Liminal Shroud polish up their blustery black metal on All Virtues Ablaze, a sophomore album that improves upon their debut in several ways. (Chad Bowar) Willowtip Records Liminal Shroud – All Virtues Ablaze (Willowtip) There are a lot of upbeat, rousing tracks such as “Nationwide” and “Hollywood” along with more moderately paced songs like “Harder To Breathe” and ballads such as “One Of Us.” While a bit derivative, Force Majeure is still a well-written, catchy and enjoyable hard rock album. Pretty much every song on the album is a potential single, with big hooks and singalong choruses. play melodic hard rock with an ’80s vibe, though the production is modern. Original vocalist Kenny Leckremo, who appeared on the band’s first two albums, returns after an absence of about a decade. have a different singer for their latest album Force Majeure, but it’s a familiar face (and voice). Grave Bathers doesn’t bother with easing a new audience in with their acid-laced sound, throwing everything they got into their first album. That sort of length may come off as daunting, and there’s definitely a few songs that don’t stack up as well as others, but the retro production and peppy performances keeps the proceedings in control. There’s a lot to unwind throughout Rock ‘N’ Roll Fetish’s 82 minutes. This includes a 90-second drum break on “Brain Thief” and trade-off solos with all instruments on “Ape-like Thing.” This is doom metal as shown through a psychedelic lens, with several song having trippy jams with involvement from everyone. (Chad Bowar) Seeing Red Records Grave Bathers – Rock ‘N’ Roll Fetish (Seeing Red)Ī listener won’t need any mind-altering substances for Grave Bathers’ debut album Rock ‘N’ Roll Fetish, as there’s enough dripping off it to get a contact high from. Norse And Dangerous (Live… from the Land of Legends) is an excellent representation of Einherjer’s discography and a rousing show. Their hometown audience is appreciative, which appeared to inspire even more energy from the band. The songs flow really well, with Einherjer’s performance (especially from guitarists Ole Sonstabo and Tom Enge) spot on. It includes three tracks from North Star and also a couple from their 1996 debut Dragons Of The North with the rest spanning their career. Norse And Dangerous (Live… from the Land of Legends) was recorded in their hometown of Haugesund last year. They hadn’t released a live album until now. The Norwegian Viking metal band Einherjer have been plying their trade since 1993 and have released numerous studio albums including last year’s North Star. (Chad Bowar) Napalm Records Einherjer – Norse And Dangerous (Live… from the Land of Legends) (Napalm) Those who appreciate the avant-garde and experimental should enjoy Meditations. The album constantly shifts and changes with interesting moments around every corner. Saxophone adds a jazz vibe and some melody on songs like “Courage” and “Wisdom.” Lyrically, it’s an homage to Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations that was written nearly 2 thousand years ago about his life and ideas on the Stoic philosophy. There are only four tracks on the record, but this is no EP, clocking in at nearly 40 minutes. It’s an experimental brand of the genre, with songs that are long and complex with minimal vocals. His latest effort Meditations brings doom metal back to the forefront. Much of his music has been in the electronic genre, mixing in jazz and some metal. The one-man project Bong-Ra, masterminded by Jason Kohnen, has pushed boundaries over the years. (Chad Bowar) Tartarus Records Bong-Ra – Meditations (Tartarus) The Wretched Sermon in an impressive comeback for Abaddon Incarnate. The second half of the album features longer running times, including the nearly 7 minute “Isolation And Decay” that’s very dynamic, with a mellow beginning quickly becoming fast and intense before easing back. There’s ample variety in intensity and tempo. Many are in the two to three minute range, but they pack a lot into each song. Atmospherics help add depth to the mostly brief songs. They play death metal that’s fast and intense, adding to the brutality by incorporating grindcore into the mix. It features the return of drummer Olan Parkinson after a nearly two decade absence. The Wretched Sermon is their sixth studio album, and first since 2014’s Pessimist. The Irish band Abaddon Incarnate have been around since the mid-’90s, but it had been a while since they released an album. Transcending Obscurity Records Abaddon Incarnate – The Wretched Sermon (Transcending Obscurity) This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Abaddon Incarnate, Bong-Ra, Einherjer, Grave Bathers, H.E.A.T., Liminal Shroud, Shuriken Cadaveric Entwinement, Psycroptic, Savage Master, Soulfly, Stormbound and Toxik.
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