Extol - Extol (2013)

Music is always evolving.  Music is ever changing.  Music doesn't sit still and rest on its laurels, because music is a constantly moving target, with a new generation of musicians coming up and making waves, writing music and distilling their influences in new and interesting ways.  Not everyone understands this, however, and some people decry a musician (or collective thereof) for changing styles, sounds, aesthetic or production values, or even minor elements that aren't to the liking of said fan or critic.  Music is, however, art, and whether or not the changes that take place are ultimately positive should not be gauged by how much fans buy a new record, but whether an artist or band sees the shift as artistically successful.

Extol is a band that has seen its fair share of complaining fans due to a shift in style or approach.  Some fans didn't like the slight shift from "Burial" to "Undeceived" from a somewhat melodic black metal focus to a more progressive death metal one, even though the stylistic differences between the albums are relatively few.  A bigger shift occurred from that record to "Synergy", a conscious move toward a highly technical thrash metal style with harsh vocals that mirrored the band Believer, one that Extol had long been known to be fans of.  Even greater change came when guitarist Ole Børud left the band in 2004 and the sound changed again to a post-hardcore influenced alternative metal sort of vibe that, though still dark and brooding, was too much a change in sound for many fans to swallow.  Less than 2 years after the album's failure to catch fire and the fan backlash surrounding the change in styles, the group went on indefinite hiatus, and the possibility of Extol regrouping became more slight with each passing year.

A glimmer of hope was offered when a teaser for a documentary about Extol (subtitled "of light and shade") appeared online, and fans began to speculate whether this was a hint that Extol was reuniting or that it was indeed just a documentary.  The latter turned out to be the case, but little did most fans know that the band had actually reformed (sans a couple members) and had begun writing new music.  Vocalist Peter Espevol, Drummer David Husvik and Guitarist Ole Børud were writing music together once again, and once word got out that a new album was in the works, Extol fans wondered if the album would be a continuation of the dark & broody post-hardcore rock/metal of "The Blueprint Dives", a return to the earlier technical melodic death metal of early albums, or perhaps somewhere in the middle, like what Ole and others did with the Mantric project.  Thankfully, the answer is none of those, and instead, we get the eponymous "Extol" album to answer the question definitely on its own merits.

I would say that, musically, this is still Melodic Death Metal in form and scope, though it sort of rides the line between what I would call melodic death metal and what I would instead constitute as either extreme progressive metal, or some hybrid of progressive and death metal styles.  There are fast double-bass sections, heavy and driving guitars, death growl vocals, and plenty of up-tempo rhythms to bang your head to, but there are more layers to this new album that make it difficult to pin down by simply calling it "melodic death metal", because that tag doesn't do the sound of this album justice.  The heaviness factor is there, but the sound is so melodic, and at times so "clean" sounding that it's almost a misnomer to call it death metal at all.  It reminds me of Monolith's 2 albums (especially "Voyager") or the lone In Grief album "Deserted Soul" because it successfully marries a very modern, heavy death metal sound with progressive structures and other elements in such a way that it's hardly death metal at all, yet there's no denying how heavy the record is.  The interplay between heavier elements and sparser bits is part of what makes the album so exciting.

In terms of instrumentation, there's no mistaking the guitar presence of Ole Børud at the helm again, and this is a good thing.  His highly melodic playing is very recognizable, and with his departure after "Synergy", it was obvious on "The Blueprint Dives" that he was absent, both due to the tone of the material, as well as the guitar sound.  While the guitars on "Extol" may not be quite as brutal as the 1st 2 albums, they come pretty close, having that sound that blends the thick and meaty tone with the clarity and precision that Extol's sound had become known for.  Ole's solos are also here in some quantity, and they're as melodic and tuneful as ever.  Bass guitar is also present in the mix and audible as much as it can be alongside the guitar, though it's pretty deep and "boomy", in that it is less recognizable as an individual element as it is backdrop.  Since Ole plays both, it makes sense that he'd want the guitar at the forefront and bass in behind a bit, and it works well here.  There are times when the bass guitar does have a bit more tuneful presentation, like in some of the more nimble passages where there are more notes being played, but often during faster sections, the bass is relegated to the back.  Drumming by David Husvik is excellent as always, incorporating necessary dynamics, and keeping the tempo where it needs to be to propel the music forward.  The drum sound here is especially good, with very clear, yet powerful drum hits and a reasonably strong snare drum sound that isn't too high pitched but remains "punchy".

Vocally, the album has 3 different styles.  Primarily, you have Peter Espevoll's mid-range growl which occasionally creeps up toward the higher pitched shriek he employed early on, and sometimes it will dip a bit lower into a more low end growl, but never so high or low that it sounds like someone else.  Ole Børud continues to provide the clean vocals as he did on the band's 1st 2 albums, and here it's a bit different approach.  He layers the vocals here multiple times, and there's a bit of a "sheen" over top of them that gives them a very modern, processed feel.  Not so much where they sound auto-tuned, but just more produced than before.  This has been a complaint from some fans about the new album, but honestly, I think it sounds great, and I'm just glad to have Ole back in fine form.  The 3rd, less often used vocal is more of a Kurt Bachman-esque throaty yell (ala Believer), which shows up in a couple tracks and is used to great effect.  Overall, the vocals on the album are well done and definitely sound like the Extol most fans are familiar with.

The thing that makes this record so listenable is just how it's all so pristine and produced.  For those that like their death metal "dirty" and "filthy" sounding, they'll need to look elsewhere, because this is nothing of the sort.  Instead, like a lot of modern death metal, this has a nice polish and shine to it, to the point where the heaviness is slightly diminished, but not so much as to make the album sound "wimpy".  Rather, it allows the full spectrum of elements to be heard clearly, so between the heavy guitar, thumping bass, crisp drums, layered vocals, and keyboards sprinkled about, everything is clear and present.  Nothing hides in the mix, which makes the whole thing sound really big and full.  The melodies are also very memorable in comparison to a lot of other bands that play a melodic death metal style.  If you're going to sacrifice grit, grime, and overall heaviness for the polished sound, make sure it's memorable, and these guys do just that.  Apart from the overly simplified melody of the instrumental track "Dawn of Redemption", this album has no shortage of sharp melodicism.

I don't really have any complaints of the album, other than I understand why some don't care for Ole's "super clean" processed vocal approach, and it would have been nice if the sound of the album could have been just a teensy bit heavier to match the heaviness factor of the 1st 2 records.  Save for those minor wish list items, this is quite possibly Extol's finest hour.  I've spun this album countless times over the last several weeks, and if I had a CD player in my car at this point, it'd still be in heavy rotation there as well.  This is one of those albums that will continue to play in my head for days after I've listened to it, and that's a sign of a well written album and batch of songs.  So while it may not be as heavy or blistering as either "Burial" or "Undeceived", I find myself going back to this album even more often than the previous works, and that's coming from a guy that has purchased much of their material as new releases.  This is a triumphant return for Extol, and I look forward to hearing what they do next, assuming this regrouping is more than just a one-off album.  Let's hope so, because this is far too good not to expound upon with future material.  Highly recommended.

90/100

Drottnar - Stratum (2013)

When I was a kid, it was common to see a new record from many bands each year.  With the music industry in what was probably the height of its reign, bands almost had to do so in order to keep themselves relevant, keep new product available, singles on the radio, and keep the tour buses rolling.  Artists who spent years away in between albums either had to rely on a rabid fan base, or just be THAT GOOD, where it didn't matter how long they'd been away - fans were going to eat up whatever they put out.  Today's modern music "industry" landscape is much different.  With the internet allowing bands to connect directly with and market to fans, long stints between albums is no longer a factor, other than the usual "Musical ADD" that some folks have.

I don't think Drottnar has that problem, in part because their music is niche enough to escape the attention of the crop of folks that would suffer from that "Musical ADD".  And to, Drottnar's music has become a unique enough beast that, even if others were copying what they were doing, there's still no substitute for the genuine article.  So while fans who dug the limited release "Anamorphosis" EP (good little release) may have thought 3 years was a long time to wait for the unexpected shift toward the self-dubbed "bunker metal" of "Welterwerk", imagine how much agony those same fans were in during the 6-year wait between that album and this new release, "Stratum"!  Suffice to say, I think the wait was worth it.

Much like its predecessor, "Stratum" is a difficult album to penetrate at first.  There is the standard instant gratification of much metal, in that it's an immediately visceral and intense experience, with grinding guitars, pounding drums, fast riffing, thumping bass, and vocals that could peel the paint off your house.  But beneath the surface, there's a lot going on, and if you're not listening closely enough, you'll miss it.  That's because this is no longer the primitive black metal sound the band was playing on early demos, or even the slightly more tuneful stuff on "Anamorphosis".  No, friends, this is music that requires time and attention to appreciate fully.  And it's time you'll want to invest, because this is a worthwhile conquest.

Right away it's evident that the album, on the whole, is a bit more straightforward than "Welterwerk", at least in terms of the songs.  There are fewer bits that seem to meander, and most of the songs are well constructed and get to the point soon enough, and then don't wander off into aimless territory toward the end like a couple tracks on "Welterwerk" that went on too long.  This is a more refined Drottnar, and for the better.  You may also notice that this album hits harder immediately and sounds heavier, in part because it's louder.  This album isn't going to win the "loudness war" going on in modern metal, however, because it's still easy to get separation of instruments and hear what's going on.  You just won't have to crank up the stereo quite as much before you get the "Memorex" effect of being blown away by it all.

The guitar sound is quite similar to "Welterwerk", in that it mirrors that slightly thinner black metal sound and feel, having more in common with dark thrash than death metal.  The distortion isn't as chunky as you might expect, but the effect is no less scathing, as the riffing and guitar tone still combine to create a heavy experience.  The riffs employ a lot of dissonant and dis-harmonic sounds, much like the previous album, so that adds to the overall atmosphere of the album.  Bass guitar is evident, and provides a nice thump behind the guitar tone, occasionally doing enough of its own thing to prompt you to listen specifically to the bass.  Drums sound great here, with a nice "thumpy" bass drum sound (as opposed to the overly "clicky" sound on many albums), and a snappy snare tone.  Between the slow, groove-based drumming, the blast beats, and the various fills and rolls provided due to the use of odd time signatures, the drum work rarely gets stale or uninteresting.  Vocally, Sven-Erik Lind sounds much as he did on "Welterwerk", with that piercing, raspy black metal styled shriek he has employed.  For those that think there isn't much expression or range in a vocal like that, this album is a good example of how that's just not true - plenty of inflection, emotion, and "vocal shaping" are employed here to great effect.  There are also a handful of moments where choir vocals are used for a bit of atmosphere - it's subtle and not overdone, so it works well here.

In terms of the album as a whole, it's a frenetic experience, from the opening chords of "We March" and the twisting, winding guitar lines of "Cul-De-Sac" (an ironic song title, to be sure), through the album's centerpiece tracks "Soul Suburbia", with its almost movement-like structure, and "Seven Suns Shining" with its odd timed groove and excellent riffing.  On the back side of the experience, the intensity of "Ersatz" and winding sound of "Wolves and Lambs" cap things off nicely.  There's barely a respite moment between songs, either, as many tracks flow right into each other (best exemplified by the lack of a pause between "Lucid Stratum" and "Ersatz"), so aside from a couple spots where the tempo slows for effect, the album doesn't really let up until the final moments of "Wolves and Lambs".  The experience of listening to the album is intense, and after just 38 minutes, you feel as though the journey was longer than that, because it's exhausting and exhilarating at once.

My biggest complaints with the album are minor, but worth mentioning.  As I just mentioned, the album is only 38 minutes long.  A 6-year wait and only 38 minutes?  This is partially muted because the quality of the material is high, and because it means the transition to vinyl is easier (which I plan to take advantage of), but still, it's a little thin.  In addition, the aforementioned lack of transition between tracks can occasionally be confusing, because unless you're paying attention to what track is playing, you may not even realize that you've just listened to 3 songs in a row, rather than 1 really long song.  After repeated listens, this diminishes some, as you begin to learn the songs as slightly more individual entities versus one large blur, but it's still a minor complaint.  Perhaps also worth mentioning is the artwork - the gas mask trope has been overdone in modern metal and rock, and while it's more relevant with Drottnar (because gas masks are a part of their stage presence), it still feels a little "phoned in", like they should have done something a bit more creative than a simple black and white photo with somebody wearing a gas mask, even if it does slightly illustrate the stark and cold nature of the music.

Even with those complaints, I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album over the last several weeks, and imagine I'll come back to it more than "Welterwerk", which I think is the indicator that matters most.  "Welterwerk" at times left me cold, not wanting more, but a little confused as to what they were doing.  "Stratum", on the other hand, is a much more focused and effective distillation of the so-called "bunker metal" sound Drottnar have developed, and these songs have thus far impacted me more than any on its predecessor.  That's progress, and that's why I think this is not only the best thing they've done so far, but also a great jumping-off point for the band to really go places.  Bravo to the band for their best album so far, and here's hoping the next one doesn't take 6 years to make.  Recommended.

85/100

In Grief - Deserted Soul (2009)

Uniqueness is something that is often lost in the musical landscape. Pop acts constantly rip each other off, as well as all those that came before. Rock & roll, country, metal - it's the same in every genre. The differences are much more subtle sometimes, but bands try to put their own "stamp" on the music, even if what they're doing has been done to death already. The treat is when a band comes along and does something, that, though they bear similarities to what's come before them, they put enough of their own "stamp" on the formula or genre aesthetic to say they're doing something new or unique. Norway's In Grief may not be the most original band out there, but they are putting a semi-unique stamp on the death metal sound.

What In Grief does have that makes them stand out is a superb debut that combines all the right elements with such balance, style and panache that you wonder what woodwork they came out of. These guys are incredibly tight, have a distinctive sound that reveals more elements with repeated listens, and ultimately, comes up with a debut release that stands out from the crowd because of its sheer quality and listenability. That doesn't mean this is a "fluffy" record; far from it. It's not an immediate album, and it takes several listens to truly pay off. However, there are elements from the first listen that will reward listeners, and the rewards continue as more time is devoted to the album.

With the amount of near-hyperbole I just spouted, it must be said that intro track "Darkening Horizon" is a bit of a generic, quasi-"cinematic" intro, not unlike the atmospheric intro to any melodic death or symphonic metal album. The difference here is that it's not all that distinctive. It's just keyboard atmospherics, symphonic drum/cymbal work (complete with big cymbal crashes & timpani), and the like. It's not a throwaway track, per se, but compared to what follows it, or compared to some of the heavyweights of bombastic, symphonic album intros (Rhapsody, Bal-Sagoth), this is a bit tame. Still, I'm guessing understated is what the band was intending, so it works for what it is. The intro fades gently into "I Am", with some nice keyboard atmospherics, clean guitar, light cymbal touches, and an interesting effect that sounds like burning fire, and screaming voices in the background. Then the music picks up a bit with more drum & cymbal work, no more fire effect, and just builds from there to fade in a heavily distorted guitar sound in the mix. When the song kicks in near the 1:30 mark, you know you're in for a melodic death metal treat. The riffing isn't overly complex, but it shows the proficiency of the players, and the lightly effecte vocals work well. I like the "phased" guitar grind that presents after the primary verse section. The chorus has a nice layering of death vocals and a low-end clean vocal that sounds as though it's "off in the distance". The 2nd verse has a great layered death vocal effect that sounds like it's double-tracked, but one of the tracks is highly effected, giving it a nice sci-fi type of feel. The song circles back to the intro riff again with a nice high-pitched keyboard sound and winding riff, then down to a semi-spoken word bridge with driving riff and some nice atmospheric elements in behind. The keyboard solo that follows is great; very subtle at the start, then increasing in complexity and retaining a nice melodic quality. There is some great double-bass and cymbal work going on here, and then a great guitar solo with some wah-wah effect and a lot of melodic elements to it. We are treated to the "phased" grinding guitar sound near the close of the song as the death vocals bring us back to the sound of fire with a thunderous blast and a brief fade-out. "Invited War" starts with the sound of a car starting, some interesting atmospherics, an explosion sound, people screaming in the background, and a distorted voice singing a middle-eastern melody briefly before the guitar, drums, bass and keyboard come storming in arond the 30-second mark. The riff here is great; it's very rhythmic in nature, and the atmospheric keyboard complements it well. A bit of complexity added to the riff after the initial piece, followed by a fade-in of death vocals into the verse. The slight echo effect on the vocals is a nice touch, and the double-tracked vocals in some spots works well. The clean vocals are nicely layered w/ a subtle death vocal in the chorus, and sounds great against the backdrop of melodic crunching metal. Keyboard atmospherics continue to play a subtle part here, and become a key element of the sound. The riffing changes slightly nearing the 3-minute mark to a very melodic riff, then back into the melodic chorus. There's a nice instrumental section with a simple, yet effective riff, and some good keyboard elements being thrown in before introducing the guitar solo. The solo is great, combining the right balance of speedy picking, melodicism, and just overall technicality. The speed picks up a bit for a short spell nearing the 5-minute mark, then slows back down again to allow the solo to flash out a bit before going back to the clean-sung chorus. One final verse section to another chorus (with heavily effected vocals) and some nicely layered death vocals to bring the song to a close over the chunky intro riff again.

"Modern Truth" begins with a ticking clock sound, and radio static as the clean guitar and keyboard sounds fade in during the first 40 seconds. Then things pick up with double-bass pounding, bass guitar, and heavy riffing. Then nearing the 1-minute mark, we get some nice speedy solo picking and some "big" keyboard sounds in the background. The riffs here are very thick, and sound great against the rest of the instrumental backdrop. Suddenly the riffing stops, returns to a cleanly picked guitar and atmospheric keyboard sound again, picks up to riffing again just after the 2-minute mark with death vocals in tow. The riffing & sound here is highly melodic, but retains the heaviness and power that death metal should have. I like the layering of the crunchy riffing here with the high-pitched picking for the chorus; it gives it that touch of extra melody. Then it comes down again to the clean guitar & keyboard atmospherics for a few respite measures until fading in the snare drum to a full-blast heavy verse again. After a 2nd run through the chorus we are treated to a crunchy bridge with a "single syllable" vocal delivery where each measure may have only 2 words or syllables grunted/growled over the riffing. Then back to the melodic chorus again with added keyboard. The melodic riffing & keyboard atmospherics continues with double-bass & great cymbal work to finish out the song. The title track "Deserted Soul" has a real science fiction feel to it, beginning with some interesting atmospheric effects, then very quickly into off-kilter rhythmic guitar riffing and "80's sci-fi" keyboard atmospherics. The drum work keeps time very well here, and helps to move things along. The verse is heavy and driving, and has a nice combination of drum work, guitar riffing, keyboard effects, and vocals. The chorus has a subtly layered clean vocal that is well harmonized, and an added death growl for contrast. I like the rhythmic riffing after the chorus and the nice keyboard sound that accompanies that. The "punchy" snare sound is great here as well. After the 2nd verse and chorus there is a stunning keyboard solo that has a bit of a Dream Theater-like quality to it, but retains its own identity. Another run through the chorus, and a return to the "sci-fi" sounds and atmospherics to close out the song.

"In the End" begins with a nice "hum" sound in the background, and nicely picked clean guitar rhythm, and a bit of a "bass hum" underneath it all. The keyboard atmospherics are very subtle, but add a nice texture. Nearing the 1-minute mark the metal kicks in w/ a nice melodic riff, cool keyboard line and a long death growl. The riffing changes slightly to a real chunky thing w/ some cool keyboard effects & some nice double-bass & cymbal work leading into the verse, which takes things back down to clean guitar, keyboard, subtle bass guitar, and some nice drum/cymbal work. The vocals are semi-spoken word, then into death vocals as the pre-chorus blows in w/ heavy riffing, double-bass and full-speed instrumentation. The chorus is melodic, and has a nice guitar sound/feel to it. The lick at the end of the chorus is very melodic, and leads back to a heavy 2nd verse. There's a bit of layered clean vocals at the end of the verse that have this "background" feel to them that is nice, and gives a bit of atmospheric touch. Once again we have a super-melodic chorus, and the melodic lick at the end, transitioning into a melodic bridge, then into a contrasting moment of quiet piano w/ sound effects of burning fire & people screaming (like in "I Am"). Great solo work right after the piano interlude as well, with very melodic lines, some great harmonized dual-guitar lead work, and just overall fitting lead playing. More great drumming & riffing going on here as well, adding the perfect backdrop for the leads as they're picked out. This transitions back into the melodic chorus riff again for a few measures, then into the actual chorus again nearing the last minute of the song. The melodic post-chorus lick returns to help close things out, with the keyboard lending a hand mimicking the guitar lick as the song winds down to the end w/ the sound of rain. The final track, "Weak" opens with a nice bass hum, interesting keyboard sounds, and a dark atmospheric sound that reminds one of the more intense parts of a Role Playing Game like Final Fantasy or something of that ilk. Then comes a deep spoken voice and some symphonic elements like cymbal crashing, timpani rolls, and keyboard sounds that mimic a choir. At about the 1-minute mark the metal comes roaring in, with a plodding double-bass rhythm quickly turning to double-time, melodic riffing that turns into fast crunchy riffing, and keyboards that go from light & airy to brooding. Things stay heavy yet melodic as the verse kicks in with layered death vocals, good drum work, and then into a highly melodic chorus with cleanly sung vocals that have a slightly "distant" feel to them, and a bit of layering for effect. The post-chorus transition is great with melodic riffing, nice keyboard sounds, and great drumming. The 2nd verse has chunky riffing, and layered extreme vocals that have a nice effect. The subtle low-end death vocal underscoring the guitar lick after the 2nd chorus is a cool effect, and sounds great in headphones. Then some great guitar & keyboard dual soloing happens, and gives way to a full-on keyboard solo, then melodic guitar solo at around 6 minutes. This fades out to a soft keyboard backdrop & back to the symphonic elements present in the intro track "Darkening Horizon" before the heaviness returns with melody in tow. This ties together well with the intro, and brings the album full circle in a sense. Near the 8-minute mark we're back to a verse, with a higher-pitched extreme vocal, reminding almost of a symphonic black metal kind of feel, which works well here. More nice soloing shows up in the last minute of the song, bringing things melodically & technically to showcase the players' abilities right up to the end, then a sudden stop.

In Grief hasn't created a unique recipe here. What they have done is taken all the right elements of progressive and melodic death metal & put just enough of their own spice & flavoring on it to make it a different dish. It doesn't have to be wholly unique because it does enough on its own to stand on its own. My only qualms are rather slight. The editing of the tracks seems a bit lazy, as there's a lot of "white space" at the end of each track, and there are a couple instances where it seems like there's "tape cut" noise after the track is done or into the next track, as if this were still a demo. The production quality elsewhere is fantastic, so this was likely an oversight. My other complaint is that in the layering of the instrumentation, there are times I feel the vocals are a tad buried in the mix. It's not a huge concern, but there are times when I wish I could hear the vocals more. Otherwise, the mix is great - not too compressed, but still with power. Also, it's heavy without being overbearing, and melodic without losing the crunch factor that death metal should have. In short, this is overall a well-produced effort. I can't say they sound like anyone else, though comparisons have been made to Opeth, Soilwork, Amon Amarth, and Katatonia. They don't really sound like any of those bands, per se, but those are touchstones. If you like progressive extreme metal, melodic death metal, or just extreme metal in general, this is a release you should not pass up. Highly recommended.

90/100

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