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
Whitespade - Whitespade
Genre: Motörhead
Label: Independent
Release Date: 02-09-2022
In the spirit of cleaning up the year (and also accepting that nothing worthwhile is coming out anymore), I went Bandcamp diving. In the shallow waters, I found Whitespade rather quickly. Without even reading any of the blurb, it is immediately apparent that Whitespade are basically a glorified Motörhead tribute act. Why acts like these are necessary is often dubious at best. I suspect that, since playing as a cover band involves paying the rights holders, this approach is just more profitable. You change a note here and there, switch out the lyrics and give it a new title and you get something that qualifies as legally distinct. An act like Gruesome, who does a similar thing for the band Death, already has very little reason to exist. For a band to reproduce Lemmy et al., the justification becomes even smaller—there are dozens upon dozens of these acts.
The whole ordeal becomes a little bit more baffling even, as it turns out that Whitespade are basically just Midnight under a different name. Midnight is already rather close to a Motörhead inspired sound, just blackened and maybe focusing on the speed metal aspect more strongly than others. Midnight has also repeated the same ideas for forever at this point. Whitespade is just like rocking a color slider in Photoshop. Serving up mostly the slightly groovier, dirty rock and roll riffs from Motörhead's playbook, it just becomes apparent that Whitespade isn't as good at being Motörhead as Motörhead themselves. The bass tone isn't as gnarly, too controlled. In fact, everything is just a little too reigned in—too marketable, too calculated. Also, and this feels weird to say considering who we are talking about: Athenar isn't as characteristic a singer as Lemmy was. I suppose you can't fake being addicted to whiskey and amphetamines. If there is any value to Motörhead, it is the authenticity. This ain't it.
Rating: 5/10
Sold Soul - I Hope We Make It out of This Alive
Genre: Symphonic Deathcore
Label: Independent
Release Date: 01-12-2022
There are many reasons why we did not review Lorna Shore's latest album, despite that act being seemingly one of the most popular releases in heavy music right now. Frankly, listening to Pain Remains was a chore and everything it attempted it seemed to fail at. The gentle details of orchestral textures smushed in ugly compression and loudness, so loud that any of the sometimes interesting guitar work gets completely lost. At the same time, the album was very interested in a harmonic approach that recalls Power Metal, which made any of the attempts to seem profound or dark in any way fall flat on their face. All of this matters only because Sold Soul, despite receiving way less buzz, succeed in many ways where Lorna Shore fell flat.
Of course, Sold Soul's success lies completely in differences in approach. The symphonics are dialed back and are arranged with restraint, so that the guitars can be heard at all times. They interact or intermingle, but do not steal each others space. I have seen Sold Soul being described as "Atmospheric Deathcore", and I don't think the description is too far off. Sold Soul's symphonic textures are in support of atmosphere, of a certain theatrical and almost cinematic quality, not about bombast. Furthermore, a lot of the tracks have a gimmick or feature of some kind. The insane list of guests goes far beyond the usual inclusion of different pig squealin' vocalists, instead involving a cast ranging from Power Metal vocalist Brittney Slayes to hardcore rapper Twisted Insane. Both work unexpectedly well, as does the featured violin which makes an appearance multiple times. The variety (and admittedly, the wow factor and surprise it brings) is enough to make me forget that the band itself doesn't go that far beyond the usual deathcore mannerisms that often. Which is more than can be said about 99% of the genre.
Rating: 6/10
Daeva - Through Sheer Will and Black Magic...
Genre: (Technical) Black/Thrash
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Release Date: 14-10-2022
Black/Thrash is a genre that, while not actively avoiding it, I also don't put much effort into seeking it out. Blackened Thrash has the same issues as regular thrash metal most of the time: tropes so solidified that adding anything to them almost makes you leave the genre by default. I'll gladly mosh to it live, but I have little need for it elsewhere. For that very reason, I am only getting to Daeva now during my year end clean-up and I have to admit: I missed out.
Daeva doesn't have any issues that the genre normally struggles with. Yes, Daeva is squarely in the Black/Thrash ballpark, but they also sound fresh, unique and have their own style. I don't know if I have ever heard Blackened Thrash with so much instrumental verve before. The oxymoron of Technical Blackened Thrash is solved on Through Sheer Will and Black Magic.... Daeva feel out of time stylistically—the broken, dissonant chords are one of the phenomena I would consider to be stereotypical of the current metal landscape, yet Daeva also feels like they are rooted in the past just as much, featuring still heavily treated vocals and a tinny, reverb-laced sound. And despite those older leanings, the aggression doesn't suffer. I regret not checking out Daeva sooner in hindsight—it is so late that I couldn´t seriously consider them for any lists. Is it the novelty, the wow factor of infusing an overdone style with some fresh blood? Or will Daeva have staying power and hopefully have enough success to inspire some change in this stagnant style? Only time will tell.
Rating: 7/10
Metalligatorrr's Chomping Commentaries
Elder - Innate Passage
Genre: Progressive Rock, Stoner Rock
Label: Stickman Records
Release Date: 25-11-2022
Trying previous Elder albums has not done much for me as they always seemed to be meandering. Of course, anything Stoner usually makes me fall asleep as the genre is insistent on repeating riffs ad nauseam and not really developing songs past that. But the promise of adding Progressive Rock to the genre still has a draw, and so I find myself trying Elder's albums time and again, still ending in disappointment. Innate Passage might be the first album of theirs that I don't find aggravating. It has a smooth, full sound that is pleasant to hear in the background. The usual jam like quality is present but I feel like this album has some rock riffs that are memorable enough to rise from the usual haze of music like this. I would not call it enough for me to consider it good but it's a start.
There is also a sense of Post Rock I get from this album. It might be based solely on the fact that I find the vocalist's tone similar to Loic Rosetti's work with The Ocean and thus the music taking on the color of memory. Regardless, when the vocals are there the melodies snake around them and feel more purposeful. "Endless Return" showcases this well, the vocals building on a post-adjacent riff until its middle where the vocals again drive variation into a nice, bass-led atmosphere. However, at this point the song loses focus and wanders off, a common problem throughout Innate Passage. If you prefer moods that spend time not really moving then I can understand enjoying music like this. But to me it feels like wasted potential where there are clearly compelling songwriting ideas floating in a sea of jamming. Unsurprisingly, the track I find myself most drawn to is "Merged In Dreams - Ne Plus Ultra" which is also the most urgent one. Alas, at close to 15 minutes that song too could have been half as long for twice the impact. That's really all you need to know, Elder is still Elder.
Rating: 5/10