Tag Archives: Technical Death Metal

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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Anomalie – “Refugium” (Art Of Propaganda)

Posted by Fraggle on

CD Digi Wallet.indd

Anomalie is the project of Austrian Black Metallers Selbstentleibung’s guitarist Marrok. Unlike his main band’s work, Anomalie is more of a Post-Black Metal sounding project. Using the core elements of black metal song writing and structure – blastbeats, pounding rhythms, tremolo picked guitars and harsh vocals which border between scream and rasp at times and most importantly, the art of being able to craft a vast sonic landscape to explore whilst you listen to it. With this being Marrok’s own personal vision, we join him on his journey through a vast spectrum of emotions and states – hope, despair, beauty, bleakness, reality, the surreal, liberation and oppression. With the album name translating to ‘refuge’, let’s see what we could be seeking refuge from.

Opening up with a haunting and atmospheric acoustic tinted progression, “In Fear Of Tomorrow” begins to draw you in. With almost tribal like drum patterns and dramatic sounding tremolo picked distorted lead melodies, it creates a slightly surreal and intense feeling before it kicks in fully with a massive sound. Raw and passionately delivered vocals over a solid rhythm and melodic dark sounding lead riff make for a stunning sound in the verse and this continues to the first major feel change round the three minute point. Here the vocals take on an eerie sound with a softer delivery before a minute later, it explodes into a melodic death metal sound reminiscent of Dark Tranquillity but with black metal overtures in the vein of Ishahn. It’s a stunning opening effort.

“Spiritual Distortion” doesn’t take the easing you in approach however. From the off its pounding and dissonant sounding intro hits you at a steady pace with thunderous force. Picking up the pace a little, the slightly symphonic sounding lead melody adds an extra layer to the sound and has a Borknagar like feel to it. Clever use of clean lead fills add a good touch and more dynamics to the track and the riff sections come heavy and at a decent pace with precise drums, a tight melodic progression and a solid vocal delivery. As it progresses, it slips between a smooth flowing and jarring feel with minimal fuss or momentum lost and the melodic solo towards the end is well composed and has some brilliant phrasings and tone behind it.

“Untouched Walls” keeps the dramatic feel up. With a synth and sample heavy intro, a faint guitar riff comes in which is just about audible, especially when the meaty sounding rhythm guitar section kicks in. The main melodic guitar progression is simple but has a good quality hook to it which keeps it feeling familiar and the subtle vocals which are barely audible in the build up finally come to life with venom and ferocity in their delivery round the 1:30 point. Despite being overly nihilistic sounding, it does have some brighter melodies in it to provide a good contrast to the rhythm and vocal delivery and at times it descends into entropy with a furiously delivered middle section which eventually eases off and ends on a clean, melodic acoustic section which draws the track to a close.

“Between Reality And The World Beyond” brings back the livelier feel with that Dark Tranquillity edge to the sound despite the dark overtures of the track. Once again, the musical delivery is tight. The simplistic progression of the rhythm with the expressive lead melodies which dance across the track add more layers to the sonic landscape Marrok is creating here and it sounds even bigger than what it actually is. With a melodic solo leading the way to a faster feel section, its delivery is spot on. The bass sounds huge and like the rest of the tracks so far, it has a real powerful delivery which certainly gives a good impact and brings that intensity to it in terms of atmosphere and not heaviness or volume. “Solace” slows it down with a heavy chugged rhythm and the slow building lead melody gives a great build up feel so when it does kick in to the pounding rhythm with fast paced riffs and a real thunder to it, it comes across even more venomous. Once again, the simplistic rhythmic structure of the song provides a great backdrop for the dynamic vocal delivery which really dictates the dark feel and the lead guitar melodies which help bring the track to life and the only real intricacies lie towards the end when it shifts into a clean and acoustic progression with a warm sounding distorted lead which fades the track out.

“Leaving Somina” brings back the drama and flair. With a hypnotic acoustic guitar line over a thick chugged distortion and clean, spoken vocals, it builds the anticipation and round the 1 minute mark, it kicks into life with some melodic riffs before it really gets going at the 1:30 point. Faster pace, thicker sounding rhythm and more complex drum patterns really up the heaviness and intensity of the track and as always, the lead melodies augment the rhythmic backdrop brilliantly, giving it a massive sound and feel. With some real powerful vocal displays across the track, this is one of the stand out moments of the album, especially with the acoustic and distorted guitar interplay sections but the ending is the best – a real blackened approach to a mid-90’s In Flames sounding progression with some powerful primal roar like vocals. “Freiflug 48° 23´ N, 16° 19’ O” translates to ‘free flight’ and what I assume to be co-ordinates (A quick look in google isn’t much help but possibly it’s Austria, if any readers crack this, please let me know!). It has a slower, more melodic approach to it with a bright tone which is a welcome change given how dark the majority of the album has been. With multiple layers intricately weaved on top of one another, it has a complicated sound initially but when you focus on the individual parts and not the entire thing, it’s easier to follow. The layers eventually clear up to a stripped back acoustic progression which has a warm sound and very uplifting feel to it but this doesn’t last too long as the distortion kicks in with the harsh vocal screams once more. What is unique though is how despite the heavy sound and style of music, it still maintains its upbeat edge and the rich bassline underneath all this is a delight to take in. With a clean melodic progression adding extra to the scope of the track, it goes near enough totally acoustic round the 4:20 point before a powerful vocal roar soon after snaps it back into the distorted progressions to bring the track to a close.

Closing the album is the title track, “Refugium” and it is an 11 minute epic. From the start you have a sense that this draws the entire album together and you wouldn’t be wrong. The huge hybrid of melodic death metal and black metal composition brings a multi-layered chaotic sound. Blasting drums, rapid fire guitars with that melodic hint to them and powerful bass brings the ferocity once again but as the verse comes in, it slows down. The sound is huge and the vocals are as raw as ever but when it springs back to life again round the 1:46 part, we get one of the best faster paced sections of the album. It has a real melodic hook to the lead progression and this pops up again several times through the track, often preceding or following the shifts to a more black metal sounding section where the chaotic feel comes back once more. Near the halfway point it eases off to a lighter distortion before heavy chugged guitars come back in before the black metal urgency explodes again and at the 6 minute point, there is a fantastic lead melody section which has a great atmosphere building effect and a real rich sounding bassline. As mentioned before, the switches between fast melodic progressions and slower intense heavy progressions continues and round the 9:30 point, the distortion slowly eases off, being replaced by a haunting keyboard based melody and clean sounding ringing guitars which fade out and draw this experience to a close.

Overall, “Refugium” is a fantastic album for a genre of music which is not one of my preferred ones. It takes the core elements of black metal and applies a more progressive slant to them instead of primal and animalistic one, giving a better atmosphere and a different kind of intensity and listening experience to the more traditional black metal bands who are all about harshness, dissonance and grim sounds. With the melodic death metal touches, the blackened metal journey through Marrok’s immersive sonic landscape is an interesting one and even if you aren’t much of a fan of the melodic side of extreme metal, I do recommend checking this out at least once, you may be pleasantly surprised.

(7.5/10 Fraggle)

https://www.facebook.com/The.Anomalie.Experience

Psycroptic – “Psycroptic” (Prosthetic Records)

Posted by Fraggle on

psycroptic-album-cover

Up until September of this year, I’d never even heard of the technical death metal four piece from Tasmania but finding out that they were playing in a tiny venue in Liverpool at the start of October with Luxembourg’s Scarred, I would have been a fool to pass up on the chance to see what they were like. Needless to say, I was blown away by the precision musically and the showmanship and engagement they had with the crowd, really winning them over with little fuss and destroying the place with a fantastic set. Anyway, formed in 1999, the Aussie tech death outfit are uncompromising both on record and live, and this year’s release, the self titled “Psycroptic” is no different.

Opening up with a slow building sample and some effects laden acoustic and clean guitars to give a real sense of anticipation, “Echoes To Come” opens the album up. The slightly exotic clean line coupled with some powerful distortion and drums really brings the energy and out of nowhere, the vocals kick in and all chaos breaks loose. Vocally solid with a harsh shout which borders on scream at times but delivered in a totally audible way, it really grabs hold and the intricate riffs from the guitar are delivered with precision. Effortlessly slipping between simple structured riffs and twisting fills and breaks, the track flows smoothly, never once seeming to lose momentum or the power its delivery gives. Moments of heavy groove give way to blasting fury. The lead work is sublime, flowing perfectly with minimal fuss or regard for the precision and technicality contained within in, making for a real great opening effort.

“Ending” follows up with another twisting styled riff similar to one you might find on a Necrophagist release. The winding almost solo like verse lines with the raw vocals and gratuitous double kick go great and the heavier and slightly slower chorus sections add an extra touch to it, balancing the intricate with the heavy. The shifting feel, from slow to fast halfway through works fantastic. The brutal pounding atonal chords stabbing away slipping into a winding ascending and descending lick before another raw sounding chorus which trails out into a furious drum heavy ending with some real deep and raw sounding vocals. “A Soul Once Lost” has a slightly thrashy quality to its build up initially but the intricate and precise runs of the technical death metal sound quickly force their way in, dominating the track. With incredible precision it will have many fans of this style of music wondering just how to play the quick runs without ruining their wrists or have them simply listening in awe. Despite this technical brilliance, there is a real steady but hard hitting groove to the song fueled by some relentless double kick from the drums and the harsh vocal screams which all combine to make it a real powerful track. Sounding angry but controlled, it slows a little round the halfway point to a dark melodic section with some samples adding a big sound feel. Here is where the drum groove really comes to life and the interplay between the tormented vocals and virtuoso performance on the guitar really makes this one of the stand out moments of the release so far. A flowing lead section follows before some real polyrhythmic riff and lick tradeoffs, punctuated by machine gun like bursts before the revisiting of the intro caps it off nicely.

“Cold” has a tribal feel to it as it starts. With a steadily growing in volume clean guitar line, the intricate arrangements and feel really work well, serving as a slight reprieve from the ferocity of the previous tracks but still showcasing the technical elements of the band. As it kicks in distorted, it’s a lot faster than some of the previous tracks with one hell of a groove to it, perfect for headbanging to. The slight thrash feel comes back again just before the verse and it’s full pelt as the vocals kick in. Raw and powerful shouts combined with some real intense rhythm work provides the perfect accompaniment for the winding guitar lines which cut through and sound great. It’s heavy and intense but not overpowering. Towards the end it eases a little with the bass playing the main riff for a brief period before the final chorus once again, drawing the slight break from the insanity to a close. Thankfully the blitzkrieg in the form of “Setting The Skies Ablaze” takes no prisoners. Full speed ahead, it smashes into you with rapid guitars, bass, blasting drums and some frantic vocal delivery which just pummels you, only briefly letting up for the chorus which has some decent groove buried in it courtesy of the drums once again. Getting heavier after the second chorus, it picks up the intensity, the vocals are harsher and the riffs are more groove laden but still maintain that technical precision required of this sub genre of death metal. Whilst it’s not Dream Theater levels of complexity, it’s pretty fluid and that says just how good and well respected Psycroptic are in the technical death metal scene. The heavy breakdown section with its descending winding riffs and tight pinch harmonics towards the end really ups the groove section and once again, it’s not just about the gain or volume used to make it heavy, but how the music is delivered.

“Ideals That Won’t Surrender” has an ominous tone to begin with. The slower pace with haunting guitar melodies combined with the harsh vocal work has an unsettling edge to it but this is quickly dismissed as it picks up speed into a frantic and highly controlled yet chaotic sounding series of riffs. Heavy and full of groove, the headbang friendly verse has some rapid but flawless vocal delivery and the intricate guitars are only matched by the impressiveness of the drums and the bass keeping everything locked in place. Shifting between ominous and chaotic, it keeps you guessing, never quite letting you get accustomed to it, but at the same time, keeping the intensity up there, never letting it drop once, which is quite a feat, especially as technical death metal can sometimes be stale, something Psycroptic can never be accused of being. “Sentence Of Immortality” is another fast paced intro with some buzzing heavily muted guitars over relentless rhythm work. Vocally, it builds in intensity, from a hoarse yet harsh whisper to some full on hoarse and raw shouting as it progresses and by the 1:20 point, the vocals are back to their usual sound in terms of volume. Coming across as more twisted and tormented, the vocals really add to the intensity of the track and come the 2:10 point, everything changes up again. With an odd element of melody in the hoarse vocals, the guitars take on a more grand tone, giving a big moment feel which builds up great before crashing back into another heavily muted, pinch laden heavy section which transitions back into the haunting melodic section once more to wrap it up.

“The World Discarded” kicks back in with that familiar sound to the earlier tracks of the album, the technically intense and uncompromising approach. Heavy, groove laden and twisting, the music just does its thing with no fuss at all. Vocally its back to the same earlier powerful displays, full of power and some real venom in the delivery. The twisting lead licks into storming riffs really keep it bouncing and actually experiencing this one live was phenomenal. It’s just as intense in the live setting as it is on record. Just watch the video in the link below and you’ll see why anything I write about this track won’t do it the justice it deserves.

Closing the album is “Endless Wandering”. The raw and heavy intro really builds it up and once it kicks in, the great groove and vocal assault combines in a solid way. Relatively straight forwards in the verse, it gets more complicated as the track goes on with the intricate and rapid riffs paving way for a sinister sounding chorus which despite being short, really hits hard. The middle section really changes the sound, a harmonic laden fast riff section and scathingly delivered vocals up the heaviness of the track and as it goes on, the subtle synth backing and chugging guitar fade out brings the album to a close, wrapping up a 38 minute long masterclass in technical death metal.

It’s a tough genre to be a part of. Technical death metal has so many solid acts and in a crowded scene, you have to find ways to be innovative and Psycroptic have managed that. With every track being so different yet feeling familiar, it is so easy to listen to and when they perform live, you can get a measure of how the intensity on CD is given off when performed. Even though this album has been out since mid-March, it’s worth picking up, purely because in a year laden with agressive, heavy and intense grind and death metal releases, a controlled burst of chaos like “Psycroptic” is exactly what is needed to show just how diverse death metal is and how you can be heavy without cranking it up to ten.

(9/10 Fraggle)

https://www.facebook.com/psycroptic