Savagery contains 10 songs that come at you like a freight train in the night, blasting you endlessly for 37 fine moments of pure, ear-crushing death metal.

With the title track, the album opens up with some sound effects that give the impression that a vault of evil, or the gates of hell, is being opened. Then, we get a vocal incantation that seems to indicate that we’ve brought pain and suffering upon ourselves, at which point we’re invited to “die.” As the instrumentation comes in, switching from one blissful channel to the next, it quickly become clear that we’re in for an onslaught of brutality — and the track delivers classic death metal. The guitar riffs grab you by the balls, the bass guitar nuances are eargasms, the drumming is relentless, and the vocals blend death growls with what sounds almost like black metal shouts.

The next track, “Seige Engine,” delivers more of the same, but speed and consequently intensity mount. There’s even a point toward the end, around the 3:40 mark, where you think you’re going to get a break down and some reprieve, but no, as quickly as that thought enters your bruised brain, Skinless come at you full of fury. Any sort of relief from the intensity only comes in about the last minute and a half, where we’re delighted to some haunting tones.

“Skull Session” has an intro that sounds like it belongs in a sci-fi horror film, not unlike Alien. After the intro, it’s more heavy riffs and brutality.

Just when we’ve thought we’ve settled in for a ride on the death metal train into hell, Skinless throws a curveball on “Reversal of Fortune.” This track, a short-lived two-minute instrumental, gives us a an acoustic intro that is, in very basic terms, incredibly beautiful sounding. Of course, it doesn’t take long for the electric guitars and the rest of the instruments to come out and play, but the established melody is maintained. This is a very welcome changeup, and it serves as the intro to “Exacting Revenge,” which seems to contain some kind of Dani Filth howls (or am I crazy?).

“Medieval” thus far is the sludgiest of the tracks, offering also the deepest grooves.

The sister track to “Reversal of Fortune” would have to be “Cruel Blade of the Guillotine,” which opens with an ominously evil sounding instrumentation that could fit on a Dio album, given his propensity for theatrics. Of course, Skinless break out of this and get onboard that death train heading straight for the gates of hell.

The Verdict:

Overall, Savagery is a classic death metal album with just enough modern elements to keep it relevant. The riffs are infectious and the melodies are addictive. It’s heavy and it’s high on testosterone. Guitar solos are solid throughout, although they’re not going to garner any “best solo” awards. The drumming is also solid, however, they’re buried in the mix and sound like they’re wrapped in bear skin, but they’re still not as bad as the drum sound on Van Halen’s 5150. Savagery is a fantastic example of how good death metal can be, while still maintaining its brutality. Playlist for sure, but remember that this album is about the journey, not necessarily about individual songs.

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The Norwegian thrashers come out of the gates fighting on the opening track, “Dark Lung of the Storm.” The first minute of the song is essentially an intro to the album, opening with a quick and steady drum tempo and a couple really cool guitar melodies. Of course, this melody changes once Aggressor jumps in on vocals with his classic thrash delivery. And naturally, the tempo doubles and new riffs are brought in to play. But somehow, this track doesn’t satisfy the thrash metal cravings, which get full attention on the following track.

“Grave Dweller” charges forward with a galloping intro on all instruments before hitting the classic thrash metal riffage we all know and love. There’s a power here, which is what we all love about proper thrash. Apollyon is gorgeous on the drums throughout this track with some interesting rhythms until finally going balls out for the finale.

Having never heard Aura Noir before, after the second track, I was ready for more. And “Hell’s Lost Chambers” didn’t disappoint. Continuing with the chugging guitars, albeit slower, the track kicks off in the right vein and with a steady but heavy delivery on drums. Aggressor’s vocals here take on a more fundamental Norwegian black metal tone, and he sounds absolutely beastly. There’s also a phenomenally dark bridge toward the end of the song, with amazing tone on the guitar, that’s reminiscent of all that satanic crap that heavy metal was associated with in the ‘80s. As we go back into the verse Aggressor’s bassmanship shines through with a heavy rhythm.

Now that the album has established its thrash metal credentials, “The Obscuration” brings the speed metal with a blistering guitar riff and frantic mania throughout the rest of the song. Indeed, this sounds like Slayer circa No Mercy.

The album continues to deliver until the very “Outro,” even giving us extended guitar solos on “Mordant Wind” and “Cold Bone Grasp.” As with most old-school thrash, there’s an element of punk rock to be heard on Aura Noire, and it’s not just in the DIY quality. It’s in the straightforward nature of the music and in the more-often-than-not general sound of the album.

The Verdict:

If you like that recorded-in-the-garage, but not shitty fidelity of early old-school thrash metal from the likes of Megadeth, Metallica, Exodus, Death Angel, Exciter, Kreator, and other legends, then this is an album for you. Whether it’s new or conjures a sense of nostalgia for you, this album has balls. If the idea of being a disgruntled teenager blasting head-splitting metal from his/her parents’ basement makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over, pick up your copy of Aura Noire now.

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What I’m really liking about King of Everything at this point is the direction the album goes musically. In its defiance of genre categorization, it draws on several heavy metal genres and ends up being an intense package of aggression and refreshing energy on the metal scene.

What Jinjer is able to do where so many of their tech death or metalcore counterparts fail, is incorporate highly technical playing with solid songwriting. That seems to be something that they didn’t lose sight of; the song is the important part and the technical nuances should be minimal and used to enhance the song — not the other way around.

In the same way as the technical aspects of the music have been used in a utilitarian fashion, Tatiana Shmailyuk’s vocals are used to great effect and offer tons of dynamics to the songs. True, her growls dominate, but her cleans often carry the songs through the melodies. Her cleans are spectacular to listen to; she has a great voice that could carry another band with no growls, but as it is, we get the devil and the angel from Tatiana in Jinjer.

What’s more, Jinjer is able to appeal to several age demographics. While incorporating certain modern metal elements, such as technical/progressive scales, bass drops, breakdowns, and blast beats, they also shred and include many old-school techniques from thrash metal and death metal. The point is, that there is a lot to listen to, but the listener never feels overwhelmed.

Obviously, the two tracks that are creating the most buzz are “I Speak Astronomy,” which has a very distinctive Rush “YYZ” intro, and “Pisces.” Both great songs, but time will be well spent also listening to “Dip Sail,” “Captain Clock,” “Words of Wisdom,” and “Just Another.” The band also lets out their jazz influence on the left-field album closer, “Beggars’ Dance.”

The Verdict:

For a third album, Jinjer sounds very accomplished and polished on King of Everything. As stated, they blend a lot of elements into the album, but the songs never get away from them. This album is highly recommended for anyone who likes heavy metal, but perhaps will be most appreciated by those who like extreme metal, tech death, and progressive metal.

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Whether the band knows it or not, it has tapped into something that could appeal to fans of all sorts of heavy metal genres — and what’s amazing is that it seems unintentional and 100% genuine.

Although Vantablack Warship are being typecast as “DeathThrash,” elements of punk, hardcore, nu metal, grunge, and of course, thrash and death are all present and accounted for. There’s definitely a lot of Slayer and Municipal Waste influence throughout, but you can also hear Helmet (“Black Tongue Bertha”), Nirvana (“The Blackhole”), Eyehategod (“Crisis”), and then some.

It’s a rare thing these days, but this album has me truly excited and feeling like a kid again. The heavy metalic guitar riffs sound incredible, the tone of the snare is perfect, the fullness of the kick drum and the bass can be felt in your groin, plus the melodies and progressions (especially in the album’s title track), it all adds up to an impeccable album that demands to be in your regular rotation.

What I do wish, however, was that the cymbals were brought up in the mix. I understand that it is the way it is so as not to cover up the vocals, but those could have been brought out more too. But if the vocals were brought forward any more than they are, perhaps those would dominate the rest of the music. There’s also an unfortunate lack of guitar soloing.

The Verdict:

Warning, this album is intended for true heavy metal fans. Don’t let this one slip under the radar. It’s aggressive, in-your-face heavy metal that gives a shit what you might think about it.

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We are all aware of the retro ‘60s and ‘70s era revival that’s going on in the music industry right now, and while some of it works (RAM, Ghost BC, Ancient VVisdom, et al.), a good chunk of it fails (The Sheepdogs, The Black Keys). Your taste may vary. When it comes to Italy’s Psychedelic Witchcraft, their revival sound is like a crisp fall wind churning leaves on the ground and whipping trees naked.

Earlier this year, Psychedelic Witchcraft released the compilation/long player, Magick Rites and Spells, via Soulseller Records. As well as a handful of new tracks, the album features songs that have appeared on their EP, Black Magic Man, and on their “Set Me Free” single. The band also has a demo, “Angela,” and a debut album, The Vision.

Virginia Monti leads the band on vocals, and her voice, while angelic and beautiful to the ears, captures the occult tone and doom vibe the band strives for. Her vocals can’t be ignored, and this might be no more true than on the groovy, deep-pocketed “Set Me Free.” On this track, her soulful swagger is on full display, and you’ll certainly want to be her stranger.

Although “Set Me Free” isn’t the album’s opener (it’s the third track following a fantastic-yet-bashful cover of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla”), it holds to the breakdown riff style established in “Come a Little Closer.” And so far, all three tracks have solid guitar solos from Jacopo Fallai.

It’s not until “Wicked Dream,” however, that Psychedelic Witch’s occultish influence (or appreciation) comes through as they quote the 1922 silent film, Häxan, using William S. Burroughs 1968 narration:

Lock them out and bar the door. Lock them out forever more. Nook and cranny, window, door, seal them out forevermore…

“The Dark Lord” continues with the occult theme… but in title only, as the song lyrically pays tribute to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Hey! If it worked for Led Zeppelin… Nontheless, there’s a great riff in this track, as well as some lots of Bonham-style fills.

The horror and witchcraft theme gets picked up again on “Angela,” as it quotes from Piers Haggard’s 1971 movie, The Blood on Satan’s Claw:

Doctor, witchcraft is dead and discredited. Are you bent on reviving forgotten horrors?

As one of the slower tempos on Magick Rites and Spells, “Angela” is among the more memorable. The precision in Monti’s vocals is measured and controlled, and I love the jam-like feel of the guitar solos. And no, I’m not confusing this track with its follow-up, “Lying on Iron,” which is another down-tempo, transcendental track.

“Black Magic Man,” the first track I ever heard from Psychedelic Witch, somehow reminds me of Heart, but perhaps that’s because, in addition to being female fronted and from the ‘70s, they have a track called “Magic Man.” I think Heart was singing about a sexual dynamo of a man who stole a girl from her family. This is the hardest rocker and angriest track on the album, and I wish there was more like it.

The Verdict:

Since I mentioned Heart, I hope to hear Monti take more chances and push her vocals in the Ann Wilson direction. On the whole, I wish there were more rockers like “Black Magic Man” on the album, but there’s no doubt that Magick Rites and Spells is 100% enjoyable, and for the last few months I keep coming back to it, so it warrants repeat listens. If you’re wanting something off the beaten path, retro, and witchy, check out Psychedelic Witchcraft; I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

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On the whole, the album is a journey, not only in the tempo of the songs and the general vibe that the album delivers as it progresses, but also in the song titles… but seeing this might require you to tap into your inner poet and project your own meaning to those titles.

Unfortunately, as the album attempts to set the stage of its own progression, the first few songs tend to sound a bit too similar to one another. Because of that, potential listeners may lose interest. Don’t get me wrong, the title track comes at you hard and furious, even with a mid-track shift towards sludge, but it lacks a hook. But that hook isn’t what Kadavar is about, as Lindemann implies:

We used to put ourselves under a lot of pressure. We didn’t want to be just another rock band, we wanted to be the best. Now we are free from the idea that we need to hit the charts or fill big halls to become happy. To get to that point everyone involved needs mental maturity, and this satisfies me more than any full arena.

Nonetheless, that hook comes on the next track, “Into the Wormhole,” which is a fuzzed-out, doomy, bluesy, shoegaze number. And the chorus demands that audiences chat, “Into the Wormhole!” The track features the album’s first true breakdown, which dives in like the band is preparing for a drawn out jam session suitable for the stage at Woodstock.

“Skeleton Blues” sounds like a modern retro track, and by the time I was here at this album’s point, I felt like this album wasn’t going to go anywhere else. I was about done, but thought that the album deserved more listening. So, “Die Baby Die” was next — and what a pleasant surprise. Yes, it definitely shares beaucoup elements of tone with Ghost, but it’s also very punky in the Misfits sense, and it has a huge hook. What a rockin’ track that could go on any party mix.

“Die Baby Die” also hints at the psychedelic rock that will permeate throughout the rest of the album, and get a bit spacey in parts, and even finds its way into a ballad.

Rough Times closes with a cover of The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter,” and it’s not as polished as say the Motley Crue cover, but a truer version that seems to try to be as close to the original as possible. Kadavar might have tried too hard to match the tone and mixing of the original, because in the end it sounds even less hi-fi than something that was recorded in the ‘60s.

The Verdict:

How long an album like Rough Times will stay in rotation on your playlist ultimately depends on your musical tastes or your general mood. But there are definite party tracks contained within and the album, in whole or in parts, warrants repeated listens.

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On the whole, the album strives toward modern tones and arrangement, not unlike Muse (a band that’s simply a Radiohead clone) or Cult of Luna (albeit markedly less intense), but the influences on the band are inescapable. Whether The Living knows it or not, there are elements of Pink Floyd, Mark Knopfler’s (Dire Straits) guitar tone, The Cure, The Police, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, just to name a few.

Although The Living shares elements with the above mentioned at one point or another, they don’t sound like any of them, and by definition, they shouldn’t be considered to be heavy metal. Somehow, however, they reach some progressive metal or stoner metal moments, such as in the album opener “Tied to the Bed” and on “Delay,” Deceiver,” and others. “Delay” might be the most accessible track on the album, and the guitar work on that track is compelling, especially that sustained note toward the end of the solo; it gets you in the bones.

With the exception of tracks four and five, “No Love Gets Away” and “Hot Breath,” respectively, most tracks open with soft atmospheric tones and build toward a tangible intensity. From there, the band plays with your emotions, weaving between a cacophony of noise and soul-crushing pain and somber, reflective moments of clarity.

But track to track, the album isn’t as straight-forward as you might imagine. While the majority of the songs create a cerebral, pensive atmosphere of both hope and desperation, tracks like “Deceiver” and “Corpse Pose” take a Gothic direction in the vein of The Cure. This is most evident in the bass lines.

The Verdict:
No, The Living doesn’t conjure the visceral feelings that traditional heavy metal or high-octane hard rock does, but it does elicit an avalanche of feels. It’s the type of album that can be played in the background while you go about other tasks, or it can demand all your attention as you absorb the lyrics and how they complement the incredibly mature musical arrangement.

It is absolutely evident that The Living cared deeply about the artistic presentation of this album. As mentioned, the arrangement of each track is amazing, but also the production and mixing is incredible for an album being self-released. Each note, each sound, each shift in tone and in intensity appears to have been carefully crafted and timed. Whether or not The Living wanted the listener to feel something, it’s very clear that they felt the music, and that makes the album that much better.

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With 11 tracks, which includes the short “Intro,” Trigon delivers a huge stripped-down punch to the rock genre. The band will certainly appeal to fans of Ghost, Ancient VVisdom, and others belonging to the melodic occult doom genre, but Trigon seems to have veered off that path like a misbehaving, malcontent child.

While still keeping their balance on the rickety fence that separates pure rock from doom, Trigon’s tempo is often upbeat, despite having that down-tuned fuzzed-out sound of ’70s era rock and punk. But Trigon is more than a doom metal band gone askew. Within their sound you’ll find such elements as The Replacements in vocal delivery, bass lines, and guitar solos (“Talk to Me”), and as strange it sounds, even Pink Floyd and The Police (“Nightmare,” the Freddy Krueger homage).

The assumed influences don’t stop there. “Obsessed” opens with a rough and solid guitar riff that brings early KISS to mind, and maybe something like Nazareth. Not long after the song begins, Corey Hall comes in from behind the kit sounding every bit as powerful as John Bonham (Led Zeppelin). On the same track, you might even catch a glimpse of Joey Ramone-like vocals.

Doom and rough-edged rock isn’t all that you get on Fed Up, as there are a couple of gear-shifting “ballads” to give you a breather. First is “Jaded,” which appears to be about a love gone wrong. Then, toward the end of the album there’s “Mother,” which is a heartfelt goodbye to a mother lost to disease.

Getting you good and depressed with “Mother,” Trigon reinvigorates your spirit with “Your Life,” a track that should have you jumping up and down like a hardcore emo kid.

The album’s closer is a great finisher and might have you thinking of Pearl Jam, it’s the penultimate track, “Nightmare,” that is the masterpiece on Fed Up. The diversity of sound here along with the horror-themed lyrics is simply brilliant.

The Verdict:

While bassist and vocalist Emanuel Viau claims that Lemmy would be proud of the rock ‘n’ roll contained on Fed Up, it’s my opinion that any fan of hard rock or heavy metal would be proud to have this album in his/her collection. The fullness of the sound on the album makes it hard to believe that this is just a three-piece outfit. Sure, there are layers, and only a live performance will tell if the richness will be maintained, but I’m betting that it is. If the diversity of influences (aka, “sounds like”) worries you, rest assured that Trigon seems to have picked out the best parts of bands they like, smashed them together, and crafted songs that just work on every level.

On March 24th, Trigon’s Fed Up will be available on iTunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, and all major online retailers.

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Hailing from Brazil, the three-piece all-female band has obvious influences from Sepultura, but also from just about any other thrash band that’s come before, and perhaps early Slayer dominates the rawness here. However, Nervosa manage to bring a modern tone to the music, and that’s due in large part to Fernanda Lira’s vocals, which have a brutal guttural gravel that borders on death growls.

Piercing through Prika Amaral’s heavy guitar riffs and Pitchu Ferraz’ breakneck beats are the lyrics that address the traditional thrash metal topics of war, intolerance, and injustice. Being that Nervosa is from Brazil, there’s a sense that these lyrics aren’t simply lip service, but that the members have actually lived through some of the hardships they sing about.

Take the track “Intolerance Means War” for example. Not only is this one of Agony’s strongest tracks, but also the lyrics seem to address a fake democracy whose leaders cast judgement and would remove civil rights. Heavy stuff, and so is the track. But the chorus will get your adrenaline pumping, causing you to either yell along or to get in the pit!

There are a lot of tracks to go crazy for on the album, but special attention has to be brought to “Hypocrisy.” The tracks starts with a slow instrumental conjuring in tritonic chord progression (yes, that means that it’s evil sounding). The track picks up and becomes a great thrash tune, but the part that really hooks me is the breakdown, in which there’s a fantastic bass line that bears repeated listens. It is really fuckin’ cool.

The other track that demands attention is the genre-busting “Wayfarer.” It opens with another killer bass line before kicking into a fun and melodic guitar section… then, well, then Lira starts singing like it’s a gospel song. Very interesting and very cool, but thank god the rest of the song doesn’t stick to that format.

The Verdict:

Fans of raw, honest, authentic thrash metal will love Nervosa’s *Agony. There might be a lack of the classic guitar solos found in thrash metal, but the power and ambition is all here! As Nervosa prepares for their first North American tour, it’s plainly clear that this is definitely a band to keep an eye on. I’m giving this a 4/5 skulls simply because its raw and full of passion and it has potential to become a classic.

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But beyond the exploding ordinance of bass, the heavy guitars, the varied use of synth, and more is a masterful mix of genres that Red Skies has managed to blend seamlessly. Included in their repertoire seems to be hardcore, djent, industrial metal, groove metal, metalcore, deathcore, and tech death. Did I leave anything out?

Order Iron Sun here.

The intro track, “Permian Era,” with its sci-fi feel and destitute narration, might have you thinking that you’ve put on a Fear Factory album. That feeling is echoed a few more times on the album. Near the end of the intro, however, the outerspace aspect gives way to some djent influence, which is then carried over, full-throttle, into “New Voice,” which does feature some clean vocals that are, yet again, similar to Fear Factory.

I should clarify that other than several stylistic nods to Fear Factory and/or the genre, Red Skies is very different.

The third and longest track, “Rough Sleepers,” seems to touch on every genre that influences Red Skies. The hardness of this track is book ended by a near lullaby melody, played with different instruments, and the piano at the back end is a definite and pleasurable surprise, changing tone and expectations for the rest of the album.

Hemlock might be the most metalcore/djent track on album, and the lyrics are a bit adolescent in their interpretation of how the world works.

But it’s “Sonder” that really offers a chance to breathe at the album’s midpoint. Once again, we’re treated to some piano work, which is accompanied by clean vocals, some horns, clean guitar work, and choir work (real or not). But by song’s end some synthy guitars come into play, which are carried over into the next track, “Concept Citizen.”

Now, if Red Skies is a band that doesn’t typically do that stupid metalcore jump thing (oh, wait, they do the jump thing as seen in the video above… Damn it!), “Concept Citizen” is the song that you can see them doing it in your head. As an ardent hater of metalcore based on principle, I’m not a fan of this track, especially with the weird bass bomb that happens. However, there is a decent guitar solo in it, and funnily enough I actually hear a bit of Eddie Van Halen in it… I’m pretty sure he’s not making a guest appearance on Iron Sun.

There are three other tracks for you to discover on the album, but rest assured that these offer the same, if not more, intensity than the tracks that preceded them.

The Verdict:

As mentioned, I’m not a metalcore fan, but Red Skies have managed to take the genre to the next level by incorporating other elements from heavy metal to make it enjoyable. What’s more, they dropped a lot of the metalcore tropes that absolutely suck, which means that Iron Sun doesn’t… even if “man-buns” and hipsters do.

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