/r/RABM/

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

V/A - "Vendetta Compilation II" (2015)

V/A "Vendetta compilation II"

Year: 2015
Genre: Black Metal with various influences
Country: Germany (for the most part)

Track List:
  1. AST - fraktale
  2. ASHBRINGER - ethereal aura pt. II
  3. SVFFER - fever
  4. SEHER - der seher
  5. CULT OF OCCULT - psychotic
  6. ANTLERS - carnival of freedom and betrayal
  7. NEGATIVE STANDARDS - XVII
  8. ULTHA - you exist for nothing
  9. ANCST - spark
  10. OLD GRAVES - dawn treader
  11. SHADOW OF THE TORTURER - the church
  12. ADDAURA - the sun shines to-day also ( ...on the oaks of that bird hill )
bandcamp

The second compilation released by Berlin-based Vendetta Records about a week ago (the first one was released in the beginning of this year). Might be of interest for the RABM community because it features a lot of bands previously featured on my blog (Ast, Antlers, Negative Standards, Ancst, Addaura...)

Sorgsenhet - "Marsch der Zeit" (2015)

SORGSENHET "Marsch der Zeit"

Year: 2015
Genre: Black Metal with folk overtones
Country: Germany

Track List:
  1. Intro
  2. Durch die Tiefen der Unendlichkeit
  3. Die Reise bis zum Grund
  4. Anima Mundi
  5. Äthertraum
  6. Ballad of a Soldier
bandcamp

Sorgsenhet were formed in 2010 in Giessen, Germany. Their first demo release "Drachennebel" (2013) was apolitical, but two years later they decided to do more political left-friendly and antifascist music. In particular, the intro of this EP is an organ cover of a Yugoslavian partisan song, and the last track, "Ballad of a Soldier", is a cover version of a popular Soviet song of the same name. Additionally, you can hear an excerpt from "Warschawjanka" in the end of  the second track, "Durch die Tiefen der Unendlichkeit". The cover art for "Marsch der Zeit" is a painting by Ivan Aivazovsky called "Rainbow".

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Kluizenaer - "Anachoryt" (2015)

KLUIZENAER "Anachoryt"

Year: 2015
Genre: Raw Black Metal, Dark Ambient/Drone
Country: Netherlands

Track List:
  1. Ontkenning Van Het Bestaan Van Betekenis Of Waarde
  2. Allesomvattende Afkeer
bandcamp

The second release by a Dutch one-man project whose debut one was reviewed by me this summer. This new EP is still rooted in dark ambient and noise/drone, but it's definitely more BM-oriented than the debut album. Quite impressive stuff, especially if you listen to it alone in the dark.

Monday, November 2, 2015

BLOW OUT - "Rehearsal Hell #1" (2015)

BLOW OUT - "Rehearsal Hell #1"

Year: 2015
Genre: Hardcore, Anarchist Black Metal
Country: Germany

Track List:

  1. Schwitzkaste
  2. Infected
  3. I.D.G.F.
  4. Kacknesie
  5. Nagelhagel
bandcamp

Blow Out begins their first track with fair recording quality in a fast-paced hardcore punk fashion. Their sound is akin to Agnostic Front with a more fun, less Oi! sound, but definitely shows it's hardcore punk side. Their lyrics are rather catchy and distinguishable despite playing fast hardcore punk and screaming the lyrics. Their second track, Infected begins with intense cesauras, yet shows the quality of the recording as the singer's exhausted voice falters. Unfortunately, the second track is unable to give the same quality as the first track but it is enjoyable nonetheless. Their third track, I.D.G.F. only shows the singer's exhaustion more clearly in an obviously rushed recording. Their fourth track, Kacknesie is a slower song that provides a very black metal sound that is a relief both to the singer's vocals and to my ears. The end of Kacknesie reminded me of the intensity of hardcore punk, though I wish the whole song would've showed that initiative. The last song, Nagelhagel shows more black metal initiative. Overall, the song had some great positive initiative, but the recording was rushed with a fair quality of recording. I give it two and a half stars, ** */**.

Voice Eater - "Nihil" (2015)

Voice Eater - "Nihil"

Year: 2015
Genre: Black Metal, Doom/Sludge, Noisecore
Country: USA

Track List:

  1. Luz Negra
  2. Weight
  3. Defeater
  4. Vida Mierda
  5. Orphan Breed
  6. Weakling
  7. Duele
  8. Catharsis
bandcamp

Voice Eater from Arizona starts their first song, Luz Negra with according to me, excessively annoying ambience and follows that up with very poor recording that makes their music a headache to listen to. The same can be said of their second track, though their third track, Defeater was a lot more enjoyable despite the poor quality with it's more distinguishable screaming and enjoyable power chords. Their fourth track, Vida Mierda was of less quality than Defeater but slightly enjoyable. I really think their fifth track, Orphan Breed would've been a huge artistic success if it had been recorded with better equipment and/or under better circumstances. The same can be somewhat said of their sixth track, Weakling. Their seventh track, Duele shows amazing clarity initially despite minimal feedback on the song's recording. Their last and longest track Catharsis sounds like another potential minor success of a song from the album that was hampered by poor quality recording. It's finale sounds brilliant and somehow shines through the poor recording. A complete summary of the album would be that it was too poorly recorded to give a fair and accurate review, but I'll give it one and a half stars for effort. * */**.

Uninhabitable - "Self-Titled" (2015)

Uninhabitable - "Self-Titled"

Year: 2015
Genre: Black Metal, Blackened Crust, Hardcore
Country: USA

Track List:


  1. Banish the Throne
  2. War Crimes
  3. Se Soulever
  4. Duke of Progress
bandcamp

Uninhabitable from Asheville, North Carolina begins their first song with dark ambience and slowly strummed power chords that can draw you in to their dark, twisted world. The vocals provide an intense screaming reminiscent of what I would think is comparative to (non-anarchist) Motorhead's vocals. The song's caesuras or brief, silent pauses are also reminiscent of the band Korn (non-anarchist). Banish the Throne is sixteen minutes of brutal anarchist metal that is mostly beautiful. At short-lived intervals throughout the last half of the song the vocals become momentarily less than above par, but overall a great song with a total length of sixteen minutes and one second. Their second song, War Crimes begins with a short silence followed by power chords that seem to neither decelerate or accelerate very much. The same vocals from the last song continue, albeit more high-pitched. After about three and a half minutes the second song's beat and vocals slow down considerably.

Their third song, Se Soulever begins with high noted power chords that convey an expectation of acceleration and the song holds true to that fact with accelerated power chords, drumming and vocals. Their fourth song, Duke of Progress initially begins with power chords and drumming that alternates between acceleration and deceleration that is joined by the screaming vocals later on. Overall, I would rate the album four stars ****.