metalvloguk-blog

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M2M FINALS ARE ALMOST HERE

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META-STASIS- THE PARADOX OF METANOIA

Meta-Stasis- The Paradox of Metanoia

The 27th of July saw the release of ‘The Paradox of Metanoia’ by London based Meta-Stasis, this is an album that I’d be looking forward to since it was announced so it was great to finally get my hands on it.  

Meta-Stasis have sometimes felt like an unusual fit on the UK scene but their brutal, turntable-laden techno death metal has them well positioned to be the future kings of the seemingly re-emerging “nu” metal scene.  

I predict this album to be the beginning of big things for these guys, “Paradox...” is a dark, crushingly heavy slice of madness.  Its sinister vibe is perfectly complimented by its chaotic electronics, with obvious influence from Slipknot’s debut album both in terms of turntables and vocal delivery, and from more contemporary precision death metal.

It’s fast, aggressive and undeniably catchy with some amazingly intricate drums and wildly varied vocals that add extra life to the tracks, the industrial elements blend with the more traditional heavy elements incredibly well creating a monstrous sound that screeches and thrashes through 12 excellently crafted tracks with many, many highlights scattered all over the place.

In short I think this album is fucking magnificent and has the potential to make Meta-Stasis a household name on the UK scene.  If you’re yearning for something a bit different to the usual, get ‘The Paradox of Metanoia’ in your ears.

Stand-out tracks

Disintegrate- A chuggy, filthy, grinding beast full of track packed full of razor-sharp hooks.

United Monarchy- A super catchy rage filled stormer that channels Pitchshifter and early Slipknot.

9/10

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FAN OCTO- FAN OCTO

Fan Octo- Fan Octo

I recently stumbled upon the self-titled debut from Lancaster based Fan Octo while randomly searching the internet.  Drawn in by the unusual, but pretty awesome cover art I decided it might be worth a listen...I was right.

Multi-instrumentalist Fan handles everything here himself, Bass, Keyboards, Programing, Drum Programming and of course guitars and that’s what this release is really about,  mind-blowing progressive guitar work.

There’s clearly a wide range of influences on show running the gamut of metal sub-genres with a splash of jazz and electronic/industrial.  Fan swaps between these varying styles effortlessly and unexpectedly to create some highly unique tracks with some truly awesome jaw-dropping moments.  

If you like progressive metal or just guitars in general then this is one that you have to seek out.  It may only be short but there’s so much depth to this release that you’re guaranteed to keep coming back to it.     

Stand-out tracks

Xenomorph- Influenced by the Alien movie franchise and punctuated with some of catchiest guitar playing on the EP, Xenomorph is heavily industrial and full of creepy atmosphere.

Dai’o- An epic progressive masterclass, killer riffs, fat hooks and beautiful melodies.

8/10

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SCYTHIAN- HUBRIS IN EXCELSIS

London’s Scythian have been forging their own path on the UK metal underground since  2004, combining bits and pieces of their many influences to create something with a fairly unique, compromisingly raw vibe. Having enjoyed their previous full length, 2009′s ‘To Those Who Stand Against Us’, it was great to hear that the 6 year wait for a follow-up would soon be over.

‘Hubris in Excelsis’ was released on August 21st and it’s safe to say I wasn’t disappointed. ��Opening with the first of many beautiful constructed melodic sections, it’s an album packed with twists and turns.  From crushing death to raw black by way of primal thrash, and with distinct pagan overtones ‘Hubris...’ is definitely an album that will hold your attention.

The guitar playing is solid, at times utterly brilliant with many well crafted and memorable solos, with the solo from ‘Penultimate Truth, Ultimate Deceit’ being a particular favourite. Unfortunately, though well executed the guitars often feel like they lack power and presence and sound like they should be a lot more prominent in the mix. Another strong point is the vocals, S. Vrath’s delivery is extremely varied with low hellish rasps, growls and some insanely high-pitched screams that are used to devastating effect on the title track ‘Hubris in Excelsis’, and lend a lot of depth to the release as a whole.  Sadly again it’s not all praise with the use of vocal delay and layering sometimes causing a distraction and creating a messy, disjointedness against the clean, precise backdrop of the instrumentation. In conclusion this one is pretty damn solid, despite a couple of minor gripes there is a lot here to rave about and I would say that it’s definitely worth checking out.

Stand-out tracks:

Apocalyptic Visions- A more traditional black metal vibe, dripping in evil with strong commanding vocals.

Dystopia- Another more mid-paced track with excellent vocals and hook laden guitars.

7/10

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BOA 2016 WISHLIST

We here at Metal Vlog UK fucking love Bloodstock.  We know this years festival has not long finished, but it’s never too early to start talking about who we want to see at the hallowed ground of Catton Hall next year.

BEYOND CREATION selected by Necro Joe

From  Montréal, Québec, Canada, Beyond Creation are a progressive technical death metal band beyond compare. Their 2014 sophomore effort ‘Earthborn Evolution’ is a ground shaking example of musicianship at the highest of levels, we think they’d utterly blow some minds at BOA and we'd love to see them in a respectable early evening slot on the SOPHIE stage.

EVIL SCARECROW selected by Metal Lou

Nottingham based Evil Scarecrow might just be the only not terrible comedy metal band in the world.  With material that is as well written and catchy as it is fucking hilarious we absolutely love this band, they were phenomenally good when I saw them on the SOPHIE stage in 2013, leading an audience of a few thousand in the ‘Robotron’ dance before repeating the feat on a much grander scale a year later on the main stage. Evil Scarecrow are a must for BOA every year. 

ELECTRIC WIZARD selected by Necro Joe

What better way to nurse your aching festival brain on the Sunday morning than with a healthy dose of thick droning doom.  UK underground legends Electric Wizard have been on the scene since 1993 and are responsible for a great number of albums, several of which we consider genre landmarks.  How awesome would it be to catch classics like ‘Funeralopolis’ and ‘Dopethrone’ in the flesh? Very fucking awesome we reckon.

RWAKE selected by Metal Lou

Have you heard Rwake? chances are you haven’t.  Sludge’s best keep secret hail from Little Rock, Arkansas and are responsible for some of the most killer progressive stoner sludge I've ever had the pleasure of hearing.  I don't think they've ever played in the UK, but BOA 2016 would be a good place to start.

SIX FEET UNDER selected by Necro Joe

Six Feet Under have always been quite a divisive act in the death metal community, we at Metal Vlog UK however, have always been firmly in camp SFU.  Chris Barnes is a total fucking hero, he’s been responsible for some of the finest death metal ever written and a massive influence on the lyrics of hundreds of bands.  SFU have really gotten their act together in recent years, their touring line-up is top quality and they've producing some of their best work by far.  They rarely venture to the UK and we'd love a rare opportunity to catch ol’ Barnesy live.

ANDREW O’NEILL selected by Metal Lou

Andrew O’Neill is a metalhead, occultist, “gender spastic” comedian from London and is probably one of the funniest people in the UK.  You may have seen him on ‘Nevermind the Buzzcocks’ or ‘Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle’ but we think one of his finest performances was at BOA 2013 when he provided an awesome alternative to the very dreary Lamb of God (...yeah come at me).  We’d love to see him given a longer slot and maybe bring his ‘History of Heavy Metal’ show to BOA.

MYRKUR selected by Necro Joe

Im sure this may cause some controversy but we at Metal Vlog UK think Myrkur may just be the best thing to happen to black metal since the 90′s.  The Danish one woman black metal act and future Mrs Necro Joe, just released her debut album ‘M’ through Relapse records and it is to us one of the albums of the decade.  We have yet to hear any news of a tour but if she should happen to be on the road next year we’d gladly sacrifice a goat to have her drop by the SOPHIE stage.

CANCEROUS WOMB selected by Metal Lou

Scotland has been producing some truly awesome extreme metal bands in recent times, one of the strongest for us is Edinburgh’s Cancerous Womb. Their debut album, 2014′s ‘Born of a Cancerous Womb’ is an instant classic and we think they’d be a big, big hit at Bloodstock, preferably with a early evening slot on the SOPHIE stage.

CANNABIS CORPSE selected by Necro Joe

Weed themed death metal in the vein of Cannibal Corpse and parody song titles....Yeah sign us up. Formed by Municipal Waste bassist Land Phil and is brother HallHammer, Cannabis Corpse are truly a band greater than the sum of their parts. Their last three albums have been spectacular and we’d easily pick them over the past handful of Cannibal Corpse albums. A respectable evening main stage slot would be ideal for these guys.

IRON MAIDEN selected by Metal Lou

Now, let me just start by saying yes we know this is maybe a little unrealistic just yet and honestly neither myself nor Necro Joe would say we were fans as such, but Iron Maiden would make a fucking excellent headliner for the Sunday night.  Everyone likes Iron Maiden to some degree and the amazing atmosphere that their shows create would be an awesome way to close the weekend.  We had comments that Iron Maiden would bring the ‘awful Download crowd’ to Bloodstock but I don't think it would, it would sell a lot of tickets maybe but probably to the older crowd which can't be a bad thing, and anyway if that wasn't the case with Trivium this year I fail to see how it could happen with Maiden. So thats our list, feel free to watch us chat shit about it, then argue with us in the comments over on YouTube. Metal Vlog UK Episode #2

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TOP 5 UNSIGNED UK DEATH METAL BANDS

We are blessed with a ridiculously diverse death metal scene in the UK, here’s Metal Vlog UK’s pick of the top 5 unsigned/independent/DIY death metal bands currently on the scene.

#5 Foetal Juice Hailing from Bury, Foetal Juice craft brutal bludgeoning grooves and sickening hooks to crush all in their path.   Combining their intense audio assault with their own blend of disgusting, tongue in cheek humour, Foetal Juice are a must for fans of all things heavy. Foetal Juice Facebook 

Foetal Juice Bandcamp 

#4 Seprevation

Since emerging on the scene in 2011, Seprevation have become a real force to be reckoned with in the UK.  Winning fans up and down the land with their blistering thrash infused and incredibly evil sounding death metal they seem pretty much unstoppable.  They’ve already shared the stage with Gorguts, Cannabis Corpse and Morbid Angel, we at Metal Vlog UK expect big big things from these guys.

Seprevation Facebook

Seprevation Bandcamp

#3 Flayed Disciple

Specialising in razor-sharp death-thrash, Flayed Disciple have been carving a path through the UK scene since 2008 earning a tonne of critical praise and landing a string of awesome festival slots including BOA  in 2010/2012 and the Indian Metal Fest in Bangalore.  I highly recommend checking out their killer 2012 album ‘Death Hammer’ and pre-ordering their forthcoming 3 track vinyl...You wont be disappointed.

Flayed Disciple Official site

Flayed Disciple Facebook 

#2 Bloodshot Dawn

The UK’s own death metal heroes, Bloodshot Dawn formed in Portsmouth and have been honing their slick contemporary death metal sound since 2003.  Things really kicked off for them in 2009 when they won their local Metal to the Masses competition and landed a slot on the New Blood stage at Bloodstock, they’ve returned to the festival twice more since, featuring on the main stage in 2014.  Their debut album ‘Demons’ is a huge personal favourite and one I’d consider a must for all fans of contemporary death metal. 

Bloodshot Dawn Facebook 

Bloodshot Dawn Bandcamp

#1 Scordatura

Scotland is currently proving to be an excellent breeding ground for insanely good extreme metal and in our opinion the absolute best example of this is Glasgow based death metal titans Scordatura.  Forming in 2007, they’ve risen through the ranks to become one of the most respected extreme metal bands on the scene and its easy to see why, musically crushing with ferocious vocals and pummeling rhythms they just seem to go from strength to strength obliterating audiences all over the UK and Europe.  I consider their debut album ‘Torment of the Weak’ essential listening as well as the new two track promo release ‘Confessions Inscribed’, If you’re into death metal at all you need these guys in your life.

Scordatura Facebook

Scordatura Bandcamp

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DIVINE CHAOS- A NEW DAWN IN THE AGE OF WAR

Divine Chaos- A New Dawn in the Age of War

If you follow the UK metal scene at all, you've probably already heard of London based extreme thrash act Divine Chaos.  Since the release of their 2009 debut EP 'Every Empire Shall Fall' they've gone from strength to strength supporting huge names like Sodom, Death Angel and Entombed and honing their razor-sharp extreme thrash sound with shows all over the UK and Europe

They're about to go off on tour with Venom inc. and Vader so we figured this would be a great time to check out their 2014 debut album 'A New Dawn in the Age of War'.

Divine Chaos are not a band who stand on ceremony,  the album kicks off with the ferocious 'Last Confession' obliterating the need for the all too common instrumental intro, setting the tone through sheer speed and power alone.  Their energy is relentless and there is little time to catch your breath through the first couple of tracks.  That is before the glorious 'The Myth' showcases their more traditional thrash influences with its sinister hooks and mid-paced grooves.

On and on it goes, blistering guitar playing, precision drums and killer vocals (sometimes reminiscent of Carcass' Jeff Walker) and the occasional slice of melodic brilliance, this is a debut of the highest quality. The song writing is on point and there isn't a dull moment, there's plenty of variety and huge meaty hooks as Divine Chaos seamlessly combine traditional thrash fundamentals with a bombastic contemporary style all their own.  I have no trouble saying that this is on of the best thrash albums I've heard since the whole thrash revival thing kicked off, possibly the best thrash album I've heard from a UK band in a decade.  

Stand-out tracks:

Death Toll Rising- An out an out exercise in face-melting, killer solos and ruthless aggression guaranteed to make you shit out your pelvis.

Perpetual War Policy- This is how you close an album, a real showcase of Divine Chaos's sound.  There's a very definite old-school vibe interspersed with bludgeoning intensity.

9/10

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VALAFAR- HELHEIM

Valafar- Helheim

Ah, Valafar, brooding doom laden blackened death metal with a distinctly Norse feel straight from the heart of.... Bradford.  Yup despite their crushing sound and the epic cover art from Jan Jurlund, Valafar do in fact come storming out of the North-West.

Helheim is the follow up to their 2014 debut EP 'Ritual of the Diabolical' and its safe to say they've stepped up their game over the past year. Helheim is a thick slab of hateful, grinding blackened death, drawing heavily on the influences of bands like Entombed, Obituary and Enslaved, creating a raw Stockholm-esq sound with plenty of groove.  Its six tracks are packed with power, big meaty riffs and acidic rasping vocals, with enough variety to keep things interesting.  

There are a lot of great things about this release, from its monolithic riffs to its heavy pounding rhythms and in the end I was only really disappointed when it ended.  I would definitely love to hear more from Valafar, hopefully they wont keep us waiting to long for a full-length.   Stand-out tracks:

In Hel We Ride: A pounding juggernaut that blows the doors off after the brilliantly atmospheric and slowly rising intro Helheim.  Melodic death dripping with evil.

Forged In Iron:  Closing the EP with another crushing death metal epic, this time with a slightly more thrashy feel.

7.5/10

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GEHTIKA- A MONSTER IN MOURNING.

Gehtika- A Monster in Mourning.

West-Midlands based lunatics Gehtika have massively raised their stock in the metal world over the past couple of years.   2013 saw them release their debut EP 'The Impossible Question', win 'The Big Noise Evolution BOTB' and  bag a slot at Bloodstock by winning Birmingham's 'Metal to the Masses competition'.  They returned to BOA a year later to play a coveted Thursday night spot on the Sophie Lancaster stage before retreating back to the asylum to work on their debut album, at last that album is here.... Opening with the atmospheric 'Apolloyon' before shredding into life with 'One night: Seven sins', 'A Monster in Mourning' is a relentlessly intense release, bouncing and climbing the walls of its padded cell.  Its a dark and sinister blend of musical styles, from pummelling death metal to precision contemporary metal with the occasional splash of deranged carnival atmosphere, but its their black metal influences that seem to shine through the strongest and when they are embraced to their fullest the result is magnificent.  

As a whole the album is an extremely solid slice of extreme metal, full of character and energy, a full on assault of intricate guitars, pounding drums and lyrical insanity.  There isn't much to complain about, there are moments that seem to go on too long and although the vocals lack somewhat in variety, Mr. Knight more than makes up for it with his strong rhythmic style and sickening delivery.

In conclusion, 'A Monster in Mourning' is a very strong debut album with the potential to push Gehtika on to even bigger things in the near future, it is very definitely worth your time, fucking spiffing.

Stand-out tracks:

One night: Seven sins- Sets the tone for what's to come as well as filling you in on the background of the story to follow.

The Massaquerade- Intense, bouncy, stormer of a track telling the story of a masquerade massacre.

7/10

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TOP NEW BLOOD PICKS- METAL VLOG UK #1

Every year Bloodstock festival gives some of the best up and coming bands in the UK the spotlight in the form of the New Blood stage.  Me and Necro Joe set about the enormous task of listening to every single band that appeared on the New Blood stage this year and picking out just a few of our favourites for episode #1 of Metal Vlog UK.

So here they are, in no particular order.

PISS VIPER

Hailing from Swansea, South Wales and featuring members of Onedice, Tamanous and Buried in Alaska.  Piss Viper have only been on the scene since mid-2014 but are already held in high regard by punters & critics alike thanks to their crushing riffs, bourbon soaked grooves and infectious rhythmic vocals.   If you like any band that's featured Phil Anselmo or just crushingly heavy grooves, Piss Viper is for you.

http://youtu.be/grAv5IUsTLw

Check out their debut EP 'Horned Hands and Hardened Necks' here:

http://pissviper.bandcamp.com/album/horned-hands-and-hardened-necks Check out the new track 'Cold Dead Grip' here:

http://pissviper.bandcamp.com/track/cold-dead-grip

BLACKENED RITUAL

From the tiny city of Perth, Scotland comes Blackened Ritual.  Their aggressive, precision thrash is sure to win the hearts and minds of metallers up and down the country and this year saw them storm through to the final of Metal to the Masses Scotland,winning themselves the coveted spot against fierce competition.

http://youtu.be/-cyEuY3WU6M

Their debut album Blackened Ritual was released in July this year and is available here:

http://blackenedritual.bigcartel.com/product/blackened-ritual-self-titled-album

TOMBSTONE CROW

Storming out of Newcastle Upon Tyne come the purveyors of original Geordie metal, Tombstone Crow.  Their reputation has been steadily growing since since their formation in 2013 with their aggressive yet melodic and incredibly hooky sound striking a chord with both their local scene and the wider music press.  They booked their slot on this years New Blood line up by winning Hobgoblin's Metal to the Masses video competition with the track 'Soul of a Sinner' http://youtu.be/eHxXuC66R6k

Their debut album 'Shadows From The Grave' was released this year and is available here:

http://tombstonecrow.bandcamp.com/album/shadows-from-the-grave-2

COUNTLESS SKIES

Hertfordshire based Countless Skies are a slick progressive death metal band in the vein of Be'lakor   and Omnium Gatherum.  Their beautifully crafted, almost ethereal death metal saw them through to the final of this years Luton Metal to the Masses final, where they claimed their Bloodstock spot in emphatic fashion.

http://youtu.be/er7tCPLZFjo

Their debut album is due to be released in early 2016, but you can check out their debut EP 'Countless Skies' and new track 'Solace' here: http://countlessskies.bandcamp.com

KRYOCELL

Brutal scouse filth merchants Kryocell are possibly my pick of the bunch, they snuck in the back door to this years New Blood stage after losing their regional Metal to the Masses final to (the also excellent) Deified, but they impressed M2M main man and grizzly UK metal father figure Simon Hall so much that they were invited to play the festival anyway.

http://youtu.be/G-fSoxFp18c

Their wonderfully titled debut EP 'Entrail Fuelled Leviathan' was released in July and is available here: http://kryocell.bandcamp.com/releases

BURDEN OF THE NOOSE

Comprised of former members of Godsize, Mistress, I am Colossus and Out for Blood, Burden of the Noose hail from Birmingham and specialize in a disgusting blend of Sludge, Power violence and doom. They crush the opposition in this years Metal to the Masses Birmingham final before crushing everyone at the New Blood stage on the Sunday evening.  

http://youtu.be/HssOX7g9lks

They have a new EP currently in production, but you can check out the track 'The Forgotten Plague” here: http://burdenofthenoose.bandcamp.com/releases

MORTISHEAD

Straight out of Portishead comes the monstrous Mortishead.  They're another one to whom im particularly partial, with a sound that can best be described as an full-on audio assault, Mortishead smashed their way through to the final of the Bristol Metal to the Masses competition like a veritable tornado of gore....a 'Gorenado' if you will, having won their slot at bloodstock they were charged with waking everyone up on Friday morning a task they were more than capable of .

http://youtu.be/F8g5eNtORz0

Their EP 'Gorenado' and new single 'Blood Drive' are both available here:

http://www.mortishead.com/#!music/c19ye

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

MUTAGENOCIDE- Hobgoblin sponsored beastly Oxford thrash.

http://www.mutagenocide.co.uk/

FORGOTTEN REMAINS- Nottingham M2M winners, chesterfield death thrash.

http://www.facebook.com/forgottenremainsband

TAKEN BY THE TIDE- Nottingham based Progressive tech metal

http://tbtt.bandcamp.com

WRETCHED TOAD- London M2M winners, Metal/Blues/Funk madness

http://www.facebook.com/wretchedtoad

BLOODYARD- Lancashire M2M winners, grooving death metal from the North-West.

http://www.bloodyard.com/

CODEX ALIMENTARIUS- Exeter based brutal progressive metal machine.

http://www.codexthemasses.co.uk/

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Metal Vlog UK Episode #1.  Post-Bloodstock blues.

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METAL VLOG UK Episode #1 launches 14/08/15