The Black Dahlia Murder is a band I’ve had the honor of watching develop throughout its entire career. With its debut in 2003, an album that I think stands up much better than the chuckleheads below, the Michigan melodic death metal act has been with me for twenty years. I saw them opening for bands before anyone knew who they were, and I was buying each new release on release day. In 2024, The Black Dahlia Murder faces new challenges, moving on from the tragic loss of vocalist and scene giant Trevor Strnad and they will release Servitude on the 27th of September (that’s tomorrow, yes). So, before I unleash my Very Important Opinions™ on the world about the new full-length LP, we thought that a romp through the band’s discography seemed in order. Note that anyone who tells you that Ritual isn’t their best album is lying to you. – Angry Metal Guy

The Ranking(s)

Dr. Wvrm

#9. Unhallowed (2002). At first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking Unhallowed is by a completely different band. This album is three kids standing on each other’s shoulders and wearing a trench coat next to the other records in this catalog. But despite how far TBDM still has to go from this point, Unhallowed has its positives. Its take on 90s Gothenburg is interesting, if not always good, and it certainly doesn’t lack energy. “Elder Misanthropy” is the first entry into the pantheon of all-time TBDM jams, even if it’s a messy one. It’s a long way up from here for the boys from Michigan, but you can clearly see the seeds of what’s to come in this debut.

#8. Verminous (2020). That Verminous is the low point of modern TBDM despite being pretty good says quite a lot about the level of output this band has maintained for the last 20 years. The album maintains the reflexive phase started by Abysmal (more on that in a bit), feeling more like a down-and-dirty expansion of their ideas on Everblack at times. The execution, however, falls further down than I’d like. For a band with bangers aplenty, Verminous never finds its bonafide hit and feels stuck in first gear.

#7. Abysmal (2015). Don’t get me wrong—Abysmal features some of the strongest fretwork in TBDM’s catalog (with Ryan Knight still on board at this point, who is surprised by this?). But coming at the tail of an incredible four-album run, Abysmal’s return to hyperkinetic hooks and solos begins a third phase in the band’s catalog. Instead of pushing onward and outward from the progressive attitude of Everblack, TBDM refocuses and uses the lessons learned throughout their years of experimentation to revitalize their core sound. As a result, Abysmal feels more like a transition record between eras than anything else. In theory, it’s not doing too much differently from Deflorate, and unfortunately feels a bit stale by comparison. TBDM would find a way around the all-been-done-before feel by their next album, but with Abysmal, the retread weighs a bit heavier than you’d like.

#6. Miasma (2005). Miasma demonstrates instant growth over TBDM’s debut. If Unhallowed was a rough attempt at mid-90s melodeath, Miasma surges forward to the turn-of-the-century fusion of melodic death metal and mainstream metalcore production.¹ Though they wouldn’t stick with this sound for long, there’s so much across Miasma to like, from the cleaner production and maturing songwriting to the charisma that is now starting to bleed through every facet of the music. Strnad’s famous dual vocals really come into their own here, and the rest of the performances aren’t far behind. Though there’s still one piece of the puzzle remaining, you can see the full picture starting to resolve.

#5. Deflorate (2009). This album proved not only that TBDM wasn’t a one-album wonder, but that they also weren’t a one-trick pony. Ryan Knight joined the band from Arsis and overnight launched TBDM’s lead guitar capabilities into the stratosphere. But what looked like Nocturnal on nitro on its face sees, under the hood, Brian Eschbach’s songwriting quietly started to push the boundaries of the band’s imagination and capacity. Closer “I Will Return” veers hard left from everything to that point, touching on patient development and melodic progressions in a way that we could have only guessed TBDM was capable of (“Warborn”). It may lack the highs of some other records, but Deflorate is where TBDM started to show the depths of their abilities.

#4. Everblack (2013). Those of you who know I love TBDM know why I love TBDM,² and what I want isn’t in steady supply on Everblack. What is, however, is perhaps the pinnacle of TBDM’s exploratory songwriting and certainly the heights of Knight’s solo abilities (“Into the Everblack”). Everblack is a grower in a catalog of showers, operating in many ways like a prog death album in its attention to detail and willingness to fiddle with genre conventions. It’s also Strnad at his most diverse, leading an excellent full-ensemble performance from melodeath to straight death to black metal and back again. My personal predilection for beeg boi melojams is the only reason this isn’t placing higher on this list; on an objective quality scale, Everblack is aces.

#3. Ritual (2011). Now we’re talking. Everything up to this point had something holding it back for me, be it concept, style, or execution. Ritual is the first record on this list where any quibbles I have are so minor as to be unmentionable. Delivering on the promise of “I Will Return,” Ritual ain’t afraid to get a little weird. Off-kilter takes like “Den of the Picquerist” are exotic curios from a faraway land next to two prior records that spent 95% of their runtime turning your ass into tenderized steak. Here, a more interesting weapon of choice filters into the core proceedings of the record, with offerings like “On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood” providing the perfect chaser to the moonshine shot of “Moonlight Equilibrium.” This is the band’s most complete offering, giving you a taste of everything TBDM has dreamt up over their career, and I venture that Ritual would be one (or two!) spot(s) on this list higher… if I weren’t such a weenie.³

#2. Nightbringers (2017). But I am such a weenie.⁴ Is Nightbringers effectively Nocturnal with the world’s greatest spit shine? Sure is, and cui gives a shit? It’s got the most polished bow on it you’ll ever see. If you like riffs, and if you like hooks, and if you like them at the same time and in copious quantities, Nightbringers is all you’ll ever need. TBDM poured fifteen years of hard-won lessons and honed songcraft into revitalizing one of the most well-loved and well-regarded (by people with taste) albums in the genre. As such, it feels fresh and new and worth every second of your time, rather than like a lazy nostalgia mine. Most bands would be so lucky as to ape a classic album half as well as this, let alone have it be their own classic album. Speaking of…

#1. Nocturnal (2007). Simply put, Nocturnal is TBDM. This record is the culmination of every moment before it, to where every moment traces back. It was an instant star-maker at the time and a bonafide classic in hindsight. At the core of the band, when you strip off the years of experience and experimentation, the one constant is this sound. Like no other band, TBDM reclaimed the ’90s Swedeath buzzsaw riff and forged it anew in a bloodbath of nitro, horror-movie worship, and unfailing self-seriousness. As Nocturnal unfurls, each track seems certain to be impossible to top, only for the very next entry to do just that. Trying to pick just one Nocturnal song for a playlist (like the one below) invites an hour of “Well wait, what about…” That might not be the best reason to put an album (or two!) ahead of what is an unquestionably more well-rounded entry in Ritual, but it’s certainly the best reason to consider it among your favorite albums more than fifteen years later.

Dolphin Murderer

I don’t typically consider myself a fan of melodeath at large. But select acts that rest on what I would consider the more intense and/or techy side, Intestine Baalism, Arsis, Quo Vadis, Neuraxis, Anata, really grease my grumpy gears. And, among those, naturally, rests the oft-imitated, not quite-matched American giant The Black Dahlia Murder. I didn’t explore their catalog as they were first coming to light as I wasn’t allowed to. You see, I fancied myself a metalhead and all the -core kiddies liked bad music like Darkest Hour, All That Remains, Trivium, and The Black Dahlia Murder. So it took until sometime in my early 20s, sometime around Ritual, to even consider hitting this hallowed act. All because a cute girl with a forked tongue happened to be in my college public speaking class and wearing a sick The Black Dahlia Murder tee. Turns out she wasn’t into dudes. But I lucked into a different partner out of it all, one with sick riffs and vocal prowess that causes newcomers to think that these Michigan boys have two vocalists.

Riff in peace, Trevor.

#9. Unhallowed (2002). Armed equally with the weight of Carcass low-end harmonies and At the Gates Björriffs, TBDM hit the ground running with a gluttonous, thrash-loaded, melodeath pittin’ spree. This debut Unhallowed couldn’t have been more emblematic of the consistency that TBDM would embody throughout their career. As the start of a sound that would become part of the heavy metal dialogue, it’s really almost there in terms of quality. Strnad may not sound as comfortable in his shriek ‘em high and rattle ‘em low vocal attack, but with riffs as nasty as the latchkey turndown of “Closed Casket Reqiuem” and “Hymn for the Wretched,” he doesn’t always need to be the focus.

#8. Verminous (2020). Despite this release being the most recent of the bunch, it is also the one I recalled the least going into this ranking. When Verminous came to be it landed on my ears as a disappointment, though not necessarily a bad record. Frankly, I don’t think TBDM is capable of that. However, Verminous takes risks that other albums haven’t taken, like turning the classical lower-tuned harmonic riffs and scooping them closer to true thrash tones. Simultaneously, this allows stringslinger Brandon Ellis’ treble-focused leads to play about in a fashion that tiptoes the line between power metal cheese and melodeath flamboyance (“Godlessly,” “Removal of the Oaken Stake”). Couple that with Strnad essentially rapping at a couple of points (primarily in the percussive bounce of “How Very Dead”), and you’ve got a solid album after all with a few new wrinkles.

#7. Abysmal (2015). Similarly to Verminous, Abysmal crawls about specific production choices that highlight lead guitarist Ryan Knight’s neoclassical, virtuosic warbling. Namely, it’s louder and thrashier. While the album that came before it, Everblack, never wanted for more shred, its rhythm-focused drive—a more death metal-focused TBDM stance—did not allow sonic space for Abysmal’s inclusion of additional instruments like cellos and violins to have a place amongst the assault. Furthermore, with the increased focus on Knight’s playful prowess, each song includes easy-to-recognize marks of differentiation, whether it be a snappy intro (“Receipt,” “Abysmal”), a wicked solo (every song), or a Strnad-led crusher (“Re-Faced,” “The Advent”). It’s hard to get too much of Knight, Strnad, or TBDM when they’re this fun and tight.

#6. Everblack (2013). If you’re approximately my age, then certainly you’ve heard cries of TBDM ”not being metal” or “being metalcore.” Did you know that Metal Archives doesn’t even list metalcore as a past iteration of their sound?⁵ Well, if nothing to this point had convinced you, then Everblack would be the one to listen to. Listen, I’m not going to sit here and say you should like TBDM, but with Morbid Angel riffs crushing through slower-than-blast pace numbers (“Into the Everblack,” “Phantom Limb Masturbation”), bass rattle that won’t quick, and Ryan Knight still doing that “is he Yngwie or Greg Howe” shred to fusion-y blues thing, Everblack gives plenty of reasons why you TBDM is a death metal act first. Though the album starts a touch slow and runs long for an experience that subsists almost solely on riffs, it’s very hard to say that anything should go away. Just carve a little more time if you’re gonna jam this one.

#5. Deflorate (2009). Representing the ultimate crystallization of the TBDM sound to this point in their history, Deflorate is an absolutely consistent experience. In different hands, hands that have trouble crafting good songs, that might be an issue. But sticking true to the TBDM formula of harmonic overload, At the Gates / early-Carcass riffs, and Strnad giving a performance that no vocalist could match in this lane, Deflorate is also an easy-to-enjoy success. Notably, this is Ryan Knight’s first appearance (fresh from a stint with melotech legends in their own right, Arsis) at the helm of lead shred duties, which allows Deflorate to have a quality of guitar heroism that no album prior quite had. That’s not to say that past leadwork was subpar by any stretch, but when you hear the elegance of play on tracks like “Necropolis” or “Christ Deformed” against any of the solo breaks that came before them, it’s a whole different ball game. Ryan Knight kills it and keeps Deflorate from being just another riff-rippin’ TBDM album.

#4. Miasma (2005). From a very base stance, Miasma isn’t all too different in attack from the debut. But having already done it once at full-length, and even more on the road, TBDM took huge steps in the polish and tightening of their identity. In particular, the man, the myth, the legend Trevor Strnad steps into his role as the intensifier of already heavy-handed riffs with rolled snarls, bestial lows, and off-the-rails shriek sermons. From the lift-off of “Flies” to the narrative froth of “Dave Goes to Hollywood” to the artistic crackling of “Spite Suicide,” not a moment rings through where Strnad isn’t threatening the mic with a barely held-together glottal assault. I’ve noted on later-era albums that the acquired talents provided an extra panache to an already solid formula. Miasma, in its rawer and younger character, succeeds not through being smart and tidy but by executing TBDM’s vision of melodic death metal to the scraped limits of their abilities at the time.

#3. Nightbringers (2017). If Miasma sold the young and tattered vision that TBDM had of At the Gates riffs with campy and horror-tinged vignettes, Nightbringers sells the wiser version of it kissed by the fresh virtuosity of then-fledgling shredmeister Brandon Ellis. No riff wastes any time launching songs into chunked harmony, barked fury, and blistering solo-land. And despite the number of Björriff-forward tunes that TBDM has cranked over the years, each song here lands with its own weighty identity. Part of that is through Ellis’ neoclassically-cranked excursions that carry as much energy as any melodeath groove (“Kings of the Nightworld,” “As Good as Dead”). And, as with any TBDM outing, Strnad rips maniacally through macabre narratives with a brutal ease that possesses a memorability all its own (“Of God and Serpent, of Spectre and Snake,” “Catacomb Hecatomb” in particular). Truth be told, I’ve also spent more time with this album than any other in the TBDM catalog. When I acquired it, I was on the road more than any other time in my life, and this collection of melodeath bangers was my go-to on a sunless morning commute,⁶ where my weary eyes needed adrenaline to persevere. Nightbringers gives a dose that doesn’t quit until the last note.

#2. Nocturnal (2007). As much as I (and all the others here) have said the name At the Gates or Björriff⁷—a fate inescapable from simply the opening classic chord crush of “Everything Went Black”—it’s really the sneaking, tremolo groove Morbid Angel influence that rolls my eyes back on these hardest-hitting early TBDM numbers. This hefty American influence on the hooky and nimble Swedish sound allows monsters like “What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse” and “Of Darkness Spawned” to land with equal parts thrashy tumble and melodic sting. The addition of budding kit talent Shannon Lucas (ex-All That Remains) provides all the machine gun and tom-chattering rhythmic foundation for TBDM to excel in this realization of their early potential. Melodeath doesn’t get much more addictive than this…

#1. Ritual (2011). Well, at least melodeath doesn’t get more addictive than this until Ritual. But the craving that results from this crowning moment isn’t one of riff-indulgence, of fretboard mystery (okay, it is all of those things). Ritual has an atmosphere. The simple placement of dramatic cello lines at the onset signals a moodiness that continues through tones more bass-loaded and balanced than other efforts. I hate to praise engineer Jason Suecof for his work here as he ruined plenty of albums around this time.⁸ But everything here just works—the cut-ins to Knight’s wobbling and unpredictable axe action, the many layers of Strnad crisscrossing and connecting at group chants and shouts, the low-end weight which even propels the elevated basics d-beat ripping of “Den of the Picquerist.” Continuing to alternate between the Björriff, a churning groove, and a growing hyper-melodic attitude (“The Window”), TBDM finds more ways to hook with the same tools they’ve always had while adding subtle new elements. It’s eerie to listen to “Blood in the Ink” these days, though. Between the added tension of discordant violin lines, further swirling string accompaniment, and its all too real theme of ritual suicide, the foreboding closer is easily one of the best songs The Black Dahlia Murder ever penned. Ritual fades away in the closing echo of “Suicide is the only way out.” And it hurts. It hurt then because that kind of mental trap exists, and it hurts now because art and reality often reflect each other in the scariest and worst of ways. That intersection can breed great art though, and Ritual will live that truth so long as metalheads have ears.

Angry Metal Guy Staff Ranking

We’ve once again used our tallying magic to use a complex point system based on submitted rankings. Thank you to the staff who could offer opinions without words. You are treasured and valuable.⁹

1. Verminous (2020)
2. Unhallowed (2003)
3. Abysmal (2015)
4. Everblack (2013)
5. Deflorate (2009)
6. Miasma (2005)
7. Nightbringers (2017)
8. Ritual (2011)
9. Nocturnal (2007)

Angry Metal Discord Pile o’ Entitled Opinions

We did the same thing for our Discord users. They smell funny, but wouldn’t you know it, they like The Black Dahlia Murder too! Hopefully, you don’t agree more with this bunch though…

1. Verminous (2020)
2. Unhallowed (2003)
3. Miasma (2005)
4. Deflorate (2009)
5. Abysmal (2015)
6. Nightbringers (2017)
7. Ritual (2011)
8. Nocturnal (2007)
9. Everblack (2013)

And what would this all be without a staff-curated playlist to accompany the celebra¬tion? Get to know The Black Dahlia Murder before their upcoming release Servitude, out September 27th, 2024 on Metal Blade Records.

The post AMG Goes Ranking – The Black Dahlia Murder appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Carnage will come as no shock if you’re familiar with Mass Funeral Evocation; that is to say, it will come as no shock if you’re familiar with old-school, or old-school style, Swedish death metal in the vein of Dismember and Bloodbath. Lik dust off the ol’ HM-2 and accelerate through 36 minutes of rip-roaring Swedeath designed to get the head bouncing and the blood spraying. Despite this, there’s a definite melodic heart pumping these sawing riffs and savage lyrics around the body that is their sound. Hooks abound through both the guitar leads and the curiously intelligible vocals. If you pick up at any point in the album you’re never more than 3 seconds from the nearest guitar which will remind you why it’s the core of our great genre called heavy metal. The guitarists wield riff chain-guns, hosing the listener down with awesome licks. Nothing here is less than stellar but particular mention must go to “The Deranged” for its consistent riffing memorability and excellence. Solos are used surprisingly sparingly but their relative scarcity ensures that they are always accentuated through the mix. In all? This Is Swedeath.

I earlier mentioned the vocals. These also stand out on account of the sharp, humorous lyrics. I’ve seen them criticized for their ridiculousness elsewhere but they’re gratuitous and gruesome to the point of self-awareness. They’re exactly what I need to get through these balmy April and May days which are much too sunny. The choruses are embedding by the end of the first run and while they aren’t the sort of shit you would want someone on the bus to overhear, they’re very fun. “Dr. Duschanka” is particularly amusing, featuring such gems as “Burning sensation! Torment cock devastation! Burning sensation! Penile depth penetration!” When the mother of this lyricist told him that he could be anything he wanted, I’m unsure that what she had in mind was writing death metal about venereal diseases – but he ran with it.

Also noteworthy of these lyrics is that while they’re gory and aggressive, they don’t explicitly exact violence against women which is refreshing for extreme metal. The “molesting, raping, killing machiiiinnneee” described in “The Deranged” is apparently gender-neutral in his hunts, with the “screams of dismay” passage at 3:20 featuring a mix of male and female cries. Indeed, the eponymous Dr. Duschanka is a woman who appears to intentionally infect men with the aforementioned cock devastation. While this isn’t a stellar personal quality, it’s nice that both genders are shown to be vile here.

The only musical complaint I can level is that Carnage is, by design, incredibly derivative and completing lacking in innovation. It’s tough to argue that you haven’t heard this before and arguably heard it better. One disappointing departure from its influences is the relatively constrained master which also results in some listening fatigue towards the end of the record. At first I thought this fatigue may have been because the record is a touch long but I don’t think is truly the case as I couldn’t face culling any of these tracks. Nonetheless, these flaws feel insignificant in the face of the overwhelming majority which is immediate, razor-sharp and sufficiently varied to stave off boredom or repetition. The median is mid-paced death metal but the smattering of blasting introductions, chunky, slower grooves and Maiden-style, harmonized bridges frequently shift the tempo.

When considering such badassery in this execution and positivity in my reaction, you may justifiably question my score. Unless something truly magical is happening, I don’t feel able to award more highly to something which is so derivative (The Night Flight Orchestra would be an example of such magic). But it is impossible to dispute that this is a great record, much of which is very easy to love. If you want some old-school death metal, pop this shit on and revel. A warning: we will not accept responsibility for the murderous spree on which you’ll inevitably embark wielding a manic grin (and machete).

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: v0 MP3
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: lik.bandcamp.com | www.facebook.com/lik
Releases Worldwide: May 4th, 2018

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Abhorrent come well credentialed, featuring a line-up of bassist Erlend Caspersen (Spawn of Possession), drummer Lyle Cooper (Absurdist, ex-The faceless), guitarist Marlon Friday (Absurdist) and vocalist Nick Brown. Following the restrained, gradual unfurl of instrumental opener “Passage,” which early on establishes the significant weight and presence of Caspersen’s formidable bass skills, the album kicks into overdrive with the chaotic opening salvo of “The Elegance of Asymmetry.” It’s a choppy but somehow cohesive ripper that lays the platform for the rest of the album. Abhorrent stab, bludgeon and pirouette their way through dense, complex and pleasingly dynamic compositions that move from point to point with aggressive, head-spinning fluency. Moments of restrained, jazzy ambiance and mellowed-out noodling serve the album well, adding a welcome element of surprise, while the jittery riff and tempo changes keeps the listener on their toes.

As brutally uncompromising as Intransigence consistently proves to be, Abhorrent transcend the more typical aspects of brutal death, offsetting their gut-punching, hyperactive delivery with more measured pacing, strange melodies and bursts of off-kilter dissonance. These interesting elements are perhaps best utilized on the stupendous “A Lightness of Mind,” a gloriously technical, groovy and offbeat number, featuring a noodly, jazz-infected break and the delightful vocal talents of Matthew “Chalky” Chalk (ex-Psycroptic, Mephistopheles – new album soon please?). Although certain songs and parts of the album are less memorable than others, there’s rarely a dull moment and the constantly twisty songwriting dynamics and mind-boggling musicianship makes for a highly entertaining listen. Even the album’s run-time is suitably concise for this kind of violently intellectual battering of the senses.

Intransigence is an undeniably strong album, particularly within the brutal tech-death field, but is not without a couple of issues. Musically there are loads of notable catchy moments to wrap your head around and the choppy density of each arrangement and occasional curveball thrown into the mix bodes well for replay value. This of course doesn’t necessarily translate to songs you’ll be humming along to or easily recalling once the boulder hurling tornado has subsided. Meanwhile the production’s ample good points, including that killer bass sound, heavy as fuck guitar tone and overall organic sound are countered by yet another compressed metal recording which fails to capitalize on the rich dynamics of the music itself.

Abhorrent’s Intransigence ticks all the right boxes for listeners that like their brutal death served with a healthy dose of groove and brain melting technicality. Fans of the style should not leave disappointed.

Tracks to check: ”Reward System Malfunction,” “A Lightness of Mind,” “Larva”

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1996. Yours truly graduated high school and landed a job at what would end up being GameStop. At the Electronics Boutique I was working at (Rockingham Park, Salem, New Hampshire), I would sometimes be visited by a lanky, long-haired dude wearing various different black metal shirts. One shirt was of a band called December Wolves, and I told him that was an interesting name for a band. He smiled and said, “Thanks, man. I’m the bass player. Check us out sometime.” Yep, that’s my story of how I met Brian Izzi (now best known as the guitarist for crusty grinders Trap Them) and got wind of December Wolves. I ordered their debut album, ‘Til Ten Years, and found it to be very folk-laden, quite long in the tooth, and somewhat fluffy, but it had some major promise. Apparently, Earache Records saw promise in them too, and signed them to their subsidiary, Wicked World. I lost touch with Brian (due to me quitting my job a month later), but was excited to hear that they had signed to a major underground label, and was curious as to how its follow-up, Completely Dehumanized, would stack up against the debut just two years later.

At that point, December Wolves could have gotten away with renaming themselves, because comparing the two albums is like comparing apples to… well, armageddon. Gone are the flutes, the female vocals, the fluff and the long songs, and in their place is sheer, unadulterated destruction. Izzi took up both guitar and bass duties, as well writing the album entirely by himself, save for lyrics shared between him and vocalist Devon “Smails.” After a short sample, you hear “Take this as a warning…” and holy mother of GAWD, you best heed. The title track is just blasting fury, cold-yet-catchy riffs, bass that carves through the mire, and Devon’s acidic vocals spitting venom at everything and everyone. Picture Rebel Extravaganza-era Satyricon getting into a car accident with Voivod en-route to an At The Gates concert, and you wouldn’t be too far off. It’s just seething and vicious from beginning to end, with hooks bombarding you left and right.

Speaking of which, Completely Dehumanized is chock full of memorable moments. “We Are Everywhere” starts off with a simple guitar and bass line before ramping up in both intensity and speed. Closer “To Kill Without Emotion” is a rousing way to close the album, featuring a very anthemic chorus. Hands down the best track on here, though, is “Friday the 13th,” with some absolutely vicious riffs between Izzi and fellow guitarist Tim Van Dono, laying satisfying waste to the listener every time it’s played.

One of the noticeable things about Completely Dehumanized is the production. It’s icy, cold, and mechanical, but the bass is right up front. Izzi, being a bassist originally, did a good job bringing attention to his basslines, as it revealed that he’s no slouch on guitar or bass. The drums are a bit off-sounding, especially the cymbals, but still gets the job done. One thing to mention is the variety of moods on here. Meaning: there is none. Those seeking anything remotely resembling an ounce of respite or peace should go elsewhere. However, those who want some of the most vicious black metal to come out of the 90s should look no further.

December Wolves had a hell of a time trying to capitalize on the power of Completely Dehumanized. I remember reading an interview in Metal Maniacs that their drummer, Scott, played to such a capacity that he more-or-less physically exhausted himself out of the band, and thus they couldn’t find a suitable replacement for live shows. One more album, 2002’s Blasterpiece Theatre, was released before all activity ceased within the band. One thing to note, however, is despite the fact that Brian is plying his trade with Trap Them, their Encyclopaedia Metallum page shows their activity status as “Unknown,” therefore I sincerely hope that one of New Hampshire’s best-kept secrets have at least one more album up their sleeves. If not, Completely Dehumanized is one hell of an album to remember them by.

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Returning to basics, these Russians nail the album’s flow and dynamics. It’s just within the realms of acceptable duration at 50 minutes, and though this is only split across 6 tracks, the album’s progression maintains interest. Passing the marker of what can be described as their core, dissonant black metal on the opener, second track “Spirit of Oppression” thrashes its way through to a highly emotional second half, featuring harsh vocals which can only be described as hopelessly desperate, before intensifying again with a bathos-drenched guitar solo to conclude. The mid-way ambient interlude, while typical, effectively affords a moment for reflection and refocuses the listener. “Tranquillity of the Possessed” re-energizes the record with the greatest demonstration of diversity on a single song and closer “That Nail in a Heart” perfects the duality of delicate tension and cathartic release many bands strive for.

The creativity of “Tranquillity of the Possessed” highlights how Grey Heaven Fall capably coalesce myriad styles under their broad black metal approach. The opening pulses with doomy resonance (I would love to hear more of this in future releases), and it progresses on to passages which draw heavily from death metal, with groovy chromatic chord progressions and deep, growling vox. Particularly tempestuous moments, such as those at the end of this track and on “To the Doomed Sons of Earth,” have a thrashy aggression. There’s even a fantastic hair metal solo thrown on to “That Nail in a Heart” which harmonizes shockingly well with the somber melody over which it sits.

More than anything, Black Wisdom’s mystique is what encapsulates me so. The ambiguous, impressionistic artwork intrigues me, as do the intricate, religious overtones of the lyrics. Too often is black metal belabored by tired Christian-bashing. The approach here is one of emphasizing the perversity of God, where one cannot experience the good without the bad; indeed, how one cannot understand the good without the bad. I’m aware that over-analyzing extreme metal lyrics can be a whimsical endeavor, but the total package contributes to my admiration for the album.

In all, Black Wisdom is a beautifully macabre release. Yes, it’s as compressed as they come and a few minutes could be shaved but I highly recommend it to fans of Deathspell Omega or other experimental black metal bands. If, like me, language appeals to you, observe the following quote from the back cover of the CD and fall for their vision. If not, rest assured that the music is excellent too.

And God put his seed into the earth belly,
While springing up with Death in walking exhausted relics,
Which had been contemplating the decay.
The eighth day.

Tracks to check: “Spirit of Oppression,” “Tranquillity of the Possessed,” “That Nail in a Heart.”

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Geisha metal could very well be a legitimate label in future, if Elegy for the Blossoms gains more exposure to the international metal community. As the second full-length studio album by indie Taiwanese symphonic gothic metal band Crescent Lament, this record successfully captures the helplessness felt by Taiwanese women of convenience who had little to no choice but to walk the geisha’s path.

The protagonist of this conceptual album is Taiwanese geisha A-hiong, a fictional character who—like actual Taiwanese geishas who lived in Taiwan when it was still under Japanese rule—has no control over her fate, mainly due to gender inequality and the life-disrupting consequences of World War II. Let’s back up here a bit: Isn’t “geisha” a Japanese term, you ask? Yes, it refers to Japanese female social escorts who can typically dance, sing, and provide sexual services to paying men. But because Taiwan was under Japanese colonial rule for half a century (from 1895 to 1945), there was obviously Japanese demand for local women of convenience during those days, which inevitably resulted in the grooming of local Taiwanese women in the ways of the geisha – hence the Taiwanese geisha.

Lyrically speaking, Elegy for the Blossoms is essentially a soap opera with WWII as the socio-political backdrop framing the ups and downs of A-hiong’s love story (prefaced as a brief biography in the lyrics booklet). That love story, by the way, is Class A cheesiness: helpless woman meets possibly helpful man. Both fall in love before the war. Man goes to Japan for business during the war, promising to marry woman when he returns. Man gets stuck in Japan due to war stuff; does not return to Taiwan as promised. Woman cannot wait forever; gets into arranged marriage to some rich bloke. Man returns on eve of woman’s arranged marriage, explaining his lateness. Woman does not forgive him and clichéd cries of “it’s too late let’s marry in the next life” ensue. If it were the narrative of some Asian TV drama today, it would be the equivalent of cheesy power metal. But when used as the narrative of an Asian conceptual metal album prominently featuring Chinese folk musical instruments, it becomes memorable. The result: a quasi-audiobook in which the sappy love story unfolds to befittingly melancholic music. By the time the tenth track and final chapter rolls around, A-hiong’s yearning for her MIA lover has morphed into fatalistic resignation, which is perhaps a stark reminder of how platitudes often fall flat in the face of brute reality.

Aurally speaking, Elegy for the Blossoms is a despondent tapestry woven from the threads of a female soprano, harsh male vocals, electric guitar, drums, a piano/synths, an erhu (Chinese two-stringed fiddle), and a pipa (Chinese four-stringed lute). The latter two instruments conjure an oriental atmosphere conducive to imagining one to be sipping freshly brewed green tea under a cloudless night sky, staring at the full moon (“Lullaby of Sanctuary” and “A Mental Escape” are two examples). The erhu (played by Jedi Yeh), in particular, features prominently on almost every track, having more solos than the electric guitar. Hence, you could say the electric guitar… wait for it… plays second fiddle to the erhu [Don’t quit your day job, kid. – Steel Druhm]. This subversion of traditional metal roles is a sonic breath of fresh air, which I hope will swell into a hurricane in the near future and take the East Asian metal scene by storm. Because while Chthonic was arguably the archetypal “erhu metal band,” its music these days is mostly driven by electric guitars. It’s a pity, though, that the erhu’s cousin, the pipa, might not be a permanent fixture of Crescent Lament’s musical instrument line-up; it’s stated in the lyric booklet that the pipa (played by Pitufa Lin) only appeared on this record as a guest instrument. Pitufa’s refined, plucked melodies fit the geisha concept so well because geishas often learned to play instruments like the pipa in order to better entertain their clients. Thus, it would be disappointing to catch Crescent Lament performing this record live if they simply used studio recordings of Pitufa’s playing as a stand-in for Pitufa.

On the keyboard side of the musical spectrum, the piano and synths (both played by Warose Chen) do their jobs well, too. When not providing melancholic accompaniment to the main musical instruments, the piano injects bouts of calmness that foreshadow imminent aural sorrow, as heard in the introductions of “Last Embrace”, “Flavor of Emptiness”, and “Masked Doll.” And as though its presence is not ubiquitous enough, the piano shows off its potential for expressing great emotional depth in the aptly titled piano-and-erhu instrumental track, “Autumn Rustle.”

Last but certainly not least, the soprano heard on this record— Muer Chou —is the driving musical force of Elegy for the Blossoms, steering listeners in the intended emotional directions along the course of their aural journey through A-hiong’s dramatic story. Not every syllable is cleanly sung, though. Harsh vocals are occasionally utilized to create the beauty-and-the-beast effect with Muer’s soul-stirring singing, perhaps as a representation of A-hiong’s suppressed anger at her inability to alter her fate.

As an overlooked gem of 2015, Elegy for the Blossoms proves that cross-cultural metal can be more original than derivative (of the Western side of metal music). And as its name suggests, this record is more than just a music album – it is first and foremost a serious poetic reflection on the fleetingness of human existence, and the inevitable burden that comes with it: having to continually make the best of what little free will one has to move on in life from past events that were set into motion by what turned out to be bad choices in hindsight. This is an excellent work of art to add to your unconventional metal collection, to say the least.

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If anything can be said about HateSphere, it’s that they know how to please their fans. Though many of us crave a bit more diversity across a fifteen-year career, the fact that HateSphere drops consistent album after consistent album every couple years is enough to please (almost) anyone. HateSphere’s consistency is the result of founding guitarist Peter Hansen and his continued navigation along the course set by 2001’s self-titled debut. Always heavy, always thrashy, and always with a touch of melody, the only real variation from album-to-album is the vocal performance. The band’s first vocalist, Jacob Bredahl, gave his best Tomas Lindberg impression to HateSphere for five albums before being replaced by Jonathan Albrechtsen on 2009’s To the Nines. Albrechtsen came into To the Nines with death in his voice—and a similarity to The Haunted’s Marco Aro—but his era ended quickly. Esben Hansen took the reins on the groove-happy The Great Bludgeoning; interspersing the signature HateSphere belts with Peter Wiwczarek-isms. The Great Bludgeoning marked a new era for the band and a renewed passion in the music. But can these gents deliver the same level of groovy, hooky, accessible songwriting on New Hell?

Well, they try pretty damn hard. New Hell, like The Great Bludgeoning, dishes out thrashy licks, groovy foot-stompers, and plenty of melodic subtleties. New Hell, unlike Murderlust and some of their mid-career records, is concisely and consistently crafted, making for a more streamlined record that doesn’t feel like a crate of hate-themed landmines. However, New Hell is still HateSphere to its core and high expectations for ground-breaking songwriting or the elimination of filler should be quenched immediately. That said, most of the choruses work well and the layered combination of rasps, barks, and yells result in some of the catchier and more accessible material in HateSphere’s catalog.

“The Executioner” gets things rolling in classic HateSphere fashion, fusing their typical pissed-off attitude with a hooking chorus designed to snag you in the jaw. “Head on a Spike” and “Master of Betrayal” continue this aggressive hookiness, piling riffs on top of melodic choruses and sending this hate train careening through every station. “Head on a Spike” opens with soothing guitar cleans before the band unleashes some trashy Haunted riffs, while “Master of Betrayal” beats you down with a monstrous chorus perfectly suited to Esben’s Vader-esque barks.

For those itching for some HateSphere groove, look no further than “The Longest Haul” and the title track. Both will equally get your head bobbing, but “The Longest Haul” is simply addictive. Its groovy main riff, melodic chorus, and clever effects-laden guitar lead toward the end do a fine job of forcing a smile on my face. Between the catchy and the groovy sits the beauty-and-the-beast instrumental “On the Shores of Hell” and the “epic” “The Grey Mass.” The former lays down Testament-inspired clean guitars before unleashing some atmospheric distortion. It’s a great piece and a well-executed intermission to the record. “The Grey Mass,” on the other hand, fuses the heavy with the melodic in its five-and-a-half-minute runtime. Maybe not as epic a closer as the one on Serpent Smiles and Killer Eyes, but “The Grey Mass” does a fine job of helping the listener spend the last of their white-knuckle rage.

All that said, New Hell isn’t terribly new. Tracks like “Line Crossed Lives Lost” and “Your Sad Experience” don’t pack staying power and Esben’s vocals, while crushing, don’t add new dimension to the music. The instrumentation and vocals are well-balanced and the production is clean, but Tue Madsen’s mastering is, unsurprisingly, quite loud. Regardless of these shortcomings, Hansen delivers meaty riffs and Mike Park Nielsen (ex-Mercenary) is as tight as ever. New Hell is another anger-filled slab of Danish thrash, brimming with chunky riffs, crushing drum work, and another angry-as-hell vocal performance. Though New Hell may not top last year’s The Haunted outing, it sure as hell should help with all your snow shoveling.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 128 kbps mp3
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: hatesphere.com | facebook.com/Hatesphere666
Release Dates: EU: 2015.11.20 | NA: 02.12.2016

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…which was immediately gnawed apart in the first seconds of opener “Great I Am.” Not since Morbid Angel’s infamous snare hit in “Immortal Rites” has a boom-thunk drum strike followed by surge of guitars conveyed such vigor. In fact, that’s the perfect way to describe Lightless Walk: reinvigorated. Throughout these 11 tracks and 37 minutes, the members sound tighter, meaner, and fiercer than ever. Drummer Casey Hansen batters his kit with a furious, natural rawness that sounds more aggressive than any of his prior work (and is perfectly captured by Kurt Ballou’s superb production); Mike Mason’s guitars burst and stutter with a frantic, malevolent dissonance that’s still similar to Gaza, only honed to a more frighteningly effective point; and Lucero roars like he’s been stewing with rage behind his bass for years. It makes me wonder why he wasn’t given a microphone sooner.

With second track “The Sorrow,” Leader prove just how tight they’ve really become. The guitars gallop along in seamless sync with the rhythm section, barreling forward with the fervor of a starving Doberman. Likewise for the feature riff of early highlight “Suffer Louder,” which literally sounds like a guitar attempting to replicate an animal growl. Like Gaza, Leader still know how to turn tempos on a dime, but here, they’ve refined it to great effect: the faster songs like second-half highlight “Walking Wasteland” excel as unrestrained outbursts of neck-snapping hardcore, while longer tracks become more exploratory – see “Sympathetic” with its churning acidic riffs, screamed call-and-response refrain, and nihilistic sludgy outro that provides a needed breather early in Walk’s runtime.

Most impressive, however, are “A Good Life” and the closing title track. Built mainly on bleak clean picking, these tracks largely forgo hardcore and come across more like apocalyptic folk, complete with Lucero adopting a bluesy croon reminiscent of Michael Gira (Swans). Hansen’s dynamic, lively drumming helps make these tracks crackle with energy, and further showcases he can do more than just blast like a madman. On another album, these songs may have been a failed experiment – here, they’re some of its most interesting moments. It all cements the high level of inspiration, and proves that sometimes overcoming wounds can make a group come back even stronger. The result is one of 2015’s finest records of this genre, and a must listen for anyone who likes their hardcore tinged with metal and seared with raw passion.

Tracks to check: “Sympathetic,” “Suffer Louder,” “Lightless Walk,” “Walking Wasteland”

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And yet, Batushka’s Litourgiya doesn’t sound like a subversive and derisive effort, nor like a black metal band’s attempt at introducing an empty novelty to cheaply enrich their sound. Instead, the tracks, all appropriately named “Yekteniya” or “Litany,” come off as honest adaptations and amalgamations of black and doom metal with the brooding atmospheres present in the dark remnants of early Christian mysticism. There, liturgical chants become the main vessel for arcane and occult phrases that speak to something primordial in all of us. While there have been bands that incorporated Gregorian or similar singing in their music, these elements were mostly used as inessential ornaments that failed to substantially impact the overarching concepts. Unlike their peers, Batushka place these droning, ritualistic chants in the focus of their music, pushing growls and shrieks into the backseat. Around them, they weave the usual black metal tremolos, blast beats, and blindingly fast tempos that, even though familiar and expectedly unoriginal, feel strangely fresh in this new context.

The album’s seven songs all share similar patterns of alternating grandiose black metal bursts enshrined in great, goosebump inducing melodies with slower sections during which the vocals often remain alone in the dark, accompanied only by subtle church bells or submerged in doomy harmonies. Since the songs and material are slaves to the underlying conceptualization of a liturgy, there’s little diversity between cuts, making the record best enjoyed as a whole. Still, “Yekteniya 2,“ “Yekteniya 4,” and “Yekteniya 6” are clear standouts based on the songwriting alone, while “Yekteniya 7” allows the band’s true strengths to shine as it does away with black metal rasps altogether. It’s this song that also highlights some issues with the production and mastering: the fabulous vocals feel buried and lost in the meaty and bassy mix, giving it somewhat of a (perhaps intentional?) lo-fi patina.

Batushka are a mysterious bunch, allegedly featuring prominent members of the Polish black metal scene (Nergal? Someone from Mgła or Lux Occulta?), with their identities hidden in a shroud of uncertainty. While I’ve deemed the album to be “honest,” this secrecy alongside other indications, i.e. the prevailing anti-Russian stance and the illiberally-inclined new government in Poland, signal that Litourgiya might indeed carry a deeper political and ideological statement. Whichever case it might be, it shouldn’t and doesn’t hinder the enjoyment of the demonstrated musical mastery. A great record.

Tracks to check: “Yekteniya 2,” “Yekteniya 7,” and “Yekteniya 8”

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VOLA

There is no questioning that VOLA is hyper-melodic and therein lies much of Inmazes’s appeal. Asger Mygind’s vocals are immediately solid on the opener, “The Same War,” but upon reaching the chorus it’s clear just how buttery-smooth they really are. He demonstrates a greater range than many a metal vocalist, particularly in the record’s calmer moments such as “Emily.” The gentle lines sung at 1:35 are really powerful and strangely evocative of Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Martin Werner on the keys and programming is an important tool in this agreeable atmosphere too. The piano-style melody at 3:12 on “Owls” offers a great juxtaposition to the following guitar lead which picks up the same melody, and the trip-hop beat on the aforementioned “Emily” is appropriately muted and subtle to complement Mygind’s gentle voice. Aside from such particular examples, synths underpin pretty much everything and harmonize well with the guitar-work.

Speaking of which, I wouldn’t want to under-emphasize the qualities which ensure this very much remains in the realms of metal. There is a grounding in djent upon which these melodies are constructed and satisfactorily contrasted with surprisingly heavy rhythms and leads. The principle riff on “Stray the Skies” hits that spot between smart and headbang-inducing, produced with a modern tone which I acknowledge may aggravate some but unquestionably fits the overall package. “Starburn” ups the ante as one of the highlights and is led from the front by arguably the best riff on the record. The opening riff on “A Stare Without Eyes” is the closest to djent’s origins in the likes of Meshuggah, boasting great technicality and that synaesthetic quality of feeling its wrapping itself around your brain.

Unlike Meshuggah however, song-writing is never abandoned in favor of tech wankery. Inmazes is an album composed of actual songs which click and will knock about your head for ages. There’s no grand concept as far as I can judge and it’s easy to pick up and leave off from wherever in its ten-track duration. It does, of course, function perfectly well if heard all at once but its bite-sized structure makes it that much more appealing for easy listening. Particular highlights include the aforementioned “Starburn,” “Stray the Skies,” the concluding title track and the well-judged ‘ballad’, “Emily.”

In all, the inherent knack for melody and crunchy guitar hooks combine to compose a surprisingly excellent début from these Danes. The industrial tone taken on to complement the djent isn’t aided by the limited dynamic range, rendering a slightly lifeless quality to the guitars, but the excellent melodies definitely overcome this deficiency. Inmazes has consistently remained in my rotation since first hearing it and it comes as an easy recommendation at a name-your-price offer.

Tracks to check: “Starburn,” “Stray the Skies,” “Inmazes,” “Emily”

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