Top Ten Albums of 2019 / Rob "The Metal Guy" Awards

I remember at the start of 2019 saying that this would be a great year for metal. Actually, I think that this year even took me by surprise with how many quality releases came out. Looking at a lot of the albums I considered to be the year's best, a majority of them are debut albums, so that tells you the talent right now amongst your younger rock and metal acts is extremely impressive. Due to the strong year we had here in 2019, I am already predicting that 2020 is going to bring us even more killer albums full of headbanging glory. So, read and enjoy this top ten list along with the Rob "The Metal Guy" Awards. Maybe leave a comment at the bottom if there are albums you thought stood out this year, or nominate people for an award you think should be given



10. Decoherence “Ekpyrosis”

If you want some high quality extreme music, then a band that is on Sentient Ruin is always a prime choice. Decoherence proved that they know how to construct abysmal sounding landscapes filled with terrifying blackened sounding compositions. The entire release is a nonstop ride into dark dimensions where malevolent forces lurk with sinister ambitions. Overall, a blistering album recorded in such an unapologetic fashion that I can’t speak enough about.

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2019/11/decoherence-ekpyrosis.html


9. Malfet “The Way to Avalon”

Taking the Arthurian legend and constructing a soundtrack to lead listeners through a world of epic fantasy, Malfet proved to show tremendous talent on this debut release. Dungeon synth is a style of music I find to be extremely cathartic and this release is a vibrant sounding offering that can put your mind at ease as you drift into the magnificent musical world created by this one-man band.

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2019/06/malfet-way-to-avalon.html


8. Pale Cremation “Grimoire”

Sometimes it only takes one man to make a killer doom album, and sure enough Matt from Pale Cremation did just that on his debut release. I really dig the riffs and overall songwriting style, because this is the type of doom metal that kicks you right in the balls with a blast of reverb and a smack of heavy grooving rhythms. A total psychedelic doom avalanche of reverb to drown your mind and blow out your speakers.

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2019/11/pale-cremation-grimoire.html


7. Nucleus “Entity”

All these people who are tripping over Blood Incantation’s new album need to understand that Nucleus had the technical science fiction death metal style down earlier this year. I found Nucleus “Entity” to be an amazing release where the technically came across so crisp and perfectly complimented the overall songwriting approach. These guys knew how to write an album that flowed with brutality, yet also offered these magnificent progressive elements to create an atmosphere of galactic death metal splendor.

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2019/04/nucleus-entity.html


6. Mournful Cries “Bad Taste”

This doom metal trio from Santa Rosa, CA did not miss the mark when they released their debut full-length album. After releasing a few demos to get people acquainted with their brand of heavy grooving bone chilling doom, the band put out an album that was bad ass from top to bottom. Solid songs that contain monumental sounding riffs and instrumental compositions for you to just float into a smoke filled land of epic doom.

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2019/07/mournful-cries-bad-taste.html


5. Saint Vitus “Self-Titled”

The doom metal icons really did a great job on their 2019 self-titled release. Also, this was the first Saint Vitus release to feature original singer Scott Reagers since “Die Healing” which came out in 1995. I felt like the band sounded tight and the overall production was another high point. Dave lays down some wicked sounding riffs and solos, while Scott narrates these haunting tales of terror.

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2019/05/review-saint-vitus-self-titled-2019.html


4. Nocturnus AD “Paradox”

Mike Browning told me when I interviewed him a few years back that he wanted to continue where the, “The Key,” left often by bringing together some extremely talented musicians and keeping the Nocturnus legacy alive. I believe Nocturnus AD did an excellent job pulling all those elements together that made, “The Key,” one of death metal’s most ambitious releases and then writing some wicked new material. I really enjoy the guitar compositions on this album along with how the keyboard creates these unconventional sounding noises to make a truly malevolent science fiction death metal themed release.

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2019/06/nocturnus-ad-paradox.html

3. Pathetic “Rat King”

Sometimes I don’t want a band to baffle me with technical structures and claim to be the future of death metal. Personally, I just want some straightforward vicious brutality that hits you like hammer to the face. Pathetic is a trio that does not mess around by writing some thunderous death metal tracks that also convey some doom and speed elements to give you one HEAVY release. “Rat King,” is an entire package full of great headbanging moments, so you need to check it out if you have not.

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2019/06/pathetic-rat-king.html


2. Venom Prison “Samsara”

I think Venom Prison redeemed themselves after I listened to their debut album, which was not horrible, but did not do much for me when I listened to it. Most bands that do not impress me with their debut release tend to fade away, however, Venom Prison “Samsara” was an unbelievable album. The guitar riffs, vocal delivery and musicianship all around was dialed upon to an insane level of unforgiving energy. From start to finish I can’t find one issue

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2019/03/venom-prison-samsara.html

1. Iron Griffin “Curse of the Sky”

Iron Griffin’s sophomore release, “Curse of the Sky,” is a classic metal sounding tale of glorious vintage sounding riffs and captivating vocals. Arguably one of the best vocal performances I heard on an album in a long time, singer Maija Tiljander is able to inject such raw emotion into the triumphant sounding instrumentals. Unlike those classic metal acts who end up sounding gimmicky and write the same damn song over and over again, Iron Griffin displayed a bold confidence throughout this album. I cannot think of one dull moment when listening to this album, because the songwriting is simply majestic sounding. Definitely a group that needs to keep the ball rolling and forging more epic sounding releases down the road here.

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2019/02/iron-griffin-curse-of-sky.html

Rob “The Metal Guy” Awards 

Best EP/Demo Release of the Year: Chthonic Deity “Reassembled in Pain”

Best Split of the Year: Black Fucking Cancer / Gloam “Boundless Arcane Invokations”

Best Hardcore Punk Release: Jackal (Self-titled 7”)

Best Live Performance: Unlucky Theta at the Lister Bar in SF

Label of the Year: Sentient Ruin

Up and Coming Artist of the Year: Enshrouded

Most Ridiculous Announcement: Mötley Crüe coming out and saying they will tour again after promising all of us they were done…

Mournful Cries "Bad Taste"

    Like three wisemen traveling across a desert in a smoke filled caravan, Mournful Cries bestows upon the metal world a gift of pure DOOM with the release of their debut album, “Bad Taste.” The Sonoma County based trio delivers an album containing plenty of killer riffs and seismic jams powerful enough to rattle the Earth’s core.

    Mournful Cries is band that I am quite familiar with since I’ve reviewed a few of their previous demos for the blog. Those demo releases were great starting points and the band was able to build off those past songs and form some truly crushing tracks. The new songs written for the album are extremely well produced and the overall sound is very addicting. Once you starting listening, you do not want to stop.

    The album contains seven tracks, all of them delivering a mighty punch of unapologetic doom making you feel like you are traveling into a misty world of haunting distortion and bombastic rhythms. “Sea of Trees,” is a great opening track which sets the tone by unleashing a groovy main riff that welcomes a blizzard of reverb and thunderous drumming. Guitarist and singer Luis Olguin along with bassist Matt Lasserre feverishly hack away at a tasty main riff, while drummer Alex Hernandez assaults his kit with precision and great feel throughout the song. The band continues that same approach on the next song, “Hallowed Tomb,” taking listeners into a crypt of classic doom like horror.

    “Evil Confessor,” conveys a more gritty and raw attitude where the bass sound really captures your attention. Matt seems to hit the notes at the right time causing you to feel the impact of each note striking your eardrum. Track number four, “Angelic Envy,” is a blasphemous tale containing a sample from the movie, Dogma. I really like how Luis delivers the lyrics and I find the song’s overall instrumental composition to be very well written. Songs like, “Sinner’s Pyre” and “Bad Taste,” are great examples of track that feature these simple yet catchy riffs and can eventually evolve into these monolith sized jams.

    The album’s final song, “Witches’ Herbs,” is the longest song on the album and runs about nine and a half minutes, allowing the band to throw in quite a few devastating riff compositions. Right when Luis hits that first chord, you know that the band means business. Throughout the song you feel drawn into this endless void of hypnotic sounds that are heightened by the relentless drive of each band member as they conjure such raw power through their instruments.

    Although the metal world has been saturated with bands trying to sound like Black Sabbath and other legendary doom bands for many years, few are able to standout and develop a strong musical identity. Mournful Cries did an impressive job molding their influences together and achieved a unique sound that compliments their songwriting style.

    Out of all the albums I've heard this year, I believe, “Bad Taste,” has a certain quality that really stands out, especially considering it being their first album. You can hear how each musicians put a lot of effort into the recordings and each song is played with true dedication and passion. The goal on the next album should be to keep that same drive and passion alive, because that is how you can take the music to an even greater level.

    In the end, I highly recommend this album for fans of doom along with anyone who is looking for an album that will leave you tripping out of your mind on some HEAVY goddam riffs!

Mournful Cries bandcamp:
https://mournfulcries.bandcamp.com/album/bad-taste

Mournful Cries Release New EP “Vices”

    They’re back! Mournful Cries keeps cranking out the demos and EPs with their third release to date, “Vices,” which is another strong invocation of pure doom. The Sonoma County Sabbath worshippers conjure up some wicked sounding riffs from cosmic worlds beyond and tell listeners some haunting tales of bone chilling terror.

    Ever since the band formed I have been tracking their progression and I can tell you that their sound keeps evolving with each new release. The first demo/EP  was definitely more raw and rough sounding, but demonstrated a talented trio that could write some crushing pieces of doom metal. Also, I need to point out how the band self-records their music and drummer Alex Hernandez who does the mixing and engineering on each release does a really solid job capturing the band’s sound. The drum, guitar and bass production on, “Vices,” really stands out and adds a deafening punch to each track. I even thought the vocals provided by singer and guitarist Luis Olguin vividly complimented the instrumental compositions.

    The two songs on this EP are both sinister cuts of doom and convey very dark heavily distorted atmospheres reminiscent to that of music by Saint Vitus and Pentagram. “Sinners Pyre,” is the opening track and slowly builds up into a blizzard of mind crushing doom. There is a catchy overall quality to the song, which is achieved by the song’s tight main rhythm. The other song on this EP, “Phantasmal Poisoning,” is another killer jam of heavy hitting doom with more dynamic compositions thrown into the mix. I thought the ending part of the song was without question the most captivating section. Bassist Matt Lasserre offers up some tasty bass lines and the music simply flows in perfect synergy until the end.

   There is much to be said about this young band’s progression from their first demo, however, in the end I shall sum it all up by saying Mournful Cries is moving in the right direction. A lot of young bands rush themselves by trying to get full-length album out right away and end up creating subpar recordings. I think Mournful Cries is smart for taking their time and slowly building up to their first full-length with these demos and EPs. You get a better sense for what this band can offer and how they are constantly working to improve their sound.

   So crank up the volume, turn out the lights, drink from the chalice and let “Vices” consume your soul...let the doom commence!

Mournful Cries bandcamp and FB:

https://mournfulcries.bandcamp.com/album/vices

https://www.facebook.com/MournfulCries/

Concert Review: Cinco De Metal

  Cinco De Mayo was transformed into Cinco De Metal Saturday night at the House of Rock in Santa Rosa, CA. Four local bands unleashed their extreme music making talents for an audience that was hellbent on hearing some raw and heavy hitting metal music.

   This would mark my first time seeing a show at the House of Rock and for the local metal scene, I thought that this was a great opportunity to lobby for more shows at this venue. The four bands billed: Mournful Cries, Oneiric Eclipse, Ancestors Wrath and Electric Funeral, really turned out to be a solid line-up. Right away though, I need to point out how the venue is extremely professional and the layout is quite impressive. There were video monitors that would show different shots of the bands while they performed and the lighting setup was unbelievably well done. The service that this venue provided made all these bands feel like real rockstars. I bet there were bowls with only brown M&M’s in the back for the artists!

  Taking the stage first was the power trio of doom, Mournful Cries, a band that knows how to hammer out some Iommi like riffs and conjure up wicked sounding jams of authentic doom. I thought band played a crushing set and music sounded extremely tight. Drummer Alex Hernandez was keeping the rhythm section moving strong and threw in some brilliant drum fills at times. Also, bassist Matt Lasserre played an important part in maintaining a heavy rhythmic backbone by thunderously striking his bass like a God of Thunder. Guitarist and singer Luis Olguin put on a strong show too and his guitar tone sounded like something you would hear back in the Vol. 4 days of Sabbath. Songs like “Sinners Pyre” and “Phantasmic Poising,” are such heavy riffing pieces of doom that I can’t wait to hear what they will sound like on a full-length release. From what started out as just a two man project has now turned into a determined trio of musicians playing on stages with video monitors. I tell you, hard work pays off!

Mournful Cries 

  After Mournful Cries finished, Oneiric Eclipse began setting up the stage for their ritual of raw and merciless grim sounding black metal. They brought out some candles and skulls to create a dark atmosphere that would compliment their style of harsh black metal. Standing on the side closest to the bass player, I was able to hear where this band offers a bit more than just raw straightforward black metal. His style of bass playing is not so one dimensional and he has a great prowess for adding fills when needed to inject some technicality into the music. The guitarist and singer did a solid job establishing that bleak and abysmal sounding atmosphere, while the drummer seemed to be playing with precision and not missing a beat. For their first show I think the band sounded really good and unlike some black metal bands, they were able to play a show without Antifa protesting them.

Oneiric Eclipse

  Third up was Ancestors Wrath, a band I would be seeing live for the first time. They were definitely channelling that 80’s thrash metal vibe with a vicious two guitar attack and their music kept the crowd banging their heads throughout the entire set. I thought the singer had outstanding stage presence and did a great job interacting with the audience. He would stick the mic into the crowd and people would actually sing along without forgetting the words. Overall their sound was tight and the songs sounded well written. If you enjoy kickass thrash metal that hits you right in the gut, I definitely recommend checking these guys out.

Ancestors Wrath 

  The final act of the night was, Electric Funeral, a Black Sabbath cover band from the local area. The singer in Electric Funeral, Lance Oskitzo, I have seen before with his other band Skitzo, so I was interested in hearing him tackle all these Sabbath songs. I think for the most part the band executed the cover songs rather well. Of course I have my favorite Sabbath songs, so hearing “Snowblind” and “Children of the Grave,” stood out the most to me. Observing some of the other folks in the crowd, I noticed people singing along word for word. The musicians looked confident playing the material and probably grew up listening to Sabbath to where playing these songs was like taking a trip down memory lane. Their set seemed be well received by the audience and Electric Funeral did a smashing job closing out the night, especially Lance using an air raid siren for their rendition of, “War Pigs.”

Electric Funeral 

  Once again, Sonoma County proves to be a place full of passionate metal bands and fans all celebrating extreme heavy music together. Also, House of Rock is an exceptionally well run venue to host a show. I do wish more local acts get the chance to play this venue, as I feel the people will show up and enjoy their experience. All you need is four crushing acts like the ones who played and you will have one massive heavy metal celebration!

Review: Mournful Cries “Thy Horror Come”

   Prepare to the light those ritual candles, pull out the occult books and turn the stereo up to full volume, as Mournful Cries shall be the soundtrack to your ceremony of unholy doom. The bands new EP, “Thy Horror Come,” reaches across the reverb filled valleys and takes you on a journey through mountainous riff landscapes where giants dwell wearing Sleep and Saint Vitus t-shirts.

     Having known the guys in Mournful Cries for a decent amount of time now, I am starting to hear their sound truly take on a unique and distinct form. What started out as friends jamming on some Sabbath like sounding riffs has evolved into a vehicle of unapologetic doom. The trio from Santa Rosa, CA keeps hammering out killer riffs while crafting some strong pieces of music. I thought the songwriting and presentation of the songs on the new EP really stood out. Also, the band’s overall energy was perfectly captured on both tracks.

    In my opinion, Mournful Cries excels the most when pertaining to their riff crafting abilities. When guitarist Luis Olguin lays down a wicked sounding riff, both drummer Alex Hernandez and bassist Matt Lasserre follow along with a powerful rhythmic backbone. Luis is able to strike these simple yet heavy chord progressions out and ultimately construct a mushroom cloud of distorted sounding terror that seeps through your speakers.

    The two songs, “Hallowed Tomb” and “Witches Herbs,” are well written tracks and bring to the table a massive helping of bone chilling doom. Compared to your stereotypical doom metal bands, Mournful Cries is focused on trying to create a solid musical foundation and sound that can be explored further. The thirteen plus minute song, “Witches Herbs,” demonstrates a band that can take a simple riff and expand on the idea for a long period of time yet not lose the listener’s interest. I thought that the other track, “Hallowed Tomb,” contained a very horror like atmosphere which reminded me of material from Electric Wizard and Cathedral. Plus the beginning riff has that Iommi like flare and then explodes into a massive jam of relentless sounding attitude from each musician.

    I look forward to what the band has coming up for doom fanatics in the future and I believe they are making strides in the right direction. They just need to continue hammering out those riffs and seeing where they can take their ideas. Also, I recommend taking their time and making sure the overall recording captures what they are truly wanting to express. Don’t feel like you need to release something just to release something. There are too many bands like that around right now and the quality of music has suffered at the hands of people making mediocre recordings. I believe in the end that Mournful Cries has the passion and inner spirit to unleash a killer doom album. “Thy Horror Come,” is the perfect starting point to set course and aim for that ultimate killer album of monumental doom. Definitely check it out!



Check out the EP below:

Mournful Cries FB Page:
https://www.facebook.com/MournfulCries/

Mournful Cries "Debut Demo"

    Rising from the smokey filled confines of Iommi’s Vault, the music created by Mournful Cries will spread across the lands leaving behind haunting sounds of Sabbath like doom. The trio from Santa Rosa demonstrates their love of classic doom metal and Sabbath worship by crafting their own brand of pure no nonsense riffs of doom.

    I’ve know the members in Mournful Cries for a couple years now and I am quite familiar with their other groups. Drummer Alex Hernandez and guitarist/vocalist Luis Olguin played in one of my favorite sludge bands called Amnesia. Luis also plays bass in an awesome death metal band called Sepulchre which I recommend checking out. Bassist Matt Lasserre plays bass in a killer band called Scrape the Earth who I have seen live a few times.

    I enjoy hearing what new ideas the members in Mournful Cries have to bring to the table and this band demonstrates great promise on their debut demo. The two songs featured on the demo are, “Budlust” and “Evil Confessor.” The songs take on a variety of influences ranging from Witchfinder General, Saint Vitus, Trouble, Sleep, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats and of course…Black Sabbath.

    Both tracks are solid offerings of doom with plenty of world consuming riffs from the black voids beyond. The intro to “Budlust” conveys a prog rock like flare and builds into a distorted jam of behemoth riffs and seismic drum parts. The song’s entire vibe pulls you in from start to finish as Luis hammers away at each chord while Matt and Alex maintain a strong rhythmic backbone. I personally like “Evil Confessor” just a tad more than “Budlust,” because the music contains a harder and more aggressive tone. Also, Matt lays down an impressive bass part during the intro that is very reminiscent of classic Sabbath songs.

    If you are a fan of doom metal you need to be on the lookout for more loud distorted Iommi like jams from Mournful Cries. I believe what makes this band standout compared to a lot of your other doom acts and even young up and coming metal bands, is that these guys are massive fans of the style of music they play. Through their enjoyment of doom metal they are able to write some extremely solid pieces of music. So crank it up and drop out of life with bong in hand and follow the smoke to Mournful Cries wicked sounding riff filled lands.

Check out the entire demo below: 

Mournful Cries FB Page:

https://www.facebook.com/MournfulCries/

Mournful Cries Bandcamp:

https://mournfulcries.bandcamp.com/