Opener “Selfish Hearts” kicks off with a synth riff seemingly right out of the Stranger Things theme, and that 1980s vibe permeates the rest of the album, only “Beautiful Mistake” and “Poison Flowers” prominently feature brief flashes of proper heavy, distorted guitar. No surprise given Billy Howerdel masterminded that band’s moody, synth-pop meets prog-metal sound, but on What Normal Was, Howerdel’s first release under his own name, in his own words, “This is me stepping back into my early teen self and making the record I would have made if I had the means and the knowledge when I first picked up a guitar….” If you’ve ever wondered what A Perfect Circle might sound like without heavy guitars (and Maynard James Keenan), here’s your answer. (Dan Marsicano) Alchemy Recordings/Rise Records/BMG Billy Howerdel – What Normal Was (Alchemy/Rise/BMG) That one does drag a little, an outlier to a release that is expertly produced. His use of synths brings a cosmic energy into the album, especially in extended instrumental breaks like the final half of opener “Cryptic Hatred.” The raspy barks are treated as a background player on a few tunes, like the seven-minute closer “Wretched Dawn” that keeps them exclusive to the first 90 seconds before the atmospheric outro hits. They contribute guitar solos and drum tracks, yet it’s Bruzzone’s songwriting that garners the most attention. This is the project of Italy’s Andrea Bruzzone, who has enlisted the help of members of Krallice, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Cosmic Putrefaction, and more to bring this record into the world. (Dan Marsicano) I, Voidhanger Records Bekor Qilish – Throes Of Death From The Dreamed Nihilism (I, Voidhanger)īekor Qilish are in the realm of existential black metal, using a suitable name for the band’s first album, Throes Of Death From The Dreamed Nihilism. Whether gloom is the desired effect (“Nephenthes”) or something that would make Black Sabbath proud (“Voice Of Thunder”), Aptera have options for a wide group of metalheads. This sort of contrast keeps a listener engaged with You Can’t Bury What Still Burns, as it never gets stagnant. The song following that one, “Cosmosis,” is an instrumental with an abundance of guitar solos. “Unbearable Stain” is the main song that takes thrash, doom, and sludge and whirls it into four glorious minutes. Their previous self-titled EP lacked much of this, so it’s a beneficial decision to heighten the pace in spots on their debut album. It never turns into an outright speed demon, but when it picks up, the electricity is undeniable. Ripple Music Aptera – You Can’t Bury What Still Burns (Ripple)Īptera’s You Can’t Bury What Still Burns is high-octane doom/sludge metal, mixing thrash tempos into the formula. This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Aptera, Bekor Qilish, Billy Howerdel, Caravellus, Civil War, Deus Omega, Iconic, Infanteria, Jorn, Merihem, Ornaemental Shrine, Serpent Ascending, Seven Kingdoms, Tombs, Truent, Vexes and Whitesnake.
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