Good morning Waveriders, I hope your weekend went well. Knowing how tough it is to drag those weary bones out of bed after a nice long weekend, I thought I’d do something a little different this morning. Rather than have you ease into your morning in some serene, tea sipping fashion, I thought it would be more beneficial to us all if you were jarred awake instead. Kinda' like that time my dad would wake me up by jumping up and down on my bed. Think of this report as my version of jumping up and down your bed! Mellow morning meanderings are for Sundays. This is Monday, people! It’s time to get up, get out, and be productive. The world needs you wide awake. The economy can't fix itself! So, let’s get that motor runnin’! We gotta’ head out to the highway! Go out there . . . look for some adventure or whatever comes your way! And if you’re not willing to do it yourself, I have a catapult poised and ready to launch your withered body to your work place. Racer's got his hand on the lever. Strap in . . . here we go!
Farmakon – RobinNow, I haven’t checked my Finnish to English dictionary in quite some time, but I do believe that Farmakon roughly translates to "We are a bunch of bad ass mofo’s who will whip your butt with a technical flurry of musical genius." And, if it doesn’t translate to that, then it should. Farmakon fall into the death metal genre due to their palm muted guitar riffs and diaphragm shuddering vocal emissions, but much like Opeth has done through recent years, this ferocious Finnish foursome is taking their eclectic brand of death into more ambient and funkified realms. Hell, throw in a little folk and a healthy dose of jazz licks for good measure. After listening to their second disc, Robin, I immediately belted out a hearty "Snarch!" and bowed to the metal gods. This is what excites me about music! Doing something different than the rest of the acts out there, but not being weird for the sake of being weird. All hail Farmakon!
The album starts off with a typical death metal belch and dense guitar riff, and for the most part, "Time-Tables" is a pretty standard extreme metal burner. Sure, there are some interesting intricacies littered throughout the tune, such as unique melodies and a tastefully scorching guitar solo, but the tune acts as a precursor to the rest of the album. "Coma September" is a masterful tune. Mixing the extreme elements that we’ve all come to love with some beautiful melodies, Farmakon show a great touch of musical class. The vocals shift from aggressive growls to a wonderfully clean tone, sounding a bit like Mikael Akerfeldt. The guitar solo is a freaking awesome wah drenched ditty and I love how the first four notes enter over a quiet interlude.
I’m gonna’ fast forward to the fifth track, "Recondite," since this is the tune that dropped me to my knees. The tune opens with a clean guitar plucking away at some jazzy chords and then ultimately opening up to this focused bullet of death metal fury. But here’s the kicker . . . amidst the flurry of massive riffs and vocals that channel some ghost of Mike Patton, a saxophone bursts from the din and adds it’s unique flavor to an already edgey tune. A saxophone. I’ve often said that there aren’t enough French Horns in metal, and now . . . I’m gonna’ go out and say the same about the sax. Also, you’re going to want to pay attention to the uber-melodic tune "Wings." Again, it features that clean guitar tone and psychotic ambient vocal work, but then it all comes together into a gorgeous melody for the chorus before bursting into a distorted frenzy. Totally unexpected, and something that I appreciate a hundred percent. Robin has been in steady rotation on my player for some time now and I have a sneaking hunch that it will make its way back there before too long.
Buy here: Robin
Sear Bliss – The Arcane Odyssey Blasting their way out of Hungary, Sear Bliss slap our Monday morning doldrums away with The Arcane Odyssey. Released in 2007, this little gem of blackened metal meets epic battle rock in an arena on Alpha Centuri. Filled with dark themes and menacing musical forays, The Arcane Odyssey carries the torch brought forth by the Scandinavian masters, but Sear Bliss add their own dimensions that clearly distinguish them from every other black metal band. Already dense and foreboding, the band fills any remaining space within the music with horns and ambient synthesizers, ultimately creating these majestic pieces of sound that will have you reaching for your armor and dragon helm. Though, what I’ve found most endearing about this album is that the band aren’t afraid to change up the hyper blast beats and walls of noise with slower tempo material, and on top of that, making it damn near sludgey.
Check out the second track, "A Deathly Illusion," and listen to the intro build note by note until the song explodes with the fury of a battleground. I love the guitar tone as the arpeggio’s are played over the standard drum beat. Slowly, methodically, the music begins to fill all of the open space around the notes, kind of like water filling the space between gravel in a jar. Note how the drummer shifts between high hat and ride cymbal every eight beats. Little things changing up the groove of the tune. I’m not asking for much. The vocals are rough, but not ear piercing and screechy. They have a similar warm quality as that of the vocalist from Khold. In fact, the slower tempo groove that Sear Bliss incorporates in their music reminds me of the blackened chill of Khold, and in some cases, Corrosion of Conformity’s later efforts.
"Thorns of Deception" opens with a riff similar to those one might find on an Enslaved album, technically proficient and unrelentingly brutal at the same time. The vocal chant that accents the starts and stops of the main riff are a nice touch. Again, it builds emotion and, ultimately, movement. "The Venomous Grace" mixes more of that grinding sludgery with some cleaner arpeggio’s, and just building into a beast of tune, complete with horns calling us to battle. Massive and monumental, this tune features some excellent balance! The epically brilliant "Somewhere" blasts into full effect before ebbing and flowing with varying degrees of emotion and texture. Huge waves of ambient synergy cast shadows over the beautifully plucked strings of an acoustic guitar and the hammered keys of a piano. In all, The Arcane Odyssey is another eclectic mix of instruments all jammed together in this well performed package that excites the imagination and pumps a lifetime supply of blood to the heart. Bold and daring, beautiful and brilliant!
Buy here: The Arcane Odyssey
SuidAkrA – CrogachtPagan Celtic metal from Germany. Strange bedfellows perhaps, but let’s give this one a spin before passing any judgment, shall we?
I actually found this album a stunning study in folk music performed in the context of overwhelming extreme metal. Think of any of the black metal, death metal, what have you metal, and mix in a ton of Celtic folk themes and dynamic breaks, and you have the makings of Crogacht. Huge riffs that chug past the surrounding blast beat landscape drive the majority of the music, while traditional Irish instruments fall into place almost as if it were the most natural of occurrence. Bagpipes and banjos accompany the full on Irish melodies and flush out this bands unique take on metal. And, apparently, this isn’t the first time that SuidAkrA has come out of the marshy fog with this style of music. Crogacht is the bands ninth studio album!
“Isles of Skye” is an incredible journey through lands of fable, vocal chants with a distinct Irish vibe guide us through the rolling grassy knolls to some unknown adventure awaiting us. Amidst the folky themes, the more straight up metal instruments are showering us with blast beats and weaving guitar lines. As the song breaks towards the end, a haunting piano chimes away leaving us feeling a sense of melancholy. “Scathach” picks up where “Isles of Skye” left off, filling the air with the wail of bagpipes before bursting into a classic blackened metal tirade of dissatisfaction. These guys have done an amazing job of incorporating this wide array of instruments. Hell, I was amazed with the previous bands and their use of horns, but SuidAkrA have stepped up the game and brought a completely different view of how metal is played.
Just to keep us listeners on our toes, the band kicks “Feats of War” off with a female voice that lifts the soul. Sung over an acoustic guitar passage, the song sounds like something one might hear in an ancient tavern filled with revelers and weary travelers. Great emotions are conveyed through this tune, never going to that truly dark metal place, always staying this side of happiness. The instrumental “Ar Nasc Fola” is driven by a mellow toned acoustic guitar, layered over itself to create another moving epic piece of music. Polyrhythmic drums add a primal touch to the whole thing, sending the listener to that far away land, watching as the sun crests the horizon, welcoming the new day, and preparing for battle against the evil hordes. I love it when music can transport the listener and create such vivid imagery!
Highly recommended listening, one and all. Farmakon and Sear Bliss can be found on the Candlelight label. SuidAkra was brought to you by Wacken Records and SPV. I hope your Monday was as good as mine! - Pope JTE
Buy here: Crogacht
Farmakon
SuidAkra
Buy here: Crogacht
Farmakon
SuidAkra
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