REVIEW: BESTIAL TONGUES/BLEMISH SPLIT [2021]

 

Bestial Tongues/Blemish: Split EP

Grindcore is a genre with a rich history of dudes who are straight-up pissed. Death Metal, as well, is a genre known for absolutely inhuman levels of aggression. And sometimes, those two genres like to do the sideways tango and have a tiny baby of a subgenre: Deathgrind. Combining the speed, anger, and raw sound of the most blistering grindcore with the usual blunt force brutality of death metal, Deathgrind is a genre not for the faint of heart, nor for anyone looking to just fuck around.

And where in the United States is remotely as generally pissed-to-hell as New Jersey? The answer, according to Bestial Tongues and Blemish, is a resounding "fuckin' nowhere."

Split EPs are one of my favorite mediums when it comes to music. What could rule harder than getting two bands on one record? Unless, of course, one side of the split blows cheeks while the other is the best thing you've heard... a million times before.

Thankfully, that isn't the case for either band in today's discussion.

Starting with Bestial Tongues' side of the coin, Droning Hum immediately makes it clear they're not here to fuck around. Between drummer Connor Hastings' absolutely neanderthal-heavy blast beats, vocalist Anthony Izworski's inhuman shrieking and grunting, and the downright discomforting guitar and bass work from Alex Peragine and Jack Rose respectively, no stone is left unturned, no castle left unbured. Throughout their four nails in the coffin that is this split, these four sonic slasher villains blast, smash, burn, and slam their way through insane displays of aggression such as penultimate track, aptly titled "Bestial Tongues."  But fret not- all four songs are absolute barn burners. Where the opener and closer perfectly encapsulate what we come to deathgrind for, middle tracks "Transmogrified" and "Bestial Tongues" are genuine, 100% organic ass beaters. "Transmogrified" kicks us in the chest immediately with four-on-the-floor drums and feedback that give way to swirling, PUMMELING  blast beats and riffs heavy enough to crush your skeleton in one fell swoop. Where that song is a knife, previously mentioned "Bestial Tongues" is a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire and covered in someone else's blood. It is pissed, it is fast, it is fucking murderous.

But that's just the beginning.

Flipping over to Blemish's half of the split, we're treated to some of the noisiest and most unrelenting Grindcore I've heard in years. The six songs across this side of the split may be short (only two of the six songs on their half break the one-minute mark), but these gurus of Grind pack each second of their half of the split with as much anger, venom, and pure aggression as they possibly can. Whether it's the blink-and-you'll-miss-it violence of  "Blast Olympics 1 and 2" or the heady, almost slinking riffs and drumming in "Torso Killer", these fine lads are here for one purpose: to fuck. your. day. up. Bing Bong, motherfuckers. Whether it be the absolutely throat shredding displays of vocal prowess from vocalist Ken Gelger, the mind-numbing stringwork of guitarist Alex Angley, or the absolute mammoth heavy drumming courtesy of Nick Brucanti,fans of grind the world over will find something that makes them exclaim "sweet holy shit" for years to come.

Deathgrind and Grindcore aren't genres especially concerned with originality, especially as time moves forward. But does that truly matter? While jaded oldheads of the scene may write this off as just another fast split between two new bands, they'd be wrong to do so. Both Bestial Tongues and Blemish have provided music so unbelievably heavy and blisteringly fast that I feel the same sense of "what the FUCK?" that early Carcass or Discordance Axis gave me the first time I heard songs like "Exhumed to Consume" and "the End of Rebirth", and I can't tell you how absolutely wild that is.

Bestial Tongues: 10/10

FFO: Cattle Decapitation (Ten Torments era), Full of Hell, Iron Lung

Blemish: 10/10

FFO: Nails, Discordance Axis, Napalm Death

Converge, Featuring Chelsea Wolfe/Ben Chisholm/Steve Brodsky: Bloodmoon: I

 

Converge, Featuring Chelsea Wolfe/Ben Chisholm/Steve Brodsky

Bloodmoon: I

Deathwish, Inc./Epitath

Rating: 9.5/10

By: Nicholas A. Minyard

For: Sounds From The Basement

There are a few albums in my life that leave a huge impression on me from the first listen. A few that come to mind are “Jane Doe” by Converge, “Bloody Kisses” by Type O Negative, “Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloraim” by Gorgoroth, “Container Ships” by Kowloon Walled City, and “Hiss Spun” by Chelsea Wolfe. Something all of these albums had in common to me were, other than solid riffs, crisp performance, and memorable tracks, was that they brought something new to the table that I hadn't heard before. With Jane Doe and Bloody Kisses, I was given pain conveyed through music, granted both ways were drastically different, but it was perfectly conveyed. Through Ad Majorem, I was given a sonic blast of aggression while being paired with more cinematic tracks that gave me a slower, but still incredibly powerful, strike. Container Ships taught me that an album can easily flow from track to track with near-poetic performances from each and every instrument, and Hiss Spun showed me an artist can grow and evolve into darker and heavier tones while keeping the same energy and artistry that they begun with. While I have experienced those same emotions and experiences with other albums, the above mentioned are the ones that stuck with me for years and years. Two of those artists are very important in this review, those being Chelsea Wolfe and Converge. Chelsea Wolfe, bandmate Ben Chisholm, and the legendary Steve Brodsky of Cave-In and Old Man
Gloom fame, join Converge on their newest effort, “Bloodmoon: I” “Bloodmoon: I” is, in my opinion, hard to label as just a Converge album, because of the enormous contribution that the other artists on the record provide, and the past history of the “Blood Moon” collaborative project. Blood Moon dates back to 2016, when all the aforementioned musicians performed 4 shows under the moniker, providing audiences with slower and more post-rock/ambient renditions of some of Converge's lesser known and slower tracks. Fast forward a few years, and we have “Bloodmoon: I,” a perfect accumulation of all of the artists needs and desires from their music.

Now, I attempted to think of a way I could do a track-by-track review of this record, but the more I listened to it, the less I thought that going that route would give the project justice. This is an album that DEMANDS to be listened to from front to back. After initially hearing the singles for the record, Blood Moon and Coil, I found myself wondering how the album would play out. Now that I have heard the whole thing, I can attest that the singles do not do the entirety of the album justice. Wolfe and Jacob Bannon play off each other beautifully in almost every track, with Wolfe's haunting voice drawing the listener deeper into the compositions, much like a siren into a watery abyss, and Bannon providing a vocal performance that embody the demons found in said abyss. However, that does not just include his signature harsh vocals, but also more clean vocals than I can recall hearing on almost any of Converge's previous albums. I hesitate to call it a “Beauty-and-the-Beast” contrast, due to the fact they sometimes become one and the same, Wolfe's vocals becoming a beautiful beast, and Bannon becoming a beastly beauty. Along with the duo's performance, Gregorian style chanting, layered vocal tracks, and contrast of soft and harsh tracks are throughout the record, creating and enhancing the haunting and dark melody that the album presents. Pairing with the vocals, the instrumentation is masterfully playing to the same tone that is set. Setting a perfect example, Ben Koller on Viscera of Men starts with a fast, metalcore-esque drum track, and ends with a drumbeat that would be at home in any doom metal lovers favorite album, and carries this same theme throughout the entirety of the album, laying down some of the tightest drum tracks I have heard in his entire career with Converge. Kurt Ballou and Nate Newton are in rare form on the album, putting their knowledge from their various projects on beautiful display, seamlessly transitioning from panic-inducing Converge style riffs, doom and gloom slowed down sections rife with reverb and echo, gothic inspired accompaniments that pair immaculately with Wolfe's haunting performance, a “bar rock” track that would be the perfect soundtrack to any movie's “bar scene” (see Scorpion's Sting to fully understand) and even instances of shoegaze, black metal, post metal, and more are peppered throughout at just the right times to provide an ebb and flow for the entirety of the album. Acoustic guitar, synthesizers and organ tracks, and so much more are prevalent throughout the entire album, perfectly setting a tone of something much greater than just “a new Converge album” and elevating the instrumentation to something beyond and above. Steven Brodsky's touch is felt all across the album as well, providing passages of Cave In-esque riffs, New Idea Society melancholic refrains, and even a grunge tinge on some tracks a' la later Cave In albums. All of these factors lead into an experience of an album, where while every song can stand on it's own two feet, altogether it stands all the more taller. Each track has its own pulse, its own life, and yet, all combine and lead together to make something greater than the individual, creating a whole that is powerful, memorable, and unique. With that being said, some of the more Converge purist fans who want them to keep rehashing the same old same old Jane Doe/You Fail Me era sonic assault style album may have trouble approaching this one. There is a large amount of influence from each artist on the album, which creates an unfamiliar sound in comparison to some of their older albums, and while I (and many others) see this as natural progression and striving for artistic perfection and expression, some may see this as a band forgoing their roots and going in a weird direction. However, Converge has always had a mind for the experimental, so fans of their discography as a whole will feel right at home.

There aren't many albums that I can put on and listen to straight through multiple times in one sitting. Bloodmoon: I is one of those albums. Since the moment I pressed play, I have not been able to stop listening to it. The haunting vocal tracks Wolfe provides, Bannon playing right off of her energy, the instrumentation setting a scene of darkness and majesty, the whole of the album plays more like a sonic symphony rather than a metalcore record. The only gripes I have with the record are two; I would change the track order, rearranging the back half only slightly, to keep a more concise feeling of drowning that the record provides. My second is simple, I wish there were more. It has been some time since I have had so much enjoyment out of a record. I would compare the adventure of listening to this album akin to a sailor drowning at sea from a fable, where the siren draws them in, and the deep keeps them there. Bloodmoon: I is an orchestral feeling experience that I fully see myself returning to again and again, a perfect combination of what each musician wants and demands from their skill set, and if this is the direction Converge is going, I absolutely require a ticket for that ride. If Bloodmoon: I is the start of a whole new collaborative project, well, I had better start clearing room on my shelf for more albums, because I can see this going absolutely to the moon. I have been a fan of Wolfe since Pain is Beauty, Converge/Cave In shaped a young Nicholas into the music enjoyer I am now, and being able to listen to a collaboration between such incredible musicians has been one of the absolute highlights of my year. I want to thank each and every individual that was a part of getting this album from the studio to my ears, and thank the musicians for creating something that transcends the individual and becomes the whole.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Masterfully produced and tight sound

• Wonderful combination of each musicians talents

• A seamless listen, able to be listened to in its entirety easily

LOWLIGHTS:

• May be hard to approach by die-hard Jane Doe era fans

• Back end of the album notably slower than front end

SCORING:

Composition: 10/10

Experimentation: 10/10

Length: 8.5/10

Arrangement: 8/10

Artistry: 10/10

FINAL SCORE: 9.5/10, strong contender for personal Album of the Year.

REVIEW: KNOCKED LOOSE - A TEAR IN THE FABRIC OF LIFE [2021]

Knocked Loose – A Tear In The Fabric Of Life

A review in some words Nicholas Minyard Rating: 8/10 Stars ​Hey all! Nicholas here, with my first review for Sounds From The Basement! WOO! ​Now, when I was laying out my sacrifice to Zebulon, patron deity of reviews and all else, asking for something to review from the great great review distributors here at SFTB, I thought to myself, “I have been a good noodle all year, remembered my vegetables, thought about punching fascists, and all around did some cool stuff, hopefully the mighty Zebulon will bless my ears and fingers with something rad to review!” And thus, finally, in the middle of a lucid dream about bees, Zebulon came to me and handed me my first review! As I opened the 19 sided box and looked upon my bounty I thought to myself “Goddamnit.” It was for a band I, honestly, don't particularly enjoy. Knocked Loose. Now, before you all try to crucify me for my blasphemy, it's not like I haven't tried to like them. With as much praise and clout as they get, I can say that I have listened to almost everything they have released in an attempt to get into them. Hell, I have even seen them live twice! Now, while they put on a hell of a show, I'm not particular to their music... Until now. ​Now, before I get into the review, let me explain my rating system for Hardcore/Metalcore releases. I prefer to do it on a 0-10 star system, 0 being whatever that one local band who get absolutely hammered and attempt to be Dr. Acula at half speed with 1/1000th of the talent sounds like (yeah, you know the one), and 10 being Jane Doe, Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest, and The Fiction We Live. You get it. Now, onto the album! ​I went into this review with an open mind while also keeping in mind what I have heard with their older stuff. I booted up the first track, Where Light Divides the Holler, and once the actual music started, I quickly found myself bobbing my head without even realizing it. Touches of chaotic hardcore and even some odd time signatures prevailed throughout the track, and I found myself wondering “Huh, wonder what the next track sounds like.” and by god, I found out. God Knows started off with a nice and punishing drum beat and went into a solid death metal-esque ass beater of a track. At this point, I wondered about the lyrics to these songs, because the few lines I picked up on sounded pretty emotional. I went and read them, and I was surprised. Most of the time, bands like this I expect to have some standard issue hype lyrics, vague metaphors about being sad, or, as I like to call it, “blah blah I hate myself but want a big tiddy goth gf” type beats. But here, I found a lovely flow that read like poetry more than song lyrics, giving pretty big Jacob Bannon vibes. Someone should go check on Bryan Garris, he might need a hug and a glass of water. Next up was Forced To Stay, which is probably a standout track for me, and good gravy is this song tight. Solid drumwork and guitar riffs that almost read more black metal than metalcore/hardcore, and let me tell you, that gives me the big excite. The flow, composition, and vocals all blend together beautifully into a darkened hardcore track, which felt real nice paired with the cold wind this morning. Next up was Contorted in the Faille, which honestly, felt kind of boring to me. While the previous tracks all felt experimental and progressive, this one felt like returning to “ol' reliable” and just felt like an every day standard issue punch-ya-friends metalcore track for all the moshers and two-steppers, which is a bummer, because the opening and that little pre-breakdown diddy really got me interested. Now, as for Return To Passion, this felt much more my wheelhouse. Chaotic, insane mathcore-esque riffs and them oh-so needed panic chords really got me going. I almost forgot I was listening to Knocked Loose and felt more like I accidentally put on a Car Bomb song. Really really solid, I can see myself putting that on a playlist or two. However, the last song on the album, Permanent, is in my opinion, the weakest of the songs. It felt very forgettable, similar to Contorted in the Faille, where it just felt like they went back to what sells and what the kids want. A standard issue metalcore song, and while that is not a bad thing, it wasn't what I wanted out of the album as a whole. I did, however, very much appreciate how the song ended. A nice fadeaway into nothingness, which is exactly how this album needed to end. After the lyrics and the music combined, tthis album seeps the feeling of loneliness and nothingness. ​As a whole, this EP is definitely a solid effort from the boys from Kentuck. It has all of the hallmarks of a solid metalcore/hardcore band, but most importantly it has the sounds of a band who isn't happy with their sound, and are unafraid to experiment with different sounds, which is what I want to hear in an EP. While EP generally stands for Extended Play, being a length between a single/demo and an album, I feel like it should have a sub-designation, being Experimental Progress. EP's are, on large, ignored by most fans of bands, opting to go out and get the full album as opposed to a snippet of a bands efforts, so an EP is the perfect time for a band to try out new sounds and new techniques, which is exactly what Knocked Loose did for this release. I'm awarding this EP a surprising for me 8 out of 10 stars, and while it's no Jane Doe, it sure as hell is on it's way. The more cookie cutter-esque tracks definitely knocked the rating down for me, but not enough to hurt it too badly, and while I'm not gonna call myself a Knocked Loose fanboy by a long shot, I definitely will be listening to this one again, and am very interested to see where the band goes. ​For Sounds From The Basement, this has been Nicholas! Now, if you will excuse me, I have to return to whatever extra-dimensional void will take me today and deal with the fact I am slowly starting to look like an unhinged mountain man. DEUCES! ​Stand out tracks: God Knows, Forced To Stay, Return To Passion it has the sounds of a band who isn't happy with their sound, and are unafraid to experiment with different sounds, which is what I want to hear in an EP. While EP generally stands for Extended Play, being a length between a single/demo and an album, I feel like it should have a sub-designation, being Experimental Progress. EP's are, on large, ignored by most fans of bands, opting to go out and get the full album as opposed to a snippet of a bands efforts, so an EP is the perfect time for a band to try out new sounds and new techniques, which is exactly what Knocked Loose did for this release. I'm awarding this EP a surprising for me 8 out of 10 stars, and while it's no Jane Doe, it sure as hell is on it's way. The more cookie cutter-esque tracks definitely knocked the rating down for me, but not enough to hurt it too badly, and while I'm not gonna call myself a Knocked Loose fanboy by a long shot, I definitely will be listening to this one again, and am very interested to see where the band goes. ​For Sounds From The Basement, this has been Nicholas! Now, if you will excuse me, I have to return to whatever extra-dimensional void will take me today and deal with the fact I am slowly starting to look like an unhinged mountain man. DEUCES! ​Stand out tracks: God Knows, Forced To Stay, Return To Passion

A Tear in the Fabric of Life was released on 10/13/21 through Pure Noise Records

Listen to the album here!

REVIEW: TRIVIUM - IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON [2021]

 

 Trivium- In the Court of The Dragon (2021)

Review by Scott Miller

Trivium is a band that has been with me for quite a few years now, my first time seeing them being in 2007 on the Mayhem Festival lineup. At that time in my life, I was a fresh faced kid getting into metal in middle school, just discovering bands like Disturbed or Slipknot. The first album I had heard from them was the album that had been released just the year before, Shogun. Now, six studio albums later, with this release- and me at age 27- following their career from then to now has been, if nothing else, an absolute treat.

For those of you who may not know the band, Trivium is an Orlando, FL-based four-piece metal band. Their sound has ranged from thrash metal to metalcore to even progressive metal at times. With their fair share of blast beats, catchy riffs, and chunky breakdowns, this band has something for absolutely every fan of any kind of heavy music. Couple that with the immense vocal chops and energy of frontman Matt Heafy as well, and you have the formula for an all-encompassing and amazingly fun metal band.

In the Court of The Dragon opens up with the atmospheric track "X", which sets the scene for the titular track that comes directly after. Trivium had released In the Court of The Dragon as a single before the album's release, and it had me hooked from the very start. Matt Heafy belts out “In the Court of The Dragon, you will know your worth!” with the backing guitars doing these really cool arpeggios, steady and absolutely heavy drum fills and a crunchy bassline, plus an absolutely stellar breakdown midway through the song, it easily secures my spot for the best track in the record. Unfortunately, though, I can say after the sixth track on the record, the rest doesn’t really evoke much from me.

The other single from this album, for instance, "Feast of Fire", falls somewhat flat for me. Not to say that the construction of the music itself is bad- far from it, but while the arrangement and production are absolutely solid, the emotion that could be evoked just is somewhat absent, or perhaps just repetitive.

We then get to the sixth track on the record, Shadow of the Abattoir, which for me, was something not only somewhat unexpected but wildly refreshing. This track gives off the energy that I would get from a symphonic metal band perhaps, especially in the chorus where Matt hits some gnarly high notes. Its pacing is somewhat slower at points, but it blends so nicely into the chorus and picks up again midway through with a short and sweet breakdown and then into a thrashy style solo.

Beyond what was on the record though, I had the opportunity to see Trivium play some of the new material on their tour with Megadeth earlier in the month. Trivium has always been a gem for me to see live not only because of their energy on stage, but their ability to sound almost note for note live, as they do on recording. If you ever get a chance to see Trivium live, dear reader, I highly recommend it.

The biggest gripes that I have with this record are mostly that it is just very similar to their previous releases. And while I don’t inherently have any issue with that, since I think if a formula works, then keep doing what works, it didn’t strike me as anything wildly different or groundbreaking for them as a band.

Overall this release, whilst not their longest, or in my opinion their best, is a solid release nonetheless. If I were ordering their studio records on a list, this would probably be in the high-midpoint section of that list for me. And as such, I’ll be giving this record a solid 6.5/10

In the Court of the Dragon was released on 10/8/21 through Roadrunner Records

Listen to the album here!

SHOW REVIEW: Death Grips Live At Terminal 5

   
       If you took 15 different people, and asked each person "how would you describe death grips?" you would get some varying responses to say the least. This decade has been a time of major experimentation and innovation for hip hop as a whole, with artists like Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, and many MANY more creating some of the most critically acclaimed, artistically sound and well-made rap mainstream rap music in recent memory, however while many artists have managed to (for better or for worse) streamline their sound and embrace mainstream sensibilities, the Sacramento trio Death Grips have avoided falling under an umbrella and have stayed true to themselves, both as artists and as musicians.
      With their unique blend of industrial, punk, and hip hop music, as well as their frequent use of samplings and alternative instrumentation they've become somewhat of a phenomenon. So when I heard Death Grips were playing NYC soon I knew I had to get a ticket. Going into it, numerous friends of mine recalled their experiences of seeing Death Grips live. The consensus seemed to be that the show was gonna be a pretty intense, violent, and loud affair and I am in no place to disagree. I walked out of that show with a thousand-yard stare on my face, in the words of my friend I looked like I had just "walked in on my parents having sex."
      The band opened with the fantastic Government Plates track Whatever I Want (Fuck Who's Watching) and quickly displayed that the energy present on their records is just as prominent live, as the band stormed through all twenty-five songs with no intermissions or pauses. The band has always been extremely focused and masterful when it comes to their craft and that same focus is visible in their live shows. They showed no restraint when it came to the songs they played either, if most bands had to play twenty-five songs they would probably play some shorter songs or softer songs to space it out and conserve energy, but death grips went in the complete opposite directions they played some of their heaviest and most aggressive tracks like Hot Head and I Break Mirrors With My Face In The United States.
      The crowd was incredibly invested, for a show that so intense and crowded, few shows I've been to have had such a connected, familial vibe. People all around were helping each other find their lost items or pulling them up if they fell. Even the dudes pitting weren't out for blood, everyone was just having fun which seems to be a factor lost upon many people at shows nowadays.
     Overall, this might be the most entertaining show I've ever been to, or at the very least the most entertaining show I've been to this year. Outside of a few minor setlist tweaks I would say the show was solid front to back.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

ALBUM REVIEW: INIQUITOUS BY CORTEXIPHAN

.

Iniquitous- grossly unfair or morally wrong.

Throughout our lives we will continue to face iniquity from every front- Our families, our friends, our jobs, even our Churches. Hell, Tarantino even used the concept as a basis for Pulp Fiction. You know the old adages. "Life's not fair." "Life's a bitch, and then you die."  Nobody has seemed to channel their own experiences of iniquity so precisely, so poetically as Texan/Italian technical death metal outfit Cortexiphan's debut full-length, Iniquitous.

After exploding onto the internet Tech Death scene in 2012 with the bombastic, powerful debut ep, Anathema: The Murk. The Scorn. The Guilt., and a slew of lineup changes (including the addition of Italian bassist Nicolo Paracchini, formerly of Novara) and the introduction of new vocalist and overall deathcore juggernaut Andrew Patterson, the group has reconvened to put out 2016's most flawless metal alum yet.  Adding influences from everything, from smooth, buttery acoustic guitars to absolutely mind boggling progressive metal, Iniquitous is sure to have even the most hardened metal elitists shaving their neckbeards and headbanging into oblivion- air guitar solos and all. 

While the lyrics to Anathema were more or less based solely on horror films, the lyrics on this new project seem to tie directly into the title and theme of the album.  While "Son of Sam" draws influence from an actual serial murderer (look him up, dude is FUCKED), songs like the title track and "The Lunatic Notion" see Patterson at his angriest and most political, pointing out the misdeeds and inhuman actions taken by the nation's powerful and elite politicians and corporations.  While Lunatic Notion deals with the dynamic of the 99% vs the 1%, the title track redirects that outrage at organized religion, in this case, radical Islam.  While being reminiscent of but not a direct rip off of Holy War by Thy Art Is Murder, Patterson grunts and shrieks his message home- that even the most peaceful communities can be corrupted by religious "prophecies". Let it not be said that Patterson strays too far from the themes set up by his predecessor, however, as tracks like Convergence and The Valley of the Dark Lords are rife with occultist and horror themes that would sound over-the-top to even the most notorious Black and Death Metal bands alike, albeit in the best way possible.  

While previous vocalist/lyricist Dixon Jong was a powerhouse in his own right, he has nothing on newcomer Andrew Patterson. Throughout each of the twelve towering tracks on Iniquitous, Patterson shines through, adding more heft and grit to every bark, every growl, every shriek, every yell he lets loose from his throat.  While tracks like opener The Big Sleep and Liquid see him more subdued, using more of his lower register than anything else, songs like Son of Sam (which happens to be my personal favorite on the album) and Man Made Plague are, simply put, stunning examples of his absolutely intimidating vocal range.  Patterson channels the likes of Deathcore and Death Metal legends such as Adam Warren, Tyler Shelton, George Fisher, and the late Mitch Lucker all while giving a unique and standout twist on the vocal styles of the four previously mentioned.  His standout performance on this new album is easily Son of Sam.  Seriously.  Listen to that fucking song.

Where Patterson is the voice and the verse of Cortexiphan, Guitarist/producer Steven Rose and bassist Nicolo Paracchini are the gut and the emotion. Every last second of this album is choc-full of dizzying leads, skin-shredding solos, ruthless riffing, and MONSTROUS drumming, courtesy of Rose's studio know-how.  For each of the twelve titans that comprise Iniquitous, Rose shows the world what he's truly made of.  From his somber, sugary acoustic playing in "The Big Sleep" to his mind-numbing speed in Man Made Plague, Rose shreds through the listener's brain, reducing it to a grey, murky mess.  Every song is performed flawlessly, every note hits harder than the last, every riff and lead harmony as perplexing as can be.  Songs like the title track and album closer "Great Human Woe" are his standout performances, as here, Rose shows his peers his metaphorical testicles, and promptly smears them across the collective face of the new tech death scene.  Assisting Rose in his quest to glory is bassist Paracchini, the sole non-american member of the band.  While Rose is a fretboard wizard in his own right, Paracchini compliments him with some of the most technically complex and inventive bass playing I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. Combining a crisp, thick tone with playing that sounds like he has ten fingers on each hand, Paracchini adds extra heft and aggression to each of Rose's riffs, filling them out in the most mechanically precise way possible.  Songs like the title track and "Convergence" see him straying from the root notes in order to stand out in the mix, giving some of the most creative bass licks the metal world has seen since Master of Puppets was released thirty years ago.  Son of Sam and the Valley of the Dark Lords see him at his most subdued, although that is not at all a bad thing, as his playing is perfectly in sync with the perplexing speed of Rose's riffs.  These two masters of the metal riff provide the catchiest tech death instrumentation to come out in over a decade.

While people outside of the Death Metal scene may not be too keen on Cortexiphan's peers, they'd be foolish to not give this project a spin.  From Patterson's unholy vocals to Rose and Paracchini's terrifying technical prowess, metal snobs will be hard pressed to find a single thing they dislike about this new record. The world isn't fair.  Cortexiphan is here to guide you to the truth.  Take heed.

RATING: 5 out of 5 strings popping mid-solo.

FFO: Fallujah, the Faceless, the Black Dahlia Murder

you can find Cortexiphan at:

https://www.facebook.com/CortexiphanMetal

cortexiphan.bandcamp.com

REVIEW: Necropia - Creation Of Sin

Long Island has a lot of great bands, past and present, and this is one of the great ones from today's melodic death metal/deathcore scene. Necropia is a 5 piece act, and I recently even had the pleasure of hearing them play live at a battle of the bands, in which they blew me away and all expectations I had of them, as I did in fact hear quite a bit about them prior to seeing them.
 Now, I've admittedly been out of touch with the death metal world, it's not exactly what I gravitate to when I choose to listen to something, but this record carries over elements of deathcore and technical stuff that I totally vibe with. I think that is what makes this record so great, as it is accessable to a few different types of metal fans, whether it be a death metal fan, a tech death fan, a melodeath fan or even a deathcore fan. So before I pick this release apart and look at it's insides, I can say that this release is for fans of bands such as Fallujah, The Black Dahlia Murder, and other bands in those genres.
 So, instrumentally this is an incredible release from Necropia, with some really, for lack of a better term, face melting riffs, and the guitars have an incredibly nasty tone. I'm particularly partial to these guitar parts because they remind me alot of even Meshuggah at some points, the aforementioned being one of my favorites in metal. Not to mention some pretty standard for the genre tremolo picking parts that sound gorgeous.
 The bass tone is very solid, and I can definitely vibe with it, and the drums are very solid as well. Vocally, this release is very diverse, with a range of different styles being heard from death metal sounding vocals from bands like Goatwhore, to higher, almost black metal styled vocals. So overall, this is a great release from Necropia, and I hope to see them more often, especially at the gig they'll be playing with The Acacia Strain later on in August!

FFO: Goatwhore, Fallujah, TBDM, ect ect.

SCORE- 8/10

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