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.
Sunrise Patriot Motion - Black Fellflower Stream
Genre: Atmospheric / Avantgarde Black Metal / Post Punk
Label: Independent
Goth-infused black metal is becoming one hell of a drug. Sunrise Patriot Motion signal the druggyness in more than one way, ofc. Similarly to related bands Ustalost and Yellow Eyes, I can´t really make up any distinct meaning from the combination of Band name and album title and the bandcamp promo blurb couldn´t be more meaningless - unless the goal was to shoehorn Motörhead into it for search-engine optimisation. Yes, Sunrise Patriot Motion are strange and maybe a tad pretentious, but they also don´t hide it at all - rather, they embrace it. What we´re being treated to on 'Black Fellflower Stream' is seriously unique and draws on gothic influences I haven´t heard yet.
Clearly inspired by the Synthpop and Darkwave side of 80s post punk, there are many odd choices and unique sound design on 'Black Fellflower Stream'. There is a distinct contrast between the almost chiptune-ish bloops of a track like 'Oil Dream field', the Oblivion NPC music of 'Antigleam' and the dream pop inspired guitar work of 'My Father's Christian Humidor'. Frankly, most of the material is on the softer side and would pass as synth oriented post punk if the vocals were less harsh or if there was just slightly less distortion on the guitars. As metalheads become more adventurous with what other genres they like and as that appreciation becomes less and less ironic, we experience metal becoming more broadly defined. If Sunrise Patriot Motion counts as metal, I cannot say. I can however say, that 'Black Fellflower Stream' is a very solid album.
Rating: 7/10.
Bekor Qilish - Throas of Death From The Dreamed Nihil
Genre: Technical Death Metal / Progressive Metal / Djent
Label: I, Voidhanger
Label expectations are interesting. When I, Voidhanger releases something, i expect it to be outre, experimental and decidedly unmainstream, but I also expect the material to sound a little bit out of its time - in fact, a lot of the material sounds like it could have been produced at any point in black metals history, if the musicians had only been adept and adventurous enough. Bekor Qilish, however, istinctly sounds like an album that was made after 2010. It was this post-'ObZen' era of progressive metal where bands were stuffing their albums with similar tropes and where Djent became fodder for a metalcore loving jumpdafuckup crowd. Many of these artists made me forget why I liked progressive metal to begin with. Bekor Qilish however make me remember when skronky polyrhythms and heavy syncopation was not only exciting, but fun.
This is partly due to the impressive roster of guest musicians and the unique flavor they bring. Marstons and Gramaglia´s solos bring a unique avantgarde flavor to the material, while Goulon and Ryabchenkop enrich the material with their respective unique approaches to drumming. The band can remind me as much of Gorguts, Cosmic Putrefaction or NEcrophagist as it does of Meshuggah and Vildjharta at times and that variety is a good thing. Ultimately, it is probably a disservice to call Bekor Qilish djent as even the sections that follow the writing formula for a djent "riff" the closest are far from what the genre has turned into. Riffs seem to be aware of the listeners expectation and play with and no algorhithmical djent riff nonsense can be found. When the band comes the closest to a classical Shuggah riff on closer 'Wretched Dawn', they´ve thoroughly earned it.
Rating: 7/10
ORNÆMENTAL SHINE - Deima Panikon
Genre: avantgarde Black Metal
Label: I, Voidhanger
It is one of those fridays again and I, Voidhanger records dumps four albums on us at once. As is tradition, I shall listen to all of them despite how painful this can occasionally be. ORNÆMENTAL SHINE, luckily, are tame for Voidhanger standards - the album is short and nerver goes iono the territory of absurd pretense that this label can sometimes dish up. The avantgarde aspect of SHINE´s sound is lightand mostly manifests in some slightly dissonant chords and odd baritone cleans, that make me think that Ved Buens Ende might have been an influence fpr 'Deima Panikon'.
Admittedly, the influence is superficial. Whereas Ved Buens Ende play loose with rhythm and use use odd jazzy flourishes in their harmony, ORNÆMENTAL SHINE play it more like many modern avantgarde Black Metal bands play it - albeit with more groove. The groove component is certainly the selling point for me and in momnents when shine hit me with a cowbell four-on-the-floor to announce a groove part, it makes me wonder why so few black metal bands think about the rhythmic impact their music has. Sure, in other genres this is commonplace, but in a black metal context, I always find it extra noteworthy. ORNÆMENTAL SHINE understand this more than the artists main bands (Uada and Black hate), at least. What doesnßt quite translate is the supposed Orthodox element of their music. The album barely sounds like sacral music and also not like its a deconstruction of said sound. In the end, ORNÆMENTAL SHINE reach the above average level, but is likely not worth many revisits.
Rating: 6/10.
Merihem - Incendiary Darkness
Genre: Avantgarde Black Metal
Label: I, Voidhanger
It certainly is ironic that I have to redact my statement on I, Voidhangers timelessness so quickly after I had praised them in my Bekor Qilish review. Merihem brands itself as "Experimental Black/Death Metal" but Death Metal elements are only present on the album in a very rudimentary way, if at all. Instead, Merihem is Iceland-core through and through to my ears. Vaguely dissonant black metal that tries to conjur abstract hellscapes and an atmosphere through a unique approach in harmony. Only that we have heard this approach a million times at this point and that, for me personally, it has started to become dull. At least they´re not lying about where they´re from, I guess - the international project admits willingly to not being from iceland.
In theory, there is of course a lot to be said about the modern dissoblack variety. The style is reaching the point where it is pretty easily decoded and replicated and no amount of supposed magic in the icelandic air seems to be needed. In addition to the style being overdone for me, I also don´t know how Merihem intend to stick out of the crowd. Songs are litreral tremfests and are hardly distinguishable from each other and the only flourishes that come with the trem are occasional plucks and the by now very familiar harmonic approach. If you´re still obsessed with the modern avantgarde black metal sound, Merihem is probably still somewhat worth checking out, but it certainly is not for me.
Rating: 5/10.
Esoctrilihum - Consecration of The Spiritüs Flesh
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Label: I, Voidhanger
My commitment to review every single I, Voidhanger release this year has some painfully obvious drawbacks: I am famously lukewarm on a lot of the most popular I, V bands and I admittedly put Esoctrilihum off till the last moment. Giving a band like Esoctrilihum a negative score online inevitably leads to a loss of followers and the huge time commitment of reviewing it is probably a waste of time if it only hinders my growth. Luckily, this newest Esoc record is unusually straightfroward and also unusually trim. 'Consecration of the Spiritüs Flesh' is less than 40 minutes and relatively straightfroward black metal. Strangely straightforward, in fact - the album has few of the extravagant mixing and synth influences of its predecessor and while the mix is a bit too raw and crushed for my taste, it doesn´t annoy me in the way Dy'th requiem did. 'Spiritüs Flesh' is a blackened death metal record and a very easy listen for me.
It does make me wonder where the Esoctrilihum praise is coming from once again. You can already see 'Spiritüs Flesh' make waves in the underground again, praising the supposed ingenuity of the writing and the supposed atmosphere it creates. I don´t feel much of that, admittedly - most of the album is an admittedly enjoyable bludgeoning that isn´t too much removed from the current blackened Death Metal trend. Sure, if you associate blackened DM with the radio ready feel of modern Behemoth, you´ll likely find 'Spiritüs Flesh' very weird - but I doubt most of Esoctrilihums fanbase is that enamored with entry level stuff. Where 'Dy'th Requiem' presented a very unique vision to me - albeit one I hated - I only see a rather workmanlike blackened DM record with 'Spiritüs Flesh'. Maybe sometimes an ambitious failure is preferrable to a safe album like this one - even if I will revisit neither.
Rating: 6/10.
Horns & Hooves - I Am the Skell Messiah
Genre: Black / Speed Metal
Label: Invictus Productions
I sometimes talk about how each band needs a unique selling point to them. I usually prefer when the unique selling point is musical in some way, either by way of being unique or just stellar execution of a familiar style. Lyrical content and image can however also be a unique selling point, even if the music itself doesn´t stray too far from the usual tropes of the genre. I can still remember when the novelty of drunk pirates on stage was enough to make me forget how mediocre and violently pandering the music was - admittedly, I was much much younger and much less knowledgeable about music. However, I must admit that Horns & Hooves lyrical weirdness does get me on some level. This might be the horniest I´ve ever seen any black metal band be. The band brags that the album is "is an orgy ov riffs, speed, blasphemy, percs, and bussy meant to give you the carnal pleasure that you deserve". Well, we can certainly at least know that Horns & Hooves aren´t socially conservative. Furthermore, we are informed that their newly acquired drummer is quite well bestowed. Luckily, this does not seem to impair his drumming.
The lyrics do this lyrical theme justice and I might even say that some of the music has a certain ecstatic (orgasmic?) feel to it, as well. The vocals occasionally jump into a less controlled version of the King Diamond highs and we even get a short moaning interlude. The material is suitably sloppy, too. Other than that, 'I Am The Skel Messiah' is not too dissimilar from other blackened Speed Metal records you might find. I appreciate the weirdness and that it is a little more off the chains than your typical midnight record, but I don´t know how much staying power even a unique take on the genre such as this can have. Blackened Speed Metal is just very narrowly defined and the few records that have wormed their way into my heart are frankly more than enough to satisfy my occasional craving for it. However, I do recommend everyone give Horns & Hooves at least one spin - just remember to wear protection. No way of knowing where they´ve been.
Rating: 6/10.
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