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░ ██ ██ Artist: Bulletbelt ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Rise of the Banshee █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-02-14 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Headless Horseman ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ The sound of a storm fast approaching, ominous █
█ hooves gallop in the distance - a rider fast █
█ approaches, bringing good news or ill omens? █
█ Before one can find out, their head is chopped off █
█ in a flurry of tight bass chops, caustic guitar █
█ licks, and pounding drums. Before the body does █
█ its last convulsion within death's grip, █
█ sepulchral acidic voices are heard announcing █
█ humanity's final doom. This is the opening image █
█ that BulletBelt's second full-length album Rise of █
█ the Black Banshee invokes. A rip-roaring ride of █
█ first wave black thrash punk rock that should have █
█ plenty of cross-over appeal and is a strong █
█ contender for album of the year. █
█ For those who are unfamiliar with BulletBelt, they █
█ are a 5-piece "black-thrash" metal band from █
█ Wellington, New Zealand. The band features a slew █
█ of talented NZMetal musicians from other legendary █
█ NZMetal bands such as Backyard Burial, Demoniac, █
█ Karnage and Pervertor. The line-up is as follows: █
█ Steve Francis (drums), Ross Mallon (guitars), Tim █
█ Mekalick (bass), Ryan OÆLeary (guitars) and newest █
█ addition Jolene Tempest (vocals). █
█ I put ôblack-thrashö in quotation marks earlier █
█ because this album is not strictly ôblack-thrash.ö █
█ BulletBelt have incorporated far more musical █
█ influences on this album than their last album █
█ Down in the Cold of the Grave, which sounded like █
█ a perfect hybrid of 80Æs punk and thrash with █
█ early-mid 90Æs Scandinavian black metal. They went █
█ in favour of a more first wave black metal sound █
█ like Venom or look to æmodernÆ bands like Midnight █
█ for example. The more rock or heavy metal █
█ influences come to the fore with tracks like █
█ æDeathgasmÆ and æMurdererÆs Collar.Æ If the No Tag █
█ (NZ hardcore punk) æMistaken IdentityÆ cover was █
█ an ode to the bandÆs punk roots on the last album, █
█ then The Nod (NZ heavy/thrash metal) cover of █
█ æSniperÆ fits in perfectly here to represent the █
█ bandÆs approach on the current album. Although the █
█ punk and strictly black metal roots of the band █
█ have been dialled down in favour of a wider heavy █
█ metal sound, these havenÆt completely eroded away. █
█ Tracks like æDeath Tinted RedÆ and æNumbered TombÆ █
█ feature a heavy dose of icy, blood-curdling █
█ Scandinavian black metal and the aforementioned █
█ æDeathgasmÆ also features a healthy dose of █
█ punk-rock stomp. These influences, although █
█ reduced, turn up in other places, like the █
█ artwork. █
█ In terms of the actual music itself, BulletBelt █
█ have shown a marked and more cohesive song-writing █
█ effort on this album in comparison to their █
█ previous work. ItÆs not as if the band has █
█ completely changed their sound, but rather has █
█ tinkered with it to get the songs to be at their █
█ tightest. Razor-sharp guitar riffs from Ross and █
█ Ryan not only bring the icy cold wrath accustomed █
█ to black metalÆs overall sound but also add catchy █
█ hooks that get stuck in your head for days. This █
█ accompanied by SteveÆs well timed cymbal work and █
█ chop blasts really add more punch to the already █
█ catchy guitar licks. Songs like æTarawera (Burnt █
█ Spear)Æ and the aforementioned æNumbered TombÆ █
█ feature these techniques heavily. For me the real █
█ star of the album is Tim on bass; he really shows █
█ that just because youÆre playing bass, it doesnÆt █
█ necessarily mean you have to just follow what the █
█ guitars are doing. Tracks like æMinnie Dean┤, █
█ æMurdererÆs Collar,Æ and 'Death Tinted Red' really █
█ showcase TimÆs prominent bass work, adding that █
█ something extra. That extra layer really makes the █
█ songs great pieces of music to listen to. █
█ If I had any criticisms about the music side of █
█ things, it would be the lack of guitar solos. █
█ Don't get me wrong, The Nod cover features a █
█ mind-blowing guitar solo from the original █
█ guitarist (of The Nod) and æDeathgasmÆ also █
█ features a great solo but I feel that this type of █
█ music calls for more solos. In saying that █
█ however, these songs do have extremely catchy █
█ leads in place of solos like in 'Tarawera (Burnt █
█ Spear)' so it is an altogether minor quibble. █
█ Perhaps on their next album, at the song-writing █
█ stage they could find parts where a solo (or █
█ three) could be slotted in. █
█ Regarding the vocals, I was saddened to hear that █
█ Fergus (vocalist on Writhe and Ascend EP through █
█ to Down in the Cold of the Grave) had left and was █
█ curious to hear his replacement. Those that are █
█ familiar with Fergus' ear-splitting vocals will █
█ know it would be a hard task to match that █
█ impenetrable scream. Has Jolene effectively █
█ replaced Fergus? For me, the answer is yes and no. █
█ I have been a fan of FergusÆ ironclad vocals from █
█ the minute I heard them. However, there was not █
█ much dynamism or range to them û the only quality █
█ it lacked. JoleneÆs vocals make up for this █
█ deficiency by adding flair, going into low snarls, █
█ attacking mid-range and screeching highs. The only █
█ issue is that theyÆre not quite as powerful as █
█ FergusÆ. Then again, Fergus was a freak of nature. █
█ Jolene's voice however, adds a venomous, acidic █
█ bite to the songs on the album rather than a █
█ skull-crushing tone like FergusÆ voice would. █
█ Instead of having your skull smashed apart with a █
█ sledgehammer you have the (more painful) acid █
█ flung in your face, slowly corroding through your █
█ skin, melting the bone until nothing remains but a █
█ smouldering pus-sack of flesh. It is hard to █
█ imagine how the album would have sounded if Fergus █
█ had remained. In any case, Jolene does a damn fine █
█ job of stamping her own mark onto BulletBeltÆs █
█ carefully crafted and honed sound. █
█ Another nice addition was the inclusion of guest █
█ vocalist Rigel Walshe, of Dawn of Azazel fame, on █
█ the track 'Numbered Tomb'. At first I wasn't sure █
█ if his vocals worked here as I'm not a fan of █
█ Shining (SWE) or Silencer and the guest vocal █
█ lines were definitely in this vein (they are █
█ interesting to hear at the very least if you're █
█ familiar with Dawn of AzazelÆs usual vocal style). █
█ It has since grown on me and has become one of my █
█ favourite parts on the album. Furthermore, the █
█ inclusion of more backing vocals/gang vocals on █
█ the album, especially on the track 'Deathgasm,' █
█ was a welcome addition and one that was lacking in █
█ previous albums. I hope that these trends continue █
█ in their future material. █
█ On the lyrical side of things, Rise of the Banshee █
█ could almost be considered a concept album of █
█ sorts. The album features a lot of lyrics focused █
█ on the dark, seedy underbelly in New ZealandÆs █
█ culture/history. For those who donÆt know, æMinnie █
█ DeanÆ is about the child-killing woman of the same █
█ name who was the only woman to be given the death █
█ penalty in this country. æTarawera (Burnt Spear)Æ █
█ is about the volcanic eruption which claimed many █
█ lives and destroyed a cultural landmark, æThe Pink █
█ and White Terraces,Æ in 1886. æDeathgasmÆ is the █
█ title song for an upcoming NZ horror/comedy film █
█ and so, I assume, the lyrics are based around the █
█ movie and its concepts. The other lyrics are more █
█ subtle in their meaning but still convey the inner █
█ dark nature of mankind. █
█ BulletBelt have decided not to use Nick KellerÆs █
█ highly stylised art like in Down in the Cold of █
█ the Grave but instead have used the almost █
█ cartoonish art style from Scarecrowoven, who also █
█ did SteveÆs heavy/power metalÆs band Red DawnÆs █
█ latest EP æIronhead.Æ The result is a mixture of █
█ classic Mercyful Fate/King Diamond mixed with █
█ early AFI (back when if you were into hardcore, it █
█ was cool to like AFI) art. The result is analogous █
█ to their roots from punk through to heavy █
█ metal/first wave black metal and perfectly █
█ encompasses the albumÆs musical outlook and █
█ approach. █
█ The band recorded at STL where they have █
█ previously before, but this time they recorded and █
█ mixed on a vintage SSL 4000G board - the board █
█ itself coming from Peter Gabriel's 'Real World █
█ Studios' and has been used for bands like: King █
█ Crimson, The Cars, Robert Plant, etc. The result █
█ was then mastered overseas at 'The Boiler Room', █
█ Chicago. That alone should speak for itself. If █
█ not, this album has an excellent clarity to it █
█ where everything sounds perfectly balanced. My █
█ only comment would be if the guitars were a bit █
█ rougher sounding in tone. But what do I know, IÆm █
█ just a filthy vocalist. █
█ In summary, this is an excellent album and the █
█ band should be proud of the amount of hard work █
█ and effort that has been put into making a great █
█ album filled with excellent musicianship. TheyÆve █
█ made an album that from the artwork through to the █
█ lyrics captured the intended approach and outlook █
█ of the band. They have once again set the bar high █
█ for themselves and for the NZMetal community and I █
█ am eager to see how they will overcome it with █
█ their future work. █
█ For fans of the band already, you will love to █
█ hear the development and cohesiveness that the █
█ band has honed in on for this album. If you're new █
█ to the band, then it is a hell of an introduction █
█ that you're in for! Don't let Rise of the Black █
█ Banshee pass you by this year and get the album █
█ immediately. You will not be disappointed. █
█ █
█ For fans of: Venom, Midnight, Nifelheim and first █
█ wave black metal/thrash metal. █
█ █
█ Favourite track(s): Sniper (The Nod cover), █
█ Deathgasm █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Death Tinted Red 7:27 ░
░ 2. Murderer's Collar 4:42 ░
░ 3. Sniper 3:19 ░
░ 4. Minnie Dean 4:34 ░
░ 5. Deathgasm 4:19 ░
░ 6. Tarawera (Burnt Spear) 3:32 ░
░ 7. Numbered Tomb 5:42 ░
░ 8. Black Banshee 6:19 ░
░ 39:54 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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