Doctor Caligari: Self Titled E.P

Jan15

Giving a voice to the heart of the graveyard and brewing a potent irresistibility to its darkest musical shadows UK psychobilly band Doctor Caligari is a band which leaves the heart inflamed and dark hearted tendencies wide awake. The trio from Cardiff produce mischievous slices of rock which in the shape of their self-titled EP just ignites the fullest passions. With a psychobilly core and a strong breath of rock n roll to its presence the release is a contagious riot of energy, sound, and pleasure.

Doctor Caligari began as the solo project of song writer and guitarist Johnny Horror, the band name taken from 1920 German silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, though originally the project was to be called Doctor Caligari’s Secret. As he worked on an EP of songs in the closing darkness of 2011 his search for a vocalist linked him up with former Ghostfire member Mr. E. Together the pair decided to move the project from a studio based band to one also embracing the live arena. Next to be recruited was drummer Gwyn Jones whilst for the recording of the Neil Michael Waters produced EP, the band was joined by bassist Joe Grogan (Graveyard Johnny’s, Estevez) and session drummer Stephen MacLachlan (27th Letter Music).

The release begins with the Western scented Creepy Horror Town, a track with heated skies and a golden eager touch to its infectious stroll. The vocals of Mr. E. have a clean yet intimidating tone as he unveils the dark tale whilst the guitar of Horror winds the passions round its every string and note inciting further primal instincts to those teased into play by the stirring bass and drum incitement. The track is a mix of Zombie Ghost Train and Reverend Horton Heat distilled into a refreshing wash of seduction which could grace the latest Tarantino film with ease.

The brilliant She Likes It Spooky steps forward next to unleash its wanton rhythms and compelling grooves. The track stomps through the ear with a viral infection of lingering melodic hooks and rampant rhythms whilst again the great vocals complete the deal for the heart. With his tones on the song one is reminded of Karl Blake in his Shocked Headed Peters guise, the track itself seemingly holding loud whispers of the song I, Bloodbrother Be. As the track romps across its compelling course, voice and limbs are recruited with a not to be denied hunger with a fullest pleasure in place by the time the last delicious note has placed its thrilling touch upon the ear.

The following magnetic storm London After Midnight is just as insatiable and impressive, its transfixing onslaught of thumping rhythms and incendiary sonic teasing an unrelenting joy. The song likes its predecessor riles up the senses with a magnificent embrace of raw edged energy and irresistible rockabilly shadowed playfulness. The guitar of Horror manipulates and taunts with a majestic wink of its eye whilst the bass of Grogan is a pulsating brooding delight adding darker depth against the perpetually excellent vocals. The two tracks side by side make the release an essential psychobilly purchase on their own but the band are if nothing else generous with their quality and thrilling encounters as shown by the next two songs.

The EP is completed by firstly the zombie cored assault The Dirty Dead which offers a senses slapping bass display to drool over whilst once more the guitar lights the skies of a song with sonic flames which burn and seduce. Lastly the outstanding (She’s Got) Corpses in Her Bed is a rampaging bruise of frantic energy and activity from all elements. It has an unappeasable greed to grab the soul and ignite the feet and as it sets free its unrestrained uproar of sadistic glory with dictating gnawing bass sounds and barbed compelling drums, it simply leaves one exhausted whilst basking in psychobilly at its very best, a statement more than appropriate for the whole of this excellent release.

If you are lucky enough to grab the CD of the EP, but move fast as it is almost sold out, there is the additional triumph of The Curse Of The Monkey’s Paw to get excited over, but even without the song the download version of the EP is a must have for all fans of rock n roll.

Check out The Bone Orchard podcast on January 23^rd @ www.audioburger.com for the psychobilly special featuring amongst others this impressive band.

http://www.facebook.com/DoctorCaligariBand

http://www.doctorcaligari.co.uk

RingMaster 15/01/2013

Aetherium Mors – Drenched In Victorious Blood

Jan15

It has taken eight years for UK blackened death metallers Aetherium Mors to get to this point of releasing their debut album but Drenched In Victorious Blood shows the wait was worthwhile. An inventive and accomplished release, the album is a collection of songs written across their years as a band but soaked in a melodic wash of imagination and skill which is as fresh as it is rewarding.

Formed in 2004, the Plymouth band took inspiration from bands such as Death, Carcass, At The Gates, and Dissection, their form of classic extreme metal openly flavouring the sound of Aetherium Mors. The band was originally a quintet but forced into becoming a studio project with the departure of members. This left the band in the accomplished hands of guitarist/bassist/drummer Dan Couch and vocalist Kane Nelson. Their involvement with other projects (Couch drumming for UK Black/Thrash band Holodomor and the guitarist in progressive metal band Daggers Drawn and Nelson fronting UK Sludge/Death band Warcrab) meant the band was enforced into a time of inactivity. Now the duo has returned with Drenched In Victorious Blood, the album a long overdue kind of record to date of the band and its journey.

The songs making up the release musically are inventive and well-formed providing an engaging and intimidating backdrop to a lyrical scathing indictment of the Christian religion. The songs, ‘Tales of a fictional, bloody conflict are entwined with influences of Lavey’s philosophies of mortals empowered into becoming self-made Gods.’ With new songs being written for an EP for late 2013, the album is a chapter musically in the creative presence of Aetherium Mors which belies the length of time the tracks span such their fluid companionship. You can tell the later songs, their maturer songwriting and breath clear but an easy fit with the older tracks showing the strength of early songs.

The opening Sons Of Men immediately seizes attention through the gnawing riffs and scowling growls of Nelson, his delivery a mix of death and black metal rasping. The rhythms have a metronomic gait which is hypnotic if distracting at times but it is the impressive guitar invention of Couch which leaves the biggest pleasure. The vocals and drumming is skilled and takes a worthy place in the fury of this and each song but the guitarist steals the biggest acclaim throughout, his stylish and adventurous attack compelling.

The strong start is exceeded by Luciferian March; a slowly consuming erosion which unleashes flurries of energy and senses poaching sonic malevolence to match the serpentine vocals. The track opens up greater thoughts and appreciation for the band, again predominately through the fine guitar play and continually shifting presence of the song. It is fair to say there is not a wealth of new avenues being explored by the band, those inspirations clear and dominate but it does not disguise the promise and satisfaction being explored and given across the release.

Dreadlord is the insidious encounter which comes next, its irresistible groove and acid coated melodic flourishes framed by imaginative and forceful rhythmic brutality whilst guest bassist Rhys Jackson (Athura) adds extra deep menace. It again ignites a further rise in appreciation for the release whose greatest pinnacles are found in the tracks The Fall Of God and Order Of The Talion. Both songs hold a greater expanse of expressive heart and inciting energy to enflame the ear, the first bringing a twisting groove and ravenous breath to spark full enthusiasm for its infectious creativity and the second offering mesmeric spires of sonic and melodic brilliance against the blackened gait of the song. These two songs especially inspire anticipation that the promise shown will be realised into something startling in the future from the band.

Closing with the towering Annihilating Fire which has additional guitar solos from Steve Dean (ex-Holodomor, Carcinoma) within its pleasing flames, Drenched In Victorious Blood is an album well worthy of investigation. With a desire for greater diversity to the still more than decent vocals of Nelson the only personal wish to make the album even more gratifying, Aetherium Mors is a band which should be watched closely especially if they can now concentrate on themselves without further distractions.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aetherium-Mors/196329630411544?fref=ts

RingMaster 15/01/2013

Infernal Poetry: Paraphiliac

Jan15

Bakerteam Records has started off the year with a blinding unleashing of irresistible extreme metal. In a twin upper cut of aggressive magnificence the label has released the newest assault of deathcore malice from Straight On Target and on the same day this week let loose the new corruption from Italian psyche grooved death metallers Infernal Poetry. Paraphiliac, their fourth album and first with Bakerteam, is a masterful outpouring of venomous destructive passion through a caustic tempest of contagious compulsion. Like the release from their label mates, the new album does not worry the heart of uncharted territories preferring to use the weaponry available but again like their compatriots has turned it into a sensational and invigorating assault for ear and heart.

With the roar of bands such as Devildriver, Cryptopsy, and Bloodsimple amongst others to its presence, Paraphiliac is an explosive violation of exhausting intensity, impressive technical malefaction, and infection causing imagination. It immediately takes charge of the senses and passions with no thought for subtlety or gentle persuasion, instead ripping the flesh from the ear and force feeding its delicious and virulent energy not to forget enterprise through to the core. Having been formed in 1996 it is surprising and disappointing this is the first time the band has come to our notice but now they have come into view and infected, they and their album hold a tight grip.

Following on from their acclaimed album Nervous System Failure of 2009, Infernal Poetry has forged a release which devours the soul. As mentioned it storms paths arguably well-trodden by other bands but turns them into turbulent and erosive journeys newly heard and felt. The album fuses to its sound everything from groove metal and grind to at times a bedlamic melodic teasing which almost touches avant-garde. The album within a recognisable and thrilling tempest of sound and energy is unpredictable and enthralling, each song an incessant maelstrom of intensity and anger which leaves one in lust for the new yet familiar overwhelming brutality.

Off the brief coarse ambience of intro Preliminaries, the album ignites with Stumps, a track which claws at the ear before turning into an insidious brawl of intensive abuse and invention. The vocals of Paolo Ojetti squall and crawl all over the senses with malevolent provocation whilst the rhythms of drummer Alessandro Vagnoni and the ravenous bass of Alessandro Infusini lay aggressive shadows and weight upon the under sieged ear. It is an intimidating presence veined by an impressive melodic intrigue offered by guitarists Daniele Galassi and Christian Morbidoni from within their constant blaze of unforgiving riffs. By mid-way the Ancona hailing quintet has seduced the passions with their turbulent onslaught and from there on in through the rest of the album just work deeper into the psyche and heart.

The irresistible rage continues unrelentingly through the likes of the outstanding In Glorious Orgy and Everything Means “I”. The first is an erosive rub with a sonic groove as persistent and nasty as a swarm of hornets and the continuing great deeply grazing vocals of Ojetti. The song sweeps into less intrusive winds at times, an almost progressive lilt adding potent whispers to the simmering fire of the moment though for the main the track is a flaming furnace of intense and raw intent. The second of the two also takes one on a varied and shifting trip of burning invention and twisted experiences. A feisty inviting groove flares from within the bruising course of the track with a wanton teasing at times to offer extra irresistible invitations to the enveloping abrasion. The track also adds a magnetic sonic aside which lights bolder fires within for its craft and imagination but like its companion both songs as excellent as they are pale against the song which splits them.

Hypertrophic Jellyfish is sensational, a track which fingers every lustful demands you could want from a song for the deepest pleasure. It is a stomping encounter of thumping rhythms, acidic discord, and a fury of schizophrenic grooves and insane melodic wantonness, all fuelled by an insane breath which disturbs as much as it excites. One of the best songs to bless our ears in recent times it is the loftiest pinnacle on the album of constant highlights.

Through songs such as the ruinous Cartilages, the distress touching satyric The Miss-Treated, and the grievous Paraphilias to mention just another three, Paraphiliac continually lays rich ravishing rewards and far reaching satisfaction on the senses. Extreme metal is off to a stunning year and Infernal Poetry to the fore of the reason why.

http://www.infernalpoetry.com

RingMaster 15/01/2013