Jan 31, 2019

Valkyrja (2018) Throne Ablaze 'Review'


Band: Valkyrja
Country of Origin: Sweden
Genre: Black metal
Type: Full Length
Format: CD Digipak
Length Approx.: 47:00 min.
Release Date11-26-2018
Release Label: World Terror Committee

IR Classification: Good (4.4 / 5)


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Unleash an exquisite tidal wave of moody but aggressive Black Metal.

The year 2018 left us with great works of musical art, and many great records were unjustly ignored, mainly because of the over-saturation of bands, but believe me, if we search a little bit closer, we will find albums that clearly stand out from the competition, probably because they are innovative or simply because they stick to their tried-and-tested formula, perfecting their craft to achieve outstanding results.

Such is the case with Valkyrja and their 2018 opus, “Throne Ablaze”, a fantastic Black Metal record that I overlooked but after a friend shared their music with yours truly, I became enamored with their potent and moody riffing style, which clearly evokes an amalgamation of emotions, without resorting to senseless blasting from track to track.


This is the type of Black Metal that emphasizes brooding and bleak atmospheres, accompanied by great riffs and drum work that does not exaggerate the use of blast-beats, but rather than that, the drum work has the aura and mood of almost a voodoo ritual, that is, hypnotic, pounding, almost ritual-like.

After the album begins with a somewhat strange intro made up of distorted guitars and effects, we are exposed to “Crowned Serpent”, a blistering assault of catchy riffs accentuated by magnificent drum work that combines blasting with great rolls and fills, adding a nice guitar solo to enhance the composition. This is a strong opener.
I need to point out that the vocals are clear and understandable, despite their raspy style, so not only the musical part is crafted in sensational fashion, but the voice also acts as an instrument that demands attention from the listeners.

The third track, “Opposer of light” is a great example of slow and heavy tempos, with occasional bursts of speed. Personally, I feel that the slower and doomier tempos are standouts on this record. It is as if they prevented this album from exhausting the listener from having to deal with so much brutality, and this reduction of speed just allows the musical hypnosis to do its task.

One of the tracks, “Transcendental Death”, is what I personally feel is the greatest manifestation of Valkryja’s musical essence. The reason why I greatly enjoy this track is the malevolent riffing at the early stages. It is very much in the vein of a ritual, as a diabolical chant transmitted through the guitars. This track does not shy away from its moments full of uncontrolled speed, but it goes back to its eerie beginning, with a great guitar solo paving the way.

The closer, which is the title track, is pure magnificence, with some operatic chants setting an abysmal mood, only for the guitars to start building up the aural assault at a slow pace. This track is absolutely phenomenal, due to its combination of slow, but heavy riffage and the atmospheric drum work, complementing each other to unleash an exquisite tidal wave of moody but aggressive Black Metal.



To sum it up, this record is fantastic. The combination of slow and heavy guitar work, with varied drumming, as well as a crystal-clear but aggressive vocal performance is top-notch. Lyrically, this album deals with occultism and things best not invoked, but I personally think that the aura of genuine and loyal devotion to real Black Metal is omnipresent. We are not dealing with clownish Black Metal, but music that speaks from the putrid heart, awesome album!

Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal…

Written by: Juan Jose Montiel

Track List:

01. In Ruins I Set My Throne (Instrumental) │ 02. Crowned Serpent │ 03. Opposer of Light │ 04. Tombs into Flesh │ 05. Halo of Lies │ 06. Transcendental Death │ 07. Paradise Lost │ 08. Throne Ablaze


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Evoken (2018) Hypnagogia 'Review'


Band: Evoken
Country of Origin: United States
Genre: Funeral Doom metal
Type: Full Length
Format: CD Digipak
Length Approx.: 01:00:00 min.
Release Date11-09-2018
Release Label: Profound Lore Records

IR Classification: Good (4.3 / 5)



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It sounds cold and somber with an unmeasurable sadness and hypnotism at the same time.

Evoken from New Jersey, United States has been around since 2004 always has been playing their unique style of Funeral Doom Metal with Death Metal Influences, their sound makes you remember bands like Esoteric, Disembowelment, Thergothon or Skepticism the distinctive dense clashing of melodies and misery are catchy, moving prodigiously slow with a deeper feeling of depressive and rabid bitterness, but always leaving enough room for those heavy synthesizers that create a crushing eerie ambiance, if you haven't experience at all the Funeral Doom Metal, this might be one opportunity to do it and break through into one of the most inaccessible genres. 

After six years of absence Evoken returns with their sixth full-length album entitled "Hypnagogia" through Profound Lore Records again and not only that also for the first time in their discography we can see a stable, solid and committed line-up to deliver a vicious and ambitious continuation of their previous work entitled "Atra Mors" released back in 2012, Evoken are founders members Vince Verkay behind the drums, John Paradiso on guitars and vocals and they are complemented by Don Zaros on keyboards, David Wagner on bass and Randy Cavanaugh on guitars, "Hypnagogia" contains eight tracks with an epic and unforgettable length.

"Hypnagogia" opens up with "The Fear After" built up with an eerie intro that leads off into the darkest path full of misery and pain, tearing apart the dead emotions within you, then is followed by "Valorous Consternation" frontman John Paradiso comes with a singular heavy guitar riff appeal the most gloomy landscapes loaded with a bitter sadness the growling vocals are abysmal beyond your consciousness, let's skip into "Too Feign Ebullience" it attracts a twisted and morbid hopelessness, beautifully arranged and stylishly captures the heaviest harmonies creating a feeling of abandonment, in my opinion, the best track of the album, "Hypnagogia" is an instrumental and one of the shortest track in the album and delves with the use of moderate droning passages, next is "Ceremony of Bleeding" the used melodies remind me a little the first album of the Dutch band The Gathering "Always..." back in 1992, Evoken are able to craft a dense atmosphere almost perceptible by your skin, let's go directly to the last track "The Weald of Perished Men" it sounds cold and somber with an unmeasurable sadness and hypnotism at the same time, the growling vocals contrast good enough with the music enhancing the whole experience.



This is one of the few albums I would consider as one of the best of 2018 in my personal playlist because everything falls in the right place melodies, pace, timing, the drumming is superb, the synthesizer is mesmerizing, the bass lines are excellent and the guitar work is stunning and the vocals are just perfect, far as the production it sounds flawless, few and almost unnoticeable cracks that won't bother you at all, anyway as I stated at the beginning if you want to dabble into this genre this is a good album to start and if you are a seasoned follower of the genre it won't let you down.

Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal…

Track List:

01. The Fear After │ 02. Valorous Consternation │ 03. Schadenfreude │ 04. Too Feign Ebullience │ 05. Hypnagogia (Instrumental) │ 06. Ceremony of Bleeding │ 07. Hypnopompic (Instrumental) │ 08. The Weald of Perished Men


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Unleashed (2018) The Hunt for the White Christ 'Review'


Band: Unleashed
Country of Origin: Sweden
Genre: Death metal
Type: Full Length
Format: CD Digipak Ltd. Edition
Length Approx.: 42:00 min.
Release Date10-26-2018
Release Label: Napalm Records

IR Classification: Excellent (4.5 / 5)



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A good slab of punishing and catchy, old-fashioned Death Metal.

One of Sweden’s “Big Four” of Death Metal, Unleashed have returned with a new opus, entitled “The Hunt for the White Christ”, and the best way to describe this work is “a good slab of punishing and catchy, old-fashioned Death Metal.” Now, don’t get me wrong: when I say that this is old-fashioned Death Metal is not in the sense that they are relying on the nostalgia factor, but rather than that, they play with so much energy and enthusiasm, without getting rid of the catchiness, heaviness and punishing style that made them stand out since the very beginning.


The album kicks off with “Lead Us Into War”,  a song which I feel has enough potency to get your blood pumping and since the whole record has this sense of aggression throughout each of its eleven compositions, the band has crafted a record that contains enough melody to evoke scenes of warfare, Viking raids, and battles that would motivate listeners to put on their helmets and raise their swords.

Guitar solos abound on this record, but they are not crafted with the purpose of deafening the listener with a trillion notes per second, instead, they are meticulously placed at certain points of the compositions to emphasize mood and enhance the atmospheres.  Guitarists Tomas Olsson and Fredrik Folkare craft some great riffs that, as previously mentioned, combine melodious hooks and riffs that combine atmosphere and brutality, with sufficient catchiness that will grab your attention.

Meanwhile, bassist Johnny Hedlund and drummer Anders Schultz create a solid backbone behind the guitar attack. Johnny also handles the vocal duties, which come off clear and understandable, without losing its aggressive rasp and commanding tone. When it comes to the drum performance, Anders does not lose speed, but rather than just pounding the hell out of the snare drum, his kit work is full of rhythmical variety, working with the guitars to elaborate a scenario that matches the common theme of each song.

Speaking of scenarios and imagery, I need to point out that the greatest example of how the guitars create the sinister atmosphere, comes in the tracks ¨By the Western Wall¨, ¨Terror Christ¨, and ¨You Will Fall¨, My goodness; these tracks have these great guitar riffs that sound so menacing and hostile as if they serve as a prelude before a bloody battle. Just amazing. 



Overall, I believe Unleashed have delivered a punishing lesson on how Death Metal should be done; destructive, catchy, with atmosphere and melody that retains enough brutality.  Outstanding work by this legendary outfit.

Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal…

Written by: Juan Jose Montiel

Track List:

01. Lead Us into War │ 02. You Will Fall │ 03. Stand Your Ground │ 04. Gram │ 05. Terror Christ │ 06. They Reaped the Land │ 07. The City of Jorsala Shall Fall │ 08. The Hunt for White Christ │ 09. Vidaurgelmthul │ 10. By the Western Wall │ 11. Open to All the World


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Morbid Messiah (2018) Demonic Paroxysm 'Review'


Band: Morbid Messiah
Country of Origin: Mexico
Genre: Death metal
Type: Full Length
Format: CD
Length Approx.: 36:00 min.
Release Date10-22-2018
Release Label: Memento Mori

IR Classification: Good (3.5 / 5)



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They add a pretty malevolent aura to the songs.

This is the very first time I listen to Morbid Messiah, so I was not sure about what to expect about these guys, but just by reading the song titles, I knew that the lyrics were not going to be talking about cheerful or thought-provoking subject matter. The intro track, “Rise of the Rottenness” starts off with strange movie sample, while the guitar riffs create a sinister atmosphere, before breaking up with a destructive musical assault in the form of “Charred Devastation”. This is the first introduction to the vocals, which not only combine the guttural aggression but are a little bit undecipherable.


Curiously enough, I feel as if the vocals act as another instrument themselves because their low frequency serves to add a pretty malevolent aura to the songs themselves. It’s as if you were descending through an abyss, and the vocals serve as a conduit to your ultimate demise, and while you are descending, your head was being tormented by the chants of agonizing victims. Yes, you read right. That’s the type of atmosphere that the vocals create.

When it comes to the guitar work, I have noticed that the guitar tune is pretty low, but again, this serves to a greater purpose, and that is to infect the listener´s ears with darkness and brooding. Tempo-wise, the band does not go full-throttle, but wise-enough, they combine Doom-laden tempos with outbursts of speed, and even though the drum work does not resort to full blasting, they add a combination of atmospheric drumming with sonic assaults of mid-paced blast beats.

The guitar solos are placed on many compositions, and even though they are not overly technical or flamboyant displays of virtuosity, they have sufficient power and conviction to get you to bang your head with enthusiasm. 

Production-wise, this is album is a little bit raw, especially with the guitar and drums. They have a natural sound to them, but it is not excessively raw or overproduced. The bass is mostly lost in the mix, but on tracks such as “Breath of the Ominous”, it gets a little chance to shine on its own in the introductory section.

Movie samples abound, and they are used effectively. For instance, the sample in “Breath of the Ominous” evokes a sense of malevolence, and with the combination of deadly riffing, it creates wonders for the listener.  When you think about movie samples, you might think about Mortician and the excessive amount of movie samples, but be sure that these guys do not rely on them at all.



To wrap it up, this is a fairly good release if you are into straight-forward, sinister Death Metal.  I think that they could benefit from better production work, but their focus on catchy and punishing riffs is worthy of your attention. Check them out!

Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal…

Written by: Juan Jose Montiel

Track List:

01. Rise of the Rottenness │ 02. Charred Devastation │ 03. Graveyard Headhunter │ 04. Devoured by Darkness │ 05. Breath of the Ominous │ 06. Crawling in Guts │ 07. Fetid Bloodbath │ 08. Howling from the Grave │ 09. Morbid Messiah/Morbid Invocation


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Sirenia (2018) Arcane Astral Aeons 'Review'


Band: Sirenia
Country of Origin: Norway
Genre: Symphonic / Gothic Metal
Type: Full Length
Format: CD Digipak
Length Approx.: 59:00 min.
Release Date10-26-2018
Release Label: Napalm Records

IR Classification: Good (3.5 / 5)



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A challenging task to appreciate countless embedded elements.

I will be very honest with you; I am not a fan of Gothic Metal, period. While there have been albums/bands from that genre that have caught my attention, there have been others that simply don’t do it for me.  There have been plenty of reasons behind my displeasure, whether it may be the overproduction, excessive amounts of elements that make me lose the attention, overwhelming keyboard sections, you name it. But, hey, I have thought to myself that I cannot judge without giving a shot to bands of that style, so here I am reviewing the latest opus from Sirenia.


The opener, “In Styx Embrace” has some good riffs as well as a potent chorus section, accompanied by female, operatic vocals. The masculine voices have this aggressive vibe to them, but there are moments when the keyboards don’t do it for me. They get buried with the overwhelming effects and vocals, but it is in the quieter moments when they stand out, as well as with the acoustic guitars.

“Into the Night” has a quiet and melodious piano section, before the guitars and vocals make an act of presence. Here, the guitars have a groovy feeling, accentuated by an energetic guitar solo.  The combination of masculine and feminine operatic vocals compliments the music, making this track enjoyable, with the drums adding the groove and classic piano lines wrapping things up.

“Love like Cyanide” has this romantic and classy vibe to it with poppy melodies spread throughout the track, but surprise surprise; the album has a section where the guitar riffs evoke a somewhat sad feeling, only to give way to the choruses and closing it with a classical string section.

The track “Nos heures sombres” has some strange effects and this is where I have noticed that the bass stands out, mainly in the quieter sections. Here, the tempo slows down and this song has a groovy feeling, where the great vocal variations set a nice mood, not shying away from catchiness.

In contrast, “The Voyage” starts with a somewhat aggressive guitar section, accompanied by slow but captivating drums. Vocally, there is a sense of sadness, and I noticed that at certain moments, the sadness of the vocals was almost being replicated by the drums. But those effects and samples are a little bit irritating. I think that in this track, the combination of guitar work and drums, as well as the vocals, could’ve been more than sufficient, but the operatic vocals are just a little too much.

The last three tracks commit, in my opinion, the crime of overkill. I felt as if the tracks had way too much going on in them, that there were instants when I just wanted the band to stick to good riffs and the occasional melodic section but they added, in my opinion, lots of unnecessary elements for the sake of adding a majestic touch.



To sum it up, this record is not that bad, per se, but it does have a fair share of flaws. Again, I feel as if the inclusion of excessive elements, such as the samples, monumental operating vocals and extending some of the tracks for far too long make it a hard and exhausting to hear. "Arcane Astral Aeons" it must listen with plenty of time due to the magnitude because it might take a while for you to be able to absorb and noticed all the things that are taking place at the same time.

Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal…

Written by: Juan Jose Montiel

Track List:

01. In Styx Embrace │ 02. Into the Night │ 03. Love like Cyanide │ 04. Desire │ 05. Asphyxia │ 06. Queen of Lies │ 07. Nos heures sombres │ 08. The Voyage │ 09. Aerodyne │ 10. The Twilight Hour │ 11. Glowing Embers │ 12. Love Like Cyanide (Edit)*


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