I’m a big fan of atmospheric/symphonic music so when I hear that a band plays in that style, I immediately take notice. Though they hail from Austin, Texas, Vesperian Sorrow could easily come from Europe. Their sound is very much in the same style as England’s Gothic Black Metal institution, Cradle of Filth, and Norway’s Symphonic Black Metal machine, Dimmu Borgir. They even have obnoxious press info. I don’t know if that is an actual requirement for playing Symphonic Black Metal, but most bands who do seem to have a highly inflated attitude about it. Vesperian Sorrow is definitely a band that is good at what it does. Stormwind of Ages is easily as good as anything else currently out there in the scene when it comes down to the music. Where Vesperian Sorrow gets caught is in the production department, particularly with the drum sound. The drums sound horrible. The bass drum sounds like a light switch and the snare sounds like someone pounding on a plastic bucket. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem if the drummer wasn’t blasting away on them like his life depended on it. When things get fast and furious in the drumming department, the snare and bass drums bury the guitars and intrudes on the keyboards. With Symphonic Black Metal, it is pretty much guaranteed that the keyboards are going to dominate the sound. When the drumming intrudes even into that area, it makes you question the competence of the studio engineer. It doesn’t totally ruin the album, but I found it annoying enough to deduct points. I have a pet peeve about bands that play epic, atmospheric/symphonic Black Metal but have a drummer that feels that it’s necessary to blast away like he was playing in a Grindcore band. In my opinion, this could have been a great album but for the drumming and the drum sound. If the drums had been further in the background and had a tone that wasn’t so bad, this would have rated higher in my estimation. This is still a good album, though. The music is up there with the best. If these guys can sort out their drum tone and get their drummer to slow down a little, their next album will be great.

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but doing so is somewhat inherent when it comes to Death Metaller DNA. How many of us back in the day picked out a few of our all-time favorite records at the store based solely upon cover art, logo, song titles, a trusted label, etc? As the internet continues to crush every remnant of heterosexual civilization, record stores become a fading fond memory, but old habits die hard. Darkness by Oath were able to ignite my curiosity without even having to thumb through the “D”s. First and foremost, they’re on Cyclone Empire. That tends to mean awesomeness. Secondly, song titles like “Into the Gloom” and “Holloworld” spark my interest further, as I’m a miserable prick always hoping for his next sadness fix. They’re also from Spain, the country that brought us Avulsed. Doomy Avulsed maybe? That’d hit the spot! Last but not least, they come Dan Swano-approved. Something along the lines of, “in-your-face Death Metal with the right hooks ripping my ears to shreds,” if memory serves. So, those of you who’ve heard Near Death Experience can imagine my eye-rolling dismay upon finally getting to listen to it. I don’t know what’s more of a shock: that there are still bands doing the Gothenburg thing, or that bands still doing the Gothenburg thing are still getting signed. Perhaps the real mystery is what white sorcery convinced these Spaniards that anyone in the 21st century wants to hear half-assed Slaughter of the Soul and Jester Race worship after two decades of it being pinball-machine-raped to death by countless Bitch Stewie bands. What’s worse is that they bring absolutely nothing new or original to the table. Just note-for-note At the Gates, In Flames, and Dark Tranquillity forgery and a vocalist who sounds like Alex Krull with two dicks in his mouth. One has to wonder if the members of this band also wear sneakers with lights in them and fanny packs. This album is such an uninspiring and vapid listen, even if it had come out in 1996 it would still be a turd in the punch bowl.

This is the second album by England’s Wodensthrone, the follow-up to 2009’s Loss LP. This band also released a digital single of “The Storm” prior to this album, but since the song also appears here, I don’t consider that to be a separate release. Though they’ve been reduced to a five-piece due to the departure of vocalist Brunwulf, Wodensthrone hasn’t noticeably lost any momentum or ability. They’re still a force to be reckoned with in the English Heritage Black Metal scene. Though that particular scene is currently dominated by Winterfylleth, there is still plenty of room for a band like Wodensthrone to comfortably exist. Think of them as Dimmu Borgir compared to Winterfylleth’s more Falkenbach meets old Darkthrone/Satyricon sound and Forefather’s Viking-era Bathory style. The first thing that I noticed about this album was how much more in the foreground the guitars were. Where Loss was more keyboard-dominated, Curse is definitely more guitar-based. It almost reminded me of Weakling in style, where the guitars were backed by the keyboards, making everything more epic sounding. And this is a very epic album. Even with the guitars taking center stage, there is still a ton of atmosphere on every track. With the stronger emphasis on being more “Black Metal” in style, there are still strong Folk/Medieval elements present (which is almost a given when you consider the lyrical content), but these aren’t the bouncy Renaissance Faire riffs or “beer tent sing-along choruses” that dominate the Folk Metal style. This isn’t a record for the Ren Faire with electric guitars set. This is an album that stirs that dormant Pagan blood and fans the flames of Heathen pride. Wodensthrone may not get the attention from the Metal media that Winterfylleth gets, but they are definitely a band to check out.

Tuomas Saukkonen may be a one-trick pony, but it’s one good god damn trick. Those who think otherwise should proceed to pick up a guitar and try to write a melodic Death Metal song that hasn’t already been written. Go ahead, I’ll wait… In the meantime, let’s dissect Rise of the Phoenix, the 7th full-length from Before the Dawn, and quite possibly their finest work to date. Saukkonen definitely doesn’t like wasting time, as this album arrives almost exactly one year on the heels of Deathstar Rising, and don’t forget the Black Sun Aeon —basically a Doomier Before the Dawn— double-LP sandwiched in between. I believe we have the Finnish Melodeath version of Rogga Johansson on our hands. Luckily Phoenix shows no sign of an overbearing workload, rather a man dedicated to his craft catching absolute creative fire in his prime. While Deathstar was a very enjoyable ride, this follow-up is a notable improvement that sees the few minor flaws of its predecessor ironed out, with a bit of the fat trimmed away as well. Gone are the clean vocals of Lars Eikind that, while admittedly missed at times, would often piss in the gravy of otherwise solid cuts. His dynamic’s absence is more than compensated for by some of the most alluring passages that Saukkonen has ever penned. Ever-soaring melodies in the same goosebump-inducing vein as fellow gloom-dealing countrymen Insomnium, with glorious echoes of pre-mindloss Amorphis honed and perfected. This remarkably catchy record is a nearly flawless fusion of the aggressive and the depressive, the morose and the intense. Just listen to those grief-laden, blastbeaten verses transition to majestic choruses on “Pitch-Black Universe” and “Phoenix Rising.” The double-bass-fueled pummel/epic melody combo on the headbangable “Cross to Bear” is capable of giving Amon Amarth a run for their money anytime, while the despondent elements of “Throne of Ice,” “Fallen World,” and somber closer “Closure” just might have the most hardened of Viking warriors crying in his mead. Another in a long list of must-hears that is Mr. Saukkonen’s resume.

Light the Fires! is a very weird album. I guess the best way to describe what Blood of the Black Owl sounds like would be to say that they are “Progressive.” I don’t know if Post-Metal describes them adequately because that would imply that the majority of this album is kind of Metal (or at least Rock). Truth be told, the only track that even comes close to being Metal is the last one. This whole album is very passive, straying into New Age territory a good chunk of the time. It almost has a Tribal/Ritual Ambient feel to it in places, almost as if the point were to create some sort of shamanic ritual, but with ambient soundscapes replacing the visual aspect. The result is a boring, repetitive, overly long excursion into ambient navel-gazing. This is the kind of shit that your Hippie college roommates listen to when they get high out of their minds. I think it was supposed to help them commune with their ancestors or the spirit of the planet. My ancestors were telling me to throw on some real music so I had to stop listening to this after the second spin. Even with the last track straying into Metal territory, it just wasn’t cutting it. I don’t know about your ancestors, but mine wanted to listen to Black Sabbath, Motorhead and Deep Purple instead.

Shadow Kingdom unearths another obscure relic from forgotten soil in the form of Coven — not to be confused with Jinx Dawson’s occultist mob or the British Prog outfit. Originally self-released on wax in 1987, Worship New Gods has never seen an official CD version until now. This is definitely a bargain-bin slab of unpolished NWOBHM, but there’s just something about it that wouldn’t allow me to simply write it off as left-alone-for-a-reason and be done with it. There was a time when that would’ve easy. Back in the Portrait of Defiance days [Jack published PoD from 1995 - 2002, which you should already know unless you only first penetrated the Underground yesterday. -Editor], my review for this would most likely have read: “Old Metal of homosexuals deep throats leper cum gun. Singer chugs ass milk from pre-op tranny taint. Album bathes in ballsack sweat of 10,000 faggots.” I’m either getting old or becoming more open-minded, because by the third time I tried to dismiss this as tired retro slop, I realized I was singing along! It’s impossible to resist the Sabbath/Candlemass-inspired pomp of “Riddle of Steel,” even with its cheesy lyrics culled straight from the Manowar playbook. This singer is so bad he’s good! Imagine a young, pre-Mercyful Fate King Diamond fronting a Manilla Road cover band. It’s corny, but it’s likable. Whether intentional or not, Worship New Gods possesses a comedic element that renders this listener unable to discard it. For a good laugh, play this album for some friends and hold up a ruler every time the gang-shouted chorus of “Ruler” comes around. HA! Elsewhere, Camelot-themed ballad “Wicked Day” subtly borrows the beginning of Def Leppard’s “Foolin’” before dropping the Rocka Rolla off at the BOC chorus. Merlin sleeps forever, bitches. Admittedly, there’s far more filler than killer here. Some of that boils down to cringe-inducing production (try benchpressing the flange on “General’s Eyes”), or just plain clunky songwriting (“Kiss Me with Blood,” “Jail House,” and “Loki” are all duds). However, this charming antique will still serve as a highly enjoyable novelty listen for my biannual good mood.

This album was actually released in 2011 by Seven Kingdoms (UK), but it took an entire year for it to see an official US release. For those unfamiliar with Forefather, think of them as the elder statesmen of the English Heritage Black Metal scene that produced bands like Winterfylleth and Wodensthrone. They were waving the flag of English pride before anybody else, but few people paid any attention to them. Their debut album, 1999’s Deep Into Time, was one of the prized pieces in my collection of obscure Black/Folk/Pagan Metal records. They’ve evolved considerably since those days, morphing into a more hook-laden Folk Metal band over the years. This, their sixth LP, is one of their strongest yet. The songwriting is noticeably tighter and the riffing is very memorable. Where their old material lacked strong hooks and choruses, Last of the Line is full of them. This gets your head banging from the first song and by the time “Into the Rising Sun” is finished, your neck is absolutely shot. Though there are strong Folk elements on this album, Forefather isn’t one of those “beer tent at the Renaissance Faire” Folk Metal bands. This is more like Viking-era Bathory but focused on English lore and mythology. If you’re a fan of Winterfylleth or Wodensthrone, I definitely recommend checking out Last of the Line.

If the folks at Napalm Records’ advertising department are going to have the balls to call an album “a brutal Metalcore killer” in this day and age when the genre has worn its welcome Kate Moss-thin, it better be fucking brutal. I’m talking 18 Visions’ Until the Ink Runs Out and It Dies Today’s Forever Scorned fistfucking Heaven Shall Burn’s Antigone to Poison the Well’s Opposite of December while On Broken Wings’ Some of Us May Never See the World watches. I want breakdowns the size of triceratops dick, a vocalist with roars that can induce the loss of bowel control, and melodies so depressing I kill myself twice. The Sorrow doesn’t come close. This quartet probably haven’t even heard any of the aforementioned albums. It’s more likely that they downloaded select Killswitch Engage, Unearth, and All That Remains songs last week and decided to form a band. Misery-Escape might seem “brutal” to the passing Linkin Park fan, or perhaps your grandfather’s grandmother, but to the initiated it’s just a baby fart-bubble in the bathtub. Featured here is every lightweight, non-threatening, super-duper-melodic, good cop/bad cop Metalcore trick in the book… like it’s still the hottest shit in the streets. Perhaps what Napalm meant to say about Diet Caliban here was that they “kill Metalcore brutally”? But that makes no sense either, as the genre sadly bled itself dry years ago. Only the strong have survived, and I guarantee none of them at any point in their careers would’ve put their name to a passionless, unoriginal piece of shit like this. Too many bands just like The Sorrow already. I’m sure spinning this fetid, cliche rehash would remind many of the Metalcore genre’s past greats exactly why they either broke up or went Rock.

You can always count on Aeon for high-quality, Christ-hating Death Metal. Readers of this site may recall the reverence I have for the band’s 2005 debut full-length Bleeding the False. An anthemic classic from beginning to end, every riff and lyric on the album was memorable and has stood the test of time. However, it is with great sadness that I declare my fear that these Swedes will forever live in the shadow of that masterpiece. Each successive release since it has been slightly less memorable than the one before. As solid a record as it was, two years later I can’t seem to recall a split second of 2010’s Path of Fire, and I believe the same fate will befall Aeons Black. Once again, a great sounding album. The production is immaculate. All of the instruments —including the oft-intelligible, barbed-wire roar of Tommy Dahlstrom— sound fantastic, but even after a dozen repeated listens, nothing sticks. Despite their homeland, Aeon are graduates of the Floridian school of brutal Death Metal, easily bearing the strongest resemblance to Deicide. But just as Deicide have forgotten their once-potent approach to writing memorable DM songs at times, Aeon too have fallen into the same rut of everything sounding same-y. I can’t help but think it’s something they’re aware of, as this time four instrumental segues are strategically planted throughout the eleven cuts in an attempt to break up the monotony, but they only serve to aid the mind-wandering effect. There are a few triumphs here. “Still They Pray” is on par with past glories, with its Bentonesque verse patterns escalating towards the blast-laden hooks of the chorus. “I Wish You Death” is quite the headbanger also, as Dahlstrom vomits on the cross with growl-along conviction, while “Nothing Left to Destroy” could easily pass for some lost gem from the Once Upon the Cross sessions. Sadly, there isn’t much else worth mentioning. So much of Aeons Black sounds like a band trapped in formulaic routine, going through their well-executed motions again and again. Fairly or unfairly, I’m always going to crave another “Morbid Desire to Burn.” Another “Forever Nailed.” Another “God Gives Head in Heaven.” And these are the standards I’ll always judge Aeon by. I only expect what I know they’re capable of. While their filler may blow some bands’ A-game out of the water, it’s filler nonetheless.