Trash Monday CXVIII

Aside from Béla Bartók and Attila Csihar, Speak is my favourite Hungarian musician. Keep up the great work, man!!

“2003, I pray for God they people make the right decision
I don’t wanna war. I just wanna peace. Stop the war. Check this.
I hope my black brothers feel the same like me
Dre, Snoop, Puff, L, Tupac Shakur, rest in peace. He was the best. My respect (yeee, c’mon)”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIf7_ZDGSHQ]

Arkaeon – Godless


This Sunday it’s finally time, after an almost three year wait, for one of Luxembourg’s most unique metal bands to release a new EP! The guys from Arkaeon took a while to return to the studio, due to some line-up changes over time, and the question is whether Godless was worth the wait…well, just read on.

The quintet plays, what they themselves call, brutal tech groove and even though it’s a made-up genre, it describes their sound perfectly: it has the brutality of hardcore, the technicality of technical death metal and groove that makes even the most avid hater of headbanging bop their head in agreement.

If you compare the three songs on here to the band’s debut EP, New Level Of Inhumanity, you will notice that the skill of the instrumental department has increased vastly, with riffs being so tight and so intricate that even after the umpteenth listening you will discover new details. The drumming is also from a completely different planet: the amount of blast beats and double bass attacks is just incredible. A huge part of the groove comes from, the luckily not dominant, chugging parts and breakdowns…might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it helps to take off some tension of the listener, and the musicians.

The main critique that I’ve heard, from people I’ve talked to about Arkaeon‘s debut, and what also kind of bothered me were the rather monotonous vocals. After having heard the evolution of the vocalist at the 2012 edition of FFYS, I was quite surprised…well, I was even more surprised when I heard this new studio material. He has added several new techniques to his repertoire, one of which is akin to pig squeals but mixed with growls, and in my opinion sounds better than ever. My only minor gripe is that the articulation during the aforementioned growls is suffering a bit…but then again: this is metal…if you want to know all the lyrics, go read them, you lazy bastards!

As a closing statement, I can only say that I’m very pleased with the improvement I’ve heard during these nineteen minutes, and that I’m very much looking forward to the, hopefully, planned full length! You can visit the band’s Facebook page for more information, and check out the lyric video below! Also let it be known that the release party of Godless is this Sunday, May 18th, at Soul Kitchen in Luxembourg!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxGboV1dhdc]

Angel At My Table – Light


They took their sweet time, because a bit more than four years have elapsed since the release of their debut EP, but the wait is finally over: Angel At My Table are releasing their first full length, called Light, this Saturday! But rest assured that the wait was well worth it, since the Luxembourgish quintet manages to convince on, almost, every level!

Back in 2010 when AAMT first started, they were often compared to Paramore, which was in a way a compliment but was also connected to a certain skepticism toward their longevity. With their second EP, that doubt was lifted a bit but with the eleven tracks on their first album, they have definitely proven that they are not just-another-pop-punk band. To people who followed their evolution, like me, this has become apparent over the course of the last few months since the female-fronted band has toured extensively in many countries across the world…and Light will cement that success even further.

The evolution in the instrumental department is quite remarkable: the guitars are more technical, the drums and bass lock in together perfectly and deliver a driving performance. Everything just sounds so much more mature and thought through that it’s hard to believe that the band’s first footsteps were but four years ago. A fact that can be observed in the new version of City Romance, off the eponymous debut EP, which is brought back in a rejuvenated state.

The vocals during these thirty-five minutes are on the usual high level but I feel like the front woman is surer than ever of her skills and manages to deliver a truly compelling performance. Lyrically, it also feels by far more grown-up, especially on songs like the opener Broken, where, if I interpret it correctly, she brings across a really inspirational message to many women out there.

The production is top notch and allows the songs to unfold perfectly in your ear canal, and remain stuck there for a while. My absolute favorite example for that is the song Gravity, which is, in my personal opinion, the best song the guys and gal have come up with so far. My only minor gripe is the song order, since the ending feels a bit anti-climatic, but I can in all honestly not deduct any points for that.

To sum things up, I must say that I’m more than impressed by what Angel At My Table have concocted and I can only recommend every fan of the genre to check out Light! I am convinced that this is but the beginning of a long and promising journey and if you want to be part of it you should move your behind to den Atelier this Saturday, May 17th, where the band will hold their release show! For more information, you can visit their Facebook page and be sure to watch the video below!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDEFm7kO4jE]

Upon This Dawning – We Are All Sinners


A bit more than a year and a half after their debut album, the Italian metalcore band Upon This Dawning released their follow-up to it last week. Back when I reviewed the predecessor, I said that the band has potential, but still needs to find their sound…and I’m very happy to say that they managed to do so with We Are All Sinners!

The first thing that you notice when you pop in the new record, is that the production has become vastly more massive: every note packs so much more of a punch than before and it’s a true joy to listen to. The second thing that will catch your attention is that the entire ensemble’s, metaphorical, balls have dropped…which means that the guitars are way more down-tuned, the drums are much more aggressive and, most noticeably, the growls have reached an incredible low sound spectrum…but more on that later.

In the opening paragraph I mentioned that the quintet has managed to find their sound, meaning that this sounds a lot more genuine and heartfelt than their previous endeavor, but there aren’t necessarily any new elements to the genre. As a matter of fact, it sounds a lot like Betraying The Martyrs, a French band that I absolutely adore, but the end result doesn’t have to fear the comparison since the eleven tracks have a lot of variety to offer. While the majority is composed of groove-laden songs with a number of seriously heavy breakdowns, there are some surprise songs that have a very interesting industrial vibe to them.

The instrumental front in general has improved quite a lot, both in terms of face-melting brutality but also in terms of entrancing melodic parts. The songwriting is not the only aspect that has reached new heights, however. The one factor that completely blew me away on my first listen-through of these thirty-eight minutes is the fact that the growls are so purely vile and evil now, that it’s simply a pleasure to have your eardrums bombarded with them. The clean vocals have also changed quite a bit, with the arrival of a new singer, and I must say that I prefer them to the old ones, since they are much more diverse and fit the style of the music perfectly.

All in all, I’m glad that Upon This Dawning have, luckily, disproven my initial fears of being a one-album-band and have actually by far surpassed their debut record with this new one. Here’s to hoping that they’ll tour in my general vicinity and that album number three is going to be even more insane. If you are into this kind of music, you absolutely cannot go wrong here…so be sure to check the video below and visit the band’s Facebook page if you like what you hear!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNw7SmjlO8w]

Devil You Know – The Beauty Of Destruction


Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to welcome back one of the arguably best and most distinguishable metalcore voices out there after a break of two years! Following his departure from Killswitch Engage, Howard Jones took some time off from the spotlight but now he’s back as the lead singer of the new band Devil You Know! Composed of members from All Shall Perish, Devolved and Bleeding Through, the quintet has just released their debut record The Beauty Of Destruction!

The band plays metalcore, very comparable to the sound of the bands the members come from, which covers some really heavy songs and some softer ones as well. The heavy songs of the twelve tracks all have serious headbanging potential and will satisfy all your needs with their fast-paced rhythms and crazy riffs. The slower ones all have that sing-along potential as well as earworm quality, making the record quite diverse.

The definite highlight throughout the forty-eight minutes is, without a doubt, the brilliant vocal performance. The screams are as powerful as ever, ranging from high-pitched screeches to deep growls, and the cleans are just as soulful as what you’re used to. I’d even go as far as to say that it’s Jones’ best work to date, but his output has been constantly close to perfection over the years…so that’s not saying much.

In closing, I’m going to say that if you’ve missed the incomparable voice of Mr. Jones, you will feel right at home with Devil You Know, and there is really no reason you shouldn’t give this record a thorough listen. For those of you who are, for some unbeknownst to me reason, unfamiliar with him…what are you waiting for? Listen to the song below and visit the band’s Facebook page so you can get started!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3qVww8s_a4]

Adestria – Gilded Hearts


Today’s review is very special to me since, almost to the day, two years ago I wrote my first review for El Gore and it was about the US band Adestria‘s debut album Chapters. Exactly one hundred reviews later, they just released their second full length album Gilded Hearts!

Where should I start? Not much has changed in the quintet’s sound, but that’s just as well, because they were one of the, if not the, strongest newcomers of 2012. Their powerful take on metalcore has kept up well over the times and still sounds as fresh as ever. I have the feeling that they have become slightly more technical in their riffing but, as I mentioned before, they were already at a high level to begin with.

The ten songs all have these diverse arrangements to them, where they change from balls to the wall mosh parts to super melodic passages with a very epic feel. The major improvement on this record is definitely the production, everything sounds a lot more crisp and especially the bass guitar is so massive and can be distinguished quite easily among the barrage of instruments. While it does have a very modern sound, it’s not overdone to the point where you’re wondering what you’re listening to.

The vocal front also remains largely the same: the screams are still as massive as before, the screeches, even though less prominent this time around, are still bone-shattering and the clean parts are still as melodious as ever. As opposed to the predecessor, there are no guest vocals this time around, which I don’t mind at all…since it leaves more time for the vocalist to shine on these thirty-five minutes.

To round things off, I can only say that Adestria have managed to put out yet another brilliant record and I’m really glad that, just like me, they didn’t lose any of their drive over the past two years! Be sure to visit the band’s Facebook page for more info and to check out the song below! Here’s to the next celebration in two years!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBuEp3JjB5k]

Dreadnought – Vanitas


I usually don’t write reviews of singles, but I’ll make an exception in the case of the local melodic death metal powerhouse Dreadnought. Part of the incestuous trio of bands from the Bricherhaff, they recently released the two-track single Vanitas.

As is tradition for these three bands, everything on here is self-recorded, self-produced and self-released. The eponymous opening track is easily my favorite track by the band so far, since it is so beautifully melodic and yet heavy enough to rock your socks off. The second track, Old City, is a bit more straight-forward but just as gripping.

The song structures in general have improved a lot since Demon, and the instrumentation is a lot clearer and poignant. And, as you might guess if you’ve read the last review that featured the same singer, the purely evil vocals of local growl virtuoso Boerdi are just the icing on the cake of these eleven minutes.

I know this is a very short review, but it’s easier for you to listen to it below and/or download it for free. I, for one, am very much looking forward to the next EP or full length by Dreadnought, and so should you! As usual, more information can be found on the band’s Facebook page!