Tag Archives: Death Metal

Overkill/Vader/One Machine – Sound Control, Manchester, 6th April 2016.

Posted by Fraggle on

Thank Lemmy for consistency… Yes, I am fully aware that the saying is thank God, but if films have taught me one thing, it is that Lemmy IS God, so yeah!

 

Anyway, back to the review… Very few bands these days can keep the same intensity and approach as they have done when they first started out these days, it is a natural fact that all things will deteriorate over time. Thankfully it seems that East Coast Thrash veterans Overkill seem to be immune to the effects of time with each year that passes. Their sound has remained as intense as always and this was proved by 2014’s White Devil Armory which stands up there along with Years Of Decay in terms of classic Overkill releases.

Joining Overkill are Polish metal titans Vader who have a relentless approach to delivering full on, high quality death metal and One Machine who are comprised of musicians who have featured at some point in Testament, Forbidden, Savage Messiah, Nevermore, Endeavour and Biomechanical. Given the quality on this line up, it looks to be a fairly promising, fast paced evening where heads will be banging and spinning and bodies will be moving.

Initially the doors were supposed to open up at 6 and the first band, One Machine taking to the stage shortly after that, but for some reason, gig things happened and everything got shunted back a little which meant the evening was spent wondering whether I could catch the full Overkill set or not due to last train home and the like..

Eventually, the ball was rolling and the night had begun. One Machine were first up and after the initial exotic sounding intro sample, we were treated to some raw, classic styled thrash. Clean vocals were the mainstay, delivered by a real powerhouse of a vocalist and there were some slips into more rawer and harsher sounding territory, but it was a welcome approach. The instrumental component of the band was solid – a fully cohesive, precise and heavy unit which delivered the goods magnificently – the rhythm section was thunderously heavy whilst the guitars were full on in their approach to riffs and soloing. Tracks like “New Motive Power” were thunderous in their delivery, packing a real raw slice of thrash based aggression into their delivery whilst the closing track “Summoning Of The Soul” could be likened to a thrash version of the Rime Of The Ancient Mariner with its epic story telling feel, long length and slightly nautical themed delivery at times. Real melodic and heavy, it had a real atmospheric delivery and it acted as a great advertisement for the band. It’s a shame their set had to be cut due to the timing mishaps but these guys are one to watch in the future!

Vader were up next and after some sound tech issues initially, things finally got underway. Now, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate Vader as a real force in the death metal scene. The way they deliver both in the studio and on stage in terms of the musical quality is fantastic but (you knew this was coming…) seeing them live just does nothing for me. I can’t quite see the spark which other death metal bands usually have with me, but it still doesn’t stop me appreciating it. Technically sound and intense, delivering their trademark crushing musical attack, the fourpiece hit hard with tracks like “Dark Age” and “Come See My Sacrifice” but despite a good portion of the crowd really getting into it and the rest nodding along, all I could keep thinking was ‘square Peg, Round Hole’ for their place on the line up.

Finally, we got to the main point of the night, Overkill!

With the dramatic and tension building “XDM” leading into the relentlessly heavy “Armorist”, the crowd went wild and were in full voice. Bodies were flying and the riffs were flowing as Bobby and the boys were in full swing. Following up quickly was the classic, “Rotten To The Core” and the thunderously powerful “Electric Rattlesnake” and from there on, it just went on like any Overkill show. Bobby worked the crowd the way he always does and the rest of the guys brought the music. “Nice Day For A Funeral” got even more crowd participation and somewhere in the midst of the chaos as I was hurling myself around, I managed to go up and over the rail, getting a fist bump from Bobby in the process which pretty much validated my whole reason for buying tickets for the gig! The groove laden delivery of “Thanks For Nothin’ ” tore the venue a new one and things just kept going great, even if they had to cut two songs from their set due to the timing issues.

Bringing a close to the night, the triple blow of “Ironbound”, “Elimination” and the Subhuman’s cover and arguably Overkill’s trademark song, “Fuck You” capped off a fantastic evening and left Sound Control in pretty much the same state Overkill left it last time they swung by for a night – bodies battered, broken, drenched in sweat and screaming Fuck You at each other. As always, it was a top night and a fantastic thrash party and one can only wonder what it would have been like had the band got the full time allowance.

Still, Overkill came to Shred, In Union we were standing and afterwards, we all felt Rotten to the Core!

(Fraggle)

 *Sadly, I was unable to get any pictures or footage from this gig. If anyone who attended has pictures they would like to share, I will give you credit and put them in here*

‘Of Ghosts and Gods Tour, 2016’: Kataklysm, Septic Flesh, Aborted. Manchester Soundcontrol 18-02-2016

Posted by Fraggle on

kataklysm-tour2016

When a tour like this rolls round, you’d be foolish not to grab a ticket and get along to it. Two of Death Metal’s most titanic bands in the past decade or so along with another Symphonic Mediterranean based Death Metal band in a small venue which has great acoustics and is easily accessible is a night you do not want to miss out on and the fact that Aborted were on the bill sealed the deal for me.

My first encounter with Aborted and Kataklysm was back in 2007 when they played Damnation Festival 2007 up in Leeds and needless to say, it was fantastic! Since then, I have always tried to catch Aborted whenever I can and it seems like when they are in town, Kataklysm aren’t usually far behind or they play the following year.

Getting to the venue for doors at 6:30, the first stop was the merch table manned by Sven, the charismatic and commanding frontman for Aborted and after forking over some of my cash for a new shirt and then hitting the bar for Red Stripe, I was all set. I was still amazed with the fact that they were the opening act (personally, I saw them as a headliner but ah well!) but when the opening music from the film “Hellraiser” was used for their walk out, a quick look around the venue, seeing it fairly packed out for the opening act, all that went out the window – only brutality mattered.

And brutal it was. The grindcore tainted death metal slammed into you like a jackhammer and didn’t stop. Pummeling with harsh vocals, blasting drums and intense guitar and bass, everything was spot on as you would expect from the long standing five piece. Recent works such as Necrotic Manifesto and Termination Redux went down a storm with the crowd, as did the relentless onslaught of brutal riffery and sublime lead work but the most well received part was the talk of a new album either coming in April, or work beginning on it in April. Either way, I am eagerly anticipating this.

Up next after a brief changeover were Greece’s Septic Flesh. Greece has a rich history for extreme metal bands, the most notable riding the wave of interest being Rotting Christ and a lot of people were eagerly anticipating this act.

Opening up their set, you could tell the symphonic element was a key component to their sound as it really augmented the death metal beneath it. With a grand feel about them and a decent tone too, they delivered the goods. I don’t know much about them so I cannot really say which tracks went down a storm and so on, but the crowd loved it. Interacting well with the crowd, the frontman had a good stage presence and the music was filled with blasts and solid death metal grooves under the dramatic and sinister symphonic overtures, the latter of which I found enjoyable and found myself wondering if a venue with better suited acoustics to this kind of music would make them sound phenomenal. Their final song, “Prometheus” really sparked the crowd after the dedication to the bands and those in attendance and it did have a real epic feel to it and maybe it may be worth investigating this group more, but to me, as good as they were in the live setting, they didn’t sit right on the bill for me and personally, I feel they should have opened.

With those down and more booze in me, it was time for the headliners. Kataklysm, hailing from the United States of Canada (according to Septic Flesh’s frontman) are a band who really need no introduction.

From the off, the solid groove driven brutal death metal hit hard and didn’t relent in the slightest. Tight and precise, it was excellently delivered and the band the majority of those in attendance were there to see were received as expected. Breaching the Asylum opened the proceedings and from there, it just rolled through. With tracks spanning their discography for the most part, there wasn’t a song which wasn’t happily lapped up. Rarely played Open Scar’s went down a storm whilst crowd favorite Crippled and Broken tore the place a new one setting up an encore of Iron Will and Elevate to round off a storming live performance.

By the end of the night I was a bit bruised but not as crippled and broken as I would have expected to be, but one can only put that down to Aborted opening the show and not closing it!

The ‘Of Ghosts And Gods Tour’ is one of those special tours which comes by every now and then and it is well worth trying to catch it, after all, where else can you find three of the most in form Death Metal bands of the moment on the same bill? Symphonic, Groove, pounding, brutal… It was an enjoyable night for all who went!

(Fraggle)

Aborted – “Termination Redux” (Century Media)

Posted by Fraggle on

635826745208491354Death Metal is such a diverse genre which slips into so many other genres with relative ease but also has its own unique sound and feel. Whether it is brutal, traditional, USDM, UKDM, Melodic Death Metal or doom, black, grind or gore tinted, it has that signature intensity which sets it apart and currently, none seem to shine brighter than Belgium’s own Aborted.

I first discovered this band back in 2007 when they played Damnation Festival 2007 along with Kataklysm and strangely enough, nine years later, the two are touring once again! The Belgian five piece are uncompromising in their approach, laying waste with harsh vocals which are barked or guttrally smashed into you whilst the precise rhythm unit of the band lock everything down to lay a solid foundation for some real phenomenally heavy and brutal riff work. In all, its a band who after 20 years in existence, seem to have reached that point where it comes so easy to them. As a taster for what is to come and to celebrate 20 years in the DM scene, Aborted release Termination Redux, a short EP with all new brutal material. Are you ready for some blast beats?

Opening up with “Liberate Me Ex Infernus”, we have the usual introduction setting short sample intro track which sets the scene. With distorted voices and a sinister atmosphere, it would have served better just being a part of the track it leads into, but nevermind, it does the job well enough and as “Termination Redux” explodes into life, it is time to experience the full fury of Aborted. Opening up with a sheer wall of force, hitting like a sledgehammer to the skull, the blasting drums with evil sounding guitars crush all in their path with no remosre. The verse speeds things up significantly, the harshly delivered vocals create a maelstrom of chaos as they tear ahead and the delivery is just spot on. Precise rhythms, effortless blasting and brutal feeling riffery, its exactly what you expect from the band. Round the 2 minute mark, things take a sinister turn with a real malevolent sound and feel – a big breakdown section with haunting clean melodic lines over harsh vocals and a slower pace which brings a sense of unease. This slips into a fluid and flowing technical solo which in turn leads to a massive vocal roar which signals the return of the maelstrom , ending the track with an explosion of brutal proportions.

“Vestial Disfigurement Upon The Sacred Chantry” is furious from the off. The relentless blasting of the drums with intricate and pounding guitar riffs played at a rapid pace cuts through with little fuss or care for what is in its way and the venom in the vocal delivery is magnificent. With a wild and chaotic feel, it is unbelievably intense and heavy and that is just the opening minute! It slows slightly into a more controlled section which has a real thunderous feel to it and the guttral vocal stylings begin to rear their head once again, adding to the intense atmosphere. Speeding up again, the twisting, harmonic laden riffs up the frantic feel as they squeal out clearly between blasts and chugs and overall it has a fantastic no nonsense death metal groove to it.

“Bound In Acrimony” is another full force, relentless sonic assault with some serious power in it. The blistering pace from the off, provided by the furious blasting on the drums gives a real tightly controlled groove with an intense delivery. It doesn’t let up, from the thundering bass to the buzzing guitars and machine gun like drums, it just keeps on going, letting nothing get in its way, making for what could be a spectacular track in the live setting just for the sheer ferocity of it! Closing the EP is “The Holocaust Reincarnate”. Possibly the heaviest and most intense track on this short EP, the closing number has it all. Pounding bass which brings a heavy as fuck quality to the sound, really letting the low end thunder through whilst the buzzing guitars and drums bring the pace. Slipping into a full on audio-assault of death metal, the precise and rapid-fire groove just steamrollers everything in its path. Like a madman on PCP charging through the streets, shrugging off tasers and gunshots, the venomous delivery of the track pulls no punches and takes no shit! Even when it slows down with an ominous sounding breakdown, it has a full on headbang feel with plenty of slam styled riffs to keep the intensity going, occasionally broken up by sporadic bursts of pace and rapid riffery, leading into a technically sound solo over the controlled brutality to draw it to a close.

Overall, this isn’t just a stop-gap release. This is a signal of intent, a statement, something to show what 20 years of brutal and technical death metal can lead to. Termination Redux is a taste of what Aborted plan to bring to the table with their next full length release. Uncompromising, taking no prisoners and demonstrating why they are shown so much respect and admiration, Aborted have delivered once again. In roughly 15 minutes, the brutal Belgians have got 2016 off with a blastbeat and the coming tour with Kataklysm promises so much.

(8/10 Fraggle)

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Sonic Recapitulation’s top 20 of 2015

Posted by Fraggle on

2015 was a stellar year for releases. Anyone who said there was nothing worthy or of note released seriously needs to take a long look at themselves and ask the question – “Just what the fuck was I listening to?”

Great tours, Fantastic albums and some bands stepping up to the plate and others passing on the torch or re-inventing themselves and showing what they can do with some new ideas, it was a great year for some and a let down for others.

This has been a rather interesting year musically! I’ve probably reviewed around 100 albums since the start of the year and listened to a few more so I had a pretty big list to try and condense down. There were some expected musical deliveries, some surprise packages, some expected dreadful albums and a handful of one’s which should have been so much better than they actually were, it was rather disappointing (See Slayer, Geoff Tate). Anyway, there won’t be any honorable mentions this year so lets crack on with it:

 

1) Iron Maiden – “The Book Of Souls”. (EMI)

It had to be this really, the moment I heard “Speed Of Light” before the album was released, I was impressed with the more hard rock vibe delivered in that classic Maiden style. Bruce has had some big health troubles recently, but you’d never have thought it listening to his work on this album. For me, it’s the best one they’ve put out since Bruce rejoined for ‘Brave New World’ as it pushes the boundaries a little more for Maiden – actually using drop-D tuning for one song, Harris only being the creative mind in half of the tracks and of course, that epic closing track, “Empire Of The Clouds” which showcases Dickinson’s creativity, ingenuity and fantastic vocal story telling… Also, can’t forget mentioning that sweet guitar solo on “Tears Of A Clown”!

 

2) Night Viper – “Night Viper” (Svart)

This was the surprise package and for the past week or so (at time of writing this up), it was the one thing which actually came close to topping Iron Maiden on my list. Delivered with that classic NWOBHM style sound, mixing the early Maiden, Priest and Saxon sounds with some realy modern grit and fantastic vocals, the Swedish classic sounding metal outfit produced one of the best debut albums of the year and one of the most authentic sounding metal albums which borrows heavily from the 80’s. My review of this album really explains just what I think of the release so feel free to give it a read.

3) Armored Saint – “Win Hands Down” (Metal Blade)

Whilst this album didn’t score as high as the album in the #4 position, this is possibly one of my most listened to records of 2015. A solid album which showcases why John Bush is easily one of the finest metal vocalists of our time and how the often overlooked and underrated thrash and groove metallers always deliver when its time to offer up a new record. With scathing views on society combined with fantastic guitar work and some slick bass and drums, it’s an all round album which was so nearly my album of 2015 if it wasn’t for the two above it!

 4) Jupiter Falls – “Revolution” (Broken Road)

I said enough about this release in my review and my opinion still hasn’t changed. To me, it is a modern day version of Appetite For Destruction – it’s got all the bases covered, it’s an explosive sounding album made by people who really know how to put together some solid sounding tracks and play a wide range of styles, from your modern metal to classic sleaze tainted rock to big heartfelt tracks. Having heard a demo of a new track for the follow up, I can safely say this is an album which will solidify Jupiter Falls in years to come! A fine debut and one hell of a sound!

 5) My Sleeping Karma – “Moksha” (Napalm)

The album which literally blew my mind when I listened to it was again another heavy contender for album of the year. In fact all my top 5 were, that is how close they all are! Stunning songwriting, beautifully arranged melodies and a massive sounding sonic landscape for you to immerse yourself in, the German instrumental psychadelic doom and groove merchants have created easily the best instrumental album of 2015 and probably recent years too. If you do anything, just listen to the title track and prepare to be left an awestruck drooling mess after it!

6) Evil Invaders – “Pulses of Pleasure” (Napalm)

Much like Night Viper, Evil Invaders have brought out a convincing classic sounding album with some modern edge to it. Speed Metal at its finest, “Pulses of Pleasure” is a high tempo, high intensity, full on metal onslaught. Big riffs, big solo’s, air raid siren vocals and copious amounts of attitude behind it, it shits on a lot of the speed and thrash metal releases. Mr Araya and Mr King could learn a few things when it comes to recording a thrash album if they listened to this before hitting the studio!

 7) Diemonds – “Never Gonna Die” (Napalm)

Infectious and melodic hard rock with sacks of attitude, Diemond’s were another surprise for me this year. The great melodic hooks laced across the tracks, combined with the solid vocals from Priya which go from 80’s sleaze friendly to seductive and powerful just get stuck in your mind and the rebellious attitude flowing through each track just grows on you more and more. Simple, straight to the point and memorable, it’s an album you should take the time to check out!

 8) Napalm Death – “Apex Predator-Easy Meat” (Century Media)

It’s fucking Napalm Death, do I need to say any more?

 9) Psycroptic – “Psycroptic” (Prosthetic Records)

Aussie technical death metal fourpiece Psycroptic blew me away when I saw them in a tiny venue, performing a real storming set which had the crowd in the palm of their hand. Technically precise, intense, heavy and pulling no punches, this is one release I am glad I picked up!

 10) Iris Divine – “Karma Sown” (Sensory)

The top progressive metal album of the year for me. A massive sound from a three piece, channeling the spirit of Rush but with a heavier edge to it. With some fantastic arrangements, intricate solo’s and riffs and plenty of hidden nuances in each track which you discover each time, like hidden bass solo’s in a chorus or soaring synths which teasingly fade in and out of earshot between the heavy metallic riffery, it’s fantastic!

 11) Anthropia – “Non-Euclidean Spades” (Adarca)

 12) Abhorrent Deformity – “Entity Of Malevolence” (Comatose Music)

 13) Jorn Lande and Trond Holter present DRACULA – “The Swing Of Death” (Frontiers)

 14) Apophys – “Prime Incursion” (Metal Blade)

 15) Queensrÿche – “Condition Hüman” (Century Media)

 16) Cattle Decapitation – “The Anthropocene Extinction” (metal blade)

 17) PIST – “Rhythm and Booze” (When Planets Collide)

 18) Vision Of Disorder – “Razed To The Ground” (Candlelight)

 19) Weedeater – “Goliathan” (Season Of Mist)

 20) The Answer – “Raise A Little Hell” (Napalm)