Ukranian Alternative Death Metal band with grit and definite Edge!
“A mixture of alternative, and blackened metal mixed with a hint of progressive southern rock….” /raVen/
The transformation of Azathoth Circle from their EP ͞The Replacement is a vast and tremendous move in the right direction for the band and artists. The first LP from Azathoth Circle, Across the Wounds is a definite cathartic tribute to the band who have shown a tremendous amount of growth and transformation not only musically but lyrically. Putting the words holistic on any metal album such as this can quickly be misinterpreted, however, impassioned lyrics with a solid mix of clean and utter guttural vocals from Alexandra Babiy make Across the Wounds a definite departure and absolute upgrade in artistry and vision from ͞The Replacement.
A mixture of alternative, and blackened metal mixed with a hint of progressive southern rock make this a solid full length debut album.
With the influences such as Tool, A Perfect Circle, Gojira and Lamb of God the audience should not be surprised when they hear some great instrumental licks, solid riffs, and clear vocals mixed together seamlessly.
When listening through the album there have been some definite and vast continued success in this LP that will continue to be refined and executed as the live performances begin to hone and sharpen the band and artists collectively.
After listening through the album my initial reactions develop where Teeny Voices, Black Magic, Dog Song, Crowned and Heart of Fire breathe a solid breath into the debut LP and provide an artistic foundation for the experimentation and lyrical releases throughout the remainder of the album. Everything Comes Real displays the southern roots of guitar and produces lyrically, musically and artistically what to expect in the future. My Own Shell, That’s What and Vidzheny slow the pace of the album a bit but still deliver solidly and artistically.
Azathoth Circle’s debut LP, Across the Wounds is a must have for any diehard fan of dark alternative metal searching for that album that every member of the band pours their heart and soul into. This album exudes years of dedication and professionalism towards perfecting their craft. Azathoth Circle has officially been cataloged in my personal library!
\raVen\
]]>‘Open The Gates O Forest Keeper’, with lots of stringed and brass instruments, opens up the album in an epic and theatrical way, and ‘To Lost And Ancient Gardens’ follows with an acoustic opening with soft singing and delicate female vocals thrown in to compliment the male voice at the forefront. It’s interesting how both of these songs are relatively short and give us an introduction to the album before the third song. Most times there’s a short intro to an album and then bombast follows right away. Xanthochroid goes against the grain and chooses the slow build, which is unique and welcoming.
‘To Higher Climes Where Few Might Stand’ is where the black metal tone with the signature distortion and brooding mood comes in, but the music follows a power metal meets black format, which is interesting, especially with a mix of clean and harsh vocals. This song goes to show that their unique mix of different metal styles is still intact from their last album that was out in 2012. It’s epic and features lots of twists and turns to keep the listener engaged, and shows plenty of softer moments interspersed with the hard ones. ‘To Souls Distant And Dreaming’ starts off with an interesting picked bass line which then leads to light guitar and drums. There’s a laid back pace in general that drives the song, which is a bit surprising to me since this is the third song out of four so far to be in a softer vein. ‘In Deep And Wooded Forests Of My Youth’ continues on with the trend and reminds me of something that would’ve fit in well with medieval times.
Thankfully, ‘The Sound Of Hunger Rises’ gets back to the metal drive that the band has lacked on this album so far. This song features a mid-paced double-bass drum approach, and has lots of the cinematic flair that is a trademark of their heavy sound, along with some interesting riffs that leads the song in different pacing at times. However, the track ends in a slow and folky haze, which is a letdown considering I was hoping that they could’ve shown the strong side of the group for at least one more song in full at this point. And with ‘The Sound Of A Glinting Blade’, at this point I realize that waiting for the album to pick up with some consistency is a lost effort, although the harmonious and solo vocal efforts on this song are noteworthy even though at five minutes in length, this track is fairly forgettable.
‘The Sound Which Has No Name’ brings the album to a close, and the triumphant and conquering nature of the music saves the album from going out on a slow or forgettable note. The song is quite memorable in approach and drive with the band throwing all of their key elements into the mix to make an exciting composition.
I must admit that I like the concept of putting out a double album in staggered fashion. If it’s memorable enough, it leaves the fan clamoring for the next chapter instead of being given everything all at once. However, in this case I find that the idea of putting out the whole project at once would’ve served the band better, because if both albums are meant to accomplish a grand objective, then I find it hard to rank this album without knowing where the future will take me as a listener.
I’m at a loss as to what to say about this collection of songs when I know it’s accompanying piece is forthcoming in the future. While a band like Opeth made a point of stating during the ‘Deliverance/Damnation’ sessions that one album would be a purely soft and melodic album, they also mentioned how the other would be a true-to-form exploration of their already established sound. Perhaps if Xanthochroid could have put forth some information on whether this album will be the softer calm before the storm of ‘Act II’ is delivered, then I’d know how to properly digest this album. This isn’t me dumping on the effort or the music, but I have no clue if this album marks a departure in their metal tendencies, or if it’s a precursor to a bigger motive and delivery with a more metalized ‘Act II’.
The music is big and robust, and shows creativity that a lot of veteran acts fail to grasp at times, but I just feel underwhelmed by this first part installment. I hope that the second-half of the project gives us more rewards as a listener.
]]>It must be gratifying as hell for Brown to be able to fully take charge of his musical path and do music on his own terms. While his collaborations have all been very worthy and memorable, it gives off something special when an artist is able to break out on their own and show themselves fully to the musical world without having to do so in a band environment. So with this newfound freedom, Brown has laid down eleven tracks spanning all facets of his musical influences with his drive and passion pushing forth on his solo debut Smoke On This.
I’ll make the point before getting to the songs that this isn’t metal. While it definitely skirts the line from time to time, this music is more rooted in an old-school approach with a modern day feel. The great thing for most fans of his previous work is that the influences that come out on this album mirror what a lot of his older fans have grown up on and appreciated; that being hard rock with a no frills approach.
‘Lone Rider’ starts off the album with Brown saying “smoke on this” and starts into a nice hard rock groove reminiscent of Black Label Society. Brown’s hazy vocals gel perfectly with this dirty rocker. This is such a great introduction to the album and gets things started off on a high. ‘Crossing Lines’ keeps up the momentum with dominant riffs, some nice slide guitar and organs which propel the big and meaty slow pace to this song. ‘Buried Alive’ is acoustic to start which leads into some electric riffs, but the song keeps coming back to the soulful and emotional approach of non-distortion, which shows a great transitional contrast. The final minute of the song gives us a great bluesy solo.
‘Train Song’ shows off riffs that come barreling across just like the title in question, while ‘Get Yourself Alright’ is bluesy in approach with harmonious layered vocals, and a psychedelic edge which sits over the song in a smoky haze. ‘Fault Line’ stays on that tangent with a stripped-down acoustic approach that reminds me a lot of The Beatles as far as the pace, and with the way that the light piano/organ and vocal effects come across. ‘Grace’ emotes an almost funky drive to the song with its drum beat and guitar strumming. Once again, this is another example of showing off layers and influence on this album.
I was afraid that the title of ‘So Into You’ would suggest a power-ballad, but the southern rock approach gives off the opposite. It’s powerful and catchy as hell. ‘Best Of Me’ once again shows how well Brown takes a bare bones approach to songwriting. The pacing and feel in this track show a heartfelt emotion with the instrumentation helping to push these feelings to the surface. The song goes from soft to heavy and pulls you in. And ‘One Of These Days’ closes off the album with the song seeming to split off midway through, going with the same feel as the mid-paced songs on this album, then Brown repetitively sings the title before switching to a memorable organ driven blues approach to close out this collection of songs in a memorable way.
I will say that the only problem I had with the album was the inclusion of ‘What Comes Around’. It’s the only song that for me comes off as filler in a sense. It’s not bad musically, but it’s just not memorable.
But to have this as my only gripe is very telling as to how talented and well done this collection of songs come across.
There’s a great bottom-heavy groove to the overall drive of the music, which I’m sure is in part to Brown’s history of bass dominance. It provides the perfect backdrop for the riffs and drums.
The general mood of the music on this album reeks of southern throwbacks and a genuine 70’s approach to songwriting, which is completely welcome to me in a day when everything is so overproduced and tinkered with in this digital age of recording music. I’m also very happy with Brown’s vocals on this debut. He’s a natural as far as bluesy hard rock vocals go, and I’m almost upset that it took us this long to hear his voice in the forefront on his recordings after all these years, because we really missed out.
Brown’s ability to saunter between the gravely dirtiness of hard rock and bluesy southern-rock while being able to effectively create an air of emotion and harmony with his more bare and simplistic approach shows a real maturity as a songwriter. While some people familiar with his past projects might be taken a bit aback by his debut’s direction, I’d say the bulk of his fans that have been with him since his start have the same affinity and love for rock’s greats just like he does. This is a worthy debut, and I’m glad to see that Rex’s next chapter in music history comes across as so genuine and heartfelt.
]]>With six songs clocking in at a mere nineteen minutes in length, it’s safe to assume that the band is going down the short and sweet path to songwriting. The opening song ‘Sin’ pulls off a commanding dirty guitar riff march which goes back and forth between full-on and palm-muted. Soulful and somewhat raspy vocals by Bryan Fontez help to provide a great contrast to the sleazy nature of the music. ‘Gimme Time’ is a bottom-heavy rocker that comes off like an arena rock anthem, with the drums providing a great clap-along opportunity for their fans in a live presence. The song is a little too short for my liking though.
‘Bright Lights’ has a slow and sultry approach which gives off images of riding down a dusty highway on a Harley, while ‘Southern Lips’ evokes AC/DC crossed with southern rock. It’s simple and to the point. ‘Smoke & Ashes’ shows off a punchy approach courtesy of guitarists Brenden Armstrong and Michael Silva, bassist Will Shannon and drummer Christopher Galaz, and ‘Little Miss Filthy’ gives a big nod to the sleaze of past bands like maybe Faster Pussycat meets Buckcherry.
Last Bullet give us a great mix of dirty 80’s hair metal, stripped-down 90’s hard rock and dashes of southern rock influence with an underlying blues sensibility that’s prevalent in every song. This music won’t reinvent rock or be looked at with incredible originality, but it’s character and working-man approach to songwriting sets the bar high for other bands to compete with them.
I often times need bands like this with a bare-bones approach to rock music to remind me that sometimes less is more. That’s not a knock on this band at all, but when you listen to as much progressive music as I tend to do, it’s important to get back to basics and realize that it takes a special kind of talent to craft this accessible yet ballsy approach to rock. It’s a throwback in a lot of ways with the delivery, but it’s genuine as hell and commanding of attention.
With their great DIY approach to promoting their music and presence online and in a live atmosphere, the band can only go further and to higher levels than they are currently achieving.
]]>With the band comprised mostly of the duo of Tim Steffens (vocals/bass/guitar) and Florian Toyka (guitar), featuring longtime session drummer Patrick Schroeder along for the ride, I was interested to hear what the trio could bring together. There are a myriad of guest musicians on this album to help broaden the horizons, so I’m intrigued to say the least.
‘Into Depression’ starts off the album with an airy acoustic opening with light organs, bass and drums. A guitar solo is weaved in to the mellow vibe, and that entrance quickly dissipates as an immediate blast-beat black metal onslaught takes over with the snap of a fingers. Both black and clean vocals are utilized, and I’m reminded a lot of Enslaved in these parts. The song then goes back to the soft vibe of the opening while offering an atmospheric path. There are some interesting sections to be sure, but I feel like the slower parts are dragging on just a bit, especially at almost nine minutes in length.
‘My Terrifying Mirror’ goes for a more straight-ahead black metal approach, thundering drums and chaotic vocals and all, which is welcome as I feel like they’re taking a specific path and can now add layers without it sounding muddled. There are the transitions I found in the opening track, but they’re placed in a better sequence to these ears, especially with a shorter song length. ‘Under Feral Skies’ treats us to a true form of progressive black. It mixes both styles very cohesively and is probably the best representation to me of what the band does best. The soft interlude stays relatively short and adds depth to the overall track.
Surprisingly, ‘In My Shadow’ showcases folky/jazzy guitar and drum patterns with layered vocals which I wasn’t expecting. Whereas ‘As The Snow Melted’ could be used as a companion piece to that aforementioned song based on the short-and-sweet take on their music. Very beautifully played and sung. ‘The Murderers’ gets back to the metal with a mid-paced death-like approach to the vocals. Some low-key horns are used to keep the depressive and atmospheric ambiance at a peak level as well. I feel like the whole vibe of this track really showcases their progressive talent as it brings the song together, going from soft to forceful and back again while using the prog as the glue that holds everything together. This is my favourite track on the album.
‘Enemies Blood’ is probably the most up-tempo I’ve heard the group on this release, with some great syncopated guitars and keyboards tying everything together very nicely. ‘Saturn’ follows with a bass and drum driven push which turns into meaty riffs. The title track keeps the Enslaved influence present again like in the opening track, but here it’s not only in the music, but in the vocals as well which mimic Grutle Kjellson from the aforementioned band in an eerily similar fashion. Finally, ‘Frozen In Time’ puts a bow on this collection of tracks with a soft piece that is accompanied by vocals from Anna Murphy (ex-Eluveitie).
I was afraid that with ‘Into Depression’ that I was being given a snapshot of how the whole album would sound, with a somewhat bumpy progression in songwriting, but as the album moves forward, I was treated to a more expansive and original product than I could have anticipated. Now I can’t speak to the rest of the band’s catalogue as this is my first foray into their material, but this album offers a lot to the listener.
The band comes across convincingly with the black metal foundation and adds a generous amount of atmospheric prog to the mix to keep things interesting. There are lots of layers, talent and influences which go into the band’s sound, which I’m impressed by. I feel like sometimes the band lacks focus as far as sticking to a songwriting formula. Where one song can go back and forth, another can be a light piece. However, this is my only somewhat negative impression to be honest, and this detail is used very sparingly.
I feel like there’s only good things to come from this group, and perhaps with a focus on maturing the marriage of styles more cohesively, then there would be no denying that Klabautamann would rise up to a higher level among their peers. I don’t say this as a slight, as this is a wonderful album. I just want those specific tweaks addressed for myself so that I enjoy their future releases that much more.
]]>So with that template in mind, Slagduster has made it a mission to make their mark in metal with their own unique stance. The press release for their new album Deadweight states “For fans of Gojira, Sikth, Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Between The Buried And Me”. Now take all those bands, who’s point is to make unsafe music that challenges, and it can make the mouth water at the thought of a newer band putting themselves in that league. Does it translate as such? Well let’s delve in and see.
‘Soldiers Of Meth’ opens up the album with frantic instrumentation, and after about a minute, harsh vocals join in. Much like the title of the song, this jam is probably akin to how a tweakers brain bounces around while waiting for that next fix. Interesting. ‘Peeping Ron’ features an opening that reminds me of a technical metal take on swing music. You can actually bob your head to this, which is quite a feat in and of itself for the type of music they’re playing. The groove is solid as hell while maintaining their core composition ideals. ‘Profane Puppet’ gives us lots of stop/start pieces, with particular detail to making demented time signatures as the focus. ‘Mother’s Milk’ on the other hand shows the band doing their best to meld a thrash sensibility with their own directive.
However after the strong first half of the album, I start to lose patience with the idea of the band generating a sound that stays consistent. Unpredictable is the best word to explain Slagduster’s sound. Just when you think you know where they’re going, they switch things up just before you have them pegged and figured out. While this can be an endearing quality to many other bands when used correctly, this quartet suffers from the opposite problem. The frustrating thing for me is the band waits till the end of the album to give us ‘Untouchable’; a track that actually comes across as one of the more complete and focused pieces on this album, which makes me wonder why they’re closing out the album so strong when it was so jumbled and unfocused preceding this.
As for positives, you can’t pin Slagduster’s sound as being identical to just one of their contemporaries. They have their own groove and niche that they’re trying to carve out, which is damn near impossible in a technical/prog metal world that in most cases has seen almost every type of innovation come along. They play with an exciting and tight syncopated approach, which I appreciate. All players involved are talented and play with a great passion. Let me be clear that the problem I have with the songwriting isn’t lack of talent, riffs or complexity, because the band has all this in spades. The main problem to me is that the music comes across as jumbled and not particularly memorable, which is a real shame. I like their base ideal of having a groove metal sound that goes off the rails with technical proficiency, but I feel like they try to cram as many ideas into one song as possible. Some bands can take complexity to a great level if they use it properly, much like old school Protest The Hero, who had it down to a science on their early albums. It’s entirely possible that Slagduster can also accomplish this in the future, but for now they need to slow down a tad and let the songs breathe a bit.
I hear lots of promise in these lads, and in my heart I do want to fawn all over this, but they need the maturation process of songwriting to fully take hold of their creativity. There’s some interesting stuff going on here, now let’s see some progress for the next effort.
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