Baazlvaat - An Old Forgotten Text (2022) / 85%

 

A New Merging of Genres

This mysterious entity from Flint, Michigan, a location I know only because of its controversial water, delivers another bewildering ride of an album. Last year's The Higher Power was a surprising record that made a few waves here and there and this one just expands on the themes previously explored there. Before we go any further I need to say that I disagree with the assessment that many people share about metal, it's not stale or a dead genre. There's a lot of experimentation to be found and Baazlvaat are a band that's not afraid to burn the house down and rebuild it with funkier components.

Baazlvaat are sort of like Black Magick SS if they weren't masturbating to Nazi imagery and were, for the most part, actually playing metal.They're the sort of band with a solid main identity in one particular style (in their case it's black metal) who's also adding an array of extraneous elements. I'm a big fan of kitchen sink bands such as Leeches of Lore, Tjolgtjar or Bretwaldas of Heathen Doom and this American duo certainly explored the fridge thoroughly.

They merge the exploratory side of psych rock, the loose aspects of lo fi rock, the rawness of black metal, the synth presence of dungeon synth/synthpop/symphonic black metal or the playfulness melodicism of heavy metal. This exhausting list creates one pungent mix of influences that's hard to classify or pinpoint but easy to get entranced by. It's not a confused mess at all, there's an assurance in their varied but cohesive songs that's hard to ignore.

A song like "Three Heads from the Black Depths" evokes the retro groovy rock/metal of Uncle Acid or Graveyard but adds piano and unhinged raw harsh vocals while a song like "Cold Sky Ice Frosten'" brings forth a sort of shred heavy metal mood. Furthermore, there's a Middle-eastern break in the final track followed by clean vocals akin to lo-fi epic heavy metal and there's a blues/country break in "The Missing Key". It's insane.

The pièce de résistance of the album is certainly the almost nine minutes "The Iron Lung", a monumental epic black/heavy metal track and it reminds me of both Agatus and Wytch Hazel (the dandyness in the riffing) in spirit but it's combined with a sort of outsider art approach that makes it peculiar. Still,the most important is the quality of their compositions and they deliver that in spades and while it overstays its welcome a bit, the album has no real weak moments. An Old Forgotten Text is definitely not for everyone and its originality resides in the merging of existing elements instead of the creation of new ones but the ability of combining styles well is still a feat in itself.

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Wytch Hazel – III: Pentecost / 95%

 

Humble and heavy

Wytch Hazel from Lancaster, England makes me want to start going to church for one of the first time since christmas 1995. I argued that I wanted to stay home to build the Lego pirate ship I got but my grand-mother insisted. I only did my catholic confirmation because it was expected of me and I got a shitload of Star Wars episode I toys but damn, those boys almost make me wish I still had faith. I’ve never liked preachy religious metal and mostly stayed away from anything Christian metal related but there’s something special with Wytch Hazel. I also rarely like happy stuff so that’s like two strikes against them already. Turns out they’re one of the best bands in the world right now.

I’ve been a big fan since their second album, the aptly titled II: Sojourn, an album I’d easily place in my top twenty of the last decade. It’s just astounding that their third album is at least just as good. They succeed at continuing their signature sound but with a few tweaks that makes this album a pure banger. Their blend of NWOBHM inspired heavy metal, heartfelt English folk rock, hard rock and pop is just so catchy and memorable, it hurts. They’re able to put Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, UFO, Fairport Convention and Judas Priest in the same meatpie and make it taste wonderfully by adding their own spices. Maybe they found the dried remains of Jesus and they’ve been sniffing that since 2011? Their main strength is how they’re so good at grabbing you while never letting you go, their songs are almost aggressive in the way they reel you in and writing such efficient earworms isn’t easy. One of the complaints people had concerning Sojourn was that the album had too many ballads (I didn’t mind much) but it’s not the same here. The album is tight and flows nicely and only has “The Crown” with its beautiful acoustic guitars as its true ballad. With that said, there's soft, romantic moments scattered throughout the album such as on “Reap the Harvest” with its “death is comiiiiiing” (appropriate for our current plague) chorus or the instrumental beauty of the interlude “Sonata”. It’s a forty-ish minutes album but it’s one you’ll replay until you sing their simple but potent lyrics all day long.

Pentecost also showcases their best and heaviest production to date. The guitars are heavier than on their sophomore too, they increased the heavy metalness in their sound to great results. There’s some dope solos like on “Spirit and Fire”. It’s played big, it’s entertaining and just fiery. Colin Hendra has a distinctive voice and he’s not pushing it too much, it’s quintessential English and there’s not a bad vocal line on the whole album. Wytch Hazel are great musicians who could easily overplay and enter progressive territories but they keep things subtle but grandiose, that’s probably their biggest strength. They have the ability to restrain themselves while at the same time going all out. Still, it was nice to hear some mellotrons here and there (“I Am Redeemed”), it gave the band a fuller sound.

A song like “I Will Not” (perhaps my favourite on the album) is immediate and outstanding while the album wastes no time and gives us the riffs right when “He is the Fight” starts. The band gives us a few moments to breathe but ultimately, it’s a full experience without any faults and failures.

Even if I’ve always been somewhat uncomfortable with their Christian themes, they use them with such panache that I now have no problems with the band. I think it helps that it’s rooted in medieval themes, it feels antiquated in a good way and doesn’t remind me of the woes religions caused and are causing today. It’s an album full of feelsy melodies and it’s great for the time we’re in right now. It’s humble, hardworkin’ and just plain excellent.

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Valkyrie - Fear (2020) / 87%

Time Flies but What Remains?

The Adams brothers are back with a new Valkyrie album five years after the excellent Shadows and it’s perfect for those sunny weekends where you do nothing except drink beer and chill on the patio. Just like today, actually. This summer is blurry, time flies, it feels like March was last week but metal and beer is always there to keep me grounded and entertained. Good news since their songwriting is both laid back and engaging, crafting entrancing nuggets of good feelings.

With Valkyrie, you get the twin lead guitar harmonies of Peter and Jake Adams, those guys are emotional masters. They’re able to convey so much with their instruments, it’s almost unreal. Peter is of course known for his time in Baroness (he played on Blue Record and Purple, two of my favourites) and Valkyrie certainly navigates similar areas in their sometimes perilous travels. You’re getting the same sort of fluid, idiosyncratic leads that he was known for during his years with the famous Virginian band. That style of particular guitar player makes Fear such an airy album, it also ends on such a note with the ghastly instrumental conclusion “Exasperator”.The rhythm section is also fantastic, the bass is thick and never overshadowed too much by the riffs and the drums is inventive and melodic in an odd but technical way. The vocals are also immensely powerful for me(the highlight would be “Fear and Sacrifice”), for a dude who’s more of a guitarist, it’s well done. While sporadic, they’re clean, soulful and gives another heavy rock layer to the album. Those guys don’t need a powerhouse singer, they’re not arena rock, they’re in fact the opposite. It’s heartfelt, concise while elaborate metallic rock done by dudes in full control of their instruments and direction.

They’ve always been a band that’s been blurring the thin lines between classic, hard rock and heavy/doom and while it’s still the case on that 2020 record, it’s a different beast than it was on records such as Man of Two Visions from 2008 or their self titled debut from 2006. Their essence is retained but Fear is a more subdued version, it’s calmer and less tempestuous. Nevertheless, their urgency and relatively fast tempos are still intact.

Valkyrie’s past (and sometimes actual) approach could be described similarly to Slough Feg in a way as they also include their fair share of proto metal (read Thin Lizzy) alongside NWOBHM (dual lead guitars for the win) but of course, they love Sabbath and American doom (read The Obsessed) and stoner metal (past comparisons to The Sword were appropriate, not so much now) quite a bit too. Fear brings a newfound progressive tinge and it’s very pleasing. Firmly evolving in the proto rock/metal niche, I do feel they served their material with a modern sauce. A compact sauce that’s never too salty or sugary. For me, modernity means the ability to really work on the production to make it sound tight and dreamy at the same time. It’s taking (possibly) dated sounds to make them sound contemporary and robust.

On their second album for Relapse Records, the veterans were able to evolve and offer us something different while still retaining their roots. It’s high quality atmospheric heavy rock that’s still inclined to give doom metal a chance.

Aktor - Placebo (2020) / 83%

NWOFHM #14: Yummy Pills

Contextualization:
NWOFHM is a term coined by Jussi Lehtisalo, the leader of the psych/experimental rock bands Circle and Pharaoh Overlord. It’s to pay homage to the NWOBHM term while namedropping his country, Finland.

Lehtisalo created a bunch of projects to create that self sufficient scene. Those include Motorspandex, Krypt Axeripper, Tractor Pulling which all released only one recording but also projects like Steel Mammoth or Arkhamin Kirjasto that have a more extensive discography. All those aforementioned bands were covered by yours truly and the NWOFHM review series is never quite dead.

Chris Black and Jussi Lehtisalo seems to be an odd pairing but they’re two really odd musicians so it just seemed natural. The American is of course famous for High Spirits, Dawnbringer, Pharoah (not overlord) and a plethora of other stuff while Lehtisalo does everything imaginable musically. I really loved Aktor’s debut single released back in 2013 (NWOFHM #6 actually) but I didn’t give their debut full length Paranoia enough spins to truly enjoy it. Looking back, I think it was released during my last year of university and I was perhaps too busy to care... It’s 2020 now and I’m not busy enough right now as it’s the pandemic and I’m stuck alone at home wearing a kimono with birds on it while my cat constantly complains about life. I was ready to rediscover the weirdness of Aktor.

Aktor are weird in a way that’s both familiar and iconoclastic. Mixing hard hittin’ heavy/hard rock riffs with a huge backdrop of 1980s pop influences ranging from new wave to electronica, they sound timeless but created in a vacuum where many musical styles from different eras coexist during the same era. Combine the attractive and catchy riffs of Blue Öyster Cult but played heavier with a large dosage of The Cars or Devo and perhaps many eras of Rush melted together and you’re somewhat near their sound.

It could also be a Judas Priest mid 80s album made by aliens who actually had no idea what to do and were told to add keyboards and David Bowie influences by an elder brain on antidepressant pills.

From another sea
In another symphony
It's all the same eternity
On another night
Underneath an endless sky
Until we meet the ghost of time

In a sense, it really is a mix of Black and Lehtisalo. Black is as intense and catchy as he is on High Spirits but sings about weirder shit. I’ve heard people call him an acquired taste and I guess I can hear why but I always liked his nonchalant but charismatic delivery. He’s combined with the weird riffs of Lehtisalo, the Finn veteran has a wide arsenal at his disposal and I liked how he alternates between super heavy metal riffs and some approachable rock ones. The compositions are often pretty fast (like opener “Bad Mirror”) and even when they’re mid-paced, they’re dynamic and full sounding. After some numerous spins, I’ve noticed how good the bass is on this record (check “Get Me Outta Here”), it’s not too loud and is in the background often but it highlights the grooves found on Placebo very well. I'd say the fight between the raw guitars and the spacey synths is the real highlight of the record though.

Aktor aren’t for everyone as it’s something I’ll dare call experimental heavy metal but I’ve been exploring Jussi Lehtisalo’s bizarre metal offerings for close to a decade now and it always speaks to me. I hope it could speak to y’all too.

Freeways - True Bearings (2020) / 87%

Freeways are finally here with their debut full length and I was anxious to hear it after I’ve listened to their Cold Front (2017) extended play way too many times. For those unfamiliar with the Canadian band, it was formed by the two key members of progressive thrashers Droid (worth checking out if you’re into Voivod, Mekong Delta, or Vektor) but they explore something entirely different with Freeways.

Based on what I know of Jacob Montgomery (vocals, guitar) and Sebastian Alcamo (drums), they’re true metal/rock connoisseurs and they know their stuff very well. It’s definitely reflected in the way the album is composed as it’s able to incorporate a lot of different influences in a seamless manner. Joined by Domenic Innocente (guitar) and Amar Amrith (bass), Freeways is a complete unit ready to rock your socks. Even though they’re definitely not exploring untamed musical areas, the Brampton, Ontario quartet are able to distinguish themselves from the pack by their picks of influences. Not a lot of twenty-something dudes are ready to show their love for Thin Lizzy, Blue Öyster Cult, or Budgie, they’re usually more prone to worship Black Sabbath and call it a day…

The big difference between Cold Front and True Bearings is that the band has lost some of the urgency and compact tightness the EP had in favor of a more detailed and smooth sort of songwriting. The EP was a tight affair with songs ranging from 3:30 to 4:15 minutes but they unleashed some longer numbers on the LP – “Time is No Excuse” is almost 7 minutes and it’s excellent.

I’m usually all for grand and epic songwriting (my favourite Rush record is still 2112, you know) but it took me a while to get on board that slight style change. Freeways still had the same heart and catchiness so I finally still fell in love with them again. They took risks and it was a good move. Cold Front has an 18 wheeler on the cover, it’s a fast and strong vehicle while True Bearings has a RV/camper on it, it’s more subtle and it’s perhaps more comfortable in the long run! That’s perhaps the last time I’ll use trucks to make a musical comparison, thanks Freeways!

The guitars are written exceptionally well and played with unparalleled talent for the genre. From the classical guitar bits of “Battered & Bruised” to the metallesque opening riffs of “Eternal Light, Eternal Night”. The instrumentation is rich and varied for such a genre (great keys on “Sorrow (Was Her Name)” and the production is able to compromise between a modern and a retro approach to great success. It’s dynamic, melodic and it’s just damn memorable. It takes you on a ride of feels and different moods, from soulful to driven, to dark and light. I do think they could be even more epic and unleash ten plus minutes songs but that’s perhaps best kept for the future or for bands like Syrinx.

Montgomery also sounds more confident in his clean vocals abilities here. While he’s not the most powerful singer and he’s a guitarist first and foremost if I remember correctly, he’s able to convey many emotions through his voice and doesn’t sound like most people. He’s also very capable live, I have great memories of seeing Freeways during the Trapped Under Ice tour alongside the top of Canadian trad metal (Barrow Wight, Cauchemar, Metalian, Occult Burial) and for me, they were the second best band of that evening as well (I’m insanely in love with Cauchemar).

I’d say that the main strength of Freeways is the ability to be a “retro” band and doesn’t sound like one of them in particular. There’s no pale copying here, just well written original homages to their 70s heroes. I feel Freeways are apt at bringing their blend of enthusiastic and melancholic hard rock to metal fans who are craving some AOR to go with their current black/death/thrash/doom diet. Alongside a band like Hällas, Freeways are ready to make us love vintage rock again.

Originally published on Ride Into Glory. 

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Meutrières – Meurtrières (2020) / 88%

Heavy Métal Français I

Arrow Through the Heart

If all the French heavy metal bands could be about castles, fortresses and other medieval themes, I’d die a happy man. Meurtrières (that’s the name given to narrow arrow slits on castles) are a new band from Lyon and they rock hard!

The quintet is heavily by the punkier side of NWOBHM (see Di’anno’s Iron Maiden), it’s fast, heavy and aggressive with strong duel guitars. There’s more than just that though, Meurtrières are multifaceted and often are on the same songs like the epic opener “A La Spatha”. In fact, the album starts with its two longest songs (both around six minutes) to prove that they don’t mess around. The second track “Alienor” explores the feminist tale of Aliénor d’Aquitaine and does it with style and panache.

Musically, I feel that the band is very strong. The bass is thick and present more than in your usual heavy metal band (perhaps due to their punk influence) and the drumming is quick like a crossbow machine gun. As it’s the case for most metal bands, the quality of the riffs will define the quality of a release and oh boy, Meurtrières are freaking maniacs. The songwriting is both nuanced and overly to the point.

The vocals of frontwoman Fleur are on fucking point. She sometimes sounds like Annick of Cauchemar but with more power, range and with a definitive punk attitude. I wish the vocals were a bit stronger in the mix though but that’s their debut album so a weaker production can be judged to be acceptable. She sings the historical French lyrics with an urgency I haven’t heard in a while. She keeps the same energy on the slower and rockier closer “La Déferlante”. That castle on the artwork seems hard to reach but I’m sure she’ll manage to find a way!

That first self released extended play kills, as intended. At almost thirty minutes, it’s pretty much a full length already and with some slight improvements here and there, mostly in the production department, they have the potential to be France’s top heavy metal band. I didn’t avoid the arrows fired at me and I’m glad I didn’t. Essential 2020 heavy metal, mes amis.

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The Lord Weird Slough Feg – New Organon (2019) / 85%

3 AM bag of cheese

Slough Feg or The Lord Weird Slough Feg (they went back to their old moniker apparently) has always been one of my favorite bands ever seen I discovered their sixth album, the excellent Hardworlder back in 2007. I even got the artwork of Traveller tattooed on my forearm to show my dedication to their craft... Even if the troubadours lead by main songwriter, singer and guitarist Mike Scalzi have been churning good albums (The Animal Spirits in particular), they were never able to reach the heights of Down Among The Deadman, Traveller, Atavism or the aforementioned Hardworlder.

Fifteen years ago, the Feg were the best heavy metal band in America. They have some hefty competition nowadays with bands like Demon Bitch, Magic Circle but I’m sure they still have the tools to go back up there.

After a brief stint with Metal Blade, the band is back with Italy’s Cruz Del Sur for their first album in half a decade. With New Organon, they decided to go back to their roots or at the least the idea behind their roots. It took them a while to gather a new collection of songs, it seems they were a bit lost and confused about the direction to take after the divisive (that’s what I personally gathered as far as opinions are concerned) Digital Resistance.

My first impressions were that New Organon was taking the sound developed on Digital Resistance, Ape Uprising and mixed it with their early 2000s releases. It works well and I was glad to hear the dual lead guitars of Scalzi and Angelo Tringali. At times, it seemed like a toned down version of their heavier classics and well, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not a surprising album though, they’re playing it safe most of the times, except perhaps on “Coming of Age in the Milky Way”. It’s a slow, medieval folky singalong song with hints of Queen and Rush combined with their usual Thin Lizzy genuflections. The best track on the album, for sure. Furthermore, bassist Adrian Maestas sings the lead vocals on “Uncanny” and this was also a pleasant surprise. It has a classic rock flair and it’s less gruff and semi-operatic than Mike’s approach.

I think it took me almost three years to enjoy Digital Resistance despite the fact that it’s a pretty immediate album. On the other hand, I liked this one immediately. There's the right balance of all their elements. Slough Feg has the tendency to write blistering but deep compositions about history or geeky but manly odes to philosophy and it’s still the case here. Scalzi explores Francis Bacon’s major work Novum Organum throughout the ten muscular songs of the album. Feg’s intellectual nature is hidden underneath a thick layer of meat, potatoes, butter and cheddar. It’s tasty and nutritive. It feeds your heart and soul with riffs and deep thoughts.

My desires for new Feg albums are somewhat impossible to accomplish at this point. I’d like longer, epic songs for some unfathomable reasons since the band never did this. I’m sure they’d be good at them though so I guess that’s why I have this fetish. I know they'll never do another Traveller and I have to live with this for the rest of my life...

With New Organon we see the band go back to their primal sound and sure, some metal oomph is back but the aggressiveness and the memorability of old is lacking. With that said, Slough Feg are still better than most at what they do and their riffing skills are still up there with the greats. I was preparing myself to that release for a while now and I went back to their whole catalogue. I think it’s a bit unfair to compare it to older works but I mean, I’m petty like that. We don't compare Iron Maiden's contemporary works to Powerslave... Outside of some more forgettable numbers such as “The Cynic”, it’s a pretty even album without any overly apparent weaknesses.

All in all, if you’ve heard a Slough Feg album, you know what to expect here. Or do you? Yeah, you probably do even if they’re “back” with one of their older sounds. Duel lead guitars, soaring solos, Scalzi instantly recognizable rough but classy vocal tantrums. If you don't know Slough Feg, this could be a good place to start, to be honest. You'll just need to warn your neighbors when you'll explore their older albums.

The whole album is fueled by hard hitting riffs such as on “Discourse On Equality” and curvy thunderous leads by level 20 bards. It's a shame that drummer Harry Cantwell (Bosse-de-Nage) is gone but newcomer Jeff Griffin does an acceptable job

Slough Feg are the equivalent of the bag of shredded cheddar in the fridge when you’re hungry at 3 am, you’ll always go back to it even if you know what to expect. If you’re lucky, you can find some really thick chunks. This album slaps and has a good amount of chunky riffs. Definitely the best air guitar album of 2019.

Oh, I'm also very stoked to see them for the first time in June.

Out late June on Cruz Del Sur Music
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Tanith - Citadel (90%) / 2017

 Cold but Warm

This single really took everyone by surprise when it was released last year. It's a blistering ten minutes of uber catchy heavy metal/hard rock and I'd probably sell my grand mother to get the full length before everyone else.

The best thing is that it's timeless but also able to bring you back to different rock eras with ease and panache. You get some hints of prog rock, especially in the way the four musicians are playing (they have skills for days) but also a fair share of other elements, intricately put together. The title track showcased the proggier and epic sound reminiscing of the hey days of NWOBHM and the proto metal of Uriah Heep while "Eleven Days" demonstrates some folky overtones with beautiful acoustic vocals and some deep electric soloing. For a short release, it's really varied and demonstrates how well Russ Tippins has assimilated all those sounds in one compact comet. It's not quite heavy and never needs to be to put you on a brief voyage through cold but warm lands as illustrated on the classic looking artwork.

The highlights of the release are the twinned guitars and the twinned vocals of Tippins and his American counterpart Cindy Maynard. Both vocalists do take an AOR approach but it fits the hyper melodic guitar riffs and the loud but evocative bass lines. It's clean, easy to sing along and just makes me happy and jolly.

The American/British quartet showed everyone how quality heavy/hard is done. I'm stoked to see what they can do on a longer medium. Maybe some extended tracks with proggier moments!? STOKED.

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Quayde LaHüe - Quayde LaHüe (2016)

Randy Quayde LaHüe

Behind this peculiar band name hides a solid traditional metal/rock band with a strong sense of originality and a take no prisoners approach. The band is quite elusive on the omnipotent internets outside of their Bandcamp page but let it be known that they share three of their members with the excellent Christian Mistress also from the Pacific Northwest area.

The comparisons between the two bands being inevitable, I'll play the game. They're both fronted by women who have more in common the rough 80s days of heavy metal (see Acid or Détente) than anything with corsets released by Nuclear Blast or Century Media. The vox of Jenna Fitton have this natural way to charm you with how imperfect and cozy they are. She just rocks hard and it's truly fun to hear. It's just much more interesting than yet another diva who went to music school. They also evolve in the same nice but CM are more metallic. If you like the Christine Davis' band, you'll surely like this one as well. They like their music groovy, sad but hopeful and with a strong dark imagery.

The riffs of Diedrich and Wulf (not a German band, guys) are infectious and melodic in their lo-fi feel and their simplicity. They have good ears for hooks and catchy leads without turning the whole thing into a technical snooze fest. They worship Thin Lizzy and the rockier side of NWOBHM and you should too.

This twenty-five minutes release is also quite varied. Alternating from mid-paced quasi ballads ("Same Old Song") to melancholic riffier affairs like the opener "I Am Unworthy", Quayde LaHüe are keeping things slow, sad and loose. The production is tight though and it makes you feel like you're right there with the quintet in their rehearsal room. Sometimes modern heavy metal is a crunchier and heavier version of past oeuvres but this retains the same atmosphere as many bands from the formative days of the genre. Days where the line between rock and metal wasn't set in stone.

This first release is right there with Angel Sword, Legionnaire or Scalare as far as heavy metal is concerned. It's classic stuff with a distinctive and voluntarily amateurish sound that is miles ahead of their "well produced" peers catering to newcomers who just discovered Battle Beast. This is a super good EP, I can't wait to hear more stuff from this band.

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Rivette – In Vertigo (2016) / 85%

NWOFHM #10: Uno, dos, tres... catorce

I'm at a place called Vertigo! It’s everything I wish I didn’t know

This power trio from Finland plays an addictive form of heavy metal combining extraneous rock elements and it was one of my highlights of late 2016. I’m not totally sure this is an accurate portrayal but the first thought I had during my initial listening session was that Rivette was a heavy metal version of Dire Straits. This was perhaps due to the pop hooks combined with heavy guitar acrobatics but I still think this is a funny summary of their sound.

Their style of riffing is peculiar and it’s hard to compare them to contemporary metal bands since they don’t really fit within any scenes. Perhaps they could fit in the made up and weird as fuck New Wave of Finnish Heavy Metal and that’s why Jussi Lehtisalo, owner of Ektro Records and creator of this scene signed them. Rivette are able to mix the uplifting feel of early NWOBHM (see the likes of Trespass) with a bunch of other influences like AOR, classic rock, 80s alternative rock and even 70s progressive rock. Esa (guitar, vocals) reminds me a lot of Peter Gabriel/Phish (I believe they’re the same person) and it’s super interesting to hear those sort of vocals in a heavy metal/hard rock setting. Listen to the final track of the record to hear this vocal approach, it's awesome.

While there’s certainly metal riffs in there, it doesn’t really feel metal most of the time. The EP has this smooth, lush feel and it’s quite impressive considering there’s no keyboards and it’s just three dudes trying their best to beat Rush at their own game (hint: nobody can.) The best quality the trio has is their ear for emotional and super catchy melodies. Just with the first minute of “Outrun the Night”, I was hooked and pleased. While their songs aren’t quite long (the longest is 6 minutes), they use some instrumental passages to their advantage and they do it well. They let the songs breathe and only “Arms of Lightning” is a straight up bulldozing rocker. Fun guitar leads, thick but pleasing bass licks and speedy drums is what you get with Rivette.

They’re at their best when they focus on their introspective side (like the title track) and go beyond heavy metal and I think their potential is tremendous. This is a rock solid debut extended play that I’ve been spinning a lot since early December and if you want originality in your traditional metal, they would certainly work for you.

Rivette on Bandcamp

Mountain Dust, Zaum & Chronolith @Turbo Haus, September 30th 2016

Mountain Dust, Zaum & Chronolith @Turbo Haus, September 30th 2016

To end this warm month of September, I had to choose between three interesting gigs happening on the same evening. It wasn't an easy decision to make since I'm a big fan of Toronto's Demontage who were opening for DBC at the Piranha Bar and the Red Bull Academy drone gig seemed pretty attractive as well. In the end, I went with the style of music closer to my earth, doom metal. After a long commute to the south west of Montréal, I arrived in time to see the first band on the bill.

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Chronolith are a fairly new local band and based on their singer, they play some form of sludge. I guess they do but they're not your usual run-of-the-mill sludge band. The guitar is fairly inventive and sometimes inflicts ethnic influenced leads with a progressive precision and the bass was quite loud with a clean and heavy sound. They're not the dirty, heroin-addicted style of sludge, they belong to the psychedelic school that Kylesa used to teach at. On some of their songs, they had a violinist who added some richness to their sound and it wasn't too dissimilar from what SubRosa are offering us. The singer was pretty generic and didn't offer much as far as stage presence is concerned but maybe he wasn't feeling well that night. Anyhow, I liked their compositions and I'm looking forward to their studio releases.

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ZAUM: The duo from Moncton are about to release their second full length (once again on Sweden's I Hate Records) and they decided to do a short two dates Québec trip before going overseas to play a massive European tour. The metropolis was to first to host those two bearded gentlemen and they didn't disappoint. They opened with "Influence of the Magi" the first side of Eidolon, their new album, an extended twenty minutes track full of twists and turns before playing two older tracks. Zaum consists of drummer Chris Lewis and bassist/singer Kyle McDons and those two guys are able to convey an impressive sense of mighty power with their interesting formula. McDons is using a wide array of pedals and his abilities exceed the comprehension of mere mortals such as myself. He's also a sound engineer so he knows exactly what to do to make his project sound great. Decorated with their numerous personalized candles, the stage was blown to bits by the subtle yet captivating red lights emanating from underneath Lewis' drums and the whole setting really managed to give the necessary aura their middle-eastern influenced approach to doom metal needs. Thunderous, simple but not lo-fi, Zaum are all in and they always deliver the slow, tasteful goods.

Previous reviews of Zaum: Oracles (2014) and Himalaya To Mesopotamia (2015)

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Mountain Dust are perhaps Montréal's current best rock band and they closed the evening. I had to miss their album release gig so I really wanted to see them play their new songs live and it wasn’t disappointing. The quartet plays heavy rock with an amalgam of influences from diverse eras. You get the lap steel from the blues or country scene, the keys from the Deep Purple and the presence of guitarist/singer Brendan Mainville can recall everything from the grunge era to the early proto hard rock days of the 60s. Speaking of this decade, the band did a fantastic super heavy cover of The Doors’ “Waiting For the Sun”. The dudes are all coming from a metal or hardcore background so there’s this added heaviness to their vintage rock and it’s highly fun to hear and watch. It’s authentic without sounding like a pale copy of your dad’s record collection

Review of their debut album Nine Years

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Opeth – Sorceress (2016) / 92%

Make Opeth Metal Again?

Now one of the biggest metal/rock bands on the planet, Opeth’s career has taken an important detour with Heritage in 2011. Legions of fans and detractors alike are asking themselves what will be the sound explored on this new album. Let’s not burn the sorceress before hearing her plea, shall we?

The Swedish giant is a band in constant evolution and unlike their peer, In Flames, they managed to make the transition into softer territories in a good way. They were already showing signs of their evolution with their gorgeous 2003 opus Damnation but with Heritage, they went all in, and it displeased and divided their audience. While they will not win back the fans who wants them to be truly metal again with this new album, it might be viewed more favorably. Anyway, I don’t really care about what other people say about Opeth, I care only about what Mikael Åkerfeldt is doing since he’s been the leader of my favorite band since I discovered them in high school.

I will not let the suspense go on much longer, yes Sorceress is a good album but I do think Opeth never (and probably never will) released a bad album. I do have some reservations towards the album though. It’s clearly not as good as I wanted it to be. The band has always been somewhat disjointed as it’s usually the case with bands with long song structures. Nevertheless, it’s never been as apparent and obvious as it is here except for Heritage which is possibly their weakest album. Maybe it’s because of the eleven-tracks format (the most of any Opeth album) or the fact that the songs are a bit shorter and more self contained.


Opeth had the tendency to be meandering and includes a wide array of styles within the same songs. Sure, there’s exceptions found in their past career with songs like “Harvest” or “To Bid You Farewell”, but Sorceress feels much more like an amalgam of different styles than any other of their other albums (extreme metal excluded, no they’re not coming back to their death metal blend...). You have the folky Jethro Tull-influenced ballad “Will o the Wisp” or the heavy metal/hard rock of “Chrysalis” and the different elements are a bit less melded together than before. Furthermore, “The Seventh Sojourn” is even a track similar to the Fertile Crescent sound, and it works as a sort of smooth interlude similar to the non-metal tracks found on Melechesh’s excellent albums The Epigenesis and Enki. Oh man speaking of that, an Opeth/Melechesh tour would be killer. Make this happen, Nuclear Blast.

The final important negative point would be the abrupt end of the album. It ends with a short, one minute outro after the hard rocking “Era” and it was a bit like if the waiter removed your plate from the table while you’re eating it. It was a sudden and unexpected finale to an otherwise great album. The introduction right before the title track works though. It’s classical guitars with some ethereal female spoken word, and it sets the tone in a good way. It’s not unlike “Coil” from Watershed but it’s not a “complete” song.

Still, I reckon my criticisms are pretty small. I’ve learned to disregard those aspects after four or five spins and it remains a collection of great songs. Regardless, the album isn’t as condensed as their previous one. The cohesion is lacking and the flow isn’t perfect. Still, it’s not as incoherent as Heritage and doesn’t have as many disposable moments. I’d say that “Sorceress 2” is the only truly weak point found on this record. It’s a boring four-minute acoustic ballad with unremarkable vocal lines. It’s the total opposite of the aforementioned and super great folky “Wisp” and it has to be one of the weakest tracks Opeth ever composed.

While Pale Communion was pretty much Opeth without the extreme metal elements, Sorceress is less limited and feels it could be another transitional album. Nevertheless, I do think Opeth never did a real transitional album except Watershed. They’re just creating landscapes based on a large amalgam of approaches and themes, and it turned out their 2008 record was the last one with death metal components. Still, the tracks without Mikael’s harsh vocals like “Porcelain Heart” or “Burden” were signs of their future incarnation. I can’t help but think that Sorceress could be interpreted as a new watershed for the Swedes. It’s hard what to predict what they’ll do next, but based on the lyrics of “Era”, it could be the conclusion of their current manifestation. It’s the “end of an era, we’ll start a new...” so maybe they’ll go back to their prog death sound and tour with Amorphis like it’s 2002 all over again?!

As far as their evolution is concerned, Sorceress is still Opeth exploring progressive rock in their own way but it probably has their heavier moments since the album that gave us “Lotus Eater” and “Heir Apparent.” To answer my own Trump reference in the title, yes this is (probably??) a metal album ,and the heavy parts possess a new sense of perspective. They added some stoner flavors to their newfound metallic formula and it’s heavier than Pale Communion when it actually decides to be. The title track released as the first single is a good example of Sorceress’ metallic identity. While this is still Opeth, it’s a widely different album even if there’s their usual tropes.

Compared to the previous album, the jazz influence are gone and the combination of heavy metal, progressive rock and folk took their rightful place. We already had heavy rock parts on Heritage (“Slither”, a song dedicated to Dio) but those parts are boosted on this album. This side of the band’s identity took time to appear and knowing how much Mikael is a lover of 70s and 80s heavy metal and hard rock, it was simply a matter of time. He’s a massive Michael Schenker fan and it’s obvious that UFO, Uriah Heep and the NWOBHM scene were huge influences on the compositions. Those classic rock influences were included into the idiosyncratic sound of Opeth, they never were and never will be a cheap throwback or a “vintage rock” band. They’re innovative while looking at the rightful musical identities of the past.

Concerning the individual performances of this opus, Martín Méndez’ bass is a shining beacon. He’s been playing a role within the band’s sound recently and it’s a good thing; the dude is on fire and deserves more credit and praise. Another key element: The keys of Joakim Svalberg (his second album with the band) are thunderous and give Opeth their well-deserved rich sound. The chemistry between the keys and the guitars is certainly something to behold.

“There is a voice surrounding me...” -Mikael Åkerfeldt on “Strange Brew”

About the leader himself, he’s always been one of my favorite singers but he has been improving his clean vocals for a while now and probably offers his best performance ever as a clean singer on this 12^th album. He shines on the rougher moments, and he’s been expanding his pallet for the softer parts. While I’ll admit I do miss the growls at times, even if they wouldn’t fit here, he’s masterful on Sorceress. He’s soulful, charismatic and sensual on the heavy bits, and sensible and mystic during the calm instants. My favorite Mikael moment of the album has to be the memorable chorus of “The Wilde Flowers”.

Production-wise, I dig the guitar tones, they have this old school feel but with strong doom sensibilities. The riffs on tracks like “Chrysalis” or the truly sole epic they did “Strange Brew” (the most varied track of the album) are killer and absolutely well written. The acoustic guitars are back in full force too and their inclusion on tracks like “A Fleeting Glance” are pertinent. Fredrik Åkesson and Åkerfeldt are expert guitarists, this is known. Their guitar parts range from being subtle to over the top in a matter of instant (listen to the soloing of “The Wilde Flowers” or the Blackwater Park/Ghost Reveries-esque calm parts in some songs). Nonetheless, they’re a bit too mechanical during the “stoner” moments (such as the debut of “Era”) but overall, the two guitarists keep things interesting, uncomplicated and tidy. It’s yet another strong slab of strong and creative musicianship.

To conclude, the new influences ranging from stoner rock to heavy metal made this a fresh record without being overly modern or distasteful. That’s a feat in itself in this saturated musical age full of bands trying to mix everything together in the hopes of creating something unusual or redesigned. Twenty-one years after their debut album, the Swedish monolithic entity still has the upper hand.

It may be the most chaotic album they ever did and the direction they took isn’t quite clear to me. Are they coming back to a more metallic sound to please the fans? Anyhow, the mixture of elements is working. It almost sounds like the perfect marriage of Ghost Reveries, Watershed and Pale Communion into one potent magical spell but it has the main downfall of Heritage, the incoherence of its tracklist.

Make Opeth Great Again? They’ve always been great and they’ll always be the best band. Metal or not. Is this album even metal? Who cares? It’s Opeth, and they’re awesome.

Originally written for The Metal Observer.

Beelzefuzz - The Righteous Bloom (2016) / 81%

The Righteous Doom (way too easy but eh I do what I want!)

Beelzefuzz from Maryland returns with their second full length after some legal troubles involving the name of the band that I will not talk about except to say that I’m glad it’s all resolved. Dana Ortt (guitar, vocals) is now free to continue delivering mesmerizing Maryland doom but this time with a fresh lineup and not a sub-par one, no sir. Formerly a trio, the group is now a quartet and they’re tighter than ever. Ortt is joined by Bert Hall (seminal bassist of Revelation), Greg Diener on guitar (leader of the important and excellent Pale Divine). Darin McCloskey (Pale Divine, Crowned In Earth) returns on the drums. With this new but experienced blood, the band managed to craft one of the best doom albums of the year.

Even if three tracks (2, 3 and 11) from their wonderful 2012 demo are appearing here, it took me a while to notice it since the songs managed to evolve a lot since then and the lush production and the improved musicianship gave them a second life. Beelzefuzz are one of the most peculiar and original bands to ever play American doom and the fact they’re from the doom mecca of America certainly helped forming this new, extremely talented lineup. The compositions of Ortt were already intricate and rich but they’re reaching new levels of beauty with this record. Their mix of classic rock, psychedelic rock and doom metal has always been impressive to me mostly because of how well the songs are constructed. The formula is tight but feels immensely dense with so many layers and sound webs knit together. The addition of a second guitar makes things even more complex and enjoyable but rest assured that they didn’t trade simplicity for technicality, it’s complex in a subtle and emotional way.

Most tracks are pretty short and straightforward but they’re jam packed with content. Only the title track and its previous track called “Nebulous” expanded the sound into truly epic territories. Doom is usually about despair, marginality, religions but those guys are pretty damn uplifting. There’s still some darker melodies involved but the heaviness is a varying concept for them. One thing is sure though, all their riffs are interesting and well written. They play retro rock/metal without trying to, it’s a second nature for them. They’re not trying to fit in in any trends or genres as they jump with ease from psych groovy rock to doom and so on.

The Righteous Bloom is perhaps less immediate, heavy and catchy than their self titled album, it’s a bit more subtle overall as well. Like the colours of its creative cover art, it’s a lighter and more hopeful record than their debut but for me, there’s something that has been lost since the demos, it’s hard to explain why but I felt more at ease with their earlier sound. Nevertheless, this is a solid album.

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Mountain Dust - Nine Years (2016) / 90%

Montréal’s Mountain Dust were pretty good when I saw them live with Dopethrone and Zaum some years ago but I had no idea they were this good. They obviously really took their time to craft this debut album since it’s inspired and spectacular rock with all the right influences.

  

Undeniably rooted in the past, Nine Years is nevertheless able to sound fresh and modern due to the band’s ability to mix styles in a tasteful way. You get the proto-metal influence from Led Zeppelin (not in a copycat way like Wolfmother though), the heavy organ sound of The Doors but also a big dose of stoner, blues and psychedelic rock. It’s also sorrowful and mesmerizing mostly due to the mournful and raw but awesome vocals and the evocative heavy riffs. The use of the slide guitar brings the blues in a great way and I was surprised how well the instrument was integrated to their rock core. They also use some folk and country elements such as the clean overture of southern “Tale of the Red Rain” and its desert mighty sound.

They remind me Royal Thunder (one of my favorite current rock bands) in the way they rock hard and almost borders the metal realms in those aggressive moments but also the fact that they’re really damn varied. I mean “Lonely War” almost sounds a dark version of a Beatles ballad and there’s other longer tracks where they unleash the heavy organ stoner/hard rock sound such as the title track. The seven numbers are all tremendous but the band kept the longer ones for the second half and this was a judicious decision as I feel the flow of the LP is excellent.

For a debut album, Mountain Dust wrote something very accomplished and mature. I now feel bad for missing the album release gig since this is surely one of the best rock records of 2016. It’s genuine but still inventive, it’s old school but contemporary and it’s hard to ignore. Popular retro rock bands should open for Mountain Dust.

Originally published on The Metal Observer

Spell - For None and All (2016) / 83%

Adam Burke's artwork is super great.

Magic Spells

Vancouver’s Spell managed to impress me with their 2014 debut but their sophomore full length easily established them as one of the Canadian best heavy metal/rock band. The trio, something obviously noticeable simply by the way they look (another example of this would be Kadavar), doesn’t really like the aesthetics and sonority found in modern metal and that's totally fine!

Mixing the quasi metallic approach of Rush’s classic second album Fly By Night with a fair share of psychedelic elements, Canadian heavy metal (think of Cauldron who also released a solid album this year) and even some progressive rock, Spell manage to stay super catchy and cohesive. While not totally heavy, their proto metal hits the spot with tight songwriting and musicianship. The inclusion of keyboards on some tracks (like “Too Late” or the interlude “Séance”) is enjoyable and adds a complex side to the band’s identity. The weakest spot for me would be the vocals, they’re a bit too vanilla and glam for my taste but they do fit the band. I must say he’s really freaking good on the doomy (and possibly the highlight of the record) “River of Sleep” though, he almost sounds like Jean-Pierre Abboud (Borrowed Time, Funeral Circle, Gatekeeper…) on this song.

The production job is warm and old school (obviously) and even if there’s only one guitarist, there’s many guitar tracks to give a richer atmosphere. It’s a pretty lush record with engaging riffs and well composed tracks. Sure, they’re perhaps not as good as Rush are but no one are!

They sometimes unleash some epic moments such as the ninth track “Vanitas” and its groovy bass lines and soulful guitar solos but they never go overboard (maybe they should?) as they keep the record tidy and straight forward. Spell, although a solid band, are a product of their times as they’re evolving in the current wave of occult heavy/rock bands but they’re definitely one of the most interesting players and are deserving your time and money.

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The Austrian Special - A focus on the non-metal music from Arnold's native land

One of my best online friends is from this mysterious country located near the Alps and we often share our local findings. He discovered Québec rock (Karkwa, Ponctuation, Galaxie…) because of me and I was pleased when he sent me a lot of Austrian suggestions. This is sort of related to my Local Sounds series but done with bands from cities located on the other side of the Atlantic ocean. Considering I don’t currently really have the means to visit Vienna or Graz, this exploration of Austria non-metal music will have to do for now. Summoning were the musical act I was thinking of when this country was getting mentioned but it’s always fun to expand our horisons. Let’s start.

Wanda-Amore (2014)
-Bussi (2015)

This quintet from the capital are one of the biggest bands in Austria right now and for good reason. Their blend of heartfelt rock integrates a lot of tasteful pop influences, folky overtones and even some Americana. Their singer, Michael Marco, has some roughness to his delivery, you can hear the fact that he’s a smoker though the German lyrics. Their indie pop with some slight symphonic arrangements is a bit too cheesy for me but you can hear that they’re deeply inspired by Bob Dylan’s electric material for some of their musical aspects. It’s old school pop, really but there’s this modern catchiness. They sort of remind me of Arctic Monkeys if they were not heavy at all. Interesting band, it’s refreshing to hear.

Witchrider – Unmountable Stairs (2014)
Josh Homme just turned 43 this week and he’s possibly the biggest influence here. The trio from Graz definitely dig the huge guitars of Queens of the Stone Age but they’re not a carbon copy of the seminal American band. They mix things up and add some occult rock to their huge and super catchy riff dirty rock fest. Signed on Fuzzorama records, Witchrider aren’t afraid to unleash the fuzz through their stoner rock and they even include some psychedelia to the mix. 

The song "Far From You" is particularly stellar. Legit band with super good vocals. All hail Austrian desert stoner rock!

Carousals – Unstable (2015)

This viennese quartet released their debut extended play last year and it’s a very enjoyable mix of post punk, indie rock and alt rock with a strong Sonic Youth influence. The riffs are loud and noisy and Sonja’s excellent vocals definitely recall Kim Gordon’s approach. Compared to a band like Savages, they take their time with those slow burning compositions full of distortion (like “No Good”). Great EP and I’m interested to hear their future material.

The Sado-Maso Guitar Club

-We Love You Too (2011)

-Sado Maso Guitar Club (2013)

Possibly my favorite band included in the folder than my friend Daniel sent me, SMGC are classic rock in the purest sense of the expression. They’re basically a modern version of the Rolling Stones and that’s a super good compliment. “Get the Sound” from their debut album has one of the best guitar melodies I’ve heard in a while and combined with the organ, it’s just an infectious and groovy bluesy rock tune. They worship the late 60s and 70s era of rock where things weren’t getting super yet and it was still highly mixed with folk, blues and singer-songwriter influences. They’re not reinventing anything but they do everything correctly and they’re just super fun to listen to.

Binder & Krieglstein 

-Alles Verloren (2007)
-New Weird Austria (2010)

Rainer Binder-Krieglstein‘s music is pretty unique and quite excellent. Combining ethnic music (arabic, german, austrian, gypsy) with soul, pop, electronic, reggae, hip hop, this project is all over the place in the best way possible. Mostly in German, the album has a variety of singers from soft female voices to deep male ones and it‘s literally insane. It‘s so different from what I‘m used to but I really enjoyed the wide array of sounds displayed by this Austrian producer, it may seem to be disjoncted but it‘s put together expertly.