This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Consumption, Grief Ritual, The Hellacopters, Kilmara, Lunar, Maceration, Mad Parish, Mountain Throne, The Night Flight Orchestra, Pentagram, Relics Of Humanity, Selvans and Worlds Beyond.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Consumption – Catharsis (Dusktone)
Catharsis, the third album from the Swedish band Consumption, is a raucous and addictive death metal platter that has strong throwback to the classics. There is a crunchy core to these songs that is catchy. The tunes are full of hatred and have a very evil vibe to them. The Entombed feeling to the songs permeate them and makes for a rollicking type of affair. There isn’t much variety to be found here, however.
It has a generic Six Feet Under feeling to it that makes it somewhat underwhelming. The musical performances are fairly solid, though not particularly interesting. Drums also lay somewhat hollow in the background. The entire affair is somewhat standard sounding and doesn’t really overly excite, but should satisfy most death metal fans with it’s mix of aggression and memorability.
Rating: 3
(Adam McAuley)
Grief Ritual – Collapse (Church Road)
Hailing from Birmingham, England, Grief Ritual first stepped forward in 2022 with the Spiritual Disease EP, delivering an admirable fusion of hardcore, sludgy post-metal and black metal. This fusion instilled a ferocious spirit in the audience. Now, three years later, with their first full-length studio album Collapse, they are not just sending a more ferocious spirit and more potent messages, but also showcasing significant growth in their musical journey.
Collapse is not just furious; it’s audacious. The post-metal-fused blackened metallic hardcore has taken on a bolder and more fundamental meaning than Spiritual Disease. The breakdowns are more destructive and deadlier, and the lyrics carry more intense political and social issues, turning the entire album into a huge protest loudspeaker. Collapse gains credibility and dignity from the skillful fusion of metallic hardcore, post-metal, and black metal and the roar of riffs and breakdowns that successively inflict fatal blows on its audience’s body.
Rating: 3.5
(Arash Khosronejad)
The Hellacopters – Overdriver (Nuclear Blast)
Swedish hard rockers The Hellacopters made a triumphant return in 2022 with Eyes Of Oblivion, their first new album since 2008. It went to number one in their native country and charted elsewhere in Europe. They keep the momentum going with Overdriver, their ninth full-length.
It’s a streamlined album with minimal filler and maximum hooks. The songs are accessible and catchy with singalong choruses. Pretty much any track on the album could be a single, but some of the standouts are the melodic “Don’t Let Me Bring You Down,” the raucous “Wrong Face On” and the moderately paced “Coming Down.” Frontman Nicke Andersson, in addition to delivering his usual charismatic performance, also handles production duties. There aren’t a lot of surprises with Overdriver, but The Hellacopters are on point once again.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Kilmara – Journey To The Sun (RPM-ROAR)
After a six-plus year span between albums, the Spanish power metal troupe Kilmara unveil their fifth album Journey To The Sun.
The album embraces the classic age of power metal, even utilizing retro sounding synths in places. They combine that with modern elements and production to avoid sounding dated. There are some memorable songs like the soaring “Alliance Of The Free” and the prog-tinged “Liberticide,” but others aren’t quite as compelling. Daniel Heiman (ex-Lost Horizon, Warrior Path) guests on the majestic “Take Me Back.” While inconsistent in places, power metal lovers will find plenty to enjoy with Journey To The Sun.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Lunar – Tempora Mutantur (Saibot Reigns)
As Lunar get further into their career, they are becoming more agitated, as evident by how assertive the music is on their fourth album, Tempora Mutantur. Their use of two vocalists, one for the melodic content and the other for the growls, is more defined on this record, as they have more of an even partnership than before when the harsh vocals were less prevalent. Their progressive metal inches closer to death metal on “Fall Back Into Old Habits” and the second part of the title track, “Broken Pendulum.”
That part is one of three songs the title track encompasses, a 12-minute album closing opus that has everything from a harmonica solo to shimmering synths. Though originally conceived as an EP revolving around the four seasons, Tempora Mutantur was expanded with a vaster vision. It happens that this vision has the group at their heaviest, a spot from which they show great confidence.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
Maceration – Serpent Devourment (Emanzipation)
After a 30-year span between their debut album and 2022’s It Never Ends…, the Danish death metal group Maceration‘s comeback was successful, and they didn’t waste any time writing and recording their third album Serpent Devourment.
For this album vocalist Dan Swano (Edge Of Sanity, Bloodbath) was replaced by Jan Bergmann Jepsen (who appeared on some of It Never Ends… tracks and has been the band’s live vocalist), with Swano still overseeing the production. Serpent Devourment is meat and potatoes death metal, solid and satisfying with changes in tempo and intensity to keep things interesting. Jepsen does an excellent job on vocals, and the songwriting, musicianship and production are all razor sharp.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Mad Parish – The Dust Of Forever (Self)
For their first album in a decade, Mad Parish commit to a concept album spanning the universe with The Dust Of Forever. This includes a world-building comic book sold separately to accompany this 70-minute behemoth. There’s lots of interludes, skipping between genres and an obvious devotion to the intergalactic story at hand. In a streaming age, this album is almost out of place, as it should be discovered by flipping through vinyl at a local record store.
Without the full context of the story, The Dust Of Forever buckles under its own ambition. Three tracks labeled as transmissions sound like they were recorded off an AM radio, which is at least one too many, and various short instrumental interludes halt the album’s pace. There was care and passion put into the band’s second album, though it’s relegated to being more of a curiosity than a recommendation.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Mountain Throne – The Silver Light (Cold Knife)
Coming back twelve years after their debut album Stormcoven and four years after their compilation album Ancient Anthems, German doom metal bringers Mountain Throne have returned with their second full length album The Silver Light.
This album stands on par with Stormcoven in terms of quality. The major difference that comes to light is that this album feels richer in tone and showcases the evolution that the band has undertaken over time. “The Silver Light” feels like a nice instrumental respite in the middle of the album before it picks back up with the high octane energy of the title track.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
The Night Flight Orchestra – Give Us The Moon (Napalm)
Featuring members of Soilwork and Arch Enemy, Sweden’s The Night Flight Orchestra have always had grander ambitions than merely playing gigs at their local pub. Give Us The Moon marks a new label, and their first release since guitarist David Andersson’s death. But their AOR modus operandi remains much the same, albeit with a more cinematic feel thanks to soundscapes and globe-trotting spoken word interludes.
There exists an alternate universe, whereby The Night Flight Orchestra rule the radio and make bucketloads of cash soundtracking retro smash Stranger Things. There’s loving nudge-and-winks to the era’s tropes, but this a celebration, not mockery. It’s an approach punctuated by ‘80s-style keys and female backing singers, and vocalist Björn “Speed” Strid reveling in the melodic, party-starting choruses of “Stratus,” “Shooting Velvet” and Blondie-inflected “Way To Spend The Night.” It’s largely a well-honed formula by now, and a couple of less memorable tracks could’ve been easily culled. But the danceable “Like The Beating Of A Heart” and ballad “Paloma” are among the standouts. The group has released stronger albums in the past, but have nonetheless thrived after losing a key member.
Rating: 3.5
(Brendan Crabb)
Pentagram – Lightning In A Bottle (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Metal lifers Pentagram return for their first album in 10 years with Lightning In A Bottle, featuring a completely different lineup backing the legendary Bobby Liebling; namely Scooter Haslip and Tony Reed of Mos Generator and current Saint Vitus drummer Henry Vasquez. Pentagram have taken on a bit more of a stonery vibe this time around with tracks like “Dull Pain” and “Lady Heroin” which makes sense considering the construction of the band. “In the Panic Room” has Liebling sounding bluesy and chaotic as he moves in and out of the music, from the forefront to the background and everywhere in between.
With Pentagram being synonymous with American metal for so long it’s pretty incredible that the band has been making music since the 1970s and still putting out quality music. This is an album for the longtime fans who want to see what Liebling and company can do all these years later; this iteration is 100 percent his show right now. Lightning In A Bottle sounds fresh and just heavy enough to remind fans about what Pentagram has done so well for so long.
Rating: 3.5
(Tom Campagna)
Relics Of Humanity – Absolute Dismal Domain (Willowtip)
Over a decade after their last album, brutal death metal outfit Relics Of Humanity have come back to snuff out the light from the world with Absolute Dismal Domain. Their intent is to eliminate any trace of tangible illumination, both physically and spiritually, and only lecherous grooves can achieve this. As has been the case for their whole career, a new lineup is introduced, though their sound remains steady and kept together by guitarist and founding member Sergey Liakh.
Absolute Dismal Domain doubles down on the measured havoc of 2014’s Ominously Reigning Upon The Intangible, finding a good mix of riffs that both paralyze and slam hard. The group only takes 32 minutes to collapse into darkness. Don’t be deceived by its tight timing, as there’s a lot of savageness to get through before the end comes.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Selvans – Saturnalia (Avantgarde)
Saturnalia is the final album from Selvans, who previously released two full-lengths and two EPs. It’s an ambitious project, utilizing an orchestra and choir with 60 members.
The lyrics, which are all in Italian, are inspired by Italian folk horror stories and imagery. The album’s symphonic sounds blend with traditional metal, black metal and prog rock for an eclectic sound. Opener “Necromilieu” is grandiose and heavy while “Madre dei Tormenti” is dynamic, dramatic and cinematic. Saturnalia takes big swings, and while Selvans sometimes goes over the top, it’s always enjoyable and compelling and a great way to bid arrivederci.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Worlds Beyond – Rhapsody Of Life (Self)
Five years after their debut album, the Belgian symphonic metal outfit Worlds Beyond have completed their sophomore effort Rhapsody Of Life. It’s a concept record celebrating human existence, culminating in the title track inspired by Shakespeare’s poem “All The World’s A Stage.”
The songs are cinematic, with vocalist Valerie De Kempe utilizing a classical style much of the time with some modern touches. There’s a lot of variety, from subdued ballads such as “Sleepless Dreams” to uptempo numbers like opener “Familiar Skies.” There are also a lot of dynamics within songs, shifting from mellow to bombastic and back again. Not only are the songs on Rhapsody Of Life meticulously crafted and arranged, they are engaging throughout.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
