Arsonist Lodge - Perkele, Antikristus Ja Väärä Profeetta EP (2007)

Here we are with an arson oriented anti-christian aural assault. With a logo that's cornered the market in spiky burning crosses n' clubs, suitably grim cover and name like Arsonist Lodge, Finnish soldier of Satan Diabolus Sylvarum (ex Nightside) leaves little to the imagination.

Appropriately titled opener 'The Beast Awakens' trudges like a Yeti through the tundra. It rides an icy dirge of chilling Immortal-esque slow burn riffage before dropping into a repetitively simple yet immediately catchy crunching riff march. The short, sharp 'Gegen Kristus' commences with a frustratingly familiar film sample and spews forth with the glacial venom of a Frost Giant with hemorrhoids. Final track 'The Deathking' burns with forbidding blizzard intensity, introduced via Mako movie quote. It's an epic composition of wintry madness, driven by relentless black metal buzzsaw guitar and refreshingly varied drumming. Pausing only briefly for some guitar led ambient resonance this isn't for the faint of heart.

Originality be damned, some days you just want to sit back and let the blast beats roll. Respectful Immortal worship from a promising purveyor of blasphemy.

5/5

Wormtongue - The Solstice Funeral EP (2007)

Hailing from the hotbed of black metal that is Richmond, Virginia we have one-man Wormtongue with The Solstice Funeral EP. Four lengthy tracks (and the ever present intro) of Tolkien influenced epic black metal with a folk leaning.

In fitting with the Tolkien influence this EP is driving black metal of epic scope. The songs flow between folksy acoustics and your usual tremolo fuelled distortion, supported by tastefully subtle keyboards. Hastoth also an ear for melody, none of the aggression is compromised as soaring guitar leads are delicately weaved into each composition. 'Year Of Cicada' is a particularly melodious affair, exuding an epic bombast only usually found within the unicorn riding realms of power metal. Each track appears to roll towards a climactic crescendo before retreating into an acoustic break or diaphanous keys.

Another wonderfully atmospheric slice of some of the best of black metal and probable contender for "EP Of The Year". The soundtrack of the Riders of Rohan.

5/5

Bloodhorse - Bloodhorse EP (2007)

Hailing from Boston (ew Red Sox), Bloodhorse deliver some mean stoner sludge metal. This EP, clocking in at 35 minutes, is a fine start for the three-piece outfit off the Translation Loss label (who also happen to feature one of my favorite bands, Byla). It recalls almost a blend of Sabbath, Mastodon, early Clutch, and Monster Magnet, that combined with some awesome songwriting could make Bloodhorse a major player in the stoner sludge genre down the road. It's hard to describe the riffs on this album, I guess "infectious" would be the best term, as all of the songs are catchy in a way that stoner sludge/doom often isn't.

There's a lot going on with this record, it's apparent that the guys behind Bloodhorse know what they're doing, they know the type of music they're playing and they know how to give their music a certain spin to make it fresh in a perhaps oversaturated genre. This is definitely worth checking out, even for an EP, and I for one really anticipate what Bloodhorse has in store for the future. The vocal work here is buried in the mix, almost complementary to the music instead of its own element. It reminds me a bit of the singing in Om, except not done in a chanting manner. Included on the EP is a cover of The Who's "Sparks," I've never heard the original but Bloodhorse's version is pretty cool. All in all some cool stuff here.

5/5