Run With The Torch

THE AGONIST – LULLABIES FOR THE DORMANT MIND
Century Media
23rd February 2009

Wow, instantly you are presented with a full force of drums, an amazing contrast of heavenly and sick vocals and brutal melodic riffs. Alissa’s ability to be able to switch between clean and scream so flippantly is astonishing.
The album kicks off with The Tempest (The Siren’s Song; The Banshee’s Cry), no doubt a tribute to their formal pseudonym. There is a great section towards the end of the track with a lovely sounding melody on the bass. Following this is the first single form the album, …And Their Eulogies Sang Me To Sleep. The false start unprepares you for a brutal dosage of blast beating awesomeness. Some how The Agonist manage to get harmonious vocals to work well over the top of this, though I guess that would not be too dissimilar to some symphonic black metal, my ears are just not used to it with metalcore! And is there a horse in outro?! This is then followed by current single, Thank You, Pain, both videos can be viewed on their MySpace.
Waiting Out The Winter sets a pace on a different step, though if you skip forward to Swan Lake, yes it really is that, but in the form of layered vocals in ‘a cappella’. Absolutely stunning to say the least. The entire album displays tight brutal beats like a bashing machine and strong melodic chuggy fast paced riffing. Concluding the album, Chlorpromazine puts the cherry on top with the drumming from Simon being excelled further with an array of beats. The sound of The Agonist excites me, well written and structured and tight as hell, of course, without a doubt the must stunning feature being the vocal talents of Allisa. ★★★★★

Album Of The Week 18/01/10
Xander

THE DEVILS BLOOD – THE TIME OF NO TIME EVERMORE
Van Records
11th September 2009

The Time Of Now Time Evermore, for me, is one of those rare records, that not only do you look forward to hearing and hope you love it and then do actually fall in love with the entire album beginning to end!

A long intro, The Time Of No Time, slowly builds up almost in preparation for the first track, Evermore. Instantly you are introduced to the entire band with striking vocals from The Voice Of Satan and the melodic tones from the rhythm section, and a drummer busier than a beaver! There are many things happening that should annoy you, the drummer can not play a straight beat; there’s a fill at the end of every odd bar, many layers of guitars you could almost say it’s over produced and the vocals have a low wobbly vibrato that instead of annoying like Whitney Houston, actually enticed and seduced me into the music even more. The Devils Blood are almost over the top, but so much so that each element complements itself in one great party of rock. Occult Rock to be precise. I’ll Be Your Ghost I love so much it was my single of the year for 2009, it is a real good feel good song. A change of pace with The Yonder Beckons, which usually causes me to skip this track into one of my favorites off the album, House Of 10,000 Voices. Again the vocals and vocal layers are displayed magnificently, perfectly accompanied with the layers of guitar tones and patterns.

The album continues back to the pace and tone of this rock, that the band say is “A theatrical presentation with roots in both 1950′s horreur gothique and 1970′s psychedelic rock n roll. Without saying too much, or saying nothing at all, you can expect a frenzy of rock n roll flavoured hard rock that speak of times decades past, no modernisms, no trends, no high end sounds. Just Vintage rock music in the vein of Roky Erickson, Black Widow, Coven, Black Sabbath and a rich plethora of sixties and seventies underground psychedelic rock bands too numerous to mention.

Christ Or Cocaine has a lovely solo towards the end, smooth and gliding in a way that causes me to drift along. Queen Of My burning Heart is another fantastic track to display the guitars, a great riffs and solos. The next few tracks are quite a mid-beat tracks but a head nodders none the less, leading us to the finale, the epic 11m11s track, The Anti-Kosmik Magick. Again quite mid-beat track but taking me on what feels like a journey through a story, told of course in rock form.

The Time Of No Time Evermore covers all aspects of listening, it’s great in the background, it’s fantastic to drive along to and it’s even great just to sit and rock out to. I can’t give this album anything but full marks. ★★★★★

The Devils Blood are still quite mystical in that there are not many images on their profiles, no names of band members and they promise blood on stage! Something I look forward to when the band headline their first UK performance at the Camden Underworld, February 19th.

Album of The Week, 11/01/10
Xander