Territory’s Edge - Best New Metal of February 2022

Welcome to the February edition of Territory’s Edge where I highlight the heavy music released this month that caught my attention.  I don’t care much for strict categories or genre purism; whether the music is 13-minute-long blackened funeral doom or R&B influenced post hardcore, it’s eligible here.  Bandcamp links are always listed by default if available, as buying from this platform does the most to directly support the artists.  Otherwise, streaming links and music videos for singles will be posted.  For an individual single to be discussed in full in this column, it must be released over one month in advance of an upcoming album, or be a standalone single.  

Cult of Luna - The Long Road North

Cult of Luna's music often evokes a lengthy, scenic journey - for their latest album, specifically in a rural, remote part of Sweden, according to frontman Johannes Persson.  With that in mind, it makes sense that The Long Road North would come accompanied by an immersive grayscale game where the player navigates through a harsh landscape.  If "Lights on The Hill" from 2019's A Dawn to Fear evoked reaching a scenic overlook, The Long Road North is akin to a trek in harsh weather through remote wilderness.  Throughout the band's nine albums, lengthy compositions use repetition to create an atmosphere or build up slowly to a climax.  Drummer Thomas Hedlund provides a backdrop of complex, progressive rhythms for the slow-burning, chugging riffs from Johannes Persson and Erik Olofsson.  "Into the Night" and the instrumental “Full Moon” provide a melancholic respite in the middle.  This atmospheric break is comparable to quieter Neurosis material with Johannes adopting a Scott Van Till style of singing. Similarly, the ambient “Beyond I” and “Beyond II” offer two variations on the same theme.  One features lead vocals by guest singer Mariam Wallentin, while the other is an instrumental. Brooding, colossal tracks like the title track and “An Offering to the Wild” provide a cinematic scope.  Cult of Luna has yet to release a bad album, and The Long Road North is a legitimate early AOTY contender. 

Hollow Front - "Comatose"

I was introduced to Hollow Front with their 2020 debut full-length, Loose Threads, and took note of the band's potential while finding room for improvement.  This track displays some growth in the songwriting department, and overall is a stronger display of their abilities.  According to Tyler Tate, one of the band's two vocalists, "Comatose" is about battling depression, specifically during the midst of the pandemic, as well as anxiety over an uncertain future at the time.  “Comatose” features a nice usage of backing clean vocals that mesh well with the low growls, rather than just following the expected clean chorus-unclean verse format.  This Grand Rapids based metalcore band goes on tour with Fit For a King and Silent Planet this spring. 

Venom Prison - Erebos

On Venom Prison's new album, frontwoman Larissa Stupar is as fierce and passionate as ever.  Melodic guitar solos and powerful riffs from Ash Gray and Ben Thomas further augment her powerful delivery. The band’s use of elements of Greek mythology as metaphors for modern issues, particularly current criminal justice systems, is a recurring theme throughout Erebos.  Songs like “Judges of the Underworld”, “Castigated in Steel and Concrete” and “Technologies of Death” all focus on incarceration or the death penalty, and the lyricism is a strong point.  A comparison between Primeval (the band’s first two EPs reissued last year) which was straight-up death metal, and Erebos reveals a new direction for them.  While still primarily death metal, Venom Prison ventures into new territory with this album.  The most obvious departure is the excellent “Pain of Oizys”,  alternately delicate and fiercely confident. This song about battling depression is the first Venom Prison track where Larissa’s clean singing takes center stage, and her singing reappears in a supporting role elsewhere on tracks like “Veil of Night”.  On the other side of the spectrum, the closer “Technologies of Death” has Larissa adopting a raspy black metal style delivery, before the fury settles down for a melodic bridge.  Towards the end of the song, Larissa leaves the listener on a hopeful note, “Somewhere deep inside/empathy is still alive.” Without a doubt, Venom Prison are poised to reach bigger audiences and garner attention here.  

Ends Embrace - "Warhorse"/"Forgotten Ways"/"Voices of the Dead"

Up next is an underground one-man Navajo black metal project from Scottsdale, Arizona.  Ends Embrace's three newest singles, two of which appear on a split EP called Thrall of the Winter Moon, show a marked progression in musicianship from We Will Never Die.  Ryan Silas plays raw black metal with a bit of crust punk influence as well.  The whinnies of a horse and a doomy, melodic guitar line set the backdrop for “Warhorse”, while "Forgotten Ways", which transitions into “Voices of the Dead”, reminds me of a lo-fi take on Downfall of Gaia.  While I'm not normally into raw recorded black metal, Silas' affinity for punk, usage of minor key instrumentals, and anti-oppression message from an indigenous perspective give Ends Embrace a sense of individuality in the crowded underground black metal scene.  The split EP is available as a pay-what-you-want download on Bandcamp if you like what you hear.

Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory

While this band currently has six albums in their discography, Where Myth Becomes Memory was my introduction to Rolo Tomassi, and a very good first impression at that.  This is a well-paced progressive metal album with wide influences as disparate as mathcore and dream pop.  The band, whose name is a reference to the film L.A. Confidential, is led by sister and brother duo Eva (lead vocals) and James Spence (keyboards, electronics and backing vocals).  Where Myth Becomes Memory is very dynamic in sound, ranging from ethereal dream pop to a maelstrom of technical metal and throaty growls.  Reminiscent of Spiritbox, the single “Cloaked” is a good overview of both sides of the Rolo Tomassi sound.   Softer tracks like “Closer”, “Stumbling” and “The End of Eternity” tip the overall balance of Where Myth Becomes Memory in favor of atmosphere and elegance. 

Graphic Nature - new skin

While Graphic Nature take their name from a Deftones song off the progressive alternative metal masterpiece Koi No Yokan, this young band's sound is clearly in the realm of hardcore, with some industrial and old school nu metal influence thrown in.  Like their fellow British contemporaries Loathe, the band has listed instrumental video game soundtracks as an influence.  This ruthless ten-minute EP wastes no time kicking the door down, and finishes the sonic destruction just as quickly.  According to frontman Harvey Freeman, new skin represents Graphic Nature's core sound, and is thematically about the process of freeing yourself from self-hatred and toxicity.  Each of these songs lasts about two and half minutes, and offers a quick cathartic release from negative emotions.  

Other Notable Releases 

Albums/EPs

Korn - Requiem (Feb 4, nu metal)

Windveill - There Inevitably Will Be Silence (Feb 4, atmospheric black metal/blackgaze)

Circa Survive - A Dream About Death EP (Feb 4, post-hardcore/alternative)

Vorga - Striving Towards Oblivion (Feb 4, black metal)

Thorn - Yawning Depths (Feb 4, death metal)

Hangman's Chair - A Loner (Feb 11, doom/heavy metal)

Zeal & Ardor - Zeal & Ardor (Feb 11, black metal/soul/blues)

Napalm Death - Resentment is Always Seismic EP (Feb 11, grindcore)

Cane Hill - Krewe d'Amour Vol. II EP (Feb 11, nu metal/metalcore)

Once Human - Scar Weaver (Feb 11, melodic death metal)

Darkmatter - Project Darkmatter EP (nu metal/metalcore)

An Isolated Mind - A Place We Cannot Go (Feb 15, noise rock/experimental)

Black Map - Melodoria (Feb 18, alternative metal/post-hardcore)

Bloodywood - Rakshak (Feb 18, folk metal/nu metal)

Pure Wrath - Hymn to the Woeful Hearts (Feb 18, black metal)

Immolation - Acts of God (Feb 18, death metal)

SIFYN - Marionette (Feb 18, progressive metal - side project from Veil of Maya's Lukas Magyar)

Bad Omens - The Death of Peace of Mind (Feb 25, metalcore)

Blood Incantation - Timewave Zero (Feb 25, dark ambient)

Eight Bells - Legacy of Ruin (Feb 25, doom) 

Allegaeon - Damnum (Feb 25, death metal)

Corpsegrinder - Corpsegrinder (Feb 25, death metal)

Territory's Edge: Best New Metal of October 2021

October is generally a good month for metal releases, given the Halloween season and all.  There's plenty of quality material this time around, so let's jump right into it.

Mastodon - Hushed and Grim

 

While progressive/stoner/sludge metal Atlanta band Mastodon has crafted 13-minute individual songs earlier on in their career with "Hearts Alive" and "The Last Baron", their latest album Hushed and Grim marks a new endeavor of epic proportions.  It is Mastodon's first double album and their longest release to date, clocking in at 86 minutes across 15 tracks.  While the band's last three albums were their most accessible and straightforward, this one returns to their conceptual nature in a way that sounds like a natural progression.  While very melodic and atmospheric throughout, the album contains plenty of dynamics - the doomy, ominous "Dagger" is followed by "Had It All", a subdued rock ballad with a Kim Thayil guitar solo.   Hushed and Grim is a concept record dealing with grief, and is dedicated to the band's longtime friend and manager Nick John who passed in 2018 from pancreatic cancer.   Throughout there's an acceptance of the inevitability of death, best summed up on the third track with the lyric "Death comes and brings with him sickle and peace".  The album doesn't grab your attention immediately, but further, closer listens will reveal just how fantastic it really is.

Mastodon are no strangers to grappling with loss and death in their music.  Albums like Crack the Skye and The Hunter were tributes to drummer Brann Dailor's sister and guitarist Brent Hinds' brother respectively.  From the beginning, as aggressive and feral as their early material could be, something more was present beneath the surface than just mere rage.  Dailor credited Mastodon's first album Remission with helping him heal and process the pain of his sister's death, and explained that the title represents forgiveness and healing.  Remission was lyrically abstract and chaotic in nature against a backdrop of intense technical drumming, but it contained more subdued instrumental sections as well, perhaps representing stability found in the midst of turmoil.  A similar sense of acceptance and healing in the midst of tragedy is present here, but is more multifaceted and contemplative in tone.   Hushed and Grim is a masterful, multi-faceted record, but we shouldn't expect anything less than quality music (not to mention consistently fantastic artwork) from Mastodon.  Expect this, and one other October album, to be very high on my year-end list.

Frontierer - Oxidized

Scottish noise/hardcore outfit Frontierer have made one of the heaviest and most abrasive albums of the year.   Pedram Valiani's breakneck, technical riffs combined with harsh, distorted electronics result in a chaotic sound comparable to Godflesh, Fawn Limbs and Will Haven.  Fans of Code Orange (particularly their more intense material) should find something here to enjoy as well.  The result is a difficult album to get into for sure, but also a very well crafted one.  "Daydark" is the cut I'll highlight further and treat as a single, as delving into the entire 16 tracks of this sonic cacophony headfirst is a daunting prospect for listeners, even those who are well acquainted with this style.  Reminiscent of Loathe, this aggressive mathcore track unexpectedly gives way to ambience and atmospheric clean vocals, before delving back into the chaos.  I particularly like the way Frontierer incorporates this contrasting melody surrounded by the tumult on both sides.   The band made Oxidized available on Bandcamp as a free/pay what you want download.

The Breathing Process - Labyrinthian

 

My first encounter with this band was their 2010 album Odyssey Undead, which combined a European symphonic black metal flavor within the context of an American death metal band.  Between that time and the present, the sound of The Breathing Process has streamlined to symphonic deathcore and more closely resembles the likes of Shadow of Intent and Brand of Sacrifice.  Their latest album Labyrinthian comes shortly after they were signed to tech-death/deathcore label Unique Leader Records.  Guitarists Jordan Milner and Sara Lorelein also incorporate some riffs reminiscent of black metal such as on "Wilt".  Subtle dissonant melodies and prominent orchestration throughout provide a sense of grandeur.  While the drum production is somewhat muffled, Labyrinthian is a cohesive record and the band's technical skill comes through clear.

Arch Enemy - "Deceiver, Deceiver"

Arch Enemy have roared back with a new track, "Deceiver, Deceiver".  This is a standalone single and for now, nothing further has been announced.  Barring a January 2019 covers compilation, the song marks the first new material for the Swedish melodic death metal crew since their 2017 full-length Will to Power.  Vocalist Alissa White-Gluz sounds as fierce as ever.  Her aggressive delivery combined with the chaotic atmosphere and blast beast drumming make her chastisement of a duplicitous antagonist especially convincing.  A tradeoff of lead guitar riffs between Jeff Loomis and Michael Amott provides a suitably dark backdrop.  Amott stated that the track is "not the happiest of tunes, but believe me - we're ecstatic to be back!"  That feeling seems to be mutual among metal fans, as "Deceiver, Deceiver" has already received over 600 thousand Spotify streams within 10 days of its October 21 release; an impressive feat for material this heavy.  

Veil of Maya - "Outrun" 

 

Like Arch Enemy, Veil of Maya's last released album also dates back to 2017.  However, the Chicago progressive metalcore band has remained on the radar and released four standalone singles in the last three years.  Veil of Maya's latest song "Outrun" is as catchy as it is unpredictable.  Starting off with an aggressive djent sound and harsh vocals, the music switches to a synth pop instrumental as vocalist Lukas Magyr sings a Weeknd-style R&B melody in the chorus, and then transitions right back.  Guitarist Marc Okubo also has a moment of homage to Iron Maiden.  His guitar harmonies in the bridge are an intentional nod to 1983 hit "The Trooper".  "Outrun" could become a future staple at live shows, as indicated by the music video, which features live footage from the band's tour with Dance Gavin Dance.  

Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon

 

This stellar and surprisingly ambitious record was the only release that could rival Mastodon's double album this month in terms of quality.  Trivium's new album In the Court of the Dragon has drawn some well-deserved comparisons to perhaps their most acclaimed work, Shogun.  In fact, the closer "The Phalanx" was originally written during that era but remained unused until now.  The title track is a relentless, take no prisoners beginning much like Shogun opener "Kirisute Gomen".  Trivium's 2020 effort What the Dead Men Say indicated that Matt Kiichi Heafy and company were comfortable in their lane and had settled on their sound.   What the Dead Men Say was not a bad album by any means, but it went through the motions and was not nearly as impressive as its predecessor The Sin and the Sentence.  Some tracks sounded like B-sides from that album.  That's not the case on here.   The sound is unmistakably Trivium, but the songwriting is stronger and more adventurous.  Subtle symphonic flourishes also give this a more epic tone.  The strings are most effective on the three 7 minute songs "Shadow of the Abattoir", "Fall Into Your Hands" and "The Phalanx", which are strategically placed as tracks 6, 8, and 10.  There's also some throwbacks to their early Ascendancy era, especially "A Crisis of Revelation", and more subtly, Matt Heafy's singing style on "Shadow of the Abattoir", which is reminiscent of the dark penultimate Ascendancy song "Departure".  This is easily among Trivium's best - I'd give it the edge over Shogun and What the Dead Men Say on a good day.

On a side note, 2021 isn't the first time Trivium have used dragon imagery.  Dragons appeared in the artwork for the Shogun cover and The Crusade singles "Becoming the Dragon" and "The Rising", as well as some tour merchandise during that era designed by Paul Romano, so Trivium hearkens back in more ways than one.

Demon Hunter - The World Is A Thorn (2010)

Solid State Records, March 9, 2010

Tracklist

1. Descending Upon Us

2. Lifewar
3. Collapsing
4. This is the Line
5. Driving Nails
6. The World is a Thorn
7. Tie This Around Your Neck
8. Just Breathe
9. Shallow Water
10. Feel As Though You Could
11. Blood In the Tears

This entry is one in a series of ten-year retrospectives on my favorite albums from the year 2010. Demon Hunter has had a long-running career, as their first album released in 2002, and has gained a reputation for earning a large fanbase despite rarely touring.  Outside of the band, frontman Ryan Clark and his brother Don have made their mark in the graphic design world with their art deco inspired studio, Invisible Creature Design.  2010 was a pivotal year for the artists on Solid State Records, so much so that there will be a few more albums from this label featured on this series. Additionally, this period marked the start of a stylistic shift for Demon Hunter where their use of keyboards and influences from the Swedish melodic metal (melodeath) scene became more prominent. In fact Soilwork singer Björn Strid and former Scar Symmetry vocalist Christian Älvestam both have guest features on this album with the tracks “Collapsing” and “Just Breathe”, respectively, both of which are among The World Is a Thorn's highlights. 

Ryan Clark is clearly a strong singer and this is evident on the slower ballad “Driving Nails”. The other time they slow things down is the closer "Blood In the Tears", which is good as well, but "Driving Nails" is the real emotional centerpiece of the record. Ryan’s vocal performance is moving and really shines on this song.  Another memorable cut is the melodic “Shallow Water” which has a excellent chorus and main riff.  There are a couple of tracks that underwhelm a bit.  "Lifewar" has an interesting idea but is little more than an extended outro for "Descending Upon Us", and I don't care for Dave Peters' guest vocal performance on the breakneck-paced “Feel as Though You Could”.  However, these don't take away from the standout material on this album, which is certainly one of Demon Hunter’s best projects to date.

The World is a Thorn marks a landmark release for the Seattle metal crew. With Demon Hunter, I feel that their output after True Defiance has waned in quality and become rather predictable and derivative of their earlier work. Subsequent projects like Extremist and Outlive went for the same formula and sound but did not reach the level set here. However, Demon Hunter's take on The World is a Thorn is a strong American incarnation of the Swedish metal sound, and contains some of their best songs overall. I give this album an overall score of 7/10, with the standout tracks being "Driving Nails", "Shallow Water" and "Collapsing".