Mithras at Myspace

Mithras has to be one of my favourite recent finds. They actually managed to make their music sound otherworldly and unique, unlike so many other derivative death metal bands. At first, I thought that the album used synthesizers extensively, but after reading an interview with the band, I found out that they were only used during song intros. Guitarist Leon Macey creates some incredible sounds with his guitar that have to be heard to be believed. The band clearly takes more than a little inspiration from Morbid Angel, but still manage to have a sound that stands out among the death metal crowd. Rayner Coss’s vocals are pretty standard death metal fare, but they fit the material quite nicely.

I felt that this album’s only real weakness was the drums. I thought that they might be using a machine, as the blast beats sound awfully mechanical and the band has only two members, but it turns out that Macey plays the drums as well as the guitar. The band would do well to obtain a full-time drummer, but that’s the only real criticism I have. I highly recommend this album to Morbid Angel fans and anyone who enjoys unusual sounds in a death metal setting.

Sickening Horror at Myspace

Sickening Horror Hail from Greece and at the time of this recorded had Nile drummer George Kolias in their ranks. This is quite an interesting death metal record that features black Metal and jazz elements and is certainly an album worth exploring if you like experimental death metal that retains most of all the atmosphere and hallmarks of the genre that we all know and love. “When Landscapes Bled Backwards” displays a discreet technical edge in that although these guys could if they wanted to spend their time pulling some Necrophagist style material off, they use their extremely proficient skills only when it suits the song itself allowing the groove of the tracks on display on here to flow admirably and naturally.

The death metal style on display mixes a more technical take on post-Chris Barnes Cannibal Corpse with a more bombastic and chaotic Morbid Angel circa “Blessed are the Sick” with just a pinch of Vader. Now if this was just what Sickening Horror were about alone they would be of interest to devoted fans of Death Metal at the very least, but the combination of Black Metal and Jazz influences makes this release rise above being something only of interested to genre devotee’s. Avant-Garde Black Metal bands such as Dodheimsgard and Ved Buens Verde are cited as influences and this can be seen in both the searing icy ‘almost BM, but not quite’ passages that punctuate the death metal segments at point and the industrial keyboard effects that add an unsettling ambience to certain tracks.

The jazz influence can mostly be seen in the rhythm section pairing of Kolias and bassist Ilias Daras, who bring a highly technical and novel approach to the concept of a Death Metal rhythm system whilst not forsaking any of the concepts and facets that Death Metal fans have come to expect. Daras’s performance on this album is highly impressive with his bass work being reminiscent of Steve DiGorgio’s work with Death with “Forsake my Bleeding” being a prime example. On the eighth track “Virus Detected” Sickening Horror do something a little difference and massively increase the Jazz elements of their sound to create an almost linear piece of work which sounds like Ephel Duath being beaten up at a death metal gig.

This is an experimental Death Metal album that dares to leap into the unknown but still has enough genre trademarks within it to appeal to traditionalists but crucially without isolating those who want something more on the edge. In conclusion it’s well worth a purchase.

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.

Dethklok at Myspace

The Adult Swim show “Metalocalypse” has proved to be very controversial in the metal community. Some have praised it, while others think that it makes a mockery of the genre. Personally, I like it a lot, but I wasn’t sure if series creator Brendon Small could make a worthwhile album out of the music from the show. After hearing the album, I have to say that it’s pretty good. Small made a great decision in recruiting Gene Hoglan to play the drums; his playing is a huge improvement over the drum machine used on the show. Small handles all the other instruments, and he’s competent but not amazing.

I have to say that the songs from the show tend to be better than the songs written specifically for the album. They tend to be significantly better performed than the original versions (although I preferred Small’s delivery of the intro to Fansong in the show). The lyrics to the original songs just aren’t quite as funny as the ones from the show; “Bloodtrocuted” was probably the best of them. I especially disliked the clean vocals on “Hatredcopter” and “Kill You”. I should also mention that there is a special edition with an extra disc. It has five extra songs and the non-musical “Dethklok Gets In Tune”. The material here just isn’t as strong, and I understand why it got relegated to a bonus disc (even though one disc could’ve held all the songs). The only song I really liked on the bonus disc was the blues number “Murdertrain a Comin’”. Two other things I disliked were the absence of Dr. Rockzo and the song “Sewn Back Together Wrong,” but these are minor grievances.

I would recommend this album for people who are prepared to listen to the hilarious lyrics and who have a sense of humor. Dethklok isn’t the be-all and end-all of metal that the Hot Topic crowd thinks it is, but I’d rather have them be the public’s image of metal than Dragonforce.

Gutworm at Myspace

Gutworm mix the aggressive type of fast-paced sludge metal that the Northamptonshire area became famous for in the days of Raging Speedhorn and Scurge with relatively accessible extreme metal à la The Haunted, Strapping Young Lad, At the Gates and Gojira. The result is something that won’t tick any metal stereotype’s boxes. It’s too proletarian and uncool for the scene kids, far too heavy for mainstream metal fans, and too similar to Pantera in places for the extreme metal fans.

Gutworm are a band who will never find a niche, which is in their favour since they’re not pandering to the one crowd. But personally, I think ‘Disfigured Narcissus’ is a step backwards from ‘Ruin the Memory’. There’s less emphasis on their death metal elements, with a perfect example being ‘Imperfect Harmony’, sounding like Crowbar French-kissing Lamb of God. ..And not in a good way!

There’s no equivalent here to ‘What You Are’, the clear standout track of their debut, and as the record progresses you can tell whether part of a particular track is engaging by how metalcore it sounds. Gutworm can pull off sludgy, groovy death metal but I think they might have miscalculated by adding metalcore into their sound. This was never going to be an album that purist death metal fans would enjoy, but it even lacks that crispness and clarity that made ‘Ruin the Memory’ so good.