Tag: misery index

Misery Index – Rituals Of Power- Album Review 9/10 \m/

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Rituals Of Power

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 Out 03/08/2019

Track listing:

  • Universal Truths
  • Decline and Fall
  • The Choir Invisible
  • New Salem
  • Hammering the Nails
  • Rituals of Power
  • They always come back
  • I Disavow
  • Naysayer
  • Wasting Away (Nailbomb cover)
  • Man Of Your Dreams ( M.O.D. cover Feat. Rob Barret III)

By definition , the misery index is an economic indicator. One created by economist Arthur Okun. The index helps measure how the average citizen is doing economically and it is calculated by adding the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to the annual inflation rate. It is based on the assumption that both a higher rate of unemployment and a worsening of inflation create economic and social costs for a country. The band also gets their name from the 1997 Assück album by the same Name.

This album is an absolute crusher, much like Misery Index’s previous albums it has  blunt thought provoking lyrical content about the world we live in.  There is something unique about this album though, feels like they are playing not just heavier but deeper. They aren’t littering the tracks with polarizing blast beats, and they also have two cover songs; Wasting Away (Nailbomb cover) and Man of your Dreams (M.O.D. – Method of Destruction cover feat @Rob Barrett Iii of Cannibal Corpse). This is something we have not really gotten from Misery Index since the Discordia album. Now don’t get me wrong, that does not mean this is an album to pass on. I will argue that there is no such musical release by this powerhouse of a band worth passing on. They have come a long way since tracks like Angst Isst Die Seele Auf off of Retaliate. Rituals of Power boasts big sound, and the blend of death grind, with such noticeable groove is actually quite pleasing to the ears. I love blast beats and fast tempos, but Misery Index proves that it is not all about blast beats these days.  For review, I am only covering the nine songs that are not covers. However, it is worth mentioning that they do an absolute killer job on the cover tracks.

Universal truths-  This is a borderline introductory track. It starts out with the guitars and drums playing a slightly dissonant style, slowly building up a rhythm and continue to build until the 1-minute mark when the vocals come in. In typical fashion; the vocals are crushing low growls that escalate subtlety. It has about half the speed of many of earlier Misery Index songs, but I would be damned if I said it wasn’t 100 percent as brutal. I mean the last line of the song is  ” A fundamental flaw, a system overload of means without ends. We reap what we deserve” never to stray away from the blunt truth Netherton has a way of writing lyrics that have the same impact of getting punched right in the nose. Straight to the point, no filler or fluff, just right to the point without any sugar coating.  This is just the type of song you can listen to and get yourself warmed up for the rest of the album. At only two and a half minutes long, this track is simply the setup, a damn good set up at that. from a line in the booklet ” Truth sells, but who’s buying?”

Decline and Fall– Universal Truths rolls right into Decline and Fall, with rapid-fire blast beats, and a grinding riff that the listener will certainly appreciate. I find myself really digging the chorus of the song with the gang vocals in unison shouting “DECLINE AND FALL!” Misery Index do not use this style in all of their songs, but when they do there is this insatiable urge for the listener to join in. Similar to the track Traitors you just can’t help yourself because the song hooks you early and by the time the gang vocals begin you are feeling like you are at a Misery Index show and feeling that you are in the right place at the right time. Its not until the 3:00 minute mark that they slow things down, and then the groove begins where you find yourself nodding with enjoyment of the killer down tempo riff and vocals. This is one of the songs off the album, which will surely be a fan favorite.

The Choir Invisible- This is one of the tracks they released as a single, in the form of both a lyric video but also Adam Jarvis did a playthrough with Sickdrummer magazine. The set up feels like a classic M.I. set up, good drum and guitar into until the bass drum roll and then the vocals begin. If you aren’t hooked by the thirty second mark then you might not be a fan of metal. Because M.I. do not try to reinvent the wheel, they have a formula that works, and it works everytime. Its all in the sound and style they have solidified as their modus operandi.  Grinding guitars,  powerful blast beats, and vocals matched with lyrical content that is meant to have an impact. For one of the worlds best death grind bands, their lyrics are unconventional with typical metal. This is one of many of the songs on the album with that lyrical impact, if you don’t find yourself thinking about the words and what they mean. Then you are probably only interested in blast beats and fast tempos, not how powerful the song actually is behind the riffs and drums. Right around the 2: 17 mark they transition in to a menacing slow roll like a bulldozer chugging along and clearing everything in its path. Unrelenting power, with a criminally insane sound.  Right around the 3: 22 mark they grace us with a smooth guitar solo that can eclipse tech death shredders by using simplicity and the delivery is what makes it top notch for the listeners.

New Salem- Now here is a song that everyone living in the world today should be able to relate to. Again M.I. have thought behind their lyrics and are not designed for shock value, but are more thought provoking. This song was the first single they released, and a damn good single to premier the album with. It is one of the shorter songs, but packs a shit ton of grind and groove into it. when the vocals kick in the drums go right into a rolling battering ram. Guitars are grinding with that buzz-saw distortion and the song maintains a constant feeling of aggression and chaotic modern times. This is one of the most infectious songs they have put out to date in my opinion. I would not say it is my all time favorite M.I. song because lets face it they constantly raise the bar, but maintain their unique sound. If you’re looking for blast beats and guitar shredding, than this is a song for you. I challenge anyone to listen to this song and not move a muscle by the two minute mark. I know I cant help myself, I’m tapping my desk, playing the air drums and really enjoying the feeling this song provides. Like it or not, you will be amped up by the end of the song without fail.

Hammering The Nails- Now this is probably my favorite track off the album. The beginning is exactly what you have heard from previous albums. Simple but strong set up for the guitar to join in, and then the vocals kick in for the first verse. Just listening to the guitars with the vocals is absolutely infectious.  This also showcases what I have been saying about Adam Jarvis for years. The guy can play unwavering blast beats with power. Not a single “ping” from the snare because he missed his target or held back. Yet he also is not limited to blast beats like some drummers out there.  This song has a small amount of blasts and it shows his diversity on the drums. The drums compliment everything about this song perfectly, so much so, that if the song was riddled with blast beats it would not sound right at all. The guitars are top notch as well, the guitars at the :16 second mark lure you right into the first verse willingly and before you know it you are singing along to “Hammering the nails down! As we each die clinging to the lies that hold our world in place!” Good god almighty this is a Misery Index song that will appeal to everyone Misery Index fan or not. hands down this is one of my favorite tracks off the album, it has gotten the most spins and has the classic Misery Index feel I love. I am however wondering if its a slight play on words from their Compilation titled “Pulling Out The Nails”.

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Rituals of Power- Alas, the title track of the album, and what a banger it is. The song is the embodiment death-grind, a sound that is beyond compare, paramount, so well blended that they never need to stray from that sound. The sound is like classic death metal and grind mashed through a meat grinder.  The intro with the guitars and drums really set up the pace of the song. They provide a menacing feel right up to the first vocalization on the mic. How can one listen to this track and not feel the power behind the instruments? The chorus alone has me feeling as if I am unstoppable. And I cannot control my urge to sing along; “With a concrete stare, RITUALS OF POWER! The dead eyes of the past, RITUALS OF POWER! Up to the gates of Armageddon RITUALS OF POWER! Until we’re all one with the dust, RITUALS OF POWER!”  It has an anthemic death grind feel about it, I never thought I would use those words together, but I’m not surprised that I was able to when writing about Misery Index. Transitioning around three minute mark, the song takes on a slower feel, with a simple and effective solo. It all blends in well to go back to that guitar solo before wrapping things up by looping back to the rhythm at the beginning of the song.

They Always Come Back- This song is so direct, they don’t pussyfoot around things on this track. It has a brief set up and they get right into the first verse rather quickly. Adam sets everything in motion with a snare bass pattern that welcomes the buzz-saw guitars and then the opening line “these bastards never die!” Like some of the previous tracks it features those gang style vocals we do not always expect from the M.I. crew, yet they are perfect. I would list this as one of the songs on the album, that breaks out of the mold from previous albums. Not a single blast beat that I could detect, slightly slower pace, and gang vocals, these are not typical of Misery Index. Nevertheless, I love it; they have not changed their sound at all, not one bit. They simply have adapted their delivery to correspond with the lyrical theme and the state of the world we find ourselves living in today. If you had told me 10 years ago, that Misery Index would put out a song with zero blast beats in it, I would have called bullshit. Because it was such a noticeable characteristic of  earlier Misery Index drums. However, it feels right, it absolutely feels right.

I Disavow- Many of you heard this track when they put out the single earlier in 2018; this I would say was a great track to have put out that early. In the beginning, the guitars whip up a grinding driving riff that sets up Adams blast beats in spectacular fashion. If the first ten seconds of this song do not hook you then either you are not using the right speakers/headphones or you are doing it wrong somehow. This paves the way for a cool melodic guitar solo around the 1:44 mark that is simple yet so perfect for the next phase around 2:10 when both guitars are syncopated and mesmerizing with a short shred fest before going right into that infectious driving rhythm from early in the song. Right around the 3:28 mark, they break down to a killer slow, punchy section that causes an unavoidable eruption of fist pumping,  headbanging destruction.

Naysayer- This is going to be that one chaotic blast beat filled track that is a fast paced whirlwind of grinding guitars. This is the only track that lyrical content was contributed by both Netherton and Kloeppel. That intrigues me, because there are not that many bands who have two people handling vocal duties, who both have a pretty closely matching style and delivery. Misery Index does, and that’s something I have always loved about this band. The vocals are on point, Jason and Mark don’t look for whats socially acceptable or popular for vocal styles. They just do their own thing, which together is a great blend of mids and lows. Together that vocal delivery fits the driving death-grind rhythm of this song perfectly.  This song is what i call the anchor track, every album Misery Index puts out, has a killer song at the end. its not always a fast song, or slow. it may or may not be riddled with blast beats, but the one thing that is consistent is the impact from the song. this is the shortest song on the album, and they jam pack this song with a ton of sound.  I challenge you to not move a muscle when you reach the 1:24 mark.  as it sets up this killer driving rhythm, no solos or anything just solid riffs and fast drums. there isn’t a single bland moment in the song. They pummel you with 210 beats per minute and never hold back.

As for the two cover tracks, all I can say is they do a killer job on them. I mean any cover Misery Index has done, has never been a disappointment. They have never half-assed a single thing these guys have ever done. I wont be reviewing these tracks as they are not Misery Index originals, but it is worth mentioning that they are killer renditions of two already awesome songs. Man Of Your Dreams has Rob Barret handling vocals which is such an interesting sound. to hear Misery Index the band play another bands song, with someone else doing vocals not in Misery Index, and not even growling vocals.  its pretty fucking cool to listen to.

In conclusion this album is a solid addition to the Misery Index catalog. It has a mature sound and great production quality. Yet one thing is for certain, I will never have the opportunity to say anything bad about this band. They have never provided that opportunity, and I feel there is a very good reason for that. For starters, the two guitarists Mark, and Darin.  Mark is such a well spoken individual with great talent, and killer vocals that compliment Jason’s vocals. He works for extreme management group and is one of the coolest cats you will meet. Darin is probably the quietest of the bunch and has some mystery behind him. However I have listened and have spoken to people from other death metal bands who have named Darin as the reason they got into metal. That he introduced death metal bands to them and if it wasn’t for Darin, they would not be where they are at today. Also worth mentioning a lot of those killer guitar solos you hear are Darin, and to watch him play on stage is like watching an athlete have the best game of their life. He comes alive on stage and after the show is over, he looks and acts like he had a great night. Almost as if he wasn’t the one on stage, but one of us in the crowd enjoying the show.  Adam, one of my all time favorite drummers. Adam is in a small handful of bands, frequently mentioned among Facebook groups for drums, and also appears on sites like SickDrummerMagazine. I will always point out that there are not always a need for blast beats. I love some hearty blast beat filled songs, but not all songs need them. And not all drummers are even good at them. but I find usually those are the “weak” sounding ones, like the drummer cannot maintain blasts for a long period, or there is little power behind the blasts so the sound is not consistent.  Adam’s blasts are just like regular blast beats, except that they have brute force behind them. I am always surprised by drummer who can deliver super sonic blasts, but always disappointed when they sound a little weaker and are less distinguished than the rest of the snare hits. Adam doesn’t hold back, and he doesn’t need to impress anyone with how fast he can blast, because whether they are rapid fire or not, the volume and intensity is the same. Consistency rings true with his drumming style. He is consistently accurate, fast, powerful and impressive. Not to mention all his other bands his style may change with the genre, but his consistency never does. And just like the rest of the guys, he is absolutely humble, and will talk to anyone who calls themselves a fan. Last but definitely not least is Jason Netherton, this is a name that every metal head should know. Not only a founding member of Misery Index, but also a founding member of Dying Fetus. He has been touring for about 23 years, and is a world traveler because of his music. He is also educated, not that it means typical metal band members are not. what I mean is, he’s not JUST educated, he has actually spoken at metal conferences. He is an icon, a death metal icon, yet the guy is one of the most humble people you will meet. Someone who has been in two major metal bands, written at least one book that I know of, and has spoken at a metal conference in Finland. One of the most business oriented, yet laid back and humble individuals I have ever met. When I think of a death metal supergroup I cant help but feel the need to put Misery Index in that bracket. This album is proof that they aren’t going to try and mix things up to appeal to more people. They aren’t about to change anything about their winning formula. Instead they are going to continue to raise the bar, tour the world, reach the masses, and make thought provoking death-grind like it has never been done before.  This album gets a 9/10 \m/ from me, hands down. If I said it was a 10/10 no one would believe me, but this is one of my favorite albums by them yet.  I had Heirs to Thievery in my car CD player for a solid 3 years without ever taking it out. I didn’t think any album would top that, until they put out The Killing Gods, and now Rituals Of Power takes Misery Index to the next level.

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Or check out their website HERE:  http://www.miseryindex.com/

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-Badger \m/

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

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Pestilent Reign – Pyres Album Review- 8.5/10 \m/

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Pestilent Reign

Pestilent Reign album art

Pyres

Chris – Vocals, Lyrics;
Lars – Guitar, Songwriting;
Sebastian – Drums
Mick – Bass

Released 03/16/2018
Rising Nemesis Records

Stuttgart grinding death metal  unit Pestilent Reign dropped this album on 03/16/2018, and holy hell does it deliver.  Its going to (if it hasn’t already) grind you up, and spit you out. Your ear holes will thank you I am sure of it, but don’t think it doesn’t come with a price. Pestilent Reign set out to assault the listener with a barrage of audio artillery. Mission accomplished as far as I am concerned, they do just that and much more.  their blend of death metal walks the lines of grind and death metal. but I wouldn’t call them a death grind band.  They make produce a gritty and deathly sounding style of metal. Having gotten more plays than most of the albums I have gotten early this year, this one stands out.  Pyres doesn’t fit any cookie cutter mold, there is nothing cliche sounding about them, and they sure as fuck don’t pussy foot around things either. Zealot is a great example of that.   Lets break it down.

  1. Martyr

This song begins with a sound clip and gets things started within only a few seconds, simply laying down a nice rhythm and something to get hooked by. the chugging guitar riff around the thirty second mark is what draws the listener in first, and then they pick up the pace with vocals joining in and the beat has that. This song gives me a Misery Index feel to it, the vocals have that similar delivery style. But it doesn’t take me too far into the song before I get a Psycroptic vibe from it also. This is like technical death grind and I fucking love it. If this is how the album will begin I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album. Right around the 3:30 mark they set things up for a killer breakdown, while I feel they added that bass drop after the bell hit and it took away some credibility. I hate the bass drop thing but they very very quickly recover with the guitars that almost match a track off of Aborted’s “Strychnine 213” album.  Just a driving guitar rhythm and drums to match and I think it carries the song out and into the next song great.

2. You Will Kneel In Piss And Blood

Damn, Martyr rolls right into this and this one takes right off, with a more guttural tone to the vocals and its absolutely brutal sounding.  Get to that :12 second mark and you can hear the ping of the ride and that subtle bit of change around the kit adds just a little bit more of a hook to sink into the listener.  It’s around 180 BPM of constant crushing force, the guitars are chugging along, until around the 1:20 mark and there is a little section where they are transitioning into the next verse that is quite catchy. With one of my favorite things that some vocalists do happening right around the1:44 mark. That vomit spitting exclamation that when done well and at the right time. Is almost like having another instrument.  For anyone who says a vocalist is just someone on a microphone. They don’t take into consideration all the different ranges, and tools that a vocalist has with their own set of vocal chords.   This song is so simple, but so catchy. You can’t help but move in time with the song.  it’s a catchy track. I will say it is only about three and a half minutes long. You will get hooked right away, but it will be over before you wish it was.

3. Savior

This may be my favorite song off this album.  The song has such a simple beginning and a simple formula, but the energy is there, the guitars string you along with the chugging riffs at the :28 mark and then the lead guitar come in at the :37 mark that sinks its hooks right into you. and that’s all they continuously do, they play a simple rhythm, nothing complex, but they mix in great guitar work in and out of the song.  It seems like every time I check the time only about 10-20 seconds goes by before the next guitar line that pleasures my ear holes. This song has a bit more of melodic edge to it at times. The magic that begins right around the 2-minute mark sets up a very nice thirty second section. A nice bell hit on the 2:04 to set up that cool sequence of guitars and drums no vocals. Right at 2:30 the vocals join in again and bulldoze right through each lyrical line for just over thirty seconds and then we get a quick guitar solo to take us into the next wave of the song.

 

4. Ouroboros

Boom right out of the gate with that vocal vomit “Blech” and blast beats with a driving riff to take us into the first verse.  its hitting at around 210 beats per minutes and has such a catchy yet driving rhythm. This is a song that you just start moving to right away. But its right around the 1:18 mark when these guys really deliver a style reminiscent of Misery Index.  I have gotten the Misery Index feel the whole time, but this moment really emphasizes that. Considering Misery Index is one of my favorite bands you can best believe this is hitting me with impressive force. Don’t forget that guitar solo around the 2:45 mark that for being around eighteen seconds long is perfect. It’s not too long of a solo, it’s not to flashy either. Its catchy, long enough and adds just enough to the song to really enjoy this one from start to finish with ease. It’s a very simple track but the intensity is top notch.

 

5. Cleanse The Flesh

This song sounds like a Misery Index track right out of the gate, simple drum set up and then that grinding guitar riff that instantly makes me start mean mugging it. I love the raw aggressive vocal style with this track. There is no pussy fitting around with this song, it’s the shortest track, the bluntest and coarse sounding also. I think you as the listener should listen to this track for yourself to get the full effect.  Three minutes and change long, raw, grinding, and infectious.

 

6. Zealot

Damn this song is one of my faves off this album. It begins with what seems like a very simple beginning. A chugging riff matched with a drum intro matching the rhythm.  by the time the vocals join in. This is a song that in the beginning reminds me of Misery Index. the raw, and aggressive vocal stylings, blended with blast beats and the guitars are on point. Right around the 5: 20 mark this song could strike a nerve with many metal heads as it has a clip from Steven Anderson, leader of the Faithful Word Baptist Church at 2741 W Southern Ave #14, Tempe, AZ 85282 talking about the Paris nightclub shooting that happened during an “Eagles of Death metal” show.   You know because the eagles of death metal or a heavy Satan loving bunch of blasphemers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIwJ872CbME. At the time of this review being written, this video was still available. I guess it finally got through to the guy that he is a blithering idiot. During and after the asinine rantings of Anderson, the band gets into a really cool section, full of groove and having more of a melodic death feel. a sound and style that will suck you right in and then the guitar solo to take you from 5:59 through to the end of the song wrapping this one up nicely. This is my most played track,  I’m reluctant to say the best song of the album. but boy does this song have a killer affect on me as a listener.

7. I.M.T.R.M.

Starting with a bulldozing double bass roll and chugging guitars and the vocals set up the beginning nicely along with the guitars and drums.  Right around the :10 second mark you hear that ping of the ride bell and then shortly after its right into the first verse. they maintain the same drive throughout the song until right around the halfway point, which I would consider to be the chorus section. It’s more melodic than any of the other previous tracks or sections.  They come out of that chorus and go into the next verse which doesn’t last all that long, but finishes the song out with one last “blech” and then it rolls right into Gutters filth. This is not my most played or even favorite song, but it has a good deal to offer.  I am really unable to say that there are any bad songs, or songs I  didn’t like.

8. Gutter’s Filth

Coming right out of the gates they hit us with a fifteen second set up to get things going, and it’s not until the :32 second mark the guitars change into a menacing riff that only leads me to believe the next section is going to be fucking awesome. And it is, the guitars and vocals are flowing together perfectly. Right at the :48 mark when they vocals come in they are rapid fire following the beat of the song. they rip the shit out of you for about twenty seconds and then slow it down to a brutal show of confidence with the seamless change and the Goliath-like vocals to bludgeon and hammer you down.  Around the 1:52 they work back into that rapid fire vocal delivery fueled to the max with unrelenting blast beats.  Right around the three-minute mark they change things up with what reminds me of Redneck Era Lamb of God until they are just about to the four-minute mark.  That last minute and change  is this rapid fire section with the guitars sounding simply un-containable. They just slice right though you and you can’t help but sit, wait for the album to restart and start the whole ride all over again.

For fans of Misery Index, Soreption, Psycroptic.  Leng Tche, and Aborted

 

This album is so damned good. I have had so many mixed feelings about this album and they all revolve around which track I would consider to be the best track on the album. This is their debut full length and it is simply put, a filthy beast. Absolutely crushing and as mentioned above is for fans of Misery Index and Psycroptic. I could hear little moments that reminded me of Aborted from their Strychnine 213 album, I have heard a multitude of influences and what I can say is they put it all together and made something brilliant. I can tell you this will be one of my most played albums of 2018 and for good reason. Not every track sounds the same, and there isn’t a single dull moment in the entire album. Not a single second of bland, mediocre, or stale sound, its raw, its aggressive, and by the sounds of it they will fuck your shit right up if you aren’t quick enough to dodge this haymaker of a heavy hitting album.  8.5/10 \m/

 

Links:

Bandcamp – https://risingnemesisrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pyres

Facebook –  https://www.facebook.com/Pestilentreign/

Website – http://www.pestilentreign.de/

The Rising Nemesis Records Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/RNRecords/

 

 

-Badger \m/

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

 

 

 

 

The Devil’s Due- December 26th- Asphalt Graves- The New Primitive- Album review 8/10\m/ album stream plus video for “Angst And Praise”

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Asphalt Graves

The New Primitive

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Released June 24, 2016

Jason Netherton – Vocals
Adam Faris – Guitars
Brent Purgason – Bass Guitar
Shannon Lucas – Drums

 

 

Today the devil has brought us one of our favorite albums of 2016. It came out and really did not get the attention it deserved.  There are several reason why this album is one of the best, and deserves credit.  Let’s start with the borderline supergroup line up. First and foremost you have Jason Netherton on vocals. you know from Dying Fetus, and Misery Index, yea the guy knows metal, has actually given a presentation in Finland at the Modern Heavy Metal conference with notable names in metal like Scott Ian and many more. So my point being, Jason is a very important person in metal culture and had even put together a book on a look at the history of metal over the years. So yea the guy has taken metal to many extremes and documented them all.  Now you throw in Shannon Lucas and you have the guy behind several BDM classics, and an all-around solid drummer.  I mean these are only two members but they all come from bands like; GWAR, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Misery Index/ Dying Fetus.  Driven and heavy brutal death/grind mashed up into a solid album with 13 tracks of blasting chaos. I will note, that while Misery Index is one of my all-time favorite bands, listening to Asphalt Graves is like listening to early Misery Index. Jason sounds more raw, and unfiltered. The guitars have that buzz saw distortion and are nailing down catchy rhythms in between face disfiguring brutal riffs. This album did not get enough credit, I felt I needed to revisit this album because it is just too damn good to leave unmentioned. Personal favorite tracks include; No Feast (Without Cruelty), Mass Graves, and Stop Resisting. We absolutely loved this album and look forward to more from this killer collaboration. 8/10\m/

 

 

 

 

 

If you are digging this and like what you hear, then head over to their BANDCAMP page and grab your copy

Show them some love on FACEBOOk with a good ol fashioned thumbs up!

 

-Badger \m/

 

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

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

God Enslavement’s debut album “Consuming The Divine ” review

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God Enslavement

Consuming the Divine

Vincent Matthews – vocals
Björn Köppler – rhythm and lead guitars
Déhà – rhythm and lead guitars
Kevin Olasz – solo guitars
Julian Roos – bass
Adam Jarvis – drums

 

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  1. Sine Nomine Sum

This song is the introduction track, this is the introduction to not only the album, but the band as well. A fresh band with some key players in the metal game, this is the first thing you hear from God Enslavement. It has a dark operatic feel to it, setting the scene while you listen. You know in your gut, that what is about to follow is going to pummel you, it will fragmentalize you into a pulpy mass beyond recognition. Prepare yourselves for track two.

 

  1. Belial Within

This is the first time you will hear God Enslavement, and they come in hard and fast with this track. We hear Adam play a quick roll out on the toms and then a mean guitar riff chugging right along with the tempo. It has an old school death metal feel to it, guaranteed to make you headbang within the first five seconds of the song play. When the vocals come in around the twelve second mark we hear the sound of Vince Mathews on the mic. He has a distinct style and it fits this style to a “T”. The song propels your adrenaline levels and will get you moving whether you want to or not. This song is a mere 3:33 minutes long and is like an open water feeding frenzy. Right at the :50 second mark there is a quick little transition and then the rhythm that follows is intense, the guitars match the drums perfectly, but don’t think it was going to maintain that specific pace and beat for the whole song. No they take it to a brutal low with a diabolical growl at the 1:21 mark and it slows down for a punchy bludgeoning rhythm. Just when you thought the song couldn’t get any heavier, you hear the song set things up just before the 1:30 mark, and then you hear one the most brutal moments in metal of 2016. This is the type of brutal metal, that when you hear Vince’s vocal delivery, you can’t help but get excited. Because you just got blown away by how evil and brutal the song sounds with Vince hitting and emphasizing each syllable with brute force. This is the first song, and will make metal heads from every continent throw their horns up. For the metal heads like me, that grew up listening to death grind from back when, to the younger generations of metal heads who haven’t heard death grind done right God Enslavement will appeal to the masses.

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  1. Consuming The Divine

The band wastes no time with this song, there is no beating around the bush, or trying to allow the listener to get acclimated to the 666 Kiloton blast coming from Adams drums and Vince’s vocals. All the while the guitars are spinning an evil web of this infectious riff that will have you falling victim to the groove. The song has a great beat to it, forcing you to be tapping your foot, or head banging. If this song was to play at a club, well let’s put it this way, a full medical team and triage center should be set up for the aftermath of what most likely will be the end result of all the bodies violently colliding into each other. This is some brutal fast paced unfiltered death grind, and will leave you ravenous for more. This song doesn’t need any highlighted moments, it has start to finish brutality and ends almost the same way the song begins, straight up, and no chaser.

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  1. God Enslavement

The guitars and drums start this song with a cool rhythm, something to get you acclimated, nothing over the top. That’s not what these guys are doing here, nope not at all. This song is a slower paced, brutal bare fisted enforcer, of a song. Right around the: 18 mark Vince joins in, delivering guttural assault right along with the beat. They lay down thick groove with this track, leaving you involuntarily headbanging. The 1:25 mark they play this riff on the guitars, nothing over the top but when you hear it. You lock right in, like you are on the same wavelength as these guys. Vince’s vocals fit perfectly with that beat, and really adds to the heaviness of the song. Aside from Adams blast beats, this song is like a god damn M4A4 Sherman tank, not a blazing fast song, no it’s a slower roll right over and crush you type of song. Songs like these are the gift from the band, the gift that allows you to catch your breath, count your teeth, and grab a drink because the rest of this album is going to leave you with an unquenchable thirst.

 

  1. Ritual Copulation

The beginning of this emphasizes some old school death, right around the :18 mark when Vince comes in with the vocals, I can’t help but think of “Stop at Nothing” one of my favorite Dying Fetus albums. I mean I will not take anything away from all members of this band, not at all. I love metal and will always tell you how I feel about a song. This song is a song that makes me focus a lot on Vince. He has this sound, one you can pick out of a crowd of vocalists. He has a specific style of vocals delivery, the guy has this sound like a demonic angle grinder. With a mic in hand, he can cut through you or grind you down to nothing.  Isolate Vince for a moment and you understand what I am saying. Now add the rest of the band in and you have this brutal song with a groove, just pay attention to the 2:00 minute mark when you hear Deha chugging along, and Björn attacking your auditory senses with his guitar work. That heavy groove filled section will cause uncontrollable violent outbursts of any and every limb not tied down. Metaphorically this song is like strapping you to a deli slicer and taking you down slice by slice starting feet first, yet you still be throwing up those horns \m/ or playing air guitar around the 3:16 mark. Either way, after listening to this song you will feel the uncontrollable temptation to repeat this song. This song shows the range that Vince possesses, from the guttural death metal lows, to the grind influences. This is for me, is the best I have ever heard Vince, and that statement right there is what makes this one of the best releases happening in 2016.

  1. Enlightenment

Yes, yes, yes, this song starts out with an intensity that we just don’t hear any enough of. This beginning is unbelievable. Just listen to the guitars grinding away a menacing riff all the while Adam is tearing shit up like he’s a god damn machine. Right at the :08 second mark, Vince lets out a short vocal burst and at that moment you realize this song is going to decimate all that  will listen to it. That shit gets me amped up right there. Not all vocalists possess that classic metal trait, the short blurt, grunt, growl whatever you want to call it, you know in that moment, Vince is one of the guys that executes it perfectly each time. When you hear the beginning, you know you are in for a wild ride. It has this brutal set up, Vince grips the mic and the band locks down a groove. After that, there is no turning back. This song should come with a disclaimer, a warning of sorts. Really! This song is what you listen to right before you are about to throw down. One doesn’t listen to this song without getting amped up and ready to throw down. The whole beginning gets you amped up, and then the guitar riff at the :25 second mark is infectious, and only gets better as the song continues to play. It cuts right through you without any hesitation whatsoever. It’s far too early to say this is my favorite track, but this will be a fan favorite when all is said and done. Early in the song, they hold true to their unmatched brutality, the :40 second mark holds some heavy hitting blows. Just listen to those guitars, and then the blast beats. By the 1:15 mark the guitars and drums set things up for a catchy yet punishing section.  You can’t help but move to the music right there. There is no explanation except that your body is not used to music this brutal, and surgically precise. Just when you thought these guys had shown all their cards, the 4:13 minute mark we hear some eerie organs straight out of a Vincent Price movie. One can only hope that this song gets played live. Scratch that, one can hope these guys play out live, because based on this album, the writing of the music, to see them would be a no brainer for any fans of death metal.

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  1. The dysfunctional Creation

It’s songs like this that always makes me spin it a few times before I even think about reviewing it. The song starts out slower yet so heavy and quite brutal. It gives you this feeling that someone is about to meet their maker. This intro is only about ten seconds long, but it’s long enough to really give this dark, pure evil vibe about it. The blasts begin and the guitars continue playing the groove filled riff that starts the song. The vocals coming in right around the :10 second mark, they come in with this demonically heavy delivery, which follows the guitars. The first verse is undeniably catchy, and follows right along with the guitars accenting the groove that they lay down. They come out of the first verse in similar fashion as the introduction, to the beginning the second verse. I can’t get over this song beginning, it is so damn heavy hitting, and then they roll right into a change of pace at the :53 mark picking up the tempo. Giving it this thrash feel and throwing  some grind in the mix. Only for Kevin to give us the gift of a guitar solo at the 1:11 mark and shredding for close to thirty seconds, transitioning back to the rhythm for the first verses. Not only do they spring one guitar solo on us, but they do it again after the halfway point of the track. This is such a bad ass track. If I didn’t know better I’d say this song cannot be topped. However the album has increasingly gotten more brutal, more in depth, the groove gets thicker each time, and the rhythms are infectious.Right at the tail end of the second guitar solo at the 2:35 minute mark Vince joins in with a catchy line while the solo rings out.  The 3:00 minute mark takes us down a road of pure, unfiltered death metal groove, just listen to Vince executing those lyrics right with the beat. This moment in the song will get people moving fast and hard, that much can be said for certain. The way Vince is pulling off the lyrics for the remainder of this section is nothing short of infectious. Really making you want to sing along as this moment right here. as far as song endings go well the last minute of the song is brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

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  1. Katharsis Through Decapitation

The beginning of this song gives of a vibe like you are marching to the executioner awaiting your turn to become a foot shorter. This ten second intro really lays down the pace and locks in a groove. Just listen to the guitar riff trading off with Adam’s fills for the first ten seconds of the song, and you will know what I mean. Then the rhythm continues and Adam plays a solid few bars of soul crushing blast beats setting the song up for Vince to join the party with his demonic guttural vocal delivery.   The general tempo is right around 220 BPM, and 110% rock solid death metal with a groove you can’t ignore. Right around the thirty second mark they go from verse to and transitions out with a sinister rhythm. This song is a great example of why Vince Mathews is the right vocalist for the job. Rapid fire, demonically low guttural vocals that cut right through you. The only thing to top the brutality of this is right around the 2:00 mark the song takes a most satisfying turn with the bridge. Holy shit is this song going to be my favorite almost based on that, and that moment alone. This song is heavy hitting, it has everything you are looking for out of a death metal band, no frills, no sugar coating anything. This is some old school death metal at its finest. This will be a track that will stick out to many, and will be a fan favorite. This song has that ominous march in the beginning that feels like a one way trip to the fallbeil (guillotine) and the song only gets better along the way.

 

  1. Ungodly Opposition

I love the introduction of this song, a heavy thirty plus seconds of killer guitars and hard hitting drums. When Vince joins in and the song takes shape they kick it into high gear, by picking up the pace. This is an excellent song to be following Katharsis. The whole time Adam is relentlessly hammering away with the double bass, only a few moments he is not playing blistering blast beats, or decimating double bass. The guy is a force to be reckoned with, and the more I listen to not just this song, but this album. The more I believe they couldn’t have any drummer that fits as well as Adam. Right around the 1:14 mark a strategically placed shredding guitar solo really hits the spot. This song is short and to the point at just under three minutes long you get locked in a groove, get your ass kicked by some malicious rapid fire drums, and get to enjoy an old school death guitar solo.

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  1. Insatiable Hunger

This is the type of song that right from the beginning you are headbanging, following that beginning rhythm and waiting to see just how brutal will this song become. By the :22 mark Vince joins the assault with his vocals, and makes the already established groove, just that much more solid. The energy level of this song is up there, and really fits the title of the track perfectly. The song is brutal, and right around the 1:56 mark they bring their game. For about a minute and a half we hear some really fucking cool guitar work from the melodic beginning of the guitar solo, following it the solo progresses and picks up. This is such a killer section of the song, just this section alone could be its own song that’s how good it is. Adam compliments the guitars by locking the beat in, and keeping the momentum going while Kevin’s solo is capturing our attention, mesmerizing us and carrying the listener to another world. Only to drop the listener right back into some brutal death metal to finish the song up.

  1. Itneris

At last we have the final track, it is like something you would hear from a horror movie. It adds imagery to the album, and for people like me I love a track like this that finishes the album with something that sounds like pure concentrated evil.

 

 

How does one not rate this album as a 10/10? There is not a single track that bores you. Shit I could play the first 25 seconds of “Enlightenment” on a loop that’s how bad ass just one track out of the entire album is. This is an album that will blow you away, there isn’t any band playing anything like this right now. For a debut album, they are raising the bar so high, it will be one of those albums that when you listen to it, you are going to remember when you hear God Enslavement for the first time. For many like me, you will listen to this and hope that these guys play in a live setting because the formula is impeccable. For many, this will be an iconic album, an album that when you hear it, it’s like you are hearing something new for the first time. Nothing about this album makes you want to skip to the next track unless you are so excited listening that you can’t wait in that case, I get it. But what I noticed was how many times I was repeating the songs. As well as how I would repeat a song and find something else that blew me away. You get caught up in how brilliant this album is, that you miss a few areas of killer metal. This album is some real death metal fused together with some subtle thrash and grind influences. If you are looking for something that’s going to sound like everything out there, then be prepared, because it doesn’t. Now I’m not going to say you won’t like it based on that, but you are going to hear something brutal and heavy that you may not be prepared for. Adam’s unmatched drumming, between Bjorn and Déhà the guitars manage to rip into you with some killer riffs, and then throw Julien into the mix and the three lock down a groove. I am always looking for that groove, it’s what really makes a song work. It is what gets you head banging, tapping your foot, it gives you that feeling inside where you are feeling damn good about what you are listening to. That groove is important to the music, without it, you have uncontrolled chaos. Throw the distinct vocal stylings of Vince Mathews (you may not know him by name, but if you have heard him before you can pick him out pretty easily) and you have a winning formula. Whoever thought taking all these members and putting them together to make an album is someone who will become a bigger name in metal.  Every one of these members comes from a killer band/background, so what we have here is a small handful of some great musicians playing some brilliant impressive and brutal death metal.

 

 

You will want to go and like their FACEBOOK page by clicking HERE

Head on over to Pre-Order the album HERE \m/

And feel free to check out the members other projects also.

Pig Destroyer

Misery Index

Maladie

Yhdarl

Shattered

Criminal Element

Deadborn

Effloresce

Sources Of I

Lebenssucht

 

-Badger \m/

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

The World wide premier of Belial Within by God Enslavement + interview with Björn Köppler

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Metal Heads every where, have you been looking for some serious, heavy, blast filled anger fueled death-grind done right? I’m talking an allstar lineup consisting of the precision power house human drum machine Adam Jarvis, the brilliant guitar and song writing skills of Björn Köppler, the vicious raw vocal delivery of Vince Mathews, laying down the bass is  Julien Roos, and then  on top of that you have, Deha, and Kevin Olazs also on guitars giving this band the added edge to absolutely blow your mind. Together they create  some of the heaviest hitting artillery and making death grind like we haven’t heard in ages, unfiltered, and with meticulous yet brute force. I introduce to you, God Enslavement, the band that has come to do exactly what so few have been able to pull off. I had a chance to catch up with Björn Köppler and talk to him about God Enslavement, from the song writing, to the killer line up, and  what we can expect from God Enslavement he was even kind enough to reply in both English, and German for all metal heads reading this. Check out this short interview and then get the first listen to GOD ENSLAVEMENT \m/

 

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So Björn, what influenced you to create God Enslavement? You play for Maladie also, and just released a new album in 2015, so was the time just right, and is this something you have wanted to do for a while?

 

Hey Brian,

well, actually I had been writing this record for my old band Tombthroat. But after I had gotten very sick, we just couldn’t keep the band as alive as my past band mates had wished to. After much back and forth and with a heavy heart we eventually decided to bury the band after almost twenty years since its foundation. But we parted ways as friends and the guys have founded a very cool new Crust band named Hellknife. It really rocks as hell and you should definitely give it a listen!

Anyway, the songs have already been composed that way and I didn’t want to throw them in the garbage. so there had to be a new beginning. As personal and, above all, as important Maladie is for me, Death Metal and Grindcore were, are and will be a matter close to my heart and an important part of my life, so I thought about who would be most suitable to make this record real with me. The line-up as it is set up right now is of course a dream and the result in form of our debut album speaks for itself. And it won’t be the last album for sure.

 

You wrote all of the music and lyrics for this album, when you were coming up with the music, did you have people in mind as the ideas were flowing? Were you thinking “Drums need someone like Adam Jarvis, or I need Julien on Bass for this album?”

 
Yes, the lyrics and the biggest part of the music were made by me. One song was contributed by Déhà and one was written by me and Mark from Spheron. I also made the lyrics for those songs. That’s how it went with Tombthroat and it’s the same with Maladie. So this is really nothing new for me and just the way I’m used to do it. Of course, I was thinking of Tombthroat when I was writing the songs. But now that I was aiming for a new beginning, my favorite candidates were chosen quickly and I am very happy and proud to be able to work with such exceptional artists.

 

Where was the album recorded, and where did you guys mix and master?

 

Oh, it was many different studios. Adam was recording in the USA. So was Vincent. Most of the guitars were recorded here in my little project studio, the guitar solos in Bonn (a German city 250km away from here), the bass guitar in a different German place and Déhà was recording the guitars for his song in Bulgaria in his project studio. But regarding the mixing and mastering I was sure to hire Stefano Morabito from the 16th Cellar Studios in Rome/Italy from the very beginning. When it comes to hard Death Metal he is the spearhead of album production. And again he was doing a perfect job here. The record sounds just the way it’s supposed to. Also we were getting along great and it was as if he knew exactly what I wanted and imagined.

 

How long did it take to go from having written the music and having the idea, to acquiring all the members and getting them in studio?

 

Hm, to be honest, I can’t really remember, haha. After I was finally allowed to leave the hospital my life went haywire. In many respects it was a new beginning, also with reference to writing music. The whole thing seems to have influenced me, as I’ve been composing not only the new album of God Enslavement, but also one and a half albums for Maladie and one 45 minutes long EP in a few weeks. When the line-up was ready, things went real quick in the recording progress. Just a few weeks and everything was in the can.

 

I know Vince Mathews has gone on record to say this is one of his proudest achievements in death metal, Adam has gone on to say that if he is going to play in a band that it’s going to fulfil his personal interest and legacy and why he was blown away when he heard the rough material.  What does this album mean to you? 

 

Yeah, that really makes me very proud. Adam has always impressed me. He has that certain something, that many drummers in metal lack: a very own style which can easily be identified among many others. But still his playing is very direct and brutal. As you can hear on our debut album we fit together very, very well musically. With his ideas and his playing he improved my riffs several times over. And the same is for Vincent. Many fans will curse me for this, but for me „Stop at Nothing“ from Dying Fetus is one of their best albums. And what Vince is doing on this record is one of the best things I could ever listen to in Deathgrind. But again he absolutely went one better for God Enslavement and all of us are very, very content and happy with his performance in „Consuming the Divine“! That much anger and aggression just suited our songs perfectly. I’m looking forward to the next albums with these guys!

For me personally the album means a new beginning and I am really very proud of it.

 

Are you able to give us an idea of a release date, and how you will be releasing it? Whether its digital only, if you guys will do vinyl, pre-order bundles other merchandise etc?

 

Right now we don’t have a fix date yet, I’m afraid. We’re aiming at the end of spring. Earlier hopefully. We’ll see. But I hope we can show the album to everyone very soon. We’re all very excited about it, haha. Suddenly you feel young again, almost like with the first record you made so many years ago…

 

If there was one thing you wanted to say to someone before they are about to listen to the album for the first time, what would you say to them.

 

Oh, I would say: Brace yourself; we’re playing Deathgrind like it is being played far too long far too rarely. It brings tears to my eyes looking at what is being called Death Metal nowadays.

 

Thank you Björn for taking the time to answer my questions, I really look forward to the release of this album, and after listening to this album, I will be looking forward to anything God Enslavement puts out.

 

It’s me who has to thank you! It’s people like you who still make me believe in the scene away from the commercial tourism that is much too present in Metal nowadays! I am still a fan of the music and always happy to meet the same. Support the Underground!

 

With that we would like to welcome you to the world wide premier or God Enslavement and their killer track “Belial Within”

 

German Interview

So Björn, what influenced you to create God Enslavement? You play for Maladie also, and just released a new album in 2015, so was the time just right, and is this something you have wanted to do for a while?

 Hey Brian,

nun, ich habe diese Platte eigentlich für meine alte band Tombthroat geschrieben. Aber nachdem ich 2014 sehr krank wurde, haben wir es einfach nicht mehr geschafft, die Band so am Leben zu halten, wie sich das meine ehemaligen Bandmitglieder wünschten. Nach langem Hin und Her, haben wir uns schweren Herzens dazu entschieden, nach fast 20 Jahren, die Band zu Grabe zu tragen. Wir sind aber als Freunde auseinander gegangen und die Jungs haben eine sehr coole neue Crust Band names Hellknife gegründet. Das rockt wie Hölle und ihr solltet da unbedingt mal reinhören!
Die Lieder waren aber nun mal komponiert und ich wollte sie nicht in den Müll werfen. Also musste ein Neuanfang her. So persönlich und vorallem wichtig Maladie für mich ist, war, ist und bleibt der Death Metal und Grindcore aber eine Herzenssache und ein wichtiger Teil meines Lebens und ich habe mir dann Gedanken gemacht, wer sich am besten dazu eignen würde, diese Platte doch noch mit mir zu realisieren. Das Line Up, wie es jetzt steht, ist natürlich ein Traum und das Resultat in Form unseres Debütalbums spricht für sich. Und es wird sicher nicht das letzte Album sein.

 

You wrote all of the music and lyrics for this album, when you were coming up with the music, did you have people in mind as the ideas were flowing? Were you thinking “Drums need someone like Adam Jarvis, or I need Julien on Bass for this album?”

 Ja, die Texte und der Großteil der Musik ist von mir. Ein Lied hat Déhà beigesteuert und eins habe ich mit Mark von Spheron zusammen geschrieben. Die Texte habe ich ebenfalls verfasst. So war das auch bei Tombthroat und so ist es bei Maladie. Das ist also nichts wirklich neues für mich und ich bin es nicht anders gewöhnt. Als ich die Lieder schrieb, hatte ich natürlich Tombthroat im Sinn. Als es aber an den Neuanfang ging, waren meine Wunschkandidaten sehr schnell gewählt und ich bin sehr froh und stolz. Nun mit solchen Ausnahmekünstlern zusammenarbeiten zu können.

 

Where was the album recorded, and where did you guys mix and master?

 Oh, das waren viele unterschiedliche Studios. Adam hat in den USA aufgenommen. Vincent auch. Die meisten Gitarren sind hier in meinem kleinen Projektstudio aufgenommen worden. Die Gitarren-Soli in Bonn (deutsche Stadt etwa 250km entfernt von hier), der Bass wiederum woanders in Deutschland und Déhà hat die Gitarren für seinen Song in Bulgarien, in seinem Projektstudio aufgenommen. Für den Mix und das Mastering war für mich aber von Vornherein klar, dass wir Stefano Morabito und seine 16th Cellar Studios in Rom/Italien verpflichten. Wenn es um harten Death Metal geht, ist er die Speerspitze, was die Produktion eines Albums angeht. Und er hat auch hier wieder einen perfekten Job abgeliefert. Die Platte klingt genau so, wie sie es muss. Wir haben uns auch direkt verstanden und es war, als ob er genau wusste, was ich möchte und mir vorstelle.

 

How long did it take to go from having written the music and having the idea, to acquiring all the members and getting them in studio?

 Hm, Ich kann mich ehrlich gesagt gar nicht wirklich dran erinnern, haha. Nachdem ich das Krankenhaus endlich wieder verlassen durfte, ging es in meinem Leben drunter und drüber. In vielerlei Hinsicht war es ein Neuanfang. Auch was das Schreiben von Musik anging. Das Ganze scheint mich sehr beeinflusst zu haben, denn neben dem God Enslavement Album, habe ich auch anderthalb Maladie Alben und eine 45 Minuten lange EP in wenigen Wochen komponiert. Nachdem das Line Up stand, ging es auch ziemlich schnell mit den Aufnahmen. Wenige Wochen, und alles war im Kasten.

 

I know Vince Mathews has gone on record to say this is one of his proudest achievements in death metal, Adam has gone on to say that if he is going to play in a band that it’s going to fulfill his personal interest and legacy and why he was blown away when he heard the rough material.  What does this album mean to you?

 

Yeah, das macht mich wirklich sehr stolz. Adam hat mich schon immer beeindruckt. Er hat genau das, was vielen Drummern im Metal mittlerweile fehlt: Einen sehr eigenen Stil, den man auch unter vielen sehr schnell heraushören kann. Und trotzdem ist sein Spiel sehr direkt und brutal. Wie man auf unserem Debüt hören kann, passen wir musikalisch auch sehr sehr gut zusammen. Er hat mit seinen Ideen und seinem Spiel meine Riffs um das vielfache verbessert. Und dasselbe gilt für Vincent. Viele Fans werden mich dafür verfluchen, aber für mich ist „Stop at Nothing“ von Dying Fetus auch eins ihrer besten Alben. Und was Vince auf dieser Platte macht, ist mit das beste, was ich im Deathgrind bisher hören durfte. Aber er hat für God Enslavement nochmal ordentlich einen draufgelegt und wir alle sind sehr sehr zufrieden und glücklich mit seiner Leistung auf „Consuming the Divine“! Soviel Wut und Aggression passte einfach perfekt zu den Songs. Ich freue mich schon auf die nächsten Alben mit den Jungs!
Für mich persönlich bedeutet das Album einen Neuanfang und ich bin wirklich sehr stolz darauf.

 

Are you able to give us an idea of a release date, and how you will be releasing it? Whether its digital only, if you guys will do vinyl, pre-order bundles other merchandise etc?

Leider haben wir im Moment noch kein fixes Datum. Geplant ist Ende des Frühlings. Hoffentlich früher. Wir werden sehen. Aber ich hoffe, dass wir den leuten das Album sehr bald zeigen können. Wir sind alle sehr aufgeregt deshalb, haha. Man fühlt sich plötzlich wieder jung, fast wie bei der ersten Platte, die man vor so vielen Jahren gemacht hat…

 

If there was one thing you wanted to say to someone before they are about to listen to the album for the first time, what would you say to them.

 Oh, ich würde sagen: Mach dich auf was gefasst; wir spielen Deathgrind, wie er schon viel zu lange viel zu wenig gespielt wird. Was heutzutage so alles Death Metal genannt wird, da kommen mir die Tränen…

 

Thank you Björn for taking the time to answer my questions, I really look forward to the release of this album, and after listening to this album, I will be looking forward to anything God Enslavement puts out.

 Ich habe dir zu danken! Leute wie du sind es, die mich noch an die Szene, weitab vom Kommerztourismus den es im Metal heutzutage viel zu viel gibt, glauben lassen! Ich bin immer noch Fan der Musik und freue mich immer, wenn ich ebensolche kennenlernen darf.
Support the Underground!

There you have it folks,  you have just been the first group of people collectively to hear God Enslavement. So do yourself a favor and check out the links I have below for not only God Enslavement, but the bands that the guys are also a part of.

God Enslavement on FACEBOOK

Bret Hard Records on FACEBOOK

Bret Hard Records website

Maladie  Shattered   Pig Destroyer   Fulgora   Misery Index   Asthma Castle   Effloresce Deadborn  Kaotoxin   Sources of I   Lebenssucht  Yhdarl 

 

 

-Badger \m/

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Disciplined Drummers of metal for March 2016 is the heavy hitting Adam Jarvis

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This months Disciplined Drummers of metal we spoke to  Adam Jarvis one of the hardest working drummers in metal today. He is known for playing behind the kit  for bands like Misery Index, and Pig Destroyer to name a few. So to help you guys get through the hump day, here is an interview I did with the man himself.

 

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Badger- So last time we talked was back in October you were on tour, it was a great time I know I had a blast. Some good beer was consumed that day haha.  Then a few months after I see an announcement for a new project, and just recently saw a video of you tracking drums. So the big news is God Enslavement, tell me a bit about this new band you’re in.

 Adam- Yea so the album just got mastered I believe over the weekend so I’m supposed to be getting the finalized tracks and it should be released by late spring early summer, I may need to get back to you on that one. But yea its guys from all over Europe, and Germany

 

Badger- Yea it’s a pretty diverse lineup I mean you have Bjorn, then you, Vince, you have Julien from Shattered, you know you have Kevin, I mean everyone in this lineup is pretty notable. This is like (in my opinion) a super group.

 Adam-Yeah you know, the one guy Bjorn hit me up, and said “you know we got this material and you know we have all talked about it, and we think you would be an awesome fit, and we think its right up your alley.” I have been approached by multiple bands and usually I need to at least enjoy the material to put my name on it. I don’t want to record something just for the sake of recording something and having my name on it. It’s essentially going to be a part of my legacy you know.

 

Badger- Yea you definitely want to take pride in your work, you want to do it for the music, and what you want for sound, not just anything that comes your way. You sound like you are doing it because of your love of music and metal, so that’s cool.

Adam- Yea exactly so, yea when I heard the first couple of songs I thought “damn those are some killer riffs.” I believe it’s like 8-9 songs. And you know I used to be in Criminal Element with Vince Mathews and he was in Dying Fetus. They were actually going to have a different vocalist, so I was asking them because I had only heard the music so I wanted to know what type of vocals would be going over the top. Because dude, vocals can make or break a band, they are very important. I mean they have always been very important to me even more so now sometimes I think “ hey this band is pretty good, and then I hear the vocals and think Damn it WTF”

 

Badger-Yea they can definitely make or break, but Vince Mathews, that’s pretty cool because the last I had heard he wasn’t doing too well, but obviously now he is ready and able to do vocals on this project. I liked when he was in Dying Fetus as well as Criminal Element so I’m stoked to hear his vocals laid down on this.

 Adam- Yea and he helped me out a lot when I came out to Maryland , in 2004 first place I lived I was with Vince, hahaha those were some crazy times so it came time. The guys were like “so the vocalist backed out, do you know anyone that might be able to fit or may be interested.” And the whole time when I was listening to the music I kept think “Damn dude Vince’s vocals would be a perfect fit over this.   So I hit him up, and he was really excited that I asked him to even do it.   I called him and said “yo dude I would like you to be a part of this” and he was really taken back by it and was like “holy shit I can’t believe you asked me to do this” For me I’m thinking “dude your motherfucking Vince Mathews what are you talking about”

 

Badger- Sometimes there’s someone you know is perfect for the position and then you hear them and it justifies things and locks everything in.

Adam- yea so I’m stoked for people to hear it and its just straight up old school death, thrash, there’s some grind influence. It definitely has some more of that old school feel and approach.

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Badger- That’s awesome! I can’t wait to hear that.

So 2016 this makes band number 5. You have Misery Index, Pig Destroyer, Asthma Castle, Fulgora, and now God Enslavement, what are we going to see in 2016 from the other bands? You put Stratagem out last year so I’d say it’s safe to say you’re not doing a new album with them right now but any tours?

 Adam-With Fulgora we have a few songs written, we have a song that we recorded at Phil’s studio, and that’s supposed to be released on Housecore TBD so yea it will probably be a while before we get a Full Length out I’d say, it might be possible by the end but maybe 2017. Asthma castle recorded about a year since I did the drums, but unfortunately our vocalist quit, so that was a bit of a setback but there was like one guy that I thought of that when he quit we recorded this , I mean we aren’t signed, this is like a side project for me. I love it, it’s a different change of pace, and we all get along so we have a guy and we are going to start jamming with him. Actually second jam will be this week. So hopefully vocals will be done by this summer and released this year. And PD is about 4 songs in for the new record, so we have actually jammed 1 of those songs a few weeks back, so that’s exciting to be working on some new Pig Destroyer  material. And you know my cousin John is in the band now too so. It’s the first record with him on it so that’s exciting.

 

Badger-Oh hell yea John, he is no stranger to the business so that’s definitely cool

 Adam- yea I mean he’s in Agoraphobic Nosebleed and in Fulgora so were in another band back in the day called all will fall, so yeah me an him have been jamming since I was probably 8-9 so it goes back a long way. As far as new stuff coming out that’s probably it. Killing gods is about 1.5 year old?

 

Badger- yea it came out around my birthday so around may 2014

 Adam- Yea you’re right yea.

 

Badger- so I have seen a few big shows you guys are booked to play here in 2016, so I’m guessing your touring schedule is starting to pile up

 Adam- yea unfortunately we can’t tour as much as we used to I work full time on top of being in five bands, and Mark has a kid now, and he’s going to school. And he actually just started working at Extreme management group.

 

Badger- hell yea that’s a big outfit

 Adam- yea they rep bands like suffocation, they have a lot of people under their belt. So he just started working for them so that’s real cool. Jason back and forth from states and Finland, so he’s actually working on his PhD right now and yea we just got to be more selective.

Back in 2006 we would do 200 shows a year so anything that came up we would say yep let’s do it, but now a days we have to plan, we have a lot more responsibility now so we can’t be selfish, marks got a wife I have a girlfriend it’s not easy on people. But we do have the one European run this summer. We are hitting some pretty awesome festivals. We’re playing one in Vancouver that’s going to be badass it just got announced a few weeks ago and it’s got Suffocation and Dillinger Escape Plan, and Job For A Cowboy their first show in a few years, Cattle Decapitation, Dave Lombardo’s new band Dead cross will be on it. So yea a lot of awesome bands. And when we got the offer we didn’t really know , we thought we were going to be the headliner and then this thing gets booked and I looked and called mark and was like “ holy shit dude this is a big festival” it’s not like doing down to the dew drop in.

 

Badger- one question because I am in ton of FB groups so I have seen a few people here and there ask about drum shoes. So your go to brand, have you tried others or do you just you the tried and true style.

 Adam- I’ve been rocking DB drum shoes for years, they’re my go to, and they’re really lightweight really durable they last. I have had pairs last me years even with all the touring. A guy named jerry at DB he is an awesome cat. I always prefer to play esp. on tour to play in different shoes than what I wear every day, because you feel disgusted after if you were to stay in the same shoes after a show. It’s a necessity, their almost like an equivalent to a water shoe, very flexible lightweight. I have had people call them ballerina shoes. but I like the dexterity, and they are tight. They are my go to, and I have been wearing them for… going on ten years now at least ten years. They’ve been around for a while, you don’t seem them too much but when you do you see many drummers wearing them. I know the dude from arch enemy wears them, Danny walker he uses them, I don’t want to say anyone who doesn’t you know but if you look at the roster it’s pretty stacked with great drummers. Yea Mike Hamilton, he’s another one, he was in deeds of flesh, but he’s in exhumed now. They’re definitely amazing shoes I’m not saying it because I’m endorsed, these shoes are the real deal.

 

Badger- so I was going to ask this yesterday, but I will put a spin on it. So who were you routing for to win the super bowl?

 Adam-I was actually, I wasn’t in favor of any team. But I wanted to see Peyton go out with a win, Cam was a J.A. He was a baby about it

Badger- I listen to sports radio a lot, and they were saying that he was one of the biggest guys on the field and he recoiled away from the fumble. How does that happen when you are the largest guy?

Adam- oh I know, he regretted that one. His passing was off, they just didn’t look like a SB team.

Badger- some moments were painful to watch, If Peyton does retire it’s on a high note, and he didn’t want to say for sure.

Adam- yea but he did say what type of beer he was going to have after. Hahaha I actually just got myself a six pack of Hopslam from Bells Beer. That stuff’s good you can only get one sixer at a time so, and at like 20 something a six pack, I mean you got me that Heady Topper so you know your beers if you’ve never had that? Do you get bells there?

 

Badger- sometimes I have to go to mass to get some beers. Like the iron maiden beer I can’t get it in NH but I can head down to the mass border and get some.  I have had some brown note from KY, (this is when I explain the brown note from the league) so the front of the can is hilarious it’s a brown ale but it is absolutely great. I’ll send you the picture. Another good one was a brewery in RI, if you guys come up my way I will have to get you a growler of this stuff. It has a summer ale taste like blue moon or Sam summer but it tastes like it would be around 2% but it’s actually close to 12 % so when you drink a glass it hits you, and you don’t expect it to hit you as hard as it does because it tastes so damn light. The stuff is awesome!

Badger- so what are you listening to currently, CD iTunes vinyl?

 Adam- well actually I was just listening to acid bath. Well new stuff or?

 

Badger- anything whatever you are listening to

 Adam- I discovered porcupine tree a few years ago, and it was from reading Opeth’s Hall Of Fame entry in Decibel for Blackwater Park, they mentioned Steven Wilson, and I was like I remember that guy, then I remember he did that project Storm Corrosion thing with Mikael Akerfeldt, and Steven Wilson, and it’s just like very eerily serene at times and I guess you could say like kind of post rock meets Shoegaze which is one of the weirder genres. But yea a lot of porcupine tree and S. Wilson, and something I have been listening to that just terrifies me but it’s so damn good is a band called Dødheimsgard  from Norway.

 

Badger- yea you were talking about them after the Worcester show,

 Adam- oh yea I was they are still just so good their newest album is called like umbra omega. It’s just nasty, it is real nasty. I also have been going back on the classics that I used to listen to all the time like older Monstrosity, actually this morning I was listening to Demolition Hammer, a bit more thrash, but it has Alex Marquez, he played with Malevolent Creation on retribution but let’s see what else, newest faith no more album is good, new baroness.

 

Badger- that is good, I have to get it on vinyl, because I was being a bit picky about vinyl so I wanted to wait to hear it first but it is definitely vinyl worthy

 Adam- yea it is I bought it on vinyl they played in Baltimore I saw them and when they toured they were sold out every show, I saw them in Baltimore and it was amazing absolutely amazing. So yea that’s what I have been listening to lately.

 

Badger- Awesome well it sounds like 2016 will be a great year for you, and the bands you are a part of, for me it’s a great year because that just means there’s some great metal happening, and I am really pumped to hear God Enslavement.

Thank you for your time, and stay brutal my friend.

Adam, – Alright dude, thanks again. Cheers.

Continue reading “The Disciplined Drummers of metal for March 2016 is the heavy hitting Adam Jarvis”

Hate Eternal, Misery Index, Beyond Creation, Rivers of Nihil and Replacire at Brighton Music Hall

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Tuesday October 27th, Brighton Music Hall  had these great bands kick off the Hate Eternal Infernus tour.

I was able to talk with Erik  Rutan about his injured hand. He is very optimistic about it, stating that it is feeling 99% better. He is stoked about the tour, having Hannes Grossman filling in on drums,  and looking forward to playing shows with the bands on the road.

The guys Misery Index were in excellent form and ready to hit the road hard.  I took some  video of the bands playing  so have a watch, and if they are coming near you do yourself a favor and check it out.

Tour Dates>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

October 30th @ Flour City Station – Rochester, New York
October 31st @ Mad Frog – Cincinnati, Ohio (http://www.cincyticket.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=2827)
November 1st @ Diesel Concert Theater – Chesterfield, Michigan
November 2nd@ fubar-stl
https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/965217
November 3rd @ Reggie’s – Chicago, Illinois (https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/mobile/index/953699)
November 4th @ Skyway Theater – Minneapolis, Minnesota (http://www.leopresents.com/event/956557)
November 5th @ Windsor Hotel – Winnipeg, Manitoba (http://www.ticketfly.com/…/951521-hate-eternal-misery-inde…/)
November 6th @ Riddell Centre – Regina, Saskatchewan
November 7th @ Dickens – Calgary, Alberta (http://www.ticketfly.com/…/953875-hate-eternal-infernus-wo…/)
November 10th @ Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, British Columbia (http://www.ticketfly.com/event/951817-hate-eternal-vancouver)
November 11th @ Studio Seven – Seattle, Washington (http://www.etix.com/…/hate-eternal-misery-index-beyond-crea…)
November 12th @ Dante’s – Portland, Oregon (http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail…)
November 13th @ Phoenix Theater – Petaluma, California (https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/950809)
November 14th @ The Complex – Glendale, California (https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/950707/tfly)
November 15th @ Club Red – Mesa, Arizona (http://www.ticketfly.com/event/953193-hate-eternal-mesa/)
November 16th @ LVCS – Las Vegas, Nevada (https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/952937)
November 18th @ Marquis Theater – Denver, Colorado (http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail…)
November 20th @ Tomcats West – Fort Worth, Texas (http://www.prekindle.com/promo/id/24116491634859586)
November 21st @ Dirty Dog – Austin, Texas (http://www.comeandtakeitproductions.com/event/950803)
November 22nd @ Siberia – New Orleans, Louisiana

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

Metal news catch up. Parkway drive, Lamb of God, Warpath Island, #mhmconf2015 @jasonindex @lambofgod @shadosfallband @heartofacoward @archspireband @highonfireband @parkwayofficial @slipknot

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Sorry for any delay to any metal news there is, i happened to take a vacation this past week that included seeing Cryptopsy wrap up their ” Back to the U.S. tour in Syracuse, Ny, and then making my way down to Florida to relax by the beach or pool and read Extremity Retained written by Misery Index’s own Jason Netherton. Needless to say i did not have my computer or wifi so any posts i could do were few and far between and on my phone with only a 1G and maybe if I was lucky 3G/4G service. At any rate  lots to report and i still wont be able to fit it all in to one post without everyones ADD  needing to look at something different, so i am going to break this up into a few posts just to keep you guys engaged.

Parkway drive just released a video yesterday for the song ” Vice Grip” if you are a Parkway fan then be sure to check this out, if not hey maybe you will like them or move along to the next story i have.

Heart of a coward, new video released today on Century Medieas youtube channel,  they are a bit more mainstream sounding but anyone who listens i bvet you could hear them on either Sirius XM Liquid Metal or Octane easily. Not bad definitely check them out.

Slipknot released the video to the song  Killpop yesterday and has already broken a million views, 1,381,960 to be exact right now as i am typing this which is a big feat considering it was released yesterday.

Stream High on Fire’s new album “ Luminiferous” because why nowadays bands are putting it out there to stream the whole album. I say YES because if i like it i am still going to buy it. Call me old but i like to have the CD. I like being able to physically hold it in my hands and read the booklet. See where it was recorded who produced it, all the way to the thank you’s. Shit i used to find a way to the record store, pick up a cd, and the first thing i did was read the booklet. See who the band thanked, who they toured with etc. you get a good idea of the smaller less known bands that way and i would end up checking them out to see what they sounded like, go to shows or buy their albums if i could. So with High on Fire putting the album to stream you can get a good listen to all the tracks and make up your mind and buy it when you can. i have listened to all the tracks and it is good, I really dig The Black Plot! so go on and check it out

http://www.npr.org/2015/06/07/412028493/first-listen-high-on-fire-luminiferous

index

Shadows fall hiatus is over? Whether or not this is just a one show gig, or if they are going to come back at it full swing its still pretty cool. The band announces summer show at The Big Kahuna Festival in Providence RI Saturday August 22nd. Maybe this will lead up to more band news, maybe it won’t but if you are in the New England area and you are a Shadows Fall fan you may not want to miss this show.

Cannibal Corpse and Testament will be going on a Latin America Tour! This fall the Tour will have Testament and Cannibal Corpse playing in November and December  dates listed on their Facebook page so far are;

17-Nov-15 -Porto Alegre, Brazil – Opiniao
18-Nov-15 -Curitiba, Brazil -Vanilla Music Hall
20-Nov-15 -Rio De Janeiro, Brazil – Circo Voador
21-Nov-15 -Sao Paulo, Brazil -Carioca Club
24-Nov-15 -Buenos Aires, Argentina -Groove
25-Nov-15 -Santiago, Chile -Teatro Caupolican
26-Nov-15 -Lima, Peru -Embarcadero 41
28-Nov-15 -Bogota, Colombia – Downtown Majestic
29-Nov-15 – San Jose, Costa Rica -Club Peppers
1-Dec-15 -Mexico City, MX -Pabellón Oeste Del Palacio de los Deportes
2-Dec-15 – Guadalajara, MX – Teatro Studio Cavaret

Sickdrummer Magazine posts a video of Archspires Spencer Pruwett killing it on the drums to “ Rapid Elemental Dissolve”Now I have heard a few different opinions on the band from the vocals to the sound. Everyone has an opinion, Mine is that Spencer is a great drummer and I really dig watching his playthrough videos on youtube. He has one for Lucid Collective Somnabulation that is just great to watch becuase it covers several different camera angles. So here is the video from Sickdrummer Magazine

Cryptopsy crowdfunding only has 29 days left, and $6,366.00 raised so far click on the link to help them reach their goal!

I know I have posted a lot about Cryptopsy, but you have to understand, when they formed years back most of the metal was just the typical death metal. These guys are from Canada and just created a sound like no one else, and still no one can pull off the same sound. I have always been a huge fan of Flo Mounier as a drummer, the guy is just incredible. and also i had the chance to meet and talk to the band at their last show in Syracuse, NY. The guys are some of the most down to earth people, and are all a bunch of great guys who have lives like you and me. Each had great stuff to talk about with the new album, and also had great ideas for the future music from Cryptopsy. So check out their crowdfunding Indie gogo page, maybe you have never heard their music before, listen to some songs and heck if you dont want to buy a cd buy the digital download, its only $5.00!  You can even have exclusives like Matt doing vocals for your band or flow doing drum tracks etc.

https://www.indiegogo.com/project/help-fund-cryptopsy-s-the-book-of-suffering/embedded

Warpath Ireland reveal guest vocals for a track have been recorded with the one and only Mark Kloeppel from Misery Index for the upcoming E.P. ” The Ambiance of War”.  The track Mark did vocals on is listed as ” Hunted like the prey that you are”. Which sounds like it will be a killer track. if you want to get some more information on this news check out Warpath’s facebooks page at; https://www.facebook.com/warpath.ireland

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Other misery Index news the legendary Jason Netherton Bassist and founding member of both Misery Index, and Dying fetus as well as author of Extremity Retained will be presenting at the Modern Heavy Metal Conference in Helsinki Finland. Also if you are a fan of metal, and like me grew up listening to it, do yourself a favor, pick up Jason’s book Extremity Retained. It is a must have for every fan of metal.

And of course as I posted yesterday Lamb of God has the audio for the track titled “512” up to listen to. Its not a fast tempo song, its a good mid tempo song that has some powerful background fueling the lyrics. Randy had spoke to Rollingstone magazine and said that his cell number while in prison over seas was 512. So if you have not listened to it yet, get on that. New Lamb of God what are you waiting for?

And right now the Video for Killpop has 1,382,160 views and picking up steam.

So thats just part of my news cathc up stay tuned for more. and make sure to support local music, and actually buy the music. Bands need to earn a living too.

-Badger \m/

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Fulgora album review for Stratagen (2015)

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stratagen

Fulgora – Stratagem

So this album was released back in March it’s been busy so I haven’t had a chance to review this album yet. Listening to this album brings a sound of pure chaos. Starting off you have a band with one of my top drummers in metal Adam Jarvis, as well as  bassist John Jarvis, and  B.L. Lamew on vocals.  Listening to this album if you have never heard them before will be 0-100 in 1 second.

The album starts out with a track basically just a sound sample from the 1981 movie “Scanners“.

Then on to the next track

Splinter starts with a nice groove with guitars and drums putting you into a state of comfort and then the vocals come in and the chaos begins. Vocals have a sound that is similar to Pig destroyer meets early The Dillinger Escape Plan. Just unfiltered red in the face forcefully telling you how it is vocals.  I dig the sound the guitars have; we aren’t talking about chugging riffs, just attacking you with a constant motion of sound. Drums display a great use of the whole drums set, not a lot of blast beats, just keeping the rhythm going with the occasional need for blast beats.  Really digging this track so far and it rounds out to a nice groove, and vocally abrupt attack to end the song.

Track 3 “Risen“  starts with guitars and drums again, also a nice groove. It has a  riff then drum fill for a few bars going right into a easily to follow guitar riff and vocals.  This song has a great groove to it, it builds up the momentum early, I really dig the riffs these guy have for this song.  It has a political riot feel to it.  It’s organized and chaotic at the same time. The strings really keep the listeners ability to follow along there without resorting to typical chugging riffs.  They keep the same easy to follow riffs going back to the groove they started out with ending out with a breakdown and a solid one two punch with the vocals. This would be a great song to hear live with the amount of energy these guys radiate through their music. It’s a bit early to call this my favorite track on the album, but it’s a solid tune indefinitely.

Track 4 “Artifice“ starts with guitars, a high pitch feedback then low  steady riff  with a heavy drum presence. The vocals kick in to complete the circuit. You have a head bobbing groove right here early in to the song In fact  the more I hear this, the more  I am reminded of The Dillinger Escape plans calculating infinity.  Right around 1:20 into the song you have a great riff and drum sequence for a few bars with vocals complimenting the sound. They keep the same tempo which is great considering how many drum fills and riff changes throughout the song.

Track 5 “Design“  which seems to be a quote from Christopher Hitchens. ( google him )
Track 6  “Crutch“ starts out with guitar ( for lack of a better term) noise, and a bass line.  Boom! The guitars come in full distortion. A drum line that gives you a false sense of comfort/ security for something that will Inevitably change. Vocals come in with a ferocious attack of a      wake… up.. accept this fleeting life!  Powerful lyrics accompany the assault from the guitars and drums.  Eventually it slows down to a sludgy sound for a few lines.  Picking back up to the chaotic grinding noise that filled most of the 3:43 minute long song.  This is probably my least favorite track however not a bad song by any means.  I would have loved to hear them go back to that same sound they started out the song with, back to the same drum beat and taper off, but hey everyone has an opinion right?

Track 7 “Meridian“starts out much the way you would expect the final song to start out.  It opens up to guitars that seem to sound victorious in their riffs like they achieved global domination by way of an anarchist movement.  Then boom right into a riff with blast beats coming from Adams drum set. This song continues to assault you with very unpredictable drums and guitars that progress into what one could describe as the feeling of a root canal without numbing the pain. Just a sharp attack on the nerve.  The song gets to its last leg of sludgy punchy slow grimy sound “this is the end“ style riffs and drums. The vocals giving you an idea of a martyr’s last breath. With abrupt silence we have reached the end.

All in all this was a great album to listen to, it’s very chaotic in nature but that’s what the band is trying to pull off. Fulgora comes from Roman mythology for the goddess of personification of lightning.  That being said Fulgora to me is what you could imagine bottling lightning up and then having yourself a listen when you uncap that bottle.  For what it’s worth I am a big Adam Jarvis fan to begin with; I haven’t actually heard anything that I flat out didn’t like ?  If you compare his other three bands to Fulgora you will hear a different sound for each.  I really like the way the guitars sound as well.  Fulgora can satisfy the fans of grind and noise, as well as the metal fans who don’t listen to grind.  For every bit of chaos these guys portray, they have an organized way to their sound.  They aren’t trying to appeal to everyone, and not everyone will find this album satisfactory, maybe they are into your typical mainstream hard rock, or the ever so popular djent style bands. Fulgora gives you a micro burst of directed energy throughout every track they play on.  I really like how they opened up from a line from the movie scanners. A few tracks later another sound clip taken right from Christopher Hitchens “You want your god to take responsibility for the huge number of collapsing stars and imploding galaxies and destroyed universes and failed solar systems that have left us in this tiny corner on the one planet in this petty solar system that can support life some of the time on some of its surface. And you want a creator who’s filled this earth with species since life began, 99% of which are now extinct already. This is some design isn’t it” Thus adding to this album‘s powerful imagery of a chaotic movement in music. Take a listen and see what you think,  whether you like them or not, take a listen to Pig Destroyer, and Misery Index both bands feature Adam Jarvis on the drums.  You can find Fulgora on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fulgoramusic

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