Please welcome Amy and .W., two contributors from the Eastern United States. Like me, they’ll be contributing as much, or as little as they please. I’m extremely excited to have them aboard. 2008 is going to hopefully be taken up a few notches. I already have several bands in mind I’d like to interview, among a few other things. Here’s to another great year of metal.
In alphabetical order.
Alcest
Souvenirs d’un autre monde
Website: Official, Myspace
Label: Prophecy Productions
1. Printemps Émeraude
2. Souvenirs D’Un Autre Monde
3. Les Iris
4. Ciel Errant
5. Sur L’Autre Rive Je T’Attendrai
6. Tir Nan Og
This was almost nothing like I expected it to be, but it felt EXACTLY like I wanted it to feel, and makes me wonder what Neige will do with his Alcest project next. After the release of “Le Secret”, which may end up being greatly influential down the road to black metal bands who are tired of the clichés, I figured “Souveniers” would have a similar style to it. However, except for the occasional tremolo and blast beat, Souveniers has little to do with black metal. This album more closely resembles something Slowdive would have released at one point during their career. While only 40 minutes in length, this is one of the few albums I can listen to which invokes feelings of nostalgia, and dare I say happiness, while allowing me not to feel completely manipulated into such moods.
Standout tracks: Souvenirs D’Un Autre Monde, Les Iris
Angantyr
Hævn
Website: Official, Myspace
Label: Independent
1. Et Varsel Om Død
2. Thulens Ord
3. Baghold
4. Tågefolket
5. Danemordet
6. Fødslen Og Byttet
7. Blod For Blod, Liv For Liv
This is a totally enthralling release that I’m certain will fly under the radar for most people this year. This is partly because Angantyr is not signed, and self-releases all of his albums, but partly because the black metal here is also fairly standard. However, what is written and performed here is absolutely extraordinary in terms of direction, production, and song writing. It has a relentless, cold atmosphere with a great deal of folk melodies and an almost Viking tinge to the melodies, but remains primarily black metal among all else. While this record might not be pivotal on the cluttered landscape of black metal, it’s an important release in Angantyr’s career. Someone sign this man as soon as possible, I want vinyl.
Standout tracks: Blod For Blod, Liv For Liv
Dälek
Abandoned Language
Website: Official, Myspace
Label: Ipecac Recordings
1. Abandoned Language
2. Bricks Crumble
3. Paragraphs Relentless
4. Content to Play Villain
5. Lynch
6. Stagnant Waters
7. Starved for the Truth
8. Isolated State
9. Corrupt (Knuckle Up)
10. Tarnished
11. (Subversive Script)
It’s funny, a lot Dälek fans didn’t seem very happy about this release because the music involves a bit less abrasive noise compared to previous releases. Dälek are pretty much known for doing something that nobody else does, and doing it extremely well. This is why they’re on Ipecac Records, who (as far as I know) have no other hip-hop acts on their roster, but is full of experimental projects usually of the metal persuasion. So it’s safe to say that Dälek pretty much defy anything “normal” in the hip-hop world, and with this release they even defy themselves… because of this some fans are certainly liable to dislike it. I’d say that because of this, Abandoned Language is their boldest release yet, simply because they continue to challenge their own standards, as well as the petty standards everyone else has established for them.
Standout tracks: Abandoned Language, Content to Play Villain, Tarnished
Deathspell Omega
Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum
Website: None
Label: Norma Evangelium Diaboli
1. Obombration
2. The Shrine of Mad Laughter
3. Bread of Bitterness
4. The Repellent Scars of Abandon and Election
5. A Chore for the Lost
6. Obombration
How do they do it? Not only that, but how do they continually do it? The old Deathspell Omega was fairly standard Darkthrone-esque black metal, but some time between 2002 and 2004 they said “enough is enough”, made some line up adjustments, and released “Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice”, one of the most respected black metal albums to come out this decade. With the new one, they’ve taken some steps to reinvent their sound again, but not in a way to stray from their focused artistic vision. “Fas” has some of the most suffocating atmosphere I’ve ever experienced, and for good reason considering the metaphysical subject matter. Complaints have arisen about the songs “all sounding the same” which I suppose I can understand, but also intensely disagree with. The layers of melody and brutality seem to be so intricately applied that I doubt anyone outside of the band will ever truly know how wonderfully painful it might have been to compose this album.
Standout tracks: Bread of Bitterness
Moonsorrow
V: Hävitetty
Website: Official, Myspace
Label: Spinefarm Records
1. Jäästä Syntynyt / Varjojen Virta
2. Tuleen Ajettu Maa
This is completely epic. The album is a mere two tracks in length, but both exceed 25 minutes, with not a single moment that feels drawn out or pretentious. In fact it could be a pivotal album in Moonsorrow’s already illustrious career. While many long time fans feel this isn’t quite up to par compared to older material, it is my opinion that Hävitetty makes all of their imitators completely obsolete. The greatest problem about this album is that it’s only an effective experience if you have a full hour to listen to it without interruption. As wonderful as the experience withheld here is, it’s always an hour well spent. A full review is here.
Standout tracks: both
Rosetta
Wake/Lift
Website: Official, Myspace
Label: Translation Loss Records
1. Red in Tooth and Claw
2. Lift (part 1)
3. Lift (part 2)
4. Lift (part 3)
5. Wake
6. Temet Nosce
7. Monument
Few bands stir my emotions and invigorate my imagination like Rosetta does. With tongue planted in cheek, they are self-described as “space metal” and their last album, The Galilean Satellites, is still a staple in my listening rotation. This release will surely continue this practice with immediate continuity in both lyrical themes and sweeping soundscapes that ever-so-subtly wash over your ears with a calming sense of solitude. You’ll also find a hearty dose of moments so dense and heavy that they could likely crumble small buildings. Drumming that never ceases to be uninteresting, bass guitar looming with atmosphere, lead guitar continually ringing like an encore at a bell-choir concert and roaring vocals that ache with conviction and exigency — Wake/Lift is anything but disappointing. Listening to this could be described as the aural equivalent of the most intense viewing of 2001: A Space Odyssey you’ll ever have.
Standout tracks: Lift (parts 1, 2, 3), Monument
Rotting Christ
Theogonia
Website: Official, Myspace
Label: Season of Mist
1. Χαος Γενετο (The Sign Of Prime Creation)
2. Keravnos Kivernitos
3. Enuma Elish
4. Nemecic
5. Phobos’ Synagogue
6. Gaia Tellus
7. Rege Diabolicus
8. He, The Aethyr
9. Helios Hyperion
10. Threnody
The Greek masters have an amazing release on their hands here. In fact, I think it’s probably my new favorite Rotting Christ album. For a while, I didn’t think that this one compared very well to their previous album, “Sanctus Diavolos”, but now I’m pretty sure it blows it out of the water. Something about the atmosphere they capture, despite having extremely excellent production, is absolutely perfect. With black metal roots a subtle “gothic” angle to their melodies, and some very catchy hooks, I can’t find a single flaw when listening to this. Sakis Tolis (guitar, vocals) not only wrote all the songs on this album, but produced it as well. As far as bands that have been around for 15+ years, Rotting Christ certainly hasn’t lost any momentum, and have absolutely no reason to “quit while they’re ahead”.
Standout tracks: Nemecic, Gaia Tellus, He, The Aethyr
Turisas
The Varangian Way
Website: Official, Myspace
Label: Century Media Records, Album site
1. To Holmgard And Beyond
2. A Portage To The Unknown
3. Cursed Be Iron
4. Fields Of Gold
5. In The Court Of Jarisleif
6. Five Hundred And One
7. The Dnieper Rapids
8. Miklagard Overture
This is probably my favorite surprise of the year. I absolutely loved Turisas’s last album, Battle Metal, because it teetered on the edge of epic viking metal and cheesy power metal so blatantly that it was always a fun, triumphant listen. Artistically it was good, but nothing to write home about, and I fully expected 2007’s The Varangian Way to be more of the same. Boy was I wrong. What we have here is something that feels like a ridiculous grandiose score to an over the top stage musical about Vikings and grand battles, which I would pay to see over and over. Not only does the album contain vast epic qualities, but the musicianship has improved a great deal since their past album, and I’m almost certain that Mathias “Warlord” Nygård (vocals) has taken some voice lessons between the two releases. Because of this album, Turisas has been moved from bands I have fun listening to, to bands I take seriously - and because of this direction, I’m excited to see what they do next. “Five Hundred And One” is one of my picks for “most epic songs of 2007″, and for good reason.
Standout tracks: Five Hundred And One, Miklagard Overture
Ulver
Shadows of the Sun
Website: Official, Myspace
Label: Jester Records
1. Eos
2. All the Love
3. Like Music
4. Vigil
5. Shadows of the Sun
6. Let the Children Go
7. Solitude (Black Sabbath cover)
8. Funebre
9. What Happened?
By now, anyone who has heard of Ulver knows that whatever they do will be unexpected and most likely wonderful. “Shadows of the Sun” is by no means an exception, with a dark neo-jazz feel that is every bit as, and I quote, “Low-key, dark, and tragic. As we are”. Shadows of the sun is a bleak and lovely listen that is obviously constructed with a great deal of attention toward the delicacy of delivery and atmosphere. Ulver never ceases to impress me, and as always, I’m practically gawking at what ever it is they dare to do next.
Standout tracks: Vigil, Let the Children Go
Walknut
Graveforests and Their Shadows
Website: Official, Myspace
Label: Stellar Winter Records
1. Hrimfaxi
2. Motherland Ostenvegr
3. Come, Dreadful Ygg
4. The Midnightforest of The Runes
5. Grim Woods
6. Skinfaxi
I may have to wait another 3 years for a new Negura Bunget album, and becase of this, Walknut is my saviour. That’s not to say they rip off the enigmatic Romanian trio, but I definitely hear a bit of influence when listening to this. Walknut really seemed to come out of nowhere, forming merely a year before putting out one of the better atmospheric black metal albums I’ve heard this year. “Graveforests” is simple in nature, but it has a stunning quality of integrity and direction applied to it. Among what seems to be a growing interest in pagan-infused metal that focuses more upon the trees and mountain peaks, rather than inverted crosses and lamb’s blood, Walknut could potentially be one of the revered leaders in this pack.
Standout tracks: Motherland Ostenvegr, Grim Woods
Wolves in the Throne Room
Two Hunters
Website: Official, Myspace
Label: Southern Lord Records
1. Dea Artio
2. Vastness and Sorrow
3. Cleansing
4. I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots
It’s pretty difficult to describe how much I’ve fallen in love with this album. If blues are the true roots of metal, then this album could be one of the few that brings that relationship to a full circle. Wolves in the Throne Room have taken their Weakling influenced style of song structures and simplified it, without dumbing it down. Each song has its own distinct feel and emotion to it, and there’s almost a cinematic polish thanks to some minimalistic keyboard programming and a subtle layer of female vocals. While they still use black metal as their medium for delivery of their craft, they’ve taken some very bold steps to defy everything that most black metal has come to represent these days. From their first album, this new direction they’ve taken is refreshing, and I firmly believe that Two Hunters is something I’ll still be listening to ten years from now.
Standout tracks: Dea Artio, I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots
_____________________
Honorable mentions:
Alatyr - Alatyr
The Austrasian Goat - The Austrasian Goat
Drudkh - Estrangement
Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao
Om - Pilgrimage
Wormtongue - The Solstice Funeral
This has been a great year for music. I was surprised to see so many bands turn out albums that may prove to be their best yet. Here are several releases that I was thoroughly impressed with, reviewed in no special order.
Burial
Untrue (Hyperdub)
01.
02. Archangel
03. Near Dark
04. Ghost Hardware
05. Endorphin
06. Etched Headplate
07. In McDonalds
08. Untrue
09. Shell Of Light
10. Dog Shelter
11. Homeless
12. UK
13. Raver
Untrue is a dubstep masterpiece that is vulnerable, damaged, and suffused with yearning. Like pensive, post-club dance music, it is composed of the dubstep trademarks: slinking lower bass frequencies, sparse rhythms that skip beats, and a dark mood. Clips of vocal samples, many supposedly from R&B songs, are used to great effect throughout the album. The frequency of the voices is shifted by varying degrees to transform the tone dramatically, and often to obscure the words themselves. The words result in sounding loaded with emotion yet indiscernible, spoken by a voice of unknown gender. Uttering only a few words at a time, the vocals offer unfinished lamentations to the negative space of these minimal compositions. The sub-bass frequencies are restless and stirring, sometimes sounding akin to a forklift with a faulty cylinder. The bass frequency on songs like Etched Headplate slides up and down at broken intervals to sound like muffled, faltering hydraulics coming from the opposite end of a deep-sea vessel.
Burial’s sampled sound effects often evoke images of armor and weaponry, such as the sound of artillery shells being ejected. These sounds form part of the rhythm and, much like the vocal samples, are often inconclusive and merely suggestive of the original sound. As such, the listener is compelled to fill in the spaces in order to guess where a familiar sound originated from or how a sentence ends. In this way, Burial has the uncanny ability to produce music from inside your head, and the resulting feeling is of a personal, secret connection to what is being expressed, as well as the feeling that you’ve heard it somewhere before. The fact that its maker remains anonymous is significant.
This album is not an offering of technical ability. It appeals on an emotional level to universal human hurt. It is reverent to the wounded and the lonely. One of the most attractive aspects of Burial is the aural immediacy; there is no cryptic message to uncover, no amazing feat of technical skill to puzzle over. The music is relatively simple. The components of the songs typically layer up in a linear fashion alongside a simple and constant rhythm. All that it requires is a space in your head and a willingness to absorb from the speakers.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Near Dark”, “Etched Headplate”, “Untrue”, “Raver”
Alcest
Souvenirs d’un autre monde (Prophecy Productions)
01. Printemps Émeraude
02. Souvenirs D’Un Autre Monde
03. Les Iris
04. Ciel Errant
05. Sur L’Autre Rive Je T’Attendrai
06. Tir Nan Og
With this album, Neige has arrived at the perfect arrangement to express himself. I like this album so much that I can only hold my breath in the hope that he will release something comparable in the future. Wrought with longing, Souvenirs… is a shoegazing reverie that takes flight on the guitar tremolo known so well to black metal. These songs yearn for a perfect world that cannot exist. But they do not dwell on the pain of nostalgia, rather choosing to revel in the childlike bliss of possibility and imagination. The lyrics are included in French, but one does not need to understand them to be moved by the emotions that pour forth on this album.
While singing, Neige often leaves word-bound language behind and chooses to hum the melodies instead. His abandonment of spoken language is but one token of the guileless, youthful nature of this album. The imagery is made complete by the cover photograph of a young child playing a reed flute, a portrait of innocence and contentment.
Sound-wise, the production of this album is perfectly aligned with what is being expressed; it allows the romantic vision of these songs to shine. There is a hollow, almost sacred space around each instrument, from the resounding bass to the throbbing acoustic and electric guitar riffs, from the weightless cymbal brushes to the lilting vocal melodies that come as if from above the treetops. It is Neige’s vocals that make this work replete with emotion. His voice soars on the music, at times reaching a state of near-ecstasy, and even lending the music an ethereal otherworldliness. His intonations rise and fall, then rise again like a paper airplane (as on the title track), ultimately carried into the clouds by the surging movement of the music. Most notably at the apex of Les Iris, his hummed words seem to glow like a smile and envelop the music from every direction at once. If only for this one song, I would never give up Souvenirs…
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Printemps Émeraude”, “Souvenirs D’Un Autre Monde”, “Les Iris”
Alcest MySpace
Alcest Official Site
Rotting Christ
Theogonia (Season Of Mist)
01. Χαος Γενετο (The Sign Of Prime Creation)
02. Keravnos Kivernitos
03. Nemecic
04. Enuma Elish
05. Phobos’ Synagogue
06. Gaia Tellus
07. Rege Diabolicus
08. He, The Aethyr
09. Helios Hyperion
10. Threnody
Theogonia is melodic, creative, invigorating, cohesive, and consistently good all the way through. The use of Greek instruments and theme of Mesopotamian mythology make this a refreshing and inspired metal album that I never tire of hearing. The songwriting and production are excellent. Sakis’ vocals are strong and indispensable. One of the guitarists uses a “bounce” off the string that sounds great and makes the riffs memorable. The backup vocals during the chorus parts – and especially the female vocals on Enuma Elish - add a lot of depth to the songs, filling them out and also building the energy level. Each sound stands out from the rest to keep your attention while remaining a cohesive part of the song. The band sustains an impressive level of energy and momentum for the duration of the album. There is nothing not to like! The album is lively and extremely fun to listen to. I think it can safely be said that Theogonia is a solid culmination of past work and their best album to date.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Keravnos Kivernitos”, “Enuma Elish”, “Helios Hyperion”, “Threnody”
Rotting Christ MySpace
Rotting Christ Official Site
Nile
Ithyphallic (Nuclear Blast)
01. What Can Be Safely Written
02. As He Creates So He Destroys
03. Ithyphallic
04. Papyrus Containing the Spell to Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is in the Water
05. Eat of the Dead
06. Laying Fire Upon Apep
07. The Essential Salts
08. The Infinity of Stone
09. Language of the Shadows
10. Even the Gods Must Die
Ithyphallic blew me away when I first heard it, and it continues to do so every time I listen to it. The drums are the dominant force on this album, as opposed to past albums where Nile’s massive guitar sound was given preference. Hearing the incredible speed of the blast beats and snare rolls made me realize how good George Kolias actually is. Dallas’ vocals are as aggressive as usual but easier to undertand because they are not buried within the din of Nile’s music. He also practices mid-range vocals instead of sticking to the lower end of the scale. The lyrics are excellent as well, my favorites being As He Creates So He Destroys, Ithyphallic, and The Essential Salts. However, as much as I love this album, Annihilation Of The Wicked remains my favorite for being a stronger album in general: there are no weak songs, the songwriting and solos are just as spectacular, and the liner notes are among the most engaging that I’ve ever seen.
Notwithstanding, Ithyphallic deserves a lot of credit for its merciless aural assault. This is achieved through a less murky production and by placing the relentless drums and vocals in the foreground. There is a lot of groove to this album that makes it accessible and rewarding for repeat plays, and there are extra-heavy sections of crushing doom such as on Eat Of The Dead. En fin, Nile never fail to impress. All the members possess stunning talent. They are the best death metal around today, combining atmosphere, amazing riffs and solos, overwhelming heaviness and interesting, intelligent lyrical themes.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Ithyphallic”, “Papyrus Containing the Spell to Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is in the Water”, “Language of the Shadows”
Nile MySpace
Nile Official Site
Murcof
Cosmos (Leaf)
01. Cuerpo Celeste
02. Cielo
03. Cosmos I
04. Cometa
05. Cosmos II
06. Oort
This is the first I’ve heard of Murcof, the work of Mexican artist Fernando Corona. Cosmos is a brilliant piece of enlightened space-drone, crepuscular enough to appeal to fans of dark ambient and black metal. This is a quiet album founded on the ambience of wide-open dark spaces. These spaces are gradually populated with the murmur of mysterious sounds, seeming as though it was recorded on the wing of a satellite or a silent space station. The atmosphere is not aggressive but unknowable, providing an all-encompassing experience much like a trip through an unknown landscape. I sense a slight spiritual overtone on some songs, such as the celestial humming voices found on Cielo. The first track to really pull me in was Cosmos I. The atmosphere is built on the accelerating groan of a vast engine, evoking the image of a very large motor coming to life on a deserted planet floor. A breathless awakening comes in the form of delicate, high-pitched keyboard melodies that climb spires and twist off onto new planes.
A light texture is added on tracks like Cometa that sound like futuristic radio static, or whirring antennae engaged in a mysterious exchange of information. There is a forceful, dubby rhythm on some tracks, and the final track features the brooding sound of a big stringed instrument, possibly a cello. The songs provide an experience of growing toward something momentous without ever really revealing what that something is. Deep, mechanical hums move skyward and are paired with drawn-out keyboard tones that cause me to envision looming horizons never before seen, like dawn on a new planet.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Cielo”, “Cosmos I”, “Cometa”
Murcof MySpace
Murcof Official Site
Abigor
Fractal Possession (End All Life)
01. Warning
02. Project: Shadow
03. Cold Void Choir
04. Lair Of Infinite Desperation
05. 3D Blasphemy
06. The Fire Syndrome
07. Injection Satan
08. Liberty Rises A Diagonal Flame
09. Vapourized Tears
10. Heaven Unveiled
This album is a mind-bending masterpiece of purely satanic ordered chaos. For lack of a comfortable knowledge of how the songs are composed (or even a passing one!) I can only say with assertion that the album pushes boundaries for black metal and is more addictive with each listen. At the outset it sounds too disharmonic to be listenable, much less an oft-played favorite, but it quickly reveals a method to the madness. The music is highly technical and complex but not devoid of melody in its arrangements. Songs like 3D Blasphemy, Injection Satan and Liberty Rises A Diagonal Flame first caught my ear for their experimental and ingenious combination of bone-saw riffs, samples and programming.
The lyrics and vocals, written and performed by A.R., play a strong role. The lyrics are interesting when discernible, and given time one might eventually decipher most of them. I enjoy his aggressive delivery with a constant mid-range snarl that is strongly (hatefully) projected. Along with the angular, cutting guitar tone, the snarled vocals are charmless as a musical instrument, but surprisingly they are not unlikable and have grown on me to the point of getting stuck in my head for days.
For fear of putting others off from listening to this album, I almost hesitate to mention an unintentional nu-metal aspect I find on this album. However, I don’t feel that this aspect has a negative effect on the album. In fact, it makes it more accessible. The lyrics, though referring to satan, sometimes sound paranoid of authority like a lot of nu-metal lyrics. I draw this connection on phrases like “we are nothing but slaves,” which is reminiscent of the Hypocrisy song Slave To The Parasites (Hypocrisy may be metal but this particular song is nu-metal). The vocals are mixed high enough to dominate the songs, another nu-metal trait that actually makes Abigor’s songs sing-alongable. But these characteristics in no way detract from the cruel density of Fractal Possession. It is incredibly dark, caustic and forward thinking, an essential album to own.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “3D Blasphemy”, “Injection Satan”, “Liberty Rises A Diagonal Flame”
Abigor MySpace
Abigor Official Site
Zaya
Render (independent)
01. The Hunt
02. Koma Stadium
03. The Korporation
04. Millenium Palace
05. Painted By Light
06. PhilAmbientAktika
07. Happy Birthday, Marvin
08. Detroit, Michigan
09. Hjemkfurshtein IV
10. Plankton
11. Fast Forward People
12. Tokyo Bug Fixed
13. Untotalized
14. Quaktral Zentrish
15. Automan
16. TV Claustrophobia
Render is the first release by Zaya, the solo project of Ravèz from Italian black metal band (V.E.G.A.). The songs on Render have been composed over the past decade and can be loosely described as ambient electronica with IDM and glitch influences. Some of the synths are reminiscent of Boards of Canada and early Autechre. The sounds on this album are varied, ranging from gradual tides of atmospheric synth to clanging rhythms and mournful keyboard melodies. There are samples of old broadcasts and classical music ensembles. On the songs Plankton and Automan there are patterns of little popping, clicking sounds with attention given to the pitch of each tone – these busy, micro-factory sounds are similar to tracks from Telafon Tel Aviv’s Fahrenheit Fair Enough.
There is a cold, industrial feeling to many of these songs, as well as dreamlike wanderings into melancholy. Samples of children’s voices and cheering audiences, such as found in Koma Stadium and The Korporation, contribute to a feeling of aloneness. Other songs like Painted By Light experiment with warm, beautiful layers of synth that morph into rhythmic interludes. Fast Forward People uses fast, broken drum beats that recall drum-and-bass music. Overall, the album effectively explores a variety of styles and subtle, introspective moods. It will be interesting to see what direction Zaya chooses for the next release.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “The Hunt”, “The Korporation”, “Painted By Light”, “TV Claustrophobia”
Todtgelichter
Schemen (Folter Records)
01. Impuls
02. Larva
03. Segen
04. Blutstern
05. Für Immer Schweigen
06. Aschentraum
07. Hammer
08. Beginn Des Endes
Schemen is Todtgelichter’s 3rd album and an inspired work of energetic, soaring German black metal. I loosely compare the music to Drudkh for it’s lush, riff-based crescendos and Negurã Bunget for it’s spirit of ascension. The band is five members weilding the standard instruments, along with the help of a saxaphone on Aschentraum (a favorite track), a digeridoo cameo and female vocals on the closing track. There are two vocalists and the lyrics are in German.
An aspect of this album that I like a lot is that all instruments have a prominent role. The bass line often stands out on it’s own and figures strongly in the mix. The drumming is fast and magnificent, driving the music with clear production and plenty of creative fills. The transitions within the songs are smooth and natural. The vocals are always screamed except during a few songs, namely Blutstern, where the two vocalists revert to clean yells for an alternating face-off chorus that reminds me of American hardcore. There is a strong emotional element to this album, finding its peak toward the end of Larva and on Blutstern. I would classify this as romantic black metal along the lines of Nagelfar and Helrunar.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Larva”, “Blutstern”, “Aschentraum”
Todtgelichter MySpace
Todtgelichter Official Site
Bergraven
Dödsvisioner (Hydra Head)
01. Döende
02. Av Saknad Släcker Jag Ljuset
03. Ondkall
04. Känsla Av Livets Nästa Skede
05. Den Svarta Angstens Essens
06. Det Man Med Själen…
07. Ekot Av Bikt
08. Döende (En Avslutning)
Meaning “visions of death,” Dödsvisioner is a quiet and contemplative album with a very different take on the subject of death, one that has become all too familiar to black metal. While preserving a thread of black metal, this album experiments with the brooding atmosphere and tempo of doom. Pär Gustafsson also cites interesting influences such as Joy Division, Ved Buens Ende and Lurker of Chalice. His inventive approach with this album is so different that it took several listens to make any sense of it, or to become attached to it. The first thing that stood out was the reverberation of the loose bass string on Ekot Av Bikt.
The careful composition of this album is self-evident in its continuity and thematic cohesiveness. The long stretch of silence that opens the album is intended as the first moment after death. This moment is also pictured on the cover in a century-old photograph of a woman lying (just murdered) on the floor in front of two doors symbolizing the gates of death that she has yet to pass through. The music consequently moves into a brooding exploration of the transition that the body and mind undergoes after death. There is nothing suicidal about the music. It appeals to me for being a realistic, sincere treatment of the subject, and for being free of satanic or otherwise religious views. The album explores free movement within the songs, full of meandering passages that are magnificently composed.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Ondkall”, “Känsla Av Livets Nästa Skede”, “Ekot Av Bikt”
Wolves in the Throne Room
Two Hunters (Southern Lord)
01. Dea Artio
02. Vastness and Sorrow
03. Cleansing
04. I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots
As one of the most treasured black metal bands to come from the USA, I am happy to say that Wolves doesn’t fail to impress with their sophomore album. It consists of three epic songs and one segue song to preface the final track. The songs excel in beautiful, majestic riffs that are reverent of the rise and fall of the natural landscape, similar in many ways to Agalloch or Drudkh. The drumming is a distinguishing aspect, especially coming to the fore on the 18-minute closer, I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Vastness and Sorrow”, “I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots”
Wolves in the Throne Room MySpace
Wolves in the Throne Room Official Site
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
A few other stellar albums that I didn’t get a chance to review:
Deathspell Omega, Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum
Drudkh, Estrangement
Dødheimsgard, Supervillain Outcast
Lifelover, Erotik
Mayhem, Ordo Ad Chao
Sleep Research Facility, Deep Frieze
Infected Mushroom, Vicious Delicious
Pinch, Underwater Dancehall
Forgotten Woods, Race Of Cain
Verdunkeln, Einblick In Den Qualenfall
It’s been nothing short of a fantastic year for music, and compiling a list of merely ten of the hundreds of awesome albums that dropped thus far was a Herculean task, but here we are. Thanks to Mr. Smug himself for kindly allowing subpar writers to ride his coattails on his website; hatemail/fierce love —> sunwalker@gmail.com.
The following are my favorite albums of the year, in no particular order (save that of Burial’s Untrue taking the number one slot):
Burial
Untrue (Hyperdub)
01.
02. Archangel
03. Near Dark
04. Ghost Hardware
05. Endorphin
06. Etched Headplate
07. In McDonalds
08. Untrue
09. Shell Of Light
10. Dog Shelter
11. Homeless
12. UK
13. Raver
My undisputed personal favorite album of 2007, Burial’s Untrue not only shatters the myth of the “sophomore slump”, it makes me wonder why I ever thought he’d have trouble living up to the incredible promise of his debut. A hypnotic mix of impossibly plaintive vocals, woodblock rhythms and of course the skittery dubstep framework from which he hails, Burial has succeeded in conjuring exactly what he said he would: an atmosphere of nostalgia and “dismal euphoria.”
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Near Dark”, “Etched Headplate”, “Untrue”, “Homeless”, “Raver”
Abigor
Fractal Possession (End All Life)
01. Warning
02. Project: Shadow
03. Cold Void Choir
04. Lair Of Infinite Desperation
05. 3D Blasphemy
06. The Fire Syndrome
07. Injection Satan
08. Liberty Rises A Diagonal Flame
09. Vapourized Tears
10. Heaven Unveiled
Abigor has always been one of those difficult bands that I felt was not much more than the sum of their parts, despite their potential for excellence, but with their latest offering they’ve managed to create something truly amazing. Leaps and bounds ahead of their previous material, Fractal Possession sees longtime drummer TT returning to the fold to devastating effect. The album sounds like it was run through a computer with all the knobs cranked to “evil”; strange electronic flourishes abound, vying for space between the surgical storms of guitar riffs, inhuman drum fills, and strangely uplifting Satanic poetry. It’s an album that raises the bar of technicality while still retaining an eminent listenability with its triumphant melodies and soaring leads.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Lair Of Infinite Desperation”, “Injection Satan”, “Liberty Rises A Diagonal Flame”
Abigor MySpace
Abigor Official Site
Akercocke
Antichrist (Earache)
01. Black Messiah
02. Summon The Antichrist
03. Axiom
04. The Promise
05. My Apterous Angel
06. Distant Fires Reflect In The Eyes Of Satan
07. Man Without Faith Or Trust
08. The Dark Inside
09. Footsteps Resound In An Empty Chapel
10. Epode
My favorite group of pretentious British wankers return with their best album to date in Antichrist. Largely shedding their penchant for epic song structures that revealed itself in Choronzon and Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone, the lads have kept it short and sweet this time around, preferring to riff and solo at ever-increasing speeds, and leaning ever more toward death (rather than black) metal. Never a band to play by the rules, however, they pleasantly surprise with the track “The Dark Inside”, with a chorus sounding like something barely removed from Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation (an album cited by the band itself as a favorite). And who could forgot the *ahem* orally-fixated lyrics of “Man Without Faith Or Trust”? Minus points for the god-awful album artwork (what is this, a Cold Meat release?) and for reusing lyrics for a song title (”Footsteps Resound In An Empty Chapel” is suspiciously similar to the lyrics “…hooves upon the flagstones/Resound in the darkness” from Goat Of Mendes), but overall an extremely solid album from a technically flawless band, certain to get the head banging.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Summon The Antichrist”, “My Apterous Angel”, “The Dark Inside”
Akercocke MySpace
Akercocke Official Site
Bergraven
Dödsvisioner (Hydra Head)
01. Döende
02. Av Saknad Släcker Jag Ljuset
03. Ondkall
04. Känsla Av Livets Nästa Skede
05. Den Svarta Angstens Essens
06. Det Man Med Själen…
07. Ekot Av Bikt
08. Döende (En Avslutning)
An extremely surprising album from Swedish (relative) newcomer Bergraven, Dödsvisioner blends doomy atmospheres, black metal attitude and a feeling of general gloom and murk to redefine the term “avant-garde”. Described by mainman Pår Gustafsson as a conceptual journey through death, from the instants just after demise to the journey beyond, this album is certainly a difficult one to accurately describe, recalling as it does everything from Shining to Azrael to late-period Armagedda. Bass is very prominent in the mix, as are the ubiquitous serpentine, mid-tempo guitar riffs and huge sounding drums. My first couple of times through this album were marked every few minutes by shock as a slinky clean solo would creep in, or a post-rock jam would flare up in the most bizarre of place. One of the most “chill” (post-?)doom albums I’ve ever heard.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Ekot Av Bikt”, “Döende (En Avslutning)”
Dälek
Abandoned Language (Ipecac)
01. Abandoned Language
02. Bricks Crumble
03. Paragraphs Relentless
04. Content To Play Villain
05. Lynch
06. Stagnant Waters
07. Starved For Truth
08. Isolated Stare
09. Corrupt (Knuckle Up)
10. Tarnished
11. (Subversive Script)
Let me be the first to admit that I know next to nothing about hip-hop, but if I’m missing acts like Dälek as a result of that, it’s something that I need to brush up on. Something comes over me when I listen to Abandoned Language, a feeling of isolation, of leaving the rest of the world outside while the beats and lyrics take over. It feels like I am indeed listening to an abandoned language of sorts: both the socially & racially conscious lyrics of hip-hop and the language of language itself, the pure, undadulterated pleasure (and importance) of words and their delivery. There is a refusal to back down inherent in Dälek, a marriage of messege and method that’s impossible to downplay. Their beats are quite unorthodox in the way they make use of noise textures, instead of rhythm (although there’s plenty of that) to drive their songs. And the bass, holy hell, the BASS… definitely an album to convert open-minded metalheads to hip-hop.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Bricks Crumble”, “Paragraphs Relentless”, “(Subversive Script)”
Dälek MySpace
Dälek Official Site
PJ Harvey
White Chalk (Island)
01. The Devil
02. Dear Darkness
03. Grow Grow Grow
04. When Under Ether
05. White Chalk
06. Broken Harp
07. Silence
08. To Talk To You
09. The Piano
10. Before Departure
11. The Mountain
Premier ubran völva PJ Harvey returns with her best and bleakest album yet, White Chalk. Everything she sings about speaks of often bitter world experience and, like others on this list, a denial of limitations, especially those placed arbitrarily on women. She is simultaneously mother, lover, friend and judge, and in my eyes is perhaps the best example of Woman in music today (with her only competition being Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde): self-possessed, defiant, emotional, strong. Proving that this reputation is well-deserved, White Chalk is rife with extremely personal, dark songs — although many of them are short enough to qualify as vignettes — and fantastic, quiet instrumentation. The use of zither and piano bring the sounds close to the listener, and the whole ensemble is wrapped in a beautifully understated production that evokes the silence of memory rather than the punchy artificiality of the studio. File under Life: Soundtrack.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “When Under Ether”, “White Chalk”, “Silence”, “The Piano” (check out the Cannibal Corpse-esque lyrics on this one!)
PJ Harvey MySpace
PJ Harvey Official Site
Mayhem
Ordo Ad Chao (Season Of Mist)
01. A Wise Birthgiver
02. Wall Of Water
03. Great Work Of Ages
04. Deconsecrate
05. Illuminate/Eliminate
06. Psychic Horns
07. Key To The Storms
08. Anti
Black metal drama-mamas Mayhem finally release a worthy followup to De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas after the abysmal (no pun intended) Wolf’s Lair Abyss, Grand Declaration Of War and Chimera. Proving that he’s the best throat in black metal, Atilla Csihar marks his triumphant return with Ordo Ad Chao, a twisted piece of work that is exactly the album Mayhem needed to release to remain relevent. Csihar has said that most of the vocal lines were recorded in one take, which, if true, is beyond impressive (as his minute-long inhaled growl on “Anti” and weird, sucking shrieks on “Deconsecrate” would suggest). He’s not the only one working overtime, however; Hellhammer blasts his way through a bunch of weird time signatures (and shows his love of the dome ride) and Blasphemer displays his creative guitar skills on almost every track. Mayhem have finally released a “true” black metal album: one that’s scary, intelligent, and unknowable in equal measure.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Wall Of Water”, “Great Work Of Ages”, “Illuminate/Eliminate”, “Anti”
Mayhem MySpace
Mayhem Official Site
Nine Inch Nails
Year Zero (Interscope)
01. HYPERPOWER!
02. The Beginning Of The End
03. Survivalism (feat. Saul Williams)
04. The Good Soldier
05. Vessel
06. Me, I’m Not
07. Capital G
08. My Violent Heart
09. The Warning
10. God Given
11. Meet Your Master
12. The Greater Good
13. The Great Destroyer
14. Another Version Of The Truth
15. In This Twilight
16. Zero-Sum
Nine Inch Nails has forever been my favorite band, but lately Trent Reznor has been making it hard for me to stick by him with the abortion that was With Teeth (not to mention his live butcherings of old staples). However, after reading a very eloquent interview with the man himself in Terrorizer, I decided to give his latest another shot, and I’m glad I did. Rarely does a “pop” album actually embrace the opportunity and responsibility that comes with such wide exposure, but that’s exactly what Year Zero does, by couching a message of individuality and protest in a story of apocalypse and invasion that’s chillingly close to the USA’s current political climate. The record is full of carefully-cheoreographed flecks of noise and electronics (the machine-jam at the end of “Vessel” springs to mind) tucked amidst the incredibly hooky songs themselves. Mention must also be made of the ingenious, even visionary advertising campaign that went along with the release of this album, including viral marketing and strategic placement of “lost” flash drives in the bathrooms of Nine Inch Nails concerts (to facilitate online debate, distribution and discussion). Trent Reznor is on top of his game on this, his best album since The Downward Spiral.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “The Beginning Of The End”, “Vessel”, “Me, I’m Not”, “God Given”, “The Great Destroyer”
Nine Inch Nails MySpace
Nine Inch Nails Official Site
Murcof
Cosmos (Leaf)
01. Cuerpo Celeste
02. Cielo
03. Cosmos I
04. Cometa
05. Cosmos II
06. Oort
It’s impossible to understate the impact Murcof made on me the first time I heard his work. It was literally an explosion of new sound for me, the discovery of a new genre of music: the melding of classical instrumentation and minimal electronic glitch. Cosmos is a dark journey into sparse beats and precisely placed squelches and pops that recall the visceral heft of Pan Sonic as much as they do the deliberateness of Richie Hawtin or Pole. Huge, fat swells of strings will fade into murky soundscapes of bleeps, static and fuzz that evoke nothing so much as a journey into the supreme, crushing darkness of the deep sea. Rhythms are carefully constructed around negative space while 303 lines, twisted almost beyond recognition, bob and bounce like baby squid around the kelpy strings and piano, sharing space with the whalesong of the brass & woodwinds. The cover of Cosmos depicts a dark, abandoned lab that could very well be lost beneath the waves; perhaps the last refuge of the scientists who studied this strange, otherworldly pulse, at once so fragile and yet so robust.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Cielo”, “Cometa”, “Oort”
Murcof MySpace
Murcof Official Site
Rotting Christ
Theogonia (Season Of Mist)
01. Χαος Γενετο (The Sign Of Prime Creation)
02. Keravnos Kivernitos
03. Nemecic
04. Enuma Elish
05. Phobos’ Synagogue
06. Gaia Tellus
07. Rege Diabolicus
08. He, The Aethyr
09. Helios Hyperion
10. Threnody
It’s taken Rotting Christ ten albums to finally get the formula right, but when they’re on, they’re on. Theogonia is a celebration of all that is Greek, and Sakis‘ decision to include folk instruments in his compositions was inspired. Each and every song on this album is simply stellar, and they’re all linked together by the same slightly slower than tremolo riffing that’s crystal clear and unmistakably powerful (so much so that Krohm lifted it for his latest album, as well). The solos are what really set this one apart, however. Sakis reveals himself and his emotions far more clearly through his solos on this album than he ever could in words. Each time he places fingers to strings, it’s like little falling stars cascading onto the fretboard, or birds alighting there. Emotion is the name of the game here, and Rotting Christ prove that Greece doesn’t have a reputation for creativity and theatricality in metal for nothing.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Enuma Elish”, “He, The Aethyr”, “Helios Hyperion”, “Threnody”
Rotting Christ MySpace
Rotting Christ Official Site
There were many, many albums that I wanted to include on this list but didn’t due to space constraints. Honorable mention to the following:
Nile - Ithyphallic (songs about dongs)
Tulus - Biography Obscene (ex-Khold members go heavy on experimentation & pay tribute to Swedish DM in the process)
Deathspell Omega - Fas - Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum (causing my brain to implode one album at a time)
Various Artists - Box Of Dub II: Dubstep & Future Dub (want to “get” dubstep? check this great collection out)
Acrimonious - Perdition Gospel (Greeks fuse heavy & black metal, lay waste to listeners)
Armin Van Buuren - A State Of Trance 2007 (pure vocal trance bliss)
Drudkh - Estrangement (toiling plows and soaring spirits put to music)
Forgotten Woods - Race Of Cain (BM weirdos keep it simple & hypnotize with repetition)
Boxcutter - Glyphic (woodwind IDM/dubstep)
Deadbeat - Journeyman’s Annual (runner-up for hip-hop album of the year)
The Tuss - Rushup Edge (Richard D. James has some fun with acid lines and Drukqs B-sides)
Wolves In The Throne Room - Two Hunters (continuing Weakling’s legacy, twenty minutes at a time)
Pinch - Underwater Dancehall (Yolanda!)
That’s it! Here’s hoping next year is as good as this one for music.