Record of the Month: May 2016

Another interesting month for May 2016 and a potential best of 2016 record in the three choices listed below.

PLEBEIAN GRANDSTAND - False Highs, True Lows

Plebeian Grandstand - False Highs, True Lows (2016, Throatruiner Records)

Dissonant Black Metal from Toulouse, France that sounds really evil and poisonous might be the right definition when someone wants to put a label on Plebeian Grandstand’s latest album False Highs, True Lows. Leaving behind their Hardcore edge to a more asymetric Black Metal as well as being often compared to their compatriots of Deathspell Omega. This critic would prefer to call them the heirs of the contemporary Mayhem (circa Ordo Ad Chao, Esoteric Warfare).

OBSCURA - Akróasis

Obscura - Akróasis (2016, Relapse)

Recently we have reviewed the album Bleak Fragments by the Portuguese band Destroyers Of All and we referenced Obscura’s latest release (Akróasis) as another one of the most interesting Technical Death Metal albums of 2016.

STORTREGN - Singularity

Stortregn – Singularity (2016, Non Serviam Records)

If I could have a time capsule and go back to any time in my life as a Metal addicted fan it would be around 1998, the time I got around Black Metal and the extremities of music along with Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore. The new album by the Swiss Melodic Death Metal band Stortregn is almost doing that for me. It took me many listens to actually get it but know the comparison can’t get off my head : Stortregn reminds me of In Flames circa 1998 to 2001. Not the actual melodic Metalcore that they are doing dressed as Metal emos. But to be even more precise, they remind me of the album Whoracle. It’s like a picture where you can see two faces depending on where you are looking; once you can see it you cannot unsee it.

NEOHERESY - Potop

Neoheresy - Potop (2016, Elegy records)

Formerly Hellveto and earlier Blackagir, Neoheresy formed in 2014 from Poland is a one man band that goes from Pagan Black Metal to Symphonic Metal. You’ll hear reminiscents of Einherjer and Samael in the structure of the songs and the handling of the Black Metal elements.

THRÄNENKIND - King Apathy

Thränenkind - King Apathy (2016, Lifeforce Records)

German Hardcore/Black Metalers of Thränenkind have made a solid first record back in 2013 with The Elk. A record I must admit having never heard before getting completely moved by King Apathy lately. The Elk, is solid and has a lot more of instrumental parts that makes it a moodier record with many Blackgaze passages. It is far less edgier than the Hardcore riffing that has King Apathy. So far, I can’t seem to find a flaw in this record and I pretty much like everything about it and how it is perfectly dosed.

DESTROYERS OF ALL - Bleak Fragments

Destroyers Of All - Bleak Fragments (2016, Mosher Records)

When I was a young child my father had this keyboard we could play on and it had a metronome and pre programmed accompaniment styles like samba, jazz, dance, rock, R&B, etc. My brother and I would be mixing those arrangements as if we were ‘’DJing’’ before knowing what it was. Sketchy, could be the correct word to describe our mixes. It would take a young four year old to think that so many genres could be mixed together and sound somewhat good. Not until now, at more thirty years old I would discover a band that would do the same while mixing Technical Death Metal in a way that is way more studied and mastered than the younger version of the author of those lines. Added to that, it was not played in MIDI. 

TAMÁS KÁTAI - Slower Structures

Tamás Kátai – Slower Strutures (2016, GS Productions)

While being one of the most interesting permutators of contemporary Metal under his moniker Thy Catafalque, Hungarian musician Tamás Kátai recently released a new album under his name. As the subtitle of Slower Structures notes : 13 Compositions for Piano, Violon, Contrabass, and Electronics. This is a minimalist release that leaves great space for airy compositions and introspective music.

Interview: Tamás Kátai/Thy Catafalque

Hungarian born and now living in Scotland, composer, musician Tamás Kátai of Gire and Avant-garde Black metal band Thy Catafalque recently released a new album under his own name, the second in eleven years has been available to answer the questions we asked him. He's been a great to us and got us a lot of himself as an artist and a human being. We also were lucky enough to learn a bit about Thy Catafalque's future.

NORDJEVEL - Nordjevel

Nordjevel - Nordjevel (2016, Osmose Productions)

Norway has always been the dedicated territory for Black Metal since the burst that made the subgenre infamous in the early 1990’s. With a debut album the year after they formed the band, Nordjevel and their self-titled record were signed and released on the legendary French label Osmose. Normally, this might be a sign of a talented band and an essential listening while being at such an early stage in their career.

HYPERION - Seraphical Euphony

Hyperion - Seraphical Euphony (2016, Black Lion Productions)

There have been so many copy cats of Dissection since the band released its masterpiece in Storm Of The Light’s Bane that the subgenre of Melodic Black Metal could have been named Jon Nödtveidt. Being compared once again to those Swedish musicians is probably just another walk in the park for Hyperion but they managed to do it so right that they elevated the Dissection heritage to another level.

LJOSAZABOJSTWA - Starazytnaje licha [EP]

Ljosazabojstwa – Starazytnaje licha (2016, Hellthrasher Productions)

This official release of the first demo of the Belarus band Ljosazabojstwa on Hellthrasher Productions is a three song effort of mid-tempo rocking Death metal with a vocalist that reminds of the old school Death Metal of Yore.

WALL OF WATER - Wall Of Water

Wall Of Water - Wall Of Water (2016, Self-released)

The debut album of this American duo is targeting a wide audience of Metal enthusiasts and wants to be as underground as it can and we’ll find if this is a success or not. Let’s remember that when there is a desire to please everyone with a product or a piece of art this is more or less a win win situation.

[Throwback Reviews] SUNN O))) & ULVER - Terrestrials

Note from the editor: this review was first published at my main blog and since I moved here I've decided to edit and repost those archived reviews once in a while just to get the database complete and give a second life to those earlier writings.

Sunn O))) & Ulver - Terrestrials (2014, Southern Lord Records)

In the vein of Godspeed You! Black Emperor!, Sunn O))) has always been a reference in Drone music exploring patterns, textures, sonorities, and the musical boundaries of sound and noise. On the other side, Ulver with an early Black Metal trilogy and a triptych of experimentation, in the extremities of not only Metal but also Rock, have come to a second collaboration with Sunn O))).

BLACK PESTILENCE - Carry On The Black Flame [EP]

Black Pestilence - Carry On The Black Flame (2016, self-released)

The Canadian Crust Punk Black Metal band of Black Pestilence self-released a EP of four songs to drink beer and spit nihilism all over the place. With two personalities, one is crusty DIY punkish and the other, a dark black metal lo-fi approach, this EP sounds evil and resonates in the vein of DarkThrone’s Dark Thrones and Black Flags or Young And In The Way.

VEKTOR - Terminal Redux

Vektor - Terminal Redux (2016, Earache)

For all I knew before listening to this near-masterpiece was that Vektor’s logo was very similar to Voïvod's, aka one of my favorite band of all-time. So with that out of the way, and the fact that both bands are playing progressive music with a background of space explorations in their imagery, I would stop the similarities between both bands. Even if Vektor has some kind of debt towards Voïvod, they pay them good for the inspiration but are apart from each other. Both being masters in their own subgenre. 

ENOID - Exilé Aux Confins Des Tourments

Enoid - Exilé Aux Confins Des Tourments (2016, Satanath Records / Black Plague Records)

The Swiss Black Metal one man band Enoid is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the release of Exilé Aux Confins Des Tourments. Singing in French their depressive and suicidal Black Metal, Bornyhake is taking a path that can’t left you hoping for happiness or joy. There is not one moment of positiveness and the claustrophobic music makes it a highly effective record in the genre.

DROUGHT - Rudra Bhakti [EP]

Drought - Rudra Bhakti (2016, Avantgarde Music)

Another mysterious Black Metal act that doesn’t even inform of its provenance. Revolving around themes of the Übermensch and the purification with fire and the metaphor of the warrior, Drought are playing a kind of Black Metal that comes close to its purity. Read here : something like DarkThrone’s Soulside Journey or Immortal’s Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism. A Black Metal that is very close to Death Metal.

Interview: Ana and Justin of Astral Path

An Oath To The Void (2016, Avantgarde Music)

This is the first ever interview published on Le Mot du Melomaniaque and it is with a band that we were very excited about its debut album; An Oath To The Void. This Canadian two piece were kind enough to actually answer all of the questions we asked them. 

Record of the Month: April 2016

April was a great month for Metal releases and I made many discoveries. We have a definite winner and two really close runners up this April. Since I was away from the country in March, I had some catching up to do in the promos I got and the albums I was interested in their release.