Chowder – Passion Rift (2012) / 82%

Baltimore & Brenner trilogy part I – Clam Chowder

Formed in the early 1990s by Josh Hart (guitar, synths...) and Chad Rush (drums), Chowder's sole full length album was only released in 2012 and oh boy, it's good. Hart, known for his contributions to many important doom bands located in Maryland's metropolis such as Earthride, Unorthodox or Revelation. John Brenner, leader of Revelation would later join Chowder before their split, did some recording, mixing and produced this album and also released their previous extended play on his label Bland Hand Records.

What we have here is weird and intricate instrumental progressive doom metal with an extensive use of sonic layers and a great sense of intertwined bass and guitar dynamics. The heavy guitar riffs are a force to reckon with and the loud, in your face, bass is a clear highlight (it would had been fun to hear an album with Brenner though). To be a successful instrumental band, I can see two major strategies. The first is to be as blistering and intense as possible even though your approach can be interpreted as simplistic (see the excellent Karma to Burn) and the second is to adopt a luxurious and plentiful approach. Chowder, like their peculiar name could indicate, is a rich and creamy soup of many good things.

Blending unusual and familiar doom riffs with a wide array of additional instruments (synthesizers, mellotron, theremin, acoustic guitars..), Chowder knows how to build interesting songs. They also mix longer songs like the titanic 18 minutes title track (the band itself called it their “Hemispheres” in relation to the classic Rush album) with shorter, incisive and catchy numbers. The musicianship is impressive (necessary for an instrumental band, obviously) and the songwriting is tight and airy. There's not a lot of solos but there's great technical leads and riffing (it's not Blotted Science or anything too saccharine and lifeless though) but it's fun to hear some traditional doom metal combined with space and psychedelic elements.
The band mentions the legendary Canadian proggers in the introduction of “Insidious”:

“Alright. It’s Saturday night, I have no date, a two-liter bottle of Shasta, and my all-Rush mixtape. Let’s rock." -Fry in Futurama

There's some judicious use of samples throughout the release like the opening of album closer “Custody” with the vicious sound of a man being whipped, possibly from a movie such as The Passion of the Christ. These are always fun to give some personality and flavoring to the music since there's no vocals or lyrics and if it's used sporadically like it is here.

Chowder had some members who were also in hardcore bands and I guess there's a slight sludge influence here amongst the spacey progressive doom core. There's also a lot of stoner rock/metal but the melting pot still works well and sounds totally cohesive despite the numerous genres.

They're definitely not for newcomers to the genre, well the progressive doom genre isn't either but it's high value material composed with care and ingenuity. It's Rush mixed with quirky alternative rock like Primus and a huge dose of Maryland doom and it couldn't be more interesting to these ears. It's sad the band was laid to rest though since they were evolving in a rare but rewarding genre.

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Legionnaire – The Enigma of Time (2015) / 75%

Raw true traditional metal recorded in a sauna.

This young quarter from Finland is quite charming, they play an enduring form of heavy metal that's always fun to hear. Pure heavy metal is seeing a resurgence in this country with bands such as Lord First and Mausoleum Gate. Legionnaire follows in their footsteps but they don't have all the elements to step into greatness just yet.

The Enigma of Time is their second demo and it's following last year's self titled effort. While still recorded in their rehearsal room, this one has a better production but we're still a long way from a truly professional endeavor from these guys. That's a good thing since every band should take the time to work on their craft and songwriting. We see bands burning themselves with their first full length while a bunch of demos could have solidified the identity of their sound.

I can safely see a solidification with their sophomore demo, the sound is tighter and the tempo is faster, I think this was sort of an issue with the debut since the songs were asking for it but it wasn't a skill that they had acquired yet. The vocals were pretty terrible but in a appealing and likable sort of way, I think what improved here is the sense of delivery and the superior vocal melodies they used. There's many heavy metal bands that aren't centered around the vocals and they should be one of them, they even included a pretty cool instrumental track (named after a star system) on this demo.

The vocals are mostly buried underneath the mix but I really dig the approach here, it's simply fun, timeless traditional metal did with a lot of passion and care. They're not powerful but they do the job, many NWOBHM bands didn't have great vocalists (see Angel Witch!) and they had to rely on their other skills to get their point across.

The sound is also more epic and it's getting classier, they're still an apprentice to the masters and there's absolutely nothing wrong with this, quite the opposite in fact. The dual guitars are firmly in place and that's a positive aspect. Disciples of the Murray/Smith or the Mike Scalzi schools of leads and there's no better education than those. To put it bluntly, Legionnaire's leads are fucking awesome and the best thing about the band, it drives their music and they're a more than valuable counterpart to their competent but middle of the road riffs.

Thematically, it's simple fantasy stuff and we've all read these sort of lyrics before but who the hell cares? I mean, I watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy each fucking year and I never got bored by the swords and sorcery genre and if you are, you probably lie to yourself by telling everyone that you're a grown up now and that you pay taxes.

These guys truly dig Liege Lord, Maiden and Brocas helm and so should you. There's always something in the beer in Finland that gives the band a quirky identity and it's the case here too, it's hard to describe though. I guess I'll need to travel there and get drunk in a sauna with the dudes to truly understand their ways.

Join the legion, it will be fun and you'll be able to see these guys improve an already very enjoyable heavy metal sound. If raw heavy metal is your thing, then check these fellows, order a tape, smash a beer can and punch a djent fan in the arse.

Special mention to the badass logo and the cool lo-fi but evocative cover art illustrating the first track “The Guardian”. Also pretty cool that they're the first metal band to use the Legionnaire moniker.

Free download on Bandcamp and/or cheap tape

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Acolytes of Moros - Herald of the Imminent (2015) / 90%

Cool At War with Satan inspired artwork

We are the Acolytes of the Temples of Moros!

The Swedish trio is back with a demo after a pretty decent EP released in 2013, I've been expecting a full length release and I believe they're working on it right now. Currently independent, that self released tape was released to gauge the interest of labels worldwide. It would be quite a shame if they're not signed anywhere since it's pretty damn great doom metal that have nothing to envy to well known bands and are quite better than some of the current big names (cough Pallbearer cough). 

Related to Anguish (signed on Dark Descent), their brand of doom is much more subtle and ethereal. While I sort of like the Celtic Frost mixed with Candlemass sound of their Uppsala brothers, Acolytes of Moros doesn't need to rely on ultra heavy riffing to get their point across. The spirit of true doom metal is way more overtly present here and you can feel that it's the real and honest project of Christoffer Frylmark (bass, vocals) and Rasmus Jansson (drums) who are merely glorified session members in Anguish. If you expect blistering and rumbling riffs from doom metal, you should perhaps listen to sludge, stoner or death metal since that's not the core of the genre for me and it's the same ideology these guys. It's dark, brooding doom with a blackened approach and while the demo has a cohesive approach, the two songs are showcasing two different sides to the band. Both sides fit the mythology of Moros effortlessly, he supposedly was the spirit or god of depression, deathly fate or a desire driving humans to a their end.

The first track, “Venerate the Dead” written by the guitarist Simon Carlsson highlights the proggy doom influence of Revelation, that excellent American cult band while the second track “Quotidian” succeeds at mixing Burzumish shadows with Warning and Reverend Bizarre. Combining the odd, charming repetitiveness of the legendary Finn doomsters with the fragile emotional depth of the sad Englishmen, it's a wonderful song.

Compared to Illusions of Progress, the two tracks demo keeps the same songwriting structure. We get long, river like songs clocking both at more than ten minutes and that's perfectly fine in my book. Some would argue that they need to edit their material but not me. With that length, you can throughly develop your ideas and use the time-slot to expand on hypnotic riffs and be patient. They're also one of these bands who aren't afraid to give a rightful place to the bass, as it should always be with doom bands, it's thundering and a true brother to the guitar.

Even though their riffs are super good, Christoffer's vocals are possibly the best aspect of Acolytes of Moros. From clean and powerful Gregorian/operatic vocals to some gloomy harsh vocals giving the band a dark depressive vibe. Once the band gets a better/studio production, that guy will really shine and he'll receive a lot of praise. The lyrics are also quite well written albeit dispiriting and bleak as hell, the lyrics of the first track written by a friend of the band are a bit more memorable and interesting though. Evoking majestic nature and ancient times with a dark aura, it fits their music like a glove. It's fun for bands to have some guest lyricist since, well, many metal musicians are hardly eloquent.

Can you hear her whisper the stories of our ancestors? Listening unlocks the secrets of ageless wisdom

The ancient snow-clad mountain slopes are an abode of souls / Drifting under the cerulean skies

Acolytes of Moros simply writes high caliber doom and labels should notice them. Even though it's music for the real aficionados of the genre, I feel they could appeal to a lot of metal fans if their material could get some more recognition/distribution/presence. The tape is unfortunately sold out  but it's free/pay what you can on their Bandcamp so there's no excuses!

Get the demo on Bandcamp
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Nécropole - Ostara (2015) / 86%

Perdu dans la nécropole, Perdu dans la nécropole!

Even though Caverne and its offshoot band Nécropole (they share two members) are French, a country most famous  for Les Légions Noires, its cult scene from the 1990s, these two projects have more in common with the black metal composed by their Nordic friends of Finland (think Baptism or Vitsaus). 

It's cold, sinister and ethereal métal noir but with a clear sense of melodic riffs and leads and a very huge thundering bass approach. That's always nice to hear such a rhythm section in black metal, you often hear the constant state of blastbeats but the bass is usually subdued or even absent. Sometimes, the bass seems to almost bury the guitar and this creates a pleasant groovy side to their music.

A new trend in black metal is to keep a relatively raw or a traditional approach to black metal sound and merge it with a very melodic edge, that's apparent in bands like Mgla or Sargeist for instance. I mean, it's not melodic black metal played with a non Nuclear Blast production but it's a bit more approachable than your usual basement/bathroom/wardrobe black metal. These Frenchmen are doing it too and it works well for them.

Nécropole's compositions are long and involved and features many tremendous riffs, the tempo is mid paced to fast but the songs are packed with content and these seven and eight minute tracks doesn't feel as long, that's always a cool thing. Their sound is very groovy and almost possess a black and roll influence that fellow Frenchmen Peste Noire developed. The vocals have some depressive black metal influences, they're high pitched, powerful and well enunciated, I can understand some of the lyrics (all In French, I love that) and while I don't have access to them, their themes are mostly philosophical or dark instead of the usual Satanic fare that bores me to death.

Compared to their counterparts of Caverne (who are even better if that's possible), Nécropole is less epic and influenced by Québecois black metal (there's a feel similar to Forteresse in Caverne), there's also some pagan influences and let's say a subtle antisemitic/Nazi identity. Both the epic feel and the racist/nationalist side is downplayed in Nécropole. Dumb and bigot views aside, these bands are composing some wonderful music and if you're able to be comfortable enough with your own ideologies for a moment, you'll be fine. 

I know it's probably a stupid thing to say but the most important thing in black metal is the actual songwriting and these guys truly deliver some sort of very magical and entrancing music. Its atmosphere is grandiose and it's even more impressive that it's not pushing its limits towards atmospheric/cascadian/forest/barbecue/camping black metal but stays safely within the grounds of classic black metal. Being able to build a decent, intriguing atmosphere based on the power of your riffs alone is what makes a black metal band a great one, Nécropole is destined to greatness and a proof that the French black metal scene has worthwhile material to offer in 2015 outside of the dissonant fun fest created by Deathspell Omega. I'd say that this demo is essential if you're a black metal fan who's not only into Watain.

Inner Altar - Vol I (2015) / 73%

Strong smoke yo!

Ahhh yeah, the retro rock scene can scare some people but I think it has its fair share of gems and interesting bands from all over the world. We can safely add Missouri to the list with the first demo of Inner Altar, a quartet from Kansas City (yeah, the one in Missouri and not... Kansas, these Americans are insane). Anyway, I'm not here to talk about geography even though it's an awesome subject, what about their music?

The four musicians all named with nicknames reminding me of fun Native American appellations mixed with weed culture slang (Strong Smoke or Long Feather!) came up with a very dynamic and somewhat interesting mixture of doom metal with psychedelic rock, hard rock and even some Medieval folky overtones. It's a very tight demo with an excellent production for a first release (it sounds like a full length to me, to be honest). The four songs are quite fast and rocky with a good ear for catchy guitar melodies and also includes short, fun quiet psych moments (see “Fall of the Rebel Angels” and its bluesy guitar licks). While I think they could slow things down a little and work a bit more on the riffs they use (I dig the repetition of big doom riffs), there's nothing inherently wrong with the way their songs are written and you'll spend a good twenty-five minutes in their company.

It seems that a trend these days is the amalgamation of genres, a sort of kitchen sink approach to metal or rock and these Americans are disciples of this approach. The difficult thing is to coherently mix the styles and they do it well. The demo starts with a two minutes soft The Doorsesque introduction with ethereal yet simple guitar playing before branching out into Black Sabbathian inspired proto doom metal.

The main problem (if we can call it one) with them is that they're sticking to a safe formula and doesn't deviate from the norm. You've heard this before if you like bands like Graveyard, Kadavar and their more metal counterparts in Witchcraft, you know what to expect. Add a pretty talented singer who channels Albert Witchfinder (Reverend Bizarre) and Jim Morrison and you're set for something that's enjoyable but mundane. Still, it's quite fun and worth a look, just don't expect to be blown away by originality or by some tremendous songwriting. We'll see where this band goes but for a first demo, the production values are high and Inner Altar already established their sound quite well. It's vintage as hell and it's well written, I already expect Vol II, that's a band that I'll follow and so should you if you dig their sound.

Inner Altar on Bandcamp

Basalte – Vestige (2014) / 85%

Black rock? Nope, atmospheric black metallic alloy!

Basalte is a young three piece (2 guitarists and a drummer) from Montréal and like many newcomers (see Entheos or Gevurah) to the scene, they explore a different black metal perspective than we're used to. The “Métal noir québécois” is/was usually all about grimness, how winter is so fucking harsh and long, nationalism (both observed from a left or right wing point of view) and forests/nature. These subjects while fun and all can be identified as conservative and, ultimately a tad boring (see Chasse Galerie). It's always a plus when your scene can diversify itself and release some original and enjoyable black metal. That's the case with Vestige.

The voluntarily lack of bass in their music is pretty interesting and pretty much a non-issue as the two guitarists make up for it with their intertwined interactions and the very feelsy approach they have. One of the guitarists is a music student and, from an uninformed and non musician opinion, I think it's apparent in Basalte's music since they have the “less is more” ideological stance. It's intricate without being spastic, overly complex material that's dissonant for the sake of trendy opportunism. Their songs are lengthy (almost 40 minutes with only 3 tracks) and there's certainly a lot of atmospheric work going on but instead of relying on Cascadian influences, it's more on a sort of post black metal sound rooted on urban decay (see Altar of Plagues, an obvious influence both musically and thematically). This aspect of their music is showcased with the eerie concrete ruins picture (taken by a band member) used to illustrate the album. The shattered pillars are a good metaphor for the sound of this album, it may seem all over the place and with certain weaknesses but it still stands and let the light through.

Willing to include nods to a lot of different genres, mostly non metal ones like post-hardcore, shoegaze, jazz (mostly in the drumming) or post rock, Basalte still a pretty restrained manner and relies on subtle and methodical songwriting methods that are a given if you want to write compelling long compositions like they did.

There's not a lot of vocals here but the dark philosophical lyrics are delivered in an array of interesting types including dissonant black/death (think Mitochondiron) and a type of metallic post hardcore shouting that could be higher in the mix in my opinion. The three members are also taking turns handling the microphone duty but it's nowhere near problematic, quite the opposite really. The sound seems to be uniform at first but this is probably due to the cohesive and well written quality of their music since there's a certain variety found throughout the plethora of interesting riffs.

While the production could be tighter, its relative rawness is enjoyable and airy and fits their genre well. For a self produced debut, it's quite well done, the guitars are incisive, the drums while a bit distant are urgent. Also, as mentioned, the lack of bass is irrelevant since they're not relying on blistering heaviness but more on distinguished emotions and evocative abnormal yet sometimes familiar black metal melodic guitar riffs. Finally, it has some depressive black metal vibes from time to time to complete the thorough mix of genres.

Vestige is a strong effort for this promising young trio and I'm certainly expecting great things from them in the near future.
It's original atmospheric black metal with interesting twists and vivid interpretations. So put on a good pair of headphones and explore the Montréal decayed urban remains with them.

Montréal music fans should come see them live as they'll play a lot this summer. Toronto metal fans should also go see them in June at the Briefcasefest alongside bands like Sortilegia, Akitsa or IRN. Furthermore, the full length is available for free/pay what you can on Bandcamp and also as a tape, released by Productions Haineuses.

Basalte on Bandcamp/Where to order the tape
Basalte on Facebook

Weirding – Each Birth Is A New Disaster (2011) 61%

An underwhelming disaster, I managed to survive.

From British Colombia, Weirding's first full length was released four years ago and while I have some reservations concerning it, it's still an album that managed to blend many particular influences and it wasn't the worst things I managed to discover this week.

Releasing a LP before experimenting with demos is always a bit tacky even though access to (cheap and proficient) recording gear is way easier than it used to be. Admittedly, This band should have released some demos before this full length since I think the production frankly blows. It has way too much distortion, the bass' feedback and huge presence is simply not quite enjoyable and it doesn't quite fully fit the genre they (try) to play.

I don't think it's an appropriate production for a full album but it gives a dirty/DIY sound to the doomy stoner/sludge found on their debut and that's not always a negative thing. Weirding could benefit from a heavier than thou production since that's the sound they're going for. This production can't compare to the massive hitters of the scene (thinking of Ufomammut for instance). The immense and sometimes earth shattering is often the weapon of predilection of a stoner band and I can't that I was shattered enough with Each Birth... The sound of this album can be compared to Mastodon's excellent debut minus the trampled under hoof production. I guess I'm sort of picky as I want my doom/stoner/whatever to sound like a freaking two tons rock but eh!

Nonetheless, The trio is certainly composed of tight musicians, the sole guitar attack is fun enough and doesn't need any extra help to get the band's point across. The drums are quite impressive albeit a bit too low in the mix but they're a good complement to the mid paced to fast sound delivered without a break here. The guitarist, Tim Wearing (weirding?) is also the singer and he's sort of okay. He uses the sort of semi harsh vocals, an approach that's quite generic for the genre they play but it works well in this context. They're rightfully placed in the mix and aren't too obnoxious or overly present. I think they should be way harsher or cleaner though, they're stuck in a middle zone and could benefit from a “think outside the box” option. It would give them some originality as there's plenty of (better) bands evolving in their genre. They could be more psychedelic and be a bit more complex.

The songwriting, as mentioned in the introduction is a bit all over the place but due to the poorness of the production (or perhaps its ability to make everything sound fairly the same) it's not that apparent. They go from modern stoner metal/rock to sludge quite often and, weirdly, the best track on the album (“Drowning in Flame”) is the one that branched out into stoner catchy territories. Sometimes, the riffs just don't fit the thin and harsh production, it's quite a bit groovy and almost joyful at times even though they probably didn't want to sound like that. 

What I hear is a band that has yet to find its right sound and has some difficulties concerning their approach towards how they should present themselves. Their songs aren't bad but they're not memorable either. It's a decent debut album from a band that needs to work on its craft a little, check it out if you're a big stoner/sludge/doom aficionado. 

Free album on Bandcamp