DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID

Anathema-The Optimist

So, this isn’t really a metal album. I mean, you should be able to tell that by the title. No self-respecting metal band is going to choose “The Optimist” as the title of their new album. Well, unless it’s entitled “The Optimist Gets Slowly Tortured and Dies”. Cannibal Corpse, feel free to use that one in the future. You’re welcome.

“So, if it’s not metal, why the hell are you reviewing it?” you ask. Well, Anathema is a proggy band that slightly seasons its sound with a dash of metal stylings. And I dig them.

This new album is a part of a continuation of the storyline from the 2001 album, A Fine Day to Exit. Sonically, it feels like this one harkens back to the outstanding Weather Systems album moreso than their last album, Distant Satellites. Satellites had more of a focus on electronica. So, it’s nice to see the band go back to a more guitar oriented sound. You’ve got a nice batch of haunting melodies on this one and it seems as though singer, Lee Douglas, is starting to be showcased more and more as the lead vocalist for the group. I find this to be a great development because she has one of the most beautiful voices going. This album is just very calming. Definitely a nice change of pace.

3.5 flip flops out of 5

Mutoid Man-War Moans

So, this blog is going All Mutoid, All the Time! In fact, I think I’m changing the name of this thing to Dispatches from the Mutoid. Yeah, I went there. Shut up and get your own blog.

I reeeeaaallllyyy wanted this thing to knock me on my ass. I think going into the first listen that my expectations may have been a little high and this may have colored by first impression. Mutoid Man’s last album, Bleeder, was really something special. There’s really not a bad song on that album. It’s a brisk breath of perfection. The new album has all of the Mutoid hallmarks. It’s fast. It’s catchy. It’s irreverent. It’s well put together. However, it just never quite makes the leap to surpass Bleeder. That being said, I will say that I enjoyed it more on listen #2 than I did on listen #1 and getting to see a good chunk of these songs performed live on Tuesday also helped my impression as well. What I’m saying is that I think this is an album that is going to get better with further spins.

These guys have a good thing going. I hope they continue to push forward and get some breaks to further exposure to the wider music-listening world.

It’s safe to say that I’m a fan of these goofballs.

3.5 flip flops out of 5

Mutoid Man at Barracuda, Austin, TX, 6/13/2017

Is Infectious Goofball Metal an official sub-genre yet? Because I think we may have found the band that is laying claim to the title of flag bearer for this type of metal. These dudes like to party and have a good time and it’s damn near impossible to attend one of their shows and not get swept up in the goofiness. And the extra-cool thing about this is that the band never really swerves into the land of cheese while doing so. These guys have some serious musical chops as evidenced by their recently released, War Moans (album review coming shortly. Spoiler: it shreds!).

This show seriously went by in a blur. Most of their songs are at breakneck speed and adhere to the under two minute punk rock rule. Bash ’em. Smash ’em. And send ’em home disheveled and sweaty. Front man and guitarist Stephen Brodsky (ex-Cave In) possesses monster riff after monster riff to accompany his vaudevillian assortment of facial expressions. I’ve also been trying and trying to place who his vocals remind me of and it finally came to me on the drive home last night: he is a dead ringer for Sean Harris, the original vocalist for NWOBHM stalwart Diamond Head. Or not. I don’t know. That’s just who I hear on occasion when he sings. Drummer Ben Koller (Converge) is simply a joy to watch and is the very definition of a drummer laying a heavy duty foundation on which everything else is built.

Metal as a whole can be a fairly stoic enterprise. Many times the focus on technicality or trying too hard to remain grim or cult or true metal can take away from the fact that this is still just rock ‘n roll. It’s supposed to be fun. The Mutoids are a refreshing reminder that playfully flipping off your bandmates and contorting one’s face into all kinds of dorky expressions results in good times….and can still be metal as fuck.

On a side note: Going back to the Goatwhore review from earlier this week. San Antonio: Austin is kicking your ass as far as audiences go. This show was like a bomb went off compared to the sleepwalking crowd from Friday night in S.A. And this was a Tuesday night. Bigger crowd. Louder and more involved crowd. Come on, San Antonio! I expect more out of you.

Some samples:

Melt Your Mind

1000 Mile Stare

Bridgeburner

Sigur Ros at ACL Live, Austin, TX, 6/10/2017

So, we’re going completely off the board for this one. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ve no doubt by now come to understand that I am all about the metal. I live and breathe metal. It’s just what I do and who I am. However, I am not averse to breaking out of my normal comfort zone and will go see something outside of the metal realm when it seems like there is something cool and different to experience.

It is in this vein that I agreed to go see a little band from Iceland called Sigur Ros when my punk rock fiancée asked if I would have any interest in checking them out live. I had never even heard the name before she extended the invite. I do enjoy some weirdly progressive metal/rock and she though that I would dig these guys.

Hoo boy, am I glad that I took her up on the invitation. The term “mind-blowing” is used quite a lot, but it really applies to what took place this past Saturday. These guys are simply not of this earth. Their music and the presentation of their art in a live setting is truly unlike anything other musical act I have ever come across. Let’s start with the music. I think ethereal is the term that is most appropriate. The music starts with a slow build and just keeps elevating the dynamics as it goes along. I’ve never been to Iceland before, but I just get the sense that this group’s music captures the spirit of this isolated island. The combination of the lead vocalist’s unique falsetto and his playing of guitar with a bow leads to some strangely emotional combinations.

In addition to the soundscapes, serious mention and props need to be given to the stage and light show that accompanied the live set. I’ve truly never seen anything this creative pulled off and I’ve seen a shitload of really extravagant concerts. From backdrop screens to light poles and side stage spotlights, they really created an intimate and immersive setting that helped block out all extraneous distractions. It was hard not to get completely subsumed into the entire experience. Many people in the group of friends that I went to the show with described a completely cathartic experience and many shed tears because of the emotions the show brought up.

If you get a chance to see these guys perform live, I cannot recommend strongly enough that you jump at the chance. I can’t see myself listening to these guys on a regular basis, but they really knocked me on my ass. And I’m a jaded asshole. I don’t get this impressed very often.

Sample video courtesy of the punk rock fiancée. I have no idea what the title of this song is. Enjoy.

Goatwhore and Anciients at The Rock Box, San Antonio, June 9, 2017

Oh, Goatwhore! Absolutely one of the great names in all of metal. No punches pulled and no real surprises when these guys hit the stage. This is pure death metal performed in the traditional sense. It’s fast. It’s in your face. There are songs about getting fucked by Satan. It’s fun for the whole family. Sadly, they are starting this tour a couple of week before they release a new album entitled Vengeful Ascension. I would have liked to have heard the new album prior to seeing them perform live. They did roll out a few new songs and it sounds as though they aren’t straying very far from their signature sound.

This was a good show, but I really have to say that the most notable thing about the show wasn’t what happened on stage, but rather the lack of a response from the crowd. San Antonio has long held the title of being “the” metal city in Texas. But, after the past couple of shows that I’ve attended recently, this title is going to be ripped from S.A shortly. This show was on a Friday night. Normally, on a weekend evening, you’d expect to have a fairly decent sized crowd show up and they would be in the mood to cut loose. This show saw a fairly smallish crowd and just a complete lack of any sort of response at all. The band would finish a song and the crowd would let out a tepid roar and applause and then….silence. It was damn near library level of silence between songs. It was so bad that at one point, frontman Louis Falgoust basically had to plead with us to show a little more enthusiasm. “Come on! We’re here to party! It’s a Friday night! You give us energy and we’ll give it right back.” It was really kind of embarrassing for everyone involved. Seeing as though this was the kickoff date of this tour, they couldn’t be feeling great about things.

Now, if I’m completely honest, I made the trip to San Antonio to see opener, Anciients, more so than to see Goatwhore. Anciients is a band from Vancouver who is touring off of their second album, Voices From the Void, which landed at #18 on my Best of 2016 list. If you are a fan of old Mastodon, give these guys a listen and go see them if they make it to your town. They are not well known, but, dammit, they should be. They are one of the more talented up-and-coming metal bands going today.

Some samples:

Anciients-Following the Voice

Anciients-My Home, My Gallows

Anciients-Giants

Anciients-Buried in Sand

Goatwhore-Alchemy of the Black Sun Cult

Goatwhore-Nocturnal Conjuration of the Accursed

Goatwhore-Cold Earth Consumed in Dying Flesh

Scale the Summit-In a World of Fear

Scale the Summit is a little band from Houston that plies its trade in technical guitar wankery instrumental metal. At this point, these guys really need to have the word “band” put in quotations. Last year saw the basic implosion of their current line-up with long time guitarist, Travis LeVrier, leaving the band to play with Entheos and then bassist, Mark Michell and drummer J. C. Bryant, quit citing a lack of payment from band leader Chris Letchford. At this point, Scale the Summit seems to be a solo project for Letchford going forward. Who knows? Maybe this band has always been more of a Letchford creative outlet than a full-fledged band.

At any rate, I have a bit of a rant here. If Michell and Bryant’s claims are true, this really sucks and honestly looks bad on Letchford. A band should be a collective. Even if the other members of the band aren’t stepping up in the area of writing and composition, they do bring a large part of the live show that the band presents when it is on the road. If they are slogging in the trenches with you and living day-to-day in a shitty van to help bring your vision to life on the road, pay your dudes for their effort. Don’t be like the Walmart of metal by not taking care of the people that help your vehicle run.

Caveat to all of the above: I could be completely wrong about the situation in Scale the Summit. I don’t know what the inner workings or the finances of the band were really like over the past few years. I’m only going by interviews I’ve read with the principles involved. However, it just looks bad on Letchford’s part when 3/4ths of the band bail within a year’s time and when money seems to be the main sticking point. It’s just a sad end to what was a very formidable live band.

So, let’s move past the drama. How’s the new set of songs? They’re decent. I don’t think it rises to the level of The Migration (which I consider Scale the Summit’s peak album). Technically, it is right on the money. Letchford’s guitar sound and tone is damn near perfect. However, it just feels like something is missing from pushing this album into a higher echelon of quality. One interesting note is all of the guest spots Letchford secured on this album, highlighted by Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy and ex-Nevermore) and Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry).

3 flip flops out of 5

Ulsect-Ulsect

Another day, another awesome debut album. Awesome bands just keep pouring out of the ether. This is why I love metal. Each week that comes around, I can never tell what new band is going to pop up in my feed and just blow me away.

These guys are grim. Listen to some of the song titles on this slab of textured and moody death metal: “Fall to Depravity”, “Our Trivial Toil”, “Diminish”, and “The Endling”. Obviously, this will be an album you want to put on during the family barbecue. I can’t imagine a better soundtrack to slamming hot dogs and beer into your face than “Our Trivial Toil”. Feel good hit of the summer!

I kid, of course. The older I get it seems like this is the style of death metal that I am drawn to more and more. It’s less about razor-edged riffs that will rip your face off, but more about creating these dissonant aural landscapes. The dueling guitars just play off one another perfectly and just create a sense of foreboding that sucks one down into the mire being created. This is an album for an introspective mood and should be optimally listened to in a windowless room lit only by candlelight. Grim. Perfect soundtrack for 2017.

4.5 flip flops out of 5

John Frum-A Stirring in the Noos

First post in a while. Things were a little slow on the new release front towards the end of May. It looks like things are starting to pick up again. So, there should be a little more frequent posts coming in the next few weeks.

John Frum is not a dude. This a brand spanking new death metal band whose name is derived from a cult that developed on an island in the South Pacific. John Frum’s initial claim to fame is that their bassist, Liam Wilson, used to play in The Dillinger Escape Plan.

This new band doesn’t have the same chaotic smorgasbord that Dillinger was known for. Their bread and butter seems to be heavily reliant on the rhythm section and for some very atypical time signature changes throughout the songs. I’m getting a fairly heavy Meshuggah influence on many of the songs without veering completely in the palm-muting djent sound. The overall impression of these guys is of a thinking man’s death metal band. Nothing in the album is of a paint-by-numbers fashion. There is plenty on this platter to keep one coming back repeatedly and discovering new aspects on each listen. I hope this ends up being a long-term band and not just a one-off release. This is definitely a bright debut.

4 flip flops out of 5

Ancient Ascendant-Raise the Torch

I stumbled across these dudes a few years ago when they released their Echoes and Cinder album and I was really blown away by their ability to combine serious technical chops with a decent amount of grove. So many times, it seems like dudes that are really technically proficient get too focused on that aspect and forget that having a catchy hook or creating a nice groove is really the key to writing a really good song. These English blokes just get it as their latest release proves over and over.

I’m not really certain what sort of sub-genre of metal you should even pin on these guys. Death metal? Black metal? It’s sort of a blender full of Lamb of God riffs, Opeth-type acoustic interludes, Behemoth-esque intensity and a Kvelertak’s sense of rollicking fun. It’s definitely a mish-mash of influences. The resulting sludge is just about downright perfect.

Oh…and I totally forgot about the handclaps! This has got to be the only death/black metal album to feature a song (Scaling the Gods) with some downright infectious hand claps. Yeah…death metal hand claps. I know! Fucking weird, right? And it totally works! It’s like they were totally listening to More Than a Feeling by Boston during the recording of the album and were like, “You know what? Fuck it…we’re going with hand claps, dammit!” It’s this kind of out-of-the-box thinking that I absolutely love. Greatest death/black metal innovation since Ihsahn decided to go full on black metal sax on some of this solo albums.

Anyway, I’m really hoping this album does well for these guys. It’s a wonderful slab of songs. I’d really love to see them make the trek across the pond and pound out these songs live.

4.5 flip flops out of 5

Hand claps! Dig on this and tell me it doesn’t make you want to boogie.

Mastodon and Russian Circles at ACL Live, Austin, TX, 5/20/2017

Mastodon is a band that has come a long way over the years. The first time my punk rock fiancee went to a Mastodon show with me she turned around during their first song and asked, “Are these guys homeless?” When they first started out, they were just flat out harsh. They were just scruffy looking dudes laying down brash vocals and sludgy-as-hell riffs. I never really pegged these guys as a band that would ever achieve wide-spread acclaim and acceptance outside of the underground metal world. How things have changed. Playing the Moody Theater at ACL Live is truly a mark of “making it”. This is just as beautiful and best sounding venues a band can play. It was an appropriate venue for Mastodon to put on what was probably the best performance I have witnessed by the band.

This show was a band completely on top of their game. There have been shows in the past where Mastodon’s live sound was not completely up to par. A complaint bantered around was that their live sound was just a bit muddy in comparison to their albums. Maybe it was playing in a venue with superb acoustics, but Mastodon just sounded crisp on this night. Also, the visuals the band brought with 6-8 video towers were sufficiently trippy to match the songs. For those of Mastodon’s fans concerned about the softening of their sound over the years, this performance should put such fears to rest. All of the earlier albums were well represented on the setlist. This show was a statement by a band that is operating at a peak and it bodes well for these guys going forward.

An added bonus of this show was getting to see Russian Circles play a large venue. Russian Circles is truly one of the special bands operating in the underground metal scene. I always love seeing small bands getting an opportunity to play a venue other than a small club. Their sound was simply powerful to behold in this venue and from the response of the crowd, it seems like they may have made a few new fans.

The Eagles of Death Metal were also on the bill, but their performance really didn’t warrant a serious mention. It would have been nice to see a better band filling their slot on the bill.

Some samples:

Sultan’s Curse (excuse the initial focusing issue…it clears up)