The Journey… features four lengthy tracks that make up two distinct halves. Comity take the micro song approach from As Everything is a Tragedy and refine it for their first two songs. “Part I” and “Part II” are characterized by the aforementioned spastic, noisy discord. The songs are in flux constantly, pieced together with a lot of short, dissonant riffs that continually shift and change with little repetition, like a mix of Wetnurse and Calculating Infinity-era Dillinger Escape Plan. Riffs are chopped in half, spun forward and backward as the drums careen alongside with roiling fills and dramatic time and tempo changes.

Comity’s approach on the second half is a more considered. Acoustic guitar, washes of noise and a more riff oriented performance color the second two tracks. “Part III” is largely acoustic and is a very effective slow burn, with an excellently fuzzed out wall of guitar noise in the last half. “Part IV” is the high mark and clocks in at over 20 minutes. It starts slow, descends in to familiarly schizophrenic hardcore, drops tempo and builds to some stirring psychedelic post rock before culminating in another furious explosion of chaos.

The second half really makes the album and is a proper display of the bands songwriting acumen. There’s a sense of direction and progression that the first tracks lack and the songs are more memorable as a result. After a few listens the discordance of the first half begins to act as a primer for the latter half and the album starts to feel more coherent. The band has done well building on their past and they’ve really elevated their game with this one.

ZOMBIE INC. may be a new name to the death metal scene, but some of the henchmen involved this gory, plodding debauchery will surely raise some interest… namely former Pungent Stench vocalist Martin Schirenc’s return to the death metal scene! Schirenc’s guttural oral thunder is brutally backed by guitars from songwriting mastermind Wolfgang Rothbauer (Disbelief, Eisblut, etc.) and Gerald Huber (Collapse 7), low-end from bassist Daniel Lechner (The Cascades, ex-Lacrimas Profundere) and the percussive onslaught of Tomasz “Nefastus” Janiszewski (Belphegor, Fleshcrawl, Debauchery).

The individual potent collective of talents coalesce on ZOMBIE INC.’s debut, A Dreadful Decease, a gore-obsessed 41-minute stompfest loaded with the instinctive, intuitive and aggressive stylings of the death metal of the ’90s, bringing names like Entombed, Autopsy, Dismember, Obituary, Deicide, Edge of Sanity and Gorefest to the chopping block. A Dreadful Decease runs rampant with horrific, apocalyptic zombie themes, both lyrically, atmospherically and visually, bearing professional artwork by SeasonZero Design. The album was recorded and mixed by Martin Schirenc at Vato Loco in Austria, and mastered by Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Nightingale, Bloodbath) at Unisound in Sweden, who referred to the band as “great music… old-school, the perfect way.”

Check out “The Chaosbreed” and “Bloodrain Overdose” via the band’s Myspace page now.

A Dreadful Decease will see North American release on Tuesday, February 14th via Massacre Records. Promos of the album are available for review now. In North America contact earsplitpr@aol.com and outside of the continent contact tom.hack@massacre-records.de.

A Dreadful Decease Track Listing:

1. The Chaosbreed

2. Deadtribe Sinister

3. Challenge Of The Undead

4. Horde Unleashed

5. We Must Eat!

6. Bloodrain Overdose

7. Grim Brutality

8. Horror Fills This Hollow Earth

9. A Dreadful Decease.

10. Planet Zombie

ZOMBIE INC. lineup:

Martin Schirenc – vocals (Hollenthon, ex-Pungent Stench)

Wolfgang Rothbauer – guitars (Disbelief, Eisblut, In Slumber, Thirdmoon, GodHateCode)

Gerald Huber – guitars (Collapse 7)

Daniel Lechner – bass (The Cascades, ex-Lacrimas Profundere)

Tomasz “Nefastus” Janiszewski – drums (Belphegor, Fleshcrawl, Debauchery)

“Killswitch Engage are pleased to announce that they have filled the singer vacancy in the band and they have done so with a familiar face: original vocalist Jesse Leach.

Leach sang on the band’s first self-titled album, which came out in 2000, and on their landmark 2002 Roadrunner debut Alive or Just Breathing. Leach left the band in 2002 and was replaced by Howard Jones, but his work on Alive or Just Breathing has always been revered by diehard, longtime KsE fans. Things have come full circle a decade later, and Leach and the band couldn’t be more pleased about this reunion.

The band revealed that Leach auditioned for the job he once held and pretty much blew everyone away and then some. The band stated, “After much deliberation and careful consideration, we are pleased to announce that Jesse Leach has rejoined Killswitch Engage. Our job was to find the best person to fill Howard’s shoes: a decision based on talent and not familiarity.”

The band further said, “Truth be told, Jesse blew us away in auditions. The room seemed charged with electricity. He commanded both new and old material, and proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he wanted to do this. The choice became very clear and apparent.”

The band also is psyched to share the news with fans, saying, “This change is very exciting. We know you’re going to love it. This is truly a new era in KsE history and it is ready to shred your face off. So, please help us in welcoming Jesse back into the KsE family; he is a rare and great talent, a fact that older KsE fans have known for years. Here is to a killer new record and a bright future. The five of us cannot wait to write this record and play shows together and bring that feeling to our fans. It’s been far too long.”

The “new” guy himself also commented on his return to the band after a decade-long absence, saying, “It is a great honor to rejoin my brothers after all of these years. After some discussion and much reflection, it was obvious to me this was the path I was meant to take. We got together and jammed on the ‘Howard-era songs,’ as well as some Alive or Just Breathing-era songs and we all felt the synergy.”

He continued, “I look forward to writing the new record, since the demos sound absolutely amazing, as well as breathing new life and getting comfortable with the soulful songs Howard has written. It is a new chapter of my life filled with new and exciting challenges. I will give all that I can to honor the position I have been given and take nothing for granted. I will sing every note with all of my soul. I am very blessed and very thankful to be back in the KsE family! All things happen in their due time and now is the time for this reunion and new direction.”

KsE remain hard at work on their latest album, which follows 2009′s second self-titled album. “

The album opens with an old school hard rocker “Lady Twilight,” which heads back into that original early 1980s metal territory that I liked so well on On Fire. The song flat out rocks, with a wailing guitar riff and a great chorus hook that gets stuck in your head. It reminds me of recent efforts from acts like White Wizzard and Holy Grail.

Though, I’ll admit that I don’t remember much about Nightlife, based solely on my review of it, it would seem that vocalist/bassist John E. Wooten’s chops have improved a bit over the years. I really like his approach here, and the songwriting also seems to have gotten better. He’s dropped the occasional screams in favor of a full-on traditional metal approach and it absolutely works.

Though “Lady Twilight” is probably my favorite track, there are plenty of good ones here. “In Dreams” opens with a classic clean guitar lick that puts me in mind of some of Judas Priest’s earliest work. It’s nice and tasty. There are some great vocal harmonies on the track and another catchy chorus. “Take Hold of the Night” picks up the pace of the record again, delivering an epic chorus with an infectious galloping heavy guitar riff underneath. It runs a close second as my favorite of the record.

“The Burning Ones” takes the band more into power metal territory, but the opening riff is great, and there are some very nice leads in the song by guitarist Chris Bennett. Those lead licks carry over into “Live Beyond,” which also features a big power riff. “I Scream for Ice Queen,” perhaps the heaviest number on Life’s Blood, bashes with thrash-like intensity in the early going, and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t the cheesy sex song that I expected from the title. It’s actually a pretty tough, hard-driving and dark number.

There are certainly highlights on the record, notably the first three songs, but there really isn’t a bad tune from start to finish. Life’s Blood has everything you want from a traditional metal album – big guitar riffs, cool vocal harmonies and memorable melodies and hooks. Among the recent spurt of neo-traditional metal albums, it’s one of the few standouts that pays tribute to the roots of the music, but doesn’t try to mimic the classic artists. It’s good stuff, and I’m back on the Widow bandwagon.

Those expecting me to say ‘until now’, sorry. The Life & Death of A Plea For Purging, like its predecessor The Marriage of Heaven & Hell does nothing for me, and with an even more commercial lean to the already pretty bland back bone of mid paced chugging riffs, A Plea For  Purging, like label mates War of Ages are a once promising band that have simply fallen into more mainstream, if still deeply Christian  territory.

With all the great Christian metal that Facedown releases, A Plea For Purging just comes across as the most cookie cutter.  And while the album, (as with all Christian albums) is deeply personal and no doubt directed at the faith filled masses looking for some musical guidance to go along with their spiritual needs, the music that A Plea For Purging now deliver is no more than a slew of slightly angular, staggering mid paced hardcore riffs  and roars laced with lots of clean vocals, acoustic interludes and ‘introspective’ moments. And as an atheist, I don’t really absorb the lyrical themes, but as a critic look for ‘something’ to move me or waver my atheism as bands like Hands or A Hope For Home do  or beat me into like Saving Grace or Impending Doom. A Plea For Purging do neither and waffle around in middle ground.

As with the last 2 records, the album has a certain somber atmosphere, but nothing that put a lump in my throat like Depravity‘s title track. Of the 14 tracks and around 50 drawn out minutes or so, 5 are some sort of clean segue, ballad or acoustic interlude (“The Setting Sun”, “Hands and Feet”,  “Skin & Bones”,”Hell at Our Backs”, “Miss Fortune”), that come across as dreary rather than the intended ‘progressive’ tag.  The others consist chugging, lurching riffs that bridge into some (usually clean sung) chorus or pre chorus that are flat out dull. And I’d be OK if the heavy moments were heavy,  but when the likes of “Room for the Dead” and “My Song” are the band’s heaviest cuts, you’d be better off listening to a Mudvayne Record to get your fix of heavy. The attempt at djent -ish lurches are not even close to even the genre’s softer acts like Textures or Tesseract. Heck. if your djent has to be Christian, just listen to In the Midst Of Lions- as repetitive and predictable as they have become, at least they bring the beef.

At least Facedown has some other acts to step in and deliver music that matches the message in the Leaders, Your Memorial and  The Burial’s upcoming releases.

Serpent Sermon‘s track-listing and other additional information about the album will be unveiled shortly, so stay tuned for more news about this upcoming release coming soon!

Said bassist Alex Webster of the upcoming shows: “We’re psyched to hit the road with Exhumed, Abysmal Dawn, and Arkaik in April! This is a full-on death metal tour that we know all of our fans will love. Prepare for an evening of relentless aural punishment!”

CANNIBAL CORPSE U.S. Torture Tour 2012

w/ Exhumed, Abysmal Dawn, Arkaik

4/05/2012 Freebird Live – Jacksonville, FL

4/06/2012 The Soapbox – Wilmington, NC

4/07/2012 Lincoln Theater – Raleigh, NC

4/08/2012 V Club Live – Huntington, WV

4/09/2012 The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC

4/10/2012 The Canal Club – Richmond, VA

4/12/2012 Higher Ground – South Burlington, VT

4/13/2012 The Club At Water Street – Rochester, NY

4/14/2012 The Cincinnati Metal Fest @ Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH w/ CANNIBAL CORPSE, The Black Dahlia Murder, Nile, Exhumed, Skeletonwitch, Abysmal Dawn, Hour Of Pennance, Arkaik

4/15/2012 The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI

4/16/2012 People’s Court – Des Moines, IA

4/17/2012 Slowdown – Omaha, NE

4/19/2012 The Scene-ary – Wichita, KS

4/20/2012 The Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO

4/21/2012 Mesa Theater & Club – Grand Junction, CO

4/22/2012 Top Deck – Farmington, NM

4/23/2012 The Rock –Tucson, AZ

4/24/2012 Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX

4/25/2012 Jake’s – Lubbock, TX

4/27/2012 The Blue Note – Columbia, MO

4/28/2012 Diamond Ballroom – Oklahoma City, OK w/ CANNIBAL CORPSE, Behemoth, Watain, Exhumed, The Devil’s Blood, In Solitude, Abysmal Dawn, Arkaik

4/29/2012 Newby’s – Memphis, TN

4/30/2012 Exit In – Nashville, TN

5/1/2012 Zydeco – Birmingham, AL

5/3/2012 Double Down – Gainesville, FL

CANNIBAL CORPSE will unleash their twelfth slab of audio obliteration to North American fans on March 13, 2012 via Metal Blade Records. Listed among Decibel Magazine’s “Top 25 Most Anticipated Extreme Records Of 2012,” and crowned “pure death metal mastery from one of the best bands the genre has ever produced…,” in an early review by Zero Tolerance Magazine, the aptly titled Torture was produced by Hate Eternal’s Erik Rutan at his own Mana Recording Studio in St. Petersburg, Florida as well as Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, and features the goretorn cover art by longtime CANNIBAL CORPSE artist, Vincent Locke.

For special Torture preorder packages, and to check out, “Demented Aggression,” visit the band’s OFFICIAL LANDING PAGE. And in case you missed yesterday’s premiere, go to REVOLVERMAG.COM to hear second single, “Scourge Of Iron.”

So here’s the deal. Hellcrawler plays crusty, grooving death metal with d-beat spatter and does it awfully damn well across the entirety of Wastelands. Aside from a production that’s a little on the flat side, the riffage is rude and the relationships developed nice ‘n abusive. Take the unexpected burst of twin-leads hovering over motoring bass during “Towards the End” for example.

Yes sir, quite a few above-average tunes on this one too, including the fully tilted, d-battered rockin’ of “The Molten Faces Tribe.” Then there is “Motosluts from Hell.” I mean, come on, Hellcrawler has already shown a propensity to pair attractively ugly titles with appealingly gnarly tunes, so why would that one be any exception? Combined with a vocal attack that falls somewhere between L.G. Petrov (Entombed) and Ben Falgoust (Goatwhore), moments that remind of the dry tone of end-times death heard from Book of Black Earth, and some honest to badness ballsy rockin’ filth, the Slovenian rabble ends up with an album that many more people should be hearing, but probably never will. Show ‘em some love or give ‘em some hate.

Just show ‘em something!

Seriously, how did this album escape the radar of countless popular metal websites and blogs last year? The guitarist of French progressive neo-classical band, Adagio, Stéphan Forté has finally and officially gone solo with this full-length studio album, and it’s brimming with talent, unmatchable virtuosity, talent, and more talent. Of course, not just his talent. This solo effort sees an all-star ensemble of Jeff Loomis, Matthias IA Eklundh, Glen Drover, Derek Taylor and Daniele Gottardo contributing their talents as well. Ah, the privileges of being a virtuosic guitar player.

Whenever albums like this are released, it always renews the faith I have in my personal conjecture that if talented Classical composers like Beethoven or Mozart were still alive today, they’d probably be neo-classical metal guitarists. I don’t know which one of them reincarnated as Stéphan Forté, but whichever one is residing within, he is doing a darned good job at spurring his host to make the old sound new again.

Ironically, this is achieved by Stéphan Forté sticking to his Classical (an umbrella term for the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th Century genres) influences like Spiderman to a glue trap. The sheer number of arpeggios and Romantic-inspired guitar solos present exude a classy aura that only a gentleman from early modern Europe could possess. It’s as though every track off this album were neo-classical piano pieces that were played and recorded with the electric guitar. Granted, one can definitely hear some “djent” influence, since the promotional materials stated Meshuggah as one of the guy’s influences, and the backing riffs in songs like “I Think There’s Someone In The Kitchen (ft. Daniele Gottardo)” (listen carefully to the first 1/3 of the song) certainly sound like it. However, it is obviously not the main focus here, since Stéphan Forté’s technical yet expressive solos often take center stage.

If the array of guitar techniques available to Stéphan Forté can be likened to an economy, his shredding is a controlled commodity. He executes the typically wankery art of shredding with panache and aplomb, never making a single note sound pointless and out-of-place. Such magnificently intricate but well thought-out song structures are a rare sight in today’s modern metal scene, but lookie here! It can be done!

The piano makes its presence felt as well. From the agile, running notes on “Prophecies Of Loki XXI” to its faithful rendition of a classic Beethoven song on “Improvisation On Sonata No.14, C# minor – Op. 27 No.2 (Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”)”, its excellent duality with Stéphan Forté’s impressive guitar work truly brings the meaning of “neo-classical metal” to a whole new level.

In retrospect, I now regret having not discovered this album before I compiled my “Best of” list last year.

Cerebral Bore took a rather long and winding road to its major metal label destination in 2011. I recall attending Central Illinois Metal Fest one year when you guys were playing and recalling that you had no CDs to sell, though I think I bought some kind of compilation disc from the vocalist at the time. Anyway, can you get us up to speed with regard to the timeline of events – member changes, tours, demos, etc – from band formation to the eventual Earache reissue of Maniacal Miscreation?

We started out in 2006 and recorded a four-track demo, then in 2007 we released it through afriend’s label, Rundown records, which included two extra tracks that I recorded at home. Besides one other track that we recorded at a local jam room in 2009, these tracks remain the only demos of our pre-Earache Career.Our main focus was on touring, getting our name out, and developing our sound along the way, for the purpose of being ready to step up to the mark if a label like Earache did come calling. And since we recorded the original demo and played our first show in 2006, we have played all over the world. In 2007 we played our first shows in the US, in New York City, and returned to tour the US in 2008 for six weeks coast to coast. And again last summer for another three weeks.

As well as our trips to the US and tours around the UK, we have played pretty widespread, with shows and tours in countries including Israel, Russia, Mexico, Portugal, Greece, Slovakia, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, France, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Czech Republic, and others. And we have another US tour taking place in February/March along side Hate Eternal and Goatwhore. Members-wise right now we have the same lineup as the debut album. We have come and gone with a couple of bassists and vocalists, but our lineup has been the same for the last 2 years.And yeah you’re right, we did play that show in Illinois with no CDs; that tour was full blown ghetto. But I remember having a lot of fun that weekend!

Are you confident that this lineup is now stable and in it for the long haul?

One of those questions that always has the potential to make you look like a dick at some point in the future [laughs], but I would say that we have a solid lineup. It is certainly the most stable we have had since we started, but that has always been down to people’s commitment levels, which mostly get exhausted due to the demand for cash to pay for things like flights and rehearsals. Living constantly broke isn’t easy and I can sympathize with anyone finding it hard, but I have lived through every one of the struggles that forced others to throw in the towel. I guess they weren’t willing to suffer for our art like I am.

I will say that you did well recruiting vocalist Som Pluijmers (and I’ll not even pretend I know how to pronounce that surname); her approach to the gutturals and squeals, as well as the patterning and inflectional nuances, is anything but one-dimensional.

Yeah I like the sound of her voice, and I like how she brings it to the live show. She has a wide range, and we want to explore that a lot more on the next album, with one or two elements maybe being left out. After all, Som only had around 10 days to learn the stuff before she recorded the vocals on the album in early 2010, so there was a lot of instruction coming from us as to what we wanted from here, so she didn’t have much chance to settle in properly like she has now. Infact as we do this interview, I can hear her in the next room writing patterns for a new song!

We of course cannot continue until you explain this wrongful arrest ordeal that occurred earlier this year. What happened?

We went into a drug store in New Work and the alarm went off due to the clerk leaving the place wide open.The cops thought we were two serial killer types due to a recent killing in a drug store, and dramatically arrested us in front of a street full of people at 7:00 a.m. on the last day of our U.S. tour in 2011. We spent the next two days in Jail and had to surrender our passports and stand trial a week later. After spending a week sleeping in parks and on the couches of good Samaritans, we stood trial and were cleared of all charges. Sucked big time, but it’s a story to tell I guess.

How about a few nuggets of information about your own background and musical influences? What led you in this most brutal of directions?

I always listened to death metal, but never thought to tackle it in my first few years playing the guitar. It just looked hard as fuck and I was struggling with Pantera covers. But then some friends of mine decided they were gonna start a death metal band, and asked me to play bass. Before long I really got the hang of it and never looked back. Kind of strange, cos I could have honestly ended up playing any type of music depending influences from close friends at that time. Just so happened that the closest ones were doing brutal shit!

What is this business of maniacal miscreation anyway?

My concept on that was based on the miscreation of powerful entities in our world, culminating in apocalyptic scenes depicted on our album cover. The cover is a photo of our home city of Glasgow completely destroyed, but represents our view amongst a complete global catastrophe.

Getting right to the point, the reason Maniacal Miscreation works so well as a top-to-bottom listening experience is because of your knack for effective arranging. Yes, it’s brutal death and, no, it’s not “melodic,” but each song stands on its own and is memorable in its own right. That’s much easier said than done in the world of technical and/or brutal death. Good goat man, how did you do it?!

No idea man, I just keep reworking stuff until I am as happy with it as possible. I’m very critical of Cerebral Bore’s creative output, and I rarely write something that I don’t change a thousand times before its ready to set in stone. This pisses off other members of Cerebral Bore from time to time, but I can’t say I’ve ever been wrong. But I would say that, wouldn’t I?

Anyone can throw in a breakdown, put a twist on a riff, or shift gears to a section of chugging groove, but when Cerebral Bore does it the impact made is enormous, in large part because it is so smartly incorporated and connected to the song as we whole.

Thanks for feeling the enormity, but again I have no idea. If it makes me head bang, it’s got a good chance of making it into a song. lacing the same idea throughout a song in cheeky places is something that definitely requires a good ear and a lot of trial and error, but nine times out of 10my instincts are right and the tiny tweeks often land the heaviest blows!

Two songs in particular define that compositional skill: (1) “Epileptic Strobe Entrapment,” and (2) “Entombed in Butchered Bodies,” which happens to contain the album’s most memorable groove accompanied with the line “Ee pee oppa pee pee.” I don’t even know where to go with that one [laughs].

Nowhere to go with that really. I am glad that you liked both of those tracks, especially “Entombed in Butchered Bodies,” as it has a good old school vibe to it in parts, which I want to do more of on the next album. The “Ee pee oppa pee pee” came simply from me suggesting to our then vocalist that we make the vocal pattern copy the exact rhythm of the riff. He said “like how?” to which I replied, “like..ee pee oppa pee pee.”

Would you agree that this is technically inclined death metal rooted in the fundamentals, as perfected by bands like Dying Fetus and Suffocation, yet delivered with a modern touch?

Yes I guess so. Neither are bands that I have grown up listening to a great deal, certainly have never bought a shirt, but I would say that we are a similar style of band.

When do you anticipate album number two for Earache to be completed and released?

I expect it to be mid 2012, but you never know. Maybe a little bit sooner or later, but we will say 2012 to be sure. We are working on it right now, as well as maintaining a grueling touring schedule, so its not as easy as it could be if we weren’t touring junkies!

So it’s all smooth sailing from here on for Cerebral Bore, right?

Eeeehhh…yep [laughs].

www.earache.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cerebral-bore/192210687462914

http://www.myspace.com/cerebralbore2

http://www.youtube.com/user/SmooneGrri

Adorned with some killer, toothy artwork Lurk is a self-produced effort of grimy, but groovy down tempo sludge/doom metal, but with a big emphasis on groove. Basically if you took a Gorefest LP (Erase or Soul Survivor) and slowed it down to about ½ speed, you’d have Lurk. This sound is truly cemented by the sense of groove, but hammered home by vocalist K. Koskinen who is for the most part a dead ringer for Gorefest‘s Jan C in both tone and annunciation with his gravelly bellows. I mean just listen to opener “Soar”, second track “Unfinished” or fourth track “Fire the Blood Sky ” if you don’t believe me.

Lurk the album plods along at a pretty consistent slow, loping gait, but carries dense riffs and once again, there’s that word groove. There’s no sudden injections of blasts, black metal, grind or atmospherics (other than a couple of feedback drenched fade outs), just dirty but clear heft and lurching riffs, that along with the above comparison should appeal to fans of Autopsy’s slower moments and maybe Crowbar. The sludge has a slight bluesy/stoner swagger here and there (i.e. “Pitch Beneath Eternity”), and the album refuses to change paths. The overall effect of the album is a nice, slow burner to bang your head slowly to. Lurk even broaches doom realms, slowing things down for the first half of 8-minute closer “Deliverance” and towards the end of “‘Codec of Becoming God”.

The production is nice’n'beefy. My only gripe is the album’s 6-song 36-minute duration — it feels like a long EP and about two songs short of sounding complete, but the time here is still well spent.

A great sludgy start to 2012 for Total Rust Music.

Midnight – Satanic Royalty (Hells Headbangers). How does Motorhead get any dirtier? They become Midnight.

Invection – Facet of Abberation (Stormspell). Great band and tough as hell in a Slayer kind of way.

MC5 – High Time (Rhino). It came out a long time ago. Do you love them?

Reign of Vengeance beanie. I left it on the bus, but got it back. It’s a miracle of Christ.

Lacuna Coil – Dark Adrenaline (Century Media). Never used to care about this band. The new album changed that big time.

Anatomia / Absconder – Audible Assault (HPGD Productions) – Meet two of my new favorite bands. And Anatomia’s opiate-induced, doomed and crawling cover of Judas Priest’s “Turbo Lover?” Forget about it!

Anatomia / Grudge / Coffins – Doomed to Death, Damned in Hell (Obliteration) – So I had to seek out more material with the Anatomia name attached. Japenese of the doomed. Just friggin’ bad ass.

Nocturnal Torment – They Come at Night (Deathgasm). I can’t list this here or write anything about it since ClawHammer PR is promoting the release. What’s that? I already did? Fuck!

King – Forged by Satan’s Doctrine (Deathgasm). See above. Ah shit!

Blood Mortized – Bestial (Chaos). Oops, I did it again. Seriously, it’s a freakin’ playlist. What am I supposed to do? Pretend I wasn’t listening to it?

’77 – High Decibel (Listenable). Yeah, above…christ!

Satanika – Metal Possessed (Iron Shield). Dirty, gnarly ass, pussed filled thrash, the kind of stuff that Hells Headbangers would release. There was some stuff toward the end with cleaner vocals, but I was involved in some meaningless activity at the time or listening to some meaningless blather from some meaningless individual on the meaningless street.

Scorpions – Comeblack (Sony Legacy). Pointless.

Anti-Flag – The General Strike (Sideone Dummy). Heard about this band for years, but never heard an album until now. Impressed and surprised at how much I’m digging it. Definitely channeling The Clash (70s stuff) at various monents across the album.

Atkins / May Project – Serpents Kiss (Gonzo). Atkins sang for Judas Priest about 150 years ago, May is an accomplished guitarist and well known in “Christian” music or metal (or some shit) circles and busts out some damn fine licks here. The result is a pretty darn good traditional metal album.

Christian Mistress – Possession (Relapse). Outstanding! Traditional, old school, NWOBHM, whatever….super well done, super well written, super righteous!

Strikemaster – Vicious Nightmare (Metalhit). Vicious Mexican thrash metal with a hellacious gutiar tone. Good stuff.

Root – Heritage of Satan (Agonia). Lots of cool ideas within a black metal context, even if it gets a little too all all-over-the-place at times. Czech black metal ya know.

Aspyhx – Deathhammer (Century Media). Love the band, love the album title, and love the music on this bad boy. Really effing good, rivaling the classic stuff; that’s right, you read it here.

UFO – Seven Deadly (SPV). An early working title was The Last of the Bone Riders. Seriously. Great album; they do no wrong. Bigger riffs and some heavier material to go with the bluesy fare too.

Aborted – Global Flatline (Century Media). Best Aborted in years. Sven still kills it too.

Lamb of God – Resolution (Epic). Reliable. Wrath is better.

Burial Ritual – Exterminating the Masses (Self Released). So far, so good.

Rammstein – Made in Germany: 1995-2011. German band. You heard of ‘em?

Blotted Science – The Animation of Entomology (Eclectic Electic). Awesome instrumentalists! No, wait…brilliant freakin’ instrumentalists!

Meshuggah – Koloss (Nuclear Blast). Watch out! Meshuggah just got more aggressive. And guess what? The tuning ain’t all lower than your sub basement on this one.

That’s it. There is more, but I’m done with it. Must fight burnout…must get more coffee. Must stave off extinction. Goodbye.

The symphonic atmospheric approach is still the driving force with the shackles of black metal still holding them down but they are so adept at what they do they are no longer weighted down by the conventions black metal dictates that they adhere to. With considerably more rope the shackles are more like tethers now. Without question they are still a black metal band but avant-garde experimentation is now the driving force. Complex multi-layered textures and frequent time changes are important and dense compositions that demand careful listening reward those that do not dismiss the music to the background.

Once again we get intensity and ferocity blended with moody, melancholic moments and beautiful symphonic passages that blend harmoniously with both the atmospheric flourishes and the in your face blasting. The one new element is clean vocals, which as a general rule ruins metal for me. It is not the dominant style here and is not even as pervasive as what Enslaved does now, and is actually done very well. I’m sorry to hear it but glad it is there, if that expresses anything. It is an element I usually can do without but if it really fits the composition by all means do it, just do it right. Where the clean vocals are most bothersome is “Entering the Seventh Gate” that is also where they are most prominent. “There Is No Shadow Without Light” highlights the clean vocals as well but the delivery does not whine quite as much. The vocals are worth getting through, killer song.

If you count yourself a fan of Ihsahn or Enslaved do yourself a favor and get this disc. If you are a long time Sear Bliss fan listen all the way through two of three times, that is all it will take to get back on board. I was sold by the one minute fifteen second mark of “The Eternal Quest.” With seven powerful songs that flow together well it is hard to pick a favorite out of context but I’d definitely check out “Ballad of the Shipwrecked” and “Great Cosmic Disorder.” “A Lost Cause” may be skipable but thats it. “The New Era Of Darkness” also stands out, notably because of the harsh vocals and the double bass/ bass guitar attack. Some simple riffs on guitar recur to tie everything together and the melodic ending is eloquently simple. Too bad the album is so short.

As for myself, I enjoy all of the above, but if there’s one emotional response I generally don’t seek out, it’s the crushing despair that comes from the darkest, most funereal depths of doom. It makes me wonder, though: do most of you heavy doom fans submerge yourselves in sadness as a way to echo and release your pain? Or do you simply like it down there?

Whatever your answer, you might want to try the new release from Germany’s Woburn House the next time you need to bum yourself out. It’s fucking miserable.

And not miserable in the way that most funeral doom evokes those waves of suffocating despair. This is nowhere near as crushing; in fact, its vaguely glimmering, chiming guitar tone offers an experience at once bright and bleak. Instead, its misery comes from an unending tension between hopelessness and relief. Almost every song on Sleep Summer Storm seems to yearn towards some kind of salvation, yet it can only graze it with its fingertips.

Musically, I was reminded of a lot of terrific acts while picking my way through the gloomy tangle. I heard the lush and loping goth rock of Fields of the Nephilim in opener “Willow,” the hypnotic drone of early Katatonia in “Rain Keeps Falling Down” and “Behind You,” and earthy dark-country act 16 Horsepower in the dissonance of “Clash” and the lullaby-like title track. There’s even a Tangerine Dream-like synth that drones beneath many of the tracks; an unexpected touch that adds the right air of alien coldness. However, Woburn House doesn’t really sound like any of these bands. They’ve crafted their own unique palette and writing approach; at once warm and dead.

A huge part of the impact is delivered by vocalist Christian Kolf, also of Valborg and Island. He stays at a low croak (Peter Steele and Layne Staley both come to mind) for much of the album, but crests into a ragged and insistent wail when it seems as if he’s about to break free of his misery. Of course, the well he’s trying to climb is slick and difficult, and he slides back down, again and again. He’s occasionally joined by another lost soul as well – a ghostly falsetto vocal that only appears in wisps and faint laments. Whenever it appears, the effect is chilling and unsettling.

Ultimately, this isn’t an album I’ll play often – perhaps never again – simply because it’s just so draining. It’s excellently crafted though, and far more of an artistic statement than the new Klabautamann album (also from Florian Toyka and Zeitgeister). If you’re the kind of doom fan that needs to wallow in your despair before rising up to face the day (or if you simply prefer to hole up in the gloom), then step into this Woburn House, lock the door and close the shutters. By the time you reach the brief and cathartic respite of the closing track, “Hood,” you might be ready to come out again.

JEFF LOOMIS, THE SAFETY FIRE, AND TODAY I CAUGHT THE PLAGUE SUPPORT

TOUR SPONSORED BY TOONTRACK, MERCHNOW, and METALSUCKS.COM

Closing out the US portion of the Scurrilous album cycle, PROTEST THE HERO will embark on a 24 date coast-to-coast U.S tour starting March 25th in Chicago. Scurrilous was released in March of 2011 (Vagrant) and this will be the band’s 3rd tour of the U.S supporting the album. Tickets for the tour go on sale in most cities this Friday, February 3rd.

Periphery will be the special guest following their European tour opening for Dream Theater. The band will be showcasing material from their new self-titled release coming in May. Rounding out the bill will be ex-Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis supporting his debut CD coming in April, The Safety Fire supporting their new disc, Grind The Ocean, releasing in April, and Canadian band Today I Caught The Plague.

Dates for the Scurrilous spring tour are below.

Sun/Mar-25 – CHICAGO IL – Bottom Lounge

Mon/Mar-26 – LAWRENCE KS – Granada

Tue/Mar-27 – DALLAS TX – Trees

Wed/Mar-28 – HOUSTON TX – Warehouse Live

Fri/Mar-30 – ALBUQUERQUE NM – Sunshine

Sat/Mar-31 – PHOENIX AZ – Club Red

Sun/Apr-01 -LOS ANGELES CA – Key Club

Mon/Apr-02 – SAN FRANCISCO CA – Slim’s

Tue/Apr-03 – PORTLAND OR – The Branx

Wed/Apr-04 – SEATTLE WA – Studio Seven

Fri/Apr-06 – SALT LAKE CITY UT – In The Venue

Sat/Apr-07 – DENVER CO – Summit

Mon/Apr-09 – ST LOUIS MO – Pops

Tue/Apr-10 – MILWAUKEE WI – The Rave II

Wed/Apr-11 – DETROIT MI – Magic Stick

Thu/Apr-12 – COLUMBUS OH – The Outland Ballroom

Fri/Apr-13 – CLEVELAND OH – Grog Shop

Sat/Apr-14 – BALTIMORE MD – Sonar

Mon/Apr-16 – ATLANTA GA – Masquerade

Tue/Apr-17 – ORLANDO FL – The Social

Wed/Apr-18 – RALEIGH NC – Lincoln Theater

Fri/Apr-20 – NEW YORK NY – Gramercy

Sat/Apr-21 – WORCESTER MA (New England Metal & Hardcore Festival) – Palladium

Sun/Apr-22 – PHILADELPHIA PA – Trocadero

A decade ago, power metal was still relatively current genre—it had had a strong run—but times were changing and new winds were blowing into the metal kingdom. Metalcore was a bit different than it is today and melodic death metal was starting to shape-shift into something else as well. Into the maelstrom, out of nowhere, came Lost Horizon.

Without backing any of my claims with historical, canonized facts or debated timelines, I’m stating here and now that Awakening the World beat power metal into submission, forcing the once powerhouse genre to seek refuge at the sidelines for the years to come. Not because the album was a travesty – on the contrary (as I’ve already revealed). Awakening the World was, is, the Superman of power metal albums. The purest and most powerful essence of power metal is packed into the album’s 43-minute length and those 43 minutes render pretty much everything else obsolete. Perfectly executed, the album is full of melody, speed, power and the right kind of metal cheese. It’s an empowering album that pummels pussies, grindlovers and closet power metal fans into true, proud men with big penises!

“Hey man! What is this?!
Sounds like wail of a wimp
Did you let loser side take command?!
Where’s the warrior in you
And the spirit he got
You say – “lost”
No! It’s somewhere inside”

After a disarming beginning of “Quickening” (an intro of sorts) and “Heart of Storm”, “Sworn in the Metal Wind” kicks up the gear up into eleven, directing Manowar to shut the fuck up, skip the foreplay and pay attention to things far more important: You, me, them, us, we! It’s the ultimate metal song that, if there’s any justice in the world, will go down in history as one of the greatest heavy metal anthems ever conceived. The track is true to its name, it’s the turning point where we all pledge our allegiance to Heavy-fucking-Metal – and to our true selves!

“If you once tasted treason from a female – leave that!
Every warrior has a gash on his sword
Don’t forget you are metal, not some ass-kissing whore
Take some under your wings, but she must kiss the ring!“

What follows is a collection of songs that never let up, that never give up and that never fail the listener. From the rocking “World Through my Fateless Eyes” to the 9-minute epic “Kingdom of My Will”, there are no weak links to the album. Even the album’s ballad can’t be spelled without ‘balls’ as “Perfect Warrior”, absorbs good qualities from Angel Dust and out comes a song worthy to stand in between the much faster songs.

As mentioned, Lost Horizon plays godly. Preternatural Transmogrifier (drums) and Cosmic Antagonist (bass) provide a top notch galloping backbone to the act, and while Transcendental Protagonist’s soaring guitars and wonderful solos pierce through earth, wind and fire straight into the listener’s very existence, it’s Ethereal Magnanimus’ commanding, clear voice that raise Awakening the World and Lost Horizon undeniably god-like. What a voice! What a band! What an album! As for the reissue, I didn’t hear any drastic changes—if any—to the original.

Unfortunately, even Lost Horizon’s follow-up, A Flame to the Ground Beneath (released two years later in 2003), couldn’t live up to the debut’s legacy and not soon after, power metal began its exodus from the limelight towards the undergrounds of The North.

However, the biggest scrutiny I have towards the album—not that it’s the album’s fault—is the fact that not everyone is ready to take in the weight and power of Awakening the World. Many will falter, more will die but those strong and fortunate enough to hear, see, live through the experience and understand the light will forever carry on far improved.

“Real music is birthed from pain, hatred, despair, suffering and regret… and this is our bastard child.”

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The album revolves around two themes: the waiting mortuary and Sky Burial.

Waiting mortuary is a mortuary building designed by early cultures, in a time where the certainty of death was debatable, specifically for the purpose of confirming that deceased persons are truly deceased. To alleviate the fear of burying someone alive, the deceased were housed temporarily to look out for signs of life. Most popular in 19th Century Germany, they were ornate buildings with large bell towers to alert attendants of movement. Occasionally it has erroneously been thought this is where the phrase “Saved by the Bell” was born, as a living soul was saved from burial – it actually originates in the sport of boxing.

Sky Burial, or ritual dissection, is a funerary practice in Tibet, wherein a human corpse was incised in certain locations and placed on a mountaintop, exposing it to the elements (mahabhuta) and animals – especially to predatory birds. The locations of these “burials” are understood as charnel grounds. As many Tibetans are Buddhists, in which the idea of rebirth is adhered to, the body is seen as an empty vessel upon death. Sky Burial is in the simplest understanding, the easiest way to dispose of a body post mortem.

‘Leichenhaus‘ Tracklisting

1. Corpse Flower

2. Mentality Of The Inanimate

3. Withered Efflorescence

4. The Coldest Orchestra

5. A Cruel Mirage

6. Ethereal Dispersal

7. …And You Are But A Thought

One thing you notice immediately about this album is how damn catchy it is. The lyrics are a gruff shout, and pretty easily decipherable which can make for an enjoyable listen depending on your personal tastes. What that gives you are choruses like the ones found in “Your Rotten Life”, “Hatebomb”, and the anthemic “Old Times, Good Times”. Just try to listen to that track once and not walk away humming it to yourself. While the lyrics aren’t philosophical or groundbreaking by any means, they will worm their way into your brain and hang out there for a while.

The band keeps a pretty steady mid-pace overall, but mix things up by slowing down to a chug to close out title-track “Katharsis”, and wearing their thrash influence on their sleeve with “Vicious Assault”. “The One” sees the band take their closest foray into the death metal realm, sounding like a slower Kataklysm. The drumming is solid, with plenty of skank and d-beats to keep your head bobbing. The guitar work is mostly straight-forward, with a few solos thrown in but they don’t crop up very often. This album is all about groove, and if you don’t come to it expecting too much then it’s worth a spin or two to take a break from all the great death metal that is coming out the first part of this year.

There are no real memorable riffs here. The songs meander along with little sense of direction or urgency. There aren’t any dramatic shifts in speed, tone or mood. The music has a warm, pleasant hum and buzzes along slowly. The vocals are what propel the music and Patrick Walker’s voice burnishes the songs with a lustrous sheen of melancholy. His performance is to be lauded, but if you can’t identify with the mood or emotion of the album it just won’t engage your attention. Subtle layering in the music and vocals emerge when it piques your interest and it’s pretty enjoyable when it does but it’s easy to become disinterested after 15 or 20 minutes of the stuff.

The effort is admirable but unlike more riff focused efforts, there are no particular moments that jump out at you. 40 Watt Sun are intent on building a mood, not crushing your with heavy riffs so it’s hard to fault them for not being something they aren’t. It’s not bad by any stretch of the imagination, just overwrought emotionally, and when you can’t connect to it on that level it’s just not very interesting.

Hailing from Norway, Beaten to Death consists of a few of Norway’s veteran players from short lived or middle tier bands like Insense, She Said Destroy, oh and drummer who has played in Tsjuder and Grimfist. But they play grindcore, but its grindcore like you’ve never heard before.

With 9 songs and only clocking in at about 18 minutes, you’d initially think this was a typical grindcore record full of short blasts and grunts. But Beaten to Death are far more than that. Armed with a burly Belgian/Dutch sound (think Aborted/In-Quest), at times remind me of Benighted with their massive grooves and snarling blasts (and dual vocals) , but there’s something else going on something clever, addictive and perfectly executed that will surprise grindcore fans; melody.

Mixed in with the impressive, grinding blasts and huge grooves are moments of truly enjoyable shreddage and melody, not gimmicky or piecemeal but killer moments of harmonic insanity. At times it reminds me a little of the title track from the second Neuraxis’ record, Truth Beyond…., but with more burly grinding heft. And it’s not just a fleeting moment in a song or two as virtually every song has some sort of catchy, attention grabbing bridge, solo or segue amid the throttling chaos, and its often even mixed in.

Whether it’s the slick melodic blasts amid the rumbles of “Winston Churchill”, short sharp harmonics of “On Running”, shimmering opening canter and atmospheric segue  of “A Soulless Alarm”, or my two personal favorites “‘Cat Olympics” (do I detect a subtle hint of Lykathea Aflame here?) and “Groundhog Day” which are both so brutal yet melodic its downright silly. And speaking of silly, you can tell by the song titles (and press photos) , these guys aren’t out to be a brutal and serious as possible, and their lighthearted yet brutal vibe comes across in their music.

Seriously, Xes and Strokes will be the most fun you’ll ever have while being sonically brutalized (or is it Beaten to Death?) . Just fucking get this , OK?

In regards to this upcoming tour, TURISAS front-man Mathias Nygard comments: “It took time, but finally we had a chance to make it back to North America. After many successful tours there with acts like CRADLE OF FILTH and DRAGONFORCE during the past few years, it’s great to return as a headliner. This is a killer combo with great variety– some of the most twisted acts of the folkier side of metal! Be prepared for a great night out– I expect to witness some crazy audiences!”

So don’t miss out! Check the dates below to see when TURISAS and “PaganFest” will be coming to a city near you.

“PaganFest: America Part III” tour dates feat. TURISAS with ALESTORM, EX DEO, ARKONA, HUNTRESS

3/29 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar

3/30 – Worcester, MA @ Palladium

3/31 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre

4/1 – Montreal, QC @ Club Soda

4/2 – Toronto, ON @ The Opera House

4/3 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s

4/4 – Detroit, MI @ Blondie’s

4/5 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club

4/6 – Saint Paul, MN @ Station 4

4/7 – Louisville, KY @ Vernon Club

4/8 – Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall

4/9 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

4/11 – Dallas, TX @ Trees

4/12 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s

4/13 – Denver, CO @ The Marquis

4/15 – Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven

4/16 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre

4/17 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge

4/18 – West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club

4/19 – Tempe, AZ @ 910 Live

“Time Never Lasts” is my favorite of the two. It starts simply enough, built around progressively climbing scales set to an endless jackhammer barrage of percussion. It doesn’t take long for the song to mutate into more complex, geometric and punishing forms, yet it always maintains a cogent forward momentum. As always, the real treat for me is the shimmering cosmic tone from guitarist Leon Macey. (Also be sure to check out UK death/thrash act Scythian‘s 2009 release To Those Who Stand Against Us, which Macey mixed/mastered – you’ll hear more of that awesome, kaleidoscopic guitar tone in there.) “Inside the Godmind” is a more chaotic, brutal journey, shot through with more of Macey’s rippling effects. The highlight here is the massive, lumbering second half, which finally devolves into a cacophony of echoes from deep space.

The live tracks were recorded at a London gig back in 2008: “Tomb of Kings” and “Wrath of God”, off of Forever Advancing… Legions, and “Beyond the Eyes of Man,” from Worlds Beyond the Veil. The earlier tracks were less melodic to begin with, so it’s not surprising that live, you mostly just hear drums and growling, with the guitars buried beneath. “Eyes of Man” fares better, with its vaguely Egyptian-sounding melodies riding much higher in the mix. I’m not really a fan of live albums, but this last track at least makes me want to see Mithras if they ever come around stateside.

The real attraction here is the new material. Wish there would have been a couple more tracks instead of the live stuff, but they’re a good teaser for the next full-length, which drops in September. And if you really can’t wait until then, just remember: time never uh, yeah.

Everything Went Black are a blackened hardcore band from St. Louis, Missouri, By blackened I mean there’s no black metal kvlt mumbo jumbo going on here folks. This is straight in your face hardcore with a dreary undertone and hateful aesthetic; taking inspiration from notable bands such as Ringworm, Cursed, and Integrity.The record which is entitled Cycles of Light is a harrowing experience of frightening razor sharp riffs and throaty vocal atop blast beats and d-beat patterns. Oh and the audible bass is also extremely scary. Produced like poop yet everything is clear and audible. It’s blackened so it needs that raw sound and they nail it on this album.

Album opener “XI” is an instrumental base with an audio track part way through. The riffs lay low into eerie chords that when struck create a rather negative style of drone. The song eventually flows into “Gods of Atlantis.” Scorching hot riffs burn slowly until a fast paced punk explosion brings things to full speed. Crusty southern melodies make an uncanny appearance adding a groovy breakdown to end the piece.“Halo of Vultures” is a foray of classic metalcore meddling and rocking hardcore grooves. Wretched lyrics cave in any thought of happiness. “Lifeless” on the other hand is a full on hardcore blast of frustration, tremolo melodies eventually appear and bring a disgusting crust riff to rot away and devour our ears.“Parades” and “Kingdoms:” the two longest tracks on this short yet masterful record. “Parades” is a jarring experience of dissonant rhythms which bring an almost keen sense of putridity, while one’s ears are admitted an intense broken wailing that’s festered with cries from tortured lungs. A beautiful yet gloomy classical piece closes out the tune.“Kingdoms” on the other hand does however crank out a sort of happy riff in the beginning before the heaviness kicks into a slow post-metal sounding jam. Up tempo melodic hardcore mayhem makes its way in and for some reason gave me a With Honor vibe towards the end of its part. The song brings the melodic riffs back painting a desolate portrait of chaotic hardcore hate.

One of the coolest things I noticed about the record was there are a lot of times where chaotic technical riffs come out of nowhere and HOLY FUCK! Do those parts slay. “Thorn Feeders” and “Baptists” are two rough displays of unbalanced ferocity contained within just two minutes. Not so much technical as in progressive rather it’s a more extensive meandering of chaos: a whirlwind of hardcore punk savagery.

Now with this vocalist imagine a mix of The Hope Conspiracy and Black Flag coupled with the dark imagery of bands such as Ringworm and Cursed. The instrumentation also takes nods from the above but also adds ideas from Entombed as well as Dark Funeral. Finally the philosophical messages of hate and decay that spews forth into a clutter of poignant blasphemies are not just an all out attacks they’re more of a manifestation of masterfully designed evil.

Another perfect example of blackened hardcore done right. From the fast and righteous grooves to the evil sludgy stomps this band has created their masterpiece. Cycles of Light is a thought provoking journey that should appease fans of the aforementioned ones as well as the new bands on the scene such as Black Breath and Mammoth Grinder. So smoke a bowl and introduce one’s ears to some sick new tunes

Now that almost everyone has left or is currently hammering furiously on the keyboard with an anti-Christian lash, I’ll proceed.

As with most post-rock, the seven longer songs (5-9 minutes) that comprise In Abstraction are full of delicate acoustic lulls and crescendos of hefty lurching riffs, but with A Hope For Home, it’s all glossed with a tangible (at least to Christians I imagine) sense of upward looking grace and truly emotional heft. And overall the songwriting, dynamics and depth of the material has improved greatly from a so-so Christian band to a truly evocative post-rock group that simply happen to be Christian.

This is evident immediately with opener “Calm” and second track “Out of Ruin, Misery”, two of the more striking tracks in the genre I’ve heard in quite some time — regardless of faith.  ”Calm” gets right to it with an impressive Isis-ian lope and bellow that shows that the band has added a little oomph to their sound from The Everlasting Man. The delicate bridge about 1:45 in is simply gorgeous and its brief clean vocal section is perfectly placed and implemented. “Out of Ruin, Misery” has a similarly stunning moment about 5:05 in that’s just a killer rumbling riff and transition to a more elegant clean section.

That song bleeds into “Firewind”, a more expected softer track that starts a four song trek into the more introspective. The beautiful elements in the more  hymnal quartet of “Tides” and “The House Where You Were Born” and “Weave” transcend into much more personal and peaceful realms — with only the occasional mountainous bursts. It’s all admittedly a bit of a lull, but wrought with emotion. The the 9-minute epic closure, “Everything that Rises Must Converge”, ends the album with the same brilliant mix of clarity and heft as the opening two tracks. It actually starts with a rending somber acoustic section that could be lifted from a Mono track, before the song explodes into a melancholic metallic post-rock eruption that is truly captivating and comes across as a moving, heartfelt plea to the listener.

The three more ‘metal’ tracks alone make this worth while, and the added tracks of more delicate atmospheric shimmery moments just add a little grace to the proceedings. If these guys weren’t Christian, they would be having the same reception as Iron Thrones did a couple of years ago. To me they put off the same dynamic and hues. Highly recommended for the more open minded metal fans who enjoyed last year’s Junius CD, but who are in need of a little more positive balance in their listening habits.

“I know most of you are aware that Christine Rhoades is doing some vocals on my album. At first I thought she’d be the only guest singer on the record but then this one song started coming together, it’s pretty brutal. I’ve always wanted to do really, really heavy music and after hearing this, both Aaron and myself thought we needed some crazy, sick singer on it. We just sat around tossing names out for a bit, nothing really was sticking and then Aaron says, ‘I got it…Ihsahn’ and it was one of those moments where you knew that was the answer all along, it just hadn’t been unlocked in your mind yet. Anyway, a few short emails back and forth and we had his vocal track in. It came out amazing. I can’t wait for you to hear it. Ihsahn, thanks again, it’s an honor to have you on my record.”

The new album will be produced by Aaron Smith (7 Horns 7 Eyes), and fans should keep their eyes peeled for previews of developing songs, studio updates and additional details.

For more information on JEFF LOOMIS, please visit:
www.jeffloomis.com
www.facebook.com/jeffloomisfans
www.centurymeida.com