This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from 1914, Aerial Ruin, Bell Witch, Chairmaker, The Devil Wears Prada, Fallstaf, Lamp Of Murmuur, Mausoleum Gate, The Mist, Qrixkuor, Putrevore, The Reticent, Tzevaot, Valontuoja and VoidCeremony.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
1914 – Viribus Unitus (Napalm)
After what felt like an eternity, the Ukrainian blackened death/doom band 1914 have returned with their fourth album Viribus Unitus. Latin for “With United Forces,” it’s one historical reference 1914 bring to tell yet another brutal story, this time from the point of view of an Austrian soldier between 1914 and 1919. While the themes of the hellish nature of World War 1 are still prevalent, Viribus Unitus focuses more on the emotional turmoil of those who had survived.
1914’s attention to historical accuracy and authenticity has gotten stronger with their instrumentation and use of recordings from the era and it’s shown in tracks like “1917 (The Isonzo Front).” “1919 (The Home Where I Died)” acts as the album’s somber climax as it tugs with your emotions with its melancholy piano and the haunting voice of Rome’s Jérôme Reuter. War is not pretty, and 1914 have shown us just that once again.
Rating: 4
(Dalton Husher)
Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin – Stygian Bough: Vol II (Profound Lore)
Seattle doomsters Bell Witch and the Portland dark folk act Aerial Ruin teamed up for an album in 2020. The next volume of their collaboration, Stygian Bough: Vol II, features lyrics about different aspects of worship or awe.
Like their first album, the songs are lengthy, with the four tracks lasting between 11 and 19 minutes. That gives them plenty of time to ebb and flow, twist and turn, exploring a variety of styles. “King Of The Wood” brings death/doom influences to the forefront, while “From Dominion Let Them Bleed” is mellow and folky before kicking in later in the song. Stygian Bough: Vol II concludes with “The Told And The Leadened,” as Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin wrap up a long and winding but interesting musical journey.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Chairmaker – Leviathan Carcass (Self)
Chairmaker is the idea of musician Neil Erskine, whose experience in the grindier side of black metal with Chronocide plays well with the supercharged grindcore on hand during Leviathan Carcass. Erskine has no mercy towards anything, whether it’s the ears of a listener or the feelings of the elite and misinformed. There’s barely a pause between the 12 tracks, eventually becoming a breathless sprint.
That sort of pace can get tiring, even with an album that’s under 15 minutes long. Erskine’s vocals are lost in the mix as well, getting overcome by the deafening instruments. A wicked breakdown in “Dead Optimists” is one of the few differing shifts Leviathan Carcass takes. Erskine is seething in disdain, which is reflected in a record with the subtly of being slapped in the head repeatedly.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
The Devil Wears Prada – Flowers (Solid State)
The Devil Wears Prada are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. They’ve had some lineup changes over the years, including the recent exit of bassist Mason Nagy. Their latest album is Flowers.
The band’s blend of intense metal and catchy hooks and choruses is still intact, with the needle moving even more toward the accessible on this album. There is a plethora of potential singles, from “Ritual” to “For You” to “Everybody Knows.” Harsh vocals and breakdowns are still present, providing a good balance on songs like “So Low” and “All Out.” Two decades into a successful and influential career, Flowers finds TDWP still clicking on all cylinders.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Fallstaf – Ode To The Dead (Self)
Fallstaf have coined their sound “brass metal” due to the prominent role the trombone has on Ode To The Dead. It’s peculiar to have an instrument like that in metal, and the group throw it into all kinds of scenarios. Sometimes it’s blaring alongside a thrashy bridge or grooving out on its own as the band scurries along. Its incorporation is more natural here than on their 2011 debut, Bastards Sons Of A Pure Breed.
The long delay between releases came after vocalist Iann had a horrible accident in 2016 that cost him his leg, putting Fallstaf on hiatus until they reformed a few years ago. That accident, along with other personal tragedies, are covered on Ode To The Dead. When one hears a trombone used in a genre like ska, it’s usually upbeat and jovial. For this release, it puts a somber spin on traumatic experiences.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Lamp Of Murmuur– The Dreaming Prince In Ecstasy (Wolves Of Hades)
Lamp Of Murmuur’s fourth full-length is The Dreaming Prince In Ecstasy, a firmly black metal album that isn’t afraid to experiment. The album’s intro “Forest of Hallucinations” creates vast sounds evocative of the feeling of being lost in the aforementioned woods, not afraid to make things eerie as you gallop along to the beat. “Hategate (The Dream-Master’s Realm)” weaves the listener in and out of consciousness to maximum effect, then it introduces additional instrumental flair properly layer the sounds from the earthen to the ethereal.
The album ends with the title track being split among a trilogy totaling over 20 minutes of this opus, which itself is just shy of an hour; the longest Lamp Of Murmuur have released to date. The first has a vaguely post-punk riff running throughout, making for a haunting experience, with the second part acting as a transition and the third aiding in bringing this trio to a close. However, much like the album itself, it’s a little overly long and self-indulgent to enjoy on repeat listens. The Dreaming Prince In Ecstasy is a very varied album that probably could have shed a few pounds before becoming the final product.
Rating: 3.5
(Tom Campagna)
Mausoleum Gate – Space, Rituals And Magick (Cruz Del Sur)
It has been eight years since the last Mausoleum Gate album, and since then the Finnish band has had several lineup changes, including new vocalist Jarno Saarinen. Space, Rituals And Magick is their third album.
Their traditional metal is injected with psychedelic and occult influences, with keyboards giving it a ’70s prog vibe. You can also hear NWOBHM in their sound, especially on the title track. The vocals are Ozzy-esque, and the occult influences are evident with song titles like “Lucifer Shrine” and “Witches Circle.” Space, Rituals And Magick is certainly derivative, but Mausoleum Gate mix and match their various influences into an enjoyable listen.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
The Mist – The Dark Side Of The Soul (An Anatomy Of The Soul) (Alma Mater)
Brazilian thrash has always been a wild experience, and The Mist aim to keep that legacy alive with their latest release, The Dark Side Of The Soul (An Anatomy of the Soul). The title itself is quite the mouthful, but undeniably cool. This marks the band’s first full-length album since 1995’s Gottverlassen (they also released the EP The Circle Of The Crow in 2022). There’s no mistaking the classic thrash energy here. If you’ve been craving a sound that recalls the subgenre’s glory days, look no further. Despite being on hiatus for nearly three decades, The Mist sound revitalized.
Even with lineup changes and personal losses over the years, their vision remains surprisingly intact. Lyrically and thematically, this album is a traditional metal take on life and death, similar in depth and tone to vintage Megadeth. That’s not a bad thing either. Rather, it’s a statement of intent. The Dark Side Of The Soul (An Anatomy of the Soul) isn’t trying to be modern prog metal or deliver another dose of overthought existentialism (as we’ve all probably heard about ten thousand times by now). This is thrash through and through, and attitude sits squarely at its core. The Mist have delivered that here in spades.
Rating: 3.5
(Keith Ham)
Qrixkuor – The Womb Of The World (Dark Descent)
The UK death metal duo Qrixkuor emerged with their full-length debut Poison Palinopsia in 2021, which was very well received. They have taken a big step forward with their new record The Womb Of The World. Qrixkuor have augmented their death metal with symphonic elements and black metal moments.
That adds even more depth and diversity to their songwriting. The four tracks clock in at 50 minutes, traversing an impressive array of tempos, intensities and atmospheres. Writing such long songs (ranging from 8 to 17 minutes) can lead to monotony, but Qrixkuor avoid that pitfall. A guest appearance from Adorior’s Jaded Lungs is icing on the cake on “And You Shall Know Perdition As Your Shrine.” The Womb Of The World is engaging from start to finish.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Putrevore – Unending Rotting Cycle (Xtreem)
International death metal act Putrevore, consisting of Rogga Johansson — the man of a thousand bands — and Dave Rotten (Avulsed, Christ Denied, etc.), return with their fifth studio album. Over the years, the band’s unwavering dedication to keeping old-school death metal alive has earned them consistent praise, and Unending Rotting Cycle stands as yet another manifestation of their devotion to gore-soaked, horror-fueled brutality.
While Unending Rotting Cycle could easily be dismissed by some as “just another old-school death metal record” — and in many respects, it is — that’s precisely what makes it so effective. The album’s fusion of classic death metal ferocity with doom-laden passages creates a resonant and atmospheric soundscape that speaks directly to the hunger of true death metal devotees. A demand from faithful fans of the extreme metal scene that Putrevore have managed to process and present with the utmost eloquence and destruction to this day.
Rating: 3.5
(Arash Khosronejad)
The Reticent – Please (Generation Prog)
Please, the latest release from the North Carolina prog band The Reticent is a very crazy-sounding album that brings up issues of fear and paranoia in a strange fashion. The feeling of the album is very odd and for a prog album somewhat different and unusual. The emotional aspects of the songs are worried and very obtuse. The Reticent leave a twisted, thoughtful frame in your mind and an urgency that makes things interesting. There is a twisted and demented feeling to the album that makes it groovy.
The musicianship is solid with a very hopeless feeling taking center stage and inflecting on all of the instruments. This makes the album somewhat depressive, though it is still very complex and progressive. The strangeness will appeal to some, but others may find it quite forgettable. Still, with enough interesting moments, this is a fairly solid album.
Rating: 3.5
(Adam McAuley)
Tzevaot – The Hermetic Way (I, Voidhanger)
Tzevaot’s debut album The Hermetic Way is outlandish avant-garde music that pairs low-fi raw black metal with lofty orchestration. Astute listeners will know that combination is also something a band like Sigh excels at, and The Hermetic Way could’ve been inspired by Sigh’s early records like Scorn Defeat and Infidel Art. There are plenty of times where the keyboards are the most essential instrument, as piano, synths and organ are all used.
The Orator is the solo member of Tzevaot, his anonymity adding intrigue to the occultist perspectives. Their view on the occult isn’t just surface level. The Orator is a fan of author/musician Lon Milo DuQuette; he provides narration to “Solve Et Coagula” and The Orator puts his own spin on one of DuQuette’s folk tunes with “The Hero Of Megiddo.” The Hermetic Way has many showstopping tunes, as if it’s a Broadway play with all the actors in corpse paint.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
Valontuoja – Tulesta Syntynyt (Inverse)
Musician Jal’zoroth has had a busy few years with his various projects, including Valontuoja, releasing material at a rapid pace. Tulesta Syntynyt comes barely a year after the band’s debut album, Luonnon Armoilla. That rapid-fire turnaround doesn’t shift around their black metal much, keeping the riffs in a constant state of peril as they zoom by with no exit ramp.
Besides being 10 minutes longer than Luonnon Armoilla, what Valontuojia does with Tulesta Syntynyt is let melody be more present. Whether that’s with the acoustics in “Korvessa On Kotini” or the harmonious guitar leads in “Kun Kaikki Muu Vaikenee,” these divergences make the songs much stronger.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Various Artists – No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All (Silver Lining)
Before they were the world’s biggest metal act, Metallica were four brash, hungry youths making a sizeable racket. Featuring a range of acts, the No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute To Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All album celebrates that era and the thrashers’ highly influential 1983 full-length debut. Metallica’s significant debt to the NWOBHM has always been acknowledged by its members. So, it’s fitting that several major players from that scene are featured, including Diamond Head, Tygers of Pan Tang and Saxon all lovingly showing their respects.
Meanwhile, new generation classic metal revivalists Tailgunner knock out a faithful, energetic version of “Hit The Lights.” In many ways, Motörhead laid the foundations for thrash, so are well-suited to tackle “Whiplash.” A couple of Metallica’s peers – ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson and Testament – also get in on the act, paying homage with style and class. Meanwhile, The Almighty bring a fresh enthusiasm to “The Four Horsemen,” Ricky Warwick singing with gusto. They may not have been intended for stadiums, but 40-plus years later these songs still rule enormodomes throughout the world. Hardly essential, but it’s a tribute created in the right spirit.
Rating: 3.5
(Brendan Crabb)
VoidCeremony – Abditum (20 Buck Spin)
SoCal death metal crew VoidCeremony‘s Abtidum is their latest in a line of progressive death metal that seeks more to make an impression rather than be overly long. As a fan of the genre, that alone is a refreshing feeling, with this entry fitting snugly within a half an hour. The album’s first track “Veracious Duality” is full of twists and turns, indicative of their sound, which is less about Death’s contribution. Instead, Gorguts as the jazz influence begins to rear its ugly head.
“Seventh Ephemeral Aura” swirls into a maelstrom and exits it a new being chock full of variety and musicality, whether that be the density of the bass lines or the excellent lead work, VoidCeremony can certainly play. Abtidum is a solid progressive death metal album and a welcome addition to their lexicon.
Rating: 3.5
(Tom Campagna)
