UNCAVED stands for unconventional death metal ranging from complex riffs to polyphonic vocal arrangements and old school brutality. Hailing from Switzerland, Uncaved consist of Simon Frederik Piringer (Vocals), Félicien Burkard (Fretless Bass, Vocals), Samuel Wiederkehr (Guitar), Ralph P. Huber (Guitar) and Gregor Bucher (Drums). The name UNCAVED describes the process of self-enlightenment, which is further elaborated through lyrics, music and artwork. While some themes deconstruct social concepts, others deal with constructive philosophy, addressing important texts. “Dogmatorraistes” is an old Greek neologism meaning the crusher of dogma. The compositions blend old school and progressive death metal with unconventional song structures, complex guitar work, polyphonic growling and clean vocals and diverse forms of brutality. “Dogmatorraistes” was recorded, mixed and mastered at Iguana Studios Germany by Christoph Brandes (Ellende, Finsterforst, Imperium Dekadenz, Necrophagist). Artwork and booklet designed and created by Désirée Marinelli and Simone Huber. Band logo by Pascal Suter. Debut album was released August 9, 2023 – digitally, on CD and vinyl. Orders could be done at their Bandcamp profile.
A Dance in Yellow is a one man band or project if you want, hailing from Germany. This opus is the second full length and it contains intro and outro plus nine more stories told as songs. The music of A Dance in Yellow is basically melodic death black metal with lost of prog metal influences here and there and impressive musicianship, especially guitar work and vocals which range from death metal growling to black metal extreme singing and screeching, also some almost gothic singing I can hear in some song parts. Lyrical side of things is somehwere in Robert W.Chambers and H.P.Lovecraft influenced atmosphere of horror and listening to this one almost made me physically feel the cosmic horror and ancient ones lurking upon mankind. Atmosphere is vital with endeavors like this opus and here A Dance in Yellow manage to create a horror like prey upon unsuspecting individual listening to this opus. So, close your eyes, open your darkened hearts and souls, look to the sky, see the stars aligned and enter the world of bleak darkness and pain, but also enlightenment. Personal favorites: Fire and Steel, Born of the Ancients, Torn Apart.
Circenses from Finland started as one man band project by mastermind Severi Osala in 2016. The band is hailing from Seinäjoki, Ostrobothnia. This is the album released on Inverse Records and I listened and reviewed it for this webzine.
The album contains 9 songs of melodic death metal combined with some prog elements. The whole thing sounds to me like more aggressive version of Edge of Sanity and I love this album because of that. I think that metal flows in people´s veins when they are born in Finland and this is no exception. I loved the melodies combined with blastbeats and keyboard background in “Lunacy” or tender and prog death metal parts in the title song. The vocals are harsh but understandable so this is one more plus for this album. As always, I am fascinated by the feeling of melancholy that Finnish bands create when doing their music and how their art sounds sad but also really majestic in my heart when I listen to it. This is great record, so go get it!
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 