This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Allt, Bobbie Dazzle, Cosmic Putrefaction, Livløs, Lowen, Mammoth Caravan, Sinistro, Temple Of Dread, Texas Hippie Coalition, Town Of Lake, Undeath, Valletta and Wind Rose.
The ratings are on a 5 star scale.
Allt – From The New World (Century Media)
Allt is Swedish for “everything,” something the group strides to be on their debut album From The New World. Metalcore is their starting mark, with electronics and synths having a prime position in the music. They really like to chug along with their riffs, not getting overly hostile except for spurts on “Dissect Yourself” and “Ephemeral.” It’s as if a lead bar is pressing on a listener’s head for 35 minutes.
The band have made headway with an expanded melodic outlook, as single “Echoes” comes close to mainstream fare until the agonizing screams set in. The songs mentioned so far are later on in From The New World, which is where Allt is at their most compelling. They have come far since their EPs from a few years ago, though still have some refining to do.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Bobbie Dazzle – Fandabidozi (Rise Above)
On Fandabidozi, Bobbie Dazzle answers the musical question – what if Suzy Quattro fronted The Sweet, but also played the flute? The alter ego of doom vocalist Sian Greenway, Dazzle turns in a cornucopia of sticky sweet melodies and crunchy riffs that recall the pinnacle of glam rock’s 1970’s heyday.
All the major touchpoints are here, from the T.Rex–style boogie riffage and gang vocals of “Revolution” to the jaunty groove of “Back to the City” that recalls Bowie’s “Jean Genie.” Speaking of Bowie, Dazzle incorporates another favorite glam rock trope, via the sci-fi references in “Antique Time Machine” and “Flowers on Mars.” “Magic of Music” comes off like the most rocking song ABBA never recorded, while “It’s Electric” chugs along as if Tommy Lee himself was pounding the drums. With fizzy synth lines and hand claps galore, Fandabidozi is the most fun you’ll have this year. Oh, and the flute passages slay.
Rating: 4.5
(Gino Sigismondi)
Cosmic Putrefaction – Emerald Fires Atop The Farewell Mountains (Profound Lore)
Gabriele Gramaglia (Vertebra Atlantis, The Clearing Path, Summit), the mastermind behind the death metal project Cosmic Putrefaction, has been prolific with his solo effort. Emerald Fires Atop The Farewell Mountains is his fourth album in just over five years.
With each album, Gramaglia displays additional influences, branching out from death metal to include moments of black, prog and symphonic metal. The songwriting is dynamic, shifting from dense technical brutality to more moderately paced and groovier sections. There are even clean vocals on the closing title track. Songs like “I Should Greet The Inexorable Darkness” front load the extremity, while tracks such as “[Exiting The Vortex Temporum] – The Clearing Path” have mellower beginnings before the heaviness kicks in. Emerald Fires Atop The Farewell Mountains is technically impressive, and the variety helps keep things engaging as well.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Livløs – The Crescent King (Noctem)
The Crescent King is the third album from the Danish melodic death metal band Livløs. It was produced by former HateSphere frontman Jacob Bredahl, whose Dead Rat Studio has become a popular place. The band has had a lineup change since 2021’s And Then There Were None, with bassist Benjamin “Atlas” Andreassen (Steelbourne) coming aboard a couple of years ago.
Melodic death metal is Livløs’ bread and butter, but their songwriting also adds progressive sections and melancholy atmospheres. Guitar harmonies add catchiness, with Niklas Lykke Frederiksen’s wide-rangiong harsh vocals providing the edge and aggression. He even enters black metal territory on “Usurpers.” There’s not a weak track on the album, but the title track and “Scourge Of The Stars” that starts out doomy and gets thrashy are standouts. Closer “Endless Majesty” ends the record on a high note with brutality shifting to groove with a proggy interlude before a mellow conclusion. With each album Livløs are improving, and The Crescent King is an impressive melodeath record.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Lowen – Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran (Church Road)
There is no better way to display a blending of cultures than music, and London based Middle Eastern progressive doomers Lowen have demonstrated that with their second album Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran. Drawing inspiration from the Shahnameh, the Persian book of Kings, Lowen have combined aspects of western and eastern musical elements to create this heavy metal ballad.
Thematically the album deals with feelings of loss and being dispossessed from one’s homeland among a backdrop of appreciation for the ancient world. With tracks like “Corruption on Earth” you can hear lead singer Nina Saeidi’s haunting vocals blend the styles of traditional singing with that of Iranian tahrir vocals to create a unique style. The blending of western instrumentation and music theory along with Middle Eastern instruments like the Daf and the Santoor make this album stand out among its counterparts.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Mammoth Caravan – Frostbitten Galaxy (Blade Setter)
Though it’s only been about a year since their I, Megafauna EP, Mammoth Caravan seem like a whole new entity on their latest album, Frostbitten Galaxy. This could have to do with the revamped lineup, which includes a new drummer and their former drummer taking over as guitarist. Maybe it’s their transition into outer space themes, as the mammoths on this record are up in the air instead of trudging through blizzard conditions.
Whatever the reason is, the trio has embraced a warmth into their usually icy music. Closer “Sky Burial” is an outstanding ballad with singing from guitarist Robert Warner that is unlike anything they’ve tried before, which also fits into the vastness of the largely instrumental “Cosmic Clairvoyance.” Mammoth Caravan expands their reach into the limitless skies above on the excellent Frostbitten Galaxy.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
Sinistro – Vertice (Alma Mater)
Sinistro are a doom metal band from Portugal who had positively impressed me when I discovered them a few years back. Since then, the band has changed their bassist (enter Pedro Do Vale) and lead vocalist (the new singer being Priscila Da Costa) and Vertice was in fact born out of this new lineup. The music, with lyrics in Portuguese, leans heavily on atmosphere so the songs are longish and the band tries to wring emotions out of every single note.
“Amargura” (“Bitterness”), “O Equivocado” (“The Misunderstood”) and indeed most of these songs feel long when they shouldn’t be. On the other hand, songwriting qualities apart, factors such as musicianship and sound quality are hard to fault. “Templo Das Lágrimas” (“Temple Of Tears”) is dark, enchanting and particularly melancholic. The aforementioned “O Equivocado” has several interesting elements in it, such as some subtle keyboard sounds and use of different vocal techniques. The bottom line, though, is that despite its laudable qualities, Vertice doesn’t exactly set the world on fire.
Rating: 3.5
(Chris Galea)
Temple Of Dread – God Of The Godless (Testimony)
Temple Of Dread‘s fifth album God Of The Godless is a relentless powerhouse of destruction, delivering a thrilling and conquering form of old-school death metal. Like the band’s 2023 album Beyond Acheron, it sparks debate and leaves a striking impression. God Of The Godless offers an admirable and intimidating form of old-school death metal that is not just stimulating but a formidable force that will utterly impress its audience.
But there’s another story. Like other Temple Of Dread albums, as it has been established as the band’s agenda, God Of The Godless tries to keep the memory of the pioneers of death metal and the sound of the classic albums of this genre alive. That’s all. So, are you expecting something new? Waiting for fresher ideas? The answer is nothing but no. If this is not enough to hear a forceful work with a non-stop storm of massive and venomous riffs, riding on a noteworthy composition and production, God Of The Godless will not do much for you. Otherwise, you will face one of the year’s most dominant death metal albums.
Rating: 4
(Arash Khosronejad)
Texas Hippie Coalition – Gunsmoke (MNRK Heavy)
Southern rockers Texas Hippie Coalition didn’t waste any time following up last year’s The Name Lives On. Their eighth album is Gunsmoke, and follows the blueprint they’ve established in their now 20 years as a band.
Groove is the name of the game with THC, driving their brand of hard rock/metal that’s heavy and melodic with Big Dad Ritch’s distinctive vocals. They wanted this album to be grittier and rawer than recent releases, and they’ve done that without sacrificing any of the catchiness in their songwriting. There are several memorable songs such as “Baptized In The Mud” and the ballad “She’s Like A Song.” There are also a couple that are more in the filler category. If you like groove with southern rock and country flavor, Gunsmoke will fit the bill nicely.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Town Of Lake – Lilac (Peach Bandana)
Mike Hranica has been the frontman for The Devil Wars Prada for a couple of decades. He has ventured outside the band to explore other projects over the years, such as God Alone. He goes in an entirely different direction with his solo project Town Of Lake and debut album Lilac.
Experimental would be the best way to describe the album Hranica put together with TDWP bassist Mason Nagy and Weekend Nachos’ Andy Nelson. The arrangements are sparse, with Hranica utilizing spoken word and a sing song delivery. Some of the songs are a bit twangy, others like “No Gloss” are noisier and avant-garde. Parts of Lilac are intriguing, but a lot of it sounds like an open mic night with random music playing behind earnest poetry. The idea of a solo project is to explore something different, and in that Hranica has succeeded. Lilac probably won’t have a lot of appeal to TDWP fans, but those who appreciate artists like Nick Cave and Swans may enjoy it.
Rating: 2.5
(Chad Bowar)
Undeath – More Insane (Prosthetic)
Undeath, one of New York State’s most prominent death metal products, are back with their third LP More Insane serving as a sequel to It’s Time...To Rise From The Grave, an album that was near the top of extreme metal lists in 2022.
Opening salvo “Dead From Beyond” does a great job in being overtly heavy while not lacking in the technicality department as Undeath very rarely compromise their extreme exterior. Instead they intersperse some great leads throughout their songs in a way that makes each iteration of them more and more interesting as they continue to land, like punches from a prize fighter. Undeath properly straddle the line between the kind of extreme you expect from the Empire State and 1990s melodic death metal with more an emphasis on the former than the latter. More Insane is a blast of a record that once again sees this filthy five piece firmly cement their roots on the death metal scene.
Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)
Valletta – Summer (Forcefield)
Valletta are what happens when you take black metal and retool it as stadium rock, and their Summer debut album closes out the season in the Northern Hemisphere with anthemic tunes meant for a morbid spirit. The album takes the six songs from last year’s Come Alive EP and adds another six new ones on top of that, though it’s all mixed together for a complete release.
The vocals are where their black metal influences shine, with shrieks and yells that will keep the commercial audience away. That’s a shame, as their dynamite guitar harmonies and sing-along choruses are tailormade for widespread appeal. In a different universe, some other timeline outside our own, Summer would have hit after hit tearing through the charts.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Wind Rose – Trollslayer (Napalm)
The self-described dwarven power metal army Wind Rose garnered a lot of attention with “Diggy Diggy Hole” from 2019’s Wintersaga. It has helped increase the Italian band’s profile, with Trollslayer their sixth studio album.
One of the things that makes Wind Rose interesting is their ability to write straightforward progressive power metal songs along with goofy party anthems. It makes for a fun listen, with rollicking tracks like “Rock And Stone” and “The Great Feast Underground” contrasted by more thoughtful compositions such as “No More Sorrow.” The balance tilts pretty strongly toward the anthems, but there is enough variety to make Trollslayer an engaging power metal album.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
