Cult Classics
Band Profile – Burials
Hailing from Portland, OR, this death metal outfit sounds solemn and somber. Although their bleak music is dissonant, it is profound enough to resonate with like-minded pessimists. The punishing rhythms are insane, offset by melodic virtuosity and atmospheric ambience. The contrast between their acoustic sensitivity and their electrified rage is a paradoxical embodiment of the band. The deep, rolling melodies slam their weight around mightily. These menacing, trippy sludge concoctions are booming with thunderous beats … read...
read moreBloodpig: Horrible Music By Worse People / Rx (Split)
Bloodpig is a band whose signature style consists of high octane punk rock energy, angry screams, cacophonous drumming, and dissonant guitars. This split compilation includes two albums: Horrible Music By Worse People (2015) and Rx (2012). Both are noisy, loud, obnoxious, and awesome. This will be a two part review, starting with the first album. When describing this record, two words leap to mind: Nasty and gnarly. The musical techniques used are simple but effective. … read...
read moreEP Review: Untitled – The Screamagers
Although never compiled into a cohesive album, an impressive collection of 15 songs is boasted by horror punk/ psychobilly band The Screamagers. The Misfits are an obvious influence, with their punk rock renditions of vintage horrors: Frankenstein’s monster and his bride, “Zombie Monsters From Outerspace”, and teenage werewolves are their typical song material. Their collection is catchy and fun, even if some songs are ridiculous. In the end, it’s all completely entertaining. As mentioned … read...
read moreAlbum Review: Pestilence – Consuming Impulse
This classic album, released in 1989, is crawling with high octane intensity. Melodic lead guitar and vocals are syncopated between the rhythmic bass lines and percussion.The guitar squeals like a pig during raging solos, and harmonized riffs reinforce even more strength behind catchy power chords. The drumming is extremely aggressive; Heavy-footed on the kick drum and crashing with cymbals. This percussive brutality is headbang-worthy, like the somber drumrolls of an execution. Frontman Martin Van Druen … read...
read moreAlbum Review: October File -Monuments
Monuments is a fitting title for the 20014 release by October File, a colossal jewel which captures the band at their zenith. This chimerical beast is a culmination of hardcore, post punk, and industrial influences, making a musical juggernaut of monstrous proportions. Although they are a relatively obscure band, they have withstood the test of time thus far and have remained a thematic powerhouse for over a decade. October File have the boastful confidence, and … read...
read moreAlbum Review: Orange Goblin -Time Travelling Blues
Sink your teeth into this tasty slice of stoner metal. Although the band Orange Goblin keeps their music chilled out with a classic blues structure and sludgy tempo, the heavily distorted guitar riffs and gruff vocals result in a sound that is gloomy, doomy, and altogether ‘shroomy. The 1998 album Time Traveling Blues is defined by dreamy, distorted noisescapes of altered guitars, giving way to aggravated punk riffs, while screamed vocals remain constant and at … read...
read moreAlbum Review: I Am The Shotgun -Garroter
Garroter has a choppy, chunky sound reflecting the bloody bits and pieces on the album artwork. Palm muted chords ad nauseum, layered over an obscene amount of guitars and double pedal drums, creates immense walls of polyphonic discordance. These colossal soundwalls persist at a sludgy pace, but frequent interruptions by blast beats and breakdowns keep them from being overwhelming. Despite the cacophonous music and coarse production quality, I Am The Shotgun have a cleancut aftertaste. … read...
read moreAlbum Review: Korpiklaani -Manala
Manala is a decided improvement from Korpiklaani’s previous releases, which were too asinine to even qualify as guilty pleasures. I also appreciate the fact that Jonne Jarvela sings in his native tongue. Finnish is a very harsh language to begin with, but Jarvela’s raspy voice contributes immensely to the album’s distinct flavor. Unfortunately, the English translations are awkward and don’t flow well with the natural Finnish rhythm of the songs. Seriously, don’t even waste your … read...
read moreAlbum Review: Therion – Secret of the Runes
I am Mecha Shiva. Give me your Metal! Therion, if you haven’t heard of them, are an interesting phenomenon in metal; they are a band with an extremely eclectic style of metal that still have found success in the mainstream. I call it eclectic not because no-one’s heard of putting operatic vocals against the backdrop of metal, but rather because Therion don’t use the music as a backdrop to their singers. Rather, the music, … read...
read moreAlbum Review: Urgehal -Ikonoklast
Although the 2009 release of Ikonoklast is relatively recent, this album exemplifies everything that I love about old-school Norwegian black metal. Urgehal utilizes atmospheric but brutal melodies, misanthropic lyrics that glorify destruction and death, and of course, the trademark screaming vocals that define the genre. The mantric repetition of the rhythm guitars and percussion are countered by dynamic solos. Each instrument gets its fair share of limelight, and the sound is very balanced. Not every … read...
read more