Napalm Flesh
Issue 214 / October 2006 More from this Issue
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By Bryer Wharton
It's like Christmas for metalheads! October is upon us, the cycle of life goes on and eventually, all things must die. For this traditionally pagan holiday month, while everyone is involved in whatever fall rituals they have, keep in mind the soundtrack for this time ... embrace the fallen and most of all enjoy that this is the season when everyone gets to act evil.
A Love Ends Suicide
In The Disaster
Metal Blade
Street: 09.05
A Love Ends Suicide = All That Remains + As I Lay Dying + Trivium
The redundancy of these bands is starting to get on my nerves. It is not entirely the fact that they can't write songs because by all means they do a fair job. A Love Ends Suicide are good at what they do. But what they do is what a whole hell of a lot like what other bands are doing. I feel as though I have heard these melodies, riff breakdowns and drum beats over and over again. Then you have all the emo tendencies seeping through the songs about love and relationships. I guess every genre has its redundant properties but in the end it usually winds up uninspiring. Like gazing upon a copy of a famous painting, it may be the same thing but in essence it is just a copy of someone else's great achievement. On a positive note the band functions well as a unit because four of the five members are brothers. I'd hate to be the other guy.
Ahab
The Fall of the Wretched Sea
Napalm
Street: 10.10
Ahab = Moby Dick metal
Not entirely familiar with the funeral-doom-metal genre? Well, it is as about as dark as metal can get. Speed is definitely not a driving force, nor is the attempt to be more-extreme-than-thou. Ahab could be considered a side project of the group Midnattsol, but the aspects of each band are entirely different. The concept is obviously a record about Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick. Not only do these three Germans worship the book, they decided to create a band and album entirely inspired by it. At moments I can picture the white whale lurking about in the dark depths of the ocean. The songs are all roughly ten minutes in length, carrying one extreme to the other; both are depressing and instantly conjure up imagery from the novel. There are the ultra down-tuned slow guitars with rough rolling guttural vocals, then soft but sad melodies and acoustic work. For the genre the songs are highly varied and very enjoyable to listen to. As far as concept albums go, this is a great concept brought forth in an unsuspecting medium. All I can say is: call me Ishmael motherfucker!
Angtoria
God Has a Plan for us All
Listenable Records
Street: 10.17
Angtoria = Within Temptation + Nightwish
The name of this band's vocalist may ring a bell: Sarah Jezebel Deva has sung on records for bands such as Cradle of Filth, Therion and Mortiis. Through touring, a friendship grew with Chris Rehn. The pair initially created a solely orchestral work with Sarah singing; later it turned into metal, heavy on the keyboard and orchestration. There is not a huge difference here from bands like Nightwish and Within Temptation. In fact, Angtoria is mostly a combination. It has the heavy guitars reminiscent of Nightwish and the melody and orchestration Within Temptation has brought to the world of female-fronted power-metal acts. To put things simply, if you enjoy said artists' work you will have no trouble enjoying Angtoria. If you dislike the style of female vocals coupled with heavy orchestration and epic, thriving guitars, you won't like Angtoria.
Behold... The Arctopus
Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning
Black Market
Street: 08.22
Behold... The Arctopus = Cynic + The Dillinger Escape Plan + Dysrythmia
For a three piece, there is a lot going on with this album. The all-instrumental record contains five studio pieces and four live tracks from the same studio release. There is a huge jazz-type improvisation influence flowing over the entire record. Much of the music has stop-and-go pacing, leading the listener on a chase throughout a maze of intricacies. It seems that instrumental acts are getting more popular as time goes on. I can see an audience of people who would love the playing on the album but would find it ruined by vocals typical of the style, i.e. wild screaming. So forgo that portion and go insane listening to these three guys jam the hell out of their instruments.
It's like Christmas for metalheads! October is upon us, the cycle of life goes on and eventually, all things must die. For this traditionally pagan holiday month, while everyone is involved in whatever fall rituals they have, keep in mind the soundtrack for this time ... embrace the fallen and most of all enjoy that this is the season when everyone gets to act evil.
A Love Ends SuicideIn The Disaster
Metal Blade
Street: 09.05
A Love Ends Suicide = All That Remains + As I Lay Dying + Trivium
The redundancy of these bands is starting to get on my nerves. It is not entirely the fact that they can't write songs because by all means they do a fair job. A Love Ends Suicide are good at what they do. But what they do is what a whole hell of a lot like what other bands are doing. I feel as though I have heard these melodies, riff breakdowns and drum beats over and over again. Then you have all the emo tendencies seeping through the songs about love and relationships. I guess every genre has its redundant properties but in the end it usually winds up uninspiring. Like gazing upon a copy of a famous painting, it may be the same thing but in essence it is just a copy of someone else's great achievement. On a positive note the band functions well as a unit because four of the five members are brothers. I'd hate to be the other guy.
Ahab
The Fall of the Wretched Sea
Napalm
Street: 10.10
Ahab = Moby Dick metal
Not entirely familiar with the funeral-doom-metal genre? Well, it is as about as dark as metal can get. Speed is definitely not a driving force, nor is the attempt to be more-extreme-than-thou. Ahab could be considered a side project of the group Midnattsol, but the aspects of each band are entirely different. The concept is obviously a record about Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick. Not only do these three Germans worship the book, they decided to create a band and album entirely inspired by it. At moments I can picture the white whale lurking about in the dark depths of the ocean. The songs are all roughly ten minutes in length, carrying one extreme to the other; both are depressing and instantly conjure up imagery from the novel. There are the ultra down-tuned slow guitars with rough rolling guttural vocals, then soft but sad melodies and acoustic work. For the genre the songs are highly varied and very enjoyable to listen to. As far as concept albums go, this is a great concept brought forth in an unsuspecting medium. All I can say is: call me Ishmael motherfucker!
Angtoria
God Has a Plan for us All
Listenable Records
Street: 10.17
Angtoria = Within Temptation + Nightwish
The name of this band's vocalist may ring a bell: Sarah Jezebel Deva has sung on records for bands such as Cradle of Filth, Therion and Mortiis. Through touring, a friendship grew with Chris Rehn. The pair initially created a solely orchestral work with Sarah singing; later it turned into metal, heavy on the keyboard and orchestration. There is not a huge difference here from bands like Nightwish and Within Temptation. In fact, Angtoria is mostly a combination. It has the heavy guitars reminiscent of Nightwish and the melody and orchestration Within Temptation has brought to the world of female-fronted power-metal acts. To put things simply, if you enjoy said artists' work you will have no trouble enjoying Angtoria. If you dislike the style of female vocals coupled with heavy orchestration and epic, thriving guitars, you won't like Angtoria.
Behold... The Arctopus
Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning
Black Market
Street: 08.22
Behold... The Arctopus = Cynic + The Dillinger Escape Plan + Dysrythmia
For a three piece, there is a lot going on with this album. The all-instrumental record contains five studio pieces and four live tracks from the same studio release. There is a huge jazz-type improvisation influence flowing over the entire record. Much of the music has stop-and-go pacing, leading the listener on a chase throughout a maze of intricacies. It seems that instrumental acts are getting more popular as time goes on. I can see an audience of people who would love the playing on the album but would find it ruined by vocals typical of the style, i.e. wild screaming. So forgo that portion and go insane listening to these three guys jam the hell out of their instruments.
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