#159 Thrashist Regime - Fearful Symmetry

Reviewing bands I've seen live is something which I have developed a bit of a tendency to do. Thrashist Regime are no exception, and I was sufficiently impressed by their energetic and charismatic live show to buy a copy of their debut album, Fearful Symmetry. I've listened to it a number of times now, and feel that a review is the obvious thing to do now.

Thrashist Regime, who have quite possibly got the most memorable name in the whole of the modern thrash scene,  play a very catchy brand of thrash metal, with songs which, like their name, are a good deal more memorable than the thrash-revival average. The hair-raising machinegun tempo is impressive, with very competent and memorable vocals and lyrics slotted neatly into the rhythm, which go a long way to giving the songs a ton of oomph and fist-pumping energy. The band has a sound reminiscent of oldschool Bay-Area and New York thrash but with slightly more melodic leanings, the occasional catchy chorus or atmospheric section thrown in quite effectively. The playing overall, for that matter, is tight and the production carries it along quite well - perhaps a little clean and polished for that "retro" feel which some bands go for, but definitely letting the music reach it's potential and showcasing everything in the mix. The musicianship is technically-able, regardless of tempo, with songs like "Hotel Blast Terror", introduced live as "about a pub which blew-up" showcasing the bands ability to play blisteringly intense and fast material, whilst still managing to throw in some, frankly slightly brain-melting solos. 

The album covers an enjoyably disparate range of lyrical themes, with songs about films, gas explosions, and a closing trilogy of songs vaguely about Spiderman , among other things. How many bands do you know who've done that? Much like the lyrics, the music holds an equal diversity, with plenty of the aforementioned blistering speed, but also plenty of atmosphere, with the traditional "ballady bits" which thrash has always been partial to, and also a generous helping of angry mid-tempo swaggering, which works really well in a lot of the songs in which it is placed, adding a boost of attitude and energy and demonstrating that the bits which make you bang your head aren't neccessarily the same as the bits which are fastest. There doesn't really seem to be a great deal of filler material throughout the album either, and while debuts seem usually to be the albums with the least filler, this album seems to carry this characteristic more than some - the songs really don't mess around, and I really got the impression that time and effort has been put into making them, which is something which can really add to the listening experience.

I couldn't find a video of any of the band's studio material, but never mind - They've got a few songs up on their Facebook page, which I've linked to below, as always. Anyways, to conclude, one of my tenets when it comes to reviewing music is that theres nothing wrong with playing a tried and tested formula, so long at you play it well. Thrashist Regime play a tried and tested formula. They play it well.

I'm giving this an 8/10.

Links:
Thrashist Regime on Facebook
Thrashist Regime on Metal Archives

#158 Owl - Stone Loner

The rather awesomely named Owl are another band from the San Francisco Bay-Area, and share a drummer with Hazzard's Cure, who I reviewed in the past. It's not usual for me to review something with such a short running time, but I'm quite impressed by how it sounds, and feel I can probably write a few things about it if I put my mind to it. I wasn't sure what to refer to this EP as, as I've seen it in some places as "The Owl EP" and in others as "Stone Loner". I've gone with the latter, as that's what the cover art proclaims it as.

What owl do is combine influences from late 70's and early 80's heavy metal bands, with plenty of Sabbath and Iron Maiden styled material, and to this very retro sound and add to the mix a thicker, slightly stoner-metal feel which works wonders for the musics distinctiveness . The band manage to sound very organic, with a sound which could quite credibly be a long-lost recording from back in the day, with production values and a musical style which really captures the spirit of those times. A lot of the music is, of course, very much modelled on the style of early heavy-metal, there are enough divergences to keep the EP interesting, for instance at the beginning of the closing minute of the title track, there are occasional slow, somewhat atmospheric sections which take a different path from the traditional riffing, and promote the band into the ranks of originality - there's definitely more to the band than being a "worship" act, which is pleasing, but at the same time, the strong, traditional influences make the two songs a fun listen. The opening riff from "Feaster From the Stars" for example is a fantastically catchy section, which is well written and has a really enjoyable tone. I expect it to be stuck in my head for quite some time.

 The vocals have a lot of energy and presence, without being over the top - Vocals aren't my strong point knowledge wise, but they definitely have a bit of a Paul Di'Anno sound to them, but with a more stoner-metal, perhaps even stoner-rock sound to them. The production is pleasantly natural sounding, especially the drum sound, which really keeps it's percussive quality in the mix, but doesn't sound overproduced. The recording sounds really multi-dimensional too, with everything sounding discreet from everything else - there's no overlap of indistinguishable noise in the mix, which is something which I'd dare to say a great deal of bands end up having underneath whatever part of the music the listener is noticing at the time. It's very clear what every instrument is, and what it's doing, and above all, it sounds like the product of a band. It's cohesive and solid.



While Owl may not be the most unique, original sounding band I've ever heard, they certainly know how to make a fun EP - it feels very complete, and is all the more enjoyable for that fact. I've never had anything against bands which use tried-and-tested sounds, as long as they do it well. My ears tell me that Owl definitely do it well. 

I'm giving this an 8/10.

Links:
Owl Official Site
Owl on Bandcamp
Owl on Myspace
Owl on Facebook
Owl on Metal Archives

#157 Wodensthrone - Curse

Curse, by English black-metal outfit Wodensthrone, is probably my most anticipated album of the year so far. Loss, the band's full length début is easily cemented among my top ten black-metal albums of all time, so naturally, I'm eager to find out if this album carries on the brilliance which the band have already established. Going by what people who have already had a chance to hear it have said, I'm in for a treat.

Things have changed a little since Wodensthrone last made an album. For starters, three years worth of development have come and gone in which the musicians in the band have toured, worked, and generally existed, and the consequence seems to be a more mature sounding album. The things which make Wodensthrone great are entirely still present, with vast, epic soundscapes of beautiful synth and intense black-metal atmosphere, but a little more refined, and flowing - Loss was beautiful, but Curse takes the same beauty and paints it in a slightly more even coat. The album seems to venture into slightly darker places than Loss, with songs like "The Great Darkness" being dark in more than just name - carrying a more grim atmosphere than anything from the previous album. It may sound superficial, but the artwork of the album really fits the tone - while Loss had a golden vision of a forest, in Curse, the sky is dark and brooding, and the music often reflects this, the songs sounding more warlike and often more angry. A lot of the music is still fantastically beautiful however, which is something that I hope the band never feel they should change. The diversity of atmosphere, however, really takes this album step beyond, and it feels more addictive and enrapturing than Loss felt when I listened to it at first.

The album has a lot more diversity vocally, too - Brunwulf, the vocalist who performed on Loss left the band in 2011, and as a result, the other members have split vocal duties between them. This adds a lot variety to the vocal dimension of the album - there are a few different styles of harsh vocal, and the occasional burst of harmonious clean voice. It's not really the vocals which make Wodensthrone for me personally, but I'll venture to say that they sound just as good, if not slightly better, in this album. The song-writing on Curse seems solid, sure-footed and confident.  I wondered how they'd manage to follow up the music of Loss, and it seems they've definitely managed to make something which rivals it in strength. I'll have to wait until Curse settles into my routine listening before I can decide which I prefer, but both albums are magnificent in their own right. One of the things I love from Loss, the magnificent and hauntingly beautiful tremolos, seem to have been expanded on in Curse, and there are several shimmering moments which immediately sent shivers down my spine -  the melodies which they summon are quite easily among my favourite by any band.

I can safely say that this album has most likely pushed Wodensthrone even further up my list of favourite bands. The sound is developed, matured, but also as beautiful as it has always been. I'm thoroughly impressed, and I'm glad that the band have managed to keep up with the quality of their début. If a three year gap between albums means that the albums are a good as this, then I'm happy to wait. It was well worth it.

I'm going to give this a 10/10.

Links:
Wodensthrone on Myspace
Wodensthrone on Facebook
Wodensthrone on Metal Archives