Soulless - Forever Defiant (2007)

It's rare that an American band can truly capture the form and feel of Sweden's Golden Age of melodic death metal, generally the attempts devolve into metalcore masturbation and tacky moshpit manipulation. The third album from Ohio's Soulless is a monster of an effort, however, a firm yardstick across the knuckles of their pedestrian peers. It's almost as if this one album makes up for all the garbage the US has been spewing into this genre for nearly a decade.

Soulless does it all correctly. Jim Lippucci's vocals snarl with the proper dosage of Lindberg venom, the songs are well-structured, just about every riff here meticulously crafted and applied with melodic grace amidst a technical death-thrashing blunt force trauma. The result isn't just another notch in the belt of the melodeath genre, but an album that will appeal to most fans of the metal riff. Technical enough to keep the interest of basement virtuosos aplomb, but savagely catchy enough to stand alongside the Rusted Angels and Jester Races of the world as a timeless celebration of the carefully balanced attack so intrinsic to this style.

Each of the 14 original tunes is consistently superb, you are getting a lot of meat for your money. Among my favorites were "The Price of Life" and "As Darkness Dawns", the latter of which has some of the best riffs I've heard this year. The band is not above a break in the action such as the great acoustic piece "D-Composition", and the album is capped off with a cover of "Kill the King".

Amidst the endless, leaking, stagnant vats of Swedish wanna-be Black Dahlia Earmurder porridge in the States, Soulless have crafted a timeless entry into a genre many have given up for dead. The next time you are shuffling through your records, fawning over Heartwork and Slaughter of the Soul and wondering why 'they don't make 'em like these anymore', stand yourself corrected. Forever Defiant may just be the greatest American melodeath album I have ever heard. It actually matters.

10/10

Aeon - Rise to Dominate (2007)

I've been waiting for this one for a while. Aeon's debut full-length, Bleeding the False, is one of my favourite death metal albums. It showcases a mildly technical, brutal, catchy, and unremittingly blasphemous attack on all that is holy. This hasn't really changed on the new album. The first thing I noticed when I fired it up is that, while the first album was a head-on onslaught, the pace has been upped even further. Rise to Dominate rarely ever lets up, lending it an extremely brutal aura, yet also making some sections blend together as breakneck metal is wont to do. The guitars are again completely ripping, and quite similar to the style on Bleeding the False. Some of the songs seems derivative, such as the first, which sounds just like something by Hate Eternal, or the second, which I know I've heard before but can't place. However, even if the songs are familiar, they're still wrapped up in a tasty Aeon shell and ready to please. The drumming is just as ferocious as always, thanks to Nils Fjellstrom of Dark Funeral legacy. The singing, another highlight of the first album (which showed off extremely vicious growling combined with crystal-clear enunciation), was my majour concern for Rise to Dominate, thanks to the myspace teaser. It is true, the vox have taken a minor turn for the generic, most likely due to the increased pace of the music, but they're never unpleasant, and quite often just as brutal.

One thing I wanted to specifically talk about is the lyrical content and presentation of Aeon, seeing as that was one of the most notable aspects of their first album. While they are just as single-mindedly anti-Christian as before, they don't seem to pack that same simplistic shock factor. Perhaps I'm missing more lyrics due to the lowered clarity of the singing, but they seem to be much less extreme and more serious. There are no songs analogous to "God Gives Head in Heaven" on Rise to Dominate - "Caressed by the Holy Man" starts out with a sinister sample of a little girl and keeps that tone, rather than taking a humourous bent as you'd expect it to. I'm guessing Aeon want to be taken more seriously, and are cutting back on the tongue-in-cheek lyrics. While I do miss laughing aloud at their music, I can't fault them at all for taking this approach.

With a meatier production, courtesy of Dan Swano, and a reinforced focus on their style, Rise to Dominate presents a strong advancement by these brutal Swedes. I do not feel that this album is nearly as memorable as their first, but that does not stop it from being as heavy as Helel Ben Shachar's hatred for everything sacred.

Aeon believe in Satan, and Satan believes in them
9/10

Defloration - The Bone Collection (2007)

Despite receiving regular flak from various circles in the scene, Cannibal Corpse remain an influential institution within death metal. Given this, you can barely swing a dead baby without hitting sound-a-likes. Germany's Defloration haven't so much taken pages from CCs book as torn the cover off and replaced it with their own.

Obvious comparisons begin with Rödel's vocals, being more than a little Corpsegrinder, albeit perhaps a little more guttural. Fortunately there is the occasional dual vocal layering in the usual form of high/low, the high in this case taking the form of a ghoulish growl. Riff wise we're looking at later era CC with the technical bent. The songs are built around repetitions of variant, spiralling riffs, (lacking Webster style in-your-face bass however) and apart from the closing track barely approach four minutes. Said track, 'The Bone Collection II - Crushed Bones And Empty Bodies' does add a little Candlemass via Nile briefly, but quickly degenerates into a Swedish style riff bonanza.

So, you might hear a bit of 'Psychotic Precision' in the 'The Last Breath' or a slight 'Hammer Smashed Face' breakdown in 'The Frozen. Originality isn't Defloration's strong point. What they do pull off however is taking some of CCs stronger moments and funneling them into an entire album. It may be a little samey, but its played with aplomb.

7/10

Kaamos - Scales Of Leviathan EP (2007)

Given both the connotations and existing musical output associated with the word "Leviathan", you're setting yourself a fairly high target by implementing said word. This posthumous EP from Swedes Kaamos is in some respects appropriately named.

Crunching Swedish death metal of the fairly brutal kind is the order of the day here. A muddy yet audible Swedish production a la Unleashed drives the releases fuzzy low end riffs and beastly death growl. All in all this a gritty, if slightly uninspiring release that has its moments. The dominating chorus of the title track is suitably heavy whilst the thrashing charge of 'Seven Demons' and Slayer-esque solo of 'Blood Has Stained The Cross' will get your head banging. Closer 'Spirtual Funeral' is a pleasant surprise, taking the form of a doomy, trill riddled Black Sabbath homage that's incentive enough to check out the back catalogue.

3/5

Catholicon - Treatise on the Abyss (2007)

Imagine this. Log, to refer to them endearingly, decide simultaneously that they have become too mainstream and are not reaching enough of the metal populace. Their obvious conclusion? Create brutal deathcore with an aftertaste of sympho bm. That's right, they've got your over-the-top pig squeals, shit-heavy chugging, out of control drums, and atmospheric synths all mashed together into a generic mess for you to choke down.

The band does manage to conjure up a decent vibe in their slower moments, most likely because here the drummer is actually playing within his skill level. Sadly, and predictably, everything else is boring when it's not irritating. For a band that's been around since 94, Catholicon really don't seem to have taken things too seriously in regards to their music.

4/10

Blood Red Throne - Come Death (2007)

Norway's stalwarts Blood Red Throne have returned with their fourth album of no nonsense death metal riffage. The first album featuring Vald (vocalist to BRT side project Trioxin) once again showcases Tchort and Død's Norwegian take on Swedish death via Florida. The only notable difference vocally is Vald's slight detours into the higher ranges, the staple death rasp is near identical to that of predecessor Mr. Hustler. As for the rest? Well, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

The chunky Swedish tone with those all familiar muted triplet crunches are staple throughout the album. Apart from Caspersen's dextrous bass widdling BRT have always eschewed technical focus for grooving riffs, which are in no short supply on Come Death. Mixing elements from previous effort Altered Genesis with the more casual groove of debut Monument of Death, BRT have delivered perhaps their most rounded effort to date. Opener 'Slaying the Lamb' gives you no time to prepare, charging straight in before dropping a trademark Throne riff whilst switching between frenzied blast and grooving chug with ease. 'Rebirth in Blood' has time for some melodious prog-riffing a la Anata before marching to a close, whilst 'Taste Of God' brings a little thrash to the deathfest. There's even time for a well executed Gorguts cover before the end.

Once again BRT have delivered the goods. Tchort and Død present a veritable riff buffet of accomplished death metal with more than enough variance to hold your attention from start to finish. Another fine slab of 2007 death metal that might even make some '... of the year' lists.

8/10

Annunaki - Throne of the Annunaki (2007)

Graaaaaaaaa! Ignore the badly drawn album cover this is total blackened-death-thrash dismemberment! New Jersey's Annunaki are a whirlwind riff machine, blasting their way through a simply stunning debut album. Released back in February I'm assuming this has earned them a coveted support slot for Immortal's upcoming east coast appearance. Featuring the drummer from 80s thrash metallers Blood Feast this album is non-stop wall to wall balls out metal. Kicking off with the kick to the face that is the tremolo fueled 'Through Chaos', it charges into a deathly riff breakdown before storming forward, kicking down your door and raping you in the eyesocket. As if that wasn't enough a banshee wailing, 80s style solo tears off your limbs and beats you to death with them. And then 'Eucharist' kicks in. And does it again. And again. And again. 'March Of The Militia Of The Dead', 'Blunt Scalpel Extraction', by the end of the album I felt as if I'd been face fucked by Cthulhu and given a chainsaw hand job. Equal parts Dark Funeral, Coroner and even a little Melechesh this is easily one of this years classics. I'm in danger of overstating this album so I'll stop. Get it. Get it now.

10/10