DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID

Insomnium-Winter’s Gate

We’ve reached the Top 5 for 2016.  If I was a Grammy voter, these would be my nominees for Album of the Year.

We are starting with an ambitious album from Finland’s Insomnium.  I’ve been a fan of these guys from the early days of their career.  They have been a consistent force in the Scandinavian melodic death metal scene since their inception in 2002.  I have to say that their past couple of releases haven’t quite measured up to their earlier output and I was a little worried that the new album would follow suit in being decent, but not great.  They decided to try something a bit different with the new album in that it consists of a sole track of around 40 minutes in length.  Bands have tried this sort of thing before and many times it just ends up sounding like separate tracks consolidated under one title.  It’s rare for a band to actually pull off composing a single coherent track that is justly viewed as a single song.  Insomnium pulled this feat off with Winter’s Gate and truly delivered one of 2016 truly memorable albums.  The tale involves a group of Vikings (of course) bravely a treacherous frozen sea in search of a fabled island.

You’ll need to set aside a decent block of time to enjoy this one, but I assure you that it is well worth the effort.  I’m really hoping they make the trek across the Atlantic to play this thing in full for us in the States.

The list so far:

20(a).  Metallica-Hardwired…To Self Destruct

20.  The Dillinger Escape Plan-Dissociation

19.  Russian Circles-Guidance

18.  Anciients-Voice of the Void

17.  Abbath-Abbath

16.  Death Angel-The Evil Divide

15.  John Wesley-a way you’ll never be

14.  Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive

13.  Opeth-Sorceress

12.  Gojira-Magma

11.  Sumac-What One Becomes

10.  Scorpion Child-Acid Roulette

9.  Neurosis-Fires Within Fires

8.  Khemmis-Hunted

7.  Goatess-II: Purgatory Under New Management

6.  Testament-Brotherhood of the Snake

5.  Insomnium-Winter’s Gate

Testament-Brotherhood of the Snake

Ooofff.  This one is a sucker punch to the gut.  Testament has not been messing around over the past few albums.  It’s rare for a band this far into their career to come out of the gates this much of a snarling, hungry beast as Testament has on this album.  This platter just operates with a confidence earned through slogging through the pits for close to 30 y ears. Peterson’s guitar riffs grab you by the throat and Skolnick’s leads add a classiness to the proceedings.  This is thrash in its purest form.  Pull up a seat and enjoy a slab of Metal’s finest.

The attached track just gives me the warm and fuzzies.  Pure aggression in musical form.

The list so far:

20(a).  Metallica-Hardwired…To Self Destruct

20.  The Dillinger Escape Plan-Dissociation

19.  Russian Circles-Guidance

18.  Anciients-Voice of the Void

17.  Abbath-Abbath

16.  Death Angel-The Evil Divide

15.  John Wesley-a way you’ll never be

14.  Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive

13.  Opeth-Sorceress

12.  Gojira-Magma

11.  Sumac-What One Becomes

10.  Scorpion Child-Acid Roulette

9.  Neurosis-Fires Within Fires

8.  Khemmis-Hunted

7.  Goatess-II: Purgatory Under New Management

6.  Testament-Brotherhood of the Snake

Goatess-II:Purgatory Under New Management

Winner of the best album title of the year.  Soooo….I’m going out on a limb and guess that at least one of the members of this band has listened to Black Sabbath.

If you are a Sabbath fan, you will probably enjoy this record.  There are many, many, many Sabbath clones out in the world today.  The retro-Metal movement is saturated and it takes someone with either a different spin or a really polished presentation to stand above the majority of the rabble.  Goatess falls into this latter category.  They aren’t breaking any new ground, but, dammit, they have a slab of some really catchy songs.  Their lead singer used to front doom mainstays, St. Vitus, for a spell.  His voice is downright Osbournian.

Once again, not much touring out of these boys.  Hopefully that will change in the near future.

In the meantime, check out the following title track.

The list so far:

20(a) Metallica-Hardwired…To Self Destruct

20.  The Dillinger Escape Plan-Dissociation

19.  Russian Circles-Guidance

18.  Anciients-Voice of the Void

17.  Abbath-Abbath

16.Death Angel-The Evil Divide

15.  John Wesley-a way you’ll never be

14.  Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive

13.  Opeth-Sorceress

12.  Gojira-Magma

11.  Sumac-What One Becomes

10.  Scorpion Child-Acid Roulette

9.  Neurosis-Fires Within Fires

8.  Khemmis-Hunted

7.  Goatess-II:  Purgatory Under New Management

Khemmis-Hunted

Here’s one of those albums from a band that just seemed to materialize out of nowhere. This happens every year and I just love it.  A band that I have never heard of just comes out with a monumental album.  The only thing that I really know about these guys is that they are from Colorado and deal in the Metal of the doom and stoner variety.  Heavy, sludgy riff upon riff together with some seriously epic songwriting.  Just look at that album cover.  You just know there is going to be a lyric about a dude getting his head caved in by a battle axe.  The closest thing I can compare them to is Pallbearer, except with a little more pep and a mix of death vocals.

The good news is that this album is getting seriously good press and is showing up on a ton of year-end lists.  I hope this exposure leads to a bright future for these young lads.

The attached track will give you a nice taste of what to expect from this album.

The list so far:

20(a).  Metallica-Hardwired…To Self Destruct

20.  The Dillinger Escape Plan-Dissociatioin

19.  Russian Circles-Guidance

18.  Anciients-Voice of the Void

17.  Abbath-Abbath

16.  Death Angel-The Evil Divide

15.  John Wesley-a way you’ll never be

14.  Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive

13.  Opeth-Sorceress

12.  Gojira-Magma

11.  Sumac-What One  Becomes

10.  Scorpion Child-Acid Roulette

9.  Neurosis-Fires Within Fires

8.  Khemmis-Hunted

Neurosis-Fires Within Fires

Mighty, mighty Neurosis comes back strong.  Well, honestly, did you really expect anything else?  These guys are another band that dispenses pain and misery in a really cathartic manner.  Definitely not an album you are going to throw on during a summer day at the lake.  Well, maybe, I would.  But, I’m kind of messed up.

This newest effort, release on September 23, is a little more stripped to the bone.  Consisting of only five songs, it is streamlined with no way of filler.  The songs are direct and to the point.  It really feels like a much more cohesive and less meandering effort than their last album.  It looks like their touring schedule on this album is a little more limited this time around.  If they make an appearance in your city, jump at the chance to see them perform live.  They are one of the really good live bands out there.

Attached track will illuminate the pain.

The list so far:

20(a).  Metallica-Hardwired…To Self Destruct

20.  The Dillinger Escape Plan-Dissociation

19.  Russian Circles-Guidance

18.  Anciients-Voice of the Void

17.  Abbath-Abbath

16.  Death Angel-The Evil Divide

15.  John Wesley-a way you’ll never be

14.  Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive

13.  Opeth-Sorceress

12.  Gojira-Magma

11.  Sumac-What One Becomes

10.  Scorpion Child-Acid Roulette

9.  Neurosis-Fires Within Fires

Scorpion Child-Acid Roulette

Alrighty!  On to the top ten.

#10 brings us to local Austin boys done good, Scorpion Child.  These guys bring a retro-flared southern-tinged boogie metal to the proceedings.  Their first album was a solid rocking affair with a slew of catchy riffs and choruses.  The new album debuted on June 10 of this year and saw the band leap a great deal forward with their sound.  They added a keyboardist to their sound and it really added a meaty texture to the songs.  Using primarily a Hammond organ-type sound, the new guy really adds a touch of psychedelic rock to their sound.

Unfortunately, for some reason, they haven’t really done any proper touring in support of this album.  My friends and I speculate that they are in desperate need of new management because this album should be pushing the band further into the Metal community’s subconscious.  There have been a ton of bands touring in which Scorpion Child would be a perfect opener.  I was lucky enough to see them perform at their album release party at Barracuda this summer and the new songs come across really well live.  Go see them if they set a date in your town.

Attached is the title track on the album.  This will give you a good feel for the psyche-influence of this album.

The list so far:

20(a).  Metallica-Hardwired…To Self Destruct

20.  The Dillinger Escape Plan-Dissociation

19.  Russian Circles-Guidance

18.  Anciients-Voice of the Void

17.  Abbath-Abbath

16.  Death Angel-The Evil Divide

15.  John Wesley-a way you’ll never be

14.  Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive

13.  Opeth-Sorceress

12.  Gojira-Magma

11.  Sumac-What One Becomes

10.  Scorpion Child-Acid Roulette

Sumac-What One Becomes

Our first and only “supergroup” on the list this year.  Sumac is made up of Aaron Turner (ex-ISIS, Old Man Gloom), Brian Cook (Russian Circles) and Nick Yacyshyn (Baptists) and they resulting cacophony they make is the musical equivalent of anguish, desperation and angst.  The new album is many steps beyond their first album and it really seems as though they found their collective voice on this one.  The album is only made up of five songs, but it is a lengthy trip they will take you on.  The songs do not follow any type of normal linear pattern and most start with just jolting and abstract sounds before coalescing into a focus of pain.  Sound like fun, huh?  Well, it is actually.  Very cathartic and moving, in fact.

These guys aren’t for everyone.  Only the serious hardcore Metal faces or fans of the band ISIS are going to latch on to these songs.  However, if you’re not feeling timid and have a strong sense of self, give it a try.  Here’s a sample.

https://youtu.be/7QyHhd1JYuw

The list so far:

20(a).  Metallica-Hardwired…To Self Destruct

20.  The Dillinger Escape Plan-Dissociation

19.  Russian Circles-Guidance

18.  Anciients-Voice of the Void

17.  Abbath-Abbath

16.  Death Angel-The Evil Divide

15.  John Wesley-a way you’ll never be

14.  Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive

13.  Opeth-Sorceress

12.  Gojira-Magma

11.  Sumac-What One Becomes

Gojira-Magma

I’ve got to admit that when this one came out on June 17 of this year that my expectations were fairly high.  These guys have been on a helluva run of late and it seemed like this release could be a break through album for them.  However, the first few listens, I have to admit that I was a tad underwhelmed.  The songs overall have been stripped down in complexity from previous releases.  However, they more I listened to the album, the more it just wormed its way into my brain.  So many songs I just couldn’t get out of my head.  Luckily for the band, this album is getting seriously good press and the future really looks great for these lovely French dudes.  Also, nice is that their constant theme of environmental awareness and protection is firmly in place.  It’s a good message to continue to hammer home in the face of the shit show coming down the road from Dear Leader Trump and the corporate whores with which he is filling his cabinet.

The sample track below has just an all out trippy guitar hook in which you won’t be able to forget.  It will make you want to slam the nearest climate denial into  a wall.

The list so far:

20(a).  Metallica-Hardwired…To Self Destruct

20.  The Dillinger Escape Plan-Dissociation

19.  Russian Circles-Guidance

18.  Anciients-Voice of the Void

17.  Abbath-Abbath

16.  Death Angel-The Evil Divide

15.  John Wesley-a way you’ll never be

14.  Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive

13.  Opeth-Sorceress

12.  Gojira-Magma

Opeth-Sorceress

Well, thanks.  Now I’m scared shitless by peacocks.

Death Metal Opeth is dead!  Long live Prog Metal Opeth!

So, I’m still kind of in bereavement over the death of Death Metal Opeth.  Not to toot my own horn, but I was on the Opeth train early on and I found the early half of their career simply awe-inspiring.  Their blending of death and acoustic and growls and clean parts really created something unique in the Metal world and I really don’t think any band has come close to approaching their level of originality since.  Akerfeldt and Co. have since moved onto proggier fields and the level of musicianship and the craftmanship shown in the songwriting is still way above par for most of the bands going today.  However, I still just miss those heavy, crunchy guitar tones from the earlier days.  I think I’m always going to have that issue.

However, that being said, I really think Sorceress, released September 30, is best album they have produced since they have ventured into the prog realm.  It seems like on the first few prog records that Akerfeldt was more paying tribute to older bands that were shaping his new musical direction.  This new release really feels like he has found his own sound.  It took me a few listens, but after spending a sufficient amount of time with it, it became clear that Opeth has created a newly unique sound in the world of Metal.  It really goes as a credit to the genius that is Mikael Akerfeldt.  Really ballsy move overall and it seems to be paying off for them.

Sample the title track below and make your ear holes happy.  This one starts out very proggy, dominated by Hammond organ, but then just kicks into one of the truly sinister riffs written in Metal this year.

The list so far:

20(a). Metallica-Hardwired…To Self Destruct

20.  The Dillinger Escape Plan-Dissociation

19.  Russian Circles-Guidance

18.  Anciients-Voice of the Void

17.  Abbath-Abbath

16.  Death Angel-The Evil Divide

15.  John Wesley-a way you’ll never be

14.  Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive

13.  Opeth-Sorceress

Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive

Technical death metal is a very acquired taste.  I’m sure the first time you tried coffee or beer you just couldn’t understand the appeal at all.  This style of death metal is hyper-aggressive in style.  Usually played on 7 or 8 string guitars, it gets really heavy and it is normally super fast.  Reading, Pennsylvania’s Black Crown Initiate are among a group of newer bands specializing in this type of metal. The new album, released on July 22, is their sophomore release and shows a bit more emotional depth than their debut album, The Wreckage of Stars.  A unique characteristic of this band is the dueling vocals.  Lead vocalist James Dorton handles the death growls and lead guitarist, Andy Thomas, provides some downright angelic clean vocals.  The dichotomy provides interesting textures over the brutal aspect of the underlying music.  Seeing them perform live is somewhat of a trip because Thomas looks like a mountain man/werewolf/sasquatch hybrid and hearing such a beautiful singing voice coming out of him is a little jolting.

Here is a sample song to give you a taste.  Remember:  the more of this stuff you listen to; the more it starts to make sense.  Eventually you will begin to crave it.

The list so far:

20(a).  Metallica-Hardwired…To Self Destruct

20.  The Dillinger Escape Plan-Dissociation

19.  Russian Circles-Guidance

18.  Anciients-Voice of the Void

17.  Abbath-Abbath

16.  Death Angel-The Evil Divide

15.  John Wesley-a way you’ll never be

14.  Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive