Vex

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: Hannes Grossmann – The Radial Covenant

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: Hannes Grossmann – The Radial Covenant

For those who don’t know Hannes Grossmann, you probably do know the bands he’s been involved in. He’s got Obscura, Necrophagist, and Blotted Science on his “list of things that make me cooler than you,” and one can only guess that The Radical Covenant is the Obscura record we would have gotten if Grossmann hadn’t decided to quit. And while I’m a fan of Obscura, I felt the band nailed it with Cosmogenesis and I’m not a huge fan of 2011’s Omnivium (anymore). Ironically, Grossmann said in his parting message from the band that the musical difference between he and founder Steffen Kummerer was the reason that he left the band. Apparently Kummerer was more invested in a Cosmogenesis sound, which could leave one expecting, then, I shouldn’t like this record as much…

Vorum – Poisoned Void Review

Vorum – Poisoned Void Review

Back in 2009, Finnish death metallers Vorum produced what I think is probably the finest EP ever written. At twenty minutes long, Grim Death Awaits is a veritable tour de force of the kind of evil, heavy-but-groove-oriented death metal with an old school feel that so many bands have tried to imitate but never really could. The riffs were razor sharp, but there was a fiendish furiousness and seriousness reminiscent of the most orthodox of black metal bands. Few songs on Grim Death Awaits peaked longer than 2 minutes, and while some reviewers complained about certain aspects, this was death metal of a pure, distilled form. Twenty minutes of death metal perfection. But of course, you all know what expectations means…

Things You Might Have Missed 2010: Vex – Thanatopsis

Things You Might Have Missed 2010: Vex – Thanatopsis

In my opinion this is one of the more painfully overlooked records of 2010. In fact, I’ve seen pretty much no press on this album at all, and yet somehow it has just been rockin’ my world since I got my hands on it. Released in September via Horror, Pain, Gore, Death Prod-uctions, Thanatopsis is largely reminiscent of the mighty The Chasm, but has plenty of originality to throw around. The riffs are sometimes blistering and blackened, laden with trem picking and melodic passages, and sometimes the band breaks it down to harmonious doomy, atmospheric parts. In both cases, everything feels in its place and the record flows expertly making for a fantastic listening experience that is both heavy and emotionally evocative.