LIK : "Necro"

 When I hear the term Swedish Death Metal, I used to think of something more in line with At the Gates, but now it seems like the phrase is code for 'we love Entombed', and by the band's own admission, they wanted the opening track to sound like Entombed. They succeeded. I dig Entombed, not really a band I listen to as much now as I did in the 90s, but they have a distinct sound. Hopefully, the rest of this album finds this band showcasing their distinct sound and not becoming an Entombed tribute band. Though the guitar melodies seem to convey they are paying tribute to a wider range of Swedish death metal, as it is more At the Gates, in its aggressive delivery. Truth be told, I might like the first song better. Around the two-minute mark, a pretty killer riff comes in, but they just solo over it. Even then, the rule here is "cool riffs alone does not a good song make". 

"They" is more deliberate and marginally darker. It hits a pretty solid "Wolverine Blues" era groove. It might be the best song so far. This is the band's fourth album, so they know what they are doing production-wise and have a sound dialed in, even if it is not the world's most original sound. One thing that plays to the band's favor is their economic songwriting that finds them keeping things around the three to four minute mark. With a song like the rapid fire "Worms Inside" they got straight for the throat and leave little time to fuck around and let things sprawl out. Their formula at this point seems to be to throw the best riff in at the two-minute mark to switch it up. The growl of the bass leads the way into the grind of "Morgue Rat". It's a darker, more throbbing song, which is a sound I prefer over feeling like things are being rushed by momentum.  Granted, this drags things out into the five-minute mark, but it's time well spent, and not a droning jam. 

They pour on the speed for "Shred into Pieces".  In doing so, it pretty much turns into a rumble that sounds like everything else in this vein. Their drummer is a beast, but you have to be to play death metal. They cast a doomy shadow on things with "In Ruins", though step on the gas once they are into the verse. Nik Holmes from Paradise Lost lends his voice to the song. But he is pretty much buried in the layering of vocals, until they break things down enough for him to give a goth mumble over it. The overall vocal performance on this song seems more intentional than most. The rushed thrashing of "the Stockholm Massacre" finds interesting lyrics lost in the frantic delivery. 

"Fields of Death" is another speed fest, that at this point is getting dynamically tiring, as it feels like you are being hit with the same blunt force straight to your eardrums. There are some who are going to be a fans of this sort of thing. The last song is doomier, and works better to establish a mood than the thrashing ultra violence they kept hitting us with. For this reason I will round this down to an 8, they are skilled at what they do which is a specific flavor of death metal that is not always my thing. This drops on Metal Blade. 

Fractured Fairytales :" Parasomina"

 

This band reminds me so much of Lollipop Lust Kill that I had to click around online to see if there was any connection. There was no connection to Narcotic Wastlands, if you are into bands in the "Where Are They Now?" files. These guys meet at that weird intersection of the 90s where nu-metal and death metal met. The song is reasonably catchy with the vocals mainly barked with a nu-metal pseudo goth vocal sometimes chanting around the bark. This might appeal to Jauggaloos, as the vocals are sometimes almost rapped. I am a fan of the fact that it is not upbeat or trying to bring the party, but making a feel-bad album. 

"Hate is All You Need" finds the songwriting not as hooky or nuanced, making it the first song to lean more in the direction of filler. Maybe it's a flux?  "Shadow in Hell" has more of a groove to offer redemption, as the vocal goes from rapped to more of a Marilyn Manson-like croon. I am not sure if this album is going to be something I need in regular rotation as I own a great deal that already meets these needs, but it's entertaining, and I am glad there are bands out there doing this sort of thing. Though I think pouring on the speed is not something that plays to the benefit of what is being done here, and it's the creepy grooves that work best. 

This can be heard on the very deliberate riff that drives the verse of 'Snow Angel". There are varied vocal approaches and guitar melodies that show the willingness to dig into songwriting that have to be respected. Just being heavy is not good enough for this album; there have to be things to hook you in, which it excels at, even if it is not the most original assemblage of sounds, it works for what is going on here. "the Unmaker" perhaps leans to heavily on the Marilyn Manson influence. It harkens back to the "Portrait of an American Family" era that was more rooted in rock guitar riffs. "Somewhere Else" is the first song where it begins to become apparent that there is a formula taking shape with an industrial march accompanied by a multitracked chorus of monster-like vocals chanting in mean-spirited unison. 

"A Reflection' takes this formula in a heavier direction. "Wither Psalm". "All Fall" uses the drone of guitar to lock into the chant of "live to die another day," which is catchy enough to work. I will give this album a 9, since it does pay tribute to 90s goth rock pretty heavily, but they make an effort to write catchy songs which makes for a fun listen. If you like goth-infused nu-metal, then you are their target audience and will like this album.  

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KARDASHEV - "Alunea"

The last album I reviewed by these guys, and there were some Dream Theater-like elements I did not like about it, so going into this one, I am hoping those elements are toned down. They blast into things here with a more blackened aggression. The sun vocals come at the chorus to tone things down in a bad cop/ good cop manner. The vocal melody is not very Myspace, making it more tolerable. The harder vocals vary from a more black metal snarl to a lower growl. The clean vocal they continue to shift into over more fragile and a little less dramatic than the last album, though they begin to head in that direction for "Seed of Night". 

Still, the dynamics technically offer some range, in terms of melodic qualities, the formula they are working off of finds the songs beginning to run together. The moving parts of 'Speak Silence" flow smoother, and it sets itself apart more as its own song. Then the album begins to get a little bogged down, as if it wants to be Opeth, but unsure of what era, though the songs continue to ebb and flow from the most intense to least intense, when just some grooving or memorable riff might work better. 

"We Could Fold the Stars" starts off like your average blackened death metal band, before dying down to the counter tenor vocals. It's more original than what we have heard from them, but not that hooky. The last song is more of the same, though sticking closer to their heavier side. I will give this an 8.5, well done, but not really my thing, though fans of progressive death metal who also like Sleep Toekn will dig this for sure. This comes out April 25th on Metal Blade. 

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March's Top 10 Albums

 It's time for March's top 10 albums. Staying abreast of the month's highlights might help casual readers see what they missed and check these artists out. I am not writing little blurbs on them; I am just linking the reviews. Inclusion here does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most. I have albums in my inbox that are not coming out til June, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month, there is a wide variety from Crust Punk to Prog Rock, so you may find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums of  March 

10-Staticlone- "Better Living Through Static Vision" 

Crust Punk 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/staticlone-better-living-through-static.html

9-Jason Isbell -"Foxes in the Snow' 

Folk 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/jason-isbell-foxes-in-snow.html

8-Gaahls Wyrd- " Braiding the Stories" 

Goth Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/gaahls-wyrd-braiding-stories.html

7-Spiritworld -"Helldorado" 

Thrash 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/spiritworld-helldorado.html

6-Ancient Death- "Ego Dissolution" 

Progressive Death Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/ancient-death-ego-dissolution.html

5-Idle Heirs - "Life is Violence" 

Post-hardcore 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/idle-heirs-life-is-violence.html

4-Messa - "the Spin"

 

Prog Rock 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/messa-spin.html

3- Kazea- "I, Ancestral" 

Sludge

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/kazea-i-ancestral.html

2-Deafheaven _ "Lonely People With Power" 

Black Gaze 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/deafheaven-lonely-people-with-power.html

 1-Spiritbox-"Tsunami Sea" 

Progressive Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/spiritbox-tsunami-sea.html

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PALINDRONES : "'Chapter 2: The Slender Blade"

This morning I perused the line-ups of this year's " goth festivals," and while I can understand the old school headliners like Frontline Assembly, what I do not get is the younger artists they book who do not have current albums they are touring in support of. It seems like a waste when other artists could use the exposure and are working harder to grind away at their songwriting craft. One of these would be that this  British duo is crafting some emotive electro pop with call and response vocal lines that recall some of the more moody moments in 80s pop. The first song is a banger, so that sets expectations high for the remainder of the album. 

Where the first song flirted more with new wave. The songs that follow are more like atmospheric techno. The female vocals become more of the dominant narrative of the songs.  She shifts through a range of emotions in her presentation, so this works. "The Dark Forest" is more of a synth interlude that blankets you in immersive ambiance. It's counterpoint "the Light Forest". It is more of a grooving synth wave pop hybrid.  It grooves in a manner that brings Underworld to mind with more of a pulse than a black rocking beat. 

"Suli Nan Diathan" is a swathe of synth ambiance that is ghostly and minimal.   It materializes into an actual song around the two-minute mark. There is some dynamic ebb and flow, but it feels more like an interlude to me. "Animus" uses more of a vocal interplay that offers a similar dynamic to what they did on the opening track. The beat is possessed by a little more drive here. "Resonance Factor" closes the album. It goes back into more of an atmospheric techno mode of songwriting with the vocals taking on a brighter tone. I will give this album a 9.5, as I enjoyed it , would not call this darkwave, but it recalls the electronic acts of the 90s who are adjacent enough to keep my interest.Much more song focused than the festival brand of EDM.  

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Twin Shadow - "Georgie"

 

This marks the indie pop singer's 6th album. It's the third we have reviewed here. 'Eclipse" has been my favorite. This album finds another step away from the 80s sounds that made that album great. "Good Times" could almost be any pop artist on the radio, if they go serious, stepped away from hip-hop influenced beats, and used actual instruments. Here lies the problem for an artist who creates a perfect album like "Eclipse". The expectations are set higher since you have shown me you are capable of being more. Perhaps you might have the same level of inspiration or want to be shackled to making the same album twice, which is not what I am asking here. 

In fact, I am pretty content with the minimalist instrumentation to "As Soon As You Can' as the vocal lines work well enough. But I know he can write more breathtaking hooks. He has made more compelling grooves as well. Is it more experimental than his past work? Sure, but that is not playing to his strengths. There is more feeling invested in the vocals of 'Funny Games'. The title track feels like an experimental idea of a song that was never fleshed out. The stripped-down nature of "You Already Know" makes it almost feel more like a demo, though the emotion he invests in the song is what makes it work.

  "Maybe It's Time" is another ballad that seems to be the dominant mood of this album. The song does gain some movement. There is a twang to the guitar on this song that brings the hint of an influence I heard earlier in the album more into the spotlight. "Emily" finds him back in a very similar sonic place, highlighting the fact that this album could use a greater range of dynamics, as he is keeping everything in the same mood/. He is using the ghost of auto-tune as an effect rather than relying on it to stay in key, as we already know he can sing. 

"Permanent Feeling' hovers around the established sonic boundaries he has set for himself on this album. In a different context, it might make a song like this stand out more than being on an album where everything is lingering in this mood. He did not need to do a great deal to switch it up at this point; even dropping a beat would have worked. Meeting at the intersection of gospel and country music is an interesting place for him, but he keeps approaching the songs from the same angle. I'll have to round this one down to an 8.5, as it's dynamically flat, but sung with a great deal of heart. 

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clipping : "Dead Channel Sky"

This hip-hop project breaks away from the more conventional to follow the trail blazed by the likes of Aesop Rock. Not really sure why they have been booked on a darkwave festival, but their grooves are lo-fi and interesting.  "Change the Channel' wants to be "Firestarter" before going into Super Mario Brothers-inspired 8-bit glee. "Run It' comes closer to the status quo of underground hip-hop. The vintage synths will be the key selling point to some, while I am listening to this album to see if the songwriting holds up to the hype. Unlike most hip-hop artists these days, they do not have a team of producers and songwriters to supplement the lack of talent. 

After a few interludes, "Code"  comes back with a more interesting groove. The sci-fi theme works well, as the album has a slight dystopian vibe, though not to the point of being industrial. There is a glitchy, noisy sound coloring the edges of the atmosphere as the pace picks up for " Dodger." The fact that the lyrics are spit with a quickness rather than in a slurred auto-tuned mumble gives these guys an edge over most. Nels Cline adds some guitar to one interlude, but it is not really a song. "Scams" is more like traditional hip-hop, with a minimalist beat. With this comes a more vapid lyrical content. "Keep Pushing" finds a more interesting synth sound powering things, but the lyrical flow is less interesting. 

The album continues to be littered with interludes and soundscapes that toy with a collage of pseudo-futuristic noise. "Mood Organ" is more experimental than, and while there is a stream of consciousness rap to it, things ride the border of being a song, though I think they intend it to be one. "Polaroids" finds the more spoken word feel of the vocals continue to degrade the album's integrity, which is disappointing as the first handful of songs had so much promise. "Madcap" finds some interesting production choices that create a more unique feel. 

"Mirror Shades" makes me think of Madonna's "Justify My Love," which is covered by Cardi B. My comparison to Aesop Rock pays off, as he makes an appearance on "Welcome Home Warrior," which seems to be about video games. His verse pretty much saves the song. The last song finds aimless rapping over ambiance, as if they have no clue as to what worked earlier in the album. A beat does not come in til halfway into the song, and then it does not groove. I'll round this down to an 8, as the album started strong, and it does take more chances than most hip-hop, though that is a pretty low bar. This is out  on Sub-Pop Records 

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