Review: Soul Attrition – Vashon Rain

A solo project from Chicago noise/sludge trio Escape is Not Freedom bassist Josh Parlette, Soul Attrition’s debut has been described as a combination of post metal, grunge and sludge, focusing on haunting melody and pummelling riffs to create something emotional and driving. Sound pretty good to me so far! It is out on the 13th of July this year.

The cool, fuzzy riff that opens ‘Sinking’ instantly adds a dash of Alice in Chains in there, but without that Staley snarl it feels softer. Rumbling post metal and sludge riffs underpin most of this record, with the solid ‘Thirteen’ bringing to mind Kylesa’s soulful earthiness. ‘Vashon Rain’ is a record full of this wistful introspection, a desire for something just beyond its reach. The ghostly ‘Fatal Flaw’ is excellent; imagine latter Katatonia meeting mid period Kylesa and you’re about there.

‘Vashon Rain’ has a melancholic edge to it that is a real change from the more barbed, raging vibe that a lot of sludge/post-metal groups do. In some places, it does lack the heaviness that I think it needs but in its place there is a definitive identity and a fragility that is noteworthy. I think Soul Attrition have placed fine and solid foundations on which to compose what could be a masterpiece.

https://www.facebook.com/soulattrition/

https://soulattrition.bandcamp.com/album/vashon-rain

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Review: ISA – Chimera

A one man, psychedelic progressive death metal project from the US, ISA is certainly an interesting and unique prospect in this overfilled world of extremity. A self released piece, ‘Chimera’ certainly lives up to its many headed, ferocious namesake.

The dreamy ‘[dusk]’ swells into the scatterbrained ‘Stage I: Descent’, which swings between nasty scowling deathroars and lush acoustics. The rest of the album follows this method, swaying wildly from heavy brutality and sweet melodic goodness. Not quite djenty but definitely aware of a good groove riff or two, the crush of ‘Stage VI: Lust’ is excellent. But it’s all the space in between the heaviness that appeals to me here. The dreamy rumblings of ‘Stage V: Reflections’ is beautiful, while the meandering ‘Stage VIII: Ocean’ is a perfect combination of everything we’ve come across already on this record.

At all times ethereal, ‘Chimera’ is an interesting blend of death metal and some truly psyched out melodic moments that give you all kinds of good feelings. Clearly a labour of love, ISA’s work here is a credit to him and his vision, as ‘Chimera’ is a sprawling, ambitious work of modern heaviness.

https://dcurhan.bandcamp.com/album/chimera

https://www.facebook.com/isadanband

Review: Faceless Mother – The Thing That Lurks

Melodic death metal from Pakistan? The variety and spread of metal across the world will never fail to amaze me. Faceless Mother’s EP ‘The Thing That Lurks’ comes to us from Karachi, and is a three track rager available now through their bandcamp.

Ripping straight from the melodeath playbook, opener ‘Beholder’ has a nice gallop to it and some great guitar melodies to it, while the mournful ‘The Baying of Crows’ has some absolutely fantastic, melancholic riffs. This is definitely feels more like a dark death metal record than more traditional melodeath, but the nice guitar work keeps them hooked to the genre.

Closing with the driving title track, I think Faceless Mother’s debut has got a bit of potential to it. The production isn’t great, but the riffing and songwriting all shows promise and I think in particular the melancholic touches of ‘The Baying of Crows’ is definitely worth the price of admission. Keep an eye on these guys.

https://facelessmother.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/facelessmother

Review: Order Ov Riven Cathedrals – Göbekli Tepe

These mysterious Italians do not hang about, with their new record ‘Göbekli Tepe’ coming out only a year after last year’s debut ‘The Discontinuity’s Interlude’. Order ov Riven Cathedral’s spiralling death metal is a creation of the stranger forces in our universe, and beyond. It is out now and available through the band’s Bandcamp.

Massive waves of blastbeats underpin a cacophonous assault of huge roars and technical death metal insanity. ‘Worship ov Abduction’ is like a howling gale of death metal, and like fellow countrymen Hour of Penance brings you to the very edge of death metal heaviness. It is relentless, battering extremity in the most crushing form. But Order ov Riven Cathedrals also take notes from the likes of Fleshgod Apocalypse and thread orchestral grandeur and atmospheric ambience throughout. The likes of ‘Glorification ov the Divine Fallout’ and the stunning ‘From Neptune to Assyria’ show how death metal can be both devastatingly brutal and soaring with majestic melodies.

This record is a revelation of where extreme music can take you, both to the depths of deathly abysses and the heights of wondrous grandiosity. ‘Göbekli Tepe’ is an album of staggering musicianship, guttural vocals and a powerful sense of drama. Order ov Riven Cathedrals are a band of stunning potential, and each release continues to prove this.

https://orderovrivencathedrals.bandcamp.com/album/g-bekli-tepe

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4mrVAUQFh5jvJSQHyLKvQ

Review: Rancorous – Into the Nuclear Fire

New England death thrashers Rancorous have only recently dropped their ‘Into the Nuclear Fire’ debut on their Bandcamp page, but it is already becoming one of my more spun records this year. If you can’t spare a mere six minutes for these tracks, then frankly you’re doing too many things that aren’t important!

Holy shit does that title track rip? Rapid fire, raw as fuck blackened speed metal thrash chaos, ‘Into the Nuclear Fire’ is instant, blinding death in song form. Wild soloing punctures the rapid riffing, and ‘Death Incarnate’ continues this hellacious pace with dare I say a little dose of melody too. The rapacious speed of ‘Perverse Subvertor’ is a fitting close to a demo that is over far too quickly.

Frankly, this is a killer debut and only makes me salivate for more. Repeated spins will never lessen the enjoyment, and if anything you can notice even more. Actually, that’s not true as there is nothing subtle about Rancorous at all, and that’s probably what makes ‘Into the Nuclear Fire’ so fucking great!

https://rancorous.bandcamp.com/releases

 

Review: The Malice – Lamashtu

Swedish/German death metal project The Malice’s second EP, ‘Lamashtu’ is named for a Mesopotamian demon of great malice (see what I did there?) and this four track EP is possessed of some pretty demonic death metal. It has been self released by the band through their Bandcamp, and is available now!

Opener ‘In the Light of Asag’ is a writhing beast of brutal blasting and chaotic riffing power. The Malice are very much a modern death metal band; where rawness has been replaced with a cacophonous and devastating heaviness. There are riffs spilling out like lava from the core of these tracks, from the crippling blasting of ‘The Pestilence of Ibra’ to the ravaging display of power in ‘The Nimrud Assignment’. Breaking up the carnage with subtle dashes of eastern instrumentation can only act as a distraction from the powerful death metal within.

‘Lamashtu’ summons the darkened powers of the elder gods and displays it all for us to see. The Malice are a killer band with some serious musical chops, and their modern death metal assault is music to the ears of anyone who loves the Black Dahlia Murder, or actually anyone who just really loves death metal.

https://www.facebook.com/themalicelegions/

https://themalicelegions.bandcamp.com/

Review: Neurosis (Colombia) – Las Centurias de la Muerte

Neurosis (not the overlords of the primal ‘Riff’) are a Colombian deaththrash outfit that have been churning through the South American underground since 1987, and their latest release is a three track EP entitled ‘Las Centurias de la muerte’ (‘The Centuries of Death’). Being South American and deathly thrashy, you just know that this is gonna be vicious.

The opening title track builds with melodic precision before kicking it into high gear with some great, early Sepultura worshipping thrash riffs. Capable of cooling it down to a hearty chug as well as a lightning quick thrash off, Neurosis keep it varied and the murky production keeps it feeling rabid and raw. The eastern tinges of the superb ‘El Guardian’ are pretty cool, and there are many epic guitar riffs lurking within. ‘Voces del Infierno’ is the highlight though; a shapeshifting thrash beast that ticks all the boxes if you like modern Kreator or early Exodus.

These guys have got their sound nailed down, and ‘Las Centurias de la Muerte’ is a ballsy thrash out that is sadly over too quickly. But that’s ok, because you can just put it straight back on repeat again and thrash yourself to death. Technically sound, memorable and properly ‘old school’, Neurosis are another gem of the South American underground, and should get more love!

https://www.facebook.com/neurosiscolombia

http://www.neurosismetal.com/