PTSD is a terrible mental affliction brought on by living in a high stress environment, and this often includes those who have served in the armed forces, in areas of both war and peace keeping. The Dreadful Tides are a heavy rock/metal band from Melbourne, a four piece comprised of Jimmy Black (vocals), Wes Hopkins (bass), Justin Strudwick (guitar) and Leland Hallett (drums), who are addressing this topic in the single “Fire In The Hole.”
Photo by Andrew Sladdins
Hear the chorus explode in the exclamation of ‘FIRE,’ crashing drums and rumbling guitar chords, with the pull and push of what for me is the essence of classic heavy rock. The guitars drive this formidable tank, while Black’s vocals call down the artillery strike.
The Dreadful Tides throw that grenade, grabbing your attention, with “Fire In The Hole,” which definitely reflects a certain Aussie rock flare, though the track has an international appeal. It is a fist pumping affair, powerful not only as a force of nature musically, but also for bringing to the fore the idea that discussing mental health can make a difference.
NikolaStanojkovski (guitars, bass, synths) and ChristopherCronce (vocals, lyrics) make up Pennsylvania based industrial metal group Agremorta. Their single “Adrocitas” is also their debut and herald’s in the March 15th release of the EP Anomalia.
What strikes me first is the blending of styles within the one track. A combination of clean and heavily growled vocals, plus there are fluid classic guitar solos by LouisSnyder that would not sound astray in AmonAmarth or some other European band of that ilk. The chorus harmonies are a throwback to LinkinPark and tempered by the synths and howling gurgled utterances.
Verbose and powerful guitars, matched with booming rhythms, dynamic vocals and you have “Adrocitas,” a track about self loathing, doubt and never feeling good enough that soars high.
We are going back in time…well….back to the beginning of 2023, when the single “KillMe” was released on Bandcamp, by Oklahoma artist, SaturnDethroned. I actually know nothing about SaturnDethroned, but I am guessing this is his debut track.
The rhythms from the beginning inform you that this is industrial, with the machine working, to be joined by a growing surge of fuzzing electronics, almost serpentine in its winding sound. “KillMe” grows from slow simple clunks, into a instrumental track that builds like mental breakdown, throbbing and overwhelming. If experimental industrial is your thing, then you are going to get a kick out of the SaturnDethroned track “KillMe,” and the best thing is you can download it off Bandcamp for name your price!
Just when you thought you might finally be safe from space invasion and laser beam, pew pew extermination, you find more DEATHCOMET in your life, and he’s back with album DEATHCOMET16!! Hmmmm…. the last one we reviewed was DEATHCOMET14. Sooo, it seems we skipped an album, however, that just means more for your experimental electronic listening pleasure, from the New South Wales region of Australia.
I find my teeth are set on edge listening to the disturbing drone of “newhuntforalienlife” which stops and becomes the guitar torturing oddity, “desperateattempt,” as it tumbles over itself, creating a tubular vortex of sound. A looping guitar screaming greets your ears, perpetuating an overload for the ten minute long “neptunebelial,” as you wait for the subtle changes in pitch, but this does nothing to prepare you for the track “satanicdimensions,” where you are almost assuredly hearing the anguished voices from the pit itself, as the harsh noise eviscerates your senses.
“allsystemsgo” continues from where “satanicdimensions” left off, however it has incorporated an eerie demonic electronic choir, which is driving the unholy star drive straight into the inferno that is “cosmicball,” yet another track clocking in at over ten minutes. The psychedelic effect of “masks” really hits you after listening to such constant noise, and it feels as if the aliens really are invading your brain, which leads in nicely to the last track, “alienscalling“. Yes, finally the little grey guys are melting your brain with their sonic vocals as everything burns to the ground.
DEATHCOMET16 is experimental noise that starts by rubbing your brain against sand paper, and then just builds into a new world order, intent on cellular annihilation, so the alien hordes don’t have to worry about cleaning up the carbon mess. Alien industrial metal in the form of DEATHCOMET is a mighty powerful thing.
[gelöscht], more or less means ‘erased‘ in German, and it is also the debut industrial harsh noise album for VERFÜHRERVERGELTER, also known as David Munster. The album has been released digitally on the label Produkt 42 and as a self release on tape.
Now here’s the challenge…. every track on the album is called [gelöscht] except for “Intro“. I’ll let that sink in. It is slightly terrifying territory for a reviewer where the only difference is the timing of each track.
Sooooo, this is a completely instrumental album, and I think it would be an injustice to break it down, so I’m going to give you the overall gist. My thinking is that if all the tracks are called [gelöscht], then this should be listened to in one sitting.
Whoever David Munster of VERFÜHRERVERGELTER is, they have come from the black metal scene it feels like. That aspect is like a morass of inky darkness that swirls under all, constantly threatening to take over and devour all light, yet never succeeds. The electronics are the most vocal, often glitching with static. They can be like starlight one moment and be screaming blue murder the next.
There are huge soundscapes that want to swallow you whole with their vastness as they drone on. Others are claustrophobic, filing every space with noise, a horror movie. The electronics oscillate, quiver, and even sometimes bear down heavy, while the nightmarish beings in the aether converse with you in their own language.
On the Bandcamp page, VERFÜHRERVERGELTER is described as death industrial noise, which I think sums up his style quite well. People who like harsh industrial noise are going to appreciate the effort and mastery that has gone into the creation of this album. Just listening to this makes me think it would be pretty amazing to see live. VERFÜHRERVERGELTER is giving you [gelöscht], and if you don’t get it…. that’s okay as well.
Dave McAnally released the EP, Mercenary Notes Pt. 1, at the very end of 2022, under his moniker DerisionCult, on the label Glitch Mode Recordings. Glitch Mode is run by fellow electronic musician, Sean Payne (Cyanotic), who was also involved in the recording of the EP and if that impresses, you might be even more so when you learn other guest artists include Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks, Die Warzau, Pigface, The Joy Thieves) and Reeves Garbrel (The Cure, David Bowie’s band), plus remixes by Cyanotic (Sean Payne) and Justin Broadrick (Godflesh). Not on this EP are the remixes by Dan Milligan (The Joy Thieves) and Martin Atkins (Killing Joke, Ministry, Public Image Limited, Nine Inch Nails) for the single “Deaf Blood“, which you should also check out. Let me tell you, that is a hell of a list of band name dropping.
The EP roars to life with “The Year Hope Failed“, guitars smashing out, accompanying the rhythm with ferocity, setting the theme that the media lies to create mass hysteria. “Life Unlit” has the hallmarks of a RobZombie number, especially vocally, but also, the subject matter could very much be about zombies.
There was no way that they were not going to make “Deaf Blood” a single. The guitar work of Garbrel is simply magical, and definitely, you can hear the signature chiming guitar sound. Connelly‘s vocals are gloriously punk when not warbling like a modern medicine man. The noise intensive “Slaves Rebuild” wails like a siren in your ears, while McAnally rather creepily whispers his to-do list. This track also features Garbrel showcasing his skill as a guitarist.
“Bastards of the World” is just a bouncy, fabulous track. It plunders your senses with its head puncturing rhythms. There is an instrumental in the track “Mercenary,” and with the cut voice clips running throughout, it feels like a drug fuelled haze, combined with walking through syrup.
“The Year Hope Failed” is remixed by Cyanotic (Sean Payne), where the vibe is toned down a notch in favour of a slightly more electronic version, which glitches and swirls, while “Slaves Rebuild” has the Justin K Broadrick (Godflesh) Fleshmix and it is huge. A hulking mass of abrasive sound, gruff vocals, and drowning guitars that meander like a horror killer that will get you, no matter how fast you run.
Is all as bleak as it seems? Well, no, not really. Is the world in a bit if a state currently? The short answer is yes, but we don’t have to believe the hype of the media outlets or those that sell fear to make profit or gain power and this is the message from McAnally. Derision Cult hits like Ministry and has the razor political anger of Killing Joke, all wrapped up in Mercenary Notes Pt.1.
Do you do Visual Kei? I have long loved bands like X Japan, D’espairsRay and Dir En Grey for both their look and that certain key sound that Japanese Visual Kei bands have. So you might imagine my excitement and delight when I found the single “Pretend To Pray” by Psycho Sonic Boom in my in box. Psycho Sonic Boom is the brain child of Californian born Kairu, whom now resides in Japan and began this project back in 2010.
The clean vocals are entrancing from the first, full of flirtatious promises that will probably never be fulfilled, A light touch with the drums until the track hits the chorus. The guitars almost float gracefully over the top of all, ringing out to call you in like sirens to the sailors.
I truly love the attention to detail from the melodies and delicate guitar work to the video with the beautiful makeup and clothing. It is hard to tell if Visual Kei borrowed from deathrock or vice versa but they do share many similar elements and there is definitely an air of dark seduction and lingering fingers down the spine appeal. Let Psycho Sonic Boom show you how to “Pretend To Pray“.
1993 in Gothenburg, Sweden, Ablaze My Sorrow came into being, along the way breaking up in 2006 and then reforming in 2011 whilst delivering their melodious metal tunes. As of the 27th of January, a new EP was released called The Loss Of All Hope, out on Black Lion Records, which also marks 30 years since the band’s humble beginnings. Ablaze My Sorrow consists of members Anders Brorsson (bass), Magnus Carlsson (guitars), Alex Bengtsson (drums), Dennie Lindén (guitars) and Jonas Udd (vocals).
The harmonisation of vocals kicks off “Transfiguration (Way of The Strong)” and then the blast beats hit with the ferocity of the guitars, Udd’s vocals growl gutturally at first and then come clean, while the lyrics speak of the indomitable inheriting the Earth….If Jesus made wine out of water, Then I’ll make wolves out of sheep. The drums push the guitars ever upwards in “Boundless“, reaching forth, becoming overwhelming in it’s sentiment and drowning in a sadness while wishing to be free,
“Rotten To The Core” is pure and unadulterated rage that spews forth condemning those who choose to not think for themselves, matched to brutality of the music. I love the guitar work in “Enclosed In Crystals Of Ice“, smoothly wrapping around each other while the pained vocals scrap up against them like the cruel frost of winter.
I am genuinely in awe of singers that can go from growling to clean within the blink of an eye, though Udd does more of the growling, which for me is a pity as he has a great set of pipes. The duelling and entwined guitars and overall sound, reminds me of other bands such as Sentenced, Amorphis and Paradise Lost, who have that knack of sending shivers up your spine or wrenching your heart straight out of your chest. All the angst, all the pain and The Loss Of All Hope is brought to you by Ablaze My Sorrow.
New Mexico based, industrial horror metal act, Dunwich Dreams, dropped the single “A Darkness Hungers” on the 30th of December, off the soon to be released album, Rise of The Seventh Sun
Like the beginning of John Carpenter score, it all starts to get brooding and heavy all so soon, the notes scale up and down, stalking from a place of infernal pending doom. The vocals are ravenous and your very soul is in mortal peril from that which lurks.
Is it something within the darkness or is it the darkness itself that desperately wants to consume? For this is a tale of Egyptian Gods going to war, so that the sun may rise again. Who won is for you to decide, should you dare to listen to “A Darkness Hungers“, a seething industrial metal behemoth from Dunwich Dreams.
Dissonant Hymns Records released the album Father Of Serpents by US band Diabology. The band is made up of Jesse Bergen (lead vocals, guitars, bass), Jack Kleinman (guitars, bass *tracks 5 and 9*) and Matthew Morales (drums, backing vocals), with them describing their music as thrash, though I think that is a far too simplistic summarisation.
I’m not an expert on metal, though musically, I know what is good when I hear it. I’ve really struggled to do this review, not because Diabology are awful, far from that, but rather I’m probably limited by what I have listened to. The heaviest, metal music in my collection is possibly Amorphis and Sentenced .
These guys are young, I mean really young and yet they are excellent at what they do. The music pours out of them, talented and charismatic, while you can hear hints of other influences within. This is my advice… if you like thrash music then you should listen to it, if you like most metal then you should definitely have a listen. It is focused, raw and has no compromise.
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