/Horror Records]

Given that the progenitors of the genre took their name from a Boris Karloff film you could say that horror is the indelible theme in all of Metal, or at the very least in Doom. Plenty of bands flirt with the topic and the imagery, usually sticking within a few select classic like The Devil Rides Out, but few bands take horror right to the core of their being as much as Abysmal Grief do. Whereas most bands looking to inject some of the horror and suspense of Italian 60's/70's cinema would use something a bit more obvious from Dario Argento's filmography Abysmal Grief instead opt for a more obscure Gialli for the cover art of this album entitled La Dama Rossa Uccide Sette Volte (or, The Lady In Red Kills Seven Times- a great song title if I ever heard one!) Nothing when it comes to the atmospherics on this album is handled lightly- the depth of it is incredible.

One of the reasons for this is the range of the sources both musical and literary that Abysmal Grief draw upon, so while they may ostensibly be a part of the great Italian “Purple Doom” tradition, in particular Paul Chain and Black Hole, the amount of that they are indebted to classic British Goth Rock is greater than ever before. Opening track “Lords Of The Funeral” has the vintage drum sound, sinister guitar tone and spooky organ keys of their Italian forebearers but also the warbly theatricality in the vocals of Carl McCoy from Fields Of The Nephilim.

From there “Hidden In The Graveyard” introduces a much heavier and rumbling bass tone while the vocals verge now more towards Bauhaus' Peter Murphy, and the synths imitate bowed string instruments. The cheapness of it actually suits Abysmal Grief's style more than a real orchestra would, and the decaying Gothic feel shines through in any case. The fact that synthesisers are used for these parts mirrors the different kind of vibes the band evoke- everything from 18th century fiction like Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker and Ann Radcliff, to the cheapest pulp paperback horror imaginable. Abysmal Grief manage to be equal parts sultry and classy, cheap and kitsch.

The bass tone has to be commended again on “The Gaze Of The Owl”, a sound that you can feel in the belly almost as much as those organ keys can be felt in the bones. The vocals also tend towards deep growling much more on this track also which provides a vibe not unlike early Cradle Of Filth. After that the album is on track for a masterful climax, but unfortunately “Her Scythe” doesn't quite deliver, and this album stops just short of topping 2009's Misfortune. [8/10]

Ӕ vangelist- Omen Ex Simulacra [Debemur Morti]

In the midst of Metal being at the most artistically and philosophically-challenging it has ever been it is easy to forget sometimes that at the end of the day the musicians behind those genre niches are just as human and just as prone to competitiveness as any others. In the 80's there was the race for Thrash bands to be the fastest; in the 90's Black Metal bands vied to outdo each other for evilness and lo-fi production and then of course in the late 90's Death Metal bands began tuning lower, introducing stupid pitch-shifted animal vocals and trying to be “more technical/br00tal than thou.” It would be nice to think warped, abyssal Death Metal would be exempt from childish combatativeness like this, but I fear that in trying to distinguish themselves from the small crowd of bands playing this style Ӕvangelist have gone too far. Some people have called the new Antediluvian album almost unlistenable, but at least on Logos everything seems driven by a unified theme. This album is a mess, and a long and obnoxious mess at that.

One of my main issues with this is that it feels like an album of two halves. The 12 and a half minute opener “Veils” starts off in a much more atmospheric fashion than most contemporaries like Mitochondrion or even Portal, to the point that this nearly has as much in common with the most confrontational Noise/Power Electronics artists like Whitehouse or Suttcliffe Jügend, and a real grimey early 90's Wax Trax! label roster tone to the drums. There are some of those typically disrhythmic riffs in there too, but it feels as though they are just another fragment in this sonic jumble- not given the pride of place they normally are on Metal records. I have no problem with that personally, and I wouldn't be averse to a whole album in this style, but it's unfortunate that this fairly groundbreaking approach isn't mirrored with similar unusualness thematically or aesthetically. If anything, Ӕvangelist are playing it a bit too safe here in that respect.

The album gets increasingly more Metal as the hour plus duration ticks along, first with blastbeats coming in on “Mirror Of Eden”, and then some tremelo-picked riffs on “Hell Synthesis.” The problem is though that the atmospheric noise elements sit like a blanket of static on this, muffling the riffs and strangling any memorability out of them. It is obnoxious to listen to, unnecessary and has no theme behind it- it seems driven only by the desire to take everything about their style and push to the nth degree, losing what made it enjoyable in the first place.

The album gets better in the second half, with the drum fills in the middle of “Prayer For Ascetic Misery” and the orthodox Death Metal groove and memorable riffs of “Relinquished Destiny” and “Seclusion” providing some standout moments. It just feels too much like a completely different album from how this started out. On the atmospheric half of the record they try too hard to beat their

contemporaries, and on the generic straight-up Metal side they don't try hard enough. [4/10]

Alleyway- No Last Call[self-released]

The more complex and confusing that the modern world and modern music get the more I become attracted to bands by who revel in their joyous childlike simplicity such as Alleyway. In a time when it is easy to get worn down by the myriad new forms that Rock music is being evolved into and in spite of our creativity we are all rapidly becoming worth less and less as individuals it sometimes serves well to remember where all this came from. Alleyway have a sound that goes right back to the (real) birth of Rock n Roll, with Link Wray slashing his amplifier in some piss-soaked seedy Boston pub and starting off that quest for pure awesome volume. This is the sound of total Rock n Roll, via a detour of East Coast Hardcore Punk and going right for the jugular in terms of speed, without out and out worshipping at the altar of Motörhead.

The keyword here is simplicity and it doesn't get simpler than tracks like “On The Rocks.” Some tracks here does have something slightly different to vary it, whether it's the slightly hazy tone to the riff of “Blazing” and the complete Danzig-era Misfits lovin' of “Rock n Roll Sex Machine”, but for the most part admittedly these songs are just variations on the same theme. The very short running time of 23 minutes should keep most from getting bored, and if you can check your prejudices at the play button then this really is an undeniably fun listen.

There is hints of dynamism here, like how frontman Nick slowly raises the tempo of his voice on each repeat of the chorus to “Need More Speed” or the pre-chorus to “Wasted In The City”, and both of these could have been teased out better with a broader production sound. For a self-release this sounds absolutely wicked though, and in almost every respect I feel this album outshines the frankly pretty disappointing Speedwolf album and sits very comfortably alongside fellow US spiritual brethren like Maax and Hammer Fight. It might take no brains to enjoy this album, but enjoying it should be a no brainer so grab a 6 pack and see how many you can down before this is over. [7/10]

Ape Machine- Mangled By The Machine[Ripple Music]

A band who has made strides to show elements of both old and new in their sound can be taken in one of two ways- on the one hand it can be seen as a sign of weakness, fear or even a commercial decision in order to try and appeal to more than one crowd, while on the other it can show a braveness, a willingness to not latch on to a particular trend. Were it not for their clearly modern values it would be easy to lump Ape Machine in with the current wave of 70's

worshipping retro-rockers, but owing to a few factors they defy that easy brushing off and categorisation.

For one thing their 21st century existence is unavoidable right from the opening riff of “Gun You Down” with it's awkward time signature, a reflection of chaotic modernity that permeates their otherwise traditional Rock output of this album. The band's name then reads like a mission statement- there is indeed a somewhat mechanical feel here, but it is a machine clearly fed on the neanderthal-like primordial soup of Rock n Roll. Yet despite the sometimes very modern approach to riff-writing and the slick production values there is one key way in which that has been kept very organic, one that goes against the grain of how many of their peers and even surpasses how many of their forebearers recorded albums- this whole record has been done as one continuous live take.

This may be admirable from the perspective that the band had to essentially learn this whole record as a single 39 minute ten-chapter piece and showing an old school mentality going back to the days when bands wouldn't enter a studio til they had rehearsed an album to perfection. Unfortunately though it has a huge dampening effect on the individual dynamism of songs. Recording in one take is a novel idea in this day and age, but taking a breather or even adding pauses in post-production would not have gone amiss. In this form it makes it damn near impossible to differentiate between songs, and even after repeated listens it makes it hard to link memorable chorus parts to specific song titles.

If you can accept this anomaly and view this album as one labyrinthine piece of songwriting then you might have an easier time with it, but that is hard to reconcile with the particular breed of 70's rock that Ape Machine are aping. There's an element of 60's Acid Rock to the vocals of “Ruling With Intent” (that unfortunately comes across more as an annoyance as anything else) but aside from that the more progressive, experimental and cerebral strains of Rock's family tree are left in favour of the catchier and more commercial ones. Deep Purple are channelled on “Every Body Bleeds” whilst “Grind Of Deafeat” takes it right up to the modern era with a particularly Red Fang-esque vibe. Grunge is a bit factor on the sound here too, unfortunately sounding a little dated as it often does on “Angry Man” but nevertheless this is a solid formula for middle of the road yet catchy Hard Rock with a commercial potential. It's just a pity that it is recorded in such a way to make it impossible to have mass appeal. Take heed Ape Machine, and keep the primates away from the producer's chair next time. [6/10]

Antediluvian- λόγος [Nuclear War Now!]

When Antediluvian completed their transformation from just another Incantation clone into one of Black/Death Metal's most incorrigibly individual beasts with their Through The Cervix Of Hawaah début album it was a moment of complete serendipitous nature. An album so uncompromising and birthed in such an abyssous black hole of musical evolution should not have been stacked

with such memorable, in some cases downright catchy, riffs and songs, but impossibly it was. Rather than try to repeat the experiment Antediluvian have chosen to strangle out all lingering rays of light in their burnt out musical star and in every respect from the artwork to the music itself this is a much more inaccessible and suffocating listen, and opening track “Homunculus Daimon-Eon” is as confrontational as this music gets.

That is not to say that by excluding part of what made Through The Cervix... so special they have made themselves any less intriguing, or that an album of this chaotic calibre required any less songwriting acumen. If anything, given the way some of the songs blend together (or perhaps bleed together is a better analogy) this is an even greater achievement in the songwriting department, especially as with repeated listens nuances do drip through the cracks. “Beyond Diurnal Winds” for example carries a bit of groove in spite of the rhythmic obnoxiousness, “Towers Of Silence” swells with a deeply buried trickle of melody and the twisted guitar leads of “Consummate Spellbound Synapses” are definitely there, just in a much more obscure and occult fashion than on the previous album. Logos then is a much more challenging experience (after the début 2 years ago who thought that would have been possible!), but also much more of a grower. After first hearing this you may feel agitated, disorientated, maybe even raped- but as this album continues to open up it will envelope you just as Through The Cervix... did.

As the album reaches its fullest mass of inescapable density on “The Ash And The Stars” this new, even more uncompromising mode is revealed to be part of the album's integral theme, the inversion and self-destruction of the creative process to produce these songs of pure sonic black anti-matter. Too much counterpointing of this with opportunities to breath, or (even more importantly given the anti-intellect theme) to think would run counter to this motif, but a little bit of repose allowed by the brief ambient intro to album centrepiece “Transept Of Limbs” that is quickly snuffed out and fractured again helps connect the musical and ideological mantras even more concisely.

The guitar soloing, if such a distraught noise can even be called that, on this song is the pinnacle of Antediluvian's sonic mission, an utterly demented tainting and distorting of the Death Metal orthodoxy. It is as though Death Metal was a literal force that has long since died and been driven insane in purgatory or some far-flung obsidian astral plane. The memories of a more sonically pleasing time on earth remain, but can only be reassembled in a frightening, jumbled Frankensteinian form that is at once recognisable and horrifyingly otherly. Especially to those unaccustomed to this breed of Death Metal this is damn near unlistenable, but there is no denying that musically and artistically Antediluvian are one of the most intriguing bands in Metal right now. [8/10]

Arckanum- Fenris Kindir[Season Of Mist]

Even as far as Scandinavian one man Black Metal bands in the 90's went, Arckanum have always been an idiosyncratic project. For one

thing Shamaatae's peculiar brand of Chaos-Gnosticism ideology stands out from the typical Satanic or Pagan hot air, and the consistent quality of his albums is another source of difference. Sure nothing since 2009's ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞ has come close to topping it, but both Sviga Læ and Helvítsmyrkr were both decent albums in their own right and Fenris Kindir keeps the quality high, no mean feat considering that 4 albums in 5 years makes for the most productive period in Arckanum's stop-start history. Perhaps the quality could have been higher if more time was taken, as this is certainly not without fault, but few other bands of this ilk have ever been able to produce 8 albums without at least one dud in the catalogue.

As always Arckanum's greatest strength lies in the ability to craft chaotic and raw Black Metal with a melodic underbelly, and that is achieved straight away on this album with “Tungls Tsjúgari”, before the core portion of the record is given over to a more primitive Punk-flecked Black n Roll sound. “Dólgrinn” announces this motif with an “ugh!” grunt and explosion into Celtic Frost/Darkthrone-esque up-tempo grooving, while the bass-led “Hatarnir” and the Bathory-influenced “Angrboða” keep it flowing throughout. This is no one-track retroactivity however as time is found for some of the dark Folk instrumentation of Arckanum's past playbook to feature on the wolfish interlude “Hamrami” (as well as the outro track “Sólbøls Sigr”) and the occult nature of the band leads the vocals on the latter half of the album, in particular “Angrboða” featuring esoteric chanting from both Shamaatae and Lena Klarström, who provides a female accompaniment in Arckanum for the first time since 1998's Kampen.

While the album definitely feels rushed in parts, like how the outro track cuts out quite abruptly, and is far from the most concise Arckanum album neither is it unfocused. Take for example the way the intro track of “Fenris Kindir Grúa” blends seamlessly into “Tungls Tsjúgari”, or how “Fenris Gangr” builds its lead melody out of the fiddle interlude that came before. The last few tracks on the album have a common thread to in the madness of the vocals, starting with the bestial snarls on the second interlude track “Vargøld” that play call and response with Shamaatae's typical raven-like caw on “Úskepna” and finishing off with the incantations of the aptly-titled “Spell.” It's a pity that this isn't weaved through the whole album, as is the very unique subtle and reserved production style on the opening track, but for what Fenris Kindir lacks in completeness it makes up for in diversity. This is not an album I would recommend those unfamiliar with Arckanum to begin with, but if you have enjoyed any of his albums previous to this it is well worth picking up. [7/10]

Argus- Beyond The Martyrs[Cruz Del Sur Music]

I've long suspected that one of the main causes of fewer classic albums being made from the early 90's onwards was the advent of the CD and bands feeling the need to add to a longer running time with pointless filler. Longer albums do certainly have their place, and with that in mind it might seem strange for Argus, an American band whose reputation til now has

been based on their savvy for the more epic tropes of Metal, to make an album a full 12 minutes shorter than either of their 2 previous long-players. This shouldn't be seen as laziness however, or an abandonment of their roots, but rather a concerted return to the long-ago tried and tested ways of writing albums. Beyond The Martyrs seemingly was written with the vinyl format in mind as it offers up 2 perfectly balanced sides of 21 minutes and an album flow that brings to mind the compositional perfection of records like Heaven And Hell, Number Of The Beast and Melissa. Combined with unique and characterful artwork from Brad Moore (returning to his more vibrant style seen on Argus' début and the Züül albums) and wall to wall brilliantly-written tracks this makes an instant modern classic- one of the few true titan Metal albums to be released so far this century.

“By Endurance We Conquer” opens with a rousing intro and some of Butch Balick's strongest vocals to date that get straight to the thrust, but still building enough anticipation through two verses before that glorious chorus bursts through- pure Manowar-esque steadfastness from the lyrics and an absolute masterclass in how to pen an exciting album/live set opener without burning out too quickly. Invigorating, controlled, restrained and masterful- it sets the tone for what is a damn near faultless record, a standard continued by “No Peace Beyond The Line” which neatly sums up everything this band is about. Starting off with a doomed-out Black Rose-era Lizzy-style riff the verse gallops along on the back of that excellent vocal line, a defiant streak is hammered home by that chorus lyric, leading to a rockin' solo and repeat. No excess, the pure simplistic essence of Metal- this is the stuff of classics.

“The Hands Of Time Are Bleeding” is a monumental vocal performance and carries one of the band's catchiest and most emotional hooks to date, but one that in no way overshadows the rest of this excellent album, whilst “Trinity” slows everything down with those big, crunchy riffs and allows Butch's vocals to lead rather than follow for a change. Comparisons to recent Grand Magus are well-reasoned but this honestly slays all the competition- if Twilight Of The Gods had have been able to spend as long together jamming as a unit as Argus had this may well have been what their début could have come out sounding like.

Kicking off the second half of this album “Four Candles Burning” is everything you could ask for from a side 2 track 1, keeping this 42 minute sonic journey on track with it's killer solo before everything is taken down in tempo again by “The Coward's Path.” A likeness to Candlemass has never been stronger here in spite of Butch's gravel tones being quite different from Längquist, and a healthy dose of Iron Maiden's Killers is delivered in the more up-tempo moments here as well. Dud tracks simply aren't in Argus' playbook, their sense of quality and pristine songwriting here doesn't slip up even for one moment.

Everything is wrapped up by the fantastic double-whammy of the thunderous and dramatic “Cast Out All Raging Spirits” and the closing instrumental title track, both of which

cement the harmonising guitar duo of Erik Johnson and Jason Mucio as quite possibly the best of their generation at what they do. The perfect conclusion to a pretty much perfect album. [10]

À rsaidh- Roots [Darker Than Black Records]

Tuagh, AKA Andy Marshall, really doesn't seem to be able to make up his mind. After calling time on the very promising Askival in 2009 after one album (the very well received Eternity- also on Darker Than Black) apparently due to a lack of musical interest he immediately formed Glasgow Post-Metal ponces Falloch and then left them in 2012 after one album, the much more opinion-dividing (i.e. a bit shite) Where Distant Spirits Remain. This album can be seen then as an amalgamation of previous efforts, taking with him from Falloch just the bare minimum of Agalloch and Alcest influence to flavour (rather than water down) Askival's very Ukrainian-sounding Pagan Black Metal- but already that indecisiveness has reared its head again. Marshall's decision to rename the project Saor after less than a year was apparently due to people having difficulty pronouncing Àrsaidh (Scots Gaelic for “Ancient” and pronounced “Arsey” in case you were wondering), but hopefully now he is settled and satisfied as Roots is probably his best musical output to date. Not that there was much competition from Falloch, but if you enjoyed Askival and can get over the slight increase in Post-Rock influence here then you will love this.

English neighbour's Wodensthrone, Winterfylleth and the lesser known Ildra (the latter being by far the most interesting band in Pagan Black Metal of 2011) are good points of comparison, if slightly lazy ones as the main vibes created on the long winding 6 minute intro to the opening title track are from slightly further afield. Fellow celts Primordial are evoked not so much in any shared heritage sense as the interplay of rolling drum fills and sweeping picked guitars, and the slow waves of strain that continue on incessantly without ever losing their tension. Tonally though this has more in common with Drudkh than anyone, while the slowly-bowed strings give a hint of Nokturnal Mortum and the woodwind section, as well as the general songwriting, have a lot in common with Kroda. It's like a big party with all Pagan Black Metal's major players invited (even the zany racist uncle Graveland) but with those unmistakeable bagpipes this is undeniably Scottish, undeniably unique.

“Saorsa” is a short instrumental again utilising the bagpipes that finally gives them (and Scottish Metal in general) an honourable place in the genre beyond their bizarre place in Korn's Nu Metal, Grave Digger's Braveheart-fetishism and the atrocity that is Alestorm. It is done with the utmost subtlety and tastefulness, as is the Post-Rock elements that feature most strongly on “Carved In Stone.” It doesn't mince about with this influence as it gets stuck in pretty quickly with those “ooh-ahh!” soft vocals that are more akin to The Arcade Fire than Bathory, but they are done so well compared to Falloch that there really is no need for any Metallers to spit the dummy out this time. The biggest influence here by far is still

Kroda, and any Post-Metal pretentiousness is kept firmly in check by the simple structure that circles around 2 main riffs punctuated by some tasteful piano keys.

Final track “A Highland Lament” too has its own vibe, breathing softly in elements of Death/Doom and Gothic Metal, epic film score (in particular Howard Shore) and even a hint of DSBM in the slightly fuzzier and more melancholic guitar tone. The warbly female vocals are a bit more Scottish Widows insurers TV ad than they are authentic wailing women, and Marshall could achieve more by varying the tone of his own vocals a bit when he goes for this sombre vibe, but all in all this is a fitting finale to a wonderfully wide and diverse album. Quite easily the best thing in this subgenre since Ildra dropped the incredible Eðelland 2 years ago. [8/10]

Artizan- Ancestral Energy[Pure Steel Records]

Pure Steel Records really do have the niche cornered for this kind of wispy melodic Metal these days, and they know their market so well that their press packs even have English as a second language behind German. Whether or not this style has much of a fanbase outside of the traditional stomping grounds of Germany, Finland and Japan I do not know, but the filing of this under the “Melodic Progressive Metal” heading only tells part of the story. Don't be put off by the photoshop-burnished logo, the dry ice in the promo shots or the high school music teacher look all 4 members are rocking- Artizan are not quite as wimpy as you might immediately think.

“I Am The Storm” kicks things off by forefronting the “melodic” side of the equation straight away, and if you missed this band's Curse Of The Artizan debut 2 years ago then the first thing you'll notice is just how much frontman Tom Braden can be compared to Michael Kiske in his prime. There are other musical nods to Helloween too, though maybe more from the Andy Deris-era than the 80's output, but what really makes this opening jam interesting is the progressive drumming flourishes from Ty Tammeus that are a staple of this band's style.

Compositionally-speaking “The Raven Queen” owes a lot to Iron Maiden's Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son while “The Guardian” has one of those very repetitive choruses that in an alternate universe could easily be sung in time by fans to Bruce Dickinson. The latter track also shows that Operation Mindcrime and Empire may have been on heavy rotation too for Artizan, but things really revert back to Maiden with “The Death Of Me.” This time some sections (particularly right at the start of the song) put me in mind of what studio demos for the modern-day Irons albums must sound like, before breaking into a more Sonata Arctica vibe (or maybe more closely Mehida, for those better acquainted with Finnish Power/Prog.)

That last reference point might crinkle the noses of those who I told not to pre-judge this as being wishy-washy Power Metal, but surprisingly it is actually the Maiden points of comparison where the weakness lies. Like I said, it's like a studio demo of contemporary

Iron Maiden- the musicianship and the ideas are there, but it's just lacking that real verve and dynamism to make it sound fully-rounded. This is a bit of problem when, despite the fact Artizan are at their most interesting when their restrained progressive touches come into play, this sometimes feels too much like it is relying on Branden's voice to carry it. He is a great vocalist, but the band need to find a way to connect the dots and sound more like a sum total of all their individually great parts if they wanted to be seen in the same light as their influences. They come closer to this on “You Can't Take The Metal” but even this up-tempo early 1980's Judas Preist-esque rocker can't turn the tide.

The closing title track underscores this limitations to his technically excellent voice even more. Appropriately enough for featuring Matt Barlow it begins in a slow-burning Iced Earth fashion with some old school Omen-like vocal effects to kick it into gear and even a bit of what sounds like classic Manilla Road put through a 90's Prog/Power filter. Really though, how could this song's crowning glory ever be anything but the majestic baritone of the former-Iced Earth frontman? He dominates with his unsurpassed range and puts on a better display than on any of the later Iced Earth albums he sang on, and shows that while Tom Branden can't carry this whole album, Matt Barlow with his small contribution certainly can. If you're a Barlow fanatic (or even a Michael Kiske one given Branden's sonic likeness to him) I would recommend picking this album up, as I would if you like Iron Maiden's recent efforts. For Artizan themselves though it feels here like they are still somewhat like apprentices, with still some honing of their craft to do. [5/10]

Aska- Fire Eater[Pure Steel Records]

Having elsewhere in this issue ascertained that Pure Steel's recent rerelease of Aska's 1997 effort should be avoided by fans of traditional US Heavy/Power Metal how then does their new LP stack up? In terms of sticking rigidly to that scope it fails as this crosses a pretty broad spectrum of Heavy Metal styles. However for the most part all the different shades they draw on are good and they manage to make a myriad album with a strong and diverse batch of songs.

“Everyone Dies” proves this point as the album's opener with a direct and biting vibe somewhere in between Judas Priest's Painkiller and recent Accept whilst “Dead Again” is a masterclass in incorporating the most commercial of 80's chart-topping Metal into a modern sound without losing any balls and “Valhalla” delivers both that mythological lyrical bent to justify the cover art and that long-desired USPM kick. It is followed up by the much speedier “Son Of A God” that switches to a more European take on Power Metal, yet remarkably actually keeping a strong semblance of “power” actually there.

This style-hopping may seem unfocused and scatterbrain, but the powerful bombastic production and George Call's excellent and varied voice are the golden threads that hold it together, even through the mandatory sappy love balled “Angela.” The big guns of the 80's are drawn again for “Harlot Of Eden” where

rapid-fire USPM riffs meet touches of Dokken and even Def Leppard in their Pyromania/Hysteria era utterly seamlessly. Despite the leanings into 80's mass appeal territories the song also is compositionally complex, a theme carried on by “Red Cell” which becomes the album's absolute centrepiece. The synths may get a bit too close to Dragonforce for comfort in the solo sections, but otherwise it's epic structure, clever drum fills and Jag Panzer meets Somewhere In Time vibe is utterly irresistible.

Fire Eater only fails to achieve a top scoring here thanks to the final 3 songs. The first of the 2 cover versions in the shape of Judas Priest's “The Ripper” is a great display of George Call's voice and range without merely mimicking Rob Halford while the other, Emerald's “Eye Of The Serpent” is by no means a dud but nevertheless provides a lukewarm finish to a otherwise storming album. What really hurts this album though is the song sandwiched in between, “Year Of Jubilee”, which overturns the previous achievement of adopting the European Power Metal style without becoming overly twee by mixing Sonata Arctica with Cliff Richard's Christmas singles. It really is as horrifying as it sounds and how it didn't end up on the cutting room floor when the album would still be 48 minutes long without it is beyond me. [7/10]

Asomvel- Knuckle Duster[Bad Omen Records]

It's always a tragic thing for a band to lose a member in something like a road accident, and as certain as they will all say that they will continue on with new blood as strong as before rarely is this the case. Not so with Asomvel. Since founding member Jay Jay Winter passed in 2010 these English Northeast grizzled veterans have been continuing to count him in spirit as a member of the band, and on this, their first material to be released without him (aside from the post-humous Stare At Death And Spit EP in 2011) it does sound like he never left them. In part this is of course due to what a sonic dead ringer new frontman Conan is for Jay Jay, but also because that same unrelenting spirit that gave that 2011 EP its name is stamped all across this too. Right from the start as Conan howls “Dead Set On Livin'” death is put firmly in his place and for the 36 minutes all the virtues of self-reliance, self-respect and standing strong through adversity that Jay Jay once sang about are spat out in mantra-like form. As long as Asomvel live then Jay Jay will live on with them too.

The first thing that you'll probably notice is just how loose and casual the songs are. This may be torture for some, but for those already familiar with Asomvel they'll understand just how core this simplicity is to their sound. Not only do these songs sound like they were hammered out rather than spoilt by being obsessed over in the rehearsal room, but they also sound like they were recorded in single live takes. If you were to force every Metal band today to work under those circumstances most would crumble- Asomvel however have not only used them to make one of the top Heavy Metal albums of the year, but one that would've stood up equally as well in 1979 as now. Yes it may be simplistic, it is also formulaic such as how nearly every song has a

defiant soundbyte lyric before the solo, but there is not a single dud track on here.

“Cash Whore” belongs as much to a different era for its musical roots as it does its political incorrectness, but also it sounds like it comes from a time when songwriting was something that more bands cared about. The pre-solo shouts of “Money talks!” and “Go for broke!” might be Rock n Roll cliché, but everything on here from the lyrics to the musical influences are executed with far too much honesty to have possibly been done tongue in cheek.

“Sheep In Wolf's Clothing” is the perfect song to start your next bar-room brawl too while your girlfriend dances to her heart's content, and shows some influence from Southern Rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackfoot as well as 70's British Glam like Slade, while other nods to the past come in the form of the Boogie Rock a la Foghat vibe of mid-paced breather track “Waster” and the rapid-fire Punk vocals on “Stranglehold” that remind me of the likes of GBH and The Defects. Otherwise though the typical Motörhead influence prevails- but Asomvel launch themselves over contemporaries like Speedwolf just by the sheer quality of their songs.

The album's high points come with the short and to the point title track where the defiant in the face of death theme is never stronger (“We are the ones who refuse to die/To hell with all the rest!”), and also “Shoot Ya Down” which has been a personal live favourite of mine for a long time already and is certainly done justice here. Don't be afraid to let Asomvel “take you down to hell” with this album. After all, follow this album-format guide to being an absolute Metal badass and think of all the awesome people you'll get to spend eternity down there with. Bite the bullet! [8/10]

Atlantean Kodex- The White Goddess[Cruz Del Sur/20 Buck Spin]

As a genre that draws its strength from its emotional authenticity and instinctual passion it is understandable that absolute perfection is a state seldom achieved in Heavy Metal, but this long awaited follow up to 2010's The Golden Bough is definitely in that rarefied stratum. From the moment that the pomp of the intro track “Trumpets Of Doggerland” (equal parts Manowar and Classical overture) ignites and the voice of Christopher Lee taken from The Wicker Man rumbles this album takes the listener on a journey of absolute Heavy Metal ne plus ultra. Beyond a shadow of a doubt this is WAR ON ALL FRONTS' album of 2013.

“Sol Invictus” announces this album's opening proper in resplendent nature like a dawning of its namesake and Markus Becker's vocals have never sounded better. He may not be the most classically proficient vocalist in Metal but his tone is unmistakeable and the delivery on every note and every lyric is spot on. Plenty of bands have channelled the arcane lyrical complexity of Solstice, the monumental hugeness of early Manowar and the earthy epicness of mid-period Bathory before, but rarely if ever as well as this, and never all at once. This is scholarly researched and flawlessly executed dreamy and triumphant Epic Heavy Metal and even if the album ended here after 13 and a half minutes it would still probably top the list of great

releases for 2013, not to mention the best solo and the best chorus.

This is more than just one great song though, it is a truly phenomenal album and “Bilwis” achieves what most instrumental interludes don't by making perfect sense in the context of the two songs it bridges, and melts one melody seamlessly into the other. From there the album leads into the thundering “Heresiarch” which draws on both the most epic (“Blood Of My Enemies”) and the most Doom-laden (“Mountains”) of Manowar's back catalogue for its inspiration, and also a bit of Rainbow or Uriah Heap in the guitar solo and the quieter sections. This Folk-tinged 70's Hard Rock influence becomes one of the defining features of this album, particularly in the melodies of the closing near-12 minute number “White Goddess Unveiled.” As a conclusion to the album's concept this song works to great effect, though as a Heavy Metal fan as well as a scholar it is slightly disappointing that it does not finish on a more fist-pumping tone.

The preceding “Enthroned In Clouds And Fire” is similarly dense on the conceptual side, channelling the apocalyptic tone of Bathory's “One Road To Asa Bay” but inverting the tale to a prophetic decline of Christian Europe rather than is Pagan ancestor. In spite of the Bathory influence though it along with “White Goddess Unveiled” will probably be too long and unwieldy to be translated for live performances. In spite of the strong focus on the album theme though The White Goddess is not short on anthemic tunes. If any song on here could give “Sol Invictus” a run for its money it would be “Twelve Stars And An Azure Gown”, an epic centrepiece to one of Metal's few true concept albums. When it comes to mixing spontaneity and cerebralness, earthiness and epicness this record has everything nailed perfectly. An instant Heavy Metal classic. [11/10]

Attacker- Giants Of Canaan[Metal On Metal Records]

If Attacker's second LP from 1988 with a different vocalist was The Second Coming and their 2003-2008 reunion that produced 2 albums with original singer Bob Mitchell at the helm was their third then would technically be their fourth incarnation. Now with Bobby “Leather Lungs” Lucas from the fairly bog standard Overlorde at the mic and given the throwaway nature of 2004's Soul Taker and 2006's The Unknown my expectations for this latest full length were not exactly high, which makes it all the more exciting then that Giants Of Canaan is one of the Heavy Metal highlights of the year.

The opening title track is truly something to behold. Its opening riff has that same sort of Hollywood Technicolor era middle-eastern flavour that the new Warlord album is largely based on, and a side-by-side comparison of the two comebacks just goes to show how stellar this Attacker effort really is. Like the new Warlord it has been self-produced, but the sonics of this are so powerful you could never tell without already knowing. For a Power Metal album this is crushingly heavy in places, but with perfect mixing and instrumental separation, the crowning glory of which is Bobby Lucas' voice. His power to hold notes

like on the “Steel Vengeance” marks him out as one of the best in the business, and the contrast between his biting enunciation and Michael Kiske-esque melodic flair shown best on “Born Into Battle” shows individual character.

“Sands Of Time” pays tribute to the lasting power of Heavy Metal and Attacker's place in it, but despite mentioning Battle At Helm's Deep specifically this album has much more in common with The Second Coming. That early Maiden vibe from the band's early days is revived in a big way with the bass solo intro to “Trapped In Black” also boasting a powerful and world-weary chorus that could never be faked by a younger band. Following that things get properly Epic (with a capital E) for “The Hammer”, a tribute to Charles Martel (the grandfather of Charlemagne) and his stemming of the Moors at the Battle Of Tours, and the album concludes with the vaguely Folk Rock-ish melodic number “The Glen Of The Ghost.” The middle portion of the album is made up of tracks like the Jesus-themed “Washed In Blood” as well as “Curse The Light” and “Black Winds Calling” which are speedier and more aggressively sung tracks and all very decent in their own right, but at 52 minutes this album could maybe do with being cut down by a track or two. Aside from that though this is utterly brilliant stuff- essential for any self-respecting fan of US Power Metal. [8/10]

Autopsy- The Headless Ritual[Peaceville Records]

There is no easy way to sugarcoat the fact that Autopsy's releases since their 2010 comeback with The Tomb Within EP have been getting steadily worse. Load this CD up on your laptop and you'll see a promising detail appear in the fact that this new effort is nearly 20 minutes leaner than 2011's Macabre Eternal, but that cover art definitely doesn't scream a classic return to form. Once again they have teamed up with legendary Motörhead artist Joe Petagno who, in spite of having a fresh creative burst in recent years with his Satan's Host collaborations, delivers an absolute turkey here, an overly-digital dated-looking piece that looks like a simple amalgamation of his turn of the millennium work with the likes of Abhorrence and Diabolic. If The Headless Ritual had've been released in those easier and simpler times around 2000/2001 it might have passed muster- but musically, aesthetically and artistically speaking the bar for Death Metal is impossibly higher now- Autopsy simply don't seem to have their finger on the pulse any more.

Everything about the start of opening track “Slaughter At The Beast House” is just spluttered out aimlessly without any hint of that precision that even their sloppiest early material showed. Aside from the dodgy vocal effects that erase any positive point to be mentioned here the second half of this track where things are slowed down to Autopsy's trademark crawl, and even past that to an early Black Sabbath vibe are much closer to where this needs to be, but the band have everything backwards. They really needed to start off with a twisted and sickening dirge and then explode into faster passages, not the other way round. By the time this confused track is finished the damage is done, and too late to reboot the whole album it simply never recovers.

Matters aren't helped by the fact “Mangled Far Below” seems so disparate from the opening track in terms of guitar tone and drum sound, and “She Is A Funeral” fails to provide any continuity by going down an odd sort of lo-fi 90's blackened vibe. Worst of all though is the lack of coherent presence in the vocals of Chris Reifert, constituting a fall from grace to rival even that of the band as a whole for sadness. “Coffin Crawlers” attempts to earn some points back with a B-movie sort of feel but everything is scuppered by those random notes struck in the section before the solo of “When Hammer Meets Bone.” It honestly sounds like an incomplete demo, replete with terribly mixed final fast section and a riff blatantly ripped off from Accept's “Fast As A Shark”- for a veteran band with some absolute genre classics under their belts it is absolutely devastating to see they have fallen so far.

The 1:46 minute interlude of “Thorns And Ashes” may unfortunately be the strongest track on here, but it also highlights one of the major issues which is the production- a spine-tingling guitar lead like this track has deserves a much better tone and mastering job, especially given the hallowed act and reputable label we are dealing with here. It beggars belief at times how this could get from the band's collective minds into the studio, past the engineer, onto the hard drive, past the Peaceville desk and onto disc without someone copping on that it just simply isn't up to the level that a legend like Autopsy deserves. There are shades of their old selves present, especially in the slower moments, but overall this sounds rushed, poorly produced and rife with flat out poor ideas and musicianship that even the likes of Jungle Rot, splatter bands such as Ghoul and Machetazo and even Phil Anselmo-era Necrophagia would have had sense not to release. By far the worst thing Autopsy have done since Shitfun, perhaps ever, and worryingly they are on such a downward spiral that it seems that trend may continue.[3/10]

Axxion- Wild Racer[High Roller Records]

Remember that “Heavy Metal Killers” compilation that Earache put out about 3 or 4 years ago? The one that kickstarted this whole Heavy Metal revival and that showed a good dozen bands all with their own style on the go, just like the glory days of NWOBHM? All I can say is what the hell happened- when did Skull Fist, Cauldron, Steelwing, White Wizzard, Striker, Evil Survives and Katana all get together and decide to sound exactly the same? And more to the point, did they all sign some agreement where Enforcer were the only one of their peers who were allowed to write good songs?

I exaggerate to make a point of course, but I still think that the lack of individuality in today's revival bands is a valid concern. Not just for the bands listed above- how many of the great tape demos of the 2012 all drew on Angel Witch as the influence du jour?

Axxion feature Alsion Thunderland on drums and Sir Shred on guitars, both formerly from Skull Fist, and this picks up exactly where the left off with their previous band. Dirty Devon Kerr of little known fellow Toronto heroes

Midnight Malice has been poached for vocals on this, and he provides more strong evidence to suggesting a link between tight trousers and glass-shattering histrionic vocals. The rest falls into place exactly as you would imagine- a healthy dose of Accept and Anvil cut with a bit of Acid and hopped up on a cocktail of speed, lite beer and nitrous oxide. Add in the mandatory touches of Tokyo Blade and Diamond Head and this ticks all the boxes for modern screeching Speed Metal. If you are enamoured with any of the other identikit bands in this wave, then you will love this. In fact, if this is your bag you have probably bought this already.

For the more demanding or discerning Heavy Metal fan this is a harder sell. Not that it has nothing to endear itself- after all it does have a little bit of variety to it. Sir Shred really earns his name on the Raven-esque “On The Edge”, Scorpions via Axxion's contemporaries High Spirits are channeled on “Nightstalker” while the melodic mid-tempo stomper “Hard Rockin” has just the slightest scent of the underrated Swedes Gotham City to it. “Still Hungry” takes the prize for the album's best song with it's ballsy yet moody Dokken ballad vibe, but the rest of the album is unfortunately second-rate throwaway stuff that others have done much better. There's promising things that can be worked on here, but if Axxion really want to impress next time round they'll need a serious injection of individual personality. [6/10]

Bilskirnir- Wotan Redivivus[Darker Than Black Records]

Up til now Bilskirnir have been a German Black Metal act peddling the sub-Absurd style of “Thuringian Pagan Madness” alongside other acts from that region such as Wolfmond, Wolfsschrei and probably a load of other bands with “wolf” in the name, despite sole participant Widar being Hessian rather than Thuringian himself. As far as Black Metal goes the previous releases have all been reliable and resolute in their worship of old Burzum and Graveland- far from originally, and seemingly proudly so, but perfectly functional and serviceable at it and avoiding the pitfalls of complete derivation so often seen from the hordes of Darkthrone/Nargaroth clones that also plague Germania. Because of this Wotan Redivivus is a complete surprise, a revelation even.

Opening with the excellent melody of “Siegsonne” this bears all the hallmarks of the previous material- mid-paced, headbang-able riffs and searing icy leads but everything seems like such an improvement that this skirts close to even being considered “refined”, however refined one may be in this style. The production is thinner and less heavy than on previous effort Wotansvolk, but with the effect that everything sounds clearer than ever before. It is still purposefully raw of course, but as far as one-man band recordings go this is as good as they come. The production is solid, the cover art utterly brilliant, the playing airtight and the songwriting almost unparalleled for this sub-sub-genre. Bilkskirnir have upped their game to the point they are now rivalling even their main influences of Absurd, Burzum and early Graveland.

Already this was on its way to being the best

album Bilkskirnir have yet released, but then the surprises really start coming thick and fast. The eerily catchy “Never Dying Light” strikes first with the mid-period Rotting Christ Gothic tone to its melody that also puts me in mind of like Dark The Suns or even Insomnium for sweetness, while the denser and sweeter “Vorvaeter” brings in DSBM influences as diverse as Strid, Austere and Thy Light and while the repetitive downstroke opening riff to “Soehne Muspells” even has a hint of classic Accept or Judas Priest to it. Their key trio of 90's raw melodic Black Metal influences are never overshadowed, and even more direct tributes are paid like on the interlude “Muspellheim” which is a clear rip-off of “A Crying Orc” by Burzum, but the more conventional Bilskirnir songs on here are every bit as good as their more unusual ones and prove that this album is a gift that just keeps on giving. 44 minutes and not one dud track- that is an enormous rarity for this so well-trodden musical path these days.

“Der Wolkenwanderer” is an acoustic interlude that brings Bilkskirnir closer than ever before to Pagan Black Metal, in particular the likes of Nokturnal Mortum and Dub Buk, a vibe repeated on the outro track “Der Raben Heimkehr”, but “As This World Ends” is the brightest spark on this album with its bittersweet Drudkh-esque melodies played with an almost Pop Punk simplicity and even a Shoegaze feel. It's a brave move, but it never feels forced and fits perfectly well into the typical style Bilkskirnir have employed up til now. If you have listened to this band in the past then you may be in for a real surprise with this record- this is Bilkskirnir, but not as you know it. This is almost incomparably better to everything they have done before. [8/10]

Black Hawk- A Mighty Metal Axe[Pure Underground Records]

How does a band go for a 8 years without releasing their first record? This is a question not relevant to the Black Hawk of today but the Black Hawk of the 1980's, a German band formed at the height of Metal explosion in 1981, but took until 1989 to release their First Attack EP, and then split up not long after. They returned in 2005 and this is their 4th full length to date which leads me to wonder- can a seasoned band produce a classic-worthy album this late in their career, even if as in the case of Black Hawk it is only their 4th?

There is a lot here to suggest that Black Hawk have the raw materials to craft a classic album. Take Udo Bethke's vocals for a start, a man who is a dead ringer for the late great J.D. Kimball of Omen fame, with a delivery that at times harkens to Alex Nyborg Madsen of early Witch Cross. Take how they've managed to nail a recording sound that could pass as being more authentically 80's than any of their younger counterparts in 2013 will manage this year. Take the fact that these guys were around during the whole of the greatest period of Heavy Metal creativity, and spent all that time watching and learning rather than burning out their own musical lamp oil. When it comes to trying to recreate something glorious, Black Hawk have a serious leg-up on the competition, and when the chorus of opening track “Fear” hits it gives an immediate sense of elevation above the pretenders.

Over the past 3 albums Black Hawk have mainly been likened to Judas Priest and Saxon, both of whom do play a big part of the sonic make-up here. Deep in the second half of the album “Killer” is a straight-up mix of those 2 masters while Priest especially are heard in other ways, such as the juddering thud to the opening riff of the title track, or the very Halford-esque bombast in the vocals provided on the double bass-heavy Speed Metal closer “Beast In Black.” Fellow German speedsters Atlain are an especially good reference point on the faster tracks such as “The Fighter” while that track also boasts a slow-strummed semi-acoustic intro with soaring vocals that calls to mind Manilla Road in their most epic moments. “Nightrider” even reminds me a great deal of the French heroes to rare record collectors everywhere, Demon Eyes, rounding off this album's credentials for deep-digging connoisseurs of the genre.

It's got the bare bones and the intrinsic knowledge to make it work and the rough-edged, intentionally imperfect production to carry out, but still this album falls short of the mark and it's all to do with the quality of the songs. The first sign of this when listening is the title track where unfortunately the awkward phrasing and thick accent in the chorus makes it hard to ever consider this a sing-along classic, and with the best opportunity for that missed another one simply never comes along.

The short interlude “Venom Of The Snake” gets the Manilla Road-influence mysticism right, but album mid-point “Fashion Victim” instead trades it in for semi-pastoral whimsy that comes across first like Wishbone Ash before devolving into what could be any old Soft Rock ballad of the 70's or 80's with the distortion jacked up a little. Elsewhere the songwriting just plain and simple never makes it out of third gear, resulting in a lukewarm conclusion to an album that had so much potential to begin with. More's the pity. [5/10]

Black Oath- Ov Qliphoth And Darkness[I Hate]

There's something so satisfying about seeing a band you have followed for years finally blossom with their full potential, and while I may have only hopped on the Black Oath train with their 2010 Portraits Of The Dead 7” rather than their self-titled demo the year before, that is certainly a feeling I get when listening to this album. The Third Aeon was a solid piece of work, but this sophmore effort is an absolute Doom genre masterpiece, just a fraction behind the might of this year's Solstice return and the perfection of the new Procession- and what's more is how they've achieved this with the most no frills of approaches. Italian Doom bands might be more known for their very intense and richly layered approach to songs (see this year's Abysmal Grief for one of the most downright sexy examples of this ever heard) but Black Oath wrap the bare bones of Doom with only the sparsest amount of finest velvet, and this album is all the better for it.

“...For His Coming” is the first example of this tasteful and restrained approach. Sure there are touches of violin in the intro, a piano outro and a little bit of eerie noise effects just before solo

but none of these are overbearing or dominating, and it is crushing Candlemass-esque riffs and A.th's evocative vocals that shine through the most- especially with that rousing chorus of “And my soul be safe in you/Stay with me, and the time will never go/Be your name engraved in stone/Live in me, as your temple I am born!”

“Sinful Waters” repeats the formula with some added killer drum fills and a main riff this time worthy of Candlemass themselves, and a chorus every bit as irresistible to sing along to. The fantastically Giallo-esque titled “Scent Of A Burning Witch” keeps the Candlemass buzz most vibrant with extra helpings of Solstice/Procession epicness in the bridge (lead guitars on this one courtesy of A. Panigada of Bulldozer), and by the time we are more than halfway through the album with “Witch Night Curse” the quality shows no sign of diminishing. The same trick of withholding the chorus for as long as possible works an absolute treat here again, as does the Pentagram-tinged mid-tempo riff, and the killer riff quota is already at a point that it surpasses even the new Black Sabbath. Praise doesn't come much higher than that.

“Drakon, It's Shadow Upon Us” goes a lot more out on the haunting synths in the intro, and some cool vocal effects in the bridge section too, but once again this is most memorable because of its riffs and insanely catchy chorus, and the gloriously over the top solo. Anything beyond this point in the album will just be the cherry on the icing, but the genuinely sinister and monolithically slow (almost like the Norwegian band Funeral in places) title track is as good as anything that has gone before on this album. Really it is the lack of a catchy vocal hook in the weepy closer “...My Death” that prevents this from being counted up among Procession, Mael Mórdha and Mourning Beloveth for this year's top Doom releases, but this is as close as anyone else has gotten to that level of perfection in 2013. [9/10]

Black Sabbath- 13[Vertigo]

Late into December of 2013 and with the release date for this fanzine looming large it became apparent that not every release I wanted to include would make the cut thanks to time constraints, and some difficult choices had to be made. Should I prioritise bands that I have interviewed? Stick to writing about the year's best releases, or include more of the chaff so I don't come across too fawning? Focus on friends' bands? Irish bands? Classic bands? Bands who are largely unknown (who sharing knowledge of has always been my greatest joy in zine writing)? One album required no decision-making though and that was 13. Even if it meant ignoring some more underground releases how could I not devote some space and time to writing about the first studio Black Sabbath album in 13 years, and the first with Ozzy in a whopping 35? Especially when, in the grand scheme of things, it is a damn decent Black Sabbath album.

Everything on the early part of this record has a strong whiff of classic Sabbath about it, whether it's the total “N.I.B.”-referencing main

riff to “Loner” or the quiet and introspective “Zeitgeist” which could have easily belonged on Vol. 4. It might have taken a lot of studio trickery to get Ozzy sounding this powerful again, but as he croons out “Astral engines in reverse/I'm falling through the universe again” it is obvious that time has not dented Geezer Butler's lyrical prowess- or Tony Iommi's riffing for that matter.

Call it being cautious, or holding the band to too high a standard by expecting them to match what they achieved 40 years ago, but on the album's lead single track “God Is Dead?” I wouldn't expect anyone to fall head over heels in love with this record. But given time and repeat listens and Iommi's real power as the Riffmaster General shines through in how insidiously this songwriting will penetrate your soul. It would've been preposterous to expect a trio of men in their mid-60's to write a barnstormer like Paranoid at this stage in their lives, but creating a classic grower of an album is clearly not beyond their power. “Beginning Of The End” and its journey through the various guises of early Sabbath (from the very “Black Sabbath”-like Doom crawl and pondering lyrical intro through the groovier Masters Of Reality-influenced mid sections and into the more anthemic Never Say Die!-esque finish) might show just how heavily referencing to their glory days this album is, but it also shows how time has not dulled their majestic creativity.

Side two of this record does falter slightly thanks to opening with “Age Of Reason” which despite being a solid track doesn't quite get the blood pumping again, and its heartwrought climax would have made it better suited to closing the album out I think. “Live Forever” is the closest thing to a dud here but momentum is regained thanks to the harmonica-laden heavy Blues Rock of “Damaged Soul” and 13 goes out on a total high note with “Dear Father.” Everything here from the sinister Doom-laden main riff which perfectly matches the lyrical theme of clerical child abuse and the absolute viscera with which Ozzy spits out the line “You have taken my life, now it's your turn to DIE!”, tempered by the insanely catchy groove of the bridge section, caps this comeback off in glorious fashion.

Because of side one being the stronger of the two here you might expect that the longer the album goes on the more the quality dips, but the fact is I would actually recommend the extended digi-pack version of this album over the single LP version. “Damaged Soul” might be a bit lacklustre in comparison to the other bonus tracks, but excellent choruses of the warning against excess of “Methademic” and the reflection on the band's previous media ostracization with “Pariah” are absolutely worthy additions. All in all the CD version of 13 clocks in, like the band members' ages, at nearly 70 minutes and the fact this gets more pleasurable to listen to every single time is just as staggering. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne- take a bow. I am in awe. [8/10]

B ö lzer- Aura EP [Iron Bonehead Productions]

Just when the Death Metal landscape seemed to

be stagnating along arrives a band so unique, like a bolt you might say (a rough translation of this Swiss duo's name), from the stars- a concept perfectly encapsulated on this 12” EP's cover. Bölzer's foundations seem rooted in the thick, muscular riffing of Celtic Frost, Asphyx and Incantation narrowed into a singular and bloody-minded ritualistic focus, but there is an inventive approach to songwriting and riff-construction at work here that defies any definition from lone sentences. Opening cut “C.M.E.” is an utterly demented piece of work. Even if it stayed rooted in the quite standard Incantation/Dead Congregation style of riffing that it at times displays it would stand far apart from its contemporaries thanks to those harrowing vocal gymnastics that dart between deep guttural growls, DSBM like howls and Post-Hardcore type weirdness, but the innovation does not stop there.

There frankly is no convenient comparison to liken how these guys string notes together into their hypnotic repetitive style, though many people have tried since this EP's release- Voivod get a mention as do other Avant Garde acts like Deathspell Omega, Neurosis and even fellow countrymen Coroner, but none of these are adequate. Even the likes of more recent acts Mitochondrian and Antediluvian would be inappropriate matches as, although Bölzer may be described as chaotic it is a very slender, driven beam of chaos. In terms of progressive tendencies in Metal right now this band certainly have their counterparts but in the true spirit of musical ingenuity there is more to isolate them from these brethren than there is to group them together.

“Entranced By Wolfshook” introduces an esoteric sort of uplifting vibe that fits perfectly with the astral theme of the sleeve artwork, and invites a comparison to American solar Black Metal two-piece Fanisk, but simultaneous it manages to be Death Metal to the bone, brandishing one of the best groovy riffs of this standout year. It is an ungodly deep and full sound to be produced by a 2-man band, but it also perhaps this fact which helps with the sense of absolute singular determination.

“The Great Unifier” is aptly titled, as for all the uniqueness and obscure genre-bending practiced by Bölzer they undeniably belong to the hordes of Death, albeit in the regal brotherhood of most sacred acts like Necros Christos, Cruciamentum and Dead Congregation who have harnessed that sickening feeling of being suspended over a yawning chasm of pure abyssal nothingness. The trademark style exhibited on the two previous tracks are honed and sharpened on this closing 10 minute outpouring and shows just how quickly Bölzer have evolved from their Roman Acupuncture demo tape to be counted amongst that highest echelon of the genre. In fact, the material on this EP is so good that it is only the short duration that prevents it from bolting straight to the top chosen few albums of this year. That being said, the best is clearly yet to come for this band. [9/10]

Borrowed Time- Borrowed Time[High Roller Records]

After a couple of years of tape and small run vinyl releases paying homage to a wide variety

of arcane Metal bands Borrowed Time at last deliver their début album. And frankly, they've never sounded better. The riffing on opening cut “Wallow In The Mire!” is spot on but the soloing is something else entirely. Musicianship like this from a band so young these days is a rarity, but it is those legendary début/sophmore albums of late 70's and early 80's Metal trailblazers with fire in the belly that Borrowed Time are aiming to recreate- and in part they are successful.

Killers by Iron Maiden, the Angel Witch self-titled and the first two Manilla Road albums seem to be the prevailing influences here, as well as touches of the more epic end of NWOBHM such as Virtue and Traitor's Gate, not to mention Twisted Tower Dire. “The Thaumaturgist” and “Of Nymph And Nihil”are the standout tracks here for not only having the strong soloing shown on the opening track, but some absolutely stunning riffs too while the closing “A Titan's Chain” takes the prize for the best chorus of the whole record. The vocals in general here are a strongpoint too, especially the variety they show on “The Thaumaturgist” with some nice unexpected moments of harshness thrown in. If this record was measured simply on the sum of its constituent parts then Borrowed Time would be flying, but the the unfortunate fact is this album doesn't fully live up to their potential.

While the aim to recapture that feeling from the early albums of some of the real Metal gods meets with some success there are some signs of substandard songwriting and album construction too. The two interlude tracks add absolutely nothing here, especially “Dark Hearted...” which could have been used as an intro to a full-on Killers-style ripper but instead is squandered. “Libertine” and “Dawn For The Glory Rider” both could have been worldbeaters but the keyboards of the former are buried so far in the mix that they might be missed by a careless listener, and the attempts at a more progressive style of riffing on the latter don't work out all that well. Nothing on this album is flat out bad, but the end result is that Borrowed Time sounds like a band of very capable amateurs still paying homage to their idols, not yet approaching their level. [7/10]

Caladan Brood- Echoes Of Battle[Northern Silence Productions]

Canadian fantasy fiction novelist Steven Erikson once wrote, in a review to the Cambridge Companion To Fantasy Literature that his “influences in terms of fiction are post-Tolkien”, this in a response to a claim in the book by its editor Prof. Edward James that “most subsequent writers of fantasy are either imitating him (Tolkien) or else desperately trying to escape his influence.” What this has to do with American Metal fantasists Caladan Brood is that Erikson is the author of the Malazan Book Of The Fallen series on which this album's lyrics are closely based, and because James' assertion and Erikson's rebuttal raise an interesting question for this style of Metal- if we replace J.R.R. Tolkein in this equation with Summoning is it fair to say that their shadow is cast so long over the sub-genre that all subsequent bands can do is imitate or reject? Certainly Summoning are the band that this new brood have been compared to most heavily over the near year this has been

released, and even the simple fact that our American subjects here are a 2-piece much like Summoning may make such an analysis to psychologically pleasing to ignore. But simply slapping a “for fans of Summoning” sticker on this album would be lazy and diminishing- Caladan Brood seem to be drawing from more than just that one genre-defining source.

For starters, right from the opening track “City Of Azure Fire” the harsher elements in the guitars and vocals here are much darker than Summoning typically are, particularly calling to mind Graveland and Nokturnal Mortum, though also frequently coarser and more sickly sounding in the vocal tone than even either of those two are. Nokturnal Mortum also provide some influence for the piano/keyboard section on this track too, and their brethren in Temnozor are audible in some of the riffing in the title track, where Moonsorrow and Falkenbach make themselves known also.

“Wild Autumn Wind” takes it out of the Epic/Folk/Black sphere altogether with a vibe very like Gothic and Melodic Death/Doom acts like October Tide, Ghost Brigade and Insomnium, not to mention a clean vocal delivery and tone similar to that of Orphaned Land's Kobi Fahri, and the very catchy first half of “A Voice Born Of Stone And Dust” has some of the imperiousness of cheesy old Symphonic Black Metal like Bal-Sagoth and Carach Angren (and an even cheesier 80's Stadium Rock solo to boot!) that further helps this album defy being lazily pigoenholed. Of course Summoning are still a key influence- there are two cover versions of them as bonus tracks on the LP version of this album after all; but there are important differences to separate them from their Austrian tutors too.

First and foremost, comparing this to Summoning in terms of songwriting complexity is like comparing Orthanc to a hobbit hole (putting it in terms fantasy nerds will understand.) Compared to the laziness of the more veteran of the 2 bands when it comes to repetition, riff construction and general songwriting these young upstarts are out of sight. The songs are longer (the title track is the shortest in spite of being a hefty 9 minutes 21 seconds!), the vocal lines are more inventive (calling to mind Forefather at times), the composition much more complex and the album itself weighs in at over twice the duration of Summoning's most recent cut, and at least 3 times as many good musical ideas. Rather than being overshadowed by the subgenre's progenitors here it is the dashing errants putting the venerated heroes in the shade.

Another of Summoning's own games that Caladan Brood beat them at is in the clean vocal department- not only in terms of diversity (the aforementioned Orphaned Land chanting similarities) but also in verve, energy and the ability to be rousing. Closing track “Book Of The Fallen” leads the charge here and becomes the album's undisputed anthem carrying not only one, but two excellent choral parts, the first of which is cleverly repeated as a refrain during its mighty 15 minute march. The trick is never repeated earlier in the album though and several of these lengthy tracks suffer from having no unifying motif to string independently strong sections together.

Likewise, for an album drawn so heavily on a literary source there doesn't seem to be an overarching narrative between these 6 songs, a disappointment as this would have made an awesome concept album. When Caladan Brood strike deepest they strike true, like the last 4 minutes of “Echoes Of Battle” where a Falkenbach/Moonsorrow like soaring clean vocal passage followed up by epic Bathory soloing and some killer harsh vocal lines like something caught between later Immortal and Thyrfing that play off the returning clean vocals. If these guys could've made a 71 minute album completely of this quality then there is no doubt this would be an instant classic. As it is though with having little snippets of true gems cast about here and there this may take several listens for you to really fall in love with.

For all its victories over Summoning in terms of songcraft perhaps this album's closest similarity to them might be through that video game-like drum sound and overused beats from song to song, but the biggest reason I can't give this album top marks is to do with authenticity. Going back to the earlier analogy between Tolkein and Stevenson, an important factor to consider is real world influences on their universes. As Tolkein was a scholar of Old English epic poetry such as “Beowulf” and Anglo-Saxon/German/Norse academia generally it is no wonder that tropes of those can be seen reflected in Lord Of The Rings, and though I have not read the Malazan saga I think I can safely assume that knowledge of real world empires and civilization gleaned from his background in anthropology and archaeology has influenced Erikson's literary works too. By extension these same ideas might have filtered through to lyrical aspect Summoning's Tolkein Metal or Caladan Brood's Erikson Metal. But unlike Folk/Pagan Metal acts whose non-Metal music elements are based in concrete history and tradition, the non-Metal musical elements of are from pure fantasy, entirely invented sources. All throughout this album there are “folk” sections seemingly based on some false notion of medievalism.

For the most part Caladan Brood completely ape Summoning for these passages (although on the opening track they go for a more retro kind of medieval faux in that it sounds like something from old school Hollywood blockbusters starring Errol Flynn), which given than it is Summoning fans they are trying to appeal to they can hardly be blamed for. But compared to European Metal bands who replicate their history, mythology, culture and traditional music in their songs where exactly do these cinematic sweeps of sampled lyre strings and horns that paint images of snowy-topped mountains fit into the real life background or experience of these 2 fantasy nuts from barren Salt Lake City, Utah? If like me you are a stickler for authenticity you may find this a tough roadblock to get over with this album. If however all you are looking for is a bit of pure escapism this could well be your thing. [7/10]

Coffins- The Fleshland[Relapse Records]

If you have ever heard one of Coffins' albums or any of their multitude of split releases you

know exactly what you are going to get with a new record that follows. The test as time goes on, now 8 years since their storming first cut Mortuary In Darkness, is how well can they keep the quality high without changing their battle plan even slightly. After all, it is certain at this stage that progressing beyond the core influences of Autopsy, Asphyx, Winter and a sprinkling of the nastier end of Punk is never going to happen, and on the first few tracks here that forecast look promising.

“Here Comes Perdition” heaves into action with a cymbal tone that sounds like the rankling of heavy chains and in 6 and a half minutes sums up everything Coffins are about in gloriously heavy and dank fashion. “Hellbringer” follows and shows that, from time to time at least, these Japanese doom-mongers are not adverse to injecting some dynamics, achieved here with a dark Hardcore/Powerviolence kind of main riff and a nice swelling undercurrent towards the end. The wheels come off the cart though with the Winter-tempo 6 minute drudgery of the next track, the aptly titled “Colossal Hole” and this eponymous gaping lacking of this album is never quite filled again.

The typical Autopsy/Asphyx beats of “No Saviour” are met by some trademark Incantation riffing, albeit a poor representation of the style compared to everything else out there at the moment, and despite its excellent title all that “The Vacant Pale Vessel” can muster to differentiate is that one little repetitive pinch harmonic. “Rotten Disciples” could be remembered for its very Poison Idea-like intro were it not for the fact a very similar vibe is used immediately after on “Dishuman”, and the only thing memorable about “The Unhallowed Tide” after repeat listens is its sloppy and incomplete sounding main riff. “Tormentopia” claws some points back with its simple Grave-like growl-a-long vocal refrain, but it comes too late to rescue this album. One of this year's more dull Death Metal efforts. [4/10]

Convulse- Evil Prevails[Svart Records]

As one of the less than prolific acts of the early 90's Death Metal boom, and one of the more intriguing, Convulse's status has always been pseudo-mythical. Sure unlike some of their peers they released 2 albums in those days (compared to none for the likes of Phlegethon, Depravity and Abhorrence) and they were never quite as unique as Demilich but nevertheless World Without God (and to a lesser extent Reflections) is a towering piece of work, a holy grail of the slightly unconventional Finnish Death Metal cult. It is because of that news of an impending new full length by Convulse in 2013 came with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Sure it was fantastic to see the return of a band who had so much more to give back in the day, but nearly 2 decades on could the gods have lost their magic?

As “We Kill Our Kind” kicks in to start of the album the anxiousness grows slightly. I'm not quite sure what I expected from this production-wise, after all Svart Records releases don't have a standardised production value, but I definitely didn't think this would be

on the lower end of the 90's sound scale. Rami's thick growls sound as great as ever, but the toms have that annoying butter tub tone to them and by today's standards the guitar tone would scarcely frighten a kitten. No one would have wanted to see Convulse completely modernised but this atmosphere-less, flat production does them no favours either.

There is nothing too enticing from the songwriting department on this track either, nothing to really typify this as a certified Finnish Death Metal release. The acoustic instrumental breaks on “Unholy War” and “God Is Delusion” definitely come from that playbook, but the problem is how generic the riffs and drum patterns in between are, and how the lack of distortion leaves big gaps in the sound and aura. The less said about the breakdown that makes “World Downfall” sound like a Deathcore demo from 2006 the better. “Days Are Dark” takes the approach of these song and betters them, but it is well-layered and sampled title track and the closing “Oceans Of Dust” which vie for the top spot here, with the latter winning out thanks to some fantastic drumming. All told this is not an embarrassing return to form, just a disappointing one, and up against hungrier, younger and more creative acts this was always going to pale. Finnish Death Metal has a new breed of heroes now in the shape of Krypts, as well as the killer débuts this year from Lantern and Vorum (who I didn't get to review unfortunately), and with my hopes being high for the Lie In Ruins first full-length this coming February. All the credit it the world to Convulse for coming back and giving this a go, but really it would have been best for their legacy just to leave it as it was. [5/10]

Cultes Des Ghoules- Henbane, or Sonic Compedium Of The Black Arts

[Under The Sign Of Garazel/Hells Heabangers]

Quite often in Metal the albums that really cause stirrings of attention are the ones that cross boundaries between the multifarious sub-styles and tread along those lines, and Henbane is one of them. On their début, Häxan, this shadowy Polish 4-piece threw their lot into the pool of purposefully primitive Black Metal and caused a fairly respectable ripple, but this time round with those elements of pure sonic degeneracy and bestiality, including the raw and dense production, taking a back seat to a more atmospheric approach. In terms of crafting music of pure Black Horror this album nails it more than most.

It employs a lot of the same tricks as other horror-themed acts, like for example the countless bands who sample movies like The Devil Rides Out, but the care and attention to the atmosphere here shows a step above and beyond most of those lazy peers. Take for example the effects placed on the vocals in the middle of “The Passion Of A Sorceress” that give it that authentic Richard Price sort of feel, or the intro sample from that song which I suspect might be from an Eastern European production of Shakespeare's MacBeth. More than that though, the way these 5 lengthy songs are structured shows a rare understanding of the actual literary devices of the Horror genre that most bands content to play about with the imagery couldn't even dream of, and on the centrepiece track “Vintage Black Magic” the

flow between building terror and unleashing horror is downright masterful.

Where they straddle that aforementioned line is how this fairly avant-garde streak is matched and tempered by some genuinely nasty and primitive Black Metal noise-mongering. Where the beefy, bestial DM elements remain the riffs are thick and stenchy while in the faster moments the proto-Black/Thrash of Tormentor is heavily evoked. Other Eastern European bands like Root and Master's Hammer are called to mind too for their primitive riffing style and at times there's some of that cloistering exoticness of Mediterranean bands like Mortuary Drape and Necromantia too but the best overall comparisons that can be made are to Mayhem and Negative Plane- in part sonically, but also in how finely that line between utter mongrelist musical deviance and intelligent songwriting is walked. Very few other Black Metal bands have ever traversed that division as uncannily as Cultes Des Ghoules do here.

The matching of theme to the music is a standout quality too, and cleverly tied in with a visual representation of the eponymous herb henbane growing out of the band's logo on the artwork. A substance loved by medieval herbalists and witches both for its malign health properties and its mind-altering psychotropic qualities too is a perfect flower to represent this album, equal parts venemous and labyrinthine. Although all the five tracks on here have their strengths it is “The Passion Of A Sorceress” and it's slowed-down blasting and bloody-minded down-stroked pummeling riffs that merge in chaotic fashion that comes across most maleficently, and the dark psychedelia flirtations of “Vintage Black Magic” (similar to some parts of the latest Tribulation) that come off the strongest.

As good as this is at its best though there is still a feeling of something missing. It doesn't manifest itself through most of the album, but on the rather lacklustre closing track “The Devil Intimate” it begins to dawn where this incompleteness lies, and the closing organ solo completely reveals it. As nice a touch as that organ is and does provide a spooky texture it ultimately is a cheap thrill, a musical cop out, and shows an lack of surety from the band of what exactly to do with this anticipation of terror and unveiling of horror they've so successfully crafted over the previous near hour. The mental engagement of the synapses that respond to dread and fright on this albums is damn near perfect, but it lacks that sense of revulsion, that full body and soul unsettling that the few real masters of Horror fiction and film can conjure. It is certainly within the possibility of Metal bands to evoke this, and has been done so fantastically by several bands in the Death Metal realm like Portal or more recently Malthusian. If on future efforts Cultes Des Ghoules were able to harness this power on top of those they have shown here they would be without comparison. [8/10]

Darkthrone- The Underground Resistance[Peaceville Records]

Say what you will about Darkthrone's transformation over the past several years it certainly has not been a static stylistic shift, more a continuously evolving transmutation.

The first seeds were laid a full decade ago with the attitude-laden “Fucked Up And Ready To Die” track from Hate Them, whilst the Punk influence was first really tested with the cover of Siouxsie and the Banshees' “Love In A Void” on the Too Old, Too Cold EP 3 years later. The next 2 albums, F.O.A.D. and Dark Thrones And Black Flags, typified the Blackened Metalpunk style that most people seem to associate the Darkthrone name with these days, but after shifting focus more towards lo-fi 80's Heavy Metal on Circle The Wagons that Punk edge has now been moved on from, seemingly as much of an afterthought on this album as even their Black Metal roots are.

With that in mind it seems fitting that this is the first Darkthrone album in 6 years without cover art from Dennis Dread, instead joining the rarified circle of Metal bands, along with Thin Lizzy and Manilla Road, to have collaborated with legendary Celtic artist Jim Fitzpatrick. As a fan of Fitzpatrick probably even more than I am of Darkthrone it is somewhat disappointing to his see his usual style of vibrantly coloured battle scenes replaced by such rusty and muted tones (though the drawing itself is unmistakeably his- a mid-90's piece), but this almost sepia tint to the sleeve design suits the dust-hazed and vomit-fuelled filter with which Darkthrone reimagine 80's Metal here.

The lead riff of “Dead Early” evokes early 80's Judas Priest which announces this latest stage in Darkthrone's evolution perfectly, though a D-beat quality to the drums is still present but “Valkyrie” is the track that really shows the duo's new direction. The log-cabin production values and highness of the cymbals in the mix keeps thing suitably crust-ified and consistent with previous releases but that Bathory/Candlemass-referencing Epic Doom intro is like nothing Darkthrone have ever done before, and nothing could be a bigger ditching of convention for this band than introducing clean vocals. Naturally they are sloppy, untrained, out of time and out of tune, but not entirely out of place and certainly better than you might expect for Fenriz trying his hand at them. There's a definite early NWOBHM vibe to this track thanks to the vocals and although it is certainly something that should be worked on and improved for the next release no one can say that Darkthrone rest on their laurels and don't try new things.

Even more ambitious though are the final 2 lengthy tracks of this 6 song album. Firstly “Come Warfare, The Entire Doom” is the longest Darkthrone song since “Wreak” from 2001's Plagueweilder, and closing number “Leave No Cross Unturned” is the longest track they have ever penned, smashing “Kathaarian Life Code” by a full 3 minutes. The first of these two is far and away the strongest track on here as it rocks back and forth between Dream Death and Cirith Ungol vibes and even a bit of classic Transylvanian Hunger-style riffing, but the final track doesn't quite repeat the brilliance. In spite of at times successfully evoking early Mercyful Fate and being the most directly melodic track in terms of vocals and guitar leads they have perhaps ever done it is still essentially 13 minutes of done to death bog-standard Motör-beats and early Bathory riffs.

Even with such long songs taking up over half the playing time Darkthrone's notoriously lax approach to rehearsal and songwriting still manages to find a way to produce filler here, and aside from a bit of an Accept buzz on “Lesser Men” both it and “The Ones You Leave Behind” add absolutely nothing of lasting value here. A bold attempt by Darkthrone then to move on yet again to new musical pastures, but ultimately an experiment yielding sub-standard results. [5/10]

Dead Lord- Goodbye Repentance [High Roller Records]

“Retro” is a dirty word in a lot of circles these days, but those peddling 60's or 70's style Rock seem to come under fire way more than other genre choices. It just seems bizarre that someone could praise the likes of Enforcer or Morbus Chron and then turn around to lambast a band like Dead Lord, especially when this rag-tag band of Swedish rockers share members with both those other outfits. A case could be made for Dead Lord being much more akin to a simple tribute act than either of those two, falling into the realm of pure nostalgia and worship like Airborne do for AC/DC fans, because of how heavily indebted they are to their main 2 influences. It is how deeply that influence runs however, and how well they understand the nuances of Thin Lizzy and Roky Erickson before moulding that into their own style that make Dead Lord such a treat to listen to. Lacking in originality they may be, but in every other avenue Dead Lord excel. If you haven't heard them already then get ready for probably the best Hard Rock band you will hear in 2013.

Everyone who wants to ape Thin Lizzy knows how to mimic those harmonised dual guitars, but with opening track “Hank” Dead Lord leave every other Thin Lizzy-influenced act out there firmly in the dirt. As a lifelong Thin Lizzy fan I can honestly say I've never heard anyone with a vocal delivery and lyrical phrasing as close to Phil Lynott as Dead Lord frontman Hakim Krim, and this paean to the eponymous troubled young man Hank is almost every bit as powerful as the Thin Lizzy classic “Johnny.”

In terms of vocal tone and timbre though Hakim is much closer to Roky Erickson, whose influence is stamped all over second track “Hammer To The Heart”, a fantastic up-beat rocker in spite of its lyrics of depression and heartbreak. This up-tempo up-beatness gives a bit of flair similar to Entombed-associated Swedish rockers The Hellacopters as well, while “Onkalo” has a touch of Danzig and his Death Rock style. For the most part though this album dances back and forth between Philo and Roky- making no apologies for its likenesses and needing absolutely none either.

“Goodbye Repentance” aside from being a perfect blend of both these influences underscores the dedication on this record to its raw recording style and aiming for soulful imperfection by how it begins a snippet of RTE Radio picked up by the DI box in the Dublin studio where this album was recorded. Elsewhere signs that this attitude of recording in single live takes can be heard in noticeable playing imperfections, but also it the verve and vitality of the record that simply can't be faked.

Side two of this album keeps the foot down with the more AC/DC-influenced number (crossed with a little Blue Cheer/Pentagram) “Because Of Spite”, whilst “Envying The Dead” is the highlight of Roky Erickson comparisons because of how every little intonation from Hakim gives insight into the mind of the man singing. Closing track “Ghost Town” matches Roky's vocal phrasing so well that it could easily be a long lost track from the sessions of The Evil One (Plus One), but “No More Excuses” is by far the second half of the album's crowning glory. A perfect tribute to Thin Lizzy's ballads this sits somewhere in between the twee “Sarah” and the heart-wrenching “Got To Give It Up”, whilst there is a 60's Garage Rock intensity a la The 13th Floor Elevators when it kicks up a gear at the end of the song that will please Roky fans even more. If there is a better Hard Rock album in 2013, I haven't heard it. [9/10]

Deep Machine- Whispers In The Black EP[High Roller Records]

From what I've read there was a time in the early 80's when Deep Machine were the kings of the NWOBHM live circuit in the East End of London, surpassing even Angel Witch in popularity. Of course though Angel Witch created a more lasting testament thanks to their stellar self-titled LP whilst Deep Machine's own legacy left behind through a series of demo tapes was largely forgotten about, so much so that they did not even have their own entry in the first edition of the NWOBHM Encyclopaedia. In the past few years though they have risen out of their dust to reclaim their crown as one of the premier live Heavy Metal acts in the Britain (I've flown across from Ireland to see them twice myself) and in 2011 High Roller reissued the choicest cut from their back catalogue, the 1981 demo, as the self-titled EP. Now at last it is time for new material to take centre stage.

“Whispers In The Black” is technically speaking the only “new” track of the three on here, but to be honest you can't get much more old school NWOBHM than this- squealing dual-guitar attack, driving rhythm section, powerful vocals, spooky occult lyrics and a scream-a-long chorus. It is by no means reinventing the wheel, but this track alone makes this an essential purchase for true NWOBHM aficionados.

“Iron Cross” is the first of 2 tracks rejuvenated from the annals of the band's history and opens in a hail of Sten machine-gun fire and German marching music as the song is given a powerful and punchy modern production that gives serious weight to this crunchy, borderline doomy track. “Killer” is a more mid-paced affair but no less infectiously head-banging and rounds out the trip down memory lane on the second side of this 12” nicely.

This is a solid release, and everything it was expected and needs to be. My only issue is with the fact it is only a 12” EP, and one with 2 re-recordings at that. This is only able, and possibly only meant to, whet rather than satiate the appetite for more Deep Machine recordings. With their peers like Hell and Satan releasing excellent new albums this year the clamouring is getting even louder. I don't know

if the bands have any current designs on a full-length release, but I am hotly anticipating it nonetheless. Listen to this EP and chances are you will be too. [7/10]

EDIT: High Roller will release Rise Of The Machine LP in April 25th 2014!

Deicide- In The Minds Of Evil[Century Media]

Deicide are a band who certain people have been wanting to fail for the past few years. On the one hand you have the keyboard warriors for whom Glenn Benton is a favourite easy target for all the bullshit he spouts (remember when he was supposed to kill himself 13 years ago?) and then the perpetual grudge-holders who can tell you the times and places of every gig the band have cancelled on them (one friend of mine is up to 7 cancellations now!) Those lucky enough to have seen Deicide in the past decade comment on how lacking in passion their live shows now are, and let us not forget the exiled Hoffman brothers who not doubt have been watching the band's second career slump with 'Til Death Do Us Part and To Hell With God and are rubbing their hands with glee waiting for an implosion. With all these vultures circling though Benton and Asheim have pulled something altogether not that bad out of the hat and stuck their middle fingers up in true Florida Death Metal redneck style, probably mildly annoying everyone in the process who was wanted to see a complete musical self-immolation.

The distorted Michael Caine in The Dark Knight quote that begins the opening title track here is admittedly a bit dumb and doesn't exactly instil confidence, but the track itself is fairly decent- riffy, up-tempo and memorable. It's not quite an opening salvo on par with “The Stench Of Redemption”, but it's a shite side better than “The Beginning Of The End” from Til Death Do Us Part and “To Hell With God”.

“Thou Begone” and “Godkill” keep things fairly decent, the latter having a more than decent vocal line in the chorus, but 4 tracks in “Beyond Salvation” drops the first dud. It isn't much shorter than the rest of the songs here, but its generic riffs going absolutely nowhere and this is a theme continued on several tracks like “Fallen To Silence.” Others like “Kill The Light Of Christ” and “End The Wrath Of God” get by on a decent riff or vocal line, but the main problem with this album is how formulaic its songs are. “Misery Of One” is the only track to really break out of this rut with its sweet running tempo change lead that proves to be the most memorable point of this album. Nothing else really comes close to match it, anything else of quality like Jack Owen's soloing on “Even The Gods Can Bleed” is so because of its reassuring sameyness. Benton's vocals for example are also stronger than the average for this album on this track, with him sounding slightly more intelligible, but thankfully not more intelligent. This is Deicide after all- single-minded bloody blasphemy is exactly what we want to hear. [7/10]

Disarm Goliath- Born To Rule[Pure Steel Records]

Despite forming in the late 90's at a time when the UK Heavy Metal scene was deader than

dead (even the stubborn hangers on like Slander, Marshall Law and the Tony Martin fronted Black Sabbath all but faded away) I had never heard of Disarm Goliath until this promo came along. Granted their first album came at a time where they were alone in their chosen field and then promptly afterwards had a 10 year-long silence, but Asomvel had a similar reign a few years later as quite literally the only Heavy Metal band in the UK at the time. Immediately alarm bells start ringing as to why in a country with such a small and focused traditional Metal scene as England has are Disarm Goliath seemingly so unknown? Is it a simple question of quality?

In addition to the high scream that kicks off opener “Embrace The Abyss” which the label are keen to liken to Grim Reaper in the sales sheet there is an obvious aiming towards sounding like Iron Maiden, coming off in something like a mixup of early Cloven Hoof, Wolf and Dark Forest. This quickly becomes the story of the whole album. The songs are well-structured, the ideas big and ambitious, but mostly the musicality just isn't there to pull them off. One of the biggest problems is in the riff department as after several listens the only one I can recall is from this opening track, and that is mostly because of how close it is to Amon Amarth's “Twilight Of The Thunder God.”

It's not just the fact the riffs are such stock stuff that makes them so unmemorable- the fact they are buried beneath the vocals for most of the album doesn't help, and the vocals aren't the strongest factor either. On the album's fastest song where the singer reaches for the high notes more the quality is ramped up significantly, making the USPM-styling “Propaganda” the strongest number on here. That is quickly followed by the title track however which highlights another significant problem- in spite of the lyrics being strong elsewhere, the choruses tend towards being very repetitive, to the point that rather than being anthemic they feel almost boring. Considering that the title track which it might be safe to assume was the first track written is so bog standard, the rest of the album probably never really had a chance. “Who Rules The Night” comes off even worse thanks to there being something of Gary Glitter to it.

“Man Of Sins” and “Cry Of The Banshee” are the two most ambitious tracks on here, aiming for vibes like Maiden's “Hallowed Be Thy Name” and early Manowar respectively, but neither really working as planned. Nothing on this album (bar the final track “Raining Steel”) is particular bad, but it's just nowhere near as good as it wants to be. The attempt to liken the album art to the legendary Michael Whelan (of the Cirith Ungol covers fame) works as an analogy for the music as well- this is mutton dressed as lamb. Pure Steel can come up with as many platitudes as they want, but this simply isn't in the same league as it is pretending to be. [4/10]

Doom- Corrupt Fucking System[Black Cloud Records]

Since the passing of lead singer Wayne Southworth in 2005 the longest remaining elder statesmen of UK Crust Punk have kept a pretty low key existence. Sure they have continued

playing live with new man Dennis on the mic, but rumblings of a new album were kept quiet until Corrupt Fucking System was unexpectedly sprung at Christmas (should that be Crustmas?), the first album from the band since 2001's World Of Shit. A lot has happened in the world in that time and a lot of it is represented in the sleeve artwork here- everything from Christianity and Judaism, drug and cigarette manufacturers, political parties, TV multi-networks, oil businesses and other corporations- all in a sordid mass being literally shat on the congested cityscape by the demonic and enormous banker figure dominating the skyline. In short, Doom are back and they are pissed off about EVERYTHING.

Opening salvoes “Stripped, Whipped And Crucified” and “Prey For Our Souls” pull no punches and take issue with clerical child abuse and other other religious misdeeds, with the latter being one of the most vitriolic spoken word Crust tracks in recent memory. “Human Meat” rages for animal rights with Grind-like intensity in under a minute before Charlie Cimex joins the band for some additional vocals on the crushing “Yes, They Still Test On Dogs!” which turns out to also be one of the lyrical high points of the album with “Our demise won't be jackboots/But lung disease and corporate suits.”

“Suffer In Silence” and “Con Dem Nation” are the height of the righteous anger on this album with some important things to say about the current state (i.e. lack of) democracy in Britain, but all political impact of this album is fairly-well dampened by the daftness of the lyrics to “Final Hour (For The Golden Shower).” There are some genuinely very good tracks on here, like the sweet refrain to the straight-up Crossover number “Eat Shit And Buy”, and the flat out brilliant “Better Off Dead” but most of the 14 tunes on here are only average or slightly above, like the pleading for gun control sanity in “Own Worst Enemy.”

It says a lot about this album that the best tracks on here are those that are mostly spoken word or lean heavily on the samples. Youtube conspiracy theorist Jordan Maxwell is used to provide the intro for “Apostasy” while the album closer “Cults Of Human Sacrifice” has no vocals, only the words of renowned Atheist debater Sam Harris. The title track is easily the most interesting thing on here, featuring a complex, intense and rapidly-delivered poem by a woman by the name of Fag Ash Lil, but it also serves to show Rush Hour Of The Gods this ain't. Still this is an essential purchase for any self-respecting Crust Punk though. [7/10]

Endstille- Kapitulation 2013[Season Of Mist]

Endstille have always been in an unfortunate position where their songs have been more interesting for their themes rather than their music. They are a band who with each album you know exactly what you are going to get musically, and shamefully that leads to a situation where I find more enjoyment researching the topics of the songs than I do listening to the solid but unspectacular tunes themselves. In the live arena Endstille's heads down, horns up approach to Black Metal works a treat, but on album, trying to enjoy them for musical abilities alone is a mug's game. This

time round, they have pulled even more interesting historical events out of the bag to investigate and themes to ponder on, but still failed in the other all-important quarters.

The closing 2 tracks on this album are the best for this purpose, first of all with “KDF 511”, referencing the sinking of MV Wilhelm Gustloff, the biggest loss of life in a single maritime historical incident. Of the nearly 10, 000 souls perished in the incident over half were civilian children, so the desolate and mournful aura of the song is well-earned, and appropriate as well given the title of the album. Interestingly though is that the ship is referred to by its original classification as a pleasure liner in the Nazis “Strength Through Joy” programme, showing an element of dark humour to Endstille. This can be seen earlier on the album too with the bilingual pun of “Sick Heil” and the ironic book-ending of the defeated-toned “Reich an Jugend” with a rousing German military speech intro and unnervingly happy Hitlerjugend campfire song outro, but it is the closer of “Endstille (Abschied)” that draws the most attention. Its lyrics seem to be taken entirely from a letter written by a German WW I soldier that is equal parts horrifying in its portrayal of the trenches and touching in its loving valediction to the letter's intended recipient. The inclusion of that final portion of the letter is a bold move by Endstille in a Black Metal album, but it is appropriate given the song title being translatable as “farewell” and fits the overall sense of accepted defeat and death which is the closest thing this album possesses to an overarching motif.

True to form for Endstille though none of these tracks would be as interesting if taken only on their musical merits. “Endstille (Abschied)” is one long repetition of riffs that don't quite match up to the mournful topic of the lyrics, “KDF 511” has some pseudo-D beat drum patterns that are ill-fitting and “Sick Heil” (like the marginally longer “Stalin Note”) is a throwaway non-track at only 1 minute 50 seconds. Only “Reich an Jugend” really stands up to scrutiny thanks to a frosty wall of noise main riff that is among the best the band have ever penned. Elsewhere it is much the same story, with only “Monotonus 2013”, the rerecorded and lyrically expanded version of the song of the same name from 2004's Dominanz album, being able to stand alongside some live setlist stormers like “World Aflame” that have dotted the last few albums.

To give Endstille some credit they have tried to extend their musical palette somewhat, by being a tad more melodic and atmospheric, and giving a Black n Roll/Thrash/Punk vibe to “The Refined Nation” and “Nostalgia”. The biggest attempt at change is in the use of a spoken word style of vocals on several tracks, but they only really are a success on the closer- in opening track “Aborted” they sit too far back in the mix and on “Nostalgia” the same problem has the effect of making the vocals a jumbled mess. Responsibility for that can be partly attributed to the producer, but after 13 years as a band the blame for shoddy songwriting and album flow can't rest anywhere but with Endstille. Even without the above problems there could be no overarching style to an album that is interrupted halfway through by a pointless Sodom cover (though

kudos though on getting the guitarist from In The Sign Of Evil, Grave Violator, in to guest on this version of “Blasphemer”.) It is almost embarrassing for a veteran band to be seemingly unable to compose 40 minutes of good songs, ordered in a sensible and logical album flow, or to at least harness their main strength in lyrical and thematic intrigue into putting together a unified and concise concept album. Until Endstille can conquer at least one of these their ship is going to keep on sinking faster than even the KDF 511. [4/10]

Enforcer- Death By Fire[Nuclear Blast]

I seem to be in a minority of Enforcer fans for whom it took a while for them to click with me, but having finally cottoned on to their brilliance I am now definitely of the school of thought that Into The Night and Diamonds are two of the best pieces of Heavy/Speed Metal of the past few years. Where I also differ from a lot of Enforcer fans though is in whether or not Death By Fire matches up to that standard, as over the course of the year since its January release a number of fans seem to be hailing the new cut as a startling disappointment. This line of thought I can't get my head around at all, because measured either against the marginally superior earlier albums or entirely on its merits this still absolutely rules and is streaks above a lot of their contemporaries.

After the short intro of “Bells Of Hades”, which thankfully doesn't encroach on too much on Portrait's niche of Mercyful Fate-baiting, “Death Rides This Night” explodes in a total Heavy Metal crescendo that nicely features a slightly more late 70's guitar tone that really puts me in mind of early Heavy Load. This is the big time feelgood style that has become Enforcer's trademark, which continues on with “Run For Your Life” that maybe misses a trick at not injecting a little more darkness in its Satan-style proto-Thrash but when sticking to their guns produces a simple and infectious chorus the scale of “Mesmerized By Fire” I really can't fault Enforcer's mode of attack.

Both it and the side one closer “Take Me Out Of This Nightmare” have a very similar style of chorus refrain to the now almost classic “Midnight Vice” but are far from carbon copies, especially when the latter has an awesome guitar-playing that would not have been out of place on Scorpions' Lovedrive which elevates it to being this album's standout song. On the flip side of this record we first get “Crystal Suite”, which finally justifies the too often-touted lazy comparison to Iron Maiden with its Killers-esque bass solo and twin leads before “Sacrificed” calls Scorpions to mind again, this time injecting some late 80's epic balladeering to a bona fide Agent Steel-style Speed Metal ripper.

“Silent Hour/The Conjuration” sets the album up for a storming finale with its killer open riff and dark-edged and immensely long solo section, but unfortunately “Satan” doesn't quite deliver. Although there is a few hints of darkness and evil and this album compared to the first two this song isn't a serious attempt at forefronting this theme, though maybe a more full on handling of Old Nick would have made for a less disappointing closer. Instead I get a feeling that this number is done slightly tongue

in cheek, especially seeing as the pronunciation of his name in the simple chorus refrain is almost exactly the same as used by Gaahl from Gorgoroth in that famous interview, but this one letdown aside there is very little flaws to picks with this album. It lacks that instant classic factor that the first two had, but a disappointment? Not on your life! [8/10]

Ereb Altor- Fire Meets Ice[Cyclone Empire]

Readers who remember that Ereb Altor were interviewed in the first issue of WAR ON ALL FRONTS will understand how close this band is to my heart, and a few of you may then also understand my dismay when the template of traditional Swedish Epic Doom Metal crossed with the early Viking Metal of Bathory and Scald was altered for album number three, Gastrike, to make room for an increasing amount of Black Metal influence. Now while I do respect the right of bands to play more or less exactly what they want and that as a fan my opinion counts for nought unless a band wishes to seek it, as someone who could have quite happily listened to Ereb Altor remake the same 2 albums for eternity I do think I was entitled to some quiet throwing of the toys from the pram. A year on though and with album number 4 it was time to give Ereb Altor the benefit of the doubt, dry my tears and get professional again.

Many things about the opening title track are encouraging, not least the epic duration of nearly 10 minutes, but also the early break into those sweeping “ohh-ohh!” vocals and a riff that sounds like it could have been left over from the sessions of the début album, By Honour. In fact, due to the overall favouring of slow tempos on this album in comparison to Gastrike this could even be seen as a step-back towards favouring the Doom elements of the Ereb Altor sound once again, especially as “My Ravens” and “Our Legacy” both have passages that could have been on The End. If you share the prejudices I described at the beginning though it is best not to get your hopes up though as the Black Metal influence is still there.

The issue I take now is not with the fact that this element exists on this album, but more that it is at times incorporated so awkwardly. I don't think it would be holding Ereb Altor to an impossible standard to expect that they might be able to have improved on Gastrike, but from the jarring harsh vocals and clunky tempo shift into the Moonsorrow/Windir vibe on the opening track onwards it seems that the opposite may be happening. There is also less continuity than ever before when it comes to which Black Metal bands seem to be influencing Ereb Altor here; from early Enslaved at the start of this album, to Watain on “My Ravens” to Gorgoroth's more abrasive moments on “Post Ragnaröck”... At a point in their career when Ereb Altor ought to be refining their style it sounds more like they are still trying to find their feet- and worse still is the the effect of dampening the impact of the Doom passages that this has.

Black Metal is not the only other genre influence here though as right from the piano-led intro to the opening title song the way is paved for an increased influence from later

Katatonia and Amorphis material, and even mid-period Paradise Lost that permeates this whole record. At times it is well-executed, and overall helps steer this band's sound back to Doomier waters, but nevetheless continues to dilute the dominance of Bathory and Scald which was the rock the band were built upon. This new string to Ereb Altor's bow may be easier for fans of Mats and Ragnar's other band, Isole, to get into- but for people who have been with these guys since the first album or even before I forsee this being perceived as simply yet more moving away from their roots.

As competently done as some of these soaring pseudo-Gothic passages are and as much as both key members have improved in technical terms as vocalists much of this new experimentation still leaves me cold, and simply that is because I think they may have bitten off more than they can chew. With barely a year between this album and the last it doesn't feel like this influence has been thought out carefully enough or enough time has been taken to work it in fully. Certainly it has increased the musical complexity and demanded more accomplished performances, but it has also revealed a naivety that seems out of place with the veteran performers that this band are. At least when musical naivety shone through on previous albums it was on material influenced by some equally naïve artists. When it comes to mimicking stuff like Katatonia and Amorphis, the stakes to make the standards as a high as possible is so much more massive than it is when paying tribute to Bathory.

After 2 albums 2 years in a row I can forsee Ereb Altor now taking a step back to really think the next album through. I still applaud the bravery and creativity they have shown here, and certainly this branched out sound has legs if they really work at it. If they want to play it safe though next time, Ereb Altor should think about going back to what it was that got them to this point. [7/10]

Falkenbach- Asa[Prophecy Productions]

In spite of being able to lay claim to being a well distinguished and unique act in the world of Metal the career trajectory of Falkenbach's Vratyas Vakyas is a pretty well trodden one. Having begun recording music in 1989 as a solo Folk act, Falkenbach appeared as the dawn of the second wave of Black Metal began to creep over the horizon and delivered their pioneering début in 1996 when the experimental end of the genre really broke, being one of the first to colour the genre with Folk elements. ...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri... followed 2 years later with Black Metal side of the coin now taking a back seat to the Folk whimsy and the epic Bathory-style compositions, before that process was further and refined on Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty 5 years later.

Then at a crossroads Falkenbach took the interesting decision with 2005's Heralding- The Fireblade to release a “back to the roots album” based around reworked versions of tracks written before the début, a choice that bought time for Vakyas to either find a way to expand beyond the style he pioneered or to better those early efforts. Even with the benefit of a 6 year gap he failed to do either on 2011's

Tiurida, but being in much the same position that the very stylistically similar Summoning are this year he largely got a by from his fans by virtue of how long they had been waiting for new material. Now in 2013 though he has run out of “get out of jail free”cards. It is put up or shut up time for Falkenbach's maestro to either prove himself worthy of the musical genius acclaim he attracts, or to prove himself as a one trick pony.

Before we can even talk about the music though that fantastic cover artwork needs to be mentioned as not only is it easily the best that has ever graced a Falkenbach sleeve, but also comparing the CD booklet and LP versions side by side they seem to be paintings of the same mountain lake from opposite sides. It's a genius little touch- typically Falkenbach, but going that little bit extra to create something special. On to the music though and it too is typically Falkenbach, often painfully so. It is a worrying start that the previous album called most to mind by opener “Vaer Stjernar Vaerdan” is Heralding- The Fireblade due to how disinterested Vakyas seems to be with his clean vocals, ruining what could have been a decent mournful vibe on “Mijn Laezt Wourd” in the process. There is little better to be said about most of the more up-tempo tracks either as what both “Wulfarweijd” and “I Nattens Stilta” have in common is a structural simplicity that borders on the mind-numbing- repeat main riff and drum pattern for 32 bars, vary slightly for 8 bars, repeat several times, 5-10 second quiet interlude, repeat until end. The only think to shake up this songwriting autopilot is “Bluot Fuër Bluot” where an attempt is at least made to bring together the whimsical Folk Rock and icy Melodic Black Metal styles that are bounced between here, but once again the same songwriting snoozefest prevails.

It is not like this is new for Falkenbach as in spite of their epic stature and leanings it has always been a project typified by short albums and mostly short songs. The fact is though that now 15 years on from when Falkenbach's style was once novel and so many of the bands were born from that influence have surpassed the teacher in every songwriting and album construction facet possible that this level of simplicity and naivety from a veteran band is almost intolerable. It is a sad fact that when more than ever Vakyas needed to pull out something special and monumental after the disappointment that was Tiurida the response seems to be to make something with even shorter and more basic songs and performed with even less passion and fire.

It is not all terrible though and around the middle of this album it even threatens to make a glorious comeback. “Brozen Embrace” is the first blast of icy Black Metal on this album and to be frank, Falkenbach have perhaps never done it better than this. Aside from the drum sound which lacks that savage, cavernous feel the riffs on this track could easily have come from albums like Satyricon's Dark Medieval Times or Gehenna's First Spell. It is followed up with a Fejd/Stille Volk-style masterclass in dainty pastoral Folk Rock with a strong Pop sensibility, but if the centre of the album leads the charge for the best moments, the worst is truly saved for last with the turgid double-whammy of the boring Melo-Deth filler

“Stikke Wound” and the sleep-inducing acoustic finish “Ufirstanan Folk.” Over the years Falkenbach's meteoric decline has been partly due to worsening albums, and partly due to what made them stand out in the first place become more and more passé. With both of those processes now so advanced this album feels like it may be the final nail in the coffin for the Falkenbach myth and legacy. [5/10]

Fanisk- Insularum[Darker Than Black]

10 years may seem like a heck of a long time between albums, but when you have an undertaking like Fanisk's follow up to 2003's album Noontide the gravity of the interim is understandable. Not so much in this case because of the need to match or top the previous effort in quality, though Noontide was an excellent though largely unheralded piece of transcendent orchestral USBM black art, but rather because Insularum became not only a rebirth for this phoenix but also its swansong. The fact that this album was released on January 1st is wholly fitting giving the lyrical themes here of shedding of the old and heralding of the new and superior, but neither should it be surprising that the band ended their existence on August 17th this year given that the lyrics also concern (as does the musical movements) an ascendency into some higher astral plane or realm of being. To what the members of Fanisk will have gone on to now is uncertain (though Eldrig's solo project of the same name appears to still be active), but as a departing gift they could hardly have made an album more befitting.

“Departure Rose Golden” begins with a quote from the Werner Herzog film Cobra Verde that translates to “I long to go forth from here to another world”, and immediately this album rises to that other place. The tone to the keys resembles their solar spiritual brethren Kataxu, as well Goat Horns-era Nokturnal Mortum and Khors' Mysticism album, and ostensibly their might be comparisons drawn to more conventional Symphonic Black Metal acts like Dimmu Borgir- but the key difference is in the atmosphere being created. There is no attempt at sounding evil here, or mournful or any typical Black Metal emotion- this is a sound that stands alone with its rarefied heroic, triumphant, even celebrant vibe. It might even by likened to a Power Metal sound, but words like happy or cheery or too base to describe what this is expressing. Given that the “rose golden” is an alchemical term for absolute earthly achievement we can see here a perfect matching of idea and form as the huge orchestral movement of the music here rises up and up inexorably over this near 15 minute composition, completing the interstellar journey as the lyrics “Circleth Ursae Minoris/Enigmatic in rondure!” Words like majestic get bandied about in Metal too often, but here it is more a more than deserving description.

In spite of the uniquely positive atmosphere for the genre and the beyond the norm Neoclassical structuring Metal is far from abandoned here. The music is at times is also dense, raging and cold, the quieter moments haunting, and the feel of mastery from latter-day Emperor is evoked, even bettered. The sacrificing of mundane darkness for cosmic

light might seem like too much of a rejection of the core of Black Metal for some, especially as the album bleeds seamlessly into “Enantiodromia” and the vibe grows eerily similar to some of Devin Townsend's recent material. Anyone thinking of levelling a cry of “sellout” towards Fanisk though had better think twice though- not only would the NSBM connections of the members make any kind of commercial breakout impossible, but also to imagine that this duo have any interest in anything beyond the music created here and the personal journey it envisages is almost laughable. The break into spacey territories in the centre of this album is a chamber of cold, blinding light and cleansing waves from which the music comes out the other side transformed- and it is nice to see a Black Metal band at last put their music where their mouth is. How many acts out their have lyrics of self-transformation, soul alchemy, shedding of the self to achieve a higher cosmic state- and how many of those have the originality or the musical imagination to to shrug of Black Metal's restrictive cloak of traditions to fully reflect it musically? Not many, but Fanisk is certainly one of them.

Having said farewell to the formerly glittering earthly rose golden at the beginning of this album this 3-part concept record draws to a close with “Arrival Lotus Black”, the most triumphant sounding of the 3 parts yet. As always with bands with NSBM connections (Vitholf has written lyrics for Thor's Hammer and Infernum and the previous album featured a sunburst swastika on the cover art) the reference here to the neo-nazi ideological trope of the Black Sun is sure to raise some eyebrows, though the important distinction to make here is that these ideas are being applied to the rebirth of the individual, not of the Aryan race, and also the possible significance of the figuring of a lotus flower in the theme. Although a blossoming flower has long been associated with a rising sun a lotus never to my knowledge has been specifically so, leading me to think that here it is being used in its pre-Indo-European context of divinity, like the deities in the Bhagavad Gita who are described as seated in lotus flowers. It would not be the first time that bands on the outskirts of NSBM have gone to those sources (Drudkh's name being taken from Sanskrit and the related Blood Of Kingu's pre-European lyrical bent being examples) and with this exulted, jubilant crescendo of solar black art Fanisk undoubtedly join their ranks as being craftsmen of some of the most unique Black Metal music yet made. One of a kind. [9/10]

Gallow God- The Veneration Of Serpents[self-release]

When London-based Doom pack Gallow God first struck 3 years ago with their False Mystical Prose EP they split opinion wherever they were discussed. For me they sat perfectly in the middle of the Doom spectrum by drawing on the epic and utterly bleak sides of the genre equally and leaning ever so slightly towards the Gothic with some Funeral-style keyboards, but to others they seemed middle of the road. Given that the EP was rather restrained in that respect I can see why people may have arrived at that conclusion, but one thing that is sure about The Veneration Of Serpents is that this is by no means middle of

the road. The keyboards which hovered uncertainly in the EP are gone, and everything about the epic and mournful strains in Gallow God's sound has been amplified threefold.

On the EP the vocals of Daniel Tibbals bore quite a close resemblance to Isole's Daniel Bryntse and while he still has that dour quality his intonation is much less drab than before. They start off quite low in the mix on opening dirge “The Circle” but once they rise to the occasion their improvement between releases turns out to be the defining factor here. Isole are called to mind for the epic quality along with Fall Of The Idols and Mirror Of Deception once again but the solemn side of the scale really takes centre stage this time and Gallow God place themselves firmly in a particularly English school of misery along with Warning (more so The Strength To Dream than Watching From A Distance), The River and to a lesser extent Mourn. This track crushes but also the vocal lines are inherently memorable and alongside “Winter Light” off the Magic Circle début and Black Oath's “...For His Coming” this has to be considered one of the best opening tracks of any Doom album this year.

“Waters Of Death, Thy Hands Will Not Cleanse” keeps the quality high with another stellar Isole-like melody, before the depressive but unspectacular “At Eternity's Gate” arrives. It is far from lacklustre but at over 10 minutes it may be the toughest track to get through here for some folk, and the following track is not an easy listen for fairweather Doom fans either. The sparse drumming on that track features some really sinister echoing cymbals though which sets it apart, and “Gaslight” carries some real emotional depth that leads us into the most memorable song from this album- a crushing rendition of the middle English ballad “Scarborough Fair” that far exceeds My Dying Bride's attempt at it a few years ago.

Following that we have “A Miser's Land” which despite being a pretty decent song for this style it would probably be the prime candidate for being cut from this album to knock the length down. That being said, if you have a stomach for albums over an hour in length you shouldn't struggle with The Veneration Of Serpents as even for a sombre and monolithically slow Doom release it is rarely if ever boring, and “The Cranes Of Ibycus” keeps the quality high to the end and injects some a really killer sense of desperation in the vocals to finish. Like with False Mystical Prose there is a sense here of Gallow God still having lots to accomplish, lots of paths started on with this album that could be followed-up on. To talk only of the future would do a disservice to this effort though and what it ultimately is- which is one of the very top Doom Metal albums of 2013. [8/10]

Glorior Belli- Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls

[Agonia Records]

Quite why after delivering a minor masterpiece of French Orthodox Black Metal in 2007, Manifest The Raging Beast, Glorior Belli decided to change tact in 2009 and create a hybrid sound by flavouring Black Metal traditionalism with NOLA Sludge and other “southern” sprinklings is still a bit of a mystery.

4 years on though “The South” rises again in Glorior Belli's sound for a third time, now more of a solo project of J./Infestvvs with hired hands after his former bandmates departed for more traditional acts like Temple Of Baal and Osculum Infame. This is also Glorior Belli's 5th

label in 5 albums having gone from Eerie Art, to Southern Lord, to Candlelight, to Metal Blade and now back to the underground with Agonia. To me this label-hopping immediately posies the question of are they just flogging a dead horse, or instead flogging a horse that never really existed?

Compared to 2009's Meet Us At The Southern Sign at least Glorior Belli can boast that this hybrid style is achieved more cohesively than before. That improvement began to be made on the follow up The Great Southern Darkness in 2011, but here aside from a few awkward and jarring moments on opener “Blackpowder Roars” and the disrhythmic “Built For Discomfort” everything is blended more smoothly- kind of like a musical equivalent to one of those expensive “reserve” Jack Daniels with the honey or apple mixed through them. It would almost be inoffensive if the idea of the hybrid style wasn't so awkward and nonsensical to begin with.

This isn't just Black Metal elitism talking here either, as I dare say serious practitioners and fans of the other side of Glorior Belli's musical chemistry equation would feel exactly the same way. The likenesses to Down and Leather Nun America are obvious, but the execution feels so contrived, understandably so given that these guys are from Paris France, not Paris Tennessee. It's the exact same feeling of confusion that would be created by good ol' southern boys suddenly donning corpse paint and trying to play cold Norwegian Black Metal. As for the idea of mixing the two, should the fact that even the Arch-Bro himself Phil Anselmo never attempted this in all his own flirtations with mediocre Black Metal not be telling? The proof of this is in the pudding on this album- Glorior Belli never manage to lose that forced feeling and sound loose and genuine when plying the smoky, bluesy half of this album, and aside from the first minute or so of “I Asked For Wine, He Gave Me Blood” it has the knock-on effect of sucking any energy out of the moments of Black Metal orthodoxy as well.

Individually neither of these elements are Glorior Belli's strong point, but as was said before at least thanks to the production and songwriting they blend together more smoothly than when this experiment first started. The other change from the third album to the fourth was toning down of the southern-themed song titles, but here they are back with a vengeance and even more bizarre and laughable as before. How are you supposed to take seriously a song called “Ain't No Pit Deep Enough” by someone who would never use the word “ain't” in their English dialect, or “Le Blackout Blues”, “Backwoods Bayou” or that title track by someone who has probably never seen a bayou or an alligator in their life before? Yes, New Orleans has French heritage, but unless you are Creole yourself this sort of stuff has about as much authenticity as a Guatemalan band singing about vikings. Metal hipsters will probably love this and claim that Black Metal only has any kind of relevance when engaging

in this sort of stuff, but now that they are no longer on a label with as much reach into those circles as before their chances of pulling in those sorts is much reduced. 3 albums in and their creative experiment has failed to be taken seriously, leading Glorior Belli to ramp up the southern factor even more, making themselves an even bigger laughing stock in the process.

You might say that none of this matters as long as the music is good, but with the fact they do not excel at their Sludge pretensions and those nullify what little power their Black Metal moments still hold, and the overall awkwardness of mixing the two (best demonstrated by the awful breakdown section to “From One Rebel To Another”) I struggle to find anything to qualify as “good” on here. Even ignoring the above factors this album still is plagued by shoddy songwriting as over half the tracks meander out without going anywhere. The structural boredom problem seems to come from the fact these songs lack solos, most of which seemed to have been saved up for the Black Label Society-style intro to closing song “Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls.” Infestvvs had a masterstroke with Manifest The Raging Beast all those 6 years ago, but since then it seems he is a creatively spent force, and no amount of attempts to sound like he was born in a swamp are going to disguise that fact. [3/10]

Grave Miasma- Odori Sepulcrorum[Sepulchral Voice]

In the grand scheme of things 3 years is not an awfully long time to wait for a new release, but when you're following up something that engendered the universal praise that Grave Miasma's expanded, remastered and re-released version of the Goat Molestör Realm Of Evoked Doom EP did then it seems a hell of a lot longer. Praise doesn't come much higher than “best Death Metal band alive”, especially when that comes from Nuclear Winter label boss/Dead Congregation frontman Anastasis Valtsanis, but Grave Miasma seem to have taken their time and delivered a calm, cool and collected response to prove their advocates right. And they so very nearly hit it right on the mark here.

Everything Realm Of Evoked Doom was this is and more. The production in particular has grown even more monstrous and dense, but still incredibly nuanced and especially suited to listening with headphones. There is some killer drumming sections on “Ascension Eye” that I think get buried in the mire, but otherwise the production is spot on- dark, dank and difficult to navigate but just the right side of being completely impenetrable. It is perfectly suited to the style of riffs as well, like the tremelo-picked incantations of the aforementioned song or the bestial Autopsy-style groove of both “Ovation To A Thousand Lost Reveries” and “έσχατος.”

The classic Morbid Angel-esque songcraft flair is still present and correct in Grave Miasma too, reaching its zenith on the album centrepiece “Odoratus Sepulcrorum.” The atmosphere is fantastic here with a deep, abyssal low hum and a celestial twinkle, the vocals taking on a new dimension and one of the most towering riffs I have ever heard leading into a surprisingly mournful and epic

second half of this song. It is the best thing that Grave Miasma have written to date by far.

Where this needs to be judged though is on how much it has progressed from the previous release, what new musical plateau Grave Miasma have climbed to. The aforementioned mournfulness is the first sign of change right from the very start of album opener “Death's Meditative Trance” and little bits of this and an epic swathe take control at various brief moments throughout the album. It is not a huge leap onwards from what the band were doing before, and in fact it is a pretty logical advancement for them, but it gives this album a much needed edge. Where Realm Of Evoked Doom conjured images of crypts and tombs Odori Sepulcrorum evokes images of vast underground cities, necropolises and crumbling temples.

“Seven Coils” rightly stands out here for its spine-tingling opening riff and some welcome variety in the vocals with some high screams being introduced, but it is the interesting instrumentation of the setar and oud that makes it truly unique. Middle eastern vibes are all the rage in Metal at the moment but I can't recall hearing them used as authentically as this anywhere. It's just a shame that individual touches like this don't litter every track on the album- not necessarily the same elements as this, but at least something to make songs like “Ossuary” that bit more memorable. I feel as though Grave Miasma could have pushed themselves to be more creative on this album, especially as with such a limited discography til now the ideas are probably there aplenty. This comes close to the top of the pile for Death Metal albums this year but Grave Miasma's crowning glory this is not. [8/10]

Hecate Enthroned- Virulent Rapture[Crank Music Group]

Mention the name Hecate Enthroned to most Metalheads these days and the reaction will most likely be “are they still going?” or “are they back together?”, but the fact of the matter is they never went away. Despite the vocalist from their last album, 2004's Redimus, remaining with the band til last year they have had complete silence on the recorded front since then, instead keeping a low profile with sparse gigging mostly as headliners of all-dayers up and down Britain and select events on the periphery of Metal such as the Wave Gotik Treffen festival in Germany. Thus I am unsure whether or not to call this a comeback album, also because of being on a newly formed Italian label specialising mostly in Goth music this album is unlikely to push the band back into the level of awareness they had in their 90's/early 00's period on Blackend records. One thing that can definitely be said in their favour is that this album does pick up rather neatly where Kings Of Chaos and Redimus left off, however given how lukewarmly received those albums were by some fans who were dubious about the move away from purely Black Metal waters that may be a factor too in this album's limited reception. As a band that are now essentially a nostalgia act it might be a sad fact that by not drawing on the “correct” era of their past there is likely to be very little interest in this album from their old fans.

There are times when this album threatens to break into that style the band displayed from Upon Promethean Shores up til Dark Requiems... And Unsilent Massacre, such as on the otherwise Victorian Gothic-flavoured “Plagued By Black Death” and the blast-happy “To Wield The Hand Of Perdition” but these segments are rather few and far between. Cradle Of Filth comparisons will rear their heads as always thanks to touches like some very Midian-sounding synths on opener “Thrones Of Shadow” and the presence of Sarah Jezebel Deva on the title track but really the last 2 albums from the bands original era are the most readily comparable source. “Thrones Of Shadow” seems to go for more of a Kreator-like modern Thrash edge rather than the typical Death Metal chug, though that makes its mark felt on other tracks like “Of Witchery And The Blood Moon” and Gothenbur/Amon Amarth-style melodic licks crop up quite frequently here too.

The drumming is fairly strong throughout here, though often struggling through poor tone and horribly mixed cymbals like on “Unchained” but by far the strongest element are the vocals of new frontman Elliot Beaver. With his mixture of throaty growls and incomprehensible shrieks he evokes both former Hecate Enthroned men Jon Kennedy and Dean Seddon (as well as Dani Filth) in their primes, but thanks to his youth and vocal stamina puts on a much superior performance than either could manage these days. Interestingly this allows the vocals to take the lead on several tracks, such as “Abysmal March”, which works very well in conjunction with the stronger focus on mid-paced melodicism such as on “Euphoria.” Thanks to its sparser riffing “Life” even calls to mind mid-period Paradise Lost, which while likely being a source of further disconnecting Hecate Enthroned from their traditional fanbase and moving further away from their classic sound so heavily featured around dramatic tempo changes, is still definitely a welcome musical move forward for them.

Closing track “Paths Of Silence” is easily the album centrepiece, mixing this mid-paced and more melodic strand with the classic Symphonic Black Metal style and even some of the pseudo-acoustic mystique and Death Metal muscularity of early Opeth for good measure, but unfortunately this isn't translated across the whole album. As this is their longest release by a full 8 minutes and their first in 9 years a little rustiness might be forgiveable, and without the backing of a bigger label even the shoddy mixing like on “Plagued By Black Death” can get a pass too, but the biggest change from the band's past is the poor album construction that sees blunders like the useless acoustic interlude “Immateria” follow “Of Witchery And The Blood Moon” which already featured that element too heavily. The diversity of the album might be applauded I suppose, but for a band who were once one of the most intelligent in Black Metal this poor album construction and lack of central focus is a major disappointment. [5/10]

Hell- Curse And Chapter[Nuclear Blast]

It might be a clichéd way to start a review, but

the sophmore album from these resurrected NWOBHM heroes picks up exactly where Human Remains left off, with a link being created straight away via the spoken word intro of “Gehennae Incendiis” that features the début album's title. All the key ingredients remain as well, with the only major differences from the first album being the presence of new tracks (with around half the album being old demo songs) and a slight increased presence of 70's/80's horror kitsch synths. “The Disposer Supreme” is the main source for the latter, and thankfully so given as it is the weakest song on here, but apart from that slight wavering two tracks in everything on this album is damn near perfect.

“The Age Of Nefarious” must be considered for at least a runner up place in any list of the best album openers of the year and its ripper of a chorus is only made better by how it humourously takes its chorus melody from the 60's Broadway musical Hair. From there every track threatens to be an early peak for the album, were it not for the fact that the level of quality is kept impossibly high throughout. “Darkhangel” takes the award for the longest song not only on this album, but the third longest in Hell's career to date and is a truly complex dark epic that keeps a strong catchiness in spite of its lyrical Byzantine tongue-twisting, but even a much lyrically simpler track like “Land Of The Living Dead” or a straight-up NWOBHM-rocker like “Deliver Us From Evil” can dampen the sheer enjoyment factor.

The most interesting of the re-recorded songs here is the instrumental “Deathsquad” (themes of which were used on the overture for the first album) that is used to split the album cleanly in half after “End Ov Days” and to provide a little breather before a fresh round of storming riffs, melodies and choruses. On the second half of the album “Something Wicked This Way Comes” rightly takes pride of place and has been a live favourite in 2013 even before the album's release, but the fantastic new track “Faith Will Fall” is almost its equal and “A Vespertine Legacy” increased melodicity makes for a killer close to this album. As damn near perfect an hour of Heavy Metal as you can get. [9/10]

Hellish War- Keep It Hellish[Pure Steel Records]

Even to some of those who love the Power Metal heroes of the 1980's their supposed modern descendants in the shape of the likes of Edguy and Hammerfall are hugely maligned, and often rightly so given how bastardised what they do is. Power Metal these days, it seems, doesn't even need to be particularly powerful to be considered so. Even among the best of these second and third wave bands there are no classic albums to measure up to the old guard- even the best among them like Gamma Ray's Land Of The Free pales against relatively minor bands from the 80's like Gravestone or Scanner, nevermind against Kai Hansen's own previous work in Helloween. All is not lost though as thanks to the success of the likes of Skull Fist, Cauldron et al who are indebted to that 80's Power Metal sound in recent years, the time may be right for a new successor to that style to rise. Hellish War may just have heralded that arrival with this album- not just a

Power Metal album that lives up to its boast of power, but that can be counted among the gods for quality.

In the past I knew this band only by reputation for their supposed similarities to Manowar, which had not exactly encouraged me to check them out as I have about as much use for Manowar-clones as I do Communist Black Metal. Upon hearing this album though I was struck by how little that comparison made sense, or rather how rarely it did. Sure vocalist Bil Martins (this his first outing with Hellish War) has a bit of Eric Adams' falsetto reach in his voice among other things and the choruses to “Fire And Killing” and “Phantom Ship” do have nods to the Kings Of Metal, but this is not as heavily indebted as I was led to believe. I have still not heard Hellish War's 2 previous efforts, 2001's Defender Of Metal (a Manowar title if there ever was one) and 2008 Heroes Of Tomorrow so perhaps with a new vocalist has a come a change in style away from Manowar derivative territories. If there is one band that I think this can be consistently compared to then it is actually Running Wild.

Neither in the vocals or the music does this resemble in anyway the sort of “Weakness Metal” that has usurped the genre name in the past 2 decades. Bil Martins may not be a classical perfectionist when it comes to his vocals and at several points on this album over-exuberance overtakes precision, but nevertheless his impassioned style has range, a tone that puts me in mind variously of Hansi Kurch and Matt Barlow and a trailing quality to his timbre on certain songs that makes me think of Steve Grimmett. Meanwhile touches like the drum solo intro to “Reflects On The Blade”, the total Grave Digger riffage of “The Challenge” and the Helloween influence on the soloing shown best on “Master Of Wreckage” keep this firmly in the 80's, with a solid and poweful production far beyond anything else I've heard come out of Brazil before.

So far, so good but so generic you might be thinking? Surprisingly the answer is no- at several points on this album I am taken back by the diversity and maturity of the songwriting. The opening title track begins with a minor key tremelo-heavy riffing style that in a different guise could be classed as Black Metal, and this becomes a trademark that crops up on other songs including “Fire And Killing” while there is a tasteful dose of Blind Guardian's semi-acoustic folksy whimsy on “Darkness Ride” and even a touch of the epic-era Bathory in the crashing waves that begin album centrepiece “Phantom Ship.” Hellish War take the biggest risk on the minor-key emotional number “Scars (Underneath Your Skin)” and whilst I still feel this track would have worked better as a ballad it pulls through nonetheless thanks to some awesome layered vocals in the chorus that have a nice Queensrÿche touch to them.

Like the vocals it is far from perfect- my biggest criticism is of the instrumental track “Battle At Sea”, mostly because on repeated listens you can really start to hear where it could've been turned into another great song with the addition of lyrics. Where this album's real power lies however is in the album flow. Aside from the ill-advised instrumental the intensity that bands both younger and older would kill for is not let up for a second, yet it

never becomes tedious even through songs that mostly 6 minutes plus and feel like half of that. By the end of “Phantom Ship” you will have been listening for 44 minutes, yet the album doesn't feel like it's coming to a close until the subtle work towards a climax on “Darkness Ride.” This modern Power Metal masterpiece is capped off at the 67 minute mark with the near 10 minute finale “The Quest”, which sounds a bit shaky at times and threatens to scupper the whole venture, but is pulled back fantastically at the end and kept strong by the huge cinematic feel to its main riff. Undoubtedly this deserves to be hailed as a Power Metal classic. [8/10]

High Spirits- 2013[High Roller Records]

Another Night by this Chicago quintet easily rates as one of the most infectious début albums of recent years, packed full of wall-to-wall anthems of stadium-worthy 80's magnificence. It was as though Chris Black took that shamelessly catchy vibe that all the retro-Speed Metal bands of the past few years were aiming for and stripping it down to its most radio-friendly commercial source honed it to absolute perfection. Words like “derivative” mean nothing when faced with fist-pumping high energy Rock straight from the heart like this, and whatever High Spirits would follow that modern classic of first album would be judged to the highest possible standard. Amazingly, this compilation of demos measures up amazingly well, and the success might just be down to how different it is in some respects.

For one thing without the budget of the album and the extraordinary studio talent of Sanford Parker these tracks sound much more like the reality, which is Chris Black doing all this DIY. The result is a much more restrained production that really puts me in mind of early Dokken, a vibe also captured on the darkness-tinged “Midnight Sun” which, minus its a capella final chorus refrain, could have belonged quite easily on Breaking The Chains.

Only “When The Lights Go Down” on this MLP is really in keeping with the style of the album, being completely cut from the same cloth as the likes of “Do You Remember?” A completely different kind of vibe is evoked on the sombre “If I'm Gone”, more like the best of 80's Metal soul-searching soppiness without descending into power ballad territory while “One Last Chance” and “Be My Shelter” are similar pieces of dark Pop Metal earnestness.

This release is completed with an early demo version of the album track “Full Power” which keeps the balance just right between this new melancholic vibe and the righteous joy of earlier material and makes for an essential purchase for anyone who loved Another Night. How that balance will change on the next full length record remains to be seen, but Chris Black has succeeded in proving here that High Spirits are anything but a one trick pony. [8/10]

In Solitude- Sister[Metal Blade]

When on tour in the UK and Ireland with Amon Amarth and Grand Magus in March of 2012, In Solitude took to the stage amid the

haunting sounds of “Fire Of God's Love” a bizarre leftfield piece of Christian Folk from 1976 by Sister Irene O'Connor. The reason I bring this up is simple- no one at all who witnessed this or knew otherwise about In Solitude's penchant for obscure and esoteric music should be in any way surprised at the new direction they've taken on Sister. When it comes to making it or being broken by the “difficult third album” In Solitude have passed with flying colours- all those colours are black mind, but flying colours nonetheless.

There's no pussyfooting about these new influences- opening song “He Comes” is straight in there with the mystical, pseudo-Celtic acoustic intro that is equal parts prime The Cure and obscure 60's Dark Folk Rock like Mellow Candle. Those repetitive keys bring the Post-Punk influence as well and while Pelle hasn't changed the tone of his voice the atmosphere now takes on an Andrew Eldritch-like aura. As In Solitude then journey on through songs like “Death Knows Where” and “Pallid Hands” the blend of their traditional Mercyful Fate influence, the 60's obscurities through the same sort of Metal filter as Opeth and preening theatricality of 80's Goth is utterly seamless.

Several aspects of this mix are stunning- first and foremost the authenticity with which those new influences are transmuted. Take the opening riff from “Pallid Hands” for example- it could easily have come from an early The Mission LP. The other is how comfortable the band seem in this new territory they are carving out for themselves- in fact they frankly seem more confident in their abilities than ever. Every note seems to be played with passion and attacked with abandon, and Pelle outdoes himself on the vocal performance. Take the faintly Danzig-ish “A Buried Sun” as an example- the warble that he adds on this Hammer Horror-like crusher is incredibly rich and evocative. One might expect him to cry out “woe!” dramatically with that ghostly stress were it not for the fact In Solitude are rightly taking this so seriously. If Ghost spent less time on the shtick and silly gimmick and more time throwing themselves headlong into the music like this they would have far fewer critics.

Credibility to these new musical avenues are definitely provided by the guest presence of Jarboe on vocals on “Horses In The Ground”, though a few will probably try to besmirch this achievement of an album by over-stressing the comparisons to Ghost, or worse yet, accuse In Solitude of cynical motivation behind this stylistic shift and trying to cash in on the Retro/Occult Rock explosion and the Goth scene. The insinuation is a bizarre one given how far beyond the simplicity of Ghost this is and how closed off the Goth world can be. With the exception of the title track that is ripe for a Goth dancefloor remix I think this will be more likely to open the minds of Metalheads than it is to create a crossover appeal for themselves with fans of other genres. And given the high likelihood for losing fans who wanted to hear yet another Mercyful Fate/Iron Maiden-influenced record I would say that commercial factors were not on the band's minds at all. This is far too honest sounding to be cynically motivated.

The space given to discussing the Goth and

60's Rock elements in this album might make it seem like this is now purely what In Solitude are about; and while it is fair to say the days of them being nothing but a Heavy Metal band are over it would be absurd to suggest they have abandoned the genre altogether. Nowhere is this more the case than in closing track “Inmost Negrido” where the interplay of cold yet searing guitar leads and solos with crushing riffs calls to mind the Doom Metal greats of their home country- but even throughout the album the newfound influences are never allowed to dominate. The drumming and pacing is almost consistently pure Heavy Metal- the other elements are along for the ride but this is not a complete rebirth for the band's sound. In fact, from how well this all coalesces I'd dare say this is what in Solitude wanted to do and should have been doing all along. In years to come we'll still be able to look back fondly on In Solitude and The World. The Flesh. The Devil with fondness for what they are- but with Sister they have created something that may one day be looked back as a creative waystone in the entire genre. [9/10]

Inquisition- Obscure Verses For The Multiverse

[Season Of Mist]

Even by Black Metal standards Inquisition seem like odd candidates for the moderate success that they have lately achieved, what with their obscure beginnings in Columbia, unwieldy album titles and stripped-down recordings and live performances as a two-piece. Somehow they have done it though, making a pretty sizeable leap up in record label since Hell's Headbangers put out Ominous Doctrines Of The Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm in 2011 and what is more is how only superficial changes have been made to the Inquisition mode of attack to get to this level. On this latest cut there seems to be a big step up in Classic Rock influence that on the face of it makes the band reasonably accessible for the first time, but the same mix of early Mayhem and Immortal with Arckanum-like gnostic shaman weirdness, groaning ritual vocals and universe-bending Celtic Frost riffing still holds court here. By all accounts they should still be a niche band, and all the more power to Dagon and Incubus.

While this is probably the best produced Inquisition album to date it is still a world away from the usual sonics of the trendy Season Of Mist roster. With a relative inexperienced unknown behind the desk in Arthur Rizk (producer for US Crossover thrashers Power Trip) they have still made an album that sounds exactly suited to their style, without any sign of overthinking any of it. Nothing here is excessive or self-indulgent, even when utilising some early Emperor-style epic arrangements and plumbing the same Classic Rock mines as Satyricon. A song like “Spiritual Plasma Evocation” sounds to me like what Satyricon's Volcano and Now, Diabolical should have sounded like if those elements had've been fitted more successfully into the sound the Norsemen had laid down the decade before. This is melodic in a harrowing sort of way, modern (or at least not stuck in the 90's) and fairly accessible, but still the same old cosmic, malicious and utterly hateful Inquisition at heart.

Inquisition get routinely praised for their ability to create consistently great albums with more or less the same formula, and though the newer touches like the Rock n Roll soloing on “Darkness Flows Towards Unseen Horizons” and the title track, or the Lovedrive-era Scorpions touches on “Joined By Dark Matter, Repelled By Dark Energy” are strong and highly memorable the orthodox Black Metal parts are fantastic too. It is part of the mystique of Inquisition that they can owe so much of their careerto that Pure Holocaust vibe present on “Master Of The Cosmological Black Cauldron” and continue to make it interesting. After 6 albums and 15 plus years that is highly impressive.

Even when sticking within the confines of Black Metal on this album Inquisition can make some pretty unique magick too, especially on the trio of tracks which rounds the album off. “Arrival of Eons After” manages to be spellbindingly melodic even during one of the album's most intense hyperblast sections while the standout track “Inversion Of Ethereal White Stars” captures the experimental edge that a lot of melodic early 90's BM like Ancient, Diabolical Masquerade and Christ Agony had but pulls it off more successfully than any of them ever did. The whole journey gets rounded off with some tasteful cosmic atmospheric synths at the tail end of “Infinite Interstellar Genocide” which in its own unrelenting no nonsense way finally brings Inquisition close to the progressive Black Metal types of Deathspell Omega who they normally share only aesthetic links with. On album number seven for this duo I would love to hear some more of this stuff worked into their primitive and retrograde style, but its limited presence here is no mark on the cheek of this beast of an album. One of the best Black Metal releases of the year by far. [9/10]

Iron Jaws- Guilty Of Ignorance[Pure Steel Records]

There is definitely an art form to choosing an album title that is a mission statement and Italian speedsters Iron Jaws seem to have it nailed down. 2010's debut LP Louder Is Not Enough was a badass title in its own right, but I think Guilty Of Ignorance is perfectly suited for a band to whom time seems to have stopped somewhere around 1986. The flipside of this coin however is that if you are going to stick your neck out with a title like this you better make sure you have the music to back up the boast, and frankly opening track “No Speed Limit” keeps things pretty firmly in the middle of the gearbox.

Playing Speed Metal and hailing from Italy is always going to be a hill-start whenever you've got a heavy pedigree to live up to. This is certainly no Bulldözer when it comes to speed and insanity, nor even no Baphomet's Blood. It's better than that Witchunter album from a few years ago though, I'll give it that, and what Iron Jaws lack in that overdrive level of intensity they make up for in other areas. That retro NWOBHM bass sound is one of the best I've heard in a long time and it rightly is the driving force behind the rhythm section rather than the sometimes timid drums, and the vocals are an excellent almost Black Metal-ish high-pitch screech.

The bands identity is largely shaped around its unique style of gang vocals that play a game of call and response with those lethal shrieks on nearly every track. The best way I can describe them is that rather than providing a Punk edge they actually have more of a choral effect, not unlike fellow Italians Death SS in their speedier moments, whilst the Doom vibes on “Witch Hunters” show that influence too. Despite being the slowest track on here (even when it flies into a Iron Maiden/Cloven Hoof-like race to the finish line) it is perhaps the best, behind only “Overinsanity.” On this track rolling drums interplay brilliantly with pinch harmonics before a looser, airier more Punk vibe overtakes. The almost anthemic chorus to “H.B.M.B.” (“Heavy Bloody Metal Bomb!”) is another highlight, but too much of the rest of this album is worked around similar riffs and identical drumbeats. These 3 better tracks interspersed over the 35 minute length is just about enough to keep in interesting, but when Iron Jaws prove what they can do when they diversify a little bit you wonder why they don't mix it up a little bit more on the other songs. As great of a song as it is at bringing a sing-a-long chorus that Iron Jaws themselves are somewhat lacking in, I also have to take issue with the cover of Hallows Eve's “Metal Merchants” which is faithful to a fault.

The 2 bonus tracks on here (bringing the whole album up to 43 minutes in total) reinforce this fact. “VX” works a more Motörhead vibe and the trademark high shrieks are traded in for a more insane approach that sounds a bit like Udo Dirkshnieder on laughing gas, whilst the bridge section on “Predator” is pure excellence. To sum up, Iron Jaws have shown what they do, but just haven't shown it enough. I reckon they will hit their stride on the next release, and while this album is a worthy purchase for true Speed Freaks I think it will likely be sentenced to spending more time on your shelf than on your stereo. [6/10]

Joel Grind- The Yellowgoat Sessions[Acid Rat Records/Hells Headbangers]

“In my opinion, music being released direct from the artist to the fan with no middle men is the future...with your support of this project as well as similar ones from other artists I think we can make a serious change in the way the music "biz" is run.” Taking out the middle man as the Toxic Holocaust ringleader Joel Grind puts it is a movement slowly gathering momentum recently, and although most of this has taken place through unrealistic crowdsourcing projects for bands with massively inflated senses of importance, Joel Grind has done this the simplest possible way by releasing his Yellowgoat Sessions first as a pay-what-you-want download and then using that money to finance the physical releases. Personally I'm a bit sceptical about the idea of returning to a medieval idea of artist patronage, partly because I don't think fairweather music fans thinking they can dictate a band's musical direction because they have replaced a record label is a good thing, but also because in our present state we are still too engaged by the idea of record labels conferring respectability. Certainly with this release I feel that it might be viewed by some as just leftover ideas from Toxic Holocaust. Fans of Joel Grind's main institution, especially long-term fans who've followed the band since the days of Evil Never

Dies, will eat this up and probably all have already. How worthwhile is it for everyone else though?

Well for starters if you're not a fan of Toxic Holocaust's music then you're probably not going to like this. As if the Bathory reference in the title wasn't enough of a sign, this still pays homage to the same icons as in Joel's main band. The ridiculously titled “Hell's Master Of Hell” kicks things off with some Motörhead rhythms that crop up again on “Black Order”, but otherwise the tempos here are more like straight up Thrash pacing or occasionally some D-beats. Sodom comes across on these songs almost as much as Bathory do, starting off with “Vengeance Spell” and reaching its peak on the In The Sign Of Evil overload of “Hail To Cruelty”, as well influencing some of the melody on the slower stomp of “Foul Spirit Within” that also has a big bang of Cruel Force off it. Strangely enough it is actually the 2 slower tracks off this record that are the strongest, both the aforementioned and the Hellhammer-vibing “The Eternal One” which features some pretty cool demonic vocal effects.

About half of these tracks do have a bit of individual flavour though some are pretty generic, including the “Cross Damnation” digital single from this album, though the otherwise dull “Grave Encounters” is elevated by some dark noise effects that compliment the evil vibe pretty well. In spite of some of the song nuances though I can't escape a feeling that this has been rushed, or cobbled together in spare time. Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that approach, after all it more often that not has worked for Darkthrone, but doing it directly for his fans or not I really wouldn't think as much effort has gone into this as into Joel's real creative baby. Before I'd recommend this to anyone I would first direct you to the latest Toxic Holocaust, but if you have got that already and dig that as much as I did, it would be well worth giving this a whirl- especially given than Joel has been returning to this more ferocious style on Chemistry Of Consciousness anyway. [6/10]

Kroda- Varulven EP[Purity Through Fire]

At the end of 2009 the Ukrainian 2-piece Kroda appeared to be on top of the world. Coming off the back of 3 albums as close to perfection as ever seen in the Pagan Metal subgenre (Cry To Me, River..., Toward The Firmaments Verge Of Life and Fimbulvinter) the band had also completed a string of well-received live performances with members of countrymen Ruina filling in live members duties resulting in the Live In Lemberg album, the Fünf Jahre Kulturkampf compilation of re-recorded songs, covers and rarities and even the audio-visual project Ghosts Of Birds. Despite skirting around the edges of the white power/NS scenes thanks to their choice of cover songs and comments in liner notes Kroda still seem poised for a break above the underground's frozen soil. That chance was scuppered by the departure of Viterzgir, now known by his real name Yulian Mytsyk, to focus on his thoroughly un-Metal Industrial/Folk/Pop project Viter, and though Eisenslav recovered enough to deliver the excellent Schwarzpfad album the following

year it still feels as though Kroda is missing something with only one of its progenitors left.

On first glance at this EP is definitely missing the beautiful cover art that has graced almost all their releases up until now. Frankly the band have been in a downturn in that department ever since 2007's Fimbulvinter with it's breathtaking scenic winter photography, but here the basic drawing of a werewolf on a nightsky background with a very wolfish album font (very similar in style to countrymen Lucifigum) seems like a step too far towards simplicity and primitivism for a band who have always been an elite unto themselves. The opening title track, an experiment into the Swedish Vikingarock style from the Schwarzpfad sessions that is apparently (I can find no details on the song) is a rendition of a traditional Norse tune, reflects this stylistic shift musically as well. Although the Oi! Punk elements of the style typified by Ultima Thule are eschewed in favour of vocals and folk touches very much in keeping with Kroda's past the very rudimentary Rock structure feels an odd fit for a band we are so used to hearing huge Summoning-esque swathing compositions from.

“Werwolf” is much more up the typical avenue of this band being a cover of Russian Black/Folk Metal pioneers Temnozor (from their Horizons... album), a band who were always quite similar in style. At only 5 minutes long though and far from Temnozor's most complex track it still seems like a step in the wrong direction for a band who long ago proved themselves a level above Temnozor, but for true fanatics of this style it will definitely be interesting to listen to. Likewise the closing live cover of Absurd's “Der Schlarlachrote Tod” will appeal to NSBM fans, but for anyone who has been drawn to Kroda only for their music there is not much excitement in hearing them dumb down to this base Black Metal plane. More to the point, this is now the 3rd

release from Kroda to have featured this song either as a live or studio version- quite why Kroda content themselves with paying tribute to inferior acts is perplexing.

“Nemesis” is the most musically interesting of these 4 cuts, despite my dubiousness of the band's claims as to it being a traditional German song, but nevertheless it is such a simple yet winding and rousing acoustic instrumental Folk haunting that it easily qualifies as one of the most beautiful pieces of music Kroda have ever recorded. For now this will suffice, but if Eisenslav wants to really strike onwards and upwards after the loss of Viterzgir then he needs to get back to making classic full length albums. [6/10]

Krypts- Unending Degradation[Dark Descent Records]

Compared to my jovial spirits and forgiving nature on the retro Death Metal wave back when I penned WAR ON ALL FRONTS #1 it is fair to say that a lot of it is starting to get tiring, boring in its repetitive dullness, and for that reason the title of Krypts' debut album doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. With so many unimaginative bands parading around today then what is Death Metal experiencing if not “unending degradation?” Thankfully though this is one of the better albums of the

current wave of Death Metal revivalism, one of the best. In fact, I think this may be the best Finnish Death Metal album since Demigod’s Slumber Of Sullen Eyes, and I include this years’ excellent Vorum Poisoned Void and Lantern Below débuts (unfortunately not reviewed here) in that consideration too.

It is hard to nail down exactly why, but even from the haunting intro track “Perpetual Beyond” and looking at the conventional but not overly familiar artwork I got an immediate sense of this being something a little bit special. “Blessed Entwinement” lays out the battle-plan will follow; doomy pacing with a titanic and gargantuan feel to the riffs, a rich and enveloping wall of sound in the guitar tone and a tasteful nod the the Finnish bands of the classic Death Metal era like Convulse and Phlegethon. On paper it’s as orthodox as any of the other Death Metal albums of the year but there’s something unique about the atmosphere, the fact that its difference is something so ephemeral and hard to nail down making it all the more unnerving- uncanny in the truest sense of that word. On this track the hypnotic and hauntingly murky feel is driven not just by the swirling mass of guitar but also the drums. That alone is something few bands I have ever heard have accomplished, but it’s certainly one of the things to make Krypts stand out.

In one sense the album peaks too early with the catchy highpoint of “Into The Crypt” but an album like this shouldn’t be judged on that one criterion alone, especially when its strength lies in its insidiousness, not its directness. Take the doomiest sections of the album. On the track “Inhale...”, for example- the tempo is slowed down here to an absolute crawl, but it is anything but neanderthal and dumbed down. Even in the most monolithically slow and crushing passages the guitars breathe in waves with little soporific nuances and subtleties changing every time. Hypnoticism seems to be a very popular spell to cast in Death Metal circles these days, but unlike their countrymen Vorum who flirt with Deathspell Omega-lite atmospherics, Krypts accomplish this with the minimal of effort.

What makes Krypts such an interesting band then is not just what they’ve created here on their first outing, but what they may accomplish yet when they get even more creative. This album is by no means perfect; the songs could do with more breathing space in between so that they are more clearly delineated and the vocals at times are a little repetitive and one-track, but compared to most of the other Death Metal revival albums I've encountered in 2013, it is an album that readily invites repeat listens. This belongs up there with the recent efforts by the likes of Tribulation, Morbus Chron, Horrendous and Encoffination because I can tell that in five years time it’s an album I’ll still be periodically returning to. [8/10]

[This review is adapted from a piece I originally wrote for metalireland.com]

Legend- The Dark Place[High Roller Records]

Despite hailing from Jersey (an island in the middle of the English channel- halfway between England and France) the NWOBHM

outfit Legend never really conformed to that idea that bands grown in isolation will produce music unique to that of their peers (Voivod come to mind.) In part this could be down to the fact that in the most creative period of NWOBHM (1978-1983) there wasn't really a standardised norm for Metal that they could be compared to, but looking back to the dismal proto-Doom of their self-titled debut and the more conventional Hard Rock-flavoured Death In The Nursery and Frontline EP they never really found sure footing musically speaking. There was potential of course, like that dour doomy vibe that pre-empted Candlemass and their rare 1983 demo made just before their split that showed a lot of ideas Iron Maiden would also come up with a few years later, but Legend have only really been celebrated for this through the rose tint of retrospect. 2003's comeback Still Screaming was far too rushed an affair to show that potential blossoming at last, so perhaps with 10 year's to prepare this album (their 4th in 32 years) they can finally strike gold?

The self-titled opener is a bit hard to take in at first. On the one hand it seems rooted in tradition and familiarity- like that crunchy riff that could've been lifted right off Death In The Nursery, the Ozzy-like laughs towards the end or even the intro riff that despite Legend's early genesis of lots of Prog Metal tropes still sounds a bit too similar to “Somewhere In Time” for its own good. Between that main rocky riff though there are these quiet vocal-led moments with just a whisper of up-strummed chords from the guitars that give a really unique vibe. It's a great show of creativity from musicians so long in the tooth and it definitely shows that Mike Lezala has not lost the power in his voice. This combines well with a hint of that pre-Candlemass vibe of the bands first album to make this a strong opener, even if I feel the chorus could do with being a little stronger.

From there it goes into “Red” which is a much simpler affair (more Maiden comparisons in the semi-acoustic intro aside), but one that works well. The chorus refrain of “Nothing more to say on such a special day” is appropriate for how the band works on being able to create magic from base raw materials, but unfortunately as the album continues the alchemy is not repeated. Mostly for the rest of the album it feels stuck in second gear, like on “Halls Of The Dead” which could've become a full on Doom rager if it ever broke out of its torpor. The extended and re-recorded version of “Taste Of Life” from the début album gets that epic and despairing side of the band perfectly, but its a shame that the same is not managed with any more of the newly recorded songs.

Likewise the proggy touches on the rerecorded “Questions And Answers” from the 1983 demo aren't transferred over to any of the other songs, most of which tread a too familiar stale Hard Rock path. Only “Too Late To Be A Hero” gets the formula right for that equal parts Jameson Raid swagger and Angel Witch epicness, but unfortunately it is too late and not enough to elevate this album to the level it needed. [5/10]

Magic Circle- Magic Circle[self-released]

We've all encountered those albums before

where we wish the whole thing could be as good as the first song, but Magic Circle's début manages the rare achievement of having this issue yet still works its way into the top albums of the year. Opening tune “Winter Light” dominates here and stands up as one of the most impressive tracks as the year. In spite of the wintry title the sound is one of total vintage warmth that goes right back to the roots of Doom Metal with a mix of Master Of Reality pacing and the anthemic quality of Never Say Die!, but the absolute standout quality is the vocals of Brendan Radigan. He has the rough-edged tonality of Pagan Altar's Terry Jones that gives this an earthly quality, but also the impassioned delivery and performativeness of Trouble's Eric Wagner- and the lyrics and melodies he has to work with this song drip with emotive power. Melancholic might be the wrong word to use, especially because of how uplifting this song can be on repeat listens, but certainly this is an outpouring on par with bands like Pallbearer and even approaching the heartwrenching Warning classic Watching From A Distance.

The epic first track finishes on a faster note with Dio-era Black Sabbath and fellow New Englanders (Magic Circle hail from Boston) Nightbitch being called to mind, and starts off “Rapture” with a similar vibe, albeit extra helpings of early Judas Priest and a little bit of Motörhead. From there the lo-fi low distortion vintage sound morphs into a vibe not unlike early Soundgarden or a rougher Pearl Jam on “The Greatest Escape/White Shores”, before settling on some real Saint Vitus-esque vibrations on “Scream Evil.” Radigan's impassioned, hurt howling remains and remains the most impressive thing about this, but the really overpowering feel of the opening track never quite returns. There is a flash of supreme quality late on “Conquering Nocturnity” that comes closest to matching it, but with Magic Circle clearly so capable of exploiting such monumentally heartbreaking vocal hooks like that on the first track it is befuddling, and almost disappointing, than they then base the rest of the album around riffs.

Admittedly they are very very good riffs, but “Winter Light” has an almost drug-like effect- after hearing it all you will be able to think about is getting more of these hugely cathartic sounds. I have listened to this dozens of times now and it is almost always followed with a feeling of wanting to stick on Watching For A Distance, Vast Oceans Lachrymose or Sorrow And Extinction. If the whole album was in this style then we'd surely be looking at another landmark in the mournful Doom Metal trail, and dare I say it maybe even the album of 2013.

“Winter's Light” is not a laurel that this album rests on though- it would still be in contention for being one of the top releases of the year even without it's opening salvo of unbridled feeling. One of the things that impresses me most is the breadth of influences that go into making this album, especially how the final track “The Magic Circle/Cloven In Two” evokes a lot of the Heavy Prog/Proto-Doom bands of the 70's that I love like Bang!, Iron Claw and most of all Jerusalem. It is a well of inspiration barely gone to enough by Doom bands, and something that I would love to hear Magic Circle draw from more often- were it

not for the fact I want to see them explore the door they opened on this album's first song even more! Whichever happens I think it is safe to say that anything this band and their central figure Brendan Radigan, who also released a stellar demo under the name Stone Dagger this year (which I will be considering a 2014 release once I get my copy in January!), do in the future will be worth taking notice of. [8/10]

M å negarm- Legions Of The North [Napalm Records]

Sweden's Månegarm are one of those bands who never get the credit they deserve. Forming right at the centre of the 90's Pagan Metal explosion they developed a style of their own very quickly based around their use of archaic Swedish lyrics, short explosive songs and fiddle melodies and since 1998 have been putting out albums with consistent high quality with rarely more than a 2 (once only 3) year gap. Amazingly they kept a stable lineup throughout all the time as well, and while I don't know the band intimately enough to know whether the departure of long-time bassist Pierre Wilhemsson in 2010 and instrumentalist Janne Liljeqvist in 2012 constituted a band crisis it did herald the longest inter-album gap in Månegarm's history of 4 years. Either way, with Legions Of The North it definitely feels like they have lost something.

Looking at this album is enough to know there is something rotten in Denmark (or Sweden as the case may be here.) The album artwork is standard, in fact possibly the best collaboration that Månegarm have had to date with legendary Absu painter Chris Verwimp, but the fact that this is the first of their albums not to have its title in Swedish is the first sign of trouble. Looking at the back of the CD you will see that (excluding instrumentals) songs written in the trademark archaic Swedish are now outnumbered by those in English by 7 to 2, with the bonus track on the limited edition version also in English. If you want to be cynical you might say the source for this change is also to be find on the rear album sleeve, and true enough the band's first album on Napalm Records has come with some changes that bring them more in line with that label's more accessible Folk Metal acts like Heidevolk and Svartsot than ever before.

The band's Pagan Black Metal roots have not been entirely abandoned, as witnessed by the ferocity of the opening of the title track, as well as a smattering of the same on “Forged In Fire” and some almost Black/Thrash rhythms to break up the blasting monotony on the bonus track “Wake The Gods”, but combined with a lack of trademark short songs Månegarm have really lost out on that fierce nature their early material had. That lengthening of songs may have begun with the classic Vredens Tid but it is telling that neither this album nor the previous (2009's Nattväsen) have any songs even approaching the concise, sharp blasts of aggression that the band's legacy was built on in their early days. The closing track of “Raadh” is the shortest on here by far, and though it is not the rager that this album sorely needs, it is definitely a highlight by being a wondrous Swedish sung male/female harmony with a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment. Elsewhere on the album though these steps

outside the band's traditional comfort zone do not work so well.

Clean vocals have never been this band's strongest point, and though there is some cool vocal lines (“Sons Of War” in particular) they are not pulled off with enough tunefulness and melody. The rough edge does give an interesting Ultima Thule-style Vikingarock edge one must admit, but in terms of fitting the overall more accessible melodic approach that Månegarm are employing here they just aren't the best fit. That accessibility factor is also brought in by elements borrowed from more well known Swedish acts in the second half of this album, half the time working and half the time not. For example, the growled breakdown in “Sons Of War” is a bit too close to Amon Amarth's “Guardians Of Asgaard” for comfort, though the emotionally straining vocal section on “Echoes From The Past” immediately after is one of the album highlights. Both those tracks also feature some very catchy riffs that could even have come off albums by Swedish Sleaze/Hard Rock acts like Imperial State Electric or the Backyard Babies that, while a cool touch, ultimately are a weird fit for a band of this style. On an album that is essentially a diluting of a style that has worked so well time and time again the last thing Månegarm really need is more changing up of their sound.

Ultimately though it is the almost-total abandonment of their old Swedish lyrics that are the biggest letdown here, not only because it sacrifices what was one of the most unique touches to the band but also because frankly the English-sang songs simply aren't catchy enough to make the change worthwhile. Proof of this is the other Swedish song on the album, “Tor Hjälpe” that is almost as singable to a native English speaker as any of the other tracks are! This album has its moments, but ultimately it is the weakest thing Månegarm have done to date. [6/10]

Mael Mórdha- Damned When Dead[Candlelight Records]

Given that they are easily one of the most unique Metal bands in the world it is frankly almost an injustice that Mael Mórdha should not be huge. Lazy comparisons can always be made, particularly to Primordial, but even on this 4th album, which includes quite a bit of diversification, that individual style is utterly unmistakeable. One of the things most immediately noticeable is how Roibéard Ó Bogail has improved his clean vocals- perhaps making them less idiosyncratic, but along with being better mixed than ever before they frankly now can go toe to toe with the likes of Enslaved, Forefather and Tyr for accomplished clean vocals in the Pagan Metal subgenre. Combined with some guitar parts on “Dawning Of The Grey” and “All Éire Will Quake” that could have easily come from Amon Amarth albums this has serious commercial breakthrough potential- and if there is any justice in the world it will be, for the sheer amount of effort that has gone into this album both in terms of songwriting and lyrical concept.

“Laudabiliter” opens the album up in a remarkably reserved style (at least compared to say “Atlas Of Sorrow” from Gaeltacht Mael Mórdha), but in a way that enforces patience

and attention, as does the very deft and matter-of-fact history-laden lyrics. Overall the album concerns the papal bull referred to by the opener's title that gave the English king dominion over Ireland, and the vocals are a perfect blend of sorrow and bitterness reflecting that. “King Of The English” takes that mantle up with some truly stinging lyrics, but on that track and also the following “Dawning Of The Grey” special mention must also go to Shane Cahill's driven powerhouse drumming. Despite being seemingly a very basic style it is nevertheless relentless and uniquely delivered, and adds as much to the angry and hateful tone of this album as the vocals do. Primordial's Simon Ó Laoghaire may get all the glory when it comes to Irish drummers thanks to his innovative style, but to my mind Cahill is equally as important in helping his band sound like no other.

That heaviness is continued on into the second half of the album, with 2 tracks that were played as part of the band's set at Redemption Fest early in the year making thunderous live numbers. “Bloody Alice (Of Abergavenny)” marks a return from the factual overload found in the lyrics to first 2 tracks to a more traditional style of Mael Mórdha narrative centred around striking images (in this case the cascading blood over the cliffs of Wales and Alice smearing her breasts in Saxon crimson), but “All Éire Will Quake” steals the show as the album centrepiece and anthem, with not just one but two outstanding vocal refrains. If “Cluain Tarbh” ever gets replaced as Mael Mórdha's standard setlist opener, it will be with this. As much as any of the tracks on this album this is where that fantastic hybrid of sorrowful lamenting and righteously angry diatribe really comes to life. Considering how much associated with the former vibe this band have been in the past this may seem like a partial sacrifice of their most defining feature, but in fact it has the effect of making this album their most concise effort yet.

“The Sacking Of The Vedrafjord” might seem like a step off the pedal for this album as its chorus lacks that same aggressive punch as the rest of the album, but it is a necessary breathing track to drive the album's overarching narrative towards the big finale, and some tin whistle which is remarkably used little on this album. The closing title track is the real storytelling masterpiece here- building slowly as Roibéard pushes his vocal ability to even greater heights as he takes on the role of Diarmuid singing his own eulogy, exploding into a Dante-esque sense of confusion and madness when his headstone is ripped in two and his body is disinterred by Manannán- the moment depicted on the album's cover. Not only is it this album's crowning glory and Mael Mórdha's finest ever narrative, but also one of the greatest meetings of theme and form ever achieved by a Metal band, a monumental achievement for literary greatness in the genre. My only gripe with this song, and with this album as a whole, is how at only a little over 8 minutes long this could have gone on for so much longer! Without a shadow of a doubt this album is a masterpiece. [10/10]

Mot ö rhead- Aftershock [UDR Music]

It may come as a surprise to most who aren't familiar with their full catalogue, but

Motörhead are a band who have never really made a bad album. The first seven of their LPs (excluding No Parole which is essentially an inferior alternate version to their self-titled début) are all stone cold classics featuring the best of their material, and although their has been a few troughs since then like Snake Bite Love/We Are Motörhead at the tail end of the 90's there has been absolute killer cuts after their glory period too such as 1916 and even as recent as 2008's Motörizer. As a follow up to The Wörld Is Yours this is at least an equal achievement, a solid effort to show that Motörhead are timeless and will always still have it. And with the band skirting the edge of destruction more than ever before a reassuring cut like this is exactly what fans need.

A track by track breakdown of a Motörhead record is always going to be a bit of a pointless exercise as everyone will know their 21 times tried and tested formula, and I'm happy to report that it is still as effective as always. “Keep Your Powder Dry” wanders off true course slightly with a lead riff that sounds more like something from an AC/DC song but Lemmy's unmistakable chord-driven bass style keeps it in Motörhead's yard. Likewise when things get bluesy on the Steve Miller Band-style Hammond organ-accompanied “Crying Shame” and the stripped down John Lee Hooker/Lightnin' Hopkins-esque Folk Blues feel of “Lost Woman Blues” and “Dust and Glass” it always has Lemmy's trademark stamped firmly across it.

When it comes to the more straight-up rockers there is not many tracks here I would like to hear replace some classics in a live set, but “Queen Of The Damned” is definitely one of them. Most of the songs on here clock in at under 3 minutes and that is more than enough time for a chord-driven bassline to open it up, a cracker main riff, bluesy licks, throaty vocals, short but sweet solo and lyrics about a dangerous woman. What more could you want from a Motörhead song?

Nothing else on here quite matches this tune, but a few stand out thanks to Lemmy's still timeless lyrical ability, in particular closing track “Paralyzed” which boasts probably the band's best opening lyric since “Killed By Death” when Lemmy croons; “Running through the jungle/looking for a light/running like a bastard baby/in the jungle night” Young whippersnappers like Speedwolf could take a tip from “Do You Believe?” when it comes to righting great Rock n Roll lyrics but there is a worldweariness in some of the lyrics here that can only come from the seeing the things an ageing rocker has and can never be faked by youth. “Coup De Grace” is one such cut but when the man himself “dances with the devil” at “The End Of Time” it is the perfect song for describing where he is in life right now.

Motörhead have definitely had their reputation slightly tarnished in recent years by some borderline Gene Simmons-like poor choices for merchandising ( Motörhead wine anyone?), being unable to control the pricing and content of endless compilations and boxsets fired off their label's production line and more recently Lemmy's ill health affecting live performances. As I said before, Motörheadbangers are in need of a little reassurance and I think this album fits that bill well. They have always been a band

who have behaved like every day could be their last as a band, and while this is an emotionally tough time to be a fan of theirs as that possibility edges ever closer it is almost comforting to now that if Motörhead were no more as of tomorrow then this would be a fitting epitaph to an unparalleled career. [7/10]

Mourning Beloveth- Formless[Grau Records]

I've always fully believed that after the big 3 of Northern England the greatest band in the Death/Doom subgenre to be Mourning Beloveth. Now though, I think in some respects we should start considering the Kildare quintet of drab minstrels to have surpassed their English forebearers, at least in terms of consistency. Whereas Paradise Lost and Anathema have gone through numerous musical mutations and My Dying Bride have had peaks and troughs when it comes to album quality Mourning Beloveth have never failed to deliver the most plaintive and doleful of Metal dirges, with only a small sojourn into more expansive and progressive territories on A Murderous Circus altering their bloody-minded devotion to that maxim. Now 13 years after the release of the monumental début Dust and on album number five Mourning Beloveth give us their true opus, an album that summarily channels all their magnificent work to date.

“Theories Of Old Bones” which begins this album is a real test of patience, even for seasoned Death/Doom fans- 15 minutes of dense musical obsidian punctuated only by one passage of clean vocals and very little in the way of melody. It is tough going for the fairweather metalhead and redolent of their more obscure material from A Murderous Circus, but if you can avoid being swallowed whole by this opening dark pit then the payoff when the album bleeds into its more direct and melodic songs is huge.

“Ethics On The Precipice” is the longest track on here by a good 2 and a half minutes, though is more accessible than “Theories Of Old Bones” by being broken up with a lengthy interlude of morose, slow-strummed guitar, and the last 4 minutes is spectacularly good and makes for an early highpoint for the album.

“Old Rope” by contrast is the shortest song in Mourning Beloveth's back catalogue (except for “Sinistra”, the closing instrumental from Dust) but none of their trademark desolateness is lost by its brevity. In fact its short, dull and heavy thud is as dark and intense as the rest of this album and shows some great vocal variety out of Darren Moore, mixing some flat and monotone spoken word despondent rasps in with his usual abyssal growls. “This place is for people who like the way down” he moans on this song, inadvertently creating an anthem for the whole subgenre.

Dead Channel” keeps the quality rolling with some sterling call and response between Darren's deep bass-filled growling and Frank Brennan's clean caterwauling which is more tonally varied than ever before, and also delivers perhaps the best guitar solo in Mourning Beloveth's history too. “Nothing Has A Centre” steals the show to round out the main portion of the album though, with new guitarist and backing vocalist Pauric Gallagher

proving he was a worthy addition to the band by providing harmony for Frank's clean vocals which take the lead on this number. The final five minutes sees the whole band firing on all cylinders though, including Timmy Johnson on drums who provides some fantastic fills and creates the absolute crowning glory for this record. No one comes close to Mourning Beloveth when it comes to this style- no one.

What really elevates this album to being Mourning Beloveth's real magnum opus though is the bonus CD consisting of the 15 minute track entitled “Transmissions”- a haunting piece of spoken word with a simple guitar accompaniment. Dystopian ideas are not seen often in this sub-genre more known for personal tales of woe, but this imagining of a world where fact, truth and thought no longer exist fits the atmosphere perfectly. “Scraped clean and re-inscribed as often as is necessary... War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength”- those words manage to leave me with a deeper sense of depression than riffs, bestial howls and Nick Cave-esque croons ever could. [10/10]

Nomad Son- The Darkening[Metal On Metal Records]

You really have to hand it to Nomad Son and their countrymen Forsaken for single-handedly managing to make their tiny island home of Malta and its population of less than half a million one of the key destinations in Europe for Doom Metal. This has been in large thanks to the Malta Doom Festival but also how absolutely solid their combined releases have been. Compared to their first two albums this is pretty slap bang on par as far as quality goes, and if you are partial to Trouble/Candlemass-styled traditional Doom Metal with heavily accented but emotionally overwrought vocals and a rough lo-fi approach to production and keyboards then look no further.

As with previous releases the thing most quickly noticeable about opening track “Light Bearer” is the church organs which have a very Mediterranean Catholic vibe to them, as well as how Jordan Cutajar's vocals tend towards the histrionic side of things. He is far from the best traditional Doom vocalist out there, but strongly accented twang and delivery is definitely dramatic and striking. Tonally he is on the rougher end of the mid-range with some admirable falsettos, like how I imagine a heavy smoking Dio tribute singer would sound.

“Age Of Contempt” takes everything about the first song as ramped up the melodrama even more before “The Devil's Banquet” channels the dafter side of Messiah Marcolin for the crooning of the “The death of emotion/The death of feeling!” Things are equally as camp and almost cartoonish on “Descent To Hell” which has a cheap and unconvincing organ freakout that reminds me of Dr. Teeth And The Electric Mayhem from The Muppets more than anything else, but there are still moments of pure quality here. Ridiculous as this album is in parts there's no denying the power of the classy riffs on “Only The Scars” or the flat out killer chorus to the title track which has more than a little of Heavy Demons by Death SS to it.

“Caligula” does away with the organs briefly and manages to create a palpable darkness just

from the crush of its riffs that perfectly suits the more aggressive tone of the vocals, before the vibe switches to one of sadness “The Orphaned Crown.” Its a shame that the Trouble-referencing cruch guitars can't quite match the sorrow invoked through the keyboards and the vocals, but this is a decent finale to this album all the same. A solid album by an absolute stalwart pilgrim of Doom. [7/10]

Obliteration- Black Death Horizon[Indie Recordings/Relapse Records]

Call it a backlash against the free pass given to many overhyped second-rate second-generation Norwegian Black Metal bands of the 90's or whatever it may be, but since then there seems to have been an undercurrent of opinion to the effect that Norwegian Metal bands have had their creative bubble and can't do much other than rehash those glory days continually ad nauseam. Worse still is the opinion that because of their Black Metal heritage Norwegians “can't do” Death Metal, ignoring the unique efforts of Molested and early Darkthrone. For the most part, the naysayers do have a point, and certainly any truly groundbreaking Norwegian acts of the past decade have tended towards abandoning Metal altogether, but that even more so then makes Obliteration perhaps the most important Norwegian act in a long time. I doubt very much that disproving prejudices was high on the list of priorities for the band as they penned this beast of an album, but nevertheless this has the requisite power to slap those people upside the head anyway and to start taking stock of dark rumblings from Oslo again.

It is 4 years since Obliteration's last album, Nekropsalms, was released and although there is more in common with these two efforts than there is to differentiate them (so don't be expecting a Tribulation or In Solitude-sized stylistic shift!), those 4 years have still clearly been spent honing and refining the Obliteration craft. This album is absolutely insane in terms of its complexity, each of its 7 songs a finely tuned weapon of torturous sonic punishment. If you heard either of their previous records and wrote them off as yet another Autopsy/Asphyx-clone then prepare to have your eyes and your cranium forcibly and painfully wrenched open. Indeed there are influences on the riffing from both and a rumbling, classic production that will appeal to fans of those bands too, but that is where the similarities end. There may be not much in the way of overt technicality on this album, but the focus on sonic layering and compositional complexity is very impressive, calling to mind the likes of Demilich and Phlegethon, as well as Carbonized and even Voivod.

Where Obliteration's strength lies and what their unique style seems to be built on is the sense of uncanniness in their music- everything here is at once familiar and also unsettlingly different. Take the mystical early-Tiamat like guitar tone on “Ascendance (Sol Invictus)” and opener “The Distant Sun (They Are The Key)”, the Morbid Angel-esque soloing on “Sepulchral Rites” or even just the Severed Survival-like riffing from throughout- everything is warped like clay into some new Obliteration-shaped form. The paths of influence are fairly clear and visible here, but quite how it all ended up sounding this strange

and demented is something else. There is even hints of some of the stranger mid to late 90's Metal experimentalism going on too, like the almost choral/chanted vocals on “Goat Skull Crown” that puts me in mind of late 90's Mystifier.

If you are expecting just another Autopsy-meets-Asphyx rehash then you might find this a challenging listen, and even for those who know what Obliteration are about might not find this an easy ride either. The vocals in particular are not designed with ease of listen in mind in their early At The Gates-style tortured breathlessness, but once this clicks and you get suckered in to its nightmarish vibe it is a thoroughly rewarding experience. Even those who think they know how ugly Death Metal can get may still feel their skin crawl at that nasty opening riff to “Churning Magma” and there is dozens more nuances like it on this record. This is like an art gallery, or a house of horrors, full of distorted Death Metal treasures and curios- every listen unveils some new nastiness lurking. For that reason I think this is an album many of us will still be talking about in years to come. [9/10]

October Falls- The Plague Of A Coming Age[Debemur Morti Productions]

Despite having garnered more of a name for themselves recently, October Falls have been off my radar for quite some time- since their duo of EPs entitled The Streams Of The End and Sarasus in 2007. Since then they've released a handful of well received albums of which The Plague Of A Coming Age is their third, and from what I have gathered they have been mixing the twin styles of Melodic Black/Dark Metal and Acoustic (Neo)Folk from those EPs through all 3. Having not heard them I cannot say for sure, but if ever during October Falls' evolution through the past 6 years this blending may have seemed unnatural or forced then that mountain has well and truly been climbed over now- this is seamless and wonderfully organic-sounding stuff.

There is definite ebbs and flows on this album as it sweeps between a vibe like (a less intense) Primordial on opening instrumental “At The Edge Of An Empty Horizon” to a host of Folk/Black Metal comparisons both past and present like early Ulver and Dornenreich on “Bloodlines”, Gallowbraid plus their own countrymen Wyrd on “The Verge Of Oblivion” and in the dreamier passages of “Snakes Of The Old World” like their most often touted spiritual brethren- Agalloch. At times it feels like those comparisons to Cascadian bands are mostly sonic rather than musical, as there is a lot here rooted staunchly in the European Pagan Metal tradition, but that slick, modern “American” production turns out to be the uniting force that binds this album together.

There are times where it branches out from that aura of Autumnal beauty, like the clean vocals on the title track which share a delivery style with Jonas Renske of Katatonia, but are nevertheless wonderfully unique in tone and fragility whilst the martial drumming on “Beneath The Souls” shows the Neofolk leanings and the acoustic ballad of “Boiling Heart Of The North” has an intriguing Gothic overtone. For the most part though this album rarely goes outside of its modus operandi and

that I feel is its key weakness- it is all grey throughout and therefore I find it too safe, too samey, not as musically adventurous as many of its peers. The biggest problem I find is with the lack of contrasts- for 50 minutes we are swept along on a sea of snow and fallen leaves but with no altering between darkness and light. This is stuck perpetually in one atmosphere that October Falls are either unwilling or unable to break out of.

Perhaps that is a sign of this album's mournful spirit at work and doing its job well, but I find this a difficult album to get excited about, and therefore also a difficult album to write about. I can understand why fans of the band would find this beautiful, but for some like me it may be too ethereal to connect and leave them feeling cold and dulled. October Falls are a band that no comparisons can really do justice to, they are a band that seemingly will only inspire either love or disregard and I cannot tell you which it will be with you. You will just have to find out for yourself. [6/10]

Oranssi Pazuzu- Valonielu[Svart Records/20 Buck Spin]

Prejudging bands before we've heard a note of their music is a bad habit, but its something we all do, and in such a music-saturated world it is slightly necessary. After all, there is so much music getting released now, even if you only focus on one or two genre niches, so filtering some stuff out before it ever reaches your speakers based on band name, artwork, listed influences, label of release, touring buddies, shared members or whatever it may be is an essential practice. I like to think that I have a pretty good bullshit detector and more often than not my choices are the right ones. Oranssi Pazuzu are one that I am glad to report I was dead dead wrong about. Maybe it was the name which has always reminded me of the fruit orange (which is what “oranssi” means in Suomi oddly enough!), or maybe I was in a phase of only liking music with Punk simplicity so was put off by anything with the “Psychedelic” tag. It was my loss, up until recently at least, and after hearing Oranssi Pazuzu for the first time with this album I'm relishing the prospect of checking out their previous 2 albums soon as well.

The reasons why Oranssi Pazuzu have clicked with me so much are twofold. For one, their Psychedelic elements are a lot more tasteful than I assumed they'd be. “Reikä maisemassa” for example extols some pretty dark Krautrock vibes similar to another of Svart's releases this year, the also brilliant Seremonia, while some of the riffing on “Olen aukaissut uuden silmän” is very similar in style to the latest Tribulation album. I also like the sense of child-like wonderment that comes across in some of the Psych parts on this album too, particularly on “Tyhjä temppeli”, which contrasts nicely with the more drug-fuelled approach of bands who attempt this hybrid style. It's refreshing to hear music classing itself as Psychedelic which you don't need to be on drugs to enjoy, and in general this album is wonderfully unpretentious, and surprisingly accessible and very song-oriented. Colour me surprised, I fully expected something much less enjoyable.

The other factor I love about this is how real and raw the Black Metal parts are. It's an issue

I have with a lot of Post-Black Metal bands and that spectrum is their focussing only on the “beautiful” elements of Black Metal and ignoring almost all of its sound and history. Not with Oranssi Pazuzu though. 90's Avant-Garde stuff like Ved Buens Ende would probably be expected to be the main point of comparison, but the sound of the Black Metal parts here are much more old school. One the rather doomy “Uraanisula” for example I hear some Root/Tormentor-style primitive darkness churning, and opening track “Vino verso” captures that 80's/90's demo feel of the gear threatening to fall apart at any moment.

What's more is how well this mixes with the Psychedelic and spacey elements, both musically but also ideologically. At no point does the use of Psychedelia conflict with the Black Metal credo, as undoubtedly all this musical experimentation comes from a place of honesty. There's no cherrypicking of Metal sounds and ignoring its ethos to suit like a lot of “post”-Metal bands do, no vulgar displays of “look how progressive we are!”, no self-indulgence, no attempting to score scene points by flirting with Metal... This is just a seamless synthesis of two styles that makes musical sense and is done for the right reasons. I will say this is the last time I read an album by its cover, but I know that it won't be. [8/10]

Portal- Vexovoid[Profound Lore]

Compared to when we last heard some emissions from Portal's gaping wormhole orifice in the fabric of Metal music back in 2009 chaotic and experimental Death Metal is now much bigger business- and that means competition for Portal. For most of their decade plus deep-mining of abyssal bounds of Death Metal's atmosphere and Lovecraftian horror themes Portal have has next to no contemporaries, but with the recent rise of the likes of Antediluvian and Mitochondrian what they do is now increasingly commonplace, even in danger of becoming ordinary. Portal's best bet for keeping their place at the forefront of Death Metal experimental obcenity is to do what they've always done, and this is evolve and mutate with each release. Unfortunately though Vexovoid feels more like a consolidation of past exploits, bordering at times on being a resting on laurels.

Straight off the bat with “Kilter” this album is noticeably less chaotic and more direct than where they were a decade ago on Seepia. Their unmistakeable atmosphere is still intact- that feeling of stumbling blindly along a corridor lined with swarming tentacles and slime-covered vines- but this is not quite as inpenetratably dense as Outre'. There is noticeable similarities in the atmosphere, but musically it has more in common than 2009's Swarth. “Plasm” demostrates the 50/50 mixture between these two albums that is on display here mixing challenging disrhythms with an abyssal low humming feedback and screeching tremelo-picked guitars to spine-tingling effect. It is fairly good, but simply drawing on ideas well-tread on their last two albums feels like a bit of a cop-out.

If this is your first meeting with this band, or you can disassociate your previous experiences of Portal, then this a pretty decent album- but

for those who have become to desensitized to this sort of chaotic churning parts of this album will sound lazy and phoned in. “Orbmophia” stands out for its really caustic vibe, and some melodic tremelo-picking that lulls the listener into a false sense of security that gets quickly shattered. “Awryeon” though, some droning elements aside, verges close to bog standard Gorguts-style Tech Death. It's not bad, but it's not what Portal do best either, and “Oblotten” with its uninspired and inconsequential song ideas that go nowhere is emblematic of the album as a whole. Overall it is far from bad, but it is easily the weakest of Portal's albums. [7/10]

Procession- To Reap Heavens Apart[High Roller Records]

After how many albums can we start talking about bands as having a flawless discography? 3 seems like a reasonable number, and though Procession technically have not hit that number yet, I've always considered The Cult Of Disease to be a full length rather than an EP (it's actually a few seconds longer than Destroyers Of The Faith anyway!), meaning now with major release numero tres it might be time to start thinking about putting these Chilean Epic Doom merchants into that category. Both those 2 aforementioned releases are now titans of the genre, almost absolutely ticking all the boxes of the Candlemass and Solitude Aeternus blueprint, but with To Reap Heavens Apart they may have just ascended to a platform of absolute perfection. Much like with last year's Death And Judgement EP where their Scald cover almost matched the original for power they now can be considered equals rather than students of the Swedish masters, and not only that, showing some strong individual touches too.

Even on the closing track of this record (“Far From Light”) where they are nearest to the typical Swedish Doom sound the sheer quality shines through any detractions about being derivative, and at the opposite end of the 44 minute duration “Damnatio Memorae” brings a touch of Solstice-like gallop to proceedings that diversifies and widens their sound more than ever before. Despite being the shortest of their 3 main releases by a small margin this is by far their most epic, and their most confident sounding, evidenced by their willingness to try new things.

“Conjurer” may add little to its template except a slight “Egyptian” tone to the guitar leads (though it is far from kitsch and perfectly fits the necromantical lyrical bent) and instead is built around the trademark emotional strain to Felipe Kutzbach's phenomenal voice, but “Death And Judgement” and “The Death Minstrel” are much braver efforts entirely. For the former the spoken word beginning sees Felipe take a page out of his good friend Alan Averill's book (think “The Soul Must Sleep” for a reference point), but musically it is the essence of Doom Metal, going right back to Black Sabbath's title track for its vibe and lyrics. Speaking of the Primordial frontman he lends his pipes to the latter for a recital of the Rainer Maria Rilker poem “Death”, earning poetry nerd points from me simply for not choosing one of his less well known poems. Alan has made excellent contributions to songs by Marduk and Desaster before, but never has

he been as involved as deeply in an album's concept as this.

For those unfamiliar with his work Rilker's poetry mainly focuses on a rejection of Christianity and a finding of true salvation through artistic expression, and that ideal is clearly replicated through the album title and theme spread through all these 6 songs. The effect is so that in spite of being the dourest and most solemn of Doom bands Procession are also incredibly uplifting and life-affirming, a perfect emotional palette only ever conquered by the very few real Metal masters. For the highest individual peak of this we have to look to the triumphant sounding title track where everything coalesces like alchemy; the riffs, the composition, the solos, the emotion in the vocals and the amazingly-crafted lyrics- Metal frankly does not get much better than this.

In spite of the height that Procession go to on that song what is more impressive is the way in which that theme adopted from Rilker is spread evenly across the whole album. As “Far From Light” fades out, listen carefully to those lyrics; “And far from light, the sombre/ Still standing proud, unchained...” Can we ever express the freedom and life-affirming nature of this music of ours more perfectly than this? Maybe the time is not only right to start talking about a perfect discography of Procession, but also this album as a thoroughbred Heavy Metal milestone. [10/10]

Protector- Reanimated Homunculus[High Roller Records]

As far as comeback albums go, Protector have taken a fairly strange route to get here. Not so much because of the multitude of lineup changes, those are par for the course, but because of how little political strife between members those changes caused. For a little background, the original lineup was broken when in 1989 Martin Missy was replaced on vocals Olly Wiebel, and then forever broken when drummer Michael Hasse passed away in 1991, and the original guitarist and bassist quitting soon thereafter. This resulted in 1993's respectable effort The Heritage figuring around Wiebel and replacement drummer Marco Pape (neither of them original members), before Wiebel too quit and Pape spent the next decade trying to rebuild the band, managing only one demo in 2000. Where the strangeness comes in is that when Martin Missy put together a new live lineup of young Swedish musicianships a few years ago he saw no problem in playing material from the albums after his departure, even re-recording “Retribution In Darkness” on a split with Ungod earlier this year and one track of this album coming from the 2000 Resurrected demo. Metal soap opera's over rights to band names be damned it seems- Missy's incarnation of Protector is all about the music, from all their eras.

Despite this diplomatic approach there is also a keenness for this to be seen as a continuation of Protector in their most widely regarded period- from 1987 to 1989. The opening track hints at this with “Sons Of Kain”, a song about the steadfastness of old school Metal fans that could equally be referring to Missy's new bandmates, long-time devotees to the band whose 1987 EP featured a song called “Kain And Abel.” If there is a suggestion in that song

title then the title track of this album spells it out clear as day- not only did the word “homunculus” appear in the the title track to the the 1988 album Golem but the references to the rabbi at work by burning candlelight in these lyrics are intended to make a direct link between the two. Make no mistake, Protector are back and Missy wants you to know which era (his era) they are continuing on from.

While this album has its moments it stops short of being a completely worthy successor to that great era of this great band. “Birth Of A Nation” is a stone cold killer track that could hang with any of the 80's output while “Deranged Nymphomania” has a Celtic Frost tinge and a call-and-response chorus made with a live setting in mind that make it a close second for best track on here, and the production leaves nothing to be desired either. Being recorded in Sunlight studios by Tomas Skogsberg gives this a filth-ridden and morbid feel calling to mind the classic era of Swedish Death Metal and drips these songs in menace, so much so that whether they be Thrash-heads or not fans of records like Into The Grave, Sumerian Cry and Only Shreds Remain should check this out simply for the purely sonic similarities.

Great production aside the quality is not maintained throughout. Although he was never regarded as the most potent wordsmith Missy outdoes himself on the terrible lyrics front for the Deliverance-themed track “Holiday In Hell” which boasts a chorus of “Squeal like a pig/They'll break you, like a twig/The inbreds do a jolly jig.” The latter half of the album has to settle for being merely average rather than downright daft, and I think part of the problem there lies in how, despite Missy being the elder statesman here, none of his hired hands are particularly young any more either. Heck, Mathias Johansson has been making music in Suicidal Winds since 2002, so it can hardly come as a total surprise that these men don't have the creative spark to pull an absolute classic out of the bag any more. As if to prove my point about the link between age and vibrant musicianship it takes “The End”, the song originally from Marco Pape's much shorter in the tooth incarnation of the band's 2000 demo, to pull this album out a 3-song rut. Missy and co. scrape back some points in the last minute and 26 seconds thanks to the full-on rager “Calle Brutal” (though there is something a bit geriatric about a song to do with getting lost in Venice), meaning this album is far from a disappointment. No one should be expecting the world from Protector at this stage, but for an unspectacular yet solid Teutonic Thrash album in 2013 this should be your first port of call. [7/10]

Queensrÿche- Queensrÿche[Century Media Records]

I think I speak for a lot of Queensrÿche fans when I say we wish that the last 25 years simply did not happen. Against a backdrop of steadily worsening albums, erratic, egotistical and cuntish behaviour from frontman Geoff Tate and the near disappearance of Metal from their sound the legacy of one of Metal's most unique underground sounds that had translated to the mainstream with such integrity had been completely shat over. The departure of main songwriter Chris DeGarmo seemed to spell the

spiritual end for the band but ditching Tate in 2012 lead to the present situation of two bands claiming the Queensrÿche name, a legal dispute which Tate would have already lost if it was being judged on album quality, even before this answer to his awful Frequency Unknown was released. Now with the former frontman of the resurrected Crimson Glory, Todd LaTorre, at the helm of the band they can go about undoing some of the damage done to their reputation in the last 3 decades and this album goes a hell of a way towards achieving that.

As well as LaTorre the band have made a wise choice in hiring new guitarist Parker Lundgren, formerly of Geoff Tate's solo project, who now freed from under the thumb of the arch lord shiny bellend himself, has injected the band with a new sense of songwriting vigour by contributing the fantastic album opener “Where Dreams Go To Die.” His presence seems to have reinvigorated the remaining original members of Jackson, Rockenfield and Wilton as their songwriting here is the freshest its been in decades, particularly on the Tool/A Perfect Circle-like riffs on “Spore” and “Vindication” which show they are clearly more in tune with what is genuinely progressive these days than Tate's forays into Groove Metal and Pop Rock dross. By 3 tracks in with “In This Light” the self-proclaimed “The Voice” is being annihilated at his own game by LaTorre- not only sounding more like classic Tate than Tate himself, but bringing in some rawness and edginess that Geoff has been unable or unwilling to inject for years.

“Redemption” is aptly titled for the shining, rite of cleansing feeling that this whole album has. This picks up perfectly from where the band went with Operation: Mindcrime, and limited modern influences aside this is really what Empire and Promised Land should have sounded like if the onset of Tate's madness hadn't started to affect the band already by those days. Aside from the slightly more up-tempo “Don't Look Back” there's not an awful lot on here that draws on Queensrÿche's pre-Mindcrime material, which fans of all their 80's output is a bit of a shame, but that cinematic, emotional and dystopian feel of their 1988 conceptual classic is nailed almost perfectly. Pamela Moore, the voice of Sister Mary on Operation: Mindcrime, returns to make tasteful contributions to “A World Without”, and “Fallout” has a heartwrenching opening guitar lead that is one of the album highlights. The closing track of “Open Road” is really the only lacklustre song on here, but this late dip in quality aside this album is a short but succinct 35-minute display that there's still life in Queensrÿche yet. Geoff who??? Exactly! [8/10]

Revelation- Inner Harbour[Shadow Kingdom/Pariah Child]

Revelation may have taken their name from a Trouble song, but their whole 20-something year career since that point has been following a trajectory away from Doom and into softer, less cacophonous and more progressive territories. Their latest step in this evolution, Inner Harbour, seems to be somewhat a homage to their native Baltimore, the map of which that adorns its cover being one of the most recognisable street plans in the world thanks to the success of the best TV show of all

time, The Wire. Anyone who has seen Season 2 knows what a place of tragedy that Baltimore's harbour can be; try to imagine the closing montage of that final episode (“Port In A Storm”) with a Saint Vitus tune instead of Steve Earle's “I Feel Alright” and it's obvious what good bedfellows Doom and Baltimore could be. The problem is though there is absolutely nothing stormy about Revelation, nothing tragic, nothing violent. When the lazy sunny afternoon feel of the opening title track kicks in it's hard to imagine the place they are writing about being the place I know from the show. This is so tame, so inoffensive that instead I picture them sitting on the same dock of whatever bay Otis Reading sang his famous song about. Stoned off their tits too, probably.

Now I've never been a snob for heaviness. There's plenty of bands who manage to be awful while pummelling you're ears into bleeding, and plenty of bands who manage to craft amazing songs while being soft as silk. Everything I'd been told about Revelation and their stellar reputation (in lieu of the fact I've never gotten around to listening to them myself) suggests that they have fallen into this second category before, so it wasn't at all surprising to hear that they've strayed even further from their Doom roots. But I at least expected some intensity in the emotional content, if not in the musical. This completely fails at being a challenging listen in every respect. The second track on the album, “Terribilita”, borrows a few shades of late 60's Acid Rock while “Jones Falls” hits upon a pretty mystical vibe in the last minute and a half while the closer “An Allegory Of Want” is painted with more shades of woe than the rest of the album put together, but those are literally the only 3 moments of quality of the whole album. The rest sounds like a lounge music version of 70's Heavy Rock created to be played in an old folks home for people with tinnitus. I wish I was exaggerating, but I'm really not. If you're the sort of person who complains about Ghost or NWOBHM bands like Bashful Alley not being “heavy enough”, then you are going to absolutely love this...

It's not just the softness that gives me cause to complain about this though; like I said it's not normally an issue for me. But when something carries the tags of Prog and Doom I at least hope one of them will do what it says. If it is completely devoid of heaviness then it had at least better be challenging in some way, have something musically a little unusual. Aside from the few moments I described above though this adds only some faint and light synths to its musical palette. Think of an AOR/Doom hybrid- excluding from the last minute and a half “Jones Falls” even sounds like Asia! The final nail in the coffin though is that all this wimpy lightness and airiness never actually equates to musical accessibility; it runs through 6 tracks in 36 minutes and manages to produce not one memorable riff or chorus or lyric by the end of it. That's 36 minutes of my life that I want back. [2/10]

Rotting Christ- ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ

[Season Of Mist]

Rotting Christ are in a rare legion of Metal bands to have never put out a bad album. With the exception of their duo of late 90's Gothic

Metal albums (in which the first of the two A Dead Poem just about trumps Sleep Of The Angels) their career can be broken down into trilogies where the third album in each sequence is the strongest of the 3, and this latest effort (translating as “Do As Thou Wilt”) continues that trend by taking everything that was great about Theogonia and Aealo and hones them to perfection to make on of the strongest albums of Rotting Christ's career.

It is also the most ambitious, at least lyrically-speaking. Use of obscure and ancient languages has been part of Rotting Christ's forte as far back as 1991's Passage To Arcturo EP, but aside from the interlude track on that release (“Gloria de Domini Inferni”) they have never til now composed a song entirely in Latin. “Grandis Spiritus Diavolos” breaks this mould in that perfectly grandoise Rotting Christ style, borrowing more from stylistically from the epic side of Pagan Metal than ever before in the process, but Latin is not the only language used here.

The title track which excellently utilises woodwind through is heavy tremelo-picked verse sections focuses around repeated chants in ancient Greek, as does the sombre and ritualistic closing number “Χ ξ ς'” (which translates to “666”), while “P'unchaw kachun - Tuta kachun” mixes both Inca and a rousing chorus in Spanish to great effect, conjuring up images of marauding conquistadores in the process. “Ahura Mazdā- Aŋra Mainiuu” might court controversy with its Islamic chants and use of lyrics in (I think) simplified Arabic, but as a manifestation of Greek culture and music's soundclash between east and west it is a culmination of something Rotting Christ have been building towards for several years. Undoubtedly though “Iwa Voodoo” is the biggest lyrical, thematic and musical risk-taker on here. Few other bands could mix Creole voodoo chants with Metal without it sounding daft and kitsch, and though this is the furthest thing on this album from the classic Rotting Christ sound it is undoubtedly a feather in their cap all the same.

“Cine iubeşte şi lasă” (translating as “who loves and leaves”) is another brave experimentation, not only as it is an adaptation of a traditional Romanian song, but because the arrangement has been left to 2 session musicians. Suzana & Eleni Vougioukli's vocals and piano playing are powerful to say the least, but given how close in style and delivery they are to the mighty Avant Garde composer Diamanda Galas who has collaborated with the band in the past it is hard not to feel a sting of disappointment that they have not chosen to, or could not, renew that association.

This album does not only appeal to linguists and anthropological types though, and while anyone expecting a return to the Hellenic Black Metal style of old will not be pleased this is stylistically trademark Rotting Christ to the bone. The drumming on this album is nothing short of thunderous and the unmistakeable tremelo-picking guitar style laced with killer melodic licks and pinch harmonics produces more great riffs than ever, meaning there is not a dud moment or track on this whole record. “Gilgameš” briefly shows a little more old school flair with Sakis trading in his newer orc-like bark for his previous blackened rasp, but to

really get something close to the early Rotting Christ sound you will need to get the special edition of this album for the bonus track “Welcome To Hel.” Not only is this a clever pun but a slick, clean and powerful update on the sound perfected on their early albums that makes me wonder if an album of re-recorded classic material with their current huge studio sound is a possibility. For now though Rotting Christ's eyes are looking firmly forward, and a track like “Русалка” which showcases some amazingly catchy riffs as well as seamless alternation between Sakis' barked vocals, whispered sections accompanied by chimes and the Gojira-like soaring clean vocal parts is stunning, and shows that this band's creative well has not run dry yet. [9/10]

Sarke- Aruagint[Indie Recordings]

It has taken me many years since hearing their name to get round to the physical act of listening to Sarke for a number of reasons. Scepticism over label hyperbole was a big one, whilst the sneaking suspicion that nobody would give them the time of day if it wasn't for the celebrity involvement was an even bigger bugbear. If you didn't know, Sarke is the side-project of the man of the same name (better known as the one from Khold who doesn't look like Count Grishnack) and features Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone fame on vocals. The aggrandising comparisons from Sarke's label to nearly every 80's Metal legend imaginable (Celtic Frost, Candlemass, Slayer, Kreator...) combined with this other fact is what gave me my biggest reason to be cynical though- if Nocturno Culto spends a handful of days a year in a remote cabin with his buddy Fenriz squeezing out what little juice their creative tank has left to create Darkthrone's increasingly dull contemporary hodge-podge sound, what hope does Sarke hold for being a more impressive 80's-derivative Metal mash-up?

As it turns out, this album seems to represent a bit of a corner turn for Sarke away from the more Thrash-oriented sound of the first 2 albums. Given what it has been replaced with, I have to question the motivations behind the change. If the hope was to create a fresher sound for themselves then they fail on this album's first hurdle as the slower, colder and more methodical mode of attack they adopt here has been done to death already just as much as straight-up Black/Thrash Metal has. A particular non-achievement is in the attempt to incorporate some late 90's style Avant-Garde touches from the likes of DHG and Ved Buens Ende- the more traditional fayre of Indie Recordings. The old albums of those bands sound so badly dated now you have to wonder why anyone would try and use them to inject some life into their own sound in 2013! Not only that, but the fact that Sarke are now not straight-up enough to appeal to the regular Black/Thrash heads and not weird enough for the Carl-Michael Eide worshippers (I'm not sure if these even exist- who even listens to Avant-Garde BM any more?) means that they are somewhat sonically marooned.

That is a description that quite adequately describes what is going on with this album. “Epic” is one of the words that the label have tried to hype this with, but meandering would be more appropriate. The songs feel pretty

directionless at times (“Salvation” is the prime example of this) and the overall result is to make them feel longer than they actually are. Even on a track like “Walls Of Ru” where they go full throttle for that Monotheist-vibe the riffs and atmospheric touches sound more empty than monolithic. The only track on here that doesn't outstay its welcome is “Ugly” which tips the scales at just over 2 minutes and brings things momentarily back into Gehennah-style Black/Thrash traditionalism. In the larger picture of where the bar for quality rests in this niche style though it still is not up to scratch.

Groovy is another word Indie have bandied about for how Sarke now sound and while this is audible on a few songs (“Strange Pungent Odyssey” sounds like if The White Stripes suddenly turned Black Metal), it fails to add any lasting punch to this album. That in a nutshell is the greatest failing- the lack of individual dynamics in songs makes for a fairly dull record devoid of any natural peaks and troughs, any defining memorable moments. You may start to recall sections after repeated listens, but only through sheer muscle memory and willpower to do so. At least when Darkthrone do average they make it fun. [2/10]

Satan- Life Sentence[Listenable Records]

Comeback albums from underground 80's Heavy Metal acts have been a boom business in recent years. Some like this year's Deep Machine EP have shown a band finally achieving their potential, some like recent albums by Hell and Angel Witch see bands upgrading their sound for the modern times to great success. Unfortunately we also get cases like this year's Warlord comeback where bands fail to translate their old sound for 2013, and some like the abomination of a Witch Cross return where one or two original members allow a load of stand-ins to shit all lover their legacy. The first Satan album in 26 years is like none of these cases. Instead this is as though the past 30 years since then classic Court In The Act simply never happened, like the Newcastle quintet locked up the doors of their recording studio and have only now come back to clear away the cobwebs and dust. For most bands being able to match what they did 3 decades before would be impossible, but by some miracle Satan have managed it.

The proto-Thrash rhythms of Sean Taylor behind the kit and Graeme English on the bass are just as thunderous as they were in 1983, the riffs and harmonies of Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins just as razor sharp and, aside from a bit of syllables getting rolled together in the chorus of “Personal Demons”, Brian Ross' vocals have lost none of their power. All this coalesces to create some truly ripping songs, some of which that really stand up to the quality of the début. It's a shame that this being so close to the début eliminates the later Suspended Sentence as well as the Blind Fury and Pariah albums from the discussion, but this picks up so perfectly that it would be ridiculous not to base this review around that comparison.

Not only has nothing changed in Satan's mode of attack, but this record has such an organic sound that it really seems as though it has been made the old way too. There's feedback, imperfections and the odd playing mistake

galore, not to mention an incredible real drum sound and Brian Ross' falsettos unaided by studio trickery. It flows like albums used to as well- 10 songs, 44 minutes and two clearly delineated halves. If you have any C-90's left, get ready to crack them out for this!

“Time To Die”, “Twenty Twenty Five” and “Cenotaph” unleash an opening salvo that would make this album worthwhile even if everything that followed was filler. “Siege Mentality” is not as strong as the others on here, but “Incantations” raises the bar even more with it's faintly Mercyful Fate-like Egyptian vibe and some thunderous drumming to close out side one. “Testimony” boasts the best riff of the whole album but could do with a stronger chorus, something that the more melodic “Tears Of Blood” has in spades thanks to its very Thin Lizzy Thunder And Lightning-style simple refrain. The title track which follows is a final straight-up fast ripper before “Personal Demons” brings in a bit of a groovy Boogie Rock vibe to its main riff and the charmingly naïve “Another Universe” concludes the album on an epic high. Wall to wall cracking songs that makes this an undeniable modern classic. [9/10]

Satan's Host- Virgin Sails[Moribund Records]

Quite a lot about Satan's Host is surprising. For starters the very fact that original vocalist Harry Conklin rejoined the band in 2009 was a bit of a shocker given the very different direction that chief songwriter Patrick Evil had taken the band in for the previous decade. By the time of Conklin's comeback album, 2011's By The Hands Of The Devil (the same year that Jag Panzer released The Scourge Of The Light) it was his first recorded vocal performance in 7 years and while a bit of loss of his famous vocal power might have been expect few probably could ever have anticipated the opposite- that he would sound at his best ever.

2 years on in 2013 and Virgin Sails is a total crystallization of what the band has been working towards for the past few years. Patrick Evil proved with the 5 Black/Death albums the band released prior to Conklin's rejoining that the times had not left him behind, and here the blend between the 2 styles is seamless, perhaps the most successful merging of Black/Death Metal with traditional Heavy/Power Metal ever attempted. It defies logic that men in their 50's should be making the crowning glory albums of their careers now, but that is exactly what is happening. What is more is for the first time Satan's Host really threaten to have a commercial breakthrough with this album. Like I said, a lot about the band is surprising.

Satan's Host have once again teamed with the legendary Joe Petagno for the cover art with the Motörhead-man reviving the style he used in the late 90's for bands like Avulsed, Angelcorpse and Dies Ater. From the outside this may look like a straight up Black/Death Metal album, and given that this was recorded in a studio more commonly frequented by the likes of Cephalic Carnage and Cattle Decapitation you might expect that the Satan's Host sound of 1999-2009 has made a comeback. Instead it is ingratiated perfectly with the classic sound of 1986-1989 to create a unique and powerful modern Metal vibe.

Comparisons to Andy Sneap's recent studio work with Hell can be made, but the broader genre influences, such as the blast-heavy “Island Of The Giant Ants” and the God Dethroned/Vital Remains vibe on “Reanimated Anomalies”, make easy pigeon-holing as a lesser Hell an insulting fit. Long term fans of the band not so enamoured with these new-fangled influences have their day too, such as the breather track “Dichotomy”, but the more modern leanings might be enough to give the band a newer and younger fanbase. It's a hard balance to get right, but Satan's Host have made a great achievement with this album.

There is no doubt that there is a market for it, as witnessed by the huge commercial success of the returning NWOBHM underdogs Hell. Overall this album has a more melodic vibe than any of their previous efforts, particularly on the soloing on the self-titled closing number and the Maiden bass intro and Amon Amarth-esque leads of “Infinite Impossibilities”, though it is never allowed to overshadow the band's trademark intensity. Satan's Host have not sold out, far from it in fact, but I can still see this new effort taking them to new places commercially speaking. Perhaps the fact that only “Reanimated Anomalies” is below the 6 minute mark might hamper their chances of a broader appeal amongst the often short attention spans of mainstream Metal fans, but a few shorter and punchier tracks on the next outing and some more theatricality in the live performances could really catapult Satan's Host into that new arena.

Speaking of live, I am curious to see how well these new songs can be replicated there. In terms of key changes, rapid-fire delivery and intriguing vocal lines this is probably the most challenging album Conklin has ever done, and if the call and response between his high vocals and the harsher backing ones on certain tracks here are as I expect, performed entirely by him and not with the help of another band member they might be too much of a challenge even for one of Metal's most underrated frontmen. That being said, Satan's Host have pulled so many surprises out of the bag in recent years, this fine album included, that it would not at all be beyond question that Conklin could pull it off on stage as well as he does in the studio. Either way, this is undoubtedly their best album since the legendary Metal From Hell début and one of the strongest Heavy Metal albums of the year. [9/10]

Screamer- Phoenix[High Roller Records]

It's a shame that Screamer's rather good 2011 début album Adrenaline Distractions went largely ignored by most Metalheads. Maybe it was the release date being rather late in that year meaning it got lost in the mad scramble to hear the year's most hyped albums in time to compile that all important annual personal top 10, or simply lost in general amongst the many albums from similar bands released around that time. Being from Sweden may have unfortunately been an issue as well, as with all the well-deserved hype around Enforcer people may have been looking upon Screamer as simply their little brother.

Screamer's goal then with this record should not be to try and match Enforcer punch for

punch, but to break out of their countrymen's shadow and show some individual flair that will make them last when this revival movement loses its momentum. On the one hand Phoenix is a very similar album to its predecessors and to Screamer's peers, sometimes to great effect and sometimes not so much. “Slavegrinder” is an obvious low-point owing to the fact its verse riff is almost identical to “Screamer” off the début while the repetitive “Red Moon Rising” is the definition of a filler track that shorn of the album would be much better at a respectable 41 minutes. When it works it works though and opening track “Demon Rider” ticks all the boxes for this style with its drawn out chorus refrain backed up with gang vocals from the rest of the band. It's as good as anything off their first album, and almost as good as some of the tracks off the latest Enforcer cut.

As was hinted at before though, it is the songs where Screamer try their hand at something different that nearly break, but ultimately make this album. One of these attempts at diversifying is the wading into 80's stadium Rock territory with their ode to touring “No Sleep Til Hamilton.” It's not a stylistic issue that is the problem here as thankfully this is no awful Poison or Bon Jovi style ballad, but nevertheless there is an off-putting pretension of grandeur here. Part of the appeal of Screamer's peers is a sense that beneath their romanticising of 3 decades ago and their hero-worship there is a down to earth acceptance that the 80's are a time past, and the rejuvenation of that time's sound and values is done with tongue slightly in cheek. Screamer come across here like they really do still harbour those boyhood dreams for the arena and stadium size tours that simply don't exist for bands of their age anymore, and there's something a little bit sad about that.

The band have more success with the rockier numbers “No Regrets” and “Far Away From Home”, the former treading a similar path to Vanderbuyst despite needing a stronger chorus (made up for by a killer bridge section), and the latter more akin to High Spirits with the simple point expressed by simple lyrics driven home brilliantly and a healthy dose of “Oh-oh-oh!” cries. “Far Away From Home” in particular could still do with a little energy boost to bring it up to the top gear intensity level they pull out on their faster material, but nevertheless for a band trying to branch out soundwise they've done a good job on both these tracks.

“Mr. Noman” probably takes the biggest musical risk with how Christoffer Svensson really goes out there on the vocal performance. The first third of the song is a down-tempo drunk tank confessional sort of vibe where he adopts a sort of rhythm and bluesy tone and makes excellent work of sounding jaded and world-weary for such a young man. It's bold, but it works well, especially when the song kicks up a gear and starts rockin' out and displaying some awesome lyrics. When he sings “I was just a young boy, I had just turned seventeen/I got kicked out by old man because I dared to dream” it cements this as one of the best Metal songs of troubled youth since “Running Free”- an appropriate comparison given how close to Maiden it gets with the bridge and solo section.

This song is only pipped to the post for standout track of the album by the sneaky and deceptive title track. That guitar lead between the first and second verses is one of the album's sweetest morsels, and the age old trick of delaying a chorus til 2 verses have been run through works a treat for building up anticipation. At first it seems like the chorus isn't long or dynamic enough to be a payoff to this, but again this is more delay tactics. The song doesn't finally burst into flames like the eponymous phoenix til the last 30 seconds and when it does hit it works an absolute treat. The too slow and too long closer “Lady Of The Rivers” lulls the listener into a similar sense of false disappointment and threatens to to extinguish Phoenix and send it off in a tailspin, but the band really put their heart and soul into the last 2 minutes and the flame is relit just enough for it to soar off out of sight. This album is far from perfect, but Screamer have shown enough good musical ideas here to show that they're on to something and worth paying attention to in the future. [7/10]

Seremonia- Ihminen[Svart Records]

Expectation can be a funny thing. Given the similarities between Seremonia and Jess And The Ancient Ones in home country, gender of their vocalists, their record label and the fact they are both primarily described as Psychadelic Rock/Doom Metal it is hardly surprising that I expected Seremonia to ply a similar sound on this album, their second, my introduction to them. In fact, if you are familiar with JATAO you are probably thinking the same right now given all those pieces of information. Throw your preconceptions out the window though for this band- this a whole different breed of Retro-Rock.

The album opens up with thudding bass drive and sonic whirlwind of “Noitamestari” and it becomes immediately clear that Seremonia's sound is a hybrid one. Tonally it leans towards the darker end of Psych, like Hawkwind on a permanent bad trip in Frankfurt, whilst the Garage/Punk edge is as subtle as a cigarette flicked in the face. Despite the lyrics being entirely in Finnish Noora Federley's closest vocal comparison is to Exene Cervenka of Los Angeles Punk originators X, and the track has a raw squeal to the guitars that hammer this link home. What is most staggering though is how raw and sloppy the song is- not so much an adherence and worship of old production values as a flat-out murdering of all modern ones. I've heard Crust Punk bands who sound cleaner and more pristine than this, so the fact that Seremonia even exist in 2013 on a fairly major Metal label is enough on its own to make them unique.

The Punk elements of Seremonia's sound come and go, such as on “Luonto Kostaa” where the vocals play a game of call and response with the guitars and rhythm section that harkens to everyone from The Stooges to Television, and on “Suuri Valkeus” where the sexualised breathlessness of the Noora's voice and the catchy chorus (in spite of the language barrier) go beyond the X comparison into later New Wave territories like Romeo Void. What binds all the songs together though is the undercurrent of dark of Krautrock-style experimental flourishes, in particular Amon

Düül II.

Essentially this is a very chaotic hybrid sound with a myriad of influences. Take “Itsemurhaaja” where the morbid, gravitating sexuality extends from the vocals into the music giving a brief California dark Psych sound, the Dream Pop feel to “Tähtien Takaa” or the thick rumbling fuzz of the bassline in “Painajaisten Maa” that is the stage for the Jethro Tull-esque flute sections to dance on. It may sound like a mess, but a cohesive vision isn't what this band is about. Even when taking the route more travelled Seremonia seem to find doing things the conventional way anathema.

The title track for example from the first few notes feels as though it might break into more accessible waters- but by the time that first riff is completed it is so twisted that only mental patients would find it danceable. That is followed up by “Itsemurhaaja II” where the momentary respite of some standard Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats-like straight-ahead rocking is scuppered by the insidious disruption of the last verse and chorus and the whole album is crowned off with “Hallava Hevonen.” Here the same sense of false security sets in with the instrumental similarities to Jess And The Ancient Ones' slower numbers and the occult vibe not present (though its hard to tell with everything in Finnish) on the rest of the album is finally delivered to the clamouring modern audience who find solace in it. Don't expect any Ghost-like halloween shtick here though- the huge choral swell to the chorus on this song is genuinely unsettling, going even beyond the likes of Coven for channeling of some otherworldly feeling.

Ihminen is a hard album to approach. It is barely contained, chaotic and impulsive and many will probably bemoan its seeming lack of any overall sense of purpose. To that end though it is a perfect record for our times and destined to destroy more souls and reap more minds than any other album this year. Just make sure to throw all your expectations out first, least of all the expectation of an easy listen. [8/10]

Sepulchral Ruins Below The – ש��או�לTemple

[Invictus Productions/Iron Bonehead]

Don't worry that's not a misprint, it's Hebrew, or the English equivalent Sheol if you prefer- an English 2 piece who have previously worked together on two Orthodox Black Metal projects and have now turned their attention to the chaotic Black/Death style. As the instrumental opener of “Spiritual Desiccation” gives way “Deluge Of Tehom” (both tracks featured on their promo 7” in our separate review section) all the boxes are ticked for this style, with elements of their cavernous and menacing countrymen Grave Miasma and Cruciamentum as well as the raw nastiness of the likes of Diocletian, Witchrist and Wrathprayer. It's good, but there's something missing and that seemingly is, the unique name aside, an identity of their own beyond these key comparison points.

Aside from the Encoffination-like crawl at the

beginning of the instrumental intro track there is precious little here that breaks out from the norm in this sub-sub-genre already so well laid out by other bands. It's a shame because after looking again at the artwork after my first listen of this I only then noticed the huge rock of obsidian growing out a festering tree stump on the sleeve half-hidden by the muted colour palette, and once seen that marginal part of the painting dominates the whole thing. I listened again to this EP hoping for a similar revelation to show itself in the music, but none came. The experimental noisy/religious chanting interlude of “Katachthomb” does its best, but on a release this short and with nothing overly impressive displayed on either side of this track it serves only as a temporary gap it what becomes an increasingly tedious listen with every repeat.

The closest to a unique calling card this album has is how the production is just that bit more reserved than Cruciamentum and co. to allow a little more classic Death Metal influence to shine through. The guitar sqeual that bursts open “Deluge Of Tehom” for example is pure Abominations Of Desolation stuff, while plenty of other nasty bands of the late 80's/very early 90's era like Necrovore, Nihilist and Sadistic Intent make themselves known on “Perpetual Descent Into She'ol” and the melodic passage towards the end of the title track The Chasm are evoked. The final track carries this old school vibe too, but given that it is a cover of Darkthrone's “Cromlech” that add nothing to the original save a bit of vocal madness it is essentially a poor screen for what is an EP void of any innovative ideas. It is far from bad, and if you can't get enough of this style then definiely pick yourself up the MLP from Iron Bonehead or the CD from Invictus, but if like me you think this style needs a more individual bent the give ש��או�ל a pass this time and hope they pull something special out on the sophmore release. [5/10]

Sign Of The Jackal- Mark Of The Beast[High Roller Records]

Despite being loaded with personality and individual flavour Sign Of The Jackal from Italy have pretty much been background players in the world of Heavy Metal revivalism up til now. Maybe that is down to the restraint and decorum shown in relation to the femininity of frontwoman Laura Coller (in sharp contrast to the overtly sexed-up likes of Huntress), or their previous association with the pretty lacklustre (and now defunct) Heavy Artillery Records, or simply the fact that it has taken them 5 years to deliver this debut album. Whatever the reason may be Sign Of The Jackal are here now and sound like they are making up for lost time.

After a lengthy spooky kitsch intro “Heavy Metal Possession” explodes out of the gate with Speed Metal fury. Obvious comparisons would be drawn to Warlock regardless of how Laura's voice actually sounds, and while she has clearly been taking notes on Doro's phrasing her tone is more in line with Acid's Kate de Lombaerd, those Belgians being a key musical influence too. The strong Mediterranean accenting gives a vibe similar to much-missed Portuguese heroes Midnight Priest as well, making this band one hell of a characterful ripper. If you have Heavy Metal

music in your blood then you'll probably be on your feet fist-pumping by the second chorus of track 2, “Paura Nella Citta Dei Morti Viventi.”

Long term fans of the band will recognise over half the tracks on here as both their previous releases, The Haunted House Tapes demo and The Beyond EP are rerecorded in full (minus “Head Over Heels” from the EP). This reliance on older material may seem lazy, but despite how bombastically those older songs like the Avenger/W.A.S.P. Punch-up of “Hellhounds” have been translated, new cuts like the Warlock-tastic “Queens Of Hell” give them a run for their money. “Heavy Metal Demons” feels less powerful than the other re-recorded tracks, but the brilliance of “Night Of The Undead” makes up for it in spades. In fact, it feels like this album's high points make up for all its short-comings.

One criticism from some quarters I can forsee is that the use of no less than 5 horror-themed intros to songs from a band so in tune with their pop sensibilities might ruffle the feathers of anyone who takes the occult aspect of Metal seriously. Sure the double-whammy of “Fight For Rock” and cheesy instrumental “Paganini Horror” take the album briefly into more mid-80's commercial territories (think Lita Ford and the like), and aside from the piano intro to “The Beyond” there isn't any attempt to ingratiate the horror theme any further than the lyrics and intro samples, but the overall quality and infectiousness of this album mean that this barely registers as a problem at all. The only thing it can't eliminate is the superfluousness of the Fastway cover that ends the record on a fairly average note, but Sign Of The Jackal can be let away with that for such a killer first album. Who knows, we may see a more complete and complex record from this band somewhere down the line, but for now they are doing everything they need to. [8/10]

Skeletonwitch- Serpents Unleashed[Prosthetic Records]

For fans of underground Black/Thrash Metal these guys have always been a bit of an easy whipping boy. Unlike their counterparts Toxic Holocaust who actually released many splits and tapes before joining the Metal “overground” and Goatwhore who have an undeniably interesting NOLA Sludge hybrid thing going on it seems like nothing Skeletonwitch could do would endear them to the elitist circles. The perception seems to be that Skeletonwitch belong more to the party/pizza/beer/bong-Thrash crowd despite their occult-leaning lyrics, and even that they have more in common with the post-At The Gates Gothenburg types and their US Metalcore offspring; if not so much in sound then definitely in terms of fanbase. Working with the in-house cover artist of the whole Savannah, Georgia stoner scene, John Dyer Baizley has been a great way of getting up the nose of the spiked leather gauntlet brigades too.

Now, I'm normally wary of these sort of elitist attitudes as quite often they can write off some genuinely good bands, but from what sparse tracks of Skeletonwitch I've heard over the years I've been inclined to agree. Only now that I've had the chance to sit down and listen to an album of theirs in full do I see just how right people have been about Skeletonwitch; even

shorn of ill-fitting elements like the Nuclear Assault/Gama bomb-like riffs on the opening title track or the sub-Killswitch Engage breakdown and wooden solo on “Burned From The Bone” this would still be absolutely terrible.

The two things that come to the fore of the listener's mind on this album are unfortunately two of its worst characteristics. Firstly there are the grating and monotonous raspy vocals, which are less of an issue given how par for the course they are in this style. When it comes to the horrendous drum sound though there really is no excuse, especially not given the kind of decent recording budget a band Skeletonwitch are probably afforded. Tonally it is poor, rhythmically it is all over the place in spite of being triggered, at the times they are mixed so badly that they become inseparable from the guitars, and even with Kurt Ballou (of Hardcore band Converge) production it sounds like it is clipping in places too. The knock-on effect then is to suck all energy out of fast sections and the atmosphere out of the melodic ones. Thanks to this, Serpents Unleashed is dead in the water before it even gets started.

On occasion those melodic Black Metal leanings, variably calling to mind Immortal, Dark Fortress and Naglfar, do shine through the drums such as on “Unwept”, but any brief semblances of quality on here are so brief and so thoroughly strangled that they do not even warrant talking about. A few good sections here and there aside this resembles more of a random collection of riffs strung together by the nauseating drum sound and one-dimensional vocals, and it demonstrates a laziness seen across the whole album. At 31 minutes in length, though blessedly short that may be given the content, this is short even by Skeletonwitch's corner-cutting standards (none of their 4 previous efforts have tipped the scales at even a standard 40 minutes!) Even at this short length there is still room for filler, case in point “Born Of The Light That Does Not Shine”, that most other producers would have left on the cutting room floor, and any brief flashes of the promise of something more epic like the Watain-esque march to “This Evil Embrace” or the late 80's Metallica vibe to the intro of closing number “More Cruel Than Weak” are stiffled by the fact that most of these songs barely edge past the 3 minute mark. Utterly disposable and poor stuff from start to finish. [2/10]

Slidhr- Deluge[Debemur Morti]

They say good things come to those who wait, though the problem I've always had with that phrase is the notion of fate rewarding inactivity. Fortune smiles not on the lazy, but on those who bide their time and toil tirelessly in the shadows. 4 years since his last release, and 5 since the last under the Slidhr name has been a long time for mainman Joe Deegan to have been waiting, or rather to have kept us waiting, but as Deluge reveals itself to be his at long last magnum opus that time has most definitely been well spent.

Much like it was on Ex Nihilio the production here is impressive. Unlike JD's now deceased other main band Myrkr it is not suffocating, but is equally as intimidating in feeling albeit more

with a sense of being towered over or dwarfed. In the pitch black atmosphere stakes this towers over nearly all the competition this year and is easily one of the fullest sounds ever heard from what is essentially (session drummer aside) a one man band.

Compared to previous releases this is also more diverse, perhaps even a little experimental when it comes to touches like the dark pseudo-Industrial hum of the intro to opener “Wielding Daggers” that crop up again on “Earth's Mouth Open” and at the end of “Rejoin The Dirt”, or the more modern and technically precise approach to riffing that appears earlier in that song and again on “Death Of The Second Sun.”

Elsewhere the approach is kept resolutely old school, mostly evoking the more abrasive end of Swedish Black Metal such as Funeral Mist, Orcivus and Rev 16:8, although a bit of melodic atmospherics from the Dissection/Sacramentum school is found as well on “Symbols Obscuring” and “Their Blood” swaps it for more of an Urgehal vibe. Aside from the atmosphere, the relentlessness of which reminds me of another Swedish band by the name of Flagellent, the most defining feature for Slidhr is the groove that slips alternatively between a Darkthrone-like mid-paced crawl and a faint resemblance to modern Metal bands like Gojira. This unconventional musical choice never compromises the inherent malevolence of the music though, so while there are a few moments on here outside of the usual Black Metal codex this album is still one of the genre's highest achievements this year.

Deluge really gains momentum and power in its second half with the brilliant flood of tracks “Rejoin The Dirt”, “Their Blood” and “Death Of The Second Sun” that is quite easily JD's best work to date, “Their Blood” in particular which is nothing short of a masterpiece of labyrinthine, serpentine and malignant Black Metal. It is a shame that from there the album goes into a 2 song slump with the “Unseen” that lets that tightly wound omnipresent atmosphere deflate too much, and the rather lacklustre “As The Dead.” Closing track “Rays Like Blades” pulls it back to finish the album off on a bone-chilling note, but given that the album would have been a respectable 39 minutes long without those two tracks it is a shame not to see it complete itself in the strongest possible totality. Nevertheless Deluge is a fine work, a total amalgamation of all JD's work to date and situated very near the zenith of modern Black Metal creativity. [8/10]

Solstice- Death's Crown Is Victory MLP[White Horse/Into The Void Records]

Anticipation can be a funny thing in music. Sometimes, as was the case for me and the sophmore Evangelist album this year (which didn't get reviewed here thanks to time constraints), expectations are not lived up to. Sometimes, as happened with the return of Black Sabbath or the début of Magic Circle, a year's best releases can come from unexpected sources. Sometimes anticipation can be very well placed indeed, and that is the case with Solstice who prove to us with this 26 minute EP that our 15 year wait has not been in vain.

Taking the shape of two 9-odd minute epic tracks bookended by two 3-odd minute

instrumentals long-time fans of Solstice might be a bit disappointed by the brevity of this release, but aside from the latter of the two instrumentals, “Aequinoctium II”, this flows together exactly like an album would. The riffs from that final 4 minute piece could have been put to better use on another longer track, but otherwise everything here is perfectly positioned and perfectly executed. The intro track “Fortress England” could not be a better introduction to these 2 songs, or Solstice in general with how its swaying, pastoral acoustic guitar passages meeting huge crushing riffs and heroic melodies.

Hats must go off as well to the sterling production which gives everything not only huge scale and volume, but also crisp and clarity, but perhaps the biggest key to success is the presence of Paul Kearns on the mic. Other reviews of this EP have picked up on some tuning issues with his performance on “I Am The Hunter” but I honestly think he and the band are a match made in heaven. As much as they have had some other talented vocalists in the past few years I don't think these songs would have worked as well with Felipe Kutzbach, or anyone but Paul for that matter. His voice has an absolutely commanding and magisterial tone that suits the trademark Solstice sound at every tempo or whatever vibe is being conjured.

“I Am The Hunter” stands out here as the real ripper of the 2 tracks and it has rightly been a firm favourite in Solstice's live set for some time, but the title track though different is at least its equal. The influence here of Fairport Convention-esque Folk is not only stronger than ever before in Solstice's music, but perhaps than any Metal record in general to this date, and the way “Death's Crown Is Victory” builds in slow waves for maximum payoff when the final melodic lead kicks in at the 8 and a half minute mark is songwriting par excellence.

As always with Solstice the lyrics are another strongpoint with “I Am The Hunter” being built around the same sort of arcane lexicon that New Dark Age was, while “Death's Crown Is Victory” inverts the nostalgiac Folk tone of its melodies to create an indictment of the feudal system that speaks as a euphemism for the band's mantra of relentlessness. It mat have taken them 15 years, but at last the masters of Epic Doom Metal are back. “We'll never surrender, we'll never yield/Death's crown is victory!” [9/10]

Space Vacation- Heart Attack[Pure Steel Records]

Sometimes simply knowing the members involved can excite you about a band before you've even heard a note, though sometimes its not the members per se, but rather than interesting collection of bands they cut their teeth in. The latter is definitely the case with Space Vacation who are made up of Eli Lucas of middle-of-the-road Bay Area thrashers Hatchet, Kiyoshi Morgan who played on Vicious Rumours' 2011 album Razorback Killers, and fronted by Scott Shappiro who now also fronts California party-metallers Midnight Chaser. While that may not exactly scream supergroup it is certainly a recipe for a unique sound, to which Space Vacation add one

huge ingredient- the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.

The opening title track makes the none-too-subtle nods to England circa 1979-1981 straight off the bat with the melodicism of Def Leppard and the big riffs and song-writing nuances of Saxon and Angel Witch taking care of the standard issue stuff, but it is the fragile timbre to the tonally powerful vocals that harken to Rob Tidd of Bashful Alley that impresses me the most. Whether wholly intentional or not this fills the void in the recent gamut of retro Heavy Metal acts for a hard rockin' authentically NWOBHM-sounding act, and the fact that Space Vacation are so imperfect and rough around the edges only makes them all the more exciting.

There are moments where this begins to sound more like the members' other/former bands- for example there is a US Metal vibe on the quite ballad-like “Devil's Own” that is not dissimilar to Vicious Rumours, while there is an early Metallica vibe to the Thrash-outs on “Boston Massacre” and “Loaded Gun”, the latter of which has a big whack of Sunset Strip Glam in there too. For the most part though that NWOBHM vibe, often melancholy in nature, prevails. It is not just in the tone of Shappiro's vocals (he will make an interesting replacement on the next Midnight Chaser release to say the least), but the heavy use of minor key chords affects this too. When it comes to “On The Road” though all jams are kicked out as the tempo goes up and the blues are thoroughly rocked away with this early Saxon/Trust-like number.

This album is rarely as immediate as that however- a voice like Shappiro's can be hard to appreciate, especially when his vocal lines are often so creative (think The Plague/British Standard Approved-era Demon for how unconventional he can be), and how obvious it is at times that this was a self-financed and recorded effort. For the most part that fact is well-hidden, but when it comes to the slightly too clear separation between guitars and drums on the opener and the slighly flat “Logan's Ruin” it is obvious that this could've benefited from a remaster before Pure Steel picked it up for wider distribution. This is no slick and clean silver bullet of an album like we have gotten from Enforcer, Volture and many others this year and put up against those peers this is likely to be avoided, even sneered at by certain retro-Metal fans. For fans of the softer and more obscure elements of NWOBHM though the imperfections will make this all the more of an album to fall in love with. I have to stop short of calling this one of the best Heavy Metal albums of the year, but with certainty it is definitely one of the most unique. [7/10]

Summoning- Old Mornings Dawn[Napalm Records]

A gap as lengthy as 7 years was always going to mean that there would be fans of Summoning who would declare this album to be the best of the year even before hearing a note of it- and those people will certainly find comfort in how unreservedly in the band's comfort zone this is. A 7 year gap it may be, but musically there is no gap here; this picks up exactly where Oath Bound left off, and that gives Summoning's critics all the more fuel

than ever before.

Harsh vocals aside it is pretty fair to say that Summoning are not or have ever really been a Black Metal band. The cracker tremelo-laden riff early in “The White Tower” that has a certain Absurd-vibe to it is an exception, but otherwise this is missing the key component of Metal for most of the duration. There are electric guitars of course, but for the most part they are background noise, almost like an element of the production rather than music. They are there to give a mid-tone buzz for atmosphere- nothing else. More than ever then Summoning seem to have more in common with the Electro-Ambient, and especially World Music, genres- witnessed especially by the drumming on “Caradhras” and “Of Pale White Morns And Darkened Eves” where pygmy-exploiting soundscapers Deep Forest are evoked.

The intro to “The Wandering Fire” has to be the lowest point for the drumming where it becomes so kitsch that it has more in common than Cliff Richard's Worldbeat forays than anything Metal, but overall the sound is pretty terrible. At first it might be said that it has charm, and I suppose some kudos most go to Summoning for being probably the only Metal band who can use a drum machine in this day and age and not get scorn heaped upon them by their fans- but at the same time it is pretty ridiculous that such a successful and respected act have a drum sound worse than the PC game Age Of Empires II.

On a personal level the main reason why I have turned my nose up at bands like Summoning in the past is because of how my interest in Pagan/Folk Metal is partly influenced by a love for traditional/Folk music and a socio-anthropological interest in mythology. Bands who lyrical exist entirely in the realms of fantasy, and who draw musical influence a from purely imagined notion of medievalism and ancient musicality have never had nearly as much appeal to me. That is still true on this album, but as always Summoning's talent for crafting epic melodies and arrangements has to be respected. Unfortunately though in this, their main strength, Summoning come up short compared to previous albums. The bouzouki-dominated instrumental break that leads into the album's best melody occurs on “Flammifer”, 2 tracks in, and creates an early peak that is not quite lived up to by the rest of the record- and when you are taking about an album over an hour long even without the bonus tracks, peaking early is fairly disastrous.

The latter half of the album does have a few points worthy of mention; the glossal keyboard sections interspersed with woodwind solos on “The Wandering Fire”, the Quorthon-esque vocals on closer “Earthshine” and the surprisingly oriental feel to the bowed strings on “Of Pale White Morns And Darkened Eves”, but nothing to give that classic album-making factor. If anything this album is too restrained when it comes to the melodies and arrangements, and restraint is not something Summoning do well. This is definitely a Summoning record- just in the larger picture of their discography it is not a very good one. [6/10]

Temple Of Baal- Verses Of Fire[Agonia Records]

Having formed in 1998 and releasing their first demo in 1999 Temple Of Baal could almost be viewed being a bridge between the Los Legiones Noires sound of the 90's French Black Metal scene and the likes of Aosoth, Merrimack and Glorior Belli really began to put the country on the map a few years later with the “Orthodox” sound. Sonically there are still traces of those early Bathory-covering days of Temple Of Baal as well as their contemporaries who came along in the years after like Aosoth, but increasingly over the years a harsher and more abrasive sound has taken hold à la unrelenting countrymen Antaeus and Arkhon Infaustus, including a large dose of Death Metal along with the latter. In spite of covering all these sonic bases Temple Of Baal have never really broken out of the shadow of their influences and counterparts, and this album is a perfect demonstration of exactly where they have been going right and where they have been going wrong. More than ever it feels like the band are throwing themselves headlong into this, but ultimately their lukewarm status in many people's minds probably won't change.

Everything that you might want on a modern Black/Death Metal album occurs here on at least one track, whether it is the heads down blasting of “Bloodangel”, the Black/Thrash throwback tempos and wailing on “Golden Wings Of Azazel” or the modern Death Metal groove and big juddering riffs of “Gates Of Mansion” and closing track “Walls Of Fire” respectively. For the most part it is all pretty straight-forward and by the book, witnessed by the smattering of Morbid Angel-worshipping solos throughout the album, but a few moments of variance are allowed to break through as well. In particular I like the colossally sinister tone in the second half of “Lord Of The Raging Seas” and the malicious melody, interesting riff patterns and clean vocals found on album centrepiece “Arcana Silentium.” It's a far cry from the likes of other French acts Blut Aus Nord and Deathspell Omega's progressive tendencies, but nevertheless Temple Of Baal prove that they are anything but one trick pony's- and therein lies half the problem.

At just over an hour long this album is choc-full of brilliant musical ideas (in fact only “Serpens Luminis” comes close to being a filler), but in spite of this there is no unifying force to connect all these songs together. The result is a chaotic album which if you were pressed to think about you would likely be unable to recall much of. If a friend asked you to describe what Temple Of Baal exactly sounded like based on this album you would be at a total loss. It is utterly brilliant in places to be sure, but for a band whose timeline goes all the way back to when Black Metal was a much simpler affair Temple Of Baal seem to have forgotten the truth that sometimes less is more. Until they re-learn that art they will continue to be overlooked. [7/10]

Terminus- Jewels Of Gwahlur Vol 3: Into Exile

[Stormspell Records]Terminus/Ravensire split 7”[Underground Power Records]

2013 has been a banner year for nearly all sub-genres of Metal, but perhaps none more so than Epic Heavy Metal, with new bands cropping up in corners of the world old and new. The UK and Ireland have never been world-beaters when it comes to this style but each has produced a few bands of high quality, most notably Solstice and Dark Forest from the UK, and Old Season and Darkest Era from Ireland. Hailing from my own native Belfast, Northern Ireland then we have Terminus, straddling this national divide but also storming into view with a promising demo that sits prime among the Epic Metal output of both nations.

“The Psychohistorians” opens up this demo tape, also released this year on CD by Stormspell Records as part of their Jewels Of Gwahlur series, and the vibe that is created right from the start is very different to the heroic aura most bands in this style aim for. The overall tone is one of solemnity and dourness and is brought to the fore most strongly by the conceptual lyrics of falling interstellar empires and by James Beattie's unique voice. He has gravitas and narratorial depth, but is never showy nor flashy, instead taking his lead from the more reserved and subtly epic pipes of Warlord's Damien King II or Chris Gorderlier from Marquis De Sade.

Warlord's classic ...And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun is perhaps the best point of comparison for this demo, although it is also worth mentioning the heavy influence of Speed Metal titans like Exciter and Savage Grace as well as the galloping style of Iron Maiden and Slough Feg on the drumming. The latter two aforementioned bands are also discernible influences on the guitar-playing, but twin-guitar harmonies do not seem to be an integral part to the Terminus sound. Instead the trademark here seems to be moderation and reservation- and while at times that gives a sense of Terminus holding themselves back it also shows maturity and strength of vision in what they want to be, a trait also reflected in the unified concept of these 4 songs. In a way it reminds me of hearing the first Visigoth demo for the first time- the potential is all there, and inevitably it will shine through soon on future releases. [7/10]

We have not had to wait long for further Terminus material to arrive as late in the year has appeared a 7'' split with Ravensire from the Epic Metal stronghold of Portugal, out on Underground Power Records. The same core influences remain on “Centaurean”- the Terminus half of this split, though a bit of Solstice can now be heard in the vocal phrasing and some King Diamond theatricality shines through structurally. The biggest change though is in the dynamics and the overall quality as this barnstormer of a track capitalises on the potential the demo showed, and the chorus is one of the best of the year for the genre.

Ravensire contribute “Drawing The Sword” to the flip-side, also featured on their We March Forward LP, which I unfortunately am yet to hear in full but have high expectations based on this track alone. In a nutshell it is heroic Epic Metal 101 a la Manilla Road, Ironsword and Battleroar but with a unique edge thanks to the very gruff vocals style and features some standout songwriting in the bridge section. It's

an interesting counterpoint to the grave sobriety of Terminus, and perhaps a little more generic as well, but in any case these are two of the brightest torches to have been lit for Epic Metal in the year 2013. Keep a watchful eye on both closely! [8/10]

The Ruins Of Beverast- Blood Vaults- The Blazing Gospel Of Heinrich Kramer

[Ván Records]

Each of the 4 albums Alexander von Meilenwald has released over the past decade under the banner of The Ruins Of Beverast has seen some stylistic shift. With Unlock The Shrine he continued on from his Black Metal past in Nagelfar, growing more chaotic and textural with Rain Upon The Impure and more Doom-influenced with 2009's Foulest Semen Of A Sheltered Elite. If you have heard any of the chatter around this latest cut then you will probably be aware that the Doom side of von Meilenwald's musical alchemy has overtaken his Black Metal heritage, but this album defies any lazy genre categorisations. In fact, with tracks like “Ornaments On Malice” the sonic makeup of Kramer's gospel seems to draw as much on the dissonant style of Death Metal pioneered by Incantation as anything from the Doom realm. Inevitably by the fact this album sees the biggest change in the band's sound so far it feels less focused than its predecessors. Side by side comparisons between such vastly different albums would be illogical, but in some respects this album might be seen by long term fans as inferior because of its lessened focus, and von Meilenwald seems to still be finding his feet when it comes to certain elements like his demonic voiceovers.

But you know what? This is still of a high enough quality to be counted amongst the top extreme Metal albums of the year. When it comes to the keyboard passages and the dark psychedelic effects this is all recognisably The Ruins Of Beverast but there is also the aforementioned vast and towering dissonant Death Metal riffs, and a huge dose of early My Dying Bride that manifests not only musically but also in how this music has a transformative quality that mentally transports the listener to a darker medieval time. Key to this is how fully von Meilenwald embodies the character of Kramer, the writer of the 1486 treatise on witchcraft Malleus Maleficarum. Injecting a unifying theme over artwork and lyrics is one thing, and matching this with Gregorian chants and overall hauntingly Catholic feel to the music is another, but the mark of this being a true concept album is the characterisation. The speaking in tongues on “Daemon” is an early showing of this but it reaches its peak with the demented ramblings on the cinematic “Trial.”

In spite of the denseness of the theme and the Avant-Garde nature of some of the music, for example the almost danceable rhythms that mix intoxicatingly with the Encoffination-like crawling riffs of “Spires, The Wailing City”, what is most surprising about this album is how pleasing a listen it is. At nearly an hour and 20 minutes in length the power of this album to hold the listeners' attention for nearly the entire duration is incredible. Black Metal, Funeral Doom, Avant-Garde... whatever you label this album as it will not fit. Musically, artistically, lyrical this is a s unique as it gets in the Metal underground. In a league of its own. [9/10]

Thou Art Lord- The Regal Pulse Of Lucifer[Nuclear War Now!]

When it comes to nostalgia it is generally true that it is something you can only do once every couple of years, and each time the returns will diminish more and more. Certainly when it comes to the early/mid-90's style of Black Metal that was predominate in Scandinavia that is a path so well-worn by this stage that attempts to revive that style have gotten fewer and further between and less successful as time has gone on. With the Hellenic variety of the genre though its early period was so short-lived and produced so numerically few albums that returns to those halcyon days are always still welcome. Discounting their 2 more symphonic and experimental albums between 2002 and 2005 this is Thou Art Lord's first album since 1995's Apollyon, and a comeback album in the absolute truest sense of the word. The god Pan might be fading away on Manuel Tinnemann's fantastic cover art here, but musically at least he has returned to his rightful throne with this album.

Although there is a few clear attempts to link this album with Thou Art Lord's mid-90's heyday in terms of the mix, like the way the vocals sit so high at the beginning of “Infernarium”, it is impossible to get away from the huge difference in production since those efforts nearly 20 years ago. Even a simple drum roll on the catchy-as-hell “Das Messer” has a dynamic range that could only have been dreamed of 2 decades ago, but never does this detract from the old school vibe. Hellenic Black Metal was always more musically ambitious anyway, and if the same technology had have existed in 1994 this is exactly how Eosforos would have sounded. In fact, given that the band employed a drum machine in those early days it might be fair to say that they sound more organic than ever, even with the disposal of a full modern studio production.

All the elements of Thou Art Lord circa 1994-1995 are recaptured and given the modern treatment here, everything from the Death Metal-like chug of opening cut “Nine Steps To Hell” that contrasts well with the more tremelo picking-heavy “Artificial Malevolence” to the Thrash-influenced beats of “ΠΟΛΙΤΕΙΑ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΩΝ” that would not have been out of place on Apollyon, and the mix of deep growls and biting raspy vocals throughout. Those exotic dry synths and keyboard passages are kept old school and melodramatic as well, even to the point of almost being kitsch.

This vibe is helped along by the presence of some pretty cheesy spoken word passages, firstly the demonic Onslaught Power From Hell intro-referencing “L'Evangelium de Diable” and then the more fantastical “Fire And Blood” which even lifts its bridge melody from the theme of the Game Of Thrones TV show. This intentional naivete never comes across as forced though, and is kept from being self-indulgent or tongue in cheek by the fact the songwriting here is phenomenally good. In fact, songs like “Justica Profana” help secure this as Thou Art Lord's strongest album to date, one whose success comes from its perfect recreation of their early material- both the youthful genius and the youthful folly. Maybe

this isn't really nostalgia at all then- this is time travel. Lucifer is alive and his pulse still beats in Hel! [8/10]

Thyrfing- De Ö del ö sa [NoiseArt Recordings]

It seems like long ago most of the key players in 90's Pagan Black Metal made the conscious decision to either move on or vow never to change. Part of it might have had to do with the rising proliferation of plastic sword-waving Folk Metal hordes, or maybe to do with that, in retrospect, a lot of what was released in that mid-to-late 90's glory period was almost as daft as Turisas, Fintroll et al, and now looks pretty dated (Mithotyn band photos anyone?) So then we saw Enslaved and Ulver go full on Prog (with Borknagar and Vintersorg not far behind), the Windir boys began singing about World War II as Vreid, Primordial began to defy categorisation and those bands completely stuck in their ways soldiered on with a mixed bag of results. For the acts with the most cult followings like Summoning and Falkenbach they continued to be heaped with praise despite diminishing album quality, while the real losers were the likes of Kampfar, Einherjer and Månegarm who never managed much of a fanbase outside of their homelands anyway, even in Pagan Metal fanatic circles.

Thyrfing definitely seem to belong in that last category, consistently ignored by the wider Metal audience in spite of leaving behind most of the sword and sackloth jerkin elements of the subgenre and taking on a cleaner image (plain black attire) and darker and more real world-based lyrical focus starting with 2002's Varsinnesvisor. Or perhaps because of those changes. Oddly, given their strong musical affinity to Moonsorrow they never managed to appeal to that more image and festival boozing-conscious Folk Metal crowd, though in the end that may have been for the best. I doubt that even with a strong album like De Ödelösa that Thyrfing's fortunes will change much in terms of commercial success, but the quality of this record cannot be detracted from.

If I had to describe this album's sound in one word it would be thundering- and that in large is thanks to the wonderful production job by Jens Borgen, the man behind the wall of sound production on Amon Amarth, Opeth and Paradise Lost albums. Not since the transitional Varsinnesvisor where the desk was manned by In Flames/Behemoth man Daniel Bergstrand have Thyrfing had a sound this huge and menacing, an acceptance of modernity without barely altering their textbook Scandinavian Viking Black Metal sound. The crunch on the guitars is incredible, the bass (even more incredibly) is audible and there is a real headbanging groove in the riffs that is hammered out without compromising the folk-influenced rousing quality.

There is only one track on here that alters significantly from the usual modus operandi, namely “Kamp.” It starts off inauspiciously enough with one of Thyrfing's trademark acoustic intros, but that skipped beat on the upstroke is the first sign of something unusual about to happen whilst the bluesy delivery of the clean vocals will make you sit up and take notice before the cat is well and truly let out of the bag with that huge poppy Hard Rock riff

that follows. It sticks out like a sore thumb on this album and shouldn't really work, but somehow it does- to great effect.

Elsewhere everything feels a lot more familiar. Mid-period Enslaved gets channelled on “Fordom” whilst “Vindöga” is a future festival highlight for the band with it huge chorus, “Veners Förfall” brings in a bit of an early Dimmu Borgir vibe with that pseudo-symphonic dramaticism and the closing title track is absolutely searing its speedy melodic blasting. This is an album start to finish full of big riffs, tight drumming, harsh shrieks and soaring clean vocals and often beautiful melodies- but it is not just that enormous production that gives this the extra power, it is the sheer quality of the songwriting and performances that show that this long-running band are anything but complacent. “Relik” for example is a standout track thanks to its killer solo and that monumental downward tempo change, but it is just one of 8 songs on this that combine to make this possibly the best album of Thyrfing's career. The problem is, will anyone take notice? [8/10]

Toxic Holocaust- Chemistry Of Consciousness

[Relapse Records]

Toxic Holocaust, and their mastermind Joel Grind, are entities to who mud does not easily stick. Try as some might to lump them in with the likes of Municipal Waste and Evile who exploded around the same time as Toxic Holocaust's début on Relapse Records, to ignore their earlier slogging in the underground for nearly a decade release split and tape after split and tape, or to say that they have since “sold out.” The fact that none of these arguments hold water and that they have managed to carve out a broad appeal, from Terrorizer-reading beerbong warriors to NWN! afficianodos paying daft amounts for their early tapes, is all the more surprising then considering that Joel Grind has always refused to pander to either. From his first demo in 1999 til now he is still the same man and Toxic Holocaust is still his outlet for hero-worshipping Sodom, Discharge, Bulldozer, Bathory and Onslaught.

Despite never changing his mode of attack for anyone else's benefit though, there does feel like there has been a slight direction shift with Chemistry Of Consciousness. Things are kept well within those boundaries he has defined over the years, but nevertheless I get the sense that Joel has been trying to go for a more stripped-down vibe this time. The Punk side of equation feels beefed up slightly, the songs are more concise and focussed (as does the album as a whole), and he sounds more angry and pissed off than before. Toxic Holocaust have never strayed from their basics, yet somehow this still feels like a return to them.

What has inspired this newfound direct approach then, if there has been no straying from the path? One possibility might be an increasing social awareness. After all Joel breaches the political realm with his lyrics for (what I think is) the first time on “International Conspiracy”, and given the current state of world affairs and US domestic ones, how could a Thrash musician fail to sound more pissed off than ever before? Elsewhere the lyrics fall

more in traditional Toxic Holocaust areas, but with the shortness and repetitive lyrics of the songs, the Extreme Noise Terror-like vibe to the vocals (particularly on “Out Of The Fire”) and the more narrow focus of influences (rarely venturing outside of a new unholy 4 of Sodom, Onslaught, Discharge and E.N.T.) carry this same righteously angry vibe across all 11 tracks. I would deign from saying that he has gotten more mature, but since turning 30 something seems to have clicked in Joel Grind's brain.

The result is an album that is perhaps Toxic Holocaust's most vicious album to date, and overall their best since Hell On Earth. I can forsee the same shitslingers who declared Joel a sellout after signing to Relapse now changing tact to call this slight retreat to older values a shallow attempt to win back old fans, while some newer disciples gained around the time of An Overdose Of Death... may indeed find this harder going. In the end though neither count one iota- in camp Toxic Holocaust only one man's opinion still matters. [8/10]

Tribulation- Formulas Of Death[Invictus Productions]

Recently I had a discussion online about which has more historical precedent- a band defining their style on the first album, consolidating it on the second and then facing a difficult third album where they must adapt to stay relevant, or whether the second album was the typically difficult one. I still maintain that the former is true, and that most bands really hit mature and hit their stride on their third LP, but occasionally we get bands who bypass one of these stages and drop their real gamechanger on album number two. Morbid Angel's huge leap into the abyss between Altars Of Madness and Blessed Are The Sick is the most recognisable historical example and it is a comparison that has been made in discussion of the new Tribulation album all over the dark recesses of the web where those things are discussed. There are many things that have changed in Tribulation since then, and a Morbid Angel-like evolution is a perfect way of describing the scale of it.

One way I have been describing this shift to people is that Formulas Of Death is to Dario Argento movies what The Horror was to James Whale creature features, but there is much more to the atmosphere of this album than that. Overall the album sound in the atmospheric parts is cleaner- less distorted and more overdriven, and has a lot of influence filtering in from Classic, Progressive and Psychedelic strands of Rock. There's no pussyfooting whatsoever with this and the first thing that pokes through the mire on opening instrumental “Vagina Dentata” is how much it resembles The Doors' classic “This Is The End.” It ends in a more Opeth/Camel sort of vibe but The Doors, and to a lesser extent Jefferson's Airplane, figure quite heavily into this album's sonic makeup, like on the second instrumental "לילה" which mixes it with some vaguely John Carpenter-ish synths and some absolutely beautiful piano-playing. Pink Floyd are the other key Prog influence especially on the epic, twisting and melodic “Rånda” and also the brilliantly-composed closer “Apparitions” where it is fed through a Nachtmystium filter. Some of the influences on

this album's aura though are a bit closer to home, especially the warm exotic feeling of “Wanderer In The Outer Darkness” which has a huge smack of the Tiamat classics Sumerian Cry and The Astral Sleep off it.

This last comparison serves as a handy reminder that such progressive touches are by no means antithetical to being a Death Metal band, or that it renders Tribulation incapable of doing what they almost perfected on The Horror. In fact, “Spectres” not only has some of the blitzing Repugnant style Death/Thrash of their début but some of the most chaotic riffing they've ever had, and “Spell” is a bona fide piece of ear-shattering darkness too. Just because these lads wear skinnier jeans and some very fetching Italian leather footwear in their promo shoots these days doesn't mean they can't string together a bludgeoning riff or two any more!

Whether it's a case of Tribulation seeing the oncoming horizon of oversaturation in the Death Metal sea that dawned on Sweden 2 decades ago, or whether the resolutely old school style was always too restrictive for their ambitions I do not know, but either way the days of them being a straight-up Death Metal band seem to have been left behind. In fact, there are some bits on this album which have much more of a Black Metal feel. The famous and prolific Necromorbus Studios was the choice for The Horror too, but this time round that typical Necromorbus sound shines through much more, and the riffs and chaos-filled sqeuals of horrid noise on the aptly titled “Through The Velvet Black” show this progression too, along with some early Atheist-like technical riffing too.

It might sound like a mess on paper, and in fact it could well do on your first listen too, but where this really conquers over The Horror is how much more compositionally solid it is. What might at first seem like chaos is actually very much focused and willed, and the nuances often make sense in the context of the song or songs after repeated listens. For example, it took me at least 10 spins of this album til I noticed that the brief twinkle of keys on “Suspiria de Profundis” links it sonically with the preceding instrumental interlude track, and once I did it opened up this record just a little bit more. Nothing is by accident on this record, and everything is conjured by the most intelligent of designs. [9/10]

Tungsten Axe- Swedish Iron[Iron Shield Records]

Is there anything more confusing and disappointing than when a band with obvious talent and musical ideas try so desperately hard to sound like they've not tried at all? This is a problem I've had in recent years with bands like Norwegian thrashers Deathhammer and Swedish true-crew Helvetets Port in spite of the fawning over them from some of my friends and in the underground in general. It really does baffle me the effort some people can put into intentionally sounding shite when the same energy could be channelled into creating something genuinely great. With Tungsten Axe the potential definitely seems at first like it could be there, even just from hearing that band name. It's characterful, unique and thoroughly Swedish, translating as

“heavy stone.” All the potential in the world it seems, but it mostly gets squandered.

In places the dedication to sounding retro is commendable, in particular that drum sound that sounds like it has come straight from the London East End circa 1980 shown best on “Star Of Mount Paekdu.” Furthermore it would be illogical to lambast the band for being so indebted to some bands of old, especially as evoking the past is what so much today's Heavy Metal is all about. In fact, one thing that Tungsten Axe have in their favour is that they carve out a sound from so many sources that they do come out sounding quite unique in comparison to purely unimaginative worship acts like Sabbath rip-off merchants Orchid. At times this album does loiter in the same realm of pure parody though, and it is the insistence on trying to sound so intentionally imperfect that irks me.

The band seem to want to create a vibe like some early NWOBHM treasure band, celebrated as much for their flaws and quirkiness and for simply having been there at that time. The problem is that for those bands poor recordings were a thing of necessity, and without the benefit of mass dissemination of music giving a full background of what their peers were up to it was equally as inevitable that bands would make some musical faux pas. All bands were pioneers to some extent in that highly fruitful period, and there is always joy to be found in the esoteric nuances of those whose music didn't form the blueprint for the genre the way Judas Priest, Motorhead, Iron Maiden etc. did; but in this day and age with the full birds-eye-view context of the genre afforded by the internet and the passage of 30 years there is really no excuse for a modern band not to try and sound the best that they possibly can. Even when as much effort is put into sounding deliberately bad it still reeks of being a cop-out option to me.

As I mentioned before, the list of bands from which Tungsten Axe draw their influence is pretty staggering. Everything from Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Manowar and Di'anno-era Iron Maiden to Pagan Altar, Cirith Ungol, Demon, Holocaust, Jameson Raid and Crucifixion is represented, and occasionally the melange comes off sounding pretty darn good. “Devil's Children” is by far the best track on here than starts off a run of 3 quality songs with a strong Sad Wings Of Destiny/Sin After Sin base with touches of early Manowar and of course Heavy Load on “Swedish Iron” and Holocaust on “Elna K. Eriksson”- were it just these 3 tracks released as an EP this band would honestly be getting a much more favourable review.

“Heavy Metal” is 3 minutes of a band clearly not trying, as literally no effort to be create something canonical to be worthy of that title is made, and the tone to the vocals and the utterly rubbish broken home lyrics make it one of the album's absolute low points. The 7 and a half minute blunderous turd of “The Steel Is Sacred” which destroys the previous 3-track hot streak steals the show though and is where this band make their biggest effort to intentionally balls up. Even the early Black Sabbath vibes of “Divided” sound earnest despite their obvious lacking of quality, but here the complete lack of song structure, the

unexplainable jarring breaks into 70's Kiss-like sweetness (and I mean that with absolutely no disrespect to Kiss) and the truly rubbish lyrics are anything but the sound of a band playing with their heart and soul. Especially when they have shown that they can get it right and have demonstrated the breadth of their knowledge of Metal it is unfathomable that they would piss it away on something that is this calculatedly illogical and nonsensical. It really does beggar belief. [4/10]

Twilight Of The Gods- Fire On The Mountain

[Season Of Mist]

Few Heavy Metal albums released in 2013 have had as much hype as this one, and with the combined veteran experience of Nick Barker (Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Brujeria, Lock Up), Patrik Lindgren (Thryfing), Frode Glesnes (Einherjer), Rune Eriskon (Mayhem) and Alan Averill (Primordial) that hype is well-reasoned. I never caught any of the shows the band did in 2010 as a Bathory tribute act, but I don't think I was alone in expecting a continuation of that for their debut album of self-penned material. Early on from those who heard the record in advance I was told to expect a wholly different beast however, one that paid tribute to the highest of the Metal gods.

Destiny Forged In Blood” secures this assessment by laying the foundation of the first 3 Manowar records and Judas Priest from Sad Wings Of Destiny through to Screaming For Vengeance that make up the bulk of this band's influence. Alan may cry “This is our heathen Metal call to arms!” in the chorus, but a Norse/Celtic Pagan Black Metal hybrid this is not. Instead this is a template of the basest form of Heavy Metal- textbook, standard stuff.

Straight away though with “Children Of Cain” there are cracks starting to appear. Off-key vocals are par for the course for Alan Averill to anyone who is familiar with his work with Primordial, but at times on this track they sound plain weak and poor. The other element of course he brings along from his Nemtheanga persona is the deep lyrics, which sometimes strike the mark but oft-times on this record seem ill-fitting as well. One thing that can't be denied is the attempt made to branch out vocally, firstly by singing in a higher register as standard on all tracks and on this number especially hitting the high notes. It's certainly impressive for a man usually noted for his gravel-toned performances, and though I understand that flooding the album with moments like that would have made it hard to replicate live these high screams are something I'd love to hear on future recordings.

None too subtle nods to Udo Dirkschneider and Rob Halford are attempted and succeeded by Alan on “Fire On The Mountain” and “Preacher Man” respectively whilst instrumentally some Dio-era Black Sabbath and a few Bathory “ooooh-ahhhh!” choruses begin to creep in. The influence from Heaven And Hell/Mob Rules goes balls out on “Sword Of Damocles” before the last 2 tracks creep steadily away from the commercial hits of 80's Heavy Metal realm with touches Mercyful Fate and Candlemass contributing a fair dose to the makeup of “The End History” whilst “At Dawn

We Ride” is as close to recent Primordial as it is to the preceding tracks on this album. Even then, in what should be this outfit's comfort zone, it feels a little like painting by numbers- proficient, ticks all the right boxes yet somehow still just a little uninspired.

I expected this album to give a little more with each listen, but rather than finding nuances to lose myself in I noticed each return less enjoyable than the last. I'm not suggesting at all that this is a bad album, in fact, the very opposite is true. It is just that with their peers like Argus and Atlantean Kodex outdoing themselves with their carefully crafted and endlessly pored over records this year this effort cobbled together during the downtime from the members' “main” bands just can't hold a candle. Without meaning to denigrate what they have made here, can we really hold Twilight Of The Gods to the same standard as longer-standing bands who can spend 3 or more years making a record as best as it can be? In the face of competition like that this can't help but sound a little bit predictable. Fire On The Mountain is something to build on, but the standard for this style of music is so high right now that it will take a lot more to create something truly monumental. [7/10]

Visigoth- Final Spell MLP[Sarlacc Records/Cruz Del Sur]

When I reviewed the 2010 Vengeance demo from this Salt Lake City band back in WOAF #1 I found it was full of promising ideas and US Power Metal ambitiousness (that even 3 short years ago was still deeply uncool in a lot of underground circles) unfortunately being swamped by thin production and needlessly groove-laden guitar tones. It was a bold effort, after all it takes balls to do a capella vocal sections with such an unworthy sound quality, and for that I've felt ever since like Visigoth deserved a better sounding record to really showcase what they have to offer. With Final Spell they have absolutely blown away my expectations.

The opening riff to “Creature Of Desire” has cleverly been layered with some studio effects to give it a sound like an old wireless radio, which makes for an all the more huge intake of breath at how good this sounds when it kicks in properly. Already this is nearly twice as good as the previous demo, and that's before I even take into account how much Visigoth's songwriting has improved in that time. Early Omen (by whom “Battle Cry” was covered on Vengeance) is still the key influence, but Jag Panzer's speed and Twisted Tower Dire's melodic touch are now stamped large over this too, and Jake Rogers has similarly improved his range in terms of tone and intonation to make him one of the best vocalists of any young Heavy Metal act around right now. More than anything, the fun factor on this EP has increased exponentially, almost on par with the likes of Midnight Chaser and High Spirits.

Unlike the demo which was almost entirely North American in sound, including some shameless Manowar/Thor style chest-beating that reappears on “Seven Gold Ships” this second release broadens the scope a little bit to bring in more of a European vibe- specifically Blind Guardian for the musical elements and Hammerfall for the cheese. It's a hard sell

mixing the two given how opposed to the the German and Scandinavian melodic bands USPM fans can be, but it is done fairly seamlessly so that the pomp and airiness of one doesn't detract from the hammerblow of the other. The use of some Judas Priest riffing on “Seven Gold Ships” is a nice touch to seal the deal that sends a clear message from the Metal Gods- don't waste time pigeonholing this, just shut up and headbang! And with something that rocks like High Spirits, epics like Twisted Tower Dire and twinkles like Blind Guardian how could you not? [8/10]

Volture- On The Edge[High Roller Records]

A lot of things have changed in camp Volture since their 2011 Shocking Its Prey EP, not least the dissolution of their label, Heavy Artillery Records, prompting this move to Germany's High Roller for their début album. There has been some lineup changes to, with the much lauded Brent Hubbard out and the untried and untested Jack Bauer in on vocals and Dave Boyd from US Power Metal crew Twisted Tower Dire adding a second guitar for the first time in the band's (recorded) history. For some that connection will give a new lease to check the band out if they had either believed the negative hype before, or reacted against their positive press, but undoubtedly the shitflingers will still have their day, overplaying the connections to party bands Municipal Waste and Cannabis Corpse. If at the end of this album Volture still have their critics though then that is their loss frankly, not the band's. This is as solid as it gets.

Even fans of the band's previous EP might be rallying against this new effort as I can forsee a lot of people not being convinced with Bauer as a worthy replacement for Brent Hubbard, and holding up the frankly quite weak “Desert Pursuit” as an example, they may have a point. Nearly everywhere else on this album though the new guy proves to be at least the equal of his predecessor, and the vocal lines which become one of Volture's most diverse and strongest elements are a big step up from those on Shocking Its Prey. “Hotwired” would be the best showing of this were it not for the marching pace of closing epic number “Deep Dweller” that combined with the unique “whoa-oh-oh” vocals and sweet melodic guitar tone give off something of a US Power Metal vibe, somewhere in between Attacker and Warlord. Anyone wanting to write this off as yet another Tokyo Blade-derivative Enforcer clone is not going to have an easy time of it.

Compared to their Swedish brethren Volture are much less concise and focussed in their musical approach and sometimes shaky in their execution of riskier musical ideas, and that perhaps is the deciding factor in the Enforcer ultimately remaining the better of the 2 bands. One idea that doesn't quite pay off is the slower tempos at the start of “Heat Seeker”, though it does redeem itself as a mid-tempo rocker not unlike a more sleazed-up High Spirits. Follow-up track “Rock You Hard” doesn't quite manage the same though and becomes the sort of filler that was so much easier to avoid on the band's previous and much shorter release.

Elsewhere the only criticism I can make are minor- for example as much as I love how the

biggest refrain to “Brethren Of The Coast” comes in the verse rather than the chorus I do think it could benefit from a few more repetitions just for maximum effect. The fact is though it can't bring down a track so strong in every other respect, from the nice and varied vocal performance to the obviously Maiden-influenced guitar leads that are so appropriate for a nautical themed song. The opening title track is also worth mentioning for how it out-Swedes the Swedes at their own game for adding a slight Overdrive/Gotham City streak to its otherwise Enforcer-style speedy attack, but my single favourite moment on the album comes with righteous pre-chorus riff to “Nightrance” that seemingly utilises every single fret on the neckboard. At the end of the album the unfortunate thing transpires that Volture may have spread themselves too thick on this album, and in their haste to prove themselves different to their contemporaries by hook or by crook they have failed to add a unifying factor or theme to this collection of songs. If nothing else though On The Edge will prove their haters wrong- forget them as bit players in the modern Heavy Metal scene- there is absolutely no foolin' around from Volture. [7/10]

Warlord- The Holy Empire[Sons Of A Dream Music]

29 years is a long time between albums, but for US Power Metal legends Warlord that has been the time of waiting, excluding 2002's Rising Out Of The Ashes which aside from 2 songs was more of a compilation of Warlord/Lordian Guard re-recordings. Compared to other comebacks of recent times, like Solstice's first recordings in 15 years or the first Satan album in 26 this return has been largely unheralded and gone unnoticed by many. This can be mostly attributed to the fact that this is essentially a self-release meaning this album has had a much narrower distribution than might have been offered by a proper label- and unfortunately that is not the only advantage that this album could have done with. Simply put, it is just as well that some fans of Warlord's old material will not hear this album as it is far from a fitting follow-up to the mighty ...And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun.

Opening number “70,000 Sorrows” definitely has that trademark Warlord mix of dreaminess and sorrow, with some serious Ben-Hur/King Of Kings old school Hollywood epic influence on the melodies that fits in nicely with the Jerusalem theme of the artwork and the lyrics, but where this really falls down is in the production. ...And The Cannons... was hardly a wall of sound but this just sounds way too thin and completely lacking in atmosphere for the most part.

It takes until the opening riff of track 4, “The City Walls Of Troy” for anything with some serious balls to appear, perhaps due to how this song dates back 1982. The trick is not repeated however with the 1985 song “Thy Kingdom Come” which inexplicably descends into late period Geoff Tate/Queensryche nonsense towards the end, and the less said about the the AOR power ballad of “Glory” the better.

The rest of the album is largely an improvement, with Richard Anderson's vocal

performance getting stronger on “Father” (which still however suffers from some mixing problems) and the closing 11 and a half minute title track where the vocal harmonies that failed elsewhere on the album finally work out. Given that Anderson has already quit the band to be replaced by Doomed Beast's Giles Lavery for touring purposes it is probably for the best then than the one track Lavery does contribute on here, “Kill Zone” is the strongest. Unfortunately even this is sullied by William J Tsamis' pro-“war on terror” lyrics, probably the worst case of boneheaded imperialist American patriotism in Metal since Manowar's “Violence And Bloodshed.” Aside from the shambles of a new Witch Cross album this has to be the most disappointing Heavy Metal comeback album of the year. [4/10]

Warrion- Warrion[Pure Steel Records]

On paper at least, Warrion might be seen as something of a US Heavy/Power Metal supergroup. On closer inspection though we see that drummer Rob Brug has only been with Halloween for their most recent 2 albums whilst Tim Thomas' position in Abattoir, and formerly Hirax and Agent Steel, is as little more than a stand-in. One might expect then that it is the experience and expertise of original and still-serving Aska bassist Keith Knight and Obsession frontman/former Loudness and Ywingie J. Malmsteen vocalist Michael Vescera that will be leading the charge here. Certainly this is similarities to all the above bands, but given that the band name is taken from lead guitarist Ron Ravi Warrion's surname I get the feeling that this is just a one man ego-trip show with an all-star cast to give it credibility- and there is certainly evidence to suggest that in the music.

To be blunt, the songwriting for the most part leaves a lot to be desired. Opening track “Awakening The Hydra” starts off strong but blows its load by going into its, frankly pretty weak, chorus refrain too early and lyrically and structurally-speaking is far too simplistic. The playing from all the hired hands is pretty tight, but Michael Vescera sounds almost bored on this track and follow up “Carnage”, and the vocals overall have a disconnected feel. It sounds like it could be any number of averagely-written, poorly produced private press USPM albums from the 80's re-recorded in a modern studio, or more likely these songs have been rigidly reproduced from the songbook pages of the very inexperienced Ron Ravi Warrion without the input of his veteran compatriots.

From there the album thankfully takes a massive upswing in quality. Starting with “Adversity” Michael Vescera finally seems to have gotten into it and delivers a sterling, powerful melodic vocal performance. The chorus to “Victim Of Religion” has a sweet Halloween-like feel of dread to it while there are some cool layered vocal effects on “Serpent's Fire” and “Savage” is a decent stab at the melodic Euro-Metal style of Tarot, early Stratovarius and fellow Americans Kamelot. They even manage to make an interesting instrumental with “Invocation” which may be a sign that Warrion has allowed some creative control to be handled by his bandmates who know better than he, but unfortunately the trick

is not repeated with the awkward and jarring flamenco-esque closing instrumental “Earth Fire Water Spirit.”

The ball is further dropped as the album concludes on a completely unnecessary reprise (and I don't mean an altered version or take, I literally mean the same bit as before replayed) of the weak chorus to “Awakening The Hydra” and leaves on a note that, despite showing moments of promise by better utilising his experienced friends, Warrion's first foray into Metal has still been a bit of an amateur hour. It is far from terrible and the room to improve is there, but I think that Ron Ravi will really have to bring Keith Knight and Michael Vescera into the songwriting process next time round more fully. [4/10]

Watain- The Wild Hunt[Century Media]

Watain definitely haven't been underground in a long time, but now that they are making their major label début on Century Media it is fairer than ever to say that they are a band who have always done their own thing. Whether it is their blatant commercial desire, getting up the nose of animal rights activists (figuratively) and fans (literally) with the stench of dog's blood at their gigs or getting removed from the Swedish Grammy Awards for drunken behaviour it is clear that Watain are a band who don't give a fuck what you think.

Nevertheless as the soft, multi-instrumental layered intro of “Night Vision” fades into “De Profundis” there seems to be a concerted effort from the band to make a statement early on that they haven't grown weak or agreed to mellow out as their popularity continues to skyrocket. Rarely if ever have they sounded this chaotic; Erik Danielsson's vocals sit high astride in the mix to show his flex as a creative vocalist and lyricist and hats must be taken off Tor Stjerne's production that teases out every quality like the Dissection-referencing cavernous drums and that tortured guitar squeal that sounds like a human voice. On first listen of this track it might be hard to fathom why Watain have come under fire for their stylistic choices on this album, but as time wears on the picture becomes clearer.

“The Child Must Die” is a noticeable departure from the usual Dissection-meets-Mayhem-meets-Necrophobic style of melodicism that Watain normally utilise when it ventures into a sort of Blackened Power Metal vibe, but without a doubt the ballad (yes I said ballad) number “They Rode On” takes the prize for the track from this album that has rustled the most kvlt feathers. The signs were there on Lawless Darkness with Carl McCoy of Fields Of The Nephilm fame adding his pipes to “Waters Of Ain” though here Danielsson's own Gothic clean vocals bear more resemblance to Nick Cave, and when the drumming kicks in it takes on a different kind of theatricality, that of 80's stadium cheese along the lines of Helloween's “A Tale That Wasn't Right.”

When it comes to ripping up the rulebook and thumbing their nose at the corpse-painted bedroom-dwellers Watain have chosen the campest and most confrontational method imaginable, like a musical equivalent of storming an Evangelical convention in lingerie

and a feather boa. While I may get the same sort of kick that the band probably do from hearing the frostbitten hordes cry “sellout” I do have my own issues with this bold track, and that is that I simply don't think Danielsson's clean vocals are strong enough to pull it off. The fact that they seem so weak is perhaps the only failing of Tor Stjerne's production on this entire album, and at other times too it seems like Watain's musical bravery is hampered by inadequate performance.

The favouring of a cleaner yet thicker guitar tone is another fingers-firmly-up rejection of Black Metal traditionalism that is shot all across this record, and on the more chaotic and even progressively disrhythmic moments like “All That May Bleed” and the solo of “Sleepless Evil” it works to great, thunderously heavy effect. With “Black Flames March” though its reliance on crunchier and more simplistic heavy riffs laced with deliberately strummed clean toned guitars lets go of too much of the tension built up by that point, and also feels somewhat compositionally clunky, but is just about rescued thanks to its killer chorus.

“Sleepless Evil” is a bigger offender when it comes to causing a stuttering album flow as despite its interesting mechanical/pseudo-Industrial feel and evoking of early Death Metal influenced Marduk it is not the right fit for a track to follow the big album centrepiece ballad. If I had have been in charge behind the desk I would have considered moving closing number “Holocaust Dawn” (the most conventional track by far) in that place and whisper-laden melodic title track to see the album out.

“The Wild Hunt” not only comes at the wrong point of this album but also needs to be singled out for that flamenco section at the end; though it must be said it is only the laziness with which it is tacked on rather than incorporated into the rest of the song that I find worthy of criticism. In fact for all the knickers that have been put in a twist by this album the only truly reprehensible musical choice I think Watain have made is “Outlaw” which aims for a Melechesh/later Rotting Christ sort of Eastern Mystic aura, but instead fumbles with a Soulfly-esque tribal Nu Metal vibe. Overall the quality on this album varies wildly but this is the only point that as a reviewer makes me consider abandoning professionalism and conceding that all the mudslinging former fans crying “sellout” or “false” may have a point.

War On All Fronts isn't in the practice of denigrating a band's musical avenues however, only the quality with which they walk down them. With The Wild Hunt I have to admit to admiring Watain's ambitiousness, their disregard for convention and of course their spiting of armchair critics and their strict Black Metal ideals, but when it boils down to it the fact is their gamble has resulted in the weakest and most inconsistent album of their career to date. Especially in a year which has seen fellow Swedish bands Tribulation and In Solitude's progressive tendencies strike gold this really is shown up to be an inferior album. They may not be a guest at the table for 2013's end of year Metal album christmas feast, but this album can certainly fit the bill as the turkey. [5/10]

Witchburner- Bloodthirsty Eyes[High Roller Records]

You have to give Witchburner their dues for sticking to it for this long. Now in their 21st

year of existence they deliver their 7th album of strictly Teutonic-styled Black/Thrash, the first one not to be released on Undercover/Evil Spell Records for whom they have been something of a house band. Despite this longevity that alone gives them veteran status over their younger contemporaries like Nocturnal, Blizzard and Cruel Force though they are still in most people's eyes not in that second tier of Germanic Thrash bands beneath the big 3 that includes such acts as Protector and Desaster. The reason for this is simple- if you own any of Witchburner's 6 previous albums save yourself some money and just listen to that again, because this new effort is probably pretty much identical to it.

Frankly the fact they have been doing this so long is no excuse for being so stoic in their repetitiveness and dullness- if anything that makes any excuse even more untenable. Not only are most of the tracks on here utilising the same tempo, drum patterns and chord progressions, but they have all been done to death on those previous albums too. Aside from “Master And Slave” where they adopt a more Exodus/Dark Angel sort of vibe with the squealing riffs, any semblance of diversity on this album is whispered rather than screamed. This track could've become the sing-a-long centrepiece to the record, but instead that simple chorus refrain of “I am the master- you are the slave” just isn't given enough breathing space.

It's the same story on “Never Surrender” where there is a Nifelheim-esque melodic streak trying to break out and “Possession” which has some vocal lines more akin to Tankard than any of the German big 3. Sometimes this hardline devotion to the big 3 sound pays off, like on the Pleasure To Kill-worshipping “Path Of The Sinner”, but on every other track it is a formula as immemorial as it is derivative. For an album that only clocks in at 35 minutes, Witchburner's shortest since 1998's Blasphemic Assault, it is almost ridiculous that their could be filler tracks like “Spirits Of The Dead” on here.

Again the argument that Witchburner have being doing this for so long that it doesn't matter is likely to surface, or even the claim that this is how Black/Thrash is supposed to sound and that formula shouldn't be tinkered with. There is ways they could shake up their sound though without ever going outside their key influences- for example, considering their biggest debt being owed to Destruction why is their no Shmier-like high screeches in the vocals? And if bands both older than they, such as Desaster, and younger such as Hellish Crossfire, can make killer and diverse records out of all the same raw elements then why can't Witchburner? The answer might simply be a lack of creativity and imagination. 21 years on and Witchburner haven't even come close to delivering a Black/Thrash genre-masterpiece, and that looks unlikely to ever change. [5/10]

Witchgrave- Witchgrave[High Roller Records]

Swedish 4-piece Withchgrave's 2011 debut EP was a firm statement of intent laying out their style of charmingly sloppy Blackened Heavy Metal and looking back to the review of it in WAR ON ALL FRONTS #1 I remember a sense that the future was going to be very exciting as far as this band was concerned. At last the band have returned with their début full length album, but I fear my anticipation has created a level impossible for this album to live up to. The winning formula from the EP has been retained, even refined and added to, and Witchgrave have done everything I expected them too- all except shatter my expectations it seems.

On “Raising Hell” Sven Nilsson kicks it off with a drumbeat torn straight from the Philthy Phil Taylor playbook while frontman Joakim Norberg puts on his best Cronos snarl for the vocals and the music hurtles along like a primitive ramshackle cart, yet conversely boasting some excellent lead work from the guitar pairing of Slingblade's Tobbe Ander and Antichrist's Gabriel Forslund. This is Witchgrave in a nutshell- A riotous punch-up of Motörhead, Tank and Venom in a fashion so primitive that it goes right to the edge of the realm of Black/Thrash, just about kept in check by the Iron Maiden/Cloven Hoof dual guitar work that keeps this rooted in the early 80's. The atmospheric similarities to countrymen Portrait are reinforced on “The Apparition” by the addition of some King Diamond-styled vocals but aside from that Witchgrave have not altered their plan of attack.

The problem then is not a case of style, as this will still certainly appeal to fans of contemporaries like Midnight, Speedwolf and Cruel Force, but it is those points of comparison that highlight the biggest trouble here. Simply put, the standard for this style is so high these days that without the memorable song factor any release will get lost in the mass of vying bands. With the EP there was a definite sense that Witchgrave had elbowed themselves straight to the top of the pile, but here it feels like the songwriting quality has actually taken a step back. Both by their own standard and by their peers this album feels like a bit of a disappointment.

It gets better with multiple listens, but really only “Seduced By The Dark” gives that initial rush and instantaneous infectiousness that the EP tracks like “The Devil's Night” and “Beg For Mercy” had. There are other memorable choruses, but the fact that on “Motorcycle Killer” the band go down the Thor/Helvetets Port route of intentional daftness says a lot. Witchgrave seem to have unfortunately gone from being a band of immediacy and simple-minded spontaneity to being more style than substance. On the EP everything felt so natural and free-flowing, whereas here touches like the clipping vocals on “The Last Supper” feel almost carefully orchestrated. I still think that Witchgrave have the potential to deliver that genre-classic album that they seemed destined to write 2 years ago, but this is certainly not it. [5/10]

Friday 1 st March

16:00 My final lecture of the week is over, taxi waiting in the university car park. The mission ahead- a day and a half of heavy duty NWOBHM, boozing and causing near diplomatic incidents awaits. En route to airport.

16:45 Airport security cleared, The Irish Duck Warrior is waiting for me on the other side with a pint of Smithwicks red ale. The rest of this weekend's drinks will be of more brown and purple hues.

18:35 Plane touches down in The Toon. A quick jaunt through Newcastle International shows no open off licences, but at least the Metro is easy to get on without paying. Lack of drink will be made up for in due course.

19:00 Northumbria Student's Union is found with surprising ease a 5 minute dander from the Metro station. The Riplash is waiting for us in the venue already. His flight into Edinburgh was delayed because of a drunken hen party, so he had to forgo the Buckfast run in order to catch his train. He assures us the fabled Bucky Radar has located some nearby to the venue. For now, we have Black Rose to enjoy.

Although a local band is the best choice to open the inaugural Brofest Black Rose's very Tygers Of Pan Tang-esque material is pretty inoffensive compared to Battleaxe who were originally meant to open the bill, and though it doesn't engender much movement from the still amassing crowd it still comes across brilliantly on this venue's huge stage and PA. This place is definitely a much better location for NWOBHM sounds than the pub toilets these bands have been relegated to in recent years and Black Rose are rocking their hearts out and making the most of it.

19:30 The last 10 minutes of Black Rose have to be skipped in order to make time in running to check into the hostel and back in time for other bands, which also provides a good excuse to avoid blowing my limited budget for the weekend straight away on the very inviting merch tables. On my walk out of the venue I notice that alongside the obvious waves of denim, leather and spandex the punters are clad in there's also some goofy looking college jackets and foam fingers emblazoned with the Brofest logo, as well as yellow Bashful Alley shirts which turn out to be the weekend's biggest seller.

20:05 Despite my brisk jog through scenic Newcastle and it's Georgian architecture and I arrive back to the Student's Union a few minutes into Wytch Hazel's set. The first of this weekend's 2 younger bands play a very Jethro Tull/Gentle Giant Folk Rock-influenced style of Metal that would have fitted in fantastically in 1979 and works a treat here too, although not exactly lighting any more fires in terms of crowd interaction than Black Rose did. It is interesting though and a sign of the diversity that the NWOBHM banner and this whole weekend involves.

20:40 The Northumbria SU is now close to full with hordes clad in denim, leather and spandex

with plenty of familiar faces and a few new ones being introduced too. The Duck Warrior and Riplash introduce me to another Irish pilgrim known as The Nekroculchie and we quickly set off in search of the glorious liquor known as Buckfast with the aid of Riplash's famed “Bucky Radar.” After getting lost in between blocks of nurses flats, sliding down a muddy bank and under an overpass we find an off-licence with a small shelf of dusty bottles of the purple fluid. We all but buy them out of their meagre supply.

21:30 Buckfast drinking duties outside the venue have overtaken the desire to go in and watch Spartan Warrior, a decision that will be regretted tomorrow. Around this time we are also missing a conversation inside about Blitzkrieg who have decided to run their own gig in opposition to tonight's headline set from Avenger in a pub in Sunderland 20 minutes up the road. All these bands might be in their 50's now but it seems childish habits die hard.

22:20 Had we been told that tonight was not a full original lineup of Avenger but rather a group of stand-ins based around the original bassist and a young Brazilian fella on vocals we would probably have joined the taxi exodus up to the Blitzkrieg gig. By now we are well-emboldened enough by Buckfast that the lineup means little to us, and the songs are the same regardless. The prime cuts off Blood Sports are the highlights here, in particular “Enforcer” and “Warfare” and are the perfect finish to what has musically speaking been a pretty lukewarm night. Tomorrow has all the bands I really want to see anyway, tonight was all about catching up with friends, and the night is still young...

23:15 During the Avenger set I finally ran into some English mates, including G (The Sheepshagging Cockney), The Ginge, Headbanger Holly, Zed and from France Monsieur Baali. Several faces are absent tonight, most notably The Portugeezer who has opted for the Absu gig in London this weekend instead, but it is still good to be in such company and following some local guides we are led to Trillians- one of the best Rock bars I have ever been to.

23:45 Pints of local brown ale are cheaper here than in the Student's Union by a few quid so the drink is flowing much more freely. The request friendly DJ is another bonus, and he is only too happy to play lots of Thin Lizzy. G is the first to get disgracefully drunk, resulting in photographic evidence of him fellating a novelty foam finger protruding from my trousers. The tone for the rest of the weekend has been set.

00:13 Around this point I am looking at the sandwich board for upcoming events at Trillians at it looks like GBH are playing here in a few weeks time for just a fiver, compare to 20 quid last time they played Belfast. They get all the gigs over here. Bastards.

00:34 Trillians employs a no drinks outside policy in their smoking area, which I wasn't aware of til I went up the stairs for a smoke. The bouncer let me leave my pint on the windowsill, but somehow this leads to a young

local lad accusing me of stealing his pint of Fosters- a situation not helped by the fact we are both half cut and our accents are too strong for each other to understand. He is definitely the worse for wear though seeing as I am holding a pint of brown ale up to his face which is swearing blind is light lager. The issue gets sorted when I point out to him downstairs where he left his pint of Fosters and he rewards me with a hug. They're a reasonable sort these Geordies, even if the accent is a bit hard to understand.

01:28 In a gap between bouts of headbanging me and Monsieur Baali end up sitting on the stage in a very in-depth discussion about religion and politics and the differences between Catholic and Islamic upbringings. As if to tell us that this conversation is getting too highbrow the DJ decides to start playing AC/DC which gets us back on out feet. Unfortunately I also think it is a good idea to start running in circles on the ground on my side like Angus Young at this point, forgetting that there is a row of empty pint glasses along the edge of the stage which I end up kicking across the floor of the bar. I think this a good point to call it a night, after another pint for the road of course. At least I'm not in as bad as one of the Wytch Hazel lads passed out on the cobbles who had an ambulance called for him.

01:58 Knowing that Newcastle has a bit of reputation for night-time violence I choose my place for food very carefully. Most of the kebab houses are packed full of people, some even with bouncers to deal with the crowds. I opt for a van in the square a hundred yards from my hostel, which turns out to be a bad choice as the vendor manage to convince me in my drunken state that ordering something smothered in his secret chilli sauce is a good idea. This decision is going to come back to haunt me tomorrow... Still, at least I didn't spill a whole can of coke upside down in my trouser pocket like I did the year before in York.

Saturday 2 nd March

12:22 Waking up in the Hostel with a mad case of the fear. There was talk of meeting this morning for breakfast burritos but everyone seems to be suffering too much.

12:47 Showered and dressed and finally with a bit of greasy meat and pastry in the belly courtesy of Greggs The Bakers. Breakfast takes place on a bench at Grey's Monument while trying not to vomit in front of a crowd of local skater kids.

13:15 I showed up to the venue a little early today hoping there'd be some others with the same idea, but this results in me nearly falling asleep again in front of the sound desk. This day is going to require a lot more caffeinated tonic wine to get through.

13:30 Amulet prove to be the perfect band to start off the second day of festivities. Dark and atmospheric enough to suit a hall of hungover people, but with songs like “The Hangman” and “Sign Of The High Priest” to engender some movement and singing along from those sufficiently recovered enough to take part.

Amulet may not be the most mobile band on stage, but damn if they don't outshine most of the old guard this weekend.

14:35 On paper Badge with their early Whitesnake-style Blues Rock-based NWOBHM and modern day Whitesnake-esque dad rock look should be the least appealing act to the younger portion of this weekend's crowd, but surprisingly it is the youngsters leading the headbanging charge and chants of “Badge! Badge! Badge!” The highlight here of course is the a side of Badge's 1981 single “Silver Woman” but even the more recent songs which a lot of people are unacquainted with this is a fun as hell performance that puts us all back in the mood for drinking- which is good because otherwise a group of 3 Germans wandering about and declaring “it is a German tradition!” about everything would make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

15:15 Feeling a lot better than a few hours ago can only mean one thing- another run to the Buckfast shop. Our journey turns out to be a lot shorter though as to avoid going down the muddy slope again we decide to try the convenience store beside the nurses' flats that was closed last night- and lo and behold they have the holy wine in stock! With the nectar of the gods now only 1 minute's walk from the venue door this day as about to get very very messy!

15:40 Via a quick tactical vomit outside it's time for one of my favourite bands of the NWOBHM era- Deep Machine. Always an absolute treat live and new songs like “Whispers In The Black” now sit perfectly alongside classics like “Demon Preacher.” Powerful, melodic, thundering and theatrical- as good as NWOBHM gets!

16:25 Having discovered that the student bar and cafe downstairs sells pints from as little as £1.50 it has naturally become the new social hub between bands. This time is spent munching on cheap pizza and swapping stories with Monsieur Baali and some other old timers and comparing the differences between Irish Metal girls and English Metal girls with the rest of my pilgrims. English girls naturally win.

16:45 Compared to some of the other bands on the bill Salem have a pretty lengthy discography, all of which was compiled together by High Roller Records a few years ago, and while there is definitely a few decent tunes in their set such as “Fool's Gold” the performance seems woefully lacking in professionalism following the tour de force which is Deep Machine- and Simon Saxby's David Coverdale blouse and microphone swinging moves really don't help matters. During almost all the sets this weekend the locals have had their local tradition of “UK! UK! UK!” but it reaches its absolute loudest during Salem, leading to choruses of “Éire! Éire!” and “Balls! Balls! Balls To England!” from me and The Irish Duck Warrior. All in good humour of course.

18:00 My worst fear has struck. The horrendous chilli from last night's burger has combined with the caffeinated wine in my stomach and is currently playing havoc on the venues' toilets- while the most important band of the weekend are on. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

18:16 Feeling 10 pounds lighter I return to the main hall to find Bashful Alley positively rocking the joint. All the bands songs get an airing but the best is truly saved for last with the double-whammy of the emotive singalong “Running Blind” and the irresistible Boogie Rock beat of “She Only Wants Me For My Body.” This trip was worth it just for these two songs- absolutely spellbinding!

18:50 Somehow I have lost the rest of the Irish crowd but have thankfully made friends with a local crustie outside. I really should be getting ready to go back inside to watch Tysondog but finding a kindred spirit in England who sups from the purple chalice is too good an opportunity to pass up. Round the corner though it looks like my friends have cleaned the off license out of big bottles of Buckfast so 2 half bottles each for me and Prior will have to do the trick.

As we arrive back one of the Germans is wandering around outside the venue with his trousers round his ankles displaying a pair of Union Jack long johns- definitely the most audacious fashion choice of the weekend. It turns out they had a tough time getting here. When stopped by a traffic cop in Belgium they were asked what music was playing from the car and answered proudly that it was Blitzkrieg. Then when asked why they were going to England they replied that they were going to see Holocaust. Some people really need to choose their words better...

19:30 The following things have been added to the list of “German traditions”- the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, cricket, Buckfast, being from France, Holly's ass.

20:20 Back inside now and Scarab are delivering a sterling set. A few years ago Paul Britton was fronting Solstice so needless to say his voice is excellent and they give great treatment to minor classics like “Poltergeist” and “Rolling Like Thunder.” The appearance on stage for one song of Tygers Of Pan Tang original Rob Weir is a nice treat as well. One of the standout performances of the weekend.

21:00 The audacious fashion statement stakes have been topped once again by two guys proudly strutting their stuff in spandex short shorts. Well played lads, you are braver men than I. As I walk to the bar I also spot easily the oldest punter of the weekend, a woman who appears to be in her 70's or 80's. Even more fair play.

21:20 Now it's up to the last (and first and only) kings of Scottish Metal to round off the musical portion of this weekend's fun. Holocaust absolutely deserve this slot being the only of the older bands on the bill who have never split up (not for more than a year or two at any rate), and having almost as many classic songs to play as the rest of the lineup combined. A few airings from their later and more progressive material is lost on a large portion of this crowd but the set is quite rightly mostly taken from their classic Heavy Metal Mania and The Nightcomers releases- “It Don't Matter To Me”, “Death Or Glory” and “Smoking Valves” making for early setlist highlights.

It would have been ace in a perfect world to see this band as the original 4-piece, but reduced to a power trio with John Mortimer handling both

guitar and vocal duties is every bit as good. His voice might be a bit haggard (after all he was never the natural singer of the group in the early days) but his rough tone and strung-out appearance is perfect for what is rough and strung-out music. The finish is predictable but still awesome and the double whammy of title tracks “Heavy Metal Mania” and an extended version of “The Nightcomers” comes close to matching Bashful Alley as highlight of the whole weekend.

11:00 Tonight after party is happening in a different basement bar, which I am later told is actually the basement of the City Hall. Compared to Trillians this is a lot more more stifling and cramped affair, and the wait at the bar for a pint would have been unbearable were it not for having “2112” to rock out to. Once again, good tunes make up for everything.

11:15 The Riplash has made the venture inside but seems to be struggling with the heat. This is a man notorious for “The Sweats”, especially after copious amounts of The 'Fast and the fact I almost never see him not in a leather jacket doesn't help matters. This is the worst I've ever seen him though and the sweat is practically dripping off his face and into his pint faster than he can drink it. Wisely he elects to head back to the hotel and keep people in the next room up with his chainsaw snoring and leaves the rest of the weekend's shenanigans to the younger crowd.

00:25 Unfortunately this DJ doesn't seem as request friendly and repeated calls for Thin Lizzy fall on deaf ears. Alice Cooper's “Poison” does get a great response from us though and our horrendous attempts to sing along gets a lot of annoyed stares from middle-aged regulars who have had their normally civilized and polite Classic Rock club invaded by a group of post-pubescent denim and leather clad youths so drunk that we can barely stand. Fuck em.

01:46 G is licking another foam finger tucked in a waistband like a cock. I think the boy may have a problem.

1.51 Just before kicking out time and a late entry for worst fashion choice makes its move- a fella with a t shirt back print of “HEAVY METAL KILLED MY FACE.” Ridiculous shirt, but perfect summary for the weekend's antics.

After leaving I definitely make a wiser choice for food than last night, ending up in a takeaway joint with the lads from Amulet. Feeling ready for home I order a Belfast classic that they seem to share a fondness for here in Belfast- the bolognaise chip. I almost cry at the beauty of what is essentially a lasagne made from potato and all that starchy, meaty, saucy, cheesy goodness certainly helps with the hangover the next day. I make the idiot mistake of going to the wrong Wetherspoons though so end up eating my recovery breakfast alone and having to make my way back to the airport alone too. The flight back easily ranks as one of the most stressful I've ever made (the annoyance of that “This is another on time Ryanair flight!” klaxon does not help) so the only thing to do when I collapse in the door is to load up on food and sugary drinks, lock the door, stick on some porn and not leave the room until The Fear has cleared. Til next year Brofest! After all, it is now a German (and Irish) tradition...