Into Darkness - "Into Darkness" (2012)

Demo (Settembre 2012, ma ristampato su cassetta, 12’’ e MCD da, rispettivamente, la Unholy Domain Records – Ottobre -, la Iron Bonehead Productions – Dicembre -, e la Hellthrasher Records nel mese di Marzo).

Formazione (2011):  Doomed Warrior – voce/chitarra solista;

                                   Nor – basso/chitarra (poi sostituita da Sickened Dweller);

                                   AnguiciouS – batteria (poi sostituito da Dave).

Provenienza:             Milano, Lombardia.

Canzone migliore del disco:

“Levy 9’s Death”.

Punto di forza dell’opera:

Il suo ripugnante alone caotico.

Dopo un po’ di recensioni in inglese, si ritorna finalmente a scrivere in italiano. E lo si fa in grande stile, perché oggi si parla degli Into Darkness, gruppo che, insieme ad altre bestiacce come Eroded e Sepulcral (il cui album di debutto è stato recensito mesi e mesi fa proprio su queste pagine, vi ricordate?) fa parte della giovane legione del death/doom italiano. Ergo, roba putrescente. E anche bella sostanziosa, visto che il demo che mi appresto a recensire dura la bellezza di circa 25 minuti mentre le canzoni sono solo 4, quindi fatevi un po’ i conti.

Si comincia subito con il tour de force del disco, cioè l’autocelebrativa “Into Darkness”, 9 minuti di delirio sonico che in pratica contengono tutto. Quindi, si va da catacombali passaggi doom (che qua sono quasi al limite del funeral) a blast – beats bastardi e tempi thrashy alla maniera svedese (avete presente i primi Dismember?), da sprazzi di epicismo a un po’ di black primordiale, per non parlare dei grugniti profondi e ignoranti di Doomed Warrior, che si avvicinano molto a quelli di Rosy dei livornesi Profanal.

Ma una delle caratteristiche più interessanti degli Into Darkness è la grande collaborazione fra gli strumentisti. Ciò permette alle canzoni di non far mai stancare l’ascoltatore, nonostante la loro lunghezza e i lunghi silenzi vocali, ragion per cui i pezzi a tratti sembrano delle strumentali. Ma i buchi vengono sempre colmati sia grazie alla dinamicità del batterista, sia soprattutto al lavoro delle chitarre, veramente incredibili. Esse regalano a tutta la musica un alone caotico raro da beccare in circolazione, dato che viene usata in maniera molto strategica la chitarra solista che completa, spesso in modo imprevedibile, il lavoro della compagna. Inoltre, hanno una buona importanza gli assoli, non poche volte belli lunghi e talvolta vengono pure doppiati da una terza chitarra, creando così ancor più “casino”.

Ma oltre a trasmettere quintali di caos organizzato, gli Into Darkness sparano anche dei pezzi molto vari fra di loro. Detto del brano autointitolato, gli altri sono:

-          “Shadows”, la più death metal di tutte contenente un finale in blast dall’assolo impazzito e urlante;

-          “Nemesis: Star of Catastrophe”, con cui si ritorna al doom più asfissiante, e dove l’ascoltatore, dopo una pausa centrale (dopo lo schema principale, c’è quasi sempre una pausa nelle canzoni del gruppo), entra nei più neri abissi “grazie” a una infinita fase arpeggiata di una paranoia unica, facendo sì che tale pezzo sia il più ossessivo di tutto il lotto;

-          Infine, c’è “Levy 9’s Death”, sicuramente l’episodio più bilanciato del demo fra parti death e doom, e di cui è da menzionare assolutamente il lavoro ritualistico sui tom – tom della batteria nei momenti finali, che è qualcosa da brividi.

Si aggiunga a tutto ciò una produzione perfetta, bella puzzolente come la vecchia scuola comanda ma in grado di dare la giusta visibilità a tutti i musicisti.

In pratica, l’unica cosa che non mi convince del demo è l’uso talvolta smodato delle chitarre visto che, come già scritto, in certi punti (ossia soltanto durante certi assoli) se ne trovano addirittura 3, cosa decisamente poco fattibile quando c’è da suonare dal vivo, pure adesso che è entrata in formazione una seconda chitarrista, cioè Jex. Ma questa è solo un’inezia perché gli Into Darkness mi hanno sbalordito alla grande, la Hellthrasher ha fatto bene a non lasciarseli sfuggire. Se questo è solo un demo, chissà come sarà l’album, in questo caso sì che ci sarebbe il finimondo!

Voto: 84

Flavio “Claustrofobia” Adducci

Scaletta:

1 – Into Darkness/ 2 – Shadows/ 3 – Nemesis: Star of Catastrophe/ 4 – Levy 9’s Death

BandCamp:

http://intodarkness.bandcamp.com/

FaceBook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Into-Darkness/283913578336225

Wulfshon - "Prinnit Mittilagart" (2011)

Self – released full length (June 21^st 2011)

Line – up (2004):     Paulo Bianchi – vocals (harsh)/guitar;

                                 Matias Taubas Oyola – vocals (clean)/guitar;

                                 Sköll – bass;

                                 Ares – drums.

Location:                 Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Better song of the album:

“Son ov Wolves”.

Better feature of the production:

The vocals.

                                        

Cover Artwork: Matias Taubas Oyola/Betiana Pìa Kryczuk

Once upon a time there was a good stereo in my room. Okay, it didn’t (and doesn’t) provide the headphones use but this was its only problem. Now, that stereo doesn’t work anymore, or at least, it’s so for the CD – player, hence I can listen only tapes from it. Wow, in these last days I listened the excellent soundtrack of “Dirty Dancing”, I resumed its tape after a very long time. But, wait a moment, is this the review about the Wulfshon’s debut album? Be quiet, my ways to listen a CD are endless, this time I used even the DVD – player. But it’s time to buy a new stereo…

Before the release of “Prinnit Mittilagart”, Wulfshon recorder one demo and two EPs, while now they belong to the Art Gates Records stable. Moreover, they are recording their second album… and I hope they will adjust the drumsound. I know that I shouldn’t start in this way, but I observed already the plasticity of the drums, that seems to be play by a computer, despite the presence of a human drummer.

Fortunately, the band has some good qualities, playing a melodic black/death metal with acoustic passages and with a remarkable balance between the fast and the mid – tempos. The mood is often dramatic, thanks especially to a refined riffing and to the clean vocals, ranging from the spoken parts to the evocative and melodic moments, in a way similar to the Italians Sideris Penumbra. Unlike the bands of this genre, the main vocals are dynamic growls, the real screams are very rare. Besides, the soloist guitar is used with a good frequency, but it often completes the main riff, hence the solos are few.

As “Slow Death” of Exodia, also this album is divided in two parts. But this time there aren’t very remarkable differences between them. Simply, the second part has longer tracks than the first one. Another little difference is the clean vocals use, prevailing the spoken way in the first half and the melodic way in the second one.

The songs have a good personality, in particular:

1)      “To the Battlefield” is based on a mid – tempo, then it accelerates through a riffing full of death metal wickedness. But the acceleration is totally instrumental, it neither contains a solo shadow, so it isn’t very much effective, also because this part is a little long;

2)      After two songs, there is “Son ov Wolves”, that combines epic melodies with a devastating black metal madness, for the first and last time in the album. Hence, “Son ov Wolves” is unique, considering also not only its simple structure with a good solo in the middle, but even its length, being the shorter (and faster) track of “Prinnit Mittilagart”;

3)      But the greater effort of the band is represented by the 6 minutes circa of “Frozen Throne”, the following episode. It has a very long introduction (a constant for other songs), all the more so because that Paulo Bianchi starts to sing after 3 minutes of instrumental waiting. Also this track has an interesting tempestuous feeling, only the solo isn’t coherent with despairing riffing, since its follow a particular melody at the end;

4)      Then, there is “Pride and Death”, the slow song of the platter full of crepuscular melodies, the only one to haven’t fast tempos. Here, there are good variations by the drummer, while the conclusion track is instrumental but it’s very persuasive in this case, because the band is able to gives to the listeners a claustrophobic sense of ineluctability.

                                     

In brief, “Prinnit Mittilagart” is an album that keeps nice hopes for the future, these guys have clear ideas about their sound but, at the same time, they must improve it. I say this also because the more wicked intuitions aren’t been overworked well, preferring largely the melodic approach. In fact, “Son ov Wolves” is almost a fish out of the water, hence I advise to increase the outbursts made of pure rage. For the rest, good luck for the new album!

Rating: 71

Flavio “Claustrofobia” Adducci

Tracklist:

1 – Intro: Prinnit Mittilagart/ 2 – Death in the Light/ 3 – To the Battlefield/ 4 – The Calling of the Ancestral Blood/ 5 – Son ov Wolves/ 6 – Frozen Throne/ 7 – Pride and Death/ 8 – Cosmos Generallis/ 9 – Natura Obscura/ 10 – Outro: Ewigring

BandCamp:

http://wulfshon.bandcamp.com/

FaceBook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wulfshon/54502146352

"Skin Deep - Il piacere è tutto mio" (Settore Cinema)

                                    

Fai lavorare un attore istrionico come il compianto John Ritter (famoso per aver impersonato Jack Tripper nel bellissimo telefilm “3 Cuori in Affitto”) con uno dei registi più pazzi di tutti i tempi come Blake Edwards (“La Pantera Rosa”) e ne viene fuori una commedia scatenata e geniale, garantito al 100%. Ma “Skin Deep” è una commedia molto più intelligente di quel che sembra inizialmente, ragion per cui è diversissimo rispetto alla precedente pellicola del regista, cioè il pur ottimo “Appuntamento al Buio” (1987), che vedeva una storia d’amore semplice semplice fra Bruce Willis e Kim Basinger. Però non corriamo che già mi vedo fare salti chilometrici per l’entusiasmo, quindi passiamo tranquillamente alla trama.

Anche questo film verte su una storia d’amore, con la fondamentale differenza che non è fra due perfetti sconosciuti ma fra marito e moglie. Zachary Hutton (John Ritter), famoso scrittore 42enne in declino con il pallino delle donne (e provetto pianista), viene lasciato da sua moglie, Alex, che prontamente chiede il divorzio, lo ottiene e lo rovina completamente. Casa, fattoria, e bla bla bla + la bellezza di 100000 dollari per 5 anni (evidentemente non le basta lo stipendio da giornalista…). Ma questa prima lezione non gli servirà a un tubo, perché Zach non riesce lo stesso a resistere al fascino delle donne, e nel frattempo si sente così depresso (“La mia non è una depressione da serie B, la mia è una depressione da Campionato del mondo!”) da rifugiarsi nell’alcol. In compenso, chiede aiuto a un saggio psicologo (o come dico io, “pizzicologo”), che gli risponde sempre per suggerimenti, mai dando vere e proprie risposte. E i suoi soli amici in questa rocambolesca battaglia contro sé stesso (e per sé stesso) sono il vecchio gestore di un pub, Barney (Vincent Gardenia, eterna spalla del cinema americano), con cui si confida sempre, e il proprio avvocato, Jake (Joel Brooks, vecchia conoscenza – per inciso, sempre spassosa - di “3 Cuori in Affitto”), che lo tira sempre fuori dalla galera… oltre a tirargli (involontariamente) uno scherzo a dir poco tremendo…

Moltissime le scene da antologia. Come per esempio:

1)      quella d’amore con una biondona tutta muscoli conosciuta nel pub, che conta alcune delle battute più cazzute di tutto il film. Tipo: “Ti piacciono le donne che fanno culturismo?”, e lui: “Non lo so, non frequento donne di molta cultura.”, e poco dopo: “Allora, come ti senti?”, “Come la moglie di Schwarzenegger.” Da menzionare obbligatoriamente l’attimo in cui il pelosissimo Zach (o John, che fa lo stesso) si specchia (al tempo aveva una barba da invidia);

2)      lo storico “cazzo di ferro”, al buio e con i preservativi fluorescenti, fra Zach e un rockettaro, fidanzato di una ragazza adescata dal primo (ovviamente) nell’albergo dove tutti loro alloggiano;

3)      la scena più bella in assoluto di “Skin Deep”, fra l’altro anche bella lunga. Zach esce da un centro di benessere dopo un trattamento un po’ troppo elettrico subìto da Molly, una sua vecchia fiamma che lavora guardacaso proprio lì, peccato che sia “leggermente” incazzata con lui. Così, Zach, dopo quest’esperienza, è provatissimo, sembra uno schizzato. Si scontra senza volerlo con una donna, dopodichè cerca di aiutarla a riprendere i fogli che le sono caduti ma combina un disastro; subito dopo fa una battaglia con un povero cieco che si ritrova a dover difendere addirittura il suo bastone; poi incontra il suo psicologo, perplesso una cifra, a cui viene rivolto uno scattoso “vaffanculo”; infine, esce dal parcheggio regalando un intero portafoglio durante il pagamento ma guida in una maniera così assurda (e distratta) da finire addosso a un autobus, facendosi di conseguenza arrestare per l’ennesima volta. Pazzesco!

E’ pazzesco anche il montaggio, che si dipana fra flashback, brevi scene totalmente folli, conferendo così al film un ritmo molto alto, isterico e inventivo per tutta la sua durata.

Ma, come già scritto, “Skin Deep” ha un sottotesto serio, si ciba di analisi psicologiche che però non vanno mai sul pesante (e grazie a Graziella). In pratica, più che una storia d’amore, la pellicola sembra trattare la voglia di cambiare, la necessità di un cambiamento radicale, che spesso viene ostacolato dal carattere stesso della persona perché, come spiega bene un ubriaco Zach, quello che manca veramente è un’alternativa, così la gente preferisce fossilizzarsi su sé stessa piuttosto che rischiare. E l’alternativa di Zach è sempre stata sotto i suoi occhi, semplice e geniale.

Insomma, un film grandioso, imprevedibile e intenso in tutti i suoi 96 minuti. Se proprio bisogna trovare una pecca, forse questa è da individuare nella canzone di “Skin Deep”, la pur bella “Falling Out of Love”, classico pezzo pop anni ’80 dalle sonorità calde come piace a me ma che ritmicamente è un filino statica, con la batteria incantata sullo stesso pattern e che non si adegua benissimo al climax del pezzo, contrassegnato dalla voce roca eppure melodiosa di Ivan Neville. Ma questo, in fin dei conti, non conta un’assoluta sega, anche perché alla fine del film può scappare la lacrimuccia per John Ritter, che la morte l’ha preso all’età di 54 anni. Thanks for laughing, John!

Voto: 93

Trailer italiano:

http://www.ivid.it/film/8094/SKIN+DEEP+-+IL+PIACERE+E'+TUTTO+MIO

Exodia - "Slow Death" (2012)

Album (Art Gates Records, April 2^nd 2012)

Line – up (2009):          Amando Milla – vocals;

                                       Ciro Sanchez – vocals (additional);

                                       Pablo Tello – guitar;

                                       Rafa Las Heras – guitar;

                                       Victor Tello – bass;

                                       Pablo Vergara – drums.

Location:                      Valencia, Valencian Community (Spain).

Better song of the album:

“Ensure My Safety”.

Better feature of the production:

The great intense songs structure.

Cover artwork: Juanjo Castellano 

It’s strange but Timpani allo Spiedo (that is me) receives the thrash metal albums to review from the abroad, almost never from Italy, also if the Italian thrash scene is good. In this case, the request comes from the young Spanish label Art Gates Records, that released the ambitious debut album of Exodia. Ambitious? Oh yeah, it’s so because it contains even 12 songs (+ intro) for 56 minutes, an immensity for any extreme metal platter full of sonic violence. But don’t be afraid, the Exodia keeps high the flag of thrash metal, surprising very much the listeners. And don’t listen to Metal – Archives when it defines the Exodia like a melodic thrash band, since they often demonstrates the contrary… but that definition is true for an half. What is the truth? 

The truth is this: the album is divided in two distinct parts. Hence, for now I review the first part, that could satisfy the metalheads who wants violence plus a lot of technique and inventiveness. Specifically, the music is a modern thrash metal with some old – school intuitions. The songs’ structure is always complex and full of tempo shifts, all the more so because that the assault is closest to the technical thrash in certain moments (like in the hysterical introduction of “World’s Cancer”), while some songs have excellent instrumental fugues with whirling riffs (“Fight My Cock and Your Palate” and, above all, “Ensure my Safety”). In spite of this, the music is often fast, nay, ultra – fast since there are even pure blast – beats here and there in the album, the Exodia are one of few thrash band to use them with a good frequency. But this isn’t enough, considering the importance of soloist guitar for these mad guys. In fact, the solos occupy a remarkable slob in the music, they are both frequent (some songs have 2 soli) and very long but, fortunately, fanciful at the same times. Besides, the soloist axe often complete the main riff, hence the Exodia are been very attentive to fill the songs with those little details that makes the difference.

But also the melodies are important, so it’s time to face the tour de force of “Slow Death” called “Creating Addicts”, 6 minutes circa of excellent mid – tempo thrash metal with a chorus full of clean vocals (but they are usually aggressive and croaking) plus the incredible interlude made of acoustic guitar that accompanies an electric and romantic solo. However, “Creating Addicts” isn’t a ballad, considering for example its occasional fast moments. Instead, the following track “World’s Cancer” balance perfectly it with very intensity and violence, this time Exodia are similar to the Brazilians Violator, especially as regards some riffs.

On the other hand, the last 6 songs of the album are very different than the rest. Sure, the style is always that, there are inventiveness, complex songs’ structure and particular attention to the arrangements, but the music takes a more melodic way. So, you’ll don’t listen blast – beats (except “No Solution”, forget also the thrashing choirs in reinforcement of the main vocals. Fortunately, the quality is always high, the only problem concern the extreme sound diversity between the various songs, losing a bit in compactness being influenced by other genres. Well, the melodic death metal intuitions of “Push the Button” are OK, but I can’t say the same about “The Stark Reality”, where the Exodia shows their worship to Pantera, shooting a groove metal song. Another flaw of the album is the tracks succession, because this song follows to “Desire of Darkness”, a real ballad (oh fuck, a ballad in a modern thrash metal is an event!), so I think that “Stark Reality” should has been full of intensity and violence, making the right contrast with the ballad. Instead…

... instead, I prefer largely the first part of the album, I wonder why its brutal solutions aren’t used in the second one, except some rare moments. Anyway, “Slow Death” runs well in its whole, and I confess to appreciate the efforts of these guys, since 12 thrash metal songs are difficult to manage, but in this case, there is neither a singular drop tension. In spite of this, I have a precious advise to the band, and I hope they’ll follow it: chance a more resolute way for the next times, developing it for the entire new production, because muddle listener’s ideas is always dangerous. Consequently, there is need an album with less songs than the 12 ones of “Slow Death”.

Rating: 83

Flavio “Claustrofobia” Adducci

Tracklist:

1 – The End/ 2 – No Rules No Kisses/ 3 – Fight My Cock and Your Palate/ 4 – Like a Rat/ 5 – Creating Addicts/ 6 – World’s Cancer/ 7 – Ensure My Safety/ 8 – She Begs for Mercy/ 9 – Push the Button/ 10 – The Desire of Darkness/ 11 – The Stark Reality/ 12 – You Lose Your Life/ 13 – No Solution

MySpace:

http://www.myspace.com/metalexodia

FaceBook:

https://www.facebook.com/Metalexodia

Interview to Cursed Scrolls!

Hi guys, strange but true, welcome to my second interview in English. This time we enter in the darklands of Cursed Scrolls, raw black metal from Spain.

ENJOY THE FUCKIN' READ!
                                         

1)      Hi Magus Aion, how are you? I would start the interview with this question: why have you published already an album without no one previous demo?

Hail! The reason is simple, I wanted a challenge, I’ve recorded two songs for a split that never saw the light, so why must wait for something bigger??

So I started to compose new songs, actually that 2 songs would be included in the album but when I saw all the new compositions, I prefered not include them. But I hope that 2 songs see a release soon.

2)      I know that you play in another solo – project band called Forgotten Litanies, and also in this case the music is black metal. Why do you need to express yourself playing the same genre in two different creatures? And above all, what are the differences between them?

          Forgotten Litanies was something about my deepest feelings and it doesn’t exist anymore, it was that, or consume myself.
The need to play black metal is, ‘cause it’s a genre which you can set you free, is about your hate, hatred, feelings…. You can express all of this in form of a dark mass of music. But now I’m in another project with a good old friend and this time is Brutal Death metal also, and it’s called Cranial Blowout.

3)      Do you play alone for choice or for necessity?

Yes, in black metal I don’t want anybody else who tell me change nothing about what I feel this music.

4)      “Dunkel Hexenkunst”… do you want to explain the album title?

All the lyrics are about old legends about witchcraft, sorcery, rituals… “Dunkel Hexenkunst” means “Dark Sorcery” in German. So it’s a good name which represents all the lyrics and music.

5)      Are you a Satanist? For your opinion, what is the Satanism? Is Satan a mere symbol of something or is he a real entity to worship?

I’m not Satanist, I don’t see the Satanism as something to pray. I’m just a black sorcerer, I don’t mind if you called it Satan, Pan, Gullveig… Darkness is all I pray. In all its forms.

6)      Your music is a pure, raw and minimalistic black metal without bullshits of any kind. The vocals are dreadful and particular, reminding me Dagon of Inquisition. Hence, what are your influences and what are the feelings that you would pass to the listeners?

Well, thanx so much for the comparation, Dagon and Inquisition are great influences for me and they are pure darkness and mysticism, it’s an honour for me that.

Other  influences are for example some American black metal bands like Imperial Crystalline Entombment, even Absu, Darkthrone, the rage of Marduk, or Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult but principally Inquisition about its darkness and lyrics, and Wardruna or Hexentanz for the atmospheric and ritual music.

7)      Do you want to talk about the horrific cover artwork?

The artwork was a great draw that I found one day, the rest was simply, I edited it with Photoshop, everything is done by me.

8)      I don’t listen the bass in the album. Isn’t it there really?

Hahahaha, there’s no bass in the whole album. But it has an explanation, future shows, if one day Cursed Scrolls hits the roads, I want the people to listen to the same rawness there, Inquisition don’t play any bass neither in concert, so why not?? In black metal the bass is something to give bass tunes but nothing about technicity or solo riffs and nothing like Iron Maiden for example, so why include something that people won’t hear with quality?

9)      According to Metal – Archives, the titles of some songs are a bit different from those written on the album backcover. What is the truth?

Really?? I don’t saw it. I think that was Jacopo form As Kult As Hell records who included the band there. Anyway, the first track “Call to the Faceless One” is the original name, but in the backcover the word “one” is covered by the fullmoon. And “Black Spell to Enter the Realms of Dark Forces” is the real name of the song.

10)  In the last years, the old Metal is starting again to lay down the law. For you, what are the reasons about this return to the metallic roots?

Well, I think that metal scene, generally, required a back to basics. I’m tired and pissed off with all this shit of “core” metal and the degradation of a genre, full of posers and fashions, people destroyed the essence of death metal and black metal like it was a fashion and experiments that defiled the purity of the genres. If people come back to the old tradition, for me is the best way to keep something pure and has all my support.

11)  What is the black metal? Must be it a Satanic genre against one's will? But the unblack

metal scene is growing, hence what do you think about this controversial sub – genre?

Black metal is about feelings, nothing more, but obviously dark and perverse feelings. To express the hatred, the fury, and all the negativism of you. Someone talks about Satan, another about war, but all have something in common: obscurity.

If some stupid talks about light, the Lord and shit like that and want to do it in black metal form, that person/s deserve a cruel penalty. Black metal is named “black” for something, death to the false ones!!!

12)  How is the Spanish black metal scene? I know that your country is very important for the bestial black/death metal with bands like Proclamation and Teitanblood…

Yeah, the black metal scene here is very raw and rich. We have very good bands like Akerbelz, Balmog or Foscor.

Unfortunally, few people wants to discover something new, and prefer the classics and almost there’s no support for new bands. It Is very hard to take a place in the scene. But it is something that don’t mind me, Cursed Scrolls is for spread darkness not for stuff like that.

Thanx for the interview and I hope to give you and to the people who read this something interesting to listen to my band and appreciate my work, and get my stuff.

Cheers from Spain!
                                            

Sloth Herder - "Abandon Pop Sensibility" (2012)

Self – produced EP (December 21^st 2012)

Line – up (2009):    Josh Lyon - vocals;
                                 Nick Craggs - guitars;
                                 Luke Ibach - bass;
                                 Sean Wilhide - drums.

Location:                Frederick, Maryland (United States).

Better song of the EP:

“Dug Up”.

Better feature of the album:

Its suffocating restlessness.

In these last times the black/grindcore is contaminating the globe with its uncontrollable rage and its one – minute furious songs. In my country, there are excellent but few bands like Male Misandria, Rejekts and O, that are all curiously located in North Italy, no one band is present in the other parts of the nation (except my Roman solo – project). Obviously, also the United States have a scene in progress, by the way I remember that I reviewed “Illusory” of the Texans Absvrdist few months ago, a black/grind masterpiece full of schizo and complex song. But the Sloth Herder aren’t inferior to Absvrdist, also because they show a good personality, as many bands of the genre.

“Abandon Pop Sensibility” starts with the intro, a slow instrumental track made of slimy and threatening riffs, some freezing arpeggios, while the song structure is based more or less on the variations about a single musical solution. After these two minutes of terrorizing waiting, the total massacre begins.

But what a massacre! It isn’t the usual hit wildly all over the place, no, because the blast – beats are always balanced with mid or slow – tempos, all the more so because that these ones are very used to create a sudden and ultra - fast climax (listen “Cowards of the New Age” and, above all, “Dug Up”). Besides, also the groove moments have a good importance, especially in the first song, creating an headbanging atmosphere. So, the tempo shifts are frequent, the tracks’ structure is free and unconventional, but not like in the hysterical way of the Absvridst, also because the Sloth Herder songs often reach a length of 2 – 3 minutes at most.

I like very much the guitarwork. No melodies, the riffing is dynamic and often cold, the freezing arpeggios gives another element of restlessness to the music, while some riffs contains a remarkable madness, sludging the doomish passages. Moreover, the soloist guitar strengthens sometimes the main riff, even if there is no one solo in the album, and this is a constant of black/grindcore genre. Certain intuitions of soloist guitar are very decisive, like in the final chaotic moments of “Dug Up”, where all falls apart.

The vocals are the only aspect of this experience that I don’t like very much. Why? Stay calm, because before I must say that they are divided between the screams (the main vocals) and some raw growls. The “problems” comes from the first ones, since they don’t appear so strong and mad, maybe the production is guilty, the screams aren’t been bring out enough, hence I advise to emphasize them for the next times.

Okay, we are in the last lines of this review. In brief, Sloth Herder are very interesting, they know to balance perfectly the frontal assault with moments of relative reflection, striking in the right way without exaggerations of any kind. For me, the guys are ready to record an album, as well because “Abandon Pop Sensibility” is their second EP in the only 2012, showing a good prolificity. But I have a little curiosity: this EP is the third album released in December 21st 2012 that I reviewed. It has been a fortune if the world didn’t explode with all these records…

Rating: 79

Flavio "Claustrofobia" Adducci

Tracklist:

1 – Intro/ 2 – Cowards of the New Age/ 3 – Spiritual Aim/ 4 – Relapse/Reward/ 5 – Bleached/ 6 – Dug Up

BandCamp:

http://slothherdermd.bandcamp.com/

BlogSpot:

http://slothherdermd.blogspot.com/

FaceBook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sloth-Herder/191788187515489