Headshrinker, Lose, Grim Silence
24.01.2025 Hannover / Stumpf

#Hannover #Headshrinker #Stumpf #SteelFeed

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Brazen Tongue – Of Crackling Embers and Sorrows Drowned

By Dolphin Whisperer

“AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene. The Rodeö rides on.”

What is distance but an imaginary barrier between creative minds. At least in our (over)connected modern times, proximity does not define whether minds of similar metal inclinations can interact as a band. Such is the story of Ethan Gifford and Scott Skopec (Headshrinker, ex-Polyptych), who both hustled many moons ago about Chicago with a band, Dycanis, that never quite made it beyond demo and gig grind. Gifford then moved to Sweden, and Skopec continued his musical pursuits until they too went dormant. But riffs find a way and Brazen Tongue is a result, the amalgamation of two minds who share ideas hat have tunes in the world of Gifford’s new Gothenburg home, as well as the rip and curl of American thrash (and whatever else crosses their fancy). Throughout Of Crackling Embers & Sorrows Drowned, you may hear the sullen growl of Rapture, the bright quirk of Old Man’s Child, the anthemic melting similar to an act like Black Sites. But most of all, you’ll hear the efforts of two friends who made it happen. Does it make it happen for our crack reviewing team, though? Of the opinions of cranky elitists and socialites dour, you will soon know. – Dolphin Whisperer

Brazen Tongue // Of Crackling Embers and Sorrows Drowned [June 7th, 2024]

Dr. A.N. Grier: It’s been a hot minute since I’ve contributed to a traditional Rodeö piece. So, I guess I’ll grab the debut record from international melodeath outfit Brazen Tongue. I mean, I like melodeath, so why not? Though it appears this band has been around since 2016, this year is the first time we’ve seen any output from this two-piece group. Perhaps they needed to hunt a bassist and drummer down to round out the release. I don’t know. Jumping right in, the back-to-back “The Weight of Self” and “Metaviral” kick-off Of Crackling Embers and Sorrows Drowned on a good note with some solid melodeath mood and riffage. The latter track, in particular, sees the band in its true light, delivering vocals that recall Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe and solid melodic moments on the back half. “Last Train from Myrdal” is one of the better tracks on the album as it delves deep into melodic territories, incorporating clean guitars and big, booming clean vocals. But, it avoids being one-dimensional with its alternating calmness and pissed-off attitude. What is one-dimensional is “Beneath the Broken Trees.” Only when the pace slows and the build begins does anything of value surface on the track. “The Recidivist” also suffers the same ailment, opening with an annoying introduction that finally gives way to a hard-hitting chug and powerful chorus mixed with clean and growling vocals. Unfortunately, the song has a tough time deciding when to end and drags on far too long for what it’s offering. But the closer, “The Maddening Symmetries,” is the most frustrating track on the album. Clocking in at over ten minutes, nothing sticks until we arrive at the seven-minute mark. After this point, the melodic feels hit, climbing high before ending in hopeless depression. There’s plenty to like on Of Crackling Embers and Sorrows Drowned, and there’s plenty of potential. The band’s debut isn’t perfect, but I’ll keep them on my “potential” list when their next release rolls around. 2.5/5.0

Gardenstale: Brazen Tongue is a bit weird. Much of Embers and Sorrows is so frantically kitchen-sink, I’m reminded primarily of The Offering with Insomniummy growls. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: I loved Home, and when Brazen Tongue hits, it hits with a similar spark of inspiration, as opening combo “The Weight of Self” and “Metaviral” can attest. The riffs are never quite what you expect, pressing the dynamic quality of the performers who excel at keeping you on the wrong foot. The problem for Brazen Tongue is not a lack of inspiration, but guiding it consistently into great form. The Zornheym-esque bass choirs are a cool addition, but they are used haphazardly. Emotive doom centerpiece “Last Train from Myrdal” gets more unpleasant as it goes on, adding repetition and draining the album of energy, culminating in an aggravating fire alarm riff and a sudden unceremonious end. The band tries to get things back on the rails, but the epic closer swerves through its bloated runtime without frame or direction. Brazen Tongue is full of great performances and interesting ideas, which are most effective on short, fast songs where the band can skip over the bumps, but the longer and slower tracks invariably spiral out of control or get mired in their own ideas. A songwriting class or two would do wonders. 2.5/5.0

Thus Spoke: When I hitched myself to Brazen Tongue, I’m not sure exactly what I expected; after all, according to another staff member, I “don’t even know what melodeath is.” Nonetheless, my vague anticipations were more or less on the money. Twin guitar, energetic riff clamberings, generally mid-tempo, upbeat-feeling charges, a barking sort of vocal approach. Sprinkles of melancholy in the refrains but only to precipitate a turn to more uplifting, or alternately more sinister spidery stop-starting (“The Recidivist”) or chugging. Plus, a slower, doomier track with layered, softly cascading guitars that you can immediately imagine playing over a crossfade-filled montage from a 90s movie (“Last Train from Myrdal”). If this sounds incredibly vague, and non-committal, it’s because that’s exactly how Of Crackling Embers and Sorrows Drowned comes across. Perfectly serviceable, with some great moments, but totally unmemorable. Across its duration, there are examples of brilliant, energetic axe work and righteous riffery (“Metaviral,” “Beneath the Broken Trees”), and at points, resonant feelings of pathos (yes, even in “Last Train,” which I initially despised). But there are no moments that break the surface of the soundscape’s quite monotone harmonic themes and compositional patterns. No point at which—regardless of how much sound and fury the band apparently exude (“Walking the Parapets,” “The Maddening Symmetries”)—the music elicits anything more than a “yeah, it’s cool I guess.” It’s a no from me. But what do I know about melodeath anyway? Disappointing.

Iceberg: Of Crackling Embers and Sorrows Drowned is clearly a passion project for Scott Kopec and Ethan Gifford, because logistically, producing the debut album for Brazen Tongue sounds like a complete nightmare. The main duo live seven time zones apart, all composition was done via cloud-sharing, and every instrument was tracked in its own session. This hasn’t dulled the band’s compositional abilities however; there is a glut of quality material on this album. A blend of blackened thrash and Gothenburg melodeath—with shadows of Lamb of God groove metal thrown in there—OCE&SD is an in-your-face drag racer of riffs that rarely lets off the gas. The highlight here is the creative combination of guitar riffs and leads with contrasting rhythmic underpinning; see the openings of “Walking the Parapets” and “The Recidivist.” Album standout—proper Gothenburg sadboi “Last Train From Myrdal”—shows the band knows how to blend punishing atmosphere with resplendent orchestrals, even if it runs a bit overlong. And that seems to be Brazen Tongue’s Achilles’ heel; most every song here desperately needs trimming, and the overuse of individual segments is a chronic issue. Ten-minute closer “The Maddening Symmetries” is brimming with varied, epic, blackened material, but wore this listener’s ears out well before its conclusion. One can’t help but wonder if the geographical separation of Brazen Tongue played a part in the fine-tuning issues, but I hope the band keeps at it and watches their margins more closely; the potential here is vast. 2.5/5.0

#2024 #AmericanMetal #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo2024 #BlackSites #BrazenTongue #Headshrinker #IndependentRelease #Insomnium #Jun24 #LambOfGod #MelodicDeathMetal #OldManSChild #Rapture #SelfRelease #TheOffering #ThrashMetal #Zornheym

Humanity Defiled – Deficient Breed Review

By Kenstrosity

Belgian one-man death machine Humanity Defiled first caught my attention years ago, with their hefty 2015 death assault The Demise of the Sane. The album predated Headshrinker’s awesome Callous Indifference when it comes to chunky, nasty death metal that tackles dark, deeply personal, and sensitive subjects—especially as it pertains to matters of mental health. However, that Headshrinker record helped filled the void left by Humanity Defiled in the nine years since The Demise of the Sane dropped. Still, I find myself as ravenous as ever for new Humanity Defiled material. The only question left is whether or not follow-up Deficient Breed contains sufficient sustenance to satiate my ferocious appetite!

On the surface, nothing about Humanity Defiled’s sound changed significantly since 2015, and that’s a good thing. Bolt Thrower grooves and Asphyx stomps still heavily inform Deficient Breed’s thirty-five minutes of meaty, depressive death metal. Mastermind Iwein Denayer stays true to his mission of no-frills, no-nonsense metal, with nary a moment left to things outside crushing riffs, thunderous rhythmic heft, and myriad classic songwriting approaches. That adhesion to long-standing formulas runs the risk of leaving Humanity Defiled with no unique voice in the instrumentation department. At the same time, however, Deficient Breed’s dark and hopeless nature helps provide a more distinct character that differentiates this material from the standard fare. A mix of tempos and rhythms ranging from funereal death marches to quick, thrashy stampedes threatens the listener with uneven pacing, but also potentially allows Humanity Defiled to move dynamically between movements. Either way, there’s no denying Iwein understands his references and generally knows how to inject his own personality into what are essentially variations on classic death metal templates.

Proof that what ain’t broken needs no fixing, opening stompers “March of the Euthanized” and “Genocide Stigmata” march Deficient Breed into an alternate universe where Bolt Thrower and Scalpture wrote about societal collapse, mental illness, and the worst aspects of human nature, and it works. These riffs, while somewhat derivative, contain the weight of the world within them, and Humanity Defiled wields them well. A greater presence of hardcore passion, delivered in part via guest vocals by Frank Boone on the first track, further invigorate this opening act. Other album highlights like the fiery “Unyielding Opposition” and the vicious “Empire of One” prove that Iwein can handle serious speed just as deftly as he does his preferred mid-paced trot. These two blistering numbers in particular are especially important in the track order as well, as they break up the doom and gloom of slower, thicker cuts such as “Blackened Mind” and “Trigger Warning.” In other areas, touches of screamo and hardcore punk vocals strengthen tracks like “Blackened Mind” and “The Curse of the Self” (courtesy of Pieter Dewulf and Davy Beeckman plus Angelo Atmani, respectively), contributing something more emotionally charged and compelling than the typical death metal blueprint allows.

Yet, Humanity Defiled doesn’t escape the shadow of their inspirations as stealthily as they did on The Demise of the Sane. While the elemental building blocks of this record’s riffs, solos, and drumming worship the ways of olde just as devoutly as previous output did, more vivacious deviations from that influence—whether that be a discordant flourish here or a unexpected beat transition there—elevated past material further than what’s present on Deficient Breed. “March of the Euthanized,” “The Curse of the Self,” and “Erode and Dissolve,” for example, make for easily headbangable tunes, but as I listen to them I find myself asking where that compelling, singular Humanity Defiled flavor went. Feeling the need to ask that question takes me out of immersion and makes it difficult to commit these songs to memory. Meanwhile, the bloated “Trigger Warning” sounds tired and weary, moving with a lackluster energy that saps a lot of momentum away from the rest of the record. Deficient Breed may be well organized overall, but these drawbacks cause thirty-five minutes of admirably stripped-down death to feel like a difficult fifty minutes, particularly on focused spins.

Ultimately, your mileage may vary with Deficient Breed. I still believe Humanity Defiled have the chops to deliver something greater than cookie-cutter, old school death metal, but Deficient Breed doesn’t always meet that standard. If you aren’t too picky, or if you have a strong preference for this style, Deficient Breed should hit the spot. Otherwise, there’s a chance Deficient Breed might not be sufficient to slake your thirst.

Rating: Mixed.
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self Released
Websites: facebook.com/humanitydefiled | humanitydefiled.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: May 31st, 2024

#25 #2024 #Asphyx #BelgianMetal #BoltThrower #DeathMetal #DeficientBreed #Headshrinker #HumanityDefiled #May24 #OSDM #Review #Reviews #Scalpture #SelfRelease

At the Plates – Omnivore Review

By Steel Druhm

2024 is off to an interesting start for Steel! I grabbed the promo for Virginia’s At the Plates because it promised adventurous death metal, and I mistakenly assumed the album had something to do with lifting and gyming due to the moniker. I was wrong. At the Plates is a novel little act pushing a healthy eating theme and advocating for smart food choices. Sophomore outing Omnivore is, at its heart, a very inventive and entertaining blend of death metal styles, flashing Gothenburg melodeath alongside uglier Floridian and New York caveman stomping, early Carcass grinding, and the fiery technicality of Revocation and Arsis. While the lyrics are tongue-in-cheek lessons on the dangers of certain foods and food addiction, the music is anything but lighthearted. In fact, at times this thing reminds me a lot of Headshrinker’s massive and harrowing Callous Indifference opus. Talk about a weird duck with a vicious bite! There’s a lot is going on here, so let’s sink our teeth into this warped hot pocket.

Early into opener “With Their Cutlets” it becomes crystal clear that the gents in At the Plates are very talented and unafraid to push the envelope musically. The song starts with a very dark, foreboding atmosphere, more black metal than anything, but things soon slip into brutal death blastery with wildly corkscrewing riffs and infectious energy bearing traces of the 90s Gothenburg sound. It’s an effective introduction and leaves quite an impression. Things get plenty wild and strange from there. Both “Kitchen Gone” and “Punish My Waistline” are heavy, bruising blends of melodeath, real death, and blackened elements with slick, memorable riffwork and wild ideas. The high point arrives with the 7-plus minute grand buffet of “Terminal Filet Disease” which rocks Dark Tranquillity’s cold, isolating vibe and shifts fluidly between beautiful and ugly moments as it races this way and that in frantic fashion. That aforementioned Headshrinker vibe slithers through the song, giving it a hard, edgy vibe and it’s tough to resist what At the Plates are doing here.

Another big moment hits with “Roastwell 47” which sounds like Dark Tranquillity attempting Stockholm Swedeath (so basically Grand Cadaver). The thrashing, blistering fury here is grand fun and the song sells itself on first spin. Other choice cuts like “Open Buffet Surgery” and “Incanted Syrup Abuse” introduce grindy elements that smack of early Carcass, and Macabre, and the band handles the style quite well. Are there any burned or flavorless bits? No, though the album is padded out with 2 interludes that take away from the album’s hyperactive momentum. There’s some bloat as well, with “Terminal Filet Disease” and closer “Northern Frites” both running a bit too long. That said, the 47 minutes here are inspired and never less than interesting and entertaining.

I’m quite impressed by the talent of the members. Anthony Rouse handles bass, drums and contributes to the guitar work, and it’s this latter feature that really shines. Rouse and Tyler McCarthy rip things up from start to finish with top-notch playing that travels across the extreme metal spectrum. There are many memorable moments to be found here and some of the riffs they toss off are pure gold. Mario Pareja-Lecaros’ vocals are spicy and toothsome, frequently reminding of Mikael Stanne while also offering more extreme varieties of death noise. The writing is generally tight and well-conceived, despite some hokey, goofy lyrics and a tendency to attempt too many things in every song, which at times can work against them.

I admit I wasn’t expecting a whole Hell of a lot from a diet-themed death metal album, but Omnivore is more entertaining than it has a right to be. At the Plates have a cool, captivating style that could develop into something quite husky if fed and watered properly. Some flaws take it from a very good outing to a good one, but the high points are quite high indeed and the overall product is pretty damn cool. This is a band to watch and one to listen to if you want your New Year’s resolutions for a healthy lifestyle to last past January. Eat to live. Don’t live to eat!

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Release
Websites: attheplates.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/atxthexplates
Releases Worldwide: January 5th, 2024

#2024 #30 #AmericanMetal #Arsis #AtThePlates #Carcass #DarkTranquillity #DeathMetal #Headshrinker #Jan24 #Omnivore #Revocation #SelfRelease