Adam's Quarterly Review (Jan - Mar 2020)

It has been one hell of a year so far, and not in a good way. It's hard to be optimistic, and not just here in the United States. Around the world economies are crumbling, diseases are rapidly spreading, and morale is low. As this is being written, the world is under lockdown in an attempt to contain COVID-19 before it spreads to every living person on this planet. As a university student, I have returned home, and am continuing to complete my courses virtually. Without going on too much of a tangent, I am nowhere near as proficient in learning over a computer as I am in any classroom setting, and my many mental illnesses have hijacked my psyche in an attempt to console the rapid decline the world is heading in. Now, where has this led me to? You guessed it! Music! But, there must be an explanation regarding the last month of invisibility from this organization. As it stands, it is difficult to maintain this blog with our busy schedules and a lack of motivation across the board. But you, my dear reader, are in luck! Seeing as I am listening to music much more than I probably ever have, I have finally mustered the motivation to create more for this blog. Unlike the posts I made earlier in the year, I am not going to apologize for the lack of content in the last month. Personal health is much more important to me than sitting down and writing here, and therefore due to these factors, I have been unable to write much. But here we are, in the midst of what may become the deadliest pandemic the world has ever seen (at this point, this isn't true, but these things are extremely unpredictable), and I have a lot of hours under my belt of music that has not been talked about. So, I am just going to jump into this. I'm not one for long intros anyway. This is the Quarterly Review, where we are going to look back at the past 3 months of music and talk about my highlights of each. I will be discussing five from each month that have really stuck with me, and continuously come up over and over again in my listening rotations. We had planned to do something like this after every month but as you can tell, this was not the case. So here are albums you have to listen to that came out in the last three months.

January

Snorlax - II (Blackened Death Metal)

It is not often that I enjoy a death metal album this much. II is an unprecedented release for me this year, with its brutal, churning riffs and undeniable heaviness outweighing the competition tenfold. While I will be discussing two other similar releases later on in the list, neither compare to the ferocity of Snorlax's debut release. Playing all positions of the death metal baseball field, tracks like "The Chaos Ov Iron Oppression" and "Mind Ov Maggots" explode in epic climaxes multiple times per song. These come after feedback-laden droning sections provide much-needed breaks from the swirling and chaotic madness that Brendan Auld produces. With six songs of hellish tremolo riffage, pounding drums and vile harsh vocal techniques, this LP's only issue is its runtime being far too short. At just over 23 minutes it deserves a second half, which we can only hope is coming soon. 

Poppy - I Disagree (Alternative Metal/Electropop)

How can I describe Poppy? It's actually difficult. If you took really catchy nu-metal riffs, a young pop star and threw an electronic filter over the entire thing, you'd get I Disagree. It's true that I have not ventured any further down the Poppy rabbit hole, but I don't know if I have to. Each and every song has its place on the record, and for an album that really makes me question if I am a real metalhead, its execution is flawless. Signing with Sumerian Records might've been the best decision of Poppy's career, but it's completely up in the air with what her next sound will be. For now, I love and will continue to adore the aggression and passion put into this project. If you aren't a trve oldhead or someone so deep in the modern underground that a clean vocal actually makes you physically cringe, I guarantee you will enjoy I Disagree.

Sallow Moth - The Larval Hope (Death Metal)

When I first saw the track names on this release, I audibly laughed. All but one are named after Magic: The Gathering cards and myself being a  planeswalker long before a metalhead, I was extremely happy to see the representation the game deserves in a genre of music with infinite potential. Regardless, The Larval Hope is an awesome sci-fi death metal album that is absolutely underrated. I have not seen talk of this release except for one publication, and it's a damn shame. The solo project of Cara Neir's Gary Brents, Sallow Moth's mix of technicality and savagery is nothing new from this genre, yet its perfected maturity is what makes it so strong. While I still hold Snorlax's II in a transcendent light, The Larval Hope is an extremely well performed modern death metal album with just enough uniqueness to make it stand out amongst the pack.

Sea - Impermanence (Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal)

Having the pleasure of seeing Sea live before their debut was an honor. A random post-metal outfit opening for Khemmis really impressed me upon hearing their live performance, so much so that I purchased a t-shirt that I still cherish to this day. Impermanence is so much more than their previous releases though. The melancholic atmospheric sludge created by this Boston four-piece is enchantingly beautiful. Every time I hear "Shrine," I almost burst into tears. The climax of "Ashes" is so quotable that I want to scream along with it every single time. Sea's dynamic shifting on this record is masterful, and the five tracks of emotional pummeling that is handed to the listener over the forty-two-minute runtime are phenomenally brilliant. I cannot wait to see this one on my best of 2020 list.

Nechochwen/Panopticon - Split (Folk/Atmospheric Black Metal)

Veterans of their respective genres, Nechochwen's epic pagan black metal and Panopticon's blend of haunting Americana folk and black metal occupy two sides of the same primal coin. Lyrics about nature, tribalism, and spirituality always provide amazing backgrounds for the beautiful melodic tremolo picking and a plethora of atmospheric blast beats. While both sides are 19 minutes each, they could be no less different. Nechochwen's four tracks fly-by with ferocious pagan black metal, but Panopticon's single track, "Rune's Heart," is a well-paced and methodical listen that completely contrasts songs like "The Megalith" and "The Red Road" that the West Virginia two-piece create. Currently one of my two favorite black metal albums of the year, it will definitely show up later in the year on a certain list.

February

Ainsoph - Ω – V (Post-Hardcore/Metal, Psychadelic Rock)

Debut post-hardcore/post-metal/psychedelic rock three-piece Ainsoph has captured my heart this year with their debut release. Ω – V is a spectacle of modern music, combining so many different styles and techniques that feel so unique and so seamless at the same time. The hypnotic, swirling feeling that overwhelms you when listening to tracks like "Home," "Spiral," and "The Long and Self-Destructive Road" generates such an uncomfortably warm and inviting feeling that I don't get often in the music of this genre. The Dutch really do not pull punches with their aggressive music, as so many artists have released strong music this year, but Ainsoph holds a special place in my heart as the first of the year, and also probably the best. If this album doesn't stick with me to the end of the year, I will give up reviewing forever. Ω – V is simply amazing.

Loathe - I Let It In And It Took Everything (Alternative Metal/Mathcore/Djent)

If you don't like metalcore in any facet, skip this album. If you can tolerate it, however, then join in on the fantastical ride that is I Let It In And It Took Everything. If you like Car Bomb, you will probably like Loathe, as to myself, it seems that the groups are very similar in terms of styles and dynamic shifts. Their only difference is their intensity. Where other groups go uncontrollably hard, Loathe prefers to take the classic metalcore approach, which isn't really an issue as they execute it to the highest echelon. This isn't to say this album doesn't get heavy - it absolutely does - but its quality comes in its brilliant songwriting, pacing, and quantity. Just under 50 minutes, it is a very solid release from this group, and easily the best metalcore release of the year.

Envy - The Fallen Crimson (Screamo/Post-Rock)

I know virtually nothing about screamo. But what I do know is Envy's blend of that genre and post-rock is maybe the most entrancing, beautiful and intriguing genre meld this year. The Japanese six-piece's seventh full length is an intensely passionate fifty four minute rollercoaster ride that jumps from Orchid-esque aggression to God Is An Astronaut-like soundscapes in the blink of an eye. For a group that has been around for 25 years, their sound is one of the most refreshing listens I have heard all year. With the catchiest riffs I have heard this year, The Fallen Crimson is a fantastic example that heaviness doesn't just have to be for metal and its' subgenres; punk and its' babies can have some fun too. All in all, however, this album is stunning in both sides of its sound and proves Envy is an essential member of both genres it occupies.

Xenobiotic - Mordrake (Technical Death Metal/Deathcore)

Deathcore is a genre that I find very little enjoyment in. Yet there are exceptions to everything, and Mordrake is one of those exceptions. I heard the Australian five-piece's debut in 2018, Prometheus, and wrote it off like it was merely another release that was just another brick in the deathcore wall. Upon listening to Mordrake, however, my perspective has changed drastically. Xenobiotic's masterful mix of Archspire-like technical death metal and its father's bastard son with hardcore on both releases has captivated me. I even wrote off this album on first listen, but alas, here I am, giving my full praise to it. Sure, the deathcore chugs can get stale, but everything about this album, similar to the most recent Loathe release, is expertly written and infectious at its core. To me, Mordrake is what deathcore should be, and is, therefore, a step above most everything else in the genre.

Fluisteraars - Bloem (Black Metal)

The next planned review for this site was planned to be for this release, but I am settling for talking about it here. This is my other favorite black metal album of the year and is slowing inching out Nechochwen and Panopticon to make its way to number one. Sonically the most interesting album of the year, Bloem is Fluisteraars perfecting the black metal formula they have culminated over the last decade. The hypnotizing tones I fell in love with on the groups 2018 split with fellow label mates/countrymen Turia, De Oord, is in full swing on this release, but unlike that group, the beauty in Bloem is its lightheartedness. You will not find a happier sounding black metal album, as the flowers on the cover might suggest. But the looming intensity of the genre's quintessential sound lies just overhead and rears its repulsive demonic head when it needs to. 

March

Earth Rot - Black Tides of Obscurity (Death/Black Metal)

I played "Dread Rebirth" on my radio show, and I hadn't heard of Earth Rot or Black Tides of Obscurity before that. But, in the span of six minutes, I became an Earth Rot fan. Leaning toward the more death metal side of blackened death metal, Black Tides of Obscurity is a classic headbanging death metal album with just enough tremolo picking and blast beats to keep someone who doesn't often foray the genre happy. Yet the most impressive aspects of Earth Rot's already bombastic approach to the genre are twofold: their use of black metal builds and massive dynamic climaxes. By staying atmospheric during the "verse" and using the grumbling vocal technique employed by many corpse-paint bearing Scandanavians, Earth Rot can explode into the brutal death metal riffs that constitute their bread and butter. Black Tides of Obscurity is an innovative and extremely worthwhile listen.

Spectral Lore/Mare Cognitum - Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine (Atmospheric Black Metal/Ambient)

Maybe the most monolithic release of the year, the second collaborative album between atmospheric black metal masterminds Spectral Lore and Mare Cognitum is nearly two hours in runtime and is deserving of every minute of it. Both one-man groups are veterans of the genre, and it shows, as each of the gargantuan ten 8+ minute tracks on the album contains breathtaking chord progressions, horrifying vocal performances, and the beautiful chaos that encapsulates the planets the songs are named after, and the cosmos themselves. It may seem hard to digest, but the music itself is so rewarding time and time again. I am aware that I mentioned that I may have already decided on my two favorite black metal albums of the year so far, but I may have lied a little, considering this tour de force is rightfully a strong contender for that spot.

Fool's Ghost - Dark Woven Light (Indie Rock/Ambient)

Aside from being the only record on this list without harsh vocals (although, Ainsoph might argue otherwise), it is definitely the most accessible. I happened to chance upon this release courtesy of fellow metal publication Invisible Oranges' Upcoming Releases series, where Andrew Rothmund wrote about this regarding Dark Woven Light: "Beautiful. Did not expect this at all. Listen. Trust Me." I trusted, and Fool's Ghost is my most listened artist in the last month. If the beautiful clean sections created by Bell Witch had a phenomenal alto vocalist placed over them, this serenity would not be able to match that which is present on this release. Haunting and full of somber, this release is as powerful emotionally as it is sonically. In these harsh times, there comes a need to step back and listen to something a little lighter on the ears every once and a while, and this is the perfect album for that occasion.

Cult of Fire - Nirvana (Epic Black Metal)

As anyone with an interest in this blog knows, PMMetalGuide loves thier black metal, so we tend to showcase a lot of cool black metal on this platform. A much more recent release, the newest two from Czechia-based epic black metal three-piece Cult of Fire have snagged my ears with impressive force. While I chose not to include Moksha, their other release from this year, this is only because I prefer Nirvana so much more. The classic melodic black metal aggression surrounded by Hindu chants is not something new to me, Cult of Fire's addictive songwriting and veteran craftsmanship make an overall extremely enjoyable listen over and over again. While I cannot say that this can trump the other black metal releases on this list in terms of quality, its relatively short run time and consistent pacing makes it a standout release for the month.

Mamaleek - Come & See (Experimental Noise Rock/Black Metal)

One could argue that due to this release only being a few days old, it is unfair to include it in this list. But I disagree. Come & See has already had such a lasting impact on me that I feel the need to talk about it. Sure, I could save it for a traditional review, but I need to discuss this album. Mamaleek's most recent six-track effort is a spectacle in every way possible. Recorded live, with very little overdubbing after the fact, this is undoubtedly the noisiest release I have heard this year, and arguably one of the heaviest. While not nearly as metal as their older releases, Come & See is a triumph in blending jazz, blues, noise rock, and black metal all in one sonically chaotic soup that is so difficult to listen to even for myself. "Harsh" is a perfect descriptor for this record, which is rapidly becoming one of my favorites this year.