This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Ahamkara, Cadaver, Caliban, Cancer, Changeling, Coffin Feeder, Deserted Fear, Eluveitie, Employed To Serve, Eyes, Ghost, Higher Walls, Inhuman Nature, Khardashev, Liv Kristine, Machine Head, Pagan Altar, Raven, and The Yagas.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Ahamkara – The Harrow Of The Lost (Bindrune)
Grief has a significant part behind the creation of Ahamkara’s second album, The Harrow Of The Lost. Original vocalist Steve Black passed away in 2015, just a year after the release of their debut The Embers Of The Stars, leaving multi-instrumentalist Michael Blenkarn-Durning as the remaining member. He takes over on vocals, bringing Panopticon’s Austin Lunn and Alexandra Blenkarn-Durning on board as drummer and keyboardist, respectively.
The Harrow Of The Lost is a heartbreaking tribute to the passing of a dear friend; a tool to work through an unexpected loss. There are a lot of raw emotions, both in the raspy screams and in the unsophisticated production. Though seeped in despair, lighter touches like the extended synth outro to “Our Scars Shall Abide In The Thaw” act as a chance for closure for Ahamkara.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Cadaver – Hymns Of Misanthropy (Listenable)
Cadaver‘s seventth album is Hymns Of Misanthropy. As they have been since their reunion with 2020’s Edder & Bile they aren’t shy from making their death metal both old school and a touch of weird all at the same time. Opener “Maltreated Mind Makes Man Manic” is a perfect encapsulation of this type of insanity for as straightforward as it appears, the band’s quirky use of stop and go guitar work makes it feel like Cadaver are big fans of Voivod among others.
Making a brief return for the band is …in Pains-era bassist Eilert Solstad adding a fun layer of nostalgia especially for bringing to the forefront the band’s most historically decorated album. “From The Past” opens with what feels like some electronic effect and gives way to pounding death metal before the strangeness again enters the fray with electronic voices and all matter of attributes set to differentiate the band’s sound from their contemporaries. Cadaver scratch the itch for fans of early ‘90s death metal with a little something extra added to give the Cadaver stamp of approval. Hymns Of Misanthropy is a solid death metal record.
Rating: 3.5
(Tom Campagna)
Caliban – Back From Hell (Century Media)
Despite 25-plus years in the game and more than a dozen albums issued, Caliban have never really graduated to the top echelon of metalcore acts from a commercial perspective. Nonetheless, the German crew forge ahead with another melancholic slab of heaviness, Back From Hell. Sometimes the influx of fresh blood can afford a boost for a veteran act. New vocalist/bassist Iain Duncan has a noticeable impact via his clean vocals, lending the choruses of “I Was A Happy Kid Once,” “Echoes” and punishing “Alte Seele” greater gravitas, as well as aiding them on the songwriting front.
The production packs a punch, and the execution is taut – no track reaches the four-minute mark amid a cavalcade of bruising riffs, guitar chugs and atmospheric melodies. The end result doesn’t lack intensity, although there’s generic fare that lets the side down. The guest appearances will garner attention, the standout being Joe “Bad” Badolato of Fit For An Autopsy infusing an even more brutal edge into the deathcore-laden “Dear Suffering.” There are forgettable moments here, and others re-treading past glories, amidst some quality cuts. The Bard’s favorite heavy-hitters may not reach mega-star status, but should satisfy their existing base with Back From Hell.
Rating: 3
(Brendan Crabb)
Cancer – Inverted World (Peaceville)
Seven years removed from the band’s comeback album Shadow Gripped, Cancer have only one original member to speak of, guitarist/vocalist John Walker along with three Spanish members, Wormed drummer Gabriel Valcazar, Eternal Storm bassist Daniel Maganto and lead guitarist Robert Navajas. Opener “Enter The Gates” is a solid song with a crushing underlying groove which is exactly the sound you have come to expect from Cancer in their nearly 40 years of existence.
“Amputate” is one of the more instantly accessible songs on the album as the guitars grind down your eardrums and the drums beat you over the head without the song needed to fly at light speed to get their point across. Cancer have always existed as this heavy death metal band with a meat and potatoes approach, not trying to do too much but delivering ample good results. Inverted World is a welcome return for the band after 2018’s excellent Shadow Gripped, and while the new one doesn’t scale the same heights as its predecessor it more than scratches that old school death metal itch.
Rating: 3.5
(Tom Campagna)
Changeling – Changeling (Season Of Mist)
Guitarist Tom Geldschläger has an alter-ego, Tom Fountainhead, that he uses on Changeling’s self-titled debut to act as a mythical axe hero. With the help of over 50 different musicians, Changeling takes progressive death metal into avenues both exciting and exhausting. Over the course of 60 minutes, there are forays into jazz fusion and acoustic rock to stand alongside technical solos and real orchestral instruments.
It’s evident that Fountainhead uses Changeling as a method to release any and all ideas stored away that couldn’t have been used for the countless bands he’s played with in his career (Obscura, Belphegor, Defeated Sanity, to name just a few). The 17-minute closer “Anathema” is the band at its most excessive, coming off like Devin Townsend with a death metal kick. Not everything lands, but when it does, it’s bizarre in a complimentary way.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Coffin Feeder – Big Trouble (Listenable)
The members of Coffin Feeder love action films; more specifically, the testosterone-fueled ones from the 1980’s and 1990’s. The title to their debut album Big Trouble is an homage to one of John Carpenter’s best films, Big Trouble In Little China. Even if a listener can’t understand a single word from vocalist Sven De Caluwe (of Aborted fame), naming songs with “If It Bleeds,” “Let Off Some Steam” and “H.I.S.S” makes it obvious.
They mostly avoid a humorous route with the concept, keeping the sampling to a minimum and ignoring any goofy impersonations. Their deathcore is as stoic as Stallone in Cobra, with guest spots from vocalists Julien Truchan (Benighted), Ben Duerr (Shadow Of Intent) and Mark Hunter (Chimaira) intensifying Big Trouble. Like a direct-to-video Van Damme film, Big Trouble isn’t the worst way to spend an afternoon.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Deserted Fear – Veins Of Fire (Testimony)
Veins Of Fire marks a new chapter in Deserted Fear‘s sonic identity. The album is groovier, more melodic, and richer in production, showcasing a more refined and well-crafted sound. While it may not drastically redefine their musical approach, the subtle shifts in production and structure suggest the beginning of an exciting new era.
Veins Of Fire dives deep into the roots of old-school death metal while embracing the genre’s melodic elements. The album’s seamless navigation between old-school and modern death metal, paired with its melodic euphoria, is sure to captivate both long-time fans and newcomers. It’s a sound that resonates with those who’ve experienced the death metal pioneers while also appealing to a new generation of metalheads who are just discovering the genre through newer, mainstream bands. This is precisely why Veins Of Fire could be considered a new chapter for Deserted Fear, and it’s a delightful experience.
Rating: 4
(Arash Khosronejad)
Elueveitie – Ánv (Nuclear Blast)
Eluveitie are a band that need no introduction, and with Ànv, they continue their journey within folk and melodic death metal. The album is full of catchy choruses and touching vocals. The folk elements are incorporated in a rather discreet way, which I believe enhances the overall experience, given that the album has a lot going on from track to track.
In terms of originality, there’s nothing here Eluveitie hasn’t done before. That doesn’t mean the album isn’t enjoyable, but it shows a band that, despite their inspiration, remains within their comfort zone. Ànv is an enjoyable ride, even if not the most audacious one. It’s clearly aimed at their hardcore fans.
Rating: 3
(Carlos Tirado)
Employed To Serve – Fallen Star (Spinefarm)
For their fifth album Fallen Star, Employed To Serve bring in some high-profile guests, and also keep evolving musically. Metalcore is the predominant style, but they also incorporate other genres including hardcore, alt metal and even some death and thrash metal. Their diverse style is encapsulated on the title track, which shifts between passionate harsh vocals, smooth melodic singing and plenty of catchiness.
The songs that will garner the most attention are the collaborations. “Atonement” with Lorna Shore’s Will Ramos features his potent aggressive style along with some surprising clean vocals. Killswitch Engage’s Jesse Leach guests on the groovy “Whose Side Are You On” and Svalbard’s Serena Cherry appears on “Last Laugh.” This is a varied record, encapsulated on songs like “Breaks Me Down” that smoothly shifts from mellow to extreme. The vocal performances from Justine Jones and Sammy Urwin are top-notch as always, but Urwin and David Porter raise their guitar work to a higher level. Employed To Serve are never stagnant, bringing something fresh to every album without losing their core identity, and in contrast to the album’s title, with Fallen Star their profile should continue to rise.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Eyes – Spinner (Prosthetic)
For their third album Spinner, the Danish band Eyes have signed with Prosthetic Records. The album’s storyline is told via a fictional ’80s anime episode and is inspired by manga author Asano Inio.
After a brief “theme song” intro, the extremity commences. Eyes deliver songs that are direct and focused, with a greater focus on groove. While noise rock has been de-emphasized a bit, they still effectively mix chaotic sections with ones that are melodic and catchy, notably on songs like “Beelzebub, The Hypocrite” and “Clown.” Eyes fly through Spinner in a streamlined 25 minutes or so, not overstaying their welcome and like all good performers, leaving the audience wanting even more.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Ghost – Skeletá (Loma Vista)
Ghost have ascended to be one of the most popular and commercially successful hard rock bands. They are now easily able to fill arenas, which is appropriate for their latest album Skeletá, which embraces ’70s and ’80s arena rock. Giant hooks and singalong choruses along with plenty of guitar solos can be found throughout the album. Bands like Journey are inspirations, and you’ll hear a section similar to “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” on “Peacefield.”
Ghost doesn’t leave their occult rock roots behind, with hints of it sprinkled throughout, especially on tracks like “De Profundis Borealis.” They bring some prog mixed with glam on “Umbra,” with some gothic flavor on numbers such as “Satanized.” This time around, Tobias Forge is lyrically more introspective, giving the album some emotional depth. Musically, Skeletá explores a variety of styles while remaining unequivocally Ghost.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Higher Walls – No End (Self)
No End is what Higher Walls call their latest EP, which is not only how they view the societal and wealth inequalities in their native UK, but the extent to which they transform their hardcore sound. Bits of grindcore and death metal are thrown in, as well as technical complexities with topsy-turvy drums on “Collateral Damage.”
With none of the tunes reaching the three-minute mark, the short lengths hinder the songwriting in spots. The prolonged bass-led introduction in “A Harrowed Wisdom” could’ve used more than the two minutes the song gets. With a little bit of an extension, it could’ve been a harrowing sidestep from the norm. With other various singles and EPs released since 2020, Higher Walls are slowly working their own quirks into hardcore music.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Inhuman Nature – Greater Than Death (Church Road)
In 2019, the British crossover thrash band Inhuman Nature emerged with their self-titled debut. After an EP and split with Ninth Realm, they are ready to unleash their sophomore full-length, Greater Than Death.
The album is raw and old-school, but Inhuman Nature doesn’t stick exclusively to the thrash template. There are plenty of galloping riffs and pedal-to-the-metal tempos, along with groovier and more moderately paced parts and tracks. “Fortress Of Delusions” slows things down to doom territory before erupting in a cacophony of thrash, and “Lines In The Sand II” injects death metal influences. That variety helps Greater Than Death rise above the typical re-thrash release.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Kardashev – Alunea (Metal Blade)
The word beautiful seems too flowery to describe death metal; that is, until Kardashev’s third album, Alunea. The band sees their music as “progressive deathgaze,” a fluidity of progressive death metal, deathcore and shoegaze. It’s a style that as enchanting as it is undeterred, tethered in place by a top-notch vocalist in Mark Garrett. His roars are unmatched, while his singing is dramatic and awe-inspiring.
Alunea is the continuation of a story that started way back in 2013 with their Excipio EP, the next piece of the puzzle following 2017’s The Almanac EP. Even if the fictional language and philosophical musings aren’t one’s preference, the magnificent final 90 seconds of “Reunion” and the thoughtful closer “Below Sun & Soil” are metal at its finest.
Rating: 4.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Liv Kristine – Amor Vincit Omnia (Metalville)
There’s no mistaking the sound of Liv Kristine (Theatre Of Tragedy, Leaves’ Eyes) in Amor Vincit Omnia (Love Conquers All), the Norwegian singer’s seventh solo album. Gothic, doomy and dark moods are weaved together with haunting melodies to create eleven captivating songs. The first few tracks are dark and then, around halfway through the album, the music gets more upbeat and direct while the last few songs combine both atmosphere and Rock/Metal.
Amor Vincit Omnia is clearly an introspective album where Kristine is pouring her heart out. Consequentially it feels very real. Some of these songs need more than one spin to get under your skin but don’t let that discourage you. Musically it’s also an album of contrasts — death metal vocals working with angelic singing — mellow excerpts alternating with upbeat choruses and lead guitars with acoustic guitars.
Rating: 4
(Chris Galea)
Machine Head – Unatoned (Nuclear Blast)
After exceeding 70-minute run times on their past few albums, Machine Head have streamlined the proceedings on their eleventh studio album Unatoned. It’s a streamlined release that barely exceeds 40 minutes (and that’s with a couple of extraneous interludes). It’s also features the debut of guitarist Reece Scruggs (Monolith, ex-Havok).
Machine Head shift between metalcore, groove metal, nu-metal and accessible hard rock. Robb Flynn’s vocals shift between aggressive growls and melodic singing. The balance tilts toward the latter on songs like “Not Long For This World” and the surprising closing piano ballad “Scorn.” The brutality is ratcheted up on tracks such as “These Scars Won’t Define Us” and “Shards Of Shattered Dreams,” which are balanced with melodic moments. Unatoned traverses a number of musical paths, delivering a plethora of individual songs that work well. As a whole, though, it doesn’t have quite the impact of some of their classic works, but is a solid Machine Head release.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Pagan Altar – Never Quite Dead (Dying Victims)
A sixth album from Pagan Altar was not something I would ever have expected to see after the 2015 passing of their original lead singer Terry Jones and the posthumous release of 2017’s The Room Of Shadows, but here we are with Never Quite Dead. Taking over on vocal duties is Brendan Radigan (Sumerlands, ex-Magic Circle) and he does a great job fitting in with the rest of the ensemble on opener “Saints and Sinners,” continuing the band’s unique sound from their darker version of NWOBHM.
The combination of the “Madame M’Rachel” songs in the middle feature some of Alan Jones’ best riffs on the album all while the drums crash and the bass is plucked with Radigan bringing it all home. This is the exact time capsule for the band you want. Fans of the band’s classic albums and Terry Jones’ voice would be hard pressed to get a more authentic experience from the band than the performance of this crew that has been together since at least 2010. Never Quite Dead is classic Pagan Altar.
Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)
Raven – Screamin’ Down The House: 1985-1988 (HNE)
NWOBHM legends Raven burst upon the scene with the classic Rock Until You Drop in 1981, and issued a string of quality albums during the ’80s. Screamin’ Down The House: 1985-1988 collects four albums and an EP from that era. The 4CD compilation starts with 1985’s Stay Hard, and also includes 1986’s The Pack Is Back and Mad EP, 1987’s Life’s A Bitch and 1988’s Nothing Exceeds Like Excess.
There’s not much bonus material, but the booklet features a lot of rare images and memorabilia, and there’s also an extensive essay from author and NWOBHM expert John Tucker. The era on this compilation was filled with ups (Life’s A Bitch) and downs (The Pack Is Back), but there’s a lot of interesting material to be found for those wanting to dig deeper into Raven’s discography. It’s also the perfect companion to the Over The Top! compilation released a few years ago that collects their material from 1981 to 1984.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Various Artists – Brown Acid: The Twentieth Trip (RidingEasy)
Coming back for their twentieth installment of their popular Brown Acid compilation series, RidingEasy Records has assembled a collection of psychedelic hard rock tracks from the ’60s and ’70s that have been brought to the modern age.
As with the previous installments, each of the tracks selected feel like a small window into the past. In a Woodstock-era America dominated by acts like Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead, a lot of tracks like Banana Bros’ “Suck You In” and “Jamm Part 1” by Frozen Sun were left in the shadows only to be rediscovered by determined individuals and record labels like RidingEasy. The Brown Acid series as a whole showcases the importance of music preservation and how vital it is to show people where modern day acts get their inspiration. It also shows how far the genre has come since then.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
The Yagas – Midnight Minuet (Self)
The Yagas were formed by a group of parents whose kids attend a music school, along with the guy who runs the school. One of those parents happens to be Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress Vera Farmiga, and the rest of the band are lifelong musicians with decades of experience, including her husband Renn Hawkey (Deadsy).
Midnight Minuet explores a variety of genres and styles. There are nods to the past, contrasted by modern electronic and synth parts. Opener “The Crying Room” is a slow build, going from sultry to an all-out belter with heavy riffs. Many of the songs are in alt-rock territory, such as “Charade.” The catchy “Anhedonia” is in the hard rock vein while gothic pop makes an appearance on songs like “Life Of A Widow.” Farmiga is a potent vocalist, singing with range, power and a variety of emotions. The Yagas’ musical palette is broad, but Midnight Minuet is still a cohesive and engaging work.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
