Brain Drill at Myspace

One thing that can be said about Brain Drill’s debut and perhaps only album “Apocalyptic Feasting” is although its not an album that will universally loved by all death metal fans, some devotees of the genre will find lots on offer here. Imagine Necrophagist’s technical wizardry/overkill (delete as appropriate in regards to your preferences) with the straight up chaotic brutality of King of all Kings/I Monarch era Hate Eternal and you’ve basically thought up Brain Drill. For those of you who loved the virtuoso performances of Mohammed Sucimez and co, you will be blown away by the level of technical ability exhibited all members of the band on this record. To be honest I think the “Apocalyptic Feasting” Brain Drill line-up probably just about beats the Necrophagist’s “Epitaph” line-up in terms of sheer musical skill.

There are people out there who aren’t really that fond of Necrophagist; they believe that concepts such as song-writing and atmosphere are jettisoned in pursuit of excessive and almost masturbatory technicality. Well don’t worry as that doesn’t necessarily mean that this is a record that you will automatically stay clear of. Brain Drill have superb song writing skills and their brutal death metal Influences ensure that the tracks are well rounded and natural flowing pieces of tech death metal.

For a debut album, this is about as good as it gets these days, and it has to be hoped that Brain Drill head honcho Dylan Ruskin can put together a new stable line up as although some death metal fans will regard “Apocalyptic Feasting as an abomination I’d love to see where these guys progress if they make another album.

Sahg at Myspace

‘Sahg II’ is unsurprisingly the Second album by Norwegian Doom Metal super-group Sahg. Their first album, unsurprisingly titled ‘Sahg I’, was a superb piece of inventive trad doom inspired principally by Black Sabbath and Candlemass. Their second effort expands both the range of influences and range of contrasting style contained with Sahg’s sound immensely. There are two main directions that Sahg are pulling on ‘Sahg II’. The first is 60′s and 70′s psychedelia with the likes of Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Cream and Hawkwind being key references points. The swirling, lush and almost seductive tones of the ‘Echoes Ring Forever’ with its epic, seductive drugged-up outro and the chilled out and inventive instrumental that follows it, “from conscious sleep” being prime examples of this.

The second major influence is that of NWOBHM and pre thrash 80’s heavy metal in general such as Witchfinder General, Angelwitch, Manilla Road, and Witchfynde. These elements are usually more subtly placed within the overall ‘Sahg II’ sound with them only coming to the foreground in the fast paced stomper ‘Pyromancer’ but just like the progression between their heroes Candlemass debut and sophomore, the trad heavy metal influences that are more prominent on ‘Sahg II’ than on ‘Sahg I’ change the chemistry of this slice of doom distinctly and when combined with the more overt and noticeable heady psychedelia create a cocktail of metal that is just about irresistible. From the Nostalgic Hammond Organ on ‘Starcrossed’ to the sinister campfire hymn to the dark side of the Age of Aquarius that is ‘Escape the Crimson Sun’, ending with the spacey epic album ender that is ‘Monomania’ this is one sophomore release that ends up bettering the bands stunning debut rather than paling in comparison to it.

Emeth at Myspace

Emeth (which, according to Wikipedia, is Hebrew for “truth-seeker” and is the name of a devil-worshipping character from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) are a death metal band just starting to dip their toes into more progressive, technical metal.  It’s no surprise, as their guitarists are total pros, and this album has some of the sickest metal drumming I’ve heard.

I usually don’t focus too much on drums, but it’s impossible not to notice them here.  There’s an assault of insanely fast beats throughout the album – seriously, this guy must have four arms and three feet!  If he’s not rocking the double-bass, he’s rolling on everything else; yet he always manages to back off to give a good riff a little breathing room.  (Usually, when a band constantly uses fast double-bass it drives me crazy because it’s intense but gets boring fast; this is some of the most tasteful double-bass I’ve heard.  Check out “Anochi Kofer” for an example of this.)

Everything else on the album falls into place – really, these guys are pros, and while the album isn’t especially brutal, it has some top-notch songs.  One of my favorite tracks is “Folly and Weakness”, which starts out as your standard chugger, but ends with some rockin’ harmonic flourishes, key changes, and even a switch to half the tempo that works so perfectly (and is used so sparingly) it puts every shitty hardcore breakdown to shame.  None of the (few) solos really stand out, but there are plenty of memorable riffs – and you’ll keep coming back for the insane drumming.

Anata at Myspace

‘The Conductor’s Departure’ is a no-frills, 100% ass-kicking tech metal album.  Seriously, how many times have you cringed when you’re listening to a band for the first time, and those sweet riffs and guttural vocals give way to church organs, tambourines, and a heartfelt serenade from a tough guy?  Fuck that.  Real metal doesn’t need freshening up.

It’s 2008, but Anata still deliver exactly what I want to hear.  The guitar tone is warm and beautiful and constant; the riffs are exciting and memorable; the solos are technical yet subtle.  The drums are excellent; the vocals aren’t anything to write home about, but the dark growl works well with the music.  They really take a back-seat to the guitars, though.  Check out the soaring riffs on ‘The Great Juggler’, or the constant assault of ‘Disobedience Pays’, or the sneaky, show-off title track.  Anata ain’t exactly the usual Swedish death metal band, but they sure as hell remind me of why I fell for Soilwork, In Flames, etc. in their prime.

Hunab Ku at Myspace

Where do I begin?  This album is spaz-tastic from start to finish.  These boys cover a broad spectrum of avant-garde and technical metal.  The album starts out stressing their evil carnival sound, recalling Dog Fashion Disco and Mr. Bungle.  After the organ disappears from the mix, you’re left with one brutal treble-y guitar that weaves in and out of barely decipherable rhythms.  The vocalist really does the Mike Patton thing well, which I can’t say I like that much, but he switches styles often enough, sometimes sounding like the Deftones or the Red Chord, that it doesn’t get stale.

If the frantic circus riffs aren’t your thing, there are a few other treats buried here and there.  My favorite track is the two-minute droning “Midnight Assassin”, which despite having so few notes, is so brutal that I’m worried the guitarist will stab out my eardrums with a guitar-pick shiv.  Sure, the crazy rhythms and harmonies on the rest of the album are great, but this short little song shows that these guys can be as brutal with a few notes and a howl as they are with all guns blazing.  If anything, this band knows how to pace itself, letting you relax just long enough that their attack hits you 10x as hard when it arrives.

RIYL: Swarm of the Lotus, Dillinger Escape Plan, Car Bomb, Dog Fashion Disco