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: March 15th, 2024

March 15, 2024March 14, 2024 / Akhenaten / 1 Comment

*“Ever thus from the sands of time, I return, with pestilence and famine bequeathed to all.”*

Ages ago I used to do a segment on this blog called The Scrolls of Akhenaten in which I would recommend a series of albums or EPs from different genres of heavy and extreme music that aren’t from Newfoundland and Labrador. I did this simply in an effort to spread awareness of other music that I really like and to hopefully put some people on to artists they’ve never heard of. This concept was also inspired by one of our former contributors, Jonathan Simms, aka Abraxas the Reclaimer, who did a similar segment under the title of The Abraxas Decree.

All that said, I’ve decided to bring this segment back in an effort to continue spreading the good word about awesome music and also to diversify the kind of content that our readers have become used to on this blog. I would like to try to do this segment on a weekly basis, ever Friday, but for now we’re starting off with just one. The way it’s going to work is that each entry in this column will be from a different genre of heavy music, including: black metal, death metal, doom metal, prog, punk, thrash metal, traditional heavy metal, and one non-metal release as a palette cleanser.

Ergo, welcome to the resurrection of The Scrolls of Akhenaten! I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Black

Some of you may already be aware of Skumstrike due to the band’s association with Profane Order and Spectral Wound, both of whom share an association with Newfoundland through their shared band member Illusory. Skumstrike is the primary project of L.A. who formed the band with Serpent Corpse drummer Z.S. Based purely on the cover art and logo alone you should already have an idea of what the music on this thing sounds like. It is unrepentant, unrelenting blackened speed metal the likes of which I haven’t truly heard before. That said if you’ve ever perused the wares of underground labels like Hells Headbangers or the band’s current home at Caligari Records then you know that what they provide is quality. This album is liable to rip your head clean off your shoulders with wretched vocals, savage riffage, and an unforgiving percussive assault from behind the kit. Raw!

Death

Speaking of Serpent Corpse, why don’t we bring them up for the death metal segment this week? These guys have fast grown into one of Montreal’s premiere old school death metal revivalist acts. While the city may primarily be known for the more technical variety of extreme metal, Serpent Corpse are at the forefront of the movement to revive the sounds of classic 80’s death metal spearheaded by bands like Obituary and Morbid Angel, and they do a damned good job of it too! There’s no bullshit to be found here. This whole album is just riff after riff after riff on top of groovy drums from Skumstrike’s own Z.S. While I would question a band’s decision to name one of their own original songs “Electric Eye” when one of the most famous metal songs ever written shares that title, it doesn’t get in the way of the quality meat n’ potatoes brutality that goes on beyond the album cover.

Doom

I was first introduced to this band by a partner of mine who is a fan of one of the folk projects that the group’s violinist and vocalist Laura C. Bates worked on. Taking one look through Bates’ page on Metal Archives and its clear that she’s got some serious chops, having worked with other names in the metal world that may be familiar to you such as Blood Ceremony, Witchrot, and Thantifaxath. In listening to this band however we’re gifted a much more somber, brooding, and atmospheric helping of melancholy doom that feels heavily inspired by nature and fantasy. If anyone is old enough to remember when the Saskatchewan band Black Tremor made the trek to St. John’s for a show at CBTG’s back in 2016, well, this band sounds like them but way more intense and with more of a focus on vocals. Völur may not be the first band to incorporate violin in their doom, but they do it damn well.

Prog

This kind of record really isn’t for everybody. It’s mixture of progressive rock elements with aspects of pop music, alternative rock, funk, and avant-garde music could certainly be off-putting to people whose taste leans more towards the heavy and extreme. That said if you’re willing to give this record a shot you could be pleasantly surprised. I know I was. Perhaps it’s the theater kid in me that loves the ostentatious presentation and the theatrical grandeur this record provides but god damn do I ever love it. When it comes to the genre of “nu prog”, which is crowned by artists like Coheed and Cambria, a lot of it can be hit or miss with me. Closure in Moscow manage to be one of the best groups in the genre simply for their musical acumen and their ability to craft absurdly catchy tunes through an experimental haze and willingness to genre-bend. Let yourself love the poppy hooks that its full of.

Punk

The Montreal hardcore scene, much like that of Newfoundland’s, has exploded in the post-pandemic world. There have been so many new bands that have emerged in the scene lately that it’s been hard to keep track sometimes. That said, with the cornucopia of new groups that pop up, some of them are bound to rise to the top. Enter Glowing Orb. These guys are easily one of the most ferocious and aggressive punk bands in Montreal, at least when it comes to their music and their live shows. If you ever get a chance to see them live, do it. You will not regret it. As for their recorded material, they’ve got a demo and a split, and then this most recent release, Subterranean Prison, which, in my opinion, contains their best tracks yet. Listen to the song “Line Goes Up” and tell me you don’t want to scream along with that chorus in the live setting. Heavy, relentless, and full of piss n’ vinegar.

Thrash

Have you ever heard of pizza thrash? If you have there are probably a few bands that come to mind with the name. Municipal Waste and Iron Reagan are up there. D.R.I. perhaps. Well, allow me to introduce you to the pinnacle of this so-called sub-genre. The creme de la creme, folks. Pizza Death. This band sings exclusively about pizza, death, and death by pizza. It doesn’t get any more laser-focused than this. Normally I’d roll my eyes at such a concept, but if I’m being honest, this album absolutely fucking rips. The band has released more music since this one but this is the album that I always come back to. It’s a glorious mishmash of crossover, thrash metal, hardcore punk, and fastcore that intersperses absolutely nuclear riffs, unrelenting drums, and vicious vocals with a sprinkling of samples of various characters from pop culture talking about pizza. It’s as hilarious as it is utterly gnarly. It makes me want to shred a half-pipe while holding a pizza box in one hand and a PBR in the other.

Trad

Do you ever long for the glory days of heavy metal? Back when the music was real? Like the 70’s? Nah, like the early 70’s? Well, yearn no further my fellow appreciator of the old school sounds. Your search ends here. New York’s Tower are perhaps the most impeccable example of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal that I have been seeking. Other groups like Leather Heart will always have my, well… my heart, but Tower does this style with an unmatched pizazz that I have yet to encounter in my endless sifting through this sub-genre and movement. Whether it’s vocalist Sarabeth Lindon’s incredibly powerful and expressive voice, or the glorious riffs, or the creative, energetic, and commanding drumming, this album has everything that an old head could ever ask for. To match that, I saw this band live back in 2023 at Foufounes Electriques in Montreal and they ruled that stage like true professionals. I can’t speak highly enough of this album and this band.

Non-Metal

Wovenhand – *Ten Stones*
**September 11th, 2008**
**Alternative Country / Goth Rock**
**Glitterhouse Records**
**Denver, Colorado, USA**
**Standout Song:** “The Beautiful Axe”

I have been a long time fan of Wovenhand, the band led by singer-songwriter David Eugene Edwards. The group’s atypical approach to the country genre that they have often found themselves lumped in with immediately caught my ears the first time I decided to check them out, with their record Consider the Birds. However, throughout their discography, it was this album, Ten Stones, that really solidified itself as my personal favourite. Combining elements of country music and Americana folk with the darkness of goth rock and the Southern Gothic aesthetic makes this album a must-listen for fans of any of the musical genres or aesthetics I just listed off. It is gorgeous, emotionally gripping, and darkly unsettling. No doubt this record appeals to metalheads in part because it is heavy, but without an overt reliance on distorted electric guitars. Rather it feels heavy in the same way a pregnant rain cloud feels heavy. There’s a certain atmosphere here, a darkness that cannot be described.

~ Akhenaten

Ex Press Releases New Single “The Island”

April 17, 2023 / Akhenaten / 1 Comment

St. John’s punk rock / hard rock band Ex Press has released a brand new single, the first new release since their 2021 album Itchy to Move. The new track, entitled “The Island”, features Chris Sutter of the band Meat Wave on guest vocals and also features production and cover art by New York producer and visual artist Daryl Palumbo. The track was released on March 23rd, 2023 through streaming services.

You can listen to “The Island” through our Spotify embed below.

~ Akhenaten

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The Scrolls of Akhenaten: April 12th, 2024

The Scrolls of Akhenaten: March 15th, 2024

Ex Press Releases New Single “The Island”