Tag Archives: 2013

Death Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Posts

Carcass – 1985

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I can’t talk about instrumentals without including an album intro. A lot of them, especially on modern metal albums, are unremarkable atmospheric cobblers but you’ll still find plenty of instrumental openers that kick albums off in thrilling, memorable and iconic ways. Here’s a brilliant modern example: Carcass and 1985, the introduction to their 2013 comeback album Surgical Steel. Despite a relatively short run before their break up in 1996, Carcass exerted a huge influence on grindcore music and also melodic death metal. Their comeback was eagerly awaited and 1985 was a brilliant way to herald their return. A lot like a modern version of Priest’s The Hellion, 1985 layers guitar parts and builds tension and anticipation for the album to follow in such an imposing and grand way that it’s immediately clear that this album is going to be an event. The main musical idea was actually reworked from one the band’s first demo/rehearsal tapes that was recorded back in, you guessed it… 1985! It’s a fun Easter Egg for fans and a neat touch that hints at the level of craft and consideration that went into making Surgical Steel one of the best albums of the last ten years.

Black Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Song Posts, Thrash Metal

Hell – Darkhangel

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“Read the rites, cast the spell, call the chaos lords of Hell”

I loved Hell’s 2013 album Curse & Chapter but Darkhangel cast a particularly strong spell over me. It reminds me of two of my favourite British bands, combining Sabbat’s medieval thrash with Cradle Of Filth’s theatrical horror. And it shifts from goosebumps catchy (“from thy kingdom will come”) to esoteric tongue-twisting (“whose might unmarred the maker’s mind unmade”) with intense flair. Best of all, when vocalist David Bower performed Darkhangel live he did it dressed as a 12ft-tall horned Pan on stilts while twirling a firework-spouting trident like a catherine wheel. He knew that a song this good deserves mad props.

[And the live version]

Classic Rock, Doom Metal, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Song Posts

Black Sabbath – God Is Dead?

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“Give me more wine, I don’t need bread”

If you’re going to trudge through a slow doomfest you need quality riffs and lyrics, depth of feeling and strong atmosphere and Black Sabbath’s God Is Dead? falls flat on all fronts. It goes on way too long, the brickwalled production has zero atmosphere, the vocals are flat and the lyrics are either boring or clumsy light/night, doom/tomb stuff. The chorus is pretty good, especially the second time round where it is extended out in a moment of rousing emotion. But the band don’t capitalise on this flash of brilliance and the song continues with a series of unremarkable riffs and an unusually uninspired solo from Tony Iommi. Not sure if God has snuffed it or not but this song is disappointingly bereft of life.

Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock

Queensrÿche – Queensrÿche (Review)

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Queensrÿche – Queensrÿche (2013)

Following several poorly-received albums and the acrimonious ousting of frontman Geoff Tate, the rebooted Queensrÿche returned to the fan-pleasing style of their classic era with this eponymous 2013 album. The twin guitars, hefty bass, percussive drumming and the uncanny Tate-alike vocals of new member Todd La Torre all sound the part, bringing to mind albums like Rage For Order and Empire. But this is progressive metal in sound rather than form: straightforward verse/chorus songcraft with little of the state-of-the-art sophistication of old. No thought-provoking lyrics here either, unless “take a look around in the lost and found” strikes you as high-concept. But, as modern mainstream metal goes, it’s tight and focused with great hooks. The up-tempo Don’t Look Back and Fallout are especially potent and songs like A World Without and Open Road have plenty of heart. Queensrÿche played it too safe to count as a true return-to-form but it was good enough to return much needed credibility to the beleaguered band.

Live bonus tracks appear again on the box set version of their latest album ‘The Verdict’
Doom Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal

Twilight Of The Gods – Fire On The Mountain (Review)

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Twilight Of The Gods – Fire On The Mountain (2013)

Twilight Of The Gods were formed as an all-star Bathory tribute act featuring the likes of Mayhem’s Blasphemer, Primordial’s Alan Averill and blast legend Nick Barker. In 2013 they took the plunge and released their own album of irony-free epic metal Fire On The Mountain.

It’s a treat to hear a black metal veteran take on the chest-beating, anthemic style of Manowar, Manilla Road, Omen and the like but it’s all a bit too sincere. There’s a pervading doom-laden vibe that works well on the moodier tracks like the Primordial-like Children Of Cain and the apocalyptic Sword Of Damocles, but the more anthemic efforts like Preacher Man and Destiny Forged In Blood prove a bit too stiff for comfort.

Alan Averill’s unique voice adds much-needed charisma, his lyrics are a lot of fun (“Van Stahrenberg stands with the Holy See of the Roman Empire”) and the band does a sterling job of launching into Maiden-style instrumental jousts, most notably on the rousing title track.

Fire On The Mountain places pretty low in the pantheon when stacked up against the classic bands that inspired it but there are enough great moments here to make it disappointing that they haven’t followed it up with a second album. It’s a solid effort for fans of the main players and for anyone that likes their metal with a bit of hair on its chest.

Black Metal, Doom Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Thrash Metal

Darkthrone – The Underground Resistance (Review)

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Have at you. I'm invincible!
Have at you. I’m invincible!

I’ve been getting into this album way more now than I did when it came out. There were loads of great albums out in 2013 and this one just got lost in the stampede. I’d have rated a good 5 or 6 albums above this back then but I’ve not gone back to any of that year’s albums as much as this one. I attribute its staying power to its classic none-more-metal power. I did think some of Fenriz’s tracks were a bit cartoonish when I first got it but really he’s just going for broke in a way too few metal acts do anymore. Endearing enthusiasm and naivety. His three songs here are just an absolute hoot. And on the remaining three, Nocturno Culto delivers the type of frosty misanthropy that he is still the master of. Genius, biting riffs and his incredible decayed growl. Darkthrone totally understand the execution and the spirit of 80s metal. NWOBHM, speed, 1st wave black… the kind of stuff that never gets old. And if it’s not totally perfect? Who needs perfect when you can have awesome?

Here’s the best, and most fun, song on The Underground Resistance. Totally boisterous, simple and… check out that bridge riff.