This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Astral Doors, Carnosus, Ensiferum, Frozen Crown, Funeral, Ghostheart Nebula, Grand Magus, Immortal Bird, Jerry Cantrell, Mother Of Graves, Never Obey Again, Obnoxious Youth, Sun And Sail Club and Swallow The Sun.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Astral Doors – The End Of It All (Metalville)
The veteran Swedish heavy/power metal band Astral Doors had never gone more than three years between albums. After 2019’s Worship Or Die, they took about 5 and a half years for their tenth record, The End Of It All.
Bombastic and melodic power metal songs drive the album. There are plenty of driving, uptempo tracks like opener “Temple Of Lies” and “Masters Of The Sky” along with more moderately paced songs such as “Father Evil” and “Vikings Rise.” Frontman Nils Patrik Johansson’s distinctive vocals are powerful and emotional throughout. The End Of It All is another rock-solid release from Astral Doors, and if the album title turns out to be true, it’s a worthy finale.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Carnosus – Wormtales (Willowtip)
Carnosus have put spirited technical musicianship as a priority for their melodic death metal on their third album, Wormtales. It’s not hard to find a great solo on these ten tracks, such as the back-and-forth between the guitars and the bass near the end to “Wound Of Wisdom.” There’s also some unexpected treats, like the mellow outro to the otherwise assertive “Within Throat, Within Heart” and the muted intro to closer “Solace In Soil.”
These were not common on their last album, Visions Of Infinihility, so hearing the group try out new approaches to their music is welcoming. One thing that hasn’t changed is the pugnacious range of vocalist Jonatan Karasiak, an underappreciated voice in contemporary metal. Carnosus have been dealing out quality music for the last few years, so being with Willowtip Records will hopefully give them much-deserved publicity.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Ensiferum – Winter Storm (Metal Blade)
Ensiferum are already a classic band within the power, melodic death and folk metal genres, so Winter Storm needs no introduction. It’s an album that delivers exactly what it promises: fun, epic, and almost cheerful metal that’s easy to digest, even if melodramatic at times.
Expect the usual themes of battles and the forces of nature; that hasn’t changed, and it likely won’t anytime soon. Winter Storm is enjoyable for those seeking something familiar within the genre. However, don’t expect too many surprises. The band excels at what they do, and they don’t deviate much from their established formula here. Even the tracks that aim for a more progressive vibe eventually settle into a comfort zone that many will appreciate, though some may question the lack of variation.
Rating: 3
(Carlos Tirado)
Frozen Crown – War Hearts (Napalm)
The Italian power metal band Frozen Crown have undergone some changes since last year’s Call Of The North. They signed to a new record label and have expanded to a six-piece with the addition of 18-year-old guitarist Alessia Lanzone.
They make the most of the triple guitar attack, with the shredding commencing from the opening title track. Frozen Crown’s brand of power metal is on the extreme side, inspired by groups like DragonForce. The tempos are generally fast, with tracks like “To Live To Die” and “Night Of The Wolf” blazing along at maximum speed. The potent guitars don’t overshadow vocalist Jade Etro, who displays power and range. Guitarist Federico Mondelli adds vocals on songs like “I Am The Wind,” providing additional variety. With each album Frozen Heart build momentum, with War Hearts continuing their quest to ascend to power metal’s upper echelon.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Funeral – Gospel Of Bones (Season Of Mist)
For more than thirty years, the Norwegian band Funeral have been delivering doom and gloom, with their sound shifting from doom/death to more of a gothic doom approach. They have a new vocalist for their latest album Gospel Of Bones. Baritone Eirik Krokfjord is an opera singer, adding a dramatic flair to the band’s sound.
The songs are lengthy, with most in the 7 to 10 minute range. They unfold slowly, with symphonic atmosphere and deliberate tempos. The prominent use of the traditional Norwegian instrument the Harding fiddle adds some folk flavor to this record. Soprano vocals contrast Krokfjord’s booming baritone on songs like “Too Young To Die,” with Beyond Dawn’s Espen Ingierd guesting on a couple of songs to add even more diversity to the compositions. The vocals give Funeral a unique sound, and though that might be polarizing, Gospel Of Bones is certainly engaging.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Ghostheart Nebula – Blackshift (Meuse)
Coming back three years after the release of Ascension, Italian cosmic doom bringers Ghostheart Nebula have gifted us their third album Blackshift, a magical and thought provoking adventure from start to end.
With the combined vocal prowess of Maurizio Caverzan and Lucia Emmanueli, they give the album an ethereal feel while being backed with brutal instrumentation like in “The Opal Tide.” “Naught I” would have to be the only track in the genre that fits in a quote from astronomer Carl Sagan and makes it feel like it belongs. Blackshift is hard to describe with words; one needs to listen to it in its entirety to get the true feeling of this album.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Grand Magus – Sunraven (Nuclear Blast)
“Over the course of 25 years, the Swedish trio Grand Magus have established themselves as stoic standard bearers for heavy metal in its purest, most triumphant form.” Grand Magus unleash another metallic barrage on Sunraven. There’s a depth and gravitas to the group’s approach. It’s a fine line to craft an unapologetically heavy metal record without constantly veering into unadulterated cheese, especially when it’s inspired by the old English epic poem of Beowulf. But they largely manage it.
These songs don’t outstay their welcome either; only two of the nine tracks exceed five minutes. Turbo-tonsilled frontman Janne ‘JB’ Christoffersson leads the charge, as the group peels off memorable choruses and hook-laden riffs that their heroes Judas Priest would approve of. “The Wheel Of Pain” boasts classic Magus-style riffage, the title track and AC/DC-infused “Winter Storms” are earworms, and Sabbath-influenced “The Black Lake” is a mini-epic bristling with passion. Grand Magus aren’t reinventing their established sound at all. But these are anthems custom-built for European summer festivals, as battle jacket-sporting, beer-swilling punters pump their fists in agreement.
Rating: 4
(Brendan Crabb)
Immortal Bird – Sin Querencia (20 Buck Spin)
Fans of Immortal Bird may be unprepared for the way they open their third full-length release, Sin Querencia. “Bioluminescent Toxins” is not only the longest song at close to six minutes, but also puts a twist on their intimidating death metal by bringing in synths and wistful singing. It’s one of the best songs they’ve ever written and a heck of a way to start the album.
The rest of the album resorts back to their inferno of death metal, black metal and hardcore. “Propagandized” and “Ocean Endless” even have punkish tendencies that the band are comfortable with. Sin Querencia is best experienced with a good pair of headphones, as its sonic nuances can be lost when blasted from speakers or counterbalanced by outside noise.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
Jerry Cantrell – I Want Blood (Double J)
I’ve long been a big supporter of the post-Layne Staley Alice In Chains records. Those releases revealed just how much of the band’s sound resulted from Jerry Cantrell’s singular talent – the massive guitar riffs, eerie vocal harmonies, and sludge-y tempos remained their stock-in-trade, and continue at the forefront on I Want Blood, his third solo effort.
For better or for worse, that also means it bears more than a passing resemblance to those last few AiC records. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing! Especially for Alice fans who refused to give them a chance without Mr. Staley, the 6/4 time signature and soaring harmonies of “Vilified” or the acoustic dirge of “Echoes of Laughter” absolutely gives them plenty of grunge goodness to chew on. Tribal drumming on the title track by Faith No More’s Mike Bordin and bass cameos by Duff McKagan and Robert Trujilo help provide some fresh textures.
Rating: 4
(Gino Sigismondi)
Mother Of Graves – The Periapt Of Absence (Profound Lore)
Midwestern melancholy meddlers Mother Of Graves return with their sophomore effort The Periapt Of Absence as they continue to make their mark on doom metal in short order. Mother Of Graves play a particular type of melodic doom that borders on territory that older Katatonia and Paradise Lost did but in their own unique way. Take opener “Gallows,” which displays wonderfully and slowly played doom complete with growled vocals that really sell the feelings of death and dread.
The transition to “Shatter The Visage” showcases more guitar flair with an exceptionally pretty midsection of riffs that help combine the various death and melodic doom sounds to make the complete package that Mother Of Graves are. If you like variety in your doom metal and don’t mind shedding a tear along the way, look no further than one of the year’s best doom metal albums and one of the metal’s very best too. The Periapt Of Absence is the sound of Mother Of Graves continuing to hone their craft.
Rating: 4.5
(Tom Campagna)
Never Obey Again – Trust (Scarlet)
Though only a year separates Never Obey Again’s second album Trust from their The End Of An Era debut, there’s much growth made between the two releases. There’s a pointed edge to the music on Trust, a big part from vocalist Carolina Bertelegni utilizing screams regularly. They supplement her passionate singing, adding another tool to express the fear and rage shadowing over Trust.
The music does have chunky breakdowns to sharpen their sound, though they still reach out to an audience that needs hooks to survive. It can be at times like the band is fighting multiple fronts, wanting to be tense and aggravated without scaring too many people off. With how quickly they turned around Trust, it may not be long before a decision is made on how they want to proceed through this sticky situation.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Obnoxious Youth – Burning Savage (Svart)
Almost 20 years in, Obnoxious Youth stay in character, acting as snotty thrash metal deviants on Burning Savage. Age hasn’t caught up with them yet, as they spout off at the mouth about devilish women and contraptions like a tornado of blades. “Imminent Evil,” “Bitchkrieg” and “Phantasma” retain the crazed energy they’ve been addicted to for decades.
Horror is their favorite movie genre based on the abundance of synths and organ. With these in place, the album could’ve been lifted from a lost grindhouse double feature. “Torrents Of Black Blood” is as close to doom as they’ve ever gotten with its six-minute path of ruination. Burning Savage is as grown up as Obnoxious Youth are going to get, like putting a suit and tie on a rambunctious teenager.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Sun And Sail Club – Shipwrecked (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Nine years after The Great White Dope, the stoner rock supergroup Sun And Sail Club are back. The lineup for Shipwrecked includes vocalist Tony Adolescent (The Adolescents), guitarist Bob Balch (Fu Manchu, Big Scenic Nowhere) and two Scott Reeders: the Kyuss/Fireball Ministry bassist and the Fu Manchu drummer.
Bookended between opening and closing jazzy instrumentals are raw and heavy stoner rock tracks. Sun And Sail Club have no interest in filler, getting right to the point with several songs like the raucous “Torture Garden” and thrashy “Vector” under two minutes. The longest number, the catchy “Tastes Like Blood” is only about three and a half minutes long. Shipwrecked is a welcome return for Sun And Sail Club, and hopefully nearly a decade won’t elapse before their next one.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Swallow The Sun – Shining (Century Media)
Swallow The Sun are a band with a long trajectory, filled with classics like The Morning Never Came and more experimental works like Songs of the North I, II, III. However, the band has gradually shifted its sound, and Shining marks another step in a different direction — one that seems aimed at fans of gothic metal and doom rather than traditional death/doom.
While there are still moments of harshness, they feel watered down, with a stronger focus on the mellow parts. I can’t help but compare this album to the band’s extensive catalogue, and I feel that this new path isn’t quite for me, as it strays too far from metal for my taste. There are many electronic elements here that seem more fitting for a commercial band. Ultimately, Shining leaves me with mixed feelings.
Rating: 2.5
(Carlos Tirado)
