The Albums Of The Month column returns with the best picks from February 2015.
…and one leftover from January.
Legion of Andromeda – Iron Scorn
by Evan Mugford
It’s a C.H.U.D. eat C.H.U.D. world out there, and Tokyo’s Legion of Andromeda, an Italy-meets-Japan tandem, want you to drown in the runoff of their sludgy death-doom excrement. Their full-length debut is Iron Scorn, and it’s seven tracks of hypnotic sewer-crawling malice that gets hard off of everything you fear, hate, and discard. A river of pummeling riffs, a looping Mangler-inspired drum track, and vocals that gurgle up from the bowels of Hades, ugliness reigns supreme in this instant pile-up of primitive, barbaric decadence. So cheer up, buttercup, you’ve got some friends in low places.
Exgenesis – Aphotc Veil
by James Bushnell
I was blown away by this debut release from Exgenesis a new doom/death band created by members of another great band, Enshine. The EP is quite upbeat at times for doom/death metal but, more importantly, Aphotic Veil includes all the very best the genre has to offer; melody, huge riffs, powerful growls and fantastic lead guitars. The songwriting ability on display is staggering, with tracks that will long remain genre favorites. Aphotic Veil is as close to flawless as it gets and hopefully an album laden with songs of the same quality will follow before too long. Recommended …and then some.
Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth – Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth
by Ailo Ravna
Although he made a name for himself with the cult grunge band TAD, veteran rocker Tad Doyle is no stranger to heavy music. With Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth, he unleashes a tectonic colossus of sound, drawing comparisons to heavyweights such as YOB and Ufomammut. Like planets colliding in slow motion, this is jaw-dropping in its massiveness, filled with monster riffs that are bound to blow speakers wherever they are unleashed.
Dhampyr – Oceanclots
by Neill Bird
With their fifth full-length album, Dhampyr have continued their brand of depressive black metal excellence. Full of atmosphere and moody segments, Oceanclots is an incredibly dense listen but ultimately rewarding. The album’s acoustics, cold guitars and agonized screams leave a lasting impression on the listener and stand up strongly in the genre.
Keep Of Kalessin – Epistemology
by Joshua Bulleid
None of Keep Of Kalessin’s previous output has floated my particular boat but their sixth album delivers in spades. I’m not a huge black metal fan and those examples of the genre that do appeal to me tend to be on the proggier end of the spectrum and Epistemology slots in right alongside the likes of modern Enslaved and latter-day Dimmu Borgir.
Epistemology masterfully exploits the power of the riff – picking away at and evolving its musical phrases until they become something new altogether without really changing at all. It might not have been Nathan’s particular cup of (black) tea, but to my ears Epistemology is utterly mesmerizing and transcendent.
(Also, get a load of that cover art!!! I like to think that dude hangs out with the guy from Pestilence’s Obsidio on their days off from being world-destroying, badass god types.)
Necrowretch – With Serpents Scourge
by Nathan Hare
French trio Necrowretch’s sophomore album, With Serpents Scourge, is a loving homage to the early days of death metal. Old school death metal is obviously a genre that has been saturated with second tier bands for a while now, but Necrowretch has the songwriting skills to keep things interesting. Obviously, originality goes out the window but that’s not the point; Necrowretch set out to capture a particular sound and With Serpents Scourge largely succeed in doing so. Straightforward and primitive, With Serpents Scourge will appeal to fans of early Death, Merciless, and Possessed.
Blind Guardian – Beyond The Red Mirror*
by Shawn Miller
Nearly thirty years after their formation, Blind Guardian strike again with their tenth full-length album, Beyond the Red Mirror. Returning to the epic storytelling of Nightfall in Middle-Earth, Blind Guardian brings their most expansive and theatrical album to date, continuing the storyline started with Imaginations From the Other Side.
What makes this album so good is that it shows Blind Guardian bridging the gap between the aforementioned Nightfall and their powerful ninth album At the Edge of Time. The band sounds in fine form, doing a great job combining their brand of progressive power metal with full bodied orchestras and choirs. Yet, despite all of the orchestral elements intertwined, Blind Guardian still manages to retain the hooks and heaviness that we’ve come to expect.
*Beyond The Red Mirror was actually released on the 30st of January but, since it was the second-last day of the month, we’ll let Shawn have this one.
And, as always, some stuff you may have been spinning this time last year:
