Written by: Blackie Skulless
Leave it to Trevor to take me out of review retirement, huh. Year after year, I have found myself writing (at least) a review for Haunt annually. Anybody who has followed me knows how much I love everything from Mind Freeze and before, and how much I love different things about each following record without my mind needing to be blown. Well, I guess Dreamers is the one to break that trend, because boy do things actually take a turn here! Not to say that Haunt has stepped away from the heavy metal genre, but this is the most significant deviation from their classic core that we’ve gotten thus far. Rather than being another cut of stripped-down traditional metal with mildly varying toppings, this lifts up different layers to take the forefront. Strangely, the vocals and guitars swap taking a backseat despite still being a vital ingredient, depending on the track. The drum clashes pop harder than ever, and the synths feel like a tool to cast a mistier atmosphere rather than being another outlet for melody like on former records.
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Written by: Crypt Tender Another edition of ON THE HORIZON? The fact that this oft-forgotten segment is experiencing a sudden limelight indicates that A. there is a lot of good music in the pipeline, and B. we inhabitants of the Sleeping Village have tapped into a mystic pool of motivation, becoming, I can only imagine, annoyingly prolific in the process. We have a strict policy that any crypt-related items are sent directly to me, the illustrious and revered Crypt Tender [break for polite applause, sounds of fearful admiration]. As such, the entities that oversee the promo pit have gifted me this release announcement and accompanying lead single from heavy metal doomsters Crypt Sermon. I haven't yet had the pleasure of drinking deep of the forthcoming The Stygian Rose, out June 14th from Dark Descent Records, but I have played "Heavy Is The Crown of Bone" no fewer than ten times since receiving. Which, if we're being honest, makes me a bit of an expert on the matter.
In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we slumbering scribes are making an effort to publish short reviews at a greater frequency, thereby shining our very small spotlight on more cool shit. Here's a mini-review of the debut single from a symphonic metal duo.
Written by: The Administrator
As of late, the ol' promo pit has been overflowing with debut singles from brand new bands. Luckily, writing about them has become a bit of a calling card 'round these parts. As established over the course of several recent mini-reviews--Negative Bliss and Slaughtersun, for those curious enough to dive into the archives--the birth of a band is a pretty exciting event. In the course of promo hunting, I'm often more motivated to check out something new and unknown than a press kit from an established act. Such curiosity has led me to "The Last Ember," a promising debut track from fresh-faced symphonic metal act Elsewhere. The band is a duo comprised of one Nikki and Nic, and the track's vocals come courtesy of a collaboration with Finnish-Canadian vocalist Elvann. While requisite piano and swelling hooks are present, Elsewhere's instrumentation seems more subtle in its bombast than many other paragons of the genre. There's a nice forward momentum punctuated by an engaging ebb and flow--the percussion fills space quite well, with short albeit catchy riffs and requisite orchestral grandiosity punctuating the track. Elsewhere keep things moving nicely, and as a result, the track flies by. Symphonic metal haters aren't going to be swayed, but appreciators of the style will appreciate the execution. On the vocal side, Elvann's presence is prominent and notably agile, switching flows multiple times across the breadth. The intro utilizes a sinister whispered delivery that immediately amps up the drama, but is promptly abandoned for more traditional symphonic cleans. While I do wish the more menacing vocals made a return later on, the initial switch provides a fun contrast. One particularly charming moment on the back half of the track introduces a sing-song chanted cadence that adds an almost childlike element. The attention given to distinct vocal deliveries is thoroughly alluring. Promo material indicates that "The Last Ember" is the "first of many singles to be released in 2024." I, for one, will be keeping an eye out for what comes next--I'm psyched to see how Elsewhere develop their sound and identity. More guest vocalists? More overt power metal braggadocio? Time will tell. In the meantime, give a listen below! Elsewhere - "The Last Ember" was released March 8th, 2024. Written by: Sabrina TVBand It’s about time I put my cards on the table; I’m not a big fan of Bruce Dickinson. I have an appreciation for many Dickinson Iron Maiden songs, but like Klaus Meine I find that Dickinson has a voice that becomes grating after a few minutes. He also has an aggressive and very British nerdy goofball energy. I realize I’m mostly alone in having this opinion, but I stand by it. The Di’Anno years of Iron Maiden have been overshadowed by the subsequent Dickinson years in a big way, but Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut is still one of their stronger albums. Di’Anno is known for being a more limited vocalist than Dickinson, but within that limited range I find his voice to be a lot more enjoyable. Written by: Sabrina TVBand In 1984, guitarists who could play fast were rarities. Not just “fast,” but “very fast.” Eddie Van Halen, largely because of his tapping and legato chops, was one of the fastest guitarists in his day. Al Di Meola was also pretty fast, although he didn’t make it sound easy. The fastest picker, indisputably, was Yngwie Malmsteen. Rising Force was not Yngwie’s first album; he’d first appeared on Steeler’s self titled debut in 1983, and subsequently on No Parole from Rock ‘n’ Roll by Alcatrazz. Those were the albums that introduced him to a wide audience, and let the world know how fast guitar could be played. But Yngwie’s solo debut, Rising Force, would be his first album as unquestioned artistic leader; it’s where he showed the guitar world that he was more than just a fast hired gun.
Written by: Blackie Skulless
For the past couple of years, Fresno California’s Haunt had been slowly incorporating synthier and poppier elements into their brand of metal to evolve alongside the fast turnaround of album releases. This strategy fared wonderfully, and slowly became the norm. Despite not having a bad album to his name, I did fear that Trevor was beginning to craft under a stagnant umbrella, as Beautiful Distraction and Windows Of Your Heart cast similar sounds that regenerated the foundation built with the two records before that. Damn, that takes us to album number seven already, doesn’t it? I’m thrilled to say that Golden Arm takes a slight leap in the heavier direction. This could have led to a “throwback” type of release that goes back in time four years to the first two records, but instead, I’m picking up hints of power metal flavors, which I can’t say I’ve really seen much of in the band’s career yet. If nothing else, there’s certainly a hint of epic leanings that grip the speedier aspects and run with them. The record’s title track makes this evident in its calmer build before casting a powerful spell in the solo, spearheaded by an incredible transition.
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Man do I love situations where a band doesn’t impress me at first, and then completely changes my perspective after another helping. Salt Lake City’s heavy metal quartet Blood Star didn’t offer a lot in the beginning. They only put out a few singles for a few years, but on this, the Year of our Lord 2023, they’ve come forth with a full-length, fully selling me. Unlike a few other traditional outfits that have sung me away this year, the band’s debut First Sighting is completely to the point, causing a love at first sighting…er, love at first sight; or sound, rather. What I’m saying is that this is very accessible! Playing it safe, Blood Star is very true to the classic roots of heavy riffing. The band holds loads of melody with anthemic choruses and a decent variance of tempo. Their vocalist boasts a powerful front, honing in on a clean approach that has loads of oomph, thus pairing nicely with tunes on the faster side. Not only is this very evident on “No One Wins,” but the short bass solo tacked onto the end of the lead’s bright presence is pristine! As a matter of fact, “bright” is a pretty good word to describe all of this, considering how nicely every instrument comes through. Even the speed metal backbone of album closer “Wait To Die” couldn’t even escape this, so you know consistency is not an issue.
Written by: Blackie Skulless
My first impression just looking at this artwork had me thinking a death metal painting had collided with a traditional metal logo. Would the music reflect that? Not at all. The Swiss outfit Megaton Sword veer on the epic side of the traditional metal flavors, which has been a slow development since their first EP. While not changing much in style from before, Might & Power is the band’s most concise and compelling work to date. Don’t take that lightly, because both the prior full-length and the EP hold a pretty hot flame. As with many bands that take this approach, part of the magic lies in letting the epic coats sit nicely atop several different songwriting approaches. Here there’s a pretty even blend between upbeat, hopeful attitudes, choppy crunches, and full-on catchy vocals. Better are the numbers that push all of that into one song. “Iron Plains” is almost obvious with its aim for being one of the standout numbers, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t incredible. Cool emotion in the chorus, the speedier gallops, a slow melting center, and stellar buildup into blast beats seal this banger’s fate as the perfect epic metal tune.
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Once in a blue moon, I’ll come across something that I find to be decent at best, worthwhile enough to revisit, and each subsequent revisit makes me appreciate it a little more. The Chilean heavy metal outfit Shadows fit that exact situation. Without the backing familiarity of their EP, going into this blind yielded many surprises. While in the realm of “traditional metal,” I would struggle to call their debut Out For Blood traditional at all. The term fits in regards to the riff style, but there’s really a lot going on here, giving it that effect of growing more addictive every time I hit it. In a formulaic sense, this is everything I could ask for. Rough and raw rhythms with grating burrs make up an otherwise melodic foundation, backed by some thunderous basslines and eerie synths to muffle coarse edges. Emphasis on the melody, though, because almost every lead is surprisingly catchy amidst a foggy haze that matches the obvious occult-loving album art. It should come as no surprise that influences of doom metal make a pretty aggressive appearance. This is more evident in the presentation, however, not so much in the riff structure; very seldom do we find doomy riff stomps. |
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