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.
Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth becomes Memory
Genre: Mathcore / Jazzcore
Label: Holy Roar Records
Some bands work way better on paper than how the actual music sounds. Rolo Tomassi are certainly a group like that. Originally focusing more on the Math and Spazz elements on their sound, Rolo Tomassi have now found ways to streamline their sound and become more approachable. This approach leads to the issue that the band really doesn´t have the necessary contrast anymore to make their sound work - hyperpop sections that remind me more of anamanaguchi than the prog and Jazz Giants that originally supposedly inspired this bands sound trade places with pretty straight hardcore sections that aren´t very angular and probably inspire more melodic hardcore inspired poging than actual crowdkilling.
Originally, very harsh mathcore sections would contrast these poppy moments and give the whole thing a sense of purpose. Rolo Tomassi´s songs were more than the sum of their parts because of that contrast - catchy, gentle pop would seem more catchy when contrasted with the mathcore, while the perceived complexity in the mathcore sections would rise. Streamlining their sound in this way makes it a little more obvious that the individual sections in these songs just aren´t very interesting on their own. Sections, sometimes whole songs, only seem to exist to be different than the ones that surround it. Combine this with these sections often being multiple minutes (the album starts on a considerably lengthy whoosh sections) and it can all seem a little inconsequantial. Overall, contrast is important (and I applaud Rolo Tomassi for applying it), but means nothing if no real songwriting is behind it.
Rating: 5/10.
Autosarcophagy - Dolor
Genre: Death Metal
Label: Independent
The internet is very good at taking a niche thing that I am obsessed with, producing way too much of it and thus running it into the ground until I am utterly disinterested in it. Finndeath isn´t quite there yet, but I assume it will be soon, with Tomb Mold being as popular as they are and with all the imitators springing up out of nowhere. Luckily, part of being finnishness of Death Metal is being weird in unexpected ways and luckily, the best Finndeath acts are so hard to imitate that there are very few outright carbon copies. Autosarcophagy have a bad band name and are clearly inspired by Finndeath; thats a good start. Luckily, they also bring some interesting weirdness to the table in ways that I haven´t heard much elsewhere.
If I had to sell Autosarcophagy in one word it would be 'Twang'. This band eschews the typical mud and grime production for a twangy and surprisingly clean sound. Luckily, they have no reason to hide behind a wall of production, as their riffcraft is on point. Angular riffs, often even played with a twangy, almost country-inspired lead tone, are the main ingredient, as for many of the re-finn acts of today. But what makes Autosarcophagy stand out from the pack is the variety in riffs that you can find here. Strange, almost slam inspried parts, straight-up death thrash and the occasional odd melody are never what I expect, and yet they always come off as the exact right choice. The whole package is rounded off by some enjoyably vitriolic vocals. Criticisms are far and few between. And its name-your-price! Give 'Dolor' a spin, its one of the better OSDM records I have heard in a while.
Rating: 7/10.
Author & Punisher - Krüller
Genre: Industrial / Synthwave
Label: Relapse Records
Author and Punisher always had a great selling point: The artist, Tristan Shone, builds a bunch of highly mechanical looking controllers, huge machines, which he is strapped into like in a mech. He uses them, the actual movements of his body and how these control the machines, to produce sounds as the machines are hooked up to midi controllers which he uses to play synths. Its a rube-goldberg approach to making the kind of music that he does because, frankly, not much of it is audible in the music. You could music that sounds pretty much exactly like it in a DAW and using automation. In the end, I don´t judge and whatever approach leads you to create music in the most satisfying way is okay in my book. Its just that this aspect of the Author and Punisher Project often othershadows the music itself.
Luckily, Author & Punisher makes some pretty good music as well. The pumping, doomy, minimalist industrial is certainly mood dependant, but the mood occasionally strikes and A & P is what I need. Interestingly enough, 'Krüller' heavily leans into a synthwave sound, just with the usual industrial underpinning. I will assume this is due to his recent collab with Perturbator where stylistic flourishes just rubbed off on the artist. Justin Chancellor of TOOL also guests on the album, although I don´t feel as much of an influence from that camp (luckily, as I do not like TOOL very much). The new approach might certainly turn some fans off, as its not as harsh and cold. In fact, 'Krüller' is quite pleasurable to listen to. The risk with that is obviously that the album will easily push into the background. If it holds up as an active listen in the long run, only time can tell.
Rating: high 6 / potential low 7 on repeats.
Mortuary Drape - Wisdom - Vibration - Repent
Genre: Black / Death Metal
Label: Peaceville Records
It is funny, but absolutely logical, that you can often tell where a band is from just by the way they sound. I am only vaguely familiar with Mortuary Drape - they are often recommended to mem but the unappealing combinations of their band logo and album covers never made me very excited to actually dive in. Having heard this new one, boasting an odd combination of black and death metal that is drenched in weird, occult infused traditional metal, I knew they had to be italian - which turned out to be true.
I actually had quite a lot of fun with this style, as the odd and often sloppy combination of styles holds a lot of ironic and some unironic enjoyment from me. Heavy Metal influences in my extreme metal are always welcome and very few bands do a lot with it besides forcefully jamming the genres together and bastardising the good aspects of both. Mortuary Drape manage to have traditional riffing and a strange atmosphere without sacrificing the death and black metal backbone. Maybe I should finally give 'All the Witches Dance', their debut, a spin as I am sure that some youthful vigor in this style can really push it into some higher territory.
Rating: 6/10.
Benthik Zone - Εἴδωλον
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Label: Onism Productions
I probably hinted at my usual bias against atmoblack more than once; frankly, I might mention it every single time I decide to review an atmospheric black metal album. It is just a very easy genre to make and the many basement dwelling trve kvltists tend to use the same few elements over and over. Benthik Zone are, in my opinion, more atmospheric than most and, as is often the case with the few good acts that exist, they are more atmospheric because they actually make an effort besides turning a knob in a reverb VST.
Benthik Zone get a lot of mileage out of the traditional folk instrumentation of their homeland, Portugal. Member "Einsichtmartur - Seerweed Viking" is not only credited with Vocals, but also with Digeridoos and the Berimbau, the last being native to their homecountry. These are folk textures we don´t hear too often but the way they are used goes beyond pure novelty. In addition to this folk instrumentation, the Zoners also use noise and electronic elements, giving the album variety and making it seem shorter than it is. I have two criticisms, however, one of which is just me and likely unfair. First, I don´t like the vocals very much - similar to Dimmu Borgirs Shagrath, they just remind me of Popeye and I struggle to take them seriously. Second, transitions on this album seem to be mostly done in editing - this is forgiveable, however, especially considering the electronic elements borrowed from genres where this is rather common. Overall, a solid Atmoblack release that goes the necessary extra mile to make it interesting.
Rating: 6/10.