Rage and Frustration Round-Up - June 17, 2017

Band/Album – The Noctambulant/Advocatus Diaboli

Country of Origin – USA

Genre – Melodic Black Metal

Label/Release Date – Domestic Genocide/August 26, 2016

Author – Hayduke X

Basically sounds like the Gothenburg sound has been blackened. Solidly done, but fails to draw me in.

Rating: 3/5

Band/Album – Act of Sin/Casting the Second Stone EP

Country of Origin – Canada

Genre – Thrash/Death Metal/Metalcore

Label/Release Date – Independent/September 2, 2016

Author – Hayduke X

A modern, metalcore-ish take on thrash/death. I admit to a preference for this over straight-up metalcore, but it’s still a little too nu-school for my old school self. The harsh vocal/clean vocal/harsh vocal pattern has never sat well with me.

Rating: 2.5/5

Band/Album – Raised by Owls/The Great British Grind-Off

Country of Origin – UK

Genre – Grindcore

Label/Release Date – Independent/October 12, 2016

Author – Hayduke X

Grindcore that leans towards the death-grind side of the occasion. I also hear some metalcore influence in some of the tracks. Solid enough, but the album fails to truly grab my attention.

Rating: 3/5

Band/Album – Aberratio/Aberratio

Country of Origin – Brazil

Genre – Death Metal

Label/Release Date – Independent/November 23, 2016

Author – Hayduke X

Death metal that leans to some technicality, but still lives completely in the filth. The album also steals tropes more commonly found in other genres, such as tremolo picking, but remains true death metal. An intriguing album.

Rating: 3.5/5

Band/Album – Abraxas/Feral and Filth 7”

Country of Origin – USA

Genre – Hardcore

Label/Release Date – Independent/October 31, 2016

Author – Hayduke X

Ripping hardcore that does a great job of building tension. They are equally capable of slow and crushing as they are of just letting it rip. Yells, shouts, and gang vocals all keep you reeling. I bet there’s a fun pit at their shows.

Rating: 3.5/5

Band/Album – The Cavemen/Born to Hate

Country of Origin – New Zealand

Genre – Garage/Punk

Label/Release Date – Dirty Water Records/December 2, 2016

Author – Hayduke X

Raucous garage punk. Half humorous, but all attitude. There isn’t anything new musically, but there sure is a ton of energy on the album.

Rating: 3/5

Band/Album – Violent Life, Violent Death/V-EP

Country of Origin – USA

Genre – Metallic Hardcore

Label/Release Date – Independent/December 21, 2016

Author – Hayduke X

When I see something labeled metallic hardcore, I usually don’t bother. The music within is generally soul-less. Such is not the case here. This brief, introductory EP is full of heart, vicious and vile to be sure, but not without soul or emotion.

Rating: 4/5

Band/Album – Nightland/Obsession

Country of Origin – Italy

Genre – Symphonic Death Metal

Label/Release Date – Rockshots Records/January 6, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

Dark, emotional, and sometimes gloriously over-the-top, Obsession is well done and moving. Melodic death metal with significant symphonic elements that serve to add to the emotional soundscape.

Rating: 4/5

Band/Album – Mordskog/XIII

Country of Origin – Mexico

Genre – Black Metal

Label/Release Date – Werewolf Records/January 6, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

Mordskog is black metal lite. They use a mix of influences from around the black metal world to create a chaotic amalgam of styles, but it somehow loses its power. This is, however, a debut album, so there could be big things coming.

Rating: 3/5

Band/Album – Vorzug/Three

Country of Origin – USA

Genre – Black/Death Metal

Label/Release Date – Apollyon Entertainment/January 11, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

Three is a strange little release. Available only in a digital format, the EP is only 3 tracks and about 15 minutes long. Vorzug is being billed as a blackened death metal band, but it seems to me to be more like traditional heavy metal (except for the vocals) with some extreme metal influence. That said, all three tracks are pretty solid.

Rating: 3/5

Band/Album – Serpentshrine/Besetting the Altar

Country of Origin – USA

Genre – Black/Death Metal

Label/Release Date – Independent/January 11, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

Generally fairly standard black metal that veers into black’n’roll territory occasionally. Not bad.

Rating: 2.5/5

Band/Album – The Darts/The Darts

Country of Origin – USA

Genre – Punk Rock

Label/Release Date – Dirty Water Records/January 13, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

Some of my favorite music includes artists like Joan Jett, L7, The Goops, and Team Dresch. That’s not exactly what this is, but the musical styles are cousins of each other.

Rating: 3.5/5

Band/Album – Hummingbird of Death/Beartrap//Split

Country of Origin – USA

Genre – Powerviolence

Label/Release Date – Give Praise Records/January 13, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

The kind of powerviolence that does ten songs in less than two minutes. Pure spite, hate, and aggression.

Rating: 3/5

Band/Album – Reality Slap/Limitless

Country of Origin – Portugal

Genre – Hardcore

Label/Release Date – WAR Records/January 13, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

Old school hardcore with plenty of aggression, attitude, riffs, and gang vocals. The album reminds me of Agnostic Front mixed with some posi hardcore.

Rating: 3/5

Band/Album – Uniform Choice/Screaming For Change

Country of Origin – USA

Genre – XXX Hardcore

Label/Release Date – Southern Lord/January 20, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

I love straightedge hardcore (probably because I am straighedge and I grew up partially on hardcore). This is a re-release of the seminal Orange County band’s 1984 demo. Essential!

Rating: 4/5

Band/Album – Kenoma/The Tides Will Prevail

Country of Origin – USA

Genre – Instrumental Doom

Label/Release Date – Translation Loss/April 28, 2017

Author – Deranged D

This was a long anticipated full length album from these guys from Ohio. Great Doom sound. Awesome riffs and rhythms, nothing too complex at all. Very simple. All in all a good listen, especially when I was just relaxing around.

Rating: 3.2/5

Band/Album – Nayades/White Winter Tale

Country of Origin – Spain

Genre – Power Metal

Label/Release Date – Independent/January 20, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

Let me start by saying that I don’t listen to much power metal. I have little context with which to compare this album. That said, the vocals are strong, the riffing is triumphant, and the drums are rocksteady. I like it.

Rating: 3.5/5

Band/Album – Frozen Sand/Fractals – A Shadow Out of Lights

Country of Origin – Italy

Genre – Progressive Power Metal

Label/Release Date – Independent/January 19, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

Not my typical style, so this one was a pleasant surprise to me. Really quite excellent. Emotionally moving progressive metal with solid all around musicianship and a vocalist who can really sing.

Rating: 4/5

Band/Album – Sanatana/Brahmavidya

Country of Origin – Ukraine

Genre – Folk Metal

Label/Release Date – Rising Moon/January 26, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

This is a really interesting album. It’s also really hard to classify and explain. There are symphonic elements mixed into a melodic metal sound with a ton of folk instrumentation. I often find folk metal a little cheesy, but not here.

Rating: 3.5/5

Band/Album – Message to the Masses/Means to an End

Country of Origin – USA

Genre – Metalcore

Label/Release Date – Artery Records/January 27, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

I should really give this to one of younger writers to listen to. At least the guy can sing. Guitars are like a freight train. Chug, chug, chug.

Rating: 2.5/5

Band/Album – Dead Bhuttos/Democracy is the Best Revenge

Country of Origin – Pakistan

Genre – Hardcore Punk

Label/Release Date – Psychotic Break/January 27, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

Messy hardcore punk with a serious political edge from Pakistan? Yes please. I have always loved the Dead Kennedys. Now I love the Dead Bhuttos too. I just wish the EP was longer than three songs.

Rating: 4/5

Band/Album – The Ominous Circle/Appalling Ascension

Country of Origin – Portugal

Genre – Death Metal

Label/Release Date – 20 Buck Spin/Osmose Productions//January 27, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

Dark and vicious death metal that exists entirely in the filthy gutters of the darkest layers of hell. There are some black, sludge, and doom influences in here entirely to add to the vileness.

Rating: 4/5

Band/Album – Beheaded/Beast Incarnate

Country of Origin – Malta

Genre – Brutal Death Metal

Label/Release Date – Unique Leader Records//January 27, 2017

Author – Hayduke X

Brutal death metal is too often a wall of murky, indistinguishable noise. Not so here, with the Malta based death merchants sprinkling in enough chaotic energy and technicality amongst the brutality to make this a near masterpiece.

Rating: 4.5/5