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| There are 948 Reviews Done |
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Gotsu Totsu Kotsu - Mouryou
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| Sushi Metal |
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The metal scene unfortunately tends to be US and Euro-centric, so a lot of the time, we miss out on great international bands, such as the crushing Gotsu Totsu Kotsu. I was introduced to this Japanese band by a Japanese friend of mine, and I'm ashamed that I didn't know about it earlier.
Have you ever seen those Akira Kurosawa samurai movies, like Seven Samurai, Ran, the Hidden Fortress or Throne of Blood? Imagine one of those samurai battles in audio format, add an incredible bassist / vocalist, an enigmatic melodic guitarist, a spider-like drummer and boom: Gotsu Totsu Kotsu.
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5 of 6 found this review helpful |
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Leviathan - Scar Sighted
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| Scar Sighted |
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Leviathan is one of those strange bands that demands more than a couple listening to an album before you can "get it." This is no departure and upon the first 2 rounds I found it somewhat meh overall. Having heard it about 5 times full through I can say it is easily a solid 4.5. It isn't Massive Conspiracy Against All Life nor is it Verrater, but it will definitely be a hallmark Leviathan album. It seems Wrest is back in his groove of solid composures since he has got his shit together now.
Musically this album is shunted by off production in my opinion. The guitars are way too prominent for anything Leviathan/LoC. The drums in a few tracks are astonishing but are several layers under guitars and a large amount of white noise. While I am not sure if it is something that is "be careful what you wish for," I can't help but think Leviathan could become a significant legend if the musical curtain of buzz was taken out of all the albums. The heavy hum and blur just annoys me and it is incredibly powerful in this album. Especially early on. The musical talent is there but it has that fog lingering over it which muffles said talent.
The first part of the album has more Death Metal roots and while it isn't bad, it isn't exactly the trademark Leviathan. You can tell Wrest made it and is playing it but it does wash out a bit with modern death metal acts. Smoke of their Torment and Dawn Vibrations are very powerful tracks but don't really fit in. It seems as though Wrest is testing the waters as to what exactly the response is to his Death Metal skills.
The rest is full on Leviathan however and Gardens of Corprolite merges the two parts pretty well actually. Wicked Fields of Calm moves in and you can tell you are listening to what is certainly Leviathan. Within Thrall marches in making a sustained peak all the way through the first third of Scar Sighted. It looses steam with half of Scar Sighted turning into a slow doomish part that drones on which then picks up into a general black metal. All Tongues Toward comes with a good intro, a furious short section then a signature part of Leviathan and Atmospheric BM which is the drawn out guitar screeching that echoes. Aphonos is an outro for me and doesn't really seem to be adding much to the album. The echoing growls and howls get old and the instrumentation follows suit in what is mostly an atmospheric sound with random beeping much like what Burzum has done in the past.
Overall there is a large amount of progression and it isn't the same exact formula rehashed and it has a different sound while maintaining its' typical trademarks. While it will take a few listens it does have many memorable moments and could be one of the best albums of 2015 for black metal fans. If there was some more refinement and somethings were cut out to make it a 40 minute album chock full of amazement, this would easily be a runner up to Lurker of Chalice and possible best Massive Conspiracy.
9.2/10
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Cryptopsy - Unspoken King, The
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| Cryptopsy=Deathcore??? |
| By: |
Windsor
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| Date: |
18 Apr 2015 |
| Rating: |
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How the mighty have fallen! One of the best brutal technical death metal bands ever has been relegated into being considered "deathcore." Ungentle Exhumation, Blasphemy Made Flesh and None So Vile were awesome albums and some of the finest examples of the genre, but then "Whisper Supremacy" came about and the band snowballed into a total travesty. This album is bad.
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4 of 4 found this review helpful |
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Equilibrium - Sagas
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| Not enough adjectives to describe how beautiful this album is! |
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This is the album that introduced me to the world of heavy metal. The moment I listened to Prolog Auf Erden, I was instantly captivated. When the album was over, I felt like I had the wind taken out of me. It was that intense. So naturally, I put it back on again.
This album not only plays like a masterpiece of music, but also plays like a storybook from earlier times; like a movie which is hailed as one of the greatest; like a figure in history which contributed so much to the world. Every song is an adventure, taking us into the woods and showing us the magical and captivating voyages that lie inside, playing into our inter childhood fantasies that are hidden deep beneath our core. For an album to reach inside of you and pull that quality out, it's utterly amazing at how painstakingly wonderful it manages to do so.
I can't think of any song on here that shares the same vibe as any other song on the rest. Each one is crafted so masterfully that it's such an incredible experience to be privileged to listen to. Mana, for example, as a 16 minute song, is so amazing that you never get bored listening to it. Without any vocals, it manages to tell a story akin to that of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. It's perfect. This album is perfect, and I myself feel so ALIVE when I listen to it.
11/10.
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2 of 2 found this review helpful |
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October Tide - Tunnel Of No Light
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| ... some doom and the odd splash of death metal.. |
| By: |
urielms
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| Date: |
8 Feb 2015 |
| Rating: |
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Album 'Tunnel of No Light'. It's pretty bleak as the title would suggest, but then the best heavy stuff usually is. It wouldn't work if it was all about flower arranging.
I'd wager that you would be anything but disappointed. If I had three thumbs, I would raise them all. Go grab yourself a copy.
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0 of 18 found this review helpful |
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Eye Of Solitude - Canto III
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| Epic act! |
| By: |
urielms
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| Date: |
30 Jan 2015 |
| Rating: |
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This album won’t be for some people, but if you like long, doomy epic stories told through heavier than hell music, this is for you!
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1 of 7 found this review helpful |
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Burzum - Fallen
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| Unjustly criticised |
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Just for the record I have no problem with this album. There's nothing here that would be out of place on Hvis Lyset Tar Oss or Filosofem. It wasn't until later that Burzum got sidetracked onto a lot of Spoken Word and New Age waffle. Maybe he started spreading himself too thinly? Nobody else brings out a new album every year.
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1 of 1 found this review helpful |
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Nervochaos - Art Of Vengeance, The
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| Does exactly what it says on the tin |
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You know what you're going to get from the good people at Cogumelo Records. Rough, uncompromising Death/Thrash. When you've been doing the right thing for 25 years why change anything?
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0 of 1 found this review helpful |
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Ea - A Etilla
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| Ambivalent to Ambience |
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This is some nice Ambient/Doom shit, something to unwind to on a dark evening. The "monastic" vocals might be a turn-off for some.
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1 of 3 found this review helpful |
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