Oh Bangalore

Oh Bangalore. No electricity. Raining. Very fucking heavily. Sitting in Cuppa with half the lights turned off. The UPS is on the brink and this dump looks like it’s supposed to. A budget drinking place except that you can only get coffee with your kababs. 

Lucifer is the 2^nd attempt from Rise Above to make German vocalist Johanna Sadonis a star in the occult rock/ metal spectrum. The first was The Oath which was some watered down hard rock that fell between Danzig and Sisters of Mercy and this year saw the release of the debut album by Lucifer. Fronted by Sadonis with Gaz Jennings on guitar. While Lucifer is more rock than goth it’s still a watered down bunch of songs. As for the vocals, she’s not very good. The slightly “heavier” songs have her voice drowned in reverb and the more rock songs leave her weak melodies exposed. Overall, this is some pretty ordinary stuff. I'm especially puzzled because Rise Above already has Gaz Jennings' other band Death Penalty who released a kickass heavy metal album last year and has a female singer as well but is probably a bit too metal to appeal to the occult rock crowd whoever they are. 

Listening to Wiseblood after years. Redemption City. You can see what Metallica were trying to do on Load and Re-load. Didn’t come close to this fucking monster of a rock album though.

Happy Deepawali to one and all. Hope you had a good time with the crackers and sweets and booze and whatever else this festival is about.

There’s a new Ride for Revenge album. More primitive death metal from Finland. Fuck yes. It isn’t as abstract an album as Enter the Gauntlet was and there is actual songwriting coming through with some cool progressions. There’s something about it that reminds me of Dying Embrace circa Serenades of Depravity without the weird electronic beats and the sudden detours into noise. It’s a really good death metal album and probably as accessible as this trio has ever been. This one along with the Desecresy have brightened up the year considerably. And and and there's a new Abysmal Grief on the way. 

The hookahs are lit and the sickly sweet smelling smoke mingles with the stench of burning crackers. Luckily this new Ride for Revenge is a very effective counter measure. Don’t ask me how music helps with combating this stink but it does.

I got told I was mean today. I guess I am. Every day.

December

That time of the year again

12 hour nights and buried secrets

A world of hurt with a pack of cigarettes

Tau Cross’s self titled debut is my most played album this year and easily my favourite so far. It reminds me more of Killing Joke than either Voiod or Amebix and it’s full of memorable songs.

Ares Kingdom's The Unburiable Dead was a much anticipated release this year and it doesn't disappoint. In simple terms. it's not quite as good as Return to Dust but a bit better than Incendiary. Heavy metal that's sort of death metal that occupies the same outlier space as Arghoslent or Deceased. Another very good album for Chuck Keller. 

Goatsnake’s Black Age Blues is a heavy blues rock album with swagger and swings like a motherfucker. The use of the gospel choir on parts of the album is inspired and the songs are memorable. A very welcome return. 

I've written about the new Ride for Revenge album elsewhere. Ageless Powers Arise is some really good shit. 

The one big surprise for me this year is Megiddo’s The Holocaust Messiah. Simple, straight forward Bathory influenced black metal that’s just a bit more evolved from the first 2 albums and it has remarkable repeat value. In terms of sheer plays, this one should be in the top 5. 

Desecresy's Stoic Death is a powerful work of death metal and has been getting a lot of plays. It gets a lot of stuff right in the Bolt Thrower worship field. Derivative but also ebough original chops to stand out.   

Ironsword's None but the Brave is 2015's answer to Triumph and Power. Heavy fucking Metal. Straight forward, memorable and catchy and has the kind of fuck you attitude that just can't be faked. 

Archgoat’s The Apocalyptic Triumphator is probably the most rock they’ve been so far and it’s a solid album. This is a band I love for no rational reason and played this a whole lot when it came out. It's got legs surprisingly. 

Perpetual Descending into Nothingness is the 3rd album by Obscure Infinity and I had no clue. Good songwriting, good musicianship and a keen sense of melody helped make this album stand out amidst all the evil/dark/atmospheric death metal bands.   

The new Wooden Stake was a revelation. While the bands debut album had it's moments, there was something missing and now on A Feast of Virgin Souls, the duo sound assured in their approach and use doom, speed and nwobhm to craft a very entertaining heavy metal album. In a fair world, this would destroy the likes of Lucifer. 

So that’s my top 10 so far. A few more releases to look forward to but overall a dull year.