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Mafia is Fleshgod Apocalypse’s 2010 EP which was signed under the label Willow Tip Records. For all who don’t know, Fleshgod Apocalypse is a progressive brutal technical death metal band from Italy. These guys are renowned worldwide for their creativity and the leaders in this particular genre. Since their split back in 2008 and their album (Oracles) in 2009, these guys have catapulted themselves to the top of the metal ladder. Bands like this are only one in a million so what is the catch here? There must be something about these guys that make them so appealing. Well the first thing to point out about this band is obviously the technicality, and these guys go further than most bands have the ability to and even then they still have to write good music. So automatically, Fleshgod Apocalypse shouldn’t be insanely discredited for anything they have done. The first thing that hits you about this album is of course the ferocity of the music. It hits you like a tonne of bricks falling from a ten story building. The band is definitely more technical than anything that has come before it and they have set the bar extremely high for themselves with the release of their debut album Oracles. Oracles was the ground breaking album that absolutely no one has seemed to have cloned to this date. And I’m not sure if people were expecting a new direction with this album, because people who didn’t want them to had their prayers answered. This album has the extreme technicality of Brain Drill with the melody and progressiveness of say… wait, nothing is like these guys. In fact, I don’t even think their old band Hour Of Penance will be seen as even good since Fleshgod Apocalypse has out done them.
Like I’ve mentioned before, these guys have a progressive side to them. So no they aren’t all out br00tality and mindless and incoherent insanity. They do have a sense of song structure and direction within their music. This is another thing that makes them quite special because there aren’t many bands who can write this kind of music, even other progressive technical death metal bands such as Obscura, Fleshgod Apocalypse is easily superior in the song writing department compared to Obscura.
The next thing that Fleshgod Apocalypse is known for is the symphonic and Orchestral elements in their music. Yep, they still have it from their original album Oracles but I think they might have eased back a little from Oracles. Instead of littering the ep with piano solos they chose to do it with guitars. I don’t think this is a bad problem though because piano or guitar the music is still excellent in most aspects. I think that the classical elements in their music go well with the title of the EP, “Mafia”. When people think of Mafia what do people think of? Tuxedos? Tommy Guns? The Godfather? I think that Fleshgod Apocalypse’s sound may reflect the intended themes in their music. Thompsons firing and the majestic, sophisticated Mafia society. Although I have no clue why there is just a random octopus on the front cover, could that be the drummer?
Although this is still an excellent album which is one of the best things to ever hit the technical death metal scene, this isn’t exactly the perfect release, sorry to rain on the parade. After listening to this a few times you cannot help the feeling of repetitiveness throughout the EP. The song structure and pace of music can get boring sometimes, but that rarely happens. I think the biggest problem with this EP is that it can and does get bland at times and even then the music is still going extremely fast, so speed isn’t everything. Another thing they have done here which I think was a mistake is how much space they have wasted on this EP. I have no problems with instrumentals and covers in an album, none at all. But when you have five tracks on an EP and one is an instrumental and another is a cover, that only gives us three complete songs. This EP is way too short.
Overall, this is still an impressive EP which will continue to bring some of the most impressive progressive technical death metal the world has ever seen. I think that Fleshgod Apocalypse has put Italy on the map for technical death metal and we sure won’t forget this. Fleshgod Apocalyse has unmatched capabilities in their music, no one is more technical and melodic at the same time as these guys. Not to mention their amazing song writing capabilities either, their song writing is second to none. It’s no wonder why these guys managed to become so popular in such a short time. I recommend this to all metal fans… everyone, this will definitely open fans to a whole new frontier of technical death. Furthermore I recommend the opening track Thru Our Scars because of the sheer awesomeness that is contained in this single song. I give Fleshgod Apocalypse’s Mafia a 16/20.
Sevenskies - Nobodies
Sevenskies is a metalcore band from Cairns Australia and Nobodies is their debut ep. Although these guys may have come from Cairns, they have now relocated to Brisbane. “Yesss!” people scream as miniradman comes back with some Australian metalcore. When people read or hear the words “metalcore” and “Australia” in the same sentence people immediately show the whites of their eyes as they realise that they will be hearing some good stuff. They think of the giants such as Parkway Drive and I Killed The Prom Queen, what many foreigners might not know is that this is only the tip of the iceberg and there is way more where that came from. It’s bands like Sevenskies that make this happen and is one of the many Australian bands that we should thank for carrying on this wonderful tradition.
Australian metalcore has the tendency to sound more mature and grownup than it’s American or European counterparts. They are more serious, and this is something that Sevenskies has seemed to have taken on board. They don’t try to sound overly fast or overly br00tal with their solos or anything. They just try to play it nice and safe, and besides, there aren’t many Australian bands out there who go all out so these guys fit in so well. To be completely honest, Sevenskies reminds me of a young Parkway Drive as far as musical techniques and vocals are concerned. This doesn’t mean that these guys are a huge rip off of Parkway Drive because that couldn’t be further from the truth. They have thrown in their own sounds to mix things up and anyone who knows, being compared to Parkway Drive should be taken as a massive complement.
Although these guys might have a metalcore style song structure, there is something about their music that sounds like hardcore. Hardcore is probably their biggest influence in their music and this is definitely evident in their vocals work. They don’t have many highs or lows, it just sounds like your ordinary, typical hardcore vocal work which is how hardcore vocals are meant to be done, none of this post-hardcore stuff that people think are real hardcore vocals, because it’s not. Also these guys don’t seem to appeal to emotion as much as many other bands out there. Metalcore is usually stereotyped as being an “emo” genre. Although this is wrong in most cases, this is another thing that leads me to believe that these guys are more hardcore than metalcore. It just shouts of hardcore, the vocals, the guitar tuning and they certainly have that “in your face bitch” hardcore style of attitude.
But I do ask a question. What is something that metalcore and hardcore have in common? Breakdowns! Of course, this band hasn’t made the stupid mistake of boring breakdowns or leaving them out all together. They use two styles of breakdowns in this ep which is quite a lot considering that this is only a 13 minute ep. I know songs that go for longer than this! The first style they have used is you typical hardcore style breakdown. Mid paced, notes are sustained for quite a long time and there is a relative heaviness in there somewhere. The other style that they have used is metalcore ones. Now these are quicker, more abrasive and the notes aren’t sustained for as long. The combination of these two contrasts really well but there is something missing. Usually, in every good ep/album, there is a single breakdown that just seals the album. It can literally make your day!
I think the real highlight of this ep is definitely their song writing and it’s this that makes Australian metalcore so enjoyable to listen to because not many bands around the world that can do it like Aussies do. Like I’ve mentioned before, these guys don’t go for all out brutality like many other bands from around the world. And this is probably another thing that makes their song easier to write and when something is easier to do, you tend to enjoy it more than something you don’t like, and things that are enjoyable to do are usually done better. I think that this is quite an important factor in Sevenskies case because they have excellent song writing. This is essentially what makes these guys just that little bit better than your average, everyday metalcore band. Everything in this ep is where it’s supposed to be, and it all fits together like a perfect little puzzle.
I don’t usually think that production of and an album is something to jump up and down about but as soon as I heard the tuning and distortion of the guitars on this ep, it made me smile. There is something about them that just sounds so filling. It’s they guitars themselves that make up the entire atmosphere and if you think they sound good then, wait until the breakdowns, they are amazing. It’s just another thing that makes this ep so enjoyable to listen to.
Overall, this is a pretty good ep which is always something to be proud of if you consider that this is a debut release. What makes it better is that this is from Australia which automatically gives this the stamp of approval for many metalcore fans. It’s bands like this that carry on the Australian tradition and it’s bands like this who we turn to when something like I Killed The Prom Queen go belly up. I’m sure that this will appeal to many metalcore, deathcore and hardcore fans out there purely because of their hardcore style attitude which is the “fuck you, in your face bitch” kind of atmosphere. In this entire ep I believe that the track “what the thunder said” is easily the best and it represents this band very well. I think it mainly displays their song writing capabilities really well. So I’d recommend that song for anyone who is looking for a taste of Sevenskies sound. Sevenskies is definitely one of those bands that you would want to keep an eye on in the future because who knows, they could be the next biggest thing to come out of Australia! I give Nobodies a 15/20. Hardcore or metalcore, who cares, they are both moshable!
A Lovely Day For Bloodshed - Demo (2008)
A Lovely Day For Bloodshed is an all female deathcore band from the USA. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, “all female” and “deathcore” used in the same sentence. These gals have the attitude and appearance that stands up to any deathcore band. I’m not sure if they were the ones who actually wrote the music, but I think it’s as “in your face” as any deathcore band out there. Which many people will probably find hard to believe. But I can tell you now, they have some kickass breakdowns and vocals in this dark, disgusting demo of theirs. This is not as bad as what some people might think.
These girls must have some really dark, depressive minds to create something like this. The first thing people who probably think when they heard of female fronted metal, is something a little more upbeat. This is what I would have though as well and as it turned out, I was completely wrong. I think this is darker than anything else out there when it comes to deathcore. Yep, it’s a lot darker than Whitechapel and Chelsea Grin put together. The atmosphere is similar than you would normally find in most deathcore songs out there, it’s just the same except it might just be that little bit darker and grotesque. I don’t think that there is anything feminie about this demo at all, in fact it’s more manly than a lot of the stuff that is out on the shelves today!
Ahh yes, they haven’t forgotten the breakdowns in their music, good girls. Although the production of their music is terrible and everything might be a little loose, they do on conjure up some decent breakdowns, dark, heavy breakdowns at that. These girls know their deathcore, and its evident in that by the way their breakdowns. They are done just at the right speed and they don’t try to go over the top with them. Not only this, but they have some tension building before they dive into a breakdown. This is usually done by playing the guitars softly and short bursts of drumming at the same time. They have nailed it and the result is some pretty awesome female breakdowns. Could you just imagine these girls head banging to them! It would look awesome.
Although they might lack the speed to a typical deathcore band as far as the drumming is concerned, they do set up quite a pace. This is probably due to the terrible recording quality, yeah it does that sometimes. They do have some high speed parts as well as some really slow sections and breakdowns (like I’ve mentioned before). I think these girls focus more on creating a heavy, dark atmosphere rather than a high paced, high energy one. I think this is quite obvious, since they have chosen to use high distortion with their guitars. The guitars remind me of the guitar work from Bring Me The Horizon’s Count Your Blessings album, just in lower quality and not as technical as them either.
If anyone is coming into this demo expecting some lovey dovey clean, mellow vocals. Prepare to be blown apart by the lead singer’s voice. They aren’t anything like a female should sound like, in fact, no one should sound like this. They are harsh as anything you could find and there are no clean vocals at all. It’s all harsh, gutturally and I should have to say it, but they sound really manly. I’m not even sure if people could even do a vocal cover of this demo because it’s unlike anything people have heard before.
Overall, this is well… different. There is probably nothing out there that matches this band in terms of uniqueness. I mean this is 100% female deathcore, how many bands like Lovey Day for Bloodshed have you seen before? I think this is the type of band that will attract a large crown purely based on appearance for obvious reasons. I think that this band would be a real treat so see live, for any deathcore fan. The music is just as harsh and raw as any boy band could achieve, as far as how dark this demo is, I would say it would get a definite 10, because nothing out there could match this. I can tell you now, this demo is not for females because it is anything but feminie. I recommend that you can go and check out the track 15 Ways To Die because it is a perfect showcase of what these girls capable of doing. I give this demo a 12/20.
The Air I Breathe - Great Faith In Fools
The Air I Breathe is a North American Metalcore band and Great Faith In Fools is their debut album. This album was co-released by two separate labels ; Rise Records and Velocity Records. These guys are only a small young band, how did they get two labels because many bands struggle for just one! Well, there is definitely a good reason, in fact this album is a great reason of why people labels would sign this band. The Air I Breathe, since their debut EP Anathema has taked the underground metalcore scene by storm. When Great Faith In Fools was released, it spread through the internet like a disease and the “likes” on their facebook page increased dramatically. So why all the fuss? This album is all the fuss!
Great Faith In Fools is suppose to be the thing that makes or breaks The Air I Breathe and judging how the fans of metalcore reacted when this album was released, it made them. This album was better than their ep which was a technical masterpiece and like many good eps, it was the kind of thing that would be extremely hard to follow up. But they managed to do it, with style. As soon as you read the track listing for this album, you immediately recognize the tracks that were previously seen in their debut ep. Please don’t fret and worry about them not being as good as their originals because they are just the same, if not better. I’m not sure what about this album gives it it’s charm because there are many, many bands with the same sound as these guys. But the only difference is how these guys put their music together. Now that is what sets them apart from the rest.
The first thing that hits you when you click play on this album is the sheer energy that is contained within the polycarbonate plastic strips in the CD. Their music hits you like flying into an asteroid at light speed while riding on a nuclear bomb. Yes my friends, it is that intense. It’s just how technical this album is and how heavy their breakdowns are. They are one of those metalcore bands that doesn’t care about emotional stuff, unlike Bullet For My Valentine or Atreyu. They are probably the ones that defined emo metalcore. But that is totally different from what this band is about and it’s about high energy and heavy head banging. I wonder how many people will have an extremely sore neck after listening to this. It’s probably a big number.
Like I’ve already mentioned before that this album is technical, extremely technical! and tight as well. When people think of metalcore, they think of slow, unextreme and the most insane thing to hit the scene is August Burns Red. Well, The Air I Breathe is arguably more extreme and technical than August Burns Red ever was. I think they could even be described as being at a near melodic deathcore level, let’s say As Blood Runs Black (although the drumming isn’t as technical). Although the drumming is quite technical at times, the real technical charm lies in the guitar work. As soon as the first song starts, you introduced to some technical death style of guitar work immediately (even though it might only last for a couple of seconds at the most, it is still technical). But they use both melodic and unmelodic guitar work as well. It’s not just the one, which makes this album better.
But don’t get me wrong now, this entire album isn’t about chugga, chugga breakdowns/ riffs and technical guitars work. These guys have a melodic side to their music as well. Yes, there is a method to their madness, which makes itself more apparent once the songs progress and you get through the layer of technicality. In fact there is quite strong emotion in this album as well, very strong. The style of emotion creates an atmosphere rather than making you actually having emotion (if that makes sense). It promotes a positive atmosphere rather than making someone emotional. So basically there is not slit wrist type of music here (not much anyway). They achieve this with a few tricks they must have picked up;
The first one are clean vocals, for some odd reason, people are a sucker of clean vocals. Also, I’m not going to pretend that I’m somekind of person who is immune to this because I’m not. Clean vocals make everything happier and more emotional. Mainly because there is nothing else going for it, there is not energy or atmosphere that is typically associated with clean vocals. Well, not the ones here anyway, there are a few people who do create atmosphere with their voice, but the vocalist here doesn’t seem to achieve this.
The next one is definitely the style of guitar work. There isn’t just technical death style guitar work, there is much more than that. There is technical death metal style of guitar work to melodic death metal style to metalcore style and everything in between. I believe that it’s the melodic death metalish style of guitar work that makes the emotion in their music stand head and shoulders above the rest. This is because it’s so happy, I don’t think there is any melodic death metal band that is sad (and doesn’t include symphonic elements, although the lyrics might tell a different story). The last style is the, normal, boring, common, generic metalcore guitar work. I don’t know why, but sometimes it makes the music quite boring. It seems like a little momentum is lost here.
Like I’ve mentioned before, this band has a little trouble keeping their music all together. It seems really loose at times and the momentum of the music sometimes is disrupted by this. I think that the rhythm guitars might be a little out of place when it comes to their music. For some reason it just doesn’t fit in! not only does it not fit in, it’s quite generic as well. But fortunately, this only happens a couple of times in the album so it’s not biggie until you hit those songs which are like this ( ie The Life They Promised). These guys also use two styles of distorted vocals, your abrasive deathcore/metalcore vocals and hardcoreish style of vocals. Although the metalcore/deathcore vocals fit in with their music quite well, it’s those dang hardcore ones that are the problem. Like the generic rhythm guitar work, it’s just something about them that just doesn’t fit in.
Overall, this is an excellent album and it’s not wonder why the fan base of The Air I Breathe has skyrocketed since the release of this album, and what do you know, it’s not just a co-incidence. This is the very reason why these guys have the potential to be one of the biggest metalcore bands out there. There is absolutely no reason why they cannot possibly achieve this in the near future. They already have quite a fan base. This album could be responsible for their success, well, as long as they don’t stuff up their next album. Even though there might be a couple of flaws to this album, namely the tightness of the music, there is nothing that discredits this album heavily. I recommend this album to any melodic death/deathcore fans and metalcore fans out there. This will sure to satisfy because it has almost everything that is normally expected from a band from that genre and isn’t that what we want? I recommend the tracks Here’s To Letting Go and Deliverance because I think that they represent this band/album really well and if you like those two tracks, don’t hesitate to get the entire album because it’s worth it. I give The Air I Breathe’s Great Faith In Fools a 17/20.
City of Sirens - Demo (2011)
City of Sirens is a metalcore band from Australia, Melbourne to be exact and for all who don’t know. Melbourne is the home town of metalcore giants Parkway Drive. That being said, everyone knows that Australian metalcore has the reputation of being gold standard which is renowned all over the world. People know that when the words metalcore and Australia are put in the same sentence, it equals some top notch music. And I can tell you right from the beginning that City of Sirens are definitely not an exception to this rule. In fact, it’s bands like this that makes Aussie metalcore so special and keeps the tradition alive. I have a feeling that this band will explode onto the world stage, and could be the next Parkway Drive or I Killed The Prom Queen.
These guys released a short EP in 2010 which was unfortunately not so good. It was in definite need of a little bit of TLC, and this was mainly due to the extremely poor recording quality of their EP. I think the word rubbish accurately describes how repulsive the previous recording was, it was literally fit for raw black metal. But, City of Sirens have put a neat little bandaid on this conundrum that they were previously faced with. With high quality recording of course, in fact, it’s a lot higher than what some mainstream bands put out. The result of this is some of the best metalcore to ever flow through your ears. They have chosen to re-master two tracks from their original EP which were Without a Second Thought and Oceans, two tracks that were previously scrawled by the appalling recording quality.
I think that real highlight of this band is their song writing. It’s the best I’ve heard in a long, long time from any band anywhere else in the world. They put a lot of the mainstream artists to shame when it comes to this. The structure and framework of their music is absolutely perfect and unrivalled by any other band. Everything from the vocals to the drumming to the guitar work is in place and perfectly in time. Not to mention how it’s all put together. The transitions are smooth and don’t disrupt the momentum of the music, also the way they have layout each track seemed to have a little bit of thought to it. It’s just perfect, it’s the only word to describe such a thing. And it’s even better if you contrast their EP with this demo because they have greatly improved their sound all thanks to recording quality.
They also like to build tension in their music as well. Both tracks feature a relatively calm, relaxing start and end with a breakdown. We all love breakdowns and the breakdowns here are nothing to be ashamed of either because they suit their music perfectly. They are perfect breakdowns, put in the perfect place at the perfect time. Not only this but, they use more their one type of breakdown. Fast hardcore style breakdowns and heavy deathcoreish style ones. This just adds a little more perfection to their music.
The next thing that they have done in their music is implement emotion. There is no such thing as perfect metalcore without emotion because it’s this emotion that keeps us coming back for more. There seems to be a strong emotional connection when listening to this album. The music is so uplifting at times that I think it’s the type of thing that could make your day and I mean that with no exaggeration at all. It’s so simple, but for some reason it’s so hard to pull off for many bands. It’s this simplicity that really emphasises their music because it’s makes it so powerful. You can literally feel the music take control of you. And trust me, being controlled by this album is definitely a pleasant experience.
Overall this could be the next big thing to come out of Australia. I’ve never seen a band with so much potential up their sleeves than these guys. I have a feeling that their debut album which WILL be recorded in the same quality as this will be the next biggest thing to come out in metalcore. The biggest thing to hit the shelves since I Killed The Prom Queen. I recommend this to all metalcore fans out there and especially to fans of I Killed The Prom Queen and Parkway Drive. This is guaranteed to satisfy anyone that is remotely into metalcore, melodic hardcore and post-hardcore. There is one let down though, it’s too short! We want more! I cannot wait to hear what these guys bring out next because I think it’s going to be huge! I give City of Sirens’s 2011 demo a 19/20.
December Dies Alone - When Memories Faught To Dissolve
When Memories Faught to Dissolve is a two track EP that was released by Lebanese metalcore/melodic hardcore band December Dies Alone. This EP was released in 2010 by the band themselves. When people think of Lebanese metalcore, what do they think of? Well, quite frankly, nothing. There have been no bands that have made it into the big time as far as metal is concerned. But the thing is that December Dies Alone could change all this! These guys have quite a catchy beat to their sound and melody, the two main ingredients to some good metalcore/melodic hardcore. Could this be the big break Lebanon has been waiting for, because this band has huge potential.
Before jumping to this band’s sound, I’d like to present a question. What makes good metalcore? Is it song structure? Melody? Or the combination of clean and dirty vocals that are used correctly? If you have answered yes to any or all of those questions you are going to like December Dies Alone. These guys are an excellent example of what a decent package of soft metalcore/melodic hardcore is about. And it’s obvious that these guys don’t aim to be “da best, most talented band eva” because weather people like the statistics or not, 9/10 bands who think this fail, and fail miserably. This is probably one of the things that can be inferred by this band and it’s the fact that they are focused on making good music rather than making the most popular.
These guys seem musically minded in the way they have structured their music. Everything is in the right spot and the execution of this is almost perfect. Now execution is important and it shouldn’t, ever be put behind composition of their music. Those who cannot execute their music because they have exceeded and over estimated their musical abilities are the ones who play. December Dies Alone have played it quite safe and quite well as far as their execution is concerned which is something that not many bands are willing to do and I applaud them for doing this.
The next thing that I have picked up in their music is the sense of emotion in their music. Emotion? Emo? Please don’t be turned off by this, but these guys do have some of the characteristics of a screamo band which is mainly due to their vocal styles rather than the music itself. Although the emotional atmosphere that is presented isn’t depressive (it’s actually not depressive at all) it does transmit feeling into the listener. So please don’t think that this is just some kind of mediocre emo band because they still pack more punch than the likes is Alesana. There is something more here that promotes emotion than just the vocals. It’s all the ambient sound that they have inducted in the tracks. Such as the sound of rain at the start of Coldest December, and people associate rain with; sadness, misery, depression, ect. Even the track title suggests that emotion is part of the music, Coldest December… go figure.
Another thing that these guys do that not many other bands seem to do is change their vocal techniques. Is it just me or does everyone see the link between having more than one vocal technique and success in the “core” industry. Because there aren’t that many bands out there that have made it into the big time with little changes in their vocal techniques, so it cannot be a coincidence. Especially with a genre like melodic hardcore where the vocals take centre stage.
But, there is just this one thing that lets this band down so hard and that is the recording quality of their music. I know that this cannot be avoided at times, but it makes me sad when there are bands out there like these guys who have tones of potential, only to be ruined be poor recording quality. Because the recording quality is so poor that is blocks out some of the other musical elements, I am obliged to penalize them due to this. I strongly encourage this band to get some high quality recording if they ever want to get off the ground.
Overall, this is one way to start your music career and it is probably the most common. The best thing about releasing a demo such as this is that if this turns out terrible, you can always get a second chance. These guys have their second chance, the chance to get some high quality recording because their music has got so much potential to be better. Their song writing is almost perfect, they are tight and unrepetitive. I think that big things could come happen with this band, and Lebanon could see something for the first time come onto the world stage. I give When Memories Faught a 13/20. I really am curious to see what these guys bring out next, because the next thing they bring out could make or break them.
The Furor - War Upon Worship
War Upon Worship is The Furor’s third studio album which was released under the Australian label Prime Cuts Music. The Furor are trying to make it big in Australia, metalcore/deathcore territory, but there is a catch, these guys black metal. Although black metal isn’t big in Australia, there is no doubt in my mind that there have been some excellent black metal that has come out of Australia. Some notable bands are Abominator, Bestial Warlust and, of course, Destroyer 666. Apart from that, the Australian scene isn’t as extensive or popular as the American or Transylvanian scenes. But don’t let this fool you, there are many, many black metal bands in Australia. They just haven’t been found yet. So the question is, could The Furor be added to this list of legends?
The Furor and be described as being blackened death metal in the sense that they play as aggressive as many death metal bands. But the thing is that they have almost none of the other characteristics which create death metal. They don’t have the same song structure, vocal techniques or distortion in their guitars. These guys lean towards the likes of Marduk as far as their music is concerned. They have similar song structure and musically techniques. So it’s a safe thing to infer that these guys have been influenced by Marduk in one way or another. Like Marduk (old Marduk that is) these guys are nonstop brutality all the way. There is absolutely no stopping the aggressiveness of this album and the fascinating thing about it all is that they carry this momentum throughout the entire album, not just one or two songs. This is quite rare, and when bands do this, and do it right, I applaud them.
Another thing that should be pointed out about this album is the atmosphere utilized in their music. For some reason, bands such as Endstille, Infernal War and even Marduk use the exact same style of atmosphere. Now I don’t know if this is just down to coincidence or if there is a little alliance forming here. The thing is that The Furor doesn’t include this into their brutal sound, which is something out of the ordinary. Now I’m not trying to imply that the atmosphere that Endstille or Infernal War or Marduk is bad, not at all, I’m just saying it’s good to having something different. I mean, there are already many bands that do this, why follow suit? Rather going for a swaying atmosphere that many brutal black metal bands tend to aim for, their music is supported by a more “complex” atmosphere. The swaying atmosphere is just what the name implies. The atmosphere sounds like is it swaying from high to low pitch, which is brought about by the guitars. Now this sounds quite simple (it sounds simple, but playing it might just be a different story), The Furor have chosen to use the same guitar distortion/tone except there is no swaying and the riffs are more complex. Even though I believe that they both sound pretty good to the ear, I just think that this style is something different.
For all who know anything about extreme metal, know that blast beats play a huge part in making their music extreme. It’s almost essential for an extreme metal band, and more so, typically with black metal and death metal. Well what do you know, a band labelled as blackened death metal! Of course it’s going to have blast beats. And I must say, they are some of the best I have ever heard. Many bands (usually black metal) typically emphasise their blast beats by changing the pitch of the skins on the drums. Now depending on what sound they are trying to aim for, depends on what style they use. But many bands tend to use a higher pitch, but the only problem is that it tends to overpower the rest of the music. Now this is a little dire because it might seem like they are hiding something behind a wall of blast beats. The thing I like about The Furor’s sound is that their drums aren’t overpowering at all. They don’t seem to have that really high pitched drumming. This creates a sort of humming in the background, which creates another element in their atmosphere, which lets the rest of their music take centre stage. I don’t think that the blast beats could have been more spot on!
Another interesting about this band is their guitar work, this might just be a coincidence but for some reason, black metal isn’t big on guitar solos but there are a few exceptions to this (eg Infernal War and many black thrash bands out there). The solos here are amazing, they can either slow and ambient to extremely fast and aggressive. The best thing that I like about them is the way they have implemented their solos into their sound, they have the fast ones during the fast parts in their songs and the slower ones during the slower parts in their songs (which don’t last for very long). Their solos aren’t the same as metalcore or some thrash metal solos. The ones here are not melodic at all, there is so music shredding going on here, complete utter mindless shredding. Also, they don’t last for 10 minutes like many other solos, they are short and sweet and they usually appear three or four times throughout a single song.
But they do have some drawbacks. I think the lack of song structure is where they fall down quite a bit. This whole album just seems like mindless shredding of the guitars and banging of the drums. Although this is still great black metal, it would be good if they had put a little more thought on how they organised their music. Their song structure is extremely messy and lacks any evidence of tightness within their music. But then again, this could be the first technical black metal band. Because their song structure, I think resembles technical death metal more than your typical black metal band.
But there is one, major fault that this album has, and something every band in the world tries to avoid but some fail. And that is, yes ladies and gentlemen REPETITIVITY. There is so much repetitiveness going through the veins of this album. I reckon that you could just make this whole album into a single track and no-one would notice. Yes, they have kept their momentum going throughout their entire album which is a good thing, but at what cost? There are no; vocal changes, changes in their atmosphere or changes in music techniques. I think that the only thing that might not seem as linear is the tempo, there are a few tempo changes throughout their music which keeps it from being as plain as cereal.
Overall, this isn’t bad album. These guys have created a few moments in this album that are worth savouring. These guys are as brutal and as ruthless and any black metal band from anywhere in the world so it’s not fair or right to discount the fact that they are from Australia. Because as I mentioned before, Australia has produced some excellent black metal, and metal in general. These guys are worth giving a shot if you are a fan of extremely brutal black metal. Or if you just like extreme metal (the most extreme of the extreme) because this will easily satisfy. I’d also like to recommend this to fans of Marduk and Infernal War because whoever likes those, are bound to like this. This might just give you a little break from the generic brutal black metal sound that is ever so needed. I recommend the track Hammers Of Masters for first time listeners because this is the track that summarises everything about this album (the good, the bad and the ugly). In conclusion, this is not a perfect album, but they do have a couple glitches that affect them quite a bit. I give The Furor’s third album War Upon Worship a 14/20.
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