MARK MY WORDS THE GATEKEEPER MUSIC REVIEWS; DIPLOID, WARRIOR POPE, ROT COVEN, ZUBZERO, BENTHAM'S HEAD, VICTIM PATH, IALDABAOTH, CAVALERA/EMBURY, AND NEPHALEM
(I believe this because I AM THE GATEKEEPER)
THESE ARE MY STRAIGHT TO YOUR FACE REVIEWS, AGREE OR DON'T I DON'T GIVE TWO SHITS IF YOUR TASTE IS POOR.
I AM SHORT ON TIME AND PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS SHITE.
DIPLOID-MANTRA (EP)
Grindcore/Hardcore/Noise
Doom/Stoner/Post-Metal
ROT COVEN-
Nightmares Devour the Waking World: Phase I + Phase II
In 2020, I adored Mellified Man-a sensational Blackened Doom masterpiece. So we loved to hear the new chapter, and band states:
It's a history of the Cadaver Synod told in metal. Written and honed gigging 2023, recorded over 3 days in the live room of our practice space in 2024, then mixed very slowly over the rest of the year. This album is the result of post pandemic lockdown reconstruction, new members, wikipedia rabbithole theme, and a buncha miserable riffs from sitting on the sofa with an acoustic bass and fuck all to do. Professor Mike Bishop of Kepone and GWAR kindly contributed some spoken word which is incredibly exciting.
What I love is the gritty style they excel at-yes it dips into hippy prog and wild wigouts-but always is crushing. UK Doom is king, like Conan it has less pretense and more mountainous AUDIO ABUSE. There is some clever saxophone at times, spoken word and a wild rhythmic section, acidic riffs and hectic vocals.
The pace is what one expects from this stoner doom band, but the depth and weirdness in each song are glorious. Go buy this and I promise each listen will bring you gifts if you love thee riff.
ROT COVEN-
Nightmares Devour the Waking World: Phase I + Phase II
(ALBUM)
Industrial/Doom/Death
The Band said:
Two discs of absolutely fucked noise doom for fan of SWANS, HALO, No Trend, Bastard Noise, Godflesh, Flipper, Pain Teens, Abruptum, Khanate, Throbbing Gristle, SPK, and other dwellers of the great celestial junkyard... Phase 1 (first 5 tracks) is our first album from 2023, Phase 2 (last three tracks) is our newest album from 2024. And this is correct...and psychotically brilliant. YES IT'S FROM 2023/2024, SO FUCKING WHAT. It literally pours corrosive acid on 99.9% of the releases from that entire period. This is an uncompromising, mechanical end-of-times apocalyptic soundtrack. Hellish, distress-inducing, a truly harrowing listen from start to end. I loved every second of it. Tons of grim, atmospheric tone in the drone/noise-driven experimental form that Rot Coven masterfully create. I worship music that begs me to watch against some creepy black and white cult film. And how wild and stunning is the cover art-astounding and utterly fits the music. The shortest track is just under 5 mins and the longest at 19:42 mins. Value for money by a mile if you appreciate true artisans of underground music. This is breathtaking and exalted work by Rot Coven. Buy it or may evil clowns haunt your sleep forever!!!.
ZUBZERO-PERVERSEVERANCE (EP)
Hardcore/Metal
Besides the interesting album title, this is masterful nasty hardcore very much in the style of Merauder, Madball, Agnostic Front(metallic albums) and Old School Death metal. It rips because every track is a classic, the songs are written for maximum mosh value, and the guitar tone is as heavy as the maddened vocals. I love how the vocals are tough-guy hardcore mixed with death metal, even some frequent pig squeals that work perfectly. These are FOUR SOLID TRACKS THAT DEMAND REPEAT PLAYING. THANK FUCK FOR HARDCORE FREE OF ALL THAT TRENDY BULLSHIT. Zubzero does hardcore the right way; they have that metal influence strongly embedded with even a groove metal flair. This RIPS!.
BENTHAM'S HEAD-BLOOD, SALT AND ASH (ALBUM)
SLUDGE/METAL/KINDA PROG/BLACK METAL
Again late mail on this, but don't want you to miss this brilliant debut. We are talking one of the more intelligent and clever metal releases I have heard in ages. But not clever in terms of being boring like most tech death albums. The vocals have so much variety and skill, and the whole record is a wild mood piece. This is clearly underpinned by the band being brilliant musos who play and obviously record as a tight unit. Not a dull moment on this, even on the sludgy/doom moments-you never know what is coming next. Smashing debut, full of vigour and headbanging smarts.
CHECK THEM LIVE AND ENJOY THIS DAZZLING ALBUM.
VICTIM PATH-LOST IN STELLAR DUST (ALBUM)
DEPRESSIVE BLACK METAL
Killer Depressive Black Metal, now did you think only Behemoth made awesome and dark metal(ok well they used to,lol) from Poland-wake up and smell the flesh burning, you heathen!. Jokes aside, Victim Path produce a positively grim beast of an album. Moody as hell, and even has that angsty raw punk vibe at times. The playing is solid, drums and riffs dominate and the tempo is varied across the release. Victim Path crams so much into most tracks and the album is a really solid journey of morbid pleasure. Worth your time and sacrificial burnings.Bleakly dynamic and suffocating in the best manner possible.
IALDABAOTH-G.O.A.T. / S.C.A.P.E.(ALBUM)
OLDSCHOOL BLACK METAL/DEATH METAL
If you are a fan of old black metal recordings, you'll dig this-beneath the mud and distortion there is some great old school black metal. But personally that's what put me off many of the classics, shoddy recordings sounded like they were recorded in a toilet. Park those criticisms aside as well as the very subpar album cover, this compilation of various tracks is heavy as hell and does what proper black metal should do; be grim, unsettling and distressful. This album does this exceptionally well; the riffs are deeply primitive and acrid. It's not technical, but thrives in the raw Norwegian style it is deeply a part of. Vocals are decent, but the whole package suffers from very average production/mastering. Would love to hear a better produced product by this band. But the potential is huge on this.
CAVALERA/EMBURY-Neon Gods / Own Your Darkness (EP)
DARK AMBIENT/NOISE
BIO/SPIEL;
SPOT ON press snippet, from one of my fave labels, the sick as hell Cold Spring Label. Two tracks make up this magical noise/dark ambient masterpiece and maybe you know of Shane's brilliant work on Dark Sky Burial-but this is it's own beast. The harsh tracks take up 34 minutes, so stop complaining. If you aren't of a sound mind, this release may not be your jam or given some lame journos reviews those with narrow minds can also fuck right off. Don't expect this to remotely be anything related to their various god-tier bands. FFS, this a dark ambient/noise release-it's about creating a psychotic and messy atmosphere and not following traditional song structure. The hum of imaginary machinery and the static of rich synth and drone is rewarding as it beckons the listener to focus and become part of the experience. Both tracks are luscious, demented and majestic in their slow unraveling of your psyche. Brilliant release.
NEPHALEM-NEPHALISM (ALBUM)
BLACKENED HARDCORE/PUNK
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