Down Among The Dead Men - …And You Will Obey Me

Band: Down Among The Dead Men

Album: …And You Will Obey Me

Lable: Transcending Obscurity 

Release Date: June 15th 2018
Country: International

Format reviewed: Digital MP3

Obviously sleeping is for the weak. Why sleep when you can spend every waking minute writing riffs and constructing death metal tunes ad infinitum until you die. This, my friends, is how one Rogga Johansson and Dave Ingram choose to operate on what is, seemingly, a daily basis! 

The roll call for these two metal reprobates is a veritable feast of Death – Ingram, currently set down with ‘Just Before Dawn/Echelon/Ursinne and Ex of the mighty ‘Benediction’ and ‘Bolt Thrower’. Johansson? – Well, whom hasn’t he worked with? – But for the sake of examples; Megascavenger/Paganizer/Revolting/Ribspreader/The Grotesquery…you get the idea? Prolific is an understatement. 

Somehow, with the help of the talents of session musicians Kjetil Lynghaug on leads and Erik R. Bevenrud on session drums, Dave and Rogga have put together the third offering from their ‘Down Among The Dead Men’ (DATDM) collaboration. From the outset and to the very end of this thirty-minute beast, it is clear that DATDM take no prisoners. No reprieve, no mercy – just all out annihilation.

DATDM play exactly the type of steamrolling Death Metal I love to hear. Nothing complex about it – straight forward Old school Death (think Ingram’s other legendary acts) combined with a killer Crust/Dirty Punk element that is captured and delivered with sublime ferocity and power. Furthermore, there is a dark melodic feel to the 10 compositions on offer here. Match that with the deep-seated grooves that Rogga employs with his riffs and the whole thing just explodes with a fire and energy that is truly addictive. The album title itself is almost prophetic in nature as it implores you to reach for the repeat button just one more time. Oh yes, repeated spins is a given such is the spell that this album casts over the listener! 

For me personally, it must be stated that as great as Rogga’s work is on this album, it is Dave Ingram’s vocal performance that has me doing cartwheels. As a massive fan of classic Benediction, nothing pleases more that to hear Dave’s characteristic roar and distinctive tone given the full treatment on this record. Like a Willets or a Van Drunen, Dave’s phrasing and enunciation stands out amongst the crowd, and he is truly one of a kind in the way he constructs his lyrical delivery for maximum impact. For me, Barney Greenway is his only peer when it comes to all out Death Metal style conveyance.

The sound of this album is also a major deal breaker! So Heavy! Superbly crafted with just enough dirt and grime in the back end to heighten it’s ‘Crust’ vibe, ‘Obey..’ possesses a thick pummelling production that only accentuates further the power and devastating intensity of Rogga and co! Such is the experience of the two main protagonist here; they just simply know how to play to each other’s strengths and as such, the whole album flows with unadulterated conviction and sonic precision. Put simply, ‘Obey..’ crushes. 

‘Obey..’ is a fantastic album. At its core, a record that pays pure homage to Old School Death Metal – dark and foreboding, yet the direct and unyielding Crust/Punk element gives a real streamlined edge to DATDM’s compositions. Not a second is wasted here. From the get go of ‘Destroy the Infinite’ to the superb crunch of ‘Darkness of Glass’, ‘Obey…’ is turn on, tune in, heads down, see you at the end! It will be your master…You will Obey! Confident this will be considered as one of the Death Metal albums of the year.  8/10 KMaN

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8/10 To Greatness and Glory
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Claret Ash - The Great Adjudication

Band: Claret Ash
Album: The Great Adjudication
Label: Casus Belli Musica / Beverina Productions
Release Date: 30 April 2018
Country: Australia
Format reviewed: Digital CD quality

Hailing from Canberra, of the Australia Capital Territory, Claret Ash have returned with their 3rd full length ‘The Great Adjudication’. However, if you were thinking that you might have seen this before, you would be half-right! You see, this 75 minute album is a combination of the bands last two releases that had the same title (The Great Adjudication: Fragment I and II) - released independently in November 2017 and April 2018 respectively. With their signing to Casus Belli Musica, we are now presented with both, laid out on one full album!

Featuring stunning cover art from Samuel Nelson (Stigma Art), the look and feel of this album just screams Darkness. Slated as a Progressive Black Metal band, Claret Ash are just that and a tad more. There is far more going on here than you might think. There is a certain ‘epic’ quality about Claret Ash’s writing. Essentially, the first five tracks is the aforementioned Fragment Part I, which conveys Claret Ash’s blindingly vicious tremolo picking style wrapped up in a thick, dark, yet highly atmospheric production. The opening track ‘Essence of Fire’ smacks in with one drop on the snare and then a blast-beat full throttle affair rips through with cascading riffs and leads. The following four tracks are of similar ilk. Totally menacing.

Throughout The Great Adjudication, the influences are laid out for all to hear – for me, second and third wave Black Metal proponents in Borknagar, Gorgoroth, Wolves in the Throne Room and even proggy Arcturus moments rear their heads on multiple occasions - and this is where the second half of this album becomes an even more interesting beast. While the album does play out as one complete entity, it is clear that the seven tracks from Fragment II show off Claret Ash’s penchant for a more riff oriented and progressive side to their music. From the multi-faceted vokills (dual lead/backing vocals provided by guitarists James Edmeades and Josh Pearse) – harsh, black screaming and guttural to clean, almost spoken word approaches. From the use of dreamy acoustic work on several introductions to slower, more epic melodic phrasing in the leads, there is a great sense of experimentation in the band’s song and as such gives them a particular identity among their peers. If pushed for examples – tracks such as the fantastic ‘Like Tears in the Rain’ and the epic 7+ minute epic of ‘Vicissitude’ are ample proof of this band’s talent.

The Great Adjudication sounds great – a dark, brooding feel has been captured in the production with Tracks 1-5 mixed and mastered by Ryan Huthnance; Tracks 6-12 by Mike Trubetskov at AOL studios; The mastering by Maynard Gold at Hilltop Recording Studios. Add this to some top-notch quality songwriting and a visually striking presentation, Claret Ash possess all the characteristics of a seriously professional act! Hopefully with the backing of the Casus Belli Musica label, their work can be fully realized and their following outside Australian shores increases! High recommended for fans of dark, atmospheric Progressive Black Metal! 8.5/10 KMaN







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8/10 To Greatness and Glory

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Thrashist Regime - Carnival Of Monsters

Band: Thrashist Regime
Album: Carnival of Monsters
Label: Fat Hippy Records
Release Date: 28 April 2018
Country: Scotland
Format Reviewed: CD-quality digital

Sometimes in this scene, you get the greatest of surprises! Just when you think you have exhausted all pots of Metal gold in exstence, along comes something that makes you sit bolt upright and take serious notice. When I first set my eyes on the simply phenomenal cover artwork for ‘Carnival of Monsters’, it was clear that, at the very least, this was going to be a wicked ride! Even without hearing a note, I had a sense that yes, ‘Carnival..’ looked and felt rather special; serious work had been put into this. I am pleased to say that all preconceived assumptions and ideas I had formed have been well and truly met and, for that matter, exceeded beyond anything I could have imagined.

Hailing from Scotland, Thrashist Regime has been at it for quite some time. In fact, it has been a six-year wait between this and their 2012 album ‘Fearful Symmetry’. Understandably, the band could be forgiven for being a little apprehensive about how their new material might be received. Pfft, fear not I say…from the outset it is clear to me that ‘Carnival of Monsters’ is the benchmark Thrash album for 2018; it is that freaking good.

If you are at all familiar with the band’s debut, you will realize that Thrashist Regime has only one thing on their agenda; Total face melting rifferama! Moreover, while we can argue that their moniker is a tad retro-re- thrash-novelty in namesake and that said debut did nothing to advance the genre (ala Vektor and the like) I have no issue with the band clearly wearing their influences on their sleeve for all to see. This looks like 80’s Thrash, it smells like 80’s Thrash and it most certainly plays like it! If progressive noodling is required in your Thrash diet, then this probably will not do the trick. If not, then I suggest you warm up thy neck!

Thrashist Regime have stepped up their game in all facets of their presentation. Yes, this is total and utter 80’s thrash worship, but unlike others hawking the same style, TR do most things ever so RIGHT! Bottom line, it is the song writing and production improvement that are the most notable features of ‘Carnival of Monsters’.

There is major league sophistication about everything TR does on this record. Carefully constructed over two years with producer Dan Goldsworthy helming the recording sessions at his custom studio in Aberdeenshire, Thrashist Regime have delivered an extremely strong set of tracks. Frightfully blistering in their conveyance, this album contains some of the most memorable Thrash riffs i’ve heard in quite some time. I will even go on record and say that the 8-minute opening track ‘Laughter, Then Madness, Then Death’ is the greatest thrash track I have heard in the last decade! Most retro-thrash bands would give their left nut to write a song so ripping. Let me lay it out….What we get here is a massive fast paced Exodus-like chugger combined with some sublime Annihilator style melody that just hikes the whole thing up ten-fold! The track contains about four masterful riffs that weave in and out of some blinding melodic leads and then at the 4-minute mark, it hightails into an incredible mid-track refrain that is impossible to ignore. I guarantee it – Involuntary, uncontrollable neck snapping will occur! Backed with what is a simply crushing modern thrash production (Exodus/Sneap territory) the track is just a masterclass of epic proportions. A monster opener, I tell you!

If there is a downer at all about ‘Carnival of Monsters’ it’s that it reveals all of its tricks in that one epic opening track. Now, there is absolutely zilch wrong with the next 10 tracks – they are some of the strongest set of thrashers going around, it’s just that they cannot match or compete with the audacious attack of said opener. That aside, prepare to be smacked upside the head with tight as fuck, relentless thrash riffs throughout the whole affair; all props to the guitar duo of Rich Thomson and Kyle Forbes for their outstanding musicality displayed here. As stated, the song writing has been kicked-up a notch, with longer, more intricate songs that are both heavier and more melodic than anything the band have come up with before whilst still maintaining their focus on scorching face melting thrash.

As a point of difference, I would suggest that it is the ‘melodic’ aspect of Thrashist’s work that makes their compositions so much more appealing; this is the early era Annihilator I hear in the band. Chorus wise, lead wise, everything is catchier, more memorable and less paint by numbers than what other retro-thrash bands of their ilk would churn out. Furthermore, there a massive take no prisoners attitude about the album and also a great sense of fun – ‘Antarctattack’ is about Ants attacking the ice caps ffs, and ‘Headshot’ is about taking out Zombies that cross your path! All of this mindless lyrical frivolity is perfectly captured and delivered in spades via the killer thrash vocals of Joe Johnstone – energy, attitude and unbridled aggression permeates his every word – check out his frantic lyric-for- blast beat performance on ‘Operation: Keep Him Busy’. Outstanding! His band mates also do their bit with some well placed gang vocals scattered throughout most compositions.

‘Carnival of Monsters’ is redolent of all that is killer about our beloved Thrash genre. It rages with an anger, an aggression and a no hold barred relentlessness in all that it conveys. The whole package is clear and evident (how’s that awesome artwork? – also from Dan Goldsworthy). It also suggest that the band are about to step out of the restrictive shadows that the whole retro-thrash style casts far and wide over many of their contemporaries. Out on local Scottish label - Fat Hippy Records - Thrashist Regime have written a brilliant and vibrant Thrash Metal album that lets loose with all manner of kick ass riffage; guaranteed to invoke appropriate neck action! Take notice – this is simply beyond all expectations. 9.5/10 KMaN

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9/10 Epic Storm

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Necropanther - Eyes Of Blue Light

Band: Necropanther
Title: Eyes Of Blue Light
Label: Earsplit
Release Date: 23 February 2018
Country: USA

Sweden has a lot to answer for, hey? It has always astounded me how a country with a population of just on 10 million can churn out so many metal bands! The ratio is massive! In fact it’s actually 27.2% per 100,000..second to Finland (53.3%). So what the hell has this got to do with this new Necropanther album? One word will suffice – INFLUENCE!
Necropanther are from Denver, Colorado USA, but if you didn’t know the details - upon hearing their sophomore album ‘Eyes of Blue Light’ - you would be forgiven for thinking that they were just another killer Gothenburg act. Scandinavian Melo-death isn’t the only thing that permeates this album, but by the gods of thunder the Swedish sound definitely holds up as a massive blueprint.
Inspired again by 80’s cinema, Thematically ‘Eyes of Blue Light’ is a rather adventurous affair. Here’s a band retelling Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi classic ‘Dune’ in 12 gleaming, highly strung, tightly delivered tracks. You’d think such an undertaking would take a couple of hours, maybe spanning a prog-rock double album release. No sir!…as if to cut straight to the chase, Necropanther knock it all over in 35 minutes. As stated, the old school Swedish melo-death sound runs deep throughout this album. Yet it is far from a one trick pony. The band clearly love At The Gates/In Flames and even underground glories such as Sacrilege and Eucharist. But bringing it state side, you’ve got a plethora of tightly stacked and jagged Bay Area thrash riffage interplaying with sweet melodic leads that recall ‘Skeletonwitch’ and a nod to some harsher blackened elements – most notably guitarist/vocalist Paul Anop’s caustic spit laden lyrically delivery! Add touches of Power Metal epic-ness (Hunter-Seeker) and straight up Trad-Metal (Shai-Hulud) accoutrements and this, all of a sudden, isn’t what you think it might be… If you are at all interested in the combination, then it will only take you the opening salvo riff of ‘Imperium Overture’ to convince you that this is worth your time. The great thing about Necropanther’s influential eye is that they’ve sought the best of best when it comes to capturing the Scandinavian Melo-Death sound. Why fuck around and be half -assed with anything of this nature, hey? So, even though ‘Eyes Of Blue Light’ was captured at Green Door Recordings in Denver by Felipe Patino (Rise Against, NOFX) it WAS mixed and mastered in Gothenburg, Sweden by Melodic Death Metal mastermind Fredrik Nordström (Dimmu Borgir, At The Gates, Arch Enemy, In Flames etc.). Such a move has allowed the bands musical prowess to shine through, especially their melodic lead features and scathing riff work. If I can suggest one element that didn’t quite get the treatment it deserved, it’s possibly in the drum mix where a lack of punch is evident in what is a rather highly compressed sound. A little more space in the instrumentation next time maybe? Fans of the style will find a treasure trove of delight in this half hour (and a bit) romp through some of the more appealing Swedish Melo-death influenced Metal you’ve heard this year. Professional, mature and sophisticated, Eyes of Blue Light does the job…yeah, it may not be entirely ‘creative’ as per the definition, but wow, the bands ability to mesh and mould their influences into taut sinewy compositions is extremely admirable. Necropanther - the best Swedish sounding American Metal band around – not taking anything away from their own unique take on the style, but from me that is high praise! Revisit often for maximum effect. Great fkn work!  8/10  KMaN

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8/10 To Greatness and Glory!

Whipstriker - Merciless Artillery

Band: Whipstriker
Title: Merciless Artillery
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Release Date: 9 March 2018
Country: Brazil

Here's another Whipstriker release. 10 years in the game and full length Album No.4 (among 29 other singles/eps) from these maniacs of Brazilian Speed/Thrash Metal. Adorned with a splendid Rok/Sadistik Ex inspired cover art, it is blatantly clear just what this is all about! Skull crushing head removal. Yep, Merciless Artillery pretty much does what it says on the can!
Released in the latter part of 2017, we now see Merciless Artillery gain a wider distribution release via the bands new label in Hells Headbangers Records. Good work too, as this has massive appeal to those looking for straight down the line, no frills speed metal attack! If you are familiar with this band at all you certainly won't be disappointed in what you hear. In fact, this is possibly the band strongest work to date. Having said that, musically this is not a great leap from their earlier work, it's just that they've captured a particular vibe on this album that works on a different, more responsive level.
Newcomers? Well, think equal parts old school Venom/Motorhead meets the filthy crusty end of Hellhammer/Sodom inspired riffage. Dirty, raging speed metal anthems that arrive, inflict maximum damage and then leave you drained before you realize the album is over! Incredibly, and most surprisingly, embedded within this maelstrom of white noise and relentless double kick battering is some quite tasteful and, dare I suggest it, melodic lead work that adds a new(er) dimension to Whipstrikers sound. Vocally, Whip himself reminds me a whole lot of Cronos (Venom) with his harsh, rough as guts delivery suiting their style perfectly. Song wise, everything is on a par with everything else - pure, frenetic speed induced mayhem that asks nothing more from you than to bang thy head! Merciless Artillery has a wicked spirit about it and despite its absolute familiarity, one can't help but be enveloped in its atmosphere. No one expects high-brow convoluted compositions here...as stated, it does what it says on the can. You know what you're getting and as far as Whipstriker is concerned, that is good enough indeed.
If fast, loud filthy speed metal riffage is your go-to, then Merciless Artillery is begging for your attention. No pretentiousness here folks...this has spirit, this has balls. It is absolutely Metal in every way!  8/10 By KMaN

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