The Trials of Nov.17, 2017

Godflesh Strip Down In  ‘Post Self’

Godflesh’s  Post Self  (Avalanche Records) is ready to take you to a deeper and darker extremity. Don’t bother with those flashlights! We don’t need ‘em where we’re going. The album starts off with the ambient single “Post Self” which is a great start in this Lynchian album. Oh yes, I think I will be using the term “Lynchian,” a lot and not just here but in other stuff and its valid ‘cause it’s in the world renowned J-Ohster Dictionary.

Like I mentioned earlier, “Mirror Of Finite Light” is a great build up and ambient AF. This track serves as a great precursor to the subtly cinematic and instrumental tracks in this album such as “Be God,” and “Mortality Sorrow.” “Parasite,” shows us its slimy little fangs and is ready to drag us in to the creepy looking lab where this evil morsel fled from with “No Body.” In the tracks I just mentioned, Justin K. Broderick shows us just how guttural his growls can get!

Bassist/ programmer G.C. Green continues to adds the right amount of suspense with his mixing board and adds an extra heaviness with his bass. This suspenseful album is filled with more mystery, instrumentals and dread than the previous album. This is a psychological thriller we all want to star in! Get your copy here and you can listen to the whole album in Spotify.

6 out of 6, Thrilling

Coraxo Burns Brightly With ‘Sol’ 

Finland shows that Gothenburg isn’t the only place that can make great melodic death metal just take a look at Coraxo. The duo gives us plenty of light with their sophomore album Sol via Snow Wave Records where they add drops of different elements.

The album starts strongly with “Of Stars Reborn” where Finnish saxophonist Ilkka Ferm lends his skills, which not only blends in wonderfully with this track but it also enhances the dramatic element in this song.  “Helios” will make you do a double take and wonder if you’re listening to a Dark Tranquility track, wait till you hear the nice breakdown from guitarist/vocalist/programmer Tomi Toivonen. The aggression level is cranked up in “Sacrifices Made” where Toivonen busts out a thicker growl that blends in great with his riffs and Ville Vistbacka’s drumming.

Coraxo produced a strong album that is sure to keep you replaying this album. With each time you hit that “play” button, you will find a new song to love and dive deeper into their storytelling. You can check out the album in their Bandcamp and buy it there too!

6 out 6, Shines brighter than a diamond

Electric Wizard Have A ‘Bloody’ Good Album

Electric Wizard wants to paralyze you with their latest bloody good offering titled Wizard Bloody Wizard via Spinefarm Records. Even though doom season (AKA October) left us too soon, it doesn’t mean we can’t sprinkle a little bit of doominess to this season of awkward family gatherings!

“Necromania” bares a devious little smirk that is sure to set the fire in your loins on fire, hell any hippy sex cult would approve. You WILL “Hear The Sirens Scream” because the catchy and contagious riffs will have the power to lure any unsuspecting listener in to the arms of Electric Wizard. The quartet cranked up the doom in the last songs such as “Wicked Caresses” and “The Reaper.”

The very last track of this album “Mourning Of The Magicians” is fit for any badass funeral procession. I got to say this final 11 minute track is my favorite song of this album not just because Jus Oborn gave us a badass and empowering chorus “I’ll see you in hell,” but because it the band showcases their talent. YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT! This album is dripping with a good amount of doom to keep you coming back for more. You can listen to the whole album on Spotify and get your copy here.

5 Out 6, Bloody Good!

**Uh Oh! The Klown has thrown in his two cents on…**

Cavalera Conspiracy Give Fans Reason with Latest

For those that are like the Klown and worship the ground Max Cavalera stands and walk on, then this is one of the best news this year. The Klown had the chance to see Roots be played in its entirety with the current Cavalera Conspiracy lineup, then the ever benevolent god that Max is would announce a new Cavalera Conspiracy album.

Flash forward to now and the release of Psychosis through Napalm Records finally arrived. Immediately, the album opens powerfully with “Insane” which gives you a full dose of fast-paced groove/thrash metal. Also worth noting that this album had a wide array of special guest starting with Mixhell ,which is the stage name of Max’s son Iggor, and Laima Leyton who worked on its intro. “Terror Tactics” feature a bit of Industrial influences mixed with the groove and thrash sounds that Max is known to have and includes an awesome solo by Marc Rizzo.

“Spectral War” has a lot more Industrial influences in the beginning and in between thanks to the programming and synths applied by Dominick Fernow of Vatican Shadow. Fernow would once again make a reappearance with “Hellfire” and “Excruciating.”  “Hellfire” was completely Industrial like Nailbomb and also featured Godflesh’s Justin Broadrick, while “Excruciating” featured guest vocals from Liquid Metal’s DJ Jose Mangin, and “Crom” was like “Terror Tactics” but with guest vocals from Jason Tarpey and Roki Abdelaziz.

“Judas Pariah” featured some ambient, hard groove and Christian Cavalera on the hurdy-gurdy. The Klown assures you that it’s an actual musical instrument with a funny sounding name. Meanwhile “Psychosis” just gives you a song that is nothing but instrumentals of the groove and thrash variety. If you haven’t caught on, the Klown nearly talked about the whole album. Although the previous was quiet and felt lackluster to a lot, this album will immediately remind everyone that even the best have bad days. You can get this album at the Cavalera’s Bandcamp.

6 out of 6, The Cavalera’s are Back!

The Trials of February 10

Note: Love is in the air… and so are the Klown’s gases! Don’t worry though yours truly gots you covered! Just saying, although the ladies…and some gents of the feminine quality may still prefer a romantic and intimate moment, why not include the gift of our beloved genre in the form of a new release. Let’s face it metal can ironically provide an intimate soundtrack for you both. Most important, it’s a helluva a lot cheaper than any jewelry you could ever buy!

Dead Witches Debut Will Haunt Your Ears

Take that statement as you will but at least read what the Klown has to say. Dead Witches is the brand new brain child of former Electric Wizard skinsman, Mark Greening. On that note if you are a big fan of Electric Wizard, good news because it also happens to be stoner/doom metal! The quartet has released their long awaited debut album Ouija through Heavy Psych Sounds Records. If you really want more doom than stoner “Dead” and “A World of Darkness” is your sure bet. The Klown will say this, “Mind Funeral” was a really good track and really felt like a re-mastered Pentagram track if a female vocalist had filled in for legendary front man Bobby Liebling. Though this album was short, it wasn’t bad. But alas, not only was this not the Klown’s flask of Bourbon, he just wasn’t feeling this album as much. However, it is definitely a great album for Pentagram, King Woman and Black Sabbath fans.

3 out of 6, D-O-O-M for Your Ears!

Do you dare play with the Dead Witches “Ouija”?

Kassad Debuts First Studio Album

The one man black metal project known as Kassad is currently unsigned and independent AND managed to release this album! At first with a name like Kassad, the Klown expected Middle Eastern influences to go along with the sounds of black metal. The Klown was initially expecting Kassad to have Middle Eastern elements to his metal much like the Mesopotamian Black Metallers Melechesh, however, he stuck to the Norwegian Black metal sound. Right from the start “Shame” and “Pariah” bring the noise for some intense and awesome black metal reminiscent to that of Darkthrone. “Madness” and “Broken” gives you some black metal of the Norwegian variety during its infancy reminiscent to that of the up and coming Swedish black metal band Dark Funeral. The rest of the album is rather ambient which kind of provides a bit of a buffer to settle you down, like after a big meal and you get that good ol’ bowl of mint ice cream at the end…which is rather nice. This debut will leave you looking forward to a new album in the future than leave you clamoring for more like some rabid metal head. The Klown highly recommends this to all who are kvlt and those who love Dark Funeral, Darkthrone and Tsjuder. Check out his studio debut album Faces Turn Away through bandcamp or his website.

5 out of 6, This Album can Also Turn Heads Forward

Kassad’s debut will experience the opposite of “Faces Turn Away”

Mors Principium Est Will Set The World Afire

The Finnish quartet with the French name, have returned after a three year hiatus. This sixth new installment Embers of a Dying World has come out through AFM Records. This album has some folk influence which made this album pretty bitchin’. “Reclaim the Sun” will immediately induce massive headbanging and sounds like an epic version of Children of Bodom if Alexi Laiho had harsher vocals which can be best heard in the track “Masquerade.” “Into The Dark,” on the other hand, lived up to its name and added that signature Dimmu Borgir orchestration to their sound before venturing in to Ensiferum and Wintersun- like epicness. “Death is the Beginning” gives a brand new twist to the brand of melodic death metal that the Klown has mostly heard through Mayan. “Death…” fuses female vocals courtesy of Christina Marie with the harsh death metal vocals from front manVille Viljannen, creating  an array classical strings, pianos and tops it with a killer solo from the lead guitarist, Andy Gillion. “The Ghost” makes a great follow up to “Death…” as it plays and continues off of it. The Klown could go on about this album but he’d much rather you listen to it. No joke, this album was that great.

6 out of 6, The Embers Turned to a Widespread Fire 

Mors Principium Est make a strong return with “Embers of a Dying World “

Nidingr Latest Album is on Fire!

The Norwegian black metal quartet known as Nidingr have released their fourth studio album, The High Heat Licks Against Heaven through Season of Mist Records. Allow the Klown to let you know that hearing is believing and he understand why this album was brought up to his attention. Hearing “Surtur,” “Dead Body Shore” and “Valkyries Assemble” sent the Klown on a kvlt high. Need a better description? Nidingr sounds much like Melodic Black Metallers Keep of Kalessin, yes, they sounded that similar! “Soltaker,” on the other hand, turned blacker and  reminded the Klown a bit of Mayhem. The Klown is most likely still on that black metal high from the De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas tour (stay tuned). Another great fact about this album is that it features guest backing vocals from Thor “Destructhor” Myhren from Norwegian black metal band Myrskog and Krystoffer Rygg from Ulver. “Naglfar Is Loosed” features the kvltest dame of Denmark Amelie Bruun from Myrkur, where she lends her ghastly and angelic vocals for a very harmonious chorus. Think the Klown’s exaggerating? Check them out!

6 out of 6, This Album is White Hot

Nidingr’s latest is lit!

Overkill Keep Grinding the Thrash Wheel

Overkill. Nuff said. Okay… the Klown shall continue because he wants to not because he has to. If you’re a metal head, especially if you are a thrasher, then Overkill will immediately ring a bell. The legendary thrash quintet from Jersey has released their 18^th studio album, The Grinding Wheel through Nuclear Blast Records. “Mean, Green, Killing Machine” is a great opener for the album, however, “Goddamn Trouble” will get you really hooked and invested in the album. “Our Finest Hour” and “Come Heavy” will give you classic Overkill right off the bat. “The Long Road” sounds like it would have been an anthem during the height of Thrash, not to say that it still doesn’t have the potential to be. “Let’s All Go to Hades” is a great track and is a metal party song. Want a new U.S. national anthem? Overkill has managed to make us a brand new one with the song “Red White and Blue.” Taking a page from Metallica, Overkill joined the over 7 minute thrash song club with “The Grinding Wheel.” This album was a good comeback from the one of the legends of thrash metal.

5 out of 6 The Wheels Will Keep on Grindin’

OVERKILL!!!