Dyscaphia - guitar video

While still not having found the time to update this site with reviews, figured I might as well share some of the other shit I've been doing:
Here you can find my latest guitar video - a rough version of an upcoming dyscaphia track.

Any feedback on this, or any other of my videos is appreciated.

Cheers,


T

Fleshgod Apocalypse - Mafia

Fleshgod Apocalypse - Mafia

Willowtip Records (2010)

I must admit that, though I'd heard people rave like demented hyenas about this band, I had actually failed to check them out until this release, which is my own shear fucking stupidity and a mistake I quickly remedied by acquiring their previous effort Oracles at the soonest available opportunity.

In the world of death metal, having 'classical influences' can mean a number of things: It could mean that one or two of the tracks feature a piano or some hugely unconvincing synth strings; it could mean that you occasionally have a neoclassical solo comprised of licks memorised from some Malmsteen instructional video; it could mean that you're just one of those delusional fuckwits that thinks the occasional acoustic, instrumental interlude is all you need to elevate you above the 'riff-raff' of brutal bands to stand like the poncey cunt you are, stick firmly positioned in the anus, trying to convince everyone who'll listen that you're the metal Paganini.

Well, fuck you. . . fuck all of you, because Fleshgod Apocalypse truly do have classical influences; while neoclassical leads abound throughout this EP, there's no thoughtless widdling here. There is an originality to both the progressions and the arrangements with songs often being structured in a classical vein and building to a narrative crescendo before repeating key sections just to ensure they're suitably drilled into your brain.

This repetition does, however, get a bit tiresome. After the first few listens, Thru our Scars [sic – another demonstration of death metal's Illiterati elite] while full of brutal riffs, driving blasts and eye opening leads, I keep wanting the song to either end or do something different. The fact that one, initially jarring section featuring bassist Paulo Rossi's high-pitched and almost operatic vocals is repeated unnecessarily means that instead of the listener waiting for the second spin of the disc to sagely nod in understanding of why it was employed and how it fits musically, he's far more likely to want to teach the fucker a lesson in high-pitched, operatic singing with particular reference to castrati! Similar to some sections on Emperor's IX Equilibrium, while Rossi's vocals are hugely impressive, I can't help thinking that by simply dropping them for one of the two sections would actually serve to increase the emotion of the track as well as propelling the incredibly intricate fret-work that sits in the background to the fore.

Again, on Abyssal, we have an incredible track that could only benefit from losing a minute or two. I'm not sure whether Fleshgod and I are on different pages - me being on the one that says "leave the fuckers wanting more and they'll love you for it" - or if the Apocalypse boys are just trying to fill out an EP that only has three original songs on it, either way, these tracks could only benefit from going on a bit of a diet and coming out a little leaner and a little meaner.

Aside from the 3 new songs, the remaining tracks on the disc are a cover of Blinded by fear which, while both competently executed and differing enough from the At the Gates version, was never going to sound as good as the original and - like their previous album - a piano outro.

Criticisms aside, this is an amazing EP and an impressive follow up to Oracles. The malevolent tremolos, the expertly conducted sweeps, plethora of riffs, tight drumming, solid vocals and a composition which both surprises and manages to keep its hooks in for days on end mean that this is a near-faultless release. Those criticisms levelled at this release are minor in the extreme and on most other discs would be niggles compared to far bigger issues. The fact remains that there *are no* bigger issues. Not only is the musical ability on display phenomenal, the song-writing pretty much above reproach but it's all backed up with a superb mix that means that the brutality is accentuated while everything remains balanced and therefore audible.

With Hour of Penance' future looking uncertain to say the least, there are bound to be comparisons with two ex-members in Fleshgod, however we see these Romans not just distancing themselves from HOP but forging their own distinct furrow to an even greater degree. I just can't wait to see what their next full-length holds for us. . .

Arkaik - Reflections Within Dissonance

Release Feb 2010 - Unique Leader Records

Let's face it; with any Unique Leader band you know what you're in for. It's unlikely to be sloppy and simplistic and is probably going to have sections that make you wish you'd never picked up that guitar in the first place. . . if you play that is, obviously. Arkaik don't disappoint.

However, the first thing you'll notice about this release is nothing to do with the music: The artwork is amazingly well executed (as you'd expect from Par Oloffson) and grabs your attention immediately; pulling you in to decipher a logo which in that classic metal tradition is so hideously disfigured in the spelling department that linguists within a thirty mile radius spontaneously combust from a mixture of shock and disgust. I'm not sure what misspelling has to do with being metal . . . never have been, but Arkaik certainly seem true beleivers as far as this issue is concerned.

The music is both brutal and technical and manages to be truly inventive. edged with a progressive feel which is only exacerbated by surreal lyrics, this isn't a release that lets up in the name of 'experimentation'.

The casual listener may feel like this has all been done before - after all, it's just another Californian tech-death band, right? Well, while there is some truth in that, the sheer anger and ferocity on display by this lot does a fair bit to set it aside from their counterparts. Each song stands alone as a well-crafted composition that is far more than an experiment in the whole number of riffs to song ratio thing.  Something that this band have been erroneously accused of - in my opinion, at least. While I've been caught out - after months of having this stashed as a mainstay on my mp3 player - by riffs that I'd missed or forgotten about the first few times round, I find this helps maintain the albums feel of freshness long after other releases may have gone a bit stale . . .or even mouldy.

But what is this display of technical proficiency without something memorable to bang your head to? Well, Arkaik offer up a bit of that too; elements of melody and groove are there - most notably on The Divine- but maybe a bit too infrequently for some listeners. Neo-classically inspired riffing mixes with more traditional fare, odd time signatures, tempo changes, unexpected breaks, a bit of groove and the occasional melodic hook to nail the track down and stop it escaping all over the place.

The bass also plays a crucial role in a few places by lifting the track.  In a manner reminiscent of Caspersen, Eric Cohen adds a new dimension by complementing guitar riffs or in the vein of Webster adding little showcases of mini bass solos that serve to break up a track like Womb of Perception; bridging riffs that would otherwise have seemed a bit disjointed.

The master-stroke of this album is not to stick to a formula. At no point do you feel like you're listening to a set of riffs that have been given the same treatment as the previous two or three tracks. Each song evolves in a way which feels perfectly organic for that track itself. If there's no need for a solo, there isn't one; if it'd work then Arkaik have thrown one in, which is both an approach that I love as well as one that isn't often practiced by many bands who feel like they need to add a chug or a breakdown or whatever it is to a song purely because they haven't had one yet. All too often this can leave a track feeling either unfinished or, at the very best, patched together.

This is not an album for everyone. It's certainly not an album for the casual listener. If you're looking for something with a tried and tested song structure and a few simple riffs to bang your head to then move on. If, on the other hand, you're looking for something with a dark and vehement atmosphere that continually keeps you listening in anticipation of what's going to happen next and throwing your instrument down in disgust that it's unlikely that you'll ever be good enough to play some of this shit . . . if you're that kind of masochist, then this is for you.