New Single from Kratornas

Modern death metal can often be expressed by showing paint flying onto a canvas. Kratornas's new song, Dead Burning Christ, certainly feels as such.

The drums are powerful, but flesh out the crashing with the detuned snare drum. The vocals are off the beaten path, even for death metal.

The guitars are thick and solos come in and out when least expected. If Death Metal is too clinical, too calculated, this may be the band for you.

EP Review: "Chassit" by Heavy Temple

Chassit

Do you enjoy spicy foods?

These days, my food is not as spicy as it once was, but I'm returning to eating food that bites back.

It's just so metal.

Thinking back though... try to recall one of the first times you ever put a hot pepper into your mouth. That time I mistook a jalapeno for a peppercini has never left my memory.

Being in a world of pain at age ten over a single bite of food...well that's hard to forget.

Has the memory of that pain come flooding back to you? Did you think to yourself, well, this is the most painful food ever, but it tastes delicious! That's probably not what anybody said upon feeling the relief of the capsaicin's dispersal.

EP Review: "At This Great Depth" by Soothsayer

At This Great Depth

In this post, let's try to answer the eternal question:

What is art?

Glacially Musical takes the stance that the definition of art is merely an act of emotional or creative expression. Meaning, it's art because I say it is, but not quite.

An artistic work is an author/painter/songwriter/etc attempting to convey a message, be it emotional, political, etc. Art is the metaphor for life.

Now, to dig deeper, what is music?

Music is an artistic or commercial expression of something based on aural communication. Certainly there are rules to music. There are norms. Music theory is the most well known concept. Musical keys, when playing play these notes, not those notes, but what if an artist doesn't want their music to sound pretty?

Album Review: "In The Trees" by Hoots and Hellmouth

You may have noticed a distinct difference in the kinds of albums I've been reviewing and many of the others here at Glacially Musical.

Some of them are as different as the daily October weather in St. Louis. 85 and sweltering one day, 55 and overcast just a couple days later.

We thrive on contrast though, right?

Hoots and Hellmouth is a band from Pennsylvania that encompasses a huge variety of styles themselves and their newest album, In The Trees, showcases their diverse sound.

You are all in luck because it drops tomorrow!

Concert Photos: Avenged Sevenfold at Riverport Amphitheater in Maryland Heights October 11, 2013 -photos by Danny Nichols

Avenged Sevenfold rock Riverport in Maryland Heights, Missouri

Zacky Vengeance and Synester Gates

M. Shadows

LP Review: "Hairy Mountain" by Datura4

Hairy Mountain

Recently, a music industry friend of mine and I were talking about the state of music in the world.

Many times, I've railed against paint by numbers music, because it's boring and repetitive, but my buddy said that sometimes repetitive is good.

A great example of good repetitiveness is 12 Bar Blues.

With just three chords and about 12 lines of lyrics, a guitarist and singer of questionable abilities can write at least 17,982 songs. On stage Billy Gibbons made reference to that when he said, same three guys, same three chords.

But, of course there's far more to a quality 12 bar blues tune than just the I-III-IV progression and the turn around chords. It's the story, the emotion, the feeling, and the kick ass guitar solos!

Stream: Violet Cold's "Everything You Can Imagine Is Real"

Tridroid Records will be releasing a limited edition cassette of Violet Cold's album, Magic Night.

Get yourself a preview right down below this sentence!

Preorder the album HERE and get with Violet Cold on FACEBOOK

Check out the Mystery Bundles featuring T-Shirts and Hoodies.

Concert Review: Ghost at the Pageant in St. Louis, September 28, 2016 - Words and Pictures by Danny Nichols

My definition of a metal elitist is one who declares any band they do not like as being "not metal" and /or asserting any such band should not exist.  In the age of the internet it is a popular metal elitist activity to declare Ghost as being not metal.  I disagree.

MLP Review: "Epicedia (Epic Death Metal)" by Fetid Zombie

Epicedia

It's come to my attention that my guitar teacher is from a different generation than I, a proud member of Gen X.

Sometimes, he doesn't understand my references, like when I used an oft spoken phrase, "paint by numbers."

He also didn't know that Spinal Tap was a movie. I should lend him my copy.

So, let's talk about that overtly cromulent phrase, in case any of my readers are ill informed on it's meaning and etymology.

In the 1970's, before video games, computers, twitter, and other forms of social media were all over the place. We had things like water color, crayons, Lite Brite, and board games to keep us busy. Now, water colors could be used on paint by numbers books. In those books, they printed outlines of pictures with numbers inside of the crevices.

EP Review: "Cult Leader" by Zombie Rodeo

Cult Leader

Many years ago, I had to walk all the way to my friend's house. He lived good mile and a half from me. On that walk, your friend would pass many houses containing folks who did not enjoy my company.

This was not a fun proposition.

This was during the second half of high school. After a good time was had by us doing terribly nerdy things like playing Dungeons & Dragons, or talking about playing D&D, it was time for me to begin my circuitous route home.

My pal owned a car, but did not have a driver's license, so it seemed a zero sum game that this car was sitting in the driveway, but he asked me if I'd be able to stay longer if he were able to give me a ride home rather than my walking. My family was quite strict and old fashioned. Dinner was on the table at 5pm daily....

EP Review: "Apocalypse Fetish" by Lou Barlow

Apocalypse Fetish

About 5 or 6 years ago, I noticed something.

Ukuleles weren't just something used by the Hawaiians anymore. Around this time was when my eyes were beginning to open up to a wider world of music.

This is when music, technologically speaking, began taking step backwards, which I just love.

But as for the Ukulele...

This guy right here...he's never been a fan of that instrument. Every time I've heard it there's just a scratchy, uneasiness to it that puts me off.

It should be neglected to mention that about three months ago, your friend and humble narrator was sitting in Oahu, HI drinking Mai Tais and hearing these instruments at every single turn.

Album Review: "Ten Thousand Ways To Die" by Obituary

Seminal death metal band Obituary's primary achievement has been their tone. The deep grizzled crunch of their guitars sounds like a shovel scraping pavement as it loads dirt upon a casket.  

I was very, embarrassingly and tragically late to discovering Obituary. I had always considered Mick Mars guitar on "Shout at the Devil" to be the premium guitar tone, but once I heard Obituary, I knew there was a new king in town.  This sound, born at Morrissound Recording in Tampa, was carefully crafted and expertly delivered within the confines of one of the world's preeminent studios.  The question is could it be duplicated in a live setting.

The new album Ten Thousand Ways To Die contains thirteen songs, eleven of which are live recordings, recorded in eleven cities during their 2015 Inked In Blood tour.  As their first proper live album, this would be a true test.  

LP Review: "Visions From Beyond" by Old Chapel

Visions From Beyond

Today's review is going to start with another anecdote about my daughter. Recently, we were looking at a collection of 78 RPM records that were the soundtracks to story books.

It was plain as day: She wanted to know why the children weren't just watching these stories on Netflix.

Then the explanations came. Back in those days, or even when we were her age, kids didn't have Netflix, or Blu-Ray Players, or even VHS.

But let's all think back to the VHS tapes.

Before anyone we knew were buying home videos, we were transferring home movies, recording our favorite shows, and movies and of course we did this all on extended play. With this bit of witchcraft, a two hour video tape morphed into 6 hours and we could record for days!

DLP Review: "Weltenasche" by Karg

Weltenasche

October is the best month of the year if we're not counting the months of November through February. December is, naturally, the best month having New Year's, Christmas (Yule, Saturnalia, etc), Hannukah, My Birthday, My Anniversary, and of course, the Winter Solstice.

But, getting back to October.

Not only is the veil between the living and spirit worlds thin, but the veil between myself and black metal grows very thin as well. Normally, this guy is no fan of Black Metal.

But October brings something out in me. Perhaps that this is the time of year when record labels start putting out the creepy music is what draws me in. It's more than that. When the world starts growing cold, we all change.

EP Review: "The Rains" by Henry Jamison

Autumn is a time for relaxing with the windows open, finally able to turn off the air conditioning, and to enjoy a relaxing, often chilly evening.

If I was choosing something to listen to while taking that break it might be Henry Jamison's debut offering, The Rains, available everywhere tomorrow on Akira Records.

Jamison brings to mind the beat poets of Greenwich Village, a Bohemian voice with an almost meditative sound, yet modern and his own.

Displaying Jamison's wide vocal range, The Rains provides an almost ethereal background of gorgeous acoustic guitar, at times sleepy and haunting and at others bright and insightful. There are ghostly moments as in Dallas Love Field and the early strains of Real Peach that flow smoothly and effortlessly into thoughtful refrains.

Stream: Uburern

Uburen is a Viking Black Metal band from Norway.

Their new album, Fra Doden Fordes Liv will be released by Via Nocturna on Halloween 2016.

Here's a chance to get up close and familiar with these gents. Fans of Bathory and Enslaved should be clicking play as hard as they can right now.

Fra Doden Fordes Liv will be available on CD and Digital. Pre-order HERE.

LP Review: "Hunted" by Khemmis

Hunted

It happened all of a sudden on a trip to the University City Loop with my daughter. There was no reason to go there, but after we got off the train and started walking, naturally she had to pee this was after we'd casually walked into The Wizard's Wagon.

Well, there's a large gaming surface, so I figured, I'll buy her a book and they'll let her pee.

No dice.

Where all those teenaged boys go after they fill up on Mountain Dew, I never did find out.But we still bought the book.

My daughter never stopped reading that My Little Pony comic. So, I realized we needed to go buy her another one. So, after picking her up from school. We stopped by AM Trading on Utah in Tower Grove South, and well, I walked out with a book too.

Album Review: Nephrolith: Paleness of the Bled World

It had been several weeks since I had listened to any black metal, and the new release from Nephrolith was a suitable reintroduction to the genre.

It is a complex, modern take which achieves a unique clarity without sounding polished.  The vocals, while still harsh and growled, are surprisingly discernible.  This is a positive, as the lyrics are excellent and relay dark tales of personal anguish.

The result is a powerful and melodic black metal sound, which at times veers into death metal, while regularly including the genre specific blast beats and tremolo picking. 

Brutal passages are connected by crisp and powerful melodic musical interludes.  It is difficult to compare Nephrolith to any other black metal band, because at different times they are reminiscent of different bands and different eras of the genre.

LP Review: "Remnants of Expansion" by Krypts

Remnants of Expansion

When I was younger, sadly to say, during a certain part of my career, it wasn't uncommon for my breaks to be a little bit longer than they were approved to be.

As an usher at the local hockey arena, perhaps going the long way around to the break room or to relieve the next person.

These trips were not intended to go off into will directions. Where I was going was clearly defined, perhaps though, taking awhile longer to arrive at my destination wasn't necessarily the worst thing the would that I could do right?

Certainly it wasn't anything that was anything relating to professionally responsible, but it's not like this was a career and it was my first job. Like most of my co-workers, I was living out a dual existence while performing that job. Hockey fan and Kiel Center Partners LP Employee.

Double LP Review: "Ruinen" by Waldgefluster

Ruinen

It's been nearly ten years since that day.

In a single moment, the words became actions and the actions became consequences and the consequences became the greatest challenge of my adult life.

I had spent the last 13 years of my life building to that moment. Of course, it could have easily been avoided had signs been heeded, but that's another story all together.

As I watched the door close, my mind was awash in torment, despair, anger, and confusion. Would I have the strength to raise my fist to the sky in defiance or would I shrivel into a former shell of myself?

Find that moment in your life as you read this introduction. Can you recall that time when you stood upon the precipice of assured destruction and the greatest happiness of your life? That's what Ruinen is all about.

Album Review: "Queens" by La Sera

Music and memory tend to go hand-in-hand and it's always fun to hear a throwback on the radio, some song by one of those bands you listened to growing up that makes you reminisce about high school days, if only for a few minutes.

Ah, nostalgia!

Take that feeling and add surprise when you hear something from a new band that puts you right back into on old familiar place you didn't even know you missed.

This album has the power to make you wonder where your old cassettes are hiding.

Los Angeles based punk duo, La Sera, recently released their second album with Polyvinyl Records, Queens, putting a new spin on some favorites as well as recording new tunes, including a surprise for fans of a classic rock juggernaut which I won't reveal.

Album Review: "Breakin' Outta Hell" by Airbourne

For the most part I try to approach these album reviews with some sort of journalistic objectivity.  Often I am not familiar with the band and have never heard the songs nor anyone else’s opinion of them before reviewing.  

This is not true of Airbourne, as I had the opportunity to see one of their famous live performances in August on the opening leg of their Breaking Out of Hell tour in Bergen, Norway.  (You can read my review of this show elsewhere on Glacially Muscial.)  So before the new album even arrived in my in-box they had already completely won me over.   

I went into this album already knowing at least the title track was top notch rock-n-roll.  The only question was would the rest of the album  live up to what I had already heard.  The answer is yes.

It bears repeating from my first postings on Airbourne, they are heavily influenced by their countrymen AC/DC.   There is no shame in this.  There is plenty of room in the world for more raw power hard rock anthems of this type.  As AC/DC sails off into the sunset, Airbourne, in every manner, is their heir apparent.  Fittingly, the album was recorded and mixed in Australia, and it seems to have harnessed the magical aura of Angus and the boys.

LP Review: "Agonia" by Shadecrown

Agonia

First impressions are just worst thing in the world if you're anything like me.

Case in point, my daughter and I were headed home from school when she asked about handshakes.

"Daddy, why do people shake hands?"

Truth be told, I did not recall the reason why we did that, but after a hockey game that same week, our friend told us about checking for hidden daggers.

Handshakes are anxiety inducing for me...because it's a feat of strength, and what does it matter if this guy can crush my fingers? Seriously, who wants their fingers crushed and how's this supposed to mean that he's good at business?

Customs are stupid, but anyway, let's all shake hands with Shadecrown.

Stream "Grand Noir" by Eschatos.

For anyone who checked out yesterday's review of Grand Noir and just needs to hear it... Please check out the entire album below.

Check out the review HERE.

Concert Review: Slayer at the Pageant in St. Louis September 22, 2016 -photos and words by Danny Nichols

Slayer guitarist Kerry King

After a thirty five year career which has included twelve albums (four of them gold), achieving legend status among the thrash metal scene, being a principal influence for the death metal scene, inciting constant controversy and enduring the recent loss of two of their founding members (one through death and one through departure), Slayer still show no signs of slowing down.





Their rabid fanbase shows no sign of letting them. This bombastic celebration of all which is brutal rolled into a sold out Pageant Theater in St. Louis, Missouri.

Slayer delivered twenty relentless songs, with barely a moment for one to catch their breath.  The violence of their lyrics was matched, to some degree, by the spontaneous mosh pits which kept forming during their songs.  The band didn't waste too much time between songs, excepting when bassist/singer Tom Arraya paused to inform us the next song was going to be a love song, before hurling full steam into the decidedly unromantic "Dead Skin Mask".   The attack was fierce and fast, exactly as we wanted it.

Slayer bassist and vocalist Tom Araya

The most noticeable thing about Slayer's sonic onslaught was the volume of Tom Araya's bass guitar.  It rattled your bones and shook the rafters. Periodically, a strip of confetti left over from some previous show at the venue would shake loose and float down into the crowd.

The following week I was back at the Pageant for a show by Ghost and saw one final piece of confetti float down during their performance and wondered how it could have possibly survived the Slayer show.

LP Review: "Grand Noir" by Eschatos

Grand Noir

Oh you know what I'm going to say.

How many of my faithful friends and readers can remember the character of Louie on MTV's The State?

He was the guy who came in and said his catch phrase over and over again. As a young lad in my mid-teens, the joke flew over my head.

To me, it was just a funny guy saying a funny thing. Only much later did the joke get revealed to me. Louie was a response to the pressure MTV put on The State to have a quotable recurring character.

So they made the worst one they could think of. Frankly, that kind of thinking is just brilliant, but as Americans, our attention spans have been dwindling for decades. That's why terrible comedians like Larry The Cable Guy make millions. Short attention spans and catch phrases.