Stoned Jesus
Songs To Sun
Releases September 15th on Season of Mist
Genre: Stoner/Doom Metal
Album opener “New Dawn” opens with a bluesy guitar and bass groove. Capturing a grunge-like play style similar to Alice in Chains. Before continuing that doom-and-gloom tone of dreary guitars and pounding drums. With many peaks and valleys across the almost nine-minute track. Adding a southern groove in the guitar playing on tracks like “Shadowland” and a fist-pumping headbanger in “Low”. Musically very strong, kind of wishing the vocals were a little louder in the mix, but that just be a personal reference. Gritty, driving and heavy at many points, a solid record from this Ukrainian act.
SCORE: 3.5 / 5
Airborn
Lizard Secrets: Part Three - Utopia
Releases September 16th on Fighter Records
Genre: Heavy/Power Metal
The seventh album from this Italian act, Airborn opens with a driving, power metal/NWOBHM drum/guitar combo on album opener “Kings of Melody”. With a heart=pounding drumming performance from Gianluca Luci on the track. I love the nostalgic, classic heavy metal sound of “Forever is A Long Time Coming”. And “Midnight Riders” has a perfect marriage of synths and heavy metal throughout, while “Magic Bullet” has an Iron Maiden-driving riff and pacing. Decent record that will deliver that perfect heavy/power metal combo that acts like Gamma Ray or Helloween dish out. Bang your head and pump your fists high in the air to this record.
SCORE: 4 / 5
Korypheus
Gilgamesh
Releases September 19th on M-Theory Audio
Genre: Progressive Metal/Rock
The album’s title track is a sheer attack of chuggy, down-tuned, progressive riffage. Infused with unique instrumentation on guitars by Oleg Kokotun and pummeling double bass from Denis Kurov. The clean/harsh vocal combination of Andy Gushin & Jullian Torse blend very well together. “Karma Free” is a beast of a track from the opening drum combo and djent guitar. And “Holy War” and “Be My Ghost” are a heavy one-two punch that just hit like a ton of bricks after both are done. With unique and diverse percussion, dynamic vocal harmonies of clean and harsh, and chugging riffs, this was definitely a strong release and an album to not sleep on.
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
Vittra
Intense Indifference
Releases September 19th independently
Genre: Melodic Death/Thrash Metal
”MOFO” just kicks the door in and barges in as a strong album opener with its heavy and driving riff. I love David Döragrip’s pure phlegmy, visceral vocals on the track. Tracks like “Reign Supreme” have that Gothenburg melodic death metal sound and high-energy leads that I adore in the melodic death metal genre. I LOVED the piano on “Transylvanian Buffet”, almost make upbeat, light-hearted and humorous death metal and it just kicked so much ass. And the band’s cover of Slayer’s “Piece By Piece” just sounds so much more heavier and pissed-off than the original that it just was one hell of a closer to wrap up a hell of a second album from this Swedish act.
SCORE: 5 / 5
Heretoir
Solstalgia
Releases September 19th on AOP Records
Genre: Post-Black Metal
I loved the bombastic and high-impact drumming of album opener “The Ashen Falls”. Delivering that atmospheric, heavy and emotional ethereal soundscape. Though David Conrad’s vocals are almost buried in the sheer soundscape of the drums and layering production, you can still hear his emotional delivery in his lyrics and on the chorus. The somber, melancholic acoustic guitars on “Season of Grief” sound so amazing in a good pair of headphones and the reverb-soaked vocals add a nice angelic and yet sorrowful accent. “Inertia” and “Dreamgatherer” were my standout tracks for me. I do wish the vocals were higher in the mix, since Conrad does have a good voice, but I think the louder-than-life drumming and sheer vastness of the band’s sound overshadowed his vocals, and hurt it from getting a perfect score for me.
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
Godzilla Was Too Drunk To Destroy Tokyo
Sideral Voivod
Releases September 19th on Argonauta Records
Genre: Stoner Metal/Rock
The opening drum and fuzzy guitar of “Interstellar Greyhound” instantly sums up the vibe and aesthetic the band is going for. Delivering that bluesy, 70’s fuzz and sleaze that would be blaring out of a Camaro from the dude that’ll buy you beer outside of a 7-11. The title track has that up-tempo Kyuss drum-attack before the heavy bass and guitars kick the door in and make you hit the gas and burn out at the red light. I truly loved “Ouija Witch”, that opening drum and riff combo, combined with the vocals of Sara de Luca and driving drums of Nicola Viola on the verses had me hooked right from the get-go. If you need something to blare while cruising the town on a Saturday night, this is that album for you.
SCORE: 5 / 5
Scorpion Milk
Slime of The Times
Releases September 19th on Peaceville Records
Genre: Post Punk/Metal
From the driving 80’s post-punk drums on opener “All The Fear”, Scorpion Milk’s debut delivers that classic goth/post-punk delivery. Drawing comparisons to acts like Sisters of Mercy or Christian Death. Especially on songs like “The Will To Live” or “Another Day Another Abyss”. For a debut, it has potential, but I think with the follow-up, the band might need to add more elements or instrumentation to help define their sound and truly make Scorpion Milk a really powerhouse in the post-punk scene.
SCORE: 3 / 5
Krigsgrav
Stormcaller
Releases September 19th on Willowtip Records
Genre: Blackened Death/Doom Metal
The sheer sonic attack on album opener “Huntress of The Fire Moon” just hits with a commanding and piercing thud. Drums and guitars blend together in a sheer wall of sound and aggression. With the title track continuing the sheer piercing sound of the band with this “wall of sound” production quality. Unfortunately, I think that’s what hurts the album. ”Twilight Fell” is a great example that it’s a great song and a true favorite, but the sheer mixing hurts the impact of the song. A good album that unfortunately shoots itself in the foot with the production and mixing, that I think if remastered or remixed, might be a stronger and more impactful album.
SCORE: 3 / 5
Def/Light
Stygian Conclave
Releases September 19th independently
Genre: Melodic Black/Death Metal
After an ominous and eerie intro, “Book V: The Crown of Guilt” kicks off with a military-like drum roll and ominous and jagged guitars. Before Avel delivers a snarling, troll-like vocal delivery over jackhammer double-bass and blasting snare. Dabbling in melodic black metal throughout the track as the drums just overtake the guitars in the mix. The bouncy drums and jangling guitars on “Book VI: Axiom of The Fallen” sounded so good and guitars were a lot more upfront in the mix. “Book VIII: Horned in Their Image” featured a real strong vocal performance by Avel and Hell’s instrumentation on this track, along with “Book IX: Infernal Conclave” shows off impressive orchestration and creativity. A duo to keep an eye on with how good this album was, and definitely a band to check out if you are a fan of acts like Belphegor or Hate.
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
Sister Murder
Resurrecting The Wounded Psyche
Releases September 19th independently
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
This all-female act from Indonesia is another act that along with bands like Castrator, Emasculator and Nervosa show that women can deliver brutality better than some all-men acts. “The Bloody Murder” has such a nasty guitar tone, delivering that brutal/slam energy I love in the genre. With Siska delivering some really deep guttural vocals that match the sheer guttural growl of Frank Mullen of Suffocation. Irma blasts pretty damn fast and intricate on “Soul Bomber Destruction”. And “Final Dying Repudiation” has a sick guitar riff by Levi that just has you headbanging along with it throughout the entire runtime. At just under twenty minutes, this release is all killer, no filler and leaves me craving for more ASAP.
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
Tithe
Communion in Anguish
Releases September 19th on Profound Lore Records
Genre: Death/Doom Metal
“Nostrum” instantly hits me with Immolation Onward To Golgotha vibes in the guitar tone, drum mix, and guttural vocals throughout the song. With Matt Eiseman delivering an awesome vocal mix of both wailing screams and deep cavernous growls. “At The Altar of Starving Children” just has that slam, stank-face chugging riff running through the blasting drums of Kevin Swartz. When the band goes sludgy and doom heavy, like on “The Fruits of Spiritual Apartheid”, they just hit out of the park each time. Bringing a sheer volume of darkness and then violent hostility and power when they bring on the intensity. I would recommend this one for sure if you want that cavernous vocals of dissonant death metal, but still want the speed of traditional death metal
SCORE: 5 / 5
Species
Changelings
Releases September 19th on 20 Buck Spin
Genre: Technical/Progressive Thrash Metal
Album opener “Inspirit Creation” delivers that creative, complex and dynamic guitar playing that wishes you studied more music theory in it’s all-around technicality. Piotr Drobina’s crossover thrash vocals bring that high-energy amongst the band just flying all across their instruments. Songs like “The Essence” just hit the pedal to the medal in their speed and proficiency. The ballad, slow-downed pacing of “Waves of Time” almost start one-way, before pulling the rug out from under the listener, and bring back heaviness and up-tempo guitar playing and in-the-pocket drumming. If you want your thrash to be more progressive, have really prominent bass in the mix, and truly keep you guessing throughout each track, Species has got you covered with their second album.
SCORE: 4 / 5
