No, this isn't a collection the decade's ugliest album covers; this is yet another cross-section of the most elite heavy metal the past ten years has seen. Equal parts beatdown, sophistication, throwback, and progress, Volume 4 is an absolutely killer slice of the 2000's.
Dying Fetus - Destroy
the Opposition
If you really want to
blame deathcore on someone, try Dying Fetus and their indisputable pinnacle,
Destroy the Opposition. Long regarded as an underground Suffocation clone,
their Relapse debut infused even more clarity and hardcore into their
sound, resulting in a punishing album full of sick, slamming grooves and
calamitous blast beats. John Gallagher's uber-deep growls and grunts
became the band's trademark, as did their ability to create mosh pits. Look no
further than the huge the title track or "Epidemic of Hate" for the
blueprint of hardcore meeting death metal in a bare-knuckle fist fight--at a
political convention. [Relapse, 2000]
Green Carnation - Light
of Day, Day of Darkness
How does one compose
a single-song, sixty-minute album that truly is one song and not a
collection of movements or stanzas? Ask Green Carnation. Never an
overwhelming or daunting listen, Light of Day, Day of Darkness is
a brilliantly woven and bombastic epic featuring exceptional vocals, instantly
memorable riffs, and a kind of flow that every “progressive” band should strive
for. A tour de force of composition and musical excellence that belongs in the
collection of every fan of progressive music, not just metal. [The End,
2001]
Nothing was a highly divisive
release for Meshuggah. It helped the band reach new heights of
popularity, but it was shunned by many long-time fans for its increased simplicity
and focus on lumbering groove. Regardless, Nothing
was quite distinctive when it was released,
and even now, seven years later, no one really knows quite what to make of it.
A foreboding mix of machine-like pummeling and otherworldly ambience, songs
like “Straws Pulled At Random” and the devastating “Perpetual Black Second”
capitalized on the band’s off-kilter approach to heaviness while simultaneously
proving the outfit’s atmospheric potential to naysayers. [Nuclear Blast, 2002]
Reverend
Bizarre - In The Rectory Of The Bizarre Reverend
Late
Finnish doom trio Reverend Bizarre dropped this hefty debut in 2002, the first
of three records before their 2007 breakup. In these epic grooves lie
sluggish, hefty riffs, moody and melancholic vocals, and an air of misery
that owes much to classic doomsters like Candlemass and Saint Vitus. With
four songs clocking in at over ten minutes each, and one of those (album closer
"Cirith Ungol") over twice that long, this one's a long, bleak trudge
through doom mastery. Oppressive. Depressive. Impressive.
[Sinister Figure, 2002]
Impeccably crafted
and masterfully executed, The August Engine epitomizes all that
is great about Hammers of Misfortune. From the blistering medieval/industrial riffing of the resplendent
two-part title track, to the beguiling air of delicate “Rainfall,” this album
runs the gamut of emotion with unparalleled intensity. While the stupefying twin lead melodies and
solos of John Cobbett and Mike Scalzi are, in and of themselves, worth the
album’s price, it is the attention to fine detail in the songs that makes this
record truly special. [Cruz del Sur, 2003]
It was a rough road back for
Exodus. Following a (third reunion) in
2001 for the Thrash of the Titans benefit, they announced plans for their first
studio album since Bonded By Blood to feature legendary vocalist Paul
Baloff. Sadly, Baloff passed away
following a 2002 stroke, but the rest of Exodus vowed to carry on in his memory
with vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza. The result was this 2004 thrashterpiece, which gave their classic sound
a modern sheen and reminded everybody of just why they loved them in the first
place. Tempo of the Damned still stands
tall today as the best of their post-Baloff work. [Nuclear Blast, 2004]
It's
debatable whether or not this is Darkane's finest hour....well,
debatable amongst many, but we're firm in our decision to call this their
crowning achievement. Take the superior traits of all prior releases and then
code, stir, and you have the embodiment that is LoL, but it's no
laughing matter. There's a hook in every turn: Sydow's vocal stylings, the Ideberg/Malmstrom chorded chaos connection, and, of course, Wildoer's
marksmanship. Pummels with finesse. [Nuclear Blast, 2005]
Witchcraft’s debut was a fascinating retro curio of
Pentagram worship, but with its sophomore release, Firewood, Witchcraft dodges
the dreaded slump and fires back with a magnum opus. Their stripped-down sound leaves the
band bereft of a wall of distortion to hide behind, forcing them to live on the
strength of their songwriting and the passion of their performance. With much stronger batch of songs, a newly
developed flair for stinging solos and a whole lot more swing in their thing,
on Firewood, Witchcraft is smoking hot. [Rise Above, 2005]
Featuring
two original members of Immortal, the lead shredder of Enslaved
and the one-time King ov Hell on bass, Norway's simply monikered I offered
up one of 2006's most pleasant surprises with the amazing Between Two
Worlds. Equal parts melodic metal and snaggletoothed Motorhead
tribute, this beast of a debut was born to shadow a ripper's dusty journey to
the next watering hole or knife 'n' chain rumble. And Abbath's 2-pack-a-day
troglodyte vocals add just the right amount of grit to the pleasing, epic
charges of kingly tunes such as "Warriors." [Nuclear Blast, 2006]
A band
that has always shown promise, Ulcerate take their moniker to heart by turning
loose this ruptured monster of an album. As Chris McDonald
stated in his review, the lines of Immolation-styled death metal are erased by
shades of the cavernous Deathspell Omega, the complexities of Gorguts, and their own unique aesthetic...resulting in one of this year's most incendiary--and somewhat
groundbreaking--works of extreme metal art. A major accomplishment.
[Willowtip/Candlelight, 2009]
Ready for Volume Five?
Posted
10-02-2009 1:55 PM
by
Rev