Review Round Up 1/10/20

Gospel of the Goat by Nobody 1/17/20 (Inverse Records)

Well, as everyone else out there certainly is, I'm ready to hear more goat metal. 2020 is the year of the Goat on Glacially Musical.

This one isn't a goat based band, but an acoustic black metaller from Finland named Nobody. Who's in your band?

Nobody.

Totally works. This reviewer is superficially reminded of Twilight Fauna's more mellow works, but unlike the aforementioned Appalachians, Nobody is working solo. Not just by himself, but there's nothing other than the guitar. So, it's a black metal vocalist going on about goats over an acoustic guitar.

Frankly, this gets major credit points just for originality. The music is far more complex and features some tasty Latin flourishes along the way. It won't make any end of year lists, but it should be on your playlist.

Rating: A Spotify Facebook

LP Review: "III" by Herem

III

As someone who's overly literal, the idea of words being used outside of their definitions is something that's often hard for me to understand.

In order to make up for this deficiency, I study etymology as best that I can. It's often hard to understand and explain a colloquialism to my daughter without knowing where it came from.

Think about the, now fairly antiquated phrase, letting the cat out of the bag. There was a scam where people tried to sell a cat in a bag as a suckling pig, but opening the sack, the cat would be let out of the bag, ergo, hidden facts would be revealed. (NOTE: Snopes rejects this...but it's a cool story.)

Now, another term is fast talker. Why do people "talk fast?" Obviously the phrase doesn't literally mean one who's speaking quickly, but one who's speaking deceptively.

EP Review: "Cult Leader" by Zombie Rodeo

Cult Leader

Many years ago, I had to walk all the way to my friend's house. He lived good mile and a half from me. On that walk, your friend would pass many houses containing folks who did not enjoy my company.

This was not a fun proposition.

This was during the second half of high school. After a good time was had by us doing terribly nerdy things like playing Dungeons & Dragons, or talking about playing D&D, it was time for me to begin my circuitous route home.

My pal owned a car, but did not have a driver's license, so it seemed a zero sum game that this car was sitting in the driveway, but he asked me if I'd be able to stay longer if he were able to give me a ride home rather than my walking. My family was quite strict and old fashioned. Dinner was on the table at 5pm daily....

LP Review: "Agonia" by Shadecrown

Agonia

First impressions are just worst thing in the world if you're anything like me.

Case in point, my daughter and I were headed home from school when she asked about handshakes.

"Daddy, why do people shake hands?"

Truth be told, I did not recall the reason why we did that, but after a hockey game that same week, our friend told us about checking for hidden daggers.

Handshakes are anxiety inducing for me...because it's a feat of strength, and what does it matter if this guy can crush my fingers? Seriously, who wants their fingers crushed and how's this supposed to mean that he's good at business?

Customs are stupid, but anyway, let's all shake hands with Shadecrown.

Album Review: "Sarnath" by Centipede

Sarnath

Metal. Just the name is a bit off putting to those who aren't part of the clan.

Too many times have the dirge of sub-genres graced these pages, both my laughing at and enjoying of them.

All metal has one thing in common though, strong emotions.

To be metal is more than just like Metallica or some other such metal band. An old friend used to have "Metal Rulez" on her notebook and we merciless poked fun at her because her favorite bands were Nelson and Slaughter.

From the strength of the emotion comes the power of the music. When it's played correctly, a simple chord can be worth more than anything. Little swirling riffs can feel like Charybdis. That's why false metal is so easy to spot. It doesn't hurt at all.

Album Review: "Black Blood" by Black Blood

Black Blood

How many wolves have you killed?

What about the Mountain Trolls?

Is Mount Doom near Turku?

This is my imagining of Finland. This is wholly ignorant and inappropriate I know. Sweden is a wonderfully modern, urban, civilized, and sophisticated society...


It's fun to think about all of the bands that have come out of Scandinavia and Sweden especially, but what I picture in my head is what my friend posted from his trip to watch the Blues open the season against the Detroit Red Wings there because those teams had about forty seven Swedes between them....

Album Review: "Ei valo minua seuraa" by Vorna

Ei valo minua seuraa

Translated from Finnish: No Light Follows Me.

Did you watch that show Metal Evolution or whatever it was called on VH1 where the guy from Canada did crazy research and interviews with all the metal guys?

He also went way deep into the various subgenres of metal.

Well, he left one out!

Orchestral Pagan Metal.

I know, I was shocked that he left this very large and well known subgenre out as well. If you think about it for a few minutes, I bet you could name about 15 to 20 different Orchestral Pagan Metal bands...no?

Well, let's dive right in with the first time I've heard any music referred to in this manner, Vorna.

Album Review: "Pitch Black" by Rifftera

Pitch Black

Today we have Rifftera's debut album on Inverse Records.

Anyone who says all music sucks, well, it's time to tell them to just pay attention to the world around them. Yes the world has changed.

Yes, you can't turn on KSHE 95 in St. Louis (the oldest FM rock station) without hearing precisely the same songs they were playing in 2008, 2002, and 1996, but if you do some looking, there's some great music still be to had and here's a new band for you.

What's great about their name is that you know precisely what they're all about straightaway. It's also nice that they didn't try to come up with the most offensively metal name they can think of. I can name too many bands like that.

It's easily discernible that we're talking about a damned heavy band right here that's going to be full of overdriven guitars in the vein of Metallica and Pantera, but wait, there's more!

Album Review: "Ghosts" by Carnalation

Ghosts

Lately, I've been on a kick where there's been too little metal, so I'm kind of back on the metal track.

But tracks are made of metal, so there we go.

Today we're headed to Finland.

Finland, Finland, Finland, the country where I quite want to be...Eating breakfast or dinner...

Carnalation is a newish act on the scene. They formed to play a festival in their native Seinäjoki, Finland. 

Since then, they began to gain some acclaim and better bookings and eventually released their debut EP, Doomsday Diaries in 2010. Years later, we're now treated to their fist release for Inverse Records, Ghosts.

Album Review: "Asystole" by Amanita Virosa

Asystole

From Finland we have the debut effort from Amanita Virosa.

I have no idea what those words mean, but I'm sure it's Finnish for awesome.

The band originally formed in 2008 and in 2014 they began putting their music to tape and here in 2015 we have their music.

Amanita Virosa doesn't precisely fall into a category of metal. I know I claim to not really care about the subgenres, but then I reference them all of the time.

I'm not sure what I mean anymore.

With six members in the band, it's far easier to venture off into something different than say with just four members. I suppose it's a lot like what Jerry Garcia once said about the Grateful Dead, when you bring in a piece of music, it comes back very differently in this band.

I would hazard a guess that Amanita Virosa is similar in that way.

Album Review: "The Reign of the 7th Sector" by Whorion

The Reign of the 7th Sector

Metal is the angriest thing in the world.

For me, it's like listening to the blues but for when you're just so angry at things.

For those who can hear it, metal is soothing to the soul and allows venting of negative emotions.

Extreme metal is really the end game for me. Over the years my taste has moved back towards the heaviest and angriest of all the metals.

From the days when Death, Master, and Possessed first created the genre and now, there have been intergalactic changes.

Today we're focusing on something that's far and away from those first generation extreme metal bands: Symphonic Death Metal. I don't really claim to believe in that particular sub-genre, as there are just far too many, but it's hard to discount Whorion's differences from the standard death metal fare.