CD Reviews
Black Crown Initiate – Selves We Cannot Forgive (review)
Black Crown Initiate – Selves We Cannot Forgive
Reviewed by George Archibald
Hailing from Reading, Pennsylvania, Black Crown Initiate has been making their own blend of progressive death metal since 2012. Sometimes heavy, other times ambient, then melodic; this band blends several styles, with a combination of clean and harsh vocals to bring their songs to light. Selves We Cannot Forgive marks the 3rd release for the band. This album has a bit of mystery behind it, being vocalist and guitar player, Rik Stelzpflug was erased from the bands roster about 2 months before the album’s release date of July 22nd. Taking Rik’s place was that of x- Glass Casket and The Faceless guitarist, Wes Hauch. It has not been confirmed or denied that Wes played on Selves We Cannot Forgive, but a sneaking suspicion is I think he had a little to do with some of the arrangements on the album.
Leading off the album is the single, “For Red Cloud”. For an introduction to this album, “For Red Cloud” sets the mood with its very eerie guitar riffs and haunting vocals. The song builds up till it smashes you in the face with the crescendo of clean vocals by Andy Thomas before bring you back down. The track “Belie the Machine”, leads me to believe Hauch had some influence on this album. The intro to the song leads off with a melody that The Faceless are known for playing. Even the heavy riff that follows has bits of technical play that were signatures to The Faceless’s sound. For an almost 9-minute track Black Crown Initiate fill every second with something unique, from dissonant guitar, to vocalist Andy Thomas and James Dorton’s dance between harsh and clean vocals. Black Crown Initiate utilizes each member to carry this song.
Selves We Cannot Forgive shows what a band can do when each member brings something unique to the table. This album is full of sonic bits that will keep you coming back to listen over and over again. In the future, I hope the band can clarify if Hauch did play on the album, but for now I like a little mystery behind the music. Listen for yourself, Selves We Cannot Forgive is out now, and is also streaming on Spotify.
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CD Reviews
Phasers Engage: A deep dive into the debut album of inter-dimensional travelers and the music they make.
“Departure Initiated” is the debut album of Phasers Engage. It’s a fun instrumental jam from outer space .
I’ve never been a huge fan of instrumental bands. There are a few I enjoy, like John 5 and the Creatures and Apocalyptica, and even with those bands, I can only listen to a little at a time or see them live. I feel like Phasers Engage would be a great band to see live.
There are parts of the album that I super dug, the heavier, darker, and spookier parts and the lighthearted, fun, and whimsical parts as well. This album reminds me a lot of Mr. Bungle, minus the vocals. The album has seven songs and feels like it conveys an interesting story via sounds and codes. I feel like if they would have added some vocals, even silly, nonsensical lyrics, it would have heightened the album much more, in my opinion.
The band is very good, and the instruments are played with precision, and you could tell the band was having fun making the album. It’s for sure an album to check out. If you’re into instrumental inter-dimensional sound waves and jams, then this album is right up your alley.
Check the band out on Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/PhasersEngage?mibextid=eQY6cl
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CD Reviews
SCAREFIELD DEBUT ALBUM “A QUIET COUNTRY”.
Newcomers SCAREFIELD just released their debut album, “A Quiet Country.” Inspired by 80s horror movies, I thought that this sounded right up my alley, also combining the love of thrash and heavy metal.
Opening up the album with “Ancient Evil,” this track sets the tone for the album. Thrashy guitars, killer drums, and power metal vocals.
The album has 11 tracks. Each track is delightfully titled with a horroresque feel. Songs like “Altar of Fear,” “Child of the Corn,” “Primitive Shadows,” and “Shiver”.
I really dug the album as a whole; I loved the concept, the artwork, and the guitars shred on this album. The shreds remind me of old-school metal, and in a good way. My favorite tracks would be “Altar of Fear,” “God of Terror,” “Always,” and I also loved their version of “House of the Rising Sun.”.
My only criticism of the album is that at times the vocals are too clean for me as a thrash/horror themed album, which is understandable since the singer, MARKUS KRISTOFFERSSON is from Sweden, and you know the Swedes love their power metal, but they also love to have their vocals a lot cleaner. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the vocals; I actually love his voice, and at times throughout the album, it gets heavy and gnarly, which was amazing.
Overall, I think it’s a very successful album and is worthy of being in anybody’s collection who is a fan of this type of metal. I look forward to seeing what SCAREFIELD does in the future. Hopefully we can get an American tour, with the resurgence of the youth getting into this style of metal, I feel that American mosh pits will be going crazy for those fast guitars and drums. I would love to see them play with The Burning Witches.
Buy the album here: https://hypeddit.com/scarefield/aquietcountry
Check them out here: https://www.scarefield.com
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CD Reviews
Alestorm – Voyage of the Dead Marauder
Another solid (most likely plundered) offering from the pirate metal scalawags known in these parts as Alestorm. The five-song EP Voyage of the Dead Marauder washes up on these shore on March 22, 2024, via Napalm Records. This new effort is produced by Lasse Lammert of LSD-Studios, who has worked alongside genre mates Gloryhammer and Wind Rose.
With the new release, ALESTORM is “Scraping the (bottomless) Barrel” for the fifth time for what is their eighth album , following the international success of the previous Seventh Run of a Seventh Rum album that was released in June 2022.
If you’re an existing fan of their trademark pirate-style metal, then Voyage of the Dead Marauder is a batch of good new stuff. If you’re not a fan, well, maybe you should listen until you are. (This is how I learned to like country music, by the way.)
The first track is the title track and features German hurdy-gurdy musician Patty Gurty sharing vocal duties with vocalist and keytar player Christopher Bowes. The song is in the same vein as “Captain Morgan’s Revenge” from the previously mentioned Seventh Run of a Seventh Rum album. Patty sounds great, but I’m willing to bet she was the only sober one.
Apparently, you can be a pirate anywhere, including the desert and the Great White North. Alestorm proves this with the song “Uzbekistan” as they reminisce about the time they invaded the lands of shifting sands and ultimately turn the President of said land against them. Next up is the tale of a simple farmer who was forced to become a pirate due to governmental tyranny in “The Last Saskachewan Pirate.”
“Sea Shanty 2” is an instrumental offering and would fare well with a watering can full of tequila at one of Alestorm’s live shows (see the lengthy list below if you the need to fulfill this desire).
“Cock” is the last track, and I can hear all of you snickering jut from the title, but wait until you listen to it you immature bastards. The second time you hear it, you’ll be singing along to the tale of an enchanted dream about a Leprechaun who pulls out his schlong.
ALESTORM are:
Christopher Bowes – vocals, keytar
Gareth Murdock – bass
Mate Bodor – guitar
Peter Alcorn – drums
Elliot Vernon – keyboard
ALESTORM Live 2024:
UK & Ireland Tour 2024
w/ Korpiklaani & Heidevolk
21.02.24 UK – London / O2 Forum Kentish Town
22.02.24 UK – Norwich / LCR UEA
23.02.24 UK – Nottingham / Rock City
24.02.24 UK – Bournemouth / O2 Academy
25.02.24 UK – Bristol / O2 Academy
27.02.24 UK – Belfast / Limelight
28.02.24 UK – Dublin / Academy
29.02.24 UK – Cardiff / SU
01.03.24 UK – Birmingham / O2 Academy
02.03.24 UK – Oxford / O2 Academy
03.03.24 UK – Glasgow / O2 Academy
05.03.24 UK – Manchester / O2 Victoria Warehouse
06.03.24 UK – Liverpool / O2 Academy
07.03.24 UK – Leeds / O2 Academy
08.03.24 UK – Newcastle / NX
09.03.24 UK – London / O2 Forum Kentish Town
“Tour Of The Dead Marauder”
w/ Elvenking & Glyph
19.03.24 US – Cincinnati, OH / Bogart’s
20.03.24 US – Grand Rapids, MI / Elevation
22.03.24 CA – Toronto, ON / The Concert Hall
23.03.24 CA – Montreal, QC / MTELUS
24.03.24 US – New Haven, CT / Toad’s Place
26.03.24 US – Pittsburgh, PA / Stage AE
27.03.24 US – Detroit, MI / The Majestic
29.03.24 US – Milwaukee, WI / The Rave
30.03.24 US – Omaha, NE / The Admiral
02.04.24 CA – Winnipeg, MB / Park Theatre
03.04.24 CA – Saskatoon, SK / Coors Event Centre
05.04.24 CA – Edmonton, AB / Midway Music Hall
06.04.24 CA – Calgary, AB / The Palace Theatre
08.04.24 CA – Vancouver, BC / Commodore
09.04.23 US – Spokane, WA / Knitting Factory
10.04.24 US – Boise, ID / Knitting Factory
12.04.24 US – Sacramento, CA / Ace of Spades
13.04.24 US – Santa Ana, CA / The Observatory
15.04.24 US – Tucson, AZ / Rialto Theatre
16.04.24 US – Albuquerque, NM / Sunshine Theater
18.04.24 US – Oklahoma City, OK / Diamond
19.04.24 US – St. Louis, MO / Red Flag
20.04.24 US – Indianapolis, IN / Old National
21.04.24 US – Nashville, TN / Marathon
Festivals 2024
28.06.24 FI – Sulvilahti / Tuska
05.07.24 DE – Rock Harz / Ballenstedt
11.07.24 HU – Dunaújváros / Rockmaraton
12.07.24 CZ – Vizovice / Masters of Rock
13.07.24 AT – Area 53 / Leoben
14.07.24 NL – Pirate Metal Party / Helmond
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