Nebelkrähe - Lebensweisen - 8 track Album - European Release 18th February 2013

Nebelkrähe

Lebensweisen

8 Track Album

Target Distribution & Mighty Music

European Release 18th February 2013

 The new contemporary album by black metal band Nebelkrähe

Nebelkrähe – Munich, Germany

Written for www.Brutalism.com

Links:

www.facebook.com/nebelkraeheofficial

www.myspace.com/nebelkraeheblackmetal

Genre: Black Metal with a difference

“Nebelkrähe – (translated means Hooded Crow) was founded as a traditional death/black metal band in Munich in 2007. Not long after this the band changed their style to a slightly more progressive and melancholic black metal, three years on from their debut album “Entfremdet” (Alienated) (June 26^th 2009) Nebelkrähe have now completed their new album Lebensweisen – (Living Beings) providing a paradigm for how contemporary black metal can sound”

My last three reviews have been black metal orientated and yet all three bands have been completely different to the last. It quite astounds me that black orientated metal could indeed have so much diversity with a refreshingly secret formula in the shape of contemporary black metal.

I have done my best to translate the titles for the less fortunate person who haven’t mastered the German language.

Not only is the music superb but the album cover has been very cleverly thought out and signifies a finger print with its epidermal ridges so complex with a person trying to navigate them - awesome concept! 

Although the songs are sung in German it works! Great to hear a band singing in their mother tongue. After all so do Rammstein and they have received universal acclaim so why not Nebelkrähe?

Although the black metal element is present there are some sumptuous strings in there that give you something to bite on. The vocal content is absolutely superb raw guttural growls that leave me drooling for more, with a swelling of surging beats and hypnotic rhythms that will sweep you away with plentiful raw emotion.

Not just typical Black Metal but Black Metal with lashings of intrigue, diversity and originality – it ticks all the boxes for me on so many different levels.

The musicianship is outstanding! Upbeat and great head banging quality can be had listening to some of these tracks whilst the other tracks send me into a reflective almost dream-like state. There are strong bass hooks, superb guitar and heavy drum beats with copious amounts of raw guttural growls and then haunting piano and melodic strings with female vocals – it simply possesses everything - going to be listening to this a lot!

The second track has a female vocal attached which is classical and clean and offers a more folk type of feel to it. Normally a female vocal does not grab my attention the same as a raw male growl but this is exquisite and is giving me goose-bumps all over. The guttural secretions again explode and the mood is instantly changed. Superb listening! The band has put a lot into this track at 8 minutes and 29 seconds (and not the only long track on the album) but it is a track you cannot skip as it holds the listeners attention to the very end with great breakdowns, up tempo beats and highly complex rhythms.

The Germans do not do anything by just halves they embrace what is around them and make the most of it and Nebelkrähe has not scrimped on anything on this highly regarded album. The umlauts are certainly marked over the “a” here – every track has my heart skipping a beat and my blood racing around my body but for very different reasons as this album contains raw and yet sleek enthralling musical passages and is something very new indeed.

There is something for everyone here, it will appeal to not only the hardiest of black metal fanatics but metal heads everywhere and will no doubt become a talking point if not already!

I cannot fault this album at all! It is well-produced, spectacular in musical content and offers endless varied listening – just don’t miss anything as the clever twists and turns are like a Labyrinth that will absorb you into a musical journey and believe me when I say it is one journey you won’t want to stop. So sit back and take in the beautiful notes (as well as the black ones!) and embrace Nebelkrähe – There is not anything else like this out there! From clean, crisp female vocals to raucous male vocal and also a clean male vocal with a cacophony of remarkable musical indulgences in between.

I urge you all to check this album out – if not you are missing something highly intellectual, compelling, unique and superb! Every track is exceptional, addictive listening and incredibly atmospheric. Nothing stagnates on these 8 captivating tracks! Buy it now!

As they say in Deutschland “Ausgezeichnet, von Anfang bis Ende!”

10/10

Track List:

Versucher - Tempter

Mit glut auf den Lippen – With Embers on the lips

Mut und Demut – Courage and Humility

Der Flaneur – The Stroller/Loafer

Lebensweisen – Living Beings

Das Karussell – The Carousel

Macht und Ohnmacht – Power and Powerlessness

Ebenbürdig – Of equal Birth

Members:

UmbrA – Vocals

Morg – Guitar

Kar – Bass

Euphorion – Guitar

Latrodecctus - Drums

Khorne - Resurrection - Released 14th February 2013

Khorne

Resurrection

Released 14th February 2013

Khorne – Karachi, Pakistan

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/KhorneDoom

http://khorne.bandcamp.com/track/resurrection

Genre: Death/Doom/Black/Metal

Khorne was only formed in the earlier part of 2013 and boy do these guys work quickly, releasing their first and only track Resurrection.

Surprisingly enough Khorne are from Karachi in Pakistan not a place I would associate death, doom metal with – but here it is in all its super-fast glory.

In the bands own words:

“The idea is to paint landscapes of misery and depression, transferring ideas from the mind into a musical format. Embrace the Doom”

Resurrection is a track about Satan even though the “other” guy has a few mentions but only in a negative way.  It is quite thought provoking in its own right as when glancing at the lyrics* and seeing the word Satan and resurrection it does not fit into the standard belief system we have been fed since childhood and is a very cleverly created and produced track.

*Why are you downcast? O my soul

Why so disturbed, within me?

Put your hope in Satan, for I will yet praise him

My saviour, Satan

No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his

Brother, saying, know the lord, because they will all

Know me from the least of them to the greatest, declares

The lord, for I will forgive their wickedness and will

Remember their sins no more.

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies

Even though he dies

The resurrection never dies…..

Naturally you would think it is black rather than death doom – although there is a hint of black metal in there it is mostly doom orientated - another little twist in the tale from Khorne and also considering the Country the guys live in you would also imagine that singing about Satan would probably get them stoned or some other evil punishment – so is this a brave move by the band?

(Immediately Pussyriot the all-girl feminist punk rock band from Russia springs to mind here not being the same genre of course but because they had the balls to stand up and sing about something that obviously upset them (Vladimir Putin to be exact) in such a way they were willing to go to prison for their outlandish actions so let’s hope Khorne don’t end up the same way!

I find the thought of restricted art somewhat displeasing as here in the UK we do have the freedom to sing about what takes our fancy but other Countries are not quite that lucky! But I appreciate their efforts into putting this track together and within such a small time frame.

Resurrection

Is very doom orientated and indeed does summon up evil imagery into a world of depression and misery.  It’s slow and cumbersome rhythms plod timelessly on, stimulating and shaping the dark mind with gloomy but melodic sensations with growled vocals that simply wrap themselves around you and pull you further into the abyss along with hard bass, low toned guitars and slow and simple drum beats.

The song transitions between low-paced tempos and a slow melodic break downs, that have very little in between but still manages to keep the attention of the listener provided they are in that “frame of mind!”

For a first effort the band have certainly not lifted the spirits and kept everything low key and in keeping with their genre, and if you are wanting to feel depressed this track will indeed bring you to that certain level quite easily meaning that they have done what they set out to do.

For a chance to hear the guys in a LIVE interview please check our DJ Saxon’s Rolling Bones Show where he will be “Saxonating!” on Saturday 5pm UK time and 12 noon EST USA. Only on Infernal Rock Radio – the station built by the bands for the fans!
www.infernalrockradio.com

7½/10

Members:

Farhan Rathore - Vocals

Corpse – Lead/Rhythm Guitars

Daniyal Buksh Soomro - Bass

Omair Soomro - Drums

Creative Team In charge: Ali Rizvi, Arsalan Rathore

Lyrics Writer: Faiq Ahmed (Tabahi), Sahar Taufiq

Page Manager: Hassan Umer

Galdr - Ancient Light of the Stars - 8 Track Album - Darker than Black - Released 2013

Galdr

Ancient Light of the Stars

8 Track Album

Record Label Darker Than Black

Released 2013

Galdr – Woodstock, Georgia - USA

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/galdrofficial

Genre: Black Metal

“The word Galdr is an Old Norse word for "spell, incantation", and which was usually performed in combination with certain rites. It was mastered by both men and women. Some scholars have assumed they chanted it in falsetto, relating to Giellan, the verb ancestral to Modern English yell”

This is the band’s second album release and like most black metal bands’ tends to keep themselves locked away in a dark room somewhere only to venture out after the release of the album and Galdr seem to be once such band although not being from their area I do not really know a lot about them.

On checking out the track titles I thought that Galdr were from Denmark or Finland due to the Old Norse referrals but in fact they come from Georgia USA which was quite a surprise.  I am wondering will there be any more surprises along the way and the answer is yes!

A dreamy array of notes has just emerged sumptuously from the speakers like a soft breeze – I was not expecting that and the next track does not fall into the usual black metal category either as it is not the usual creepy chamber of horrors associated with black metal this has a tendency to flow but incorporates the evil black vocal style.  The track itself is well balanced, structured and well produced. The timing of the tracks go from 1 minute and 4 seconds to 9 minutes and 23 seconds quite a jump but more bang for your buck as they say!

The third track is typically of a black nature and emerging darkly from the speakers is what you would expect from a black metal band, with its momentous build up and surging of evilness. So far this is a good mix of what to expect and what not to expect and therefore is a good balance showing diversity and a far reaching range of adaptability, offering the listener a distinct and varied sound.

Black metal concentrates more on mood and melodies (primal as they may be) instead of riffs and heaviness and I think Galdr has captured that low piercing quality very well.  Fenrirs Sorrow summons up another classic track with simple melodies un-associated with the black metal genre offering a dark and thought provoking ambiance which is clearly an added bonus point and again a surprise for the unsuspecting listener who may think that all they are going to get is low piercing and incessant dirges with evil sounding vocals, this is not the case here.

In keeping with the laws of the black metal tradition Galdr do return to the initial riffs on Iss Og Odal (Iss of Odal) and this track for me is a whopping 8 minutes 30 seconds and I feel just a bit too long to be comfortable with although saying that Ancient lights of the stars – the title track of the album is 9 minutes and 23 seconds and casts an eerie ambience over your ears in traditional BM style.

To finish off the band have gone back to a more serene-like ensemble with Nordstjerne (North Star) and although dream-like in sound offers a very disturbing, haunting and atmospheric piece of music.

To sum up: the thing I do like about Galdr is that they are not just typical black metal they do stray from their comfort zone at intervals and the Old Norse references are a really welcome to the otherwise ritualistic black metal style. On the downside I do feel that some of the tracks are a bit too long to stay in that void of dark foreboding for that long can leave one feeling slightly bored.

Galdr isn’t something I could just simply throw into the player at a moment’s notice as I think Black Metal is more a frame of mind or mood but it is expertly put together and will no doubt get to the blackened heart of many a true black metal fanatic and cast them into that deep void of reflection - a place where many of them prefer to be.

8/10

Track List:

Realm of Niflhelm

Calling out into a Frozen Void

Oath of Blood

Well of Urdr

Fenrirs Sorrow

Isis Og Ordal

Ancient Lights of the Stars

Nordstjerne

Eschaton Hive - Eschaton Hive - 15 Track Album - Released 17th July 2012

Eschaton Hive

Eschaton Hive

15 Track Album

Released 17^th July 2012

Eschaton Hive – Australia

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/EschatonHive

In Association with

https://www.facebook.com/JuggernautServices

Genre: Industrial/Metal/Experimental

Eschaton Hive is just as elusive as their faces under a stealth of rubber masks they adorn on stage. Even their names offer no clue as to who they really are? - Maybe they are some new or old race from a distant galaxy, who knows? But one thing is for sure, I just love the intrigue that surrounds them.  With 15 tracks attached to this album you can tell that the band has put a lot of time and effort into making it and the production is just superb. The cover offers no explanation either! But all adds to the overwhelming secrecy of Eschaton Hive.

This short biography was taken from their Facebook page – so I will leave you to make up your own mind as to just what Eschaton Hive are all about – whilst I attempt to review this in more detail:

“We are the Eschaton Hive.

For years we have studied your civilisation and your history waiting for the right moment.

Your history will look back on these days as the beginning, the catalyst for what is to come.

You can’t escape the collective fate of your species you can only prepare.

Only as one of the Eschaton Hive, will you be prepared for the future we have designed.

It is time.

Time to join the Hive”

Immanentize the Eschaton

Dark and ominous the bubbling synths surge into life with some good sampled voices.  The actual vocals are scathing and raw with a blinding and melodious rhythm that ploughs through the track like a hot knife through butter. The guitar is present through-out the track and really adds some “bounce” to the overall sound with copious amounts of distortion. The experimental element exists in abundance giving it an eerie mechanical feel.

Duck N Cover

Awesome rhythm on this with solid sampled voices with the usual monotone effect and the drumming is consistent and powerful. The little choppy synth sounds are most welcome to with the vocal content being caustic and brutal with more experimental elements creeping into it.

Eschatonation

Bubbling vibrant drum beat with blistering guitar work and more critical vocals all pull together creating this melting pot of industrial musicianship with its sampled voices hardly being heard over the array of busy sounds.

Deconstruction

Starts with sampled voice amid an amazing distorted guitar and loads of bubbling synthesiser's taking note that the bass playing is a big part of this track – vocals are derisive and consistent with the blur of biting experimental sounds.

The elusive Eschaton Hive - Live!

Warpz[o]ne

Deep pulsing tones begin on this track and a marching drum beat effect accompanies it. A bit lame though as it just wanders around aimlessly but at only 1.31 not, as bad for a filler track.

Pandemic

Sampled female voice warning of virus’s to a consistent drum beat and a dark but clean ominous vocal that is not as scathing as on the previous tracks. Experimental sounds are in abundance through-out the track and in keeping with the above throw out a busying array of incidental sounds.

Zombie Attack Plan

Haunting, powerful and melodic with superb vocals and frantic samples – great track! It conjures up mental images of zombies attacking and gives off that evil vibe with extreme ferocity.

Accept Your Life

Effervescent synth with a smattering of sampled voices – packed full of superb rhythms and melodies topped off with an intense abrasive vocal content. Another superb track! This would gain a lot of attention on a dance floor, as it simply forges ahead with its distorted guitar and bass hooks a plenty.

Delusions of Adequacy (World Famous)

Slow and more down tempo it contains a powerful rhythm and bludgeoning melodies then a deep bass line and a clean vocal starts with a more ska sort of feel to it but very cleverly incorporated in its plethora of building rhythms.

Want.Need.Have

A track about sex! Prostitutes and escorts Great use of samples and a scornful vocal with simplistic keys, driving guitar and outstanding bass hook! Really awesome track!

20 Million Guys

Loving the start of this track with its vibrant keys and mixed samples containing a deep abrasive vocal content although after this it loses a bit of momentum which is a shame indeed but could do with keeping the up tempo feel at the beginning as it sounds too much the same as some of the previous tracks.

...And Then til Now

Dark opening with spasmodic drum beat and incidental sounds but does not seem to reach its potential. It is a slow track that shows no purpose or direction and which is struggling somewhat to reach any conclusion.

Get Happy

Eerie opening with harsh sampled male voice however later in the track offers a scathing beat with superb biting and caustic rhythms.

I’m Ur Stalker

Some eye opening incidental sounds and a thunderous beat with ravaging guitar brings this track to the forefront. A couple of mixed male and female samples come and go and then a caustic vocal takes over. Another busy array of sounds, that flourishes to bring together another good track with superb rhythmical content.

Rebirth

More experimental sounds start up but fantastic guitar brings this track to life with a resounding quality and all the instruments working well together – it is both exciting and fierce with great experimental overtones – yet another good track.

To sum up:

Although not the usual Industrial type of sound I am used to it does have workable appeal and with 15 tracks there’s a lot to choose from. Accept your Life, and Want Need Have are two of my favourites from the album simply because they have a bit more depth than some of the other tracks and not so keen on the experimental as I think in some cases it detracts from the overall sound of the music. When there is an abundance of sounds coming at you from every corner of the speakers it can be a bit distracting, but overall this is a good listenable album.

7½/10

Track List:

Immanentize the Eschaton 04:18

Duck N Cover 03:39

Eschatonation 03:33

Deconstruction 03:37

Warpz[o]ne 01:31

Pandemic 03:27

Zombie Attack Plan 03:49

Accept Your Life 03:34

Delusions of Adequacy (World Famous) 03:18

Want.Need.Have 03:12

20 Million Guys 02:58

...And Then til Now 05:01

Get Happy 03:34

I’m Ur Stalker 03:17

Rebirth 03:29

Members:

General Scar F. Ice - Propaganda / Programming

MC Minister Rawshark - Bass / Propaganda

Professor K. Vorkian - Keys / Surgery

The Baron - Guitars / Drums / Propaganda

PLF - Devious Persecution and Wholesale Slaughter - 14 Track Album - Six Weeks Records - Released 8th February 2013

PLF

Devious Persecution and Wholesale Slaughter

14 Track Album

Six Weeks Records

Released 8th February 2013

REVIEW WRITTEN FOR BRUTALISM:COM

PLF – Houston, Texas

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/PLF

Buy the album here:

http://www.sixweeksrecords.com/

Or here:

www.ildistro.com

PLF Live in Bratislava, Slovakia

Discography:

Devious Persecution and Wholesale Slaughter – 2013

California’s In Disgust in 2010

Crushing Fury of Bastardization in 2008

Pulverizing Lethal Force in 2007

Two split LPs with Germany’s Bizarre X in 2005

7" E.P (Swarming Industrial Cancer, 2003)

Nine split 7" E.Ps with a dizzying array of international bands, including Unholy Grave, Cyness, and Massgrave)

Genre: Old School Crusty Grindcore

Released on the 8^th February 2013 and is the band’s third full-length ferocious attack since they began in 1999.  Recorded and mixed in the spring/summer of 2012 by Garry Brents at GAB Recordings and Mike BBQ at Big Door Studios, mastered by Jack Control (World Burns to Death, Severed Head of State) at Enormous Door in summer 2012 with frantic artwork by Daniel Shaw.

The band have played the Maryland Death Fest in (2009/2010), Bloodshed Festival in the Netherlands (2008/2011), Obscene Extreme in the Czech Republic (2006), UGZ Speed Trials (2008 /2010), Etengabeko Zarata Festival in Spain’s Basque Country (2008), Rites of Darkness (2011), and Short, Fast and Loud Zine’s 10 year Anniversary Festival (2011) as well as and I quote: “Hundreds of shows in clubs, warehouses, squats, houses, basements, open air stadiums, 'metal clubs', bars, parking lots, fields, pool halls, and garages across North America and Europe” This is pretty impressive to say the very least!

Immediately after being sent the download I wondered what PLF stood for – still none the wiser but apparently on the band’s Facebook page they asked their fans what the initials should stand for: A list too endless to write here but I would think something like Panhygrous (moist in all parts) Laniary (of teeth or claws designed for tearing - canine teeth) Furibund (raging; furious) which just about sums this band up in three words!

The bug bear with Grind Core is that the tracks only last a certain amount of time – usually short – which can annoy the listener if they like the track or spark interest – but it is like you are just getting samples of tracks and awful for DJ’s to play but saying this – it is typically Grind Core esque.

The tracks are all without a doubt lethal and raw injected with the added vocal effects of low throaty guttural secretions as you would expect but yet still manages to possess melodious rhythms with stupendous blast beats and if your neck don’t break whilst moshing to this then you aren’t doing it right!

Grindcore is characterised by heavily distorted, down-tuned guitars, high speed tempo, blast beats, and vocals which consist of growls and high-pitched screams and remains an underground genre, but rightly so in my opinion as it keeps it out of the public eye so it stays fresh and interesting and not contaminated with mainstream bilge.  PLF have drawn on this and produced such a fantastic array of tracks that will have you fuelled and as the last track ends will just again light the fuse.

It has a certain beauty contained within it, if beauty is the right word, but if you love brutal grind core you will understand just what I mean by beauty and resoundingly the most fitting music ever created. It is music that will cause you to feel anger and aggression in the most unadulterated of forms as the gut wrenching vocals puke out some of the most dominating sounds and will leave you well satisfied.

Of course we are all going to have our favorite tracks mine are “all of them!!”  Although the title track "Devious Persecution and Wholesale Slaughter" is without a doubt firing on all cylinders! I love the ferociousness and pure brutality this track portrays.  Deadly and raucous with vocals to die for, I can’t keep still as track after track just sends shock waves to the ailing audial canal and my body is doing amazing things to the blast beats – not to mention the incessant head banging whilst trying to type... damn these guys the “perfect loud freaks!” (Yet another name PLF could stand for perhaps?

I can’t pick fault apart from the length of the tracks that are just long enough to taunt the poor listener before moving on to the next.  The blistering savagery is just intense and I could go on listening for an eternity and more than likely will!

Definitely NOT for wimps or people of a delicate disposition because this will send them over the edge! Because by the time they have finished listening to this their ears should be bleeding and their necks suitably broken, or if not then whiplash at the very least should rear its ugly head in the morning!

Each track has outstanding memorability with superb track titles. So get that hair wind-milling and freak the fuck out! These guys do NOT disappoint! But be warned once you listen there is a tendency to just keep the repeat button on permanently, so metal up and mosh the fuck out!

10/10

Track Titles:

Trinitrotoluene Negation

Blistered Dejection

Grinder of Fools

Klaxon of Puzzlement

Renegade Incompetence

Dissolution of Rights Part 4

Simultaneous Assassination

Up in Flames, down in a sea of bullets

Crippled mercilessly by homemade bombs

The story of Ricky

Fatal Confusion

Devious Persecution and Wholesale Slaughter

Port of Chicago Disaster

Final act of Recalcitrance