THE BLUE COLLAR ARMY: Norrland

This band comes from Skellefteå, Sweden and has a plodding ambient sound with touches of doom, death metal, and experimental noise. The band is comprised of The Englishman (Guitar), The Old Man (Drums), The Party Bear (Scream), The Pig (Guitar), and Baron von Horst (Bass).

If you like those styles that I described previously, then this is for you, but not for me. The screamed incoherent vocals did nothing for me, if this was instrumental, I would have loved it and given it a great review. The musicianship is great, tight playing, lots of interesting sounds and the way that they can go from light and airy to balls-out rocking is something that I loved, but the vocals…the vocals. The few instrumental songs were amazing and I will play those ones again and again.

If you think that this is what you are looking for, by all means, give it a chance and hopefully, it will be what you are searching for, but I just can’t get past the vocals. If they put out an instrumental album, I’m totally there for it.

Also posted: http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-blue-collar-army-norrland.html

http://thebluecollararmy.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TheBlueCollarArmy/

https://thebluecollararmy.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ladysnowsociety/

http://www.ladysnow.com/

THE LONG DARK ROAD: Self-titled

Influenced by Deafheaven, The Long Dark Road’s four-song self-titled EP is the result of a series of events in Toronto musician Jeremy Cavan’s life, including debt, homelessness, and a divorce. The mix of black metal, punk and hardcore on this album gives into a touch of prog-type songs, at least in length with the title track alone surpassing the ten minute mark, and the shortest track is just shy of seven minutes long.

The lyrics are more geared toward political and societal topics than most metal bands and luckily even with the gruff and occasionally less than clean singing, you can still hear the words and see the anger and disgust that is being spit out. The songs are as heavy as the weight of the world’s problems on their shoulders, but melodic and interesting, with the length of them not being a factor that impedes your enjoyment, in fact, the length seems perfect for each song, like a complete argument that needs to be heard. The mix is a bit dirty and gritty, but it suits the music and tone perfectly; who wants it all prettied up since it would take the intensity and immediacy of it away. The songs each have their own feel and have shredding guitar playing that really stands out, as well as the extended bits that show the more textured playing and at times softer sounds that the band can create and meld into a song that is both devastating and thrilling.

If you are looking for some straight-ahead metal, this may come as a shock, but the album has both beauty and anger that forge an alliance and make you want to come back to it time and time again. With only four songs, they have created an album that will become a constant player in your collection, and make you want to see what comes next.

Also posted on: http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-long-dark-road-long-dark-road.html

https://www.facebook.com/thelongdarkroad/

https://thelongdarkroad.bandcamp.com/

DANIEL LIONEYE: Vol III

 

Daniel Lioneye was formed in 2001 and originally consisted of HIM members Ville Valo on drums, Mige on bass and Linde on guitar and vocals. They released one album that year called The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll, which was only released in Finland and Germany. The title track ended up being the theme song for Bam Margera’s TV show, “Viva La Bam.” In 2008, Linde felt the need to do another Daniel Lioneye album and wanted it to be completely different from the last, and put out VOL II. After 8 years Daniel Lioneye is now back with a third album Vol. III.

The album is a mix of heavy metal, black metal and progressive rock that works perfectly together. With all of these different styles on here, there is a song for everyone and the beauty of it is that the music flows so well between the styles of music. No style takes over, no style swamps the senses, it just seems to be a collection of great songs that they came up with. The playing is impeccable, tight, emotional and the songs are catchy, not in a pop music way, but they latch onto you, get stuck in your ears and become a part of you. The guitar playing has got to be heard with riffs coming at you at every turn and being some of the slickest playing I’ve heard in a long time. The entire band sounds like they are playing their hearts out and really tried to give the listener something different from past albums, and they’ve really accomplished that task with the intricate playing and arrangements on the album. They also have a new version of VOL II’s “Neolithic Way” that takes the song into a different place with the new arrangement.

This album is balanced between the cleaner, and harmonic and the crazed music that you are used to from this band and the production is more rounded out, with depth that adds to the experience. An album that has this much going for it shouldn’t just be considered a side project, it should be thought of as a full-fledged band that can stand shoulder to shoulder with any band.

https://www.facebook.com/daniellioneye/

https://www.facebook.com/theendrecords/

http://theendrecords.com/

BLASPHEMY REBORN: Cast Out Of Heaven: CD

Spewing anti-Christianity lyrics like sunflower seed shells, this black metal band from Melfort, Saskatchewan goes for the jugular. This band really throws down on this one and lets it all hang out, from the lyrics to the tight playing.

Starting off and ending with soft, almost romantic sounding songs, with “Conception” starting off lovely then the growled vocals kick in, making for a spooky song and “Armageddon” being totally instrumental. After the first quiet song, you jump right into the blistering black metal morass and the brutality just keeps on going. The band plays with a ferocity that makes it hard to believe that this is their debut album, clear production, machine gun drumming, thick bass, creepy keyboards, great guitar licks, and the evil, guttural vocals really hit you hard. The band just pulverizes the songs and takes you on an evil and twisted journey that somehow you can’t get out of and don’t want to. The only flaw is that the drumming is a little thin sounding, but it’s nothing that hurts the album, just a bit more thickness would have been cool.

If you are a fan of black metal, this is for you. There are better known bands out there, but none play with the kind of ambition and anger that these guys do. Put this on, turn it up and let the layers of evil take over. Get the devil horns out because this is Satan approved.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blasphemy-Reborn/114408095301152

http://blasphemyreborn.bandcamp.com/album/cast-out-of-heaven

https://www.facebook.com/spreadthemetalrecords  http://spreadthemetalrecords.bandcamp.com/

http://www.spreadthemetal.com/

BLINDED BY FAITH: Chernobyl Survivor: CD

BLINDED BY FAITH is an extreme metal band from Lévis, Quebec Canada formed in 1998.  In 2003, they released their first full-length album “Under an Occult Sun” through the label Galy Records, they released a live performance CD/DVD “Imperial Collapse” in 2007, shortly after, they released their second album “Weapons of Mass Distraction” in 2007, and finally, after some lineup changes and recruitment of highly motivated and creative new members, released their third and most recent album “Chernobyl Survivor” in 2012. The band comprises of Tommy Demers on vocals, Jean-Philippe Morin on bass, Michaël Beaudoin on guitars and Julien Marcotte on drums.

“Chernobyl Survivor” kicks off the intense set of songs with machine gun drumming, three different styles of vocals from growled to clean to high-pitched, great leads and fast bass playing that grabs your attention right away. “So Speak The Voice Of Law” has a cool guitar riff that opens the song, then the band jumps in and things get harder, faster and very melodic and made this song one that I had to play a few times because it was so good. “Dead End” has insane drumming and ripping guitar playing that made this one a song to get out your air guitar and play along with and just have a wild time with, especially with the classic metal solo that was incredible. “Stranger In The Mirror” has a keyboard that adds an atmosphere to the track and gives more melody to the brutality that is going on around it. “Drastic Medicine” is an intense barrage of manic drumming, growled and shouted vocals, keyboards, thick bass, and great leads that the swirling morass just sounds incredible. This is aggressive, and has a big, powerful production job that gives all of the instruments room to shine and keeps the intensity and power going throughout. The band is playing hard and tight with more than enough anger and emotion to carry other weaker bands into the pits of hell. “Pace Of The Race”, “Shrivelled Wings”, “Pornscars” and “Prophet Of Nothing” were others that just burned my eardrums with their insane power and crazed energy.

BLINDED BY FAITH is a great sounding hybrid of melodic black, death, thrash and modern metal that will completely turn you into fan of theirs with one listen. They have the ability to get you to mosh, headbang, and get into the technical abilities that they have all at the same time and without coming off as those bands that play so technical that they take away from the melody and it becomes boring…these guys aren’t boring! Grab this one kids, it’s a doozy!

https://www.facebook.com/blindedbyfaith1  http://www.blindedbyfaith.com/

https://www.facebook.com/galyrecords  http://www.galyrecords.com/

ATIUS: Gods of Science: CD

ATIUS hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark, have released their self-financed first album after releasing one demo back in 2005. This black metal band has been around since 2003 and it’s about time that they got their debut album out, don’t you think?

The opener “Descending To Triumph” comes along with its slow-paced power that locks into a nice thick groove with growled vocals, thundering drums and the crunchy guitar playing. “Condemned” and “The Forsaken” start to blacken the sound more and more with the fast pace and machine gun drumming, the fantastic leads and the head banging thrill that they create. “Gods Of Science” has a great mellow piece in the middle of this awesome song that really came as a treat and a surprise because it gave you a breather from the intensity of the track and then right back into to morass. “The World Forgotten” is a fantastic and brutal track that had the band playing full-tilt and was one of my favorites on the album. The band just seems to have thrown all of the songs that they thought were killers and put them on this album, luckily, I totally agree with them! The band is playing with energy and power and you can’t help banging your head along to this album.

The blistering leads, the growled, guttural vocals, thundering drums and bass really put this album into the reply pile. They got a great production job on here as well and they prove that after all the years together, that a great album was inside them all of the time…about damn time!

https://www.facebook.com/atius.band  http://www.atius.dk/

 

 

LUNA AD NOCTUM: Hypnotic Inferno: CD

This is the fourth album by the Polish symphonic black metal quartet LUNA AD NOCTUM that was founded in 1998. This is a concept album about abnormal human behavior, hallucinations and madness caused by psychoactive medication, which is used to reduce or eliminate the suffering caused by psychological conditions, such as insomnia, and is a heavy album.

Opening track “In Hypnosis” has creepy, evil sounding vocals that add to the heaviness of the song, the pummeling drumming has some blast beats thrown in, while the bass is bringing a thick bottom end to the song and the tough guitar riffs are not overdone, but suit the harsh song perfectly. “Fear Technique” has blast beats that hit you like a ton of bricks and the guitar playing is exemplary, “You Are What You Are” is a blisteringly fast track that would tear up a pit, and “Abnormal Pain” has intense drumming and the evil vocals are so pissed off sounding that the bitterness is palpable. These four guys, AN6 on bass and vocals, T.Infamous and Blasphemo on guitars, and Dragor on drums play with abandon and power that makes for a ride that you don’t want to stop. “Fleshless,” “Martyrium,” and my favorite song “Total Sleep Disorder” were others that stood out of the pack.

For fans of symphonic black metal, this is one to pick up as soon as you can, and play the hell out of it. A great album with no tracks that were filler, just a great listen all of the way through.

https://www.facebook.com/lan.official  http://www.lunaadnoctum.com/

https://www.facebook.com/massacrerecordseurope  http://www.massacre-records.de/index_e.asp

DEUS OTIOSUS: Godless: CD

Godless is the sophomore album by DEUS OTIOSUS who play old school death metal with nuances of black and thrash, that have been together since 2005 and are from Copenhagen, Denmark.

“Snakes Of The Low” grabs you with the brutal intensity as soon as you hit play. The drumming isn’t going like a machine gun, but is still incredibly fast, the guitar playing is fantastic with the licks being flung around like a pizza chef throwing his pizzas up into the air, the bass is nice and thick, and the low, growling vocals bring a sense of menace to the song. Anders Bo Rasmussen on vocals, Henrik Engkjær and Peter Engkjær on guitars, Jesper Holst on bass, and Jesper Olsen on drums just tear shit up on this album. The playing is way above the average death metal band, but not technical metal, just a group of guys who are proficient at their instruments and don’t need all of the wanking that you find on those tech metal albums or the sloppiness of a lot of death metal. “In Harms Way” might be my favorite song on the album with the clean guitar solo that shreds, the outstanding job Olsen does on drums, just going full-out and being melodic at the same time was just a treat to hear and I loved every second of it. “New Dawn” has a lot of doom to it, and is super heavy with a low-end that will rattle your teeth and shake your fillings loose. This is one unrelenting and dynamic release that caught me off guard and the songs just kept the high standard going throughout the album. Other songs that blew me away were “Pest Grave”, “Cast From Heaven”, and ” Face The Enemy” which the staggering onslaught left me breathless. The last song “Death Dance” is another doom heavy song with the band going for broke by playing their hearts out on a song that left me wanting more from them.

This was a definite step up from your garden variety death metal album and they deserve to get this heard by as many extreme metal fans as possible. They may not be a name that you know very well, but give this one a shot and you will be convinced that this is the band to beat.

https://www.facebook.com/deusotiosus.dk  http://www.deus-otiosus.com/    https://www.facebook.com/DeepsendRecords?ref=ts&fref=ts  http://www.deepsend.com/?page=1

BLASPHEMOUS CREATION: Battle Of The Ancients: CD

Second album by this “blackened death metal band” as they call themselves and it’s a pretty fair assessment, luckily the death metal is a bit more prominent than the black metal.

You get some tasty leads and hammering drum beats throughout and the vocalist has a good voice that you are able to understand what he’s singing, since I like to hear lyrics and sing along, that makes it cool. He doesn’t scream, but has a nice evil sound in his voice that fits in with the music really well. This second album is a concept album based on the ancient Sumerian gods the Anunnak so it has a nice flow throughout the album. The production is really good, not super crisp, but well-rounded to make the guys all sound clear and powerful.

They really did a good job on this album and have done a ton of tours with extreme metal bands and should climb the ladder themselves based on this release.

https://www.facebook.com/BlasphemousCreationOfficial  http://blasphemouscreation.bigcartel.com/  https://www.facebook.com/HeadxplodeRecords

CULTES DES GHOULES: Henbane: CD

This is the sophomore album from this black metal band that just destroys the landscape with this blisteringly wicked release. This is definitely not a release for the faint hearted, not with five songs and a playing time of just over an hour.

This album has a lot of things going on, samples, low, growling vocals, cleaner vocals, primal screaming, wild playing, it has it all. The song “The Passion Of A Sorceress” has that going on all by itself, as well as some great guitar work and dissonance, feedback and the sound of a band about to self destruct at any moment. This is basically one of the most wild and intense albums that I’ve heard in a long time, it’s like they’re trying to go heavier and more crazed than anyone before them, and it looks like they are succeeding with this album.

Grab this album, put on some good headphones or open the windows and crank it up, watch your neighbors go crazy or if you have the headphones on, watch your head melt from this one.

https://www.facebook.com/CultesDesGhoules  https://www.facebook.com/hellsheadbangers  http://hellsheadbangers.bandcamp.com/  http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/