MOMM (56)

This is one of 2024's sleeper releases. I seldom tread the death metal path these days but it's good to know Blood Incantation is out there keeping the flame alive. Given the band's definite illegible logo, it's all about the music, a make / break episode, really. With Absolute Elsewhere, it's a definite make. Unlike other attention-craving death metal bands, the content here are rather introverted. There were episodes where bits of King Crimson & Yes come to mind. I'm hinting at some psychedelic / prog content that were tastefully done, nothing overwhelming, just hinting at the fact that the minds behind this release did a fair amount of thinking instead of playing fast for the genre's commitment sake. Oh, these guys are big BC Rich fans.

Sadus: Knifing it

Pic: EM

Also making a come-back this year is Sadus, currently reduced to a duo (Allen / Travis). These guys were the lesser known people in the genre back then. Back then refers to that time when I was in still in school & not eating much, just to buy cassette tapes (& guitar magazines) of my favourite bands. Leaving you with their latest single (& probably the final one before the full LP release come November):

Heavy listing

Have not been swinging by places to get CDs but these are the latest 2 acquisitions:

• Pestilence- Hadeon: Mameli & company are still fronting it after all these years. I thought the band called it quits post-Obsideo because there was an announcement of no-recording commitments after the album release. You should listen to Pestilence because they are the heavy proponents in death metal. While others got away with speed, Pestilence takes their time to propel good music first & foremost.
• Memoriam- The Silent Vigil: I'm really glad the band is putting out stuff like this instead of treading the Bolt Thrower path. We can't really un-hear the BT bits in this one because 50% of the line-up are products of BT & they're pretty proud of the heritage. We don't mind that at all but we need to respect the band for who they are & this release gives us every reason to do so. The bass here has so much presence; it's threatening to define the album.

Metal to the pedal

Throughout the years, I've discovered that the best intense distortion that does not impede playing fundamentals come from the amplifier. It makes sense because signals are processed at the amp end, not before. I started out with BOSS' Metal Zone which is still the standard to beat in terms of intensity & EQ manipulations. What puts me off when it comes to the Metal Zone is that it sounds nasal at higher volume settings. My distortion formula ever since had been to trust the amp's distortion. Currently my EVH 5150 III does the job, my Marshall JVM has that as well but with a more British flavour while the Blackstar HT Metal lets me hear something in between. The story with the pedals you see above:

• Digitech/DOD Death Metal: These pedals, to me, still tell a semi-tragic tale of an attempt which turned stale. There should be no more attempts to capture a genre defined distortion. You cannot package derivative tones into a single offering. It fails because the proponents of death metal formulate their tones through the use of several implements, not a single pedal per se. Most of the time it's a match between an amp & a drive/distortion pedal to get a slightly more embittered heavy tone; that crucial excess which defines the tone rather than bringing intensity into the next level. This pedal in its initial incarnation was strictly a niche appeal. The treble excess was excruciating & the amount of distortion on board was fixed, no less, no more, it's just there. The subsequent incarnation, the Digitech version, did not fare any better. The treble offerings were still much to be desired for but they kept it in check. In use, I had to basically turn it down to ZERO. The MID/LOW sweeps were more acute than the DOD version in that they actually let you hear the difference. 
• EHX Metal Muff: I was in fuzz territory for a while & EHX had (they still do) what I was comfortable with; a fuzz tone that did not squash the low frequencies too much. Eric Johnson is arguably one of the very few guitar-inclined individuals who managed to make fuzzy bass notes very musical. When the MM was introduced, there were no official dealer/distributor here, but someone was bringing it in & was operating online as a small time enterprise. I just went with the pedal instinctively & it proved to be a worthy risk. The MM still offers the grizzly fuzz responses but with a a different EQ consideration which facilitated intensity. To me, this was a marked difference. The top end boost added some depth in terms of clarity when it comes to solos so to me the MM was it. 
• Blackstar LT Metal: This pedal is much overlooked. At the time of its release, it's over-shadowed by its other, tube-driven sibling, the HT series. I tested the HT version but couldn't come to terms with how fuzzy & Marshall-esque everything sounded. The LT version, on the other hand, is focused on distortion intensity. It has no other details in trying to fulfil expectations (namely the tubeless technology) & it sounded good despite not having dedicated EQ knobs to oversee proceedings. The Blackstar name itself is formidable in the amplifier front so people look up to Blackstar for amps, not pedals. This one will remain insignificant until you hear it out in person

I have since stopped hunting for that elusive heavy metal pedal to out-amp an amp because they  turned out to be second best in this aspect; the amp distortion is still superior in terms of voicing if intensity is factored in. In fact, pedals were there to emulate an amp's performance to begin with. However it's all down to preference- some of us prefer amps to handle our driven tones, some prefer pedals, some prefer both. Whatever it is, do not stop experimenting what works for you. 

New 8

We can look forward to 8 new pedals form TC Electronic soon. These are from their budget range & I own 2 from their previous batch (Cinders/ Grand Magus). 

I'm anticipating how the Eyemaster metal distortion will measure up to being the manufacturer's 'Swedish buzzsaw' unit. The colour scheme reminds me of a certain Death Metal pedal which wasn't as popular as it was touted to be. Even a second manifestation of that pedal failed to garner a more favourable reception. 

Pestilence: Doctrine

If you are a cult Pestilence fan, this one would let you down. It's all about the guitars, the ones featured here seem to have down-shifted in terms of technicality & intensity. However, there's a commanding presence simply because the band had stayed true to their music despite a varied presentation. We move on with the bass &  drums which often take a shadow role when it comes to this music genre but I must say Jeroen Paul Thesseling & Yuma Van Eekelen had outdone themselves here (bass & drums respectively). In fact, I personally feel that they have moved to the front of the music leaving the guitars, in this case, to cog the music on.

Origin: Entity

This is easily the technical guitarists' preferred death metal album; the guitars here are devoid of simplicity. Every phrase presented is a complex guitar technicality, we wonder how a very angry mind managed to be very skilful throughout the songs but some people are such manifestations. The drum & bass are also equal to the task & this made Entity a balanced release considering no individual took center stage here. Unlike Antithesis, the band was reduced to a recording trio with vocal duties shared between Paul Ryan (guitars) & Mike Flores (bass) which invoked the effective partnership of Napalm Death's Barney Greenway & Mitch Harris in giving that contrasting variety. However, I don't quite fancy the guitar tones on offer, it's my personal dislike for an ampless recording, but if it works for the band, doing something else would undermine the appeal more than anything else.

StarGazer: A Great Work of Ages

AC/DC & Inxs are probably the most well-known super star exports from Australia. For us guitar-inclined dweebs, we know Frank Gambale & Brett Garsed to be the other reason why we look Down Under. StarGazer is a secret export of sorts, well-kept under the radar only to be discovered by those who bothered. In my books, this trio of death metallers rank up there with Cynic & Atheist (among others) as the proponent of intricate intensity. I was introduced to this band by my childhood friend, Zahid, in the late 1990s where we would sometimes meet to swap CDs at the neighbourhood McDonalds late at night- those were the days. I clearly remembered it was the StarGazer/ Invocation split release.

There's no simplicity in A Great Work of Ages (also the third track of Mayhem's Ordo Ad Chao release- coincidence?), lots of intricate riffing & phrasing. The bass work here is particularly outstanding, it doesn't stand in the band as a mere rhythm anchor but another prominent instrument to underscore the music in whole- the reason you hear bass solos & tapping frenzy all over. The music is also a tight composition from beginning to end. If you like your death metal simple, then this isn't one to look forward to. I only wish the guitars had more solos or licks to make the music more complete but A Great Work of Ages is not merely a continuation of the band's previous effort but the deconstruction & re-engineering of the music.

Atheist: Jupiter

Got my Jupiter yesterday... :-)

It's a come-back release of sorts but half the original line up made it for this release (Shaefer/ Flynn). Ardent fans would be assured of the music's intricacy which, for the lack of better vocabulary, is deemed as Math Metal (Science Metal, Biology Metal... what else?). Others would classify this music to be progressive but what constitute the definitives of such categorization remains to be hazy & subjective. I'm definitely into the guitar works- so much guitars yet the aggression remains in-tact. However, let's kep in mind that Cynic & Spiral Architect, among others, are also plying this trade, so the release in whole doesn't sound too refreshing. Definitely one of the superb releases of 2010.

The first (Part 10)

Sepultura's Beneath the Remains was my first death metal album. Prior to this experience, that gargling vocals remained repulsive & added nothing to the music. This release was an educational experience; the guitars here were technical enough to dislodge my belief that Metallica's guitar works were an end-all encounter, there are other reputable players out there who don't tread the thrash metal path. The real surprise, guitar-wise that is, came much later when it was made known that Max Cavelera actually had four functional strings in his guitar & those bare essentials carried him through a great album. At this point in time, I was still a fledgling electric guitar player so this discovery humbled me- I have two more strings than Max but couldn't churn out a respectable riff to save myself. Andreas Kisser remains to be the tasteful lead guitarist to date; one who carefully selects his notes to complement the song & not merely doing finger gymnastics for the sake of adding technical highlight. BTR pretty much triggered my exploration of other bands of this genre, the following are among my preferred discoveries (too many to list):

Entomebd/ Kreator/ Carcass/ Dismember/ Sodom/ Suffocation/ Cynic/ Nocturnus/ Deicide/ Morbid Angel/ Coroner/ Pestillence/ Master/ Monstrosity/ Death...

Suffocation: Blood Oath

This was one of my anticipated releases this 2009; their come-back album in 2007 was fantastic. In general, Blood Oath was rated by many fans a step below the said come-back, self-titled, release. After hearing Blood Oath many times, I feel there's nothing averse, just that the band slowed down on some tracks; maybe this was a little off-tangent to many followers hence breeding rejection. I personally think the slower paced material are some of the heaviest Suffocation has to offer & it's rather addictive.

Guitar dweebs in particular, will appreciate Suffocation's twin guitar attack; each guitarist varies his verses & we don't hear the same riffs repeated in the left/ right channel all the time.

Pestilence: Resurrection Macabre

Ardent fans would find this release an anti-climax because largely, they are bent on believing the band would pull-off another Spheres. However, that release was a reflection of its time- it's the moment of capacity where aggressive music proved itself worthy by showcasing technical proficiency, hence the existence of bands like Cynic & Atheist, among others.

However, I like Resurrection Macabre for its bona fide good offering; it still showcases four people who can play very well & there's some very good arrangement & intriguing musicianship in the mix. I particularly like the guitar tones here; very cutting without losing the aggressive edge. Tony Choy is still the very much sought after death metal bassist with lots of technical prowess to exhibit.

Chuck's distortion

I remember talking to a friend about the late Chuck Schuldiner's employment of his BOSS DS1 (Distortion) & he went: That's a weak distortion, what the heck was he doing with that?!

Of course, Mr. Schuldiner used it to kick his Marshall into distortion submission, he wasn't relying on it as a primary distortion source as it is indeed a mild sounding unit. It seems that Schuldiner was actually the one who prompted me to use a mild drive/distortion unit to cascade it into another drive/distortion source (need not be another pedal). I was thinking about it lately, was trying to figure out what/who got me into this whole use-2-instead-of-1 thing. Before reading about Chuck, it didn't occur to me that 2 drive/distortion pedals could work wonders especially when we have to deal with the unbearable, backgound hissing.

Thank you, Mr. Schuldiner, sir. RIP...

Death Metal: The pedals...

I used to own BOSS' Metal Zone (MT-2) once, it was my first distortion pedal, I believe I was the very few to have bought it when it first debuted at Davis guitar store (back then Davis was located at the tailor unit, next to the eatery both of which are existing Peninsular Hotel basement floor shop units). I respect what the MT-2 had to offer (still does but it's not a personal favourite) but I was constantly searching for worthy rivals. It was years later that the DOD company (now owned by Digitech) introduced the Death Metal pedal; the very name would suggest the level of distortion intensity in store.

So being a fan of all things extreme, I bought this pedal for variety's sake (at that time, my amp was a Peavey Rage 108 whose default drive is of a get-by calibre at best). The pedal's intense, no doubt, but the level of intensity is uncontrollable- you can't reduce or increase the distortion; it's there, love it or move on. Everything about the pedal's ace less the bass control; at maximum level, it's still drowned by the overwhelming midrange & treble. DOD took things too invariably back then; they duly replicated the very tone of the death metal bands at that point in time which were largely propelling a bass truncated tone & shrill upper frequencies.

Thankfully, the pedal was revised by Digitech to actually feature a functional bass response without a loss in distortion ferocity, but the distortion intensity control remains unreachable to us mortals; it was not meant to be tweaked by worldly hands. Nevertheless, I like what the current Death Metal pedal has to offer but generally, this pedal would appeal to a limited camp due to its limitations & inherent voicing.