Formed in the Netherlands in 1987, doom-laden death metal masters Asphyx returns after the previous and much acclaimed studio album Incoming Death from 2016. With a stable line-up for some years, the Asphyx of 2021 is a machine ticking like a clock with riff after gruesome riff, and very heavy ones! Paul Baayens (guitars) did not hold back in putting out a collection of ferocious riffs, one after the other. Martin Van Drunen (vocals) has a voice and style that reminds me a lot of At The Gates specially in the last two albums. It's death metal, but it's understandable.
Recorded during lockdown, the band’s tenth studio album Necroceros is heavy and vicious! No room for fillers, just 10 heavy tracks in 50 minutes. It also sounds great, clear and bombastic. Necroceros was mixed and mastered by Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann who typically works with power metal bands. There's just something so captivating about this album from the first to last track. It's a very consistent album no songs stand out as the best or as a filler, it all flows perfectly. Is it a revolutionary album? No, but it'w very well written, executed and produced. From the get go the groove of "The Sole Cure is Death" gets you hooked and headbanging. But like in the whole album Asphyx blend classic Death Metal with Doom Metal. We hear that in this album opener as we reach a slow section in the middle of the song. By the time you reach track 2 "Molten Black Earth", you already know you are in for a journey, those intro riffs followed by the catchy verse is just phenomenal. Some other songs on the album will rely more on the Death Doom side of the band, such as in "Mount Skull" (great chord progression between verses with a relentless drumming underneath), the magnificent epic "Three Years of Famine" (positively reminds me of Metallica's "To Live is To Die"). Others are centered around 90's Death Metal including "Knights Templar Stand" and "Botox Implosion". The album closes with the monumental title track. Very heavy Death Doom song with some prominent drums. That's the cherry on top of this very heavy cake. The best album of January 2021 and probably will stay at the top of 2021 list.
Swedish drummer Martin Lopez (ex-Opeth, Amon Amarth) joined forces with vocalist Joel Ekelöf to make music that is "melodic, heavy, intricate and different." Their debut album Cognitive was released on February 15, 2012. Fast forward to 2021 and Imperial is already their 5th studio album. From the get go I must say: Imperial is such a joy to listen to. With just 8 songs in 43 minutes, the album flies by with a whirlwind of emotions due to the intricate network of melodies submerged in a bliss of melancholy. Don't get fooled by the almost Slipknot intro of "Lumerian". Despite being one of the heaviest tracks on the album, it's still trademark Soen sound. A mix of Opeth (it features none of the guttural vocals or Death Metal influences though) and Tool.
The ability of Lopez and Ekelöf to create catchy and emotional melodies is something quite impressive. But their trademark sound goes beyond just that, it is also how they seamlessly mix those melodies and softer musical passages with some very heavy guitar riffs. Guitar solos are not overused but in some instances they are quite interesting such as in "Monarch" and "Modesty". One of the most distinct guitar songs is the bluesy "Illusion". The drumming on this album, not surprisingly, is just suburb but specially on "Antagonist", what a drum masterclass that is! And when you thought the album was quite emotional already, we get the closer "Fortune" which is a powerful emotional track like no other before. It is impossible not to be touched by it. You can feel the hearts of the band from the first to the last note. What a vocal performance and of course a guitar solo with so much feeling.
The only misstep for me on Imperial is "Modesty". It came across a bit lame to me, even if it's nota bad song at all. And the only concern with the album is the fact that it is very similar to the previous one. Other than that, no complains at all. It sounds great and beautifully melancholic. It's subtle, but the elegant use of violins here and there brought a new dimension to some tracks.
Soen sure isn't an instantaneously accessible music but with a bit of listener patience, album after album they proved to be one of the most prolific creators of rewarding pieces of progressive music today. Quiet honestly, I prefer any Soen albums over any Opeth album after Watershed. Ok, I said it, I know the critics fan-boys will shot me for this, but it's true, it's how I feel. You can't argue with personal preferences!
Rejoice in the Suffering is the debut solo album by Queensrÿche vocalist Todd La Torre. Todd teamed up with longtime friend and collaborator Craig Blackwell (guitars, bass, keys), alongside Zeuss for mixing and mastering. The first four songs on the album are just great. A punch in the face! It's a pure metal overdose. Todd showcases all his vocal abilities. It's nothing like Queensrÿche, he sounds like Halford with hints of Bruce Dickinson and still keeping moments where he sounds more like in Queensrÿche and previously Crimson Glory. The album also displays a southern metal sound reminding us of Pantera or Black Label Society. But for better or worse, it is also a diverse heavy metal album that draws influence from different styles. Other songs are mid-tempo semi-ballads such as the single "Crossroads to Insanity" and the closer and track #10 "Apology". The 10 songs run for about 45 minutes, so it's a pretty fun record to listen to. Additionally, the deluxe version of the album features 3 bonus tracks. While I appreciate the diversity of the record, I personally wish more songs were on the style of the opener "Dogmata" and the best song on the album "Pretenders". This one could easily be a 90's Judas Priest song. Throughput the album, the guitars are thick and riff driven, but not a lot of shredding. Overall, very good album that left me with wish for more. It's impressive and surprising how Tood can sing those songs. I hope he can influence Queensrÿche songs more prominently in the future and I'll be waiting for the sophemore release.
The Swedish progressive metal band Evergrey 12th album named Escape Of The Phoenix is an ambitious and mostly energetic effort. A relatively long album running for one hour featuring 11 songs. The album brings what you would expect from this guys, including some missteps. The first couple of songs bring on the more metal side of the band which was almost absent from the previous effort The Atlantic. But already in track 3 "Stories" we get a very mellow ballad-ish song that to me breaks the flow of the frist songs. Despite the recovery with the good "A Dandelion Cipher" right after we have a big misstep with another mellow song featuring the annoying vocals of Dream Theater's James LaBrie on the song "The Beholder". Now I am a DT fan and never had a problem with his vocals, but with the years I am either getting more allergic to it or he is getting worse with age. And it's not because the song is slow tempo or mellow that I won't like it, for example "In the Absence of Sun" is another softer song but this one works with epicness and energy, not to mention a strong guitar solo leading to a powerful ending. Overall, the songs are more direct so sometimes I missed the progressiveness of early albums which we get a spark with this song. "Eternal Nocturnal" which is one of the best on the album and the tile track are two other powerful songs. "Escape of the Phoenix" would actually be the perfect album closer. But the album extends its welcome with three more songs and that definitely hurts the overal experience. While Escape of the Phoenix is a step up from the previous efforts and brings a more powerful album, it still features some issues. While not perfect though, there's a lot to enjoy here, so fans should be satisfied.
