Eternal Oath-Wither
(Black Lodge/PHD Canada, 2005)

Eternal Oath play a style that definitely could be described as doom influenced, but the band is definitely more upbeat then most of the bands in the genre. A gothic combination of doom and death metal might be a more accurate description of what the band plays. The guitar playing is driving and heavy, but not without melody. The band has many moments when there will be lead lines playing over the heavy riffs which brings to mind My Dying Bride but nowhere near as depressive.

There is almost something Swedish about the band’s approach. It’s not overly melodic, yet traces of newer Soilwork show from time to time. It’s not a very obvious influence at all, but you do hear it from time to time. They also bring to mind the slower moments of In Flames at times as well. But don’t expect twin guitar leads because this is fairly straight forward for the most part, and like I mentioned earlier isn’t always melodic.

A bit of speed might have been nice to give the album a bit more energy, but as it stands this is an interest metal album with a good sense of dynamics. It brings together elements of doom metal, goth, and Swedish melody into a style that isn’t completely original, yet doesn’t clone anyone at the same time.

Origin-Echoes of Damnation
(Relapse Records, 2005)

To call this album punishing would be a vast understatement. There are few bands playing death metal faster then Origin. From beginning to end, Origin is one vicious blast after another, pausing only momentarily to set up another riff, which usually follows with another blast beat. It’s heavy, sick, guttural death metal played with clinical precision and endless brutality.

You could almost say that there is something grindcore about the band’s sound. The music is technical and definitely filled with many riffs, but the speed and unrelenting approach definitely brings to mind grindcore. But through and through this is a death metal record. From the tremolo picking, to the barked vocals, this is the album death metal fans have been waiting for.

The production is extremely heavy and clear, and allows everything to ring through clearly. With the amount of blasting it would been easy for the band to lose a lot of the guitar under the constant blasting. But the levels are all perfectly mixed and even during the craziest moments nothing is lost.

Origin have certainly stepped it up with Echoes of Damnation. I’m not sure where the band can go from here. They seem to be getting heavier and faster with each album and I don’t know if they can get any heavier and faster then this!

The Wicked-Sonic Scriptures of The End Times
(Spikefarm/PHD Canada, 2005)

To be completely honest, this band is downright odd. The first song sounds like music from a Tim Burton movie. I can pretty much picture Jack Skellington dancing, until the heavy guitars come in at least. Then the music takes a more industrial black metal approach. The Tim Burton vibe still shines through from time to time though. Maybe calling this movie metal would be a good description. You can’t deny that this is a heavy band, but much of the music found on the CD has a soundtrack like vibe to it.

The songs are a bit lengthy, but they definitely don’t seem very long to your ears. The band has so many ideas and the changing dynamics help keep the songs interested for their durations. Rarely does a typical moment come around on this album. The only typical aspect of the band is the heavy guitars, and of course the guitars are going to be heavy, this is a metal band after all.

I was a bit led down by the drum machine at first, but with repeated listens it definitely fits with the quasi-industrial approach of the band. You honestly will forget about the drum sound after awhile. There is too much going on to focus on the drums.

If you are looking for an incredibly original metal album, look no further. Fans of black metal and industrial especially will want to look into this album.

V/A-Apocalypse
(Season of Mist/PHD Canada, 2005)

Season of Mist has an amazing roster, but some bands just stand out way too much from the pack. This compilation shows off what the label has to offer, and while it definitely starts out with a few weak tracks the label definitely has a lot to offer fans of pretty much every subgenre of metal. The standout tracks are definitely Blood Duster, Macabre, Carpathian Forest, Mayhem, Council of the Fallen, E-Force, Defiled and Nattefrost. Everything from death metal to grindcore, to black metal, to gothic rock is featured on here. That said though the label is definitely at its best with the heavier and harsher side of the label. The slower more melodic and goth influenced bands are just a bit too typical most of the time. This definitely isn’t a mandatory purchase as none of the tracks are unreleased. That said there is a lot of good stuff on here, so if you haven’t heard any of the bands, check this out.

Pig Destroyer-Terrifiyer
(Relapse Records, 2005)

Pig Destroyer return with another full length slab of dangerous grindcore. With a slightly noisier approach the band pummels through 20 songs of chaotic grindcore that brings in elements of rock, death metal and even punk from time to time. It’s a vicious blend that really sounds unlike anything you have heard before.

The band uses vicious screams that border on being distorted. There is a slight distortion that makes the sound just a bit harsher, but the screams themselves are vicious without the distortion. The distortion just pushes them over the edge. If you are expecting the typical guttural vocal approach you’ll definitely be disappointed. There is the odd moment or two, but for the most part this is harsh screaming with the odd section of almost spoken weirdness.

The band’s main style is definitely fast and chaotic, but with this album there is almost something new brought in with each track. The title track is much slower and sludgy while most of the rest of the CD is breakneck aggression. Think paint peeling extremity and you’ll know what to expect from this album.

The production reminds me quite a bit of Agoraphobic Nosebleed actually. I guess that’s not surprising when you consider that the bands share guitar players and said guitar player produced the album. The bands themselves are definitely different stylistically, but fans of one will definitely be able to get into the other.

These is an album that definitely has a lot of layers. Fans of speed will find something here, but also fans of everything from sludge to punk will find elements in this album that would appeal to them. The album isn’t completely re-writing extreme metal, but the power of this album is undeniable.

Zombi-Cosmos
(Release Records, 2005)

Simply put, this could be THE greatest CD that I have ever heard in my life. That’s some pretty high praise right? Well, put it this way. There have been two bands on this earth that have created interesting horror movie soundtrack music with a rock base. One of them is Goblin, and now you can add Zombi as the second band.

The band’s sound isn’t far off from Goblin really. Both bands are rock based and have tremendous sinister atmosphere. Bass guitars and synths are what drives Zombi which is a bit of a change from Goblin with also featured guitars. It’s almost downright uncanny how much this band recreates the atmosphere of classic horror movie soundtracks. You could replace the soundtrack from any Dario Argento movie or Lucio Fulci movie with any of the tracks on Cosmos and they would fit perfectly. So basically you could say that the band plays horror soundscapes that wouldn’t be out of place in an Italian horror movie from the 70’s.

Music for the most part is meant to conjure images or get your imagination working. While mainstream music definitely doesn’t make you think, Zombi’s music will conjure images of zombies rising from the grave, and killers wearing black gloves stalking victims in the night. It’s one of those albums that you can’t help but pay close attention to yet at the same time it makes your mind wander and think of horrifying things.

Is this a band for everyone? Not at all. But if you are a horror movie fan then this is essential listening. Turn off the lights crank up the volume and try not to die of fright.

Last Perfection-Drawing Conclusions
(United Edge Records, 2004)

Metalcore is becoming the latest trend in heavy music. But thankfully there are still some bands willing to stay away from the easily digested style that is polluting MTV and mainstream media right now. Last Perfection are definitely a metalcore band. The guitars are incredibly heavy, and breakdowns are quite common. The band however really isn’t in the Swedish style of metalcore that is far too common right now.

There is the odd melodic part, but for the most part this is more aggressive and much noisier. The band uses a lot of noisy riffs and is quite rhythmic most of the time. There are a few surprising moments with spoken word vocals that almost give the band a post-hardcore feel at times.

The production comes courtesy of Kurt Ballou so the harsher production definitely helps them stand out amongst the overproduced bands right now. A bit more thickness in the guitar sound would have been nice. The pinch harmonics are somewhat thin sounding as are some of the more rhythmic riffs. Overall though, this is a heavy and abrasive album that sounds really good at high volumes.

Last Perfection definitely aren’t bringing anything really new to the genre, but they aren’t faceless either. They stay away from the super radio friendly choruses and you won’t find a trace of emo here. I think with time these guys could really come up with something interest that sets them apart from the pack.