Reverence – Gods of War

Loaded with many big names in the metal world (including former Savatage drummer Steve Wacholz), Reverence is a group from the US that plays a nice blend of traditional heavy metal and power metal. This means that riffs and melody are both in large supply, and it is the band’s ability to combine both that makes them so effective. The title track provides one of the best examples; the crunchy guitar tone makes these already fist-pumping riffs another notch higher, while the soothing vocals of Todd Michael Hall (of Riot fame, among others) provide a contrasting, yet complementary approach. This particular track is a mid-paced effort, which is something the band excels at on this record (the closing songs “Cleansed By Fire” and “Race To Obscene” are similarly crafted). The following song, “Heart of Gold” amps up the speed, and the guitar work becomes a bit more dazzling.  

As you may have guessed, “Gods of War” is an album that is well-defined, doesn’t take a lot of risks, but hits the spot perfectly. Simply put, Reverence just writes good songs. A song like “Angel In Black” is a great example; it is driven by its melodic, catchy chorus, yet at the same time features aggressive drumming. The use of backing vocals is fantastic (and almost a bit Primal Fear-like, though that may just be the similar song title putting thoughts of that band in my head), and everything about the song feels very deliberate. “Battle Cry” probably has the best guitar playing on the record, complete with harmonized guitars and speedy solos. You could single out just about any track on the record for special consideration because they’re all really good.

With that said, I wouldn’t mind seeing Reverence exchange a couple of the mid-paced stompers for some more blazing power metal. Even the faster songs on this record don’t quite compare with similar songs of the group’s peers. The band is no doubt very technically competent, and they could benefit from having some tracks driven by double bass. This would also give Hall more opportunities to show the entire range of his voice. Admittedly, he has a very comfortable tone on this record, but it would be cool to see him add some really insane screams. Of course, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the music on “Gods of War”, and it’s hard to imagine any fan of old-school heavy metal or power metal being disappointed.

Be sure to check out and like Reverence on Facebook!

Highlights

"Gods of War"

"Angel In Black"

"Cleansed By Fire"

Final Rating

4.2/5 or 84%. 

Written by Scott

Ghost – Meliora

In an age where it is becoming increasingly difficult for metal bands to break free of the underground and find mainstream success, Ghost is one of the few bands seeming to gain popularity. With each new album, the band manages to launch into the next stratosphere of fame. Despite this, I’ve found the band to be wildly inconsistent. The debut had some good tracks, but appeared to be just a hint of things to come, while “Infestissumam” knocked it out of the park completely. The band’s third record, “Meliora”, shows them returning to Earth. Much like the first Ghost album, “Meliora” has a number of enjoyable songs, but it also has some head-scratching moments, as well as some downright boring ones.

The high points on “Meliora” consist primarily of the first half of the album. Whether it is the doom-laden single “Cirice”, or the catchy bounce found in both “Spirit” and “From The Pinnacle To The Pit”, Ghost has done an excellent job of writing material that sticks with you. They are all true to the band’s formula of incorporating Papa Emeritus’ highly restrained and melodic vocals over top of heavier mid-paced riffs. The latter track in particular is perfect for a live setting, as it is easy to sing along to. While the band has hinted towards playing doom metal in the past, “Cirice” is Ghost’s first major example where they show how effective they are at playing this style. After a short instrumental, the band continues the high quality with “He Is”, a song that is much lighter than the earlier tracks (thanks in large part to the extensive use of acoustic guitars), and considerably far away from metal. 

From this point, Ghost loses focus a little bit. “Mummy Dust” has a downright frustrating and annoying chorus, while the remaining four tracks on the record are true to Ghost’s sound (even the interlude), but with minimal substance of interest. Gone are the hooks so catchy that they won’t leave your head for hours. The problem with the style of music that Ghost plays is that it is so reliant on strong songwriting that when this isn’t achieved, the result is disappointing. Sure, there’s the occasional enjoyable moment on the second half of the album, but relative to past classics like “Ritual”, “Jigolo Har Megiddo” or even some of the earlier songs on this album, side 2 is a major letdown. Nevertheless, if you like what Ghost does, “Meliora” probably won’t disappoint too much. At the very least, it is worthy of buying for the first few songs, while the latter half is good for the occasional spin.

Be sure to check out and like Ghost on Facebook!

Highlights

"Spirit"

"From The Pinnacle To The Pit"

"Cirice"

Final Rating

3.5/5 or 70%. 

Written by Scott

Lord Rot – The Realm of Decay

Hailing from Scotland, Lord Rot is a solo death metal project that released their first EP, “The Realm of Decay”, in late 2015. This release takes the razor sharp riffs of the early death metal bands of the late 1980s (think Pestilence, Morbid Angel, and others) and combines them with the more aggressive side of death metal that wouldn’t surface for a few more years. That means that the blasting can get a bit heavy at times, but Lord Rot wisely reins things in often enough to keep your attention. The vocals tend to be more vicious in nature, not unlike a more death metal version of Mille Petrozza. Speaking of Kreator, they're also a good reference point for the wildly chaotic guitar solos that are featured prominently throughout this record (especially on the closing song, "Cacophony of Screams")

One nice surprise on “The Realm of Decay” is that there are a few times where the band slows things down by using cerebral, brooding melodies. Fans of Autopsy will definitely appreciate the crossover between these evil sounds and the more furious death metal that Lord Rot spends most of their time playing. Even though the production tends to be somewhat thin, it does sound noticeably thicker during these slower sections. The result is that these moments are monolithically heavy, while the faster riffs retain that primal buzzsaw tone that instantly makes every riff better. “Trapped In A Casket” shows Lord Rot using some more straight forward tremolo-picked riffs (which are later harmonized), but the band does a nice job of not abusing this riffing style, and instead leaning towards that death/thrash sound that was prevalent when the former subgenre was first birthed. While the three tracks on “The Realm of Decay” don’t show a level of memorability that many of the above mentioned bands have achieved, it is still a release that is dripping with those influences. For that reason alone, this EP is an essential listen for all fans of old-school death metal.

Be sure to check out and like Lord Rot on Facebook!

Highlights

"Trapped In A Casket"

"Cacophony of Screams"

Final Rating

4.3/5 or 86%. 

Written by Scott