Writing about metal in Maximum Rock N Roll is no longer an oxymoron. When I was growing up it was. In Concord, California everybody at my high school (at least those into underground rock) was into A.F.I. and Screw 32. Me? I liked Napalm Death, Deicide and Eyehategod.
I remember seeing those old Bovine ads in MRR that would mention an Eyehategod EP and I’d be shocked that I liked a band who maybe wouldn’t be completely ridiculed by the punk rock fashionistas in my city. If it was in MRR it must be acceptable to punks right? Luckily I quickly stopped giving a shit what the punks thought, realizing my lack of hipster cool ultimately had little to do only with music, and just did my own thing.
Most kids seemed to get into punk first and then way down the line, in this more metal-friendly environment we live in today, they let some metal filter into their lives. My co-worker Jesse Luscious (of Blatz, The Criminals, The Frisk fame) is a perfect example of this – he’s constantly rocking out to Manowar at the office (sorry to out you Jesse, but if not me, somebody would) which probably would have been unheard of in his earlier days.
I on the other hand was always metal, and eventually got into punk and hardcore through metal. And metal remains my first, er, love. And that dedication and commitment to the most non-poser of musics, led me to pester Golnar and Chris that metal still needed to be represented in MRR, so all the closet metalheads out there – and I know there’s a lot of you – can get a taste.
First up I wanted to mention some shows that I hit recently. My buddy Jason (ex Deadbodieseverywhere, Funeral Shock, Agents of Satan) and I went to see Unleashed in Oakland at a place called The Metro. Unleashed go back to the early Swedish death metal days, and singer/bassist Johnny Hedlund was in the legendary Nihilist. When he split from Nihilist, he formed Unleashed and the rest of the band changed the name to Entombed.
After sitting through three mostly terrible bands including Belphegor (whose singer looked like Conan The Barbarian meets Conan O Brian) and Brazil’s Krisiun who played their usual uneventful set, Unleashed hit the stage to seemingly less fanfare then the openers, yet quickly stepped up as the highlight.
A lot of new tunes were played from the latest album Midvinterblot, but also classics like “To Asgaard We Fly”, “Neverending Hate” and “Before The Creation Of Time”. In true metal frontman fashion Hedlund lead the crowd in several call and response choruses, and did so without coming off as ridiculous or forced – just fuckin’ fun. And of course toward the end of the evening he raised his horn chalice thing and drank in tribute to the dedicated warriors in the hall.
My first roommate 10 years ago had an Unleashed shirt from their last US tour in 1992 and I was always jealous, as dumb as that may seem (afterall Unleashed has one of the best death metal logos ever). I finally achieved a lifelong goal and got me an Unleashed shirt. Good fuckin night for metal in the Bay Area.
Toward the end of February my girlfriend Sasha and I traveled to Seattle to hang out with our friends in Wormwood whose latest record Starvation I released on my label. They played two record release shows in their adopted hometown with several locals including Grey, Oroku, I Am The Thorn and a few others. As usual Wormwood were in a class of their own, leaving some amazed and some simply confused.
Grey plays a slow, catchy doom style that naturally brings 13 to mind due in part to the three upfront members being women. Winter, Coffins and other Celtic Frost/Hellhammer inspired bands come to mind as well. Although I believe they are labelless at this point, it won’t be long before someone releases a record by Grey.
Oroku really surprised me with their midpaced metallic crust onslaught. I was told by a few Seattle-heads not to miss them (which is what happened last time they were in the Bay Area) and I’m glad I didn’t. This band is totally powerful. The show was a release for their record out on Inimical, and you’d being doing yourself a favor to track t his one down.
Enough about shows, time to get to some metal releases that need to be mentioned. First up I have to bring to your attention an album that went mostly overlooked when it was released in 2006, Repugnant’s Epitome of Darkness CD.
If you, like me, were left feeling cheated by Death Breath’s lame label/press-hyped pisstake on old school death metal then Repugnant is the perfect antidote. One of the dirtiest, filthiest, ripping death metal albums to come out of Sweden since about 1991. A perfect cross between the first Entombed LP and Sweden’s vile blackened filth-peddlers Nifelheim.
Epitome of Darkness was released on Soulseller Records on CD and an LP and Picture LP are due to be released hopefully by the time this column hits. Absolutely essential for those into Swedish death metal circa 1988-1992. With songs like “From Beyond The Grave” and the (in my mind) hit single “Premature Burial” you simply can’t go wrong. Easily a top 10 of 2006 release.
Next up I have to mention a couple records being released by The End Records in the United States. First the new album from Melechesh called Emissaries. Melechesh are from Israel originally but have since emigrated to Europe. A lot of people reference Nile when talking about Melechesh because of the Mesopotamian and Egyptian themes, but whereas Nile comes from a death metal background, Melechesh approaches it from a black metal foundation.
And they actually make Nile seem ridiculous in comparison. Melechesh are far superior. Every song on Emissaries is packed full of insanely catchy yet technically masterful guitar riffs and weird Middle Eastern melodies and chants. Songs like “Rebirth Of The Nemesis” and “Deluge Of Delusional Dreams” will be stuck in your head for days. I played this record 5 times in a row when I first got it. Everyone remotely into metal should love this record. Released by Osmose Productions in Europe.
Also being released by The End in the US and Moonfog throughout Europe is the comeback record from Norway’s Dodheimsgard. A few of you might know that Dodheimsgard originally started as a typical black metal band in the mid 90s that included Fenriz from Darkthrone in their lineup. With the release of their “Satanic Art” EP nearly 10 years ago they took a huge right turn in favor of weird experimentalism that combined their old style with the style of other bands they had been involved in like Aura Noir and Ved Buens Ende with a post-modern eccentricity. The horribly-titled 666 International LP came next and took things completely off the charts of anything anyone had really heard.
Now 7 or so years later Dodheimsgard returns with the Supervillian Outcast album. It continues in the odd-ball yet addictive style of the last LP, but with a better flow and seemingly more consistent approach. Dodheimsgard mixes up so many styles into their sound – black metal, world music, electronic – that on paper it sounds like a total mess, yet somehow it works. I also have grown strangely fond of the demented Beach Boys meets Ved Buens Ende a cappela interludes. If you’ve got an extremely open-mind when it comes to experimentation with your metal, then give Supervillian Outcast a try.
Although both would probably hate to be called metal, I have to mention the new Split LP from Hatred Surge and The Endless Blockade recently released on Schizophrenic Records. This is one more for the grindcore and powerviolence lovers out there. Totally raging on both sides. Hatred Surge’s one man one woman grind devastation has all the elements that make a great side, incessant blasts, killer breaks, dual vocals. The Endless Blockade is one my favorite bands lately. They do a pretty even mix of fast powerviolence and monstrously crushing doom. Both bands have more coming in 2007 and this LP has a great layout, 12x24 full color insert and comes on half black half red vinyl.
Tyranny’s Tides Of Awakening CD on Finland’s Firedoom Music wins the title of most crushing, wrist-slicing funeral doom of 2006. 5 tracks spread over an hour of impossibly low vocal agony, super low-end yet ambient riffing and un-ridiculous synth arrangements. Makes Skepticism seem upbeat by comparison.
Bloody Panda has their first album about to be released on the Level Plane label. The band sent me a copy last year and they’re doing a somewhat different spin on the recent slow motion doom trend. They’ve got the slow, plodding rhythms and downtuned, wall of sound guitars intact, but the vocals set them apart from the pack. Vocalist Yoshiko Ohara comes with a mix of the usual screeching and an awesome take on Jarboe style singing, making Bloody Panda come off as something like a Burning Witch meets Swans (mid-period) behemoth. Aside from the vocalist the band all wear black cloaks and hoods when they play if you go in for that sort of thing. A split album with Kayo Dot was also released recently by Holy Roar Records. The band should be touring the east coast during April.
Nadja also does a heavy doom guitar drone style. The excellent Truth Becomes Death was released by Alien 8 a year or two ago and since then a lot of stuff has materialized, most recently Thaumogenesis on the Archive CD label. Archive is known for their great packaging and this one comes in a neat foldout cardstock with the CD stuck right onto it on a plastic hub. Musically this isn’t my favorite Nadja release. One long track of very moody My Bloody Valentine stripped down and slowed to 16 rpm. Sold out through the label but still available through various distros.
Obscurus Advocam is the name of a new project featuring members of Glorior Belli. Their debut Verbia Daemonicus is out on Battle Kommand Records, the label run by Blake of Nachtmystium. Mid-paced black metal aggression done with reasonable skill and craft. If you’re new to the genre or need to have everything then you should enjoy this. However, if like me you’ve been listening to black metal for upwards of 15 years or more and have become more discerning in your habits, then this one probably won’t really scratch you where you itch.
That’s about it for this first column. You can send stuff directly to me at Dave Adelson, 2340 Powell Street #117, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA. Email: donttry@20buckspin.com. Please be aware that if you send something directly to me it won’t be considered for review in the regular reviews section unless you send a copy to the regular MRR address as well.
One final note. I have to dedicate this first column to Roky Erickson for putting on an immaculate show at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and putting most so-called rock legends to shame. Until next time…
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