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Watch this “The Big Bangalore Metal Project”, an Indian Metal Documentary made by Raghav Behari, who is also a bassist at Shred Force! Watch this documentary on bands hailing from one of India’s heaviest metal city – Bangalore.
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Achintya Venkatesh reviews the new record from Incantation titled Dirges of Elysium, released via Listenable Records.
Artwork by Eliran Kantor
It is by no means an exaggeration to say that Incantation is perhaps one of the most, if not the most imitated death metal bands. Taking on the voluminous and dissonant death metal mould forged by the originator in question, these ‘clones’ in the view of many made a once unique sound a cliché, or rather a commonplace mode of action in extreme music. However, it would be simplifying things by spewing the usual proclamation that the originator does it better than the bands that took inspiration from it. This would be selling short the bands themselves, who aren’t all entirely derivative and aren’t simply shameless knock-offs, and perform with a certain conviction in the same stylistic mould in a rather compelling manner. On the other hand, Incantation, much like their peers in Immolation, has settled into a comfort zone of sorts since the dawn of the new millennium.
Much of the band’s material in the new millennium have been more palatable offerings relative to their classic catalogue, which provided scope for surprise and unpredictability. ‘Dirges of Elysium’ is not different in this sense. The soaring polyrhythms that eternalized ‘Onwards to Golgotha’ are present, while the overall ambience is evocative of a more doom-laden ‘Diabolical Conquest’. Riff motifs exhibit an acceleration of quick-moving tremolo strumming which create a tension of sorts, ominous in their choice of notes. As in most Incantation material, there is a sense of cadence when we isolate these riff ideas, yet when used in intervals with perpetuating regularity defy the concept of traditional song-structures and instead work together as phrasings that invoke a sense of primal chaos in a scarily mechanical manner. Incantation’s brand of death metal is very unique in this sense due to its amalgamation of both complex and basal techniques. The juxtaposition of doomy trudging, which are especially found in abundance on songs like ‘Carrion Prophecy’ or ‘Elysium (Eternity is Nigh)’ and the percussively played, layered tremolo phrases which create a uniquely commodious and weighty texture results in the band rarely pursuing a singular direction or motion. While never veering away from the larger tenor, song-structures also present a collection of related moods. This also certainly distinguishes Incantation from the rest of its death metal brethren, being aesthetically far removed from the genre’s speed metal origins.
The guitar tone alone sounds very crisp, and for lack of a better word, the crunchiest it has ever sounded , which could be attributed to the modern production values and gear. If one is to be fastidious, the counterpoint between the leads and the tremolo riffing is less pronounced due to this, as opposed to the classic Incantation records where the rhythmic base was rumbling and cavernous. ‘Debauchery’ and ‘Impalement of Divinity’ serve as testament to this aforesaid tonal quality, a phenomenon which I think has also affected the latest Autopsy records. This doesn’t automatically change the nature of the record, though – this is certainly a band that still treads the path of the atmospheric and kinetic rather than being merely syncopation-driven and impact-oriented. Of course, the pinch harmonics we all love make their presence felt on tracks like ‘Portal Consecration’ and ‘Dominant Ethos’. The low-end howls of McEntee reverberate atop the riffs in a most gratifying manner as usual, and much like the vocals, Severn’s drumming appeases, yet essentially serves its function rather than being particularly enrapturing.
My concluding note harkens back to my introduction, which spoke about the band settling into a stylistic comfort zone. To clarify my stance, this is a phenomenon that affects almost all death metal veterans that have sacrificed constant innovation (which in itself is practically impossible) for lack of deviation and cohesiveness. A band as revolutionary and influential as Incantation can afford to do that. Fans would rather have a band pursuing the modus operandi they established for themselves with certitude rather than engaging in futile experiments, needless to say. It’s all still as enjoyable, although the menace brought forth by the band is something to revel in rather than something to be genuinely taken aback by, given that their prolific oeuvre has already broken whatever ground that could be broken in this template.
When Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser get on their cellos, they can make any song their own — even if it’s AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck“,”Back In Black” or Guns N Roses’ Welcome To The Jungle or even Micheal Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”.
Watch the unstoppable Croatian masters of 2Cellos get in traditional 18th century garb and absolutely rip through this epic melody.
If you were impressed, be sure to also check out their rendition of these famous Rock N Roll songs –
2CELLOS – Back in Black [LIVE at Arena Zagreb]
2CELLOS – Highway To Hell [LIVE VIDEO]
2CELLOS – Smooth Criminal [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
2CELLOS – Welcome To The Jungle [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
We can’t wait to see what song they will cover next.
Check out 2 Cellos on :
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/2Cellos
Twitter : http://www.twitter.com/stjepanhauser
Twitter : http://www.twitter.com/lukasulic
Get the Thunderstruck by 2Cellos on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/thu…
and Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Thunderstruck-2…
The Thunderstruck video was shot by Kristijan Burlovic, edited by Ivan Stifanic and 2CELLOS and produced, mixed and mastered by 2CELLOS and Filip Vidovic (Morris Studio, Zagreb).
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There’s one metal gig everybody in the Delhi circuit is looking forward to this month: Outrage festival. With organizers feverishly attempting at mass advertising via social media, news of this gig has reached niches all over India. The insane line-up probably helped there too. Metalbase has been busy trying to get a word from a few bands in the bill and only recently we interviewed Colossal Figures and Fragarak.
“We’re anticipating a huge time at Outrage festival” says camp Fragarak. “This is poised to be an event of such magnitude which would work in favour for the city’s scene.” Truth be said, Delhi has been a rather dry state for huge metal gigs in the past, but there have been a few DIYs every now and then. “Now time for the city to have its own fair share”, say the bands stating that the city was dying to capitalize on the growing metal scene and Outrage fits there. The line up isn’t a mockery of the genre-rooted bill scene like Mumbai’s prog or even Bangalore’s doom imagery, but it encapsulates what the modern metal culture is spewing. Bands like Escher’s Knot and Undying Inc play alongside Zygnema, which speaks for itself there.
Outrage Festival
But it isn’t the same music available on the band’s site that Delhi wants to hear, they expect the band to deliver new material at Outrage. Colossal Figures are set to play their new album in its entirety. Their fans are looking forward to new material especially with all the hype on their facebook. “Tunes from “Crypts of Dissimulation” still go down in a profound way for the crowd! We have in store some vivid sound from our debut release to turn on the chaos at Outrage,” says camp Fragarak. Their debut did get themselves a newer fan base across India. So what does all the anticipation boil down to? Is it what the fans want? Or is it what Outrage wants? “Outrage craves for some uncensored madness!” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
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Achintya Venkatesh reviews the new album from Dead Congregation titled Promulgation of the Fall, released via Martyrdoom Productions.
Artwork by A.Lertas
The constant battle between innovation and derivativeness is a controversial topic in heavy music, especially when considering the death metal stylistic mould in this specific context, which has spawned a slew of imitators that have replicated the style forged by the originators in question. As far as the Incantation sphere of influence is concerned, it isn’t hard to see why the band inspired a slew of bands that came after it – their commodious and dissonant death metal style brought forth an entirely new aesthetic in death metal, striking a balance between atmosphere and structural dexterity, which a record like ‘Mortal Throne of Nazarene’ stands testament to. Incantation clones, as they’re mockingly referred to might impression as ersatz and devoid of any novelty themselves, but it would be unfair to paint all bands that derive from this sphere of influence as wholly spurious and unimaginative. Styles are meant to be pursued and explored once they’ve been forged rather than be left alone as innovatory isolates – they wouldn’t be considered seminal, otherwise. Inspiration derived from the said pioneers is almost wholly inevitable, and often opens up avenues for further honing, exploration and innovation within a niche style, otherwise spawning clones (as harsh a term it may be) that create music that is at the very least cohesive and is played with an admirable, but not unfounded conviction.
Dead Congregation is a band that has carried the death metal flag forward with utmost conviction, in an age filled to the brim with old school revivals spanning the gamut of the genres that fall under aforesaid broad term. ‘Grave of the Archangels’ was nothing short of an excellent record in every sense of the word, being an abstrusion to the likes of early Incantation and Immolation in the most delectable manner, making for an anachronistic juxtaposition of 90’s death metal sonic nostalgia alongside their own thematic explorations of the arcane aspects of their cultural roots, ritualistic samples and ambiance-inducing segments.
In contrast, ‘Promulgation of the Fall’ is not as meandering (although it would be fallacious to call ‘Graves..’ wholly meandering in itself), as is attested by the immediate belligerence of ‘Only Ashes Remain’, cascading forward with tonally raucous blast-beats, atop which down-tuned riffing surges forth with a sense of contortion that is characteristic for this style. Song-writing motifs rarely wear out their welcome, altering tempos and ushering in entirely new ideas although some of the more esoteric textures found in the previous album aren’t as marked here. The perpetuating repetition of a given preceding segment help in creating transition, yet rarely being excessively recursive and are instead ever-evolving. The first three tracks, for instance, seamlessly blend into each other, establishing a theme that forms a cohesive narrative of sorts, shifting between the sinister, portentous and solemn. Slower segments usually build onto something that is uproarious and epic, as can be seen on songs such as ‘Schisma’. As for comparisons to ‘Grave of the Archangels’, this record is certainly on par with it, and ‘Promulgation of the Fall’ impressions as a logical continuation of it. Yet, the tracks here lack the sheer suffocating quality of tracks like ‘Voices’, focusing on different directions and compositional evolution as opposed to fixating on a singular motion; and is also devoid of the ritualistic, sacramental interludes. The latter is something I think mirrors Teitanblood’s transition from ‘Seven Chalices’ to ‘Death’. There is nothing that is amorphous on this album – songs flagrantly charge forward as much as they dabble in eldritch moods.
Despite being cast from the same mould as the Incantation sphere of influence with smatterings of ‘Dawn of Possession’ era Immolation, Dead Congregation never once impression as clichéd. These Hellenes do not restrict themselves to the comfort zone of the unrelenting chromatic riffing and atonalities that Incantation pioneered. Apart from the fantastically architectured segments of cavernous doom, the band exhibits a rich offertory of subtle and tasteful layers of melody in the leads that add a melancholic and emotional dimension to the otherwise down-trodden esotericism of this dark death metal style. The title track, restricting itself to a lumbering pace exemplifies this par excellence, and can also be viewed as an interlude of sorts, almost as if to serve as a premonition for the eschatological and cabalistic proclamations that follow. ‘Nigredo’ showcases this counterpoint within both frenzied blasting and a more dirge-like crawl. It is in aspects like this where the personality and compositional nuancing of A.V and his cohorts shines through, and distinguishes this band from the sea of clone bands with the same pool of influences.
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