ALBUM REVIEW: Valafar, "Wolfenkind"



By: Richard Maw

 

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/11/2018

Label: Independent

 

there are no bad tracks here and over the course of the eight tracks the band have crafted a fine and vicious album. Valafar are a band to watch and they are destined for greater things

 

“Wolfenkind”CD track listing:

 

1). Úlfhéðnar

2). Brotherhood of the Wolf

3). Path of the Warrior

4). Bloody Spoils of War

5). Shunned from the Light

6). The Ballad of Plainfield

7). Odin’s Call

8). Born of the Nine

 

 

The Review:

 

Valafar hail from West Yorkshire and have imbued this Viking/death/metal with a good deal of the grit the region is famed for.  Keighley and surrounding areas would historically have been part of Northumbria in the dark ages, as would (oddly)  a fair bit south of the River Humber as well- everything from Lincoln upwards was firmly Viking territory. It is not so strange, then, that these Yorkshire bruisers would be espousing a Norse doctrine and bringing tracks enthralled to the Ulf/Varg/Ulva in the form of “Brotherhood of the Wolf”.

 

With other tracks named “Path of The Warrior”, “Odin's Call”, “Born of the Nine...” you know what to expect thematically from those titles! Musically, this is absolutely rock solid- good production job, growled vocals, tales of glory and mayhem; it's all here. I suppose as a reference point this is kind of like a death metal Grand Magus. There are cracking riffs to be had here, it's not mindlessly “brutal” as the songs are thought out and the band has brought some seriously groove filled and sludgy riffs.

 

In short, this is not just speed for speed's sake death metal, but neither is it anything less than very heavy. There is something here for fans of death metal, trad metal, thrash metal and even doom metal, as well as Vikings of course. Sound wise, this is perhaps closer to Swe-death than Florida death metal, but Euro death is closer again to the mark. Think Asphyx jamming with Grand Magus via Revel in Fleshor similar and you are getting there.

 

To be clear, there are no bad tracks here and over the course of the eight tracks the band have crafted a fine and vicious album. Valafar are a band to watch and they are destined for greater things- watch this space and get out to see them live when you can. Stirring stuff.

 

“Wolfenkind” is available HERE

 

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Deserted Fear - "Dead Shores Rising"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full  Length

Date Released: 27/01/2017

Label: Century Media Records

This is finely honed death metal, referencing all the greats of the genre from this side of the pond and managing to create an identity all of its own. Deserted Fear are ones to watch for sure: feral stuff, crushing all in their path. This album puts 2017 off to a great start for death metal!

“Dead Shores Rising” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Intro

2). The Fall of Leaden Skies

3). The Edge of Insanity

4). Open the Gates

5). Corrosion of Souls

6). Interlude

7). Towards Humanity

8). The Carnage

9). Face Our Destiny

10). Till the Last Drop

11). Carry On

12). A Morbid Vision

13). The Path of Sorrow

The Review:

Deserted Fearspecialise in the kind of death metal so beloved of Scandinavian and European bands. Don't think Nile or Immolation. Think Asphyxand Entombed. This is the band's third full length and they bring their Teutonic terror to the masses in fine style here. The tanks roll, the sound is pleasingly clear and bright, but with the right amount of grit to make this sound... real.

No super fast blasting here, no so-low-you-can-barely-hear-them vocals. This is honest to goodness (not much goodness) death metal from Germania. “The Fall of Leaden Skies” is the first track after a scene setting intro and it really sums up the record: if you like this one then “The Edge of Sanity” will get your neck snapping in similar fashion.

The band offer up their own sound, but the aforementioned bands, Revel in Flesh, At The Gates, Dismemberand so on are all valid reference points. “Corrosion of Souls”, “Towards Humanity” and “The Carnage” offer up concise and rocking workouts; the song writing is lean and effective: riffs, changes, good vocals. Some tracks are pacier than others, but this is all head nodding stuff. Death metal, as I live and breathe!

“Face Our Destiny”, “Till the Last Drop” and “Carry On” cap off the album in grandstanding style; so consistent are the band in their sound that the record just flies by. The album also comes with two bonus tracks, both of admirably high quality and a nice touch from Century Media to include them.  “A Morbid Vision” was my favourite of the two, with its' Bolt Thrower esque pacing. There is absolutely nothing to complain about here. This is finely honed death metal, referencing all the greats of the genre from this side of the pond and managing to create an identity all of its own. Deserted Fear are ones to watch for sure: feral stuff, crushing all in their path. This album puts 2017 off to a great start for death metal!

“Dead ShoresRising” is available now

Band info: facebook

FFO: Grave, Bolt Thrower, Asphyx, Bodyfarm

AL BUM REVIEW: Revel in Flesh - "Emissary of all Plagues"

By: Richard Maw

Album Review:Full Length

Date Released: 02/12/2016

Label: Cyclone Empire

This record is a simple proposition: death metal, of the old school Euro/Scandy variety- done well with vicious conviction and one that demands attention from even casual fans of the genre.

“Emissary of all Plagues” CD//DD track listing:

1). Emissary of all Plague

2). Casket Ride

3). Fortress of Gloom

4). Servants of the Deathkult

5). Torture Throne

6). The Dead Lives On

7). Lord of Flesh

8). Sepulchral Passage

9). Dead to this World

10). Doctor, Doctor (UFO cover)

The Review:

Revel in Fleshmay sound like a throwback to the early 90's with the Dismember and Entombed(you could tell from the name, right?) buzz saw sound and aggression- but their melodic riffing hints at later genre examples and if you know that they have actually only been around for half a decade, well, it makes even more sense.

Revel in Fleshhave quite the work rate and this full length beast follows up their last album from 2014 and several splits since then. This record is a simple proposition: death metal, of the old school Euro/Scandy variety- done well with vicious conviction. There are hooks here; the song and phrase “Fortress of Gloom” will enter your consciousness after only one listen and there is no mindless blasting. This is a dark record, but not without catchy elements. The opening title track sets the tone perfectly and there are nods to prior work on “Servants of the Deathkult”.

The band even throw in a cover of “Doctor Doctor” (yes, by UFO!) to close out the album- this is a lot better than you may think it would be, but still with a  little too much novelty factor for my liking. The heads down thrashing and blasting of “The Torture Throne” is where the band's strengths really lie and when Revel in Flesh really lay things down, they do so with aplomb. “The Dead Lives” on is another prime example of the band's furious sound.

The band keep things tight and focused, even on (relatively) longer songs such as “Lord of Flesh”- which is a doom laden delight worthy of Asphyx. Through faster material such as “Sepulchral Passage” through the latter stages of the record, the band don't ease off the gas. This isn't a front loaded record- it remains strong throughout. For my money, these guys along with Entrails are the best out there at this kind of death metal these days. Cyclone Empire have an ear and nose for this type of thing- the label has delivered quality albums again and again (when is the next Icons of Brutality album coming out?!) and this is another addition to their sterling back catalogue.

The album's closing original material is “Dead to This World” which utilises a longer playing time to good effect and allows the band to run through the gears while creating a deathly atmosphere. This is a very fine death metal record, quite simply, and one that demands attention from even casual fans of the genre. All hail Revel in Flesh- long may they reign.

“Emissary of all Plagues” is available here

Band info: facebook

FFO: Entrails, Dismember, Entombed, Puteraeon