Album Review: Sign Of The Jackal - Heavy Metal Survivors

Sign Of The Jackal - Heavy Metal Survivors

Dying Victims Productions - 2024

8.5/10

Since the band's inception over fifteen years ago, Sign Of The Jackal have built a career around on-the-nose heavy/speed metal coated in horror themes and silly metal tropes. It may be easy to explain them away as "just another one," but their latest record did catch my attention with the help of a label I love. Titled Heavy Metal Survivors, this outing still definitely fits that musical description in one sentence. Thankfully, they leave an impression just a tad bit deeper than that.

For one, you can gather a blend of speed metal attitude, glam metal sleaze, and NWOBHM structure to work as something that's a very obvious attempt at throwing back to the '80s as a whole. Hell, the spoken-word intro "Eulogy Of The Survivors" sounds like a direct ode to Motley Crue's "In The Beginning," but that's far from the only dark-glam connection. Vocally, the higher falsettos, gang-chants in the choruses, and soft-finished melodies fit right in with that scene. Underneath this is anything ranging from breakneck guitar passages that fly right into your face to loud and screeching solos. Some have a clear focus on that melodic aspect, while others are just trying to pound hard with chunky rhythms before making a swift exit.

It may sound a little all over the place, and at times it definitely is, but I think Heavy Metal Survivors is a self-aware enough release with a chaotic angle that helps sell this as part of its charm. "Pedal To The Metal" and "Buio Omega (Beyond The Darkness)" have some of the nicest "big-hair" chorus's matching rough but righteous melodies; this would fit real snug with the Keel and Motley Crue types. Yet, if you prefer steady but heavy straightforward numbers, have a seat next to the mean snarls of "Nightmare City" or the power-stance kicks of "Shocker," which cuts loose some seriously mean but digestible rhythms. Tunes like the ferocious "Watch Out" or "Slaves Of Hell" remind you that they're not afraid of a little bite to their spice, adding in some Exciter nods and harsh speeds the formula. Some of this likely comes down to the fact that nothing feels forced, but rather works as a band doing whatever comes to them under a horror-drenched aura. The instrumental "Phantasm 6" truly fastens this entire umbrella of influence in tight, topped off with a spooky synth-passage.

Sign Of The Jackal seems like a cornball throwback on paper, but the Italians really knew how to craft something that not only gives that lots of flavor, but makes me want to return to it. Much like the Italian horror genre, this horror-drenched outfit gives something that lets one appreciate the campiness of it, enhancing a solid foundation rather than tarnishing it, complete with catchy hooks. It works well with speed metal, it works well with traditional metal, and it works well with glam metal. Regardless of which one you prefer, you're in for a ride not often pulled-off well by modern bands forcing these directions.

Album Review: Raptore - Renaissance

Raptore - Renaissance

Dying Victims Productions - 2024

8.5/10

The Argentinian outfit (now residing in Spain) Raptore snuck its way into my top ten back in 2022 with their sophomore album Blackfire, so you can imagine my excitement upon seeing them come back with a third effort this year. For the most part, the band sticks to traditional heavy metal, using the accessible angle rather than focusing on speed and aggression. This was fairly streamlined for a very tight sound before, feeling consistent despite the nuances, and in some ways album number three titled Renaissance continues this trend. The only difference would be that I think this one branches out a little bit further in terms of song makeup.

On the surface, this may be harder to tell. Much of the record still traverses the path that aims for melody and tightness, with a similar cadence of cleaner production that doesn't feel too polished. But the smallest look inward reveals hints towards power metal oriented structure, while utilizing what might pass for glam metal tactics. Harmony-laced choruses and gang-shout eruptions are everywhere, an extension of what we got before. Neither influence is overly in your face, but sometimes this subtle hint is precisely what we really need.

All this really means is that Raptore is choosing to add epic layers to their foundation with prettier flares to their atmosphere. "Satana" reveals this pretty quickly, throwing in neat sound effects, pummeling drums, and driving bridges while coating on a sugary chorus. Others tracks will throw more emphasis on one side than the other. A favorite of mine is definitely "Requiescat In Pace" as it uses softer licks with incredible vocal clarity for a bright delivery not unlike what you'd find on a Lillian Axe disc. Yet, you get songs filled to the brim with power, such as "Kingdom Come," and I'd even argue that it's one of their heaviest tunes; the doom-ridden intro just adds even more personality. To the opposite end, "Imperium" flips this into a full-on speed metal track. That traditional metal root never gets lost in any of this, and the likes of "Abaddon" hone in on a more straightforward sound in line with what we got on the previous record.

In terms of variance, Renaissance shows a leap upwards in terms of construction and identity. However, the prior record felt just the slightest bit more focused, and if the ideas here are passed through that channel, we could have ourselves something better than anything the band has done yet. What's present is still incredible, and anyone into the aforementioned styles should absolutely dive into this record (or the previous one). For only having three albums, there's obvious growth between outings.

Demo Review: Devastación - Maquinarias De Poder

Devastación - Maquinarias De Poder

Self Released - 1993

8/10

These days, Argentina is one of the larger exporters of heavy metal in the South American continent, however just a few decades ago, the output was similar to its neighbors. With a decade full of guerilla warfare and military repression in the Dirty War, it wouldn't take long for Devastación to kick out a few demos by the end of the '80s. However, I feel demo number three from the early '90s encapsulated the best of these early sessions, that being Maquinarias De Poder, translating to "Power Machine." With a slightly more promising future in sight, a slightly tighter output came to be.

Of course, I use the term "tighter" rather liberally, as this demo is still rough and grating, only less-so compared to others outfits of the time and place. Devastación mostly reside on the death/thrash side of things, heavily crafting a style around beefy riffs and jarring changes in pace to keep an otherwise shorter release pretty interesting. What's really cool is that the despite the quality, the bass guitars come through really nicely, preventing this from ever feeling too flat. Considering that there's also some strength in terms of solos, I can confidently say that Maquinarias De Poder taps into great songwriting potential early on.

Only six tracks coming in under thirty minutes in length, you'll find much of this to be fairly digestible. "Barbara Imposicion" is easily a favorite, tapping into the more aggressive side of things with its speeds and sharp rhythms, and the vocals give a nice early Calavera snarl. The steadier center shows the band's riff variance, something I noted helps a lot of this, especially with the Slayer-esque patterns. "Muerte y Destrucción" on the other hand is crafted around the slower approach, making it all the more jarring when a solo at breakneck speed hits at the end, after cooling from its thrashier intro. Admittedly, some of the songs feel like they were recorded with an entirely different environment, as some of the production gets even more degrading in the second half, but I can't knock it too hard; what does come through is still strong. "Vida Lobrega" is a good example, letting in some cleaner but still menacing bridges.

While I've lately been keen on the horrendously gritty and uncomfortable releases of turn-of-the-century South American metal acts, I very much appreciate how unique this one feels among that. Not a single note on here comes off as approachable, but the writing itself has a nice identity, and I love that you can see specific death and thrash influences from the entire American continent. It does help that it's a shorter release, but if nothing else, the pacing here is wonderful. Could not recommend Devastación enough for all extreme metal fans.

Album Review: Coffin Lurker - Foul And Defiled

Coffin Lurker - Foul And Defiled

Sentient Ruin Laboratories - 2021

7.5/10

Oh boy, yet another "coffin" band! Actually, this one has only been brought to my attention because of a recent reissue, but the Dutch outfit Coffin Lurker actually released their debut album several years ago. Extra funny, considering that this is shortly after I would have gotten into Coffin Rot, Coffin Mulch, and Coffin Curse. All that said, this band crafts, you guessed it, death metal, however their brand is something that I would describe as far more grueling and unsettling than any of the other three death metal throwback-type groups. There's only one single release on their roster titled Foul And Defiled, that being said aforementioned full-length.

One could argue that part of this could be due to the very nature of Coffin Lurker. The presentation is so damp, murky, and unwelcoming that I can't imagine the demo stage being necessary. Falling into the "doom/death" territory, Foul And Defiled is only five tracks that add up to about a half hour, each one being a long and disgusting march through filth and emptiness. Bass plays such a prominent role not because it adds to (or creates) any sense of rhythm, but rather, thickens the already mucky bottom layer of reverberating guitars. The only sense of rhythm really comes from the drums , casting a silhouette of a pattern that's otherwise hidden behind drones of unforgiving guitar stench.

In other words, this isn't just another Spectral Voice clone that gives us "caveman riffs" that still have jarring shifts and spaces in between that one can discern. Rather, I find this to strike a very specific mood that's meant to feel like you've been stomped and trampled into the soil, becoming part of the harsh climate that is this music. It's rare that I find myself drawn to such a thing, and I actually won't even pretend that this is anything great, yet here we are with me returning to it several times. Maybe part of it is the fact that it's so short, and conjures a feeling rather than anything worth "jamming" to. There's a Star Wars legends book that speaks of a Sith that once sucked the life out of an entire planet, and this may be the closest thing to picturing that I've come across. So if nothing else, I can at least say there's some purpose? Truly soulless stuff in the coldest way.

Thus, I'm not even going to try and distinguish between the individual tracks. You'll get your occasional higher death shriek to compliment the otherwise floating gutturals, but all of them in the end work as a small ingredient rather than a base foundation. Sure, you can pick out changes in pace from time to time, mostly because the drums might speed up. But my recommendation is just to take this in as one whole unpleasant experience with the right setting and frame of mind. Typically, I find little use from something like this, but somehow they roped me in, even if just a little. A broken clock is right twice a day, perhaps?

Album Review: Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse

Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse

Candlelight Records - 1994

6/10

I know, I know. It's not too often that I come at such a beloved record with such a spicy score these days, but let me be clear. I have spent many years with Emperor, many years allowing black metal to grow on me, and many years still struggling with Norwegian black metal specifically. We've again reached the time of every other year or so when I revisit Emperor's debut album, In The Nightside Eclipse, and see if one of the records that made such a lasting impact on the scene leaves a lasting impact on me. The unfortunate answer is, despite how much I want to love this, and how beautiful that masterpiece of an album art is, it still does not.

Stylistically, In The Nightside Eclipse runs with the formula that was gaining popularity through the '80s under the "first wave" black metal guise and stretches the harsh and breezy boundaries to a new proportion. Tremolo guitar passages, unwavering blast beats, and throaty, drawn out shrieks fill in for what was once ruffled and raspy, darker tones that originally felt like an evil embellishment of the thrash metal genre. These heights of seemingly riffless rhythms carry much of Emperor's songs, combining with the blistering percussion to create an atmosphere so harsh that changes in pattern are tough to recognize (at least, the few that are there). The end result leaves the listener with more of a wall of soundscapes than anything, meant to target a feeling rather than churn out anything resembling melody. Synthesizers honing a symphonic aura are added to this, more often than not taking higher precedence than the guitars, to finish off what's clearly become a unique brand of the black metal genre, one that would stick around into the modern day.

That's all well and good, being a very sturdy foundation for something truly interesting. My issue lies in the fact that, that's all I feel like it is; a foundation. I never go to black metal looking for drastic jumps in attitude, or wide and vast reaches of standout tunes, however to this day I find so little that sticks out other than the simple fact of it being a compelling sound as a whole. Even the vocals, despite having root in a pretty standard black metal shriek, do very little. Nevermind the fact that they're somewhat drowned, feeling like an afterthought, but Ihsahn's tone is hardly what I would call pleasant. Combining this with the mild levels of difference, the longer runtime, and the harsh overload of instruments in the rough atmosphere make it sometimes a task to get through, even in the right mood.

Moments that I can actually recognize treading different ground are few and far. The slower outro of "Cosmic Keys To My Creation & Times" is certainly one of them, and the synth-drenched intro to the following "Beyond The Great Vast Forest" is a pretty nice contrast. I also won't deny how hard the main riff in "I Am The Black Wizards" goes, reaching that menacing sensation that I look for in black metal. Not only is the attitude here extremely crushing, but the different directions it takes with its calmer middle, strong leads, and a doomy return to the main hook to see us out is quite nice. Like nothing else on the album, this scratches just the itch when I have a hankering for this type of record.

But outside of that, I struggle with In The Nightside Eclipse. Much of the time I find myself wondering how much time is left on the disc, and it's usually more than I'd like. There are certainly more nuances than the few I pointed out, but I'd be lying if I said they were anything really worthwhile. I get the appeal, I appreciate what the Norwegians' debut record did for the scene, and why so many people like it, but with so many chances, I can only really conclude that this isn't for me. I'd never go on a whim and call it a bad album, but there's a reason I'm always reluctant to return.

Album Review: Vanik - IV

Vanik - IV

Self Released - 2024

6/10

For many years now, Vanik have been a key staple to my spooky season spins, especially the second record Dark Season, the latest release when I found them. Their next record may have been a step up in objective construction, but it was a step down in memorability. Naturally, IV comes out and and I immediately scoop it right up wondering if it will expand on any of that. But then I thought, how much can you really expand on this?

Maybe some of it is my taste evolving, and I'll never grow tired of unrelenting speeds with nothing overly unique, so long as it delivers with some kind of identity. Unfortunately, said identity is the issue with Vanik, leaving only that generic heavy/speed metal bottom that's evident across the disc. Their brand relies way too much on the Halloween themes and a spooky aspect that specifically feels like it was written for a campy horror film, and that's only going to leave an impression once or twice. Thus, IV comes across as just another disc of the same serviceable stuff we got on III but without the hint of going another direction.

If you like your horror-drenched effects and straightforward, crunchy riffs, you'll still feel right at home. There's always been a magic to the hints of melody, which you can find plenty of as well. Chant-choruses that repeat quite often over pummeling rhythms is still the name of the game, and howling vocals that combine clean and gruff are still the star of the show. "Infernal Infection" is admittedly a catchy tune, being carried by a decent chorus and probably the strongest solo; impressive, considering this is one of the shortest tunes. Yet, even with this obvious theme sticking the tunes together, it's tough to overlook the jarring shifts in tone, which shows next in "Devoured Melody." Immediately, this jumps to deeper chugs with a far more menacing undertone, topped with thicker bass and harsher vocals. None of these are a bad thing, but the way it runs together is as smooth as a seventh grader flirting with girls at his youth group. As the disc progresses, you'll find much of the same idea chopped up and presented differently, and despite its short length, I find myself wondering how much longer it's going to go on.

No, the irony is not lost on me that I'm complaining about things that I enjoyed in earlier iterations of this band's output, but I think it's a case of the trick wearing itself out, or like a joke only meant to be told once. Obviously you can only take this so seriously, but Vanik's spooky brand of coarse heavy/speed metal hasn't evolved from into anything interesting. For a hot minute, it was lots of fun with lots of raw edge, but it leaves much to be desired these days. Maybe this should have remained a one-off side project of Midnight (which was always sorta a side project in and of itself, but that's a conversation for another time).

Album Review: Holocausto - Campo De Exterminio

Holocausto - Campo De Exterminio

Cogumelo Records - 1987

7.5/10

In a time when Brazil was starting to see a light of hope following 21 long years of military dictatorship, the New Republic would become one of the more prominent areas for extreme metal to grow. Sepultura always comes to mind first, but the scene was seemingly growing quicker within its borders than some of its contemporaries as a whole. Holocausto would emerge right around the same time, cooking up a very similar formula. While the band's later output was actually the first thing to turn me onto them, I recently discovered in my searches that they'd put out several records over the decades. Diario De Guerra from 2019 really didn't impress me, but I certainly found a little more in 1987's Campo De Exterminio.

At first glance, one might be suspicious of the rough and blunt subject matter. Given the recent history of the nation at the time, perhaps writing about a different and more infamous dictatorship from a generation prior was a way of coping, and the deadly and monstrous attitude certainly comes through. You'll find that much of this, however, focuses on the grander concept of war and the struggle and misery that sometimes comes with. Primarily, this release is centered on the rough and rigid blackened thrash sound that was emerging around the time. Hornet-esque riffs emulating a burning sting with their production and breakneck speeds pair well with the drum clangs bouncing around the swampy atmosphere. To add angst to anger, much of the vocals take on a pain-induced, incomprehensible tone that really comes close to death metal territory, a brand new thing at the time.

Harsh outbursts like this with the music wonderfully paint the desired picture in the mind. I'll point out that what helps this disc stand out is not the songwriting itself, as I'd be a liar. Rather, Holocausto's ability to capture such a precise feeling for a precise mood in what otherwise feels like a noisy mess of extreme metal is what sells it; one doesn't need to know Portuguese to get the picture in their head (if the album art doesn't do that already). I do dig some of the energy channeled in specific songs, like the slow drag into a sea of chaos on "Regimento De Morte," especially with its hidden, power-stance bridge. I also like the way "Setembro Negro" works in the littlest bit of intricacy, detailing war terror around the Jordanian Civil War, while "Vietna" casts a nasty aura around the recent horrors of the Vietnam War with a steadier march.

But obviously, standout moments like this are just a nice side treat, and it's all about the vibe. I'll even go as far as saying that this is probably a little longer than it needed to be, too. A record like Campo De Exterminio is not for the faint of heart in an way, be it the real-life subject matter, the graphic imagery, or the filthy and unbearable presentation. However, for the specific mood that calls for this, it absolutely delivers. I can confidently say it's one of the best records from the South American continent of the 1980s.