Thwart "Once Human"

Today we have a banger from Berlin, Germany. Thwart are a new female-fronted melodic thrash metal band, and their debut album "Once Human" is now available! You might be thinking: What the heck do you mean, melodic thrash? Thwart set themselves apart from the norm in metal by blending genres to create a unique sound. It has both intensely fast guitar and drum parts, and intricate melodic sections in the vein of older In Flames or At The Gates. The vocals bounce between crisp, seductive highs and dark, evil growls.

"Once Human" the title track, starts off with a low and slow build, but becomes a raging thrash tune around the 2 minute mark. Secil Sen (Vocals) comes in strong with a long and powerful scream, but establishes her prowess with sung vocals during the verse sections.

"Borders" is metalcore evolved, with complex changes and chunky guitar riffing under catchy and complex vocal melody. Philipp Reif (Drums) shines on this track, with an exceptionally timed blast beat during the build to the chorus.

"Violent Self" gives off a black metal vibe, blending dissonant riffs and more blasting with the band's thrashy forward style. It's interesting to see how different one riff can be to the next one here. One moment you're getting black metal, next it's power metal. It's blended beautifully.

"Parasite" continues the genre soup, with a cool Eastern style bending guitar riff and more fast changes between heavy growls and powerful singing. Dominik Budziak (Bass) pops out in tasteful points on this track.

"Season Of Fire" has my favorite guitar solo on the record, and by now I've learned that I should basically expect anything to happen in one of these songs... but no matter what, it's going to rock.

"Enemy" has a really cool drum segue from the intro to the verse part, and shows off Benjamin Knecht and Alexander Hagemann (Guitars) in fine form with chunky riffing and lots of melody.

"World Inside" and "To The Exit" continue the great tunes, pummeling the listener with groovy killer riffs and complex vocals.

"No Way Out" is another metalcore style thrasher, with the closest thing to a breakdown that I've heard so far. I love the way the song builds, and the emotion and power in the vocals.

"Veil Yourself" ups the ante more with a fast and very heavy set of riffs along with some of the hardest growled screaming on the record, which gives way to more beautiful memorable chorus lines.

"Apocalypse" brings back the Eastern themes with layered chants and ultra fast picking. This is the first single for the album, and has a video featured on Thwart's YouTube channel.

"Illusions" finishes off the record on an epic high, with tons of energy built into the mix.

Overall, this is an amazing debut record for Thwart. It shows that they are musically diverse and incredibly capable. The mix is world class, and everything is nice and crisp. This is an insanely talented group and they've managed to hash out their own style here by mixing so many different types of metal together. One part might be a black metal sounding blast beat, the next might be a soaring chorus. This will appeal to anyone who likes heavy music. There are parts for every type of metal head on this record, and even in each song, but it's smooth and the transitions don't sound forced. This was a long record, but it felt like each song had a story to tell and each individual track held its own. There are no short half songs here, every single one pushes up to the 5 minute mark. The band could easily pick any song off this album to make into a single or a video. It's nice to listen to a fully developed full length album in a world of EPs these days. Thwart have obviously poured great time and detail into this record, the riffs ooze feeling.

Of course, you shouldn't just take my word for it, you should really go check this album out for yourself! Support the musicians and enjoy the art!

"ONCE HUMAN"

Type: Full-length

Release date: August 11th, 2018

Label: 900243 Records DK

Tracklist:

01. Once Human (6:50)

02. Borders (5:36)

03. Violent Self (4:43)

04. Parasite (5:11)

05. Season of Fire (4:28)

06. Enemy (5:54)

07. World Inside (5:42)

08. To the Exit (4:57)

09. No Way Out (5:41)

10. Veil Yourself (5:22)

11. Apocalypse (6:04)

12. Illusions (5:26)

How to get it:

Official Website:

https://www.thwartband.com

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/thwartband

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4EhwirYnUH09IZIPTIPuNI?si=KeV63hP5QqWnsuyjDqj1-w

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0DM4y8BAWL45pJ84Q-VNAg

iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/de/album/once-human/1425525671

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.de/Once-Human-Explicit-Thwart/dp/B07GCSRTSD/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1534380769&sr=1-1-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0&keywords=Thwart

THE VERDICT:

5 out of 5 Skulls

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Woorms / A Hanging (SPLIT EP)

Split EPs freakin' rule. It's a great way to get the music of both bands into the hands of a wider audience, and promotes unity altogether, especially in the underground music scene. With the advent of sites like Bandcamp, and the availability of digital distribution through iTunes, Google Play, etc. you see fewer and fewer bands actually doing these split EP concepts. Underground music should not be cutthroat, but should elevate everyone that cares enough to put out quality artistic music.

Coming in from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana, the new split EP from Woorms / A Hanging is just that: A celebration of two very different types of bands, and an elevation of both.

First up on the EP is a song from Woorms. Their contribution on the split is called "The Math Says, Yes" and it is quite the journey. The song begins at low volume, causing me to crank up my speakers. A long, slow Doom style riff builds immaculately over the course of what feels like an eternity, but which is actually about 3 minutes in real time. Just when I'm thinking about what sort of analogies to Southern Doom metal I'm going to start talking about, the riff comes to a finale and a new distinct movement begins. Vocals join in at this point, with layered yelling voices shouting along to the rhythm of this new section. After another short pause, Woorms show off an entirely different side of their band. The last section of this song oozes dissonance, reeks of mathcore, and feels like getting hit in the face with a sledgehammer. The song comes to an abrupt ending after only two verses.

Woorms is Joey Carbo (Guitars, Voice, Noise trap), John Robinson (Bass, Voice), and Aaron Polk (Drums).

Woorms is out of control. I took a listen through some of their past releases just for a reference, and I feel like "The Math Says, Yes" is probably the closest thing to a traditional style of song that they've released... and that's a stretch. This band is on the bleeding edge of experimental noise kinds of music. It won't be for everyone, but I don't think that's the point. "The Math Says, Yes" is a facetious commentary on society, a giant middle finger to the signs and the rules. This is apparent in their song structure as well as lyrics such as "The little teacher says, know!"

The rest of the EP is completely different, which is one really cool feature of the split concept. A Hanging is a wildly different style of music, while still falling under the banner of heavy. A Hanging is straightforward Hardcore Thrash. "Graft" sets up a short introduction to the band as the guitar begins and the other instruments join in fiery fashion. A Hanging showcase lower register Hardcore vocals, delivered with powerful and angry form as well as interesting and fast guitar licks. The drums are fast and direct, a sped up version of D-Beat with creative and quick fills that match up to the guitar riffs.

"Document" continues the trademark sound of A Hanging, but features cool tempo changes as chorus parts, slowing things down just a hair and providing an almost breakdown feel to the intense, fast, and short song.

The final song on the split, "Winter" has a bunch of perfectly aligned staccato notes to change parts, and is the first song on the EP to feature a guitar solo. This is another ripping fast tune, and it ends abruptly.

A Hanging is Scott "Scorilla" Walle (Guitar, Vocals), Bobby"Paranoize" Bergeron (Bass), and Billy Bones (Drums).

When people think of Hardcore Thrash crossover bands, they immediately head to NYC, Connecticut, Boston. However, as I've been able to uncover on 5 Skull Reviews, it seems like Baton Rouge / Louisiana has a formidable Hardcore following as well. Just because a band is from a certain area, doesn't mean that they're going to play the stereotypical style from that area.

I think that a show with both Woorms and A Hanging would be an interesting night. These are two very different types of bands, which could lead either to a revolving audience or a bunch of people being turned on to something that they never would have tried out before. More bands should definitely be doing these kinds of split EPs! They produced a limited run of vinyl records for this split as well. One issue with a split EP is that it's very tough to provide any type of cohesion or tell a story between more than one band. This is a collection of 4 songs that stand alone.

I would like to thank Woorms and A Hanging for submitting to 5 Skull Reviews, and encourage YOU to check out both of these skilled bands. Open your ears, and your mind!

WOORMS / A HANGING (SPLIT 7" EP)

Type: Split EP release

Release date: June 26th, 2018

Label: Self-released

Tracklist:

01. The Math Says, Yes (5:02)

02. Graft (1:22)

03. Document (1:18)

04. Winter (1:37)

How to get it:

Bandcamp:

https://ahanging504.bandcamp.com/album/woorms-a-hanging-split

WOORMS:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/WOORMS-820255734812259/

Bandcamp:

https://woorms.bandcamp.com/

A HANGING:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ahanging/

Bandcamp:

https://ahanging504.bandcamp.com

ReverbNation:

https://www.reverbnation.com/ahanging

THE VERDICT:

4 out of 5 Skulls

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Skeletal Prison "Obsidian Temple Demo"

Skeletal Prison is a metal band from Rockford, IL. Despite forming in 2017, the band has only just recently began posting updates. In fact, their earliest update on Facebook is only from July 14th, 2018. Let's consider this band FRESH.

That being said, these aren't just a couple of 15-year-olds just starting a garage band. They're made up of former members of longer-running projects Sleeze (Psychedelic Groove Metal) and Untold Legacy (Melodic Progressive Death Metal). I'm not going to theorize whether those bands are active or what the scoop is there, because I understand that sometimes bands change up. Either way, it seems that Skeletal Prison is standing on its own and the members seem to be enjoying working together. That fun attitude is present in their music, and that's important.

So why am I talking about a band that has literally one demo version of a song recorded? Because they submitted it to my email, that's why! Bands that are willing to put themselves out there deserve a chance too, not just the ones that are able to pay their way on to a big website or a magazine. That's why we're here, and I hope you give this a chance.

SO what's "Obsidian Temple Demo" like? Well first of all it says Demo on it, so let's get the recording quality out of the way first thing. It's not bad. The vocals are a little low, and the bass is a little high. There is a bit of mid-range muffle going on. They're not using sampled drums or expensive mixing software. Does quality matter? YES. However, with a good enough song, it tends to matter a little less. I would like to hear this recorded at a pro studio in the future.

The song starts off with a clean build, reminiscent of Slayer's "Seasons In The Abyss," with eerie chords to start. The bass and drums join slowly. Next, the song properly starts, with a completely new type of riff. This is more thrashy. The vocals come in, which are low and harsh but a good fit for the style of riffing. This song makes use of double bass drums, extended guitar solos, and a cool rhythm section while retaining an eerie dissonant feel. I didn't have access to any lyrics, so it's hard to guess what the song is really about. However, it feels like the subject has been transported to the Obsidian Temple, a place where time stops, and is shown a horrible future of destruction by an evil goddess.

The song is relatively long, coming in over 7 minutes. The changes are distinct and somewhat abrupt, however welcome. It reminds me of Slayer and Death a bit, but with a unique lower vocal style. Definite points for creativity and original style.

I look forward to hearing more from this promising new band, especially studio recordings! Thanks to Skeletal Prison for being good sports and submitting their first demo to 5 Skull Reviews.

"OBSIDIAN TEMPLE DEMO"

Type: Demo recording

Release date: July 29th, 2018

Label: Self-released

How to get it:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Skeletal-Prison-262219427918196

ReverbNation:

https://www.reverbnation.com/skeletalprison/songs

THE VERDICT:

3 out of 5 Skulls

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Ultra-Violence "Operation Misdirection"

Ultra-Violence "Operation Misdirection" was released July 27, 2018 via Candlelight/Spinefarm Records. The band hails from Italy, and features a young cast of talented thrashers. This is their third record, and it shows clear progression as songwriters and as players.

I'm absolutely loving the modern thrash revolution. Bands like Power Trip and Havok are out there making thrash metal modern and relevant, and Ultra-Violence deserves a place right on that lineup. This record is really good. Thrash metal tends to get a bad rap for being somewhat repetitive, sacrificing creativity for raw speed. "Operation Misdirection" keeps the listener on his or her toes.

The first track, "Cadaver Decomposition Island" is the first single for the record. Coming in at just over 6 minutes, it keeps you guessing with fast changes and banging riffs. It's a wild ride and a must listen for open-minded metallers.

The album continues on, addressing some of the problems of the modern generation in between insane guitar and bass solos. "Nomophobia" is a name for the fear of being away from your cell phone, which is something that modern people absolutely suffer from. Go to a show, and watch people just behind the mosh pit scrolling on Facebook or Instagram instead of enjoying the experience that they paid to see!

There's also an excellent thrash cover of "Money For Nothing" by Dire Straits on this album. I'm normally very hard on covers in general, but this reworked version is pretty fun to check out.

The elephant in the room here is that it's very tricky to be a modern thrash band without being compared to Havok. Is Ultra-Violence actually Havok, Jr.? NO. There are so many interesting elements to this record, from keyboards to acoustic guitars. I would almost be willing to call this a progressive thrash record because of all the changes, but I know that will definitely draw some haters.

Hate it or love it, thrash metal is modern and here to stay. I lean towards loving it. The modern production quality here is a great addition to the genre. Critics of thrash might say that the vocals are a little monotone, and that the whole gang chant thing is overdone. I think it's used tastefully.

If it was up to me, I would have changed the track order and put the last two songs (which is really an instrumental intro and a full song) first... but what do I know.

"OPERATION MISDIRECTION" 

Type: Full-length 

Release date: July 27th, 2018 

Label: Candlelight/Spinefarm Records 

Artwork: Ed Repka

Tracklist: 

01. Cadaver Decomposition Island (6:12) 

02. Welcome To The Freakshow (2:54) 

03. My Fragmented Self (6:15) 

04. The Acrobat (4:25) 

05. Nomophobia (5:51) 

06. Money For Nothing (Dire Straits cover) (4:29) 

07. The Stain On My Soul Remains (1:59) 

08. Shining Perpetuity (6:32)

How to get it:

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/ultraviolencemetal

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwzF4C44hJA

Bigcartel:

https://ultraviolencemetal.bigcartel.com/

THE VERDICT:

4 out of 5 Skulls

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