Tuesday 30 December 2014

Metal Albums of 2014: Part 3-The End.

Hurrah, we have done it! We have all become Bilbo (Or Frodo) we undertook an epic journey to save the world from the truama of bad music, specifically bad metal music and we finished it, we went there....and back to find the top 20 metal albums of 2014, you can find the first part of our journey here and the second part can be found right here, and here below these very letters is the final instalment, so hop to it and get'a reading!

 5. Anaal Nathrakh-Desideratum

Hailing from Birmingham, Anaal Nathrakh are a black metal band, though not the purist of black metal bands, fusing electronic sampled elements, and industrial-esc wall of noise, while picking up parts of grindcore and death metal. Anaal Nathrakh are not for the faint hearted. Their 8th Studio Album “Desideratum” released on Metal Blade Records in October is brutal to an extreme.
The album kicks off with “Acheronta Movebimus” an instrumental track, that uses electronic voices, glitchy samples, and over driven bass to set an eerie ominous tone that ramps up the tension before we’re treated to a drum breakdown and a chugging guitar riff that only serves to switch the eerie presence into a threatening one.

Finally the album switches into the next track, the aptly named “unleash” that snaps through the tension with uncompromising blast beats and sets the “in your face, all day” speed, that this album will now continuously punch you with. Anaal Nathrakh continue with their unrelenting pace throughout, though the album does offer a few standout tracks.

“Monstrum in Animo” is a sterling track, sneaking in on the track 3 spot, with a vocal sample “due to some violent content, parental discretion is advised” Then the riffing starts and this track just shreds before splitting open with a wall-to-wall distortion and glitching samples. For me this is THE track of the album, and perhaps the track that best shows Anaal Nathrakh’s fusion of black and industrial metal. Blast beats are in high order here, as are black-metal’s high pitched screams, and death metal growls- the guitar is a swirling tone of “high” black metal sound, the type most often found in melodic black metal. The simple but effective solo that kicks in around the 2:20 mark kicks the song back into its brutal blast beat fury, which brings the song to a close.

“Sub Speicie Aeterni (Of Maggots and Humanity)” builds on the same premise of the rest of the album, and does so fantastically. It starts with a filtered, break sample that might not sound too out of place in a drum and bass track, before kicking into gear “heavy metal.” The wailing guitars and chugging riffage found in this track would not seem out of place in a stoner, or groove metal track, but its accompanied by distortion and the devilish vocals that the rest of the album holds dear. The guitar work on this track is great, and the element of groove really helps to lift this track, and hold it above the others. The solo is just the icing on the black soulless cake.

Monstrum in Animo


4. Machine Head-Bloodstone and Diamonds
Bloodstone and Diamonds sees Machine Head continue to progress their sound that took root with “The Blackening” gone is the stripped back pure thrash Machine Head of “Burn My Eyes” and in its place and its place is a progressive death metal sound, complex rhythmical patterns, and almost conceptual lyrics.

The album was released on November 7th, through Nuclear Blast, and debuted at #21 on the Billboard Chart, becoming the bands highest ever charting album. This high charting was also met with critical acclaim much of which was attributed to the experimentation that took place on the album, but was not done so at the cost of its brute force, and stomp.

The album kicks off with one of its stand out tracks “Now We Die” the track builds up with a string section, before Rob Flynn shatters the silence by screaming “with this now we die!” before the kick drum begins to thump through the mix, and the groove laden riffs layer over the top. The chorus sees the string motif from the intro enter the composition again. The solo in the bridge is fantastic, showing musicianship, and song progression unlike many of their peers. It could be argued that the lyrical content of this track, especially the chorus is an “old to new” type message. This is a statement track, experimental song writing, orchestral motifs, a technical clinic and Rob Flynn spitting the lyrics with gusto, right from the start, there was no mistake in placing this first. Machine Head are here!

The next stand out track I’ve picked is “Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones.” I picked this one because I feel that the harmonic intro, and guitar sound is similar to that of “Davidan” from Burn My Eyes, along with the hauntingly spoken lyrics that are reminiscent to a lot of Flynns early work. This is a harkening to a Machine Head past, but wielded with maturity and experience that they have gained since those days and it bridges the gap perfectly.

The dirge like “Sail into the Black” is my favourite track on the album. The opening chant is a fantastic way to hook the listener in, and pulls it off with creepy expertise. The build-up bravely runs for around 4:10 layering a mixture of dirge chants, Rob Flynn’s spoken vocals and atmospheric harmony, this really would not be out of place as intro to a black metal album. Finally, the distortion begins to get turned up on the guitar, before the before drum hits begin to march through the beats (again building on the feeling of death/dead and funeral marches.) It might also be worth mentioning continues the “beneath the waves/oceanic” motifs that are sewn into the album. At last Rob Flynn screams through the tension and kicks the song off into what I can imagine will be a floor filler, seriously do not get caught in the pit for this one!


Finally there is “Beneath the Silt” I feel that this is the most aggressive, and groove constructed track on the album. The opening riff reminds me of one time Machine Head contemporises Pantera. From there, the song stomps on with its straight up aggression, it doesn’t do much special, but what it delivers it delivers with precession. The song also continues along the lines of the oceanic motifs. However, lines like “waves crashing inside my brain” suggest that this is a song about mental turmoil, perhaps feeling lost beneath the waves of depression, about feeling like you have lost it all “beneath the silt.” Either way, this is another strong track in a well written, and produced album a definite step in the right direction.   



3. Black Crown Initiate- Wreckage of the Stars


Black Crown Initiate, remember the name-these guys are a band with a huge dose of potential. They stormed on to the scene in 2013 with their EP release “Song of the Crippled Bull.” Now the eagerly awaited full-length album “The Wreckage of the Stars” has landed amidst the releases of 2014 and it is everything we hoped. Black Crown Initiate are another entry from the Death Metal camp, we find them in Pennsylvania. They appear to be a band that can do it all, offering up a mix of genres to create a sound similar to early Opeth, but different enough to be their own brand and if this album is any indication, it is a brand of Death Metal, we will be hearing for a long time.

The album is a melting pot of genres, and a bevy of solid tracks. Tracks like “The Malignant,” “Withering Waves” and “Purge” offer up that Opeth comparison fusing the harmonic, melodic instrumentation and clean sung vocals, with the visceral stomp of blackened death-metal. However, 
“To the Eye That Leads You” is a straight up black-metal track, searing inhaled growls, distortion and blast beats meets groove laden riffs to create an alarming track that might be the “sleeper” on this album punching through the more complex songs to deliver to deliver a mosh-pit classic.  

The title track, “Wreckage of the Stars” kicks off with a soft, almost acoustic melody, while a distorted harmonic riff whines in the background before a drum hits, and the riff now crushes its way through giving way to an off kilter, jazzy drum section. The atmosphere is continued to be built through a burbling melody as the drumming becomes more and more frantic before settling down to the same motif that hooked the intro. Eventually, and mercifully the song explodes after letting you sink into the melodies like the titanic into the ocean. Screamed vocals tear through the tension as if ripping through the seams of another realm, before being repeated again in hauntingly clean fashion.

I have said before, and I shall keep saying it until the sun turns black; this band, is a band to watch. This début album is very, very exciting.


2 Insomnium-Shadows of the Dying Sun


Melodic Finnish metalers Insomnium offer us there fifth studio album. Clocking in at just over an hour, it’s a fair assumption that Insomnium will have to work hard to keep the listener engaged. However, it is just as fair to suggest that they manage it. The music they write straddles the death metal, and melodic metal spectrums perfectly. Resulting in an emotional, and evocative mix of death metal aggression, and melodious music, or harmonic clean slung vocals. Sublime may appear a strong word, but it fits here-an album that will stand the test of time, and reward the listeners attention for years to come.

This a moody album with a flair for melody and hooks, the album kicks off with the atmospheric “The Primeval Dark” which is effectively a glorified intro track. But, the atmospheric tones help the listener sink into the experience that they are about to have, thus-it is an intro track that does its job astonishingly well.  This is then complimented by the very catchy “While We Sleep” which kicks off with its hook riff, which I find myself humming for days after listening. While some may point to the bright high end harmonic solo that finishes off “While We Sleep” as the high point here, I would disagree.  I also love the clean vocals here, which sound as though there is more than one vocalist singing in harmonic unison, not something you hear often in metal and it gives the track a spectral and unique power. The two tracks flow together very well, and begin a very tight and melodious album in exactly the manner you would expect.  

From here it begins to get very hard to pick out favourite tracks, especially since they are all of a high quality, although some could be accused of sounding similar. “Black Heart Rebellion” kicks off with some amazing drumming, and some solid sounding kicks, before drifting into the embrace of more high-end harmonics and an almost galloping riff accompanied by death metal vocals. “Lose to Night” is a touch similar to “While We Sleep” if a little more down tempo, another catchy hook and ghostly sounding vocals take you on a journey through melody. I particularly love the chorus, which is full of power and sounds like it should be the sound track to some epic high-fantasy moment.

“The River” continues in this vein and by now I am beginning to curse Insomnium for creating an album with so many catchy hooks that it is difficult to pick a favourite. However, “The River” is a fantastic track, taking the listener on a journey as they meander through various moods and styles, from the sweeping harmonies, to the crushing drums and choir-like layered vocals. If I had to pick a standout track this maybe it, a little bit of everything that the album offers.

The title track “Shadows of the Dying Sun” is a darker track, with a much more down tempo intro. There is still the brighter high end harmonic guitar that slices through, which is actually similar to the “80s” guitar sound that Opeth use a lot these days. Eventually brooding spoken vocals give way to growls, and eventually the spectral harmonic chorus is back. It’s another stunning track, but to be blunt offers no break from the song writing, which by this time has become rather formulaic, but no less accomplished. As I said above, this is an album that unravels more of itself with each listen, and will be a favourite in my collection for some time.

1 Electric Wizard-Time to Die


In my opinion, Electric Wizard have been the fathers of English doom metal, ever since Black Sabbeth became a stage show that Sharron Osbourne wheeled out to pay her next bill. Releasing their first album in 1995 and getting increasingly better since-with Dopethrone and Black Masses standing out from their previous work.

Time to Die is a return to that form, Electric Wizard have never been one to stray away from the stereotypes that often get thrust upon metal; “metal music is evil,” “metal music is the devils music” Electric Wizard take those stereotypes, and play to them perfectly, forcing them back down the throats of those who spout them.

Time to Die is a dark album that flexes its evil intentions expertly. For me, the “evil” here, feels more real and menacing than it does in the Black Metal offerings, which might have something to do with the distorted, riffy haze through which it is projected.

Songs like the opening Incense for the Damned which opens with a sample of news reports pertaining to “satanic activities” before crushing distortion and military-esc “march of the damned” style drums build up the tension. Finally Liz Buckingham cuts though it with a chugging Tony Iaomi-like riff, before vocalist Jus wails out, like the cursing of a damned soul “You say drugs are evil/But your world seems worse to me/I don't give a fuck about anyone/Or your society. It is outcast nihilism at its best, and kicks off the album beautifully. 

“I Am Nothing” takes all of that nihilism and lays it underneath an oscillating riff that, honestly destroys my consciousness, it is almost impossible to resist spacing the fuck out, while your brain is drenched with the sound of a melting ambulance, or at least one in terrible pain. Again Jus plays the part of the tortured puppeteer, as lyrics and vocals seem to be pulled from his fibres “they think themselves Gods/ Now are they free?/ Mindless slaves to their lusts and technology” stretches out from the void, damning modern life, and the cult of the byte. Musically, this track is just one thick tar pit of filth and distortion creating an impending sense of a damning apocalypse and by all that is unholy, it is beautiful!

“Lucifer’s slaves” is another rich stew of drugs, Satan, and that seductive narcotic that is nihilism. Another pus filled wound, dripping with sticky distortion, and another bout of brain soup. This is the last song Justin has to address his fans, since the actual album closer is instrumentation. As such I feel that it is quite touching that his final words for this album were “die…DIE…fuck…YOU!” Ahh Justin, we love you too!

Time to Die is an album that does what all good music, and great albums do. It is an album that transports me. How it does that, or where it takes me will depend upon my mood, sometimes it’s an album that helps me thrash everything out, other times it’s an album that I ponder to and on other occasions it’s an album I space-out to, forget everything and suddenly realise an hour has passed. This is Electric Wizard at their finest. 

Incense For The Damned

So there you have it folks! Now I get to look forward to lots of new music in the brand spanking new year! Love and peace!

Gary. L. (@thewheelbear)

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