Noctiferia – DeathCulture

Release Date: 2010Jul13 (US)

Label: Listenable Records

Rating: 3.5/5

For all its ferocity, modern industrial metal is a delicate beast; and by that, I mean it ought to be intricately wrought. A mechanical execution and cynical sociopolitical lyrics come with the territory, but how people distinguish themselves amongst the apocalyptic fallout is where the challenge lies. This Slovenian quintet sounds as though they actually emerged from a Fear Factory. Peter Tagtren returns to produce, and you can bet he invoked that inner Pain, rather than Hypocrisy.

While I appreciate their intense wall-of-sound approach, Noctiferia needs to lock into grooves for maximum impact. A good example is “Terror”, which melds Meshuggah-like guitars with vocals by Gianni Poposki that are somewhere between Burton C. Bell and Wayne Static, but it sounds like they forgot to write an ending. I can get behind the more majestic keyboard presence in “Deluders & Followers” or the Middle Eastern invocations of “Samsara”, as both add dimension to their rigid structures.

Really, the middle of Deathculture is where the band hits their stride, as far as consistent memorability. The strongest choruses are certainly in “Demoncracy”, “Slavedriver”, and “Rust”. But then I began to wonder if the poppiness got the better of them, as the bass at the start of “Non Individuum” is a littleKorn-y, and through “Catarsis” you question whether or not they have any ideas left. Fortunately, “Demagog” works in some Gojira-isms and a couple of twists to keep things interesting. The quasi-creepy spoken word intros on both that and “Holymen” have the air of a rogue ham radio broadcast you are lucky to have happened upon. In similar fashion, the bookending tracks are surprisingly effective at creating an atmosphere without feeling tacked on––they genuinely serve Deathculture well.

Their fourth LP is the first in a three-album deal with Listenable Records, which may prove to be an impressive trifecta indeed. A good industrial metal core is hard to find. Noctiferia is less black than Samael, more heavy than Rammstein, and not as overtly danceable as KMFDM. This is evolving extreme music for our perpetually-shifting musical environment.

FCC: 4

Try: 3, 6, 7, 10, 12

01. Premonition

02. Terror

03. Deluders & Followers

04. Monarch

05. Demoncracy

06. Slavedriver

07. Rust

08. Non Individuum

09. Catarsis

10. Demagog

11. Holymen

12. Samsara

13. SM 02

Pin-Up Went Down – 342

Release Date: 2010Jun28

Label: Ascendance Records

Rating: 4.5/5

I honestly do not recall how Carnival In Coal crossed my path some years back; all I know for certain is how happy I am that they did. What could you call them? “Avant-garde death disco” for starters? Or maybe play it safe, and say they are another branch of whatever “extreme metal” has become? I was sorry to hear they broke up back in 2007, but thankfully, their spirit endures through Pin-Up Went Down. There are even direct CiC connections: vocalist Asphodel lent her voice to their Buggles cover of “Living in the Plastic Age” from Collection Prestige, and multi-instrumentalist Alexis Damien was their former live drummer. Once a duo, his brother Nicolas Damien has recently joined the fold as pianist and additional songwriter on this, their second album.

When listening to 342, the best advice I can impart was once given to the White Rabbit by The King of Hearts: “Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” It is exhausting yet exhilarating art, passion without pretense. “Diapositive” is a good cross-section of their craft, with its light, jazzy beginning that shifts into punctuated madness after the first minute. Both Asphodel and Alexis explore their vocal breadth, and the latter convincingly channels Mike Patton. But with the former’s schizophrenic attack, one may think she had little vocal control. Wise they were to follow with “Escargot”, where minimal keyboard accompaniment gives no one but Asphodel center stage.

“Essence of I” features twisted recurring Native American rhythms, which I have not heard employed since Tomahawk‘s Anonymous, and arguably the best placement of Alexis’ deep growls versus Asphodel’s soaring clean highs. And remember her creepy little kid voice from “Intrusion” on 2Unlimited? Well that makes a goosebump-inducing return on “Khabod of My Aba”, so get ready.

She truly finds her inner Julie Christmas (Made Out of Babies, Battle of Mice) on “Home”, a moody track that more strongly brings in Nicolas on piano, and even includes xylophone for good measure. “Vaginaal Nathrakh”––besides being frontrunner for best song title of the year––most closely invokes another avant-garde favorite of mine: uneXpecT; especially considering the bizarre Casio-cum-carnival intro, and drunken sax on the outro.

“Paradoxical Sarabanda” contains the last morsels of Metallic heaviness amidst the sweetest sounds Asphodel offers on 342––call it their pop song, if not for the mouthful of a title. And this is fitting for Pin-Up Went Down, who have no ostensible desire for mass appeal. Indeed, this desire would be both frustrating and creatively crippling. I will keep PUWD under my proverbial hat, but not for hiding; I want them at the ready, in case I am faced with anyone that may understand.

FCC: 5, 9

Try: 1, 4, 7, 10

01. Diapositive

02. Escargot

03. Porcelain Hours

04. Essence Of I

05. Khabod Of My Aba

06. Home

07. Vaginaal Nathrakh

08. Pictures To Speak To

09. Murphy In the Sky With Daemons

10. Paradoxical Sarabanda

11. Aquarium

Istapp – Blekinge

Release Date: June 8, 2010

Label: Metal Blade

Rating: 4/5

Their first demo release was in ’05, so Istapp is somewhat of a newer band. In fact, Blekinge is their first full-length release. At first look at their strange black and white album cover and with the knowledge that “istapp” means “icicle” in Swedish, I though, “oh great, another Black Metal band that sings about winter.” However, at closer inspection, there’s a creative mythology behind their music, which, as a musician who also approaches lyrics from a similar angle, is something I can appreciate.

Their tales, which can be read on their official Myspace page, tell of the ancient gods which ruled a dark, frozen planet called Earth. There was an invading force of filthy light which brought warmth and eventually begot the evil and all-comsuming human species. My synopsis sounds a little like Gwar, so you should read it for yourself.

The album tears into a ripping melodic Black Metal riff which sounds somewhere in-between Naglfar andDawn. If eventually slows down and evens out a bit. The song moves to a very folky and melodic direction, which reminds me a bit of Kalmah, which is silly. The vocals also change to a half-sung and half-scream during the chorus, which sounds like something Alexi Laiho would do, which is also very silly. So the opening song turned out to be kind of weak. Fortunately, and unlike most albums, there are many better songs to come.

“Köldens Union” slows down a lot, though it doesn’t lack blast beats. It gets rid of the half-assed singing and introduces a male choir which is well done. “I Väntan På Den Absoluta Nollpunkten” is one of the highlights of the album. It starts off with a riff reminiscent of Dissection but eventually moves to a catchy, clean-sung chorus. The next couple tracks are also pretty amazing, notably “Snö”, which captures the spirit of Black Metal the most on the album. It also has a bit of a sing-a-long, regardless of whether or not yo can speak Swedish. Oh yeah—the entire album is sung in Swedish. Forgot that part.

“Fjällhöga Nord” begins with some clean acoustic guitar. It also has some very melodic riffs and brings back the catchy clean-vocal chorus. Track nine, which as far as I can tell is untitled, features some intriguing atmospheric sampling and synth work.

The production of Blekinge might be a little overdone to capture the cold and dark mood that Istapp is trying to achieve, but the guitar tone is fuzzy and gives a bit of a chill. At least there aren’t any obnoxious production issues such as an overly poppy kick drum or inconsistent guitar tone.

Overall, Istapp‘s debut full-length is amazing, especially when there’s so many unoriginal melodic Black Metal acts out there. It may not touch the greats of old, but that’s fine with me, because it’s obvious that they’re looking to do something fresh and new. They have a few different tricks up their sleeve—some I like, some I don’t; so, it will be interesting to see the direction they go with their next album.

Check out: 2, 4, 5, 6

1. Vinterriket

2. Köldens Union

3. 1160 (Miovik)

4. I Väntan På Den Absoluta Nollpunkten

5. Evig Köld Koncentrerad

6. Snö

7. Fjällhöga Nord

8. Bortgång Af Alvrödul, Ljusets Förfall

9. -

10. Blekinge

Review written by Joshua Perrin for MindOverMetal.org

Grave – Burial Ground

Release Date: 2010Jun14 (US)

Label: Regain Records

Rating: 4/5

Grave are nothing if not consistent. Not only have they helped write the book on Swedish death metal, they are in the same longship as groups like Unleashed, who have persevered well through the decades. Both bands kick expectation square in the nuts, retaining familiarity but not breeding contempt within the listener.

Don’t fret––Grave still has disdain to spare. Much of their attack is directed at religion in one way (“Dismembered Mind”) or another (“Ridden with Belief”), with gore and self-examination occasionally surfacing, but always with the purpose of questioning, rather than forcing belief. They work with a limited palette that is still seemingly boundless, finding new ways to blend into light and shade, whether charging ahead full steam (“Liberation”) or deliberately pacing themselves (“Conqueror”).

Guest musicians surface throughout Burial Ground. The first is the return of Dismember vocalist Matti Kärki, who pens lyrics to––you guessed it––“Dismembered Mind”. But the guitar solo that Karl Sanders (Nile) contributes to “Bloodtrail” was a welcome surprise. Sometimes you need those when you’ve been writing music for well over twenty years.

I do like the familiar trails they blazed since their last album, Dominion VIII: Kärki as co-writer for one track, a re-recording of an old tune (in this case, “Sexual Mutilation”), and concluding with the album’s longest songs/title tracks (“8^th Dominion” is close enough for the comparison). They have also managed to hang onto Ronnie Bergerståhl behind the drumkit, forming a solid backbone with Fredda Isaksson’s bass. But it is Ola Lindgren’s solid riffing and throaty roar that have been there since day one, and is still their most recognizable aspect.

When mediocre bands inch their evolution forward, the result is tediously agonizing for those that have the misfortune to hear. But when you have classic masters––still forging their legacy, and not merely riding their own coattails in some bizarre metallic mobius strip––the result is just this good.

FCC: 7

Try: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9

01. Liberation

02. Semblance in Black

03. Dismembered Mind

04. Ridden With Belief

05. Conquerer

06. Outcast

07. Sexual Mutilation

08. Bloodtrail

09. Burial Ground

Misery Index – Heirs To Thievery

Release Date: 2010May11 (US)

Label: Relapse Records

Rating: 4/5

I was first exposed to Misery Index via an interview with the group in an issue of the late, great Punk Planetmagazine. The intelligence and sincerity of the group impressed me so much that I went out and bought a copy of their record Retaliate; I’ve been hooked ever since. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of their records, but they reach a new level on Heirs to Thievery.

They are in top form here. We’re talking 34 minutes of prime cut death/grind, loaded with sick riffs, intelligent lyrics and some of the most badass drumming I’ve ever heard. What continues to be refreshing about Misery Index is their ability to craft meaningful, well-balanced songs with just the right mix of technicality, catchiness, and straight-up brutality.

Also, the old bastard in me gets many a thrill over the Napalm Death, S.O.D., and Discharge-esque parts that pop up from time to time, as in “The Spectator”.  However, “The Carrion Call” is my personal favorite. If you have yet to get acquianted with these Baltimore grindmeisters, do yourself a favor and check outHeirs To Thievery––this beast definitely demands repeat listens.  Highly recommended.

FCC: 1, 4, 9

Try: 2, 3, 5, 7, 10

01. Embracing Extinction

02. Fed To The Wolves

03. The Carrion Call

04. Heirs To Thievery

05. Spectator

06. The Seventh Cavalry

07. Illuminaught

08. Plague Of Objects

09. You Lose

10. Sleeping Giants

Review written by “His Royal Baldness” Chris Cheney for MindOverMetal.org

Fleshwrought – Dementia/Dyslexia

Release Date: 2010Aug03

Label: Metal Blade

Rating: 4.5/5

A trend of technical showmanship has crept its way out of the shadows and into the mainstream metal scene. The days of Lars Ulrich clanging away on the crash and snare clumsily have passed. Nowadays, everyone who is anyone must have absurdly tight and fast drums, wildly complex and dissonant solos, and funky bass work. Bands like Necrophagist have paved the way for this movement to escape the dirty, grimy, thrashy death metal (which I really miss, to be honest) toward a modern metallic renaissance.

One of the most recent addtions to the Technical Death Metal pool is Fleshwrought: the brain child of Animosity/Animals As Leaders drummer, Navene Kopperweis. Now that Animosity has come and gone, Kopperweis finally had the time to focus on his solo project and recruit Job For A Cowboy‘s resident growler, Johnny Davy. The product of these two individuals is phenomenal.

Fleshwrought offers balls-to-the-wall brutal technical death metal, but also channels a rare creative streak, demonstrating excellent writing and instrumental mastery from someone known only for drumming proficiency. Everything from Meshuggah-esque time signatures (“Mental Illness”) to jazzy saxophone solos (“Inner Thoughts”) can be found on this album. Navene Kopperweis has truly soaked up influence from every band he has ever been around and put it to use on Dementia/Dyslexia. On top of the flawless instrumental work, we hear Johnny Davy’s strongest vocals to date, resulting in one of the best rookie efforts in recent history. Fleshwrought has literally emerged as one of the top tech death bands in metal today. Do not miss this album.

FCC OK

01. Mental Illness

02. Inner Thoughts

03. Programming the Herds

04. Weeping Hallucinations

05. Conceptual Flesh

06. State of Desolation

07. Dyslexic Interlude

08. Self-Destructive Loathing

09. Relevant Intoxication

10. Final Nausea

Review written by Cole Dougherty for MindOverMetal.org

The most recent release from !!! is titled Strange Weather, Isn't It.  The album has a fun, high energy vibe.  A mix of Electro Rock laced with Funk and Disco gives it a fresh, lively sound.  Perfect for your next party.

Tracks: 2,3,6