Category: Album Review

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

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

The Spirit-Cosmic Terror

The Spirit is a band I stumbled upon a few years ago with their debut album, Sounds From the Vortex.  I thought it was a very promising debut.  You’ve got a German band that sounds very much like a Scandinavian blackened death metal band.

Album number two doesn’t stray too far from the framework laid down on their debut album.  It is pretty much a straight-ahead, no-nonsense type of metal album.  Lots of blastbeats, growling vocals and the like.  It’s aggressive and in your face, but they manage to work in some nice melodies throughout to keep the proceedings from feeling stale.  Not a lot of growth from the debut, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  If you’re into this kind of metal, this is one to check out.

3.5 flip flops out of 5

Sylosis-Cycle of Suffering

Back to the metals!  It is so good to see Sylosis put out a new album.  Sylosis has been one of my favorite bands putting out a modern version of thrash metal.  They have been on a long hiatus since their last album came out in 2015.  Vocalist/guitarist Josh Middleton had filled in and subsequently joined the band Architects after the death of their guitarist Tom Searle.  Middleton had maintained at the time that Sylosis would remain an active band, but as the years crept by I honestly worried that we may have seen the last of this promising band.

So, once I saw this one pop up on the release calendar, I was super stoked.  Sylosis has been leading the charge along with Revocation in complex guitar driven thrash with a heavy dose of death vocals.  In many respects, these guys remind me of early Lamb of God in that the arrangements Middleton puts together are simply unique.  The riffs just go in interesting directions that aren’t predictable like a lot of metal riffs.  The new album isn’t quite as strong as past efforts, but as stated before, it is simply awesome to have some new Sylosis songs to jam.  If you like your metal aggressive and uncompromisingly in your face, do yourself a solid and check this one out.

4 flip flops out of 5

Caspian-On Circles

We’re going to end this week on a slightly more mellow trip than usual.  Caspian isn’t exactly what you would categorize as a traditional metal band.  More metal adjacent than anything.  But I place them in the metal world for their musical chops and their occasional forays into heavier post-rock territory.  Plus, they’ve played the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival before.  That has to count for something.

Anyway, my first exposure to these guys was when they opened for Katatonia a few years ago and their live show my a fairly positive impression.  Their sound kind of reminds me of a blending of more recent Katatonia fare and kind of in line with the instrumental band If These Trees Could Talk.  It’s melodic and moody.  There is quite a bit of variety in the tracks presented on here.  With six members in the band, there are layers upon layers of sound presented in these songs.  All in all, this is just a good album for your more introspective moods.

4.5 flips flops out of 5