Heavy Temple - Garden of Heathens

There is heavy.  And there is Heavy Temple.  Of course, what makes a band heavy is very subjective.  With that being said, it is hard to imagine anyone listening to this band’s second full-length album “Garden of Heathens,” and not thinking that the sounds they heard were the audio equivalent of molten lead being poured into their ears.  

The band is “just” a three piece but they bring more to the table than many bands that have double, or even triple, those numbers.  The MVP of the album is no doubt High Priestess NightHawk, who provides both bass and vocals. That’s a hell of a name to call yourself but she’s a hell of a vocalist and bassist.  Her instrumental prowess alone brings in a dimensional weight to their music that is as heavy as the gravitational pull of the sun.

I’ve always been a straight up sucker for female vocals, especially in doom.  Gender doesn’t matter but I’ll be damned if women don’t have an extra power over doom metal.  There is just something about a powerful voice over liquid molten riffs that speaks to me.  Doesn’t speak to you?  Get some hearing aids.

While definitely rooted in doom, the band incorporates traditional metal, stoner and even psychedelic elements into their varied wheelhouse. I appreciate they aren't afraid to inject some faster tempos here and there—despite popular belief, doom doesn't always have to be slow.

The production/mix is pretty even across the board; every instrument gets its time to shine and nothing tries to overpower anything else.  I don’t go every song on most album’s but this one is so good I’m going to say a little something about each one.

The album opens with “Extreme Difference To Life,” and the drums are so goddamn groovy and are in incredible surgery with the flow and feel of the song. The riffs are THICK And just as groovy; they don't miss a beat and fill up every available space.  The last couple minutes feature a blistering performance of the whole band rocking out like beasts.

“Hiraeth,” has catchy vocal lines and the bass will knock you flat on your ass.  The song builds up in a subtle way—by the end of it, the head  is bruised from all the head banging.  The last minute of the song is pretty intense, especially with the wild guitar and explosive drums.

“Divine Indiscretion,” has heavy stoner vibes and a rock n roll aesthetic.  Around the 2:32 mark, the song speeds up with crisp, tight drumming.  The psychedelic guitars form in and out of a solo with little effort right before the band turns up the doom groove to notch 11.  This mid portion is wild, dizzying, and a hell of a jam session. 

 “House Of Warship,” builds up like the slow burn dirge it is.  This song is low, slow and a constant rumble that threatens to shake itself apart.  The fuzz alone will get you.  The tempo kicks up near the end with another clever guitar solo that beats the notes into you while the drums hammer them, making sure nothing escapes.

One of my favorite songs on the album is “Snake Oil (and other remedies).”  I love the melancholic opening that is more of a long intro.  As it builds, the tension and energy continues to build up. The band loves their instrumental jam session and I do too.  The vocals kick in around the halfway point and from there the song really kicks into gear. 

The title track is more of an interlude, a clean instrumental that bridges the gap to my favorite song on the album, “Jesus Wept.”  The lead guitar is really impressive in how it drives the song forward in its own opening moments.  The vocals are expressive and soar above the notes just before the song turns up the heavy factor–insanely gut punching especially just after the halfway mark where it seems the fuzz just creeps in through the ears and takes over. 

The last song, “Psychomanteum,” is a banger of an instrumental that incorporates the essence of their sound and reminds me of some of the stuff from early material by THE SWORD but better.  

Everything about this album is basically perfect.  There are riffs for days, courtesy of the unstoppable Christian Lopez.  Add in the tight and energetic drums of Baron Lycan that are second to none and you get a great album that absolutely smokes. Doom doesn’t get much better than this.

Stoner Head - Running High

STONERHEAD’s brand of stoner doom metal is an absolute blast.  The band's second full-length album, "Running High,” is an album that has a ton more energy than most bands of this style.  Of course, there are riffs for days as well—just a metric ton of groove is laden across the album like a blanket of hot lead.  

A large percentage of my music jamming time takes place in my car. For anyone driving behind me while playing this album, I must have looked possessed because I was non-stop banging to the non-stop riffs from this German band.  

What is most impressive about the album is the atmosphere they generate. This band is super confident in their sound and it really can be heard—there is a definite swagger to everything they do and they back it up tenfold.

Phil's and Christian's riffs flow like magma from a volcano and there is no doubt to their ability to play the strings, their fingers weaving their magic. From rock to stoner to doom, their styles offers a varied approach for the genre. Phil's vocals are on point too. The stoner genre isn't well known for vocal prowess but his pipes soar through the air and are quite expressive.

Anna and Igor are an explosive rhythm machine and keep this well oiled machine running while simultaneously compliment the songs and providing ultra intense layers. I'll go over a few of my favorite songs and moments below.

The album opens up with the steady beat of “Someone Please.” The vocal cadence is catchy as hell. The dense riffs are heavy as a plenty but flow smooth as a stream. The lead guitar near the end adds a psychedelic element to the song and it works great especially the ending groove.

“Super Mario” is an album highlight—it does so many wonderful things. The opening is long and even a little atmospheric due to the bass and drums. The smattering Of guitar licks lend the song a hazy, shamanic vibe with the smoky vocals bring it home. I love how the song ebbs and flows between the tribal-like stoner segments and heavier guitar. This is one tripped out and memorable song.

How could I not talking about the final song, “Tweaky Mind?” This beast is nearly 11 minutes long and caps off the album perfectly. Anna's powerful voice is commanding In the beginning. Her approach is expressive and almost sultry But even a little haunting.  Near the halfway point Phil and the boys jump in. The tempo is increased but the songs opening atmosphere is retained. The last couple minutes are a psychotic bulldozer that twists the mind even while flattening It.

All in all, “Running High” Displays how powerful this brand of metal/doom/rock can be. The band's love for their style and their instrumental prowess shines through the entire runtime. 

Satanic North - Satanic North

Satanic North is a black metal band from Finland who formed in 2019.  In 2022, they released their “Four Demons” demo and have now finally let loose upon the world their full-length self-titled debut.

Two of the band members are from folk metal heroes Ensiferum.  Bassist IIT Caprae is actually the guitarist/harsh vocalist Petri Lindroos while the drummer, Abyssir, is Janne Parvianen.  That’s quite the pedigree but it has been a long time since I cared about Ensiferum so I wasn’t sure what to expect with two of the members trying out black metal.

Thankfully, my worries were worthless because this self-titled blast of unholy blackness is straight up, old school second wave black metal.  It isn’t going to win any awards for originality or reinvent the ever turning wheel of extremity but there is something to be said of taking a stripped down approach.  Over the decades, black metal has grown into one of the more diverse styles in metal.  There isn’t anything wrong with that (and truth be told, I quite like it that way)  but sometimes I don’t want epic acoustic passages, sweeping keys, or twenty minute blackened dirges.  Sometimes simple and straightforward is better and this album is a winning case for that argument. 

The album opens with the aptly titled “War.”  Forget anything flashy—this song goes for the throat.  Rapid fire but crisp drums accent a classic guitar tone and throaty screeches. After the 2:37 mark, the band slows it down slightly and injects groove to bridge the faster parts of the song together.

“Village,” lets the bass and drums do the talking as the guitars take a more refrained approach.  However, the band returns to full throttle very shortly in what can only be described as a maelstrom of hate.  The song’s middle segment is one of the highlights on the album, what with the screeching cadence of the vocals and the snare drum which compliment the riffs in a big way.

The lead guitar peppers the notes of “Four Demons,” like lighting striking brackish waters.  I like the last minute or so of the song a lot as the guitars take a more intricate route and opens up a bit.  Hopefully this is a sound they will explore more in future releases.

“Vultures,” is one of the darkest songs on the album and, perhaps, the most evil.  There is something decayed and sickening about its atmosphere.  The intro and outro are both more moody as well, adding a layer to the music while it book ends the faster paced, more brutal middle section.

The final song is their namesake.  Ending an album with “Satanic North” on the album “Satanic North” by the band Satanic North?  Amazing.  This is a short but sweet song that burns brightly at barely over the two and a half minute mark.  The rhythm is tight and focused and sets up a great moment for the blazing guitar solo to rip through. 

Ultimately, Satanic North and their debut album isn’t going to change anyone’s mind about black metal but if you know, you know.  And you’ll eat this right up. 

Atræ Bilis - Aumicide

Atræ Bilis is a death metal band from Canada that formed in 2018. “Aumicide” is their second full-length album and they have an EP as well. In a very short amount of time and with just a handful of releases under their belt, the band has already carved their way to the forefront of the modern tech death scene.

Calling anything on “Aumicide” technical is somewhat of a disservice to the band. Not that being technical is bad but the ten songs on this album are so much more different than other tech bands.

This collection of songs are in a constant state of flux. There is a very little repetition to be found here. Each note, each riff appears, destroys the senses, then is destroyed itself.  From one moment to the next the songs are built, broken down, and rebuilt again. While this could make for a challenging listen (especially for those who aren’t familiar with this style) it definitely makes for an interesting album with a lot of depth and replay value. 

The element I like the most about this album is the unknown danger, the shadows that lie await in its extremity.  I’m not saying death metal has gone down hill (on the contrary, I feel it has never been stronger) but “Aumicide” brings back a lot of the danger that made death metal such a force to begin with in the first place.  I know this album is going to destroy me but the anticipation of how it will do just that kept me on the edge of my seat through its entire runtime. 

The album opens with the instrumental, “Protoxenesis,” and it’s fury is unbridled.  Most intros, in my experience, are worthless but this one successfully sets up the album.

"Hell Simulation” is a descent into madness itself, lead by the spastic vocals of Jordan Berglund.  David Stepanavicius is the only guitarist and his work is outrageous–one man is doing all this, weaving these incantations together even while they break apart from each other.

By the time the song is halfway done, the rhythm duo of Luka Govednik (drums) and Miles Morrison (bass) has long since bashed my brain into powder.  The sheer convocation in what they do and what they play kept me going as my mushed brain tried to register what was truly happening. 

“Inward To Abraxas,” opens up with notes that seem to bend and stretch around this unseen audible reality.  As it threatens to break away, the cracks are filled by the bass and drums.  A constant transformation changes the song as it plays but the death vocals keep it all grounded.  The middle part of the song throws in a surprising twist of murky and hellish atmospheres. 

The title track is another instrumental but it is placed well in the middle of the album and very much bridges the gap between its halves.

And it leads seamlessly into “Kingdom Of Cortisol,” which sounds harrowing and hopeless from the very first second.  The bass throbs and hums, an earthquake of notes that rocks the song back and forth.  The drums and guitars are thick but hang back for seconds at a time just to go deeper and harder.  The whole atmosphere is unhinged and a bit crooked for a truly demented song.

The final song, “Excruciate Incarnate,” is the album’s hidden weapon.  Just when I thought it couldn't possibly be faster, heavier, or more insane this one comes along and turns it all on its head. The tight, choppy rhythms that arrive just after thick, dense but groovy riffs nearly knock me on my ass—-so many parts of the song seem absolutely surreal.

In many ways, “Aumicide,” is an album that isn’t just an evolution of the bands sound—it’s another total reinvention.  This is a fresh, exciting take on extreme metal and something the scene needs.  Atræ Bilis are without a doubt paving the way for death metal’s future. I truly feel this band is pushing death metal into new territory metal into new territory.

DVNE - Voidkind

DVNE (pronounced Dune) is a progressive sludge/post-Metal band from Scotland who formed in 2013 under the moniker Dune before changing the spelling in 2015.  “Voidkind” is their third full-length album, in addition to having three EPs and a live album under their belt. 

DVNE’s music is as sprawling as their sci-fi subject matter and their talent is near alien because it is damn near unbelievable. This album has staggering depth and there is a lot to unpack across the ten songs and 58 minute runtime.  

Their brand of sludge includes other influences as well, including doom and psychedelic.  All these sounds are fused together and presented in music that is rich in texture and complicated.  Despite that, their sound isn’t pretentious nor bloated with unnecessary details.  In essence, even though it includes every idea ever, it remains a highly focused album that flat out rocks. 

The vocals are as varied and dynamic as the music, featuring growls, shouts, and wonderful usage of cleans.  I’m not sure if it's the same guy or not but whoever is involved, does a great job in making the vocals and lyrics as colorful as the music. 

Thankful, the production/mix/mastering captures all the many details that make up the music.  Every instrument, every note, is placed perfectly next to the other ones—nothing sounds muddle, tiring, or too compacted…this is an album with a very wide open and expansive sound.

“Summa Blasphemia,” opens the journey with a dizzying groove that goes hard from the first second.  The subtle keyboards are just what is needed to add another dimension to sound without overpowering what is already there. 

The way the song switches to a catchy segment with vocals and crashing drums is one example of how well the band is constantly coming together.  This song is a mighty opening track because it showcases the synergy of the band and their confidence not only in themselves but in each other.   

“Reaching For Talos,” begins with utterly fantastic drums.  The cleans reach for the skies, never having to strain over the instruments.  The guitars/bass are deep, balancing melody with a sludgy doom that stretches outside the confines of the genres even while honoring them.  After a crushing groove and deep growls, the song strips itself away to more “simple” instrumentation just so it can ramp back up.

Interludes notwithstanding, “Sarmatae,” is the shortest song on the album and, consequently, the most direct and straightforward.  It may not be as ‘epic’ as the other songs but it is no less adventurous and provides a good overview of what the album is all about.  The bass in particular slaps but the guitars offer riffs for days, especially near the end around the 3:05 mark.  

The album doesn’t ever let up, with a couple of the final songs being among the best.  “Abode of the Perfect Soul,” has a main groove that will twist your head off.  The bass is dense, as are the drums.  This stalwart foundation keeps the song alive as the band builds a monstrous city on top.  I love how the vocals switch from extreme to gentle cleans as the drop of the hat, with the musical complementing both styles.  The band is at their best when they flow like this, an effortless march of ideas that change and grow as they come. 

The final song is “Cobalt Sun Necropolis,” is absolutely wonderful song.  It builds up nicely, steady and smooth.  The contrast of the heavy riffs against the cleans are magical.  The middle part with the screams and growls is just as effective, a coming storm.  The later half is crazy riffs and clever drumming with extreme vocals to compliment the controlled chaos.

All in all, DVNE’s “Voidking” is a utterly impressive album.  Fans of any type of abrasive music and/or progressive structures must put this on their radar.  It is simply one of the best albums I’ve heard this month. 

Blaze Of Perdition - Upharsin

Blaze Of Perdition is a black metal band from Poland. They formed as Perdition in 2004 but changed their name to their current moniker after the parting of their vocalist Xaos Oblivion. Their new album, "Upharsin," is their sixth full-length album; they have also released numerous demos, splits, EPs, and compilations.

This album lives in a lot of worlds and has a much more dynamic sound than I expected, as this album is my first exposure to their music.  It is a vicious, bleak, and violent record but it's also melodic with catchy hooks and an incredible atmosphere.  The core of their sound is definitely a more raw type of blackened fury but they aren't afraid to color outside the lines when need be.  The result is a cohesive that never sounds forced, no matter what path the songs take. 

Production wise, the sound is pretty much perfect.  It is both gritty and razor sharp without sounding over produced or too raw.  This helps the songs really breathe and give them room to grow in their runtimes, which are somewhat long with the shortest still being over seven minutes in length. The band uses their time well, however, because the songs never get boring and offer wonderful details within every second. 

“W kwiecie rozłamu,” begins the album with a disgusting blackened scream that echoes through the harrowing atmosphere.   The drums are fast and tight, the guitars and bass producing the famous black metal tone but still keeping it just atmospheric enough to elevate the song into an even dimmer, colder world.  The song works so well because the tempo isn’t nonstop speed—the middle portion slows it down to a crawl, letting in an apocalyptic scenario of death and dismay.  

“Przez rany,” brings the hooks I was talking about earlier–this song grabbed me from the get go.  A more methodical side of the band’s sound is represented well here, especially with the drums that accent the riffs at just the right time.  The vocals are terrifying but their cadence and inflection works among the chaos.  I can’t tell if it is lead guitar or synths/keys, but subtle use of their sound hangs in the background at times adding another impressive layer.

“Niezmywalne,” is my favorite song on the album—it’s just epic in all the right ways and sounds exactly how I like my black metal.  The music is a wall of sound, successful by balancing urgent riffs with a more ethereal bleakness.  Around the 2:25 mark, a little groove is injected, the bass boosting up the vocals for a wild moment of pure energy.   After the five minute mark, the band’s brand of dimly lit melody reaches for the stars among the void and grasps upon them with otherworldly tendrils. 

“Architekt,” is ruled by a truly gripping vocal performance.  The double bass is a thick sea of moving death; the two elements combine make for a song that is dense and blacker than black.  The song burns and destroys for nearly five minute–then a wonderful change happens.  The song turns ambient and spacey with quiet but arresting tones permeating through.  The drums soon kick off a slow burn dirge that is worthy of a black metal mantle.

“Młot, miecz i bat,” closes the album strongly.  Like any good ending track, it culminates the band’s vision on this album and represents all the elements well.  It is the longest song on the album with an ebb and flow through various soundscapes and tempos.  The later half of the song is particularly engaging, the lead guitar creating rising action among the groove.  The ending guitar solo is fantastic as well.

All in all, considering I haven’t heard the band’s music before, Blaze Of Perdition’s “Upharsin,” is a nice surprise.  This is a black metal album that is as melancholic and memorable as it is destructive and uncompromising.

Necrot - Lifeless Birth

Necrot is a death metal band from Oakland, California who formed in 2011.  “Lifeless Birth” is their third full-length album; they have also released three demos and a compilation.

“Lifeless Birth” is a filthy album that takes the best elements of death metal and runs with them.  Simply put, this is a fun album.  Fun? Whaaaaat?  Can we have fun in death metal?  Of course we can.  This is one of those albums where every track is solid--from beginning to end this album is an absolute blast.  That isn’t to say this isn’t a serious release by a band who isn’t serious.  On the contrary, “Lifeless Birth”, and Necrot themselves, are deadly serious.  But they also clearly love their chosen style of play and they let the listener know that.

Yes, this is an absolute pummeling album with non stop brutality.  But it is also melodic and catchy as hell.  The magic of the album is that it incorporates these two “scary” words so well into their ode to old school death metal without missing a beat that there isn’t any time to complain as I’m  too busy headbanging like it is 1987.  

The band knows when to go full speed ahead and goes to pull back slightly to add little details and intricacies.  Check out the huge groovy riffs that open “Cut The Cord,” that lead to a thrash style attack.  The riffs are subtle in their growth, allowing the lead guitar to add its own layers at 2:08 and 4:52, which hit right after the catchy chorus of “Cut The Cord!” being growled out like the end of the world.

Before I had time to get some icy hot for my neck, the pulverizing riffs of the album’s title track gave me whiplash in under 30 seconds.  The bass is particularly potent here, a deep rumble that is the audio equivalent of being ran over by a train. 

By the time the halfway mark hits, the riffs lay on top of each other for a meaty, thick section that just goes harder by the second, up until the blazing, face ripping solo rears its monstrous head.  The song comes out of the solo without missing a beat while adding in some very killer jams up until the very last second.

As the name might imply, “Winds Of Hell” is a disturbing, hellish landscape of a song that puts a huge smile on my face because of all the old school goodness that constantly piledrives me. At the halfway point, the band switches gears for more intricate riffs..and just keeps throwing them out over and over again.  It is near maddening but gong crazy never sounded so goddamn great.   

The album finishes with the nearly nine minute song “The Curse,” and I hope it's an indication of what the future holds for the band.  The longer song structure really allows the band to flesh out its sound.  Despite the length, the song remains constantly fresh, exciting, and never once allows for any lulls or unnecessary parts, which is how the album is as a whole in the first place. 

This song has a lot of twists and turns; just when it doesn’t seem like it can get more heavy, it does.   When there just doesn't seem to be any ounce of melody, it pops up out of the grime.  A perfect way to end a great album.

Necrot's “Lifeless Birth” is one hell of a ride, a uncompromising album that isn’t afraid to give the OSDM worship some progression even while being such a passionate example of the power and energy of true death metal.