ALBUM REVIEW: AMENRA - MASS VI

AMENRA
MASS VI
Neurot Recordings
Sludge Metal, Post-Metal.
Listening Format: Digital



I saw Belgian Sludge Metal masters Amenra live at Damnation Festival a couple of years ago and it still remains one of the most emotionally charged performances I've ever witnessed. Amenra tend to stand out from a lot of their genre peers by pouring absolutely everything into their music. Previous album 'Mass V' at the time of release was their greatest to date. It felt like the album they had always been building towards. Not only is their dynamic take on Sludge and Post Metal much more refreshing than many of their peers, but listening to that album and seeing it performed live actually DRAINED me. Their music is built on so much tension, agony and intensity that it feels like enduring the most rigorous therapy session. You want to lay down and have a nap after listening to this band.

It's safe to say that there was a huge amount of hype for 'Mass VI', falling five years since their previous full length. Between this time Amenra have still been fairly active as a band, releasing a live album as well as doing something a bit different by recording acoustic songs. Outside of this, vocalist Colin H Van Eeckhout released a solo record, plus him and other band members also made some fantastic releases with their Church of Ra offshoot bands Oathbreaker, Wiegedood and Absent In Body. The Belgian collective of bands seem to be looking to take over the Extreme Metal scene, with a string of highly acclaimed projects.

Running at just over 40 minutes in total, Amenra return with an album fairly reminiscent of their masterpiece 'Mass V'. The production is a little bit more polished. In particular CHVE's vocals have really improved. He implements less spoken word and more clean singing than ever before, with a hushed voice reminiscent of Kayo Dot's Toby Driver. Of course his high pitched screams and wails are just as aggressive and visceral as ever. Clearly CHVE has made more of a focus on improving his singing voice and the overall diversity of his vocals has reached an all time high. It works especially well on album highlight 'A Solitary Reign' where his vocals have been multi-tracked combining ferocious screams and haunting clean singing of the repeated mantra "There is a distance in your eyes".

But when it comes to the rest of the band, it actually feels like Amenra are playing things a little safe here. Amenra know what kind of chords, tempos and song dynamics work for them, and 6th time around it feels a little too familiar, like I've heard it all before. Even the most passionate Amenra fan can probably admit that the riffs in 'Children of the Eye' and 'Plus Pres de Toi' have basically been used before. The album's worst track 'Spijt' feels very much like Amenra on autopilot, like they started a song and forgot to finish it, so just threw in a 2 minute snippet and left it like that. It barely even works as an interlude to break up the album, it's just a real headscratcher. Album closer 'Diaken' also left me on a cold note. At the end of it's 11 minute duration it just kind of ends, without a satisfying conclusion. A little underwhelming considering 'Mass V' had one hell of an emotional climax.

And there lays the biggest problem with 'Mass VI'... I personally just don't feel an emotional connection with most of these songs. Even though all the right ingredients have gone into the oven, this just feels all too familiar. Even though CHVE is yelling from the bottom of his heart on this album, with another highly dynamic, tour-de-force vocal performance, I'm left feeling a cold void. 'Mass V' and parts of their previous albums hit me really hard. I'd be banging my head along, clenching my fist in their air and especially with 'Mass V', I often end up playing the album straight away again once it has finished. The best cut here is 'A Solitary Reign' which I feel lived up to what I was hoping for from this album. Even Amenra mix things up a bit with a folky guitar arpeggio leading the track, but ultimately it comes to the same conclusion as many Amenra songs. I guess maybe I've been spoilt by Oathbreaker's 2016 masterpiece 'Rheia' (also featuring guitarist Lennart Bossu). Even though I thought Oathbreaker's first two records were great, 'Rheia' was a massive step up, improving the band's sound in almost every aspect, delivering a much more ambitious release than anything they have done before. In a way I was adamant that 'Mass VI' would be an even bigger beast than anything the band had done before it. When actually it not only feels like the band are holding back a little, but struggling to say anything they haven't already expressed. The guitar riffs, the ebbs and flows, and the vocal phrasings are just far too reminiscent and predictable... And I'm just not FEELING that weight, that sorrow, that anguish...

Sure I did enjoy this record, I mean it's freakin' AMENRA! A band I think every fan of Extreme Metal or even Post Rock should have on their radar, but 'Mass VI' also feels like a bit of a missed opportunity too. Even Amenra on autopilot is still pretty darn good though, so hopefully it will work for you! 7/10.

EP REVIEW: HUNDRED YEAR OLD MAN - BLACK FIRE

HUNDRED YEAR OLD MAN
BLACK FIRE
Gizeh Records
Sludge Metal, Post Metal, Post Hardcore.
Listening Format: CD


Fresh from conquering the New Blood stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival, Leeds based sextet Hundred Year Old Man are looking to conquer the world. The anthemic 'Black Fire' is a hell of a way to accomplish such a feat. Back in 2015, HYOM released their self titled EP, consisting of three very lengthy pieces of incredibly dark and haunting Sludge Metal, faintly soaking in essences of Black Metal and Drone. Though it meandered a fair bit, it remains an impressive and suffocating debut effort. After a bit of a lineup change, including the addition of new lead vocalist Paul Broughton, HYOM have kept the best parts of their original sound, and fused them with a slightly more urgent and Hardcore influenced sound.

'Black Fire' may breach the ten minute mark, but it genuinely is about as immediate as Post-Metal, Atmospheric Sludge gets these days. The Sludge behemoth burns into life with some massive, pounding, slow atmospheric riffs. The lead vocals of Paul Broughton really kick you in the face with these utterly ferocious screams, over a chugging riff that Amenra would be proud of. The song gradually ebbs and flows through teasing restrained motifs, and back into full on explosions of chaotic fury. At some points there are up to three different vocal screams trading off, dense arrays of textured electronics and colossal guitars, all coming together to create something truly earth shattering. Just after the nine minute mark, the song picks up to an almighty crescendo that gave me chills down my spine!

Aside from the lead single, there are two more tracks on the disc. The first is a surprise cover of Pink Floyd's cult classic 'Welcome to the Machine'. The slow, atmospheric dirge kind of seems perfect for an Atmos-Sludge re-invention, and HYOM have taken a fair stab it. Their attempt is suitably just as slow and spacey, allowing them to reel out textures even further, sounding like the electronics and possibly some synths have taken the forefront over the guitars in the mix. The half clean, half screamed kind of vocals don't quite fit, sounding much more restrained and uneventful than the sheer force of 'Black Fire'. HYOM show their versatility and stretch their abilities here, but ultimately this cover doesn't quite represent just how good this band are. The disc finishes with a demo track, 'Disconnect'. This track sits somewhere between the urgency of 'Black Fire' and the sedated sorrow of 'Welcome to the Machine'. Being a demo, the mix isn't quite as fleshed out, but it is certainly a teaser for great things to come, a track I'd like to hear expanded upon.

If you are just here for the title track, then 'Black Fire' is an exemplary statement of how exciting Sludge Metal is sounding these days. Post Metal (or Atmos-Sludge) is certainly in a resurgence, oddly in a tangent with the fading and meandering sounds of Post Rock. Hundred Year Old Man honour the masters such as Neurosis, Isis and Cult of Luna, but inject something fresh, modern and cutting edge into this formula. 'Black Fire' is a tremendous achievement from a band in transition, and I can't wait to hear their full length debut. The two "b-sides" don't quite hold the same power, but I would say 'Black Fire' should be essential listening for fans of the genre. 7/10.

ALBUM REVIEW: SODEN - LED BY FOXES...

SODEN
LED  BY FOXES...
Self-Released.
Sludge Metal, Post-Rock.
Listening Format: CD



Soden are an instrumental Metal trio based in Worcestershire, England. After putting out a couple of well received EPs over the last two years, the band have written, self produced and DIY released this debut full length CD, 'Led By Foxes...' Soden also continue to be a strong force playing live across the UK, and this album very much captures their live essence and sound.

One of the most obvious bands to compare Soden to would be US Post-Metal icons Pelican. Not only do Soden bring crushing Doom riffs, but their understanding of dynamics is fantastic. Across the whole of 'Led By Foxes...', Soden take you on a real journey, telling a story without any lyrics. Opener 'Sleep Paralysis' is not only a fantastic live number, but it is such a great mission statement for the band. The song is a real showcase of melodic, twiddly bass licks, that ebb and flow like tidal waves. So much fuzz and atmosphere is created that you begin to wonder how just three players can make such massive, textured sounds. In particular the use of different pedals creates noisy atmospheres, and the tribal influenced drumming gives such a lively sense of rhythm and groove. The technical abilities of the band really shine, with so many exciting fills and transitions. It's the lengthier tracks that win on this album, with the title track having even more irresistible grooves. Some of the shorter tracks like 'Beyond the Mountain' are awesome balls out riff machines, but it is epics like the teasing stop/start 'Oneireophrenia' and fuzz worship finale 'Trip to Pluto' that excite me the most.

Soden are a band that make the clean, softer sections count as much as the crushing riffs. The trio sound even better when they are crafting these lengthy journeys of sound that take the listener on a sonic trip of peaks and troughs, louds and quiets. The Worcestershire trio are storytellers of sound and this is a fantastically realised debut effort. Some of the tones expressed are beautiful and the drums snap hard. I'd love them to continue to go even further in the future and make their tracks even longer and more progressive! 8/10.

#330: PELICAN + PIJN & MUGSTAR - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

PELICAN

MUGSTAR

PIJN

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PIJN

A bit of a congratulations is in order for Pijn (is that pronounced like pigeon?), as it turns out this opening slot for Pelican was only their second ever show! I never would have guessed it from how confidently they performed. This Manchester based trio suitably play (mostly) instrumental techy Post-Metal with Post Rock elements.

In true Post Rock style, their set began softly, dominated by clean textured guitars and interesting, eerie chords. Whilst the band were no strangers to using guitar hum and feedback, their performance wasn't overly heavy or noisy, allowing for a nice contrast between soft and loud tones. Pijn's use of complex time signatures and chords really struck out as their trademark. In particular their drummer (who was physically centre stage) was the most interesting to watch, providing a bundle of energy. On one song he even switched to playing keyboards during a calmer passage of their music, and spoken word samples were also implemented.

When it came to their final song, Pijn turned into a very different beast. Their music drastically grew in intensity and heaviness, drawing closer to the Post-Metal sound of headliners Pelican. The drums became much faster and choppier, with cymbal battering and varied fills fleshing out the songs. Their guitarist really lost himself towards the end of the show, headbanging away and even adding screaming vocals over the ferocious chugging Sludge riffs. With vocals being used so sparingly in their set, I don't think they were even necessary. If Pelican can do instrumental Metal with great conviction, then so can Pijn. Regardless, this was a very impressive finale that left a lasting impression in my head.

Looking back on their performance, it makes sense that Pijn are newcomers to the local music scene. They tried out a lot of different ideas, beginning the show calmly with a lack of punch, and then later going all out Metal. Pijn still sound like a band who are trying to find their sound and their unique stamp, but regardless, they coped extremely well with being thrown in the deep end, even covering well during a guitar malfunction. Pijn seem like they are exactly where they should be, and hopefully they will just get better and better. 7/10.

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MUGSTAR

Mugstar are a Heavy Psyche trio from Liverpool and rumour has it that they have been shortlisted for Mogwai's Rock Action label. Aurally and numerically, this trio sat perfectly between the sounds of Moon Duo and Wooden Shjips. They performed very loud, noisy and repetitive psyched out grooves, making them less suited to the bill than openers Pijn were. 

They kicked in with chuggy Stoner grooves, with one repetitive riff cycling over. The two guitarists were often performing fast tremolo style to achieve a dense fuzzy sound. Unfortunately I found throughout the set that there was so much fuzz and feedback that almost everything else in their sound was completely drowned out. At first I thought it could have been a sound mix issue, but the other two bands did not suffer from any major problems. Frequently their guitarist would also add vocals, but because there was so much reverb on the mic it left the vocals practically inaudible during their set, taking something away from their sound. Their energetic drummer added some excitement to the mix, but with their music being so repetitive, more fills and surprises would definitely have benefited. One song did add in keyboards, giving much need depth and texture to the sound, but I didn't hear the keys again after that one song, making me wonder why they don't use a permanent keyboardist. Mugstar ended on a finale that sounded like an instrumental version of "Goo" era Sonic Youth, but they still felt hindered by a lack of varying ideas. 

Unfortunately hearing these pitfalls in sound across their entire set lead to a pretty boring live experience, but it was more than just sound problems hindering Mugstar tonight. Having enjoyed seeing the aforementioned bands such as Wooden Shjips in concert, it felt like Mugstar were pulling too far into one direction and not enough in the other. Too much constant feedback and reverb gave the trio a very wishy washy sound that just felt like it was causing a wall between the crowd and the band, like trying to watch a film through a cloud of thick smog! With songs built on a lot of repetition, it was quite boring, tedious and self indulgent listening to such a one-sided affair. Mugstar forgot to perform with any feeling or excitement, and the end result felt like I was watching a band having a long jam in their rehearsal room, not playing a show to a paying crowd. Considering I enjoy this kind of Psychedelic Rock, Mugstar's performance gave me absolutely no joy tonight. 4/10.

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PELICAN

The Chicago based instrumental Post-Metallers took me on a bit of a nostalgia trip tonight, to a time 10 years ago when I would blast out their first three releases "Pelican", "Australasia" and "The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw" religiously during my college days. Back then their sound was so fresh, with only Neurosis, Cult of Luna and Isis really above them in this subgenre. 10 years later, other bands such as Bossk, Russian Circles and Amenra have caught up and evolved that sound. Could Pelican still recapture the excitement that blew me away 10 years ago?

Immediately from the first song I was hit with a big grin on my face. After a wall of escalating feedback and drone, Pelican cut abruptly into a mid tempo chugging frenzy. They began their set with a couple of their faster tempo tracks, dominated by spellbounding palm muted riffs. Straight away I was struck by how colossal their sound was. I could feel every rumble of the bass travelling through the floor and up my body, whilst the guitars sounded so smooth and chunky.

As the show went on they slowed the overall tempos down a peg, showcasing some of their darker, Doomier pieces. One of Pelican's trademarks is their complex song structures that add shifting dynamics to their metallic symphonies, drifting like tectonic plates. Unlike Post Rock's tendencies to start softly and build to heavy crescendos, Pelican are able to begin heavy and momentous, and somehow take you on a journey through complex time signatures and song structures that always throw in little surprises. With their lineup largely unchanged since their formation, their chemistry on stage is flawless, delivering mindboggling music with ease and comfort. When you hear Pelican, you don't at all feel like they are missing anything in their sound by not using vocals. Instead the harmonious and melodic guitars speak for themselves, adding pinches of noise and natural harmonics regularly to throw in new dashes of colour. But aside from that, Pelican know best how to hit you with earth shattering riffs. Their use of unusual chords make their riffs very special indeed, drifting that fine line between something that can make you bang your head, as well as make your heart flutter.

The only real negative in their performance tonight was that they mainly stuck to newer material. The teenager in me was screaming for early classics such as "NightEndDay", "March Into the Sea" and their iconic "Drought", which would have have seen the whole crowd lose their shit! With their "Australasia" album recently being re-praised by Fact Magazine, it was a shame that their classic, groundbreaking material was largely ignored by the band, teasing us with only it's 3 minute interlude track "GW" in the encore. The finale of "Mammoth" was lovely, but the newer material shows this band have grown up a lot since their inception. Fortunately their newer material was enough to carry a very exciting performance. 8/10.

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May 3rd 2016 @ Gorilla, Manchester. Additional photos by Mel Hamilton.