In this post, I collect my instagram reviews for the week for albums released in 2022. All my non-2022 reviews are gathered in a post as soon as a decent number has accumulated. I listen to mostly metal, but I do not limit myself to any genre.
Slaegt - Goddess
Genre: Blackened Traditional Metal
Label: Century Media
It is probably unfair, but Slaegt start out from a tough position for me, as one of my first encounters with them was a rather troubled live performance. I mean, I enjoyed their actual show, despite the avoidable technical difficulties and attitude, but it nonetheless colored my experience with them. Anyway, 'Goddess' pretty much sounds like Slaegt has always sounded, and no wonder it landed them a deal on Century Media - Slaegt is the type of Extreme Metal band that would get signed to a big label. Technically extreme metal, but very approachable and not very abrasive, when it comes down to it.
'Goddess' is a good album, but there are some issues with it. I am unsure if these issues are the result of the band now being on a bigger label and having a producer, it is certainly possible. 'Goddess' has multiple songs that go on longer than they should with relatively little variation. This is heightened by the very monotone and sadly not very emotive vocal performance. I can tell that Slaegt want to bring a rockstar attitude to black metal, but not much of it shines through in the vocals, which sadly feel like an afterthought. Where they do shine through is in the guitar solos, with lots of big dick attitude - which can be dangerous is you´re wearing tights on stage. Slaegt seem like they´re made for the stage more than the studio - I assume some people find their rockstar attitude charming. For me, it falls a little inbetween and the 'tude seems to be present in some of the wrong spaces.
Rating: 6/10
Jesus Wept - Psychedelic Degeneracy
Genre: Death and Roll
Label: Redefining Darkness
I stumbled onto Jesus Wept on accident. For some reason, I believed them to be a Brutal Death Metal Band from the 90s that had only one album and got randomly excited. Then I found out on Metal Archives that they´re labelled as Melodeath, so they couldn´t be the band I thought they were. Making matters worse, I can´t for the life of me remember what the band was actually called. Anyway, luckily I did stumble on 'Psychedelic Degeneracy' because, ironically, I wouldn´t really call them Melodeath either. As the cover probably tells you, Jesus Wept are, to a degree, Carcass Worship. But while most Carcass Worship bands, even the best ones like Pharmacist, try to update the early Goregrind era (which is rendered nigh unlistenable by the unfortunate production), 'Psychedelic Degeneracy' reminds me more of their, in my opinion, best album: 'Necroticism'.
'Psychedelic Degeneracy' sounds indeed like you took only the slowest and grooviest parts of 'Necroticism' and infused it with a little more swagger ('Swansong' era Death and Roll, maybe?). The guitar tone is wonderfully crunchy and ideal for a project like this and the vocals stay mainly in that classic Carcass rasp that sounds like not being able to speak for 3 days afterwards. Only rarely does anything else get injected into the mix - a melodic lead here and there or some lower growls - but since this is only a 17 minute EP, the lack of variety is barely an issue. The only real issue I see is that having a one minute intro on a 17 minute EP is really a no-go. Well, and the originality issue, of course. But I feel like Jesus Wept do just a little bit more than the usual Carcass-clone.
Rating: 6/10.
Cryptworm - Spewing Mephitic Putridity
Genre: Death Metal
Label: Me Saco Un Ojo
Death Metal might be my favorite Metal Genre. There´s something about the different mutations of the genre that covers quite a lot of ground and moods and from its infancy, the genre has been intensely influenced by the local colour of the different scenes and people with different backgrounds. The flipside of the coin is, sadly, that it is a genre that is very hard to innovate in without losing the spirit, the essence of the genre. Sure, you can slow it down or make it faster, you can make it noisier but at some point, people will be eager to claim it is Death Metal no more - a tendency seemingly unique to Death Metal, as Black Metal fans are willing to label everything under the sun black metal as long as there´s some fraction of a black metal element in it. Many of the innovators of Death Metal are often being labelled something else. Cryptworm won´t be one of them.
Cryptworm is very comfortable in their worship of Death Metal classics. Some Autopsy here and maybe a slight early Goregrind influence there and you got it, a lumbering, slimey behemoth with low IQ that nonetheless can cave your head in. They also have that guitar tone. The classic grimey sound that bands like Tomb Mold also like to opt for in preference to a more chainsaw-y and defined sound. While the classic approach of Cryptworm is kind of charming, it´s also a little superfluous next to other re-OSDM bands that, frankly, do it better. I can get more out of 'Manor of Infinite Forms' or the better Undergang albums. Cryptworm sit in the middle between those two approaches; they´re not as primitive as Undergang but they also don´t have the slithering, twangy riffs that Tomb Mold have. And at that point, I might just grab 'Mental Funeral' again and get my grime from the bands that originated it in the first place.
Rating: 5/10.
Aeviterne - The Ailing Facade
Genre: Experimental / Atmospheric Death Metal
Label: Profound Lore
"Experimental" as a genre tag can swing either way. For example, the same band can make a wonderful partly improvised Free Jazz DM hybrid one year and make a 27 hour quasi drone release the next (RIP Skin Tension). Also, it is rare for the aggressive pummeling that Death Metal usually brings to conjur up an actual atmosphere. Furthermore, Aeviterne are compared to Godflesh and Immolation, which are both nasty as hecc. Why is it then, that Aeviterne is so incredibly relaxing? Seriously, Aeviterne gives me the same feeling that a lot of atmoblack fans often mention, that it´s relaxing, all engulfing and generally "atmospheric". Aeviterne do so not (only) with production tricks, but with smart and unique songwriting.
At the same time, I can certainly see the comparisons to Godflesh and Immolation. Particularly the drum performance reminds me of Immolations best drum parts, with interesting tom-play and the ability to build momentum with other patterns than just blastbeats. The guitars also have a similar "riffs as texture" approach as the best immolation material. On the Godflesh side of the equation, there is sampling. Lots of very interesting and often contrasting sampling, in fact. Very clean and defined sounds will often be contrasted with the ethereal, the textural, the distorted. Aeviterne´s material might repeat motifs a lot, but the sonic quality is always morphing. 'The Ailing Facade' is an album that easily gets you into a groove and keeps you there and the album flies by much quicker than its 50 minute runtime would suggest. An early list contender? Maybe.
Rating: low 8/10