Angry Metal Guy

Watain // Lawless Darkness
Rating: 4.0/5.0 — Black metal excellence
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: templeofwatain.com | myspace.com/watainofficial
Release Dates: EU: 07.06.2010 | US: 06.08.2010

This Angry Metal Guy rips on black metal a lot. One of the most overdone and ill-performed genres in the history of metal has to be black metal. The problem is that when black metal is performed poorly by individuals who are not invested in it, then black metal is boring, simplistic and uninteresting. But when black metal is performed with the force and fanaticism of Sweden’s very own Watain, then it is a force to be reckoned with. And finally Lawless Darkness the new full-length from this Uppsala/Stockholm, Sweden-based black metal act is here and it is a force be reckoned with. It harkens back to the days of yore, when black metal was new, vile and most importantly, dangerous and excellent. Continue reading

Valkyrja // Contamination
Rating: 2.5/5.0 — Alright, some improvement, but still not understanding the infatuation
Label: Metal Blade (EU | US)
Website: myspace.com/valkyrjaswe
Release Dates: EU: 15/18.01.2010 | US: 01.19.2010

Early in my tenure in 2009 I received a record that was being re-released by Metal Blade: Valkyrja‘s Invocation of Demise, which was a release of an earlier record that was initially released in 2007 on Northern Silence Productions. There were several substantive complaints that I had about the record, which can be summed up as follows: there is nothing new and/or interesting here; it is repetitive and boring; the songs are hyper simplistic and despite being fast, don’t feel terribly heavy. The challenge, then, for Valkyrja to produce a record that I review better is to improve on these things (and since Valkyrja is out to prove themselves to me and me alone, they certainly will try… *cough*) with their new release Contamination.

Recorded in the suburbs of Stockholm Contamination is the culmination of a three years and a new record deal from Metal Blade. While it came out pretty fast, the record doesn’t really sound that rushed. However, it still sounds pretty much like Valkyrja sounded on Invocation of Demise. The style of black metal is still pretty much blast-heavy, trem-picky and slightly melodic, without ever wandering into the territory of Taake-type melody. Instead, Valkyrja can probably be more likely compared with Watain without their extremity or originality.

However, Contamination is a definite improvement on the previous album. The riffing on this record is far more interesting and the song writing is definitely more compelling. There are some good riffs littered throughout and there’s even a song or two on here that I really like (“Catharsis (Contaminate the Earth)” being probably the best song on the record and the track “Ambiance of the Dead” being pretty compelling as well). Three years, and a lot of time to improve their writing and tightness as a band probably definitely helped pushed these guys towards a better record.

That said, the improvement is minimal and the result is an alright record but I still don’t understand the infatuation with the band that seems to be showing up in some black metal circles. They’re talented at what they do, but it seems that black metal as a genre is very much mired in the “we like what we’ve always liked” thing—or they’re producing totally pretentious shit and calling it gold until more than 15 guys have heard of it. This record is basically 58 minutes of the same thing and, frankly, it just gets boring. I make a point of sitting down and listening to all of the records that I get all the way through, despite whether I want to or not, THREE times. I have now done that, but it took me several weeks to even get through it once. I would start the album, get about half-way through and finally break down and change it. It’s not like I don’t like the tracks when I hear them, it’s just that they get repetitive and they’re not compelling enough to keep me engaged for a longer period—and an hour of it is just too much.

If you’re a fan of black metal you’ll probably just think I’m not a fan of the genre and write me off—but I once again will defend myself by saying that I like black metal that is well done, innovative and interesting, just like with any genre of metal. If a band is producing something elite, then it should be obvious: and Valkyrja is pretty good, but definitely not elite.

I had a scheduled interview with Evile in Stockholm, but so sadly the bassist for that band passed away from an acute illness that he contracted in Luleå, Sweden on the 5th of October.   Mike Alexander died at the age of 32, and just as they were starting a big European tour with metal monsters Amon Amarth.  Obviously my condolences go out to the band and the family.  That fucking sucks.

Here’s the official statement:

Sadly, just a few days into their European tour with Amon Amarth, Evile’s Mike Alexander was suddenly taken ill and rushed to hospital, but tragically passed away in Luleå, Sweden.

Evile members Matt Drake, Ol Drake and Ben Carter have released the following statement:

“This is so hard to find the words to express fully how we feel. We can’t believe or accept what’s happened. One minute we’re talking to our buddy, Mike, the next minute we can never speak to him again.

There’s so many things rushing through our heads that we want to say, do and feel. We half expect him to come round the corner and call us ‘dickheads’. We can’t get our heads around it.

It upsets us so much that he was away from his family when this happened, although knowing Mike, we’re at least glad he was on tour doing what he loves.

We’re lost for words. We all miss him so much already. He was such a headstrong, genuinely nice guy who loved music and his family. We’ve got so many brilliant memories with him.

Our hearts go out to his daughter, family and friends at this tragic,
difficult time.

Mike is much loved and is sorely missed.

Rest in peace, brother.”