The various listens I had over the previous week, first staying up-to-date on current releases before going through the ages to listen to an older release.
First up is the newer releases:
Angel Nation-Antares (92/100)
The third full-length from the UK-based Symphonic Metallers. Energetic mid-tempo riffing, thumping rhythms, and majestic keyboards create a wholly engaging and warm blend of melodic power and sensuous patterns. Focused on sprawling chugging riffs with steady drumming and sonorous vocals, the light soundscape with the fantastic keyboard washes in the background keeps everything rather straightforward yet full of gorgeous arrangements that drive this forward. With the majority of this one based in mid-tempo paces, the times it dips into more energetic and explosive tempos with driving rhythms and pounding drum-work offer some exciting counterbalance to those sections and is kept to select sections such that it's not overwhelming the rest of the melodies present. Without too much in the way of obvious detriments and appearing highly competent overall, it's one of the finer efforts in the style.
Dreamtale-Everlasting Flame (92/100)
The eighth full-length from the Finnish Melodic Power Metal outfit. Steady churning riff-work with crunchy patterns and straightforward rhythms offer a warm blend of heaviness with engaging melodic leads. Featuring a dynamic mix of steady mid-tempo patterns with electronic keyboard melodies trinkling along to the pounding drums to speedier paces with galloping Speed Metal patterns with dexterous drumming, the small things of variation keep this intriguing through the lengthy running time as the mixture is balanced nicely. Although there's a slight shift to the melodic mid-tempo efforts, the main focus here on driving melodic rhythms and leads regardless keeps this a generally engaging and triumphant-sounding blend of melodic fury and thumping heaviness that's only let down by a bloated running time and tracklist that makes it an investment to tackle.
Destruction-Diabolical (90/100)
The fifteenth full-length album of original material from the German Thrash legends. Furious rabid riffing, pounding rhythms, and blistering tempos offer forth a charging and hard-hitting blast of old-school Thrash with little deviation from the norm. Whether firing off twirling intertwined rhythms and full-throttle drumming of a dynamic mid-tempo crunch with rather steady patterns and the occasional burst of driving double-bass blasts, there's little to dislike here with this general approach. The straightforward riff-work and energy, though, do noticeably lack the twisted arrangements and obscure melodies that were long a part of their sound which is a given due to the personnel changes here which make for a less identifiable but still vicious genre act. That factor's relevance will depend on the individual more than anything, while the excessive tracklist might be a more universal detriment to get over.
Wolf (Swe)-Shadowland (94/100)
The ninth full-length effort from the Swedish Metallers under the name. Groovy churning riff-work, steady rhythms, and loose, sprawling chug-based patterns keep this one rumbling along at a fine classy, mid-tempo pace. Focused on featuring solid churning riffs with dexterous melodic leads, plenty of straightforward drumming, and warm rhythms, the majority here comes off within a highly enjoyable burst of intricate yet non-technical arrangements and traditional melodies. The toughened rhythm section serves this well in the faster gears despite this not going that route except for select passages as the main riffing patterns stay in that groove-filled crunch containing plenty to like about it. This does feel somewhat bloated running on for about an hour did to some excessive and overlong tracks but there's not much else to dislike here as sonically there's a little issue here.
Claustrofobia-Unleeched (82/100)
The eighth full-length from the Brazilian Death/Thrash Metal outfit. Stuttering start/stop chugging patterns and tight rhythms propel this one along with rather vicious and violent, straightforward arrangements throughout. The tight riffing and steady tempos here bring the violent energy that's enhanced nicely with the churning groove-filled patterns and pounding drumming which is still thrashing enough at the mid-tempo range to get rather energetic. The times where it dips away into a more explosive outburst of vicious technical patterns and blasting drum-work away from the steady chugging setups as the majority of the album demonstrates that's fine enough for what it is. It just leaves this rather one-note and predictable by featuring either the straightforward chugging or thrashing patterns so it leaves little surprises for the most part.
Visions of Annihilation-The Inception of Chaos (94/100)
The debut full-length from the US Brutal Death Metal group. Thick churning riff-work, heavy rhythms, and dynamic blasting offer a straightforward and vicious effort that features plenty of engaging aspects overall. The tight patterns focusing on swirling riff-work with heavy chugging patterns or thick thrashing rhythms create a dynamic, varied approach with a fine mix of slightly-technical churning grooves alongside full-on brutality. Coupled with the addition of raging drum-blasts that carry the equally dynamic approach of vicious double-bass blasts with the ability to change up-tempo and pacing styles quite well, the general atmosphere here offers a tight, thick style with plenty to really enjoy about it. Very little of this is original or new, especially to those familiar with this approach but overall this has far too much to like that it holds up quite high.
Golgothan Remains-Adorned in Ruins (84/100)
The second full-length from the Australian Death Metallers. Thick sprawling riffing, pounding rhythms, and haunting melodies feature a murky, chilling atmosphere that conjures up the best of the old-school scene. Playing firmly in Incantation worship, the feral rhythms and eerie howling vocals alongside the steady mid-tempo blasts that dominate this one which allows the album to dip into more explosive tempos for great effect. With the majority of this one being relegated to that style of thick, oppressive rhythms and straightforward arrangements, those sections offering tremolo riff-melodies against much more ferocious elements carry a rather fun and frantic vibe delivering the goods with the overt murkiness. Like most of the efforts in this style, it's nearly impossible to tell what song you're on as it tends to bleed together rather easily due to the limitations featured but you could do a lot worse than this one.
Grand Belial's Key-Kohanic Charmers (91/100)
The fourth full-length effort from the US Black Metal legends. Ravenous traditional riff-work, blasting drum-work, and fiery rhythms bring about a vicious old-school atmosphere that's quite engaging throughout here. Filled with their signature blend of unorthodox arrangements within traditional rhythms that generate a hard-hitting, thumping drive which is accentuated by the pounding drumming, the majority of the album carries the same venomous attack as before when in the upper registers of their sound. The lower sections, scaling back on the energy to pull off a chugging-based attack with steady drum-work and extravagant soloing throughout, feature quite well overall and make this a rather solid and worthwhile comeback without too many glaring detriments beyond the need for multiple short instrumental interludes with this low quantity of original material to begin with.
And for our classic release:
Conquest (Ukr)-IV (91/100)
The fourth full-length from the Ukrainian Power Metallers. Tight mid-tempo crunchy riffing, melodic keyboard accents, and steady thumping drum-work carry on the lighter, more atmospheric touch of the last album quite nicely. Relying less on the roaring Speed Metal riffs in favor of the chugging crunch and mid-tempo rhythms that were brought into focus on the last effort, the main backbone here is a generally heavier offering with more intricate arrangements throughout. Given the greater prominence of the soaring keyboards within this setup that alternates between melodic and atmospheric, this remains highly engaging and dynamic when the wedding speed arrives to help balance the right chugging patterns. There's still an issue with the singer's lack of range here with most of this in the same general mid-range feel, being exposed mostly on the ballad, but still not being enough to hold this down.
Comments
Post a Comment