The Metal Thread Genre • Page 214

Counterparts/Stick To Your Guns/Architects were a lot of fun last night. Surprised to see how popular Architects have gotten. I know they're huge overseas, but when I saw them at Warped a few years ago, there were like 10 people watching. Last night was PACKED for all 3 bands.

 

I listened to that album this morning. i personally enjoy kwas more but horizons is a more complete album.

 

Full Album Stream: Hell to Pay - "Bliss" | Decibel Magazine

The new Hell to Pay record kicks ass. They're an HM-2 soaked grind/hardcore hybrid band featuring mem. of Jesus Piece. Enjoy.

 

Code Orange is that the old you I miss?!

 

@theagentcoma and I traded and he gave me:

Ataraxy: Where All Hope Fades (2018) Dark Descent Records

I am sure almost all of you have no idea who this band is and neither did I until I did this review but I will try and shed some light. They are death/doom/black metal band out of Spain and this is their third record. Ataraxy by definition is a state of serene calmness and this band is FAR from that.

I am going to try and paint of picture of what the band is like. I recently watched the movie The Brothers Grimm on Netflix and this band would be perfect do the soundtrack for it. The intro/instrumental track, The Absurdity of a Whole Cosmos, sort of sets the tone to the album with this very dark and brooding atmosphere that makes you feel like something is wrong and you are not exactly safe. It almost has this fantasy aspect to it, and makes you feel like you are about to go on some journey and boy are you in a for wild ride. With @theagentcoma I expect nothing less.

Like Between the Buried and Me, each song is pretty lengthy with the shortest track being the introduction and the average song length at least five to eight minutes and the final track being a whopping twelve. Despite this, just like BTBAM, they keep your attention the entire time, weaving in an out of death/doom/black metal and they do it seamlessly. The genre I have had most difficult time getting into is death metal and this record was the perfect one to slowly ease me into it. I think the reason I dislike death metal is the lack of melody and Ataraxy brings you plenty of it with their blend of genres and this is the perfect record to slowly ease you into it. With that being said, these extreme forms of metal are not for everyone. I personally really enjoy when they head in the doom or black metal direction but they do each genre exceptionally well.

Vocally, it sticks to the standard death/doom fair of feeling tortured. There is very little diversity but it serves the role of what they are going for. The album as a whole is very slow but purposeful and wants to paint a picture and take you on a journey and that is extremely admirable that they are able to create this feeling with just music.

Closer, the Blackness of Eternal Night is amazing and I could have it on a loop. It goes back into the same dark tones the intro brought us and makes you realize this story will not end happily. Then it leads into straight up doom territory and sits there for a majority of the song. I love how around the four minute mark things just slow to a halt and you know the story is coming to a close with light guitars with an almost black metal feel to it and the vocals kick in for one last breath and the use of an organ in the last minute or so is brilliant.

Let me close this review by saying that the drums are amazing and are the glue that hold this entire record together. The fact that they can transition from death to doom in split second is inspiring. I will definitely be spinning this for some time but it is not an "everyday" album that's for sure.

9/10

Favorite tracks:
The Blackness of Night
The Absurdity of a Whole Cosmos
The Mourning Path

 

Agreed. Like I said, I think KWAS has better songs, and I get into it more than their other records, but they were still coming together as a band and Horizons (and the records after it) are certainly more polished and probably (technically) "better"

 

I listened to that new Ataraxy as well. I liked it but I didn't love it. Maybe I was in the wrong mood for it but a lot of parts of it felt like it meandered and dawdled about in places and I felt my attention being strained more than once. That said, when the songwriting was on, it was TIGHT.

 

It's a grower for sure. I listened to it for my review in CMCS and by the third listen it totally clicked.

 

Sick review, glad you liked it! Not as much melody as Hooded Menace but still a crushing affair.

 

Riffs for days.

 

Another sick tour that's not coming anywhere near me lol

 

Digging this. I've always meant to check out their last record on Relapse but never got around to it. Guess I better get on that. Big fan of the noise rock meets sludge thing, like if Black Tusk and Unsane had a kid hah.

 

I definitely hear the sludge influences on a second pass through of the song. It is about what you'd expect from ex-Kylesa and Torche dudes. I'm stoked for this record quite a bit. Their EP and first LP are vastly underrated so you should give them a good listen when you get a chance.

 

YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS

THRASH GODMETALDAMN THURSDAY

 

LATE ENTRANT FOR THRASH GODMETALDAMN THURSDAY.

Specifically, a new song from Aura Noir!

 

Municipal waste is always a fun time.

 

Wow, "Wishing Wells" already has 1.2 million views

 

Really hope the band focuses on the US this next album cycle; I feel like they've already conquered Europe, but have barely made any penetration in the US metal scene; would be amazing to see them open up for Metallica or something, to increase their exposure.

 

Re: Aura Noir.

I always forget how goddamn good this album is. It's almost a perfect fusion of black metal and thrash metal...with an apt name. They knew what they were doing.

 

Any time they come over here they headline but I get what you are saying.

 

Yeah I saw them "headline" in Minneapolis, but it was a really small venue. Every time they do tour here it's in really short stints, and in small venues

 

Going to see Royal Thunder tonight if I don't pass out from exhaustion first.

 

That was just the touring cycle for their previous album. They had pretty extensive runs here in 2015 and 2016 which were about what I'd expect from a foreign band on their stature.

 

LIGHT THIS CITY Announce First New Album In 10 Years