Do you know that awesome feeling when you discover a new band and already know that you adore them twenty seconds into the first song? I usually need some time to get into a band, but with Anaal Nathrakh, it was love at first listen. I was completely overwhelmed by their speed and their inexorable bestiality, and then that guy stopped screaming like a pig started singing almost… beautifully … and then came a stupendous, melodic guitar solo: The first song by Anaal Nathrakh that I ever listened to is called “Of Horror, And The Black Shawls” off their latest release The Whole Of The Law and I still get goose bumps every time.
Anaal Nathrakh are bordering black metal and grindcore and play music that is way too weird to listen to on a daily basis but that is equally addictive. They only sparingly make use of melodic elements, but when they do, they manage to bring any song to the next level. Like the aforementioned song, tracks like “Extravaganza!”, “Of Being A Slave” or “Depravity Favours The Bold” all contain some kind of musical element that makes them unforgettable, be it dramatic synthesizers, high clean vocals or divine soli.
There is something strangely satisfying and almost soothing about extreme music, especially black metal. Whoever claims that black metal is just noise hasn’t experienced the great impact that great black metal has on you when you feel empty, angry and also somehow lost.
Some bands know what they are doing – Anaal Nathrakh go beyond that. They sound as if they don’t care at all about impressing anyone but ironically managed to create a highly impressive record with The Whole Of The Law: Unlike with many other black metal bands, there is a lot of talent in this band. It is pure evil at its best and definitely a band you should check out if you love extreme metal.
The Contortionist – Absolve Ah, The Contortionist. I still remember listening to them for the very first time when I received the promo for their 2014 release Language. Already one minute in, I knew that I would adore that album, and I still do. It is safe to say that The Contortionist are amongst the most exciting acts in progressive music, and they continue to please their fans with this new track. “Absolve” is the second track off The Contortionist’s new record Clairvoyant out on September 15. Same as on Language, they continue to play intricate, yet very calming, ethereal music. Trust me, you need this band in your life, and you definitely need to throw this new track onto your playlist.
Hallatar – Mirrors Hallatar’s debut album No Stars Upon The Bridge is one of my most anticipated releases of 2017. Equally, I was really excited to listen to the first song off the new record. The band is featuring Juha Raivio of Swallow The Sun, Gas Lipstick of HIM and Tomi Joutsen of Amorphis, so if you know these bands, you probably can imagine how “Mirrors” might sound like. It is the darkest shade of dark, powerful, and, similarly to Juha Raivio’s previous project Trees Of Eternity, hauntingly beautiful.
Arch Enemy – The World Is Yours Unlike many other Arch Enemy fans, I am really happy with the band’s new work with vocalist Alissa White-Gluz. She brings her own influences as an artist into the band while trying to stick to the classic Arch Enemy style without sounding fake. After the last album War Eternal, the first one with White-Gluz, Arch Enemy is about to release their new, highly anticipated album Will To Power and “The World Is Yours” is the first taste of the new record. There is not a lot to say about Arch Enemy, only that they deliver every single time, period.
Ne Obliviscaris – Intra Venus Ne Obliviscaris is one of those insanely good bands that everyone and their mama lose their minds when they announce anything new. Long ago, the Australian prog band released the first track off their new record URN due in October. People lost their minds. I lost my mind.
One thing I have always loved about this band is that despite the fact that very instrument has a place to shine, the music never sounds overdone or too much. These guys probably just can’t write bad songs. However, let’s wait for the entire record and for now, we can enjoy this beautiful new track called “Intra Venus”.
Some of you might look at this short list and ask themselves “Where is all the heavy stuff?”. Well, a little while ago, I introduced part 1 of this series with the fact that I haven’t had much time to listen to a lot of music in 2017 because of different reasons, and when I did, I have almost always been opting for “softer” music.
Two of the next albums have been accompanying me during most parts of this spring – can you guess which ones?
Kobra And The Lotus – Prevail I Release date: May 12, 2017 Having always been skeptical about artists who seem self-publicizing or too concerned about their looks, I avoided Kobra And The Lotus for quite some time. Frontwoman Kobra Paige looked as if she could fit into the aforementioned category of musicians; however, after listening to the latest album by the Canadian band, I learned that she is a gifted vocalist and as I watched some interviews with her, I concluded that she has to be a genuinely nice and down-to-earth person. This is probably another typical case of “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. Also, shout out to a female in the metal genre that is not a soprano – middle-ranged ladies and altos are way too underrepresented in the metal scene. In a world full of Sharons, Tarjas and Elizes, we need more Kobras! Prevail I has been growing on me with every new listen: It has the right punch to it despite being full of hits. It also feels a lot fresher than Kobra And The Lotus’ previous releases. Some of the most outstanding songs are the opener “Gotham”, “Triggerpulse” and the semi-ballad “Light Me Up”.
Imminence – This Is Goodbye Release date: March 31, 2017
I would say that I normally don’t listen to “this kind” of music, but that would be bullshit. I listen to whatever works for me, and even though this new type of core music is not what I generally opt for, I genuinely enjoy Imminence’s new record This Is Goodbye. It is true that they have changed their style quite drastically; however, both styles, namely classic metal-/deathcore and modern melodic/alternative rock/metal, suit them very well. If this is what a band wants to do, why not? This Is Goodbye is basically a record that has been written with a broken heart: There are quite a few songs on here that express feelings of sadness, loss, heartbreak, and chagrin. Nonetheless, all tracks are memorable and full of energy.This record soothes the listener and makes him want to party at the same time. “Energetic” is also a term to describe Imminence’s live shows: The Swedes give everything on stage and especially vocalist Eddie Berg is one of the most enthusiastic frontmen I have ever seen live. And to top it all, he even produces all of Imminence’s music videos, and he’s doing a fantastic job.
It is fair to say that I have been playing this record on repeat ever since I bought it at one of their shows as support for annisokay. Also, have I mentioned that these guys are some of the nicest dudes I have ever met? I have never been hugged so much in one single evening. Anyways, if you are into great melodies and don’t mind a little electronic action alongside with guitars and a little cheesiness, give This Is Goodbye a listen. Favorite tracks: “Coming Undone”, “Broken Love” and “Cold As Stone”.
Soen – Lykaia Release date: February 3, 2017 When I reviewed this record for progressivemusicplanet.com, I remember liking two songs off Lykaia a lot and the rest sounded rather mediocre to me. Despite that and the fact that Soen sound way too perfect for my taste, I have still being coming back to this album. And now, as I am listening to Lykaia again, I do like it more than a couple of months ago. So that’s why I had to mention it as part of this list. Unmistakably influenced by Opeth and Tool, Soen created an atmospheric and dynamic prog rock record and even added some elements of world music. In my review, I wrote as a conclusion that you should give this record several listens so you could “discover the colors that I tried and failed to find”. Slowly, but steadily, it seems that these so-called colors I tried to find in Lykaia are finally revealing themselves to me.
Do you know that awesome feeling when you discover a new band and already know that you adore them twenty seconds into the first song? I usually need some time to get into a band, but with Anaal Nathrakh, it was love at first listen. I was completely overwhelmed by their speed and their inexorable bestiality, and then that guy stopped screaming like a pig started singing almost… beautifully … and then came a stupendous, melodic guitar solo: The first song by Anaal Nathrakh that I ever listened to is called “Of Horror, And The Black Shawls” off their latest release The Whole Of The Law and I still get goose bumps every time.
Kobra And The Lotus – Prevail I
Imminence – This Is Goodbye
Soen – Lykaia