I love how different subgenres in metal can be further divided down into even more particular sub-subgenres. Case in point with black metal. Sure, you’ve got your traditional Norwegian black metal that is primitive to the core and generally sounds as if it was recorded in a cavern. You’ve got your NWOBHM inspired traditional metal with black metal vibes ala Mercyful Fate and Venom. And then you’ve got what I feel is the black metal obsessed with nature and loss. This sub-subgenre is most closely associated with the Pacific Northwest U.S. I honestly find this version of black metal the most intriguing because it combines the best of the harshness and the beauty of the natural world. Imperium Dekadenz first crept on to my radar a few years ago and they perfectly capture this kind of metal. For the uninitiated, it probably seems very rough and harsh. But if you listen closer, there is such a beauty in these bleak aural landscapes. The music simply encapsulates the moments of loss and the ever present majesty of the mountains and forests of the world. This one is definitely more of an introspective put-in-on-in-a-darkened-room-by-yourself kind of album than a party pleaser.
Second review of the year and if this is any indication, it’s going to be a stellar year for album art and album titles. Katatonia is back with their recent obsession with the dark bird theme with this very Gotham-like landscape. Sky Void of Stars could basically be a summary of everything that Katatonia stands for. Bleak, melancholic soundscapes is the order of the day on this latest platter.
It’s really amazing to look at the trajectory of this band from their inception to the present day. Seriously, go put on Dance of December Souls and then listen to this latest album. How has the same band and creative duo of Jonas Renske and Anders Nystrom been responsible for both incarnations of the band. From primitive blackened death metal to this seriously polished and electronic looped flavored emo-influenced metal. It’s been one of the more interesting musical journeys out there. I’ve always said that if The Cure decided to make a metal album that it would sound a lot like Katatonia. This latest album follows right in line with the slew of recent releases from the band. It feels as though they found their comfort zone musically and are simply satisfied to reside in this softer realm of metal. Nothing really stands out in a seriously memorable manner on this one in comparison to previous releases, but it is still a solid listen from front to back. Consider this one simply in the domain of the good rather than the great.
First review of 2023! Like I said in my year end review posts, I’m really going to try and stay up with things this year.
2023 starts in a very appropriate manner with Obituary’s latest. The combination of the album title and the album art couldn’t be more perfect to start out the new year. I honestly can’t think of a better slogan to sum up the last few years that we’ve all dealt with than Dying of Everything. And the album cover by the late Mariusz Lewandowski, who has created some of the most arresting album art for metal bands in the past few years, is simply stunning. Check out his stuff if you’re not familiar with him.
So, the packaging and presentation of this album is superb. How does the music inside match up? Pretty good, I’d say. It feels like they have muddied up their guitar sound a bit and it kind of reminds me of Vulgar Display-era Pantera sound-wise. John Tardy’s vocals sound as dry and harsh as ever. It always feels as though he has gone on a walkabout through the desert right before they hit the studio. He just sounds like a man who is seriously parched. This release is not as gore obsessed as their earlier output. It feels more like an angry record with topics pulled from a lot of the problem areas our world is facing these days. All in all, a good start to the year of metal releases.
I also want to give a shoutout to drummer Donald Tardy’s Metal Meowlisha, which is an organization he and his girlfriend started to help care for and regulate colonies of feral cats in the Tampa area. They conduct a trap/spay/release program and help feed many of the feral cat colonies. Dispatches From the Void is a very cat friendly forum and I’d like to invite you to check out this organization and donate if you can. These are good people doing good things for cats.
Personnel: Manuel Gagneaux-vox/guitar/bass/synths, Marco Von Allman-drums
Well, here we are. The view from the top this year belongs to avant-garde metal dudes Zeal & Ardor. They end up with the top spot even though they broke my rule of not having a self-titled release that isn’t a debut album. They do so simply because, in my opinion, this is the only perfect 5 out of 5 flips flops album of the year. This has definitely been the album I have spun the most over the past year. I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure that these guys would have staying power. I was a big fan of Stanger Fruit and was intrigued by their dedication to the idea of combining slave-era spirituals with black metal. I was kind of concerned that this very niche genre would end up limiting their growth and end up being more gimmick than anything. I think this latest release has pushed those concerns aside. This is such a far reaching and forward-thinking release. It expands the areas in which metal can go. More than anything, this one gets high marks for swinging for the fences and absolutely crushing it in its execution. I am a convert and I worship in the halls of Zeal & Ardor.
Thank you, readers, for following me once again in a little journey looking back at what was good about 2022. Have a lovely new year and I hope to see you more often in 2023. Stay heavy and crank that shit loud!
Personnel: Stephen Brodsky-vox/guitar, Adam McGrath-guitar, Nate Newton-bass, John-Robert Conners-drums
Yet another entry on the list of a band we weren’t exactly sure was going to continue into the future. Bassist Caleb Schofield’s death in 2018 looked like it might spell the end of Cave In. However, the guys recruited Nate Newton of Converge to take over bass duties. Heavy Pendulum is a massive statement by this band. It really feels like a new chapter has opened for the band and they have announced that things are going to be heavy. Very sludgy sound. I maintain that Stephen Brodsky is one of the most charming frontmen in the business. His combination of stellar guitar work, amazing vocal range and comedic chops are right on par with Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth. I will say that the length of this record kept it from a perfect 5 flip flops out of five. At 15 tracks, it is a bit bloated. Had they trimmed 3-4 subpar tracks off of here, it damn well could have nabbed the top spot. As it is, the meat of this record is so good that I can ignore the lapse in editorial discretion and slot this puppy at #2 on the list.
4.5 flip flops out of 5
The list so far:
2. Cave In-Heavy Pendulum 3. Porcupine Tree-Closure/Continuation 4. Megadeth-The Sick, The Dying…and The Dead! 5. Amon Amarth-The Great Heathen Army 6. Elder-Innate Passage 7. King’s X-Three Sides of One 8. Psychonaut-Violate Consensus Reality 9. Eric Wagner-In the Lonely Light of Mourning 10. SpiritWorld-Deathwestern 11. Psycroptic-Divine Council 12. My Diligence-The Matter, Form and Power 13. Blind Guardian-The God Machine 14. Ghost-Impera 15. Jungle Rot-A Call To Arms 16. High Command-Eclipse of the Dual Moons 17. Soilwork-Overgivenheten 18. Messa-Close 19. Ty Tabor-Shades 20. Lamb of God-Omens
Personnel: Steven Wilson-vox/guitar/bass/piano, Richard Barbieri-keys/synths, Gavin Harrison-drums
2022 was definitely a year marked by bands being resurrected. We saw King’s X earlier on the list and now we see the return of Porcupine Tree. Another band that I never thought we would hear new music out of again. And much like King’s X, it feels and sounds as if they never went away. Sadly, this version of PT saw the omission of bassist Colin Edwin with Steven Wilson taking over the bass parts during recording. This album just another example of why I have always felt like Porcupine Tree is this generation’s Pink Floyd. They have an innate ability to craft musical worlds that don’t sound like anything else you will encounter. Wilson still ranks among one of the greatest songwriters and lyricists in modern music. Melodies abound and your mind will expand with this one. One hopes this isn’t just a one-off for the band and that we will see periodic releases from them in-between Wilson’s solo output. I think the very warm reception the band has received during the live touring on this album may help push them in this direction. At least, I hope it does.
4.5 flip flops out of 5
The list so far:
3. Porcupine Tree-Closure/Continuation 4. Megadeth-The Sick, The Dying…and The Dead! 5. Amon Amarth-The Great Heathen Army 6. Elder-Innate Passage 7. King’s X-Three Sides of One 8. Psychonaut-Violate Consensus Reality 9. Eric Wagner-In The Lonely Light of Mourning 10. SpiritWorld-Deathwestern 11. Psycroptic-Divine Council 12. My Diligence-The Shape, Matter and Power 13. Blind Guardian-The God Machine 14. Ghost-Impera 15. Jungle Rot-A Call To Arms 16. High Command-Eclipse of the Dual Moons 17. Soilwork-Overgivenheten 18. Messa-Close 19. Ty Tabor-Shades 20. Lamb of God-Omens
Personnel: Dave Mustaine-vox/guitar, Kiko Louriero-guitar, Steve DiGiorgio-bass (session), Dirk Verbueren-drums
I think the lesson here is that whenever Dave puts an ellipsis in the album title that you should damn well go buy that album. Look, this one isn’t on par with Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?, So Far, So Good…So What! or even Killing is My Business…and Business Is Good!, but it is the best damn thing Dave and his current crew of thrashers have put out in a while. I have a weird relationship with Dave. On the one hand, I have always rooted for him because of the weird underdog flag he has flown since he was fired from Metallica. The inferiority complex this dude carries around has always made me feel really bad for him. Because he is simply one of metal’s finest artists in the thrash metal world. And I honestly think an argument can be made that his catalog with Megadeth is stronger than Metallica’s overall. On the other hand, Dave is fucking crazy. His forays into MAGA-land and other weird Alex Jones type conspiracy bullshit is hard to stomach. But then, he pulls out a beast like this current album. Sure, there are a couple of weak points on here, but overall, this fucking smokes. For an album this late in an artist’s career to sound this hungry, aggressive and defiant is simply something to stand up and applaud. You’ve got all of Dave’s trademark sneer and playfulness in the lyrics. I really can’t get enough of him wailing about wanting to be an astronaut on Mission To Mars (I wanna…I wanna, wanna). And kudos can not be handed out enough for the guitar work on here. Just aggressive as fuck riffs and super glorious leads. Louriero deserves lots of praise for his lead work. Honestly, this is some of the strongest lead work since Friedman left. All in all, three cheers for Dave for finding this one in him. Go be as batshit insane as you need to be, sir. As long as you keep putting out music like this, I’ll always be in your corner.
4.5 flip flops out of 5
The list so far:
4. Megadeth-The Sick, The Dying…and the Dead! 5. Amon Amarth-The Great Heathen Army 6. Elder-Innate Passage 7. King’s X-Three Sides of One 8. Psychonaut-Violate Consensus Reality 9. Eric Wagner-In The Lonely Light of Mourning 10. SpiritWorld-Deathwestern 11. Psycroptic-Divine Council 12. My Diligence-The Shape, Matter and Power 13. Blind Guardian-The God Machine 14. Ghost-Impera 15. Jungle Rot-A Call To Arms 16. High Command-Eclipse of the Dual Moons 17. Soilwork-Overgivenheten 18. Messa-Close 19. Ty Tabor-Shades 20. Lamb of God-Omens
Personnel: Johan Hegg-vox, Olavi Mikkonen-guitar, Johan Soderberg-guitar, Ted Lundstrom-bass, Jocke Wallgren-drums
The Great Heathen Army felt like a bit of a return to form for our favorite metal Vikings. It felt like their past couple of releases were a bit unfocused and overly long. This album is concise and to the point. I feel like bands are well served when they focus on trimming the fat and just concentrating on around 8-9 solid tracks instead of letting things blow up to 13-15 tracks. This album is just packed with solid power metal tinged death metal. Hell, I always described Amon Amarth as being the result if Iron Maiden ever decided to put out a death metal album. I think I might have been off on my NWOBHM comparison band. Amon Amarth is more like if Saxon had turned into a death metal band. Case in point is Saxon and Vikings, where Johan and Biff from Saxon pull off the perfect metal duet with dueling wartime glory seeking metal troupes. We really need a dual headlining tour with these two bands.
4.5 flip flops out of 5
The list so far:
5. Amon Amarth-The Great Heathen Army 6. Elder-Innate Passage 7. King’s X-Three Shades of One 8. Psychonaut-Violate Consensus Reality 9. Eric Wagner-In The Lonely Light of Mourning 10. SpiritWorld-Deathwestern 11. Psycroptic-Divine Council 12. My Diligence-The Shape, Matter and Power 13. Blind Guardian-The God Machine 14. Ghost-Impera 15. Jungle Rot-A Call To Arms 16. High Command-Eclipse of the Dual Moons 17. Soilwork-Overgivenheten 18. Messa-Close 19. Ty Tabor-Shades 20. Lamb of God-Omens
Personnel: Nick DiSalvo-vox/guitar, Mike Risberg-guitar, Jack Donovan-bass, Georg Edert-drums
These guys are simply one of the most consistent bands out there. They don’t wait years to release new material and when they do release new music, it is always of superior quality. Lead dude Nick DiSalvo manages to continually craft unique riffs and leads that sound exactly like Elder, but never feel stale or repetitious. They are the leaders of the stoner/psychedelic side of the metal world. Innate Passage is another gem in their catalog.
4.5 flip flops out of 5
The list so far:
6. Elder-Innate Passage 7. King’s X-Three Sides of One 8. Psychonaut-Violate Consensus Reality 9. Eric Wagner-In The Lonely Light of Mourning 10. SpiritWorld-Deathwestern 11. Psycroptic-Divine Council 12. My Diligence-The Shape, Form and Power 13. Blind Guardian-The God Machine 14. Ghost-Impera 15. Jungle Rot-A Call To Arms 16. High Command-Eclipse of the Dual Moons 17. Soilwork-Overgivenheten 18. Messa-Close 19. Ty Tabor-Shades 20. Lamb of God-Omens
Personnel: Doug Pinnick-bass/vox, Ty Tabor-guitar/vox, Jerry Gaskill-drums/vox
The album I thought would never be. It really seemed like King’s X had hung it up as far as putting out new music. All three members had releases numerous solo and side project albums since the last proper King’s X album was released. From what I can tell, the biggest hurdle was overcoming their own fears of tarnishing their legacy with a sub-par album. Well, luckily, those fears did not come to fruition. Three Sides of One is a lovely addition to the catalog. Granted, it is not their best album, but it still has the same vibe and rapport the three members have always had. The one difference on this album is that there has been a bit more sharing on the lead vocals front. Leads are fairly evenly split between Doug and Ty and Jerry even gets in on the action on three of the songs. This is a special one to me. It’s probably higher on the list than it should be based purely on merit, but the mere fact of having new King’s X music simply results in quite a few bonus points.
4.5 flip flops out of 5
The list so far:
7. King’s X-Three Sides of One 8. Psychonaut-Violate Consensus Reality 9. Eric Wagner-In The Lonely Light of Mourning 10. SpiritWorld-Deathwestern 11. Psycroptic-Divine Council 12. My Diligence-The Shape, Matter and Power 13. Blind Guardian-The God Machine 14. Ghost-Impera 15. Jungle Rot-A Call To Arms 16. High Command-Eclipse of the Dual Moons 17. Soilwork-Overgivenheten 18. Messa-Close 19. Ty Tabor-Shades 20. Lamb of God-Omens
DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID 