Tombs - Beneath the Toxic Jungle

This song was definitely an interesting one. You could split this song up into 2 different, but unique parts... one of them, the first half, is a furious black/thrashy bit that wastes no time on anything. The band plays fast and spot-on, from the drums blasting away mercilessly to the guitars picking as fast as they can. The vocals are competently delivered, but even more interestingly, they're somewhat buried in the mix below the guitars and drums. It's not a bad thing at all, actually. We're subjected to this fury for about two minutes, and then, seemingly from out of nowhere, everything slows to a crawl. This, the other half of the song, has a seriously doomy flavor to it which blends seamlessly with the full-speed chaos before it. In a matter of seconds, we've gone from 60 to 0 and made it work. Simple, crushing chords are the meat and potatoes of this half of the proverbial meal, and even they eventually get stripped away for minimalism's sake. The song ends with the bass backing a few simple guitar notes, as if it were the music playing behind the "good-guy-walking-away-exhausted-but-victorious-after-slaying-the-big-bad-monster" sequence at the end of a movie. There's some good stuff here. Now, I'm off to answer the question of why the hell these guys aren't on the archives yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XugATtBPBPU

Enfold Darkness - Our Cursed Rapture

I think i've heard these guys before. My first thought is the vocalist has that Dani Filth style of higher pitch growls. Musically, they differ from CoF though. The first guitar section has a nice melodic sound. when the vocals start, the riff is ok, but doesn't do much for me. I prefer the sections like at 2:30 which alternate between the higher and deep growl followed by some pretty good guitar solo which may not be overly technically but the sense of melody is there and is enjoyable. Also enjoy the softer section at 3:40, nice somber sound there. I never really noticed the drums much in the song, but i suppose they do the job. I think the strong points of the song were the melodies in the guitar work. The vocals I'm not huge on, but don't mind them in small quantities.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZgtjayM8ro

Edit - me and Rotting_Christ_Mike reviewed the Kekal song at the same time (guess he didn't see the placeholder), so I'll just review his song to avoid confusion over which link to review.

Kekal - Artifacts Of Modern Insanity

Kekal, one of the few bands from Indonesia that I follow and a song off my personal favorite album of theirs. My favorite features of the song are the drums and the guitars. The song has a very rocking sense, and the busy drumming keeps it interesting. The guitar tone is ace and the riffs are extremely engaging. The interplay between the somewhat standard harsh vocals comes in contrast with the mellow, almost whiny, clean vocals which would normally annoy me but work well with this band. The clean vocals carry a nice melody throughout the whole song and merge well with the clean guitar tone, which also plays some nice melodies. Overall a very nice song, with an uplifting atmosphere which manages to keep the listener's attention for its whole duration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M20T9yOBcpo

Immolation - Close to a Word Below

Classic. This starts off with an amazing slow tremolo riff that really sets the atmosphere. Some kick ass death metal is what follows, not very fast (for death metal) but doesn't have to be. The riffs are pretty good and aren't always typical as they sometimes hold sustained tremolo for atmosphere. The drums are good, their steady beating adds a feeling of impending doom. Theres some cool experimentation in here. A weird lead that plays along while its still part of the normal song; a riff where it pans out between each side of my headphones. The solos also kicks a tremendous amount of ass. The second one is particularly cool, I can see how a band like Negative Plane would take influence from that sort of thing. No complaints here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4jmwPTb5ek

I'm taking Dystopia4's song since he actually bothered to use a placeholder and posted it first.

The Monolith Deahtcult - Demigod

Heard a lot about these guys but never bothered to check them out until this. Starts out with some misleading tribal-ish drums before launching into some furious tremolo picked pure DM melodies then seamlessly changing into another tremolo riff that sounds even more awesome and heavy. Every transition is seamless, these guys are clearly great songwriters. The vocals are hardly the most original thing ever but they're well executed and appropriately brutal. The drums just blast the fuck out constantly, but actually have interesting beats and keep things nice and grounded yet still chaotic. The epic melodies following the solo are a nice touch. I'm digging this band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByLuiNcKo8s

@ Necro

@Necro

Diablo Swing Orchestra-Justice for St.Mary

Bah! The vocals range from caterwauling highs to just a grating voice in general, and ruin the surrounding orchestral piece for the first two minutes. After 2:35 the music takes a more menacing tone from the sleepy semi-acoustic intro, and jumps back to the acoustic dreamy guitar playing with that terrible vocalist. The acoustic guitar also doesn't work well with some of the Mariachi-esque music in the middle of the song, and as pleasing as the instrumentals were the song didn't really pick up again until 6:17 when the heavier parts arrived too late to save the song. If I were a noob to the band this would not be the song to introduce me to the band's work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ5ySjCR4hk

You posted one of the few songs that wasn't "on hold", and I reviewed it don't get butthurt about it.

Grand Belial's Key - Sumerian Fairytale

Grand Belial's key are one of the first USBM bands I ever got into. The sound is really dirty (in the good way) mainly due to the gritty and vicious vocals. The guitars churn out sharp riffs and combined with the half-grunted, half-shrieked vocals they create a destructive force. The main riff is repeat many times throughout the song but some variations of it are also played. The drums are what you would expect. I like the overall feeling of the song which really benefits from the sound; luckily this album has a full sound which makes the riffs sound thick enough to please the ears. A thin, 'cold' sounding production would ruin this album. Mocking the Philanthropist kicks serious ass and serves as a balanced blend of black metal and death metal brutality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jo85K9S1jU

And its the same thing every time with you, you don't review the song and post this little diatribe about how mistreated you are. Why not just review the song and keep your mouth shut, you are also just as guilty as me when it comes to expressing your distaste about things

You did that with the Absu song I posted pages ago, you stated the same thing like a moron and didn't review the track.I'm not singling you out the song you posted sucked get over it you aren't targeted at all. Post a decent song then if you crave praise that badly.

@Emp:

Calling the kettle black.

Elysian Fields - As One

Ever wanted some biting cold melodic black metal with death metal-ish vocals? Then now is your chance to sign up for some. The song is mostly guitar driven, as you'd expect, and tremolo-picking melodies are the order of the day here. I'm not sure if there's and actual drummer behind the kit for this song, or drum triggers. (They're a bit too clicky for their own good.) Either way, the drums doesn't just exclusively blast, but instead opt for appropriate and catchy fills for most of the song. They're a little too high up in the mi for my tastes, but it's not like they get in the way or anything. The vocals here are mostly in a decent though not earth-shattering mid-ranged rasp, though his highs are a dead ringer for Tomas Lindberg's wailing rasp. My only complaint is that the song ends too prematurely for its own good. To put it simply, it's too damn short. Not that it matters, though, because I'll be looking for more from this band. All in all, it sounds like a B-side from The Somberlain or Far Away From The Sun, which is a very, very good thing.

EDIT: Song removed to avoid confusion.

Elysian Fields-As One

Now, being as this is the first time I've heard of this band, I was pleasantly surprised. The song, as a whole, is mournful and just beautifully played. The screeching vocals rip through the beginning of the song while the riffs manage to stay in your head, no, the riffs do not repeat, they continue forward at a blistering pace and it works, and at the half way mark, rips into a double bass infused frenzy of melancholic aggression.The thing I love is the tempo changes, and how there isn't just a set chorus, or anything like that, the whole song flows together beautifully.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnWwAwSD ... re=related

Oh fuck, double review, sorry.

Wolfchant - Heathen Rise

The only thing I've heard before from this band was A Pagan Storm, but that's about to change. This song is chock full of infectious melodies and viking goodness, delivered mostly through the guitar and more traditional viking instruments. I think I'll be humming the opening melody in my head for a long time to come, and I'll love every second of it. Traditional instruments like the harp and accordion have a bigger presence here than on A Pagan Storm (If I recall correctly, there were no traditional instruments on that album), and are worked in perfectly to give that feeling that I am indeed in a Norse mess hall singing songs as a tribute for fallen brothers. It's a glorious feeling. Vocal-wise, the band utilizes more cleans here than the rasps I'm used to. In fact, they dominate most of the song after the first verse, and like the traditional instruments I mentioned before, they help immerse you in a viking-esque atmosphere. This is just that awesome.

And now for something I never thought I'd see exist...

Sabaton - Twilight of the Thunder God

Whoa, a power metal cover of Amon Amarth. Wasn't expecting this. First, I'll get what I don't like out of the way. I think the vocalist is pretty bad, a pretty strong British (I think) accent and just this really annoying way of singing that sounds like he should be doing bad folk music. Anyway, this is still pretty cool, Amon Amarth has quality straight ahead songwriting, and I think their songs are perfectly suited to power metal. Its really cool to see this song in a different context. Approximately half way in we are hit with a twist, a strong thrash riff comes in (not so much a twist to anyone who knows the song) and a death metal growl comes in. Gotta admit I wan't expecting that. Although I'm not crazy about the vocalist, its really cool to see Amon Amarth played well in a different context.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXfCc6fPD4E

Stoned Jesus - Stormy Monday

Well, with a band name like Stoned Jesus, I think anyone in their right mind should know what they're in for. Simple, repetitive stoner/doom with not a whole lot going on. That being said, there are ways to do nothing right, and there are ways to just make it boring. This falls into the boring camp without a doubt. The guitar work is appropriately heavy and distorted enough for what it does, but it consists of mostly simple strumming. The drums and bass are competent, yet inoffensive. I did find, though, that the vocals were too high up in the mix, making this song more vocal-driven than anything. The guy's a decent singer, but like everything else in this song, he just doesn't bring a stand out performance. Aside from a decent solo, there's not a whole lot to say here, because there's not a whole lot going on here. But maybe it's me just not being in the mood for it. I don't know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBp1AlRgPIk

The Black Dahlia Murder - Warborn.

Motherfucking BDM! One of my favourite bands. They start off this song with a chuggy riff that it's impossible to not headbang to and brutal low vocals. It then builds up to the epic tremolo and high screams of the chorus. Some people don't like his screams, but I love them, don't know many bands that have similar vocals. The drummer is pretty great too, varying his beats quite a bit, but when it comes to his tone, this is not my favourite album for that. It should be mentioned that the lyrics are really well written and easily decipherable too. The solo happens pretty early on in this song, and it's probably the weakest one on Nocturnal, but it's a nice little atmospheric thing. The thing with these guys is that when I hear one song, I have to listen to a bunch more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkPl63FHNhs

Electric Wizard - Dunwich

What little Electric Wizard I have listened to I haven't truly liked, and this is no exception, although I gotta say that lyrics about the bastard child of an unfathomable cosmic horror are never unwelcomed. Of course, that's not nearly enough to save the piece from it's boring monotony. For one, I'll start with the riffs, the first one having a very bizarre, unsettling and strangely cartoonish quality that is pretty attractive (and it's only enhanced by the dirty-as-a-sewer production), but that's basically where the good stuff ends. And even then, said riff repeats itself too much for it's own good, and the rest aren't nearly as interesting or catchy (they're basically just buzzing, bordering on white noise at times). And now, considering how the guitars themselves aren't doing much that is really deserving of my attention, perhaps the other instruments will compensate, right? Well, the answer to that is a big, fat "NO". The drumming is hurt by the (admittedly appropiate, if not necessarily good) production, being kinda low in the mix and muffled between it all. That, and the fact that the drummer in question is as creative as a rock. The singer? He's..... There. He isn't captivating at all, and even though I can definitely hear he tries his best (especially during the chorus), he fails to be entertaining. He isn't grating or offensive in anyway, but changing him wouldn't detract from the music at all if you ask me. And as always, the bassist is nowhere to be found. So, I'll put it this way; boring players + boring songwriting = boring music. I don't hate this, but I won't listen to it in the near future, that's for sure.

This album I recently discovered was a very nice suprise. I didn't expect anything from this band before, but this really knocked my socks off.

@ Dave_o_rama & ChildClownOutlet

@Xl

Video was blocked by WMG

@ Xlxlx:

@Veracs:

@Necro:

@Xlxlx:

Iron Fire- Dreams of The Dead Moon.

Allright, so this starts with a chuggy riffs reminiscent of Metalcore, not a good start. The vocalist is pretty damn good, but I can barely make out what he's saying. I don't know if it's the accent or lack of articulation, but it is a problem for PM. It's a shame because his vocal lines are interesting and catchy (better than the first Iron Fire song you posted before editing your post). The guitar tone is neutered and so far, 3 minutes in, there hasn't been a single good, distinctive, or memorable riff. So I guess it's a good thing the vocals are mixed so loud. The drums are...there? I can't really say anything about the drummer as he inspires no reaction in me. Now it's back to boring chugging and a short, yet surprisingly lame solo by Power Metal standards. Urgh, I think that the vocalist should hook up with a new band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvzuvXQy ... re=related