This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Blind Monarch, Evilyn, Extinction A.D., Hail Darkness, Missouri Executive Order 44, Robse, Thermality, Thotcrime, Trench and Ulvehunger.
The ratings are on a 5 star scale.
Blind Monarch – The Dead Replenish The Earth (Dry Cough)
Five years after their debut, UK doomsters Blind Monarch deliver their second full-length, The Dead Replenish The Earth. The lyrics explore the topic of loss, with themes of death and depression permeating the music.
The album is just four songs, but this isn’t an EP. Blind Monarch construct lengthy compositions with ample ebbs and flows. Opener “Other Faces” clocks in at nearly 13 minutes, a deliberately paced track with hefty riffs and a drumless interlude for a change of pace. The title track is the shortest number on the record, at just over eight minutes. Tempos range from glacial to slow, but The Dead Replenish The Earth rarely drags, because Blind Monarch know exactly where they’re going, and bring the listener along for the unhurried, morose but rewarding ride.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Evilyn – Mondestrunken (Transcending Obscurity)
After an EP in 2020, Evilyn have emerged with Mondestrunken, their full-length debut. The trio was formed by Thoren guitarist Anthony Lipari, who handles vocals and guitar. The lineup is rounded out by Malignancy/Exist bassist Alex Weber and Norse drummer Robin Stone.
The intricate arrangements twist and turn between technical mastery and avant-garde exploration. Dissonance and chaos co-exist with groove and melody. Many songs are inscrutable, but sometimes you can grab onto a riff and let it pull you into the maelstrom. Mondestrunken is technically impressive and the musicianship top-notch, and while Evilyn’s non-traditional approach will be a draw for some, others may not be as engaged.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Extinction A.D. – To The Detested (Unique Leader)
New York’s Extinction A.D. have had a productive 2024. At the beginning of the year they issued the EP Ruthless Intent, and now the thrash/hardcore crew are unleashing their fourth full-length, To The Detested.
They shift seamlessly from the speed and intensity of thrash to the groove of hardcore. Influenced by everyone from Pantera to Machine Head to Sepultura, hey aren’t breaking a lot of new ground, but Extinction A.D. deliver songs like “Escape From New York” and “Apocalypse Rising” with power and passion. Trivium’s Matt Heafy guests on the driving “Impervious (Unrepentant).” The ten songs on To The Detested are focused with minimal filler and have appeal to fans of a variety of genres.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Hail Darkness – Death Divine (Vatican)
Hail Darkness formed during the pandemic in Phoenix, Arizona. They crafted and perfected the songs for their debut album Death Divine in South Carolina during an extensive three year process.
The album can be broadly categorized as occult rock, but it includes styles ranging from doom to psychedelia to classic rock. Their goal was to blend the sound of legendary bands like Black Sabbath and Jefferson Airplane with modern outfits such as Electric Wizard, and they have succeeded. Jez is the band’s vocalist and guitarist, with her occult-laden lyrics inspired by old occult movies. Tracks like “Cult Of The Serpent Risen” and “Coven Of The Blackened One” are retro-sounding and catchy. Death Divine is a promising debut, eclectic and engaging.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Missouri Executive Order 44 – Salt Sermon (Learning Curve)
Coining their name after the 1838 Missouri law of the same name that stated Mormons must be treated as enemies and must be exterminated or driven from the state, the Kansas City hardcore band Missouri Executive Order 44 use that historical moment to amplify a larger point on their second album Salt Sermon.
Clocking in with a short run-time of fifteen minutes, Salt Sermon does not waste time and delivers their message of opposition to persecution loudly and clearly. The use of distorted sermons in “Millport’s Demise” and “Wear Me like a Mitt, Romney” serve to drive the thematic elements better, and add a nice creep factor to the album. Salt Sermon is proof of how music can be a tool to both express and share beliefs and concepts that would normally be hard to explain.
Rating: 3
(Dalton Husher)
Robse – Harlekin & Krieger (Reaper)
Robert-Martin Dahn, aka Robse, was the longtime frontman for the epic folk metal band Equilibrium, and exited that band a couple of years ago. He has now formed Robse, whose musical tendencies are more in the melodic death metal vein, but with some epic tendencies.
The title track has heavy and intense sections, but also has a lot of melodic and catchy parts. That’s the modus operandi of the album, with the heavier parts even exploring black metal territory on songs such as “Hey Sturm.” Dahn handles the lion’s share of the vocals, with a harsh approach and a few spoken word parts. Keyboardist Alina Lesnik also adds some backing vocals. Harlekin & Krieger finds Robse cherry picking some of Equilibrium’s strengths, while establishing their own unique approach and sound.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Thermality – The Final Hours (Black Lodge)
The Final Hours is an adoring callback to 1990’s Swedish melodic death metal, made more significant by Thermality being located in the heart of that particular scene. This album is their third release in less than a year and a half, following a debut LP and an EP coming out months apart in 2023.
The band emphasizes their melodic side with singing on “Weeping Angels” and an abundance of acoustic guitars on the two-part “Divinity” closer. They also find a way to do a metalized version of the first movement of Beethoven’s “5th Symphony” in the guitar solo to “The Hunter & The Nightmare.” Thermality are doing those that came before them proud with The Final Hours.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Thotcrime – Connection Anxiety (Prosthetic)
Cybergrind, a combustible mix of grindcore and electronics, was Thotcrime’s forte for years leading up to their new album, Connection Anxiety. Its programmed abrasion found pop sensibility to fall back on, which is something the band goes all in on with this record. Elements of grind still appear on “We Hope Some Good May Come Of This” and “This Podcast Could’ve Lasted Four Seasons,” but it’s no longer their main draw.
There are times where they stray far away from metal, with affirmations to overcome self-destruction on the uplifting “The Wrong Way” and the club-friendly beats on “Existent.” In 25 minutes, Connection Anxiety puts Thotcrime in a direction that steps beyond the digitized frenzy of cybergrind.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Trench – Between Inverted Worlds (New Damage)
The latest album from the Canadian band Trench, now a four piece, is Between Inverted Worlds. They continue to refine their nu-metal/hardcore sound while never afraid to explore new musical horizons.
Heavy guitars, tempos that shift on a dime and plenty of electronics drive the album. The ten songs are extremely streamlined, most in the two to three minute range, and not a single track exceeds the four minute mark. The whole thing clocks in under 25 minutes. There are plenty of guests on the album, with Cult Of Luna’s Johannes Persson guesting on the crushing “My Cold Blood.” Members of Comeback Kid, Wake and City And Colour also appear. Between Inverted Worlds flies by, but the songs leave a lasting impact.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Ulvehunger – Retaliation (Darkness Shall Rise)
Hailing from Norway and consisting of Lasse Johansen and Ken B. Fletcher (Disgusting) and Anders Odden (Cadaver, who also served as the producer of the album) and Frost (Satyricon, 1349), Ulvehunger‘s debut Retaliation promises to be a powerful listening experience for many. Despite the band’s roots in two cult underground death metal bands, Balvaz and Disgusting, the album’s soundscape is dominated by black metal, with death metal adding a twist to the songs’ structure.
Retaliation is a journey that may seem devoid of excitement and personal tone at first, but it soon finds its way to the heart of its audience as the album takes on a more coherent shape and atmosphere with the song “Castle of Blood.” The melodies and riffs, while intertwined in a familiar musical structure, create mandatory shivering moments, adding a layer of diversity to the album. Ulvehunger’s debut album is very reminiscent of Immortal’s later works, although, at times, it moves towards death/black metal and builds its own universe.
Rating: 3.5
(Arash Khosronejad)
