Dio

Despite being on the road in a completely different country I still will find the time to provide you with eight killer album recommendations because music is what makes the world go round. On that topic I’ve encountered a number of bands over the past week that definitely deserve a bigger audience.

Black

The first time I was exposed to Infant Island it was when they were added last minute to a huge mixed bill that featured the likes of Gatecreeper and Fearing. It was odd but given how mixed the bill was I guess it made sense to toss a screamo band on there. Admittedly I wasn’t all that into them for this live show but decided to check out their new record when it dropped earlier this year and was shocked to find out just how damn much I liked it. This album is fucking phenomenal, featuring tons of atmosphere, triumphant guitar work that screams out over relentless blast beats and passages of intense, cathartic screaming. Screamo and black metal may seem at polar ends of the musical spectrum but bands like Infant Island manage to bridge that gap almost flawlessly and this record is proof of that. Obsidian Wreath is a phenomenal release that deserves your attention.

Death

Eyecatcher is a four piece death metal outfit that my own band Ratpiss played with while on tour in Long Island City, New York. This Maryland quartet was amazing in the live setting and their brand of Obituary / Power Trip worshipping death metal was right up my alley. Checking them out on the recording side of things I am happy to report that their first self-titled release is just as good sounding as the live versions of these songs were. This is ripping death metal with thrash metal and grindcore influence that would not go unwelcome on a playlist next to bands like Frozen Soul and Sanguisugabogg. While this EP is “blink and you’ll miss it” short, it’s packed with more killer riffs and drum beats that you can shake a disembodied leg at. If the cover art doesn’t sell you on it already, let the song titles like “Blood Carnival” and “Wormtongue” entice into the grotesque nature that awaits.

Doom

I was first introduced to Horndal through my friend Tyler. Admittedly when I first checked it out I wasn’t sure about it but after numerous repeat listens it dawned on me: this album is fucking incredible. This thing combines elements of the bright, harmonized guitar work of groups like Thin Lizzy or Kvelertak along with the progressive riffing nature of bands like Mastodon as well as the raw sense of urban decay ushered in by bands like Tombs or Morne to create a sound I’ve never quite heard before. This thing is a beast of modern metal, and not in the same way that people describe Lamb of God. This is the pinnacle of modern metal music, utilizing every aspect of heavy music that I personally love in such a way that I’ve never been privy to. It’s experimental while also being catchy as fuck, all while the gruff caveman vocals detail stories about the history and legends of the band’s hometown for which they are named.

Prog

Orbs was a band of particular interest to me back in 2010 when they first emerged onto the scene of modern, nu-progressive artists that had readers of the blog Heavy Blog is Heavy fawning. Featuring such notable names as Dan Briggs from Between the Buried and Me, Adam Fisher of Fear Before the March of Flames, and Ashley Jurgemeyer of Abigail Williams, this was a supergroup of sorts that existed to blend elements of jazz, prog, and space rock with a post-hardcore affectation and approach to songwriting, and holy moly did they ever knock it out of the park. Almost 15 years after the fact I still come back to this album and can sing along to all the words like no time at all has passed. Relentlessly interesting and masterfully composed with hooks for days both on the vocal front as well as the instrumental front, it’s a shame Orbs hasn’t been more active in the intervening years.

Punk

Another band that Ratpiss has shared the stage with, multiple times now. Philadelphia’s Diuretic absolutely fucking rule. Not only are they super cool people, but their music fucking rips too. The band has released one EP and a demo as of their existence so far, with Martyrfucker being the most recent effort. Pissed off, aggressive, loud and nasty, this is grindcore as it should be. Along with the general angry vibe of the music it also sounds raw as fuck. It’s not really “pure” grindcore in a sense since most of the music on here doesn’t rely exclusively on blast beats, and there are a lot of groovier sections with two-step parts that lean them a little bit more towards the hardcore punk side of grindcore. That said Diuretic is still full of angst, piss, and vinegar, and this EP is a prime example of just what the Philadelphia grind scene has to offer.

Thrash

This Montreal thrash trio, which has since evolved into a quartet, have been slowly making a name for themselves over the past year in Quebec and the wider Eastern Canadian scene. Taking influence from both the realms of old school thrash metal legends like Slayer and Anthrax as well as newer crossover institutions, the band doesn’t really fall squarely into one category or another. There’s a hefty amount of hardcore punk influence going on here, especially on the EP’s opener “Chernobyl”, but the ripping thrash doesn’t take long to kick in. Guitarist Christophe Michaud has one goal in mind and that’s to rip your head from your neck by making you headbang like a fucking lunatic. He accomplishes that goal in spades on here, while making sure the punk influence keeps things fun and upbeat.

Trad

Vancouver’s Gatekeeper are the best kept secret in the world of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal originating from Canada. This band embraces every classic metal cliche, taking as much influence from bands like King Diamond and Mercyful Fate as they do bands like Blind Guardian. They straddle the line between old school heavy metal outfits like Dio as well as pure power metal that emerged from Europe in the 80’s and 90’s a la Helloween. Delightfully melodic and impossibly catchy, every song on this record is absolute fucking banger and deserves to be blasted at max volume. With lyrics inspired by the works of famous fantasy and horror authors like Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft, listening to this album makes me feel like Conan the goddamned barbarian, riding a mighty steed across the plains of uncharted wilderness, a great broadsword strapped across my back.

Non-Metal

Com Truise – *In Decay*
**July 16th, 2012**
**Synthwave**
**Ghostly International**
**Orlando, Florida, USA**
**Standout Song:** “Data Kiss”

Have you ever been on a long-ass drive that you started early in the day, like before noon, and you keep on screaming down the highway, still having not reached your final destination as the sun goes down behind the hills and it seems like night is going to last forever? You’ve had one too many energy drinks and you’re wearing sunglasses to minimize the glare of the searing lights of the construction zone you’re passing through? Well this album is the soundtrack to that vibe. This is a night driving album if there ever was one. Much like other synthwave artists like Perturbator, Carpenter Brut, or Filmmaker, Com Truise has made a career off of perfectly encapsulating the atmosphere of the liminal space that is a highway after dark. That said Com Truise’s music is a bit more chillwave-leaning than the retro and horror inspired vibes of those other artists, but the comparison is still apt.

~ Akhenaten

Category VI – Firecry
March 24th, 2023
Power Metal
Moribund Records
St. John’s, Newfoundland

One of Newfoundland’s longest running metal outfits, Category VI has been involved in the local metal community since at least the release of their very first demo, Vinland, way back in 2011. Over 10 years later the band has since dropped three full length records, 2013’s Fireborn, followed by 2017’s War is Hell, and now their third full length effort, Firecry. This is also the first album to be released from the band since they’ve joined the Moribund Records family.

Once again, the band provides to listeners what their longtime fans have come to expect: powerful vocals, soaring riffs, thunderous bass, and pulse pounding drumming. The band is as good as they ever have been on this album, offering up eight tracks of revivalist power metal that fit them nicely in with the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal. The songs on here deliver the goods in a way that will no doubt please fans of groups like Judas Priest, Dio, Mercyful Fate, and other heavy metal alumni of that ilk. That said, I think there are a few too many moments on here where a riff will end, there will be a moment of silence, and then the next riff will start. It happens enough times that it feels a bit distracting when listening to this record from front to back. The songwriting, while good, sometimes leaves me feeling a bit underwhelmed.

The riffs on here, provided by guitarist Geoff Waye (also of Triskelyon and Artach), as well as bassist Keith Jackman, draw upon a pastiche of 80’s metal atmosphere to conjure a sound that is both intense and uplifting while simultaneously soulful and mournful. It’s not all cold stainless steel though. Some tracks, like the heavy gut punch that is “Valkyrie” draw more upon the doomy sounds of old school Black Sabbath or Pentagram for their hammer-striking-anvil approach. The solo work, as well, is outstanding. Waye has no doubt proven himself to be an exceptional guitarist across his various projects, and that’s no different here on Firecry.

The vocals are indeed powerful, and it’s clear that singer Amanda Jackman is a very capable vocalist who is ideally at her best at the head of a group creating this kind of emotive and heart-racing music. I’m reminded of one of my favourite modern power metal bands in the world right now, Tower, while listening to this record. That said, I think some of the vocal melodies aren’t all that compelling, and could have perhaps used a bit more workshopping in order to really hit the notes that would have made certain moments like the “too loud, too proud” bit on “Valkyrie” work better.

Lyrically the themes on this album span the gamut of subject matter that you’d expect from a group in this genre. The track “Firecry” deals with the persecution of witches, the tracks “Valkyrie” and “Heavy is the Crown” are both about personal pride and triumph, the song “She Runs with Wolves” is about the strength of women, and “Coven” is an ode to the band’s own live performances and the feeling that comes from being on stage. The lyrics aren’t available online anywhere so I can’t really criticize them properly, but from what I can make out they seem well written and exactly what I want from a power metal record.

Jason Williams, who is behind the kit, is a great drummer on this record. His beat choices are perfectly suited to the exact kind of riff work that Waye and Jackman provide to him. His double bass patterns are tight and thunderous, and he holds his own with some heavy and pulverizing beats that ride on the crash cymbal excessively. He’s also great at tempo and time signature changes, of which there are several that happen throughout this record’s runtime. That said I think some of the drum sections could have benefited from more creative work with some of the fills and rolls.

I like the way this album is produced because it sounds very raw and has an analog vibe to it. You can almost feel like you’re there in the room with the band as they’re rehearsing these songs. I do, however, wish that there was a bit more reverb and that the instruments packed a bit more oomph. The guitars feel like they could use just a slight bit more bite and the vocals have an odd quality where they sit in the mix rather than soaring over the instrumentals like this genre demands.

This isn’t my favourite album of the year to come out of Newfoundland and Labrador, but it’s still a decent record from a band who haven’t ever put out a bad one. I have my issues with it, and it never really clicked with me, but I’m sure that plenty of other people out there who are as invested in the NWOTHM movement and the revivalism of old school 80’s heavy metal will find a lot to like about this record. As far as modern power metal goes, you could do better, but you could also do significantly worse. I’m hoping that Category VI doesn’t take as long between this record and their last one (6 years) to put out something else new, and I have confidence that they’ll continue making quality traditional heavy metal for years to come.

Final Verdict: 7/10
Good

Favourite Tracks:
“Firecry”
“The Vultures Never Came”
“Heavy is the Crown”
“The Cradle Will Fall”

~ Akhenaten

HeavyNFLD

Your source for all things heavy and all things Newfoundland.

The Scrolls of Akhenaten: April 26th, 2024

Album Review: Category VI – Firecry