The Scrolls of Akhenaten: May 3rd, 2024

May 3, 2024May 5, 2024 / Akhenaten / Leave a comment

Having returned from tour with my band Ratpiss in the United States this past week I encountered a ton of cool bands who definitely deserve mention on this here segment on the Heavy NFLD blog. If any of these band names, album covers, or descriptions entice you then you definitely need to check them out!

Black

Emerging from the depths of Philadelpha to join the ranks of other Philly metalpunk rebels like Zorn and Devil Master, Atomic Cretins are exactly what I want from blackened thrash metal. Their debut EP is both heavy and ripping while maintaining a spooky, vampiric atmosphere, the perfect mixture for this style of extreme music. The riffs are fast and unrelenting, the vocals are absolutely atrocious (complimentary) and the drumming is pulverizing. All of this is combined with devilish guitar solos that conjure comparisons to Sarcofago and early Mayhem, while the occasional synth passage drapes the EP in a morose quality. With a name like Atomic Cretins it’s no surprise that the band sounds as nuclear as they do, with comparisons to Teutonic thrash outfits of old like Sodom and Kreator also being apt. Don’t sleep on this Philly four piece.

Death

Upon my band’s return route to the frozen northern wastes of Canada we made a stop in the city of West Chester, about 45 minutes west of Philadelphia, where we played in a VFW hall called The Moose Lodge. Among the bands that graced this bill was Aroma, who opened up the show. Their brand of slamming goregrind was honestly a lot more interesting than most bands who I’ve heard in this genre. Instead of relying exclusively on slow, downtuned chugs and pig squeals or gurgles like most slam does, Aroma had a lot of variety in their music. They mixed higher tempo death metal riffs in with the chugs, changing things up on a dime, while the vocals transformed back and forth between deep guttural lows and pained mid-range highs. They were easily one of my favourite bands we played with on this tour.

Doom

Messe – *Connemara PL*
**May 1st, 2021**
**Psychedelic / Stoner Rock**
**Independently Released**
**Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada**
**Standout Song:** “Cette Étoile Inconnue”

Not a band that my band played with on this tour, but a band that one of my other bands played with on a previous tour from last year. Messe, hailing from the far eastern town of Bathurst in New Brunswick, are pure Acadian rock and roll through and through. Mixing elements of Black Sabbath together with other groups from the same era like Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly, Blue Cheer, and more, these guys really embrace that old school 60’s and 70’s sound on this debut EP. While the band has released a new EP this year, this is the one I’m more familiar with so I chose to represent this one instead. It’s loud as hell, with the guitars reverberating and echoing across the boreal landscape all the way to the coast. While the music is all sung in French I think anglophones can still find a lot to enjoy from the instrumental aspect regardless.

Prog

Serling – *The James Bevis Chronicles*
**August 16th, 2021**
**Mathcore / Technical Deathcore**
**Independently Released**
**Bowdoin, Maine, USA**
**Standout Song:** “Time Enough at Last”

Admittedly this isn’t usually the kind of thing I’d be into these days. I had a huge phase in which I was super into mathcore and progressive / technical deathcore about 10 years ago, but the style doesn’t do much for me these days. However we did play alongside a band called Serling at a huge beachside fest in Boston called Weedviolence Fest during this tour, and when I found out that their whole deal is that their music is all inspired by The Twilight Zone I knew I’d have to give them a fair shake. It’s still not really the kind of stuff I personally go out of my way to listen to, but this is music that was made for people who love bands like The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, Car Bomb, Rings of Saturn, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and The Red Chord. Mathy and heavy as fuck.

Punk

Ratpiss’ old touring mates in Corrupt World were kind enough to set up the final show of our recent run in the ol’ U.S. of A. in Burlington, Vermont and it was a pleasure to share the stage with them again. If you like noisy as hell, relentless, d-beat crust punk that incorporates elements of grindcore and harsh noise into the mix then this band is for you. This is unrepentant and raw as fuck music that pulls no punches when it comes to grinding your eardrums to dust against the pavement. Just because it’s noisy as hell, though, doesn’t mean that Corrupt World is without a degree of catchiness to their music. Quite the opposite. Many of the songs on this EP have fairly catchy guitar riffs and ripping solos that are derived straight from the Motorhead-adjacent rock and roll stylings of old school hardcore punk.

Thrash

While Artificial Scarcity are definitively a grindcore band, it would be remiss of me to ignore the copious amount of thrash metal influence in their music. Perhaps given that guitarist Sam Agnew has played in thrash bands before, it’s a bit unsurprising. It would also be remiss of me to not mention the band that I had just spent the past week and a half on the road with, ripping up venues all across the east coast of the States. Do not skip out on Artificial Scarcity. Not only are they musically impressive, featuring unabashed ripper after ripper across this debut record, but politically they hit the nail on the head. Appropriately calling out the state-imposed capitalist depravity of the modern world, from minimum wage slave labor to the government’s ignorance towards indigenous sovereignty, to the genocide of the Palestinians, to fighting back against state oppression. It’s all gloriously wrapped up in unbridled shred.

Trad

Goblet – *Bastard Thrash*
**September 25th, 2020**
**Speed / Thrash Metal**
**Independently Released**
**Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA**
**Standout Song:** “Wing Fling”

While Goblet’s music is also undoubtedly rooted in thrash metal, there are elements of other genres present here as well. We get the occasional black metal tremolo-picked riff, while some of the riffage veers into death metal territory. They’re somewhere at the intersection of multiple genres while still feeling very much like just a Capital M “Metal” band. The music contained on here feels just as much influenced by bands like Municipal Waste and Metallica as it does 3 Inches of Blood and other power metal bands that draw upon that NWOBHM sound. We performed alongside these guys at the aforementioned Weedviolence Fest in Revere, Massachusetts and they were easily one of my favourite bands of the night. If you want fucking killer riffs, over-the-top vocals, and speed that kills, then Goblet is for you.

Non-Metal

The Pentagram String Band – *Blood Blood Blood*
**August 9th, 2023**
**Bluegrass**
**Independently Released**
**Kansas City, Missouri, USA**
**Standout Song:** “Mother of Babylon”

Perhaps one of the most interesting bills on this tour was a show we played in Atlanta, Georgia with a couple of bluegrass and folk bands at a venue called The Catacombs. It turned out that both our tours were hitting the same city on the same date so the bookers put us together for a bit of a mixed bill, which I was skeptical of at first, but came to enjoy quite a bit by the end. We performed alongside Johnny Lawhorn, the frontman of The Pentagram String Band, who performed his band’s material solo that night. His music was honestly kickass as hell. This man can play the banjo with a speed I’ve never before witnessed. Describing themselves as “suspicious of traditional bluegrass”, The Pentagram String Band draws inspiration from Satanism, the occult, and traditional Appalachian folk music to create a pastiche of darkness over the typically upbeat genre.

~ Akhenaten

The Scrolls of Akhenaten: April 12th, 2024

April 13, 2024 / Akhenaten / Leave a comment

This one is coming to you a day late because life got in the way this past week and I didn’t get as much time to hammer out which albums I wanted to recommend to you all on Friday. I was also busy hosting a show at The Traxide in Montreal featuring some rather excellent bands from the Maritimes, namely the blackened death metal stylings of Paratomb and progressive metal wizardry of Omnivide, along with local thrashers Grimhold and death-sludge riffologists Obelisk. Now that I’ve got a few moments of free time to myself this Saturday (between recovery) I’m going to make up for it. Read on for some of your (somewhat) regularly scheduled riff recommendations!

Black

The first time I heard this record I was absolutely floored and to this day it continues to shock me. I’d like to thank Devon Milley for this recommendation as it was through him that I discovered this band. I’ve never heard a band so perfectly emulate the sound of Darkthrone’s early material. Everything on this record from the guitar tone to the drum approach to the production to the vocal approach is the closest I’ve ever heard a band mimic that style, and they do it wonderfully. The riffage is so pure and kvlt and trve and devoid of any bells and whistles. Even the vocals sound eerily similar to the range and tone of Nocturno Culto on those classic black metal albums as well as the post-Panzerfaust era of the band. All you have to do is listen to the first track here, “Three Desecrated Hosts”, and you’ll see what I mean. If you’re at all a fan of that style of Norwegian black metal, then Germany’s Pakkt is a must-listen, especially for Darkthrone die-hards like myself.

Death

I first discovered this band through a video made by the YouTuber known as The Punk Rock MBA. I think that guy sucks but I’d be lying if I said he hadn’t put me on to some cool music over the years. Human Remains is definitely one of those bands. The first time I put this record on I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing. “A deathgrind diamond” as one Bandcamp reviewer named Brett put it, this thing is fucking weird. There are sounds on here that I didn’t even know a guitar could make before I listened to this thing. It’s exceptionally brutal, uncompromising, relentless, and unapologetically experimental. There’s plenty of moments where the music remains firmly rooted in brutalizing the listener with blast beats and atonal guitar riffs before launching into interludes that feel like they’re drawing upon bands like Mr. Bungle and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Of course Dillinger was probably influenced by this band considering that Human Remains predates them.

Doom

Wardehns – *Now Cometh the Foul*
**December 21st, 2018**
**Stoner Metal / Sludge Metal / Crust Punk**
**Independently Released**
**Wausau, Wisconsin, USA**
**Standout Song:** “Denim Dogs”

I was put onto this band through a friend of mine who just happened to be playing them out loud on a Bluetooth speaker while I was hanging with some pals at their house. I was pretty much immediately hooked by the quality of the riffage, the production value, and just how similar it felt to the kind of sludge metal that I am really drawn to: bands like Mastodon, Kylesa, and Black Tusk. The ones who are a little artsy but aren’t afraid to get deep, down, and dirty with their music. Wardehns certainly scratches that itch for me and I’ve had this record on repeat ever since that initial encounter. It’s monolithic in size, with every song imparting the image of a group of intrepid travelers and warriors climbing their way to the top of a frostbitten mountain, surviving blizzards and avalanches, and fighting horrible beasts all along the way. The album cover is indeed a perfect representation of what kind of music you’ll hear on this thing. It comes highly recommended.

Prog

I brought up Omnivide in the intro to this article not just to tell you about the show I was at last night, but also as a genuine recommendation for a band that kicks fucking ass that doesn’t live all that far from Newfoundland. This New Brunswick progressive metal outfit just released their debut album, A Tale of Fire, last month, and are currently embarking on a tour across Canada in support of it. Having seen them live a couple of times now as well as having listened to this thing all the way through time and time again I can attest to this band absolutely ruling. If you want your brain to be disassembled and then put back together wrong then this is the record for you. Their music certainly draws heavy influence from big-name prog bands like Between the Buried and Me, but there are also shades of groups like Cynic, Obscura, and Beyond Creation to be found within. If you like any of those bands you’ll almost certainly like this.

Punk

I was lucky enough to catch Flower at Varning Fest last year, an annual underground crust punk and metal festival that occurs in Montreal. They came up from New York City to play here and absolutely tore the place apart. I thought their live performance was already great but it was checking out their recordings after the fact on my own that really sold me on them. This right here is the kind of punk I like the most. It’s loud, aggressive, angry, and dirty as fuck. All the best crust punk is only a few steps removed from speed metal and black metal and Flower really embrace that vibe on this LP. The album opens with an atmospheric blackened guitar riff that reminds me extensively of Gallhammer and Darkthrone, before the unruly punk ripping starts at full force. It’s so gross and nasty, from the raw guitar tone to the punchy drums to the pissed off vocals. Flower are fantastic, and this LP absolutely slays.

Thrash

Mexico’s Phantom are pretty much everything I want from modern thrash. Their sound is supremely old school, drawing clearly upon the bands of the 80’s, with the Teutonic sound in particular being a primary influence. If you like Sodom, Kreator, or Destruction, or at least the way those bands used to sound back in the day, then Phantom may be for you. That’s not to discount the American influence in their sound either, because notes of Slayer and Metallica definitely crop up from time to time, but ultimately they keep things rooted in that more aggressive sound that veers on the edge of black metal without ever stepping forth into the blizzard. What makes this album even more impressive is that the dudes in this band are really young, most of them being around the ages of 18 to 20. For being as young as they are they’ve got a fantastic grasp of their instruments and their songwriting capability is excellent. I’m stoked to hear what they put out next.

Trad

I never thought I would unironically enjoy a NASCAR-themed metal band but then I am the Intimidator came out of nowhere and showed me the errors of my hubris. This is the new solo project of former Poison Idea guitarist Andrew Stromstad and the entire thing is lyrically and aesthetically based around the final day of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt’s life. If that wasn’t already enough to sell you on the concept, then I’m happy to report that the music contained within is just as fucking awesome. It’s old school speed metal that draws as much influence from Metallica, Motorhead, and King Diamond as it does from a blackened speed metal act like Venom and an epic doom metal band like Candlemass. While the record may be all over the map in terms of influence it is surprisingly consistent all the way through, featuring fabulous riff after fabulous riff and vocals that’ll put hair on your chest.

Non-Metal

Shpongle – *Tales of the Inexpressible*
**March 29th, 2001**
**Chillout / Psychedelic Trance**
**Twisted Records**
**Chobham, England, UK**
**Standout Song:** “Star-Shpongled Banner”

I discovered Shpongle years ago when I was still in high school. While sick and staying home from school one day I went down an enormously long musical rabbit hole on YouTube (this was back in the day before algorithms ruined everything) which eventually led me to a fan-made animated music video for the song “Star-Shpongled Banner”. I was so enamored by the combination of the music with the visuals I was experiencing made that song stick with me for years to come, and to this day I still revisit this record from time to time. While I don’t often find myself listening to electronic music, when I do I prefer the kind of stuff that’s outside the realm of the typical club fare. I don’t go to clubs often, mind you, but I have a hard time imagining that this is the kind of thing played anywhere outside of a hippie drug den. It’s not for everyone, but if you like weird electronica you should definitely check this one out.

~ Akhenaten

The Scrolls of Akhenaten: April 5th, 2024

April 5, 2024April 1, 2024 / Akhenaten / Leave a comment

This week’s installment of The Scrolls of Akhenaten is going to turn up the heat because some of these records ended up being some of my top reviewed albums of the past several months (last year into the first few months of this year) over on our sister blog at Where Strides the Behemoth. Seriously, these are some of my favourite albums from recent memory, so even if you don’t like them, you might get a better idea of my own taste and why the albums I review here get the scores that they do (if you’ve ever been curious about that, that is.) Onwards!

Black

If ever there was a black metal project that just filled you with joy because of how utterly silly and full of whimsy the music is then this record is for you. I couldn’t believe upon first listen just how relentlessly catchy this record is. Every riff, every keyboard melody, every drum beat, just burrows into your brain and infects you like a virus. I kept coming back for more, re-listening to it again and again and again because I just couldn’t get enough of the addictive sound this record provides. Don’t let the frankly terrible cover art fool you. This album knows exactly what it wants to do and accomplishes it in spades. I can scarcely think of a black metal record that has invigorated this much energy and magnificence in me in recent memory, and for that reason Bloody Keep managed to craft what has easily become one of my favourite records of 2024 so far.

Death

Paratomb are a four piece death metal band who hail from Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island. Their first EP, while great, felt a little too adjacent to groove metal to really hook me in, especially in the vocal performance. With this new EP, however, Paratomb have absolutely outdone themselves. For one, the production here is immensely improved, sounding much more akin to old school death metal and first wave black metal instead of the more modern sound their debut EP had. Secondly the songwriting and musicianship on display has obviously matured. The songs sound way tighter and contain much more dynamism than their first effort. Paratomb had already made me a fan by virtue of being a band playing this kind of extreme music from such an isolated place, but with this new EP they’ve made me excited for whatever they’re going to get up to next.

Doom

This record almost squeaked by me at the end of 2023 and I’m glad I checked it out because it wound up making my best of list at the end of the year. I would describe this record as being an album for people who thought Ghost’s first album was great but couldn’t really vibe with everything else they did after. It’s occult-themed doom metal with a flair for the theatrical, combining huge, epic Hammond organ instrumentation with fantastic riffs and incredibly infectious vocals. Every song on this thing is a certified banger (in my opinion), chronicling the bizarre world of Albion occultism through a series of heavy, melancholy, and ultimately just mercilessly fun tracks. If any of what I’ve said sounds like this album might peak your fancy then you owe it to yourself to check this one out. It’s mesmerizing and I’ve found myself coming back to it time and time again.

Prog

The Greek band Naxatras has some of the best album art in the psychedelic rock genre, as evidenced by the absolutely badass and glorious cover art for IV, their fourth full length record. Naxatras’ music kind of falls somewhere in between the worlds of psychedelic rock, stoner rock, and progressive rock, all of which converge to create a sound that is spacious, atmospheric, and grandiose, like I’m on a hotboxed spaceship slowly cruising through the farthest reaches of the galaxy. If the phrase “far out” was an album, this would be it. The raucous drums and chunky yet sublime riffing are joined only occasionally by the vocals, which remain largely in the background, taking a back seat to the instrumentals which are front and center, in your face, ready to make you feel like you’re about to lift off into orbit, never to return.

Punk

This Montreal trio have been buds of mine for a long time, and if you think I’m gonna not shout them out just because they’re my friends well, that’s where your wrong. Skate punk has never really been my thing. It’s a genre that has always kind of turned me off with its whiny vocal approach and saccharine instrumentation, but Stand Alone have never quite fit that mould in my opinion. They’re unapologetically fast, ripping through these songs with intensity and an ability to write really catchy hooks. With drums that careen forth, unstoppable, and an attitude full of piss and vinegar and shouty vocals that are both raspy and melodic, Stand Alone definitely stands apart from the rest of the skate punk outfits I’ve personally been exposed to in Montreal. They’re a lot of fun, and if you ever get a chance to see them live I recommend you do it.

Thrash

With an introductory track that opens with a blistering double bass assault you should have an idea of what you’re in for with this sophomore effort from Japanese black thrashers Evil (appropriate name). This album pulls no punches as it seeks to accomplish its only goal: complete and total sonic destruction and the pillaging of the corridors of thought inside your mind. This stuff is unapologetically evil, brash, and violent, fitting in rather well with the early pioneers of extreme metal who sought to kick the already blazing tempo of thrash metal up a notch. Notes of Sodom and Kreator adorn this album as much as the more rock n’ roll adjacent outfits like Judas Priest and the even more raucous first wave black metal acts like Bathory and Hellhammer. If any of those bands are up your alley then this record is definitely for you. It shocked me with its quality and I hope it does the same for you.

Trad

Leather Heart – *Comeback*
**October 1st, 2015**
**Heavy Metal**
**The Fish Factory**
**Madrid, Spain**
**Standout Song:** “The Crow”

I’ve definitely recommended this album in the past when this segment was a bit more of a regular feature on the blog, but it bears repeating because this record is a complete and total masterpiece. Whenever anyone brings up the genre of traditional heavy metal or the modern NWOTHM movement I am always quick to tell them about this album. It’s a masterpiece of classic heavy metal revivalism that combines all the best tropes of the genre into one explosive cocktail of perfected, glistening steel. This is the only album that Leather Heart ever released and, to my knowledge, they’re not really doing much these days. The irony of the record being called Comeback is not lost on me, but don’t let the cliche album art and self-referential nature of the record’s title dissuade you. Every song contained within here is a brilliant piece that so perfectly encapsulates everything great about this genre.

Non-Metal

Antoine Dufour – *Development*
**2006**
**Acoustic Fingerstyle / Progressive Folk**
**CandyRat Records**
**Montreal, Quebec, Canada**
**Standout Song:** “Spiritual Grove”

The first time I heard “Spiritual Grove” by Antoine Dufour I would’ve been in high school and I remember very vividly being completely shocked that an acoustic guitar could sound like this. Dufour is an undeniably talented and skilled guitarist for whom the acoustic guitar feels more like an extension of his person than just an instrument that he picks up and plays. Far from the typical sounds of acoustic-centric folk music, Dufour adds a technically complex edge to his playing by approaching the acoustic guitar with the fingerstyle method of playing, plucking strings with pitch perfect accuracy. This approach to folk is somewhat progressive and even jazzy at times as the playing manoeuvres through different movements, never slowing down, always rolling forward to the next segment, ready to dazzle you with the beauty found within the complexity.

~ Akhenaten

Album Review: Triskelyon – Artificial Insanity

December 28, 2023 / Akhenaten / 1 Comment

Triskelyon – Artificial Insanity
September 8th, 2023
Thrash Metal / Blackened Thrash Metal / Power Metal
Moribund Records
St. John’s, Newfoundland

Those who have been reading this blog for a while will know that I was personally a fan of the first Triskelyon record, Downfall, though I did have a few minor gripes with it on account of the programmed drums and some vocal performances that weren’t as strong as they could have been. Regardless I was looking forward to the followup to that debut, and when Artificial Insanity finally dropped I found my expectations were exceeded.

This second offering from the solo project of Category VI guitarist extraordinaire Geoff Waye is a veritable blast from the past that pays a true and unabashed tribute to the world of classic 80’s metal. Shades of the many different, niche micro-genres that existed at the time can be found on this record, from Bay Area thrash metal to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal to European power metal, this album’s got it all. There is indeed a great degree of variety to be found here in regards to the songwriting and the different vibes that Waye strives for, and he largely succeeds at each venture.

The riffs on here are absolutely ripping and brutal, and in my estimation pack far more of an aggressive and memorable punch than what was found on the project’s debut. There’s a chunky, blocky heaviness to each song, with the second track, “At War with Demons”, being a particular standout. Meanwhile the track “Bringers of Chaos” seems to dig into the realm of technical thrash ever so slightly, putting a thin glaze of Voivod and Annihilator icing on top of the introductory riff. “Obsolescence” on the other hand digs into slightly blackened territory that feels akin to the Teutonic bands of Germany like Sodom or Kreator, or even a first wave black metal band like Venom or Bathory. The track “Celtic Creatures” delves fully into black metal with tremolo picked melodic riffs gallivanting over pulverizing blast beats. On top of that the solos here are shredding and beautifully violent. There’s surely no doubting Waye’s guitar ability with this release.

The bass on here is handled by three different individuals, including Keith Jackman of Category VI, as well as Dwayne Pike and Darren Pope. While the bass often takes a backseat to this kind of melodic thrash metal as the guitars are really pushed to the forefront, I appreciate that the bass is at least audible in the mix. I still think it could be a bit more present, but then again, maybe my ears are just damaged to the point where low frequencies are actually getting harder to hear (I wear earplugs to shows, don’t come at me). Still, these three performers do a serviceable job from what I can make out, and I do appreciate the few moments where the bass is allowed to shine, such as during the ambient bridge in “One Blood”.

While the programmed drums were an issue I had with the first record, here it doesn’t really get in the way of my enjoyment of the album as much. The drums are indeed still programmed, done so by Raul Marques of Burning Torment, who returns from the first record, as well as Alexander Raykov of Antreib. In comparison to the first album, however, I feel like the way the drums bleed into the guitars and bass in the mix makes them a bit easier to buy as genuine. I’m a stickler when it comes to this kind of thing, but I don’t always see programmed drums as bad, and this album is an example of them being passable enough to not impact my overall listening experience by a huge margin.

The vocals are also handled by a widely different selection of vocalists, including Amanda Jackman of Category VI (who sings the cover of Platinum Blonde’s “It Doesn’t Really Matter”), Armin Kamal of Infrared (not to be confused with Nfrared from St. John’s), Cara McCutchen of Mortillery and Naitaka), Dale Drew of Sea Dogs, Des V. Mason, Ellim, Pete Healey, Raúl Álvarez of Dark Order, and Tim Tymo of Tymo. Having such a differing roster of vocalists certainly adds to the variety found across this record, even though most of this singers approach metal vocals in a relatively similar style. Almost all of them are clean vocalists who really push their pipes as loud as they can go, all of which comes together to conjure some rather obvious comparisons to groups like Anthrax, Overkill, or perhaps even Germany’s Rage. The only exception to this are the tracks “Beyond the Past”, “Celtic Creatures”, and “Why Burn?”, which feature the bile-spitting rasp of blackened thrash style vocals. This helps break up the otherwise clean style prevalent across the record, though I wish these three songs didn’t packaged one after the other right at the end.

The production here is great too. The guitars and bass are all just a smidgen muddy, giving the whole record a bit of a grimier feeling than you’d hear on a more high profile metal release from any of the major underground metal labels. The drums could be a bit dirtier sounding and the bass could still be brought up a bit in the overall mix, but the finished project is still solid as hell. Michael Small, who has recorded, mixed and produced an ever increasing number of projects from St. John’s, continues to improve as an audio engineer.

By all accounts Triskelyon have exceeded their debut greatly with this sophomore effort. Waye and his team of cohorts have taken the formula established on Downfall and upped the ante significantly in every aspect on this one. Readers of this blog who love the sounds of old school heavy metal absolutely must check this one out. It’s certainly a contender for my album of the year for 2023 here at Heavy NFLD, and even if it doesn’t hit the number one spot, it’s at least in the conversation for that title.

Final Verdict: 9/10
Awesome

Favourite Tracks:
“Tektyranny”
“At War with Demons”
“Bringers of Chaos”
“Obsolescence”
“One Blood”
“Visionaries”
“Celtic Creatures”

For Fans of:
Overkill
Megadeth
Annihilator
Venom
Rage

~ Akhenaten

Metal Maniacs: Andrew Marsh

May 11, 2022May 8, 2022 / Akhenaten / 2 Comments

On this new segment on the Heavy NFLD blog, we’re asking local metal and punk musicians to tell us about ten albums that influenced them as both a musician and a music fan. For this first installment of ‘Metal Maniacs’, Andrew Marsh of the bands Winterhearth and Dead Inner Youth, who originally came up with the idea for this segment, will kick things off!

Hey everyone! This is Andrew Marsh from WinterheartH! Today I have picked 10 albums that have undeniably influenced my musical playing as well as song writing executions. I have excluded anything from the local scene in Newfoundland as well as Atlantic Canada as I don’t want to seem biased because we have an amazing scene with amazing talent. I have also included 10 other honorable mentions that I just had to list and not say “man…. should have at least acknowledged that album as well”. So here we go!

Black Sabbath – Never Say Die

I know some people may be surprised by this choice. Last album to feature Ozzy (until 13 came out). The title track is one of my all time favourite Sabbath songs. So energetic I hope to cover it myself one day. If I’m having a hard day, that song will always turn my spirits around. “Johnny Blade” is quite the journey as well. “Air Dance” is also a really awesome track and so is “Over to You”. It’s just an album you wouldn’t expect from Sabbath and sadly you can feel a sense of change now looking at what album came after. Sabbath was the working class band in the 70’s. Was recorded in Toronto too I do believe!

Diamond Head – Lightning to the Nations

Legendary debut album from a legendary NWOBHM band. I have 2 copies of this album. It’s literally taking Sabbath, Zeppelin and Deep Purple and mashing it altogether. So many amazing riffs. “The Prince” is such a killer song. All the songs I can listen to on repeat for hours and never be tired of it. Brian Tatler is a huge reason why I love Flying Vs so much (along with Schenker, Mustaine and Amott to name a few others in that department). You listen to albums like Kill ‘Em All by Metallica or Countdown to Extinction by Megadeth, they’re basically sped up Diamond Head albums. This album in 1980 was definitely a foundation / blueprint of what was coming next!

Dissection – The Somberlain

Dissection are notorious for a unique blend of technical and melodic black metal. Jon Nodtveidt is definitely considered a controversial person. You can hear the darkness of his soul in his music. Dissection has a sense of nihilism I’ve never heard in other bands. Unfortunately he made some choices that had massive consequences and ultimately when he got out of prison he eventually committed suicide. Considering Dissection are a Swedish black metal band you can definitely hear a precursor to what would morph into the Gothenburg melodic death scene here. Slaughter of the Soul by At the Gates would definitely be considered ground breaking in that department to.

Sepultura – Beneath the Remains

Moving on we have arguably the most successful metal and rock act to ever come out of South America. This was also the album that gave Scott Burns his start as producer. Scott Burns and his Morrisound Studio would become a champion in death metal production. The musicianship of the Cavalera brothers as well as Paulo’s bass playing and Andreas’ amazing lead skills are all over this album. I can see how people in countries in South America as well as places like Spain or Mexico would be so into Sepultura. Their music spoke to those who thought their voice never mattered. I always saw Sepultura and Sarcofago as the warriors of, for lack of better words, “third world countries”.

Carcass – Heartwork

On the topic of producers who defined a genre we have Heartwork. Produced by Colin Richardson. Another world renowned producer. Heartwork was easily 15 years ahead of it’s time. Carcass being known as grindcore with gore influence as you seen from precious albums like Symphonies of Sickness. Now you have an album that uses borderline radio song writing formula but still have fantastic extreme metal riffs. It’s also complimented so well with Steer and Amott’s bluesy 70’s metal style solos. Another album that laid the blueprint for melodic death metal and even what became 2000’s metalcore. Phenomenal album.

Venom – Black Metal

What can I say about the first two Venom albums that hasn’t been said? Legendary is just putting it lightly. Venom, when I was a kid, actually used to scare me. I remember having “Sacrifice” on as a teen and my mother flipping out cause of the lyric “lightning strikes, a virgin dies, Satan smiles”. Venom in their day, there was nothing heavier and more sinister happening until you started to hear the likes of Hellhammer and Bathory. Like you had very sinister songs like “Heroes End” by Priest or “Baphomet” by Angel Witch but not a whole album of pure sinister evil. To this day the hair on my arm stands as soon as I hit play. The album defined a subgenre!!! Who else did that besides Possessed with the song “Death Metal”?

Immortal – At the Heart of Winter

Finally moving into the notorious Norwegian black metal scene. This was the fifth studio album by Immortal. It’s such an amazing blend of unique ambiance, meets second wave black metal meets the kind of riffs you’d expect Randy Rhoads or Ritchie Blackmore to play if they were black metal musicians. Abbath and Demonaz never get the credit they deserve for their musicianship and song writing. You can listen to this album without one word being said and you will understand what the music is portraying. For the “true raw” fans of the genre you may not like this album as much as Pure Holocaust but the riffs and structures are second to none.

Mayhem – Live in Leipzig

Another album from the notorious Norwegian black metal scene and the only live album on the list. What a raw lo-fi album from the legendary tour Mayhem did with Dead. This album will always make me wonder how different Des Mysteriis would have been if Dead never committed suicide. Dead wasn’t playing a character, that is who he was. Also, listen to “Necrolust” on Deathcrush then listen to “Necrolust” on this album. Manheim was a great drummer but what Hellhammer transformed the song into here was incredible. Easily one of the greatest drummers in Metal history.

Windir – Sogneriket

The only demo on this list. This demo tape really changed how I constructed music back in my teenage years. Windir was such a one of a kind in black metal I’m all about a mixture of amazing soundscapes with catchy riffs. This demo has it all. Valfar was as young as 16 when he released this demo tape. Listen to “Norron Seier” and you will understand what I’m having a difficult time explaining why I love this demo tape. It hits me in the heart like no other.

Mercyful Fate – Melissa

Here we have the authors of metal rhythm guitar if you will. This album is truly incredible like all Mercyful Fate or King Diamond. The structures are like taking metal and giving it a classical spin without the classical flashy lead playing. It’s progressive without being a 20 minute opus. This band also use to scare me as a kid with King Diamond being a member of Church of Satan. When you know that you feel the music itself is more than just Halloween. I would get a spiritual sense from some of the tracks. The twists and turns in songs like “At the Sound of the Demon Bell” or “Satan’s Fall”. You’d get riffs that were harder than Priest and then BAM, a really cool bluesy rock riff. Shermann and Denner are an unbelievably underrated guitar duel. More people need this album in their life. The title tracks is an eerie ballad about a witch being executed!

Well I hope you enjoyed my take on 10 albums that greatly influenced my music. Here are 10 more albums that I have to mention! Even now I’m rotted because I never mentioned a Kreator or Sodom album!

Ozzy – Diary of a Madman
Kat – 666
Megadeth – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?
Metallica – …And Justice For All
Master’s Hammer – Ritual
Cardinal Sin – Spiteful Intents
Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion
Slayer – Show No Mercy
Bathory – Blood Fire Death
Tormentor – Anno Domini

~ Written by Andrew Marsh
~ Edited by Akhenaten

An Interview with Artach

December 14, 2020December 13, 2020 / Akhenaten / 1 Comment

Artach are a two piece raw / epic black metal band from St. John’s, Newfoundland who have been active since 2019. They are comprised of Fíochmhar on drums and vocals and Sruthán on guitars and bass. To date the group have released one full length album entitled ‘Chronicles of a Black Winter’ along with numerous stand alone singles and are presently at work on a second full length album due out in 2021.

Can you tell us what your aliases, Fíochmhar and Sruthán, mean? I’m aware that they are Gaelic words, but why did you choose these aliases in particular?

Fíochmhar: Yes they are. I came up with them and the band name. I chose them based on our style or personality traits. I think they personify us well.

Fíochmhar: Fierce, aggressive, or savage.

Sruthán: Burn.

In relation to your aliases, do you feel that Irish folklore and mythology lends itself to the culture of Newfoundland and Labrador? Does this have any impact on your lyrical themes or the way you compose your instrumentals?

Sruthán: It would have been inauthentic and have no sincerity at all if we went with names that came from the typical (for black/folk/pagan metal) Nordic cultures so we chose to look to our own roots which like many Newfoundlanders trace back to Ireland, England, and Scotland. Irish/Scotish Gaelic and its mythology has influenced some lyrical themes, specifically for a new unreleased song we are recording now and on the band’s name. As for composing, not really, not for me. Other than we may have absorbed some elements of the culture as we both grew up in it. But overall, the compositions have more metal origins.

Fíochmhar: To me, black metal should evoke a feeling from the past… It has a spirituality that you don’t get in other genres of metal. Growing up in rural Newfoundland has shaped me as a person. The history has definitely had an inspiration on us. I want our music to put the listener in a sense of living in a different time in history…

When it comes to lyrics, what direction do you prefer to go in? I notice some similarities to bands like Immortal who sing primarily about epic landscapes and nature.

Sruthán: Immortal for sure is an inspiration yes. I didn’t want lyrics about demons and Satan and other overplayed themes. The natural world provides most of the lyrical inspiration for me. Winter plays strong in that because it’s the season that lasts for almost 8 months of the year here. There’s some other things in there like history, science, and even some science fiction topics that have been inspirations for other songs.

Fíochmhar: The lyrics are primarily written around man’s relationship and connection with nature… However, we try not to limit ourselves when it comes to the content of the lyrics. The first few Artach songs I wrote the lyrics on my own. Then we began collaborating more on the lyrics… I will usually ask Sruthan to write the majority of the lyrics and I will rearrange them and add lines to suit my vocal style

You’ve decided to keep your true identities (mostly) clandestine, though the intrepid music fan might be able to figure out exactly who is behind this project. Why did you decide to try and stay anonymous?

Sruthán: Who we are is not really that important. We let the music do the talking and remain the focal point. Not that we are ashamed at all, just that it’s not about who we are, it’s about the music.

Fíochmhar: In the beginning I wanted to remain anonymous out of shyness and lack of confidence. It was my first time as a vocalist in a band and I didn’t know how people would react to this. I really wanted to develop “Fiochmhar” as a character and tried to detach myself from it as an individual. Its like I’m an actor playing the role of a villain. Its not a big deal if people know who we are… But we do try to maintain that mystique around the band…

Why did you decide to remain a black metal duo (a la Darkthrone) as opposed to incorporating other members into the lineup, such as a bassist?

Sruthán: Since we can cover the bases with the instruments and vocals, there are no conflicts about direction or style. With just 2 members, there’s no scheduling to worry about, it’s just really easy to do. So it’s not that we planned to never add anyone, it’s just that it worked so well, there was never a need to consider it. And like you said, it works for the mighty Darkthrone, so why not?

Fíochmhar: Working as a duo has been so much easier than a full band situation! I feel it has been a big part in our productivity! There is no bullshit. No arguments. Easy to work around schedules. We started this as a recording/studio project, so we knew there would be no need for additional members…

So how does the songwriting process work within the band? Do both of you work together to create new material or is it more like Darkthrone’s process in which you both write songs and then bring them to the other member?

Sruthán: I compose the basics of the song and structure it at home. Then I bounce it off Fíochmhar for feedback, then we get together and play through the song a few times and record it then and there. This keeps it feeling raw, fresh, and at times almost unhinged. We have come up with some songs or parts together, but those haven’t been the norm for us so far. We both write the lyrics. Typically I’ll have an idea or topic and I’ll send some stuff along to Fíochmhar who then works his magic and adds to it until it’s complete.

Speaking directly to Fíochmhar, I noticed your vocals are really raw and unpolished (in a good way), almost bestial if I may be allowed to use the word. Are there any vocalists out there you’re trying to emulate or who may have inspired this approach?

Fíochmhar: When I perform the vocals… I try to be as dramatic and unhinged as possible.

As I said, I try to play a role. But a lot of it comes from my own anger and frustration… When I record the vocals… I’m usually in a bad state of mind! I need to release that anger and aggression! Music has always been my therapy! I’ve always been influenced by punk rock and the DIY/unpolished aesthetic. When I perform the vocals I want the listener to think “this dude sounds like he is fucking crazy” because I am… Haha

Some of my vocal influences include:

Tom G Warrior
Abbath
Nergal
Dani Filth
Shagrath
Aaron Stainthorpe

In terms of drumming, are there any drummers who you look up to as inspiration?

Fíochmhar: In this band I would say my biggest influences are:

Dave Lombardo, Frost, & Nicholas Baker

Speaking directly to Sruthán, your guitar and bass tracks certainly fit the definition of “raw” and “epic”. Are there any guitarists who have inspired or influenced you over the years to help develop your particular style of riffing and soloing?

Sruthán: For Artach riffs, some key influences are Abbath/Immortal, Satyricon, Darkthrone, Celtic Frost, Venom, maybe some 1349, Mgla, Dimmu, and Mayhem might be in there somehow too etc. Then there is a sprinkling of classic metal and thrash. For the lead guitars, my influences are not so much from black metal. I love black metal for the riffs, drumming, vocals, just the overall atmosphere, not so much for the lead guitars. Some of the players who have influenced my lead playing (not that I put myself in their league) would be bands or players like Alex Skolnick, Kai Hansen, Andy LaRocque, Marty Friedman, Kirk Hammet, Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman, George Lynch, Dave Mustaine, Kreator, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, etc etc etc….

Given that you’re a duo and that COVID-19 has been ongoing for much of Artach’s lifespan, what is the likelihood that you guys would play live shows in the future? Is there any interest in doing so?

Sruthán: There’s some cool bands here, but the live metal scene in St. John’s is not the greatest. You essentially play to the same 50 people for every show if you are lucky. So for me, that isn’t overly inspirational. The creation process and constantly coming up with new songs, that’s what inspires me to do Artach. My motto is “create, don’t copy.” So it’s not that Artach would never consider live shows, it’s just not something that we think a lot about, and with the ongoing pandemic, it’s a near impossibility anyway.

Fíochmhar: It would be interesting to play a live show… I think I would have to choose between playing drums or performing vocals… If we could find musicians who were interested in learning our songs and working with us….it could be a possibility… but right now, I don’t see us bring any new members into the fold…

You guys have released one full length album entitled Chronicles of a Black Winter , however you seem to prefer to release new music as singles and then compile them into a full length LP once enough material has been released. Why did you decide to go about this unique way of releasing music?

Sruthán: Getting things out and having new music to share almost monthly is more fun than waiting years between albums, especially for a band that isn’t touring or playing live. It also keeps the creative flames burning, to always be in writing mode and not to put it aside for months or years because it’s not the time to record new material…it’s ALWAYS time to record new material and write new stuff. 🙂

Fíochmhar: We didn’t start this band essentially to make an album. We wanted to record a couple songs and release them for ourselves and our friends to listen to… It was an experiment for us…. So we kept on going, song for song, until we reach a point where we had written the first batch of songs…. And it seemed like we had reached the end of the first chapter in Artach’s story. So the album came out. This gained us a lot more attention! We were very surprised at the reaction and how our audience grew….

I think metal fans still want to see full albums!!! So we released the album though bandcamp and we eventually hooked up with Depressive Illusions Records from Ukraine who released our album on CD!

You’ve released songs in celebration of Halloween and Christmas before. Are there any plans to do another Christmas song this year?

Sruthán: Yes it will probably be online by the time this interview goes live. We’ve taken a couple of traditional Xmas songs and gave them a dirty Artach twist that you and your family can play all throughout the Xmas season.

Is there another full length in the works? What’s next on the horizon for Artach?

Sruthán: Yes, we have more than enough material for a second album. We have some surprises that are recorded but not yet released as well which will be released when the second album comes out. As for when, it will be in 2021. We don’t have an exact timeframe. That will depend on if anyone wants to release it, or if we will just self-release it again. We will continue writing new songs regardless and hopefully we will do another music video for a song from the second album ahead of its release.

Thanks for taking the time to speak to us here at Heavy NFLD!

Sruthán: I’d just like to say thanks to YOU Greg for the support you have shown to Artach and the local heavy scene. Our scene may be small-ish, but you tie it all together from metal, hard rock, punk, alternative, etc and everyone I’m sure is happy for the opportunity to get their music and name out there thanks to you!

~ Akhenaten

Album Review: Winterhearth – Riverbed Empire

October 28, 2020October 25, 2020 / Akhenaten / Leave a comment

Winterhearth – Riverbed Empire
August 21st, 2020
Blackened Death / Thrash Metal
Still Heavy Productions
St. John’s, Newfoundland

Newfoundland black metal thrashers Winterhearth have been around the block for quite some time, first dropping their debut album Curse the Summer back in 2015 featuring the lineup of lead songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Andrew Marsh along with bassist Robbie Butler and drummer Zack Keating. Keating would later depart the band and be replaced by Michael Small who would perform on the group’s second outing, 2016’s Resettlement, an album that received a polarizing response from critical outlets. In the aftermath of Resettlement both Small and Butler would depart the band leaving the future of Winterhearth tenuous at best. However the lineup change didn’t deter Marsh from the path of metal once blackened and he would regroup with bassist Lenny Carey and drummer Brad Ivany four years later to unleash 2020’s Riverbed Empire.

Riverbed Empire begins on an odd note for Winterhearth. The band mostly known for their bestial and fervant brand of death metal draped in the accoutrements of both black metal and thrash metal opts for a piano-led intro on “Marshlands” that starkly contrasts the aggressive bombast of what is soon to follow. The sound of rushing water coupled with the serene piano chords and ethereal vocals provided by Devilment’s Anabelle Iratni conjure beautiful imagery of a marshland drenched in mysterious and oddly captivating mists.

When the rest of the band kicks in they do so with no leniency for the listener. The guitars, bass and drums all crash in at once, barely leaving Iratni any time to finish her melody before being cracked in the skull by the barbaric instrumentation. “Marshlands” sees the band engage in the Immortal school of black metal with a series of riffs that forge ahead at the speed of a gallop a la Abbath. But while that does make up the majority of this song there are still plenty of dynamics, such as when the whole band drops out for a mere three seconds to allow the orchestrations to jump in and fill the gap, leading the listener to hotly anticipate what comes next. There’s another part towards the back end of the song where the folk instrumentation comes in to break up the aforementioned Immortal-esque section and the solo that comes later. For the record’s longest song (eclipsing ten minutes) it’s one hell of a dynamic juggernaut.

The followup, “North Star, Be My Guide” wastes little time jumping into things. After a brief moment of creepy atmospheric guitar the rest of the band bursts into this almost Motorhead or Metallica-esque thrash segment that’s followed up by atmospheric synths that could’ve easily been dredged up from a 70’s horror flick. The Immortal comparisons continue as the band launch into a sonic assault that conjures imagery of Blashyrkh, Antarctica, Atmora and other dense, frozen, glacial landscapes from both myth and reality. There are some absolutely beautiful and epic guitar melodies on this track that really drive home the feeling of the song’s theme, that being an adventurer embarking on some sort of quest through an ancient land.

“Sunset Over Winter Corpses”, a song about Operation Barbarossa and the German invasion of the Soviet Union during World War 2, may be my favourite track on the entire record. The main riff on this song is ridiculously catchy, sounding like something that could’ve easily come off of a Carcass album, pre-Heartwork era of course. The band doesn’t let the catchiness rule the song, however, opting for some truly brutal moments of blackened death metal cacophony that steamroll the listener like a Blitzkrieg, which are juxtaposed against quieter moments that give the listener a chance to breathe in between the absurdly brutal sections.

We then come to the title track, “Riverbed Empire”, which invites further comparisons to Immortal and Carcass with the guitar work. I especially love the dancey drum beats chosen by Ivany on certain parts of this track and there are certainly plenty of other creative elements to highlight. For example there are these really cool alternative picked moments on the guitars that come at the end of certain measures as well as multiple moments throughout where the bass takes the lead, adding further dynamics to the second longest track on the record.

Of course I would be remiss if I did not mention the guest bass solo from Hugo Doyon-Karout, current bassist of Montreal tech death masters Beyond Creation. The solo indeed adds a lot the mid-section of this song, as not only does Hugo’s bass have an impeccably serene tone, but its coupled with some hauntingly mournful synths that add to the glory of this composition.

“First Frost Harvest” invites further Immortal comparisons with its clean guitar intro, though the track definitely throws some curveballs with its other elements. For example there’s a waltz-like jaunty segment early on in the song while the aforementioned clean sections have what sounds like bongos going on in the background alongside some fun basslines. The last few minutes of the track have some super groovy riffage that doesn’t really show up elsewhere on the record, helping this song to stand out on its own amidst the tracklist.

What comes next will be a surprise to old fans. “Beyond the Frosted Graves” bears the title of the band’s debut demo released way back in 2013, which launched the group’s seven career leading all the way to 2020’s Riverbed Empire. In true callback fashion this song ends up being one of the most straight up ‘metal’ tunes on the record with savage riffery and a truly thrashy, blackened feel that hearkens back to the Teutonic days of Sodom and Kreator. This track may be the most perilous assault on the senses that the boys from Bonavista offer up on this hour long slog of devastation, and is one of my personal favourites from the album.

“Beyond the Frosted Graves” is followed by “Charmed (By the Dead)”, a song that many will recognize as the lead single that dropped from Riverbed Empire, as well as being released on Still Heavy Production’s compilation album Still Heavy Eastern Canada in December of 2019. This song brings out the band’s influences from the Gothenburg melodic death metal world in full. “Charmed” has some of the most melodic guitar moments on the record which conjure similar tastes to early Arch Enemy and At the Gates. Of course the influences from Carcass are still a hefty portion of the overall brew.

“The Shipwright” continues this approach of blending Gothenburg style melodic death metal with the more aggressive tendencies of Carcass and Immortal to form a unique cocktail of all things good about extreme melodic metal. Notably Marsh has a slightly different approach to the vocals on this track, opting for more of a Sodom or Kreator-esque raspy shout than his typical black metal snarl. This track definitely stands out as one of the thrashier offerings on the album and is a welcome addition to a tracklist full of malignant atmosphere.

“Infliction” brings an end to the record with some of the most relentless and brutal riffage. There are a lot of dynamic changes on this song with lots of intricate sections that differ wildly from one another. It’s kind of a riff-salad sort of affair but I feel like this kind of approach is a great way to end this record. It’s like the band took all the influences present on the rest of the album and threw them all in a blender for the finale. The drums blaze along at the speed of a stealth jet and the guitars and bass hold nothing back as they whip the listener’s ears with callbacks to the thrash gods of old through wicked solos and maniacal fretwork. The track finally ends with the same piano melody from “Marshlands”, allowing the record to come full circle as it leads back into the intro from the beginning of the album.

While Riverbed Empire starts off on an epic and grandiose note with its piano-laden intro and mournful tones in the first half, the second half of the record is notably more aggressive and down-to-earth in terms of its influences. It feels as though the thrashier side of Winterhearth wins out on the last four tracks whereas the influences of Scandinavian black and death metal reign over the first five. It’s a unique contrast that places the band’s style somewhere west of Dissection and Immortal and north of Carcass.

As the group’s third full length album Riverbed Empire may be Winterhearth’s best effort yet. It takes the relentless blackened fury of Curse the Summer and the disparate death metal barbarism of Resettlement and melds the two together into something that is wholly unique for the metal world of Newfoundland and Labrador. Nothing of this scope has ever really come out of the province and for that feat alone this record should be lauded. Though it may drag a bit in terms of length and there may be the occasional recording hiccup in some tracks Riverbed Empire will surely go down as one of the best metal albums to ever come out of Newfoundland. It sure is one hell of a way to start the decade.

Final Verdict: 9/10
Awesome

Favourite Tracks:
“North Star, Be My Guide”
“Sunset Over Winter Corpses”
“Beyond the Frosted Graves”

For Fans Of:
Immortal
Dissection
Carcass
(early) At the Gates
(early) Arch Enemy

~ Akhenaten

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