Arson Panda

Lotus Thief-Oresteia

So, how’s the coronavirus quarantine going? Going nuts yet? Since the great pandemic of 2020 has left everyone with a shitload of time stuck indoors, what better way to pass the time by spinning some lovely metal tunes. Today’s selection comes from a land on total lockdown, the San Francisco Bay area. You might be tempted to think these guys would trade in the thrash scene coming from the Bay Area, but you would be totally wrong. Lotus Thief kind of hearken back to the more experimental days of Bay Area music. This is very much a mythological and folk metal influence band that brings tales of yore to life in a folky, black metal sort of manner. Lush atmospheric passages with ethereal female fronted vocals blend into frenzied black metal passages. The inspiration for this current album comes from Aeschylus’ Oresteia Trilogy from ancient Greece. The album has a total of eight songs, but it kind of breaks down to four substantive songs with four shorter interludes. This is one of those perfect introspective albums. You know, for those times when you might have some time alone to ponder the state of the universe and shit.

3.5 flip flops out of 5

Intronaut-Fluid Existential Inversions

Intronaut is back!! It was starting to become a bit of a worry whether or not we had heard the last of new material out of these guys. These guys were an absolute touring machine a few years back, but then the band ran into a bit of a career speedbump when original drummer Danny Walker was fired from the band over allegations of domestic violence. Reading an interview from guitarist/vocalist Sacha Dunable, it sounds as though the band turmoil and endless touring cycle almost led to the demise of the band.

Luckily for us, the band recharged and enlisted drummer Alex Rudinger to handle the drum parts of the new album. It was interesting to see how Rudinger would be incorporated into Intronaut’s sound since Walker’s drumming was a key component to Intronaut’s sound. Have no fear, because Rudinger and the rest of Intronaut have created a damn fine masterpiece with Fluid Existential Inversions (yeah, I don’t know what the hell that means either. These guys smoke a lot of weed). The album is just as adventurous and abrasive and melodic and jazzy as anything Intronaut has produced in the past and it still managers to carve out a distinctive Intronaut 2020 sound. It feels familiar and distinct at the same time. This is another of these special albums that only comes out once in a while and I have a feeling that my appreciation of it is going to continue to grow as the year progresses.

5 flip flops out of 5

Ihsahn-Telemark

Ihsahn is back with another entry in his post-Emperor solo career. I’ve got to say that I’ve actually enjoyed the man’s solo efforts more than his legendary Emperor material. He’s one of the few artists that has struck out on his own that has really thrown all convention out the window and has tried some really unique and downright weird things. He hasn’t always managed to stick the landing, but I really admire the attempts he has made at pushing what is possible in the black metal realm. He has really blown the traditional template up.

This latest release is an EP that is three originals and two covers. The three originals songs are all really strong and feel a little more in the traditional black metal realm, albeit with some progressive stylings. All of the original songs are sung in Norwegian, which kind of gives the whole thing a much unhinged feel than normal. Covers are of Lenny Kravitz’s “Rock and Roll is Dead” and Iron Maiden’s “Wrathchild”. Both are as weird and as awesome as you would think they are. I especially love the addition of a horn section on Wrathchild. It’s campy fun. My only complaint is that it isn’t a full LP.

4 flip flops out of 5

Biff Byford-School of Hard Knocks

Saxon frontman Biff Byford, or Heavy Metal Gandalf as my punk rock wife likes to refer to him, has decided after more than 40 years in the game to release a solo album. And you know what? It kind of sounds like a Saxon record. You’re shocked. I can tell.

Yeah, so the guy who has been behind the seminal NWOBHM band Saxon has put out an album with non-Saxon guys (well, Nibbs plays bass on a couple of tracks) and it still manages to sound like Saxon. In a way I get it, this thing has a little more of a hard rock feel than a pure metal feel, but there are no real surprises on here. It kind of feels a bit like an album full of songs that just didn’t quite make the final cuts for a proper Saxon album. Trivia note is that all of the guitar work is handled by Opeth lead guitarist Fredrik Akesson and he is given free reign to lay down some scorching leads on here.

Ultimately, this one is kind of for the hard core Saxon fans. Good, but not great.

3.5 flip flops out of 5

Demons & Wizards-III

I literally gave a hearty fist pump in the air when I saw this one on the release calendar. It’s been 15 years or so since we’ve had any new material out of this side project from the main dudes from Iced Earth and Blind Guardian. And I wish, I really, really wish that we didn’t have to wait so long between releases for this band.

I finally got to see this project in a live setting last year and it really hammered home how amazing the songs from the first two Demons & Wizards albums were. Hansi Kursch and Jon Schaffer have that perfect songwriting relationship that simply brings out the best in one another. It’s weird because both of their main gigs have been in a bit of a rut creatively on their past few albums, in my opinion. Part of me held my breath when I first put this one on because I really didn’t want them to tarnish the short but stellar track record they have with this project. Fears have been cast aside because this is an album that slots nicely as another quality outing for this band. Opening track Diabolic hearkens back to the first album and the remainder of the album is just off and running. Much like the prior releases, the sound is a nice mixture of Iced Earth and Blind Guardian. You’ve got Schaffer pounding out some of the tastiest riffs that he’s come up with in years and Hansi just guiding his screams and gang vocals over top of Schaffer’s foundation. Just a really solid metal album.

4.5 flip flops out of 5

Opeth and Graveyard at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Center, Irving, TX 2/29/2020

One of the cool things about being an old guy is that I’ve gotten to witness a number of bands early in their career playing at tiny clubs and then seeing them mature and grow over the years into these large professional touring entities. I remember seeing Opeth playing at the old Back Room in Austin when they were just a small death metal band with proggy sensibilities. Seeing them play a slick and fairly new music only theater in Dallas over the weekend kind of blew my mind when thinking back 20 years or so to that packed club show. It seems as though Opeth has graduated to a new level of success on this latest tour because they pulled out all the stops with this show. This was a downright spectacle of a stage show with intricate video screens and light show. It was cool to see such a wonderfully underground band seeing the fruits of all their past labor finally paying off. And the setlist was amazing. Great blend of both the old death metal stuff for the geezers like me and a ton of the new proggy centered newer material for the music nerds in the crowd. And it is still all tied together nicely with the best in-between-song banter from frontman Mikael Akerfeldt. He seriously has no competition in this area. Topics this evening included musings on how there isn’t a comparable word in Swedish for “mother fucker” (It’s such a rude word.), memories of watching the TV show “Dallas” in Sweden as a youngster and even a few thoughts on the band Abba. I would seriously pay money to hear him do a spoken word tour.

Opener Graveyard was in fine form. I saw them last year on one of their headline treks and they honestly seemed to be suffering from road fatigue. Tonight felt like we were witnessing a band that was rejuvenated. Sparks were flying from the moment the band hit the stage. It was good to see them performing on a high level again.

Opeth

Graveyard

Cult of Luna, Emma Ruth Rundle and Intronaut at Come and Take It Live, Austin, TX 2/26/2020

I love a strong concert lineup. I love having no filler. I love spending my money and knowing that all of the bands on the bill are going to present a solid concert-going experience.

This was a good one. First up was L.A.’s Intronaut. A few years ago, it felt like Intronaut was rolling into town every couple of months. These guys were absolute road warriors. Then, they must have hit a wall because they have been off the map for the past five years. They are back with a new album (that actually comes out today…review will be coming soon) and this show was a good reminder of how amazing this band is in a live setting. Intronaut is one of the bands at the forefront of the post-metal world. There songs are sludgey and complex. They just operate at a different musical level than a lot of the bands going today.

In an interesting twist, Emma Ruth Rundle landed in the middle slot of the evening. The last time I saw her perform she had a full band in tow. This evening was just her and her guitar. As she stated, this was a set showcasing how her songs initially sound during her writing process. Her set was a marked mellow spot between the intensity of Intronaut and Cult of Luna’s sets. The lack of a supporting band really showcased her plaintive voice and the haunting melodies of her songs. This was a very stark and personal set.

And then Cult of Luna came out. This is a band I’ve been wanting to see perform live for a really long time. And, man, did they not disappoint. I was curious to see how a band known for their atmospheric stage show would translate in the small cramped venue of Come and Take It Live. It’s amazing how large the band made this show seem. They filled the club with a smoke machine which helped showcase the band’s intense light show. There was so much fog in the air that the band appeared to appear and disappear in and out of the shadows on the stage. The atmosphere in the club really served to heighten the dark and ponderous songs that Cult of Luna is known for. The build up for me on this show was very large and Cult of Luna delivered. This was one of those shows where I was genuinely upset when the lights came up.

Intronaut

Emma Ruth Rundle

Cult of Luna

Bonded-Rest in Violence

Debut album from a band headed by a couple of guys known for their work with the legendary German thrash metal band Sodom. And it delivers what you might expect from a group of German thrashers. This is a solid straightforward thrash album with a bit of a death metal vibe to it. It also wears all of its influences right out in the open for everyone to see. All of the classics are here. There’s a Testament song, a Crowbar song, a Susperia song, a Lamb of God song, multiple Sodom songs and an Overkill song. Hell, they even managed to wrangle into Blitz Ellsworth to share vocal duties on the Overkill sounding song.

There’s really not much more to say on this one. Great guitar and drum work throughout. Just a really solid thrash album.

3.5 flip flops out of 5

Kvelertak-Splid

It’s been quite a while since we last heard anything new from Norwegian blackened rock ‘n rollers Kvelertak. These guys really seemed to be on an upward trajectory with some choice opening spots for Mastodon and Metallica. It was a remarkable feat for a band whose lyrics are presented in a blistering Norwegian screech. Even though you might have no idea what the songs were about, it was impossible not to get swept up in the energetic enthusiasm of the music presented.

Since the last album, Kvelertak has seen the departure of original vocalist Erlend Hjelvik. Splid is the first album to feature new vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen. Nikolaisen’s presentation recalls Hjelvik’s style in many respects, but he brings a bit more of a mellower feel on certain songs. It feels as though Splid is a call back musically to Kvelertak’s first couple of albums in that is a splash-bang combo of punk and Norwegian black metal. It’s full steam ahead with the expected wall of guitars and resplendent dual leads all over the place. I can’t help but feel that the album is a bit of a reaction to some of the less than positive reaction to their last album Nattesferd, which wasn’t as nearly universal in its acclaim as their first couple of albums. Nattseferd seemed to be a bit more of a progressive attempt by the band and I feel like I was one of the few critics that really enjoyed the band’s effort on this album. I won’t lie and not say that I wasn’t a little bit disappointed that the band didn’t push a little further in the Nattesferd direction on this latest album, but overall, this is still a solid outing that is worthy of your time. They even work in some English lyrics on this one with guest vocalist spots for Troy Sanders of Mastodon and Nate Newton of Converge.

3.5 flip flops out of 5

Seven Planets-Explorer

I love metal that originates from non-traditional metal strongholds. It always feels as though bands that come from locales that don’t normally produce a ton of metal produce a fresh take on the artform. Even though the metal scene in West Virginia hasn’t produced a ton of bands, it feels like the bands that do come out of this state are all producing very strong and very original material.

Seven Planets is the latest band that I have stumbled upon that hails from the Mountaineer state and they continue bearing the torch of quality metal coming out of this state. These guys provide a very spacey and trippy instrumental metal tapestry. It’s a bit stonery. A bit psychedelic. A bit nouveau southern rock. Very much in line with last year’s Horseburner or Nashville’s All Them Witches, minus the vocals. Very cool guitar licks throughout. If you’re into that sort of thing.

4 flip flops out of 5