Mortuorial Eclipse, The Aethers’ Call (2012)

Tracklist:

1. The Summoner’s Procession
2. Advent of a Sinister Omen
3. Crepuscular Necromantic Visions
4. Perpetual Covenant
5. At the Gates of the Marduk’s Shrine
6. Brotherhood of the Serpent
7. Orion’s Progeny
8. Submission

Bands with death and gothic slants may have stolen the headlines in metal this year, but the past months have born witness to the continued relevance of black metal.  With 2012 already seeing the coarse, rusted gratings of traditional black metal recreated and revamped by groups as diverse as Denial of God and Anno Diaboli, it seems fitting that the year should be ended with a hat-tip to the slightly-different debut of Argentinian deviants, Mortuorial Eclipse.  Mid-way between an EP and a full-length album, The Aethers’ Call looks, instead, towards a tightly-strung symphonic heresy, resplendent in weighty, string-laden drapery, and demonic, misty utterings.

Sound of the Underworld Goes Live on Facebook

Sound of the Underworld's very own Facebook page has been launched at https://www.facebook.com/SoundOfTheUnderworld.  Links to all reviews, interviews, and commentary on the blog to be posted as and when the arise, as well as other updates.

INTERVIEW AND FEATURE: Morte McAdaver

 

He might not be a household name yet, but there are few characters as intriguing, talented, and colourful in metal as Morte McAdaver.  The fertile mind behind numerous American alternative metal projects agreed to meet for a virtual coffee to discuss particulars.  Amid great excitement and an extremely dodgy internet connection, we gathered to consider the past, present, and future...

Schoolcraft, Rushing through the Sky (EP, 2012)

Tracklist:

1. Into the Night
2. Your Mind
3. December Rain
4. You Forever
5. Masquerade
6. Darkness Falls
7. December Rain (instrumental)

If Lovecraft has delivered terror, vengeance, and bestial lust to the gothic scene, then how to credit the gentle touch of young passion, sorrow, and Indian headdress?  One Canadian girl and her keyboard reckons she’s come up with the answer.  And, suitably, she’s named it Schoolcraft.  Having emerged with a debut single in 2011, late 2012 has seen the internet release of Schoolcraft’s first EP, an unassuming 7-track offering of keys, strings, and swaying vocals entitled Rushing through the Sky.

One Last Month of Metal...For Now

Over the past couple of months, Sound of the Underworld has really begun to take shape as a more serious project.  Unofortunately, it's going to take a looooong break after the end of December, as I'm heading off abroad for 3 months for study.  This will be the first of two 3-month study trips that will take up half of my 2013.  Most likely there'll be no posts during either of these, although I might well use the exotic location to explore the local metal scene.

Thy Majestie, ShiHuangDi (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Zhoongguo
2. Seven Reigns
3. Harbinger of a New Dawn
4. Siblings of Tian
5. Walls of the Emperor
6. Under the Same Sky
7. Farewell
8. Huanghun
9. Ephemeral
10. End of the Days
11. Requiem

Ten years into their career, Italian power metallers, Thy Majestie, have stumbled upon the rare delicacies of the orient.  Chiselling fables of regal heroism and historical masterdom from the scorched rock of Ancient Chinese legend the result, ShiHuangDi, is a record to spawn debate and consternation – not to mention a colourful assortment of pronunciations – amongst all metal fans.

Temple, On the Steps of the Temple (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Mountain
2. Rising from the Abyss
3. Final Years
4. The Mist that Shrouds the Peaks
5. Avaratia
6. On the Steps of the Temple

Astride a dark boulder, black rain lashing the barren earth, the haggard traveller raises his gaze towards a sheer rock face which looms from the foot of the Mountain.  A scene which might only be captured by the most skilful of lyricists; and yet one which rises, cold, dismal, and yet as animate as life, from the opening bars of the instrumental debut of Arizona duo, Temple.  Combining the ferocity of the bestial with a penchant for intricate subtlety, the result is a daunting mix of black, death, and progressive metal sounds.

INTERVIEW: Whyzdom

Around this time last month, I was busy demolishing the lyrics of a French band called Whyzdom.  The review turned out - in its own way - to be quite controversial, and, a short exchange of emails with the band's chief lyricist (initiated by me) later, it was evident that I'd done a pretty wretched job of representing the themes offered by the band's poetry.  Time for me to hang my head somewhat.  And, at the same time, find out exactly what all this talk of wolves, paper princesses, and lighthouses actually meant.  What better way to do so, then, than with a frank and amiable discussion with the musical mind behind them himself, Whyzdom's very own Vynce.

Darktribe, Mysticeti Victoria (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Genesis
2. Taiji
3. Roma XXI
4. Black Meteor
5. Lightning Guide
6. Lost
7. Poison of Life
8. Eyes Have You
9. Beware the God
10. From Us
11. Life, Love & Death

Not to be confused with their German black-metal namesake, Darktribe are France’s latest contribution to European power metal.  Founded in 2009 by brothers Anthony and Julien Agnello, their full-length debut, Mysticeti Victoria, comes with the tacit endorsement of such Finnish metal icons Nightwish and Sonata Arctica, whose expertise were recruited in the mixing and mastering process.

I:Scintilla, Marrow 1, EP (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Drag Along

2. Girl U Want

3. Ammunition

4. Spit it Out

5. The Shake

Nearly a decade old, here are an outfit now thoroughly embedded in the industrial/electro matrix. But ah, you thought you knew someone… Amidst the bone-crunching bashes and brain-zapping bowzers of their genre, I:Scintilla have decided to release a whitewashed, whittled-down, and zoned-out acoustic production of four covers accompanied by a single original track (that track, if you’re wondering, is Drag Along). The indignant retches of the faithful are almost audible. So why would anyone want to take notice of Marrow 1?

November Preview

Based on viewcount and feedback, the format for the last month seems to have worked pretty well.  And November is another opportunity to press on into the depths of the metal underworld with some brand new releases, including a couple of dazzling EPs.  So, how about this for a lineup of records...

Blacksoul Seraphim, Blacksoul Seraphim (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Alms and Avarice
2. Conspiracy of Exarchs
3. Madness of Beggars
4. Virtue and Vermin
5. Dust Merchant
6. Plague of Pawns
7. Revelations of the Fallen
8. Tarnishing of the Crown
9. Psalm of Insurrection
10. Song of the Times

It's a question worth putting to all aspiring dark metal acts (and many established ones, too): how many deathly screams, blastbeats, and swooping synths does it take to summon evil? Blacksoul Seraphim reckon they have an answer, and it's not what you'd expect. The latest brainchild of a serial American dark heart, Morte McAdaver, the band sit snugly in a grimy corner of the doom metal genre, bearing familiar tales of fallen authority and lost grace in a not-altogether-familiar fashion.

INTERVIEW: Bend the Sky

Fresh from reviewing their fine full-length debut, I was able to grab the ear of the band’s drummer, Blake Savage, who kindly gave his time to answer a few questions. 

Bend the Sky, Origins (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Reform
2. Tempest
3. Glaciers
4. City of Decay
5. Concinnity
6. In the Wake of
7. Stolen
8. Ascension
9. Sketches
10. Halcyon
11. A Mindful Wave
12. Tides

And now for something completely different.  If, like me, you’ve restricted your field of vision to bands graced by the power of speech, it might be time to broaden your horizons.  So, what better way to do it than with a bit of Aussie instrumental power/prog/symphonic/djent metal?  Bend the Sky are a fresh young flame burning away down under, and Origins is their full-length debut.

Whyzdom, Blind? (2012)

Tracklist:

1. The Lighthouse
2. Dancing with Lucifer
3. Cassandra’s Mirror
4. On the Road to Babylon
5. Paper Princess
6. The Spider
7. The Wolves
8. Venom and Frustration
9. Lonely Roads
10. The Foreseer
11. Cathedral of the Damned

Over the past decade, metal fans have become used to the sight of symbolic metal acts striving for that rare spark of inspiration which could be called magic.  Whyzdom, a Parisian incarnation of the genre, are just such a band.  But their forthcoming album, Blind?, shows they’re much more besides: Whyzdom are mystic visionaries, foreseeing the ascent of man to the heavens; they’re intrepid explorers, discovering magical worlds unknown; and, seemingly, they’re enthusiastic zoologists, with a passion for wolves and spiders.  What they’re not are subtle, concise, or original.

Cradle of Filth: Daemonising the Female Body for 18 Sinful Years

It’s been a long and winding road for Cradle of Filth, from their ungodly inception in 1994 to their confirmation as one of the most revered (and, simultaneously, despised) extreme metal acts in Europe.  But, amid the ever-evolving tones of Filth’s post-black/dark/gothic/death mashup, some things have remained a constant.  It was no great surprise, therefore, when the first offering of their forthcoming album was released – which features the very worst of the band’s most recent nuances (rushed riffs, PVC-synths, and aimless melodies) – to hear the heartwarming groans of a woman in passion rushing obligingly to the aid of a song ailing amidst its own malodorous mediocrity.

Hero’s Fate: Human Tides: Black Light Inception (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Invoking the Doom (intro)
2. Blood Will Never Run Dry
3. Drowning in Sorrow
4. Apathy
5. Dead Waters (instrumental)
6. Faceless
7. I Am King
8. Masks
9. The Absence of Light
10. Surrogate of a New World
11. Dawn of the Black Light
12. Tranquillity

It’s never seemed like there’s been that much ground to cover between the backwaters of human despair to the interior of recording studios, but Hero’s Fate may well have stumbled upon uncharted territory.  A German death metal outfit who’ve been going for some years, Human Tides: Black Light Inception is their first full-length release.  Weighing in at almost exactly one-hour’s length, it’s a record the band claim “combines the strengths of their music, creating the perfect mix between melody and aggression, deep lyrics and catchy riffs.”

October Preview

It’s taken all of five months, but Sound of the Underworld has just about found its calling.  From October onwards, the blog will direct the vast majority of its focus towards new, unsigned, and unexposed bands, through reviews and the occasional interview.  Instead of providing just another set of reviews for established bands, there’ll be roughly monthly articles on one or another big-name release, considering specific themes and contributions within the wider musical framework.  Or, at least, that’s the plan…

At the beginning of each month, I’ll also try to stick up a list of the bands and albums which will be reviewed.  For example:

October

Hero’s Fate, Human Tides: Black Light Inception

Bend the Sky, Origins

Blacksoul Seraphim, Blacksoul Seraphim

These are all new releases and feature a wide variation of metal sounds.  All being well, there’ll be some time to take a look at the new Cradle of Filth, too.

 

Happy rockin’!

Lost Conception, Paroxysm of Despair (2011)

Tracklist:

1. Pathetic Existence
2. Useless Shell of Void
3. Urbanistic Echo of Evolution
4. Human Becomes an Idiot
5. One Step to the Grave
6. Torments for the Alteration
7. Society Equals Zero
8. Two-Faced Soul of Humanity
9. Infinity

 

Journeying to Siberia: a view to Eurasian culture, cuisine, and…uh, death metal?  No rest for the wicked, as my inter-cultural explorations were interrupted by an impromptu meeting with self-described technical death metallers, Lost Conception.  Krasnoyarsk’s own monsters of death metal are a 5-piece outfit, and Paroxysm of Despair, released last year on Russian label, Darknagar Records, is their debut 9-track, 41-minute outrage against humanity’s ills.

INTERVIEW: Lost Conception

Having had no plans to cover any music whilst on a work trip to Russia, I somehow fluked a meeting with Krasnoyarsk-based technical death metal band, Lost Conception.  Well known regionally, and with something of an international following also, they are just another talented extreme-metal outfit from the expanses of Siberia.  On arriving at a row of scruffy apartment-block garages, I am introduced to guitarist/second vocalist, Il’ya, and sound engineer, Artem.  Ahead of the promised arrival of lead vocalist and guitarist, Nikita, I prep my notes for what will surely be a full, frank, and utterly groundbreaking interview...
 

Ensiferum, Unsung Heroes (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Symbols
2. In my Sword I Trust
3. Unsung Heroes
4. Burning Leaves
5. Celestial Bond
6. Retribution shall be Mine
7. Star Queen (Celestial Bond part II)
8. Pohjola
9. Last Breath
10. Passion, Power, Proof
11. Bamboleo (bonus track)

Ensiferum stand as a flagship at the forefront of folk metal.  Over the course of their decade-and-a-half existence, their records have helped export the genre from Scandinavia to the heathen masses in Europe and America.  Unsung Heroes, their fifth full-length release in that time, may just about be the most anticipated of the lot.  On offer is a tale of war, death, and redemption, a blast of bombast, and much more besides.

The Beckoning, Demystifying the Oracle (2011)

Tracklist:

1. Bloodlet
2. Withered
3. Beyond the Dark
4. The Wrath to Come
5. Clothed in Crimson
6. Wielder of Plagues
7. An Omen in the Dark

Way back in the misty past, an unsigned Canadian band called The Beckoning released their full-length debut.  In a year, time goes by, the world changes, and music evolves.  But Demystifying the Oracle remains an intriguing record, well worth closer consideration.  Written and recorded independently by man and wife, Meghann and Roy Turple, then the only members of The Beckoning, it set itself the challenge of “fuse[ing] the aggression of Extreme Metal with the majestic ambience of Gothic soundscapes.”

Anno Diaboli, Morbid Dreams, EP (2012)

Tracklist:

1. In the Mist
2. Warmonger
3. March of Howlers
4. Lie Near my Throne

Having interviewed them over a month ago, I was forced to sit on my hands while Siberian black metal outfit, Anno Diaboli, put the finishing touches to their debut EP, Morbid Dreams.  Resplendent beneath an apocalyptic sheath, the EP harbours 3 devilish full-length tracks, preceded by a short instrumental intro.  Even better, it's free!  This is a record which promises much.  And does it deliver?  Well, you'll just have to wait and see...

Aaaaaaaand back.

So, having returned from a short(ish) trip abroad, back to the reviews!  The following month should be quite interesting, too.  As well as continuing to work through a number of new and less new albums, there's a small backlog of accumulated material and ideas, which will be gradually unleashed on the blog.  Stay tuned for developments...

Goodbye Forever.

Only joking!  I'm out of the country, and, most likely, away from a computer and music, for the next month or so, and will therefore be putting Sound of the Underworld on ice for that time.  Come September, there'll be new reviews, interviews, and also some commentary going up as before.  'Til then!

Denial of God, Death and the Beyond (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Veni Spiritus
2. Funeral
3. Behind the Coffin’s Lid
4. The Cursed Chamber
5. Bones turn to Dust
6. Black Dethe
7. Spectral Lights
8. Pendulum Swings

Denial of God are the sort of band metal fans should know about, but probably won’t.  These Danish golden oldies were founded in 1991, coming through with the first waves of European black metal, and have since released a massive amount of material.  But their faith in the traditional black metal approach means they remain obscure.  Now a three-piece outfit, Denial of God have set themselves up as a hardcore, uncensored, unrestrained, and roughly-cut slab of musical brimstone.  Their official homepage testifies to this approach, set up in the style of a 1990s DIY hammer-horror set.  And while Death and the Beyond may be the band’s sixteenth release, astonishingly it’s only their second full-length album: all the rest are EPs and demos.  In a commercialised world of tightly-strung, former black metal heretics, the old school is very much undead and kicking.  And Denial of God is in its vanguard.

INTERVIEW: Anno Diaboli

If you had to imagine the ideal location for a bleak and brutal black metal outfit, you could do far worse than a heavily wooded, frozen expanse.  Scandinavia?  Not this time.  Try Siberia.  Anno Diaboli are a new band from Omsk.  Touting a style which combines the raw aggression of traditional black metal with the precision and technical prowess of modern death metal, the band are currently putting the finishing touches to their first EP.  Ahead of its release, they kindly gave me the time to answer questions about their upcoming record, gigging in Siberia, and the future and politics of black metal.

Ephemeral Temple, Leave Your Fears, EP (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Want to Be
2. Los Ecos de la Oscuridad
3. Leave Your Fears
4. The Promise Alive
5. Embracing Hope

Time once again to expand my geographic boundaries in metal.  And what better way to do so than with a good dose of the Lat-Am gothic?  Ephemeral Temple are a bright young thing straight out of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and their self-released EP, Leave Your Fears, is their take on the symphonic side of the genre.  Formed in 2011, they’re a 4-piece outfit, fronted by the female vocals of Carina Alvarez, which could well be making waves in the near future.

Liv Moon, Symphonic Moon (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Amen
2. Reino Tenshi
3. Alchemy
4. Kiss Me Kill Me
5. Koorino Hitsugi
6. Fugitive
7. Black Serenade
8. Shingetsuse
9. The Last Savior
10. Datenshino Emi
11. Interlude by the Ruin
12. Masquerade

Symphonic Moon.  That’s a violinist flashing their arse, right?  Well, if you’re as puerile as I am, prepare to be swiftly put in your place.  Symphonic Moon is actually the title of the latest record by Swedish-born, Japanese/Korean/Polish symphonic metal sensation, Liv Moon.  She and her band of the rising sun might not have been going for too long, but, since starting out in 2009, they’ve churned out almost as many albums as Liv has passports, consistently releasing one a year.  This is 2012’s contribution, and it might just be that rare sparkle you can’t do without.

July 2012 - Preview

The Sound of the Underworld blog is evolving all the time.  By far the most enjoyable aspect of the past month has been taking focus to the lesser-known and unsigned bands, and, after the success of the Adeia album review and interview, there’s plans to delve into these relatively undiscovered pools of talent once again.  July will also see the start of a new commentary feature on the blog, which will investigate different themes in metal.  Unfortunately, all this will be cut short by a trip abroad from the last week of July until the end of August.  That means five weeks without any updates (how will the world cope?!).  Barring any complications, the blog will resume in September…

Epica, Requiem for the Indifferent (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Karma
2. Monopoly on Truth
3. Storm the Sorrow
4. Delirium
5. Internal Warfare
6. Requiem for the Indifferent
7. Anima
8. Guilty Demeanor
9. Deep Water Horizon
10. Stay the Course
11. Deter the Tyrant
12. Avalanche
13. Serenade of Self-Destruction
14. Twin Flames (bonus track)

Another week, another Dutch band.  But this time, the band is far from an undiscovered talent.  Since bursting onto the metal scene around a decade ago, Epica have made giant strides towards the pinnacle of the symphonic metal genre.  This is their third album in around five years, yet, due to perceived musical differences, it is the first of theirs I have properly listened through since their 2003 debut, The Phantom Agony.

INTERVIEW: Adeia

Fresh from reviewing their debut album, Hourglass, I was lucky enough to catch up with Adeia’s violin player, Laura, and cellist, Ruben.  Over a highly enjoyable evening, we talk conservatories, Dutch metal, and the future…

Adeia, Hourglass (2012)

Tracklist:

1.      Cordyceps

2.      Providence

3.      Hourglass

4.      Filling the Void

5.      Inheritance

So, what would you think if I mentioned Dutch arthouse prog?  Nothing?  Well, maybe this is where it starts.  Adeia are a 7 piece – yes, that’s right, seven – outfit from the port city of Rotterdam.  And this is their self-produced, full length debut, out exclusively online, in mp3 format.  It’s big, it’s bold, and it’s massively ambitious.

Eventide, Diaries from the Gallows (2006)

Tracklist:

1. Into Illusion
2. Killing what Can’t be Handled
3. My Closest Demon
4. This Curse
5. No Darker Place
6. Standards of Rebellion
7. Indifferent
8. The Skeleton who Sold its Skin
9. Vargavidderna (instrumental)
10. I, Enemy
11. Confinement

There are some albums which leave so little to the imagination that I’d be prepared to bet my soul on how they’ll sound before the disk even enters the tray.  Written six years ago, this little number was the full-length debut of a little-known Swedish death metal band called Eventide, who have recently gone into hiatus.  And it’s fair to say they seem to have been trying to make an impression.  Entitled Diaries from the Gallows, the album artwork features a battered etching in which an even more battered-looking victim is being dragged by his neck to a scaffold in the background.  First impressions are hardly dispelled by the first lines of music: the ten-second long, electronically distorted scream of what sounds like a choking sinner sinking eternally into six feet of satanic sewage.  Another hour of shouty-shouty, death-themed noise.  Just what we’ve all been waiting for.

Sonata Arctica, Stones Grow Her Name (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Only the Broken Hearts (Make you Beautiful)
2. Shitload O’ Money
3. Losing My Insanity
4. Somewhere Close to You
5. I Have a Right
6. Alone in Heaven
7. The Day
8. Cinderblox
9. Don’t Be Mean
10. Wildfire, Part II: One with the Mountain
11. Wildfire, Part III: Wildfire Town, Population: 0
12. Tonight I Dance Alone (Bonus Track)

Sonata Arctica are the sort of band that you might expect find making coffee in your kitchen the morning after a heavy night.  Since their formation in the mid-90s, they have released a hatful of albums, establishing their own distinct sound through a blend of power metal, operatic, and synth pop influences.  And, having grown into metal alongside their music, it’s fair to say that the band are one of the few whose next album I always eagerly await.  If you’re familiar with their work, you’ll know what to expect: rich synths, heavy guitars, constant interchanges between fast, intricate and slow, plodding harmonies, and, above all, wild melodies in all departments.

June 2012 – Preview

So much to hear, so little time!  Today is the release date for Australian death metallers, Be’lakor’s new album, Of Breath and Bone, while a few albums I had been planning to cover in May are still outstanding.  All this will be an ongoing project over the coming month.  In general, though, I’m planning to use June to explore some more obscure bands, signed and unsigned, across a range of genres.  Expect some new names and sounds!

Inner Fear, First Born Fear (2012)

Tracklist:

1. I.N.T.R.O
2. Fear Proclaimed
3. Imprisoned in Forgotten Dungeon
4. Lustmistress
5. I Watch the Blood Forever
6. Inner Fear
7. Love Is a Poisonous Cunt
8. Our Crimson Deeds
9. Akhu
10. Secrets Holders

 

A dingy band name, a suggestive album title, but, all in all, not your regular bundle of darkened thrash.  Inner Fear were first established by current Cradle of Filth drummer, Marthus Skaroupka, way back in 1997.  But, through one thing and another, they haven’t been able to produce much before now; this is the band’s full-length debut.  With a new cast accompanying Mathus’ drums and keys, including male and female vocalists, Sergey Baidikov and Viktorija Anselmo, Ashok Smerda and Khopek Fausek on guitars, and Sergey Karshev on bass, this Czech project seems finally have come to fruition.

Engel, Blood of Saints (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Question Your Place
2. Frontline
3. Feel Afraid
4. Numb
5. Cash King
6. One Good Thing
7. Blood of Saints
8. Down To Nothing
9. Drama Queen
10. In Darkness
11. Journeys End

Engel have been going some time, and, despite a pretty good reputation, they were a band I’d had little to do with before now.  A five-piece outfit from Sweden’s famed Gothenburg school of melodic extremes, Blood of Saints is their third studio album, and has already received some high-scoring reviews.  This is a 38-minute collection of 3- and 4-minute metal anthems, sporting an adventurous mix of death, modern, and electronic sounds, in a style which immediately had me thinking to Scar Symmetry.  Certainly, there are similarities: continuous interplay between death and clean – but very much heavy metal – vocals; driving riffs and beats; and pounding techno blasts.  Alongside some hurried youtube research into their past material, all this gave me high hopes.

Xandria, Neverworld’s End (2012)

Tracklist:

1. A Prophesy of Worlds to Fall
2. Valentine
3. Forevermore
4. Euphoria
5. Blood on my Hands
6. Soulcrusher
7. The Dream is Still Alive
8. The Lost Elysion
9. Call of the Wind
10. A Thousand Letters
11. Cursed
12. The Nomad’s Crown
13. When the Mirror Cracks (bonus track)

“Once there was a time of a never-ending dream”.  Sound familiar?*  This is Xandria’s first full-length release since 2007, and, sporting luxurious strings, moaning guitars, and a new frontwoman, Neverworld’s End sees the band reaching towards the pinnacle of the symphonic metal genre.  It shows, for better and for worse.

In Mourning, The Weight of Oceans (2012)

Tracklist:

1. Colossus
2. A Vow to Conquer the Ocean
3. From a Tidal Sleep
4. Celestial Tear
5. Convergence
6. Sirens
7. Isle of Solace
8. The Drowning Sun
9. Voyage of a Wavering Mind

The Weight of Oceans is the third full-length album of Swedish metalheads, In Mourning, and one which will undoubtedly maintain their reputation as one of the sharpest, technically gifted, and adept bands in the business.  The deep, tightly woven textures, cutting guitar melodies, and complex rhythms which brought their previous releases so much acclaim are ever-present. 

Riverain, Overstepping the Verge (2010)

Tracklist:

1. Falling Asleep (intro)
2. The Dream
3. Breaking Test
4. Heart of Steel
5. Wizard
6. Tears Shed in the Sand
7. Madman
8. K-129
9. Look Me in the Eyes
10. Spirits of the Forest
11. The Dream Ends (outro)

It’s not exactly new, but I won’t pretend its not a pleasure to have this album for my first review.  Little-known Russian band, Riverain, are a five-piece outfit, sporting the growling female vocals of founder-member Anastasia Ligotskaya alongside four guitar, bass, and drum playing men.  That’s where the certainties end.  Riverain are a group typically labelled melodic death metal, but they don’t seem to bothered with stuffing themselves into any pigeon holes.  “The band’s actual style”, reads their webpage, “can be described as varying from melodic death and modern metal to progressive metal with art rock touch.”

May 2012 Preview – Reasons to Be Cheerful

There have been some mighty months for metal over the past year or so, and April looks to be no different, with promised releases from Scandinavian heavyweights Sonata Arctica and Engel, as well as – yes, you guessed it – German goth rockers Oomph!  Long-time metal frontwoman Sarah Jezebel Diva is also weighing in with a third solo album in as many years.  This being the first month of the blog, there won’t be any promises as to who will/won’t get a look in on the reviews, but hopefully we’ll see a few of the current releases included, alongside some noteworthy albums from recent times…