This post collects the reviews posted to Instagram for the week. They cover mostly metal, but other genres might be considered. Blog exclusive reviews from other writers are featured, as well.
Scuttlegoat's Curmudgeonly Critiques
Noble Déchet - Astral Déchu
Genre: Avantgarde Black Metal
Label: Independent
Release Date: 08-05-2022
When is something "So Bad It's Good" and can that even exist in musical form? I could not let this question go during my time with Astral Déchu. I could possibly claim that it is a good record. For what can broadly be described as an Avantgarde Black offering, it is the stream of consciousness nature of it, the lack of any structure or any musical concept besides permanent flux that makes this album unique. Noble Déchet transition between seemingly disparate genre ideas so frequently, and often combine them in such seemingly random ways, that the album should be hard to follow and a chore, but the opposite is actually true. When the band layers drone, Americana inspired guitars with drum beats that have more of a hip hop inflection, coming from circus-like atmospheres, faux-analog synth experiments or medieval folk, I would usually cringe. But when Noble Déchet do it, I am entertained, barely being able to contain a laugh. Is this what the band wants and if not, is it necessary that I access the quality of an album with their intent in mind?
I do suspect that Noble Déchet does this in a tongue-in-cheek way on some level. The way the cover art applies random colors and filter effects to a medieval artwork represents the music quite well, as it is clearly the wrong thing to do. But Astral Déchu does it with such conviction that the album appears less like a mess but more like an absurd piece of Jodorowsky-esque outsider art. This mindset seems to also be represented in the vocals, which sometimes seem so off the chain that even they can barely contain their own laughter. Often, there will be two vocal tracks that barely interlock or harmonize with each other. Noble Déchet feel very comfortable in how silly they are. Astral Déchu embraces the absurd to confront and transgress, and I don’t sense any pretense. So bad it's good? Or so bad it’s art?
Rating: 5/10
Full of Hell - Aurora Leaking from an Open Wound
Genre: Grindcore / Noise Rock
Label: Independent
Release Date: 13-09-2022
Full of Hell, despite only making one album I truly adore, have become one of my favorite acts in extreme music. The willingness to never stand still, while also having an identifiable style and set of obsessions specifically their own, makes them stand apart from the usual mush of extreme metal nowadays that is easily slotted into trends and movements. Aurora Leaking from an Open Wound signals at least from the cover that it wants to differentiate it from the trilogy that had begun with Trumpeting Ecstasy in 2017 and concluded just last year with Garden of Burning Apparitions. It would probably be assuming too much to judge the whole course the band will take from this album alone, as they have often experimented with different sounds and focuses, especially on their shorter releases and collabs. This could be a new chapter in their work, though.
Compared to past Full of Hell releases, Aurora Leaking From an Open Wound appears gentler, for lack of a better word. The sound is less driven to complete breakup than before and leaves more room, more air. The band relies on pure aural chaos less and the tempo of the EP is also less extreme—a lower midtempo pace that the band has rarely settled in—instead of favoring either faster or outright dirgelike material. Full of Hell focus on more riff heavy material here, but there is texture nonetheless. The brass in the last track is a nice touch and for a sub 5 minute release, there are lots of ideas present. If you ever wanted Full of Hell to do The Jesus Lizard, your wishes might have just come true.
Rating: 7/10
Blattaria - Dismantle the New Cult
Genre: Dissonant Black Metal
Label: Independent
Release Date: 18-10-2022
With the critical success of Deathspell Omega and the Icelandic Black Metal scene, Avantgarde and Dissonant Black Metal had become the genre to imitate for a while. And when a genre becomes trendy, tropes emerge. This is not always an issue—some tropes can work. But with Dissonant Black Metal, I've always felt the definition too narrow to have much variety. Once a chord gets spiced up with a certain amount of dissonance, functionally becoming more of a cluster than a chord, it runs the risk of being indistinguishable from all other dissonant "chords". The best bands in the genre have understood that interest must come from elsewhere, as well—be it rhythmic tricks, outside genre influences, or textural ideas. Blattaria have never been my favorite disso-project, but they have always understood this distinguishing concept and Dismantle the New Cult continues that understanding.
I don't know if this is a political album or inspired by recent events, but the cover, which breaks with the bands former cockroach obsession, seems to signal some political unrest with its abstract depiction of what could be interpreted as a political demonstration. This new album sounds angrier than past releases, at least, despite being constructed out of similar elements. The album gets carried mostly by the dense and delay-heavy vocals, and the the band's obsession to insert shrieking, high guitar leads. There's a sense of space to the record that is bigger than the tinny guitar tone should allow. Although many bands do this, I don't feel like Blattaria are quite catering to their own strengths. The slower moments, where the melodies and dissonant arpeggios are more decipherable, are the strongest moments on the album, yet they are rare, maybe even rarer than on past records. I believe Blattaria could be better than they are.
Rating: 6/10
Metalligatorrr's Additional Album Assesments
Devenial Verdict - Ash Blind
Genre: Dissonant Death Metal
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Release Date: 28-10-2022
The dissonant leads on Devenial Verdict's debut album Ash Blind remind me of Ulcerate's Stare Into Death and Be Still. But while they paint in similar strokes, there is an emotional core in Ash Blind that feels like its own thing. This is perfectly displayed in the aptly named opener "Hope", where the band puts its heavy foot forward before breaking the song down with a very emotional solo. "Pravum" follows suit with pummeling drums and dissonance that shrieks its pain throughout. There's a sense of doom to these songs without being specifically doom in execution that I appreciate. All this is good but it's at "Sun Hammer" that the album really takes off with songs that sound massive and heavy. The B-side of this album shows the potential this band has with their style of carefully placed dissonance and builds into sparse emotional moments.
Ash Blind is an overall good debut that could have been stronger if not for some flaws. The first three tracks feel more like moods, which on repeat plays damages the album's flow a bit as each takes its time getting to the point. I get that it's supposed to be atmospheric but the latter tracks pull this off perfectly well without dragging things out. "Mourning Star" sits well as a break between two ferocious tracks but it's just a bit too long even at three minutes (it's all about the momentum and pacing). Throughout there's also a sense that the ideas the band plays with haven't quite gelled into their final form, which is understandable on a debut. It took me a good while to parse this release because there's quite a bit going on here. I think that these guys are onto something, and if they can successfully marry the emotion, the creative dissonance and the balls-to-the-wall heaviness that carry the finest moments on Ash Blind into something more cohesive, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Rating: (high) 6/10
Arkheth - Clarity Came with a Cool Summer's Breeze
Genre: Progressive Black Metal
Label: I, Voidhanger Records
Release Date: 30-09-2022
First impressions can be misleading. With that cover and the black metal tag I did expect something progressive and it certainly delivered. Beginning with a two minute track of nature samples and leading with an Agalloch-esque mood, I can't say that I was not intrigued. But the drums felt a bit off, like they weren't keeping pace with the music. Then the clean vocals hit and the out of rhythm drums sound virtuoso in comparison. These are some of the most awful, out of tune vocals I have heard in a while. However, the material itself isn't bad and displays some symphonic elements and weird song structures that have the potential to be good.
Yet there is always a feeling that something is off. A transition sounds forced or off time here, an instrument sounds like it comes in at the wrong moment there. I wonder if this is done with purpose or if it's just a case of someone with huge ambitions struggling to pull off the sound they're going for. I remarked that I'm deeply impressed by people that make entire albums by themselves in my review for Ars Onirica last week. The same applies here with Tyrone Kostitch handling everything, even if the music unfortunately fails to sound as coherent. As for specifics, this is black metal by way of tremolos that try to sound epic, mixed with electronics and some very synthetic sounding instruments like a saxophone for instance. Some sections that try to mix upbeat melodies with dissonance intrigue, but for every section like that there's an utterly baffling other one that competes for your time. The nadir arrives with "Patience in the Garden of Fire", which sounds like a Beatles track that Satan himself designed to make Beatles fans turn their skin inside out. As the album closes out on a acoustic number with cheesy sax and some uncomfortable "Ooohs", I'm left considering whether I shouldn't trust my first impressions after all as I never want to hear this thing again. Thanks for the lesson, I guess?
Rating: 4/10
Blodskam - Ave Eva
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Suicide Records
Release Date: 23-09-2022
Blodskam's 2019 debut LÃ -Bas was a highly entertaining black metal debut that was akin to telling a morbid joke with a straight face. With songs about such cheery subjects as killing your family, being a "god" trapped in an asylum, living in filth and smelling like shit, the album has lyrics that could make me laugh with their conviction-filled delivery. At the same time the music was grim black metal that wasn't afraid to explore. I still spin it now and then as the succinct 31 minutes still entertain me. Hearing that they were releasing a new album, I, predictably, jumped on it. What deranged black metal madness would they explore on this new record? To my dismay, Ave Eva is so much more straight faced that I was taken aback at first. There's less of a focus on the vocals and the production sounds like it's stepped up a notch in how raw it is. The sharp riffing that only became apparent on LÃ -Bas as it went along is now front and center from the get go.
Supposedly serving as a reinterpretation of Genesis, Ave Eva is a concept album that reimagines the biblical Eve as a satanic figure bent on destruction. I can't speak for the now muddled lyrics, but as is usual with this kind of concept I find that it has no real impact on the music. This is straightforward black metal written by two guys that aren't terrible at songwriting. As such, there's enough interesting moments and turns in these songs that the work feels competent. Past that, and the loss of the serious humor from the debut, I'd say that the biggest change here is that the album is more uniform, seeming to not care to explore or add much in the way of variety. This is a shame as it felt like one of the band's strengths previously. There are still small excursions into melodicism, like the breakdown and rocking riffs in the latter part of "This Lonely War", but these moments are shorter and less impactful. For seasoned black metal-only fans this new direction might appeal more, but, for me, this album has already lost its luster after a short few spins. Hit me with something vulgar and wild next time, guys.
Rating: (high) 5/10