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

OBITUARY, IMMOLATION, BLOOD INCANTATION, INGROWN

May 7th, 2023

Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix

Photos By: Kim Baarda

Words By: Jason Deaville

INGROWN

When you think of Idaho, the first thing that likely comes to mind is potatoes. The state is just a sea of potatoes… fields stretching as far as the eye can see. Tonight, there was not a potato to be found. Ingrown hit the unsuspecting early arrivers with a performance filled with a powerful and raw display of their unique brand of experimental extremity. At their core, the three-piece deliver a crushing blend of hardcore, d-beat, and powerviolence, with a bit of old-school death metal thrown in for good measure. Their youthful energy and uncompromising, technically brilliant performance situates Ingrown as the perfect opening band for this tour.

BLOOD INCANTATION

Opening with ‘Starspawn’ from 2016’s album of the same name, Denver, Colorado’s Blood Incantation immediately grabbed the near-capacity crowd’s attention and didn’t let go for the remainder of their set. Seemingly warmed-up, the guys jumped into the reverb-drenched ‘Chaosplasm’ (also from the Starspawn album), which featured a brutality-driven groove that instantly erupted into a circle pit. With the throngs of death metal-starved fiends begging for more, the band launched into the Nile-like ‘The Giza Power Plant’ and ‘Slave Species Of The Gods‘ (both taken from their brilliant 2019 album, Hidden History Of The Human Race). The guys ended their crushing set with Hovering Lifeless, a romp into cosmic horror territory (from their 2015 EP, Interdimensional Extinction).

IMMOLATION

Yonkers, New York death metal legends Immolation have been riding a high ever since the release of their 2022 studio album, Acts Of God. The album made the year-end lists of many a metal fan, often taking the number one spot. Everything aligned perfectly for the band on the album, and, if tonight was any indication, the same can be said of Immolation on the live from in 2023.

With the lights dimmed, the ominous, foreboding cinematic-like intro of ‘Abandoned’ filled the now-capacity venue. This was immediately followed-up with ‘An Act Of God’ and ‘The Age Of No Light’ – this triumvirate of songs are the very same songs – in the same order – that appear on Acts Of God. The guys then took things all the way back to 2005, with the unsettling, off-kilter death metal swagger of the title track from Harnessing Ruin (an underrated album and song, imo).

At this point, the denizens of old school death metal fans in attendance were surely waiting to hear something from the band’s legendary debut, Dawn Of Possession. The guys didn’t disappoint, launching into the immediately-recognizable sounds of ‘Despondent Souls’. The guys then brought it back to 2022 with the song ‘Blooded’, easily one of the best songs off of Acts Of God.

In a pleasant surprise, the guys then unleashed three songs that I don’t believe I’ve ever heard them play live, which included ‘World Agony’ (from 07’s Shadows In The Light), ‘Destructive Currents’ (off of 2017’s Atonement), and ‘Providence’ (from the incredible EP of the same name, released back in 2011).

Frontman, Ross Dolan, then surprised the crowd by introducing the one and only Danny Lilker (of Nuclear Assault and Brutal Truth fame), who came out onto the stage and took a bow amongst the cheering, appreciative fans. The guys then immediately launched into ‘Under The Supreme’ from the band’s sophomore effort, Here In After, and ended their set where they began, with ‘Let The Darkness In’ from Acts Of God.

Apart from the first three songs of Immolation‘s set, this was a completely different setlist from their last stop in Toronto back in November 2022 (on their headlining Acts Of God North American Tour). I appreciate the effort in bringing fans a completely different experience this time around. As always, a crushing set from the true masters of American death metal.

OBITUARY

Is there more fitting of an intro than Pat Travers’ ‘Snortin Whiskey’ for Floridian death metal legends Obituary? As the sounds of the aforementioned track faded, Obituary exploded onto the stage with the brutally addictive groove that is ‘Redneck Stomp’ from their 2005 album, Frozen In Time. The first thirty seconds of the song is all it took to get the at-capacity crowd whipped into a frenzied mass of hair, sweat, and horns held high! From that point on, Obituary had the crowd hypnotized with their very own redneck stomp. There is no doubt these guys wear their redneck roots with pride!

After a short reprieve from the insanity that just unfolded, the guys pulled two songs from their 2017 self-titled album in ‘Sentence Day’ and ‘A Lesson In Vengeance’. It was at this point that the bodies went up – body after body in a sea of crowd surfing. It was obvious that this display of love from the pit amped the band up to a fevered pitch, hitting back with ‘Visions In My Head’ (from 2015’s Inked In Blood), ‘The Wrong Time’ and ‘Barely Alive’ (the latter two off the band’s latest album, Dying Of Everything).

With barely time to breathe, the guys dropped another one from Frozen In Time, this time hitting like a punch to the throat with the percussive, bottom-end heavy ‘Slow Death’, and immediately following that up with the first truly old-school song of the night thus far in ‘Find The Arise’ (from the band’s classic Cause Of Death).

After a quick return to their latest album, Dying Of Everything, with the groove-heavy ‘Weaponize The Hate’ and ‘My Will To Live’, the guys once again pleased the old-school in attendance with a mash-up of ‘Chopped In Half’ and ‘Turned Inside out’ (both from Cause Of Death).

The crowd not eager to see the night end, the guys returned to the stage after a short break to drop four more songs as part of their encore. The first two songs, ‘War’ and ‘Dying Of Everything’ were once again pulled from their latest album. The last two songs took things all the way back, with ‘I’m In Pain’ (from the band’s ’92 album, The End Complete), and the legendary ‘Slowly We Rot’ (from the band’s debut album of the same name).

If tonight was any indication, Obituary are at the top of their game. Truly an amazing feat for a band that has been at it for nearly four decades. At this point, I can’t imagine a world without Obituary. Let’s hope they can keep the redneck stomp alive and kicking for another forty years!

Album Review: AVATAR

Dance Devil Dance

Review Score: 10

Reviewed by: Georgina Strilakos

Avatar’s ninth studio album, “Dance Devil Dance,” is finally here and it does not disappoint! This album is an exciting mix of different genres, with 11 new songs that showcase the band’s versatility. From melodic death to power metal, metal-core, groove, country, and even nu-metal shades, Avatar explores all possible avenues to create a truly captivating sound. Each member of the band brings their unique skill set to the table, allowing their musicianship to shine through in every song. They are not afraid to take risks and try new things, which is what sets them apart from other bands in the genre. Their open-minded attitude and willingness to experiment have allowed them to create a sound that is truly their own on “Dance Devil Dance.”

The album is very vivid, with a sound that is in sync with the visual aesthetics of the group. The songs are intense and crazy, yet there are also moments of introspection and calmness. Avatar has managed to overcome many of the clichés of the heavy music scene by creating an album that’s unapologetically diverse. Many consider “Dance Devil Dance” an excellent new work and one of the band’s best records in recent years. It is undoubtedly a great follow-up to their 2020 release “Hunter Gatherer,” which also received great feedback. Overall, this highly anticipated studio work offers a very kaleidoscopic and unexpected sound that is truly captivating. This album clearly depicts Avatar as a group of talented musicians who have a deep appreciation for metal in all its shapes, and are constantly pushing themselves to new heights. Watch out for their 2023 US Tour and be sure not to miss them live!

https://avatarmetal.com/

https://www.facebook.com/avatarmetal

https://www.instagram.com/avatarmetal/

https://twitter.com/avatarmetal