Category: Technical Metal

Virvum-Illuminance album review 9/10 \m/

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Virvum

Illuminance

Bryan Berger – Vocals
Nic Gruhn – Guitars
Groftoby Koelman -Guitars
Diego Morenzoni – Drums

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ILLUMINANCE Out 09/16/2016!!

www.virvum.com

 

 

 

 

  1. The Cypher Supreme

This for me is the first time hearing Virvum, and this is one hell of a way to make a first impression on someone.  There is a very brief electronic sound and then the drums and guitars come in with rapid blast beats and the guitars are matching the precision of the drums speed, and then just as you think you are impressed by that. They hit us with an early guitar solo right around the :17 second mark.  A very enjoyable solo I’d like to mention, as it lasts just past forty five seconds, and then we get a bass solo.  That bass sounds fucking great, listen to how quickly the bass is played. Listen to the finesse by Arran, he really adds something to this album. Following that is a really cool driving guitar riff with a matched rhythm from the drums. Only to come back out with a cool solo again. I’d say this is an instrumental track and a killer introduction to the album with the talent really shining, but alas you get some dialogue with only seconds left in the song.

  1. Earthwork

They don’t waste any time getting down to business on this track but they hit you with this rapid blast and guitar filled section. This feels like that pack every possible void with sound and only for ten seconds before they drop out and the electronic almost cosmic sounds begin to take over the speakers.  For roughly thirteen seconds before getting back to where they left off with blasts, and this time when the vocals join in they are a much lower range set of vocals.  Just listening to theses drums you have to admire the fast attack, and the quality sound behind them.  Diego must be having a blast when he is playing a song like this one. It sounds awesome, and sounds like it would be a fun one to play.

  1. Illuminance

This song begins with a very melodic guitar melody being played for just over thirty seconds and then the drums and guitar distortion sets in.  I love the way this progressed from the first second to the last. This is a solid song. Right around the 1:30 mark they kick things into beast mode.  With the rapid blasting and then listening to the infectious guitar riff.  Those guitars have you hooked instantly. Really digging the guitar solo at the 2:13 mark also. The solo section last about a minute, but doesn’t seem to take up to much time. It doesn’t feel like it’s a long period of timing. I also want to point out the 3:29 mark when they wind things down for a bit. Only to be bringing them back up progressively with a talented drummer and then listening to the guitar tapping. It’s a mesmerizing pattern.  Only to have an impressive guitar riff hit us at the 4:12 mark just after I was impressed by the finger tapping.  At eight minutes and fifty nine seconds, this song has plenty to offer, and really knows how to keep the listener engaged.

  1. Ad Rigorem

Yes.Yes.so much yes from this beginning. I could loop the first sixty seconds of this song over and over. If this doesn’t get you amped up I don’t know what will. The emotions and feelings created from the volumes of energy this song pumps into me via my headphones is truly impressive.  Everything about the beginning, from the guitars, to the bass, and then of course my favorite the drums. Listen to those drums. On point, surgically precise, but listen to the power behind them, listen to the blasts at the :16 mark. There is no pussy footing around this one, hits hard, and fast, and what more do you want from a song like this. Fast, heavy, drums that are going to decimate you, steamroll right over you, with a flurry of blast beats leave you in awe. Yup that’s what you get on this album, and this song is a great example of that.

  1. Tentacles Of The Sun

This song kicks down the doors without warning.  The blistering blast beats with those guitars, and then as the vocals come in at the :07 second mark. They come in with a low blow and the vocals themselves give the song a groove you can follow. It’s not just about the guitars or the drums. The lyrics hit you blow by blow, from :07 to :14 they land effortlessly in a way that you get pulled in right away.  Now listen to that riff at the :14 second mark, these guys just don’t let up. This song will get anyone amped up by listening to the first thirty seconds of it, and you won’t be able to stop listening. I’m actually smiling listening to this track right now. The song grabs you, and there is no stopping the ride you are going on.  There is no way you stop this song to do anything, just listen and enjoy.

  1. Elemental Shift

I love the way the song begins, you get an early taste of the bass, and the main rhythm they start out with sounds almost empty, but they build off of that. The very next change is something that sounds fuller, like there is much more going on.  They eventually get back to that same rhythm right around the 1:20 mark.  This song much like its title goes through elemental shifts.  The song has periods of raw,  empty sounding sections, that get complimented by the periods of the song that have more sound, a more fulfilling sequence of guitar tone and drums  filling in all other voids. its slightly shorter in length than other tracks, but it holds its own when it comes to complexity and  groove.

  1. I: A New Journey Awaits

This song is really an instrumental track, but really fits the role it has been given.  It sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie where the score was written by Hans Zimmer and his best friend who is a metal head.It sets up the eighth and final track of the album.  It’s that classic, “lets cool things down for a short period of time and then blow the shit out of everything right after”  it’s the calm before the storm, the warning shot, and when you make it through the one minute and forty two second long song.  You will be wise to have prepared yourself for the last song of the album

  1. II: A final Warming Shine Ascension And Trespassing

At just shy of ten minutes and thirty seconds long, this is my favorite song on the album. It fucking explodes right out of the gate and has soooo much going on musically. I just can’t give you the full review of this track, as you are just going to have to take a listen yourself and make the determination. But I will say this song rises above all the previous tracks. And since all the other songs on this album are great, this last track really makes a statement and sets the bar.

 

This album is a brilliant creation, offering up so much for the listener.  This album displays the range for all the members. It’s not just the vocal range which I must say I am impressed by. But the range the guitars demonstrate, and the drums also.   Some of the songs progress beautifully while they still don’t hold back when it comes to hitting us with rapid fire blast beats and killer guitar riffs to pummel the listener.  No they do not hold back one bit, but show us the other side.  The mellow and mysterious side of things.  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a few songs on repeat.  A final warming, and ad rigorem have been looped easily over one hundred times each.  This album is full of great songs, but those two really did stick out for me.  And definitely got played the most when it comes to how many times I played each song while listening to an album.  But ultimately this album kicks a whole lot of ass.  This album is awesome and captivating from start to finish, and is nothing short of a 9/10 \m/.

 

 

If you like what you are hearing check them out on FACEBOOK Here \m/

 

 

Go on and pre-order the album,  get in on those pre order bundles and all you need to do is click here to go to their BANDCAMP page \m/

 

 

 

-Badger \m/

 

Visit our FACEBOOK page \m/_(><)_\m/

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

 

Onomasy- Ashes And Dust- Album Review 8/10 \m/

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Onomasy

Ashes And Dust

Samuel Fernandez – Drums

Mario Gomez – Bass

Pablo Acien – Guitar

Armando Rubio – Guitar

Alvaro Valdeavero – Vocals

 

1) Bow Down

This track is really more of an introduction track, not bad either, just a little over a minute long. It has this melodic technical metal feel to it. But the real show begins with track two “The Maze Of Unhappiness”

 

2) The Maze of Unhappiness

The whole band comes together for the first note of the song with a low guttural growl getting first blood. The first ten seconds of this song go fast, but it’s a great way to get acclimated to the sheer brutality that Onomasy possesses. The vocal range happening throughout this song is killer. Alvaro can hit some disgusting lows, and then his high vocals are razor sharp. When you get to the 1:15 mark you can hear the highs in perfect form. The guitarists are tight, they are precise, and it sounds like both can play a solid lead with one of them delivering a short solo around the 1:00 mark it’s a really brief riff really. But it has a old school feel to it. It’s placed well because they are hammering away with this tech death sound then an old school riff back into the rapid fire blasting tech death explosion.

3) Gray Days To Live

Way too early to call this song my favorite, but I have been spinning this track a lot lately. It starts out with a short bass intro, and then   the drums come in blistering fast and heavy, while the vocals come in high and fast almost right away.   Just listening to the guitars my forearms are getting cramps. The amount of discipline that this whole band has is impressive. This is a song that really grabs you, the rhythm is so catchy it pulls you in and you can’t help but move. The lead guitars around the 1:08 mark are great, and this is only ten second portion of guitar greatness coming off this album. Right at the 1:40 mark they get low and slow with their brutal and infectious transition. Its heavy as hell and when the next verse is seeing the finishing touches the guitars are tearing shit up all leading up to my favorite part of the whole song. It starts at the 2:27 mark. When the vocals come in, its catchy, its heavy, and you know that if you are seeing this unfold at a live show, the crowd is going to get rowdy. The gang vocals in the background and then Alvaro’s vocals layered over fucking work. After that section the guitars give us a melodic guitar solo with some Latin soul feel to it. Not a shredfest, its soothing in a way, it has local flavor and then they come right back out to end the song as hard and heavy as it began.

4) Ashes and Dust

A short guitar riff starts things off with the drums following right in after mere seconds. The vocals join in at the :21 second mark just after the rest of the band has done a number on your senses with the breakneck speed on the drums to the blistering pace the guitars have set up. In the first sixty seconds of this song you will develop a thought process as to why you haven’t heard this band before now. I am really digging the rhythm right around the :30 second mark it has a menacing feel about it. Right around the 1:00 mark, they hit you with a slowed punchy section that bridges to the next verse knocking out some teeth on the way. This song takes you on a journey through the low   bludgeoning death metal style, and speed things up with their rapid fire tech death sound.

5) Digging Up The Moon

This song starts right out of the gate with rapid blast beats and then a quick precise guitar riff. The vocals come in at the :05 second mark with the high range vocals. The intensity from the guitars and matching the vocals with the drums. They have unleashed a full on audio assault, from the rapid highs to the punishing low guttural growls. This song relentlessly pummels you into submission. A perfect example is at the 2:35 mark, the vocals are infectious, and the guitars showcase their ability, while the drums are grinding away blast beat by blast beat. At times Alvaro is nailing the highs and executing with a style similar to Trevor Strnad from The Black Dahlia Murder. This song is badass, makes you eager to hear the next track.

6) Descending to The Other Side

The song kicks off subtlety with a brief intro and then a nice melodic guitar solo starts things off. The song has a nice mid paced tempo, but it doesn’t stop them from   hitting us with blast beats and a killer guitar riff leading up to the : 36 mark when the first verse begins in brutal fashion. The song has a cool groove to it, keeping you moving right along with the changes. Right around the 1:30 mark the guitars are playing a killer riff harmonized before a short solo and into the next verse. Around the 1:52 mark they get low and slow, you can feel the bass drum doing a slow roll helping elevate that sinister rhythm. This song has so much to offer in its short just shy of four minute run time.

7) The Legacy “Interlude”

This is a nice melodic interlude with some ambient sounds and an acoustic guitar playing overtop. It’s a nice mellow 1:38 long track that lulls you to your safe zone, and prepares you for what is “The Jailer of the Lives”

8) The Jailer Of The Lives

The song begins with a mellow guitar riff, and the occasional drum cymbal, this is a nice relaxing introduction that seems to pick up from “The Legacy” before the guitars get distorted around the :35 second mark. That’s when the S.H.T.F and the vocals come in hard while the drums are breaking down the walls. Listen to the guitars tear shit up at the :55 second mark, while the song gets ready to transition into its next verse. The verse is a heavy death metal feel with plenty of old school character, and then as they come out of the verse they bring the technicality of modern metal. This song is heavy, slightly slower than most of their songs, but will knock you on your ass with ease.

 

9) In Memory Of The Reaper

The song fades in quickly with the band exploding in to the song at the :04 second mark. That’s when the guitars show off some of their talent while getting the song cranking. When the vocals come in at the :25 second mark, they come in heavy as hell and low, and immediately replying with the high rapid fire vocals. This song has enough to get your teeth sunk into and feed of the groove that they have laid down. Between verses the guitars give us a cool little solo and the vocals come in high and fast again. Just after the halfway mark we get a short bridge consisting of high vocals and a guitar solo, and then back into the verse. Right around the 3:20 mark they kick things into overdrive and get real heavy. Making the last thirty seconds of the song brutal, and catchy to the very last note.

 

10)I Am

The song begins with the guitars playing a cool riff for the first forty seconds or so. This song has an evil agenda by the sounds of it. I mean what is happening at the 1:00 minute mark with the rapid blasting, and the high vocals. I mean Samuel is completely decimating the masses with his footwork on the drums. The whole song has a groove about it, something that really pulls you in. A perfect example is   around the 3:16 mark we get a killer soulful guitar solo that lasts just shy of thirty seconds and then the band comes in hard. I enjoy the fact that they give it 100% to the very last note.

 

11) Advantage of The Disadvantage

For the first twenty seconds these guys really showcase their technical discipline and their ability to play with precise execution of every note. When the vocals join in they are low and heavy as hell for the beginning of the verse, the follow up to the verse Alvaro is cutting through the lines with his highs. Right around the 1:30 mark there’s a short pause and then a quick shredding guitar solo for about thirty seconds before transition back into the next verse. I love the tempo of the song, it has a driving beat to it, and it really gets you moving. This is a killer track and I love the balance of the vocals. At times he is really getting those lows, and then hitting the highs. But at times they are blended without too much overlay.

 

12) The Heritage of The Loyal

The song begins with a chugging guitar riff for only a few short seconds before the drums and vocals join in. All the other songs before this one seemed to be more of a precise note by note lay out of the song. Whereas this one seems to have a less technical approach to it, incorporating some dissonant sounds with more chugging riffs. This song is like all the animosity that has built up, has now exploded and this is the effect of that. The song is more death metal, with a slower pace, and low vocals for the majority of the song. Right around the 2:23 mark the song goes through a funky transition and then blasts out to a more melodic death metal feel. With a piano being heard in the background.

 

All in all this album is badass, and completely surprised me as I had not heard Onomasy until today. This album is easily an 8/10 rating from me, they showcase serious talent among the group from the guitars to the drums, the bass is not shy either we get to hear the bass stand out in quite a few of the songs. And Alvaro’s vocals are on point, seamlessly going from guttural lows to precision highs, the guy adds so much dimension to the songs by utilizing his range so well. This album  is more than just a tech death album, it breathes life into a genre that is starting to get more and more popular by the day. With so many bands playing similar styles of tech death, Onomasy try to break that pattern, by even changing things up with the last song being less tech death and more melodic death metal. One thing is for sure, if you haven’t heard Onomasy, or this album you need to. Right now.

Go.

\m/

 

 

 

Find Onomasy on FACEBOOK and give them a like so that you can keep up to date on any news.

Pick up the album on Bandcamp.com

-Badger \m/

Visit our FACEBOOK page \m/_(><)_\m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

 

 

Currently Streaming ” Pull” by Mrs. Bundy

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Looking for some tech on this fine Thursday?  We are enjoying this recent release from Texas tech death outfit Mrs. Bundy

have yourself a listen, and check out their Cowboys from hell cover. I gotta say this is a brutally  crushing cover of such an iconic song.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you like what you are hearing go on and like them on FACEBOOK

and then head on over to their BANDCAMP page to purchase the digital album.

-Badger \m/

Visit our FACEBOOK page \m/_(><)_\m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

 

Metal Drummer Spotlight: Philippe Tyrant Boucher

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We are now in the month of May, and I wanted to touch base with  a drummer who has been a part of several amazing bands, and  has been heard playing drums on albums like Le dernier crépuscule by Chthe’ilist, and Earthborn Evolution by Beyond Creation. I had a chance to meet Philippe while he was on tour with Beyond Creation on the Infernus tour supporting Hate Eternal, with other bands on the tour being Misery Index, and Rivers of Nihil.

1)     So , Earthborn Evolution came out towards the end of 2014, however 2015 your band Beyond Creation did a great amount of touring. I can say it was very cool to see you guys live for my first time  on Oct 27th for the Infernus tour.  What was it like to be playing that many dates with   fellow drummers Adam Jarvis, Hannes Grossman, and Dylan Potts. For me that was a killer tour in regards to drumming. What was it like for you?

It was amazing, one of the craziest tours I did and honestly, each band and each drummer was very nice with me. I love Adam, Hannes and Dylan’s work, they are absolutely great drummer and they all have a good personality. We had so much funny moments and crazy nights on this tour, I’ll always remember it!

2)    While Beyond Creation made some big waves with Earthborn, Chthe’ilist put out   Le dernier crépuscule which in my opinion was also a killer release.  7 songs of some really dark, brutal tech death metal, is there any chance there will be any touring in support for this  release?

I hope to play more shows with Chthe’ilist because I really like this band. It feels good to play in an old school style of death metal; this genre is one of my favorite. I’m really busy with Beyond Creation so it’s kind of hard to book shows but everything is possible. We plan to do more shows near the end of the year or in the next one.

3)     What about the other bands you are a part of,  is there anything in the works for new material?

Yes of course, there’s a lot of work in progress! When I’m back from tours or shows with Beyond, I work on my other projects, especially Incandescence, it is my main project and accomplishment. I withdraw myself from the surrounding world, I follow my thoughts: I can do whatever I want in this band. I like to put some grooves and a little technicality in it even if it’s black metal music. I play the drums, guitars, bass and my very good friend is doing the vocals. We have a first album that we released back in the end of 2013. We just finished all the recordings for our second one. It might be release at the end of the year, I really look forward for this one to come out!

Décombres is more of a low-profile black metal project. I do the instrumental part as well as the vocals. I didn’t do any live performance yet and it pleases me like that. I released my first album and now I’m currently working on a second one. Stay tuned!

4)     Based on your drumming, you can play some really impressive and  precise technical drumming, what are some of your influences? I have to assume that hailing from the Quebec area that Flo Mounier could be one of them. Who else influenced you and your style?

Yes of course, Flo Mounier is probably the drummer who inspired me the most throughout the years. I am a fan of his intensity and the grooves that he creates. When I began to drums, my real first influence was Mike Portnoy. I appreciated his energy. Although, if I can talk of recent drummers, I would say that Frost (1349, Satyricon) inspired me a lot for extreme drumming. Hannes Grossnan is a great one too, George Kollias, Trey Williams (Dying Fetus), John Dolmayan (System of a down), John Longstreth (Origin), Buddy Rich, Tim Alexander (Primus), Inferno (Behemoth, Azarath), Patrice Hamelin (Martyr, Gorguts) and probably many more, are all inspiration.

5)     From what I can count you are playing the drums in a total of four bands, are there any other projects that you are working on that we might hear about in the near future?

From now, I’m alright with all these bands/projects haha. I recorded the new album of Vengeful, a death metal band from Montreal, it will be out soon. Bands are asking me for sessions and studio collaborations so you might hear from me a little bit more. Maybe someday I would like to start another project, something with a tiny touch of metal, something progressive with a taste of funk like a mix of Primus/Mastodon. Let’s be honest, this is really far from happening because I’m really busy with all the ideas I have for my current bands/projects.

6)     Aside from metal, what other styles of music do you enjoy playing?

I really like to play funk, prog, tribal, blues, rock. When I have time to play alone, I like to create some grooves that couldn’t work inside my bands, I like to push my creativity towards completely other genres.

7)     Any big plans for touring in 2016, or any big festivals that your bands will be playing?

We plan to do more tours for sure! Although, there’s nothing I can confirm yet.

8)     I find that more and more metal drummers are doing skype lessons, or dvds, digital videos. Is this something that you might entertain in the near future?

Yes of course, it’s hard to make it happens with all my projects but it’s certainly something that I want to start. To teach and to transmit my passion to others is something that I want to experience in my life.

 

So there you have it,  Philippe is a really cool guy that plays some mean drums, and with past bands like  First Fragment, and then current bands Beyond Creation, Chthe’ilist, Incandescance, and Décombres. His drumming is sure to impress many who have listened to any of these bands.

some live footage of Philippe

Fundemental process off Beyond Creation’s last album Earthborn Evolution

 

If you like what you hear, check out these links where you can purchase some of his music.

Beyond Creation on Bandcamp

Chthe’ilist on Profound Lore Records

Incandescence on BANDCAMP

 

-Badger \m/

Visit our FACEBOOK page \m/_(><)_\m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

 

 

Currently Streaming Dark Reincarnation by The Soul Exile \m/

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Dark Reincarnation just released today is a four song E.P. full of blasts, driving rhythms, and brutal hooks. If you haven’t heard of these guys, get to it.  Check it out on BANDCAMP, and with the ” Name Your Price” option,  throw them some $ and show them some support.

 

 

 

Also if you like what you hear, then go like them on FACEBOOK

 

 

-Badger \m/

Visit our FACEBOOK page \m/_(><)_\m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

 

 updated3/18/2016 2:09:24 PM

Divine Realm- Tectum Argenti 10/10

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Divine Realm

Tectum Argenti

02/23/2016

Leo Diensthuber
Marc Roy
Tyler Brayton
Josh Ingram

  1. Tritos

The song begins with the sound of falling water, dripping and splashing on a surface, some electronic sounds fade in, with little pops and then a heavy electronic sounds setting things up for the guitars and drums to join in with an n explosive technical metal style. The guitar riff around the 1:10 mark is on point to what you would expect to hear, it is a classic guitar solo in the vein of Dream Theaters John Petrucci. This song is a killer track to start the album off with. The best way to explain this song, is that you are getting ready to listen to something much like if you took Dream Theater, Animals as Leaders, and The Algorithm put them all in a blender, and   then take that mix for something out of the ordinary realm of what you think progressive technical instrumental metal would sound like. This is an awesome track, and I can only expect that the rest of this album is just as good if not progressively better.

 

  1. Cloak and Dagger

And it looks like my high hopes have panned out, this song has really taken that DT, AAL, The Algorithm, and Ennio Morricone and put it into perspective, wondering what the hell I am talking about. Well just play the song and you will hear the electronic sounds, and then the guitar riff, the crisp technical drums, and it is simply badass. Now wait until the: 45 second mark where the Ennio Morricone reference sinks in. Absolutely brilliant, this is a progressive technical death metal instrumental masterpiece! No one would have thought to put that section in a song, and I don’t think anyone could have pulled it off the way this band does it. Hot damn the 2:15 mark is equally as bad ass, and you will want to play this song again, and again, each time you will find yourself actually enjoying the song more and more, all the while appreciating every little note and section more and more. Right around the 3: 02 mark you will hear one of the simplest rhythms being played, and you will then acknowledge the fact that you can’t help but like it. It is outside the norm for progressive metal, technical metal, or any subgenre in between and it works so well.

 

  1. Inherit The Earth

This song begins with the sound of nature, birds flying away and chirping. An electronic melody begins to fade in and then what sounds like a growl, and then the band jumps in with a real cool guitar riff and some really intricate drums laying down the base. The moment you get to the 1:28 mark you will experience one of the best musical sections for a metal release of 2016, (
I would also put 2015 also, it’s absolutely badass) this guitar riff right here is something you would hear from Marty Friedman from his solo work. I have found many uses for this specific section of song. I without a doubt could create hundreds of scenarios and descriptions/references to illustrate just how great it is. I have also used that riff as entrance music when coming home from work because why not. It works with anything. Ringtone, alarm clock entrance music, holding music, elevator music, driving music, music to get you amped up to play, music to chill out to. Shoot I could easily hear this song being a song in a video game also. This song is amazing, and I just don’t know how to explain it but this song alone is worth the cost of the whole album. It is without a doubt my favorite song on this album. You will be head banging, you will be tapping your foot, you will be playing air guitar, and air drums, and you will remember the name Divine Realm after this song.

 

  1. Tectum Argenti

This song begins with some electronic sounds fading in, until the guitar dives head first with a soulful guitar riff, to set things up and then transitions into the technical metal sound. Throw in some quick precise drumming, and a few menacing guitar riffs, (you will know what I mean once you hear them) and lay down a killer groove that you can’t ignore. Right around the 1:55 mark the song goes into a cool section trading off bars, and then a quick little riff bringing the song down to almost nothing. Then after a few seconds the song picks back up with a cool groovy beat until they change again, raising the bar with more intricate guitar solos and drum patterns.

 

  1. Glass Empire

The sound of electronics, and glass shattering can be heard then what sounds like a clock ticking, with some electronic sounds fading in until a short 1.2.3.4. pattern and the band jumps in with a guitar playing a solid rhythm, and the lead playing a cool riff,   they keep it up for a few seconds and then they raise the bar, attacking the more technical and intricate guitar riffs and fast technical drumming with laser focus precision execution. At 3:14 you will see what they are capable off and how they can seamlessly transition from breakneck guitar riffs and blistering fast drums to a more relaxed instrumental groove. I like the way the end the song, it seems to fade out, and become muffled sounding and then the only sounds you hear are some electronic noises and something that sounds like a heart monitor beeping.

 

  1. Ab Aeterno

This song begins also with the electronic sounds, and has more of a mellow feel to it, similar to Scale The Summit’s delivery. It is a very relaxing, song with all guitar riffs and drum patterns moving with fluid motion. They really did their homework trying to determine the track order, and this is exactly where it should be. The whole album shreds, and it blows your mind with some of the sick guitar riffs, and the technicality of the song structures, but they use this song to really take you to a relaxed feeling, as if you are enjoying a cosmic oasis just floating along and taking in all the sights without a worry in the world. This is what I mean about how the music sets up scenery for the listener.

 

  1. Metaphor of the Sun

This song has an interesting beginning, you can hear crackling fire, something that sounds like a clock ticking, a piano joins in playing a light melody, some electronic sounds start to join in. then BOOM the band gets right down to some really impressive guitar shredding, and technical drumming. This has such a damn solid groove it’s great, these guys can shred too, the guitar solos being played are incredible. They seem to have scrutinized every note to sheer perfection of timing and placement along with the rhythm of the song. We hear the piano again when the song takes on a jazzy style transition and the guitar is laying a soul filled riff. They come out of that with a heavy progressive metal feel, and the delivery is spot on. This is exactly the right song to end the album with, my only gripe, is now I wish the album had more tracks because I want more Divine Realm playing through my speakers.

 

 

 

This E.P. is awesome, this is one of those albums that when you hear it, it blows you away. It’s not a new genre, hell Animals as Leaders have been doing the instrumental thing since 2007. Plenty of bands are involved in the Instrumental or instrumental genre. Divine Realm don’t sound like they are trying to be the fastest or anything. They are playing some genre bending progressive technical instrumental metal with some impressive elements blended in. From the electronic programmed sounds and rhythms, to the sections like in Cloak and Dagger where it takes you to a different scene altogether. This album is mind blowing, I have no regrets giving this album 10/10 it blew me away, and these guys are very impressive.   Every song has a specific detail that when that change happens and you hear it, you are surprised. You aren’t expecting it, and they have this method where they are playing technical metal, the song doesn’t just change, it almost evolves into a new section, and really gives you some images of a scene. When you listen to this album you will find yourself almost imagining a scene, or image that this album really generates flawlessly. For the many of you that will actually listen to this, if you have not heard Diving Realm before, well after you listen to this album, you will know their name and remember what you felt when you listened to this great release.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/DIVINEREALM/timeline

https://twitter.com/DivineRealmBand

https://divinerealm.bandcamp.com/

 

 

-Badger \m/

Visit our FACEBOOK page \m/_(><)_\m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

 

Hothfest 2016 lineup and interview with Jamie

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Hothfest- 2016

Maximum Capacity Chicopee, MA 01013

01/09/2016-01/10/2016

 

Metal Festivals happen every year all over the world, these festivals are one of the greatest shows metal heads end up going to. Getting a chance to see metal bands from all over at the same venue, be it an open air stadium, or other concert halls. Many metal heads like myself have great memories from going to big festivals, hearing and seeing bands we are stoked to see, to discovering bands that we had never heard before. In the Northeast U.S. there is really only one big festival that has been happening annually since 1999. But that is just not enough to satisfy the appetite of metal heads across the region. This is when a drummer and tattoo artist from the Massachusetts area decided he had waited long enough, and was going to take matters into his own hands. Jamie Cross came up with Hothfest last year and is doing it again this year around. Hothfest -2016 we will be witnessing 30 bands over the course of two days. To make things even better its on a weekend, Saturday and Sunday, that means for most you wont have to miss work to go to an awesome metal show.

I had the chance to talk to Jamie and ask him a few questions about Hothfest 2016 to get an idea,  what started it all, and what to expect.

 

 

Badger- So this is the second annual Hothfest, have you already noticed more exposure of this festival than when you did it last year?

 Jamie- A little bit, I mean I’m trying a bit harder, I went to other shows and have been passing out postcards to everybody. Of course there’s Facebook and doing the old school thing driving around and putting up flyers but I’m just hoping for the best. It should be good

 Badger- Yea I think so, and what prompted you to organize a metal festival in the first place?

 Jamie- When I did it last year I kind of did it just for fun and it turned out pretty good, and then I had bands from across the states offering to play so, I mean I probably had one hundred bands offer to play this year so I had to pick and choose but yea it’s awesome.

 Badger- That’s cool, that very promising now I am looking forward to 2017 already hearing that.

Jamie- I know right me too, I can’t wait

 Badger- So what has the general reaction been from the bands last year? Were you like reaching out to bands last year, and this year they are coming to you to do it?

 Jamie- Yea I reached out to a couple that played last year and they did well, and a lot were friends of bands so I had people say “ you gotta check out this band,” so I got a lot of that and bands started hitting me up offering to play, offering to get on it.

 Badger- Now here is a metal festival with  a lot of bands playing,  do you have any sponsors for this? Or is it all you?

 Jamie- No I do it all myself man,

Badger- That’s pretty cool, good for you man that’s awesome.

Jamie- Yea I just put like the music stores and logo on our artwork because they were letting me hang stuff up there to help out.

 Badger- Now do you have any times for what time the doors open and what time it’s going to run till on Saturday, and then the same for Sunday?

Jamie- Yea I am not positive on that last year doors opened at noon, and bands started at 1. So I’m assuming the same, I haven’t figured out the times yet, I have a few other shows going on right now also that I am working on.

 Badger- What other shows do you have going on?

Jamie- Well this Saturday I have what’s called jingle jam, it’s a toys for tots thing with 9 bands on that, it’s a metal show all ages two bucks bring a toy. It’s called jingle jam and there is a Facebook page for that too. I got a couple of tribute bands on that and some locals playing.

Badger- Any shows besides that one?

Jamie-Then after that, the next one is actually after Hothfest and its January 23rd and called musical masterpiece theater the art of the guitar edition. It’s going to be a metal show for the sickest guitar players. I have Mark Rizzo from Soulfly headlining, and then I have Dave Sharp and the Solar Power, a few other ones are going to be on that, and I am still waiting to hear back from them.

 Badger-So I know, I can’t remember where the venue was originally going to be, but was it a case of so many bands and people showing interest that caused the venue change?

Jamie- No actually something had happened and they switched owners so I am actually having shows there now. I had already moved it so we are going to keep it where it is (Maximum Capacity) I know the guy that owns it now so and they own both venues so I will be throwing shows at both venues. Yea I have a big summer show I throw that has about 30 bands called rocking on the river and it’s my birthday bash, and we have that at the waterfront. So I already booked that again this year.

Jamie-That one’s kind of like Hothfest but the summer instead. I do about four or five big shows a year, when bands play every weekend people sometimes don’t want to show up. So (with a big show they are more likely to show up)

Badger- yea I know my old band we would play the same club almost every weekend because we were tight with the owner. But we knew that some people didnt want to come and see us every Friday or Saturday, it is what it is, and you always have the group that wouldn’t miss a show for the world.

 Jamie- We have our first show in NH playing at the Shaskeen pub in Manchester. It’s January 2nd and I am pretty psyched because we haven’t played anywhere else except from around here so it should be fun.

 Jamie- We sound like COC and Pantera that who we get compared to all the time, two of my favorite bands so I will take that. We are half rock half metal so.

 Badger-Are there any updates you want the readers and local to know about this show? Your band? What you are putting into this, other stuff about you? I know you do tattoos so…?

 Jamie-Yea I own a tattoo studio, I do some work for bands cd artwork, t-shirt all that stuff. At the shows the background for Hothfest that’s one of my paintings I did I actually just got the posters in for Hothfest, so I will be driving around and hanging wherever places will let me.

 Bader- I know you had just done a painting event,

Jamie-Yea called who wants to paint with me. We had a blast, it was a lot of fun.

Badger-Is that something you think you will be doing more of?

Jamie-Yea every couple of months I am going to do it, this time around I am going g to limit it to around 25 people so I know and have them pay up front. We had a blast, listened to metal and local bands all night.

 Jamie-If I could add one more thing the band Defeated Sanity will be here all the way from Germany they haven’t been in the states for about 5 years. So that’s going to be a pretty cool deal that they are playing at Hothfest and they are bringing a band called Iniquitous Savagery from Scotland with them so we have this whole European/ UK tour coming this way and also a band from California, and then metal bands from NH, MA, Vermont pretty much everywhere around here.

Jamie- Dehumanized will headline Saturday, and carnivore will headline Sunday

Jamie-Sunday is more of a local thing, and closer, and the travelling bands are playing on Saturday.

 Badger-That’s pretty good planning, especially for like Defeated Sanity who are on tour. Thank you for setting up a sick metal festival, thanks for trying to keep the metal scene going around here, and thank you for the phone call.

Jamie- Cool thanks man.

So there you have it, I for one am looking forward to Hothfest 2016.

The set lists are TBA, however the lineups for both days are already determined;

 

Saturday January 9th

Dehumanized

Immortal Suffering

Defeated Sanity

Abnormality

Dysentery

Iniquitous Deeds

Iniquitous Savagery

Torturous Inception

Hypoxia

Incontinence

Assault on the Living

Open the Nile

Dream of Scipio

Forest of Remorse

To Kill Again

 

 

Sunday January 10th

Carnivora

Thunderforge

City Of Homes

Western Massacre

Sevenday Curse -first show with new members

Goblet

The Aberration

She Walks Without Legs

Godeater

Oxblood Forge

Disguise The Curse

My Pet Carcass

One Ton Tommy Gun

Roadhorse

Grzelakurse

 

If you want to check out the bands before the show, here are a list of their FB pages

Dehumanized (OFFICIAL)
Dysentery
Torturous Inception
Abnormality
Hypoxia
Incontinence
Open The Nile
Thunderforge
Goblet
Godeater
Western Massacre
Oxblood Forge
City of Homes
Sevenday Curse
One Ton Tommy Gun
To Kill Again
Grzelakurse
ROADHORSE
My Pet Carcass
The Aberration
Disguise the Curse
Forest of Remorse
Immortal Suffering
Assault on the Living
Dream of Scipio
Defeated Sanity official
Iniquitous Deeds
Iniquitous Savagery
She Walks Without Legs
Carnivora

Also check out the event page for Hothfest 2016

 

-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Pronostic-An Atomic Decision Album Review 10/10

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Pronostic

An Atomic Decision

Alexandre Lauzon – Guitars and High Vocals
Charles Pilotte – Guitars and Low Vocals
Mathieu “La Vie” Laurence – 6-String bass
Nicholas “Le Fou” Wells – Drums & Percussion

 

  1. Intro

This is a pretty badass intro track, this is something you would get from a movie’s opening credits. Very operatic, and orchestral, really  keeping things mysterious at first, you have an orchestra playing, a chorus singing, and the strings. All this builds up and really kicks the album off in the right direction

 

  1. An Atomic Decision

That intro track and then playing right into this song, is epic. They lock down a groove early, with some technical metal style brutality. The first thirty seconds of this song really set the bar high, the drums are surgically precise, and the guitars are shredding some tight riffs. Much like the title tracks name within the first sixty seconds you will be blown away. The guitar solo just after the two minute mark is great, these guys are bringing some deliberate talent and creativity to the table here. If this track doesn’t make you an instant fan I don’t know what will, this is track number one, out of ten and they are preparing to decimate the masses with their killer sound.

 

  1. Useless Wait

Yet another kick ass introduction coming from the guitars and drums, it has some old school flavor in the opening rhythm, and then it’s blasting drums and whirlwind guitars together really setting up a concrete groove. This song is very extraordinary, and I am now looking forward to seeing these guys on the road at some point. They hit us with a cool guitar solo halfway through the song, and bring it down melodically for a moment. Setting the drums up to showcase his talents of not just a drummer shackled to double bass and blast beats, the guy clearly knows a thing or two about skilled percussion delivery.

 

  1. Pay To See The Day

This song does not hold back any level of intensity, they come in fast and hard with this song. The song is a perfect example of a reason to headbang, I am pretty sure if you were involved in a conversation, and this song came on. You would stop what you were doing and head bang. The rhythm is solid, and the groove is contagious, the melodic guitar riffs add another element to this brilliant contribution to the album. Right at the 1:50 minute mark, they set things up for a solo, and the driving force increases. The 3:03 minute mark we get some volume swells from the guitars similar to older Opeth, executed  nothing less than perfect.  This is a solid song, you will want to hit the repeat button on this one for certain.

 

  1. Tormented Soul

This song has a solid setup in the beginning with a great high energy tempo right around the 150 BPM area, with plenty of blasts and driving guitar riffs to give it that rapid metal assault feel that you will be experiencing. This is a great track, I am loving every little transition they go through, shit I have listened to this song three times just now. These guys are killing it with their brand of metal. Elements of progressive metal, technical metal melodic metal and death metal blended together to create a stellar listening experience.

 

  1. Derived Conscience

I like this introduction with the simple drum beat, then a guitar riff, another simple beat followed by sick drum fill and this continues for just about twenty seconds before the song shows us its true form.   These guitarists are great, they know when to keep it simple, and they know when to deliver an impressive shred fest. They take it you to a point of slowed down aggression for a moment only to bring you right back up to the previous tempo with guitar solos and sick drums. The thirty seconds of this song will blow you away, this album is worth the buy based on just the songs I have heard so far. The next five could be a raccoon digging through metal trash cans and the album will still be worth the money hands down.

 

  1. Menstrumental

This is a cool melodic instrumental with heavy bass presence, and slick guitar lines. No drums for the first half but builds right up to give it some more flavor. This is an awesome instrumental as far as I am concerned.

 

  1. Bécik

!!!!!!!   This has a cool guitar and drum introduction and then the vocals kick in and this is probably going to be my favorite track off the album. Holy shit, the transition is seamless at the 1:02 minute mark. This song will melt faces, and cause pits to erupt with extreme results. This song, is fresh, its explosive, and it’s going to blow your speakers because you will have this song cranked as loud as it can go.

 

  1. What Plagues Us

The vocals on this track are great, they have that certain shadow effect to them, they are harsh, but hold back a little giving them some dimension. The guitars are killer in this song, and the transition that takes place at the 2:05 mark has some flavor to them. This song will having you feverishly waiting for the last second to clock out so you can hit the back button and hear the whole song again.

 

  1. Reality

I like the groove that they lock in right as the song begins, and those guitar squeals at the end of a riff. This song like every previous track is setting the bar high at the beginning and like a machine it is just powering through the process, and just plowing through anything and everything that will oppose it. The guitars have several sections of some old school riffs that you could hear coming from progressive and power metal bands. They just set up a driving rhythm and continue to maintain a groove that you will be locked into and lose your mind to the infectious sounds coming from the band.

 

  1. Passing Towards The Afterlife

All I am going to do is leave this blank, because you know, that based on what I have said of all the other tracks, that Pronostic is not going to fail to deliver a great melodic, technical metal song. The track is up to you as a listener to decide, you already know that ten tracks are amazing and worth the buy. I actually recommend to buy the album, because this may be the first you hear of this band, but won’t be the last.

 

This album was so impressive, I was blown away. There wasn’t a single minute aspect of any song I did not like. This album gets a 10/10 from me, because the sound quality is great. The changes are seamless and at times mind blowing, the band members all have some great talent, and showcase their talents well at the right times with their respective instruments. I am an instant fan, and will be looking forward to more of what Pronostic has to offer. For fans of Necrophagist, Neuraxis, Allegeon, Beyond The Creation, Obscura, and At the Gates just to name a few.

Check them out on Facebook Click Here \m/

Order the album  by clicking HERE \m/

 

All music and lyrics written and recorded by Pronostic 
 Produced by Pronostic and Chris Donaldson 
 Engineered by Chris Donaldson and Marco Frechette 
 Recorded, mixed and mastered at The Grid Studio 
 Intro produced by Ludovik Daoust 
 Artwork by Colin Marks at Rain Song Desing

-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

 

Rivers Of Nihil Review

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Track 1: Heirless

This is one of those ominous gloomy, atmospheric tracks. I really don’t care much for songs that don’t have a sense of purpose. I am sure that with a title like Heirless it is supposed to have that sort of feel to it. But as a listener, it could have been a 30 second sound clip instead of a 2:24 long track. I feel like I am at a show and the band is going through a sound check, just jamming riffs that flow but without any actual song that is on the set list. Not the way I would start an album. End an album with it maybe but I would not want to set the bar low to begin an album. This will go down in history as the skip song. That song on some albums you just always skip.

Track 2: Perpetual Growth Machine

The track starts out with a mid tempo chugging and a solid beat double bass for a few bars then into blast beat intro with a guitar riff in the background. Panning the guitars, drum fill in the first verse. Few bars of mid tempo into blast beats. It is definitely a groove you can move to but so far it doesn’t have that “wow” factor. The vocals are not bad but a bit one dimensional. A nice little guitar solo which has that old school feel to the solo. Now the vocals have gained a bit more dimension but not mind blowing. The range is still in the same vicinity as the first verse. I will say there is a hearty amount of changes.  I will say that they do have a good song structure to this track. Then twenty seconds of looming bass line.

Track 3: Reign of Dreams

Blast beats and ominous guitar riffing. When the vocals kick in they feel like they are behind the instruments. The song really maintains the same feel throughout the majority of the song. Same groove and riffs with minor noticeable changes. I let out a big sigh and let the song finish with hopes track 4 has more to offer.

Track 4: Sand Baptism

Guitars fade in with nice little cymbal pattern on the drums to a melodic guitar riff. Then right into some distortion. Drum beats rolling off the toms into a double bass rollout then back into a drum beat, setting things up and into the verse. I still feel as though the vocals are behind the instruments. This is until right before the 1:30 mark that’s when the vocals seem to be in front of the instruments. Maybe that’s what they are going for to add dimension the vocals. I am not sure. Just to be on the safe side I will be listening to this album through other forms of audio delivery such as ear buds, headphones, speakers, car speakers, etc. I do enjoy the lyrics to this song. I just don’t know if they are trying to merge death metal with prog metal, technical metal and a dash of atmospheric ambiance. I feel like they just didn’t know what to do, so let’s do it all.

Track 5: Ancestral I

This starts right out with growls and blast beats. This song really maintains the same groove feel for 4:33 minutes. This is an average song, not above average by any means. This track is really teetering on the fine line of below average and average. Just when I thought the song couldn’t have been any more of a let down, the song ends. This song ended about the same way the HBO series the Sopranos ended. It left me scratching my head only with this I didn’t enjoy it until its final moment.

Track 6: Dehydrate

Nice guitar riff for starters. Wait! It’s over. Blast beats, I will say this, Alan does have talent for being a drummer. The guitars also seem to be talented. I can hear the bass through and Adam sounds pretty decent on drums. I just feel like this album so far was not their best work. I won’t waste your time for a breakdown of this song. It is just average, just like the last one.

Track 7: Monarchy

Ahh! Here we have an interesting beat. A nice guitar riff with a cool groove and a guitar solo to accompany. Then the one dimensional vocals kick in. I really enjoy the atmospheric groove to the song when it is present. The problem is that it diminishes to a death metal feel without any indication.  You have a pleasant groove, everything sounds good and boom! Death metal just kicked the door down and forced its way into the song. I get it they are a metal band but you need to set up these changes so that they are actually enjoyable by people with a lot of background in music.

Track 8: Terrestria II : Thrive

We have a hi-hat pattern and a atmospheric loom bass line with guitars swelling in. Now a cool groove, this has a nice groove to it so far. They set this up better than previous tracks; with how it changes into the distortion and heaviness of the song. Blast beats, a brutal yet atmospheric riff to it. I don’t want to speak to soon but I think we made it to the best track on the album. Guitar solo that fits well, double bass rolling out and a good bass presence. I am enjoying this song very much so far. More than half way through and this song is great with every change no matter how atmospheric, or heavy.  It maintains that great song structure. It does come with a catch though… there are no vocals on this song. No matter how many times we get blast beats and heavy riffing it has a cool feel to it that you can thoroughly enjoy. This is the one song I wish it didn’t end when it did. This is the top track hands down. They should have kept the whole album like this. This song is what makes this album get a better grade.

Track 9: Circles in the Sky

Ominous atmospheric riff, bass line comes in and fades into a distorted guitar solo, no drums yet, but this has a cool feel. A quick drum fill into a heavy drum beat double bass with a bar of a punchy quick double bass set up and the vocals kick in. Not bad though back to having an average sound.   Right around the half-way point it takes on its original cool groove.  The vocals kick back in and they are almost trying to maintain that cool groove while adding in the vocals. The more I listen to this song it does grow on you but I think it is because they are keeping that progressive atmospheric groove to it. This seems to be a much better track than the tracks earlier on.

Track 10: Suntold

This song also starts out with a nice groove, atmospheric and enjoyable to listen to. The vocals kick in around the :45 second mark. Keeping the groove while still keeping it heavy I feel like they found the right formula unfortunately not soon enough. This song is not as great as the previous two tracks but still a solid track to listen to.

After listening to this album I listened to it again and again and again, each time with a different set of headphones and speakers. I understand the concept behind the album, they are continuing with the concept/ storyline with their albums. Cool concept but not exactly original either.

 An album written about a futuristic time where the earth is a barren wasteland. I think I have heard that idea before

I feel as though this album was more of a disappointment, maybe they wanted the vocals to be over shadowed most of the time. If that is the case then they succeeded. However I did not enjoy that aspect of the album.  All in all the majority of the album is average at best, with three songs that were enjoyable. The talent is definitely there, but not their best work in my opinion.

-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

also on The Metal Syndicate \m/

The Anthropocene Extinction out today @cattledecap

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Today marks the day that Cattle decapitation releases The Anthropocene Extinction. I have streamed the whole album in length and I must say this is an amazing album. The whole album delivers  brutal death metal and it seems like they really put some thought into this album.  If you are looking to stream it,  I would suggest checking out Cattle Decapitation on spotify

I will indefinitely be doing an album review for this, however I really just have to enjoy the album and pick up my favorite spots through out, the vocals the drums .

So stick around, check out the album go to your local music store, and buy it.  Order it on itunes  just don’t miss out on this album.

-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com