Ava Inferi - Onyx (2011)

Formed as the brainchild of former Mayhem composer Rune Eriksen and Portuguese singer Carmen Susana Simões, Ava Inferi has influences that stretch far and wide. But the one truth that stretches throughout their discography, albeit a small one, is the constant gray of life. Whether it be through the misery of everyday life, or the fascination with death and the hereafter, each track on their latest offering, and follow-up to the criticially acclaimed "Blood Of Bacchus," is ripe with pure, unadulterated gloom.

Dark riffs ring out, followed by operatic chanting and increasingly powerful drums. The title track, "Onyx," is chilling in it's female fronted verses, which are light on instrumentation. However, the choruses leave room for a flurry of solo guitar work. Quiet whispers create a mood that will leave goosebumps on your arms. It remains heavy, dark and brooding. Effects laden guitar leads you into "The Living End," before distortion kicks in. The clean vocals throughout are beautiful, yet emotionally draining. An eerie male voice enters in the refrain, gloomy and melancholy. Drumming is persistent, not tearing your attention away from the lyrical message, but not weighing down the composition.

Shortened, distorted scales take hold of "A Portal." The tempo never moves past a low roll, but momentum is not an issue. The song flows seamlessly from verse to chorus and back again. Brief keyboard induced orchestration only help to accentuate the gray clouds and their silver linings. No intricate guitar work, no crashing drum breakdowns. Only smooth, structured gothic style. "((Ghostlights))" could not have carried a more fitting title, sprinkled with recorded paranormal investigations. To say frontwoman Carmen Susana Simões' voice creates imagery of "the other side" is an understatement. Her tone will haunt your dreams, especially when paired with some more aggressive doom metal chugging. Slow, deliberate and otherworldly.

After a brief intro, "Majesty" sees some heavier guitar work, sliding up and down the neck. Drums enter, with a roll of toms. Vocals range from the somber, low range to the sublime, higher octaves, delivered with power and conviction. Bass work is a constant, never overpowering the leads. Spoken words and crashing waves provide the perfect opening for "The Heathen Island." In the nine minute track, you get a taste of everything the band has to offer. The bass gets a starring role, flowing through spoken passages. Guitars enter and exit, distorted riffs trading with harmonic picking. The drums throw a few unexpected fills at you, knocking you off balance. All the while, smooth, soothing female vocals put you at ease.

"By Candlelight And Mirrors" sees the band enter the realm of traditional doom at times, with a crawling pace and the typical kick/snare drum patterns. Guitars finally screech forward, on top of blazing double kicks. But the vocal patterns remain unchanged, soaring over the top of the chaos. A dark angel, delivering line after line of pitch perfect opera. Soft guitars and orchestration takes over in "Venice In Fog," building toward an unearthly finish. You may find that the delicate vocals provided by Ms. Simões will stay with you, long after the music has stopped.

It is an accomplishment to be so dark, so dreary, and yet so melodic. Ava Inferi does not sacrifice structure and flow, simply to throw in a head banging breakdown or air guitar inducing solo. The music created comes off as very organic and effortless, in the best possible way. It seems as though, three albums in to what promises to be a long and successful career, the band have recorded what will be known as their seminal offering. Much like its namesake, "Onyx" stands as a truly magnificent gem.

8.5/10

Official Site - http://coven-of-avainferi.com/
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/avainferi

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Finntroll - Nifelvind (2010)

 

Created in the midst of an alcohol fueled tirade, Finntroll have lay claim to the pagan metal crown. Their mission was to fuse the raw, larger than life sounds of black metal with traditional Finnish music (which could be called "Hoedown"). Over a decade and six full albums later, you think you have this band figured out. On  2010's "Nifelvind," Finntroll are here to tell you to sit back, and enjoy musical fusion at its finest.

A strong tribal drum beat builds into chanting and orchestrated strings and horns in the intro track, "Blodmarsch." But calm gives way to calamity, and "Solsagan" is unleashed. A flurry of kick drums and a deafening growl give you a taste of what is to come, a battering array of blast beats and high speed chugging. Background chanting keeps the aura of pagan folk metal intact, but only as support. The screams are powerful and, at times, tense. This creates the darkest of imagery for the album.

A set of toms with varying tones helps to pave the way for distortion and dismay. "Den Frusna Munnen" pairs hypnotic keyboard melodies with flowing, yet crunchy, guitar work. Vocals are coarse, demanding attention amidst the well timed snare/cymbal punch. The outro portion is a head bobbing success. Ethnic strings introduce you to a blood curdling scream in "Ett Norrskensdad," a track that is equal parts playful and painful. Even with instrumentation that seems upbeat, the vocals delivered are gritty. Is it possible to dance and swing your hair at the same time? "I Tradens Sang," on the other hand, leaves no room for celebration. The brutal double kicks are ever present, with lyrics pelting you in a harsh manner. Guitars take the fore, beating you down with distorted riff after distorted riff.

With a taste for the epic, Finntroll carve out the down tempo hammer of "Tiden Utan Tid." Rolling thunder and chants kick things off, with a constant chugging guitar emerges, only deviating to throw in a partial scale. The drum rolls are slow, in comparison to the previous tracks, but no less damaging. Things get violent as the track draws to its end, highlighted by the presence of tormenting keys and chants. "Galgasang" steps away from the bloodshed long enough to deliver a folk acoustic ballad, of sorts. Beautiful vocal melodies emerge for the first, and last, time. Don't get too comfortable, though, as "Mot Skuggornas Varld" returns the band to the heavier comfort zone. Synthesizers play the lead through most of the song, with a jaunty bass line cropping up at opportune times.

The musical carnival of "Under Bergets Rot" is as amusing as it is enjoyable. So many instruments, so many happy little notes emanating from your speakers, but only three minutes to catch them all. "Fornfamnad" seems to be a continuation, before it breaks away from the happy and dips into the harder side of life. Back and forth it goes, trampling the line between somber and sublime. The seven minute closer, "Drap" ties the album up in a dirty, choking knot, taking the chugging and slashing guitars and giving them a full two minutes to fade away into silence.

Finntroll manage to, once again, deliver an album worthy of the pagan metal moniker. Combining the raw with the refined, they have written, and subsequently rewritten, the text book on the genre. They have succeeded in their goal of combining two styles that would seem to be at odds with one another, and creating something that is mysterious, yet somehow soothing. Though, at album's end, you may also be telling the tale of the Finntroll.

8.5/10

Official Site - http://www.finntroll.net/

Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/officialfinntroll

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Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstacy (2011)

After waiting almost four long years, Pagan's Mind has finally released their fifth studio album, entitled "Heavenly Ecstasy." The power metal band from Skien, Norway has gone over the top with electrifying solos and mystical lyrics.

The album starts with a short introduction of eerie synth sound effect giving off a dark feel that builds up into the next track. "Eyes Of Fire" fades in with shattering cymbals and powerful drumming. The refrain is full of energy as Nils K. Rue soars over the blaring guitars and heavy drumming with his angelic clean vocals. The song grabs a hold of you with chugging guitars that later enter the song. An insane guitar solo follows towards the end that will absolutely blow you away.

"Intermission" is the first single released off of the album, and you will see why, as catchy up beat guitar riffs lure you into the song. This fades into a calm verse as the instruments fall back and slowly begin to build up again. The chorus will hit you hard, as the vocals are loaded heavily with reverb effects. The melodies mixed with the gorgeous guitars will consume you with its catchy sounds. The song will leave you bobbing your head from start to finish.

If you're looking for something a little more aggressive, check out "Follow Your Way." Tons of distorted guitars layered on top of each other blast catchy chords at you, combined with detailed drum fills and fast bass lines. You will definitely want to hit the repeat button a couple of times for this song. "The Master's Voice" is another track that shows off their true power metal sound as the vocals in the refrain echo over the catchy melodic guitars. Thick bass lines are used to connect the verses and choruses smoothly. Epic strings accompany the explosive drums in the middle of the song which lead to a quick solo hitting every high note that there is. This song stands out a little more from the album because the vocals switch up and get a little darker at times, as you will hear in parts of the verses a more screechy high pitch vocal that differs from the regular power vocal you are used to hearing. Also, the drum solo that concludes the song is extraordinary as rapid change in patterns keep you at the edge of your seat the entire time.

Overall Pagan's Mind has much potential and definitely write some memorable choruses and detailed solos. However, that's about all you will find in "Heavenly Ecstasy." There are a lot of generic riffs and a lot of the songs sound the same. The album is average for what they have to offer. A little more musical creativity and a little less reverb on the vocals could improve their sound, and help them gain a little more attention. Check out the record if you get a chance, but I wouldn't put it at the top of the list of "must hear" albums.

6/10

Official Site - http://www.pagansmind.com/
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/pagansmind

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Mastodon - Leviathan (2004)

Loosely based on Herman Melville's novel "Moby Dick," Atlanta, Georgia's Mastodon have shown their creative and deeply imaginative side once again with the incredible "Leviathan." This is an earlier album of the progressive group that shook the metal industry back in 2004. For those of you who are unfamiliar, each of Mastodons albums have, so far, represented an element. This album represents the element of water.

It kicks off with a heavy dose of violence with the song "Blood And Thunder." Groovy guitar riffs immediately fill the air through the verses. The refrain has tremendous amounts of aggressive vocals that include a unique mixture of yelling and growling. The drum fills are phenomenally performed by Brann Dailor. Loudly distorted guitars surround Troy Sanders' monstrous vocals during the last verse. This is an amazing opening track full of energy and excitement. And no, it doesn't stop there, "I Am Ahab" continues the fast pace, with deafening guitar riffs and vicious drum work. The vocals are violent and mixed with dark emotion. Unfortunately, this magnificent song runs for less than 3 minutes long, leaving you wanting more. Hitting the replay button is a must!

"Seabeast" starts out a little slower with eerie melodic guitars. Things pick up in the verse, with uncontrollable drumming and overwrought vocals. The song ends with stormy guitar riffs chugging away heavily layered with punchy bass. The opening guitars in "Iron Tusk" contain turbulent riffs that will be stuck in your head for days. Harsh vocals enter for the verses and are accompanied by deep bass lines and relentless drumming. The structure of this song is unique as its constantly changing melodic patterns.

One of the most appealing songs on the album is "Naked Burn." Brent Hinds takes over the vocals, singing catchy melodic lyrics throughout. You can hear so much passion in his voice during the refrain. "Aqua Dementia" contains wicked vocals that might make you flinch. The guitars are reckless and groovy all in one, and will probably make you want to dance to its catchiness! However things slow down again with "Hearts Alive" which is one of Mastodons most epic and progressive songs. Running for well over 13 minutes, it starts with the sound of the ocean as soothing guitars and insane drum fills fade in. Dailor is one of the most talented drummers in the metal industry, as you will hear some of his complex fills and snare patterns throughout the song. The structure is truly different as the riffs switch up in tempo and get heavier and softer without notice. Loud yelling vocals start off the verse while demonic clean vocals follow. The guitar work throughout this song is astonishing and at times, hard to keep up with. Considering the lengthiness of the track, its still a song your going want to hear a couple of times in a row to catch every little detail. "Joesph Merrick" is the final track that ends the album on a calm, relaxing note. It is a simple three and a half minute instrumental that gives great imagery to the end of the album.

With every album comes great surprise and amazing results, as Mastodon grows and changes their style each time. "Leviathan" is a well rounded album offering everything from catchy refrains to heavy progression at its best. The album also contains beautiful artwork done by graphic designer Paul Romano. Who would have thought that the element of water could be so metal?

9/10

Official Site - http://www.mastodonrocks.com/
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/mastodon

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UneXpect - Fables Of The Sleepless Empire (2011)

UneXpect, the kings of the bizarre, are making a comeback after a five year absence. With their new album, titled "Fables Of The Sleepless Empire," the band look to reassert themselves, and assure you that they have not changed. A trip to the wild side awaits you, one that you will be hard pressed to describe, but you won't soon forget.

Angelic female vocals are the perfect intro to "Unsolved Ideas Of A Distorted Guest," immediately fulfilling the "beauty" side of the band. A strong drum beat keeps the pace, supported by a up and down bass line. Lightning fast guitar work, in the form of picking and plucking, breaks down to distorted chugging. The soft voice disappears, unavailing devilish screams and deep, guttural growls. Now the beast is unleashed. The instrumentation seems chaotic at times, with keys tying all the pieces together. Harsh screams take you down a dark path to the conclusion.

Smooth bass and passive strings join that same heavenly voice to begin 'Words," a track that quickly turns. Dark symphonics peek through, yearning to take over. The bass and guitar move at lightning speeds, leaving the drums to fill the gaps with roll after fill. Vocal diversity is a key here, borrowing from every possible style, from clean singing to death styled growls, and everything in between. Keys are demented and spacey, creating an atmosphere that will frighten you. "Orange Vigilantes" has all of the drumming prowess of the best black metal has to offer, but relies heavily on immediate tempo changes and a hint of the wicked. You are not afforded time to rest and catch your breath in the dulcet, female lead vocal passages. Seconds later, piano keys and jazzy bass work take you into another realm. Variety is the spice of life.

The band blaze through odd time signatures and equally strange instrumentation on "Mechanical Phoenix" and the aptly titled "The Quantum Symphony," a track which will leave you trying to hash out new mathematics to figure out what beat this band marches to. "Unfed Pendulum," a taste of the bizarre, combines shredding strings with robotic chants and screams that could come from Satan himself. That is, if Satan likes to boogie. Dust off your dancing shoes, because there is a jazz swing breakdown that will have you on your feet. "In The Mind Of The Last Whale" is only three minutes in length, but not short on creativity. A short instrumental to cleanse the pallet.

"Silence This Parasite" highlights the drum capabilities and solidifies the "beauty and the beast" vocal stylings the band is known for. The drums punch ahead, with brilliant string work and frightening vocal passages. "A Fading Stance" is a welcome interlude, with sweet vocals and layered strings, almost dreamlike in its harmony. The album ends on as bizarre a note as it begins with crushing "When The Joyful Dead Are Dancing" and "Until Yet A few More Deaths Do Us Part," with the latter being a demented set of wedding vows.

Fans of the same old same old will be instantly turned off by everything this album has to offer. There is simply no way to take it all in with only one listen. Being unique is not always a recipe for success. Different isn't always better. But in the case of UneXpect, strong musicianship and creative writing make being strange seem like a good idea. The circus is in town, and it is time to enjoy a taste of the bizarre.

8.5/10

Official Site - http://unexpect.com/unxpct/
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/unexpect

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The Podcast: Episode 9 (Birthday Dethday)

Can you believe it? Nine weeks, nine podcasts, and Mastodon mentioned in each and every one. New artist spotlight focuses on Hell, Infestus and While Heaven Wept. And to celebrate Murmaider's birthday, we go off on a tangent of Black Metal. How do the stereotypes represent the black metal scene as a whole? And how do break away from them, and form your own identity? Not every black metal band wears corpse paint and burns churches, guy.

Part 1 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5V5EFHOO

Part 2 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FEL65R9I

Fans of black metal, unite and leave us your comments!

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Skogen: The Interview

Let me start off with how honored we are to have an interview with Skogen.

Thank you very much! Always good with an interview.

What inspired  "Svitjod", lyrically and musically? Are the lyrics written from a personal perspective, or are they just simply lyrics? And what is the story, if any, of the album artwork?

Lyrically it's a mix of the dark parts of old Swedish history, like witch burnings, the bubonic plague and torture, and just cold, long winters, solitude and nature. Musically we did riffs and melodies that we thought would set the mood, and that we like ourselves. We always look for the right atmosphere.

Black metal stereotypes paint all people in the genre as Satan worshippers, who burn churches. How do you feel about that? Is black metal all evil and darkness?

Well, we do not play satanic black metal. We play the music we like, and people just categorize us. The music itself it rooted in black metal though.

The black metal I listened to, and still listen to the most, is satanic. Bands that I looked up to back in the days, are now less satanic and have stupid outfits. Take Dark Funeral for example. Their first mcd and "Secrets of the black arts" are amazing! Blackmoon certainly knew how to make evil riffs. But now it's all about speed, they're posing with their instruments in the photos and the singer looks like Skeletor from He-Man. People might think that it doesn't matter, but it does.

When it comes to church burnings, I think it just adds more feeling to the mystique. Christianity is a filthy religion filled with hypocrisy and lies, and that so many millions still worship it in 2011, is just a proof that mankind's stupidity is only increasing. I'm not against church burnings, but I wouldn't do it myself.

How important was it to maintain that raw, black metal sound?

It can't be too easy listening, but not too low-fi either. There are too many shitty bands with shitty sound out there, that can't even play their instruments properly. I think it's important to have a sound where you can hear all instruments perfectly, and that sets the mood. I have alot of cds at home with bands that have bad sound, and with one of them I actually couldn't hear if the drums were playing grind or a slow, steady beat, because of the poor sound. So to sum it up: raw, but clean and listenable.

What is the typical recording process like for you? What kind of studio or equipment do you use?

For "Svitjod", we recorded the drums in a nameless studio in our hometown. Then we recorded all guitars, bass and vocals at Mathias' studio, like we also did with "Vittra". We are pretty fast in the recording process, we just have alot of material and take our time to get it exactly how we want it to be, before recording it. All three of us can play guitar, so everyone's making riffs and stuff. As for the recording, we use Cubase 3, and the equipment we used are Gibson guitars, Engl head with a Marshall amp, Ashdown amp for the bass, and Tama drums.

Who were some major bands that have influenced you?

It's everything from the obvious bands like Drudkh and Walknut to maybe less obvious like King Diamond.

What bands/artists do you enjoy listening to in your spare time? Are there any other genres besides metal that you like?

We listen to alot of different stuff. Without revealing who's listening to what, here are some bands: Rush, Deicide, King Diamond, Drudkh, Queensrÿche, Exodus, Graveyard, Depeche Mode, Marduk, Ghost, U.K., Funeral Mist, Testament, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Walknut, Mercyful Fate, Strebers, Immortal, Black Sabbath, Possessed, Emperor, Autopsy, Windir, Megadeth, Repulsion, Watain, Fleet Foxes, Metallica, Morbid Angel, Slayer, Dissection.   

Obviously, black metal fans across the world are finding your music online. Do you see downloading as a problem, or is it helping to spread great music across the world?

I think Lars Ulrich is the only one who actually cares and fights it nowadays. We think it's great that our music is available for everyone. The genre we play is not very broad, and not every store care to sell it, so it's only good. But we also want people to buy our albums, of course!

What does the future hold for Skogen? When can we expect an American invasion?

We're rehearsing new songs at the moment, for a new release in the future. An American invasion sounds good! Maybe it's not so easy with our Swedish lyrics though. We haven't play a single show yet, but sometime, somewhere in the future we will! We haven't gotten any requests yet.

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