Advent Sorrow - Before The Dimming Light (EP) (2012)

Advent Sorrow is a fairly fresh symphonic black metal band from Australia that has recently released a powerful new EP, entitled "Before The Dimming Light." It contains 5 crushing tracks of pure darkness and evil. Monstrous vocals mixed with reckless double bass pedals and ravishing orchestration make this EP one to remember.

The EP opens with "Before The Dimming Light." Dark piano riffs fill the air as violent double bass pedal patterns come rumbling in from behind. Wretched guitars blast away with harsh distortion. The verses take over with vicious black metal growls that will send chills down your spine. The orchestration throughout the track is absolutely gorgeous as high string melodies float gently in the background. The breakdown at the end throws punishing double bass pedals and chugging guitar riffs that is sure to sweep you off of your feet.

"The Wraith In Silence" picks up with more beautiful piano riffs that are soon accompanied by reckless drum rolls and orchestration. The vocals take control with more devilish growls and low screams. Meanwhile double bass pedals constantly beat up the background making you want to throw up your devil horns for sure. The guitars continue to produce wicked melodies that scream through the air with speed and detail while the bass guitar follows with deep punchy bass lines. The mix up between black metal screams and death metal growls keeps the track refreshing along with the haunting strings that follow.

The EP really mixes things up with "A Porcelain Mistress" The tempo is faster along with the overall deliver of all of the instruments including the vocals. The double bass pedals and relentless as well. Then you come across the song "Insidious Memories" which starts out with dark and gloomy sound effects. This doesn't last long however, once more monstrous double bass pedals explode into the scene along with blaring distorted guitars and more harsh growls. This leads to the final track, entitled "Withered By Her Curse." It opens with soothing strings and demonic piano riffs that completely consume you into the track. Violent chugging guitars soon follow along with wicked fast double bass drums. Hell raising vocals rush in along with a relentless snare drum that constantly beat you into the ground. The wretched growls echo through the track with raging tones. The tempo of the song changes up a lot as you'll notice it jump from fast to slow constantly. This makes the track very refreshing and keeps you hooked the entire time. The song structure is very detail as well. You'll definitely find yourself hitting the repeat button a few times. It's tough to catch everything that goes on the first time you hear it.

"Before The Dimming Light" is a well balanced EP that delivers everything from fast violent drums and guitars to beautiful strings and piano riffs. Advent Sorrow manages to create that beauty and the beast type of sound in their mix and completely surrounds you with darkness at the same time. The songs are well written and flow into each other perfectly. This is definitely a must hear EP for 2012.

8/10

Official Site - http://adventsorrow.bandcamp.com/

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The Podcast: Episode 55 (Take my Band Of The Month away...)

Can you believe we are in August already? Fuck. Alas, it is time to select our new Band Of The Month. First, Justin thinks he is a bad ass, and wants to talk about the new Testament album "Dark Roots Of Earth." Darrell is less of a bad ass, but still has a few things to say about the new Officium Triste and Ophis split, "Immersed." Our new BOTM, which is what we will call it from now on, just to please fans of bands like BTBAM, is upon us. Who could it be.....?

Download the first of two parts here.

And the elusive second part here.

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Maelstrom - The Passage (2012)

The rise of the one man band is something we have chronicled over the last 14 months worth of reviews and interviews. Somewhere along the way, people realized there is an "i" in team, or no team necessary for the "i". Case in point, Maelstrom, a new post metal act from beautiful Florence, Italy. Captained, in full, by Ferdinando Valsecchi, this is another notch in the belt of solo projects. Taking all of the imagery and smoothly written melodies of art rock, and tossing them into a blender with the distortion and blast beats of post metal, Valsecchi has concocted a four song EP, titled "The Passage," that will have you believing that one is not the loneliest number; but it may be the most potent.

From the first chords, right into the initial blast of "In A Painted Black World," this is a post metal affair through and through. An array of drums fills the background as a series of descending guitar notes screeches through the air. Even as things fade away, the light guitar plucking gives a great sense of melody. The beauty is in the changes of tempo and tone, from hard and heavy, to light and sublime. Lyrics, delivered in a cautious Italian whisper, aren't the star of the show, but a great supporting character for the instrumental. As each word fades into the breeze, the ethereal guitar work and pounding of the drum kit prepares you to venture forth. This isn't all chords and chugging, however, as some deft finger work emerges in the outro. There is an almost lullaby quality to the opening notes of  "I Dreamt For A Brighter Sky," a sound that switches so suddenly to a fluttering guitar and cracking cymbal. This is not to say it loses that dream inducing state, but merely changes the color and texture of said dream. Distorted chords fill every available piece of real estate around you, and spoken lyrics come down on you from above. It is all so fractured, so disjointed, but in a way that makes perfect sense. The drum work continues to impress, with multiple beats happening simultaneously, without clouding the mix. Even when they present a more coarse blast of hits and crashes, they allow the guitars, and the simple melodies, to shine through.

The early moments of "...And I Wanted To Live..." remind us of some of the work of French romantic doom band Grey November, with building instrumentals surrounding a haunting whisper. But rather than a slow, exhausting buildup, you are once again launched into a land of clouds, however gray they may be. This track boasts the most melodic sensibility, relying mainly on clean strums of a guitar, to pair with that lingering voice. The drums, while maintaining their power in every downstroke, take a step back and allow things to rise and fall on their own. Separately, each piece of the track may seem overly simple. But together, as one wave, it all fits so well, so snugly together. In a completely surprisingly change, "...Until The Rest Of My Life" goes in a bizarre direction, complete with standard drum beat. The guitar work is strong, if not a little off kilter from the rest of the album. It isn't until the midway point that you get the real strength of the track, with darting guitars taking command in a flurry of activity. The drums change their pacing, slightly, allowing you to move forward. All of the set up, all of the rise and fall, is all in preparation for the last section, when everything comes out together. Every element locks in together, guitars with bass, drums on top of drums, in a rousing summation of everything this band has to offer.

Whether you take in this album as four separate tracks, or as one 20 minute chunk, there is an enormous amount of music to digest. Maelstrom isn't giving you standard, black and white post metal. Instead, what Valsecchi creates is something that is, dare I say, atmospheric more than it is heavy. This album walks a fine line between music for a sunny day car ride, and music for a stormy night alone. This alone makes it worthy of our money, or at minimum, our attention span. There aren't any hidden gems on "The Passage," nor anything you will need to strain your ears to hear. It's all out there, ready to be consumed.

8.5/10

Bandcamp - http://maelstrompost.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/Maelstrompost

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Spiral - Mind Trip In A Minor (2012)

The psychedelic Spiral is back with another mind blowing album, entitled "Mind Trip In A Minor." It was released in June of 2012. It contains nine solid tracks of mesh and madness. Be prepared for lots of odd sounds and sound effects along with some awesome drum rolls and punchy bass lines. This is psychedelic ambient rock at its best.

The album opens with "Watch My Fucking Head" which start out with eerie clean vocals that contain a very haunting voice effect on them. Meanwhile a dark keyboard plays gentle behind it along with soothing strings. The vocals definitely giv a very ghostly feel to the song. Later come the thunderous drum rolls throwing toms and snares at you from every direction. The guitars continue with the eerie melody that was displayed in the beginning only they add distortion and deep bass lines. The keyboards come back in towards the middle of the track with carnival like tones that blend between upbeat and demonic. Static vocals enter with unclear filters that really mash up the lyrics to where you can barely tell what is being said. This is clearly the sound that they were going for. Towards the final two minutes of this nine minute beast comes a wild melodic guitar riff that will absolutely blow you away. The notes are relentless and will definitely send chills down your spine.

You can find some really groovy bass lines in "Cave In The Oak" and "Down The Rabbit Hole." They both open with mellow bass tones and light drum rolls. The keyboards also play a big part especial in "Down The Rabbit Hole." They give a very trippy feel to the mix as they use strange sounds and wild effects. You also run into the same eerie vocals that you ran into at the very beginning of the album. I have very mixed feelings about these vocals. They aren't melodic and pleasant in any way however they are so farfetched that it actually leaves you wanting to hear more of it. On top of that you get more carnival like synths in the background that really help fill the track.

The madness doesn't stop there though. "Ritual Of The Snake" sends you into a whole other dimension of futuristic keyboards and head bobbing drum rolls. Distorted guitars blast away in the background with scratchy tones and more booming bass lines. Harsh shouting vocals fire away about half way through the track. They're covered in messy filters leaving an unclear sound. Then you're hit with another insane guitar solo that runs up and down the musical scale like its nothing. They add a few filler parts in between the verse and the solo but its all worth it when you those parts. You'll even get one more solo at the very end that has a lot more aggressive tones to it. Blaring distortion will have you falling off your chair for sure.

The album closes with a song called "The Way Out Is The Way In" and this is definitely a must hear track. Calm beautiful guitars gently play in the background as depressive mellow vocals step in with a very light eerie sound effect on it. There is very light bass line in the background as well that barely fades in and out behind the bright keyboards that lead the way. About the three minutes into the track come gorgeous violins that layer over each other multiple times giving off a beautiful sound. You'll find yourself going back to this track just for the violins alone. It definitely gives you a very different sound then the rest of the album.

With all of the strange effects and odd sounding instrument you can tell that Spiral really reached for the stars with their creativity. They showed many different elements in "Mind Trip In A Minor" and you'll find that it gives a really refreshing sound. Each track flows perfectly into the next in which you won't even realize what track your on. If you're looking for some unique ambient art rock to get lost in then this is definitely the album for you!

8/10

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spiral/
Bandcamp - http://thespiral.bandcamp.com/

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Mudbath - Red Desert Orgy (EP) (2012)

With the Olympics in full swing, it's easy to view bands across the world as athletes at different stages of their careers. For Mudbath, a five piece outfit from Avignon, France, their time in the spotlight is just beginning. Fusing together elements of sludge, doom, and black metal into one devilish conglomerate, this five piece stands, toes to the line, ready to race ahead of the competition. On their debut EP, "Red Desert Orgy," they not only excel in their style of choice, but they also pound the other entries into the ground with an  earth rattling low end.

The offering begins on "Loserwood," where a crying guitar is met with a wall of rumbling bass. The down tuned groove pulls you deep into its web, where bloodcurdling screams suffocate you. Each pounding drum beat shakes the subwoofer of your speakers, while a rattling cymbal sits on top of the mix. The mix is perfect, allowing the sludge covered guitars to command it all, while also giving spotlight to the rhythm section. There are times where the vocal patterns don't seem to match up to the musical accompaniment, almost seeming too busy for the music itself. But those sections are easily overshadowed by the more impressive ones, ones where wailing guitar solos somehow find a perfect home in a bass heavy doom song. Aside from the lead work, there isn't anything particularly complicated at play, but everything is placed just so, giving you every reason to raise a fist.

The following track, "Mudjahideen," follows a similar formula, but with two very distinct vocal styles at work. The first, a loud yelling in the verse, is new, while the other, the black metal inspired screech, is a holdover from the previous track. How the two work together is key, as their call and response layering gives the track a great back and forth. There is a depth to the musical recording, one that continues to surprise you with tiny details. Again, you won't find anything groundbreaking in these seven heavy minutes, but what you will find is a five piece who have a very strong command of what they do. So much so that when you finally think you have the track figured out, around the four minute mark, it blows up in your face. The tempo increases, the beats come faster and with more force, and every element crashes down on you. The solo that follow, with all its blues influence, may not seem like much on its own. But in the scope of the music and the track, it carries so much weight.

The final track, the bizarrely titled "Smells Like Teen Cunt," has a much shorter buildup than the others, choosing to come from a weak riff into full on explosion, rather than block by block. The screaming vocals share space with an off key cry, but they are buried so deep in the mix, beneath guitars, bass and drums, that they are almost a backing element, rather than a lead. As with the rest of the album, the guitars are the true star, breaking through time and again with a catchy riff, a soulful solo, or just a shaking burst of distortion. While the song does pick up steam as it moves along, it fails to reach the peak that you are waiting for. This is not to say it doesn't have victories along the way, but it doesn't match the intensity that was displayed earlier. The final two minutes, in fact, are little more than an extended outro of slow drum beats and one chord at a time chugging.

Everyone needs to start somewhere. For Mudbath, this is the perfect time and place. through these three tracks, and just under 22 minutes, there are clear strengths and weaknesses. Thankfully, the weaknesses are easily identified, and even more easily fixed. With a little more focus on the vocal structures, and a little variety on the longer tracks, this could be the beginning of something much bigger. But, fortunately, the starting line is where "Red Desert Orgy" stands. And with a clear view of the track ahead, France's newest sludge group could find themselves leading the pack soon enough.

7/10

Bandcamp - http://mudbath.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mudbath/329983097015555

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Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth (2012)

Testament, the veterans of thrash metal, are back with a brand new album for 2012 and from the sounds of it, they are here to stay. The new album is called "Dark Roots Of Earth." It's got a total of nine tracks with 4 extra bonus tracks to top things off. Lead guitarist, Eric Peterson, has really taken this group above and beyond where anyone ever thought that they would go. The guitar riffs in this album really communicate with you and send a powerful message.

The album starts out with vicious guitar riffs that blast away with wild melodies and heavy chugging riffs. The drums come in and completely kick your ass with booming drum rolls and complex fills. The verses contain aggressive shouting vocals that'll knock your teeth in. You're definitely going to bobbing your head from front to back. There's a lot of energy coming off of this opener. What a great way to kick off an album. Then your hit with more wild guitar notes in "Native Blood." The wild melodies whip back and forth while deep bass lines rumble beneath you. The vocals echo high over the instruments with a monstrous delivery. Clearly lead singer, Chuck Billy, still has it in him. Towards then middle of the track you're hit with and amazing guitar solo that shreds up and down the musical scale like it's nothing. Meanwhile rapid double bass pedal drums roll right through you with quick speed.

Songs like "Dark Roots Of Earth" and "Cold Embrace" lean more towards the ballad side as they incorporate soothing acoustic guitars mixed with distorted guitars display a more mellow tone. The best thing about some of these slower tracks is that you're able to really get close and personal with the drum rolls. Each fill with have you jaw dropping to the floor in seconds. The drums really keep the track aggressive even though the lighter vocals and guitars show a more mellow side to the album. It's definitely a great mix of beauty and the beast type of sound. Then you'll come across a song like "Throne Of Thorns" which has a little bit of everything from the album all in one track. The beginning starts out slower with gorgeous guitars and strings adding a gloomy feel to the mix. Then your hit with punishing guitar riffs that slowly start to to speed up as the a constant kick steps in giving you a solid beat to bash your head to. The vocals take over with hell raising lyrics and a very dark and aggressive delivery. They even include some some haunting clean spoken word that plays well with the story line. This seven minute masterpiece with definitely have you wanting to hit replay as soon as you finish hearing it the first time. The distortion effects on the guitars are just absolutely mind blowing. They even throw in some futuristic sound effects on the vocals giving them a very tripping sound. And of course, you are then hit with another godly guitar solo. They just keep getting better and better throughout the album.

The final track on the album, entitled "Last Stand For Independence," is an explosive piece that constantly sends bone crushing drum fills and melodic riffs. They manage to fit tons of wicked riffs that will have you completely addicted to the album. The vocals continue to stay aggressive with harsh shouting tones. Meanwhile guitar solos jump in and out rapidly giving you no time to even catch your breath. Chugging riffs keep the track heavy and make you want to throw up your devil horns while the solos hypnotize you deep into the track. The track is less than five minutes long so definitely make sure you back to this one a few times. You're gonna need to in order to catch all of the details. Once you hit the end of the album you will discover four bonus tracks that the band has added. You'll find covers of Queen, Scorpion, and Iron Maiden. They also include an extended version of "Throne Of Thorns" which is definitely a must hear track so make sure you check it out.

Testament is bigger and better than ever. "Dark Roots Of Earth" is a skull shattering, fist bashing album that will completely destroy your speakers. The guitar solos alone are out of this world as you'll love them more and more through each track. The drums will absolutely blow you away with each and every kick and snare. This is definitely an album you do not want to miss out on so check it out!

8/10

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

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Officium Triste & Ophis - Immersed (Split) (2012)

What do you get when two masters of doom come together for a four song split EP? No, this isn't a joke. There is no punchline. You get "Immersed," the new split from Holland's Officium Triste and German doom band Ophis. While the concept of a split is often clouded, two new songs by each are better than none, a fact on which we can surely agree. There may not be any revelations to be had here, but for the uninitiated, or those who struggle to find new music, this is the perfect showcase of doom styles, distinct and different. Through their respective pairs of songs, both bands give you a taste of what is to come.

The first two tracks, provided by Officium Triste, carry all the wight of their traditional doom style. The heavy guitars and low end focus of "Repent" is the perfect way to start the offering. Underneath it all, synthesizers mimic the sound of a organ, creating an eerie, almost haunting mood. Through alternating quiet and loud portions, they continue to tear down the mix, then build it back up from nothing. In the softer segments, the keys take the lead, while the rolling double kicks and distorted guitars command the heavier sections. The vocals are deathly in tone, with low roars shaking you to your core. The much longer "Bittersweet Memories" takes its time building to a boil, with spoken words helping along the way. Guitar chords linger and fade long after they are struck, disappearing in time for strings to cry out. What stands out here is the way the band fuses traditional doom with a more melodic, progressive version. The use of strings and keys takes their sound to a different level than their contemporaries. By using both styles, both methods, they keep a track that stands at nearly eleven minutes fresh, with a constant shift back and forth.

Unlike their fellow doomsters, Ophis leave out the melodic approaches, and combine their doom with old school death metal, a result that is clear on "Storm Of Shards." The tempo remains true to the traditional doom paradigm at times, but with far more aggressive drumming along the way. Whereas the previous duo of tracks saw and infusion of spoken word or melodic vocal passages, you will find more death metal inspired grunts and roars here, tinged with black metal influences. The pacing increases over the course of the track, erupting several times into a full on thrash. The guitars try to keep pace with the drums, which are lightning fast and deadly accurate in every swing of the stick. The more ominous "The Mirthless" may very well be the only way you could end this offering. There is something in the way the song is written, the way the guitars pummel you without ever really getting too aggressive, that leaves you feeling battered. Machine gun snares only increase that feeling of battery. The addition of cleaner guitars works wonders for the sound, one that syncs up with modern death/doom. And despite a daunting length, one that might scare away those unfamiliar, there is no filler, no space that could have been removed.

For two powerhouse bands with similar fanbases, a split might seem futile and pointless. But somehow, Officium Triste and Ophis make this feel like more of a joint effort than most splits offer, one that may have you thinking each set of two songs really was half of a whole. Both flex their respective muscles and, through the ears of the other, may in fact expand their reach. And while two songs may only be enough to wet your proverbial whistle, it is a great sign of things to come. With new albums on the horizon for both outfits, "Immersed" is the perfect way to get your feet wet.

8/10

Officium Triste
Official Site - http://www.officiumtriste.com/
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/officiumtristeholland

Ophis
Official Site - http://www.ophisdoom.de/
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/ophisdoom

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