WRECKOMMENDATION! VATTNET VISKAR – 2012 EP

Black metal usually is best when it comes from the northern European countries. Very rarely do you hear of an amazing black metal act from the United States. Well from the quiet state of New Hampshire comes a blackened force so loud and full of doom you will be flabbergasted at what you’ve heard. Vattnet Viskar provides us with some of the best black metal/doom so far this year and their label, Broken Limbs Recordings, just put out their latest journey through time and space; life and death. The 3 song EP will not disappoint and the talent from these gentlemen is unimaginable. They are within a genre that is currently flooded with bands trying to imitate and perfect a certain sound yet Vattnet Viskar stands above the rest with their frantic howls and seemingly daunting guitar work. It’s good shit and it’s this weeks Wreckommendation!

For fans of Woods of Ypres, Abigail Williams, Agalloch & other epic blackened ambient doom metal acts of the sort.

Check out their Facebook, Bandcamp and Broken Limbs Recordings page.

Black Metal XXXI – Woods of Desolation, Oak Pantheon, Woods of Ypres, Agalloch & Ulver

Album Review! IF THESE TREES COULD TALK – Red Forest

First off, I have to say that this album is great. I really enjoy this album listen after listen. It’s truly compelling and constructed really well. There is a blend of influences coming together to make the particular sound come out of If These Trees Could Talk, and it’s very recognizable. From start to finish, there is a lovely blend of post-metal, post-rock, ambient acoustic/clean channel guitars and smooth bass grooves that work together to form these amazing works of art. The styles are very familiar to other bands if you’ve been listening to this kind of music for sometime. ITTCT have a rhythmic sense about them and their powerful grooves and riffs are similar to something Junius and Russian Circles have done. Their sense of  melody and tremolo work is similar to Alcest and Falloch, those long winded chords that they do along the fretboard; there is no denying that their influence is similar to these other bands. I hate comparing bands to one another in my reviews but I couldn’t help but think of how much certain parts of Red Forest sounds like previously released material from other artists. ITTCT have created a remarkable album, don’t get me wrong…it’s just that I felt like I’ve already heard this before.

Watch Over 13 Minutes Of Sexy FALLOCH Footage

I need to see them live. Now. Come to Kansas City, MO. Bring Alcest, Agalloch and an instrumental band like Russian Circles or If These Trees Could Talk.

Album Review! Abigail Williams – Becoming

I never paid attention to Abigail Williams, because like an asshole, I thought with a band name like that, they were just another one of these awful metalcore/deathcore bands that blended in with the rest of the crowd. However, when I discovered they were a band who performs black metal, it definitely got my attention. Well, Abigail Williams proves once again, never judge a book by it’s cover because Becoming is an amazing work of art. Blending what you would like from acts such as Agalloch and Wolves In The Throne Room and making it their own unique sound. It’s very dark, atmospheric and moody. Slow paced music and venomous screams reign down on you as well as very melodic riffs and creative song writing. Becoming is true to what you would want from a black metal band, sinister vocals and ominous guitar riffs. It’s also very promising in terms of what you can expect from a post-black/ambient black metal band, very atmospheric and pulls you into a state of mind that is very hard to describe. Ah, genre labeling…what a waste of time right? You get my point.

Qreview! Alcest – Les Voyages De L’Âme

Alcest – Les Voyages De L’Âme

1. Autre Temps (Album Version)

2. Là Où Naissent Les Couleurs Nouvelles

3. Les Voyages De L’Âme

4. Nous Sommes L’Emeraude

5. Beings Of Light

6. Faiseurs De Mondes

7. Havens

8. Summer’s Glory

Prophecy Productions

Alcest makes a triumphant return with their latest album, “Les Voyages De L’Âme“. This beautiful post-black album has everything you’d want and expect from the band. While experiencing the album, I felt like I was walking across a field. Enjoying the air and the trees. Reaching a river bank and stopping to enjoy the scene and nature. The music on this album is good for the soul. The tones of the guitar and singing just really touch you in a way that many bands would only dream of. Les Voyages De L’Âme is just soothing and while it does feature some black metal vocals, those are very rare. It’s mainly great composition and singing that would make anyone appreciate it.

Turns out Les Voyages De L’Âme in English means “The Journeys of the Soul“, and this album definitely takes your soul on a journey. It’s like a combination of how Agalloch/Falloch and Junius makes me feel. You can thank Neige for most of the work as he covers guitars, bass, synth and vocals on the album. Drum work is done by Winterhalter. If you like to think, feel and dream while listening to your music. Then Alcest has created the perfect album for you.

While the album is very well done, it tends to get repetitive if I’m not in the mood for it. Each track is good but none of them stand out and grab me at all. It’s all very similar to one another. They could have released this as a one 50 minute long track. This is usually not a problem with me but after a few rotations in I wasn’t feeling it as I was before. The appreciation and acknowledgement of how good this is will always be there, I just need to be in the mood for it.

Pros: Excellent music and production, I love the singing

Cons: Kinda all blends together and gets repetitive towards the end

3.5 out of 5

Qreview! The Atlas Moth – An Ache For The Distance

“Fuck! Who are these guys? *fumbles with iPod* The Atlas Moth? This shit fucking rules!” Define them how you want, I’ll define them as greatness. The Atlas Moth has released a blackened/doom/sludge album known as An Ache For The Distance. Unique song writing of unorthodox qualities and a structure that isn’t of the norm, this album is one of the few that can branch out and do exactly what they want, how they want and achieve such a rich and grand sound. The riffs are very doom/sludge and here and there you’ll get a sense of Woods of Ypres and Agalloch in the mix. The vocals are nice, I like the singing/screaming combination on An Ache For The Distance.

I’ve never heard of this band until recently. The metal community/blogs have been promoting this album heavily and now I know what all of the commotion is about. This album has it all that you could ask for. The heavy and chunky guitar riffs, the softer guitar licks, singing and screaming vocals, great percussion and a bass guitar so fucking raw at times it feels like the cord is plugged straight into your brain. Production values are good but not overly done and fake sounding.

Each track is gold. The album grabbed me from the first note and I never let go. This is an album I would highly recommend to you all.

4.5 out of 5

Pros: excellent music and production

Cons: Only 9 songs? Guess I gotta put it on REPEAT! DARN!

Fav Tracks: Gemini, An Ache For The Distance, Courage