on the pulse - 2022 - #26 - devin townsend, epica, actor|observer, avantasia, an abstract illusion, wargasm (uk), vital spirit, scarcity
Scarcity - Aveilut - Still on my Bandcamp black metal bullshit, and here’s one of the more critically acclaimed projects this year, an experimental duo from New York where over a single composition spanning five parts and 45 minutes they seek to contextualize existential grief and lonely vastness of personal loss amidst the eternal passage of time, specifically in the context of the pandemic. And the execution is fascinating - I’m not crazy about how much it leans on drone for the repetitive guitar progressions, but pay attention to the rich, pulsating basslines and deceptively complex drum patterns and the subtler transitions will reveal themselves, even if this is another album that in its exploration of grief and loneliness could have afforded a bit more negative space to intensify feelings of isolation instead of waves of guitar feedback. Still, it’s a potent experiment that’s worth hearing, check it out.
Vital Spirit - Still as the Night, Cold as the Wind - I haven’t done nearly enough Bandcamp diving in 2022, especially for black metal, so here’s a Canadian duo with their full-length debut pulling on Western, Latin and indigenous elements to flesh out furious tremolo shredding, blast beats, and barely heard guttural shrieks - similar to Dzö-nga, but more rattling, guitar-driven, frenetic, and going into the lyrics, bloodsoaked, as these songs circle American wars with the Comanche and Apache nations, a history of white supremacy and Christian colonization Vital Spirit target in vivid, gory detail. That said, while this album doesn’t overstay its welcome, more of these songs could build to stronger melodic motifs - the black metal passages tend to run together, and leave me wishing the album had a little more distinctive character. Still, really promising start with a lot of potential, check it out!
Wargasm - EXPLICIT: The MIXXXTAPE - …I’m trying with this, but man, I find it hard to take Wargasm seriously. Sitting at the intersection between 2000s digital hardcore, nu-metal, and Marilyn Manson, this UK duo’s debut EP is a hyper-caffeinated, percussive but weirdly goopy pileup of chugging riffs, alt metal howling, and nihilistic vamping with a few metallic touches cribbed from hyperpop. And if I hadn’t heard so much of this faux-apocalyptic, style-over-substance yowling become painfully cliche over a decade ago, with zero attempt at creating credible atmosphere or menace, it just gets silly! Now that doesn’t mean it’s bad - lean into overprocessed, end of the world debauchery, that can be fun - but unfortunately going to screaming hardcore instead of melodic hooks doesn’t help it stick. For kids Wargasm might sound novel, but all of its volume, it feels impotent to me.
An Abstract Illusion - Woe - My record with progressive death metal can be spotty, but An Abstract Illusion caught my ear with solid enough production and remarkable blackened tunefulness on their 2016 debut, even if they were openly cribbing notes from Opeth. Now on their follow-up… again, their tuneful side has charm across the keys, strings and flashy guitar solos, alongside well-balanced bass grooves and a nice flow across the transitions and otherwise meandering compositions. But the chugging breakdowns feel underpowered in the sterile drumwork, blocky riffs, and death growls that don’t have much texture or character; the cleaner mix feels more suited to prog than death metal. I can’t say I’m a fan of the relentlessly nihilistic wallow in the lyrics either, with another stock anti-religion screed and some tortured edgy poetry. So… mostly fine enough, but the polish is spotty; kind of hit and miss.
Avantasia - A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society - Tobias Sammet’s supremely ridiculous supergroup experiment returns with another stacked cast - Ralf Scheepers, Jorn Lande, Michael Kiske, Floor Jansen - and if you like your symphonic metal bombastic, stuffed with shredding and belting, and unbelievably catchy with JIm Steinman-esque excess, you’ll have a blast! But I can’t escape how 2016’s Ghostlights gained so much power through its dramatic arc, and like Moonglow this doesn’t seem to have that higher ambition or interplay between singers - this is musical theater at its core, and while I like the questions of how we frame our dark midnight muses, especially if they’re rooted in trauma, it feels leaner and more song-focused but also more scattered and occasionally awkward. Ultimately the best songs yank this up to touching greatness… just not quite Tobias’ best.
Actor | Observer - Songs For The Newly Reclusive - You know, I’ve been hunting for some killer post-hardcore in 2022, and going to Boston band Actor | Observer, I was surprised how well they delivered a visceral, borderline-metalcore sound with melodic hooks and sharp writing, especially on 2018’s Pareidolia. So now here four years later… for a lean seven songs over a half hour, this is excellent! While the grooves could afford to be a bit gnarlier, the striking guitar melodies and impeccable balance between clean and screamed vocals shows them leaning into their strengths, more pronounced opposite lyrics vivisecting gentrification, machismo, a stagnant punk scene, and even expectations that they themselves can be saviors when they’re just as trapped. Definitely has the feel of a ‘pandemic album’, but with hooks this tight and potent, it’s great post-hardcore all the same!
Epica - The Alchemy Project - This was a collab EP I was actually excited about - Epica’s career renaissance has been thrilling, so bringing in fresh singers and performers from across metal could make something kickass! And mostly, it is - I miss the lyrical density and thematic complexity that’s Epica’s hidden weapon, but apocalyptic brevity means delivering killer songs and maximizing guest stars. And with Phil Lauzon of Uriah Heep with the organ & Tommy Karevik of Kamelot on ‘Wake The World’, Shining with that sax on ‘The Final Lullaby’, and Myrkur and Charlotte Wessels with harmonies on ‘Sirens’, they absolutely do! But the extreme or melodic death metal passages where Simone Simons steps back… they’re just not as potent or crushing with Epica’s oversaturated polish - a more balanced synthesis was needed. So call it a pretty fun, technically impressive but inconsistent experiment.
Devin Townsend - Lightwork - …you know, for the first three or four listens this won me over - going back to the pop metal of Epicloud and Sky Blue with a breezier song focus, bringing his underrated knack for hooks with more visceral vocals and his characteristic sweeping soundscapes, with more folks in the studio creating a refocus on groove and slightly less overproduction. But with more listens, the haphazard pacing and overly twee or goofy touches - like the children’s choirs, some of the sillier lyrics - combined with themes of blissful escape, weirdly abstract drama, and a languid, heavenly detachment just did not stick for me. I’m happy that Townsend found some inner clarity and peace - he’s clearly earned it - and the driving grooves on ‘Call Of The Void’, ‘Celestial Signals’ and ‘Equinox’ are pretty damn good, but I wanted to put this among his best and I just can’t do it. Still good, just not transcendent.