Soreption Premieres Title Track from New Album

Soreption has just released another track from their upcoming album, Engineering the Void.  And oh my god, it is absolutely shredtastic.  Yes, I just made that word up and I don't care.  This album is going to rule.  I can't wait to pick it up!  In the meantime, check out their newly released song at the link below:

http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/track-premiere-soreptions-engineering-the-void/

Abominable Putridity - The Anomalies of Artificial Origin (2012)

Genre: Brutal Death Metal/Slam Metal

Release Date: February 28, 2012

1. Remnants of the Tortured (4:00)

2. A Massacre in the North (3:27)

3. Letting Them Fall... (3:33)

4. A Burial for the Abandonment (3:19)

5. Lack of Oxygen (2:34)

6. Wormhole Inversion (2:58)

7. The Anomalies of Artificial Origin (2:37)

8. The Last Communion (3:12)

The Anomalies of Artificial Origin is quite possibly the heaviest album of all time... Ok, that's admittedly an exaggeration (at least I have your attention).  Nonetheless, this band is certainly worthy of the moniker "brutal death metal".  The second release from Moscow's Abominable Putridity is 25 minutes of grinding, in-your-face slam metal.  This album is seriously heavy, with songs that could tip the scales more than Shaquille O'Neal weighing in at training camp.

Abominable Putridity has come a long way in the four years since the release of their debut album, In the End of Human Existence (2007).  Their first record was pretty much just a run-of-the-mill brutal death metal record - crunchy palm muted guitar riffs, blast beats, alternation between fast-tempo parts and breakdowns, and vocals so guttural that the listener could not pick out a single lyric without the words right in front of her/him.  I didn't find that album very impressive and so I didn't pay much attention to this Russian death metal act until I heard the leaked songs from this release last summer.

Remnants of the Tortured

If you've listened to the above track, "Remnants of the Tortured," then you should be able to see what I mean.  The guitar work is very tight, yet it doesn't lose that raw sound that is particular to slam/brutal death metal.  The vocals are menacing and gritty, just the way true metalheads like it.  Check out a couple more of their tracks below:

Letting Them Fall...

Anomalies of Artificial Origin

If you are a fan of straight-up, no holds barred death metal then you should feel right at home with The Anomalies of Artificial Origin.  Along with Pathology (who literally release an album every year; they're a model of productivity), Abominable Putridity are a band to look out for in brutal death metal.  Keep your eyes on these Russians.

Final Rating 8/10

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: Remnants of the Tortured, The Last Communion, Lack of Oxygen

Top 10 (11) Metal Albums of 2013

Creating this list was truly a labor for me, more so than in previous years.  2013 produced a lot of albums that were absolutely breathtaking.  Revocation and Fleshgod Apocalypse both released their best albums to date.  And for the love of God, Carcass is back (after nearly two decades since the release of their last album)!  I couldn't narrow it down to just ten.  It was down to a few albums at the end of my list, and I felt like it would be an injustice if I left any of them off.  So here are my top 10 (*cough* eleven) albums of 2013 C. E.

T-10. Persefone - Spiritual Migration

I didn't have it in my heart to leave this album off the list.  Spritual Migration is intricate, exciting, and sticks to the basics of melodic death metal while maintaining some unique ideas of its own.  Hell, it's just epic.  And epic flies well with me.

T-10. Arsis - Unwelcome

Arsis made a big comeback after their failed attempt to sell out with Starve for the Devil.  Sorry Arsis, only Metallica could pull off a proper sell out - and metalheads hate them now anyway.  Stick to the death metal.  It's better for you and us.

Unwelcome is in the vein of their earlier releases like A Celebration of Guilt.  There is lots of tremolo picking and interesting riffs.  This album presses the pedal to the (death) metal and doesn't let up.  Arsis will surely get your adrenaline pumping.  Check out their latest album, which is tied for the tenth spot in my top ten.

9. Kalmah - Seventh Swamphony

I still remember when I got my first taste of Kalmah.  I stumbled upon this band online and was so blown away that I ordered their record, The Black Waltz, from an international seller since I couldn't find it in the U.S. at the time.  Seventh Swamphony didn't have quite the same effect on me but it's still an amazing album and deserves a listen.  Check it out.

8. Gorguts - Colored Sands

Carcass wasn't the only band to make a big comeback in 2013.  Gorguts released their first album since From Wisdom to Hate (2001).  This Montreal death metal act was sorely missed when they broke up in 2005.  And their reformation is celebrated by the release of the intricately brutal Colored Sands.  Also, dig the album artwork.

7. Rivers of Nihil - The Conscious Seed of Light

This up-and-coming band from my home state of Pennsylvania dropped their full-length debut this year.  And it 'twas amazing.  They are starting to build up a reputation in the death metal scene as a result of their extensive touring and promotion, not to mention their amazing brutal sound.  The Conscious Seed of Light is one of the best releases of the year.

6. Suffocation - Pinnacle of Bedlam

Suffocation's former drummer Mike Smith may not be satisfied with the direction this band is headed in, but I am loving it.  They are really embracing a modern technical death metal sound and they are well suited for it.  The genre has changed a lot since Effigy of the Forgotten was released in 1991.  And Suffocation is doing an excellent job of staying relevant with their latest release, Pinnacle of Bedlam.

5. Conducting from the Grave - Conducting from the Grave

This album got bogged down due to financial issues.  But there's nothing Kickstarter can't solve!  Conducting From the Grave raised almost twenty grand to help fund the release of their self-titled album, as well as some promotional materials like t-shirts and whatnot.  And it's a good thing they managed to pull that off, because Conducting From the Grave is easily their best release to date.

4. Immolation - Kingdom of Conspiracy

Kingdom of Conspiracy left me speechless.  It's easily one of the heaviest albums of 2013 and proves that Immolation is still very relevant after twenty years in the death metal scene.

3. Carcass - Surgical Steel

This album seriously owns your face.  Like Carcass put down a fifteen year mortgage on your face in 1998 and that shit is paid off now, deed in hand.  Now I'm just crossing my fingers for a new At the Gates record... which is honestly unlikely.  But I believe it was the great Justin Bieber who said "never say never."

2. Revocation - Revocation

Boston's best death metal act just keeps getting better.  I knew this album was going to be absolutely kick ass.  The Teratogenesis EP (2012) was a great indicator of the direction Revocation was headed in.  And that direction was towards some of the most balls-to-the-wall technical death metal on the market today.  Revocation is their best album yet, and if it weren't for Fleshgod Apocalypse it would have made it to number one on my list.

1. Fleshgod Apocalypse - Labyrinth

Fleshgod Apocalypse had some tight competition this year with releases from juggernauts like Carcass and Suffocation.  But these Italian virtuosos of a unique brand of symphonic technical brutal death metal produced their best effort yet.  I believe this is exactly the sound they've been trying to achieve for years.  They approached it with Agony, but they perfected it with Labyrinth.  This album is an absolute masterpiece that earns the honor of best metal album of 2013.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order...)

The Black Dahlia Murder - Everblack

Megadeth - Super Collider

Children of Bodom - Halo of Blood

Hypocrisy - End of Disclosure

Defeated Sanity - Passages into Deformity

Blood Red Throne - Blood Red Throne

Dark Tranquillity - Construct

Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods

Man Must Die - Peace Was Never an Option

Finntroll - Blodsvept

Dream Theater - Dream Theater

Ulcerate - Vermis

Soilwork - The Living Infinite

Six Feet Under - Unborn

Immolation - Kingdom of Conspiracy

Autopsy - The Headless Ritual

Exhumed - Necrocracy

Born of Osiris - Tomorrow We Die Alive

Within Temptation - Paradise (What About Us?)

Deicide - In the Minds of Evil

The Faceless - Planetary Duality (2008)

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Release Date: November 11, 2008

1. Prison Born (1:59)

2. The Ancient Covenant (4:02)

3. Shapeshifters (0:44)

4. Coldly Calculated Design (3:41)

5. XenoChrist (5:01)

6. Sons of Belial (4:46)

7. Legion of the Serpent (4:27)

8. Planetary Duality I: Hideous Revelation (1:34)

9. Planetary Duality II: A Prophcies Fruition (5:28)

In 2013, The Faceless underwent a serious makeover in terms of membership.  In less than a year, the well-renowned technical death metal act from Encino, CA has seen the departure of more than half its' bandmates who were present on Planetary Duality.  Derek Rydquist (vocals), Steve Jones (guitar), and founding member Brandon Giffin (bass) have all made their exit from The Faceless, leaving only Michael Keene (guitar) and Lyle Cooper (drums) as the only remaining members from the album which is the subject of this review.

Planetary Duality is, in my opinion, the band's best album.  It is more refined than their debut release, Akeldama (2006), and more focused than their most recent release Autotheism (2012).

Legion of the Serpent

Every musician in this band is extremely talented and their vocalist has one of the most abrasive (in a good way) voices in death metal.  The guitar playing is incredibly fluid and smooth.  Every note is clearly articulated whether the playing style is legato, sweep picking, or economy/alternate picking.  The drums are an impressive collection of blast beats and other stylistic arrangements that are common in modern death metal.  Even the bass playing stands out impressively (see the intro to "The Ancient Covenant", while many other bands have bass as only a footnote or backdrop.

If you're looking to get into technical death metal, this is a fantastic album to start with.  It's nuanced, refined, energetic, eery, and in-your-face.  I stumbled upon this album several years ago and I still listen to it on a regular basis.

The Ancient Covenant

I think it's unlikely The Faceless will have a lineup that surpasses (or even matches) the core group they had when they recorded Planetary Duality.  Nonetheless, this band still has a bright future and remains one of the best bands in all of technical death metal.  If your ears haven't had the pleasure of being exposed The Faceless before, do them a favor and blast this masterpiece in your speakers.

Final Rating 10/10

MASTERPIECE

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: The Ancient Covenant, Sons of Belial, Planetary Duality II

Top 10 Metal Albums of 2012

As 2013 draws to a close, I decided to finally release my list of top 10 metal albums of 2012 (in anticipation of my list of 2013 albums).  2012 was, once again, a fantastic year for heavy metal.  There were a ton of great releases from genre juggernauts and newcomers alike.  I'm pretty happy with the list I've devised, whether you like it or not.  Once again, I must give the disclaimer that this list skews heavily towards death metal releases, since that is the type of metal I'm immersed in the most.  Also, it's just my favorite.  So here are the top 10 releases of 2012.

10. Kamikabe - Aberration of Man

This band has been grinding it out in the Pittsburgh metal scene for years.  They just lost their singer to The Faceless after the release of their amazing EP, Aporia.  But they're still producing amazing music, albeit with a singer that doesn't quite match the talents of Geoffrey Ficco.  Abberation of Man is a totally seamless album, with each track transitioning perfectly into the next.  It's amazing and definitely earns a spot in the top ten metal albums of the year.

9. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist

Kreator delivers yet again with a crushing thrash metal release.  I swear these German juggernauts get better with every album.  The record kicks off with a great build up and then just grabs a hold of you and doesn't let go.  The only thrash metal band I prefer at this point is Exodus.  My favorite track is the closer, "Until Our Paths Cross Again."

8. Cryptopsy - Cryptopsy

Cryptopsy's latest release was the best come back album of the year (after their prior shitty metalcore release).  I've seen a lot of mediocre reviews on the internet about this record, but I have to disagree with the naysayers who say Cryptopsy's lost their edge.  Cryptopsy kicked some serious ass.  Just listen to "Damned Draft Dodgers" and "Red Skinned Scapegoat" if you don't believe me.  This is the best stuff they've put out since the 1990s.

7. Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Between the Buried and Me dropped another epic release in 2012.  What can I say?  It's awesome.  Like really awesome.  Check it out.

6. Allegaeon - Formshifter

I'm always happy to see an American death metal band really tearing it up.  American bands always get a bad rap and the U.S. is typically considered an inferior music scene for metal.  I dispute this on a regular basis and bands like Allegaeon do a lot to support my case that the U.S. has a ton of great death metal bands.  

Allegaeon has really taken the modern melodic death metal scene by storm.  I was blown away by their 2010 full length debut, Fragments of Form and Function.  And this release was no different.  Technical elements merge with melodic elements to create an amazingly heavy and beautiful musical array.  Behold... Colorado's Allegaeon.

5. Spawn of Possession - Incurso

Hey folks, a Swedish band is really good at making technical death metal.  Shocker!!  If you haven't noticed, I'm being sarcastic.  Sweden has always had one of the best metal scenes and Spawn of Possession are among the best Sweden has to offer.  Incurso is the third release from Spawn and it's easily their best to date.  Amazing and eery sounding with all the intricacies and nuances I love about technical death metal.  Do yourself a favor and listen to it.  (Also, this was my favorite album cover of the releases I picked for 2012's top ten.)

4. The Faceless - Autotheism

I remember running across a lot of talk on the internet, speculating that this album would never be released.  Michael Keene may take awhile to produce an album, but let's face it, The Faceless is no Necrophagist.  We were bound to hear a finished product eventually.  And the result, Autotheism, was totally worth the wait (four years since their last release).  I hesitate to say this is their best release, since I really loved Planetary Duality, but it's damn close.  If you love technical death metal with traces of Dream Theater, then check out The Faceless.

3. Gorod - A Perfect Absolution

Random thought: this album cover reminds me of Final Fantasy 7.  I can't totally figure out why, but that's what springs to mind.  Anyhow, this album is totally insanely awesome.  I can't speak highly enough about Gorod.  France typically gets overlooked when it comes to metal music, but these Frenchmen totally rule.

Much like with Cryptopsy's release, I read a lot of reviews of this record that gave it mediocre remarks.  I just can't understand this because I was absolutely floored by A Perfect Absolution.  I think it's a perfect mix of heavy elements, melodic elements, technical elements, and jazzy elements.  Listen to "Varangian Paradise" or "Birds of Sulphur" and tell me you're not impressed.  And I'll tell you why you should be.

2. Psycroptic - The Inherited Repression

This album should have been number one.  Seriously.  And if it weren't for Jari Maenpaa it definitely would have been number one.  But alas, I'm ranking The Inherited Repression number two.  Psycroptic is one of my favorite death metal bands and this was their best release ever.  It's so refined yet retains an element of rawness at the same time.  And it's tight, insanely tight.  Check out my review of it for more details.  This is one of the best technical death metal releases to have ever dropped.  You need to be listening to it.

1. Wintersun - Time I

I really thought this album was never going to be released.  Seriously I had given up on ever hearing another Wintersun album.  The self-titled debut of Jari Maenpaa's (of Ensiferum fame) side project was absolutely amazing when it came out in 2004.  Eight songs of pure gold that still move me to this day.  I loved it so I was stoked for Time.  But then there were delays... and more delays... and technical issues.... and more delays.  It really felt like Maenpaa was pulling an Axl Rose.

But it finally came out and wow... Time I was totally worth waiting nearly a decade for.  However if Wintersun keeps me waiting another decade for their release of Time II (which is supposed to drop in 2014), I will not be pleased at all.  But here it is, the best metal album of 2012: Wintersun's Time I.


EDIT: When I made this original post I forgot that Kamikabe's full length debut came out in 2012.  I cannot ignore the fact that it was an amazing and seamless album that deserved to be on this list.  So sorry Mors Principium Est.  I guess you'll still be relegated to an underrated role, yet again.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)...

Mors Principium Est - ...And Death Said Live

Pathology - The Time of Great Purification

Wretched - Son of Perdition

Ensiferum - Unsung Heroes

Dethklok - Dethalbum III

Napalm Death - Utilitarian

Dying Fetus - Reign Supreme

Cannibal Corpse - Torture

The Agonist - Prisoners

Beneath the Massacre - Incongruous 

Job for a Cowboy - Demonocracy

Grave - Endless Procession of Souls

Nile - At the Gate of Sethu

Malignancy - Eugenics

Cattle Decapitation - Monolith of Inhumanity (not really my cup o' tea, but fans fucking love it)

Meshuggah - Koloss (very close to making it on my list)

Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage (also very close to the top 10)

New Soreption Album Coming Soon! Check Out Album Teaser and First Release of Full-Length Track from Upcoming Release

It's tough for me to think of an album that I'm more excited to be released than Soreption's upcoming cut, Engineering the Void.  Like most Swedish death metal bands, Soreption is just straight-up nasty.  Their riffs will send adrenaline coursing through your body quicker than Nikki Sixx can say "kickstart my heart."  Okay, that's a lame reference but it's late and I don't care.  If you don't believe this album is going to absolutely melt your face off, then please check out the linked content below to be proven wrong beyond a reasonable doubt.

Engineering the Void Album Teaser

Check out the video on Revolver Mag for their latest track, "Breaking the Great Narcissist".

http://www.revolvermag.com/news/exclusive-soreption-premiere-new-track-breaking-the-great-narcissist.html

Bullman is Back!

I've decided to revive the Bullman's Metal Reviews because, let's face it, someone has to tell the public what metal music they should be listening to.  My life is crazy-busy, probably more so than ever, so don't expect gargantuan reviews to be posted every day.  And don't be surprised if I don't post for a long time.  Nevertheless, my goal is to post news of new releases, my yearly best albums lists, and reviews of my favorite new (and old) metal music.  I hope this blog will be a useful resource for some metal fans out there.  Without further ado... I give you Bullman's Metal Reviews.