Intronaut 8/12/2010 Interview

Nominon- Monumentomb [2010]

SweDeath Metallers Nominon released their newest this month on Deathgasm. My advice? Go see this band on tour with Infinite Obscure and Quinta Essentia. I love Swede metal. This album is not an exception. The whole album is dirty, filthy Swedish Death metal. THe production is great and remains true to the OSDM vibe. No clicky, no protools-y sound, just good, slightly under produced DM. Although Nominon claimed in Decibel that they didn't "pussy out and play death n roll," I can definitely hear some n'roll in Monumentomb. Certainly not enough for a genre switch, but listen, it's there. I think it's a Swede thing. Maybe they don't realize they're doing it.

The album does get off to a rather meh start with Mantra Reverse, but picks up after that. Archified picks up the pace and includes a little Shining (SWE) esque vocal line. Kevorkian's Wrath piqued my interest because it's the only (?) song on the album that takes any sort of stance (and I agree). Although, now I'm just curious about assisted suicide laws in Sweden. Damn. In any case, the album is fucking solid, but the real stand out is the last track, Wrath of Shiva. It's got a new Bloodbath sort of vibe, and it's fucking angry.

The whole album is headbang-y goodness, but it certainly didn't reinvent the wheel. It's heavy, it's dark, dirty, catchy at times. I think a live show would be awesome windmill territory.

Best tracks: Wrath of Shiva

7.5/10 LG Petrovs for Nominon's newest
-PG

Imannifest- Qliphotic

This is one of my favorite CDs in the pitgoddess' review pile. Mainman Anton Kalaj is a brilliant composer and songwriter. Dark, haunting, symphonic and fast as fuck, Immanifest could be the new Dimmu. I mean that as the biggest compliment possible. These dudes are talented, dedicated and professional. Imman had their EP mixed at MorrisSound Studios, to give you an idea. The EP sounds so big, so dark, so evil, that I completely forgot I was sitting in my living room, not a haunted castle, complete with undead orchestra. This is NOT your run of the mill Florida band that forgot what decade it is. These guys are ready to take the world by storm, and I wish them all the best in their endeavors.

Rumored lineup changes make me hope the new drummer is quality. Seriously, if you don’t give this EP a chance, you’re missing out on what could be the next big thing.

PS– I had a hard time changing the CD when I finished this review.-PG

9.5/10 Alligators for Team Florida.

Happy Memorial Day!

Black Tusk - Taste the Sin [2010]

There’s something in the water down in Savannah, GA. This is my first vinyl review for Eyehatehaggard. I’m very excited! What better than to start with Savannah Georgia’s super sludgy Black Tusk. I picked up this record when Black Tusk shared the stage with Pentagram in Orlando, FL on May 23rd. The new LP, Taste the Sin, was released by Relapse records on May 25th. Fans of Kylesa, Crowbar and ASG will eat up these ferocious southern grooves.

Disgusting guitar tones mix with the vocal diversity establish a unique spin on what is typically a more depressing genre traditionally. Elements of hardcore and thrash blend with these nasty swamp grooves, and with that Black Tusk is able to half time their riffs at certain points without sounding contrived. Swampy breakdowns and “mosh parts” for lack of better terminology. Erratic vocal patterns add a great sense of unifying immediacy. Combining their colorful, and sinful, language this record starts sprinting from the second the listener can “embrace the madness” with the debut track. The album is steady with the majority of its riffing, but will surprise the listener with a few mathy-hardcore spastic timings and patterns. This album is raw and shows a great deal of personal satisfaction with its organization.

The conclusion to the record is a four part epic called “Double Clutcin”. This song is definitely meant to be enjoyed atop of a motorcycle. Complete the package with artwork by John. Dyer Baizley and you’re all set!

9/10 decaying pigs for Black Tusk.

I can’t stress this enough. SEE THEM LIVE. Their live performance is phenomenally tight and entertaining.

Feel free to purchase their new record here (some of the vinyls are pink!): http://shop.relapse.com/store/product.aspx?ProductID=38219

Favorite track: Way of Horse and Bow

Catch them on tour with Zoroaster and Dark Castle!
6/15 Birmingham, AL @ The Nick
6/16 Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone Café
6/17 Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
6/18 Dallas, TX @ The Lounge On Elm
6/19 Austin, TX @ Emo's
6/21 Albuquerque, NM @ Burt's Tiki Lounge
6/23 Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
6/24 Hollywood, CA @ Viper Room
6/25 Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro
6/26 San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside
6/28 Portland, OR @ Satyricon
6/29 Seattle, WA @ Funhouse
7/1 Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas
7/2 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
7/3 Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
7/4 St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
7/6 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
7/7 Newport, KY @ Southgate House
7/8 Pittsburg, PA @ 31st Street Pub
7/9 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
7/10 Philadelphia, PA @ Khyber

Rosetta - A Determinism of Morality [2010]

This is a band that needs no introduction. Mellow sound scapes, suffocating depth, and passionate wails seem to echo on for eternity. That’s the Rosetta we all know, and they’ve once again further complicated their classification. With all this criticism I hear about post-metal being self-limiting, Rosetta further contributes their unique sound once again. Fans of Red Sparowes, Isis, and The Atlas Moth will be drooling beneath these giant waves of modern post-metal. Their new record titled, A Determinism of Morality, hit shelves today courtesy of Translation Loss Records.

Prominent shoe-gazey elements are included throughout, and most of which are completely entrancing. Hypnotic, even. The abstract cover art, with what seems to be a hint of theological commentary, was pleasing to my eyes as well.

Distantly mixed wails are an awesome quality that grabbed me within minutes of starting the record. Their frantic and oppressed sound gives a powerful juxtaposition existing alongside massive delayed guitar work. I found myself frequently getting lost in this album during the review writing process. The layered tones really sit so diversified and appropriately explode into climactic textural beauty. This record is astounding. The integration of delayed ambient clean singing adds a serene dynamic prior to climactic heaviness which follows.

9/10 monolithic riff awards for Rosetta.

The new record is available here: http://translationloss.com/store/

Favorite track(s): Release/Revolve/Renew

Check them out on tour:

ROSETTA + CITY OF SHIPS
July 5th Columbus, OH
July 6th Chicago, Ill w/ BATTLEFIELDS
July 7th Minneapolis, MN w/ BATTLEFIELDS
July 8th Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium w/ BATTLEFIELDS
July 9th TBA w/ BATTLEFIELDS
July 10th Sioux Falls, SD w/ BATTLEFIELDS
July 11th Omaha, NE
July 12th Denver, CO
July 13th Salt Lake City, UT
July 14th Boise, ID
July 15th Spokane, WA
July 16th Seattle, WA
July 17th Portland, OR
July 18th Arcata, CA
July 19th Bay Area, CA
July 20th San Francisco, CA
July 21st Sacramento / Chico, CA
July 22nd Santa Cruz, CA
July 23rd Los Angeles, CA
July 24th Mesa, AZ
July 25th Tucson, AZ
July 26th Albuquerque, NM
July 27th Amarillo, TX
July 28th Austin, TX
July 29th Oklahoma City, OK
July 30th Wichita, KS @ ICT FEST
July 31st Lawrence, KS
Aug 1st Columbia, MO
Aug 2nd Louisville, KY
Aug 3rd Cincinnati, OH
Aug 4th Pittsburgh, PA

Watain: Lawless Darkness 2010

As a sort of Watain fangirl, it can be hard to listen to their albums quasi-objectively. Luckily for me, Lawless Darkness is amazing. This is definitely the black metal album of the year.

For those not familiar with Watain, the band features bassist E, of Dissection fame. It's pure fucking Swedish black metal at it's finest. No keyboards, no shitty wind tunnel production, no Varg cobra vocals. Pure fucking evil black metal.

This album kicks you in the teeth right off the bat and never lets go. The drum sound is clean, it's not super blasting, but H's drums fit the tone of the album. There's more lead work, which I appreciate. This album has melody! But it's still evil as fuck. E's vocals are loud and fucking clear. The lyrics are dark. The whole album is incredibly well composed, well written and basically the epitome of modern black metal.

Reaping Death sets the bar high for modern black metal. Four Thrones is probably my favorite song on the album. I banged my head relentlessly through the whole album. The only downside is the second half of title track Lawless Darkness. There's no vocals, no real lead, it just kind of drones on. It's not bad for background noise, but it's not engaging or interesting. To be honest, all of the songs are long (album clocks on at 1 hr 13 min- at least 20 min longer than the last two). But, that certainly doesn't mean they're not good.

Waters of Ain, at 14 min, is the most ambitious Watain song yet. I expected something long, boring opus type thing, but it's not. It's punishing. It's interesting. It's an opus- a brilliant black metal masterpiece.

Overall, this CD fucking slays. It sets the bar wicked high for modern black metal. Give it a spin, it'll kick your face in.

9/10 pig heads.

-The PitGoddess
www.scrapyardonline.com

Sikth.

one of the best records ever written:

Howl - Full of Hell [2010]

It seems that this popular flavor of southern sludge isn’t restricted to south of the mason Dixon anymore. Providence Rhode Island sludge metallers, Howl, shoved their southern fried riffs into my ears from north of the mason Dixon with extreme prejudice. Whether lyrical topics include “Jezebels” or “Horns of Steel” one true fact cannot be ignored: Howl have loud amps dripping in that southern syrup style riffage. Full of Hell was released by Relapse Records on May 11th, 2010. Coincidentally this was also my 22nd birthday. Fans of Black Tusk, Kylesa, High on Fire will bathe in this album’s filthy walls of monolithic volume and steady grooves. There is a recognizable face in Howl’s lineup as well. Guitarist Andrea has been managing bands and doing merch/roadie duties for Torche for some time now.

One interesting facet of this record is the constant evolution of riffs progressing into sluggish sludgy breakdowns that crawl desperately before exploding into the next groove. The interesting feature of this structure is that riffs don’t always get slower and slower, and that climactic build up can be a powerful finishing move for a band like Howl. No doubt about the production either, while it has a familiar resemblance to their debut EP this record is loud as fuck. No bullshit drummer triggering, no pitch correction, just raw anger and metallic thickness. Just how I like it.

8/10 baying hungry curs for Howl.

This record is an awesome debut LP, some sludge bands don’t put out a record this mature their entire careers. Order the LP, or LP package complete with shirt, here: http://shop.relapse.com/artist/artist.aspx?ArtistID=10208

Favorite Tracks: Day of Rest/Jezebel

Catch them on tour!

May 29 ....Baltimore.., ..MD.... Sonar (as part of Maryland Deathfest)....
June 13 ....Providence.., ..RI.... Club Hell (w/ EYEHATEGOD)....
June 14 ....Milford.., ..CT.... ....Daniel Street.... (w/ EYEHATEGOD)....
June 15 ....Manchester.., ..NH.... Rocko’s (w/ EYEHATEGOD)....

***All dates from June 18 thru 25 w/ PENTAGRAM***....
June 18 ....Chicago.., ..IL.... Reggies ....
June 19 ....Akron.., ..OH.... Backstage Concert Club....
June 22 ....Columbus.., ..OH.... Skully’s ....
June 23 ....Philadelphia.., ..PA.... The Blockley ....
June 25 ....Providence.., ..RI.... Club Hell....

Keep of Kalessin - Reptilian [2010]

When I see cover art consists of something that might be featured in the newest set of Magic: The Gathering cards one can be rest assured that I’ll probably listen to it. Normally I’m disappointed by these impulsive nerdy decisions, but Keep of Kalessin brought a blackened smile to my face. Reptilian will be released in America on June 8th by Nuclear Blast Records. This is going to be a candidate for my favorite record so far this year. Fans of Emperor, 1349, and Satyricon will be left screaming to the sky in blood soaked joy.

I feel this record incorporates so many elements, compositionally and audio quality wise, to the ever evolving genre that is Black Metal. The production quality is far from traditional, but this isn’t a quantized and soulless metal record made to churn out a couple bucks. This quartet has written an incredible record while implementing orchestral keyboards coupled with triumphant shout along vocals. That fact alone makes this record stand out as a quality hybrid of Black Metal’s history books.

The drumming has some genuine thickness and power behind its relentless and controlled assault. Blasting is the most prevalent source, but the fills and climactic tempo shifts are masterfully written as well as executed. Guitar wise, the riffing maintains its intensity coupled with the triumphant feeling behind the song organization. It’s remarkable to believe that one guitar player can pump out such unique sounding riffs that even have facets of modern progressive metal. The solos are exceptional as well, which pierce through the heavy rhythms and tastefully incorporated keyboards. Those who like their metal with a thrashy taste will not be disappointed either. The speed with which certain riffs and solos are executed bring a moshtastic twist amidst the darkened and furious tales of “The Divine Land” and “Reptilian Mastery”.

Vocally this record stands out with several styles. The evil and bellowing blackened growls are filled with insatiable anger. What is most interesting though is that the use of shout alongs stands out as a climactic device for the band. The entirely audible and comprehensible shouts give a sense of epic camaraderie which I hope will be replicated by a live experience.

Their control is undeniable, these guys know their instruments backwards and forwards. They can probably play them while reciting blasphemous philosophy simultaneously (backwards) from the feelings this record inspires.
9.5/10 severed dragon heads for Keep of Kalessin.

This band gives me hope not only for the future of progressively minded black metal, but the progression of ALL heavy music. Phenomenal record! Catch Keep of Kalessin on tour with Nile, Ex Deo, Psycroptic, and Pathology this November in the US!

Pre-order their record here: http://store.nuclearblastusa.com/Artist/Keep_Of_Kalessin/10632

Favorite Tracks: Dragon Iconography/The Dragon Tower

10/31 Raleigh, NC @ Volume 11
11/01 Louisville, KY @ Headliner's Music Hall
11/02 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
11/03 Farmingdale, NY @ Crazy Donkey
11/04.10 Manchester, NH @ Rocko's
11/05 Providence, RI @ Club Hell
11/06 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
11/07 Detroit, MI @ Blondie's
11/08 Chicago, IL @ Reggie's Rock Club
11/09 St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
11/12 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
11/13 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
11/14 San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
11/15 Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
11/16 Los Angeles, CA @ Key Club
11/17 Mesa, AZ @ U.B.'s Bar
11/18 Tucson, AZ @ The Rock
11/20 Austin, TX @ Emo's
11/21 Houston, TX @ The Warsaw
11/23 Orlando, FL @ Club Firestone
11/24 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room

The Abominable Iron Sloth - The Id Will Overcome [2010]

Crushing squeals of feedback loom as this CD entered my laptop drive. These squeals ring forth foreshadowing in the shape of Tinnitus. The sudden, and frightening, screams that immediately followed the first swell sent chills up my arms. As to be expected from sophomore Califnornia doom/hardcore/loudasfucksters Abominable Iron Sloth. The Id Will Overcome was released April 27th on Black Market Activity Records. This record is undeniably heavy, and fans of Engineer, Eyehategod, Gaza, and Swarm of the Lotus will bathe in its crushing volume.

This record keeps a steady pace which solidifies their precise grooves. Make no mistake: these sludgy grooves are riddled with pedantic and stressful vocals. The vocal shrieks of misanthropic anger, which I assume is rooted in societal disgust, are reminiscent of Eyehategodesque sentiments. This is not an instrumentally a flashy record. It does deliver several fathoms of suffocating rhythms and crusty guitar progressions that constantly evolve (or devolve?) to become more disgustingly satisfying than the last. Dissonance is appropriated sparingly, but correctly, at critical climactic pace shifts.

The longest track on the record, Heterodox Nonconformists, is the only questionable portion of this record. The track clocks in at one second shy of fourteen minutes. Swells of noise, static and silence are the only elements implemented. This definitely breaks up the carefully constructed groove the record had already worked so hard to establish. It’s picked up following the 14 minutes of noise/drone experimentation with the final track: “The Timely Death of Billy Mays”. The final track picks up the groove exactly where it left off, but ends abruptly making me want more.

The song titles range from feelings of formerly mentioned social, and perhaps political, frustrations to clever and topically appropriate puns.

8/10 delicious sloth steaks for Abominable Iron Sloth.

This could have been a nine if the flow hadn’t been broken, but perhaps the inspiration for a 14 minute noise track is beyond my cognition? Regardless, a very strong release! T-shirt and CD package available here.

Favorite Track: Two Black Helicopters