VEIL OF MAYA BECOME ENDLESSLY PREDICTABLE WITH MATRIARCH

I spent quite a long time trying to come up with a deep opinion on the new album, Matriarch, by American Progressive Deathcore outfit Veil of Maya, but after repeated listens and chances I come back to one word to describe just over 30 minutes of music that I can barely remember.

Apathy.

A previous Veil of Maya album, The Modern Man’s Collapse, still makes it into my listening rotation semi-regularly. The lukewarm reaction that Matriarch elicits is not based on a previous, under-running, bias against the Sumerian Records veterans, but that, in 2015, Veil of Maya seem to have nothing more to offer. It is not to say that Veil of Maya were necessarily the architects of Progressive Deathcore, but at one point at least, their sound was new and exciting; the riffs were not just the same riffs heard from other bands… even if their songs had tablature akin to a spilt tin of spaghetti hoops at times. Matriarch, conversely, relies heavily on the trappings of its genre and successfully takes the Progress out of Progressive Deathcore.

Veil of Maya have not lost their technical ability or their penchant for writing decent riffs, at least not completely, but they have fallen into a pit of predictability. It’s conflicting to hear an enjoyable riff, only to have it followed by 3 minutes of everything you’ve come to expect; zoning out completely until the next vaguely interesting bit. This album ticks every box so that it can satisfy the modern definition of its genre and little more. The result is a record listened to with clipboard in hand; the listener just waiting to be able to check the boxes marked “overly syncopated Start-Stop riff written in an obtuse time signature” and “random breakdown that completely ruins the flow.” It is likely you have heard this album before, just with a different names and titles attached and (only slightly) different album art. It’s been released many times before (even by Veil of Maya themselves.)

The only thing that has changed this time around are the vocals. New vocalist Lukas Magyar took over from Brandon Butler in 2014, introducing, controversially, clean vocals to Veil of Maya for the first time. These clean vocals are another nail in the coffin for Matriarch, but not because clean vocals are inherently bad or *insert homophobic slur here* or that Magyar’s performance is anything to complain about. The issue is that sections where Lukas Magyar’s clean vocals come to the forefront underline the complete lack of creativity to be found on this album. This is mainly because these sections all sound lifted from Periphery’s Periphery II: This Time It’s Personal release from 2012. On a first listen I had to double check to make sure that Spencer “Sponce” Sotelo wasn’t a featured artist on this album. It’s a definite bad move for your album to remind me of another, better, album that I could be listening to. Because if I can. I will. And I’m sure I’m not the only one.

If the idea of another album that throws electronics, unsatisfying time signature changes and Morse code (probably delivering messages to undercover sleeper cells) disguised as chugging guitar riffs at you is somehow appealing, then Matriarch is for you. For everyone else, there is a vaguely enjoyable album here, but it’s one you’ve probably already heard. One that follows a very specific formula that, to be fair to Veil of Maya, the band follows very well. It’s just a shame that the formula is no longer just written on the blackboard at the front of the Progcore classroom, but etched there like some kind of commandment of the genre; giving those who look on it with the knowledge of tedious predictability.

2.5/5

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ENTHEOS SHOW THEMSELVES AS WORTHY SUCCESSORS TO ANIMOSITY'S THRONE

Reviewing a release like Entheos' Primal EP is a difficult thing, ever since Evan Brewer announced his departure from the infamous Tech Death group The Faceless I was half begging for the bassist to reform San Fran Deathcore legends Animosity and with Entheos, that is basically what he has done. It would be rather safe to say that I am perhaps a little too invested in Primal.

...All that said, I would be amiss not to talk about it.

In a very real way Primal is exactly what everyone expected from Entheos and in that way alone could it be said to be disappointing. Considering all but one member of the band hails from the aforementioned Animosity, it is not surprising that Entheos sound rather a lot like the later works of their precursor. Animosity were known (or not as the case may be) as an OG Deathcore band, and are one of the few, in my mind, that successfully merged Deathcore and Hardcore into one whole. In the same way 90s Metalcore ala Earth Crisis, Deadguy, Shai Hulud and similar were Hardcore bands playing Slayer, Animosity were a Hardcore band playing Cannibal Corpse; they took the technical aggression of Death Metal and added Hardcore elements to an even greater extent than Suffocation did before them.

It was a very different world back then, when genre names actually had some basis in the music being played and Screamo didn't just mean angsty Pop-Rock.

As has already been said Entheos share many similarities with Animosity, especially their Animal era, though the Hardcore influence has been lessened somewhat. These riffs from Entheos are equal parts pin-point precision technicality and bone breaking, ear destroying heaviness. Guitarist Frank Costa has seemingly lost nothing since his days in Animosity. The rhythm section is comprised of technical and progressive heavy weights Even Brewer and Navene Koperweis. Since their time in Animosity Brewer played bass with The Faceless and Koperweis drums with Animals As Leaders, there are arguably few better places that each could further refine their chops. It is possible that the perfectly balanced production makes it more obvious than the murky fuzz of old Animosity albums, but Evan Brewers bass work reaches dizzying heights on this release. Never content to keep it simple, Brewer manages to find new and interesting ways to match the progressive ferocity of Costa's riffs. The EP’s name sake track, Primal, shows perhaps the best example of this, where Brewer unleashes a slap bass part unparalleled in modern Death Metal. Koperweis’ beats fit in perfectly too, with drum patterns often sounding deceptively simple when compared to their actual complexity. Some of those timings make my head spin. If you don’t believe me, check out this play through:

The odd player out in Entheos, is vocalist Chaney Crabb, who isn’t just in the band because she’s dating Navene Koperweis. Her vocals are absolutely monstrous and Veil of Maya really missed out when they didn’t hire her after Brandon Butler left in 2014. Her audition performance was so good it was considered news worthy by Metal Injection and it’s not hard to see why. Crabb is a great choice to front the second coming of Animosity and I’m sure Veil of Maya are regretting their choice now.

As I said before the only complaint that can be truly leveled at the Primal EP from Entheos is that a band comprised of mainly members of Animosity, sounds basically like Animosity. For those who have missed Animosity has much as I have, this EP is a perfect return to the heights of that band. For those who have never heard of Animosity and like heavy music that knows how to groove as well as tech the fuck out… well where the hell have you been. Don’t wait another second, listen to the Primal EP... and then some Animosity.

4.5/5

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AN AUTUMN FOR CRIPPLED CHILDREN FILLS A NEED I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD

It’s slowly dawning on me that the Post-Black Metal scene is the most interesting part of Metal at the moment (apart from Sunbather that is, that is far from interesting.) While more traditional strains of Black Metal follow the well-trodden path of their Scandinavian fore-fathers, be it by choice or cultural pressure, this off-shoot genre seems happy to do whatever the hell it wants… and I am all for that. Mixing in different elements and external influences that the gauntleted hand of the traditionalists will not touch, and will rage about on-line, Post-Black Metal seems to be the refuge of those wanting to do something a little bit different.

And An Autumn For Crippled Children, are definitely a band wanting to do something a little bit different.

The latest from the interestingly named Netherlands Trio, The Long Goodbye, crafts its sound from the tried and tested Post-Black Metal formula; genre experimentation. The strong aesthetic nature of Black Metal makes it a perfect play thing for those willing to explore it’s relation to genres other than Metal. Whereas So Hideous dragged Black Metal kicking and screaming through Symphonic Screamo and A Pregnant Light flirtation with Indie and Punk has evolved more into a steady relationship with a dog and a kid, An Autumn For Crippled Children seem to have a thing for 80’s Goth Pop. Beneath the treble heavy guitars, thick layers of distortion and shrieking vocals, lie chord progressions seemingly lifted from the darker period of The Cure or Bauhaus. The bass tone too, sitting high in the mix, bares a strong resemblance to the tone found on The Cure tracks like Fascination Street. But despite all of the former, the over-all aesthetic remains entirely Black Metal.

It is the synth work however, as on previous An Autumn For Crippled Children albums that really stands out. They are unashamedly old school, adding to that 80’s Synth Pop vibe while creating an atmosphere entirely of its own. It harnesses that depressed darkness of 80’s Goth Music that is similar, yet far-detached, from the misery normally depicted in core Black Metal releases, mainly in the DSBM scene. When The Long Goodbye gets it right, it creates unique soundscapes that works well with the core themes of Black Metal, but does not convey them in the same way. It is a grandiose and lushly beautiful experience.

When it doesn't get it right however, this latest release from An Autumn For Crippled Children, becomes immensely frustrating, if for no other reason that its sections of brilliance are… well… brilliant. As the way with much music with a particularly unique goal in mind, the issues spring forth from the same source as the positive aspects. The key issue is that the best parts of The Long Goodbye suffer from repetition, and the worst suffer from being a mess. The merger of 80’s synth pop sounds and Black Metal is a tricky one. The synth tones themselves hold a breathy, upper register timbre that gets into dirty top-end fights with the treble boosted distorted guitar tone. When both instruments are trying to do separate things the result is a mix between white noise and a Kerry King solo. This is especially obvious when the guitars attempt to play Indie Goth Rock style guitar riffs within the context of a Black Metal track. The distorted guitars of the Nordic Export lack the staccato clarity that the start-stop, rhythmic playing style requires. Black Metal guitar tones fit much better with a long term melodic commitment than such overt rhythmic focus and it is these sections of drawn out grandiosity that suit An Autumn For Crippled Children down to a tee. The problem with THIS is that when only one kind of playing style suites a band, it can become very one note; that is where the problem of repetition comes in.

These issues aside however, I found it hard not to enjoy The Long Goodbye. While it has some pitfalls, the unique quality of An Autumn For Crippled Children’s style keeps me coming back, I don’t think any other band can fulfil my newly found addiction to Goth Rock influenced Black Metal and that’s certainly not something I can say about any other band.

 4/5

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INGESTED WANT TO CAREFULLY DRAW OUT A PLAN FOR THE END OF THE HUMAN RACE

Welcome to the first new article after our Pyramid Noise’s brief hiatus. I have recently started a full time work and the transition from having all day to write articles to limited time in the evenings and at weekends has been a bit of a shock. It is safe to say, however, that this Pyramid is not going to crumble but will stand tall for millennia like its brothers in Giza. Well okay maybe not quite that long… whatever here’s a review I gone and did about a Brutal Slam album.

Despite being the Poster Child for the dark extremes of Death Metal, no one could ever really honestly say that Slam goes in for that whole “variance” thing. Slam is chromatic, heavy and is wearing sweatpants with any progression taking the form of gimmicks and not actual development. Unless of course you’re Ingested, who may not of exactly pushed Slam into dimensions unknowable by mankind, but have certainly mixed things up enough to keep Slam interesting.

The Architect of Extinction takes firm steps in to 90's Death Metal territory whilst keeping one foot doggedly in the modern world of Slam. This is the way Ingested have chosen to develop their sound. It may not sound much on paper but mixing a Slam riff driven ethos with old school sensibilities allows the best parts of the genre; the heavy two step grooves of Slam riffs, to be sifted from the worst; only having the heavy two step grooves of Slam riffs. What we have instead are tracks filled with riffs that Slam as much as they Thrash. By combining the signature chromatics of Slam into the more fast paced styling's of Death Metal Ingested have created a style of riffing that is as much 90's Florida as they are 2000's NYC. Of course not forgetting there are slams a-plenty, there would be disappointment abound if such things were omitted. It’s an interesting approach to take with this kind of sound and it is a most welcome change. It doesn't hurt that, unlike a lot of other Modern Non-Traditional Extreme Metal bands, Ingested can actually write some decent Death Metal riffs and not have them sound like filler between breakdown sections.

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Things aren’t all blood-stained rainbows and cannibal unicorns however, as a few things really hurt The Architects of Extinction, though admittedly few of them have little to do with the music itself.

Firstly, the production, courtesy of Cryptopsy's Christian Donaldson who completely brick walls the shit out of everything. There are only two people who can get away with that and they are Phil Spector and Devin Townsend. And since Donaldson is neither of those people his production work makes this release sound like every other over compressed Extreme Metal release. You can't deny, however, that it still sounds really damn heavy, just not uniquely so.

The second thing is likely to make me unpopular, but it did effect my ability to fully enjoy the album. As an extreme genre, Slam and Brutal death have bad had their share of criticisms, especially when it comes to misogyny. Bands, albums and songs that all sound like they’re named after a torture act from a particularly unpleasant and surprisingly sexist version of the film SAW. Now you can say that’s all well and good and that it’s just a joke and to an extent I can agree.

On this album there is a sample however, which I struggle to over look. On the track Endless Despondency, there is a clip taken straight from Elliot Rodger’s final vlog before he killed a whole bunch of people because Women wouldn't sleep with him. This emphasises the link between the genre and misogyny to an uncomfortable level. I'm sure the band don’t condone such things but you've got to ask why they decided to glorify his speech with the outro slot on one of their songs. Is it in the name of cringe worthy brutality? Something that does indeed plague this album just as much as it does many “brutal” bands (‘Speak of the Devil and I will appear…’ I mean c’mon now…) If it is then I’d argue it’s done in poor taste and either way I find myself shifting uncomfortably whenever this part comes on.

Back to the more mundane issues with the music itself. While it is certainly refreshing to not here a band open string chug by default, Ingested have a default all of their own. It goes something like:

>Highly Chromatic 90’s Death Metal inspired Riff

>Tremolo Picking

>Mini-Slam Riff

>??????????????

>Ingested Album

There is enough variety to keep the album listenable, but after a while you can’t help but wish they’d add in some other elements than reverting to the same riff formula over and over. Tracks like I, Despoiler and Penance display melodic aspects that are found in few other places on the album. It’s a real shame as The Architect of Extinction could really use a bit of a mix up at point and those melodic passages are surprisingly well executed. There’s even an acoustic guitar… on a Slam/Brutal Death Metal album… well damn.

So why, after all this, the repetition, the questionable samples and the rather dull production, do I still find myself really enjoying this album? Well the answer is simple, this is Slam infused 90’s Death Metal, it’s not pretending to be anything more and it doesn’t need to. It gets Extremely Heavy Metal down to a tee in a way few other bands manage. In reality I have very few complaints with the actual music on The Architect of Extinction. Repetition? Brutality over Creativity? Get fuckt m8, this is Brutal Slam, your right to complain about such things left at the same time as you teeth left your skull from being punched in the face by the vocalist’s gutturals.  

3.5/5

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GGGHOST TOWNNN WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE DOCTOR IS IN

Sitting between Joy Division, The Dead Kennedys and The Monster Mash we find their mutated, multi-limbed, bolt-necked, bastard child GGGHOST TOWNNN, with their latest DIY release The Many Deaths of Dr Cocksucker.  

Without hearing a single note you know you’re in for something less than serious based on name alone. The Many Deaths… is a member of a very rare club, the “DIY Horror Comedy Punk Concept EP” club. Indeed, as far as I’m concerned at least, it’s the sole member. While it’s gimmicky and unashamedly camp, that doesn’t stop GGGHOST TOWNNN’s latest offering from being an infinitely enjoyable experience.

A strange mix of punk, surf-rock and B-Movie Horror films The Many Deaths of Dr Cocksucker instantly grabs you with its strangeness. If the titular opening track is strange however, it doesn’t compare to the second track; Night Of The Death Of The Return Of The Revenge Of The Attack Of The Bride Of Dr Cocksucker and yes… that is the real title. Glorious isn’t it? This is the most narrative driven track out of the five on this release. Recounting how, after having his hands cut off by an angry patient, Dr Cocksucker transplants the hands of a chimp on to his stumps and then partially melts his wife…. with SCIENCE.  This track is darkly psychedelic, an Acid fuelled nightmare in glorious Technicolor had after an evening of watching Hammer horror. Guitars jangle discordantly, bass drives on mercilessly and drums pulse sinisterly all beneath the voice of the Bride of Dr Cocksucker as she narrates the story of her candle impersonation. Her dialogue may come across a little forced at times but the overall effect is brilliantly camp, like a small town production of the Rocky Horror Show.

If GGGHOST TOWNNN suffer musically at all, it is from repetition riffs are often repeated for long periods of time. The music itself ultimately seems to be a backing for the concept rather than existing in its own right. Luckily, however, the music IS coupled with this concept and so all can be forgiven; what could otherwise be seen as repetition becomes a hypnotic drug addled soundtrack to the EP’s plot.

As a DIY outfit it is needless to say that this is a Lo-Fi affair. Save from some clipping found on opening track, Dr Cocksucker, which is a bit of a buzz kill, the album itself suffers no glaring flaws on a technical level. In fact the shaky production adds to the charm of the release, emphasising its quirky B-Movie qualities. It really does seem as if every aspect of The Many Deaths of Dr Cocksucker exist to perfectly serve the central theme.

If the idea of a Comedy DIY Punk release sounds up your alley then this is certainly a release for you. GGGHOST TOWNNN seem to have their concept down to a tee and truly know how to craft everything to serve that purpose.  So why not take a visit to Doctor Cocksucker and see what he can prescribe?

3.5/5

GGGHOST TOWNNN are currently touring, why not check out the details on their Website and support DIY music?

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MECHINA'S ACHERON WILL CRUSH YOUR SKULL WITH ROBOTIC CLAWS

I feel like I’ve opened some lead-lined, cyber-punk Pandora’s Box after diving into the latest release from Symphonic Death/Groove Metal project Mechina. Acheron is an hour long slab of crushing groove laden industrial death riffage coupled with a massively cinematic atmosphere. How the album sounds however, is just the surface of something far, far deeper.

There is something rather important that needs to be discussed about Acheron. Something that I wasn’t aware of prior to my extensive review research (or Google as I tend to call it.) Acheron is a concept album, but not only that, it’s the first part of a trilogy… the second trilogy. This release picks up where Mechina's first trilogy, consisting of 2011’s Conqueror and the two following full lengths, as well as a couple of singles left off.  Together these trilogies tell a grand, complex narrative as penned by guitarist Joe Tiber; following a dystopian future war and one beings search for a secular haven. Acheron finds the listener stranded on a planet full of robots that he thought was destined to be his nirvana. Though, as with most Metal concept albums, it’s really hard to actually tell what’s going on. Luckily someone has written an entire wiki-site in an attempt to explain what the hell is actually going on.

Why am I going into such detail about the albums concept? Well in many ways the story explains and compliments many of the aesthetic and composition choices. On its own simply having a genre fiction plot coupled to a metal album wouldn’t be all that impressive, but when combined with the music found on Acheron something really special happens.

Opening track Proprioception sets an excellent mood with sound design worthy of a radio drama. The rain lashes down, the protagonist breaths heavily while mechanical beings draw near, the wind blows all while lush strings slowly swell. This is perhaps the most effective introduction to an album I’ve ever heard; flowing neatly into the actual meat of the album. While cinematic quality is a large part of this record, it is still a Metal album. The change from Sound Scape to Metal does little to take away from the immersion.

The use of a ridiculous TEN string guitar fits perfectly with the idea of a world inhabited by sentient machines, it sounds more like pounding machinery than a guitar at times, such huge slabs of industrial and mechanical riffing set the mood perfectly. As the use of such an insane ERG would imply some riffs do tend to chug on in a djent like fashion, but this choice again seems to merge well with the albums underlying concepts. Tracks like Earth-Born Axiom, for example, really drive home the idea of a purely mechanical world. Songs are thankfully varied however, with songs such as On The Wings of Nefeli focusing on the melodic interplay between the guitars and ethereal female vocals. The use of other-worldly choirs and glitched out strings and synthesisers add to the truly inhuman atmosphere. All of this, while remaining a ridiculously heavy Metal album.

What is perhaps more impressive than Mechina’s ability to write something so crushing yet cinematic on an epic scale, is the bands ability to merge story with aesthetic. The production of this record is mechanical, but not in a sterile. The guitar tone has balls to spare whilst being unashamedly digital and unnatural. It’s less AxeFX, more T800. The use of glitch production, strings and choirs come across, not as a gimmick as they so easily could, but as part of the overall story, they have a reason to be on Acheron.

Prior to being aware of the albums ongoing story Acheron was, to me, merely a solid bit of industrial Metal with great symphonic elements. With the plot however, it has become a journey. Even without knowing exactly what is going on images and stories develop within the mind of the listener. The mixture of concept and aesthetic ultimately come together to create something far more than the solid Industrial Metal and sweeping narrative could do separately.

I’ll be waiting hopefully for an animated Rock opera from Mechina with bated breath. Based on what can be heard on Acheron, they'd be great at it.

4/5

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