Impending Doom - "The Sin and Doom Vol. II" Review

     Impending Doom has been a prolific deathcore band throughout most of their career, but The Sin and Doom Vol. II, the band's sixth studio album, marks the longest gap of time between the band's releases.  After back to back albums in 2012 and 2013 (Baptized in Filth followed by Death Will Reign), there has been a silence of almost 5 years.  A lot can happen in that amount of time -- some bands break up, some change their sound completely, and others cycle band members.  However, Impending Doom is the same band that they've been for a decade -- they play fast, heavy hitting deathcore with uncompromising, Godly lyrics.
     The Sin and Doom Vol. II sounds fresh; while the band harnesses the same sound and energy on the surface, there is something energetic about this album that I haven't felt since There Will Be Violence.  Front man Brook Reeves is the face and backbone of the band, growling and shrieking with enough passion to scare the demons out of hell.  Longtime guitarist Manny Contreras (Sleeping Giant, Bleeding Through) is accompanied on his shredding with rhythm guitarist Eric Correa.  Brandon Trahan makes magic with the drum kit while bassist David Sittig keeps the band centered.  The Sin and Doom Vol. II displays Impending Doom at the top of their game.  Apparently, deathcore is not quite dead, even in 2018.
     On to the music!  The album begins ominously with "The Wretched and Godless," with vague apocalyptic noises that blossom into a shattering death metal assault.  There's some operatic singing in the background that is barely audible, but it serves to give the song an end-of-the-world feeling.  Then it's on to "Burn," a more rhythmic track that is reminiscent of material from The Serpent Servant.  Near the end of the song, the band executes a gradual tempo change, demonstrating that they've been working on their musicianship during these 5 years.  "War Music" launches with distorted guitar that catapults into patterned drumming.  There's an obvious hardcore feel to this particular song, and Trahan simply slays with the drums.
     Song number 4 is pure EVIL.  No, really -- that's the name of the song:  "EVIL."  It's a signature Impending Doom track, with enough blast beats and breakdowns to satisfy even the most enlightened purveyor of mosh pits and hardcore dancing.  "Paved with Bones" is an unrelenting and furious slab of death metal.  The advantage of having multiple guitars can clearly be seen on this track, as the two musicians face off with dueling riffs. 
     Take a deep breath.  We're past the halfway point, with even more crushing death metal to experience.  "The Serpents Tongue" is a short, violent song that dips the band into mediocrity for a few moments.  But the band is back on track with "Unbroken."  There are some djent influences on this song, which surprised me a bit, but they don't overshadow the band's core deathcore sound.  If "Devils Den" doesn't get your heartbeat up and your fist pounding the air, then you might want to check to see if you're still among the living.  Reeves sells this song with his passionate growling:   "Slaughter the demons that are crawling on my brother's back!"  "Devils Den" is the heaviest song that the band has written in a while, and even if it isn't "Nailed. Dead. Risen," I'll take it.
     Two tracks remain on The Sin and Doom Vol. II.  "Everything's Fake" features some unique guitar work; accompanied by the drumming, it gives the song an almost frantic feel at times.  Reeves also drops his voice into some low, guttural sections that make the hair stand up on the back of the neck.  The album closes with "Run For Your Life (She Calls)."  The beginning of the song doesn't really feel like Impending Doom.  It's almost too upbeat.  However, as dark clouds gather on the horizon and thunder peals, the band that we all know and love emerges.  Heavy hitting drums and fast guitars light up the stage as Reeves growls his heart out one final time. 
     The Sin and Doom Vol. II is a solid deathcore album that shows that Impending Doom is back and stronger than ever.  A lot of people have forgotten about this deathcore titan, but do yourself a favor and rediscover them with this new material.  While The Sin and Doom Vol. II isn't the album I necessarily expected in 2018, as the deathcore scene is much reduced from what it was years ago, it's a blast of nostalgia that doesn't stop pummeling your ear drums until the final note fades away.

Rating:  8/10

Death Requisite - "Revisitation" Review with Guest Writer Mason Beard

Death Requisite - Revisitation Review

Release Date:  November 25, 2016

Label:  Rottweiler Records

Genre:  Extreme Hybrid Metal

Co-written by Mason Beard and Matthew Michel 
 

Track Listing:

1. Revisitation
2. Vivens Sanctuarium
3. Veneration
4. Nova Creatione
5. Redemptio Per Deicide (Working title: Crimson Saviour)
6. Castigation (Working title: Ineluctable Castigation)
7. Recapitulation
   
   

     Metal bands are a dime-a-dozen.  Stages across the world are filled with death metal bands, symphonic metal bands, and black metal bands.  For every competent group, there are a dozen lackluster ones.  Death Requisite not only defies this trend with their album Revisitation, but skilfully incorporates each of these subgenres into their melting pot of sonic devastation.

     With four EPs and a full length album under their belts, Death Requisite are certainly experienced musicians.   The band has notably changed stylistically over time, evolving from a more straight-forward melodic death metal to full-blown symphonic death metal.  Unfortunately, as is the case with many bands who release records independently in the underground scene, Death Requisite has been flying under the radar for some time now.  Revisitation is as epic as the album art suggests; it is an outstanding mix of progressive and symphonic death metal filled with passionate growling, deliberate drumming, shredding guitar riffs, and soaring keyboards.  While the production quality is a bit thin in spots, particularly in the orchestration, it doesn’t detract from what is on the whole an improvement for the band in almost every area.

     “Revisitation” exhibits death metal and thrash metal, but also melodic metal. There are several weird time signatures played by drummer William Lee on this song. The song ends with almost a minute of keyboards and symphonic instruments.

     “Vivens Sanctuarium” incorporates more symphonic instruments and melody. The song has many weird instruments, backing operatic vocals, and of course, the normal metal instruments, which are played with skill. The bridge is very worshipful. If you listen hard enough, you hear vocalist Vincent St. James saying “I love you, I love you my lord!” The guttural vocals at the end make me want to put them in the same genre as Abated Mass of Flesh, but Death Requisite are a little more refined.

     “Veneration” has more thrash metal and death metal than symphony, but near the end there is plenty of all. The track was put on Rottweiler’s The Pack Vol.1, so if you want to hear that, go listen to it there if you haven’t already downloaded the album.

     “Nova Creatione” is probably one of my favorites on this album. The melody and pure speed of this track is incredible. The vocals are probably my favorite part about the track. “Father!” Both Guitarists, Joseph Moria and Dave Blackmore do fantastic jobs on this song. “He died on the cross, he lived his life for us…”

     “Crimson Savior,” or as everyone now knows it, “Redemptio Per Deicide,” is a great track for a single. The track is fast-paced and delivers a swift punch in the face with its brutality.

     The song “Ineluctable Castigation” begins with atmospheric guitars similar to Hope for Dying’s “Acceptance.”  It then breaks into vitriolic death metal with background operatic vocals, furious drumming by Sir William Lee, and keyboards reminiscent of Dimmu Borgir.  The soaring guitars and growled spasms make it one of the more memorable pieces on Revisitation. 

     Death Requisite slams on the breaks with the ending of the album.  “Recapitulation” is a full-blown symphonic track that lasts over 17 minutes.  As a stand-alone song, it certainly awes the listener.  I had to double check to make sure that I didn’t accidentally hit shuffle and that it wasn’t Mozart or Bach the first time that I heard it.  There’s a real thematic brilliance to it, as “Recapitulation” wouldn’t be out of place with soundtrack greats such as John Williams’ Star Wars or Howard Shore’s Lord of the Rings compositions.  However, the song seems to jar a bit with the rest of the album.  As I pored over my library and revisited tracks where bands successfully used intense, symphonic elements, there seemed to be two possible solutions.  Some bands incorporated the symphonic elements into groups of songs spanning a chunk of the album, as in Believer’s “Movement” triumvirate or Ne Obliviscaris’ “Painters of the Tempest” trilogy.  Others, such as Becoming the Archetype and their seminal track “Elegy,” focused on building a symphonic theme and weaving it into the metal portion of their music. It also seems similar to the Solamors project as well. In both of these scenarios, the bands each incorporated metal elements into their songs.  “Recapitulation” would have been easier to swallow in this manner.  It would be very interesting to see Death Requisite release an entirely symphonic or orchestral album one day…

     Death Requisite brought their A-game this time around. With a new lineup, they brought this album to light. They have been laying this out for a long time and now that it’s finally here… well, let’s hope that there will be some sick reviews. I hope this album goes farther than it already has! It totally brings the death metal to the long dead scene. Buy the album, and if you don’t, you are missing out.

Rating:  8/10

About the Writers

Matthew Michel

Matthew is a high school English teacher who spends his time reading, writing, and listening to metal.  He’s founder of the web forum Christian Headbangers, pilots his own metal blog called Matthew’s Metal, and writes for the online webzine Metal Utopia.  In his spare time (which there isn’t much of), he also enjoys fishing, playing video games, and collecting Magic cards and CDs.

Mason Beard

Mason is a young gun in the metal writing scene. He has founded his blog, The Bearded Dragon’s Metal, and writes for Indie Vision Music. He is also starting to play drums for bands, including Decaying in Decades and Misanthropogyny. He also enjoys movie, video games, and hanging out. Oh yeah, and metal and hardcore.

Indominus - "Legion Within" Review

     We all come to turning points in our lives, and the same can be said of the Irish band Indominus.  Bands usually undergo name changes when they experience member fluctuations or sound changes.  The latter has surely happened to Indominus, formerly known by the moniker ForChristSake.  With any such change, there is a question as to whether the new band will perform as well as the old.  Indominus boasts a heavier sound, plays more cohesively as a unit, and has chosen a sonic avenue that harkens to the likes of bands such as Broken Flesh, Suffocation, and Cannibal Corpse.  Shredding guitars, shrieked death growls, and on-point drumming have all become hallmarks of the band's first release, Legion Within.
     The album begins with "Leeches," a track that sets a frantic pace that doesn't let up throughout the course of the EP.  Throughout the album, the band manages to be heavy while maintaining musical direction.  We've all listened to death metal bands and simply tossed them aside because there was no originality or drive to the music -- you won't find that here.  Frequent changes in pace and rhythm, soaring guitar solos, and gritty drumming all lay waste to the listener's sonic awareness.  The second track "Backbone" begins with a thrashy rhythm that propels the song forward into a blistering rendition reminiscent of Impending Doom with its driving force and catchy lyrics. 
      Certainly the high point of Legion Within is the track "Shadow."  This is the song that I keep coming back to.  It has a tinge of melodic death metal to it, as the overarching electric guitar truly shines on this track. "Shadow" seems like it should have been the finale on the EP.  "Fragile Existence" is perhaps the most technical song on the album, and it evoked the feel of As Hell Retreats.  Legion Within ends with its title track.  It begins with a "core" feel, with numerous breakdowns, but then flowers into a monolith of chugging guitars and frantic drumming.
     All in all, Indominus hit the mark with their debut EP.  It will be intriguing to see which route the band takes next -- it seems that either becoming more technical or adding more melodic overtones would both suit Indominus fine.  Featuring the bass guitar more often could also benefit the band.  Earlier this week, I came across an interview with death metal legend Steve Rowe of Mortification.  His Scrolls era work is known as some of the best Australian death metal to date.  He said something surprising in that interview -- namely, that there really isn't a Christian metal scene right now.  I have great respect for Mr. Rowe, but it's quite possible that he hasn't given Legion Within a listen...

P.S. -- Did I mention that's some killer artwork on the cover?  \m/

Rating:  4.0/5.0

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Blood Thirsty - "Sanguine River Absolution" Review

 

            A man staggers from his horse, falling to his knees at the bank of the river.  With difficulty he shrugs off his armor, his hands stained russet with the remnants of his passage.  He presses a hand to his side, and it comes away darker, mixing his own lifeblood with that of his enemies’.  He takes off his helm and drops his halberd in the rocks at the edge of the river.  With great effort he crawls towards the water, his right fist clenching and unclenching, filled with bloody gravel.  Then he is at the stream; he has arrived.  The warrior plunges his hands deep into the river, splashing cool water on his rugged, upturned face.  For a moment, at least, he feels peace descend on his spirit, and he forgets the terrible deeds that have gone before.  He has come through the storm, through death, and has found hope and forgiveness in the cleansing waters of the stream.

            How can a music album evoke such a strong image?  Melding the bone-crushing heaviness of traditional death metal with a symphonic background, Blood Thirsty’s debut album Sanguine River Absolution is a call to battle for the stalwart metal fan.  The one-man project, led by Derek Corzine, is influenced by bands such as Crimson Thorn and Cannibal Corpse; however, through the shredding guitars and bone-jarring drumming, melodic portions more reminiscent of bands such as Extol and Dimmu Borgir float to the surface.  Continuing in the vein of his band Syringe, Corzine writes intense, driving melodic guitar riffs that should please fans of In Flames and Immortal Souls.

            “Slaughtering Sin” begins with a deep, chugging guitar line reminiscent of Meshuggah, but it’s clear that this a horse of a different color as the keys come in after a few moments.  Throughout the record, Corzine does an excellent job of paying tributes to some of the greats in death metal without merely aping or reproducing what these bands have accomplished.  At one moment heavy bass and down-tuned guitar have me convinced I’m listening to Broken Flesh; the next moment my senses are indulged by a melodic portion that wouldn’t be out of place on an Extol record.  “Mercy of the Storm” is one of the most epic and refined tracks on Sanguine River Absolution.  The guitar line falls like a deluge of acid rain, bringing to mind I Built the Cross; a chugging, audible bass line is the proverbial cherry on top of the milkshake.  “When the Flesh Explodes” takes the band briefly into thrash metal territory and also showcases higher-pitched black metal shrieks.  “Scared to Death” boasts the most unique guitar work on the album, alternating between scaling riffs and orchestral portions.  The song is further bolstered by skillfully executed time changes and slamming bass lines that immediately bring to mind Mortification’s Steve Rowe during the Scrolls era.  Sanguine River Absolution ends with “Behold, the Fire,” which is certainly a unique track.  From the screams of tortured souls to the uplifting guitar solo at the end of the track, the listener will certainly find an engaging experience.

            Overall, the album fits together very well and each instrument is executed professionally, which is no given with a one-man band.  Vocals, guitar, and bass really shine on this record; however, one area for improvement would be in the drumming.  I was looking for a few more detailed fills and perhaps even a solo or two; setting up a drum pattern that is then taken on by the guitars and developed throughout the song would be fitting here.  The production on the record is solid, but I feel that it could be improved in regards to orchestration.  The orchestration sounds a bit thin and reedy in a few areas.  A solid plus, though, is that the orchestration is mixed at the right level compared to the other instruments; it isn’t drowned out or overbearing.  Overall, this is a record that is intelligently put together.  Blood Thirsty captivates the senses and doesn’t let go until the last chord fades out.

            While fans of traditional death metal will find tons of material to enjoy on Sanguine River Absolution, the album is especially tailored with fans of bands like Renascent, Extol, Dimmu Borgir, and Betraying the Martyrs in mind.  Derek Corzine is an experienced metal man, and in terms of a debut album, Blood Thirsty has nailed it.  It doesn’t get much better than this.

 

Rating:  4.5/5.0

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Ascendant - "Serenity" Album Review

           Denmark metal band Ascendant has released their second album, an EP entitled Serenity.  Whereas their first album The Alteration had elements of hardcore, death, and black metal, Serenity showcases Ascendant branching out into other areas, namely doom and progressive metal. 

Undoubtedly, one of the most impressive aspects of this record is the vocals.  Frontman Josua Poulsen shrieks and gurgles through the album like a rabid wolf bent on the annihilation of a legion of innocents.  He is supported in this endeavor by bassist Jens Gronhoj.  Certain moments stand out for their diversity – the shouted vocals on “The Void” that immediately bring to mind Ian Arkley from Seventh Angel to the singing and spoken lines on the closer “The Foundation.”  Guitarist Kristoffer Vammen does an adequate job of intertwining driving guitar passages with melodic leads and some memorable riffs; however, branching out more into solo territory would bring the record to a whole new level.  A simplistic, invigorating solo in the style of Iron Maiden or a solo that slowly builds up with sheer melodic intensity, like the one on Extol’s “Undeceived,” would be appropriate for their style of music. I do very much appreciate the outro on “The Void” – more moments like this would make a more memorable record.  One area that the band could improve in is in the drums and bass.  There is certainly nothing wrong with either of these on Serenity, but I find that the more I listen to metal music, that it is these two elements that separate good bands from great bands.  Utilization of the bass guitar as more than just an instrument to hold down the low end of the chord (like in “The Foundation”) and the inclusion of more drum fills and even solos would help to set this fledgling band apart from the competition. 

The band scores big with their opener and closer on the record, and I keep coming back to these songs, but somewhere in the middle Ascendant seems to have lost their creative edge.  There wasn’t enough variety.  The inclusion of more instruments for melodic passages would serve the band well in the future – keys, acoustic, strings, etc. – and keep the listener more engaged.  Some slow, doomy or even sludgy passages would be great.  I also think that the band should elaborate on the best things going for them.  This includes diversity in the vocal arrangements.  I was also impressed by the tempo changes in the music, notably on “The Foundation.”  Pulling this off can be tricky, but the band nailed it.  Jens and Levi, who wrote the lyrics, also do a phenomenal job.  In a few places they are cut and dry, portraying the band’s Christian faith.  In others, they are more philosophical and even poetic, as on “Serene:”  “Rippling water dripping from the last winter snow // between walls of steel and stone I found you flourish.”

               A newcomer to the field of metal mayhem is often cast aside, plowed under, or phases out within a release or two – but Ascendant is a band that has great potential if they continue to develop their sound and talent.  Keep an eye on these guys from Denmark – better yet, keep two eyes on them, or you might miss something wonderful.

Rating:  3.5/5.0

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Syringe Re-records and Releases Album for Free

The death metal band Syringe has been disbanded for a number of years, but that hasn't stopped them from re-recording their album Former Life Departure and giving it to both new and old fans for free as a ministry outreach.  I downloaded it on a whim, dreading that it may be just another death metal clone.  Boy, was I wrong!  This is a band of stellar musicians with a wide range of influence.  My ears picked up hints of Extol, Mortification, and perhaps even a bit of Believer at times.  Don't worry, though!  Syringe is pretty unique.  So check it out!  You have nothing to lose, because it is absolutely FREE!

Click here to visit their bandcamp page and download Former Life Departure.  There are also links below and you can listen to the songs.  Enjoy!

Comprehensive Guide to Christian Death Metal

I've just finished the Comprehensive Guide to Christian Death Metal over the past few days.  Bands are divided into subgenres and include a logo, photo, and album of note from their discography.  There is also an overview of the project which includes a number of interesting awards, and two lists (The Top 15 Christian Death Metal Albums and Unsung Classics).  If you're a fan of death metal, you should check it out.

Click here to visit.