Listen to the latest show on mixcloud.com

Saturday 29 December 2012

WANTED! - Extreme Metal For 2013


Hails all,

Hopefully your stomachs have settled after Christmas, and you looking forward to the new year. 2013 is going to be a good year for metal, and for the Friday Frenzy !

We are looking for extreme metal from around the globe for airplay on the show!

If you think you have what it takes to be on the most extreme metal show on the planet, hit us up at ff.tbfm@gmail.com !!

\m/

Si

Friday 28 December 2012

INTERVIEW: Wodensthrone

Si chats to British black metallers WODENSTHRONE at Damnation festival 2012 at Leeds University, Uk.


Wodensthrone's Album 'Curse' was recorded at Priory Studios, England.

REVIEW: NIDINGR 'GREATEST OF DECEIVERS'



Name:
Nidingr

Title:
Greatest of Deceivers


Label:
Indie Recordings

Release Date:
20th November

Genre:
Black Metal

‘Greatest of deceivers’ is the fourth full length offering from Norway’s Nidingr. Nidingr are the brain child of Morten Iversen (Stage Name: Teloch), producer & member of Mayhem, Gorgoroth, 1349 and many more.

Those expecting the usual frost-bitten atmospheric keys and raw production of the aforementioned artists may be disappointed. This album is relentless & precise blackened-death metal madness. The usual mechanical blast-basts, grinding guitars, and dark middle-eight passages signature of Norwegian black metal are there, but several elements within the environment stick out.  The technical bass work on this album is noticeable, seeing as bass is usually shunned out of the mix in most black metal releases, and the chainsaw-like guitar tone which would usually sit more comfortably in death metal gives the songs the bite of a snarling wolf.

The album is raw, unrelenting, and feels colder than hell frozen over. The lack of symphonic work on the album shows that synthesizers and orchestration are not necessary essentials needed to create a chilling sound.
The vocal work is quite monotonal when screaming, but the occasional desperate operatic roar or quiet unsettling whisper makes a welcome appearance every so often. Teloch’s roar sounds less like that of a banner-man waving on the hordes of some medieval army, but more like the cries of men witnessing the horrors of the vanguard.

The album’s single ‘Vim Patior’ begins with a few punk-driven riffs, before throwing the listener into dissonant tremolo-picked melodies which accompany blast-beats and distressed vocals. This song also features some of the more post-rock/metal vibes which pop-up from time to time during the LP.

‘The worm is crowned’ has a sound similar to Deathspell Omega’s work; hectic, blasphemous and raw, but beautifully arranged and meticulously executed.
On the other hand, the song ‘Pure pale gold’ shows of a selection of playing styles, it begins with a sludgy groove before building up in speed to a crescendo, and then falls back to a more grim 1st wave thrash sound.
This album is great, and musicians will enjoy it as a study, but its not one to try and enter the bleak realms of black metal on.

69/100

Steve and Si Interviewed Teloch, check it out here:


Listen to album Single 'Vim Patior':


Nidingr - ‘Greatest of deceivers’ is out now on Indie Recordings.


Thursday 20 December 2012

REVIEW: Evolution of Man, Gurt, Bast, & Psyflyer



A Sunday night is a strange one for a gig, especially in a new venue. Nevertheless Si & Steve headed down to DNA in Lowesmoor, Worcester to see this mash-up of bands. The venue is famous around these parts for putting on regular rock & metal nights in the past, and since re-opening, its new slick & trendy appearance usually attracts the club scene rather than those who wear black. It's still early days for DNA, and even though the turnout was not massive for this event, the club are going to be hosting more regular live music & rock nights in the coming future. 

Psyflyer opened the gig, their psychedelic shoe-gaze led by Sophia Liana, an excellent guitarist. The talent of this band shone through some minor technical difficulties towards the beginning of their set. This along with a very abrupt sound-check led to a nasty sound and raw-as-fuck feel, whether intentional or not.

Gurt had been moved from their headline slot to second to accommodate their travel back to London, (presumably so they could go and have Sunday roast with their grandparents), this crew of sludge-merchants delivered a doomy-bluesy pounding to every head in the room. I'm pretty sure the vocalist was Fredrik Thordendal but I'm defiantly wrong, (check picture).

Bast, another London based band with roots in Worcestershire performed next. This band of 3 members manage to create a huge atmosphere, comparable to bands such as Winterfylleth and Cult of Luna.
I can very easily get bored of metal below 200bpm, but Bast manage to capture the listener's attention and hold it until the end, leaving you wanting more.


Evolution of Man are a local sludge/grunge/stoner rock band, moved up to the top of the bill, to stand in for Gurt. The energy and attitude this band have is great, they interacted with the small crowd well, and managed to keep the punters happy towards the end of the night. Their Alice in chains-style groovy tunes set a great backdrop for cracking open a tin and smoking until you pass out. 


All in all, a brilliant turn-out for a Sunday night in a new club. Beer prices were £3 a pint, so not ideal, but not enough to scare you into sobriety. 

75/100

-SV





Friday 14 December 2012

TONIGHT'S SHOW! - Black Metal Special



Tonight's Show on TBFM Online is a frosty, satanic, blasphemous mix of black metal !
Tune in between 7-9pm here:

http://www.tbfmonline.co.uk/player.html

Thursday 13 December 2012

REVIEW: AMENRA 'Mass V'




Name:
Amenra


Title:
Mass V


Label:
Neurot Recordings

Release Date:
26th November

Genre:
Post-Metal

It is 13 years since Amenra were born somewhere from the darkest mires of Kortrijk, Belgium. Their sound is rawcus and punishing, yet there is somehow an underlying beauty always felt in their sound, due to its organic vibe, and natural ebb and flow. This is honest songwriting. Fans of Neurosis, Cult of Luna and early Pelican will feel right at home here; in fact if you have ever seen Neurosis or Pelican live, then there is a chance you will have seen Amenra opening for them. This band are also signed to Neurot Recordings, partially owned by members of Neurosis. If you are unfamiliar with post-metal this may not serve as the best starting point, but fans of the genre should definitely find something here, as they have most certainly managed to carve their own identity within the sludge/doom metal sound!

Despite only boasting 4 tracks, the album clocks in at around 40 minutes, which are shared pretty much equally between the songs. Album opener 'Dearborn and Buried' is crushingly brought into life around the 60 second mark by a wall of guitar distortion and the unforgiving and primal screams of vocalist Colin H. Van Eeckhout, whose voice is strained yet never sounds uncomfortable.

'Boden' also begins quietly and builds to an epic crescendo of crashing symbols and layers of droned guitar which further the inevitable comparisons with CoL and Neurosis, and also bring to mind early Isis before they mellowed. Amenra most certainly haven't mellowed; in fact things have been turned up a notch in all directions here. The album then continues into 'A Mon Ame' which is most definitely a slow-builder, perhaps overly so – if your mind easily wanders then you well may find it out of the door and half a mile down the road by the time the vocals kick in! The second half of this song though is truly powerful with some excellent chord progressions, dynamic vocals, and fitting drums. ''Less is more'' seems to be the adopted approach from drummer Bjorn Lebon, and it certainly works! This is never an album that wants to show off; this is the person with their cap pulled down at the back of the class, happy for the attention to be on others but with a confidence and brooding intensity that commands respect from everyone... their presence is most definitely felt.
The album closer 'Nowena | 9.10' is perhaps the strongest on the album, starting with an almost Tool-esque section of haunting vocals and minimal guitar work.. the calm before the storm. The song then chugs along all the way to the end, leaving you wanting more.

The photos used for the album artwork are bleak and foreboding, and serve as a rather fitting representation of their sound! In summary if you want uplifting music you are looking in the wrong direction. However if you want an album that is honest and powerful yet intricate, look no further.

Rating: 75/100

Check out Si's Interview with Amenra at Damnation Festival 2012 here:



Listen to 'Nowena | 9.10' from 'Mass V' here:


SH

Saturday 8 December 2012

REVIEW: Anaal Nathrakh, Morgue Orgy, Kataleptic, Josef & The Fritzls, Live @ The Flapper Birmingham UK


It was a cold wet December night in which me and Steve ventured to The Flapper in Birmingham UK. We arrived at the 150 capacity venue to catch the end of Josef and the Fritzels' set, from the one song we heard they sounded full of breakdowns and bass-heavy drops. It wouldn't be fair to rate them as we only heard the one song.

Kataleptic have come on leaps and bounds since I last saw them; their punishing death metal assault matched by their stage charisma made it clear that these guys have both their feet permanently in the door in Birmingham's extreme metal scene, and have no intentions of leaving.

Morgue Orgy's insane synth-ridden fast-paced hilarious madness followed; we couldn't get toward the front of the stage once the band had started, showing just how popular these guys are. They certainly deserve the attention too, as songs like set closer 'Shit On Your Grave' show a precise & technical playing style surpassed by few in the local scene.

Headliners Anaal Nathrakh destroyed the venue with classic tracks such as 'Submission Is For The Weak' while playing a substantial amount of new material from Vanitas, such as 'The Blood Dimmed Tide'. This band are seriously heavy. I have seen them once before at Bloodstock open air, but this tiny intimate gig really felt like something special. It felt like a tank with a steam roller attached running over my mind and I felt compelled to head-bang like a 16 year old adolescent chimp. They also did us the courtesy of not doing an encore, explaining that they essentially felt like it would have been patronising to the punters. Instead they played 3 more crushing songs, leaving everyone quivering with sore necks and damaged ears.

The venue had a great sound, comfortable atmosphere and I could buy 3 pints with £10, so overall a great gig.

                96/100

-SV

Wednesday 5 December 2012

REVIEW: God Seed's 'I Begin'



Name:
Godseed
Title:
I Begin
Label:
Indie Recordings
Release Date:
26th October
Genre:
Black Metal

The trouble when an already established artist releases music from another source is the unavoidable comparison to the previous work. Ghaal’s and King Ov Hell’s new outfit GOD SEED obviously has traces of the standard set out by Gorgoroth. Even the production of the album seems in some way similar to the sound of 2006’s ‘Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam’, Ghaal’s screeching vocals and King’s relentless riffing will attract fans of this particular niche of black metal. But that is really where the similarity ends.
This album features a surprising amount of Hammond organ and analogue synthesizer style key-work, which sits weirdly comfortably within the crushing, relentless onslaught of music.
Album opener ‘Awake’ is a driving; high-octane, pummeling black metal assault which occasionally presents the listener with gems of melody and spotted points of interest, but the music starts to get really interesting about half way through the second song, ‘This from the past’. The atmosphere created in the latter part of the song seems to carry through the following compositions, until the middle point of the album, ‘Hinstu dagar’. This startling ballad-track stinks of Mike Patton influence, which may or may not be intentional, but it does certainly sound like if Faith No More donned corpse-paint and drank sheep’s’ blood for breakfast.
From here on the album seems to liven up again and utilizes the expected blast-beats, howls and riffing to show the listener that this band is certainly not straying too far from the laws of black metal. There are a few other stand out tracks such as ‘Lit’ which uses large amounts of electronics and even (relatively) clean singing, and the ambient album closer ‘bloodline’, which sounds more like Nine Inch Nails than Nattefrost. All in all this album is not for the faint-hearted, a lot of patience and hard work is demanded form the listener to get to the rich yolk, but it’s incredibly rewarding if you can endure the crusty shell membrane of black metal. Seriously, if you like avant-garde metal, give it a try, if you prefer your music handed to you on a plate, you may struggle.
75/100

'I Begin' is available now on Indie Recordings
-SV

REVIEW: Anaal Nathrakh's 'Vanitas'




Name:
Anaal Nathrakh
Title:
Vanitas
Label:
Candlelight
Genre:
Black Metal / Grindcore
Location:
Birmingham UK

Many great pillars of heavy metal have originated in or had ties to the genre’s hometown of Birmingham, UK.  Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Napalm Death to name but a few, (there must be something in the water), but does the home of metal still deliver? The simple answer to the question is Anaal Nathrakh.
‘Vanitas’ is the 9th offering from Birmingham’s own industrial-black-metal-necro-merchants.
The band started as a two piece studio project with Dave Hunt (V.I.T.R.I.O.L) 
on vocals and Mick Kenny (IRRUMATOR) on just about everything else. As time has progressed several live units have been assembled but the duo still dominate the writing and recording process.
The album opener, ‘The Blood-Dimmed Tide’ starts with an eerie choral chant, and immediately afterwards it becomes clear that the industrial elements that featured heavily in the band’s debut album ‘The Codex Necro’ are back again to add to the madness. As the song progresses, the usual bombardment of supersonic drumming and unholy screaming that is a trade mark of Anaal Nathrakh glides the listener through the song to a rewarding melodic chorus with the initial chanting present underneath.
Songs such as ‘Forging towards the sunset’ and ‘A metaphor for the dead’ show the evolution of the clean vocals which have been creeping up more and more in the last few ‘Nathrakh releases – this album has a great balance of the two vocal styles, allowing some majestic melodies within the music without removing the band from the extremes of speed and brutality.
The album is rich with melody and the production is defiantly more easy for the new fan to engage with, but don’t think this album won’t leave you with bleeding ears carved by this monster of a band.
80/100



Vanitas is available now through Candlelight Records
-SV

REVIEW: Ikkadian's 'Of Alpha and Omega'



Name:
Ikkadian
Title:
Of Alpha And Omega
Label:
Self- Released
Genre:
Blackened death metal
Location:
Northern Virgina, USA



It would be foolish to deny that Ikkadian play a style of metal that has not been visited by many artists both new and old. But there are a few observations that make these American Blackened Death Metallers stand out from the crowded depths of obscurity.
The album opener ”Adversary” (music video is available on youtube), introduces the listener to a slow yet grinding riff with some particularly good drum work. As the track progresses in pace it provides the listener with snippets of what is to come in the rest of the album. The heavy use of chords and black metal harmonies in their riffing definitively sets them within the realm of such artists as Behemoth, Emperor and Opeth.
Songs such as ‘Lotus’ and ‘Sophia’ make sudden drops in dynamics to eerie sparse acoustic guitar which then pummels the listener with a blast-beating audio assault immediately afterwards.
The song “Archangel’’ has a definite Mastodon-esque feel which is enhanced by some beautiful, clean female vocals later on in the track, before the blast-beats and brutal riffing take the helm once again.
James Murphy of (Death/Obituary/Disincarnate) provides a guest solo on the epic track ‘Relentless March Towards Apocalypse’, which is a welcome stand out track towards the end of the album.
This band is definitely one to watch, as ‘Of alpha and Omega’ is brilliant debut and their stance on giving all their content away for free is also highly commendable.

75/100
‘Of Alpha and Omega’ is out now and available for free download at http://www.blackmorningstar.com/

75/100
‘Of Alpha and Omega’ is out now and available for free download at http://www.blackmorningstar.com/

-SV

REVIEW: Ethernal's 'Arkioas'



Name:
Ethernal
Title:
Arkioas 
Label:
Self Released
Release Date:
Out Now
Genre:
Black Metal / NWOBHM

Arkioas is Ethernal’s 2nd LP, and it sticks out of the doom-ridden London smog like an ancient oak. For an album of its quality, it was unusually overlooked by those other than the band’s generous fan-base when it was released.
Currently a 3 piece, it is obvious that the band have progressed to new heights of musicianship in their current form.
There has obviously been a lot of hard work put into the overall dynamics of the songs on this release, from blasts-beats to melodic middle-eights and transitions, Ethernal provide the listener with an album that is really… well… FUN to listen to!

The album opens with ‘The order of the black sun’, the title of a previous E.P. released by the band, the guitar work provides a majestic and regal feel, with the drums speeding away at high tempos while staying varied and interesting.
‘Ravens at dusk’, (a fan favorite), has a music video to accompany the song on the band’s Youtube account which offers an accurate visual representation of the atmosphere the music creates.
‘The Watchers’, is a welcome defined middle-point of the album which slows the tempo down, before gliding instrumental; ‘The Veil Lifts’.
‘In silent halls beyond’ is a somewhat uplifting tune which uses clean guitar as a primary instrument along with the usual galloping drums and growing vocals.
Title track ‘Arkioas’ is a 10 minute long epic which seems like a odd mix of 70’s progressive rock and black metal, but done very tastefully.  This album features some of the most intriguing guitar work I have had to pleasure to listen to in a while, if you like your music rich with melody and full of atmosphere, buy this LP now!
85/100


Arkioas is available now via http://www.ethernal.bandcamp.com/

-SV


Tuesday 4 December 2012

INTERVIEW: Chris From Winterfylleth

Check out our interview with Chris from WINTERFYLLETH at Damnation Festival in Leeds UK.


- SV

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