Batillus’s Fade Kainer. Photo by Tommy Kearns & Chloe Rice

Brooklyn doom crew Batillus have stepped up their game on their latest effort, the Beard Destroyer Tour CDR-EP. This release is limited to 75 copies, featuring handcrafted packaging by Northern Owl, and contains three songs that clock in at a total running time of 24:10. The EP was recorded at Sterling Audio in Brooklyn, NY, by Brendan Tobin (Red Sparowes, Made Out of Babies) and mastered by Josh Bonati.

The EP kicks off with “The Division,” which features the debut of new vocalist / synth-monger Fade Kainer (Inswarm, Jarboe). Kainer adds some deep, crispy flavor to the band’s mid-tempo riffage and snaking, psych-doom lines. So if you like doom–and we know you do–get some below:

Click here to download “The Division.”

You can also download the band’s early Batillus EP HERE

Batillus also features guitarist Greg Peterson, bassist Willi Stabenau and drummer Geoff Summers.

Right-click to download “Ice Worm”

There are many twisted branches in the doom metal tree—all of which grew from the seed of the almighty Black Sabbath. You have your classic post-Sabbath bands like Trouble, Pentagram and Witchfinder General. Then you have your goth-influenced doom like My Dying Bride and Paradise lost, and the death dirge/funeral doom of Skepticism, Esoteric and Asunder. And don’t forget sludge, which gave us bands like Eyehategod, Iron Monkey and Noothgrush. The list goes on and on.

Conqueror, the new record by Indiana doom trio the Gates of Slumber, falls into a category I like to call “Bands that count Wino as a member and bands that sound like Wino should be a member.” If you’ve heard the Gates of Slumber, you’ll agree there’s really no getting around this classification.

GoS definitely display influences of Sabbath, Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road, but the main influence is Wino…and more importantly Saint Vitus. The Vitus vibe is strong throughout Conqueror, and especially in Karl Simon’s voice and phrasing, which owe a debt to Wino’s trademark delivery.

Like Wino, Simon has the ability to come up with the kind of vocal parts that get stuck in your head without you knowing. I was walking around singing the chorus to “Children Of Satan” and I had no idea where the hell it came from. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized it was Gates of Slumber.

Conqueror is not only a really solid first listen, it continues to grow on me with each play. Maybe that has something to do with the level of sincerity that comes through in these songs. This is definitely not the sound of doom metal played by a bunch of young kids who were into hardcore a year ago. This is the sound of commitment, delivered by some old-school metalheads who live hard and have a record collection that would blow your mind.

Minsk multi-instrumentalist Sanford Parker did the producing, mixing and engineering on Conqueror. A good choice, considering GoS’s style of music calls for the much warmer fat tones of an analog recording, which is Parker’s forte.

Musically, the Gates of Slumber are pretty damn solid. In general when they keep the tempo in the mid-paced metal area, they are the strongest. When they slow it down on songs like the title track and “To Kill and Be King” they lose me a little. They are still good songs, but they seem to get bogged down and somehow become less interesting.

Simon writes really tight rhythm and main riff parts, and has some truly classic solos. Jason McCash is a fantastic bass player; he combines great tone and killer riffage. He also seems to know just when to restrain himself, and when to come forward with some great, lead bass playing during the solo section, as in songs like “Trapped in the Web.”

Simon’s lyrics are pretty classic doom metal territory, focusing mostly on the Gates of Slumber’s favorite topics: Conan the Barbarian and the works of Robert E. Howard (check the insane cover art). Gates of Slumber are not just vaguely into the Conan mythos, they’re practically scholars of the whole Cimmerian world. When Simon is not singing about Conan, he digs into some more topical fare. The track, “Children of Satan” addresses the situation in Darfur, which proves other people can talk about Darfur besides Coldplay. Thank god.

I also really love that they provide explanations for each of the songs. It had me pining for the days of getting a new Chokehold record. Most of the time the explanations are not so much about the lyrics, but more what the band was thinking when they wrote the song. Take the explanation for “Ice Worm,” for example. They say “The riff reminds me of Orodruin and Cirith Ungol fighting with Budgie and Quartz…Ross the Boss steps in playing a Dio hook for the chorus.” What else can I say? Awesome.

When I first listened to Conquerer I thought it was a pretty alright doom record, but figured it would eventually fall to the wayside. Much like Saint Vitus, there are a few moments on the album that walk the fine line between killer classic doom metal band, and weird bar band playing at Shucky O’Malley’s sports bar on killer wings night. Luckily those are few and far between.

But I’m pleased to report that I’ve found myself listening to Conqueror more and more, and it’s definitely a grower with some great songs. Can’t wait to see them live in December. DOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!—Geoff Garlock

Right-click to download “No Remains” “Telepath”

I had never heard Pharaoh before I received their third release, Be Gone on Cruz Del Sur (via The End Records distro). I was, however, aware of a couple of its member’s histories.

I knew drummer Chris Black as the “hidden member”/creative consultant of Chicago psych black metallers Nachtmystium. But what was more compelling to me personally, was the history of Pharaoh’s singer, Tim Aymar, who was also the singer in Chuck Schuldiner’s band Control Denied.

I am a huge Chuck Schuldiner fan, and Death is one of my favorite bands of all time. But, to be honest, even though musically I always thought Control Denied was amazing, I never really got into Aymar’s vocals. To me they felt really mismatched with the music and not strong enough to compete with Chuck’s amazing guitar work. So needless to say I was surprised when I gave the Pharaoh record a spin. Apparently all Aymar’s voice needed was a different context for it to shine—it sounds killer on Be Gone.

Aymar has a nice grit in his voice and offers up some really great melodies on Be Gone. At times he even reminds me of Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kurch, especially in some of the choruses. Check out “No Remains,” which reminds me a lot of some songs on Blind Guardian’s Nightfall in Middle-Earth.

Tim Aymar

Overall, Be Gone is a really solid power/progressive/traditional metal album. What’s more, it’s surprisingly tasteful. I know, I know. Not a description typically applied to the power metal genre. Hell, most of the time I don’t even want my power metal to be tasteful. I want it to be bombastic like Rhapsody, minstrel-ly like Falconer, or overly overdubbed like Blind Guardian. (I mean, we’re talking hundreds of guitar tracks, which as we all know is both totally awesome and supremely lame).

My love of power metal aside, I am kind of burnt on that whole over-the-top scene. If I had to point to what put the final nail in the coffin for me, I’d say it was Dragonforce’s ridiculous, every-song-sounds-the-same, million-note-solos over a Fat Wreck Chords drum beat thing. Which is why it’s so refreshing to hear a down-to-earth power metal band like Pharoah.

Even the press photo that came with the promo CD is in good taste. No super-serious poses. No costumes or floor-length leather duster coats. Just a bunch of dudes who look like they just got off work and needed to take a photo to get the label off their backs. I mean, just look at Tim Aymar in his big, baggy Death shirt. He even reminds me of Kurch in this old live Blind Guardian video, where he’s wearing a gigantic thrift store Charlotte Hornets shirt while they play. Now that lack of pretense is some charming shit.

I didn’t get any lyrics with my CD, but I am assuming there isn’t an epic multi-album spanning narrative like a Rhapsody record, which is good. When I checked out their website, I learned that the overarching lyrical theme of Be Gone is the inevitable disappearance of mankind.

But when I hear lines like “I hope there’s a place for you and me. When we are buried at sea” I have confidence there is enough bravado to please diehards. What can I say, it sounds good to me.

Now back to the music. Be Gone is a surprisingly solid record, and not overly long. Chris Black’s drumming is fairly reserved for the style of metal that Pharaoh plays, which I think is in service to the record as a whole. His playing never really gets over the top and gives it a more classic metal vibe. Guitar-wise it is a great mix of fairly technical multitracked guitar work, as heard on track like “Red Honor.” Although the weird Star Wars nod in the middle of that song seems a little strange, unless of course the song is about Star Wars. Then godspeed.

I also noticed some good bass lines, which a lot of times is the forgotten instrument in the mix, especially in power metal. Throughout Be Gone, I can’t escape the classic rock/classic metal feel. To me this really helps ground the album. A good example of this feel is on one of the album’s standouts “Dark New Life,” which benefits from the guest guitar work of Riot axmen Mark Reale and Mike Flyntz.

I was thinking I was totally burnt on power metal. But Pharaoh’s new record is making me think I am about to revisit some of my older Blind Guardian records, as well as the other albums in the Pharaoh catalog. I knew I should have gotten that Blind Guardian hoodie I saw in a flea market when I was in Italy. Regrets.—Geoff Garlock

Profound Lore has just announced that it will put the new CAЇNA release, Temporary Antennae for sale exclusively through the Profound Lore website before its official release date.

Click HERE to download the preview track “Willows and Whippoorwills.”

The most latest album by mastermind U.K. musician Andrew Curtis-Brignell, Temporary Antennae is a stark, intense, yet flowing and dreamy undertaking that embodies all the elements that have helped shape Caїna’s identity, but just taken to a whole new level.

With the critical acclaim that had befallen last year’s Mourner, Temporary Antennae simply takes the framework from it’s predecessor (as well as the Some People Fall Debut) and brings it to a whole new aesthetical power resulting in the new album not only being the most intense Caїna album yet, but the most pop-influenced Caїna album as well.

It was hinted in the past that certain post-rock and indie-rock elements have found their way into the harsh landscape that Brignell had initially created with Caїna, influences that ranged from 4AD rock, to neo-folk, and acoustic-song (ala Bruce Springsteen Nebraska era) that melded within experimental and harsh raw black metal. This time, Temporary Antennae finds other influences making their way into the sound picture that builds upon Brignell’s vision, influences such as ones reflective of the aesthetic brought forth from such essential acts as Joy Division and The Cure (Pornography era).

Once again with Brignell handling all instruments (with the help from his brother Jon Curtis-Brignell playing bass on a few tracks), recording, and mixing, along with a fabulous mastering job done via the awesome Optimum Mastering studios (PORTISHEAD, ATAVIST etc.) and with the artwork once again provided by Gentian Osman, “Temporary Antennae” once again proves that Caїna is not only the most promising prospect to come out of the UK in recent times, but one of the most potent creative forces in the underground extreme music scene today.

Tracklisting for “Temporary Antennae” goes as follows:

1. Intro – Manuscript Found In Unmarked Grave, 1914
2. Ten Went Up River
3. Willows And Whippoorwills
4. Tobacco Beetle
5. Larval Door
6. …And Ivy Wound Round Him
7. Them Golds And Brass
8. Petals And Bloodbowls
9. Temporary Antennae
10. None Shall Die

Right-click to download “Twilight of the Thunder God”

On my buddy Jesse’s birthday this year we took him to Duff’s Brooklyn metal bar. I don’t drink, so I don’t give a crap about hanging out in bars. In fact, it’s usually a painful event for me. Though as soon as we walked in, I had a feeling that Duff’s might actually be an enjoyable experience because they were blasting Amon Amarth’s new album Twilight of the Thunder God (Metal Blade).

As the night went on Twilight of the Thunder God kept playing…and I kept enjoying it. It wasn’t long before I found out the name of the man I needed to thank—it was none other than Richard Christy of Death/Iced Earth/Howard Stern fame. Christy just happened to be drinking there that night, and he was the architect behind this nonstop Viking assault.

My buddy ended up doing shots with Christy, and after said shots, Christy proceeded to praise Amon Amarth for being “the greatest band playing right now.” Well Mr. Christy, while I don’t know if I want to commit to dubbing them the “greatest,” there’s one thing we can certainly agree on: Amon Amarth destroy!

If you don’t know, Amon Amarth are mid-paced, melodic death metal from Sweden with Viking lyrical themes and rousing choruses. There is a lot of the older Swedish/Gothenburg sound in them, which was my bread and butter until it became diluted by the hair metal of our generation: faceless metalcore bands.

If you were familiar with the band and you’d ask me to describe the sound of their seventh and latest record, Twilight of the Thunder God, I would say, “Yep, it sounds like Amon Amarth. And, yep, it’s great.” Amon Amarth realized a long time ago that the key to their success is to stick to the program. When you have a sound that is working for you, you gotta go with it. And go with it. And go with it.

So where to start? How about on the outside and work our way in. Twilight of the Thunder God might feature Amon Amarth’s best artwork ever. Clearly someone should pick up the slack and make a God of War–style game starring Thor.

Historically, each Amon Amarth album sounds like the guys—Ted Lundström (bass), Fredrik Andersson (drums), Johan Hegg (vocals), Johan Söderberg (guitar) and Olavi Mikkonen (guitar)—work really hard at distilling the core elements of what they play, and then wielding them with stunning precision.

Like I said, you aren’t going to find anything drastically new from the band on Twilight, but I didn’t come to the Amon Amarth party to hear the brand new hep sound. I came to hear mid-paced single-note riffs and tales about winning Viking wars!

The thing that always comes across on Amon Amarth records is that they are a band. While this may seem like a ridiculous (and ridiculously obvious) statement, it’s not. Many bands can fall into the trap where they sound like a collection of random metal dudes showing off their skills. When listening to Amon Amarth, the feeling is conveyed that these dudes are one for all and all for one. There is no single metal dictator in the band calling the shots around a revolving cast of minions, rather each musician is working to create the best possible Amon Amarth song yet.

This unified approach really helps make Twilight sound good all the way through, which is a rare thing in today’s world where albums consist of a couple “hot” singles padded by a bunch of throwaways. Amon Amarth keep the energy up through the entire record, while adding enough variation to prevent the album from becoming dull.

Take a song like “Free Will Sacrifice,” which has a surprisingly upbeat, borderline peppy drum intro before it kicks into a classic Amon Amarth twin-guitar part. They also up the ante by inserting a little bit of a thrashier, speed metal vibe into songs like “Where is Your God?” and the title track.

One of my personal favorites about Amon Amarth are Hegg’s vocals and lyrics, which fall in that distinct category of bands (like Cannibal Corpse and Bolt Thrower) that decided a long time ago “Hey we are going to write about one topic over and over again. But we will make it interesting every time.” But without fail, when Hegg’s gravelly voice starts to spin a Viking tale I get all emotional.

Honestly, I feel like a sap getting worked up, but as soon as he starts weaving a tale I just open up the waterworks. I think on this record the song “The Hero” is going to be the one that gets me, as the main character gets all introspective about being a mercenary and tells you to “Shed no tears for me. I know who I am. I am an evil man.” What can I say? I’m a sucker.

Twilight of the Thunder God also has some great guest appearances, which I think is a first for Amon Amarth. When I think of Amon Amarth, I never really think of sick guitar solos. Soderberg and Mikkonens’s guitar lines are always fairly tasteful, but they are certainly not shredders. So it was probably a good idea to bring in Roope Latvala from Children of Bodom for a guest shred on the title track.

Although I will say that one of my few minor complaints on the record comes from the little noodle that happens before the solo kicks in. In a weird way it sounds like Dragonforce to me and always throws me off when I hear it. There are also guest vocals from Lars Göran Petrov from Entombed on “Guardians of Asgaard,” while Apocalyptica add their talents for the requisite metal string spot on “Live for the Kill.”

So in case you haven’t realized, I think this is one fantastic record. Possibly Amon Amarth at their best. Get it. Listen to it. Love it. Go see them live and raise a horn full of mead in honor of this great band. I still don’t think there is actually anything in that horn when they play, but raise it anyway.

And now that I’ve thought about it some more, Richard Christy you just may be right… —Geoff Garlock

Right-click to download “Ritus”

If you’re a doomrider who enjoys soundscapes of whirring synths, washed out ambiance, brutally slow cymbal sizzle and shimmering keyboard drones, then chances are you’re already familiar with England’s Moss. In fact you most likely own their first full-length, Cthonic Rites, and the numerous seven-inch records they’ve released over the years.

If you’ve not yet heard of Moss and this description entices you, then you should snag the band’s sophomore album Sub Templum (Rise Above Records). Sub Templum is over an hour (74 minutes and 14 seconds to be exact) of down-tuned, crushing doom with a tempo only slightly faster than the growth of actual moss.

Moss still sound familiarly gnarled and sludgey on Sub Templum, but fans will notice that something has definitely changed since the band’s last outing. First of all Sub Templum’s sound is not nearly as filthy and harsh, and could even be described as somewhat pretty. That’s not to say Moss have lost their edge: this is still some bleak, black and harsh shit.

The distortion is dense—guitarist Dominic Finbow’s long, drawn-out chords seem to crumble at their edges—and the drums are way spaced out in that classic doom style. But somehow drummer Chris Chantler’s execution sets him apart from your average doom timekeeper.

Singer Olly Pearson’s vocals are utterly harsh and howling, but still manage to go down smoothly. This may be due to the fact that they reside further down in the mix—treated like just another sonic layer of howling fuzz.

The final, and hands-down strongest, track on Templum is the epic “Gate III: Devils From The Outer Dark.” Clocking in at over 35 minutes, “Gate III” begins with a churning sea of down-tuned rumble and buzz, which builds in tension until the first drum crash falls.

To call this track a dirge is to oversimplify the glacially slow pace that it assumes. It is so resolutely slow that it makes the track before it—a properly doom-paced affair—sound like thrash metal. The guitars are thick and corrosive, chords ring way out and fade away before the next batch drops in, which results in a very fluid, dreamlike and mesmerizing vibe.

Long comet tails of feedback spread out over the wide-open expanses of minimal percussion and warm, warped slow-motion buzz. When the vocals drop out, it becomes something entirely different, finishing off with several minutes of thick low-end drone.

According to the press release I received, the band explains the creation of Sub Templum was a ritual “conducted in the first week of 2008.” They go on to describe that the ritualistic elements employed for inspiration included esoteric books, including Aleister Crowley’s Moonchild, music, Antonius Rex’s 1974 album Neque Semper Arcum Tendit Rex, “a fog of dope smoke” and a long list of obscure films, such as Death Line, A Warning to the Curious, Last House on Dead End Street, Northville Cemetery Massacre and City of the Dead, Death SS: 1977-2007 and She Killed In Ecstasy.

Which, when Sub Templum is spun, makes total sense. However, I don’t get the impression that one would need to be under the influence—of occult ideology or illicit chemicals—to enjoy this record. It’s just too stirring. But it does seem that these influences definitely helped these fellas craft a pretty amazing, multi-layered album.

To help further the listener’s mystical experience with Sub Templum the band even includes their breakdown of the sonic ritual:

“Sub Templum is underground worship. A dirge mass for the hidden spaces, for the altars untouched by man, for the foul cultures spawned and praised in long-petrified canyons. An esoteric system alive to the reality of its own futility, a process of spiritual trauma in four stages:

I. RITUS
A fugue for the summoning.

II. SUBTERRANEAN
The madness, agony and doom of the men who seek to know the unknowable.

III. DRAGGED TO THE ROOTS
Ceremonial sacrifice and the revelation of darkness in motion.

IV. GATE III: DEVILS FROM THE OUTER DARK
i) WALPURGIS ii) THE COMING OF 13 iii) EXITUS TEMPLUM
Unleashed.

But here’s the kicker:

“With Sub Templum, Moss urge the awakening of Earth’s deepest, most destructive secrets—the dreadful final judgment spelled out in the ancient symbols and perverted relics of an almighty elder species, lying in wait to claim the apocalypse.”

What’s left to say…but wow! —Jimmy Hubbard

Right-click to download “Broken Coffin of the Venerable King”

The U.K. instrumental group Capricorns, featuring ex-members from heavyweights Iron Monkey and Orange Goblin, are a bit of an enigma, and not easy to peg genre-wise. Are they stoner rock? Sludge? Post-rock? Metal? Avant-garde?

I’ve always been of the opinion that it doesn’t really matter what you call something as long as the music is good, which is definitely the case with Capricorns’ latest, River, Bear Your Bones (Rise Above Records).

One thing about Capricorns is for sure: these guys sure know their way around their instruments. It’s exactly this aptitude that allows Capricorns to create heavy, textural music that in-and-of-itself is so engaging that you don’t even notice the lack of a singer. It also helps that the dudes have a knack for artful song structures and the ability to fortifying their vocal-like guitar lines with strong, interesting melodies.

As far as an overall vibe, these guys seem to reside halfway between heavy riffage and soundtracky darkness, which is fine by us. We like the mystery, we like the darkness…We like the rock! Again, hard to peg, but we’d venture to say that Capricorns’ sound would appeal to those into, say, Isis, Zombi, Zebulon Pike, old Kyuss, 5ive, and of course Pelican. There are even a few stop-start staccato moments that remind us of Baroness.

But instead of being content to just replicate their influences, Capricorns take the best parts and choicests riffs and whip up something distinctly theirs on River, Bear Your Bones. —Jimmy Hubbard

Right-click to download “Iron Will”

The former stoner-rockin’ Swedes that make up Grand Magus have grown quite a lot since their 2001 self-titled debut. Where that initial outing, along with 2003’s Monument, took a terrific turn into epic doom metal, it wasn’t until their last album, 2005’s Wolf’s Return, that this power trio really started to hint at what it was capable of becoming. Now, with their latest offering, Iron Will (Rise Above Records), the Magus have officially hit their riff-wielding stride, which is to say they’re sounding a helluva lot more viking!

Combining the doom of countrymen Candlemass with the power and melody of early NWOBHM, the Magus rock proudly through nine tracks of true epic metal, all the while brandishing the leather-clad attitude of true metal warriors. This is damn good metal—nice and groove heavy with some frickin’ great songs.

From Iron Will’s triumphant, battle-cry opener “Like the Oar Strikes the Water” (it even includes a mandolin intro!), the band gallop through this action-packed album, often conjuring the vibe of Sad Wings of Destiny–era Priest.

Guitarist/vocalist JB (who’s also in the Spiritual Beggars) kicks ass, his voice showing much more strength and personality than past recordings. JB is also a veritable riff machine, as the standout title track, “Silver Into Steel” and “The Shadow Knows” prove. And while he’s not a shredder, he is certainly gifted with some great melodic leads.

If ever in question, Iron Will’s viciously heavy, head-banging fare is proof positive that these magi are, in fact, grand. —Jimmy Hubbard

NYC’s ASRA—the latest addition to Tombs front man Mike Hill’s Black Box Recordings—are a young band that builds on the best elements of grindcore’s salad days, which included many brutal works from bands like Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, (early) Carcass, Man is the Bastard, Spazz and, of course, the almighty Discordance Axis.

Over eleven tracks—and in just barely 20 minutes— ASRA explore the middle ground between death metal and old-school grindcore on their debut full-length, The Way of All Flesh.

While many of today’s younger bands are quick to wave their At the Gates and Heartwork–era Carcass flags, ASRA take their cues from the best of underground grind and power violence.

At first look you may mistakenly think this young band— Andrew Hernandez (drums/vocals), Montgomery Hukill (guitar/bass), H. Christos (vocals)—is part of the new wave of MySpace deathcore bands, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find any of the hackneyed howls or canned breakdowns on The Way of All Flesh. Instead, ASRA deliver piercing screams, thundering growls, unbridled blast beats and thick death metal riffing with such brute force that one thing is certain: this band fucking means it.

Behind the kit Hernandez exhibits an impressive amount of versatility, fluidly moving between slower, double-bass-heavy death metal and more up-tempo grindcore beats, all the while screaming his head off backing up barker Christos. When he’s not dishing out punk-infused grind riffage, Hukill provides chunk after chunk of old Bolt Thrower–influenced breaks.

Even though ASRA may not have laid claim to any new musical directions on The Way of All Flesh, their deep knowledge of the genre, undeniable, youthful passion and impressive technical execution will be more than enough to inspire old-school grindcore fanatics. —Jimmy Hubbard

A lot has changed in the world of Wetnurse since the New York post-hardcore/noise/grind five-piece released its self-titled debut four years ago. In the time since, this hardworking band has become a fixture in a growing scene of underground NYC experimental extreme acts, which also includes Tombs, Krallice, Behold…The Arctopus, ASRA, A Strom of Light and Battle of Mice.

A true testament to the community’s DIY ethic, when Wetnurse drummer Curran Reynolds is not laying down the foundation for his band’s dynamic rhythms, he spends much of his free time booking underground bands at a weekly metal party at East Village venue Lit.

The latest fruit of Wetnurse’s labor is the full-length Invisible City (Seventh Rule Records). The first record to feature Garett Bussanick joining Greg Kramer on second guitar, Invisible City finds the band in its fittest form yet. Garett and Kramer’s six-string interplay is remarkable; the two guitarists play off each other so well, there are even moments reminiscent of an extreme version of Slash and Izzy Stradlin.

Overall, Invisible City is a dense, heavy album full of brutal breakdowns, like the one on “Growing Pains.” But what makes the band truly interesting is their ability to blend in some strong psychedelia, lots of angular noise, a few blast-beats, a handful of great acoustic passages and plenty of good-old goddamn rock and roll.

But despite all these musical elements, Invisible City doesn’t turn into a cacophony, thanks in part to Wetnurse’s skill at writing tasty, catchy melodies.

And then there are the vocals. Bizarre and beautiful, Gene Fowler’s vocal style is like nothing we’ve ever heard, ranging from veering death metal growls to hardcore shouts. The “singing” moments (if you can call them that) are in the uncomfortably alluring vein of Oxbow’s oddball crooner Eugene Robinson. Fowler also excels at coming up with some extremely catchy vocal patterns, that is, when he is not bombarding the listener with his polyrhythmic vocal blitzkrieg.

So if you’re a fan of smart, challenging, heavy music and are unfamiliar with Wetnurse, now is the time and Invisible City is the record. —Jimmy Hubbard

Band photo by Jimmy Hubbard.
Live photo by returntothepit.com