SHORT REVIEWS Our thirty first edition of Short Reviews for 2023 finds us choosing carefully among new releases from the first 2-3 weeks of August. I’ve done my best to showcase the most interesting works that I come across while still presenting some decent variety here but choices boil down to what sticks, what inspires or what is worth writing about. These are more easygoing than longform reviews, so relax and think for yourself — If you find something you dig go tell the band on social media and support them with a purchase! If you’d like your music reviewed, read the FAQ and send promos to: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

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Of Darkness is a unique funeral doom side project out of Barcelona that’d originally been a duo from Julkarn and Javi Bastard, both of Graveyard among many other undertakings, who’ve returned to action as trio after about eight years. Their approach to the sub-genre is deeply atmospheric, esoteric in the way that 90’s funeral doom tended to be though instead of leaning into death/doom metal for their edge a blend of black ambient, dark industrial and neo-classical music influences has been their focus. Over the course of two notable demo tapes from the early 2000’s, a brilliant Penderecki influenced debut LP in 2015 and they’ve built an expectation of dark and avant-garde modus which is perhaps comparable to Sektarism in spirit.

‘Miss Tridentina‘ appears to be a more complete realization of the sound they’d been working on back in 2015 with deep-set monastic vocal layers, a sense of orchestration running through the whole experience and an emphasis on avant-garde/non-traditional phrasing. Of course mid-to-slow paced doom metal thundering about is still the rhythmic basis for most pieces and this is an important glue to hold the breadth of their work together into their biggest and most complete statement to date. This is certainly post-Romanticist work, or, surely not the beauteous vistae gazing sort of funeral doom many might expect though it does generally work within that sonic realm but creates a sense of malaise, distraught yet grandiose movements which speak to death in extended conversation. Easily one of the best funeral doom metal releases of the year in terms of unique affect and imposing sound, I’d simply not been able to fit this one on my usual longform review schedule.

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Transgressor were one of the earliest death metal bands out of Tokyo back in the late 80’s alongside Necrophile and Messiah Death among a few others and they are perhaps best remembered for putting out one of the first pure death metal full-lengths in Japan. We could argue that Multiplex ‘World‘ came out several months earlier but it was arguably rooted in grindcore, also Rose Rose ‘Brutalize‘ from a year earlier does qualify as death metal from my point of view albeit rooted in crust/thrash just as well. If you enjoy this sort of trivia chances are you’ve at least heard of Transgressor‘s debut LP ‘Ether For Scapegoat‘ (1992), a cruel death/doom metal record with some notable Autopsy influence which will maybe recall the sort of fuzzy, deranged stuff Drowned Productions were putting out around the same time. After having accomplished a not-so well known result between 1988-1993 the band would call it quits and intermittently revive over the years (once for a live split 7″ with Impetigo in the late 90’s) but nothing came of it until 2019 when they’d begin releasing some retrospective compilations and now this new mLP brings us their first new material since 1992.

With such heavy relation to Anatomia in mind you can tell that ancient thought is still in mind but Transgressor have a rocking step in their beat, a tuneful spin to their riffs which keep each of these pieces kicking up dust whether or not they’re dipping into grinding death or doomed dreariness. Opener “Death Heaven” is probably most egregiously swinging in its movement. The strength of the band is still in their mid-to-slow paced tendencies, as evidenced by “Stuck in Limbo” which likewise emphasizes the guttural filth of their vocals, one of few performances I’d ever call ‘sick’ in their expression and certainly a big highlight for this mLP. Beyond those first two pieces they’ve presented a number of instrumentals (“Infiltration”, “For Nothing”) which don’t accomplish much more than introducing the mood for closer “Vision of Carcass” which is a strong final note but a too quick one considering how they’d built up the first half of the record. Otherwise I’ve no real complaints about this one, they’ve kept it raw and honest as their original recordings and managed to keep the unhinged spirit of their name alive on these pieces. I’d love an LP in this raw, imposing style but perhaps more consistent in mood and with less emphasis on purely instrumental pieces.

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Now debuting their second fictional bikesploitation film soundtrack Québecois instrumental heavy rock group The Death Wheelers continue to theme their work as “biker horror” cinema in spirit, giving the project a character to work with as they present gloom-ridden, hard rocking pieces centered around big riffs, a defiant spirit and plenty of stoney leads. When I’d reviewed their previous album my main comment was that they’d played the kitsch of shocked-out garage rock a little too close and this album seems to remedy that through sheer attrition, sending up a varied and vignette filled ~41 minutes of buzzing, punkish pieces and longer jams alike. A bit excessive compare to ‘I Tread on Your Grave‘ (2018) but far more cohesive for all the ground it covers. Anyhow, a jam and a fun enough record.

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Orphalis is a German technical brutal death metal band who’ve generally pulled from the post-2010 realm of modern death metal for their sound and standard with elements of progressive death, slam, and deathcore keeping them constantly active within their glossy and professional realm. Previous additive notions of blackened death and dissonance are left behind (save “Labyrinth Configuration”) for the sake of a somewhat more straightforward if not increasingly hyper-active attack compared to their prior release. While this all works as finely tuned machinery the quintet never quite show their own face within all of this ability, stylized movement and impressive precision. There is no particular “edge” to this release in terms of aggression and sure, despite a pretty blazing pace taken on overall and instead there is a sterile yet warm sameness which develops within the full listen that’d left me uncertain where to connect. If I have one serious complain it is the use of bonking bass drops, which they use throughout the album, as they’re a relic from the mid-to-late 2010’s and strangely never seem to hit at a point which calls for it since this isn’t really a “breakdown” kind of gig.

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Perhaps the first and most reasonable question to ask when approaching Till The Dirt‘s debut LP is “Why isn’t this just a new Atheist record?” well, for the sake of stating the obvious, this record might have many of the most key hallmarks of vocalist Kelly Shaefer‘s career his other group would be crucified for being so daring in its stabs at alternative metal which includes both the funkified crooning edge of the early 90’s as much as it does the bonking angst of the early 2000’s in its madcap rhythmic push. ‘Outside the Spiral‘ is thrilling for its speed up front, sure to at least keep a curiously open ear for fans of the fellow’s work but it soon goes places they might not follow. The whole of it starts with ~4-5 minute blocks of intensely scratched-at rhythms which offer plenty of energetic movement but I’ve a feeling “As It Seems” will send the ‘old school’ prog death metal crowd twisting their faces in response before the noisome mass of “Invitation” quickly breaks the momentum of the record in half.

Shaefer‘s voice has this curious quality to it when not spiking the ear with his trademark rasp, hitting alt-rock crooning out of the blue, lining up some Staley-esque harmonization seemingly by accident as often as he has this sort of ex-hardcore/Orange 9mm sort of weirding vaunt to his narration. Despite not loving the popular alt-metal bent to some of it I can appreciate that this is first thing we’ve heard from him in studio since the somewhat divisive ‘Jupiter‘ at least it all feels unabashed, fully going for something different and not being consumed by the thing we know him best for; The rest of the band consists of a myriad crew, young folks who are current members of Soreption, Overtoun, Ancient Death, and Beekeeper and I suppose I’m not sure what to praise in terms of the musicianship as the whole of this album is quite juiced in its sheer loudness and cacophonic in its everything-at-once hammered at attack. While I appreciated the energy and some of the bold songcraft decisions made throughout it never felt like ‘Outside the Spiral‘ found a place to land the spaceship, getting close with the (later) Alchemist-esque closer “Bring on the Gods” but never turning off their jet engines long enough to fully differentiate anyone part of the kinetic mass.

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You’ll have to excuse my ignoring the first two releases from pandemic-borne Grand Cadaver, a tradition minded “for fun” death metal crew that’d squared up a few years ago to keep themselves busy and landed pretty solid numbers per their well-known membership. Mild nepotism and side projects don’t usually go well when it comes to Swedish death metal but eh, this second record from Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquility) and crew isn’t just a good time, they’ve started hit upon something memorable and somewhat unique per some small flourishes made to their straightforward style; Name drops don’t hurt and hey, the list here includes current/former members of (post-’99) Katatonia, (early) Tiamat, The Moth Gatherer, Vorder, etc. so this doesn’t build any too serious expectations for recreating the past. This should well-enough line us up for the dramatic melodic touches found on “A Crawling Feast of Decay” and “Serrated Jaws” (among others) which serve just enough post-metallic/melodic metal dread to creep into view long enough to formulate a hook. These moments rarely stick around long enough that it becomes a sing-along alt-metal piece and instead create small bursts of interest which are never too indulgent away from the death metal base. This also includes a sorta death n’ roll edge that becomes clearer in the second half of the full listen (“Funeral Reversal”, “True Necrogeny”, etc.) where it might seem like they’re out of their most directional, bright ideas and rightfully shift gears a bit as it ends. I’d surprisingly built up some investment as I ripped through this record, curious as to where the path leads in terms of the darker melodic edge while enjoying the not-so literal take on Swedish death metal chunking about.

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