Album Review: THE BLEEDING

Monokrator

Review by: Jim Harrison

Rating: 9

If you are looking for an all out metal assault of the senses than this is the album for you. London born band, The Bleeding are set to release their much anticipated album “Monokrator “ on June 9, 2023 through Redefining Darkness Records. This is their third full length album and the ride just keeps getting heavier, faster and loud. Established in 2010 they are Categorized as a death/thrash band, flawlessly executing these metal genres. A modernized old school thrash vibe makes it unique.

With Jordan Muscatello, bass, James Loh, drums, Tasos, guitar and Jamie Stungo, vocals, the band are musically talented and Jamie’s voice is strong, aggressive and distinctive, making this album sound fantastically heavy.

The album starts fast and furious with “Chemical Lobotomy” and leads into “Chainsaw Deathcult” which opens into a fast bass riff, drums are heavy with massive guitar riffs and Jamie’s vocals ignite the intensity, this is my personal favourite track and I really like how it slows in the middle than explodes again. Track three “Mutation Chamber” really highlights Jamie’s vocal ability, this is followed by “Union of Horror” with those killer heavy guitar riffs from Tasos. His mid track solo really takes the song to the next level. Track five “Screams of Torment” the first single released, slams the listener again and I love the change ups, slowing the song at times, this would be an awesome live track, the drums pound mercilessly on this song. “ On Wings of Tribulation “track six, this would be another killer live track, the flow on this song is fantastic right to the last growl. The title track is next “Monokrator” where again Jamie’s voice is in top form, pushing an old school trash vibe and again the guitar work just rips through your soul. Last song “Throes of Repulsion” starts off mellow and than the drum beat picks up, Jamie’s voice cuts in and then the song just launches. The booming bass and heavy guitar complement this thrash ambush and the album ends on a high.

This is a restored classic death/thrash metal album. The album’s artwork by Juanjo Castellano Rosado is absolutely stunning and gives you a peak of what The Bleeding are all about a full bone crushing metal album.

The Bleeding

Jamie Stungo Vocals
Tasos Guitar
James Loh Drums
Jordan Muscatello Bass

Album Review: HALIPHRON

Prey

Review Score: 8

Reviewed by: Blake Mossey

The band states ‘Prey’ is all about being a hunter – or from another perspective – the one that is being hunted. You can either be the prey, or be the one that is on the search for their next victim / prey. The album artwork is inspired on a mythological creature from the darkest depths of the ocean “

HALIPHRON hails from the Netherlands. Formed in 2021 featuring former members from bands God Dethroned, Izegrim and Bleeding Gods. Their debut album PREY is out now on Listenable Records.

6 piece Symphonic Metal band featuring the female vocals of Marloes Voskull. On my first few listens I hear a mixture of Arch Enemy (more for the vocals) and Cradle of Filth for the symphonic and extreme metal song structures.

After a instrumental leads things off and kicks in with the thunderous THE KILLING SPREE which is a good lead off track to showcase what is to come. Almost 7 minute opener showing off Marloes extreme growling vocals and the haunting melodies of guitars and keys and thunderous drums/bass to fill it out. Next track MOTHER OF ALL EVIL hits all the extreme symphonic metal moments. One of my fav tracks on this album. This track really gives you that COF feel. Many tempo changes from ominous and slow, to the fast and aggressive death style. Slows down to a lot of soft spoken breaks then just rips back into the metal mayhem. Keyboards really add to the atmospheric feel throughout. You feel the wide range of emotions in their song structures and they don’t stick to a simple song structure which keeps it interesting. THE RESISTANCE is another stand out cut for me with heavy symphonic opening and little slower then most of the album, but still keeping the heaviness and some great heavy riffing midway through the song. Also lots of progressive moments with many songs almost hitting the 7 minute mark like awesome closer UNIDENTIFIED MASS.

Probably goes without saying but the lyrics are dark and delve into loss and suffering. So in summary if your a fan of symphonic, extreme melodic death metal you will love this debut from Haliphron.

Marloes Voskuil – Vocals
Ramon Ploeg – Guitars
Jessica Otten – Bass
Jeroen Wechgelaer – Guitars
David Gutierrez Rojas – Keys & Choirs
Frank Schilperoort – Drums

Album Review: VOMITORY

All Heads Are Gonna Roll

Review Score: 9

Reviewed by: Billy Klare

Vomitory unleash their new album “All Heads Are Gonna Roll” through Metal Blade Records on May 26, 2023. The band originated from Sweden in 1989 and excel in brutal old school death metal. Prior discography included eight albums with the last released in 2011 (titled “Opus Mortis VIII”) just before Vomitory disbanded in early 2013. Fast forward to today and I’m pleased to report Vomitory are back with a vengeance and their ferocious sound remains fully intact, even enhanced.

“All Heads Are Gonna Roll” is less experimental relative to “Opus Mortis VIII” but that’s not a bad thing. The new material is vicious and relentless, pummeling the listener through the entire 40 minute album length, not letting up for a second. The band stated they made an effort to write more distinct choruses and increase focus on backing vocal arrangements which is clearly evident for long time fans. This new writing approach provides more structure, layers and catchy hooks within each song. The album is memorable and accessible on the first listen but still retains full brutality as Vomitory fans demand. A minor enhancement to their sound in 2023 but it works.

All members return ensuring continuity from where the band left off in 2013. Erik Rundqvist delivers another outstanding brutal vocal performance where he retains vocal clarity allowing the listener to decipher his lyrical content. He’s one of the best death metal vocalists in my opinion and hasn’t lost a step after such a long break. Guitar duo Peter Ostlund & Urban Gustafsson propel the album forward with another batch of ruthless heavy riffs and strategically placed solos. Tobias Gustafsson’s drum performance is exceptional. His playing is aggressive and savage but never formulaic. After a 12 year hiatus, there’s no rust on these guys.

Early standout tracks include: “Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead”, “Beg for Death”, “Ode to the Meat Saw”, “The Deepest Tomb”, “Decrowned” and “Dead Man Stalking” but the entire album is strong. The above noted songs are brutally heavy and aggressive but laced with memorable hooks that puts an evil smile on my face. One could potentially criticize this record for a somewhat repetitive songwriting approach but not me. This is OLD SCHOOL DEATH METAL and Vomitory fully intended to provide the listener with this relentless aural assault.

The production is heavy and aggressive but also surprisingly clean for death metal. I’m not a fan of death metal production / mix that assaults the listener with an undefined wall of sound but that’s not the case here. We get full clarity of all instruments and Erik’s vocals allowing the listener to enjoy all aspects of the music. The band noted they took their time recording the album using a mobile studio removing some of the typical studio related pressures and it shows. The album sounds fantastic.

Lyrical focus incorporates all the traditional death metal violence topics but also appears to link in the album artwork horror movie theme. The cover artwork is equally brutal aligning to the music. For those like me who still buy physical media, Metal Blade & Vomitory have some very cool splatter / color vinyl variants for sale along with CD’s.

In summary, “All Heads Are Gonna Roll” is sure to be a contender for top 2023 death metal album of the year. It’s brutal, heavy and vicious but still fully accessible and memorable. A must for old school death metal fans. I also belief this album represents the perfect gateway into more extreme death metal for broader metal fans. Highly recommended.

VOMITORY line-up:

Erik Rundqvist – vocals/bass
Urban Gustafsson – guitar
Peter Östlund – lead guitar
Tobias Gustafsson – drum

Track Listing:

01. All Heads Are Gonna Roll
02. Decrowned
03. Ode to the Meat Saw
04. The Deepest Tomb
05. Piece by Stinking Piece
06. Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead
07. Dead Man Stalking
08. Disciples of the Damned
09. Dead World
10. Beg for Death

Album Review: DEVILDRIVER

Dealing With Demons Volume II

Review Score: 8

Reviewed by: Jim Harrison

Groove metal kings , DevilDriver have returned releasing their much anticipated second instalment of their Dealing With Demons saga with part II . This is their tenth full length album spanning an impressive career of over two decades.

DWDII continues where they left off in part I and is a much heavier album of the two . This album not only captures their signature groove metal vibe that they are known for but also incorporates thrash, hints of black/ death metal and has a definite punk influence sprinkled throughout it. Vocalist Dez Fafara’s trademark voice is in top form and he is ferocious, not letting up, grabbing a hold of you right through to the last track.

The opening track “ I have No Pity “ has that groove metal sound, very catchy and gets you started with a strong first track. This leads into “ Mantra”, which leads into a more darker sound, great digs and thundering kick drums. Track three “ Nothing Lasts Forever” gets you to think the pace is slowing only to burst into some massive thrash riffs making it one of the heavier track on the album. The starting dual guitar riffs on “Summoning “ sends this track into a heavy groove that Dez really punches the vocals on , classic DeviDriver. “ Through The Depths” starts with a cool acoustic piece and than rips into heavy thrash leading into the next track “ Bloodbath” which is my favourite track on the album and is a headbangers dream with those killer hooks and pounding drums, I can see this becoming a live show staple to their set list. “ It’s A Hard Truth” flows as the seventh track not letting up the vocals assault and leads into the track “ If Blood is Life” where Dez Fafara again showcases his strong vocals . This track again slows things down slightly than attacks with a vengeance, this is another track that would be a great addition to their live show. The last track “ This Relationship is Broken “ ends the album on a high with another heavy track with the chorus repeating NO EASY WAY OUT.

This album is pure evidence that metal is alive and well in 2023 and not only will long time fans embrace this album but this would also be a great introduction to their catalog for new fans.

At just over 36 minutes long with nine tracks The musicianship and vocals are fantastic and keeps the listener wanting more with the “ tweaking” of their groove metal formula and adding so many more metal elements really showcasing DevilDriver’s maturity and relevance.

Dez Fafara- Vocals
Mike Spreitzer- Guitar
John Miller- Bass
Alex Lee- Guitar
Davier Perez- Drums

ALBUM REVIEW: RAY ALDER

Review Score: 8.5

Reviewed by: Billy Klare

The second solo album from Ray Alder titled “II” will be released June 9th, 2023 via InsideOutMusic. Ray is best known for his vocal duties in Fates Warning dating back to the “No Exit” album released in 1988. More recently, Ray released his first solo album titled “What The Water Wants” in 2019 receiving critical acclaim.

Ray Alder is one of Metal’s best and most versatile vocalists in my opinion. His earlier Fates Warning performances proved he could hit all the soaring high notes and stand his ground with the best singers in the Heavy Metal genre. On more recent releases, Ray’s vocals are more refined, rich and beautifully expressive which definitely applies to “II”. Ray continues to work with the same supporting musicians on his second solo record including Mike Abdow & Tony Hernando on guitars (including Bass) and Craig Anderson on drums. Similar to the first solo release, Mike and Tony co-wrote with Ray.

The album instantly clicked with me thanks to the memorable song writing keeping me on the edge of my seat with all the interesting twists and turns. All the song choruses are incredibly melodic and addictive, perfect for Ray’s current vocal approach. Guitar players Mike and Tony are equally comfortable shredding in the prog-inspired instrumental sections as they are with more subdued melodic soloing in line with Ray’s emotional vocal delivery. Craig’s drumming is both interesting and intricate helping to keep the listener fully engaged.

There’s no weak tracks on the album but certain songs are particularly appealing to me including “My Oblivion”, “Hands Of Time”, “Silence The Enemy” and the brilliant album closer “Changes”. These songs are generally longer with varied pacing allowing Mike, Tony and Craig the opportunity to shine from an instrumental perspective. The contrast between the melodic vocals, crunching guitars and prog-like instrumental solo performances is incredibly memorable.

From a production standpoint, the album sounds fantastic. Ray’s vocals, guitars and drums are all placed perfectly in the mix. Although this is Ray Alder’s solo album, he doesn’t dominate the mix. Its clear the production decisions were based on what’s best for each song, not about egos. I can’t wait to get my hands on a vinyl copy and enjoy on my home system.

Bottom line, “II” is an outstanding mature progressive heavy metal album with stellar musicianship and smart song writing. The songs continue to reveal themselves with each additional listen. Ray Alder & current Fates Warning fans will surely enjoy this album but the music would also appeal to a broader audience including prog-rock and hard rock fans. Highly recommended and deserving of an 8.5 / 10 rating.

Track Listing

This Hollow Shell
My Oblivion
Hands of Time
Waiting For Some Sun
Silence The Enemy
Keep Wandering
Those Words I Bled
Passengers
Changes

Lineup:

Ray Alder – Vocals

Mike Abdow – Guitar / Bass

Tony Hernando – Guitar / Bass

Craig Anderson – Drums