Album Review: Phobophilic - Enveloping Absurdity

Phobophilic - Enveloping Absurdity

Prosthetic Records - 2022

9.5/10

As I approach the day that I will get to see North Dakota's Phobophilic live, their one and only full-length has been a heavy part of my recent rotation. In their near decade of existence, they've made a small name for themselves with demos and EPs, before said album realized the greater picture in the form of one of my favorite styles of death metal. Enveloping Absurdity is as meek and malicious as its album art suggests, one aiming to capture a feeling more than craft straightforward chops despite having so many that stick out. Thus, this disc is perfect for complete submersion with little distraction.

Hitting this style isn't anything overly original these days, but I really find solace in any band's ability to strike that narrow chord right between doom/death and the old school Florida sound. Phobophilic are masters of this out of the gate, being crafted around advanced riffing that's easy enough to move to while hinting at more intricacy. At the same time, the murky and filthy delivery of the deep gutturals pair with a very thick atmosphere aided by tough basslines to coat the incredible rhythms with a mucky overlay. When it all comes together, a feeling of cavernous terror and oozy surroundings envelopes (pun intended) the sharp contrast of the rhythms in a way that has such a strong identity.

All of that is great on its own, but Enveloping Absurdity sells the schtick even more by fastening its horrific exterior with a skeleton founded in beefy chops. On one hand, you get a taste of explosive and rumbly roars on doom oriented tracks like the longer title track, leaning far into the terror. Instrumental "Individuation" is like an extra topping, utilizing a droning plane with soft leads and acoustics to establish suspense, working nicely as an eerie break. Other times, songs like "Those Which Stare Back" emphasize not only technical prowess on their rhythms but strong, wailing solos; that bassline right after the repetitive bridge was a neat touch. Even if that's not your thing, "Cathedrals Of Blood (Twilight Of The Idols)" lends us borderline catchy leads, opening with such a fun drum ditty, and the same could be said about sudden and fast swings in "The Illusion Of Self." 

Truly this outfit has absolutely mastered that nearly Lovecraftian approach (as if their lyrical themes weren't enough) that depicts monstrous surroundings while leaving room for accessible tactics. Nothing ever feels overzealous, avoiding pretentious pitfalls that many a tech-death band finds themselves in, nor relying too much on the cavernous echoes. Instead, things are molded with machine precision in a way that's swift, impactful, intriguing, and most importantly, consistent. Anybody with interest landing on the death metal spectrum should give this a shot.

Album Review: Dokken - Tooth And Nail

Dokken - Tooth And Nail

Elektra Records - 1984

10/10

The Los Angeles outfit Dokken would spend all of the early '80s hinting at fitting into the rising glam metal movement, with a mildly limp albeit sturdy start. Only a year following their true debut album's reworking, Lynch and co. would return to leave a far greater impact with Tooth And Nail (ah, the thing I named this blog after). Not only would they rig up a far heavier swing to their formula, but along came greater nuance to the songwriting itself, packaged into an aggressive yet accessible elaboration of what I believe was aimed at before. No hate to Breaking The Chains, but a good idea morphing into a great idea is what truly sells me on a band.

On the note of heaviness, this is concocted on several fronts in the form of a far more boisterous bass kick, confident delivery of Don Dokken's vocal chords, harder drive in George Lynch's riffs, and a production that lets all of this realize its full potential. Again, all of the signs of heavier licks and catchy foundations were present before, but an obvious ceiling prevented the band from spreading its wings the way they did on album number two. Further came varied tactic in writing, letting acoustic guitars miraculously add to the muscular energy rather than taking away from it. Borrowing some of the gang vocals and keen ear for melody established prior was the last method for sharpening the hooks, making for what I can confidently call an unstoppable record.

This newfound energy is evident right away with the title track and "Just Got Lucky" acting as a one-two punch following a little "Without Warning" intro. "Tooth And Nail" holds absolutely nothing back, fitting decently inside a speed metal playlist, while "Just Got Lucky" emphasizes the melodic angle with bright leads that don't soften at all. Similarly, speed works into other numbers like "Don't Close Your Eyes," striking that balance between melody and aggression, backed by pummeling drums and falsettos a la Judas Priest the same year. To the opposite end, "When Heaven Comes Down" rakes in this same fury with a slower march commanded by thick rhythms and powerful vocals.

Looking a little deeper, the acoustic guitar adds fuel to the ever crawling flame, most notably with "Into The Fire," easily my favorite track on the record. The gang chants swinging from the best solo on Tooth And Nail's momentum feels like a release of suspense paired with the acoustics-into-metal riff that carries the entire track. "Alone Again" falls closer to power ballad territory, yet it avoids anything overly sugary or sweet, leaving just enough room for yet another hefty solo. The general atmosphere of it doesn't let it stand out from the rest, and it giving way to closer "Turn On The Action" contrasts its speeds to send us off quite nicely. If there's any filler to be found, you could make a case for "Heartless Heart" and "Bullets To Spare," but both are still very enjoyable, crafted with the same level of care to the point that I couldn't picture listening to this disc without them.

These days, Dokken is somewhat overlooked by the larger metal community due to their heavy association with the glam metal movement. Nonetheless, their sophomore record made a profound impact at the time, helping forge the genre's defining characteristics beside their NWOBHM and US sleaze rock counterparts. A more accessible but heavy-hitting formula where emotions meet aggression bridged the gap between emerging speed and glam metal movements respectively, and for that I'll always love this. Everything falling into place so naturally despite the different directions was simply a bonus to what was already promising.

Pokolgép - Pokoli színjáték

Pokolgép - Pokoli színjáték

Start - 1987

9/10

Despite popular belief, there’s a decent amount of heavy metal that came out of the former eastern bloc that likely never picked up steam due to language barrier and/or cold war semantics. Though a concept not foreign to me, the band Pokolgép of the Hungarian People’s Republic really snagged my interest faster than any other. If the cheesy ‘80s artwork is anything to go by, you can expect a pretty standard heavy/speed metal sound of the time to be the bread and butter of Pokoli színjáték, the band’s second record. However, the variance of direction taken mixed with such smooth delivery and catchier toppings makes it stand out.

Pokoli színjáték is patched together wonderfully with a clear yet blatantly raw finish in a way that lets everything pop clearly without anything competing for attention. Nothing comes off grainy or degraded in the vein of a demo, but there’s a very present amateur feel that enhances rather than retracts from the competent clarity. On that note, the delivery itself is fantastic, with crystal clear vocals, sturdy riffs, and hooky solos coming in beautifully without sacrificing any tougher edge. Thus, it should be no surprise that several different influences of the time are showcased without feeling awkward.

In other words, one should expect equal flavors of glam metal and to-the-point speed oriented rippers. The title track may be the best representation of anything due to its crunchy tones meeting a steady drive, however the ones that take the melody to a higher degree sit better with me. “Halálra szeretlek” absolutely nails the chanted-chorus and big solo combo that could come right out of L.A. instead of Budapest, and “Ítélet helyett” has a softer nature that nearly touches power ballad territory. On the flipside, opener “Tökfej” presents a meaner snarl that deals in heavier speeds to land a tougher impression from the start. Other tracks like “666“ also take this route, littered with pummeling drums as an appeasement of those who sneer at more accessible sounds, and I love the power-stance/pinch harmonic drive and falsettos of "Éjféli harang.”

My inability to understand the voice of the Magyar may leave out some desired context, but the general makeup, vibe, and execution of their sophomore release truly make Pokolgép an absolute beast to be reckoned with. One may complain about some of the inconsistencies from track to track, but considering how straightforward the overall picture is, I think it flowed amazingly. Maybe not groundbreaking, but absolutely impressive in every way. Fans who dig a range of Dokken, Saxon, Steeler, and earlier Pantera should scoop this up.

EP Review: Grim Discipline - Pennsylvanian Thirst

Grim Discipline - Pennsylvanian Thirst

Self-Released - 2025

8/10

One of my favorite genres is starting to become "things that are too silly to take seriously" that end up being pretty good anyway. Learning that Grim Discipline is fronted by a dude from Alms and Witch Hazel sort of adds up, but this new project is based about twenty minutes from my own city, being what I can assume is a hilarious play on Transylvanian Hunger (except this is something I actually want to listen to). Pennsylvanian Thirst is the sole EP by this one-man outfit, staying in the blackened speed/heavy metal lane for everything while surprisingly having nuance for its short run. With how competent it is, it's almost hard to just dismiss it as "fun".

All four tracks on Pennsylvanian Thirst mold together by maintaining a gritty overcast from harsh blackened shrieks and a slightly dirty production. Yet, nothing gets compromised in lieu of that, even allowing some bass to rumble into the brook. Opener "Tormentorer" is pretty black/speed by the numbers, but from there everything slows into the traditional backbone with more melody and identity. "Haunt My Dreams" cools things into this, striking with the best solo. "Night Lord" adds a little more of a steady stomp to the stream, utilizing that clear basswork with higher leads to its advantage, before "Financialized" closes us out with Maideny licks breaking back into a speed metal frenzy.

Clearly there isn't a whole lot going on here, but for an EP that came out of nowhere with such weird song titles and an even funnier album title, Grim Discipline is at least onto something. One part of me can't wait to see if it grows into something more, another part hopes this is a one-off little side project that makes a joke and leaves. Maybe the kid that asked me "Is Pennsylvania the Transylvania of the USA" when I went to Romania was onto something.