Symbolik – Emergence (Technical Death Metal)

When I saw the promo it said “Tech-Death w/ Black Metal, Symphonic, and Neoclassical elements” in the header I was instantly intrigued. Having never heard Symbolik before I didn’t know what level of quality to expect but knowing they were on The Artisan Era I had high hopes it would be high, and that is was. What catches my attention here is the guitarwork especially, it’s so well executed and stands out in a good way. Allen Burton (Inanimate Existence (live) and ex-Alterbeast) is a superb lead guitarist and does some of his finest work on this album, joining him is Damon Koenig who makes the duo very deadly and raises the bar for me on what to expect from this album straight from the opener “Augury of Ancients”. “Invoking Oblivion” is then even better where the solo’s reign supreme and it’s impossible not to get caught up in the vortex. Throughout the album you get a relentless flurry of quality riffs coming towards you that you simply can’t ignore. You would be wise to headbang to this and let yourself go.

While the guitars is definitely the high point for me on this album there is no denying the rest of the band pulls off great stuff too, it mainly seems the guitars have more room to shine (which the case with many technical death metal albums). Chris Blackburn sounds like a mix between Trevor Strnad (The Black Dahlia Murder), Steve Boiser (Inferi, Tethys, Equipoise) and Reece Deeter (Vale of Pnath) and it fits the albums sound like a glove. Emergence is simply an well-written album where all the pieces have got together nicely and everyone plays on their strengths which together makes an excellent album. The band themselves said this has been in development for over eight years, bringing their ideas and inspirations to life through this album. Safe to say you can tell that’s the case, Emergence shines brightly and you can hear this isn’t anything rushed and made with a lot of heart behind it.

In the end there is really nothing bad to say about this album, if you enjoy technical death metal in the veins of Inferi, Vale of Pnath and Alterbeast with a hint of The Black Dahlia Murder then this is one of the best releases you will hear all year.

Artist: Symbolik
Label: The Artisan Era
Release date: April 10th, 2020
For fans of: Vale of Pnath & Inferi
Favorite song: Dirge of All Creation
Score: 4/5 Excellent

Symbolik

https://www.facebook.com/symbolikmetal
https://twitter.com/SymbolikMetal
https://www.instagram.com/symbolikofficial
https://symbolik.bandcamp.com/

The Artisan Era

https://www.facebook.com/TheArtisanEra/
https://twitter.com/theartisanera
https://www.instagram.com/theartisanera
https://www.theartisanera.com/
https://theartisanera.bandcamp.com

Albums of the month: May

What a month! This year for metal has been good overall, granted some months better than others but May oh my…. There has been not just one, nor two but six albums I could consider album of the year contenders! How freaking sweet is that (and bad for my wallet)!? That being said the album of the month was very very hard to pick and hell even the top five won’t consist of the all the albums that might find their way into the yearly top ten! Hope you find some great metal here, be sure to check all the band out and comment your own lists here, on Instagram, Twitter or on Facebook as I would love to hear them! With this album of the month article I am going on a vacation to Prague for a bit over a week. Catch all of you metal gamers later!

Album of the month

Vale of Pnath – Accursed

Wow what a journey Vale of Pnath has had! They’ve always been of my favorite techdeath bands, much do to their black metal influences, but they really knocked this one out of the park! A perfect five in my book and a crown jewel in their already great, and growing, discography. Released May 17th via Willowtip Records.
Read the review here

Runners-up

AngelMaker – AngelMaker

From one of my favorite techdeath bands we have one of my favorite deathcore bands. Angelmaker is not just mine but also my wifes go to band when we want some deathcore quality. This is their most varied release yet and I absolutely love it! Released May 31st as an independent release.

Misþyrming – Algleymi

This is in my opinion the best black metal release so far. Even with strong releases from bands like Nordjevel, Abduction, Murg and their countrymen Sinmara I think Misþyrming got an edge and Algleymi has been one of my most played albums since its release. Released May 24th via Norma Evangelium Diaboli.

Warforged – I: Voice

Warforged was probably the band I had changing up and down the most if it was going to be my album of the month or not. What an experience! Add the very cool music video for the whole album and you got yourself a great time. Released May 10th via The Artisan Era.
Read the review here

Murdryck – Födelsen

My biggest surprise of the month. My partner in crime K.P. was all up in flames over this release and it didn’t take more than a couple of songs to understand why. Nearly perfect black metal in the Swedish old school way. Released May 1st via Leviaphonic Records.
Read the review here

Honorable mentions

Decomposition of Entrails – Abnormality
Darkthrone – Old Star
Krypts – Cadaver Circulation
Nihility – Thus Spoke The Antichrist
Entrapment – Imminent Violent Death
Kampfar – Ofidians Manifest
Kull – Exile
Ontborg – Within the Depths of Oblivion
Fleshgod Apocalypse – Veleno
Firelink – The Inveterate Fire
Mordbrand – Döden/Efter Döden
Possessed – Revelations of Oblivion
October Tide – In Splendor Below
Amon Amarth – Berserker
Abnormality – Sociopathic Constructs
Osiah – Kingdom of Lies
Deathspell Omega – The Furnaces of Palingenesia

Vale of Pnath – Accursed (Technical Death/Black Metal)

Vale of Pnath is an interesting band, even with quite a few member changes during the years I personally think all their albums are great. They somehow seem to be immune to it leading towards a bad album every now and then. Maybe that is exactly why the band is always up for experimenting, while making it work is due to the strong glue and vision Vance Valenzuela (guitar) has who keeps it together (I should interview him one day to find out).

“Shadow and Agony” strikes me first and it’s such a scary, horror movie like intro fitting the Lovecraft techdeath masters! Banger after banger Vale of Pnath is hitting me with, they simply don’t want me to go anywhere as I give this album a spin. There is such a great flow throughout the album, time just flies by and your neck is sore after all the headbanging yet there is enough room to breathe at just the right times so it doesn’t break. Even with a great flow, a red thin line, every song sticks out on its own. It isn’t just a simple rinse and repeat for seven songs straight. Something I find hard to find albums which does great on both areas, making the album have a wicked flow and be great end to end but at the same time letting the songs speak for itself so I can just choose one at random and enjoy it. Very well done, it’s certainly not something I take for granted!

“So Jimmy what song do you recommend I listen to first?” Fact is I choose “The Darkest Gate” only due to it being the single I’ve heard so many times before this album dropped it’s just stuck in my head, and rightfully so as it is a killer track. You could definitely take any pick and you would be pleased, they have different elements to their songs that works good on the tracks they are meant for. Both “Obsidian Realm” and “Spectre of Bone” are epic finishers with a more atmospheric and techdeath side to them than the first half of the album for example (Vale of Pnath seems to have a patter to end with the longest, most epic track).

What a year for the technical side of death metal it’s been so far! First we got the riff feast from Equipoise, followed with a phenomenal experience in Warforged (which also brings a lot of black metal influences into the mix) and now Vale of Pnath shows they don’t want to be any worse with their strongest album yet. What do these three bands have in common? They have been experimenting with their sound and executed it well! The path Vale of Pnath has walked has led them to this sound, album after album has drawn them close and close to what finally became Accursed. This is a big change for the band who are now closer to being called a technical black metal band than ever before. I welcome this change with open arms with Accursed being the best I’ve heard from Vale of Pnath so far and an album of the year contender in my book! This makes all my metal sensors tingle the right way and fans of extreme metal have to give this a listen.

Written by J.B.

Label: Willowtip Records
For fans of: Enfold Darkness and The Black Dahlia Murder
Release date: May 17th, 2019
Favorite song: The Darkest Gate
Score: 5/5 Masterpiece

Wastewalker – Funeral Winds (Technical Death Metal)

Having one of the most brutal album covers I’ve seen this year (lets face it a great album cover means a lot) I instantly got the feeling that Wastewalker – Funeral Winds would be something special. How glad I was that I decided to make Funeral Winds one of my final reviews of the year! Starting of with Hazmat Birth, this is a great introduction on what is to come. The high and low growls, guitar solos, melodical teachnical death performs a sweet symphony of death and it’s not a surprise that I see the band featuring ex members of Conducting From The Grave and Alterbeast. You can tell Wastewalker consists of veterans within the metal community.

The way Wastewalker can switch from death, tech death to progressive in one song is a feat not many bands can pull off. Take Fleshwounds as an example, to me that song is near the complete package of showing different genres, without it feeling forced, in less than 5 minutes. Great stuff from the Americans.

This has been a truely great year for technical death metal. So many new bands making great debut albums and veterans releasing new material where they still showcase greatness. Wastewalker – Funeral Winds is a sick album and even though you might think you’ve had your fill of tech death for a year you would do good not to miss this one as it’s one the best albums coming out this year.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wastewalkermetal
For fans of: The Ritual Aura and Alterbeast
Favorite song: Fleshwounds