The Black Dahlia Murder - Abysmal - 10 Track Album - Metal Blade Records - Released 18th September 2015

Black Dahlia Murder

Abysmal

10 Track Album

Metal Blade Records

Released 18^th September 2015

Out Today

Written for Metal Gods Meltdown

Black Dahlia Murder – Detroit Michigan USA

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/theblackdahliamurderofficial

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Receipt

The compelling and tenacious air of sheer fascination boils over on this the first track of Black Dahlia Murder’s new offing ‘Abysmal’ emotionally and skilfully adept to conquering the excitement and pushing boundaries in an all-out sonic attack on the ear drums!

Vlad, Son of the Dragon

Contagious rhythms don’t take long to pour savagely through the speaker unit and infect with surging qualities. The unstoppable viciousness never far away as the onslaught continues in its all-out vehement beauty.

Abysmal

The title track holds a sinister guise as the darker tones carry swift control and simply brood as it festers with a malignant haze. Expressive and welcoming riffs surge into a brawling prowess that is complimented with a rasping throaty growl.

Re-Faced

The flowing lava of riffs and malignant beats offer no respite and continue to throttle on all levels. Embracing and enticing it scuttles off at some speed and sparks a ferocious trail in its wake.

Threat level number three

A particularly raw track that doesn’t know when to stop! Its powerful strikes are akin to a nuclear attack and the undiluted passion continues in brute force to slaughter, weaving a dark enthralling encounter.

The Fog

A real catchy stroll accompanies a hearty raw edged vocal that mesmerises in a stirring atmosphere. It punches full on but in a seductive mood that is equally wrapped in tendrils of fierce but charming imagination.

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“The outbursts show no restraint and are harsh and unforgiving with prized rugged vocals that constantly expel sheer emotion and rigorous endeavour!”

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Stygiophobic

This is a sinister track that is guaranteed to send chills of horror down the backbone. It inventively plots its journey with a persistent imposing characteristic that lingers and matched with a superb vocal.

Asylum

Possesses a tirade of madness as it quickens in tempo and breathes fire and brimstone on its victims. The energy here being key as the brutish appeal literally enriches the track to the maximum.

The Advent

There are no sweet caresses here but did you expect it? The atmospheric intensity grows malevolent by the minute as the haunting rhythms relinquish their control and grow wilder with every riff and tumultuous blast beat, spawning an unrestrictive head banging moment!

That cannot die which eternally is dead

The air of pomp and ceremony rains down through a sophisticated grandeur of sorts until the explosion catapults the brutal rhythms into the forefront. Broadening their horizons The Black Dahlia Murder can be likened to a potential nuclear storm in which nobody would survive.

Summary:

Through-out this rabidly disturbing album comes a new hope of it becoming even more corrupt as it envelops the senses and unveiling an even darker side.

It lacks nothing, the predation is all around, permeating with a black pestilence that wraps around the audial chambers with a slick and spellbinding proposal that hits time and time again.

The outbursts show no restraint and are harsh and unforgiving with prized rugged vocals that constantly expel sheer emotion and rigorous endeavour.

The melodic flavour is somewhat overshadowed with pure brutal riffs that are not dissimilar to symphonic black metal, (and experimented with grind in the earlier years) but on occasions you can hear a melody escaping from the clutches of such an intense album.

If you like metal confrontation look no further than The Black Dahlia Murder whose name is derived from the 1947 unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, often referred to as Black Dahlia. It’s a killer!

9/10

Track List:

Receipt

Vlad, Son of the Dragon

Abysmal

Re-Faced

Threat level number three

The Fog

Stygiophobic

Asylum

The Advent

That cannot die which eternally is dead

Members:

Brian Eschbach − Guitar, Vocals

Trevor Strnad − Vocals

Ryan Knight − Guitar

Max Lavelle − Bass Guitar

Alan Cassidy - Drums

Akarusa Yami - Heavy Climb - 10 Track Album - Independent - To be released 5th October 2015

Akarusa Yami

Heavy Climb

10 Track Debut Album

Independent

To be released 5^th October 2015

Out Soon!

Akarausa Yami – Nottingham

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/akarusayami

Genre: Progressive Technical Metal

Biography:

“Formed in September 2010 Akarusa Yami are a 10-legged schizophrenic sci-fi monster created in Nottingham, wearing roller skates surfing on a sheet of ice down a lava flow whilst juggling maths equations made from technically precise metal!

In layman's terms...they play metal music of the technically progressive industrial speed math variety...core!”

Freshly back from Bloodstock Akarusa Yami received a superb welcome and are now preparing to play at the Trondheim Metalfest 1st-3^rd October on the Rockheim Stage.

With regard to the bands unusual name Akarusa Yami translates to “Opposite of Darkness, Opposite of Light” in Japanese just in case anyone was wondering and suits their unusual blend of music perfectly.

The old man by the Fiord

Is a choppy little track that is kind and brutal all at the same time as it kicks into its paces! The melodic swipes are seducing and catchy courtesy of the interesting keyboard arrangement.

At last, Sun Light (Endlich Sonnenlicht)

A very poignant track that has a somewhat angular feel to it and definitely technically progressive. It makes use of the vehement vocal that is chanted out in such a fashion it sounds punky. (Not sure why the band sing in German although it is quite fresh and interesting and adds a certain quirkiness to it)

Heavy Climb

Very apt with my recent diagnosis and having to climb the cancerous mountain! This track is caustic with a captivating harsh vocal edge that lashes at thirty paces. It works on the senses with the ambient keyboards working unobtrusively in the background.

Long nights in the City (Instrumental)

Bristles with intrigue and excitement – the powerful structure resonates with ambient hues and quirky keyboard. It sounds Japanese in delivery and is an inspiring with its chords of wonder lying on a slab of spine chilling glory!

A monument built to carnal desire

This track flirts with an unusual rhythm that carries itself into a festering menagerie of sound. The technical expulsion is overwhelming and hits hard with strenuous vocal. The hard core elements create a sheer toxic weave of aggression.

And the night will take us all

Holding a precocious rhythm and tempting harsh vocal it pushes to the extreme with no melody at all but rather a confusing math core surge. Saying that it is none the less interesting.

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“It is a sophistication in itself with rhythmically complex structures of the metal core variety combining strange time signatures and staccato guitar melodies that sound unlike anything else!”

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I work in Formaldehyde

Interesting title – this track glazes over a disjointed drum beat that is on all accounts holding an experimental edge. The rumble of rhythms are spiced with a rasping vocal and an unrelenting jarring of riffs.

Loving Parents (Instrumental)

Gives us a vision into unchartered territory as the keyboard sets to work and produces an eerie backdrop of sound that turns into a pulsating malevolence, quickly resonating into an unusual pliable turmoil.

Les Meres Terribles

Again unsure why the band want to name this track in French although why not? It is certainly good to reach out to others in other countries and not just remain in the English mode. This is most definitely a Sci-Fi track that conjures up a battle from inter galactic space and obviously Akarusa Yami are winning.

The Natasha Trade

Is a very sophisticated track but not without the usual Akarusa Yami feel attached to it, with its slightly off centre vibe and unusual samples. It dawdles in its ambient cloak and tells a disturbing story. Fronted by Joy Shannon of Beauty Marks whose voice is perfect for this track?

Summary:

This album makes use of their previous albums pulling out the best bits and embroiling them into a new sphere. One unusual album that could take a little while to get acquainted with if your scope isn’t moving past Metal.

It is a sophistication in itself with rhythmically complex structures of the metal core variety combining strange time signatures and staccato guitar melodies that sound unlike anything else.

It can definitely be defined as ‘quirky’ with its polyrhythmic bizarreness, wandering keyboards and hard core vocals. Nothing can prepare you for this so it is a case of press play and get straight down to listening, and if you find it too angular – just remember it is an acquired taste and may take a few attempts to fully engage in its effects, but once you get hit you will find your favourite track being played to death.

For me it is easy to pick out my favourite track and that is ‘Loving Parents’ for its deep keyboard structure that goes on weaving its magic along with some nice dark tones.

9/10

Track List:

The old man by the Fiord

At last, Sun Light (Endlich Sonnenlicht)

Heavy Climb

Long nights in the City (Instrumental)

A monument built to carnal desire

And the night will take us all

I work in Formaldehyde

Loving Parents (Instrumental)

Les Meres Terribles

The Natasha Trade

Members:

Tom Brumpton - Vocals

Damian Lee - Guitars

Jake Bennett - Bass

Julia Goatly – Guitars

Lee Dowling - Keyboards

Adam Jones - Drums and Backing Vocals

Additional vocals

Joy Shannon (Beauty Marks)

Karhu - Genericist - 9 Track Album - Released 29th August 2015

Karhu

Genericist

 9 Track Album

Released 29^th August 2015

The Pirates of progressive - Karhu

Written for Demented Magazine

Karhu – UK

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/TheKarhuGroove

Listen Here

http://karhu.bandcamp.com/

Karhu was (for this album only):

Joseph Parry - Bass, Drums, Guitar, Lyrics, Vocals, Mix, Master, Production,

Juani Cummings - Guitar, Lyrics,

Genre: Progressive Metal

Biography:

“A new line-up breeds a new album, though this one being an interesting exception to the rule! Genericist was created by just two people. One of them is long time member Joseph Parry and the other is new guitarist Juani Cummings.

It talks about the generic attitude of society and the media today and reveals the fact that we should fight against it. Continue to push ourselves to greater things.

The album cover was shot in Joe's home studio by that pair taking in turns with the camera.

Joe says "I remember asking Juani what he had mask wise for us to shoot with and he mentioned these old pirate masks from a Halloween gig. One was silver and one was gold, naturally being the douchebag that I am I opted for gold and left Juani with the peasant silver hahaha!  I set up the lighting and took a shot of Juani then we reversed roles, I blended the two shots together in Photoshop, as you can see I'm on the left and he is on the right. Loved how it came out and represents us almost perfectly. Except we're not ‘Piratey’ at all... I even pay for my Photoshop hahaha!"

Acceptance

The first track on the album – is the murderous apocalypse that simply surges into existence with plenty of atmosphere and rolls out a torrent of progressive madness, embellishing the audial chambers with an epidemic of hearty growls and mesmeric beats that calm half way through to soothe and relax the temporal lobe be it for a few minutes before chaos ensues.

Genericist

Is the title track and another fiery offering that eats you alive from the inside and impressively runs with your thoughts and emotions, highlighting them with a demonic malevolence that seizes the moment and rips you a new one before the track even ends.

Solemn

Is exactly what it says on the label? It is very solemn and what follows is a myriad of ambiance that affects the soul from deep within as the frets are simply explored and then consumed.

Attempt I

A harsh pit of deranged madness ensues here. The deep resonating riffs are all smothering, however a brief respite gives the listener time to ponder before being thrown head first into a maelstrom of clean vocals as well as deep infectious growls.

Arch Enemus

As expected the rage carries on but is kicked up several notches to reveal a blistering bedlamic fusion of seething annihilation that knows no bounds. We can observe once again the use of a dual vocal that is clean and urgent to one of festering hearty growls.

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“It is consistently unwavering in quality and delivery and a sheer must have for the collection in order to revel in its finery and to fully take part in such sophistication whenever the mood takes you!”

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Self-Preservation

No other word for it but a tirade of sheer metal appeal that swamps and turns into a feisty anthemic sound that is extremely moreish and forthright. Likely to desecrate the ears and annihilate the mind.

Genocide

Offers an unforgiving riff and powerfully tempered blast beats that curdle the blood and addle the confused mind. It is a track that holds no mercy as it entangles a tirade of nagging riffs and hard rhythms together leaving you in no doubt that this is one hellish track.

Severance

The heady chugging simply pulverizes and shines its dark elements over eager waiting ears. The screeching vocal surrounds the audial like a warm blanket and completed by a harsh powerful beat that the head can’t ignore.

Endlessly Hopeless

Taking no prisoners this track – indeed the final track of what is one scorcher of an album literally delves into a tasty and ravenous riff that accompanies a solid bass and ferocious vocal, blending together like a familiar recipe that is welcomed and enticed with oodles of pleasing rhythms that go all out to tempt, tease and torture.

Summary:

I have to admit although I have reviewed Karhu previously (less the three band members present at time of recording ‘Survival of the Richest’) I had no idea what this newest offering would bring to the table, and I have to say, I am bowled over at just how much groove has manifested during the making of this album although the progressive moments are ever present, the sheer velocity that is witnessed during this monstrous album are mind-blowing, to say very least!

It is consistently unwavering in quality and delivery and a sheer must have for the collection in order to revel in its finery and to fully take part in such sophistication whenever the mood takes you.

This is not just a progressive album – it is an album that explores deeper, harsher understanding and with it comes the true meaning of what Karhu are all about!

10/10

Track List:

Acceptance

Genericist

Solemn

Attempt I

Arch Enemus

Self-Preservation

Genocide

Severance

Endlessly Hopeless

Members:

Joseph Parry - Guitar / Vocals

Juani Cummings - Guitar

Jake Archer - Bass