Nuctemeron – Demonic Sceptre (I Hate Records) [Mark Young]
Sometimes the PR release has just the right words:
‘Leather, spikes, chains and bullet belts + German Black/Speed Metal = a winning formula’.
It is not a bad statement to make when regarding Demonic Sceptre, the debut release that appears to have been a long time coming from Nuctemeron. It is an album that screams ‘I am old school’ in everything this album has to give. Having this mindset in place, it basically sign posts you as a potential listener to a situation where you get onboard with velocity and straight forward assault that channels heavy metal circa 1981 which delights in bludgeoning but with little finesse. If this doesn’t sound appealing or intriguing then you might as well stop reading and move onto the next review. Unless I’m at the bottom in which case you are stuck with me.
Everything about this is like stepping back in time, when the prime directive was to be faster than everyone else, that introductory instrumentals were acceptable (just) but what we really wanted were songs about Bats and being able to shout Fuck Off (In The Name Of Evil). Once that instrumental wraps the aforementioned The Bat kicks in, replete with a chiming bell and super-fast riffing that formed the base for early Slayer. The band I take from this is Venom, more than any other. Over 5 minutes The Bat just charges forward, a manic outpouring of speed and vocals that just about stay the course.
The whole thing is frenzied, such as After Violent Storm which effectively blasts along the same path as The Bat. Iron Maiden amped up on speed is next for Under Devil’s Command and it does what it needs to do, keeping that no fucks, metal all the time vibe in place. If you have stayed with them this far, then the remainder that they manage to imbue enough in each song to make it more than just a plain homage to simpler times. Each of the songs has that manic energy to it with no let up in place, all played at more or less the same pace. They stay true to their word, with no song dropping off in speed or attack throughout the whole of the album. Basically, if you go into this knowing that one song sets the scene for the rest with little variance and this works then you will find 41 glorious minutes of old school love.
And speaking of Venom, they throw in Angeldust as a closing cover, which is a pretty cool way of finishing up because if you are going to cover someone and do it justice, do Venom. It’s a difficult one to score, because if you aren’t hot on old school metal, then this won’t do much for you. If you can appreciate the vibe its manifesting then it represents 40 minutes of fun. 8/10
Assignment – With The End Comes Silence (Massacre Records) [Simon Black]
Sometimes I don’t know whether to be happy that the world is littered with hugely proficient and long-serving Progressive Metal bands that I have never heard of. Since Dream Theater first kicked me up the early 90’s, I’ve always had a hugely soft spot for the genre, and the beauty of this reviewing lark is you constantly get to discover new music you’ve never heard of. The happiness comes from finding another diamond in the dirt; the sadness is that surely I should have come across a band that’s been at it since 1996 before now?
To be fair they’ve only garnered six full length albums in that period, and with the kind of gestation gaps between them that indicate that this ain’t the full time focus for these German gentlemen, but that’s more of a reflection of the commercial state of the music industry than their abilities, which from what I am hearing so far are considerable. Also, they did rather switch styles somewhat, with their much earlier work being more Thrash and Death influenced (albeit with a more technical flourish), before going full on Prog.
That said, there’s a strongly commercial and melodic vein running through this record that is more Power Metal than Prog, and Diego Valdez vocal style would work well on a straight-ahead Metal record, with just enough melodic power to cross the aisles, but enough rock’n’roll edge to feel gutsy and authentic. Oh, and charismatic, this boy has that in spades and effortlessly holds the attention.
Musically this is a very guitar-orientated affair, with keyboards being in the mix but very much in the background, just enough to add a little cinematic layering to what is otherwise a very riff-based piece of work. In fact, strong anthemic hooks litter the piece and ultimately give it its sense of accessibility more than any other element in the mix. Lyrically this is a dark piece concerned with the frankly rather dire state of the world, so not many major keys in earshot this time out.
The downside is that for it’s one hundred and nine minutes With The End Comes Silence pretty much keeps the same tempo and tone throughout and really could do with a bit more variety. OK, we go from moody downtuned bangers into more balladlike territory from time to time, but it’s still a consistently sad piece which gets a bit wearing after a while. That said I can tell this is the sort of record that might hang around on the platter for a little longer than my review window, and my curiosity is piqued enough to take a little dip into the past. Not bad at all. 8/10
Aeon Temple – Resurfaced (Temple Records) [Rich Piva]
The first thing you get is the voice. That is the first impression that knocks you off your feet when you switch on the new record Resurfaced, by Aeon Temple. The German band return with five tracks of huge sounding stoner psych, the first new material since their debut EP from ten years ago. Yes, ten years.
Claudia Weber’s vocals are the star here. You know this right off the bat when the opener, Grapes And Wine starts. She harmonies with herself beautifully until that stoner gallop kicks in nicely. The music is fuzzy goodness that pairs nicely with Weber’s voice. There is a 90s vibe to these songs for sure, and you can tell someone in the band is a prog fan too. Weber’s voice is all over the place range-wise, and she ventures into a bunch of them just in the opener.
Children Of Dirt has a very cool and proto sounding riff, showing the band can doom it up if they need to. This one rips and has a cool evilness to it. With only five songs in 40 minutes you know you are in for some long ones, and Tireless Machine is just that. Just let the swirling guitars, killer rhythm section, and that chunky riff take over and it will just fly by. Did I mention the voice? That too. The song is long, but I would not change a thing.
The eight-minute Blumulu has a kind of folkiness to it for which Weber’s voice works perfectly and it is where the band lets their psych leanings show up. Don’t worry, their version freak folk rocks too. I can’t help but to get a Smashing Pumpkins vibe from the closer, the eleven-minute Golden Veils. Like how Billy Corrigan was the master of big sounding quiet-loud-quiet on songs like Rhinoceros and Drown. That vibe is here, but maybe could have been just a bit shorter, given the record ends with three songs over about 30 minutes.
Ten years is a long time for a follow up, but Aeon Temple nailed it on their long-awaited follow up. Resurfaced Indeed. Be ready for a journey, but hang in, it is worth it. 8/10
Shatterheart – Infernal Symphony (Art Gates Records) [Matt Bladen]
Shatterheart play symphonic metal with some heaviness to it. So often bands in the genre move towards the ethreal or the spectral, Shatterheart bring the power metal gallops of Kamelot and Serenity with some classic metal guitar solos and visuals inspired by Greek sculpture and gothic/Victorian architecture.
Tracks such as A Shattered Heart, Afterlife and Nightchild all move forward with power metal pace, biting riffs, big vocals and double kick blasts, the Sweden based band (though their vocalist is Greek) seamlessly shift between the leather clad traditional metal realm and the modern electronic sound with Betrayal, where the influence of Within Temptation is strong.
The production from Fredrik Nordström is great adding drama to Raging Storm, Forever Will Last and the title track all add some folk/pirate metal influences to the Shatterheart sound. There’s loads to love here for fans of Kamelot and Visions Of Atlantis, theatrical symphonic metal that doesn’t spare on the grit. 8/10