High on Fire (2018) Electric Messiah 'Review'

Band: High on Fire

Country of Origin: United States

Genre: Stoner / Sludge / Doom Metal

Type: Full Length

Format: CD

Length Approx.: 57:00 min.

Release Date: 10-05-2018

Release Label: eOne 

IR Classification: Good (4.4 / 5)

Listen our review! (English)

© Insanity Remains Webzine.

                   

Electric Messiah carries with itself an overflowing passion.

High on Fire has trespassed all the boundaries, approved by some and disapproved by others. They are far to be judged here, their previous album "Luminiferous" which was released in 2015 was a worthy piece from the Oakland's trio, in fact it was selected as the (*Best Sludge / Stoner Metal Album IRA 2015) neither more nor less than here. With that set in mind I was eager to have their newest record titled "Electric Messiah," the album is full of intricated, simplistic and melodic riffs, here you will find everything from fast pace to slow pace, vibrant and heavy bass lines by Jeff Matz, immaculate drum work by Des Kensel, while frontman Matt Pike delivers a great guitar effort and vocally he is able to retain the same power as he did it three years ago.

Getting into the grounds of "Electric Messiah" is spectacular from the beginning, "Spewn from the Earth" welcomes you with tremendous intensity right away. The track builds up such connection between the band and the listener and it's hard to ignore these guys. "Electric Messiah" is unmistakable bringing the classic sound of Motörhead, the murky sound with the gargling vocals and ceaseless drumming. "The Pallid Mask" doesn't lower the intensity despite its mid-pace speed, but the thrashy distorted guitars made it worthy to highlight, "The Witch and The Christ" starts with beautiful guitar riffs between catchy and melodic that are good enough to hook up your attention until the last track has arrived, "Drowning Dog" closes this brilliant album, the sound is heavy and  structured with harmonious guitar chords which turn into a very sophisticated guitar solo.

This album is heavy, energetic and thrilling, without losing the strength and gruff that the band usually packs in every album, "Electric Messiah" carries with itself an overflowing passion, as nobody can replicate, I believe all devotees of this genre are more than pleased with High on Fire and their newest album, hit the links to get yours!

Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal…

Track List:

01. Spewn from the Earth │ 02. Steps of the Ziggurat/House of Enlil │ 03. Electric Messiah │ 04. Sanctioned Annihilation │ 05. The Pallid Mask / Mass Death Futures │ 06. God of the Godless │ 07. Freebooter │ 08. The Witch and the Christ │ 09. Drowning Dog

Facebook

eOne

Share us!

All rights reserved © Insanity Remains Webzine.

Forgotten Tomb (2017) We Owe You Nothing 'Review'

Band: Forgotten Tomb

Country of Origin: Italy

Genre: Black Death Sludge metal

Type: Full Length

Format: Digital 320 kbps
Length Approx.: 41:00 min.

Release Date: 10-27-2017

Release Label: Agonia Records

IR Classification: Good (4.1 / 5)

Listen our review! (English)

© Insanity Remains Webzine.

       

Creative Black Death Sludge metal

In my humble opinion, here we have a general misconception of what really delivers Forgotten Tomb within their ninth album entitled "We Owe You Nothing" for starters, I believe that Forgotten Tomb definitely walked away from their roots, What is wrong with it? Nothing! I believe, that is the perpetual path that a musicians have to go across, keep on moving, expand their boundaries, blend elements from here and there and by doing that, they should know that some fans will abandon them and while others will remain faithful to them.

The trio leaded by Herr Morbid, deepens in previous directions they had taken for "Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love" adding more versatility into their songwriting giving a result to something between a groovy southern Sludge and Death metal sound; They still have some Black metal elements and some dark ambience to show up and they really try to highlight those moments.

"We Owe You Nothing" is the first track of the album from the very beginning is strong, with powerful riffs of accentuated grooves and is able to achieve such unrelenting aggressivity, followed by "Second Chances" it doesn't softener the pace and just keep on going with merciless chords, at a certain point the voice echoes in my head and inevitably the vague memory of the vocals of the album "The End Complete" by Obituary emerge, "Saboteur" the musical structure is more varied with faster riffs, while Asher pummeling incessantly the drums to deliver an outstanding work and once again the vocals with that Tardy-scheme appear, next is "Abandon Everything" elaborated with such a contrast among the raw and acoustic composition, seems like they approach to the boundaries of Death-Doom metal, "Longing for Decay" certainly grabs a handful of slow pace riffs defining indisputably the ground where Forgotten Tomb stands up nowadays, the closing and instrumental cut "Black Overture" feels like a constant torrent that drags you by a desolate landscape, where souls collide and fade away to see the inheritance of humanity.

I have to end up admitting that "We Owe You Nothing" indeed, it means exactly that, they don't owe you nothing, if you're still loving the old stuff and you're not ready to depart with them, let me tell you one thing, we will be just fine without you and I include myself because I like what I hear and expect more new elements to come.

Stay True... Stay Metal... Stay Brutal...

Track List:

01. We Owe You Nothing

02. Second Chances
03. Saboteur
04. Abandon Everything
05. Longing for Decay
06. Black Overture

Facebook

Agonia Records

All rights reserved © Insanity Remains Webzine.

Black Tusk (2016) Pillars of Ash

Band: Black Tusk

Country of Origin: US

Status: Active

Genre: Sludge metal

Type: Full Length

Format: CD
Length Approx.: 35:00 min.

Release Date: 01-29-2016

Current label: Relapse Records

Release label: Relapse Records

IR Classification: Good (3.9 / 5)

Listen our review! (English)

Pillars of Ash is a swamp-tastic sludge metal, infected with crust punk

Tragedy has marked the past of this band, as everyone in the metal scene read or heard before, Jonathan Athon passed away on November 9th 2014 due to sustained injuries in a motorcycle accident, it was indeed regrettable and the future of Black Tusk seemed to fade away in a maze for an instant, however in times of adversity is when the strength, the passion and the courage prevails, being all the Athon's parts already recorded, his band mates James May (drums and backing vocals) and Andrew Fidler (guitars and backing vocals) were able to set the final touches to their latest album which was titled "Pillars of Ash" this album is the fourth full length in their discography and turns out to be a swamp-tastic sludge metal, infected with crust punk.

For over a decade Savannah, Georgia has treated us as never before, musically speaking first we meet Kylesa, then Baroness and last but not least Black Tusk, these three bands have forged that sound so distinctive and we have become more familiar to the Swamp metal and "Pillars of Ash" in my opinion keeps the path already traced in their previous album "Set the Dial" back in 2011 but this occasion their sound is a little more raw and aggressive, offering an emblematic record within the genre.

"Pillars of Ash" bring to us 11 tracks fully energetic, ranging from hardcore going through a heaviness and distortion which is spiced up with some crust punk, the outcome can be heard since the first track "God's on Vacation" with a distinctive drum that precedes a corrosive guitar riff with screamed vocals, "Desolation of Endless Times" with a deeper groove that guarantees an unstoppable headbanging, "Bleed on Your Knees" a blend of rock and metal, "Born of Strife" with a relentless thrashy and faster riff, start to put things upside down it is almost indescriptible the feeling that "Pillars of Ash" is able to produce, "Black Tide" seems to be the link that holds the transition from one end to the other with powerful riff and defying drums, "Still not Well" with a raw sound certainly confronts the band with its own roots, while "Walk Among the Sky" succumbs to the speed of the initial riff but subtly turns into an explosive sing along, great for a closing live performance, "Punkout" dare to busting your speakers with a terrific bass work, a total indulgent hardcore, the last track is "Leveling" shredding guitars that doesn't last as you would expect, leading to a piano outro and works more as a filler in the album,  I think they could have omitted the last track and maybe it would have the same impact.

Black Tusk delivers 35 minutes which emphasizes the insertion of rock, metal and punk with a singular dynamic ensuring a high repeatability in your playlist, this is a good album, solid and contemporary without noticeable flaws but will transcends as one of the finest within their discography and as a turning point in their career, Black Tusk actually are hitting the road with Corey Barhorst doing bass and vocals along with Holy Grail and The Well, don't miss your chance to see them live.

Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal...

Track List:

1. God's on Vacation

2. Desolation of Endless Times

3. Bleed on Your Knees

4. Born of Strife
5. Damned in the Ground
6. Beyond the Divide
7. Black Tide
8. Still Not Well
9. Walk Among the sky
10. Punkout
11. Leveling



Facebook

Bandcamp
Relapse Records

All rights reserved © Insanity Remains Webzine.