This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Eximperitus, The Hirsch Effekt, Lone Wanderer, Mol, Profane Elegy, Rave In Fire, Red Sands, Red Vox, Shine, Stabbing, Urne and Wicked Leather.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Eximperitus – Meritoriousness Of Equanimity (Willowtip)
The esoteric technical death metal of Eximperitus gets a melodic makeover on Meritoriousness Of Equanimity. It’s more of a touch-up than a full-blown redesign, as the group cuts down on the daunting song lengths of their previous record, Šahrartu, and tries out new musical approaches. This includes actual singing on “Finding Consistency In The Fourth Quadrant Of Eternity” and atmospheric keyboards sprinkled throughout.
Eximperitus doesn’t skimp on their ruthless side though, evident immediately in opener “One Step Long Infinity.” The guitar solos keep the band away from devolving into noise, with a few great ones on “The Untimely Fruit Of The Unsaid” justifying the song getting close to six minutes. At only 33 minutes, Meritoriousness Of Equanimity is a tightly packed album that adds compelling dynamics to Eximperitus’ complex music.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
The Hirsch Effekt – Der Brauch (Long Branch)
The German prog trio The Hirsh Effekt have established themselves as a band that pushes musical boundaries and explores a wide variety of approaches. That’s again the case on their seventh album Der Brauch, which translates to “The Custom”).
They shift from quiet, acoustic passages to heavy prog and back again. The use of cello adds unique atmospheres. In addition to metal and rock, The Hirsch Effekt drift into styles ranging from post punk to mathcore. There’s vocal variety as well, from mellow crooning to harsh growls. Tracks like “Das Seil” and “Das Nachsehen” twist and turn with a lot of dynamics, unpredictable yet cohesive. That’s what they deliver with every note on Der Brauch: an interesting collection of styles that still are able to remain cohesive.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Lone Wanderer – Exequiae (High Roller)
When you have an album title that’s the Latin for ‘funeral rites’, it’s reasonable not to expect anything chirpy or lighthearted. Sure enough in their third album Exequiae, south German band Lone Wanderer explore one’s inner grief and existential despair. The music is funeral doom with occasional gothic flourishes and although there are only five tracks here, they’re long. Quite long.
Like the rest of the album, closing track “Epistemology of the Passed” is best appreciated with headphones and it contains more melody than immediately obvious. I understand that the music is not meant to be galloping, but at over 24 minutes duration, the aforementioned track feels excessively dragging at times. “Anhedonia” – a hypnotic and cathartic track – has possibly the most solid songwriting of the album. Also notable are album’s low range vocals which are pretty much unintelligible but in a way they fit the music’s dark mystique….sort of you don’t know what the singer is uttering but you do know he sounds somewhat dejected. Exequiae is an intense, emotional and intriguing album.
Rating: 3.5
(Chris Galea)
Møl – Dreamcrush (Nuclear Blast)
The Danish post-black/shoegaze band Møl released their debut EP back in 2014, their first full-length in 2018. Their third full-length is Dreamcrush.
The shift from black metals rasps to melodic singing can be jarring, but Møl make it work on tracks like “Hud” and “A Former Blueprint.” Harsh vocals carry most of the load on songs such as “Young,” but melodies and less intense sections make them more accessible. The lyrics are in both English and Danish. With wide-ranging influences of everyone from Alcest to My Bloody Valentine to Smashing Pumpkins, Møl cast a wide net on Dreamcrush.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Profane Elegy – Herezjarcha (Self)
Between their 2023 release When All Is Nothing and this album Herezjarcha, Profane Elegy have placed their bets on more orchestration and melodic vocals in their black metal. They even throw out a quasi-ballad in “And Then We Are Gone,” though not letting the raspy roars linger on the bench, creating a direct split between differing vocal styles.
For the most part, Profane Elegy eloquently handle any sonic turns. Some of the transitions are not as sharp as they could be, though that’s something that can come with time. The band didn’t want Herezjarcha to be just one thing, as they take from melodic and symphonic subgenres of black metal to avoid blending into the background.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Rave In Fire – Square One (High Roller)
Square One may sound like the title of a debut album, but the Spanish band Rave In Fire have been around for awhile, forming in Madrid in 2015. This is actually their second full-length, the follow-up to 2022’s Square One, and they have downsized from a quintet to a quartet.
Rave In Fire play traditional metal with a classic vibe. Tracks like “Crown Of Stars” and “Untiring Eagles” are catchy and melodic, but still pack a punch. They explore more epic territory with the 7 plus minute title track, injecting some progressive moments. Vocalist Sele, channeling everyone from Doro to Pat Benatar, delivers a wide-ranging performance, singing with emotion, edge and power; whichever style the song demands she’s able to deliver. While not overly original, Square One is well executed traditional metal.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Red Sands – Evocations (Self)
Though Evocations is their debut EP, the origins of Red Sands goes way back to 2012 when brothers Daniel and Eric Novelo started a band with their cousin, Juan Carlos León. From there, it took almost 15 years to reach the point of this release. Though some of these songs were written back then, their gothic/heavy metal is not bound to any specific trends that would ground it to a particular time.
Evocations takes full advantage of vocalist Jonathan Corral’s operatic range, with the advantageous keyboards/piano work giving him the right backing. They bring in a special guest vocalist, Stu Block (ex-Iced Earth, Into Eternity), on “The Hunt” for a stellar collaboration. The band likes the song enough to end the EP with a superficial alternative version of it.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Red Vox – Retcon (Self)
Viny “Vinesause” is primarily known for his video game antics on YouTube and Twitch, but when he is not breaking games, he is the founder and front man for New York psychedelic rockers Red Vox and they have returned with their sixth album Retcon.
“The Time It Slipped Away” is the track that stands out among an already standout album with a simple little mixing trick. It may be small and brief but it makes it pop all the better. With their genre bending blend of grunge, psychedelic and a sprinkle of synth-rock it makes Retcon an interesting listening experience. Red Vox may not be to everyone’s liking, but for fans of the genre or anyone that is seeking something different, this album scratches that itch just fine.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Shine – Wrathcult (Dark Descent)
Shine have a reverence for pre-Christian spirituality and mythology on their debut album, Wrathcult. They take these ideas and dissect them through the malicious gaze of blackened death metal. Any person with a deep knowledge of death metal, especially that which came from Poland in the 1990s, may recognize guitarist Tomasz Dobrzeniecki from his time with the group Hazael.
Over half of the songs are over five minutes each, which works against a few of them extended with meandering outros or spoken word breaks. “The Necklace With Runes” works its six minutes the best by testing out a doomier state. Wrathcult works when it’s to the point, as on “The Cult Of Oak” and “Kneel Before The Serpent.”
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Stabbing – Eon Of Obscenity (Century Media)
Stabbing’s sophomore release Eon Of Obscenity wastes zero time getting heavy as vocalist Bridget Lynch stakes her claim to being one of the most extreme new voices in death metal in quite some time on opener “Rotting Eternal.” The guitars swirl and groove on “Inhuman Torture Chamber” as the vocal violence continues to be relentless, the drums explode especially the toms just like when Sanguisugabogg used to be fun.
The overall crunchiness of the music adds a layer of aggression and weight that sends this album into seismic territory. You even get Ricky Myers of Suffocation lending his vocals to “Nauseating Composition,” creating a full circle moment for Stabbing as Suffocation are one of their main influences. Stabbing do a lot to endear themselves to extreme metal and in particular brutal death metal with righteous riffs, crushing drums and Lynch’s aural assault. The band becomes a potent force for pummeling. If you are down for a fun and short album that leaves you bloodied and wanting more, look no further than Eon Of Obscenity.
Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)
Therion – Con Orquesta (Napalm)
In 2024, Therion teamed up with Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México and played a sold-out show at Mexico City Arena. That show was filmed and recorded, resulting in Con Orquesta, which is available in a variety of formats including CD, LP and Blu-ray.
Classic Therion songs were rearranged and expanded, and new intros and interludes were written. The massive 20 song setlist features tracks from throughout the band’s illustrious career. There are ’90s classics like “To Mega Therion,” ’00’s tracks such as “Asgård,” ’10s songs including “Lemuria” and material from their latest album, 2023’s Leviathan III. Therion fans should enjoy the grandiosity of the performance with the orchestra along with the different approaches to familiar songs. Con Orquesta is a show that deserved to be captured for posterity.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Urne – Setting Fire To The Sky (Spinefarm)
Setting Fire To The Sky, Urne’s third studio album, is the clearest indicator that the UK group are on the precipice of breaking through to a wider audience. Their sludge/groove/thrash metal defies being pigeonholed, as shown by the pairing of the nine-minute behemoth “Harken The Waves” and tender ballad “Breathe.”
They both also feature guest musicians, the former with Mastodon’s Troy Sanders on vocals and the latter featuring cellist Jo Quail. Vocalist/bassist Joe Nally holds his own with Sanders as a formidable vocal duo, and Quail offers Nally the chance to put on a heartbreaking performance. It’s about time Urne gets that big break that’s been building for them for years, and Setting Fire To The Sky could help them do it.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
Wicked Leather – Season Of The Witch (Lost Realm)
Season Of The Witch, the debut album from the Spanish traditional metal band Wicked Leather, is an old school recording that has an odd twist to it. There is an emphasis on the strange aspect of the music and this makes it interesting. There is a twisted view of classic music that is quite noteworthy. Their sound evokes similarities to bands like Manilla Road. There is an element to the music that has a classic feel, but nothing is overly innovative.
In terms of musicianship, Season Of The Witch sounds fairly simplistic, and this makes it quite fun, but not very trailblazing. The guitars are merely adequate and get the job done. There is nothing overly powerful to the instruments. The songs are short and effective, but nothing overly memorable.
Rating: 3
(Adam McAuley)
