The Trials of April 6, 2018 Ft. March 30 Missed Trials

Finding T.H.E.T.I.S. Debut their EP

Remember that time the Klown talked about Finding T.H.E.T.I.S. in our First Impression section? You didn’t?! Why don’t check that out when you have the chance. Y’know to get yourself better acquainted with our alumni. In the meantime, here’s an update on our FIA, they have released a full EP for your enjoyment! Now adding to their CV is Metávasi EP which was released independently.

The band kicks off with “Valkyrie” which give you some raw sounding metal which was borderline hard rock. The Klown will also note that he at first thought he was listening to an early Burn The Priest (a.k.a. Lamb Of God) demo. Aside from what was mentioned they managed to include a female vocalist by the name of Syren Franco into the mix to add a softer touch to that of Andy Chavez’s screaming vocals. The Klown can say the same about the follow up “Crawl” with the exception of Franco taking an Alanis Morissette/ (the late) Dolores O’Riordan vocal style.

Speaking of Franco, “Pleasantries” would feature a role reversal with her at the helm and Chavez serving as the backup. The album finishes how it began with “Aries” only with a bit more oomph and Bryce Guiliani adding some groovy bass during a brief a vocal solo from Franco. The song also features a voiceover playback accompanied with Franco’s soft chorus. This Klown will say that this collective turned a complete 180 than what he had heard the first time when he was working on their First Impressions profile. The addition of a female vocalist feels a bit a refreshing and kind of fresh.

With that in mind, this album seems to be a new start for the quintet. It features New Wave of American Heavy Metal sounds mixed with groove metals. On top of that, the addition of punk style influences from the like of The Cranberries. The Klown would definitely recommend this album for fans of Lamb Of God, Code Orange, Eths and Cane Hill. Not feeling convinced yet? Check’em out in their Bandcamp and get it there right after.

4 out of 6 They Have Only Just Begun!

The New Look of Harmonic Theories

Underoath Return for the Kids

Hey, remember the time Underoath broke up about 4 years back? Yeah, the Klown doesn’t either. Nevertheless, scene kids at heart, rejoice, for the collective known as Underoath have now reached back into 2006 and mustered a new album just for you! For those who never kept up with Underoath or just lost track of them, this is their eighth album. The latest one is titled Erase Me and it was released through Fearless Records.

The album begins with the appropriately titled “It Has to Start Somewhere.” Which begins with some drowning electronic drumming from Aaron Gillespie and sample/keyboarding courtesy of Christopher Dudley. It is then met up with some alternative hard rock style guitar riffs that are then accompanied by Spencer Chamberlain’s unmistakable vocals. It is then followed by the samples and programming heavy track “Rapture,” which featured Chamberlain’s clean vocals as opposed to any variation of harsh vocals. “On My Teeth” features the same as the prior but more tempo and anger. In fact, it’s the first time, as far as the Klown knows, that the group demonstrated any form of profanity. “Wake Me” and “Bloodlust” are definitely songs for the scenester at heart as they revisit some of the old sounds and tones.

Remember how the Klown brought up the aggressive take with some profanity, they do it again back with “ihateit” and “Hold Your Breath.” While “ihateit” maybe softer and sentimental, “Hold Your Breath” gives you angst and speed and borderlines, briefly in the beginning, industrial and features Chamberlain range his screaming vocals with some clean. They end the album with the Klown’s mantra when he doesn’t want to continue things, “I Give Up.” Unlike the majority of the tracks, this one takes an ambient approach and pairs it with their signature sounds of rock and has Chamberlain singing cleanly.

If you were that devoted scene kid at heart after nearly 20 years of the trend dying, congratulations, you can relive those days again. As for the Christian listeners, the Klown doesn’t know what the feelings may be regarding some of the gruff but Underoath is still politically correct in terms of language. Y’all know how it is when you’re venting. Anyway, for those who haven’t listened to before but have interest, the Klown says that he recommends it for fans of Norma Jean, Greyhaven, Of Mice and Men and Toothgrinder. Need to hear before you buy? Check it out on whatever streaming service you feel compliant or just get it here.

5 out of 6  2008 Has Made a Comeback

Bringing Back the Days if the Scene Kids

Requiem Have Emerged from Down Under

The name Requiem seems to be a popular name in the land of Oz. But don’t worry peeps, the Klown figured out which Requiem he’s talking about. Hailing from Ararat, Victoria, Australia is the thrash quartet known as Requiem. The gnarly part of this ordeal is that they met the Ugh Metal kink of being an independent artist! The other cool part is that the Klown caught a whiff of their debut studio album titled And the Earth Grew Dark.

The album begins rather epically with “Divinity.” It opens faintly with an opening guitar solo before settling in with the rhythm guitar and Aaron Dunks drumming. After the all sweet play, you get treated to really aggressive and fast thrash metal which gives us more awesome guitar solos. Although the track is trash, frontman/guitarist Zacharie Dunks vocals are reminiscent to that of Exodus’s own Steve Souza.

The Klown can definitely say the same about the following track “Absence ov Faith” and “Blackened Water.” “Absence ov Faith” lacks several guitar solos but Tom Hainsworth ‘s bass stands out a lot while “Blackened Water” contains solos but not as much as “Divinity.” “Maelstrom” shows a more aggressive of the band and has plenty of blackened thrash metal similar to the likes of Witchery or Necrophobic and features some awesome guitar solos.

The album capped off the way it began, epically with its title track “And The Earth Grew Dark.” Unlike “Divinity,”  this one was the longest track of the album by clocking in at 9 secs after 8. This album was a good debut and definitely had a bite to it. If you really love thrash definitely a must especially if you are a fan of Exodus, Witchery, Necrophobic, Dust Bolt. Need more convincing? Check out their Bandcamp, take a good listen and, if you like it, get it there.

6 out of 6 Your High-Top Nikes Will Still Be Whiter than the Earth

The Over the Top Album for some Down Under Thrash

Kamelot Give Light to their Brand-New Darkness

Kamelot, now that’s a power metal group that Ugh Metal has had the chance to see live. Of course, it was B.U.M. (Before Ugh Metal, not the type of homeless person or a butt). Ever since Roy Kahn left the group 7 years ago, Tommy Karevik has done a swell job filling in that void that was left behind. Although this might be Karevik’s third album with the group, The Shadow Theory is Kamelot’s 12th installment and it was released through Napalm Records.

The band begins their contemporary with the orchestral arrangements and keys of Oliver Palotai’s intro “The Mission” which then beautifully transitions to “Phantom Divine (The Shadow Empire).” The “Phantom Divine” more or less revisits the sounds that were back in the 2012 Silverthorn combined with the 2007 Ghost Opera album. The complexity of sounds and theatrics is what yours truly is getting at with the added bonus of Once Human’s Lauren Hart lending her vocals to create a dark duet with Karevik. Hart would make another appearance in “MindFall Remedy.” Speaking of duets “In Twilight Hours” features Beyond the Black’s Jennifer Haben pairing her voice with that of Karevik for the power ballad.

Guitarist Thomas Youngblood also swoops in “In Twilight Hours” and chimes in a killer solo before the song ends. “Burns to Embrace” takes a tender approach while maintaining the symphonic power metal approach and has Palotai and Youngblood share the spotlight with their respective solos. The song includes a children’s chorus which surprisingly adds and doesn’t deter the song in any way. “Static” was much heavy with the classical strings and keyboards but still remained heavy throughout.

“Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)” features a lot less orchestrations and has Kamelot become a predominantly power metal where Youngblood shreds away in a cool but long solo. “The Proud and The Broken” featurs the usual Kamelot M.O. and has a guest appearance from the power metal magician known as Sacha Paeth on growling vocal duties. The album ends with an outro titled “Ministrium (Shadow Key).”

If you happened to get the bonus CD you only get the instrumental version of the album and an extra song titled “The Last Day of Sunlight.” To keep it short, you love orchestrations, power metal and/or Kamelot? Then it is a must for you. Still skeptic or want to see what the hoopla is all about? Check out your streaming service or just get the regular disc through Bandcamp.

6 out of 6 Serenading Your Shadow into Serenity

No Theories Just Facts

*The dishonorable Judge Jenny Oh Will Throw in her 2 cents*

Mini Missed Trails: March 30

We Will Wanna Dive Deep In To Trenches Debut

We happily descend deep in to the black metal recesses down under with the quartet Trenches. The elusive black metallers released their self titled debut via Voirloup Productions and it is to die for! Lets go deeper in to this fresh debut baby!

“Sin Cannon” bombards listeners with what’s to come and slowly rolls in to the vicious “Nameless Death” which will reap your doubts and fuel your lust for this album. If you’re feeling a little frigid, that  intro from guitarist Cock Goblin will melt away your skepticism because its so damn irresistible. “Satan Beckons” changes the tempo a bit and morphs it into a track that slowly crawls out of the gates of hell, major screeching points to vocalist Hellwitch.

Trenches ain’t all about them delicious growls and provide us with the tamer instrumental “Cursed Necro Threnody” which has a narration by vocalist Hellwitch once the music fades. The infectious intro by “The Valley Of Flesh” pierces the silence left by the chant that lingers in the air and it’s bloody great much like the “Gates of Hell.”

This album is a sinful delight and a great first offering from this quartet. You will find yourself replaying this bad boy a few times and will have you be a giddy as yours truly to see what they will craft next. Check out their album in their bandcamp and get hooked with the rest of the acts Voirloup Productions has to offer!

6 out of 6, Hails Trenches!

We Join Primordial In Their Latest ‘Exile’

We travel deep into the arms Primordial’s latest Exile Amongst The Ruins which was released via Metal Blade Records. This banishment is not like our previous ones, and is a pleasant one filled with the legendary quintet’s signature extreme metal hymns. The album opens strongly with the theatrical “Nail Their Tongues” which has a great impending sense of direness. Another cool thing about this song is that it has a hell of a brisk tempo from the collective. And just like that, the rapid persistence of this ensemble abruptly seized to be and sent us straight “To Hell Or The Hangman.” We’ve never been so happy to cross over to the other side especially if it means hearing “Upon Our Spiritual Deathbed” which is a passionate hymn that any one can appreciate and the cherry on top is the instrumentals, especially  that slow build up a little over the halfway mark.

The title track‘s slower disposition showcases the musicianship of these lads and will allow us to drink in A.A. Nemtheanga’s interchanging vocal range. “Stolen Years” pierced through the thicc ice barrier that safely guards my blood pumping muscle known scientifically as a heart? Yep that totally happened damn, Primordial 😉 Primordial make their “Last Call” worth your while, 10 minutes and 32 seconds to be exact! The final chapter in this saga will envelop the listener in the vast array of emotions Nemtheanga conveys and reflects on this journey of blood and power as he treads away in to the sunrise.

This Exile was everything we wanted and more. This album will satisfy any Primordial fan and then some! Primordial continue to show off their storytelling prowess and expertly blend them with their amazing musicianship. You can listen to the whole album on Spotify and be sure to get your album here!   

6 out of 6, Sweet ‘Exile’

Hellfire Deathcult  Declare War In Sophomore LP 

Fresh out of the furnace of hell is none other than Hellfire Deathcult latest album Black Death Terroristic Onslaught  which was conjured up via Deathrune Records. Their sophomore album comes only two years after their debut full length, yes these beasts are yearning to melt our faces off and lap up the puddly mess! Exactly how? Well ditch your agua bendita because that won’t be useful where we’re going.

Hellfire Deathcult set the tone for all hellish things to come with their faintly synthy intro before flinging us in to the unforgiving “Holocaustic Warfront” and into the tar black fallout of “Satanic Nuclear Devastation.” If you survive the nuclear meltdown of the infernal kind, rise with Hellfire Deathcult in “Baptized By Hellfire” in which vocalist Reyes “Perverse Ritual Necromancer”  Perez appropriately unleashes his inner demon to take over this track and blends in nicely with the pandemonium.

“Death Conquers All” even our decaying hearts especially after we get served up a swift drumming dose from Warhammer Sodomizer. Careful! This tempo will slap you silly. “Hellstrom Chaos Batallion” has a bit of a grand entrance with an enthralling riff from none other than Apolcalyptic Genocidal Desecrator duh! This track is ready to devour any kind of invasion! “Bloodlust Ritual” is another track that will grab your attention with Perez’s guttural growl and the instrumental chaos that follows, ah yeah it’s that kind of party. This album prepares for its final battle and offers a great penultimate wave of more brutality in “Anti God Kommando” before they celebrate with “Triumphant Death March” which ends in a bigger bang than you could imagine.

Hellfire Deathcult is not for the faint of heart but if you are ready to enter this fresh new hell then open yourselves and get ready to receive. This LP is done stalking its unsuspecting prey and is ready to go in for the kill, though some tracks do retain those intros and build up that will be hard to resist. You can listen to the whole album on Spotify and if you wanna pledge your allegiance to this legion get your copy here.  And check out what we thought of them we saw ’em live here and get see what the Klown thought of their debut LP here!   

The Trials of January 19, 2018

Honorable Mention

Bleeding Gods Deliver on their Debut’s Follow Up

The Dutch collective known as Bleeding Gods have, in short time, managed to make a name for themselves. Since Nuclear Blast snagged them last year, their current album was highly anticipated. Although the Klown dropped the ball in informing his sibling about this album, he shall talk about their current release Dodekathlon which came out on January 12.

This album inaugurates with “Bloodguilt” which was a great opener for this concept. This song features some death metal and some thrash metal, and a killer solo. It is then followed by “Multiple Decapitation” which sounded epic and had a narration sample. “Beloved by Artemis” was a great song and features a long but awesome guitar solo.

“From Feast to Beast” has the group taking a page from Hour Of Penance and added some keyboard overtures to make the song borderline symphonic. “Birds of Hate” and “Seeds of Distrust” gave a full dose of death metal with Daan Klemann showcasing his powerful kicks. The Klown can say the same about “Hera Orchard” with the bonus of guest musician of Mayan’s vocalist George Oosthoek lending his growls into the mix.

The album finishes its tribute of god-like proportions with “Hound of Hell” which sounded like something that was leftover or came from Behemoth’s The Satanist album. This album had a lot of hype and it absolutely delivered. This album was a great release to continue the new year. If you haven’t heard this group before, then the Klown would recommend them to you if you are a fan of Hour Of Penance, Behemoth and Mayan. Lastly, you can check it out on Spotify or get the album here.

6 out of 6 Death Metal Fit for a God!

An Album of God-like Proportions

January 19, 2018

Anvil Pounded and Forged a New One for the Year

Assuming you have never seen that documentary built on this Canadian collective, Anvil is one of the greatest bands that you have never heard of. According to the likes of Scott Ian and other metal greats that were featured in the documentary, they were pioneers of our beloved genre. With that said, Canada’s open secret has released Pounding the Pavement through Steamhammer Records.

The album begins with the “Bitch In A Box” which was rather slow but definitely highlights a lot of the classic heavy metal sounds. It immediately picks up with “Ego” and gives you a nice dose of speed metal the way the legendary Motorhead used to. Others like this were also “Doing What I Want,” “Smash Your Face,” “Rock That Shit” and “Black Smoke” just to name a few.

The Canadians also treat us to a few thrash instrumentals with “Pounding The Pavement.” They slow down once again with “Nanook of the North” and “World of Tomorrow.” The Klown will note, for the latter, Anvil seemed to have tapped into their stoner/sludge metal side and featured an awesome solo from Steve “Lips” Kudlow.

The band ends with some speed metal courtesy of “Warming Up.” These gents also include a bonus track titled “Don’t Tell Me” which presents some hard rock element into the mix. For those who are fans of Anvil, you will be wanting this album. For those who want to but are skeptical, the Klown would recommend it for fans Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Enforcer. You can check the album out on Spotify or take the plunge here.

4 out of 6, Still Pounding Away

Putting the Heavy in Metal for a Long Time

Arkona Make a Return for the Year

One of the most prolific bands to ever come from the land of borscht and vodka has returned after a 4-year hiatus. If you have no idea who the Klown is talking about or guessed its the band Putin It Together then he’ll just have to say, “no, you, goofy clown shoe.” It’s Arkona! They are literally the most recognizable metal band to ever come out of the Eurasian subcontinent. On that note, the Russian folk metal quintet has issued their eighth installment titled Khram through Napalm Records.

The contemporary commences with “Mantra (Intro)” which features Nytt Land’s Anatoliy Pakhalenko doing a harsh spoken word narrative before transitioning to “Shtorm.” The track was not only a great follow up to the intro but it also featured everything a great folk metal song tends to have such as wind instruments, heavy guitar and drumming.

The Klown really took a liking to “Tzeluya Zhizn’” because it tapped into their black metal side and gave a brooding and somewhat aggressive take to their usual M.O. This song felt like an homage to Bathory during their pagan, black metal phase. It is worth noting that it is also the longest track of the whole album, clocking in at 17 minutes and 11 seconds and had some classic strings.

The track is then followed by the second longest track of the album, “Rubionok Bez Imeni.” This song is nearly 12 minutes long and takes a mellow, prog metal approach. “V Pogonye Za Beloy Tenyu” features some synths and overture to give the song a melancholic touch. “V ladonyakh bogov” features some piano composition which complements the song and adds some dramatic overtones.

The album finishes  the way it began but much shorter with “Mantra (outro).” The Klown was surprised with this album and its versatility. It offers a little bit of everything while maintaining its folk metal influence. The album is a must have for a fan of the folk metal genre. Lastly, you can check out this album in the band’s Bandcamp if you found yourself convinced.

5 out of 6, Siberia Never Sounded So Good

Russia’s Greatest Export… aside from Vodka and Stroganoff

Black Label Society Dish Out a New Set of Hits

BLS is a group that the Klown feels like he needs not introduce. After all, Zakk f’n Wylde is a legend in his own right. When he’s not dishing out music for his own prolific group, he’s off touring with his Black Sabbath cover band Zakk Sabbath or off shredding with Ozzy Osbourne. This time the Klown shall talk about the 10th installment Grimmest Hits which was released through Entertainment One Records.

The album starts off with “Trampled Down Below” which immediately reignites memories of the Stronger Than Death and The Blessed Hellride fame. Wylde takes us back to some old school hard rock with “All That Shined Once” and starts off with some soft clean vocals which become the driving force for the entire song.

Wylde then makes you have the feels with “The Only Words” and “The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away.” “The Only Words” feels like an homage to Southern-style rock ballad and features Wylde playing the organ and doing a cool guitar solo which completely compliments the song’s tender demeanor. “The Day…” was mostly a standard, yet soulful ballad which can really make you sentimental like a ballad is supposed to.

“Room Of Nightmares” has Wylde picking up the pace once more right after the previous track and gives you a bit of a pep. BLS return to their brand of heavy metal sounds with “A Love Unreal” which had some heavy guitar strums and Jeff Fabb’s crashing cymbals as a foundation for the song. The album finishes rather appropriately with “Nothing Left to Say” which leaves you, the listener, with a satisfactory sensation after listening.

This was a pretty good album and highlights Wylde’s legendary status as well as his vast musicianship. Although nothing else stood out it was still a good album to hear, especially if you’ve been anticipating some new Black Label Society. The album also seems to cater to a more mature and musically opened audience. The Klown absolutely recommends this album if you are a fan or love the work to that of Fireball Ministry, ZZ Top and Lynard Skynard. As always you can get your copy of this album here.

5 out of 6, Always Bet on Black

BLS… nuff said

Terror Universal Debut Their LP

What do you get when you combine Ill Niño and Soulfly? If your answer was something other than Terror Universal then the Klown doesn’t know what to tell you. The Mushroomhead looking group known as Terror Universal has been making the rounds and some noise for some time and released their first EP, Reign of Terror, about 3 years back. Now, the trio has released their first studio album Make Them Bleed through Minus Head Records, and have unleashed their brand of horror metal to the masses.

The album kicks off with “Passage of Pain” which feature the sounds of groove metal. The Klown really took a liking to “Welcome To Hell” and “Make Them Bleed” because … remember the Mushroomhead comparison? The Terror took another page from their book and busted out some industrial influences on that song and combined it  with groove. The group continued said influence with “Spine” which also featured Disturbed’s vox/bassist John Moyer. As cliche and predictable as this may sound, Slipknot fans will rejoice because Terror Universal crossover to Knot territory with “Through The Mirror.”

The guest musicians don’t just stop with “Spine,” another name that has lingered in the Ugh Metal site since it’s maiden voyage makes a triumphant return. The Klown is talking about vox/bassist Tony Campos. The bassist lends his vocals to “Dead On Arrival” which was not only a pretty good song but was really catchy to sing along to. “Into Darkness” features the band’s tender side but still bolster some aggression.

The album finishes with “Piece by Piece” which made for a great closer. It was melodic and it had some strong industrial influences. This album was a fantastic start for the collective and is sure to pick up some steam and exposure later on in the year. If you’ve never heard of Terror Universal or have not been properly exposed to Terror Universal to them then the Klown shall repeat the references. If you are a fan of Mushroomhead, Slipknot, Avatar and Fear Factory you’ll like them. If you need more convincing you can check it out on the label’s Bandcamp.

6 out of 6, Fear Not, Tis a Great Start

Meet the New Monsters of Metal!

The Trials of Oct. 27, 2017

Butcher Babies Release ‘Lilith’ On To The World

These feisty metal vixens are ready to slay with their latest album Lilith released via Century Media Records. In their single and title track “Lilith,” Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey give us the best of both worlds by interchanging from clean to grit! The songstresses continue to offer these two flavors in “Headspin” and “The Huntsman” which the J-Ohster really enjoyed.

“Burn the Straw Man” paints the sky red with their no clean vocals and “#iwokeuplikethis” takes off its makeup and shows you its bare face with fangs and all. Another song the J-Ohster must admit that stuck with her is “Oceana” not just because Shepherd and Harvey continue to play with their vocals but also because Henry Flury’s devious riffs show off the popular groove metal style riffs from the late 90’s.

Lilith is a different kind of fiend where the quintet lets loose and makes you feel their need for adventure. This album may not be up in your grill and burgers like the previous releases, but it is still a subtly volatile and misunderstood album. It will pique your interest and will make you wonder what these gals and gents will want to experiment with next. Check out the album on Spotify and get you copy here.

5 Out 6, Praise ‘Lilith’

Pink Mass Puts Out With ‘Necrosexual’

The bondage clad quintet are not only heating up New Jersey, they are warming us up for their latest installment Necrosexual released independently. Before Pink Mass spits out their pervy grindcore, they invoke all that is unholy with the synthy intro before they flay you with their opening track “Hedonist’s Lament.” Oh yes, it’s gonna be that kind of party once you are done listening to this opening track.

“Extinction of the Breeders” not only is rough and will make you tumble, but it has a nice little breakdown from Van Lee Tassels the Obnoxious. Wut? You want more roughness? Pink Mass will whip you stupid with the erratic “Vorefied” and “Altar of Domination” which sounds like an ultra aggressive Midnight track with a mixture of guttural growls.

“F.O.A.D N.S.B.M” has another great breakdown and…who am I kidding, the riffs in this song in general are boner/lady boner inducing because it will make you scared and aroused at the same time. Pink Mass will satisfy your dirty grindcore needs, no games nor emotional unavailability for once! Get your copy in Bandcamp and lock this mother down here!

6 Out 6, They put out!

Winds Of Plague Slay With ‘Blood of My Enemy’

The deathcore quintet are back to drench the masses with blood and deathcore and more metal stuff with their latest Blood of My Enemy which was released via Entertainment One Records. The album starts off with “Nameless Walker” where there is quite a bit of harmonic influences mixed with the brutality. Another great track is “Kings Of Carnage” which will strike fear in to your enemies especially when Johnny Plague warns you that this is a warning and he’s about to lose control…You don’t mess with Johnny man!

The title track “Blood of My Enemy” is a battle song that develops a sense of tragedy with keyboardist Adrienne Cowan lending her vocals for the chorus. “5150” picks up the pace and Johnny Plague opens a can of whoop ass! ”Either Way You Lose” will make you feel like a winner because you will be singing that to your enemies the moment you are turning them in to wieners!

Winds Of Plague have been a fascinating band to observe and have certainly changed since their debut Decimate The Weak. Winds Of Plague have continued to follow the symphonic path and are ready to show the masses that they are not just another deathcore band, the J-Ohster feels like they’ve come into their own. Listen to this album in Spotify and get your copy here! 

6 out of 6, Let the ‘Blood’ Flow

‘Nordkarpatenland’ Awaits!

Time to crack open a fresh cask of black metal from the Slovakian quartet known as Malokarpatan. These kvlt warlocks have conjured up their sophomore album Nordkarpatenland via Invictus Records. Warning! Malokarpatan will lure listeners with instrumental intros that seem to have been crafted for a Disney fairy tale before it flips into a song that can be featured in a Grimm fairy tale. Hang on to your cloaks lil red riding hoods, ‘cause we’re going balls in!

“Ked svetlonosi započnú v močariskách nazeleno svícit (When will-o-the-wisps begin to shine green in the bogs)” adds traces of doom and some stoner rock riffs to this black metal blend and the mixture is divine. Malokarpatan continue to be the masters of curve balls by kicking off some of their most brutal tracks with upbeat, orchestra, folk intros before giving you the good black metal stuff which is best heard in “V hustej hore na stračích nohách striga chalupu svoju ukrýva (Within the dense woods, the witch is hiding her hut on magpie legs),” which is the J-Ohster’s favorite track, and “Na horárni ve folvarku šafári rohatý jáger (A horned jaeger governs the gamekeeper’s lodge in the uplands).”

Malokarpatan continue to mix other influences such as the old school heavy metal riffs courtesy of guitarist HV and if you’re dying to see what I mean check out “V okresném rybníku hastrman už po stáročá vyčína (In the provincial pond, a water goblin has been raging for centuries),” and “Ked gazdovi upeleší sa v chyži nezdoba zmok (When a bugger kobold settles down in the farmer’s household).”

Temnohor’s vocals will give you a serious case of nostalgia and will remind listeners of the late 90’s wave of Norwegian black metal. Malokarpatan weaved together a black metal fairy tale that is darker than the charcoal ice cream all the kids and foodies are raving about but much like that ice cream, it is very flavorful and teeming with so many great melodies and stories. And this is only their second full length album y’all! But these seasoned metallers know just what they’re doing. Fall in to this rabbit hole and listen to it at Bandcamp and get your copy here!

6 out of 6, We’re headed to ‘Nordkarpatenland’

Ne Obliviscaris Open The ‘Urn’

Melodic extreme metallers Ne Obliviscaris will team up to lure you in to the other side and make you submerge yourself in to their latest Urn released via Season of Mist Records. The quintet from down under continue to let the symphonic and extreme elements dominate this album. If you are not butt hurt about their ongoing direction, good! We can continue.

Tim Charles will soften any blow with his beautiful clean vocals and his faithful fiddle especially in the first track “Libera, Pt.I: Saturnine Spheres” and “Intra Venus” which has a balanced amount of growls from Marc “Xenoyr” Campbell. Another nice song where you can really appreciate the high notes from Charles is in “Urn, Pt.I: And Within the Void We Are Breathless.” Random note, the J-Ohster appreciated the Apocalyptica like opening violin in “Urn, PtII..”

Like yours truly mentioned in the beginning, Ne Obliviscaris continue to fully embrace the melodic side of things and it continues to work for them. Also these songs may not be predominantly “Prog” but they were sure to keep the length of Prog songs meaning 6+ minute songs so that you can enjoy these tracks longer. Not every track is pure melody and mellowness because lead guitarist Benjamin Baret, guitarist Matt Klavins, and Xenoyr team up and sprinkle some great riffs and growls into this batch. You can listen to Urn in its entirety on Spotify now and get your copy here!

5 out 6, Can you hear the music, Mr. Krabs?

First Impressions: Morphesia, Bloodborne, and Beekeeper

Honorable Mention: Morphesia

Morphesia has been growling and taking us into a spiritual black metal journey in the venues of San Diego for some time. Though this one man band finally got signed on July 7 by Sliptrick Records, doing a piece on Morphesia was a must for Ugh Metal! Zombie Thirteen…NO! It’s not Rob Zombie’s latest side project, but rather the name of the man behind Morphesia, who is unknowingly racking up more cool points with his killer name and an intriguing band name.

“I’m a big fan of HR Giger’s art. Around the same time I started playing guitar, I bought some of his Morpheus calendar prints and would stare at the art for hours. The name Morpheus always stood out to me, because to me, it represented the male side of his art, so I wondered what the female version of that name would be.” Said Thirteen regarding the band’s name. “One afternoon after college, I was taking the bus home and it just came to me, Morphesia, so I wrote it down and proclaimed that as my future band’s name.”

Thirteen had previously played in a few bands but found his identity as a musician after delving deeper in black metal. Thirteen credits Norwegian black metallers Old Man’s Child as the catalyst that lit the fire for Morphesia because their music compelled him to write his first track in 2005.

Morphesia at Til Two in 2016 decked out in his black metal armor.
(Photo courtesy of formulavi on Youtube)

Though Morphesia was now out in the universe, it went through some growing pains and struggled to have a stable line up before becoming a solo act. The evolution of this one man band has continued to flourish and has shifted its concept, venturing more into the ancient spirituality of Egypt.

“I wanted to shift the focus from the aggresiveness/hatred coming out of my writing and show the inner core of where all that came from, putting myself out there instead of targeting a specific subject.” Said Thirteen when asked about his new musical direction.

“I got tired of writing the same ‘Norwegian style’ song and decided to destroy ‘the barrier’ I had hid behind for many years, exposing a much more personal and deeper side I was reluctant to share at first, as I was under the impression that I ‘had’ to keep a certain image going.”

Zombie Thirteen of Morphesia transcends during the Helheim show in 2017.

Morphesia will be releasing his second full length album I Forever End later this year and luckily for all of us, he has a bandcamp filled with black metal wonders! If you haven’t seen his new material live, check out our reviews and his YouTube channel, you are in for a transcendental treat. Morphesia will be at The Merrow on Aug. 15 with Wormreich, and will be joining locals Ruines Ov Abaddon and many more on Oct. 14 at LA’s 5 Star Bar and like him on Facebook to stay in the loop and congratulate him!

Beekeeper

San Diego is buzzing and dripping with thrashy sweetness that is slowly trickling down onto metalheads and winning them over. Local thrashers Beekeeper are slowly invading the West Coast one riff at a time and conquering the hearts of metalheads. This hive is helmed by the three amigos, lead guitarist/vocalist Ally Levine, drummer Dylan Marks and bassist Adam Wollach who vowed to rule the world through the power of metal.

“We formed [through] our mutual love and respect for old school thrash and death metal.” Said drummer Dylan Marks. “WE ARE TAKING THE WORLD BY SWARM.”

Ugh Metal has been fortunate to see this thrashy trio in action before and it was love at first sting! We are still buzzing after Beekeeper put to shame the big bad wolf by blowing away the Brick By Brick at the San Diego Metal Swap Meet After Party. Staying true to their house saying, they will be embarking on a North American tour starting on August 23 where they’ll be playing at the Soda Bar supporting their debut LP Slaves To Nothing which they released independently on July 1 and made quite the impression on the Klown. Be sure to snag their debut album here, you will not regret it! It’s only a matter of time till we see a record label snag these guys up.

Beekeeper dismantling the Brick By Brick at the SD Metal Swap Meet After Party in 2017.
(L to R: Vocalist/lead guitarist/KWEEN Ally Levine, drummer Dylan Marks and bassist Adam Wollach)

Bloodborne

Because everything’s bigger in Texas, they produced a bigger and meaner local super group called Bloodborne. The quintet from Del Rio came together in 2015 for a fun jam sesh among friends when they had some down time but  quickly  started taking on a life of its own. Guitarist Rick Arneson, drummer Chris Clark and guitarist John Martinez drew first blood before having bassist Fred Vela and vocalist David “Gorilla” Rodriguez a few months later.

“We all just love writing music with influences of the things that we like. Things like tempo changes, memorable hooks and songs that all have their own vibe.” Said John Martinez “We don’t care for all songs to sound the same.”

Bloodborne create a type of metal reminiscent to the late 90’s, early 2000’s wave of groove and nu metal *sigh* Aww yes, that takes me back to when yours truly was a heathen in training *sips on margarita.* Not many bands can pull this nostalgic branch of metal off, but Bloodborne surely can especially because each respective member add a unique ingredient of their own.

The quintet released their very first EP titled Hour of Demise independently on July 12 and you can check out their Reverbnation page and see how they do metal in Texas! Check out their music videos for their hit “Angels and Demons” off of their new EP and drop them a line in their Facebook page to get your copy!

First Impressions: Finding T.H.E.T.I.S, Seize the Vatican and Demon Seduction

Finding T.H.E.T.I.S.

When the Klown first heard of Finding T.H.E.T.I.S. he thought he heard finding titties. He then thought “me too!” He checked them out and it wasn’t smut (damn…!) but it was raw groove metal from San Diego. Before the Klown talks about this band’s material why not indulge in a quick band bio, the way any speed dating acquiesces to.

The quartet was first found by the guitarist Sky Jay and the skinsman, Jesse Nathason about a year and a half ago. Like most musicians, the love and passion for their jamming sessions evolved in to a serious thing. Jay and Nathason didn’t necessarily play straight up metal in these sessions; they’d combine and write various styles of music. Jay and Nathason began to think big and started holding auditions in hopes of adding new players to the mix.

Much like a commitment, finding the right partners isn’t always easy especially when this duo had no specific subgenre to identify with. Vocalist Andy Chavez fell in place by blowing them away with his screaming vocals and by that point, they knew that the groove subgenre was their calling. After the voice was found, Bryce Guiliani completed the band’s need for a bassist, who to their happened to be a multi-instrumentalist.

The acronym in the name stands for Trying to find the Harmonic Equal To Internal Sound. (To the smart asses, just shuffle the “find” bit to the front.) According to Jay, the band plays for themselves but would love to play for others. The Klown has had the pleasure of listening to some of their things and he’s got to say that it is catchy as hell far as raw, new talent goes.

Their song “Crawl,” reminded the Klown of Iraqi metal sweethearts, Acrassicauda if Faisal Moustafa took up more harsh and growling vocals. “Valkyrie” was also a good song too, the Klown really took a liking to the opening riffs and reminded the Klown of Avatar’s “Hail to the Apocalypse.” If that’s what Finding T.H.E.T.I.S sounds like when they are playing for themselves, the Klown can only imagine if it were for conformity sake! If you don’t believe the Klown, you can check out their soundcloud and hear it for yourselves.

Lastly, before this Pennywise impersonator sounds off, he would like to announce that Jay and his boys are currently working and recording brand new material at this moment. Also, if you’re looking for an opening act or a band to play at your Quinceañera, Bar Mitzva or whatever the event, these guys would do the honors because they love to play!

Fellow San Diegans can see these dudes in action at The Merrow on April 29!

The Klown may not have found the “titties,” but he discovered something just as good.
(L to R: Vocalist Andy Chavez, bassist Bryce Giuliani, drummer Jesse Nathanson and guitarist Sky Jay)
Photo courtesy of Finding T.H.E.T.I.S FB page

Seize the Vatican

If you keep up with us, then Seize the Vatican shouldn’t surprise you. The Klown, however, will indulge you further on this up-and-comer from Maine. Luckily, our fetish for new metal and * insert other “devil music” genres here* acts along with our stalking journalism, we’ve gotten some more info on these bros. So without further ado here’s the quick bio.

First off, if you’re from Maine you definitely know the history better than most. They are a quintet that is attempting to challenge Stephen King’s monopoly on Maine. In their local metal scene, they are considered somewhat of a supergroup. The band first started off as two bands named Salvo and A Constant Battle. Salvo consisted of lead and rhythm guitarists Pat Sawyer and Scott Stetson respectively, and vocalist Dustin Faloon while A Constant Battle had bassist Jason Moody and drummer Joe Ronco.

Although both bands dissolved, the Klown will note that Moody wasn’t the original bassist of the group. Moody was already friends with the members and naturally joined the band after the original bassist departed. Soon after they officially formed, these Mainers busted out a four song self titled EP but hit a familiar road block most artists face, getting that creative process going.

Before releasing their debut studio album, Advent of Annihilation, the band’s original intention was to be offensive but not of the Anal Cunt pedigree. Not necessarily for the sake of shock value but for the sake of storytelling and making a point to their intended and potential audience. Although they confessed that they struggled and had difficulty making this album, the rewards that they reaped made them feel justified.

For you Mainers and others passing through there, they’ll be playing a free show at the Sapphire Nightclub in Auburn on March 31^st and the 3-day NYDM Annual 2017 in New Jersey on Thursday, August 17.

Seize the Vatican will make you a believer!
(L to R: Lead guitarist Pat Sawyer, drummer Joe “Nacho” Ronco, bassist/ backup vocalist Jason Moody, lead vocalist Dustin Faloon, rhythm guitarist Scott Stetson)
Photo courtesy of Lennyvision on YouTube

Demon Seduction

Demon Seduction are currently unsigned and released their debut independently. The German quartet started out on the premise of combining thrash and death metal with hardcore and deathcore influences. The band was founded by the vocalist Kevin Leyendecker and drummer Erik Mülhberger in 2009 but they weren’t known as Demon Seduction till 2012 when guitarist Arnold Klaus and bassist Fabian Stangenberg joined.

By that point the band was developing a sound and an identity that on May 2013, they made an impact. The collective impressed at a talent competition in Essen and later that year, the band did a self organized event to continue to stand out. Demon Seduction continued to blow invited guest which among them were the organizers of the Grind the Mine Festival where they landed a spot as openers.

Despite the feel good story and quick success the band was enjoying, Stangenberg unfortunately departed from the band. Some time in 2014, current bassist Marcel Dreher would join the mix and worked tirelessly through the following year to put themselves out there again by joining contests. By June 2015, Demon Seduction released their self titled EP and premier their songs at the Rage Against Racism Open Air Festival. By 2016, the band continued to play more shows and began taking steps towards recording, ultimately producing their debut album Dissolution which came out not long ago.

Lastly, nothing new to note from this group other than they are currently touring to promote their current release. If you happen to be in Germany, the band will be in Duisberg and Oberhausen on May 6^th and 20^th, respectively. If not, check out their bandcamp and find out what the Klown thought of Dissolution. 

Demon Seduction may look innocent but just wait till you hear them growl and shred…
(L to R: Drummer Erik Mühlberger, bassist Marcel Dreher, vocalist Kevin Leyendecker, guitarist Arnold Klaus)
Photo Courtesy of Demon Seduction’s FB page

First Impressions, Vol 1

Brutality in Buddha

Vocalist/guitarist/bassist of Brutality in Buddha, Ted Wray, does a victory riff in “Pentecostal Shovel Attack” video

No, it’s not the uber chill deity’s secret metal side project but rather a fun variety of death groove! Deep within Buddha, IN, Ted Wray growls and unleashes killer riffs while Michael Hall pounds away at those drums and produces the tracks in a way that would make Cannibal Corpse proud. Brutality in Buddha first formed in 2006 and been actively creating these brutally hilarious tracks since 2008. Wray and Hall are currently taming this groovalicious death metal monster.

Aside from playing a sub genre that is still hiding in the shadows  per se, Brutality in Buddah add  tar black humor that most bands stray away for the sake of maintaining a “hardcore” image. According to Wray, they are working on an album this year “with more songs of death groove and relentless violent lyrics.” Once you check out their stuff, it will make you wonder what they’ll do next.

This duo brings something new to the table and once you fall into the rabbit hole and get sucked into the care freeness of their homemade music videos, you will be wishing you were part of that party and having a great time with them. Stay in the loop and like them on their Facebook page and check out Wray’s Youtube channel to really experience THE Brutality in Buddha. In the meantime, check out their latest treat and Sunday favorite “Youthpastorbater.”

Dead Inception

Chad Hill kicking ass in Dead Inception
(Photo Courtesy: Dead Inception’s FB page)

Speaking of bands that have four or less people, this one man band from Phoenix, AZ will give you death metal in its most primal and raw form. The man behind the guttural gnarls and riffs is none other than Chad Hill, who has been ravaging our metal needs since 2011. But…but who’s drummin’? Hill’s got that covered too! Thanks to his pre recorded drum tacks for his songs when he performs, though Hill credits Kyle Ramaker for taking over drumming duties for “Blood Vengeance” and “Bloodsought.”

Dead Inception wasted no time and released his first album in 2011 titled Programmed Insanity, followed by 2012’s Serving the Dead, a compilation Everything Dead and their latest 2016 album Barbaric Excisions. According to Hill, he will begin recording a new album for Dead Inception once he wraps up his Excisions of Flesh Tour on March 18.

Hill is one busy man and when he isn’t splitting the earth in two with Dead Inception, he is promoting bands with his company Sadistic Entertainment, working with a new drummer to produce more material for D.I. and other projects and will be doing vocals for an unnamed grindcore band. Dead Inception plans to launch a national tour and spread the “Insanity.” Check out his Soundcloud and stay tuned for tour dates in his Facebook page and for metalheads in the Tempe area, celebrate 4/20 at the Palo Verde Lounge with some sadistic death metal!

Surgat Debuts Music Video

A big apology to Surgat but after waking up from the trance this video put me in; it’s FINALLY time to spread the word! The Tijuana deathgrinders are back with their first music video for the badass track “Kill Them On Your Own.”

Though the quintet first burst into the scene in 2005 and reformed in 2016, they have returned with a vengeance! What will they do next aside from working on a split EP with Witchaven?! Stalk them in their Instagram and stay up to date and while you’re at it, check out their  killer 2016 EP Kill Him On Your Own  and experience how these guys get down!

The Trials of December 9th

R.I.P Debut Comes to Life

Alright… So… Just to clarify things this is not the Seattle based band of the same name. Although, they also happen to be from the Northwest these guys are Portlanders and they are Doom metal. Also, if skipping titles is your thing, these guys have officially debut an album unlike the other R.I.P. The album titled In the Wind has been released through Easy Riding Records and has euphoria of psychedelic sounds and trippiness that were synonymous with the late sixties and seventies. The tracks “In The Wind I” and “In the Wind II” are tracks that really resonates with the Klown’s claim. For those who love the original Black Sabbath, “Smoke and Lightning” is the one to strike a chord of persuasion to further invest on this album.

4 out of 6, It’s Alive!

Don’t fuck with R.I.P ’cause the reaper and his gold chain will get ya!

Nephilim Has Released their Gigantic Debut

Much like the opening statement to previous entry, this death metal quintet from the windy city should not be confused with the black metal band from Missouri nor the Groove metal band from Sac Town. Their debut album Disciplined lives up to the title from the beginning. The opening track “Lord of Fear” and “Join Us or Die” will immediately have you hooked and invested. This album had yours truly wondering what if Sigurd “Satyr” Wongraven of Satyricon ever did a death metal collaboration with Job For A Cowboy? The Klown might be overselling it but Linus Knuttson vocals were eerily similar to that of Satyr blended with Job For A Cowboy. Once you listen to “Disciplined” the band start to sound like more like JFAC and a bit like All Shall Perish’s Awaken the Dreamers album. This band’s debut album is not only awesome but was really strong and well-balanced. Expect these guys to start making rounds in the near future… assuming the Klown didn’t jinx them!

6 out of 6, It’s so disciplined… it’s chaotic!

Nephilim are “Disciplined” in their strong debut.

Gnaw Their Tongues Have Released Their 10th Hymn

The former studio-only band from the Netherlands has returned with Hymns of the Broken, Swollen and Silent. Gnaw Their Tongues have been around for around 13 years and is impressive that they’ve released 10 studio albums within that timeline. This album is very experimental. A good example and a good track that is really experimental is “Silent Burned Atrocities.” The track kicks off with the sounds of “Tocatta and Fugue in D minor” (aka Dracula’s Theme song) and then mixes it with some industrial and some really heavy double bass drumming. Overall, it invokes the spirit of true industrial. Although this isn’t the Klown’s flask of bourbon, he still kind of enjoyed it and felt a bit pumped after this album. This album and would fit right at home at San Diego’s very own Goth club, Club Sabbath and it’s music Cyber Goths, in particular,  would love.

4 out of 6, You can sink your teeth into it!

You bet your local goth club will be bumpin’ this album from Gnaw Their Tongues

 

Tengger Calvary Honor Us With A New Kaan

So… unless you don’t keep up with us, we have had the pleasure of seeing Tengger Calvary at Brick by Brick a while back. This time the Calvary has released a new EP titled Kaan. If you haven’t heard anything with the Calvary, you’re missing out. Assuming you ain’t staunch about metal, this badass quintet incorporate Mongolian folk music with metal and do it well! The track “Wasted” features Nature Ganganbaigal signature throat singing in the beginning along with English lyrics and vocalization. The use of his throat singing, this time around, was almost reminiscent to that of Rammstein’s vocalist, Till Lindemann. The “Accused” was a great folk and harmonious track to listen to because it had groove metal elements sprinkled with some Apocalyptica-like rhythm and thumbjam. It was a great album and highly recommended to lend it your ear!

6 out of 6, All Hail the KAAN!

Tengger Cavalry shows why they’re “Kaan”!