REVIEW: STIGMA ''Concerto for the Undead''

TRACKLIST:

1. ''Chop his head off!''

2. ''Prove You are a Man!''

3. ''And they died happily ever after!''

4. ''A Monstruous Feeling''

5.  ''The Undertaker''

6. ''What About a Terror Ride''

7. ''3000 Years and Still Keeping it Real''

8. ''A Grave Situation''

9. ''Beat me Maestro,Eight to the Dead!''

10. ''Doctor Skeleton''

Right out of the gate,I'm gonna say that the very first thing I've noticed about STIGMA is the striking resemblance to the ARSIS sound.It is undeniable that these musicians have been attending the James Malone school of thought when closely observing the classical influence on the riffs,and the perfect blend of technicality,melody,and brutality forging the core of this very thrilling songwriting.

I would say that this album as a whole is very accessible to the Hot Topic masses,but it is also an offering that will impress the purists in the sense that the absolutely atomic chemistry between the musicians turns the music into such a breath-taking mosaic of advanced-level technical ideas it will simply fucking crush 'em to dust and show 'em how it's done in the adults' playground.I know for a fact that this kept me on the edge of my seat during quite a number of tracks,especially ''And They Died Happily Ever After!'',and ''3000 Years and Still Keeping it Real'',which are dizzying mazes of complexity within a heck of a rush of brutality that took over my senses and I feel those symptoms aren't going to leave me anytime soon.

That being said,the technical/classical voice of the spirit of this impressive entity is muted on quite a handful of tracks that I would qualify as very weak and quite blatantly filler.Said tracks,especially ''The Undertaker'' and ''What about a Terror Ride'',seem quite fatigued in terms of creativity.The patterns of these tracks inevitably fall into the easy-to-consume deathcore mold,with piss-poor main riffs,and very basic and watered down breakdown-verse-chorus-breakdown bullshit that quite laughably fails to punch me in the guts.I'm not saying these aren't listenable,only that they don't seem to fit within this fucking delectable rush of an album.I have a feeling it's most definitely half-assed material.All that retained my attention during these particular tracks is the very Richard Christy progressive drumwork that definitely kept the punchiness factor through the roof for all this time.

Overall,I can safely say that this disc is a heck of a big ass smoking gun.The skillful musicianship that's clearly rooted in the most complex style of music ever invented that is classical,the raspy and fucking insistant vocal delivery that definitely knew to impress me for the entire lenght of the journey,and the absolutely out-of-this-world progression/nuances and knife-sharp precision of the ensemble of most of the tracks are elements that kicked my ass across the room big time.

I want more of this.Now.

RATING: 8/10

-Noch 

                                                                                               

REVIEW: DOOMDOGS ''s/t''

TRACKLIST:

1.''Fight the Greed''
2.''Dogs of Doom''
3.''Calling''
4.''I'm Sure''
5.''The Game''
6.''Shout''

TRACK BY TRACK ANALYSIS:

1. ''Fight the Greed'' Extremely Sabbath-y and groovy stoner doom cut with a heck of an effective catchiness that makes you want to crank it 'til something blows up.Most definitely a nice way to kick shit off the ground.The lenght of the track is justified,since while those riffs aren't exactly the most original I've ever heard,they're very efficient in their simplicity and remind me of the greatness of those oldschool bands from the 70s who simply had that magical knack for ideas that just plain WORK.This doesn't ever get tiring to hear nor generic.

2. ''Dogs of Doom''

This one track,sounding like more of a radio-friendly hit than an actual bone-crusher from the dephts of the catacombs of Paris,does much less for me.The repetitiveness of the riffs in their slightly alternative and more-or-less heavy fashion makes the song seem longer than it truly is,to these ears.I've never been a fan of this type of danceable ''doom'' so I suppose my take on it is highly subjective.When it comes to the catchiness,it probably manages to score a few points with the fans of more accessible hippie rock,but for the true doom metal addict,this is a bit of a letdown.

3. ''Calling''

Here we have the very best example of a track that has absolutely every element to beat your ass into a crisp,but turns into nothing else than a poor bitch slap as its lenght progresses to an absurdly endless stretch.We have the smokin' riffs,the absolutely delightful heaviness,the pretty freakin' sweet bluesy leads (that come into the picture far too late,may I add) and the soaring vocals of a particularly wild vocalist.I have to say though,trim this thing up.It becomes an irritatingly pedestrian affair after the first six minutes,guys.Sticking to the same beat and putting the riffs on loop mode without any sort of surprise thrown within the mix when the tune is nine minutes long,that ruins the experience and turns it into a painfully dull and tired offering.A shorter version of this song would've been an absolutely killer deal.The extended version puts the track to shame.

4. ''I'm Sure''

I'll start by saying that the main riff that we have here is pure genius,making the track a very catchy affair while remaining heavy and authentically doomy.For once I do feel like the lenght doesn't reach a point of excess,as the purely rock and roll spirit of the tune charges on without any single letdown moment,any single turn-off along the way.The leads are acceptable,but barely impressive.The rhythm section holds its own though,making this tune an instant stoner doom classic.It does sound very accessible,but also will have an irresistable sex-appeal to the purists.Try not nodding your head along to this puncher of a track,you'll have a heck of a hard time.

5. ''The Game''

Hooks galore!This is the type of tune I've been waiting for since the first track ended.It incorporates incredibly satisfying creative ideas all along,and the audacity of the nuances does rock up the damn house comparatively to the linear fashion of say,track three.It is catchy,progressive,bluesy,macabre,and is almost what I would call a full-blown cross between Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath,with a bit of a Motorhead kick.Absolutely delightful.

6. ''Shout''

The first three minutes are an immediate skipper.From the megaphone vocals and their painfully repetitive and unconvincing lyrics right down to the absolutely awkward cacophony in the background really does a heck of a lot to make you wonder if this is a joke song.It eventually turns into more of a jazzy deal (after THREE minutes of this crap) that soon morphs into a bass solo that is brilliant for the first two minutes but ends up being painfully uncreative when it stretches out to nine-minutes,the last moments of the song being nothing but a loop of the last bass line and someone sliding a pen on the neck of a guitar plugged into a lame-ish overdrive amp channel.

RATING: 5.5/10 This band certainly has the peanuts to bring relevance to the table.They have extremely powerful ideas for their rhythm section in every song,but I must say that the leads need a lot of working on.These ideas for the solos need to be fleshed out into something much more elaborate to really be useful within these songs.Lastly,I must underline the fact that if you're gonna throw in a bunch of nine-minute tracks on an album,you have to make ABSOLUTELY sure that you avoid putting the first three minutes on repeat,or you might make someone go away from the listening session out of desperate boredom.When you have a talent for hooks,exploit it at all times,don't be sloppy for a ten minutes that might completely butcher the ensemble of the listening experience.

-Noch

REVIEW: UNLEASHED - ''As Yggdrasil Trembles''

TRACKLIST:

1.''Courage Today,Victory Tomorrow!''
2.''So It Begins...''
3.''As Yggdrasil Trembles''
4.''Wir Kapitulieren Niemals''
5.''This Time we Fight''
6.''Master of the Ancient Art''
7.''Chief Einherjar''
8.''Return Fire''
9.''Far Beyond Hell''
10.''Dead to Me''
11.''Yahweh and the Chosen Ones'' 12.''Cannibalistic Epidemic Continues''

TRACK BY TRACK ANALYSIS:

1. ''Courage Today,Victory Tomorrow!''

I approach this album while being fully conscious that these guys really aren't your typical death metal band.Each of their offerings are a nice eclectic brew of sub-genres,and the emphasis on the melody takes the front of the stage,rather than being buried within a maze of blastbeats and the typically razor-sharp,wall-to-wall guitars you would expect from a death metal offering.Keeping in mind that this is the introductory track,I can safely say that it is a sweet melodic thrasher that does set the mood for the carnage to come.It gets your head nodding,while not exactly pushing you over the edge.Nifty little intro to an album I hope will know to impress me.

2. ''So it Begins...''

I am immediately reminded of Amon Amarth's absolutely mind-numbing skill at choosing a main riff when headbanging along to this smoker of a track.The attack we have here is of a purely swedish viking metal fashion,with incredibly spot-on blastbeating,impressively elaborate leads,and nothing short of an absolutely epic driving melody.I have nothing negative to say about where I'm being taken with this,and I am extremely enthusiastic about what's coming.

3. ''As Yggdrasil Trembles''

Certainly the most fucking grandly epic and face-meltingly kickass tune I've ever heard coming from these guys.Since their last album ''Hammer Battalion'',their sound has most definitely matured and the band's knack at creating a spectacular ambiance and integrating absolutely gigantic hooks into their songwriting is much more present than ever,and cuts like this are bound to remain on your mind through the years,the very same way Amon Amarth has managed to conquer the hearts of all fans of the sub-genre with their most classic albums.Absolutely unforgettable.

4. ''Wir Kapitulieren Niemals''

This not being the most mind-blowing follow-up to the blinding quality of the third track,it is still a nice little slab of melodic metal delivered with such precision you can hardly refuse to crank it up and appreciate the harmonious little keys emphasyzing the swaying little choreography of the guitars.I must admit I find it more or less fitting to hear Dimmu Borgir type-riffage within the Unleashed enveloppe,and this makes the track seem much less vicious and kind of makes me grin a little.I can hardly call a track like this one death metal to the bone,since it does sound much more symphonic and progressive than each of the other cuts present on the disc,but it still is an enjoyable and amusing little interlude that will most probably be followed by something slightly more straightforward.

5. ''This Time we Fight''

A very quick and razor-sharp delivery that does work wonders,even though it is far from displaying quite as much originality than the previous tracks.It is pretty much your classic swedish death metal war song,with less emphasis on the ambiance,much more focus on charging straight through,throwing you out of the way with its somehow thrashy riffage that does fit beautifully within this viking-esque ensemble,bringing to the forefront the signature Unleashed sound.

6. ''Master of the Ancient Art''

Score.I never expected to hear a stoner doom influence within a viking death metal context my whole life,and Unleashed totally managed to give me this happiness.The dirty guitar sound immediately got me hooked,and the absolute genius in the catchiness of the entirety of the song is undeniable.We obviously still hear the primal,galloping swedish death metal entity of the band within the choruses,but this is a passing ghost within the very doom-ish,Sabbath-y feel of this rockin' cut.Very surprising and satisfying to these doom metal fan's ears.

7. ''Chief Einherjar''

Absolutely massive guitars grab you by the throat and suck you into a wall-to-wall and vicious fuckin' world of perfectly spot-on serpentine and melodious leads supported by this same dirty-and-sexy rythm section being a brilliant foundation for everything else to lay on,adding considerable depht to the root of the sound.This is an incredibly well-crafted shitkicker.

8. ''Return Fire''

Impressive drumwork drives the punches for this face-melter.Another very efficient war-tune going straight for its aim without any sort of slowdown or distraction.The guitar work displayed here doesn't go for a melodious angle,but rather provides a steel-solid foundation for the drum to crash on as it fucking drops tons of bricks on your head,never giving you a single second to breathe,making your head fuckin' spin the way any fan of this style of music craves for it.

9. ''Far Beyond Hell''

Another very Amon Amarth-ian pace defines this track which isn't exactly the most impressive on the whole album,but does hold its own as it thrashes forward without any signs of weakness.I think the main letdown here is the obvious patterned fashion of the track,and a bit of a lame-ish chorus that does have some nice fleeting little melodic guitarwork but fails to hit home when it comes to the instant efficiency this band is capable of.

10. ''Dead to Me''

More of a nuanced,progressive stabber,with yet again some very addictively violent drumwork,and venomous,soaring leads that erupt into full fuckin' madness all through the track.I raise my horns very high to the lead guitarist who definitely is on fire all through this tune,elevating it far above orgasm-level.I would say this song has more of an obvious hate and darkness to it than the previous cuts,with the vocalist's harsh delivery and the very straight-forward lyrical approach atop of the dizzying chemical reaction within the musicianship.

11. ''Yahweh and the Chosen Ones''

Another nice charger I have nothing additionnal to say about.It doesn't leave the main swedish death metal mold in any shape or form which is a bit upsetting considering the melodic chops at work within the body of this band,but it doesn't let me down when it comes to precision,and knowing how to keep my attention.It's a heck of a headbanger,with yet again amazing leadwork within,but it doesn't top what this band can do when they're being more audacious with the riffage.

12. ''Cannibalistic Epidemic Continues'' When it comes to originality,and theatrical ambiance,this cut smokes.When it comes to spectacular riffage,it misses.I must admit that the war drums,and the filthy vocals,and the macabre aura around this song definitely brings it upwards on the quality-meter,but I've spent better moments with the technical songwriting of the beginning of the album.

RATING: 7.5/10 Everything I could possibly say about this disc has been summed up within the review.I can safely say that Unleashed has strongly matured as a band when it comes to ambiance,melodies,and the technical progressivity of a track.The chemistry between the band-members is brought to the forefront,taking you along for a joyful ride,but dropping you off at about the eighth track to pick you up again for the tenth,with nothing interesting to see but plain land after that one is over.Quite a handful of tracks could've been left out,but I won't pretend I would classify this as pure filler,only that they sound a bit fatigued and uncreative.The first half of the album should get all the praise in the world,though,and rightfully so.

-Noch

REVIEW: EREB ALTOR ''The End''

TRACKLIST:



1.''The Entering_Myrding Prologue''
2.''Myrding''
3.''Our Failure''
4. ''A New but Past Day''
5. ''Vargavinter_The End Part I''
6. ''Balder's Fall_The End Part II''
7. ''The Final War_The End Part III''

TRACK BY TRACK ANALYSIS:

1. ''Myrding''

I wouldn't classify Ereb Altor as a doom metal band just yet.The feeling embracing me as the music pours out of the speakers is purely and simply folkish,while retaining a darkness and sacredness that would classify it as pagan folk,with only a ghostly doom presence wrapping it all up.I was pleasantly surprised to consider that for the whole lenght of the track,I was on the edge of my seat.I truly appreciate the depht of the vocalist's emotionnal and extremely powerful singing,making this track hauntingly memorable.I wouldn't say that riffage wise it's the most original piece of work I've ever witnessed,but the music serves more as a background to the singer's heartfelt despair than anything else,and it does make for a good accompaniment.Catchy tune I might find myself spinning a few more times after this listen.

2. ''Our Failure''

Yet again,this tune ain't a smasher when it comes to coming up with original and refreshing riffs,but the doom atmosphere is indeed being brought to the forefront this time,complete with the very obvious nod to Candlemass.The folkish chants are still present in the background,beautifully accompanying the singer who does sound very convincing in his delivery,but fails (no pun intended) to impress me quite as much as he did on the first track.The guitars are slightly heavier here,creating a slight but effective feeling of menace that does suck you in,but the lenght of the track could've been trimmed generously.I don't feel this song has anything truly symbolic to offer.It does kind of miss its aim,since it is very repetitive and gets quite dull at one point.Throwing in a bit more nuances/surprises wouldn't've hurt.

3. ''A new but past Day''

This tune gets mildly interesting (at the very best) five minutes in.I have to say it is very linear,lacks substance,and a hell of a great deal of creativity.From the very first seconds of the song I was under the impression that the riffs I was hearing,I had heard at the beginning of the record.Maybe there was a slight and subtle difference in their construction,but it's barely noticeable to these ears.A very pedestrian,unoriginal,and overly too long folkish little ballad in the woods.It would've been inoffensive if it hadn't been heard (in a much better and much more immersive rendering) in the first track,and if it had more dynamics to it,and more naunces (I feel I'm gonna use that word about a gazillion more times in this review).A conscious effort to throw in more catchiness is being made around the five minute mark,but it's much too late to save this from absolute demise.I'm gonna hand it to the band that the ambiance they are creating DOES work,but the riffage definitely could incorporate more variations and the singer could let himself get considerably more inspired,much like he did so greatly at the beginning of the album.

4. ''Vargavinter_The End Part I''

I found myself pushing the stop button almost a minute before the end of the song.Why?It was painfully and even irritably repetitive.What I feared would happen to this disc did happen.It gets so focused on the idea of telling a story,it forgets to keep on punching through the walls musically.It doesn't even hint at becoming a dynamic song at any point within the whole lenght (which is six minutes;I have to say at one point I had to laugh).The singing is exasperatedly dull,the guitars are sloppy,still going down that same road they took within the very first seconds of the album,never leaving their mold,never showing even a shadow of audacity.This is pretty much the peak of blandness.It can't really get any worse than that when it comes to boredom.I hate to say it,but this track totally ruined the little enthusiasm I had for this disc.

5. ''Balder's Fall_The End Part II''

I had heaps more good moments with this song as it does display more creativity within its patterns.In fact,it is more of a progressive and nuanced journey than a patterned offering,which does exceed my expectations.The heaviness is present,the very Candlemass-y down-tempo moments of spellbound despair are more frequent as they are thrown in between midtempo folk-ish AND catchy little passages.I am still unimpressed about the singing though,as the Lowe screams didn't make any reappearance,and the vocals did become a background to the music on this one.But this is definitely a nice rise from the ashes.I must say the punchiness of the drumwork really did wonders in the midst of this track,also.Thumbs up.

6. ''The Final War_The End Part III''

Yet again,I pushed the stop button before the end of the song.It clocks in at over six minutes in lenght,and for that entire six minutes and beyond,nothing varies.Nothing strays from within the pattern of almost zombified numbness that was seriously starting to beat me down into a sleep.The same pedestrian folk-ish enveloppe of this track waters down the possibilities of much more a heavy offering (which these guys are capable of;only they hold it down).I can't understand why they always have to stick to this dull and soulless main generic riff all the time when they could very well take much more splendid routes when it comes to doom metal epicness.I guess they have their comfort zone,but they might want to explore around it and finally realize their potential is greater than what they want to show.

Rating: 2/10 This album did show some potential with the first two tracks,but soon became quite a sleeper,falling into a mold that put barriers between the band and their chance at charging forward within the panoply of epic routes doom metal can take,coupled with the folk influences that could've added much of a magical feel to the music.I am sorely disappointed.All the tracks really do sound like the piece of a puzzle that has practically nothing but blank pieces.A lot could be done to enhance these songs,but it seems everything's been shot to sunrise and we are left with nothing but a fleeting impression that this is going in some direction,but not quite determined to reach its destination.It started rotting somewhere along the way.

-Noch

REVIEW: KERASPHORUS ''Cloven Hoofs at the Holocaust Dawn''

TRACKLIST:

1.The Abyssal Sanhedrin
2.Aosoth Paradigm
3.Disturb the Forethest Stars
4.Swarm Intelligentsia

TRACK BY TRACK ANALYSIS

1. '' The Abyssal Sanhedrin''

A mid-tempo and strongly immersive Satyricon-type of intro embraces us and takes us into much of a delicious chaos of purely dark and hypnotizing black metal complexity.I rarely come across modern black metal bands that excel in the art of crafting lenghty songs that keep your attention from beginning to end,and what we have here is a prime example of an incredibly spot-on delivery that will pummel your brain into dust from the very first second to the last.Amazing start to quite a promising journey.

2. ''Aosoth Paradigm''

I am quite highly impressed with the technicality and the creativity of the songwriting on display here.This is organized chaos,which not every musician can pretend they know something about.This is a wall-to-wall,mind-blowing,and may I add addictively dizzying descent into the dephts of positively deranged and delectable evil.This song has many hooks and phases,while retaining a very clear pattern which emphasizes the band's talent at writing a solid main riff.The rythmic section is yet again very hypnotic and pleasantly sadistic,while retaining a very obvious sense of melody,never losing aim of the direction it's clearly going in (as opposed to some guitar work I have heard on other black metal works that were quite blatantly directionless,fill-in-the-blanks type-riffage).I must give my kudos the the infatiguable drummer who holds his end of the deal with inhuman ferocity.

3. ''Disturb the Forethest Stars''

What we have here is the peak of Kerasphorus' knife-sharp flair for the most malevolent,vicious and memorable guitar melodies you'll ever want to hear within such a violent cut.The ensemble of this band's craft being primarily defined by technicality and wisely calculated brutality,it is absolutely thrilling to find out that the emphasis on the importance of the melodies is still one of the key elements of the charisma of tracks such as this one.The rythmic section on-display within the chorus is one that will remain etched upon your brain and will keep you throwing this track on Repeat mode for hours,making you feel revitalized.What we have in between these choruses is yet again a perfect slab of technical black metal that will totally take you into a new dimension of your mind.

4. ''Swarm Intelligentsia''

The clever alternance between blindingly intense moments of apeshit violence and the catchy mid-tempo passages automatically makes this one track quite accessible,while remaining absolutely spot-on to the purists.To get more visual,I would call this Anaal Nathrakh meets Satyricon,both influences being blended together into song phases colliding quicker than the speed of light to form a sonic ensemble that repeatedly stabs you in the chest,leaving you begging for more as it comes to an end.

RATING: 9/10 It's been quite a while I haven't heard a novice black metal band come up with an EP that makes such a lasting impression.Each and every track is a no-frills,no-bullshit business that puts on display a stunning talent at technical songwriting.Everything a respectable black metal fan wants to hear is present in very rich doses within every cut.I'm going to come back to this EP a few times a week,since my body now needs its daily fix.

-Noch

REVIEW: ARES KINGDOM ''Incendiary''

TRACKLIST:

1.Incendiary
2.Descent of Man
3.The Destruction of Sennacherib
4.Silent Mortal Flesh (Convergence)
5.Ashen Glory
6.Beasts That Perish
7.Consigned to the Ages
8.Gathering the Eagles
9.Abandon in Place

TRACK BY TRACK ANALYSIS:

1. ''Incendiary''

I would say this is an acceptable start for an album.It has most elements a fan of oldschool death-thrash wants to hear; furious rythm sections,raspy vocals,malevolent ambiance.Although,I must underline the fact that the lead guitar work is slightly poor.I have been cringing slightly while listening to what sounds very much like improvized and generic,filler-type soloing.I have been hoping in vain that this would improve as the song progresses,but I came out of this empty-handed.This element alone does ruin the magic for me.You have to be quite the diehard thrash metal fan to move past this and give the rest of the album a chance.

2. ''Descent of Man''

This track gives me the feeling that what we have here is a band that has at least a bit of a clue when it comes to throwing in some (if very few) good hooks into songs,having the listener headbanging along for so little a moment.This is most definitely something I can hand to them.The downside to this is basically that these hooks are thrown into an absolute directionless mess.The beginning of the song is catchy,but soon turns into an absolutely bland and pedestrian affair that stretches out to no end.The hyperactive technical-masturbation the lead-guitarist is throwing into the mix does very little to tame the boredom as it still gives me the feeling that it has been improvized on the spot,only for the sake of responding to the popular demand that the pattern of a song has to include that god-forsaken solo.The ending of the song is somewhat of a return to the catchiness of its beginning,and oddly enough,seems to have more of a structure,more of a direction,more of a relevance.

3. ''The Destruction of Sennacherib''

This being an interlude,I'm not immensely surprised that it won't have enough of a weighing power to convince me that things are getting brighter in the songwriting department.I have to admit that in this case,the wee interlude should have been taken out of the tracklist.Sound effects of a sadistic war are being extremely overused on thrash metal,and folk metal albums.It does very little ( read: nothing at all) to convince anyone that it makes the ensemble of the sound more badass.This time,both the rythmic section and the leads sound absolutely sloppy.It's a wonder no one in the band had any second thoughts about including this stinker on the disc.

4. ''Silent Mortal Flesh (Convergence)''

I would say this is a listenable track.The main riff,although it is quite painfully unoriginal,gets me nodding my head along,even though I'm nowhere near a headbanging frenzy.The main downer is probably that its repetitiveness is watering it down to the point of making you wish the song was shorter.Most of the riffs in the rythm section have been copied and pasted from already existent thrash metal releases,even though I might add that said riffs are probably the most simplistic I have heard in the history of this sub-genre.It is quite a poor tribute to the gods.The lead guitar work at the beginning of the song is laughably useless.I've been quite surprised to find out that midway through the track,it actually does sound like it's been written to add a nice touch to the ensemble of the track,but it doesn't exactly make me hyperventilate with enthusiasm yet.

5. ''Ashen Glory''

I am pleasantly surprised to find out that this band does have some melodious chops to bring to the table.Since the beginning of my journey with this album,this is the first track that distinctively showcases a general direction,complete with an interesting melodious progression.It has a bit of a viking-esque feel,the main riff being a nice and much needed breath of fresh air within the sea of distaste this album has been so far.This is quite the sweet tune,even though it doesn't break bricks at this point.

6. ''Beasts that Perish''

This is yet again a listenable track,even a slightly catchy one.Its lenght certainly wouldn't've suffered a slight trim,being quite a linear offering,but I will cut the band some slack and give them some credit for bringing up a nifty,slightly OWOBH-sounding thrash metal cut that is still a good listen,while not reinventing the wheel by any means.

7. ''Consigned to the Ages''

Another interlude that carries a well-built little melody,and actually serves as better filler than ''The Destruction of Sennacherib'' for bloody sure.

8. ''Gathering the Eagles''

Although this is another clearly organized offering,with even a twang of melodious effort into it,the blandness and excessive lenght of this track most definitely turn me off.It does shy away from having a distinct personnality.It seriously lacks ferocity.Its vagueness does force me to classify this as another very blatant filler.

9. ''Abandon in Place''

Ending the album on a slightly more positive note,I have to say that for once,the lenght of a track on this record is actually pretty close to being justified.This one track has more variations than I thought I could possibly witness within this band's songwriting capacities so far.It is quite a reasonably interesting,if not a bit of a third-tier thrash metal cut.

RATING: 4/10 The second half of this album is most definitely much more of a point of reference to rate this album than the opening half.The major down-points that we have here is the randomness of the leads,and the lack of audacity when it comes to the creative voice of the riffage.I have a feeling that this band is capable of peeling faces off,only I can't help but feel that they need to work on their craft a lot more before they step up with a disc.This is quite a disappointing and faceless effort.

-Noch

REVIEW: STORMWRATH ''Swords of Armageddon''

TRACKLIST:

1.Swords of Armageddon
2.Black Legion
3.Ascend to Hell
4.Militant Messiah
5.Revenge
6.Beyond Trinity
7.Throw the Hammer
8.Ride the Scythe

TRACK BY TRACK ANALYSIS

1. ''Swords of Armageddon''

Upon my very first listen of this album (this being the second time around),I noted quite an interesting blend of styles and influences all through the journey.Stormwrath is primarily a thrash metal band,but since one of its founding members Jose obviously has very eclectic tastes when it comes to metal (knowing him personally,I can assure you this statement is fully verified),each and every track has its phases that are very blatantly reserved to separate sub-genres within the panoply that exist.With this first cut and its absolutely smoking drumwork,we are taken unto a very thrashy assault,with mid-tempo passages that showcase the band's ability of writing an efficient rythmic section (these passages being enjoyable as opposed to being a complete letdown or a ''roadblock'').

2. ''Black Legion''

The first track being a very nifty introduction to the band's sound,this one is most definitely a full-on grasp onto its very roots.As the track begins,I am immediately reminded of ''Diabolus in Musica''-era Slayer.Being a very vocal and fervent fan of said record (while everyone else is making it their duty to stomp all over it),I was immediately hooked.The guitar melodies most definitely reminded me of the most memorable moments of said record,the ones that remained etched upon my brain on the very first listen.One thing I can safely say to those who understimate ''Diabolus in Musica'' is that Stormwrath's take on this sound includes a very strong emphasis on song patterns that alternate between mid-tempo parts and absolute thrash metal fury stacked up with face-melting fucking riffs that will make you go straight back to that Slayer album you thought you hated.This track is going to make you re-discover the efficiency of the menacing down-tempo moments on a metal record.These emphasyze the importance of the rythmic section and also the raw songwriting skills of a musician who NEEDS to have a good sense of which melodies work,and which don't.Based on this alone,''Black Legions'' is the track I'm going to stream on my radio show this very weekend.

3. ''Ascend to Hell''

Wow.Just...wow.This track might be the best thrash metal song I've heard in the past three months.The main-riff yet again screams Slayer influence at the top of its lungs.The blinding skill of the guitar work in this song totally gets my head spinning.This is a slab of pure oldschool thrash goodness,and it doesn't drop the ball for the slightest second.For the entire three minutes of its lenght,it fucking pummels you with outstanding riff idea atop outstanding riff idea.It also has a slight punk edge that all thrash metal diehards know to embrace.

4. ''Militant Messiah''

We are yet again standing face-to-face with an extremely well though-out and well-crafted display of patterned songwriting.I am using the word patterned in a very positive light when it comes to this album.I am going to focus your attention on the incredible creativity in the constant change of pace in the drumwork,and the way it perfectly fleshes out the driving rythmic force of the song,making it sound like a brand new and revitalized riff by the simple way it cooperates with it,as that main rythmic section morphs in a very subtle and progressive fashion (in the mid-tempo passages).This totally impresses me when it comes to the absolutely atomic chemistry between this band's drummer and rythm guitarist.I might also add that some of the riffs in that song seemed like a very interesting tribute to ''Justice'' era Metallica,these riffs being incredibly steel-solid foundations to build upon.

5. ''Revenge''

If you miss ''Reign in Blood''-era Slayer like most of us self-respecting metalheads,this track is the one you might want to visit ahead of the rest of the joypack.It is very much in the same lignée as ''Ascend to Hell'',infused with about a thousand times more malevolent Hanneman-type riffage,and what I would qualify the most amazing vocal performance of the entire deal so far.I can also hear a very subtle twang of hardcore influence within the very few mid-tempo sections of this song.

6. ''Beyond Trinity''

Iron Maiden meets Slayer.Have you ever thought this was actually possible?No,neither have I.This track takes me right across the map of the evergrowing family of metal sub-genres and then back,and then some.It starts out as a nearly accoustic baby,morphs into absolutely fucking sweet Iron Maiden-ish riffage,and,against all odds,becomes the meanest thrash metal beast you could possibly imagine,displaying the most vicious and skillful lead-guitar work since the beginning of the disc,fading into Iron Maiden goodness I'll never get tired of,to end with the very same accoustic-type feeling of the beginning of the song.If this is not a masterful craft,I wonder what is.I never expected I could possibly change my mind about this,but this is the very first song I'm going to air on my show,and I'm going to pitch it to other promoters from the very moment I am allowed to do so.

7. ''Throw the Hammer''

Old Wave of British Heavy Metal is written all across this track,complete with its remarkable nods to Motorhead.The fact that the spirit of thrash metal is less present on this cut indicates that the last moments of this album are much more focused on the melodic aspect of the music rather than the I-will-tear-you-up explosions we have savoured all through the disc so far.Here we have an interesting cross between OWOBH and a very,very strong dose of punk.I must give my thumbs up to the vocalist once again,for delivering a vocal performance that adds layers and layers of character to this cut.

8. ''Ride the Scythe''

I am always very curious to see just how each and every band is going to organize the grand finale of their albums.They know they have to make a very memorable last impression with every offering,and with each and every band I've heard lately,I can safely say the last track of an album is always the moment of truth.
In Stormwrath's case,I am not upset.The track starts out with a bit of a stoner doom feel,complete with the jazzy organ in the background,turning into a LoG infused thrashcore interlude,and taking a very unexpected path towards a viking-inspired vocal-driven accoustic passage that ends the song on quite a charming note.

RATING: 10/10 I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this disc.I have heard the most impressive tracks I've ever heard in months of active band-promotion.I am officially convinced that Stormwrath is going to become a strongly influential thrash metal band in the months to come.You fucking watch.

-Noch

TAKE NOTE: I will stream the track ''Beyond Trinity'' on this Saturday March 20th installment of ''C.R.O.C. Underground Metal''.You can tune in at 7 PM EST on www.radioquebec.biz or www.frankoradio.com.The re-broadcast airs on Sunday,also at 7 PM EST,on the same two channels.A downloadable version of the installment will be uploaded to my MySpace page the following Monday.