Every fortnight, we check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
After last years teaser in the demo version of “Out Of The Grave”, Sigh finally drop their self-styled cinematic horror metal’ opus Graveward.
Influenced as much by King Diamond and Celtic Frost as they are underrated horror film composer Fabio Frizzi, Graveward slays with amazing synth and guitar interplay. The orchestrations are seamless and match well with the groups thashier moments. There are some fine solos on guitar and keys.
Mainman Mirai Kawashima’s vocal rasp bring to mind Bathory, Venom and Whiplash with Dr Mikannibal adding some soulful, clean vocal stylings. Her sax playing is back and works well, perhaps an enjoyment of some of David Lynch’s jazzier sound selections is in play here.
Opening track “Kaedit Nos Pestis” is a real highlight, showcasing everything great about the album and giving new guitarist You Oshima time to shine.
An easy early contender for my top 5 this year!
Critical Mass airs every Wednesday from 9PM (GMT+8) on RTR FM 92.1 in Perth, Australia.
Every fortnight, we check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
This week’s band comes to us courtesy of the highly influential and excellent Band Of The Week blog, curated by the mighty Fenriz! This blog shines a light on some excellent underground bands and has showcased bands such as Ghost and Beastmilk in their early days.
Quote from the man himself: “Lars himself sent me this. it is without bass guitar as of yet but I was blown away, very good rock ‘n’ roll/metal/punk at first and then when the last part starts…it got EPIC! PERFECT!”
Stimulatör come from Lübeck, Germany. That’s all I can find about this band information wise, but perhaps Lars could be from Red Harvest? Mystery aside they have produced a tasty slice of punked up, black-n-roll. The guitar tone reminds me a bit of Rebel Extravaganza era Satyricon (and oddly the band Virus also). And then at the 2:15 mark things get very epic with an awesome outro of melodic tremolo riffage. Superb, and the real kicker is that this early mix has no bass yet!
A nice fuzzed out bass rumble would really be the cherry on top of this. Can’t wait to hear the finished product and more songs.
Critical Mass airs every Wednesday from 9PM (GMT+8) on RTR FM 92.1 in Perth, Australia.
Every fortnight, we check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
When international magazines and bands rave about Australia’s underground metal scene, they namecheck bands of the 80s and early 90s such as the mighty Sadistik Exekution, Bestial Warlust, Slaughter Lord and more that took the blackened war thrash path. Bloodlust carry on that lineage.
The background of Bloodlust’s two man wrecking crew is veritable who’s who of Perths underground metal pedigree. Having trod the boards in the likes of Infected, Tyrant, Pagan and Malignant Monster, Disaster and Spectre (plus the mysteries ‘The General’ helping out on leads) unleash their debut album Cultus Diaboli.
A loud and clear production brings these blackened thrash riffs to life, crazy drums and vocals that take the likes of the aforementioned Aussie cult heroes plus Venom, Slayer and Motorhead screaming into the now. The occasional call and response is great and really catchy, it’s hard to not sing along and headbang to “Sworn Servant Of The Devil” and “Black Blood Of Satan.”
It’s not all full speed ahead barbaric war metal though. There are some nice, almost Iron Maiden-esque twin guitar harmonies in “Crowned In Black Fire” and a nice slower bass groove on the single “Spell Of The Raven Witch.” It makes for a fantastic debut. Perhaps some live shows next, guys?
Critical Mass airs every Wednesday from 9PM (GMT+8) on RTR FM 92.1 in Perth, Australia.
Every fortnight, we check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
A successful crowdfunding campaign has allowed Chaos Divine to make the album of their career. Four years on from 2011’s awesome The Human Connection, the new album takes all the elements of their past and filters them into a newer, more atmospheric direction.
There are lots of layers of sound here, including some extra keys and vocals. The songs are given a bit more room to breath, embracing some of the more proggy and almost post-rock influences such of Opeth, Porcupine Tree and Devin Townsend.
The highlights come when Chaos Divine hit the accelerator and amp up the heaviness. A return to some more harsh vocals on “Painted With Grey” is appreciated and reigns in some of the occasionally overwrought clean vocals.
Chaos Divine have made their best album so far and I’m sure they will back it up with some of their best live shows too.
Critical Mass airs every Wednesday from 9PM (GMT+8) on RTR FM 92.1 in Perth, Australia.
Every fortnight, we check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
The impact that Venom made from their inception is undeniably huge. Bequeathing the “black metal” genre its name and image (pseudonyms, satanic imagery etc), they have carved a legacy that few will reach. Whilst NWOBHM cohorts Iron Maiden and Judas Priest made amazing music, they were the “lovable rogues” that would probably buy you a beer at the pub. Venom on the other hand were always a bit more sinister with their sloppy, hard-edged Motörhead/punk/rock/metal influencing everyone from Metallica to The Melvins (plus the entire black metal genre). Ironically, despite their Satanic lyrics and imagery, Venom were just a bunch of blokes that would buy you a beer.
From their formation til their first hiatus in 93, Venom have had a fairly inconsistent run. The first three albums are stone cold classics, but a constant rotation of members (all three core member of the band have at one point left the band) and attempts to remain relevant in a changing musical landscape have detailed them from their glory days.
So in an industry where relevance matters but nostalgia is in, how does the latest Venom album hold up?
After a fairly pointless intro (that really should have been tacked onto the start of a track and not wasting a CD number) “From The Very Depths” kicks off with an awesome guitar sound and a catchy chorus, the whole track kinda reminds me of a heavier version of “Bark At The Moon”.
The whole album is produced well with a fat guitar and bass tone reminiscent of 90s heroes Prong. There’s a few fillers here and there, there’s nothing wrong with the track “Smoke” (for example) but the riff is incredibly generic and played out.
“Long Haired Punks” however is an anthem for the ages and could easily slot in on any of the bands first three albums. Not bad, not essential. Venom are still relevant.
Critical Mass airs every Wednesday from 9PM (GMT+8) on RTR FM 92.1 in Perth, Australia.
Every fortnight, we check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
It’s hard to believe it’s been five years between albums for Blind Guardian. After riding high on the success of At The Edge of Time for so long, they’ve really upped the ante with their new release, Beyond the Red Mirror. They have once again blended orchestral and choir pieces to great effect, enlisting the services of studios in Prague, Budapest and Boston. This is particularly evident in the grandiose chorus of “The Holy Grail” or the haunting intro to opener “The Ninth Wave”.
The entire album is a follow up to the song “Imaginations from the Other Side” (the title track from their 1995 album), which explored various fantasy tales (Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, among others). But this is far from a Disney soundtrack; though far removed from their early speed metal days, the trademark riffs and solos still pack the right amount of punch. Evidence of this can be found in leading single “Twilight of the Gods”.
While some might dismiss their latest efforts as more of the same, there’s no doubt that fans will feel like they’ve died and gone to power metal heaven when listening to familiar Guardian traits such as the galloping drums backing a soaring chorus in “Sacred Mind” or Andre Olbrich’s impressive lead work. Hansi Kursch’s vocals are also top-notch – whilst he doesn’t have a huge range, his style matches the music and it all just feels like a classic Blind Guardian album.
Sure, there’s a tried and true vibe about them, but that’s always been the beauty of Blind Guardian; there’s a certain comfort in knowing what you’re gonna get. But play it again and again and you’ll notice Blind Guardian’s subtle evolution over the years.
For fans of: Helloween, Rhapsody, Running Wild.
Critical Mass airs every Wednesday from 9PM (GMT+8) on RTR FM 92.1 in Perth, Australia.
Every fortnight, we check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
Statues’ dedication and commitment to the grind shines through on their debut album Together We’re Alone. Years of grinding through self-funded touring, sleeping on floors and couches, rehearsals, juggling real life commitments and a relentless physical live show has seen the guys blossom from the promising early days of their first EP A Human Work to the ferocious sound of today.
2011’s 7? Wait For Calm showed a band interested in going into deeper waters with the more epic-ly tinged “Stay” while 2013 single “Affliction Prescription” (included on this release) upped the ante.
On first listen to their chaotic brand of awesomely gnarly, metallic tinged hardcore, one can hear some quite obvious nods to Refused (Jayme Van Keulen’s furious barely contained rage vocal style) and The Dillinger Escape Plan (trebly riffage aplenty). Digging a little deeper reveals influences as diverse as Neurosis (pounding drums), Between the Buried and Me and perhaps a tiny bit of Faith No More. But make no mistake, this sound is completely their own and the tiny nods to other bands are just that.
Where a band like Refused toyed with some electronic tinged elements on The Shape Of Punk To Come, Statues are content to explore the traditional drums/guitars/vocals structure and it works incredibly well. Some excellent riffs and more melodic elements come into play on “Forseeing The Cloud And Not The Rain”. The vocal-only “I Want Peace” in the middle of the album is a nice breather after the aforementioned “Affliction Prescription” and is a nod to the band’s early blues influence at the start of their career, also backed up by the greasy slide guitar of “Hope Is”.
Statues recently added a second guitarist which means all hell is gonna break loose on stage, opening up a whole new window for newer songs too. I can’t wait to see what they can do with this new lineup.
If last year’s Voyager album (with whom Statues share a member) was marked by songs to sing at huge Eurpoean festivals, Together We’re Alone is full of songs to scream along to in crowded clubs, dodging guitar headstocks.
Critical Mass airs every Wednesday from 9PM (GMT+8) on RTR FM 92.1 in Perth, Australia.
Every fortnight, we check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
In 1991, grunge had taken a firm grip on Seattle and the world in general. While we were Neverminding with a Facelift and a Badmotorfinger, Brandon Florida’s Death were busy carving their own screaming, bloody, gory niche of their own with Human. This album almost saw the end of the band, when Terry Butler and Bill Andrews defied Chuck Schuldiner’s rejection of a European tour for Spiritual Healing a year earlier. Terry and Bill did the tour with “stand-in” members and were swiftly fired shortly after.
This is where Paul Masvidal, Steve DiGiorgio and Sean Reinert joined, and a new, more philosophical, introspective, experimental approach to their bread and butter death metal begun to take shape.
Human was not as raw as its predecessors for early 90s recording standards, and was a huge notch on the belt for Jim Morris’ Morrisound studio in Tampa, which had some unholy alliances of its own with Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Morbid Angel and Obituary all churning out some ground breaking USDM.
Human has eight tracks of death metal wizardry including an instrumental track “Cosmic Sea” and the Japanese version had a cover of Kiss’s “God Of Thunder”. Buy this album if you want your own piece of DM history, or drag it out of the back of the CD rack at home to re-live its power and glory.
RIP Chuck Schuldiner.
Critical Mass airs every Wednesday from 9PM (GMT+8) on RTR FM 92.1 in Perth, Australia.
Every fortnight, we check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
Where most bands at this phase of their careers (33 years, not out) tend to mature into writing “safe” albums, Napalm Death continue to stay relevant in the world of politically-infused death metal. Apex Predator: Easy Meat is their 15th full length album and follow-up to 2012’s excellent Utilitarian.
AP:EM seethes with an unrelenting voraciousness, reflecting a band who are still pissed off and far from throwing in the towel. Barney’s throaty vocals are as unnerving as ever and Danny’s drumming effortlessly switches from thrashing, to blasting, to supporting beats when the guitars need to do the talking. It’s unapologetic death metal reminiscent of the 90s, yet still modern sounding and refreshing to hear a band of this vintage putting out such consistently great material every few years.
Napalm Death have an uncanny ability to adhere to the musical formula they are known for, yet still put out songs with unpredictable structures, altered tempos and varying vocal styles. There are a few highlights littered throughout; “How the Years Condemn” has a thrash beat throughout, with a powerful chorus complete with “gang” vocals via a Barney/Mitch combo. “Cesspits” starts out as a fairly mid-tempo effort, until about halfway through when it ramps up to a full-on blast beat assault.
While they are arguably not at the top of their respective food chain (as the album title suggests), they’d still give the king of the jungle a hell of a contest.
For fans of Asphyx, Terrorizer, Repulsion, Bolt Thrower.
Critical Mass airs every Wednesday from 9PM (GMT+8) on RTR FM 92.1 in Perth, Australia.
Every fortnight, we check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
For all their success, platinum album sales, huge tours and a highly devoted fan base, Faith No More always had the rare luxury of being able to do whatever they liked musically. For every massive single like “Epic”, there was a “Jizzlobber”. For every cover of The Commodores’ “Easy”, there was a “Cuckoo For Caca”. They were never afraid of losing airplay or fans by throwing in hugely odd musical quirks.
So when it was announced that they would be releasing their first new music since their split in 1998 (and reunion in 2009) it was going to be interesting to see what direction they would take.
Since their split, most of the members were busy with various musical projects (Imperial Teen, Tomahawk, Brujeria plus the Ipecac and Kool Arrow record labels) and seemingly not strapped for cash. Any reunion would be done if the conditions were right. The band slowly got their live chops back and spent time mending fences with alumni such as Chuck Mosley and Trey Spruance (though that Jim Martin bridge however sees no sign of being repaired).
So with everything coming together and the various live shows working well, what does brand new single “Motherfucker” ( or as iTunes helpfully says “M**********r”) sound like?
Opening with piano and a shuffling drum beat we are first introduced to the low vocals of… Roddy Bottum? Swerve! As the song progresses and gets faster, Mike Patton’s familiar vocals kick in, followed by some more epic (pun intended) guitar and then… it fades out leaving you wanting more. It’s understated but it works well as a teaser, kind of in the vein of a song like “Stripsearch” you almost want it to go 5 mins longer. The as yet untitled album is due in April 2015. We can’t wait.
Critical Mass airs every Wednesday from 9PM (GMT+8) on RTR FM 92.1 in Perth, Australia.
After last years teaser in the demo version of “Out Of The Grave”, Sigh finally drop their self-styled cinematic horror metal’ opus Graveward.
