Bury Tomorrow - Earthbound

Artist: Bury Tomorrow
Album: Earthbound
Year: 2016
Rating: 72/100


"Earthbound" is the fourth offering from Hampshire metalcore quintet Bury Tomorrow, and the third album that they have put out for Nuclear Blast after having been signed there early on for their sophomore effort "The Union of Crowns". The crucial question is, what can we expect from it?


Well, what we as listeners get is the following: a tidy and solid collection of emotionally charged and energetic songs, resplendent with plenty of intricate (although perhaps not wholly original) guitar riffs, topped off with plenty of double kick drumming and vocals that shift seamlessly from growls to clean singing in a matter of seconds. There's just one problem with "Earthbound" as an album, though; it feels very much from the length of the songs that Bury Tomorrow have boxed themselves in somewhat, and seem a tad reluctant to step outside their comfort zone. Don't get me wrong, they do what they do pretty well, but when the market for bands like them is already full, then the need to do something different and stand out from the crowd is an important thing needed to set them apart from their peers. That's not to say that there are no good moments on "Earthbound", though; the title track is impressive, and "Last Light" and "Cemetery" hit the listener right between the eyes, as they should do.


"Earthbound" is not a bad album by any means, even if it feels like it skirts a little too close to the Nuclear Blast Metal by Numbers line of bands. But musically, Bury Tomorrow are by and large a tight knit unit on the hole, even if their reluctance to try anything slightly different from their usual assault goes against them a little. I would bet that they are pretty good live, though.


Track list

1. The Eternal
2. Last Light
3. Earthbound
4. The Burden
5. Cemetery
6. Restless and Cold
7. 301
8. Memories
9. For Us
10. Bloodline

Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelija

Artist: Oranssi Pazuzu
Album: Värähtelijä
Year: 2016
Rating: 80/100

Finnish quintet Oranssi Pazuzu sound like they would be a fascinating listen on paper at least. Their sound incorporates elements of psychedelic rock, krautrock, progressive metal and black metal. Think along similar lines to the likes of Altar of Plagues, Blut Aus Nord, Sigh, Wolves in the Throne Room and Gnaw Their Tongues, and you're really not far away at all. Their fourth full length effort, "Värähtelijä", is just the sort of challenging listen you might expect from a band with such similar comparison points as the aforementioned.

It's immediately obvious that this dark, brooding album is not for the faint of hear as soon as opening track "Saturaatio" hits the listener for the first time. Right from the off, a flurry of buzzsaw guitars, hammering drums, ominous swirling synthesizers and layers upon layers of guttural vocals attacks the listener without hesitation. This is par for the course throughout the album; the title track is a slow burning, eight minute monolith based around a simplistic guitar riff that becomes more ominous as the track slowly builds up and peaks, while "Hypnotisoitu Viharukous" fires into life with a cacophony of dirty, noisy distorted guitars, indecipherable vocals and jackhammer drums.

Oranssi Pazuzu are definitely not a band for everyone to rush out and enjoy. Nor would you hear them on mainstream radio any time soon. But buried somewhere in the hideous cacophony that they make, there is a beauty to the evil noise they create, even if it takes longer than usual to try and find it. One to absorb without any distractions at hand should you wish to truly "get" it.

Track list:

1. Saturaatio
2. Lahja
3. Värähtelija
4. Hypnotisoitu Viharukous
5. Vasemman Käden Hierarkia
6. Havuluu
7. Valveavaruus

Deftones - Gore

Artist: Deftones
Album: Gore
Year: 2016
Rating: 97/100

Before this album even dropped, there was already a massive fuss about a new Deftones release for 2016, much like there was for its two predecessors, "Diamond Eyes" and "Koi No Yokan"; perhaps understandably so, given that both of these albums were greeted with a fervour not seen since they first decided to push the envelope back when they released "White Pony". With that out of the way, the big question is: what can we expect from "Gore"?

Well, we the listeners can expect the Deftones not to completely change musical direction, but more a subtle re-plot of their musical co-ordinates. Opening track "Prayers/Triangles" is a blissful, spaced out concoction that evokes "Jupiter"-era Cave In, while "Geometric Headdress" and "Doomed User" are raw, primal slabs of energy that hark back to the Deftones' early days. Elsewhere, "Hearts/Wires" and "(L)MIRL" are massive atmospheric, multi-layered, sprawling slow burners that offer a deviation from the norm; not unlike "Digital Bath" or "Change (In The House of Flies)" from the aforementioned "White Pony", whereas the title track and album closers "Phantom Bride" and "Rubicon" combine the atmospheric elements and the raw heaviness that the Deftones have become so well known for over the last twenty or so years to give us a couple of absolute beauties of tracks to end on.

"Gore" is, without doubt, the most complex and multi-layered album that the Deftones have given us since "White Pony". It isn't a complete change of sound from "Diamond Eyes" and "Koi No Yokan"; much more of a slight re-drawing of the musical co-ordinates of their trajectory whilst simultaneously pushing the envelope further, just as the Deftones are wont to do. Deftones have always been way ahead of the curve when it comes to their musical output, and "Gore" is proof positive of that. A must listen, even by the Deftones' own high standards.

Track list:

1. Prayers/Triangles
2. Acid Hologram
3. Doomed User
4. Geometric Headdress
5. Hearts/Wires
6. Pittura Infamante
7. Xenon
8. (L)MIRL
9. Gore
10. Phantom Bride
11. Rubicon