January 2023 Listening

As the cold winds of the North blow though Grumpy Metal Manor, what could be better to listen to than some icy black metal?

White Ward - Love Exchange Failure⌗

It appears that I’ve been living under a rock for some time, as I hadn’t bothered checking out the hype around Ukrainian band White Ward. TL;DR - it’s really good, and I’m an idiot for missing it. Rather than jump straight into their newest release, I started with 2019’s Love Exchange Failure, which has the temerity to open with an atmospheric piece involving piano and saxophone. The overall effect is like something from a film noir soundtrack, and this is repeated at various points in the album’s runtime, tying the tracks together stylistically.

As the intro fades out, more traditional black metal fills and riffs kick in and the warmth of the intro is replaced by iciness and aggression. Hints of Mgła surface from time to time, and some of the leads invoke a more traditional dual lead structure, all of which works incredibly well. The production is good too, with all elements of the music audible. Overall, the contrast of the noir elements with well-executed black metal results in an album that flies by, leaving you wanting more.

Misþyrming - Með hamri⌗

I very much enjoyed Misþyrming’s last album Algleymi. I didn’t see much hype around a follow-up, so was surprised to see Með hamri pop up on Bandcamp while browsing around. Their newest music combines guitars and some particularly harsh vocals to produce an aggressive yet melodic album. A dark brooding atmosphere permeates the six tracks on offer, and a very reasonable 43 minute playtime means that the album doesn’t outstay its welcome. The atmosphere is further enhanced by the inclusion of some female background vocals. All in all, another smashing Icelandic1 release!

Katatonia - Sky Void of Stars⌗

Another Katatonia release, another roll of the dice. For a long time, they were untouchable in the eyes of this Grumpy Metal Guy. However, around Night Is The New Day, things got… a bit wishy washy. Similar to last month’s comment on Metallica, I recognise that many people love NisND, but for me, it’s 50% good and 50% meh. Subsequent albums have told a similar story - moments of brilliance, surrounded by a lot of filler2. The Great Cold Distance remains the last essential Katatonia album. Has that changed with Sky Void of Stars?

Mostly. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, with the band’s strongest overall collection of material in one release since TGCD. The guitar sound is crunchy, and the production overall lets everything breathe nicely. The latter-day keyboard presence is certainly still there, but seems to work better than in previous releases, accentuating the songs rather than leading them. And as ever, Jonas' unmistakable vocals hold everything together. Lead single Atrium is a real grower, with the vocal lines getting inside you after a couple of listens.

As with previous Katatonia releases, it will take some time to sink in properly. But I’m hopeful that, given how much I like this one already, it’s going to be even better in a year or two. Definitely looking forward to seeing these songs live with Solstafir.

Machine Head - ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN⌗

The capital letters! Like Katatonia, Machine Head have polarised listeners for decades now. Debut album Burn My Eyes remains vital today, although the well-known post-debut slump really hurt them. Through the Ashes of Empires was a phenomenal return to form, but subsequent output has been a bit off and on again3.

It’s fair to say that ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN won’t change any minds. In 2023, you’re either in Rob Flynn’s camp or not, and a new release won’t really change that. The new album is littered with anthemic choruses, aggressive riffs and Rob’s trademark snarls. A couple of the tracks do have some blastbeats, which is a pleasant surprise. The album production is good too, the bass is nicely audible.

As for the songs, they’re… fine I guess? A lot of mid-paced choruses with a Maiden-esque “whoa-ay-ohh” type structure gets a bit samey though. Overall, it’s not terrible, but not required listening. Don’t think I’ll come back to it much, but if it ever appears on random play, I won’t pass it by. I guess that’s not a bad result for a MH album.

Enslaved - Forest Dweller⌗

Considering that my favourite Enslaved track from the last few years is a cover, I was taken by surprise when the Forest Dweller EP, featuring tracks from the forthcoming Heimdal album, was pretty good! Production was good as always, and the riffs are the first in quite some time where I found myself actually headbanging to an Enslaved release. The EP has me hopeful for Heimdal, so will keep my Grumpy Metal Digits crossed until it drops in March.

  1. Given the population of Iceland, I’ve thought for a while that there’s probably only something like twelve musicians in the country. They just mix themselves together into different combinations to get all of the great bands that Iceland produces. Would explain the consistently good music coming from there! ↩︎

  2. City Burials was pretty much all filler - it still feels like a boring, uninspired album a couple of years down the line. ↩︎

  3. Perhaps I should be called Contrarian Metal Guy, as I really didn’t like The Blackening, despite the numerous accolades it received in the metal press. Bite me. ↩︎