Heavy Music HQ Reviews: Week of August 9, 2024

This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from And So I Watch You From Afar, The Aphelion, CrusHuman, Dark Funeral, Fulci, HammerFall, In Aphelion, Keel, Kurokuma, Mamaleek, Mushroomhead and Oxygen Destroyer.

The ratings are on a 5 star scale.

And So I Watch You From Afar – Megafauna (Velocity)

After the success of their 2022 album Jettison, Belfast post-rockers And So I Watch You From Afar follow it up with their seventh studio album Megafauna. When compared to their last album, Megafauna acts as more of a sentimental tribute to their homeland of Northern Ireland all while pushing their creativity to new heights.

“Gallery of Honour” manages to make a unique instrumentation while having a well-paced back and forth tempo flow. “Me and Dunbar” does a particularly nice job at bringing the album to a nice subtle close without it feeling awkward. With twenty years as a band under their belt, And So I Watch You From Afar have managed to consistently put out music that stretches their own creative limits and Megafauna is just another notch in their belt.

Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)

The Aphelion – Nascence (Self)

The Aphelion have dived all the way into the excesses of progressive metal on their second album, Nascence. Instead of synthetic orchestration, they bring in musicians to play the parts. The keyboards have a full range of sounds, from organs to grand piano. Vocalist/bassist Evan Haydon-Selkirk really goes for it with his voice, hitting notes that he never attempted on their debut album.

Nascence has a clear dividing line between its eight songs, with the first four having all the authentic symphonic instrumentation and prog-ish complexity. The latter tunes have a darker perspective, matching up to their themes of paranoia and uncertainty at what is real and isn’t. “The Interloper” is a firm striker with its unapologetic snappy pace, standing out as the back half of the album stays with a brooding stature that wears itself out.

Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)

CrusHuman – CrusHuman (Horror Pain Gore Death)

CrusHuman’s self-titled debut album is a drawn-out affair that does capture the fraught synergy of death metal, grindcore and hardcore. Seventeen tracks spread over 50 minutes is too much for the band to maintain, as there’s at least three songs in the back half over 5 minutes long that would count as an effective closer on their own.

They do keep the record moving once a listener gets past the skippable spoken word opener “The Prophet.” “Galvanized” and “Syko” are springy with their tempos, acting as a counterweight to the pulverizing pace of “Champions Of Ruin,” “Crossed Out” and “A Schizophrenics Nightmare.” CrushHuman does well with whatever style of metal they choose to use, though a few tunes being snipped off would’ve made a big difference.

Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)

Dark Funeral – Dark Funeral 30th Anniversary Edition (Century Media)

After forming the previous year, the Swedish black metal band Dark Funeral‘s first release was a self-titled EP. 30 years later, and with guitarist Lord Ahriman the lone remaining original member, they are revisiting that album. The 30th anniversary edition includes a remixed and remastered version of the original EP.

The current lineup of Dark Funeral also has re-recorded the EP’s four tracks. Their musicianship is better than it was three decades ago, but there is no way to recapture that moment in time that was fueled by the energy and passion of youth. However, Heljarmadr’s vocals are really potent, keeping the edge of the original versions. Dark Funeral is a release worth commemorating, something longtime fans of the band will appreciate, and a vital release for those exploring the genre’s history.

Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)

Fulci – Duck Face Killings (20 Buck Spin)

Italian murder metallers Fulci return with Duck Face Killings, their fourth proper album and first new one since 2021’s Exhumed Information. Taking inspiration from Italian horror movie director Lucio Fulci, the band pulls no punches with their tendencies to plumb the same depths as the famed filmmaker. Duck Face Killings pays homage specifically to The New York Ripper.

The album is most certainly a death metal album but features enough spoken word sections and interludes that you feel as though you are in the film itself. Opening track “Vile Butchery” is as much a death metal track as it is the opening credits to this film. “Morbid Lust” keeps the band’s trajectory heavy without compromising on the song structures which violent slash at your eardrums without much regard to your wellbeing. “Knife” is an interesting piece as it features a rap by Lord Goat of Brooklyn hip hop collective Non Phixon adding a city element to a movie that is New York City centric. If you like death metal and horror, Duck Face Killings is for you.

Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)

HammerFall – Avenge The Fallen (Nuclear Blast)

Thirty years in, HammerFall unleash Avenge The Fallen, their 13th slab of speedy yet melodic power metal. Less symphonic than their peers, HammerFall rely on a lean quintet of dueling guitars, bass, drums, and the clear-as-a-bell tenor of Joacim Cans. Those looking for gritty, growly screaming best look elsewhere, as Cans’ dulcet tones soar over the majestic riffs and thunderous rhythm section, more Helloween than Amon Amarth.

The one-two punch of the title track and “The End Justifies” set the stage for what’s to come. “Avenge The Fallen” features a slower-paced, pounding riff while track two kicks things into overdrive at a neck-wrecking pace (with the band admirably and hilariously name-checking itself in the lyrics). Elsewhere, inspirational power ballad “Hope Springs Eternal” and “Rise of Evil,” strongly reminiscent of recent Judas Priest, provide adequate motivation to raise your battle axe to the glory of metal.

Rating: 3.5
(Gino Sigismondi)

In Aphelion – Reaperdawn (Century Media)

During the pandemic, Necrophobic guitarist Sebastian Ramstedt formed the black metal band In Aphelion. Their debut was released in 2022, and the follow-up Reaperdawn features three members of Necrophobic along with drummer Marco Prij (Cryptosis).

In Aphelion have expanded their musical horizons on this album. The arrangements are more complex without losing the black metal bite. Tracks like “When All Stellar Light” are dynamic with catchy riffs. There are traditional metal influences on that song and others on the album, such as “They Fell Under Blackened Skies.” Ramstedt also handles vocals and does an excellent job. Prog and death flourishes make Reaperdawn even more eclectic, but even with the varied styles and influences In Aphelion tie everything together in a cohesive fashion.

Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)

Keel – Keelworld (RFK)

Kudos to Ron Keel for coming up with an interesting concept: take a nostalgic trip back through several of his past musical projects, but record brand new songs instead of just updated versions of old material. The resulting Keelworld, however, creates a slightly schizophrenic listening experience, with only a handful of true hard rockers sandwiched between bland AOR and modern country.

As expected, the rock comes courtesy of “Moving Target,” attributed to the reconstituted Keel (featuring original guitarist Marc Ferrari) and “Give Me Guitars (Or Give Me Death).” The latter, credited to Steeler (is it really, though, without Yngwie?) features an appropriately neo-classical shred solo but silly lyrics that just name-check classic rock tunes. Besides a serviceable cover of Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave,” the rest just reveals Keel as another ‘80s rocker who traded in their spandex for cowboy boots.

Rating: 2
(Gino Sigismondi)

Kurokuma – Of Amber And Sand (Self)

The UK sludge/doom band Kurokuma have been around for a decade and issued several EPs and splits, but it took them a while to release their full-length debut, which saw the light of day in 2022. Of Amber And Sand is their second full-length.

The riffs fly fast and furious on this one, right from the opener “I Am Forever.” Tempos shift from brisk sludge to more moderately paced doom. There are catchy moments on songs like “Fenjaan,” while groove is a driving force on numbers such as “Crux Ansata.” There are only five proper songs on the album, with atmospheric interludes between every song that don’t do much except pad the running time. Of Amber And Sand has a lot of very engaging moments, with a few forays that don’t resonate as much.

Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)

Mamaleek – Vida Blue (The Flenser)

Experimental black metal band Mamaleek are inspired to soldier on with the concept of loss being a key tenet to Vida Blue. It’s named after the late pitcher of the Oakland Athletics whose team is expected to leave its city much like founding keyboardist Eric Livingston left this mortal coil, with both Blue and Livingston passing away in 2023.

This can all be felt on opener “Tegucigalpa” with the somber tones provided by the growled vocals and the flutes making for a dark dichotomy. “Vileness Slim” provides a wonderful section of horns, flutes, delightfully subtle drumming and wonderfully slow and fat bass which act as the bedrock for the song while the vocals tug at your heartstrings. Mamaleek are able to convey many different emotions using a smorgasbord of different instrumentation to belie the bereavement contained within the 9 songs provided. It’s a tough listen but ultimately rewarding, masterfully crafted and a testament to a fallen friend, to quote the band, “Vida Blue is a person, moment and memory.”

Rating: 4.5
(Tom Campagna)

Mushroomhead – Call The Devil (Napalm)

You need a scorecard to keep track of all of Mushroomhead‘s members. The Ohio alt metal mavens feature a trio of vocalists, guitarists and drummers/percussionists. Their ninth album is Call The Devil.

There’s never a dull moment on the album, as Mushroomhead shift smoothly from electronica to hard rock to heavy industrial. Tracks like “Fall In Line” and “We Don’t Care” feature both male and female vocals along with alternating brutality and melody. The songs are fairly streamlined, save for the 8 minute “Shame In A Basket,” a slow builder with a mellow beginning and end. Mushroomhead-heads will find plenty to strike their fancy on Call The Devil.

Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)

Oxygen Destroyer – Guardian Of The Universe (Redefining Darkness)

Kaiju-loving kings Oxygen Destroyer bring the monster-laden chaos you have come to expect on Guardian Of The Universe, their third full-length. Guitars create a swirling storm on “Guardian Of The Universe (The Final Hope)” complete with Godzilla’s screeches which are finally joined by vocalist Lord Kaiju. The band employs a variety of extreme metal structures with black, death and thrash all thrown together in equal quantities, to build the perfect weapon to fell a monster of any size.

“Thy Name Is Legion” does a nice job of varying the pace with slowed sections that allow the guitar pyrotechnics to hit even harder upon the reintroduction. Oxygen Destroyer do a great job of keeping something so frenetic and high octane from getting too far ahead of itself, allowing for maximum effectiveness without the band sacrificing their schtick. Guardian Of The Universe is pure adrenaline in Tokyo destroying form.

Rating: 3.5
(Tom Campagna)