Vorum - Poisoned Void

2012 may have been the year of death metal, but 2013 already seems poised to blow last year's output out of the water. With awesome albums by the likes of Tribulation, Zombiefication, and Terminate already eviscerating metalheads this year, Vorum looks to add their name to the unholy list. "Poisoned Void" is the group's debut full-length and it's monstrous to say the very least. The band may hail from Finland, but don't expect to hear any derivative aping of the gods that came before in Convulse, Demigod, Purtenance and the rest, because these lads bring a fervent mix of sounds that channel bands like Autopsy to Morbid Angel all the way over to Incantation, making for a very enjoyable listen that doesn't leave the listener thinking they should've just thrown on "insert classic '90s death metal album here." 

It's hard to stand out in today's over-saturated death metal scene, but the cream always rises to the top and Vorum are well on their way and that's because they simply "get it." The music here isn't overly complex and they're not trying to cram in a bunch of riffs with some evil melodies here and there, rather they take the tried and true way of making ancient death metal, using a lot of tremolo riffage to back the harsh and very awesome growls of Jonatan Johansson. Seriously, about 90% of the riffs are rapid tremolo bursts, which can tend to get real old real quick, unless you know what you're doing like these Finns do. This band doesn't rely on sounding overly evil or incredibly heavy, rather they get their point across with quality riffs that build off of each other to keep the listener enthralled.  The superb songwriting shows through immediately on the opening track "Impetuous Fires," which flows so smoothly and effortlessly because the riffs are written to escalate to insane climaxes and then to slow down and just crush the listener with a doomy riff or short midpaced crusher. 

Of course, there's more to the music on "Poisoned Void" than just a bunch of fast riffs. There's an underlying murkiness to the music (think Autopsy) that is always present, but even more so when the band breaks away from the faster stuff and slows down. The drummer and bassist also get passing grades for their work throughout the record, as they don't distract from the focal points of the songs, instead lending their services to add to the heaviness and intensity. And while I'm giving grades away, the lead guitar work gets an A+. The solos bring the perfect balance of shredding and melody to the table and serve as another enhancer for the overall songs ("Rabid Blood" in particular") rather than just a sideshow for the lead guitarist to show off his skills. Vorum have definitely made an impressive debut with this album and you owe it to yourself to check them out if you're a fan of rotting, decrepit, old-school death metal. As much as I love the bands who find themselves a particular niche in the death metal realm and can produce quality stuff, this quartet has forsaken the need to stick to a single style and has developed a sound that encompasses the death metal gamut nicely much like other new acts in Horrendous and Degial. In the words of the great Martin Van Drunen: "This is real death metal you bastards!" 

Be sure to check out and like Vorum on Facebook!

Highlights
"Impetuous Fires"
"Thriving Darkness"
"Evil Seed"

Final Rating
4.3/5 or 86%.  

Mindmaze - Mask of Lies

Mindmaze is a band that has been on my radar for quite a while now. One fact that piqued my interest was that founding member Jeff Teets and I are both huge fans of a couple select bands: Savatage and Borealis. Without going into too much detail, I feel Savatage is one of, if not, the most underrated metal band ever, and Borealis is a local favourite of mine. With that said, it was only natural that I took an interest in Mindmaze, a power/progressive metal band from Pennsylvania. “Mask of Lies” became even more compelling when I heard the lead single: “Never Look Back”.

If this album only consisted of “Never Look Back”, it would probably get the highest rating I’ve ever given out. It’s a text-book example of how to write a great song. With a lead melody that would make Iron Maiden jealous, the song immediately grabs your attention. As the verse comes in, you might be surprised to hear female vocals, but Sarah Teets is such a brilliant vocalist that it will sound quite natural. The chorus redefines what a catchy song is, and ultimately builds to a satisfying end. By comparison, the rest of the album is somewhat underwhelming. Nothing about this album is bad, it just can’t live up to the epic opener. Some other highlights include “This Holy War”, and the extremely long “Dark City (Dreaming This Life)”. The ballad, “Remember”, opens with a clear homage to Savatage, before taking a much brighter, more uplifting tone in the verse. While this change in sound is abrupt, it quickly becomes quite enjoyable. It’s hard to describe many of the other tracks because this is a progressive metal record; describing a single part of a song won't do it justice. The band goes through a variety of sounds, emotions, and moments led by the duo of Sarah’s vocals and Jeff’s guitar work. Speaking of Jeff’s guitar playing, it is the most enjoyable part of the album for me. It is clear that he is well-versed with some of metal’s best guitarists as he shares the common trait that makes them great: brilliant phrasing. While he does shred relentlessly often, it is the way the solos are constructed that really impress me. “Mask of Lies” is much better for having such a talented band playing.

While not every song on “Mask of Lies” is a home-run, there are great moments throughout the record. Combined with the skillful playing of these musicians, and you have a solid progressive power metal record. Ultimately, any of my dislike for this album is founded in my dislike for progressive music. Few bands can pull it off, and Mindmaze does a commendable job, but I definitely enjoy more straightforward music. This is a reason why the aforementioned “Never Look Back” is so enjoyable. Nevertheless, “Mask of Lies” is an invigorating, exciting metal record that you need in your collection!

Be sure to check out and like Mindmaze on Facebook!

Highlights

"Never Look Back"

"This Holy War"

"Dark City (Dreaming This Life)"

Final Rating

4.25/5 or 85%. 

Written by Scott 

Saxon - Sacrifice

It’s only been two years since “Call To Arms”, but Saxon is back with another record! Much like many other prolific artists (Motorhead, Anvil, Tankard), Saxon knows what they do well at this point, and they deliver with every album! There is little originality or experimentation at this point, but that isn’t what matters. What is important is delivering 8-10 solid, hard-rocking metal songs, and with “Sacrifice”, Saxon does that once again!

With the opening riff of the title track, any worry of disappointment immediately disappears. The simplistic, crunchy guitar riffs pave the way for Biff Byford’s still flawless vocals. With every note he sings, Biff reminds the listener why he still deserves to be respected as one of the top singers in metal. His voice is slightly gravellier than it was 30 years ago, but it is every bit as enjoyable. Other than Biff’s stellar vocals, another highlight is the shredding lead guitars. The solos are predictable, but still enjoyable. While you might expect the drumming to be standard, Nigel Glockler does add some aggression to the mix. The chorus of the title track features some wicked double bass that compliments the vocal melodies perfectly. Surprisingly, Saxon does add a bit of flair to their standard sound. Parts of “Made In Belfast” feature some more Eastern sounding melodies behind the wall of guitars. In addition, the main riff to “Guardians of the Tomb” is very unique for Saxon. It’s so strange that I can’t even find a valid point of reference. It does however make you listen a little bit more closely before Biff unleashes one of the catchiest choruses of the record. Another standout track (whether good or bad) is the closer, “Standing In A Queue”. I have nothing against a song with this subject matter (Anvil did it well 11 years before Saxon!), but this track is pure AC/DC worship. It isn’t too far away from Saxon’s standard sound, but I found it to be an uneventful closer that loses the energy built up by the rest of the record. Ultimately, however, it is the only weak point on an otherwise solid ball of rock.

It’s hard to believe that such an underappreciated band can be on their 20^th album. Once again, this is proof that quality trumps all. “Sacrifice” may not be as impressive as “Wheels of Steel” or “Strong Arm of the Law”, but it is a welcome legacy to Saxon’s commanding legacy.

Be sure to check out and like Saxon on Facebook!

Highlights

"Sacrifice"

"Guardians of the Tomb"

"Night of the Wolf"

Final Rating

4.0/5 or 80%. 

Written by Scott 

Destruction - Spiritual Genocide

For better or worse, there is perhaps no more predictable band over the last decade-plus than Destruction. Since “All Hell Breaks Loose” the band has released record after record of heavy, thrashy material. Like most others, I’m of the opinion that the first two comeback albums were quite strong, but the quality has waned since. It was not until 2011’s “Day of Reckoning” that I really started enjoying Destruction again. After witnessing the band live in 2012 (which one absolutely one of the most brutal, punishing performances I’ve ever seen), my expectations were high for “Spiritual Genocide”.

As you might expect, the album kicks off with a standard, post-2000 Destruction song. And then another, and another, right up until the end. There is no variation on Destruction’s sound on “Spiritual Genocide”, but that’s not a bad thing. The reason recent Destruction albums suffer is because they quickly abandon full-throttle thrashing for mid-paced, grooving riffs. Luckily, many songs on this record kick off with speedy riffs that are clearly the brainchild of Mike Sifringer. Just when things really get going, however, the band tends to revert to the aforementioned chugging. The only exception to this is “Under Violent Sledge”, which is far and away the most intense, enjoyable song. The song is just over 4 minutes of relentless brutality that Destruction hasn’t been offering recently. The other songs generally live or die based on the memorability of the choruses. While Sifringer used to be a masterful lead player, the quality of his playing has diminished lately. Schmier still has some bite in his voice, but he doesn’t use too much of the high shrill scream he is famous for. New drummer Vaaver really doesn’t sound any different than those who preceded him. He provides the appropriate use of double-bass, but doesn’t do anything to stand out. It would be unfair to say the band is phoning in this performance; it is by no means their worst album of the last decade, but this is a step down from “Day of Reckoning”.

“Spiritual Genocide” will be exactly what you expect of it. If you still enjoy bits of Destruction here and there (like me) this is worth buying. If not, it is still worth hearing just to see if it clicks with you. This band could do a lot better, but they definitely could do a lot worse.

Be sure to check out and like Destruction on Facebook!

Highlights

"Cyanide"

"City of Doom"

"Under Violent Sledgel"

Final Rating

3.7/5 or 74%. 

Written by Scott 

Fullforce - Next Level

Fullforce is one of many bands in the ever-extending line of HammerFall members. Since HammerFall is my favourite band, I’ve made it my goal to collect all of these albums, and Fullforce’s second record is one of the best ones I’ve heard yet! If you are familiar with Full Strike (another Stefan Elmgren band), you will certainly feel right at home listening to “Next Level”. Musically, this record is more on the traditional heavy metal side than the power metal. In fact, it’s really more hard rocking and simplistic, but it’s still very entertaining.

With 13 songs clocking in at 50 minutes, Fullforce really puts in effort to make each track standout. Things jump from the AOR/hard rock stylings of “A Night To Remember” to the anthemic “Awesomeness”, to ballads like “Smile at the World” and “Strongest Thing of All”. This is one record where it’s very easy to like some songs and dislike others, but ultimately, none of the songs are weaker than others, they are just different. Because of the relatively simplistic song structures, two things about “Next Level” stand out: the guitar solos and Mike Andersson’s vocals. While these guitar solos are not particularly flashy, they compliment the music perfectly. If you are familiar with Stefan Elmgren’s work in HammerFall, you can expect work of similar quality. The surprise to me was Andersson’s vocals. I found the vocals to be the weakest part of Full Strike, but Fullforce make no mistake in having an excellent singer. Andersson has a wide range that isn’t just focused in the high end. On the softer songs, his voice is very soothing; however, he also has a powerful approach that comes through on the more epic songs. The rhythm section on “Next Level” is perfect for the sound Fullforce has. Don’t expect too much double-bass, or really anything beyond a simple 4-4 beat, but that’s just the style the band plays. Again, don’t take simplistic as a negative. This is really the kind of music that you can throw on and not think too hard about. It has the same charm that bands like Riot and Scorpions have, just in a more metal way.

Fullforce’s “Next Level” is beyond being a satisfying releasing. If you take metal too seriously, you probably won’t enjoy this record; however, if you can just appreciate it as 5 guys making fun, catchy music, it is easy to get into. Everything I’ve heard from their first album indicates that it was more of the same. Hopefully the band can keep pumping out this kind of quality!

Be sure to check out and like Fullforce on Facebook!

Highlights

"Back To Life"

"Awesomeness"

"Strongest Thing of All"

Final Rating

4.3/5 or 86%. 

Written by Scott