ALBUM REVIEW: In Human Form - "Opening of the Eye by Death of the I"

By Brandon Green

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 23/06/2017

Label: I, Voidhanger Records

The complexity of the songwriting on all of the tracks leaves the listener discovering many layers over multiple listens. This band has some serious talent, and absolutely deserves your time. A massively unique release weaving together so many influences it’s difficult to quantify them all.  This is excellent music, and I can’t wait for future releases from this band.

“Opening of the Eye by Death of the I” CD//DD track listing:

1). Le délire des negations

2). All Is Occulted by Swathes of Ego

3). Apollyon Synopsis

4). Zenith Thesis, Abbadon Hypothesis

5). Ghosts Alike

6). Through an Obstructionist's Eye

The Review:

After their first full length album in 2013, “Earthen Urn”, which was independently released, it was clear the New England outfit had an extremely unique and captivating direction for their black metal sound. Taking a more progressive approach with massively complex-yet-catchy song structures, In Human Form have mastered their craft and continue to surprise. Fast forward to 2017, In Human Form has outdone themselves with an absolutely fantastic release packed full with aggression, prog, and jazz-fueled black metal. The new album, “Opening of the Eye by the Death of the I”, is every bit as raw, introspective, and evil sounding as some of my favorite black metal records. I’ve personally lost count to how many times I’ve listened to this release.

6 tracks in length, the album is mostly constructed with three longer (~15 min) epic tracks with instrumental compositions in between. Overall, the album flows amazingly well given the extremely complicated song structures. The record has many introspective as well as meditative moments among the scorching black metal sections, and the vocal performance on these songs are impressive with Patrick Dupras’ throaty black metal screams and carefully written lyrics/patterns about mortality and mysticism. Nick Clarke’sguitar work is masterfully crafted with an amazing balance of progressive and jazz tinged compositions among the beastly black metal sections. The drum work, although frequently mid-paced, is mind-numbingly complicated and tight throughout, and the bass riffs are carefully constructed to pop and compliment everything in chaotic harmony. The nonlinear approach is highly welcomed on this release, and frankly blows my mind how In Human Form crafts their music and keeps the music paced extremely well. My favorite song is “Through an Obstructionist’s Eye”, which is the album closer.  The opening riff is massively catchy, and the song goes in so many amazing and unthinkable directions a black metal band would typically care to venture.

I’ve had the pleasure of catching In Human Form live a few times where they performed many of the tracks from the new record, and these songs are played with every bit of mastery as they were recorded. The complexity of the songwriting on all of the tracks leaves the listener discovering many layers over multiple listens. This band has some serious talent, and absolutely deserves your time. A massively unique release weaving together so many influences it’s difficult to quantify them all.  This is excellent music, and I can’t wait for future releases from this band.

“Opening of the Eye by the Death of the I” drops on June 23, 2017 on I, Voidhanger Records and is available here

FFO: Ihsahn, Enslaved, Ephel Duath, Death, Frank Zappa

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Obsidian Kingdom - “A Year with No Summer”

By: Jay Hampshire

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 11/03/2016
Label: Season of Mist

“This record is well constructed and the instrumentation is very impressive. But for those looking for similar fare to their previous work, they’d best keep looking.”

“A Year with No Summer” CD//DD//LP track list

1). A Year with No Summer

2). 10^th April

3). Darkness

4). The Kandinsky Group

5). The Polyarnik

6). Black Swan

7). Away/Absent

The Review:

Barcelona’s Obsidian Kingdom can’t be defined easily. Orbiting extreme metal, rather than landing directly in its dank confines, the five piece draw influence from a myriad of other acts and sub genres in order to create their sound. “A Year with No Summer” is their first album proper since 2012’s “Mantiis – An Agony In Fourteen Bites” (there was an album of remixes that followed the latter in 2013). There have been substantial line-up changes since their last full length, but has it seen them lose their way, or has it breathed new life into the kingdom?

The title track opens with some hissing snare, slowly adding layers of stabbing bass and rising feedback. It wanders at a satisfying pace, glossy, smooth clean vocals adding to the laid back lustre. Things kick up a gear, launching into an anthemic, surging chorus that Killing Joke would be proud of. Ojete Mordaza II throws in some excellent, bouncing drum grooves, and the track lurches into more ‘metal’ territory with a razor edged drive towards the end.

It becomes increasingly clear that the group have skirted off into lighter, more experimental waters than they waded in with “Mantiis…” they stretch their electronica wings much more. ‘10^thApril’ broods with spoken word lyrics and wavering synths before being joined by grinding waves and urgent drum samples, twisting into swooping noise. When the band mesh these styles, it’s always complementary, and never seems tacked on or gimmicky.

‘Darkness’ races urgently with decent, grunty bass and yelped vocals, opening out into grinding chords and ascending guitar, stripping back into a moody shuffle around its centre. Longest track ‘The Kandinsky Group’ starts life as a wall of shuddering, creeping noise pierced by a singly bright sine wave, before lapsing into a smooth, rhythmic groove punctuated with porno guitar work. ‘The Polyarnik’ pulses at the jugular with deep synths and burbles its way towards cinematic, towering instrumental layers.

‘Black Swan’s curiously 80’s intro sees Rider G Omega’s vocals sounding curiously like Phil Collins, before swelling with powerful synths and bright guitar motes. ‘Away/Absent’ closes the show in style, kicking in with uplifting guitars before sweeping away with urgent riffs, splashy cymbals and rasped vocal yelps. It moves through a patch of tasty bass grooves, echoing spoken word vocals and frantic tom rolls, before the riffs return and a dazzling, manic guitar overlay drops in.

This is a very different band than the one that conjured up “Mantiis”. They’ve eschewed most of the trappings of death/black/extreme metal (no scream vocals, punishing blast beats or jagged riffs here). Dabbling more with electronica, jazz and lighter melodies, Obsidian Kingdomplace themselves in with the post crowd, alongside the likes of Mogwai, Godspeed! And their ilk. This is no bad thing – this record is well constructed, the instrumentation is very impressive. But for those looking for similar fare to their previous work, they’d best keep looking.

“A Year with No Summer” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook

FFO: Ihsahn, Enslaved, Sólstafir