Brat - Social Grace (2024) (English review)

 

Taking advantage of the announcement of the Napalm Death and Crowbar tour, which includes a date in Barcelona on February 26, 2025, we are going to analyze one of the opening acts for it.

Brat come from New Orleans and, always according to them, practice a musical style called "bimboviolence." It doesn't seem very clear what they are trying to imply with this description, but what we can say about "Social Grace" is that the ten songs included in it are a deep and direct song, always to the point. It's not that grindcore, death metal or power violence predominate, but that all of them form a resource that Brat use interchangeably, whatever the track.

 

 

Despite the album's barely 20-minute duration, it cannot be said that we are facing a typical grindcore album, where the songs pass without any pain or glory amidst fiery guitars and bellowing. Here each moment has its reason for being, and together they complete a puzzle with coherence and meaning. The reason for this is, for example, "Human Offense" and "Social Grace", with a lot of groove and rhythm changes, or "Rope Drag", with a very intense riff that makes us think of thrash metal and death. heavier.

However, of course there is also time for the most basic characteristics of grind, which we can hear in songs like the initials "Ego Death" and "Hesitation Wound".

Although we can conclude that the most positive part of the album is the band's little desire to repeat itself, we must also indicate that they need to take their proposal towards fresher and more original terrain, where they put their personality before sounding one way or another. In general, something totally normal for their debut, and one that they will surely polish with tours and subsequent recordings in the future.

Vrademargk - Arrelats (2021) (English review)

 

Another novelty this year in terms of national extreme metal is the return of Vrademargk. This band from Terrassa releases its third album in 2021, eight years after its previous "The Black Chamber", and with an increasingly changing musical world, even more so than when that work was released.

"Arrelats" is the new work of these musicians in love with the melodic death of Göteborg and everything that has to do with said style. The first surprise that we find as soon as we start the album is the change to the Catalan language, with which they seem more comfortable than with the English of their previous compositions.

 

Already into the album, the homonymous "Arrelats" clearly stands out, with an overwhelming beginning that reminds us a lot of bands like At The Gates. Other more changing songs such as "Estigmes Sobre Cendres" or "L'alè Dels Indòmits" show that the group has quite a bit of versatility when it comes to composing. Not in vain, they achieve a sound that, as we say, is very reminiscent of the Swedish melodies of the aforementioned Björler brothers or Dark Tranquillity, but at the same time each track maintains a hallmark, based on the good drum work or on the eminently serious sounds, which give the final result its own meaning.

Finally, it is worth highlighting "Egocidi", a very thrash song where the excellent drum work of the entire album shines above all, as well as the dark riffs of the anguished and intense "Eudaimonia" that remind us so much of Stained Blood. And this "Arrelats" confirms that Vrademargk are carving out a place for themselves among the best of Catalan extreme metal.

Viagra Boys - Welfare Jazz (2021) (English review)

 

It still seems like yesterday when many of us discovered that video of some tennis players playing a match on a very colorful and indoor court. In that match, quite amateurish, it must be said, a singer who looked like a run-down junkie livened up the confrontation by singing about the strange benefits of sports, in that great song called "Sports" that introduced us to Viagra Boys.

Three years after that, and with "Street Worms" already being unanimously among the clear revelations of the last decade, we get the band's second album, "Welfare Jazz". In it, we see that the essence of the Swedes, composed of post-punk, more classic instruments and that important touch of irony, remains unchanged once again.

Since the first LP we know about the Swedes' ability to compose super catchy songs, which never ceases to surprise us when they begin this second one with "Ain't Nice", a song that crushes your bones with its rhythm and that sax. so groundbreaking. Another basic foundation of the band is the bass, which together with the voice of frontman Sebastian Murphy make up the clear skeleton of Viagra Boys' sound. This is demonstrated in "Toad", a song that levitates between the insistent bass and the crooner and torn voices.

Within that very post-punk style of stretching the bass lines ad infinitum, the group likes to vary the way in which they throw this viscous paste, sometimes dark, sometimes luminous, at their listeners. In the case of "Into The Sun" there is a very "Sunday Morning" atmosphere that reminds us so much of The Velvet Underground and that permeates everything with that rock that is no longer rock, soft and left. The sound of the hangover.

Before the easy but well done "Creatures" I prefer songs that, in addition to being more acidic, manage to attract with small red cherries deliberately included between so much black and white. We can find this in the action movie scene rhythm of "6 Shooter", or in that theme about planning a bank robbery that is "I Feel Alive", with that diabolical piano sound.

As we near the end, although I like the Blur vibes of "Girls & Boys" (even in the title) and the folky offshoot of "To The Country", I'm left with the collaboration of a still unknown Amy Taylor ( Amyl And The Sniffers) together with which the group works on a great song flavored with 100% American oak whiskey.

All in all, Viagra Boys' second album is a magnificent follow-up to the first "Street Worms." While it is true that they have lost a bit of the power of surprise, they have certainly gained in terms of creating a mature sound that is not at all devoid of taste. They have shown us again that they are capable of a lot, once again.

Harakiri for the Sky - Mære (2021) (English review)

 

For a few years now, extreme metal's hopes of coming up with a decent novelty have been placed on bands like Harakiri For The Sky. Following that path started by Ulver or Summoning, and later polished by Alcest or Deafheaven (each in their own way), the union of corrosiveness and open-mindedness of black metal, along with the melodic beauty and wall of sound of shoegaze, They make up a sound that, years after its takeoff, seems to still be in top shape.

This duo from the city of Vienna (Austria) is now publishing what is now their fifth album. His discography, being rather continuous within a mixture of styles with little room for maneuver, never quite falls into the linear. This is a conclusion we also reached after listening to this new "Maere".

But let's better start at the beginning. This work, published by AOP Records, is presented on a double CD, which makes it easier to listen to in physical format, but does not create a big problem in digital format. Of course, venturing into an hour and a half of post-black-shoegaze is only reserved for them and a few other names. In these times, making the most of your time by listening to something that is truly worthwhile is most essential.

The path begins in "I, Pallbearer", with a large amount of double bass drum and melody, unmistakable hallmarks. Special mention deserves Kerim "Krimh" Lechner, current drummer for Septicflesh, who also plays drumsticks on all of the songs here. "Sing for the Damage We've Done" contains one of the high points of the album: the vocal collaboration of Neige (Alcest, Amesoeurs) of a song that begins immersed in the simple beauty of primal melodic death, and that accelerates in a spiral as its eight-minute duration passes.

In the same way that it would be impossible to describe each song on this album because it requires hours of reading, in each and every one of them there is a component that is repeated not only here, but since its first composition ten years ago: beauty. The point that links not only those first two cuts, but also the rest that follow them, is always a chord or some inspired riff that is followed by impeccable drums and J.J.'s unmistakable strummed vocals. Between these moments, in addition, we always have an added icing on the cake, as in the epic finale of "I'm All About the Dusk" or the setting and rhythmic changes of "Three Empty Words", one of my favorites.

The second album, if we take the concept of two separate parts as a basis, makes us begin a journey again, back to a new shore, which does not mean that we have stopped treading the same ground as before. The simple but effective chords of "Once Upon A Winter" turn the journey of a long song into an enjoyment that passes in the blink of an eye. Nostalgia and heartbreak become dramatic thanks to the emotionality and bleak riffs of "And Oceans Between Us." In addition to them, "Time Is A Ghost" also stands out, with a beautiful intro and some heartbreaking melodies to complete this second tour with your heart in your mouth.

Finally, the final detail of the album is unbeatable, with a very own version of "Song To Say Goodbye" (Placebo) that takes away the meaning and makes the listening to "Maere" end on a high note.

METALLICA - 72 Seasons (2023) (English review)

Metallica will release their 12th album in 2023 with rather light expectations and more focused on their own mega festival of nothing more and nothing less than two (2) days with two (2) concerts by the band, also having the considerable detail of Do not repeat topics in either event. The cheapest ticket for just one (1) day is 105 euros, with the most expensive pass and with its VIP items reaching more than two thousand (2,000) euros.

As we said, there is little or no expectation that an album by James Hetfield and his colleagues can raise. The music has changed but the massive concerts not so much, and that is why the sound of Californians has been migrating progressively (or not so much) to much older terrain, seeking to make an impact on fans of stadium rock groups and less. to publish a considerably interesting album within a year. 

If you feel like listening to Kirk Hammet's Lynyrd Skynyrd-style solos like in "Shadows follow", chords more typical of Texas than the Bay Area like in "Sleepwalk my life away", Hetfield's careful but ragged voice in all of them the themes and, in general... Coincidentally, "72 Seasons" improves as the end approaches, with a certain old school essence in "Lux Aeterna" or the cool Thin Lizzy vibe of "Crown of Barbed Wire." In short, you can live without this unless you are an unconditional fan of these thrash metal legends.

Spectral Wound - A Diabolic Thirst (2021) (English review)

 

From the formerly known as cold Canada (hello global warming) comes Spectral Wound's third album. After their "Infernal Decadence" last 2018, the group's base and motivation remains intact and ready to fill us with their rabid melancholy in each of the entertaining 6 cuts that make up "A Diabolic Thirst".

And, as their cover tells us, the band is completely dedicated to the decadence and desolation of this world (or some other, who knows). The first thing that comes to mind when listening to those devastating riffs sewn into furious blast beats are French-speaking bands like Véhémence or Sünhopfer, or the depressive but heartfelt black of Sargeist. They are also not far from influences like Mgla, already almost omnipresent in this type of styles and a reference for many to follow.

 

As for the album, with themes so compact, but not complex, it is difficult to make qualitative distinctions between them. From the fast-paced "Imperial Saison Noire", to the apocalyptic "Fair Lucifer, Sad Relic", to the catchy "Frigid And Spellbound", Spectral Wound's color palette remains as concrete as ever, heading towards infinite darkness in every minute that the album gives us.


In conclusion, those who know and regularly visit black metal and its new developments will know that these Canadians are making a more than worthy name for themselves in a scene too weighed down by extreme ideologies.

 

Litost - Pathos (2023) (English review)

 Litost is a Valencian band that practices black metal that is as extreme as it is emotional, and that comes to us as a recommendation from our always accurate friends at Blood Fire Death. From the moment we press play until the end of the almost 34 minutes of "Pathos", we enter a world of uncontained rage, united with the greatest introspection and human misery so present in the literature of the author Milan Kundera, everything a reference in the lyrics and general inspiration of this project.

 

 

There are several influences that help shape this quartet. To tell the truth, it becomes difficult and at the same time fun to be able to compare styles and bands given the fresh and entertaining themes that the album offers us. To begin with, the initial "Tromba" throws us a shower of stars in the form of riffs that can remind us of names from the most "post-" new wave of black, such as Der Weg einer Freiheit or Harakiri For The Sky. At the same time, the marked speed of all its cuts, as well as the few melodic pauses, give the general rhythm a freneticism that is very reminiscent of Scandinavian black classics. We have this example in cuts like "Espectro" or "Ambush".

 

 

As we were explaining previously, the great point in favor of these lovers of vital desperation is that they manage to embrace new ways of making black without losing the essence of older styles. Great proof of this is "Simún", another of the key moments of the album, and which also serves as an adequate presentation of the style they practice.


To finish this analysis in style, and taking advantage of the time that has passed since its launch, we can add that Litost have been winners of the Band Contest held by the Resurrection Fest for 2023, so those attending the Galician festival will have the opportunity to share human futility through riffs with them.

Vidres a la Sang - Fragments De L’Esdevenir (2022) (English review)

For fans of dark, patient and at the same time intense metal, a new publication by Vidres a la Sang is always good news. Having been "silent" during the past years of the pandemic and with no news since that enormous "Set de Sang" in 2018, the current moment seems appropriate to delve into the bowels of new compositions by this Catalan group.

Already entering fully into "Fragments de L'Esdevenir", and despite it being their fifth album, the trio continues to strive to make their mark clear from the first second. Not in vain, "Mort de Paraula" becomes one of my favorite moments, with a crescendo that seems to have a life of its own. 

Another of the paradoxical details that stands out in this project is the simplicity with which the group tries to go further with developments, changes of rhythm and "raw" experimentation, without out-of-place complements. This desire to be progressive within their black/death brings thousands of nuances to the final result, something that we can see in "Salveu-me els Ulls".

 

 

There is another clear difference between "Fragments de L'Esdevenir" and its predecessor: the duration. Despite being released as an LP and not an EP, the total time is cut by 15 minutes compared to "Set de Sang", which gives each of the five songs a crucial position within the final result. 

To finish, the last two compositions change their proposal a few degrees, allowing themselves to be carried away more by the previously mentioned progressiveness, instead of by the intensity. This takes shape and color in a lilting and entertaining "Fins Aqui", with an ending that combines spoken word and a riff in the form of an Opeth high, and in "Ara Es Demà", which lands us between developments to an intense calm. with only seventies included.

In conclusion, although "Set de Sang" seems to have become a crucial release in the history of Vidres a la Sang, this latest "Fragments de L'Esdevenir" increases expectations about the group and gives us hope of being able to enjoy the live trio sooner rather than later.

 

RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR - Showdown (2023) (English review)

 

 

After a long and intense 5 years of waiting, we finally have in our ears the new album by these French lovers of Asian music and of mixing beatdown hardcore, metalcore and languages ​​(English and French basically), so everything mixed well in the blender . and seasoned here and there with breakdowns and slippers.


All of this that we discussed means that the final formula repeats the result of previous albums, especially their lively debut "Welcame", which gave them the leap to more than relative fame to manage the business little. Despite this, it is true that we can see clear differences in what each gives us, mainly in that the songs on "Showdown" all sound more mature now, as if they had taken the trouble to review the song much more conscientiously. production and composition of each of the moments on the album.

 Now, it is obvious that many of the group's fans, who are rather young and are not known for wearing teeth, and who, eager for violent and motivating experiences, will find themselves with a little disappointment when they discover that not everything here is jauja . Despite this, they will be relieved to know that they have mosh to bore in songs like "Showdown" (nu metal is back?), "Crank It Up" or "Shogun No Shi".

Personally, I prefer the songs where Parisians look for a twist on a sound that is quite predictable a priori. The tip of the iceberg of this intention is undoubtedly "Clan", the most surprising song on the album and which, without inventing anything, establishes a basis for the project to grow and have an even more unique sound.


Having said all this and to top it off, it has been worth the wait for a "Showdown", a new season without filler and with everything necessary to capture more Saiyans in its proposal.

REGIONAL JUSTICE CENTER - Crime and Punishment (2021) (English review)

 

 

From the hand of the prolific and always violent label Closed Casket Activities comes the second LP by Regional Justice Center, a band that has managed to give birth to one of the great surprises of this year 2021.

 For those who don't know them, they come from Seattle and throw in our faces music based more on intentions and attitude than on defined styles. Despite the fact that analyzes and websites classify them as powerviolence, the reality is that the influences do not stop growing in the scarce 13 minutes and 27 seconds that the album lasts: from grindcore to hardcore punk, passing through the entire range of substyles that may cross your mind.


It's curious how well the puck fits each punch that cuts that last a minute and a half at most. Just as we have songs that leave us breathless, like the initial "Taught To Steal" or "Violent Crime", in the same way they step on the brakes and cut the rhythm like in "Absence" or "Inhuman Joy", even giving the songs with a certain groovy air, always putting the whole thing first rather than giving wax and polishing wax without any consideration.


In case this is not enough for you and you need some more specific reference, tell you that groups from the same label such as Gulch, Vein or the almighty Nails are first cousins ​​of these cafres. Another great point in its favor is, of course, the vindictive chicha hidden in the group's lyrics.

Collapsed Skull - Your Father's Rage Evaporated in the Sun (2024) (English review)

 

 

Once the priority projects of the members of Philadelphia have allowed it, Collapsed Skull has gotten to work to release a first album after their initial EP "Eternity Maze", highly acclaimed by American underground critics in 2022.

 
And Full of Hell and Jarhead Fertilizer are two icons of the current American extreme. And, as it could not be otherwise, the result of mixing them in the same band with a similar direction translates into a raw and experimental grindcore, which mixes the innate viscerality of the style together with passages of hip-hop and excerpts from speeches from characters like Noam Chosky.

 

Something to highlight, although it might be expected, is the production and sound, which seems more taken from a live performance than from a studio recording. This ends up resulting in an organic, impeccable drum set loaded with all the destructive power possible, as well as a set that devastates everything possible when things get violent.

 
On the other hand, the hip-hop cuts and other ambiance put a finishing touch to a very complete album, not at all boring and that roughly stages what a new grindcore project represents that has everything to make a name for itself among the others. projects of its components.

 
As a curiosity, the group has also released a mixtape called "Truth Serum", which delves much deeper into the experimental side and is almost exclusively dedicated to the most underground hip-hop, consummating an open-mindedness of its members, something for example already evidenced with Full of Hell and its thousand and one collaborations.