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

EP Review: Chimp Apparatus – Sober

April 27, 2023 / Akhenaten / 1 Comment

Chimp Apparatus – Sober
March 4th, 2023
Hardcore Punk / Crossover / Funk Metal
Independently Released
St. John’s, Newfoundland

Chimp Apparatus are one of the hottest up and coming bands in the local metal and punk scene in Newfoundland and Labrador, and for good reason. Their first EP, Pizza Man, was a solid attack of metal-infused hardcore punk that didn’t take itself too seriously but also provided some genuinely catchy and killer ditties to satisfy the eardrums. Now Chimp Apparatus are back with their second proper offering, Sober, and the band is showing no signs of slowing down on this one.

Sober features five tracks of relative shortness, the longest one, “Yeah, Drink”, only reaching 3 and a half minutes. But contained within each of these five songs is a surprising level of heaviness and aggression. The production on here is noticeably heavier and each song packs more of a punch than their previous material. Perhaps its the addition of straight up death metal growling present on some of these songs, in particular the EP opener “Beermobile”, that gives this thing a bit more gravity than Pizza Man, though the songwriting certainly pulls its weight.

The riffs on here are fairly simplistic but they don’t set out to do anything other than create simple melodies that burrow their way into your brain or bludgeon you over the head with mosh-inducing quickness. I love the quick bass runs during the post-chorus section on “Beermobile”, and the introductory riff on “Garfield” sounds like something you’d hear while experiencing a hallucinogenic nightmare. These more interesting and flashy riffs are often bordered on either side by either fast crossover-style punk riffs or slow, sludgy chugs. Let it never be said that Chimp Apparatus don’t provide variety.

I also think the production on here is great. The bass sounds loud, vibrant and thick. It’s super present in the mix, which is something a lot of other bands skimp out on. The guitars are similarly loud and in your face, and have exactly the kind of tone I want out of a modern crossover band. The drums sound a little bit too clean for my liking, and I’d prefer they sounded a bit more dirtied up, perhaps with a bit more reverb. The vocals, however, sit perfectly in the mix. I’m honestly impressed with how good this EP sounds.

This is definitely a solid followup to Pizza Man and shows that these guys may have what it takes to really make a name for themselves, not just in Newfoundland and Labrador, but in the wider scope of the Canadian metal and punk scene. I think their odd sense of humour and comedic aspects might not age that well and can get kind of tiring to listen to, especially with something like the vocal performance on “Mama”, but that ultimately seems to take a bit more of a backseat on this EP than it did on Pizza Man. These guys have a lot of potential, and fit neatly into the 90’s aesthetic of guitar music, featuring elements of crossover thrash a la Suicidal Tendencies, skate punk a la NOFX, weirdo funk stuff a la Faith No More or Primus, sludge metal a la Eyehategod, and a whole host of other sounds and influences. Given the way alternative music has delved back into the 90’s in recent years, the time is now to strike while the iron is hot.

Final Verdict: 4/5
Great

Favourite Tracks:
“Beermobile”
“Garfield”
“Yeah, Drink”

For Fans Of:
Suicidal Tendencies
Mr. Bungle
Faith No More

~ Akhenaten

An Interview with Chimp Apparatus

January 10, 2022January 10, 2022 / Akhenaten / 1 Comment

Chimp Apparatus are a four piece punk / metal band from St. John’s featuring Kendrick Roberts on vocals and guitars, Nick Hudson on vocals and guitars, Mark Holloway on vocals and bass, and Elijah Smithline on vocals and drums. They have so far released one EP entitled Pizza Man along with a smattering of singles.

First off, tell the people who we’re talking to!

Yo mama
Just kidding
NL superpunk band, Chimp Apparatus, consisting of Elijah Spitslime, Mark “Halfhead” Holloway, Nick Hudson and Kendrick Roberts

Can you give us a bit of history on the band? How did you guys end up playing music together?

Through a mutual friend of the band, Mia, we met Kyle the Asskicker of Kaspam Cult (NL punk band, less cool than Chimp Apparatus) and stole his bassist. Nick Hudson was acquired due to his immense shredability, and scene connections. Boy can the man play, and man, can the boy produce.

You guys have a pretty unique and eye-catching name. How did you come up with it?

At a time when the band was lame, we named it after a sock monkey. A sock monkey constructed with one Ocean Racette-Campbell. This particular sock monkey had one special property, in which it possessed toke services. One could smoke toke from this special sock monkey we constructed. Hence the name, “Chimp Apparatus.”

You guys also have a unique sound within the context of the Newfoundland scene. There are elements of sludge, funk, grunge and punk in your sound, among others. What genre would you describe yourselves as?

Well, I’d say we certainly have a unique sound. We are objectively, exclusively, officially known as Psychoanalytical Protobigenetic Anthrotypical Ambient Cro-Magnus Jig-Funk Tri-Pop Prog-Punk Disrock Metrolinolean Funkcore… Or “Drunkcore”, if like, you wanna call it that.

Are there any artists you would point to as direct influences or inspiration on your sound?

We take lots of influence from such bands as Mr. Bungle, and Voivod. In production, Nick-Meister likes to emulate sounds heard in modern hardcore bands like Ice Nine Kills. Spiritually… ever hear of d-beats? Lyrically and in regards to subject matter, our own lives often come into our writing. This is shown best in the person whom the entire epic “Psychonaut” is about, and a sleezy little scum meister, the inspiration of “Microwave.”

“Fuckin’… Crust punk d-beats” – Mark “Halfhead” Holloway

So far you’ve released a few singles as well as your debut EP, Pizza Man. How has the response to the EP been?

The response has been incredibly warm. We’ve managed to attract a good amount of attention and following even outside of our own local scene.

Now that you guys have released your first EP, what’s next? Do you have plans to work on a full length album?

We’re in the writing process for a good amount of new material, definitely a full length album in the future. “We are writing some shit” – Mark “Halfhead” Holloway

During the summer and fall of 2021 you guys played a bunch of shows, mostly outdoor shows from the looks of it. What challenges have you faced when playing live in regards to the ongoing pandemic?

It hasn’t got in our way much for the shows. We played them at a time when cases were low, and restrictions were lax. We got pretty lucky in our timing.

What’s next on the horizon for Chimp Apparatus?

As restrictions relax, and stupid fucking buttknockers start wearing a mask, we plan to hop back into Nick Hudson’s shred crypt, and get to work on writing and recording future releases.

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

~ Akhenaten

HeavyNFLD

Your source for all things heavy and all things Newfoundland.

Mr. Bungle

The Scrolls of Akhenaten: April 12th, 2024

EP Review: Chimp Apparatus – Sober

An Interview with Chimp Apparatus