Album Review: Folie Circulaire

Withered – Folie Circulaire
Prosthetic Records – 10059-2 – 24 June 2008

Although a fleeting listen to Withered’s second release (and 1st on Prosthetic) throws obvious nods to punk/grind roots, Folie Circulaire is a deceptively eclectic work that commands repeated listens. Beneath the rather crusty (but no less meaty) production lie a slew of influences, from grindcore, black metal right through to the likes of Neurosis and back again. Mike Thompson and Chris Freeman share both guitar and vocal duties, and the latter veer between feral barking and blackened rasps, with each track offering an almost seamless transition between styles.

‘Gnosis Unveils’ is an early highlight, showcasing the band’s aptitude for genre-bending as a deluge of Isis-inspired slow guitars eventually explode into swathes of lumbering riffs before winding right back down to where it began. Closer ‘Into Armageddon’ begins straighforwardly enough with a swashbuckling speedy black metal intro in the vein of latter-day Keep of Kalessin that descends into brutal death metal territory and lurches right back out again. Thus the aural theme of Folie Circulaire could be said to be its penchant for ‘build and release’ tension, as the prerequisite moments of blistering fury are usually tempered by something a little more measured. The songwriting isn’t perfect throughout, with moments of filler to be found, but it’s certainly more hit than miss. With Folie Circulaire, Withered have marked themselves as a band to watch. They certainly can’t be faulted for ambition, and although they haven’t quite nailed it yet they came pretty damned close.

Official Withered Website
Official Withered MySpace
Official Prosthetic Records Website

Album Review: Metallica – Death Magnetic

Metallica – Death Magnetic
12 September 2008

In what is possibly the musical surprise of 2008, Metallica bounce back from the career-flagellating shitheap that was ’03’s St. Anger. Death Magnetic is indeed much better that its predecessor – although I might as well be proclaiming Hitler to be a more compassionate dictator than Stalin for all that’s worth – but it’s actually their most consistent offering since The Black Album thrust them into the mainstream.

Much has been made over Death Magnetic’s apparent ‘missing link’ status between And Justice For All and The Black Album, and whilst it can’t live up to such a summation creatively, it does contain a good deal of …And Justice’s lengthy composition style along with Black’s general ear-friendliness. Most importantly though is that gone are St. Anger’s out of tune vocals, Bob Rock’s cack-handed ‘raw’ production, lack of solos, and it would appear that Lars is playing a drumkit again. Rick Rubin’s involvement has led to a great deal of hype due to his being something of a specialist when it comes ‘career corpse revival’, most notably for Johnny Cash during his twilight years. Yet despite this, Death Magnetic is bemusingly imperfect production-wise; Lars’s drums are, as usual, too high in the mix, and predictably that goddamned snare is treated like the lynchpin of the Metallica sound when in fact it’s surplus to requirements. In fact, the drumming is the album’s weakest aspect, as Lars turns in a woefully inept performance, struggling to keep up with his bandmates at times rapid delivery, and failing to produce a single interesting fill. Perhaps that’s all part of the charm with these oldies though, although it’s hard not imagine what a Lombardo or Bostaph would be capable of behind Metallica (see Testament’s The Gathering for a possible, blistering answer).

Anyway, the opening trio of ‘That Was Just Your Life’, ‘The End of the Line’, and ‘Broken, Beat and Scarred’ leave a welcome taste in the mouth, being mainly faithful modern takes on the classic Metallica template. ‘The End of the Line’ even has a touch of …And Justice’s penchant for myriad twists and turns. Hetfield gives a spirited and aggressive, if at times strained vocal performance, largely avoiding St. Anger’s cringeworthy attempts at lyrical introspection. As he’s been prone to doing for quite some time, he hams it up bigtime in the lyrical department, with silly adolescent ditties like “What Don’t Kill Ya’ll Make Ya More Strong!” and “Suicide! I’ve already died!” being difficult not to wince at. But hey, Metallica haven’t sold all these millions of albums because of their bad poetry, but rather because of riffs n solos, and Death Magnetic has both in spades. Kirk Hammett has run amok on this album, possibly whilst giving the finger to Lars (see the Some Kind of Monster documentary and you wouldn’t blame him). He peppers every available space with abundant fret-wankery, but his leads lack that subtle elegance of the band’s 80s heyday, at times exhibiting an almost Kerry King-esque messiness.

Cuts such as the aforementioned, as well as ‘All Nightmare Long’ (features a great sing along chorus) and ‘My Apocalypse’ (which oddly enough has a touch of Slayer about it) mark the points when Death Magnetic is firing on all cylinders and works best, because they sound like a band actually enjoying playing music again. It’s when they try to overthink things that it all gets a little ropey however; ‘The Day That Never Comes’ clumsily attempts to weld together ‘The Unforgiven’ with the tail end of ‘One’ with middling results – the first half is pleasant enough, but when Hammett insists on losing the run of himself with cheesy Iron Maiden worship it all sounds a bit forced, and overall it’s a disjointed affair. Meanwhile, ‘The Unforgiven III’ is fun, but not a patch on its two forebearers, whilst instrumental ‘Suicide and Redemption’ is certainly no ‘Orion’ and isn’t interesting enough to stand alone sans vocals.

If much of this review has come across a bit negative, then it’s important to understand that as the sum of its parts Death Magnetic is a fun, headbangable album from a band most thought should have given up a decade ago. To be honest, it’s hard not to listen to this without a goofy, shit-eating grin plastered across your face, which may just be due to a lingering nostalgia and a desperation for Metallica to be good again, but it’s also because it’s actually pretty enjoyable. It’s not the best album this year from thrash’s old guard, Testament and Death Angel can wipe the floor with Metallica in the thrash stakes these days, but it’s at least worth a listen – and that’s the most we can expect from Metallica in 2008.

Official Metallica Website
Official Metallica MySpace
Official Warner Bros Website

Album Review: Theatres Des Vampires – Anima Noir

Theatres Des Vampires – Anima Noir
Aural Music – Aura005 – 2 May 2008
By Paddy Walsh

Those of you interested in Italian goth metal staples Theatres Des Vampires would do well to ignore the hammy ‘Vampiric Metal’ tag, as it’s a peurile and singles them out for more ridicule than they deserve. I’d imagine it’s probably put off as many potential listeners as their ‘we invented our own genre’ gimmick has actually gained. But I digress. Many moons ago I was subjected to one of their earlier releases – the name of which escapes me – but I do recall a fairly syrupy and tedious brand of the Cradle of Filth symphonic black metal formula. Anima Noir is is all but unrecognisable, composed of dancefloor-friendly gothrock anthems like a riffier Sisters of Mercy. Abgott fans – now is your cue to leave the hall – these fellow Italians will most certainly leave your grimness wanting.

The rest of you might be interested to know that as far as metallic goth rock goes, Anima Noir is as pleasant a stab at this often tedious genre as you’re likely to hear this year. Sure, Sonya Scarlet (yes I know you can smell cheese, but bear with me) has a squeaky quality in her voice that renders it somewhat irritating in lengthy doses, but she certainly can’t be accused of insincerity, as she gives a spirited performance throughout. Hell, even obligatory ballad ‘From the Deep’ manages to work reasonably well, even if she insists on coming over all operatic on us. The guitars are laid on thick, and are thankfully high in the mix, and they are supplemented by an all pervasive synth presence. The latter has a distinct 80s flavour, and on tracks such as ‘Blood Addiction’ the guitars adopt a new wave-esque hue, making this release more retro than the crystal clear production might have you believe. The band wander into that unfortunate goth metal scourge of ‘male-female-trading-vocals-duet’ that the likes of Lacuna Coil have been inflicting on us for years, such as on the aforementioned ‘Blood Addiction’, and it’s no less anoying here either. Much of Anima Noir is cheesy as hell, but for the most part it’s an enjoyable romp into 80s two-step territory. Opener ‘Kain’, with its mid-paced stomp, and obvious dancefloor filler ‘Two Seconds’ will likely have the eyeliner-sonning masses in rapture. This is certainly a better direction than the Cradle of Filth-worship of old, and indeed it stands above much of the saccharine goth ‘metal’ hordes doing the rounds these days.

Official Theatres Des Vampires Website
Official Theatres Des Vampires MySpace
Official Aural Music Website

Live Review: Ministry – 19th July 2008, Tripod, Dublin

Ministry
19 July 2008 – Tripod, Dublin

So here it is – the last sucker – in more than name, as tonight we’re presented with Ministry’s final gig. Ever. Progenies of thumping, seiminal industrial metal whose legacy can still be heard ringing loudly in everything from Rammstein to Red Harvest. Anthemic stompers such as ‘Thieves’ and ‘Just One Fix’ have sealed their legendary status, and they will be sorely missed. It’s hard to believe that this is their swansong, and indeed Ministry go out in style tonight, as their raucous, politically soaked anthems wash over the sizeable throng amassed in Dublin’s Tripod.

Yet bizarrely, Ministry begin by treading water, setlist-wise that is. Al Jourgensson emerges behind a large chickenwire fence, separating him from the audience, his trademark Stetson and mic-stand resplendent in its antlery glory. He is flanked by his assembled bandmates, most noticeably the ever gurning figure of Prong’s Tommy Victor on guitar. 3 cuts from The Last Sucker open proceedings, best of all being ‘Let’s Go’. The Last Sucker is easily the least interesting of Ministry’s trio of anti-Bush tirades, and it’s a little disconcerting that they chose to open their finale in such a tepid fashion. Luckily, however, ‘No W’ heralds a batch of Houses of the Mole material and things suddenly erupt, both onstage and off. ‘Waiting’ and ‘Worthless’ are both up there with Ministry’s best, and things only get better as ‘Rio Grande Blood’, ‘Senor Pelegro’ and ‘Lies Lies Lies’ puncture the air. The latter is the apex of the night’s first half, as the greatest ‘9/11 was a conspiracy’ rant ever literally flattens an all too receptive crowd.

Ministry’s pot-shot at Bush Snr soon emerges as the steamroller riffs ‘n samples of ‘N.W.O.’ fly off the stage. By now the relentless strobes, menacing background imagery and aforementioned wire meshing give the impression that one is participating in a sort of metal rave, and it’s hard to know whether moshing or dancing would be more appropriate. Al’s voice is as abrasive and threatening as you’d want, and Tommy Victor stomps around the stage looking worryingly unhinged. ‘Just One Fix’, surely the highlight of the evening, has a riff that the likes of Rammstein have been basing their entire careers on for years. The figure of William Burroughs looms above the stage, and from here on in the whole thing is a treat. ‘Thieves’ rolls out of the speakers at full force, and the band close with a storming rendition of ‘What a Wonderful World’. People have decried the emphasis on their last 3 albums, as well as the omission of anything from Filth Pig, The Dark Side of the Spoon, or even their fantastic breakthrough album The Land of Rape and Honey. This may have been somewhat of a glaring oversight on their part, being as it was their last show and everything, but when they did pull out the big guns it was tantamount to a revelation. The world needs bands like Ministry to be a razor sharp thorn in the side of conservatism, and one of the few bands who truly exuded the kind of punk ethic that’s bandied about by so many but actually lived by so few.

Album Review: Gorgoroth – True Norwegian Black Metal: Live in Grieghallen

Gorgoroth – True Norwegian Black Metal: Live in Grieghallen
Regain Records – RR100 – 23 June 2008

I must admit to being a little bemused by this latest offering from black metal stalwarts Gorgoroth; the recent release of their infamous 2004 Krakow show would render this release redundant, no? Turns out the ‘Live’ part of the title is slightly misleading, as what transpires is actually a re-recording of some of their older material ‘live’ in studio. Hence the lack of crowd noise and the bizarrely decent production. Gorgoroth, like too many of the black metal older guard, may have let their infamy overshadow their musical acheivements at times, but they’ve still had their moments of ferocity. Antichrist and Pentagram are two particularly nasty black metal releases, and it’s rather pleasing to hear them again. A clear yet gritty production works wonders, and vocalist Gaahl proves himself as one of the genres more unsettling frontmen, his waspish rasp cutting through these tracks with aplomb. Perhaps it’s more fitting to view Live in Grieghallen as a ‘best-of’ of sorts, and it serves as a decent introduction to one of the most engaging ‘true’ black metal bands out there.

‘Destroyer’ is particularly vicious, whilst ‘Bergtrollets Hevn’s sub-punk assault recalls a time when Darkthrone hadn’t yet begun parodying themselves. ‘Unchain My Heart!!!’, despite its goofy title, isn’t a cover of some 80s power ballad, but is beset thankfully by a distinctive groove. It’s all quite good in fact, Gaahl’s drunken attempt at ‘epic’ clean vocals ‘Profetens Apenbaring’ excepted. Yet was this whole thing necessary? The quick answer is no, especially since the albums from which these tracks were culled were re-released not so long ago. Furthermore, 31 minutes of music does not a good value album make, rendering Live in Grieghallen one for the completists out there. Yet those unacquanited with one of Norway’s long standing exports looking for a starting point might do well to pick this up, along with ’06’s superb Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam. If you’re wondering why I omitted the elephant in the room that is their recent split/divide/schism/whatever, along with the myriad other controversies that have dogged this band throughout the years, well, that’s what Wikipedia is for isn’t it?

Official Gorgoroth Website
Official Regain Records Website
Official Gorgoroth MySpace

Album Review: Aborted – Strychnine.213

Aborted – Strychnine.213
Century Media – CM9977901 – 24 June 2008

Is three albums in three years overkill? It doesn’t have to, but in Aborted’s case it just might be. Strychnine.213 follows hot on the heels of ‘07’s Slaughter and Apparatus, which itself came shortly after ‘06’s The Archaic Abattoir. The latter was a mighty fine romp into melodic death metal of the Carcass variety, and firmly ensconced Aborted at the top of their game. Ridiculously catchy riffs were underpinned by stellar leads that somehow retained a murky brutality thanks to Sven De Caluwe’s nasty growls, rasps and screams. Yet it’s ‘03’s Goremageddon that will always best represent these Danes, being something of a minor classic in its field.

On Strychnine.213, Aborted retain the core elements of their sound, but the results are nowhere near as memorable. Initial listens prove unrewarding, disappointingly yielding a dearth of truly standout moments. Aborted are noticeably trying to shift their emphasis from bludgeon to a more atmospheric, dare I say brooding attack. ‘Carrion’ does this rather well, as spoken words are bolstered by groove-laden riffs and searing lead-work. ‘A murmur in Decrepit Wits’ also utilises this approach well, as the time-honoured tradition of movie samples is reprised in a decidedly eerie bout of mid-paced riffery. The standard issue Aborted numbers fare rather less well, however, and they are evidently less memorable than their forbearers. Repeated listens yield some goodies, and the likes of ‘Ophidolatry’ is up there with some of their best, but at times Strychnine.213 comes over somewhat rushed. The great thing about Aborted has always been their propensity towards an instantly gratifying adrenaline rush, and the more nuanced approach icomes across a little out of character. A more thought out and planned attack for the future will no doubt have these fellows back in flying form, but at the moment they’re sounding a little like they’re on autopilot.

Official Aborted Website
Official Aborted MySpace
Official Century Media Website