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
Ahab - The Coral Tombs
Genre: Funeral Doom / Progressive Metal / Sludge
Label: Napalm Records
Release Date: 13-01-2023
It can be tough being a fan. Ahab are one of my favorite acts ever and they so far had a completely unspoiled discography. Whenever an act like that releases something, I am as afraid for subpar material as I am excited for something new. Most often with albums in this category, we can't declare it a complete victory and neither accept it as a complete failure. Ahab's new album The Coral Tombs is an album like that—both showcasing the bands strengths but also seeing them commit to the wrong things at crucial moments.
As an Ahab fan, I was at first rather pleased with the album. The first couple tracks have that gentle, unique melodicism in the guitar leads, with their jazzy inflections and hints of prog. The vocals hit with the usual mournful quality has, a sermon to the murderous nature of the sea. Heavy riffs provide contrast, opening the album with some of their most barbaric material to date. Unfortunately, the album is rather frontloaded. While up until and including "The Sea as a Desert", Ahab is able to serve up fresh material without repeating themselves too much. The title track, ironically, sees them overcommitting too much to a single idea, the payoff being too little, not intense enough. The track could be improved by trimming a minute or two off the buildup and then erupting to savage harsh vocals and Death Metal, but Ahab remains strangely restrained. After "Coral Tombs", "Ægri Somnia" is a much better track but it cannot recover the momentum that was lost. Only in the finale, where Ahab employ the help of abstract Funeral Doomers Esoteric do we get back to what feels like a narrative. The Coral Tombs is not a bad album, but it is not as good as it could be. As a huge Ahab fan, it might grow on me. But I am unsure how many new fans they will gain from it.
Rating: (high) 6/10
Ominous Scriptures - Rituals of Mass Self-Ignition
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Label: Willowtip Records
Release Date: 27-01-2023
One would assume that during the time of Slamuary, I feel so oversaturated with Brutal Death Metal and related genres that I would not want to listen to any more of it than necessary. On the contrary! If something good rolls around, it makes me remember all the more why I love Brutal Death Metal so much. Furthermore, Ominous Scriptures are incredibly groove focused without feeling the need to go into a slam at every opportunity, providing me with some much needed variety.
Ominous Scriptures approach groove from a few different angles. Some of those are, of course, the hardcore inspired chugging that makes our feet tap and makes us want to crowdkill our coworkers while at our boring office jobs. Luckily, Ominous Scriptures are good at it and not all of these sections are slams in the most strict sense of the word, either. Slight allusions from Thrash and Black Metal work hand in hand with the hardcore influence. The most casual of listeners might even be inclined to claim that Ominous Scriptures are one of the few good BDM bands since they riff! The individual sections of Rituals of Mass Self-Ignition are distinguishable from each other and memorable enough to guide through the record. Yet, despite the groove, there is a subtle technicality to it. Hollow sounding dissonances (as on the title track) along with quick techy runs and tight syncopation will often punctuate the more groove leaning material, making the album feel shorter than it even is. There remains a possibility that I am overrating because of my recent Slamuary experiences, of course. But I can say that, in January at least, you cannot go brutal in a better way than Ominous Scriptures.
Rating: (low) 7/10
Metalligatorrr's Chomping Commentaries
Ashen Horde - Antimony
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Release Date: 27-1-2023
I immediately jumped on Antimony the second I heard it existed, having enjoyed Fallen Cathedrals' blend of slightly techy riffing and intense pace. There is something about Ashen Horde's particular mix of Death Metal and tremolo-fest Black Metal that sucks me in, and coupled with the great vocals it feels like they have something deadly yet to come. I was surprised, then, to find that Antimony is largely a mid-paced affair that tries some new things to mixed results. Straight away, "The Throes of Agony" bring a familiar heaviness with a great Death Metal attack that is chunky yet softer in production than last time, in a good way, as the previous album tired my ears out with a continually sharp and loud sound. As the song goes on it seems to be building to a conclusion that never quite arrives, however, and at near seven minutes this is no short time to string the listener along. It seems Ashen Horde are trying to play more with contrast and introduce some variety to their sound, which is welcome as Fallen Cathedrals felt like a lot with its near constant 48 minute attack.
When the music alternates between pounding drums and driving riffs like in "The Barrister" and slightly uplifting Melodic Death Metal riffs like in "The Physician", it works and sounds as powerful as before. But at other times the drums feel like they are explosively running on a treadmill while the song around them stays still. It is odd to have an album that is both very active and mid-paced at the same time. The other main flaw of this album is the clean vocals which feature on near half of the tracks. While I appreciate variety to make the growls and shrieks hit heavier, the choice to have Alt Rock/Grunge style vocals with a very nasal tone is at odds with the otherwise deathly music. It is a shame, because there are some moments and tracks that I truly enjoy ("The Consort", "The Physician", "The Neophyte"). But it seems that in making this album more diverse, Ashen Horde might have neglected to pay enough attention to the aspects that are irregular to their sound and have thus taken one step forward and two steps back.
Rating: (high) 5/10
Sagen - Roots of Proctor
Genre: Death Metal / Deathcore
Label: Independent
Release Date: 07-1-2023
I was almost ready to hand out a minus point to Sagen for using that sterile AI-generated album art alone. Why they would want to use AI art is beyond me as it will often fail to represent musical themes well like the Salem Witch Trials that Roots of Proctor is based on. Thankfully, the music itself is anything but sterile (though it also too does little to follow the theme). While Deathcore in expression and production, Roots of Proctor is more Death Metal in technique. This might not seem like much but this marks a crucial difference in that Sagen show that they are not one of the Deathcore bands that rely on breakdowns to save every song. Starting with "Gallows Hill", Sagen show a penchant for some very headbangable riffs that sometimes are introduced by light acoustic work and echoed well in a more crushing form. The Deathcore influence is smartly used to push the songs one step harder in key moments, providing contrast rather than trying to beat the listener down all the time.
Also adding to the variety is a vocalist that goes through a variety of growls, shrieks, shouted cleans (great ones in "Flood Gates"), and the occasional pig squeal. Though, the 49 minute album can be a bit hard to sit through repeatedly as the loud production makes the latter tracks blend together. A slightly softer production could make the guitar leads stand out more, which would give Sagen a great favor in standing out further from the crowd. As it stands, I will still recommend Roots of Proctor as it is better than competent and the band still has room for growth. Work on that variety, work with a better visual artist, play to your strengths in sound and I'll gladly check out your next work.
Rating: (high) 6/10
Katatonia - Sky Void of Stars
Genre: Alternative Rock/Metal
Label: Napalm Records
Release Date: 20-1-2023
Right from the start it is apparent that Katatonia are both looking back and forward at the same time. The songs on Sky Void of Stars have a very familiar feeling that recalls albums like Dead End Kings in a light poppy approach. But instrumentally what is happening here more recalls the subtly intricate material of the Viva Emptiness/The Great Cold Distance era. It is like the band have finally learned to marry their gloomy Alternative Metal with a more accessible Pop oriented sound. This might sound terrible to those wanting another dose of the band's trademark depressive darkness, but the results here stand on their own as something new for a band that yet again have found a way to evolve with a few subtle touches. A big part of this success is that the album has a great flow as it shuffles from idea to idea almost all the way to the end where there is a slight, albeit forgivable, drop in quality. "Austerity" opens the album with some rhythmic fuckery that is unlike Katatonia but it settles comfortably into their usual style. The following songs "Colossal Shade" and "Opaline" add some unusual groove and a kind of sad, almost Jazz-y sound. It makes the first half of the album flow by as a breeze.
However, one of the most significant changes on this album is that Jonas Renkse, an ever reliable singer, takes a step back and lets the music shine unexpectedly. The previous album City Burials seemed to center around him, understandably, as he seemed to largely have written the material as solo material, to its detriment. Sky Void of Stars sees the band working as a well oiled machine again. Ideas like their old love for Paradise Lost riffs ("Birds"), occasional dirge-like riffs ("Drab Moon"), and generally odd but fitting drum fills and bass pops all get their time in the depressively bright sun. As for missteps, "Atrium" sounds like a song that easily could have been cut as it is stock Katatonia. And some material can err a bit much on the minimalistic side for the band, but these are nitpicks that will not spoil my enjoyment of the music as a whole. The transformation Katatonia undergoes here reminds me of that of The Cure as they emerged form their early period of darkness to make music that is lighter in tone but not in expression.
Rating: 7/10
Alice F's Agonized Angles
Cora’s Heart – Anima
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Label: Independent
Release Date: 09-01-2023
Cora’s Heart play a mix of black metal and film music in the vein of Two Steps From Hell. While the use of a larger variety of instrumentation and a cleaner production is preferable to the genre's tried and true MIDI synthesizers and treble-to-eleven style, and it does distinguish itself from the pack, the songs lack emotional impact and fade into the din of background noise. At their best, Cora’s Heart play an intriguing kind of extremely ignorable Black Metal. “Ignorable” not as an insult, but that the music feels like it is lacking accompaniment in the form of moving pictures. Songs like “Pétalo” conjure up images of social outcasts driving through a deserted road at night, embroiled in their own personal torments. Unfortunately, these atmospheric highs cannot be sustained for long—but not for lack of trying. In spite of its lean 40-minute runtime, Anima feels excessively long. “Un ser sin luz, pt. 1” is the most egregious offender, splitting the 9-minute song length between fatiguing blasting sections and overly minimalistic interludes with only a brass instrument playing dyads over single piano notes with zero rhythmic variation or melodies developing.
Cora’s Heart is a one-man project by Victoria Carmilla Hazemaze, and it’s clear she has put in a lot of thought into the sound of Anima. Its sonic palette is something I’ve never heard used in Atmoblack, and a fusion of minimalistic soundscapes with black metal done right could be a fantastic experience. The core problem with Anima is still a problem endemic to Atmoblack—while the sound is polished and intriguing, the songwriting is thin, and cannot support the runtime. I wish Cora’s Heart the best on future releases, but Anima leaves my soul cold.
Rating: 3/10
Anti-Flag – Lies They Tell Our Children
Genre: Pop Punk
Label: Spinefarm
Release Date: 06-01-2023
Anti-Flag’s gimmick in the greater Pop Punk scene has always been their overt political nature. You’ll find no songs about partying, girls, parents, or school on an Anti-Flag album. It was precisely the unsubtle hatred for injustice, imperialism, and America’s ills that attracted 11-year-old Alice to The Terror State and For Blood and Empire. Cries of “sellout” have always accosted the band, from their signing to Fat Wreck Chords to their pick up by BMG/RCA/Sony. Anti-Flag formed when vocalist/guitarist Justin Sane was fifteen years old. 2023 marks his 50th birthday, and Lies They Tell Our Children shows a Punk band growing old in a bad way.
Lies… is Anti-Flag’s heaviest album instrumentally, but it’s light on content in a subtle way, as if the band aren’t singing to express their anger but trying to represent that of today's youth. There was a time when Anti-Flag weren’t singing for “the children” because they were the children, but not anymore. On “Modern Meta Medicine” they deliver an early 2000s Metalcore song, complete with Killswitch Engage feature. The repeated refrains of the song title and lines such as “we get what we deserve” have an edgy individualist bend that characterizes contemporary Metalcore and Alt Rock, not Anti-Flag. The atypical lyrics continue with songs like “The Fight of Our Lives” with guitar chords that reminded me of In Flames' I, the Mask (not a compliment). Many guests from the Punk scene with distinctive voices are invited on board, but the 2010s maximalist Melodic Hardcore production smothers and homogenizes their voices so much it’s hard to tell them apart.
As the album comes to a close, I shudder. Instrumentally, it’s a competent pop punk album with a Melodic Hardcore edge. But listening to the all-too-audible lyrics repulses me in an uncanny valley way. Mohawk haircuts and cut-off vests have been out of vogue for a few decades. The "oi!" songs that the band cheekily references in their first EPs have become as antiquated as Ska. Anti-Flag have realized that they've become unfashionable and tried to change that. But the last thing any Punk band should do is sound fashionable.
Rating: 3/10
As is tradition on The Goat Review, every January Scuttlegoat commits to listening to every album with the Slam tag released to Bandcamp during the month. This tradition has been going for one (1) year.
Beatdownkönig - Beatdownkönig
Genre: Beatdown Hardcore
Release Date: 13-01-2022
What separates the Beatdown peasants from the Beatdown kings? As a genre, Beatdown is so strictly defined with such a narrow range of stylistic elements that I couldn't pinpoint what makes a Beatdown album good or not. Anyway, Beatdownkönig don't quite reach a level where I would elevate them to royalty myself, but they do show some smidges of unusual variety—a bluesy solo here, a semi-blackened arpeggio there. These things go a long way. Unfortunately, Beatdownkönig also goes for long. Too long. 48 Minutes is longer than any Beatdown album should ever be—and I could easily deduct another point for 19 minutes of French Spoken Word.
Rating: 4/10
Skulldozer - Non Stop Ruthless Crushing (2023 Full Length Album)
Genre: "Brutal" Death Metal
Release Date: 13-01-2022
In their blurb, Skulldozer mention that the band aims to combine elements of Death Metal with "Modern Melodic Sludge". I have no concrete idea how Modern Melodic Sludge is supposed to sound, and I have, so far, never really encountered it in the wild. In any case Skulldozer aren't particularly Sludge or melodic. Skulldozer frankly just sounds like the modern mainstream type of Death Metal that is almost Melodeath, has a strong groove leaning, and never delves into anything particularly abrasive, transgressive or unique. Furthermore, it seems like Skulldozer want to game the algorithm: six of the ten tracks of this album have previously been featured on an EP in 2021, leading to the clunky title. I doubt that one was much better and similarly, I doubt such stunts can get Skulldozer the recognition that they might think they deserve. Worst of all, it is not even Slam. I am in this for the comedic value of Bandcamp's most abject trash. If I wanted mediocre mainstream metal, I'd head over to Nuclear Blast.
Rating: 5/10
Viral Isolation - A Vacant Void
Genre: Deathgrind
Release Date: 14-01-2023
A phenomenon of Slamuary is that often Slam seems to be a filler tag. Since Bandcamp's own search engine is incredibly janky (and discriminates against transgressive extreme genres like Goregrind), it is often more productive to Google for the band and album name and add "Bandcamp" to the Google search. Viral Isolation are not really a Slam band, but rather deal in a heavily Grind infused Death Metal. Nonetheless, they have a Slam tag and they released on Bandcamp in January, so I have very little choice but to cover them. Luckily, they're not horrible. Sometimes hints of dissonance give some flavor to what is, for the most part, relentless blasting. Viral Isolation would do good to slow down occasionally... maybe just Slam a little...? But overall this is probably the best release I have heard for Slamuary 2023 yet. Viral Isolation seems to at least have a vision of some kind. I have heard worse albums released to actual labels and during less barren times of the year.
Rating: (high) 5/10
Slaughtopsy - S.H.D.T.U.D.V.A.L.
Genre: Brutal Death Metal / Ambient
Release Date: 05-01-2023
Step aside Atmospheric Black Metal, there is a new kid on the block! That's right, Brutal Death Metal can be tacked together meaninglessly, with sections that don´t transition into each other too. The opening 18 minute track might just as well be cut into separate tracks— it would probably play a little bit better. Also, isn't it brilliant how there is an interlude that leads into an ambient track? S.H.D.T.U.D.V.A.L. feels like the artist wasting the listener's time in the most aggressive of ways. But it is quite possible that we just lack the right frame of mind, the right context. If the artist is to be believed, he overcame humanity in late 2022 and S.H.D.T.U.D.V.A.L. is his first offering in this new transcended form. If this is what enlightenment sounds like, maybe being human isn't so bad after all.
Rating: 2/10
Perky Macabre - Is Your Brain Leaking?
Genre: LoFi Goregrind
Release Date: 19-01-2023
For how simple it is, the title of this EP is shockingly open ended. Is this maybe a rhetorical question? Is the artist maybe relating a question to us that they have been asked repeatedly themselves? Is he doubting our ability to make informed choices, as we are returning to him again and again? For what it's worth, I think Perky Macabre probably did well taking some time off. Is Your Brain Leaking? has a tiny bit more variety than most of his work, but with Perky Macabre and variety, we are always talking homeopathic doses. There are still constant D-Beats, we still often hear the click track and the production hasn't changed one bit. Good to have constants in these turbulent times.
Rating: 3/10
Cannibal Abortion - Promo 2023
Genre: Brutal Death Metal / Slam
Release Date: 19-01-2023
The most memorable thing about Cannibal Abortion is frankly the top YouTube comment on Slam Worldwide, proclaiming that the Promo was what the commenters mom sang to him as a child. You have the type of Brutal Death Metal clearly played by someone formerly very much into Deathcore, with the guitar tone that sounds so mechanical it might as well be played by an actual robot. The density of bands like these is why, many years ago, I had considerable bias against slam. Of course, nowadays, we all know Slam is nothing but quality...
Rating: 5/10