Wardenclyffe - Ordo Ab Chao (2012) | 87%

A short story/doom metal fanfiction about the demo of Wardenclyffe, a Swedish doom/death band. If you're reading the story while listening to the album, it's a bit more entertaining and you could grasp the analogies better. You can find the demo here: on their bandcamp.

The Sombre Alchemist and The Cleric Prince

Prelude / I : Orcadian Dream
The smoke is darkening the sky, the city is in ruins. The air smells like putrefaction, the flesh is naked and bloody. The cleric prince who just came from his exile to the northern peninsula of the kingdom is daydreaming about the wind and the salty water of the coast where he was enjoying a peaceful retreat. This battle left a bitter taste in his mouth and his ears were a bit numb. All of a sudden, his brother in arms raised him up and put him on his saddle and escaped the grasp of the invaders. He closed his eyes, feeling the sea on his toes and wondered if he made the right choice by coming back.

The monastery was left untouched by the arrival of the invaders. The grass was still green and the monks were still busy. The remainder of Prince Jacob's army was scattered through the location, resting. As he was discussing with the abbot, Ola, his general appeared to let him know that a guest arrived from the capital to see him. He went to the courtyard where Micael, his most valiant fighter was sharpening his battleaxe. A frail man was waiting, Jacob then recognized Sir Albert Witchfinder, a former knight now at the service of the state. He was the man who gave him the symbol for his coat of arms : a tower with a circular dome. When the prince looked at him, his eyes were livid and he said something softly :

"Expelled from the garden – hard is the burden , As the tyrant from the past returns "

The nature of the enemy wasn't quite clear yet, but this omen truly confirmed the return of the Sombre Alchemist Dorrian. As he finished his message, Sir Witchfinder fell to the ground, exhausted by his fast travel. It appears that the dark lord took possession of the capital city, Wardenclyff. Dorrian, the sorcerer and leader of The Doomsday Cult was once a prominent member of the state before his dark arts' inclination appeared and took over his mind. In light of this new information, the prince looked at his 2 most trusted men and they knew they had to ride to the capital.

Riding on the devastated field, the sound of the horses was something almost joyful and sad at the same time. The galloping of the hooves evoking the urgency of confrontation and the grin you have before taking the life of a man. Summoning the old bards of yesteryear, the riders are asking favors to the deities named Jennings, Iommi or even Gabriel Fischer. While the men are tempted to think about the Dying Bride and letting romantic emotions flow through them, they prefer to sing in a gravely voice full of harshness to hunt the pain.

The destroyed city was still burning 1 week after its destruction and at its stone wall border, a troop was concealed. Led by the famous war chief of Dorrian, Nicklas Terror, well known for his heavy sword blows and his dark runemagic powers. While Jacob, Micael and Ola can compete with his strength, they prefer a fair and disciplined combat, some would say that they prefer to dance.

The nostrils of the horses were fuming, waiting for something tragic to happen. Finally, the 2 cavalries charged into eachothers. Bursts of pure energy and fire were flowing across the field. Rapidly, some of the soldiers were fighting on the ground. Micael attacked Nicklas Terror with his hammer. The blows were fast, you could hear the frenetic drumming of the god of death beating down the petty souls of mortals. Terror's sword finally managed to penetrate Micael's armor, the fighter still on his legs drove off in his ranks bleeding. The cleric prince saw the situation and reached his wounded friend in time to save him. Meanwhile,Terror barely escaped with his life at the hands of Ola, the bald warlord and his longsword. The border was then cleared and the road to the capital accessible !

II : Behind the Shadow of the Goat

The steps of the palace were getting slippery with all the blood of the dead capital soldiers. The Sombre Alchemist, a tall white man wearing an owl cowl hiding his straight long black hair was walking towards the grand building. His apostles armed with the blue light were creating a way for him. The palace of fallen majesty was now defenseless. The enormous door of the court room opened, the noblemen who were hiding in the safest room of the kingdom were rapidly surrounded by the apostles.

The king, enthralled by fear, was thrown on the clear marble floor now cluttered by some of the most adventurous noble warriors. The imposing lion sculpture in the middle of the court started to bleed at the touch of Dorrian. Some horns appeared on its solid scalp, the figure of the sculpted animal changed to the one of a morbid goat. A mixture of boiling blood and vomit engulfed the poor king. After a brief look at the macabre scene, the sombre alchemist started to sing this verse in his peculiar voice, a voice you were able to hear at night if you were near his infernal cathedral. A clean, albeit weird voice that is not melodic but rather grave and unnatural.

"Behind the shadow of the goat / Here comes the wrath of the obscure
Behind the shadow of the goat / They bring death onto the herd"

The blood coming from the eyes of the statue was dripping on the floors. The alchemist reached a scroll from his inside pockets, he started to sing the incantation written on this old parchment. Hastily, loud sound vibrations were now emanating from the statue. A mid paced buzz gorged with darkness was saluting the scared crowd. It's a groovy summon captivating the minds of the weak with its occult identity. The melodies are slow while strangely memorable. Despite being prisoners of The Doomsday Cult, some nicely-dressed men were carried away with the tempo.

The apostles, blissfully joyous in a circle around the statue, were unleashing hoarse verses in honor of the new regime. The snarls were stopping sometimes to let the dark lord sing his cleaner incantation. Hence, on this day,the souls of the nobility were tainted by a new caliginous devotion.

''They bring you the plague – planting the seed – for your destruction''As the Alchemist's army was ready to let loose throughout the kingdom, the tyrant removed his owl cowl, his deed was done.

III : Macroshift

Jacob the cleric was at the head of his cavalry when he entered the capital. Surprisingly defenseless, the prince entered under the adulation of the possessed population, gullible and touched by the sudden affection, he made his way to the fallen palace where his dead father was now resting. Alongside the streets, many musicians were playing an entrancing welcoming, the lead melody was mournful and sad not unlike the current atmosphere in the kingdom.

On the porch of the palace, Dorrian was waiting for him with the king's crown in his hands. Jacob led the slow procession through the city. He ordered his men to wait up while he climbed the stairs leading to the palace's entry. The dark loud sang this in a high clean voice :

"See – the prince arrives
Leave – the past to die
Meet – his paradise
Earth – shall be cleansed"

The prince removed his helm and knelt before the alchemist, the golden crown now laying in the fair hair of the fallen cleric was bright like the moon. When the gaze of Dorrian met the one of his accomplice, a loud blast was heard from the ranks as the pummeling sound of death made his way through the city. The deceiving liege lord, with a simple gesture, ordered the execution of the resistance, his former comrades. Ola, the warlord fell to his knees, facing his death to the hands of the esoteric apostles while Micael tried to flew, in vain. The deep slow melody continued during the bloodbath, the lamentations were silent as the new king, devoured by darkness was enjoying the spectacle. The order has ended, the chaos has taken its place.

''Ignite me – The wings of death arise / Release me – Unleash the Macroshift ''

Were the words written in the letter Jacob received from the Sombre Alchemist.


http://wardenclyffe.bandcamp.com/

Beelzefuzz - Demo 2011 | 90%

Super Silver Sour Diesel Haze

Beelzefuzz – Demo 2011 

How to be retro and great at the same time! 90%

Oh boy, this is an amazing band, kids. It's a true lesson on how to write retro rock/metal without any restraints. It's not gimmicky, there's no flutes or a dude dressed like an evil pope. The young trio is from the Mecca of American doom, Maryland and while there's clear influences from the heavy weights from this scene, they're truly something new. 

Beelzefuzz is full of colors  they're very hard to classify and that's quite fun in their case. This 5 tracks demo is very good and shows great promise for this band. Like their name indicates, it's fuzzy but it's also quite melodic. The sound is rich and I was surprised to learn that they were only 3 dudes. The vocalist/guitarist/leader Dana Ortt is a genuine talent and he's the true driving force. The whole demo completely blew me away with songs like ''Lotus Jam'' or ''Hardluck Melody''. While it's doom, I can't really feel the omnipresent imprint of Black Sabbath in their sound. There's a decent NWOBHM influence especially in the vocals and some of the more melodic riffs, but the main thing I sensed in Beelzefuzz is the overt psychedelic and hard rock influences. These guys are definitely big fans of Led Zep, T-Rex, Cream or Steppenwolf but they mixed this love for the golden era of rock with Judas Priest and doom metal. The demo while not quite heavy or even not totally metal totally pays off with its slow groovy numbers like the opening track ''Peace Mind'', it's sexy, comforting and alluring. I do feel like in an hippie harem full of scantily eunuchs on drugs, probably mushrooms or acid. There's a fountain full of Champagne or Mountain Dew in the middle of the huge tent, I won't try it personally but these guys probably did.

Yeah, perhaps not that intense but you
understand!

You can feeeeeeel the love in their music, it's not dark at all. The riffs are often joyous, it's like if their whole world ignored that grunge and self-hatred was once something popular. Yeah, even Dave Grohl realized that but his music is inane, at least he teamed up with John Paul Jones to create groovy stuff in Them Crooked Vultures! Talking of grunge I can't say they ignored the 90s phenomenon completely. Dana's voice can be compared to Staley, Cornell or Vedder a bit but on super Silver Sour Diesel Haze or whatever drug that makes him happy. I usually dislike happy music but this is a totally great ''I'm on the patio with a cold beer during a sunny summer day'' kind of band and I can appreciate that. Their retro rock formula works and they don't need dildos and bullplugs to make it worthwhile.

I can't really complain about anything on their first demo. It got the right amount of diversity for a short release and the production is quite professional. However, the vocal melodies really made the band for me, like this fucking awesome chorus on ''The Soulless''. Dana is a very charismatic leader, his nasal and clean vocals are damn good and a huge asset for his band. While the music isn't technical at all, the riffs are enjoyable and there's some interesting leads here and there like on the aforementioned track. It's very groovy (not groove metal, you idiot, groovy like Robert Plant smoking hash). There's a vintage richness in the production and the songwriting that is hard to find these days. Indeed, it sounds authentic, just like the old Jefferson Airplane's vinyl that you used to listen to when you were visiting your ''weird'' aunt who used to do coke with Jerry Garcia while she was molding his penis. Well that's what she said anyway, but she always was a bit weird in a funny and captivating way. A silly but apt comparison to describe Beelzefuzz. It's fun without omitting to write actual great and enjoyable songs. The 5 songs are terribly catchy and quite short but they flow so well. It's never too fast or too slow, there's no need to speed up the songs to find them gratifying. Their second demo is a bit heavier and generally more metal and it's as good. I usually spin them together and I personally can't wait to hear their first full length album out this year.

To conclude, this demo has a gorgeous atmosphere, superb vocals and very catchy riffs. If you think you like psychedelic doom metal/hard rock with some bluesy vintage influences, these guys are for you. If their album is as good as I expect it to be, kids, they'll become one of my favorite bands and a very important one for the big Maryland scene.

Check out Beelzefuzz, guys ! If you can't find the demos, send me a shout and I'll help ya!
Like them on Facebook, baby.

Black Oath - Ov Qliphoth and Darkness - 91%

The Pinnacle of the New Dark Age – 91%

Black Oath's debut was really well received by the doom community and I was expecting their new album since a while. I must say it's not disappointing. Their take on doom metal is pretty damn interesting and it puts to shame the wannabe gloomy, sad and depressive bands. Influenced by a lot of different sounds, the band is not here to reinvent the wheel but they're truly making it spin.

Italy is often well known for its cheez whiz sword and sorcery pseudo metal, but their doom metal scene mustn't be forgotten. Black Oath is nourishing their music with the sounds of their ancestors like Dark Quarterer, Abysmal Grief or Black Hole. But Ov Qliphoth and Darkness is more influenced by the Northern Europe scene. There's a rampant Candlemass nod throughout the album and I must say this a better release than everything the Swedish horde did since at least 20 years. You can feel the same epic feel a band like Solstice has but with a darker presence. I thought the sophomore release was much more epic than the debut, but I realized it's because of its clearer and solid production. The guitar tone is a bit less crude and the mix between the guitars and the bass is more equal. It's a bit softer than The Third Aeon as well but I think the songwriting is stronger. If you're hungry for solid epic doom, look for no further, this release along with the new Procession are gonna be the jewels of 2013.

The fifty minutes album grabs you with its slow mournful hooks as soon as the album starts with his instrumental introduction. The first track is a prelude to the awesome Sabbathesque riffs of "..for His Coming". But the band is far from being a worshiper to the altar of the gods, they have their own sound with hints to the ancient ones. That's something I can't say a band like Orchid has.
I must say that the main element of this album is its atmosphere, all the songs are around 6 to 8 minutes and they can breathe and grow effectively. But the vocals are truly what makes this project exceptional, the clean delivery of their vocalist/guitarist is amazing and totally underrated. Hard to believe he was in Gosforth, a black metal band, before as he totally grasped the essence of what epic doom is. A.th is a powerhouse and a good heir to Johan Längquist's empty throne. Comparable to Mik of Altar of Oblivion, he can convey true blissful emotions. He was also able to do that on the earlier releases but the production on Ov Qliphoth makes things smoother. Their first self titled EP had some solid songs but I was unable to really enjoy it because of the weak ass production. I reckon that I'm usually not difficult in terms of production in doom metal, but Ov Qliphoth really works and genuinely fits the musical approach of the trio.

Yes, the vocal delivery is amazing and it's the aspect I enjoyed the most, but the riffs, man, the riffs, are they great ? Yes ! The band is driven by slow to mid paced riffs and sometimes even faster moments like on the superb sixth track "Drakon, Its Shadow Upon Us". The album has a surprising variety of numbers. Handling sombre and slow tracks like the title track evoking the superb full length album of Griftegård. The band knows when to include some tasteful leads in their recipe (listen to the one in "Witch Night Curse"!) and they do it with subtlety. While there's different tempos, there's a real sense of unity amidst the record. It's perhaps not as dark as their previous releases but it's oh so much enjoyable. There's a spirit of restraint too, they know the songs can evolve in an epic manner, but they know when to edit their feelings and switch to something else, like an atmospheric introduction or a joyful instrumental break. While they're evolving in the somewhat stagnant traditional doom scene, Black Oath brings an epic doom approach intertwined with an aptness to break the boundaries of evil with their firm dark attitude. If you're an apostle of doom, you should already be ordering this. Ov Qliphoth and Darkness is the doom album of the year, gentlemen.

Check out 2 tracks here!

Like the band on Facebook
Thanks to I Hate records for the promo copy!

Damnations Hammer - Disciples of the Hex | 82%

A massive beast!

Gates to the Necronomicon ! Grimoire of the Ancient Ones !

Hailing from England, Damnations Hammer is a new unit and its heaviness is to be taken seriously. This is their first album and its really damn massive. Their main member is a veteran of the British thrash and groove scenes and his experience and influences is key to the success of this album. The version I have is the one released by I Hate and it's supposed to have new guitar solos and re-recorded bass tracks, I haven't heard the original version but the production is really thick and strong and I wouldn't change anything. The fact the band invested in their own recording studio truly paid off.

What we have here is crushing doom/death metal greatly influenced by the Swiss masters Celtic Frost. They're also a power trio, but don't be afraid, their mighty approach will leave you breathless. Throughout the album, there's no time to lose, the pace is steady and there's no fillers during this forty minutes voyage into the creepy world of the Hex. After the short intro, Throne of Fire starts the album with his mid paced attack and it's one of the longest track on the album. While being smashing, it has awesome hooks both in the riffs and the vocals departments. Tim Preston's delivery is very similar to the one of Tom Gabriel Fischer, it's not the harsh style usually found in most doom/death style, well it has almost nothing to do with the typical death metal vocals. It's a rough and easily understandable voice crammed with evil spirits not really far from a thrash/groove hybrid. The vocals can get a bit repetitive and some deep growls would had been nice but it fits the music nicely surprisingly. There's a certain urgency and the hooks are immense, the title track is a good example of the sound, heavy riffs, repeated memorable choruses and weird leads all this shrouded with an occult atmosphere. The bass is loud and very present, I'm sure this would be a very enjoyable experience live for my eardrums and my neck ! It has the groove of doom/stoner era Cathedral mixed with both early and modern Celtic Frost. It's fast and sometimes, I felt like it should be slower, a song like Harbringer of Darkness answered my prayer and gave me a very cool slow break in the middle before the blistering attack of the riffs is back. The prelude to the massive last track is a cool atmospheric lovecraftian instrumental creating some momentum, opening the Gates to the Necronomicon ! It's something that I'd like them to establish more thoroughly, I'd like a full blown atmospheric approach mixed with their stampede crush all approach. Nonetheless, that's a very strong first offering from these Brits and I'm very interested to hear what they'll do in the future.

I think Damnations Hammer could appeal to most metal fans. They have the crushing intent of death/doom, the groove of stoner metal and thrash and the occult atmosphere found in the more extreme areas of black and death. It's yet another huge catch by the doom masters of I Hate Records and like their other great bands, it shouldn't go unnoticed.

Give 'em a like on bookface

Realmbuilder - Fortifications of the Pale Architect - 85%

The Tell of the Realmbuilder : The Epic Empire Will Live On

Prelude : There are some castles that will manage to succeed the test of time, hence preserving their cultural baggage with their solid walls. These structures will help the old age ideologists in their quest, a never ending homage to their gods, their influences, their mentors. In Realmbuilder's little but honest castle, there's an idol in the shape of a shark placed in the center of their chapel. Praise thy altar. Like the epic metal templars they are, criticism is nothing important, they'll keep fighting with the help of their proud sound. who cares what the more popular cults say, who cares what me, an apostle of no importance say.

Still, this is my testament to them. In my mind, in this era, this is a success in itself to follow the guidance of the Shark and his road to Manilla. Albeit being happy with the noble intentions of this duo from the New World, the great city of New York to be more precise. Before my continuation of this publication, I have to state that I am offering them my full approval. I'll gladly support their real metal crusade by offering my most sincere thoughts in a non apologetic manner.


Verse I  - The Painting on the Walls : The cover art is quite interesting, it was done by Czar (drums, vocals, lyrics) and I really appreciate the old 80s fantasy video game/tabletop role playing game vibe. We have a caped tyrant looking at his spires outside his castle window and there's huge mountains in the background. It's a bit amateurish, but for the style they play, it fits, just like Manilla Road's artwork always fits their music even though it's obviously not the prettiest drawings around. Epic metal is not something that we should take very seriously, it's something that we should enjoy with our child hearts just like when I play Dungeon and Dragon. It's touching our imaginary perception, it touched mine at the very least.

Verse II  - The Lyrical Approach : Czar, outside of his musical endeavors is also a novelist and screenwriter. So, we have a very vivid album with captivating ideas developed in an epic fashion. Nothing new that their forefathers haven't told us before though, we can read Howard's influence on Old Savage and A Conflict Between Dukes reminds me of the Dune saga by Frank Herbert. The lyrics are often simple, but full of imagery and they were fun to read. But in the end, they kind of fall short compared to some other songwriters such as Solstice or Atlantean Kodex. I'm sure the lyrics can be more complex and even more enjoyable.

Verse  III - The Construction of a Realm : A kingdom, if you're not Alexander the Great, will take a lot of time to be established. If your desire is to enjoy life itself, you'll be better served with small pleasures. Being a visionnary is harsh and it's not given to everyone. What these two guys do is passionate epic heavy/doom for the initiated disciples and it's definitely full of nostalgia. It can be perceived as a middle of the road band, but with the amount of this kind of steel released, I'll gladly take what I can. They're not a lazy band, they do not sound like a particular band, instead they're encompassing many old school influences and making them their own.

My principal criticism towards their music is definitely the vocals, J.H. Halberd's delivery is unorthodox and its power is lacking. Like Realmbuilder's overall sound, it took me a while to appreciate them and I'm still reluctant when I'm confronted with the album.I like the dynamic that we can find in a duo (I'm a fan of Darkthrone's modern and more traditional metal material) but I think the addition of a seasoned vocalist would be something welcome. He's not a bad singer, but I'd like more torque in his vocals. The moments with background/choirs vocals are well done though. His style is not nasal as Shelton or Baker, it's more subdued and he's at his best when it's slow and there's a traditional doom ambiance. Nonetheless, there's some really catchy vocal melodies like the ending of the title track, I was humming this part while I was walking in the cold and it's epic, memorable and immediate.

Fix the ladders/Stack the stones/We build the wall that shields the empire

Verse IV - The Epitome of a Grower and the Foundations of the Realm : When I first heard the album, I thought it was really underwhelming and incomplete, I learned to like it, the very good riffs tamed my opinion. They're mesmerizing and my only desire is to get vocals to match them. It's a duo but they do have a lead guitar guest, while necessary, the leads are not pristine and are a bit anticlimactic, especially in the doomy track Old Savage. The songs are truly epic, the atmospheric track Ascend to the Glass Kingdom is well done even if it's used as an interlude in the middle of the album, I'd like to see this side of the band more thoroughly. While the band can have really catchy moments on their more fast paced tracks (just like Cirith Ungol or Manilla Road), I prefer their slower numbers like the last track The Stars Disappeared from the Sky When We Uncovered the Bones of the First Gods (no, it's not a Bal-Sagoth song). Their blend of epic heavy and doom metal is charming and I kept trying to enter the realm, after three or four attempts, something happened, a door got unlocked somewhere. It's something that doesn't happen often to me, I either like something from the start or I don't. The bass could be more present and noisy just like their ancestors, it's a bit buried under the mix. Talking of the production, it's appropriate and without any frills and I guess that's how the band wanted it.


Postlude : This album is highly recommended to all epic metal aficionados worldwide and also to the Dungeon and Dragons geeks ! It's a better and more focused album than their debut Summon the Stone Towers and there's slower numbers. Talking of their doom dimension, maybe it's because I'm more a doom apostle than a traditional metal one, but I think it's really their forte. I would happily live in their realm, they took their time to build it, the foundations, the fortifications and materials are solid.

Some of my wish for the band's future : longer and slower songs, more intricate lyrics and songwriting and I'm sure it can be even more epic than it already is !

Natur, Voor, Metalian & Barrow Wight Live Review - February 16th 2013 @ Katacombes

Here's the review of my evening at my favorite venue in Montréal, the Katacombes!

Barrow Wight
This band is a newcomer from the Canadian capital, Ottawa. A city not especially known for its metal scene but these guys
were cool. They're a mix of Venom, Darkthrone and NWOBHM mixed with Lord of the Rings. They're amateurish as fuck but that's literally what they want, the leader and founder of the band (bass/vox) is charistmatic and lead the 2 other younger than him high schoolers with an iron hand. The guitarist who were trying to be "theatrical" with his Hobbit cape was funny and it really was obvious than he's a new member because of some of the problems he had with the songs, still, the set was very fun and I appreciate their sound and attitude. Songs like "Anvil of Mordor" and "Nine Horsemen" and a tongue in cheek stage presence made this a succesful first presence for the band in Montréal.

PS: Fuck the drummer who had to bone his girlfriend before the show and this was apparently the reason their set was 30 minutes late and yep, I missed the metro because of this delay :/ No biggie, I went to watch a movie at HB's place, good way to end a very cool evening. Dude, you're not a rockstar!

PS 2: Thanks to Andrew for the beer and the demo, my first reward as a MA moderator! My awesomeness is finally recognized! :oh shit:

Metalian
Local heavy/speed metal hereos, Metalian is simply fucking awesome and a lot of people were present for them. They completely destroyed with their awesome Maidenesque leads and their soaring high vocals, their energy is really contagious and the crowd response was awesome as always (it was my 2nd time seeing them too). They finished their set with an awesome cover of Phantom of the Opera, damn this was great!

Voor
Trash metal. God, I know these guys are kvlt and all, but I really thought their set was freaking awful. It's basically 2nd rate Possessed with lame old guy punky vocals. They had some good riffs here and there mostly from their 1985 demo Evil Metal but their new songs are very poor (with lame titles like "Don't bring a knife to a gun fight"). The crowd seemed to have been pleased though, I wasn't, I was bored out of my mind for their 45 minutes set. I would like to be a chauvinist and praise Voor simply because they're local, but I can't. There's some bands that are best kept forgotten. A Nuclear War Now! re-edition doesn't
make them good.

Natur
Man, I probably heard their first album Head of Death 4 times this week before the show, it's a very good trad/heavy with NWOBHM influences from New York. The lineup of the show was different from the album though (the bassist and the rhythm guitarist/lead singer were absent and they 2 other guys (albeit talented players) replacing them. The drummer Tooth Log and the lead guitarist (I wonder if it's their real names?) were great too, Tooth was the singer for this evening and there was no backing vocals, something that would had been nice. His vocals were cool but were suffering at the end, drumming and singing heavy metal must be very hard!

Their set were cool, perhaps a bit too short though (40-45 mins). They played The Messenger, Head of Death, Decion, Goblin Shark, Mutations in Maine and 2 new songs. These new tracks were also fantastic and more doomy than their first album. Natur certainly has a lot of potential!

Great evening all around!

Axxion - Axxion EP (2012) - 75%

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Boobs, Beer and Metal!

Directly from Canada's metropolis, the cosmopolitan city of Toronto, Axxion is a new heavy metal and this EP is their first release. Comparable to their friends Cauldron, the band is influenced by many heavy metal scenes including NWOBHM, some USPM and even the Swedish traditional heavy metal bands (Heavy Load & Gotham City). They're a four piece with a very cute blond woman handling the drums (I'm happy we see more women in metal these days and not just operatic chicks in corsets).

While the passion is definitely there and the goods are delivered, this EP lacks something to be truly a beast. Nevertheless, this is s a first offering and the songwriting is quite decent and shows potential. It's very enjoyable, fun and if you like good honest heavy metal you won't be disappointed. There's more strengths than mistakes, really. The band has two very competent guitarists (Sir Shred really does honor to his name in a live setting and Devon Kerr is an awesome front man who can play his share of the leads/riffs). His vocals delivery is similar to his Ontarian brethren in Midnight Malice or the aforementioned Cauldron and it's definitely enjoyable. While not a very powerful vocalist, he has maximum charisma and can hit high notes when the songs are asking for it. He can shine on either faster or midpaced tracks, these later are my favorite songs of the album (Voyager and Savage Avenger). On the other hand, I usually prefer the epic side of traditional metal, I mean I think Harley Davidsons are cool but give me sword and sorcery and I'll be in Valhalla. While I'm talking about this, I think Axxion's lyrical identity is a bit weak, outside of the two more epic tracks, the three others are your typical heavy metal drinking and fucking songs ("Livin' into these crazy nights" or "ride your stallion through the night"). Not that I don't enjoy these kind of songs, but I prefer a certain cultured lyricism, that's why I'm a fan of Manilla Road or Slough Feg, call me a boring snob, I won't mind, I would agree with you. If you want to write a song about sex, find a cool and original subjects like teledildonics or something. I'm also not a big fan of samples in music, not really an important criticism but it must be noted (the one in Crazy Nights annoyed me a bit, I feel it's pausing the momentum of this fast paced and festive song)

The guitars and riffs are very fucking good, but I think the production is a bit weak and muddy, but this little problem will probably be solved in the near future if they ever do a full length, I certainly hope so. The solos are top notch and of the highest caliber in the style (check out the dual leads in Savage Avenger). I wish the bass was louder though, the rhythm section while good is a bit underwhelming compared to the guitars and vocals. Their song structures are rather normal and safe, but this was expected with the style they play. Still, I would to hear them play an epic 8-10 minutes song, they have the blistering solos and songwriting skills to nail something like that.

This 22 minutes release is a strong slab of pure lusty and passionated heavy metal but do they have what it needs to become a forerunner of the style ? Perhaps, they are a very strong live act and their music although catchy and competent needs some refinement. One thing though, this is becoming a saturated market and it's hard to create a fuss in the underground, especially here in Canada. I mean Skull Fist or Striker did it but it's sometimes only luck. Nonetheless, a thing they managed to accomplish here is to grasp the spirit of what heavy metal was in the 80s and what it should be today, I would certainly wear their patch proudly on my new kutte. Canada is still part of the Commonwealth and this NWOBHM inspired release would certainly please Steve Harris, the de facto king of England.

Like 'em on Facebook!
Give 'em booze money!