Leviathan
Scar Sighted
CD | MP3
Profound Lore Records
Release date: March 3, 2015

I am probably the last person on the planet to offer up a review of the new Leviathan album Scar Sighted. This was by design. You see, I needed to spend some time with this record to convince myself that it was actually possible for this album to be even greater than the hurricane of hype that proceeded it. I wanted to make sure that my opinion wasn’t being influenced by the barrage of glowing reviews and the fact that it seemed everyone in the U.S. black metal scene and beyond were absolutely abuzz about its greatness. So, after I got a chance to sit down with the record upon it’s release back on March 3rd, I was left completely speechless and wondering if my love of Leviathan coupled with all of that anticipation was just causing a wave of momentary euphoria. So I decided to spend some quality time with Scar Sighted and judge its staying power after a few weeks and, boy, am I glad that I did.

When we left off with the first part of my review of this show day, my 12-year-old son Jesse and I had just finished meeting At The Gates at their in-store appearance at Vacation Vinyl on Sunset Boulevard before their headlining gig at The Wiltern Theater with Converge, Pallbearer, and Vallenfyre.

It was nearly 5:30PM when we left Vacation and Vallenfyre was to go on first at 7:00PM sharp, so we figured we’d grab some grub at the Denny’s next door before heading on in to the venue. After acquiring said sustenance, we walked next door under the marquee of the gorgeous landmark Wiltern Theater, cleared security, and headed inside with 10 minutes to spare before the show began. Just enough time for a stop by the merch booth to check out the wares. I have to say that I was heavily impressed that every t-shirt from all 4 bands was priced at $20, no more, no less. Converge had so many amazing-looking designs that it was hard to pick one! There were of course pricier items like a really cool At The Gates hoodie featuring the artwork from their new album At War With Reality for $40 as well as some cheaper items such as hats and posters.

When At The Gates announced that they were working on their first album in nearly two decades, hardcore fans such as myself were both excited and a bit apprehensive. They had, after all, gone out on a high note with their 1995 masterpiece Slaughter of the Soul. So imagine our collective sigh of relief when At War With Reality was released in late October of last year and picked up right where its predecessor had left off. The album was so amazing, in fact, that it ended up tied for the number one spot on my Best Metal Albums of 2014 list. Adding to that rush of excitement, it was announced not long after the album’s release that the band would be touring North America in the Spring of 2015 headlining the Decibel Magazine Tour and they would be bringing along three of the most kick-ass bands on the planet to boot. At The Gates, Converge, Pallbearer and Vallenfyre all on the same bill? The wait until March would surely kill me!

The “Black Metal Warfare Tour” pulled into its final stop at the historic Fonda Theater on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA, on the night of January 31, 2015. The tour, which featured co-headliners Watain and Mayhem along with Canadian opening band Revenge, was one of the most anticipated black metal jaunts in recent memory and that was evidenced by the mood in the air amongst the capacity crowd. Fortunate enough to find myself on Watain’s guest list, I was able to scope the festivities from my bird’s eye view in the balcony.

It was an amazing night as there was very strange vibe in the air. Black metal shows, in my experience tend to be a bit more somber, almost morose affairs in general. There was, however a certain (dare I say) excitement in the air for this particular outing. I’m not sure what it was; the beautiful historic venue, a nearly full moon or the sheer excitement of seeing this lineup with a sold out crowd of like minded black metal enthusiasts. But there was definitely an electric feel buzzing around me.

Death Is Not Dead
The Crown
CD | MP3
Century Media Records
Release Date: January 13, 2015

You know, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t as a metal band. If you stick to a formula, people will say that you’re one dimensional or out of ideas. But if your new material doesn’t sound exactly like your classic stuff, so-called “fans” will bitch and moan about how you’ve “sold out.” It’s even tougher when you’re an underground band in a specific niche genre like death metal.

Swedish death metal veterans The Crown are currently finding themselves a bit in the latter category now with their new album Death Is Not Dead, which was released January 13, 2015 through Century Media Records.