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Wow, talk about coining a sub-genre. Or at least getting as close to doing that as you can these days. This Aussie band features members of Annihilist, Orsome Welles and Kettlespider, and have created a sound that can only really be described, or categorised, as ‘instrumental flamenco prog rock’. As left of centre as that sounds.

To further define it, since it may be a little hard to envision for the uninitiated, these guys create lengthy compositions with sprawling arrangements and high-level musicianship almost exclusively with flamenco guitars, bass and drums. And they do it without the aid of formal vocals and lyrics (there are occasional ambient vocals, horns and keys). Commercially, they are treading a very hard path, mining musical terrain like this, but man, do they sound like they having and absolute ball while doing so, and one gets the very strong feeling they don’t give a toss about commercial concerns.

They just want to rock TF out with their Spanish guitars.

And rock TF out they most certainly do. Malcura II is 12 tracks and almost an hour’s worth of ridiculously authentic flamenco interplay, set against a kick-arse rhythm section, that is just so much fun to listen to it’s not funny.

At the same time, while the overriding vibe of the album is that of up-tempo exuberance, it also takes the listener through a bunch of different moods, colours and dynamics across the course of its length. Check out The Little Ox, for proof. Keynote track, the seven minute-plus The Ballad of the Humble Space Jockey,  also has somewhat of a restrained, melancholy tone to it as it builds nicely to its climax.

One can only imagine that this stuff would be an absolute hoot in a live setting too.

This band has truly created something unique and inspiring here. If you love flamenco and/or classical guitar, prog rock and just about anything in between, you will find much to enjoy here. Malcura II is different, but this is a good thing. Give it a try, but do so with mind open.

Band: Malcura
Album: Malcura II
Year: 2020
Genre: Instrumental flamenco prog
Label: Independent
Origin: Australia

The post Malcura – Malcura II first appeared on Metal Obsession.

The new album from Sydney instrumental guitar prodigy Plini far from outstays its welcome. At eight tracks, only two of which stretch out to longer than five minutes, and under fourty minutes of music all up, it redefines the word ‘tasteful’. But, man oh man, does it pack a shitload into its running length.

It’s difficult to nail down, or keep track of, all of the myriad musical styles Plini brings to the table here. He covers rock, pop, metal, prog, jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz (check out Pan, which at times resembles Kenny G on steroids, jazz-pop with thundering drums), blues, moments of electronica, stuff that sounds like it could have been pulled from a movie soundtrack and plenty more besides. Some of the music is light, lyrical and wistful, some of it rocks like the blazes, some of it soars to the very heavens in its cathartic musical explorations.

And, best of all, Plini and his band seem to pull it off with such ease, as if creating such inspiring sounds and amazing music is like shelling a pea for them.

I’m sure it’s not, I’m sure he/they worked extraordinarily hard on this album’s conception, construction and production, but for the people strictly enjoying the end product, it seems effortless. Almost annoyingly so. People who are this ridiculously talented are irritating…

All that aside, in a word, Impulse Voices is astonishing. It’s a wild and wonderful instrumental ride across beautiful, magical musical soundscapes, culminating in the wonder that is album closer, The Glass Bead Game. It’s an indefinable, mind-bending epic that builds and builds upon itself over the course of nine minutes and must be experienced to be believed.

At this point, I have to return to a term I used earlier in this review, ‘tasteful’. One gets the very strong feeling that Plini can shred like a maniac when the mood takes him, he just prefers not to. He prefers to let his highly progressive and imaginative compositions and his sweet and yes, tasteful lines and playing do all the talking, only bringing in the super-fast side of his playing when absolutely appropriate. And even then, he dials it up, teases you with it for a moment, leaving you wanting more, and then takes it away.

And his music is all the more compelling for it. (Don’t get me wrong, I love shredders and shred guitar, just everything in its place.)

Plini is the type of artist who obviously wants each release to be a meaningful event, a landmark in time, a bold and beautiful statement, not just the next album in his release cycle. And we, the listeners, are the ecstatic recipients of this attitude and approach.

Impulse Voices is a record you will love more with every listen, and is unquestionably one of the albums of 2020.

Band: Plini
Album: Impulse Voices
Year: 2020
Genre: Instrumental guitar prog
Label: Independent
Origin: Australia

The post Plini – Impulse Voices first appeared on Metal Obsession.

Free download of Iron Fist Issue 6 HERE

Ex-Kevelertak frontman Erlend Hjelvik is about to open the gates of Hel with his new solo project, a blackened viking heavy metal outfit in HJELVIK, who are due to release ‘Welcome to Hel’ on the 20th of November. Taking all that we love from a range of heavy genres, this record consists of a broad number of influences and inspirations but falls hard into its Nordic themes. Welcome to Hel is comprised of 10 tracks, all of which have their somewhat simplistic base – a fast tempo, heavy rhythmic sections, high pitch tweaking melodies scattered throughout and of course the harsh vocals that you came here for. Beyond their simple nature, these tracks tell a tale, a tale that Erlend himself is writing the music he wants to write, and is having a damn good time while he’s at it.

Take ‘The power ballad of Freyr’ for example, a slower paced classic heavy metal tracks with your underlying death metal undertones. Taking risks and mixing it up with tracks like this is exactly why this album is so successful, and damn fun to listen to. Hjelviks’ vocal work throughout this album is fantastic, his beastly growls add an extra element to the musicianship and are backed up with beautiful guitar tones that resonate through the whole album. Add to that if you will, the constant solo-ing and pacey melodic riffs and you realise that HJELVIK have really nailed it with this modern brand of metal they bring to the table.

The recently released single ‘Glory of Hel’ featuring High on Fire’s own Matt Pike is something else to behold. There is almost a sense of vocal duelling, a battle for the ages if you must. Pikes vocals are Godly, and their deep rough nature is balanced out by the higher screeches of Hjelvik and it creates a fantastic soundscape. This track is definitely one of the highlights to the album, and also has an incredible music video along with it that has phenomenal visuals.

Overall the musicianship, song writing, and Nordic ideologies throughout this album all hit home. Not only is this a great way to debut your solo work, it’s also the type of album to get fans wanting to get back out into a live setting – and I’m sure most people across the world already feel that way. This record gives a great sense of things to expect in the future for Erlend Hjelvik, but for now, grab a Viking horn, fill it with beer and listen to this record.

Band: HJELVIK
Album: Welcome To Hel
Year: 2020
Genre: Viking Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Origin: Norway

The post HJELVIK – Welcome to Hel first appeared on Metal Obsession.

Due to the long arc of their career, can anything AC/DC release at this point contribute to their legacy? Stick around because I’ve had a thorough listen to their new album, Power Up, and I’ve got an answer.

On their 19th studio album (18 if both editions of High Voltage count as a single album), little, to absolutely nothing has changed. AC/DC are still the kings of the same bar-room bruisers they perfected on their debut, High Voltage (‘75). So even though Power Up sounds like every other Brian Johnson fronted album, it’s still the group’s most significant release in a generation due to the absence of Malcolm Young (RIP).

Percussionist Phil Rudd is performing as if his very soul is on the line. Producer extraordinaire Brendan O’Brien has done a magnificent job of capturing Rudd’s signature stomp, mixing the drums on par with the vocals and still managing to give each instrument breathing space. Cliff Williams’ bass parts chug along, never playing more than bare basics except for a nice twin bass and guitar run in “Demon Fire”.

Stevie Young shares the same psychic musical connection that Malcolm had with Angus. Only a musician will understand it’s nearly impossible to imitate and emulate another musician and for the absolute life of me; I can’t tell the difference between Stevie and Malcolm’s guitar playing.

Brian sounds as gnarly as ever. His voice has bourne the brunt of thousands of performances and is still intact. The vocal harmony which he and the backing singers use throughout the first cut, “Realize”, apes the introduction to “Thunderstruck” (The Razors Edge- ‘90). That’d have to be a conscious decision from the band, given the resemblance. It’s as if the group are saying ‘Remember us?’, after the conjecture of their status as an ongoing concern post-Malcolm.

Angus has written a few belters on Power Up. The collection is his best since The Razors Edge, which is 30 years old. “Realize”, “Witches Spell”, “Demon Fire”, “Systems Down”, and “Code Red” capture his penchant for crafting a slinky verse and a meaty chorus. Of Angus’ performance on his trusty Gibson SG, it’s as you’d anticipate, only he’s turned the volume up a notch or two since Rock or Bust (‘14). The single discernable technique he’s introduced on Power Up, which sounds like a recent addition to his massive bag of dirty tricks, is the slide at the 1:20 mark of “No Man’s Land”, which repeats a few times.

Overall, Power Up is the third most important album in AC/DC’s career, behind High Voltage and Back In Black (80). Time will tell, however initial impressions suggest that on the strength of the album’s compositions, Angus can keep the riff-raff coming with whomever as long as he pleases.

It’s probably galling for purists to acknowledge, but in reality, AC/ DC needs only one man to legitimise their ongoing presence. To prove the point, Brian delivers with gusto, but Axl Rose could have sung his parts, and Chris Slade might still have his gig on the drum stool if Phil Rudd hadn’t organised his shit in time to nail the percussive swing so crucial for the group to click-clack along to William’s quarter-notes. Regarding Malcolm, I don’t offer this comment in a manner designed to detract from his enormous legacy, but there is at least one guitarist capable of stepping into his shoes, and Angus didn’t have to look beyond his Christmas card list to find the perfect choice.

Ultimately, the musicians in AC/DC only have one job, which is to follow Angus. I know there is a horde of people out there who swear on the bible Malcolm is the beating heart of the band; however, Power Up proves that when it’s all said and done, AC/DC is, and always has been, the Angus Young show.

Band: AC/DC
Album: Power Up
Year: 2020
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Sony Music Australia
Origin: Australia

The post AC/DC – Power Up first appeared on Metal Obsession.

SCOUR are an extreme metal super group featuring Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down), John Jarvis (Agoraphobic Nosebleed), Derek Engemann (Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals), Mark Kloeppel (Misery Index), and Adam Jarvis (Pig Destroyer, Lock Up). The group play an intense brand of black metal which has strong foundations in grind and other extreme styles.  Scour have been around since 2015 and have released a reasonable amount of music in relatively short period of time, namely The Grey EP (2016) & The Red EP (2017). Their 3rd EP, The Black EP,  is due for release on November 27th.

The EP gets down to business with ‘Doom’ – the unmistakable sound of Air raid sirens kick things off before being broken off by a barrage of black metal riffing. I really enjoy this track– it’s high energy and the musicianship is great. I believe actor Jason Momoa (Dune, Game Of Thrones, Aquaman) is lending some guest vocals on this –  If it’s really Aquaman that’s doing the low gutturals I’m damn impressed! Anselmo shows his versatility on here too, keeping the track varied and engaging throughout – frost bitten black metal style howls and some impressive lows are all on show. The addition of Eric Rutan’s guest lead work certainly enhances the track too. Doom is a great opener – there is not a lot for me to fault here.    

The next 3 tracks see Scour nail a strong balance between Black Metal and Grind which I really enjoy – Nail, Propaganda and Flames are chock-a-block full of great riffs, vocal moments, and the sort of intensity and energy that separates the wheat from the chaff. Pat O’Brien (Cannibal Corpse) lays down some guest leads on Flames which is heartening to see after his 2018 arrest. All 3 tracks are quality and don’t overstay their welcome either (each has a run time of under 3 mins in length) – short, sharp and potent is the name of the game here.

Unlike the other tracks on the release Microbes is a brooding instrumental piece which has a very strong symphonic blackmetal vibe. It’s essentially the introduction to Subprime which is a great track that seems to hit on a lot of classic black metal elements.  Subprime contains some less of the grind influence that are more overstated on the preceding tracks –  it’s certainly is the most atmospheric, ‘traditional black metal’ piece on the EP.

I’m by no means a Black metal aficionado but I really enjoy this EP – it is an intense, concise, and somewhat varied release which will appeal to most fans of extreme heavy music. You don’t need to be a full blown black metal fan to enjoy this release, and certainly you don’t need to be a Pantera Fan, or a fan of Phil Anselmo to enjoy what Scour do. In fact, a lot of people who probably would enjoy this EP may never give it a go because of preconceived ideas about Phil’s contribution. Either way, with a run time of less than 20 mins I’d highly recommend giving the EP a spin – you’re more than likely to be pleasantly surprised; I certainly was!

Band: Scour
Album: Black
Year: 2020
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Origin: USA

The post Scour – Black first appeared on Metal Obsession.

The sophomore album in a band’s career usually ends up being a definitive statement in crafting their own sound. The likes of Ride the Lightning by Metallica, Hell Awaits by Slayer and Morbid Angel’s Blessed are the Sick are all fine examples of this. A band such as Depravity hailing from the most isolated city in the world in Perth, Australia can draw up it’s own connotations especially in the world of brutal death metal. Featuring members who have previously played for such local acts as Malignant Monster, The Furor, Entrails Eradicated and Inanimacy gives you an idea they weren’t messing around when the band was formed in 2016. The debut album “Evil Upheaval” received a fair amount of critical acclaim in the death metal community around the world and resulted in festival appearances in Adelaide and Queensland which gave the Australian public wanting more from this incredibly professional death metal band. Fast forward to 2020 where the globe was hit with a pandemic which has halted progress in terms of playing shows outside Western Australia. However it should be noted that this album is one of the most highly touted in the realm of extreme music.

A aural bombardment is exactly what Grand Malevolence is. Intricate riffs which is no surprise in the world of modern death metal and given how good Lynton Cessford and Jarod Curley work together in crafting the tracks on the album. It is more than enough to make the ears bleed of those who are not accustomed to this type of music. If you are a fan of bands such as Immolation, Suffocation, Deeds of Flesh and Morbid Angel then this record is exactly what you need. I wouldn’t exactly refer to the riffage on the album as being progressive, but it is most certainly technical and intricate to the point where it could appreciated by fans of progressive music. Almost in a neo-classical way it provides an extra layer of depth to the bands already impressive songwriting ability. Songs such as the Invalid Majesty, Barbaric Eternity and the Coming of the Hammering all written by drum extraordinaire Louis Rando showcase his ability to write songs on guitar while being a drummer as well as his love of barbaric black/death metal similar to the likes of Angelcorpse, Marduk, Deicide and Beastial Warlust just to name a few.

“Castrate the Perpetrators” is a stand out on the album and is about the sexual abuse which goes on within the Catholic Church and Hollywood. Riff after riff of powerful technical ecstasy, drums from the bowels of the underworld and a vocal performance among the titans of death metal “Grand Malevolence” is one of the most anticipated records in extreme music this year. Due for release in December and already a few tracks have been shared on various platforms across the internet it’s one to savour. Headover to Transcending Obscurity records and pre-order a copy. You won’t be disappointed.

Band: Depravity
Album: Grand Malevolence
Year: 2020
Genre: Death Metal
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Origin: Australia

The post Depravity – Grand Malevolence first appeared on Metal Obsession.

One of Australia’s pioneering metal drummers, Matt ‘Skitz’ Sanders (Damaged, Blood Duster, King Parrot) will be blasting your ears and your minds with the announcement of a 2021 national tour across Australia. Your Mate Bookings and Blast Abyss will spearhead the national tour alongside Pearl Drums and Zildjian Cymbals.

For the first time in his 33 years – “Skitz” will step up with a hand-picked crew of players and perform music originally recorded by a selection of peer-influencing bands in Australia’s metal scene – including Damaged, Manticore, Misery, Terrorust, and Hobbs Angel of Death.

Skitz will also be recounting war stories of his years of relentless touring with many of the infamous groups he has been a part of in Australia’s savage metal history and will also have a range of merchandise available – featuring his own art – including T-shirts, hoodies, caps and prints.

The tour will kick off in Canberra and head to Sydney, Ballarat, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Full list of dates and venues below.

Feb 6th – Transit Bar – Canberra
Feb 7th – The Vanguard – Sydney
Feb 12th – The Eastern – Ballarat
Feb 13th – The Bendigo Hotel – Melbourne
Feb 19th – The Foundry – Brisbane
Feb 21st – The Cracker – Adelaide

Tickets are on sale now. Click here to secure yours today.

The post Pioneering Aussie metal drummer Matt ‘Skitz’ announces 2021 national tour. first appeared on Metal Obsession.

Melbourne’s Progressive Death Metal masters, Be’lakor has recently dropped new updates from the studio regarding the release of their as of yet, forthcoming new album.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of Melbourne residents have been locked away for sometime and only recently have able to go outside and experience life once again due to changes in restrictions.

With the easing of restrictions, Be’lakor is now back on track to complete their fifth studio album and follow up to the 2016 masterpiece Vessels.

The news comes directly from the band’s social media outlets, dropping some hints about the new album, plus in studio footage.

Studio update 2 of 2: and here is a little teaser from the album closer! It's a 12-minute epic. We'll keep the updates coming now that we're back in the studio. pic.twitter.com/KSDDQ4gGb3

— Be'lakor (@belakorband) November 10, 2020

The post Be’lakor tease new album studio updates. first appeared on Metal Obsession.

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