DEATHTOBER 2020

 DEATHTOBER 2020

I decided I needed to do some deep diving into some death metal as Fall is upon us. So in that spirit, I bring you Deathtober 2020 - A playlist and collection of musings about death metal albums made over the past 4 years or so. Just in case you were hankering for some new DM to listen to, I did the hard work for you. I used several sources in picking this list. One, personal favorite veteran bands with whom I had relatively stopped listening to, and two - Kerrangs 50 greatest DM bands right now: 

Kerrang List

I will give yah what I got so far, but I intend to cover my whole Playlist. Oh yeah, please follow my list, I may update it. Deathtober Spotify List 

By the way OSDM = Old School Death Metal

Incantation - Sect of Vile Divinities 2020

Sometimes if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. SoVD definitely takes that approach. However, I feel this one is a slightly less inspired work than the excellent Profane Nexus, but there were a lot of haters on that record, so what do I know? There are still plenty of in-your-face-slow-as-shit doom passages here as well as the token Incantation blasts. It’s definitely Incantation - satisfyingly east coast old school DM in 2020.

McEntee’s voice is plenty low and guttural with enough of that “putrid” factor that I really look for in my growler. It could use a muddier mix on the guitars, but overall SoVD is an admirable 12th album from a band who were slinging it back in 92. Good leads, harmonies, and riffs-a-plenty. Love those double vocals on “Chant of the formless Dead.” And there’s nothing like a nice sludgy Incantation groove like the bulk of “Unborn Ambrosia” - Pus-drenched, slow oozing death metal - just like you remember it. If there’s a gripe, maybe it’s that we’re a bit generic here. I mean, they are trailblazers - should we expect more? I’m conflicted, because I love the Incantation sound and don’t really want them to do anything about it.

Call it: legit old school east coast death metal done by legit old school east coast guys.

Tomb Mold - Planetary Clairvoyance 2019

Probably a weird move going from Incantation to these Canadians who obviously worshiped at the throne of 90’s East Coast American metal. Not a bad thing mind you, just very similar in approach. While Klebanoff keeps it guttural, it’s a little less nuanced than McEntee’s putrid snarl. Let’s not say TM is a rip-off of Incantation, they have plenty of old school influences in there with some Suffocation and even Leprosy-era Death on the riffage.

As far as these revival bands go, I think Tomb Mold is fast becoming my go-to. Their production is so satisfyingly muddy without sounding like the old days of audio limitation. In other words, that sound guy knows what he’s doing. It feels savage and far from sterile without being indecipherable.

“Infinite Resurrection” feels like a standout. It starts with such ferocity and never really lets up. “Cerulean Salvation” starting like Open Casket - made me smile. These guys write a very effective brutal tune - nice transitions and breakdowns. I think there’s a lot to be said for using that blastbeat sparingly. It’s effective, but bands that just rail on it for 3 minutes are missing the point. TM uses it the right way - sparring blasts to keep you pummeled.

Call it: Respectable Revival/ retro OSDM that sounds like it was recorded in 1992

Skeletal Remains - The Entombment of Chaos 2020

Stupid album title with kickass Dan Seagrave cover art. These California guys have been getting a lot of buzz in the DM user groups. Old school band comparisons are all over the map, but I instantly think of Covenant-era Morbid Angel. when I hear them. Instant gripe is the ultra triggered drum kit which I know is the mainstay for most of these groups. The kick sound will simply always bug me.

While SR are certainly competent, I fail to see why they are getting so much attention. They sound like everything Morbid Angel did in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Same tempo changes, vocal cadence, breakdowns. The only thing that is really missing is Trey’s scorching solos - SR’s lead fall into the much more standard category. They may need time to grow on me, but currently I don’t know how they standout from the rest of the pack.

Call it: serviceable but generic throwback OSDM with too much polish on the mix.

Blood Incantation - Hidden History of the Human Race 2019

This Colorado band had the top DM release on a ton of lists last year, so why not check them out?With the futuristic alien cover art, I’m ready for something a little different. The Tech-heavy approach hits immediately, but with a blend of savagery and melody that somehow all works together. Riedl’s is a sufficient bark, capable of some good bellows but nothing out of the ordinary. The star here is the technical proficiency and the impressive songwriting. Faulk behind the kit is the real hero - staggering beats and blasts into something altogether new and attention-grabbing. The band isn’t afraid to slow it down, get melodic, and then hit you with the full throttle.

I would almost compare them to Demilich at times, but thankfully without the bowel-tone vocals. And also, bring on the hate, but Demilich couldn’t really make a tune hang together like these guys can. There is an impressive level of compositional skill on display here. Here’s a band that is getting hype that I believe is quite deserved and I am genuinely stoked to see what they do next. Oh... and nice logo. Wrong genre.

Call it: real solid technical progressive death metal with plenty of brutal moments.

Necrot - Mortal 2020

More Californians in the retro DM scene. Necrot probably own one of the more anticipated releases of 2020 after their debut caught everyone by surprise. These guys tend to lean more towards the Swedish side of things, with the exception of obvious comparisons to fellow Californians, Autopsy.

Mortal is a fairly no-frills, straight ahead death metal album - good breakdowns, grooves, the occasional blast and melodic lead break. “Sinister Will” has some great hooks and a good slam part in the middle. Also, it bears mentioning the production is nice and muddy - not too clean or sterile which makes a big difference for this style.

I don’t know... might’ve been all the hype, but color me a bit underwhelmed. It’s good, but it’s not gonna top my list. I’ve spun it a few times now, but several of those, I forgot to pay attention to it. That’s a bad sign.

Call it: enjoyable retro-revival OSDM that was overhyped and ultimately somewhat forgettable.

Benighted - Obscene Repressed 2020

Probably more on the Grind side of things, these Frenchmen are crazy. Rapid fire artillery-grade drums pummel with double vocals ranging from growl to screech to those famous pig squeals. This is vicious and straight up chaotic stuff.

According to some other reviews I read, this album is apparently subdued compared to some of their earlier work so... I’m impressed, and a bit frightened. It’s in and out in under 40 minutes and thankfully so, to be honest. This type of grind is like chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream for me. The first bite is delicious and the best thing I ever ate, but half way through I want to throw the overly sweet shit in the garbage.

Call it: full tilt, in-your-face death grind that wears thin after a bit.

Ulcerate - Stare Into Death and Be Still 2020

Hipsters don’t want to call these guys death metal because they think the genre is somehow beneath them. But make no mistake, Ulcerate is a death metal band. Hailing from New Zealand, one can find a variety of influences in their music, Gorguts, and even some Suffocation or Immolation. The most direct comparison is probably abstract contemporaries Portal, but Ulcerate feel rather conventional in comparison to them.

Sure there are black metal elements at play here - mainly the reverb-heavy vocals and guitars. It’s a sneaky trick to develop undertones and make the sound bigger than it actually is. I guess the key word is atmosphere... and Ulcerate do it very well. The voices sound like they are coming from the grave as the guitars twist over a wash of percussion. “Exhale the Ash” has a nice midsection where things almost go full improve jazz in the structure. There’s snippets of melody, but nothing more than glimpses in between the rage-filled bursts.

Thinking man’s death metal? Sure... I’ll buy that. There is certainly some thought put into this sucker and a worthy listen. I’m not sure it deserves all those “album of the year” comments but, people love to hype shit up don’t they? Once you dig deep into this sucker, it starts to sound a bit monotonous- hitting those same scales that are definitely distinctive - but that’s why you know you just heard them in the last tune.

Call it: Moody atmospheric progressive death metal that could stand to be a little shorter or at least more varied.

Cattle Decapitation- Death Atlas 2020

Travis, please stop singing like a goblin cartoon character. You have one of the most diverse and flexible growls / screeches / screams in the business. I don’t want you to sound like a budget Devin Townsend as you try to incorporate vocal harmonies into a band named Cattle Decapitation. I would say, no one turns to this band for that sort of thing, but yet this thing is getting loads of praise. Go figure. I guess this is my “okay Boomer” moment, but my favorite tune is Vulturous because it has no ridiculous singing parts on it.

I loved Monolith. It was used sparingly and as an enhancement. Now... it’s like the feature of every tune and I’ll tell yah - the music may be great, but I just can’t bring myself to care. Call me stubborn. But with a band with a catalog with winners like Humanure, Karma Bloody Karma, and Monolith of Inhumanity, I cant see myself wasting time listening to this instead. Let me know when Travis has given up on this little phase of his.

Call it: a disappointing turn for a once top tier band

Gatecreeper - Deserted 2019

Arizona’s Gatecreeper decided to start playing Dismember covers for a group of kids who didn’t know who Dismember were. All joking aside, GC is super duper Swedish in their approach, but this new album hides it a bit better - sounding more original while keeping the initial appeal of the throwback sound. The guitars maintain that trademark Sunlight Studio sound, reminding an old schooler like myself of a simpler time when high school English paper due dates and head-game playing girls were my biggest concerns. The songs slam, they hit that midtempo groove with expert ease and the album is an easy one to throw on at any time.

“From the Ashes” has some sweet guitar harmonies beneath the fury and the punkish plodding goes well with the beefy guitar work. GC really key into everything that made early 90’s Swedish Death Metal special, and I hope they’re not offended that I consider them more of an effective tribute band than an original act. Regardless of what you call it, it slays. Worth a listen.

Call it: a derivative but enjoyable homage to the old school Swedes.

Morbid Angel - Kingdoms Disdained 2017

When a band releases an album like Illud Divinum Insanus, which is universally blasted by their entire fan base, they really only have two choices. Hang it up and call it a day, or return to form and chalk it up to a failed experiment. Morbid Angel chose the latter (after releasing a live album from their heyday of course). The result is, instant relief, of course. But, truth be told, KD ain’t a bad record in its own right. Sandoval is gone, but the new guy does a fine job on the skins and Tucker is back in full throat.

Trey proves he can still shred and can still right a decent DM tune. Architect and Iconoclast, For No Master, and The Fall of Idols all rock pretty hard with his distinctive broken gallop riffing. This is in line with Gateways for me. It’s a decent record and encouraging when a band listens to their fans.

Call it: a welcomed return to form after a failed experiment.

Exhumed - Horror 2019

A goregrind band at their heart, these Californians flirted with some death metal on their last few outings. Not the case with Horror. This is a grind record, fairly straightforward, back to their earlier style. Exhumed embody all the fun elements of a b-grade splatter movie in audio form. Their live shows are a blast and while the case can be made that there won’t be any music theory assignments to dissect this work, I certainly respect the art form and it’s a fun record to put on if you wanna let off some steam and throw some shit around the house.

Call it: A fairly standard but fun-as-hell goregrind record from one of the genre’s veterans.

Sewercide - Immortalized in Suffering 2016

These Australians with a really cool name were unfortunately short-lived, this being the only
Full length release I can find from them. It’s got a mid 90’s Florida sound to it, with some Pestilence and occasional flairs of Fisher-era Cannibal Corpse mixed in. A nicely produced slab of frantic DM with some thrash metal throw in and vocals that make me think of Malevolent Creation’s Brett Hoffman.

Sweet guitar tones and grooves in the “Snares of Carnality” - pogo-to blast-to groove-to pogo. “Acrimoniously Disharmonized” slows to a crawl at times, recalling classic Incantation. It’s fun stuff, if occasionally a bit derivative, but it’s everything that makes OSDM great. It’s too bad these guys didn’t stick around - would’ve been interesting to see where they went with this.

Call it: really well executed OSDM with great production, lots of change ups, and solid writing.

Fulci -Tropical Sun 2019

Holy shit I love everything about these guys: the band name, the cover art, the Italian Horror (Zombi2 scenes oh boy!) sample intro, the Tomb of the Mutilated type vocals, that punchy snare... man these guys are great. And they’re from Italy, that just makes it so much more legit.

This stuff is like a meaty Italian sub - drenched with all the lovely stuff that makes OSDM so damn fun. Their entire discography to this point seems like a love letter to one of their namesake’s films, this one is obviously Zombi 2 which suits me fine. Awesome drum mix, crunchy guitars and that lower than low vocal - this album rocks. Midtempo DM for the most part - just blast “Eye Full of Maggots” and know the awesomeness.

Call it: A death metal love letter to Lucio Fulci that rocks in an early 90’s OSDM way - an album that simply checks all the boxes.

Revel in Flesh - The Hour of the Avenger 2019

If the Entombed song band name didn’t key you in, these Germans play Swedish-style Death Metal however a tad more melody-driven than Entombed, probably closer to the more modern stuff. They’re very approachable, listener friendly DM. I could see them playing with Amon Amarth very easily - it’s that kind of DM / fists in the air, scream-along tunes, but without all that Viking stuff. Some tracks are a little slow and repetitive for my tastes, but it’s not particularly offensive. “Death blow” is a nice rocker, reminiscent of early Bloodbath. “Pervertin Speed Kill” hits a nice midtempo punk groove that makes the Swedish style so recognizable. “The Nightbreed” plods along and shows the bands strength of melody and groove.

If I’m going to put RIF against the other two Swede-worshipers on this list so far, Necrot and Gatecreeper, I’m giving Gatecreeper the nod for being more musically interesting with the near-perfect production. That said, Revel will no doubt please fans of the other two mentioned acts.

Call it: Accessible Swedish throw back (from Germany) that will appeal to fans of that fist banging anthemic death metal stuff.

Witch Vomit - Buried Deep in a Bottomless Grave 2019

Great band name, album title that makes you double take, Portland, Oregon? Okay, I’m intrigued. Initial impressions include Autopsy and Incantation- vocals from the depths of hell and atonal riffs washing over a pleasingly muddy mix. I am so stoked there are bands recording drums the old school way - none of that super sharp kick drum nonsense. The kick is there, but it sounds like a damn kick drum and doesn’t get ridiculous during the blast beats.

Enough of that though. Witch Vomit is awesome. The song structures are nonlinear, the riffs are all over the map and there are enough hooks to keep you interested. Man that ending on “Deep Veins” those vocals are so damn low and the riff is so morbid sounding. “Fumes of Dying Bodies” rages, stops, starts, grooves, it covers a ton of ground in 3:35, not to mention tackling a difficult topic. Awesome stuff. These guys draw from enough old school influences that you can’t really pin them down as being a copycat of any of them. Broken Hope, Obituary, Dismember, Incantation, I could go on... they are an all star combination all their own and they’re definitely making my playlist.

Call it: Grimy and essential OSDM that will melt your face off.

Fetid - Steeping Corporeal Mass 2020

You’d imagine a steeping corporeal mass would indeed be fetid. These guys are also Pacific northwesterners - Seattle / Portland, and they also tend towards that 90’s New York sound ala Incantation, Immolation, Suffocation. Another band with a decent muddy mix and just savage sounding guitars. The vocals are that Craig Pillard (early Incantation), unearthly demon / monster growling from slightly below the ground kind of style. That seems to be popular nowadays, but I have no complaints. I believe it adds a ton to the music and atmosphere.

Whereas Witch Vomit sounded like a nice blend of influences, Fetid clearly worship at the throne of Incantation - not only in vocal style, but overall song structure, production, and riffing. It’s good stuff, just maybe suffers from sounding a tad derivative. Ferocious and evil sounding - check out “Dripping Sub-Tepidity” blasts of speed followed with slow-as-hell drops and a cavernous lead break; Monstrous vocals throughout the whole thing.

Call it: Early Incantation worship that gets the job done quite effectively with a perfect mix that sounds delightfully 90’s.

VHS -We’re Gonna Need Some Bigger Riffs 2019

Goofy death/grind is a necessary sub genre I believe, and it’s epicenter appears to be California at the moment. VHS are funny, decent musicians, and efficient Grindsters, I’m just not sure this stuff really does anything for me anymore. That probably sounds harsher than I mean it - I played in a joke grindcore band for over a decade, so I may just be done with the genre. These guys also fall into the punk side of things far too often for my tastes. If you’re gonna grind, then grind otherwise go crust punk, but don’t throw pop punk breakdowns into your grindcore... I just can’t hang with that. Regardless, I know there’s an audience for this, so enjoy.

Call it: Goofy grind with pop punk elements that just don’t mix for me.

Mortuous - Through Wilderness 2018

More Californians. I bet these guys hang with Fetid and Witch Vomit, because they all play the same type of DM. I can see them jamming shows together and even swapping members when someone is sick or doesn’t show. At any rate, they guys are fun. Very East-coast style, making me think of Immolation or Butchered-era Cannibal. Corpse. Good frantic stuff with the standard super low monster guttural vocals.

Some second guitar harmonies give it a bit of a Swedish flair, like Dismember or even early At the Gates, and again, the production is on point. I might have to research who is producing all these albums because holy cow, they sound so much better than all the sterile shit coming out of the majors lately.

Nice thick guitars rip a slow groove on “Chrysalis of Sorrow” crawling to a stop and then climbing slowly out of the grave. Mortuous love the slow groove and it really helps this album standout. These guys also blend enough varied influences to sound fresh and unique - which I find is the real key to success with the genre right now.

Call it: Another retro/revival OSDM record that combines enough varied influences to sound fresh - also, freaking stellar when they slow down to doom speed.

 

Opeth - Still Life

After the groundbreaking (and I don’t use the term lightly) My Arms, Your Hearse, Opeth returned a year later with new bassist Martin Mendez, and a new album: Still Life. Their fourth album is an interesting one in that I don't see it as a full progression… more of a side-step. That's not to say it's bad, it just happens to be sandwiched between two superior albums. Now many of the Opeth fanbase list this as their favorite, but I've always thought there was a bit of a hipster street-cred to favoring the album BEFORE the one that the majority tout as the band’s finest hour.

The issue with Still Life is difficult to pinpoint. In many ways, it feels like more of a logical progression from Morningrise, while My Arms, Your Hearse is a more believable precursor to Blackwater Park. Part of the reason is the somewhat softer feel of Still Life. The urgency of the Hearse album is missing and the slower, methodical approach of Morningrise has returned. The guitars have lost their bite, the drums, their punch. "The Moor" takes about 5 minutes before it really kicks in, and even then, it tends to wander - an interesting pick for an opening track. "Benighted" and "Face of Melinda" are beloved, but neither of them can hold a candle to Hearse's "Credence," or Park's "Harvest." Akerfeldt's voice in the aforementioned tracks has an annoying whispery quality to it which I don't quite understand, or really enjoy.

Still Life is not without it's strongpoints. The move from complex arrangement to complex riffs begins here. That is to say, long phrases within riffs - some as long as 8 measures at times. So an 8 measure polyphonic phrase with countermelody within the guitar work is a thick soup, and for progressive metal fans, it is delicious stuff. In my mind, the album's centerpiece, and still one of my favorite tracks from the band, is "Godhead's Lament." Within the context of this work, it is lightning in a bottle - beautiful melodies, kickass riffs, growls and perhaps Mikael's most impassioned clean-vocal performance to this point.

A real notable step forward is Akerfeldt's death growl - it is absolutely beastly on this record, stronger than ever before. At times, almost a stark contrast to the somewhat mellow riffage beneath it. "Serenity Painted Death" is the other standout here, but even its most sinister riffs lack the bite they would've had on the last effort's production. "White Cluster" is a bit piecemeal, but I do rather enjoy the fractured jam through the last half of it.

Maybe it bears mentioning that this album was my official introduction to the band, but I’m not sure that has a major impact on my view of it now. Still Life is an important step in the bands development, but it actually feels more experimental than its predecessor while being less of a drastic step in a new direction. Their composition skills drop a notch as they explore how far they can stretch their sound in this new direction. Their finest lineup is now set - like Megadeath on Rust in Peace, or Death on Human, these four guys have a unique chemistry and each member fills his roll better than anyone before or after him in this band. Bring on the Park.

Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse

  

The two years since Morningrise were quite impactful to this band. Gaining a much needed new drummer Martin Lopez, Akerfeldt decides to take over bass duties as well and we plunge deep into a new phase of the band.

After a brief intro, the opening moments of “April Ethereal” show the band clearly has changed their approach to the heavy riff. They discovered they can do so much more with two guitars than just having one mimic the other on a 3rd or 5th interval, but there are things like countermelodies and chord interplay. The band had matured impressively on here. Rhythmically speaking, they are a completely different band - no longer content to plod forward with that swingy 6/8 double bass riff, things start getting very interesting. “April Ethereal” announces the changes riff-after-riff with full-6 string chords and broken rhythms (check out that “pre-Deliverence” breakdown at the 6 minute mark).

The production has doubled in quality giving Lopez a punch in the kick drum that the band sorely needed. It gives a heaviness to the new direction in stark contrast to the murky, Black Metal-esque sound to the first two records.

Akerfeldt’s growl also has a new intensity to it - suddenly developing its own character rather than blending in with the legions of Swedish growlers before him. The true marvel here though, is how he now sings with such confidence. Nowhere is this demonstrated more than on the downright beautiful “Credence” which clocks in at a mere 5:26. What the hell is going on? Manageable song-lengths? It’s barely the same band. Though, if we’re honest, “Prologue,” “April Ethereal,” and “When” could all be one track (and on record it sounds like one) and “Madrigal” is merely the intro to “The Amen Corner,” so maybe that length change is more of an illusion. Regardless, the album has an urgency to it, which is all the more pronounced when compared to the slow and brooding style of Morningrise.

MAYH is probably best known as the album with crowd favorite (it’s STILL on their set list), “Demon of the Fall.” It is a special track with some of Opeth’s heaviest moments in it, particularly that breakdown with the title growled over and over (one of the rare moments when they sound like a straight forward death metal band). That second riff too - so much cool guitar-interplay going on there.  “April Ethereal,” (which is my personal favorite) “When,” and “The Amen Corner” are all just as strong in my opinion, only “Karma” sounds pieced together but even then - it’s decent. This is the first essential album in their catalogue - they are playing and writing at a very special level here. The truly remarkable part though; this isn’t even their peak.

As a bonus, there are two somewhat surprisingly  faithful cover songs on the re-release: Celtic Frost’s “Circle of the Tyrants,” and the Maiden classic, “Remember Tomorrow.”

Opeth - Morningrise

Opeth Morningrise

Opeth’s Sophomore effort came a short year after the debut and sports the same lineup and a similar production. I believe the fan base is split on this record - feeling it is maybe too similar to its predecessor, but for only 13 months, the band made some huge leaps forward.

Morningrise is instantly “softer” than Orchid, not only slowing the tempos, but being more comfortable with long passages of clean guitar. The album’s closer “To Bid You Farewell,” even has only clean vocals on it - the first time Opeth tried such a thing. So while we are on that subject, Akerfeldt has made some audible improvements in that area, though he still sounds like a growler trying to sing, and not a singer who can also growl (which he would eventually become). His weakest point on this album in that regard is the overly long-winded “Black Rose Immortal” which loses focus once it goes soft around the 4:30 mark.

The drums are still lacking in my opinion, but they are less distracting compared to the debut. There is less of a commitment to the blind double-bass for double-bass-sake. The true focus of the music is still very much on Akerfeldt and Lindgren’s guitar work.

But let’s discuss the true strength of this album: the band has figured out how to compose a 10+ minute song and have it feel like a song and not simply a collection of cool riffs. “The Night and the Silent Water” (written as a tribute to Akerfeldt’s recently departed grandfather) is most demonstrative of this - transitioning from one elegant passage to the next, even mastering a smooth transition to clean tone around the 2:45 mark. “Nectar” is the other favorite track here, and again, for riffing and great transitions. 

A retrospective review like this is tough, because I know the massive change in lineup and overall approach which is about to come, but for some reason - I’ve never been impatient with Morningrise. I’ve always found it slow and methodical, with on-the-money riffs throughout the proceedings. It's never in a hurry, but it is seldom confused on where it is headed. Where Orchid seems to meander at times, only “Black Rose Immortal” is guilty of that here, everything else feels directed and focused. Even the mellow album closer is a delight - hinting at the ground they would explore fully on the Damnation record. 

If the record is overlooked, I believe it’s because it is noticeably less metal than Orchid while still sounding the most like it. After this one, the pregame phase is over, and the true Opeth begin to take form.

Opeth - Orchid

Opeth - Orchid (1995)

It certainly is bizarre to go back through Opeth's catalogue - now that it stretches 2 and half decades. Giving Orchid a spin requires one to remove themselves from all the proceeding albums, and attempt to listen to it as the debut it was - an impossible task.

Orchid is definitely Opeth's "most metal" album in that it follows all the tropes present in metal in 1995. That being said, it is hugely ambitious for its time period - competing with forward-thinking Swedes Edge of Sanity and certainly At the Gates.

But the emphasis on the "metal" thing comes from even the softer passages - rooted firmly in what was established as acceptable "soft" metal passages (read: classical guitar style finger-picking). Some circles refer to Orchid as a Blackened-Death metal record, and there are a few reasons for this connection. First-and-foremost, the song titles and cover art: hardly typical of the Swedish Death Metal scene, with titles almost plagiarizing their Norwegian counterparts: "Under the Weeping Moon," The Twilight is my Robe…" the band has a dark theme going on here. The other piece is the decidedly melancholic tone of the dual guitar harmonies which are really the bands go-to in terms of the heavier passages - immediately demonstrated on both "In the Mist She Was Standing," and the dark brooding opening three or so minutes of "Forest of October." The third black metal quality is a rather thin production with heavy use of reverb. Some of this was style choice, the other, was definitely budget limitations.

No matter what black metal elements are present here, there is no doubt in my mind that Opeth were a Swedish death metal band, growing up worshiping local heroes like Entombed, Unleashed, and Dismember. They clearly entered the scene with intentions of stretching the  genre as far as it would go - something no one can argue they eventually did.

But that brings us to Orchid. So it took over 10 straight listens to wash most of the modern Opeth outta my ears so that I could give this sucker a clean listen. Like most overly-ambitious progressive bands (metal or otherwise), in their early years they have all the key elements except one. They have musicianship, they have talent, and they have the ability to come up with amazing riffs and sequences. The lacking element is composition, and while Orchid does not completely lack in this department, it does fall into that feeling of a big collection of good ideas rather than a cohesive song at times. Most of the uninitiated will admit telling the songs apart is difficult, mainly because you have only 7 tracks. Take the ambitious piano instrumental "Silhouette" and the short interlude "Requiem" out of the mix, then you are left with 5 songs that range from 10 to 14 minutes and each one of them goes through a large number of shifts in tone, tempo, and direction. It also doesn't help that many of the songs are through-composed (meaning they do not return to previously played sections - they play it once and move on). From a writer's perspective - that's a giant undertaking, to a listener, it can be overwhelming.

This means that Orchid is best enjoyed as a start-to-finish listen, taking in all the elements as one goes and enjoying the evolutions. Through my repeated listens, it grew on me more and more. My nitpicks are the production (sometimes the clean guitar tone carries a punchier low-end than the distortion which means the switch does not accomplish what it should). The other would be Anders Nordin's obvious limitations (with the exception of his incredible piano playing). I'm not a drummer myself, but it is obvious they asked a lot of him, and he delivers most of it rather timidly and unconvincingly. It is competent enough I suppose, but he is clearly the band's weakest link here. The double bass seems to be the choice when he can't think of anything else and the creativity lacks severely.

Akerfeldt had not yet mastered his vocals yet either. The grunt is sufficient, but man-oh-man did he ever get better at that - part of the lacking could be the production. His clean vocals are the real sore point here - they are shaky, unconfident, and rather bland. This is where it is almost impossible to erase the memory of how good they are now.

It is difficult to pick out a favorite track because, as mentioned above - they are all so long and contain so many transitions. So I will go with "Under the Weeping Moon" as it contains of one the coolest parts - an eerie repeat triplet pattern on clean guitar underneath drum hits and feedback that lulls the listener to sleep right before it explodes again into the death metal proper.

Opeth's debut is damn fine. I believe it will appeal to most fans of 90's Swedish DM, and I think most Opeth die-hards still defend it (though I doubt the majority of their modern fan base have even broken it out of its plastic). If it has been a while for you (as it was for me), give it a spin, you'll dig it again.

Death Metal Tuesday - The End Complete

Obituary's third album, The End Complete is certain to divide camps among old school Obituary fans. It is arguably their most commercially successful release, their most instantly accessible, and the first album to feature full lyrics for each song. After the underground success of Cause of Death, Obituary returned with original guitarist Allen West replacing Cause's James Murphy at the lead guitar. By 1992, the band had firmly established themselves as one of Florida's most seminal among Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Death. They had also managed to carve a fairly distinct sound for themselves which presents them as instantly recognizable among their peers thanks to two factors: the guitars with tone knobs turned all the way to bass and John Tardy's ridiculously over-the-top voice which sounds like he's vomiting each syllable.

The other key component was Obituary's lack of traditional song structure which changes drastically onThe End Complete. At the very opening notes of "I'm in Pain," it is clear that Obituary has refined to verse-chorus-verse song structure along with straightforward and somewhat boring lyrical content. Tardy's voice is also somewhat affected by being preoccupied with enunciation rather than just making ghoulish noises. Thus the polarizing factor is this: do you think the refinement of song structure and the addition of conventional lyrics help or hurt the band?

"I'm in Pain" will likely do little to sway anyone either way, but "Back to One" is decidedly savage and full of new found energy. And though Obituary could hardly be placed among the fastest of OSDM bands, they are certainly one of the most adept at hanging a slow groove, which they obviously became acutely aware of on this album. "Back to One" starts with a punk-like charge which eventually settles into a 6/8 chug that truly highlights what is so great about this band. They also have a tendency to just sit back and jam on a riff, without vocals or leads, until the song comes to its natural end - few other OSDM acts were so patient in their approach. Halting breakdowns and tempo changes throughout show that Obituary had a firm grasp on their appeal. The riffs are among some of the best in the bands catalogue here and Allen West's leads easily outdo anything he did on Slowly We Rot. John Tardy also delivers, as one expects, with doubled up vocals and savage force. Yes the actual lyrics do change his dynamic, but the jarring change lets up after the opening track.

Towards the latter half of The End Complete, Obituary really seem to find their niche. After the somewhat forgettable "In the End of Life," "Sickness" announces the albums second side which all but erases side one. Atypical for most releases, the best tracks on here lie towards the end. The absolutely groovy "Killing Time" may just be one of the band's tracks that they ever wrote. This along with the album's single and title track are the most convincing moments of this release.

The production is adequate, though a paper-thin and overly compressed snare plagues Donald Tardy's machine-like performance. That guitar sound may also be wearing a little thin, as the heightened production values elsewhere really show how weak a sound it truly is. 

Production flaws aside though, The End Complete made a strong statement for Obituary's place in OSDM history. This is what a third album truly should be: a combination of the rawness of #1 and the compromises of #2 which creates a logical step forward in musical maturity and artistic progression. The follow up to this would be a rather hard pill to swallow, so this may just be the band's true peak as a death metal giant. Being one of the founding fathers of death metal, it's good to see the boys are back to writing traditional DM, some 20 years after this release... Man, that makes me feel old! 4.5 out of 5.

Death Metal Tuesday - Khaos Legions

Guitar player Michael Amott was a key factor in Carcass' morphing from Goregrind to melodic death metal. After his departure from that band, he formed Arch Enemy in 1995, playing a similar sounding breed of melodeath  that easily compares to the early In Flames and Dark Traquillity stuff. Along 2000, the band acquired a female singer named Angela Gossow, and suddenly they got a great deal of attention. The reason for this, is Angela sounds plenty brutal - her gender difference nearly undetectable by the uninitiated. My beef has always been that her vocals sound overly processed - like they doctored them up to sound more "male" in the studio. 

Stepping away from the vocal gimmick for a second, Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic DM band with a allegiance to the heavy aspects of the genre. While their genre mates were going softer and softer, Arch stayed allied with the thrash and DM camps. This brings us to the 2011 album, Khaos Legions. By this point, the band were a commercial success and thus in the crosshairs of critics and genre purists. I can't profess to be an expert on this subgenre, particularly post 2000, because I haven't heard enough of it. That being said, there are enough old school nods to make this particular record enjoyable. There are guitar flourishes juxtaposed with good ol' fashioned thrash riffs (similar to that mid-era Carcass stuff, come to think of it). Amott is a guitar hero in the traditional sense - playing leads that would work on a Skid Row or Motley Crüe record. The cool part is when they go from that to a ripping riff like the openning riff on Vengeance is Mine. 

I will never like Angela's voice, but I think the band gets far too much hate / love based on her - there is certainly more going on here. This is definitely market-friendly with an aim to please the mainstream metal audience. It is instantly accessible and appealing. What I like about this over a great deal of other recent melodeath, is that Arch aren't afraid to kick the speed up. Hell, is that a blastbeat on Cult of Chaos? Yup. On the other side of the coin, there are plenty of market-friendly songs here - No Gods, No Masters, Secrets, and Through the Eyes of a Raven are all bit much for me. Again,  Khaos Legions  is mainstream metal made for the masses, but I still find it more palatable than anything In Flames has done in the past 10 years. Those lush leads alone are enough to warrant a listen or two. 3 out of 5.