Nucleus "Entity"

    Science fiction themed death metal outfit, Nucleus, takes listeners on a space odyssey through mind bending brutality with their sophomore release, “Entity.” The Chicago based band constructs some monstrous sounding tracks displaying strong technical prowess, while maintaining an unforgiving old school death metal attitude.

    Set to be released through Unspeakable Axe Records in June of this year, the new album picks up where Nucleus left off on their debut full-length release, “Sentient.” The band’s sound is extremely tight and their technical abilities really standout when listening to the new album. Another point to bring up about this release is the quality of each recording. The music is well composed and the overall album flows unlike most of your modern day death metal releases that tend to sound like a cluster of tracks sort of hastily thrown together. Nucleus exhibits a catchy brutal sound, but also knows when to utilize their dynamic songwriting talents to add diversity in their compositions.

    I really like how the band starts the album off with the track, “Arrival,” which conveys a very cinematic sci-fi horror themed intro and then suddenly bursts like a chestbuster from the movie Alien into a pulverizing riff section. The band unleashes some merciless aggression throughout the song, especially the singer’s strong and monstrous sounding death growls. After the first song ends the band perfectly transitions into the next track titled, “Entity.” The guitar riffs create these intense and engaging atmospheres that are accompanied by relentless drumming and feverish bass playing. I always like those moments where the music slows down and the bass player is given an opportunity to thrown in a wicked sounding fill.

    Track number three, “Uplift,” continues the extreme sounding space like journey by hammering out more blistering pieces of death metal and there are plenty of tasty guitar parts that are guaranteed to melt your face off. Forget alien acid blood, the lead guitar playing on some of these tracks is down right incinerating! Other songs to mention on the album are, “Outpost,” “Dominion” and “Timechasm.” I would say that, “Timechasm,” is probably my favorite song off of the album and the song’s overall atmosphere makes you feel like you are floating through a haunting nebula of nightmare like proportions. The music starts out with this very calming instrumental part and eventually sucks you into a black hole of hellish old school death metal.

    After listening to this album I strongly believe that Nucleus did not settle for the simplistic old school death metal approach. The band demonstrated a desire to come up with a dynamic sounding release that in essence also maintained a vicious old school death metal sound. In the end, this is a release that will not disappoint and will leave you traveling through a galaxy of endless chaos and terrorizing technicality. Hollywood should tap Nucleus to create a sci-fi horror film, because these guys seem to have more talent and imagination than the garbage that most film studios are currently putting out right now.





Check out Nucleus "Entity" below:

Nucleus FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/nucleusmetal/

Unspeakable Axe Records FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/UnspeakableAxeRecords/

Vultures Vengeance "The Knightlore"

    Prepare for a merciless heavy metal assault loud enough to bring down an enemy fortress! On their debut full-length album, “The Knightlore,” which will be released by Gates of Hell Records, Vultures Vengeance launches one blistering attack of heavy metal music. 

    This Italian based band knows how to write some solid tracks and the fantasy themed lyrics perfectly match the music’s bold and triumphant sounding attitude. I definitely hear influences from bands like Cirith Ungol, Helloween, Manilla Road, Armored Saint and Iron Maiden. Vultures Vengeance does a great job building their own fantasy themed metal world and I think the band’s overall sound is very tight. The tracks seem to flow really well throughout the album and together they tell this one long epic tale.

    Kicking the album off is, “A Great Spark from the Dark,” which begins with a strong guitar riff accompanied by shield smashing drum parts. The band’s singer comes soaring into the musical onslaught by providing some epic screams. I think the song was a great choice for the album’s opening track and sets the tone for the rest of the release. The next song, “Fates Weaver,” offers more loud and aggressive riffs which I find builds a solid foundation for the band to write their lyrics around.

    Another area of this album which stands out is the memorable chorus sections, which fans can sing along to while they triumphantly raise their fists in the air. Track three on the album, “Pathfinder’s Call,” is a very well written piece of music containing a powerful chorus section. The singer’s range is truly impressive, especially when he hits those high notes to match the song’s uplifting tone. There are so many bands who try and write epic sounding metal music and I tend to notice that the singers in some of those bands simply do not have the vocal range. I think the singer in Vultures Vengeance has a phenomenal range and he knows when and where to throw in those high notes.

    A couple other songs worth mentioning are, “Lord of the Key” and “Chained by the Night.” I think out of all the songs on the album, “Chained by the Night,” is my favorite song. The two guitarists incorporate some insane lead parts throughout the song and they really know how to write some meaningful solos. They are not like those random shredders who come up with solos just for the sake of showing off to everyone how fast they can move up and down the fret board.

    Once the smoke clears and the carnage of battle is left for the vultures to pick at, I do believe that, “The Knightlore,” is an album which has the potential to take the heavy metal world by storm. People who enjoy epic fantasy themed metal will be hooked right away by the album's overall sound. Again, I think the songwriting does not disappoint in the least bit and you are guaranteed a solid release from start to finish. So raise your swords and turn the volume up to eleven, because you don't want to ignore this release by Vultures Vengeance! If you do you might lose your head!



Check out Vultures Vengeance "Pathfinders Call" :

Vultures Vengeance Bandcamp :

https://vulturesvengeance.bandcamp.com/

TEL "Lowlife"

Richmond, VA based sludge/doom outfit, TEL, delivers a massive dose of hypnotic compositions and cataclysmic riffs on their debut full-length album, “Lowlife.” The blend of melancholy atmospheric touches infused with bombastic sounding sludge elements makes for a dynamic and utterly HEAVY sounding release.

Following in the footsteps of bands like Neurosis, Paradise Lost and ISIS (the band not the moronic terrorist group!), TEL blends a variety of different sounding extreme music styles to craft their own distinct and powerful sound. I would describe the album as a journey fueled by raw emotion and ambitious musical attitude. The musicianship is highly impressive and I really like the guitar playing which seems to evolve throughout the album. You can find yourself being overwhelmed by a gritty sludge riff at one point and then be suddenly taken by surprise with a vibrant sounding guitar solo. I think the album’s production and recording quality really captures the band’s sound quite well and keeps you listening with interest.

The album’s opening song, “Ouroboros,” slowly builds up with a mesmerizing doom composition that conjures such force yet conveys a soothing and tranquil quality. You feel consumed by a thick cloud of distorted aggression and soon find yourself drifting through a gateway into an endless void of calming hypnosis. The next song, “Submerged,” is another solid track and the intro drum part does a great job establishing a strong doom like foundation for the other instruments join in and add to the bombastic sounding assault.

The third song off of the album, “Red Level,” is more aggressive in terms of attitude and overall tone. Right away the band wastes little time by delivering a vicious main riff that sort of dictates the song’s direction. The band also uses contrasting vocal styles which compliments the struggle between the heavy and melodic elements. The final two songs, “Choke” and “Strangers,” continue to display the band’s progressive mindset with numerous examples of creative songwriting skills. I think fans looking for an album that is not one dimensional in terms of style will really enjoy hearing these songs, because the music is always changing and there are no dual moments in the band’s compositions.

In the end, I believe, “Lowlife,” is a strong release and TEL’s ability to craft such unique and diverse sounding pieces of doom/sludge will be recognized right away by listeners. All around the musicianship is extremely solid, so I predict we will see the band continue to push themselves on future releases. I’ve heard other young bands similar to TEL and the main difference is that the songs on this album were very well written and did not sound sloppily put together. If you want to make a musical cyclone of rubbish go ahead, but don’t cry when not a lot of people listen to your music…definitely not the case with TEL.



TEL "Ouroboros" :

TEL Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/TelRVA/

New Documentary: Rising from the Bay

   About a year ago my friend Yuvraj and I decided to make a documentary that would help promote some of the Bay Area's hardest working up and coming metal bands. Also, we wanted to bring awareness to the growing issue facing a majority of bands within the Bay Area, which is that there are fewer places to perform live. The bands who contributed to this documentary provide wonderful insight into how they have developed over the years and share some awesome stories regarding the current underground metal scene. We really do hope more people check these bands out, because the artists featured in this documentary are working hard to carry on the heavy metal legacy that was established by so many icon bands like Testament, Exodus, Autopsy, Sleep, Forbidden and many more of course. Please share and help promote the future of heavy metal which is right here...Rising from the Bay!

Follow us on the R & R Rocks Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/RNRROCKS2112/

A New Release from Trecelence - "For I Am the Eyes"

   Sonoma County based technical thrash metal enthusiasts, Trecelence, demonstrate their passionate and uncompromising music making talents with the release of the band’s new EP, “For I Am the Eyes.” The three songs featured on the new EP convey an aggressive and fearsome style of thrash metal music that is sure enough to appease any headbanging maniac looking for blistering thrash metal experience.

   After a line-up change that led to guitarist Chris Olney Burnett taking over bass and vocal responsibilities, the band shows how they are confidently moving forward into the future by pushing themselves as musicians and songwriters. The addition of guitarist, Alex Miletich, helps maintain the band’s potent two guitar attack and his style of playing compliments that of fellow guitarist Donnie Small. I find the songs on the new EP to be a great glimpse into where the band is heading musically along with what they are capable of crafting on future releases.

   The EP opens with, “For I am the Eyes,” which features a ravenous sounding introduction riff accompanied by the ferocious yet precise drumming executed by the band’s drummer Ilan Cabrera. Compared to previous releases from Trecelence the music sounds extremely tight and the song flows with a mighty dose of abrasive attitude. The vocals in my opinion were what stood out the most and Chris delivers a strong performance by presenting the lyrics in such a vivid manner. Overall the music is more raw and the recording quality perfectly captures the band’s feverish thrash metal sound.

   The other two songs, “Divide to Conquer” and “Blood Moon,” are vicious pieces of thunderous riffs, fluid shredding and cranial crushing drum parts. I believe the track which steals the show on this EP is without a doubt, “Blood Moon.” I think the song is one of the most impressive recordings from the band to date and the entire composition is extremely well written. The song is dynamic and contains a variety of elements that all blend together into one monumental thrash metal recording. Songs like this are what I think the band needs to focus on more, because the overall level of musicianship and musical creativity was simply outstanding.

   Fans of thrash metal will definitely want to sink their teeth into this prime cut of metal music which Trecelence was able to offer up. Their dedication and passion for metal music is undeniable and as Chris once said during one of the band’s live performances, “We’re Trecelence and we’re not FUCKING going anywhere!” So, for all those wondering if the band plans to make more music in the future, I am confident that they will have something for us.



Listen to the EP below:

Trecelence bandcamp:
https://trecelence.bandcamp.com/

Venom Prison "Samsara"

    Like a tsunami of merciless raw emotion, Venom Prison’s new album, “Samsara,” hits the heavy metal world with devastating force. For their sophomore release the UK based band offers listeners a scorching extreme onslaught of relentless brutality.

    Venom Prison pushes their sound in a more abrasive and technical direction on this new album, while offering more explosive and dynamic sounding compositions. Compared to their first album, “Animus,” I personally feel as though the band drastically improved in terms of songwriting, while also finding more ways to breakaway from the standard technical death metal/hardcore stereotypes. Listeners will instantly notice that Venom Prison seems to have a knack for writing explosive sounding riffs that compliment singer Larissa Stupar’s unapologetic and vivid vocal delivery. Also, I think the production for this new album does a great job capturing Venom Prison’s passionate extreme music making abilities.

    The album flows with tremendous synergy and from the beginning riff of the opening song, “Matriphagy,” you find yourself intently listening to the vicious world of endless chaos. I really like the opening song, “Matriphagy,” and the guitar parts created by guitarists Ash Gray and Ben Thomas are truly ferocious and construct these monumental sounding bursts of distorted destruction. The next song, “Megillus & Leana,” maintains a bombastic and dynamic edge full of bone crushing guitar riffs, monstrous sounding drum parts and utterly unforgiving vocals.

    Out of all the tracks of this album I think, “Uterine Industrialisation,” is probably the most intense and musically catastrophic sounding songs on the album. You are instantly hit with a juggernaut of malicious attitude as Larissa comes roaring over the savage guitar riff assault. I also recommend checking out the music video for the song, which I feel compliments band’s vivid and extreme nature quite well.

    Another song I want to mention is, “Self Inflicted Violence,” which hits hard with a sinister sounding main driving riff and contains some powerful vocal sections to amplify the song’s pulverizing overall tone. Other tracks to take note of are “Sadistic Rituals,” Asura’s Realm” and “Dukkha.” All around you hear a strong and talented group of musicians who combine their efforts into crafting very meaningful tracks of extreme music. There is no cheapness pertaining to how these songs sound, because I find the music is written with great purpose and attention to detail when laying out the drum, guitar and vocal parts.

    In the end, Venom Prison’s “Samsara” is without question one of this year’s most impressive sounding releases and serves as a reminder on how bands should approach the songwriting process. In my opinion Venom Prison really took their music to the next level and one can tell they put a lot of energy into writing some very engaging pieces of music. In this day and age we need more artists willing to not hold back and step outside from the repetitive metal clichés. When a band gives that 101% effort listeners can definitely hear the difference. So, I highly recommend keeping an eye on Venom Prison, because I think they have the potential to release even more strong sounding albums.



Venom Prison "Uterine Industrialisation" :

Venom Prison Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/venomprison/

Lustre "Another Time, Another Place (Chapter One and Two)"

    Celebrating a lustrous career of atmospheric black metal creativity, the one man band known as, Lustre, will be releasing two complication albums this coming March. Set for release on March 29th through Morrowless Music, “Another Time, Another Place (Chapter One and Two),” is an opportunity for fans to purchase some of the most immaculate recordings ever recorded by Lustre.

    The mastermind behind Lustre, Nachtzeit, continues to demonstrate his talents with each new release and over the years he has established a phenomenal discography. Lustre is a band that is highly regarded amongst the atmospheric black metal community to the where you hear quite a few bands releasing material that sounds very similar to Lustre. No matter how many come along that sound similar, at the end of the day Lustre’s music glistens in terms of sound and overall quality.

    Starting with, “Another Time, Another Place Chapter One,” the compilation features the never before released EP, “The Ardour of Autumn,” recorded in 2013 along with the band’s 2009 EP, “Welcome Winter.”  When listening to, “The Ardour of Autumn,” one can imagine themselves standing amongst a forest with yellow and orange leaves falling around them. Lustre’s music is a perfect example of taking sounds and creating these magnificent sounding atmospheres by effectively layering synth sounds to heighten certain emotions. In the background there is this faint wall of distortion which the keyboards seem to flow through and eventually develop into some strong melodic compositions.

    Another point to bring up is that the songs are not exactly short and the four tracks on this compilation average close to around ten minutes. Even with lengthy pieces of music, Lustre maintains focus by writing dynamic pieces of music that produce sounds to keep listeners intently engaged.

    The second compilation album, “Another Time, Another Place Chapter Two,” contains three tracks which are made up of the very first Lustre EP, “Serenity,” from 2008 and then, “A Spark of Times of Old,” which was originally released around 2013. I definitely find this EP to convey a more raw atmospheric black metal style. The song, “The Light of Eternity,” from the band’s debut EP, blends the harsher sounds of black metal style guitar with a mesmerizing synth melody, while the vocals cry out in agony over the instrumental arrangements.

    The next song from the first EP, “Waves of the Worn,” is a seven minute exploration through ambient sounding realms of calming synth. Wrapping up the album, “A Spark of Times of Old” is probably one of my favorite Lustre recordings and one of the band’s most ambitious pieces ever recorded. The overall production is absolutely brilliant along with the way that the song moves in such amazing synergy. You feel a sense of calmness with each sound and soon find yourself drifting away into an atmospheric world of endless wonder.

    Fans of Lustre and atmospheric black metal might want to mark their calendars, because I think these two compilations are great examples of musical genius and profound artistic expression. In a world where cheap and forgettable music is unfortunately very common, you really come to appreciate what Nachtzeit has been able to do over the years with Lustre. I hope Lustre continues to inspire artists on how they should approach their music and I hope Lustre keeps releasing new material for people to discover.



Lustre "The Ardour of Autumn" :

Morrowless Music:
https://morrowlessmusic.com/

Lustre Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/lustresweden/