We also released Episode 63 of the Heavy NFLD Official Podcast, New Metal from Newfoundland IV, in which I recount some of the newer releases that have dropped from Newfoundland and Labrador bands in the past few months.
Albums Archived The Beer Patrice – Can’t Talk to Fish [Single / Punk] The Beer Patrice – Who are the Beer Patrice? [LP / Punk] Breaker – Breaker [EP / Pop Punk] Breaker – Do It Yourself [EP / Pop Punk] Death Ray – Murder Mouth [Single / Sludge Metal] Fennway – Demo 2015 [Demo / Melodic Hardcore] Fennway – Julianne [Single / Melodic Hardcore] Hot x Proxy – Fake It [Single / Hard Rock] Hot x Proxy – Mean to Me [Single / Hard Rock] Hot x Proxy – The Operator [Single / Hard Rock] Hot x Proxy – Tonite [Single / Hard Rock] Mistwalker – Basement Dwellers [Live EP / Black N’ Roll] Not Friends – Demo 2012 [Demo / Hardcore Punk] Not Friends – Stowaway [EP / Hardcore Punk] Securitron – Post-Apocalyptic Eras [LP / Thrash Metal] The Strangled – Dead Music [EP / Punk] The Strangled – Disconnected [Single / Punk] The Strangled – Straight to Ghost [EP / Punk] Twerp – Just a Little [EP / Grunge]
St. John’s blackened thrash power trio Goreforge have new stickers available. The stickers were revealed prior to the band’s most recent show at the Gower Street United Church and feature the cover art from their first album, Mythos, albeit in a white on black colour scheme. You can get these stickers at the band’s upcoming shows.
This year has been crazy in a lot of ways, mostly in terms of my own life getting in the way of trying to maintain regular updates on this blog, but still we soldier forth! The slow march of time won’t stop me from catching up on all the stuff I missed, so here’s the in review segment for January of 2024.
We also released Episode 62 of the Heavy NFLD Official Podcast in which we recount some of the best heavy music to come out of Newfoundland and Labrador throughout 2023.
Albums Archived – Aaiesieux – A.C.U. Volume 1: How to Kill an Idea [LP / Harsh Noise] – Aaiesieux – A.C.U. Volume 2: Hubris, as Shown by the Audience [LP / Harsh Noise] – Aaiesieux – The Monster Mash Vol. 1 [Compilation / Harsh Noise] – Bad Plan – EP 2016 [EP / Hardcore Punk] – Guntmold – Blackened Infection [EP / Blackened Thrash Metal] – Guntmold – Munging [Single / Blackened Thrash Metal] – Icefog – Firharbour [EP / Dark Ambient] – Lithops – ((BendeR)) [LP / Dungeon Synth] – Neko Suicide – Neko Suicide Suicide Neko [LP / Harsh Noise] – Nemophilist – The Forest was Silent and Clear [Single / Dark Ambient] – Nemophilist – The Nightlight Man [EP / Dark Ambient] – Outta the Basement – Outta the Basement [LP / Hard Rock] – Pretty Little Flowers – 11:39 – 2:20 [Single / Drone] – Pretty Little Flowers – A Tribute to Hoedh [Single / Drone] – Pretty Little Flowers – Betrayal in August [Single / Drone] – Pretty Little Flowers – Litani Til Satan [Single / Black Metal] – Pretty Little Flowers – Pretty Little Flowers [Single / Drone] – Pretty Little Flowers – Truly Alone [Single / Drone] – Pretty Little Flowers – Wits End [Single / Drone] – Scary Haunted Castles – Those Damn Castles are Scary [Single / Dungeon Synth] – That Night a Forest Grew – Demo [Demo / Metalcore] – Wet Cheeze Delirium – Live at Bar None – November 10th, 1999 [Live LP / Noise / Experimental] – Wretched Invention – Wretched Souls [EP / Groove Metal]
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
Atomic Cretins – Day of Torment April 12th, 2022 Blackened Thrash Metal Independently Released Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Standout Song: “Day of Torment”
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
Aroma – Adenocarcinoma July 14th, 2023 Goregrind / Slam / Death Metal Independently Released Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Standout Song: “Desiccated Scalp Slowly Rotting”
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
Corrupt World – Watch it Burn December 16th, 2023 Crust Punk No Time Records Burlington, Vermont, USA Standout Song: “How Can You Justify?”
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
Artificial Scarcity – Empires to Ashes July 14th, 2023 Grindcore / Thrash Metal / Death Metal Independently Released Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Standout Song: “Free the Land”
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.
St. John’s blackened thrash metal trio Goreforge are returning for their first show in a considerable amount of time on Saturday, April 27th at the Gower Street United Church, and to commemorate their triumphant return the band has had a batch of t-shirts printed. The shirts feature the cover art from the band’s first album Mythos. You can get these shirts at the show tomorrow.
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
Pakkt – To Brocken Heights Where Witches Dance December 24th, 2021 Black Metal Ván Records Germany Standout Song: “Three Desecrated Hosts”
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
Human Remains – Using Sickness as a Hero August 27th, 1996 Deathgrind / Grindcore / Death Metal Relapse Records Hazlet, New Jersey, USA Standout Song: “Weeding Out the Thorns”
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
Omnivide – A Tale of Fire March 22nd, 2024 Progressive / Symphonic / Technical Death Metal Independently Released Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada Standout Song: “Holy Killer”
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
Flower – Hardly a Dream December 26th, 2022 Crust Punk Profane Existence New York City, New York, USA Standout Song: “Lethargy”
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
Phantom – Handed to Execution October 27th, 2023 Thrash Metal Inframetal Records Guadalajara, Mexico Standout Song: “Reaper’s Bane”
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 am the Intimidator – I am the Intimidator March 8th, 2024 Speed Metal / Traditional Heavy Metal Miserable Pyre Portland, Oregon, USA Standout Song: “Eat My Smoke”
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.
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
Bloody Keep – Rats of Black Plague January 17th, 2024 Black Metal Grime Stone Records Los Angeles, California, USA Standout Song: “Imbibe”
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 – Nocturnal Spirit Rituals March 1st, 2024 Blackened Death Metal Independently Released Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada Standout Song: “Ancient Embodiments of the Red Planet”
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
Green Lung – This Heathen Land November 3rd, 2023 Doom Metal / Occult Rock Nuclear Blast Records London, England, UK Standout Song: “The Forest Church”
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
Naxatras – IV February 25th, 2022 Progressive / Psychedelic Rock Independently Released Thessaloniki, Greece Standout Song: “Omega Madness”
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
Stand Alone – Mobbing Down the Block September 5th, 2020 Skate Punk / Melodic Hardcore Independently Released Montreal, Quebec, Canada Standout Song: “Stand Alone”
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
Evil – Possessed by Evil February 1st, 2021 Blackened Thrash Metal Nuclear War Now! Productions Tokyo, Japan Standout Song: “Raizin”
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.
Glovertown blackened heavy metal project Mistwalker released their ninth full length record, Oceanic Heritage, last year. Up until this point this album as well as most of the project’s back catalog has been relegated to digital media, but that’s set to change. Oceanic Heritage is now available for pre-order on CD via independent British Columbia-based label Syrup Moose Records. Murmurs of the album also being available on cassette in the near future have also been propagated.
In the meantime you can pre-order Oceanic Heritage on CD through the project’s Bandcamp page at this link: here!
Welcome back to The Scrolls of Akhenaten, the weekly blog segment in which I recommend a bunch of albums in different sub-genres of metal and punk, as well as few non-metal releases that strike my fancy. This week I’ve got some absolute bangers up my sleeve that everyone who reads this should absolutely give a chance at the very least. If you like your music fast and hard as fuck (with perhaps the exception of our prog selection for this week) then this is the bundle of records for you! Read on and consider giving these records a shot.
Black
Spite – Bathe the Babe in Bats’ Blood May 18th, 2022 Blackened Punk / Metalpunk Hells Headbangers Records Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Standout Song: “Spider Biter”
I first became aware of Spiter through following the band’s guitarist and vocalist Richard Spider on Instagram, where he goes by the name Sexman Leather on account of his various leatherworking creations. I later saw the band perform live at Turbo Haus and holy shit did they knock my socks off. This power trio (which also features members of Devil Master) rip forth with the ferocious terror of a blackened assault that combines elements of black metal and thrash metal together with hardcore punk and speed metal to create an unstoppable sound that crushes all in its path. This album is absurdly fast, unrelenting, and violent in every aspect, from both the mesmerizing music to the bloody imagery present on the album cover. If you want badass music about vampires and castles that pulls no punches when it comes to speed then Bathe the Babe in Bats’ Blood (say that 10 times fast) is the record for you.
Death
Øbelisk – The Architecture of Suffering July 30th, 2023 Death Metal / Sludge Metal / Grindcore Independently Released Montreal, Quebec, Canada Standout Song: “Maggot Christ”
Some of you are likely already very familiar with Øbelisk thanks to their tour in August of last year which landed them several shows across Newfoundland, including a date in Corner Brook and three dates in St. John’s. The band has been around since at least 2022 (though likely earlier), with The Architecture of Suffering being their first full length record, and boy does it fucking crush! Having seen these guys live a ridiculous number of times over the past couple of years I have become intimately familiar with these songs and they still hit just as hard now as they did when I first heard them. Like Spiter, Øbelisk is a power trio, and together they have composed a series of kickass songs that blend elements of death metal, sludge metal, and grindcore together to create a devastatingly heavy brand of concrete-heavy extreme metal that obliterates everything in its wake. Don’t sleep on Øbelisk.
Doom
Bison B.C. – Dark Ages April 13th, 2010 Sludge Metal Metal Blade Records Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Standout Song: “Stressed Elephant”
Taking things back to the past, I revisited this album from my youth recently and found that it still hits just as hard as it did way back then. Bison B.C. have released two albums in the intervening years since Dark Ages was initially released but this album just has something special about it that none of their other work really touched. It’s dark and brooding and even progressive at parts. Some of my favourite moments come when the band interject mournful synths into the otherwise purely metal instrumentals, making the whole piece sound like some sort of messed up funeral dirge. This record has a lot of variety and also feels like the perfect sonic representation of the kind of atmosphere that comes with living in cities in the great white north. It’s hard to describe exactly, but the vibe of Canadian urbanity is often expressed through the music of those who live in it in a way that bands from south of the border don’t quite tap into, and Bison is a great example of that.
Prog
Vulture Industries – Ghosts from the Past June 16th, 2023 Avant-Garde / Progressive / Gothic Metal Karisma Records Bergen, Norway Standout Song: “This Hell is Mine”
I’ve been aware of Vulture Industries for years but never really dove into their work until the release of this record. This album is what you get when you combine the expected black metal atmosphere of a band from Norway with a Gothic vocal affectation and aesthetic and a penchant to experiment with different sounds and melodies. Equal parts Opeth and ICS Vortex, as well as Devin Townsend and Unto Others, Vulture Industries have landed on a sound that is wholly unique within the world of progressive metal, and I’m completely and utterly addicted to it. I think this album in particular will probably appeal to fans of old school goth rock like The Sisters of Mercy or Siouxsie and the Banshees while also attracting fans of the more dark and atmospheric side of heavy metal, a la a band like Cellar Darling or perhaps even Paradise Lost. The influences here are too numerous to truly list, but if you like any of the bands mentioned above this record is worth checking out.
Punk
Mulch – Nothing Grows Out of Dried Flowers February 19th, 2024 Hardcore Punk / Noise Rock Independently Released Montreal, Quebec, Canada Standout Song: “Prudent Breakdown”
Yet another band coming to you from the city of Montreal is Mulch, a relatively new band who dropped their first EP a scant month ago. Nothing Grows Out of Dried Flowers is what you get when you put a guitarist and drummer who are approaching punk from a decidedly more eclectic side of the music world with a bassist who primarily plays hardcore and grindcore and a vocalist who has never been in a band before. This EP is absolutely brimming with energy and exudes a feeling of pissed off angst and vitriol, yet at the same time there is an experimental edge to it that I feel a lot of other Montreal punk bands don’t quite have. Parts of this record, from the off-kilter guitars to the tone of the bass, have a slight noise rock vibe to them, which at times reminds me more of bands like Lightning Bolt and Melt Banana, despite still being a hardcore punk band. Definitely an EP worth checking out for those with a flair for the experimental!
Thrash
Void – Horrors of Reality February 1st, 2023 Thrash Metal Independently Released Lafayette, Louisiana, USA Standout Song: “Feeding Frenzy”
Thrashing their way out of the bayou of Lafayette, Louisiana, Void are a relatively newer band, having been active since 2019, and Horrors of Reality is their first full length effort in that time frame. I first became aware of them through their campy and old school music video for the song “Voodoo”, which immediately drew me in through the visuals alone. It was a pleasant surprise then that the music was quality enough to bother checking out the full record, and I greatly enjoyed what I heard beyond the anachronistic cover art. These guys clearly love the thrash bands of yore and conjure a lot of comparisons to some of the greats, with Megadeth and Anthrax perhaps being the most obvious comparisons. The guitars absolutely rip and tear, the drums are punishing, and the compositions are creative. That’s saying something in a subgenre where most of the bands sound either like a low rent Metallica, Slayer, or Municipal Waste.
Trad
Significant Point – Into the Storm February 7th, 2021 Speed Metal Dying Victims Productions Tokyo, Japan Standout Song: “Heavy Attack”
I came across the Japanese speed metal quintet Significant Point through the NWOTHM Full Albums channel on YouTube and I am so glad I clicked on that video because good lord this thing fucking rips! Japanese metal bands have always had a flair for pomp and theatrics, and Significant Point is no different. While I can’t speak to what the band’s live performances look like, the music on this record is evidence enough of how much effort and skill these guys put into their craft. The drums are ridiculously fast, never taking a second to slow down. The guitars shred with unbelievable fury, and the vocals consist almost exclusively of high pitched falsetto wailing that carries across the music like the fighter jets depicted in the cover art. If ever there was music to engage in a dogfight with enemy aircraft to, this record would absolutely be it. It’s glorious and magnificent in every aspect, including the old school style of production that gives it all an air of authenticity.
Non-Metal
Mama’s Broke – Count the Wicked June 1st, 2017 Celtic Folk / Americana Independently Released Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Standout Song: “The Vein Braider”
Growing up in Newfoundland I admit that there was a certain resentment that I built up against folk music since it was all that I was exposed to as a youngin’ out around the bay. As an adult though I’ve cultivated more of an appreciation for folk, especially the Celtic kind, and Mama’s Broke may be the apex of what I’ve heard in this style from Atlantic Canada. First showed to me by one of my partners who hails from Nova Scotia, I immediately fell in love with their style of music that combines the traditional Celtic instrumentation with a degree of Americana influence. It’s obvious upon a first listen to this debut record from the duo that Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler are absolute experts of their craft and their chosen instruments. Fiddles, banjos, mandolins abound on this masterpiece of the genre that only gets better with each subsequent listen.
“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
Skumstrike – Deadly Intrusions March 17th, 2023 Blackened Speed Metal Caligari Records Montreal, Quebec, Canada Standout Song: “Blood Red Vision”
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
Serpent Corpse – Blood Sabbath July 5th, 2023 Old School Death Metal Temple of Mystery Records Montreal, Quebec, Canada Standout Song: “Let the Rats Feed”
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
Völur – Death Cult November 13th, 2020 Atmospheric Folk / Doom Metal Prophecy Productions Toronto, Ontario, Canada Standout Song: “Inviolate Grove”
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
Closure in Moscow – Pink Lemonade May 9th, 2014 Nu Prog / Progressive Rock / Alt Rock Sabretusk Melbourne, Australia Standout Song: “Seeds of Gold”
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
Glowing Orb – Subterranean Prison November 10th, 2023 Hardcore Punk Independently Released Montreal, Quebec, Canada Standout Song: “Line Goes Up”
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
Pizza Death – Slice of Death November 1st, 2021 Crossover/ Thrash Metal Disdain Records Melbourne, Australia Standout Song: “Super Special Supreme Commander”
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
Tower – Shock to the System November 12th, 2021 Power Metal / Traditional Heavy Metal Cruz del Sur Music New York City, New York, USA Standout Song: “Blood Moon”
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.
HeavyNFLD 