SHORT REVIEWS Our nineteenth edition of Short Reviews for 2023 finds us picking through the second week of May’s new releases, all of them landing on the 12th. I’ve done my best to showcase the most interesting works that I come across while still presenting some decent variety here but choices boil down to what sticks, what inspires or what is worth writing about. These are more easygoing than longform reviews, so relax and think for yourself — If you find something you dig go tell the band on social media and support them with a purchase! If you’d like your music reviewed, read the FAQ and send promos to: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

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Not sure how it all lined up in such a way but about 6-7 bestial black/death metal records with bold, uniquely set personalities are releasing on the 12th this month and Brazil’s Grave Desecrator are one of the more memorably over the top examples of this broad and heavily nuanced ideal. This Rio de Janeiro-based trio are typically compared to Sarcófago‘s ‘I.N.R.I.‘ era thanks to a brutal black-thrashing attack which likewise has some strong basis in late 80’s thrash metal aggression and you’ll feel this most on their shorter pieces (“Miasma”, “Rapists From the Cross”) but most of the songs on this record are 4-5 minute blackened death metal songs in an erratic ‘old school’ style, the medium in between these two ideals comes with “Death Misery Ecstasy”. Later on we get some dive-bombed leads, some almost early Vader-esque death-thrashing and even a GG Allin cover for the sake of variety being showcased throughout the full listen. The only part I didn’t like was the spoken word break in “Fogo Fátuo” since it interrupts one of the most brutal pieces on the record with a rant in a language I don’t understand. Great showing from these guys overall and well worth the seven year wait.

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Denver, Colorado-based death metal trio Cronos Compulsion sparked up a couple of years ago on a seeming whim as a side-project from members/ex-members of similarly green death metal group Phthisis. Their style is very much in the realm of today’s popular USDM lean with a mix of very simple riffs written for one guitar, 90’s groove/hardcore beats to break things up, and a blasting death kick or two whenever the mid-paced skullduggery of it all calls for some atmosphere. The first three songs here creep along with a pretty average showing, plenty of tension to their work but fairly rote in terms of riffcraft. It isn’t until the more sludge/doom influenced barreling of “Consumed by Malignant Spirit” rolls in that we get some above-average action on this fairly short EP and at that point I’d found their whole deal kinda mid, inoffensive at a basic standard. I don’t yet see what stands out about their work but I can appreciate a clean, functional first strike.

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Larvik, Norway-based progressive/doom rock quartet Hex A.D. continue down their path to deeper-yet distinction on this sixth full-length album. When they’d began back in 2011 or so with heavy resemblance of Cathedral‘s ‘The Guessing Game‘ era of 70’s throwback psych/prog influenced heavy rock and traditional doom metal. ‘Delightful Sharp Edges‘ is a concept album, an ambitiously voiced event in general, which speaks to war and genocide past and present. Their King Crimson-ian affect remains but they’ve delivered on their suggestion of Wishbone Ash inspired melodicism on this album in a notable way, especially as the move toward the heavier hearted third act. While some of their past work was a bit more of a riff and quick trot through a catchy melody or stoney fixation here we find Hex A.D. presenting a theatric rock operetta which is more concerned with its narrative, or, its statement through historic examples than it is a big chunk of rhythm guitar. It took some patience on my part but I’d end up thoroughly enjoying this record despite some of the vocals feeling like AOR and the dramatic tone of the full listen feeling relentless for a double LP. I’ve been a fan of these folks since their third album and it seems they’ve got their sights set on something bigger with each release and in this case the ambition delivers a substantial, admirably well-considered experience.

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Pesaro, Italy-based traditional doom metal trio Warcoe self-released ‘The Giant’s Dream‘ back in early 2022 but this fine debut full-length didn’t receive any real push into visibility until Helter Skelter/Regain picked it up for vinyl and CD release and no doubt this record makes its case right off the bat with a mid-80’s Pentagram sized jog and early Chritus-esque vocal. Fans of early Trouble are probably the prime target for this one for its dismal Sabbath groove and sullen vocals yet don’t expect the shrill highs of Eric Wagner‘s register to factor in here, rather a cold and pale hum from the vocalist. Don’t pass this one up just because it’d already released.

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Hasard is a dissonant black metal side-project from Parisian musician Hazard who is best known for his dark symphonic/operatic work in avant-garde troupe Les Chants du Hasard. Most of ‘Malivore‘ concerns itself with screaming machinery, grooveless bending rhythms which blast and screech into descent while distantly growled and rasped vocals fill the periphery yet just as often the machinery manages to flutter in place, spread its howling gears for a moment and produce eerie pockets of transfixion where harmonies and wandering melodies appear in vague second-hand resonance. Part of this effect is the sound design of course, the unusual and studio/digital effects soaked sound of the album doesn’t manifest as a realistic or rawly performed presence but instead an impossible realm of echoic movements which leave the listener feeling like they are hiding in a balcony, pursued by some unknown ghastly energy. In this way I’d found ‘Malivore‘ a purely sensorial experience, guided by obscure emotions rather than lighting-struck rhythmic feats which were only lightly memorable upon reveal and relentless in their complex verve upon revisiting the experience. I’d particularly loved the dissolution beyond ~5:15 minutes into “Vicivers” and though each of the five ~8 minute pieces herein had their own moments of brilliancy (see: ~3:55 into “Choral Inane”) the elaborate construction and steadfast voicing of each meant it’d all blur together more maximally than it’d needed to. Captivating and a bit overwhelming at times but an easy to recommend outlier nonetheless.

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Southern Finnish black metal group Sacrilegious Impalement might ring a bell per their well-received late 2000’s/early 2010’s output which’d more often than not lined up with the Swedish style of black metal that’d begin to prick up in popularity beyond the release of records like ‘Sworn to the Dark‘. From 2005 through 2013 these folks maintained a pretty solid professional presence in terms of three full-lengths which’d been melodic yet orthodox in some sense but I wouldn’t have considered their work as defining of the Finnish sound today versus some of their peers. ‘IV: Infinite Victor‘ crops up today about ten years beyond their last major release and band leader Von Bastard (Evil Angel) doesn’t seem to have missed a beat in terms of their sound and style which to my ear still has a bit of Watain and Emperor within its aggressive, straight forward weave. If you were a fan of ‘III – Lux Infera‘ you can look forward to a similarly aggressive no-nonsense attack. I enjoyed this record despite it being a very familiar sort of thing per my own taste, a language I know very well performed without any interruptions and plenty of scaling nausea to its guitar work.

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Back after five years of Hell with a second descent into Hell Parisian noveau black metal act Moonreich provide a direct follow-up to ‘Fugue‘ (2018) with ‘Amer‘, an even more eclectic and transporting feat which berates the human will in the face of death as the whole album feels like a chaotic mind afire near the end. If you’ll recall my full review of their previous album this band’s sound was a tough nut to crack between a very accessible, modern sound and brutal rhythmic standards which avoided any too obvious points of influence but didn’t quite stick in mind as uniquely stated. Just as was the case with the previous album the major appeal of the full listen comes with its beautiful-yet-muscular rhythms, which deliver a snake-like motion despite the barrage of fairly typical strained shouted vocals. For my taste “Of Swine and Ecstasy” made the argument that there is more to this experience than meets the eye, “Where we Sink” was a strong point of profundity, and “The Cave of Superstition” belabored the impact of the album. With a bit more variety in the vocal performances I’d likely have a lot more to say about their work in general, but as-is there is a relentlessly grating effect to the full listen that reminds me of post-metal too often.

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