Craven Idol – The Shackles of Mammon

As the years roll on, and metal becomes increasingly convoluted in its categorizations, bands have continued pushed the envelope to see how they can meld these styles together. So much so, that it becomes difficult to even truly narrow a band down to a particular subgenre. This leads us to Craven Idol, who just unleashed their second record entitled “The Shackles of Mammon”. The band is typically billed as black/thrash, and while that is perhaps the most accurate depiction of their sound, it doesn’t capture the entire spectrum of their influences. Unlike many bands who have earned the same label, Craven Idol is by no means primitive or sloppy. This is a very technically accomplished band that lets you know their skill by creating maniacal moments of chaos (see the reckless soloing amidst a fury of blasting on “Pyromancer” for one great example). At other times, they successfully conjure darker, more sinister atmospheres.

In addition to the black and thrash metal elements the band utilizes, there are also plenty of death metal sounds (particularly the way the double bass rolls on at times), and even some hints of punk. Never lost amongst the variety of this record is the fact that Craven Idol always has a plethora of great riffs to offer. Many of them follow the formula of beginning with some tremolo picking and then hitting a few descending or ascending notes in the latter half of the riff, but these are by no means the band’s only weapon in their arsenal of riffs. Straight 16^th tremolo-picked riffs are also common, but Craven Idol ensures they don’t feel unoriginal (a commendable feat given that death and black metal have seen 25+ years of these riffs). The band isn’t afraid to move up the neck to some higher registers, which helps keep their sound from becoming monotonous. 

Though this album has an impressive display of diversity, none of the songs stand out from one another in terms of quality. Even the two epics, which hover around 8 minutes each, simply feel like longer versions of the other songs. This isn’t necessarily a criticism; if you like Craven Idol’s sound, it just means that the quality never wavers. Though there are a slew of albums from bands playing this strange amalgamation of sounds, “The Shackles of Mammon” never feels derivative. Craven Idol has enough unique tricks or keep things interesting, and ultimately, it has resulted in a satisfying record.

Be sure to check out and like Craven Idol on Facebook!

Highlights

"Pyromancer"

"A Ripping Strike"

Final Rating

3.6/5 or 72%. 

Written by Scott

Gorephilia – Severed Monolith

Long-time followers of metal’s best underground label, Dark Descent Records, have had quite a wait for the second record from Finland’s Gorephilia. After 5 years, the band is about to release their sophomore release, entitled “Severed Monolith”. The band’s music is new to me, but it’s easy to see why people would be anxious for a release from this group. “Severed Monolith” successfully captures many elements of what made the best old-school death metal bands great. Morbid Angel in particular seems to be the biggest influence, as this album has twisted, sadistic riffing that utilizes uncommon intervals and harmonies, in addition to schizophrenic soloing. There are plenty of rolling double bass grooves, as well as a sufficient amount of chaotic blasting. Nobody can truly emulate Pete Sandoval, but Gorephilia’s drummer does an admirable job.

“Severed Monolith” does have a tendency to blend together. Though the songs themselves provide plenty of variety, few tracks rise above the others to make any meaningful impact, as this record is best enjoyed as a whole. Perhaps the lone exception to this is the epic that almost closes the record, “Crushed Under The Weight of God”. This song is as massive as its title implies, and though its length of nearly 10 minutes exceeds almost anything by Morbid Angel, this track shows Gorephilia with their best worship of the Floridian legends.

The remainder of the album is similar in style, but not quite as memorable. Nevertheless, the band also displays other influences, including doomier sections, as well as more dissonant, Immolation-esque moments. The band isn’t afraid to have lengthier instrumental sections, or even just use haunting screams as background noise (see the first minute and a half of “Black Horns” for a great example). Of course, their vocalist also delivers the necessary brutality to fit in with the rest of the music. His voice is a low rumble that rarely delves into anything too adventurous, but it gets the job done. 

With “Severed Monolith”, Gorephilia have created an excellent album that is incredibly faithful to death metal’s classic records. Sure, we’ve all heard music like this 1,000 times before, but it doesn’t make it any less effective. There’s really nothing to fault the band for, as this record doesn’t overstay its welcome, and doesn’t bother with failed experimentation. As a result, “Severed Monolith” is an early contender for being one of the strongest death metal records of the year!

Be sure to check out and like Gorephilia on Facebook!

Highlight

"Crushed Under The Weight of God

Final Rating

4.25/5 or 85%. 

Written by Scott