The BAZ Underground ABC – VII – Letter “L”

The debut “Fast Loud Death” followed the year after, and they even toured with Children of Bodom that year. Just last year the fourth album, “No Absolution”, was released in February and the group is currently scheduled to appear at Tuska Festival in their home country this year. I’m sure many are looking forward to hearing more from this group, and if you haven’t already I encourage you to look them up. Julia Katrin

The band takes these dirty, overdriven, putrid sounding single note mid-tempo Sludge Metal riffs, allows some Doom and Black Metal to fester in their open wounds as they slice open the flesh again and again, with these remorselessly repetitive assaults, that are as hypnotic as they are stomach churning and then piping hot out of a rancid oven they come ready for your listening pleasure.

With some suitably unpleasant artwork (especially the hallucinatory “Pervertor” album cover) and titles like “Vile Divinity”, “Body Choke” and “Nice Teeth Whore” (my personal favourite) the band isn’t quite as in your face grotesque as, say, Cannibal Corpse, but they do create an enveloping sense of grim monstrosity. Strap yourself for moments when you’d like to bathe in the futility of existence. Tom

Lock Howl is difficult to accurately categorise and the act describes itself as “reverb-drenched gothic post-punk”. There are definitely elements reminiscent of the post-punk and goth-rock classics like Fields of the Nephilim, Nosferatu, Joy Division, The Sisters of Mercy and Bauhaus but the sound isn’t that simple, there is a harder, faster, and heavier metal edge. The guitars are often agile but can become chunky and raucous, the drums are energetic and every now and then the deep crooning vocals are pierced by black metal styled screams. I must say though that the smooth baritone vocals are rousing, passionate and central to the band’s overall sound. For someone like myself, who adores the eighties goth era as well as contemporary extreme metal, this band is a dream come true. Blackened post-punk could be one my favourite styles, as this combination works perfectly and the result is phenomenal.  

Thus far Lock Howl have two releases under their stylishly thin black belt, the 2015 EP “Lost in the Static” and the 2017 album “Pareidolia”. I can only hope that there will be more to come because this band is extraordinarily special and the world would be a more delightfully dark place with additional Lock Howl albums in it. Proua Metallist

Liminal Shroud is a three-piece band, being, A. Crossley, Guitar/vocals; R.Taylor, Bass/vocals; and D. Davidson, drums. They thread nature into their sound, which falls in between black metal, depressive, and atmospheric. One criticism that comes up, is that a few bands who produce this type of album rely too heavily on the atmospherics to carry it through, without enough attention on instruments and vocals. I see that from time to time, and don’t get me wrong, beautifully paced atmospheric is very much welcome in a heavy album, in my opinion, but we also want the girth of guitars, drums, and vocals to feed the flames here too.

Liminal Shroud does this, balancing and using the atmosphere in timely moments, and not as the main push for the album. The first track, “A Hollow Visage” sets it; that mix of atmospheric, depressive melancholy, but also the relentless drumming and riffing coming in strong and visible.  The vocal is that deep guttural that lends itself well to the atmosphere achieved here. Another track further in, “The Grotto” demonstrates that mix of depressive moodiness and backed up with fury in the vocal, frenzied drumming to a slower pace, and guitar that keeps the mood and punctuates the atmosphere.

Next, “Erupting Light” has a gothic feel to begin, then the guitars begin and the energies in that keep the track firmly in the grasp of black metal. More guitar and drumming variations occur throughout and are blended and taken out, reminding me of the ocean.  Tides going out and coming back to shore. After listening to the last remaining tracks of this album, there are points of repetition, but I’m glad to say that the overall album is seated in its range of guitar, drums, and vocals.  The atmosphere is here, but it’s added as an exclamation mark, or a timely pause to appreciate. Give Liminal Shroud a try next time.  For a newer band, experimenting and growing, they have a future that can build on this and only go further. Metal Marie

To be honest I only knew this band cause of that. So when the first album was out (1997) I bought it. The band was always related to Black Gothic Metal. The melodic Black metal is there and yes the Gothic Metal too. Was the option that Kimmo Luttinen decided that time.

I don’t have the demo (but I would like to have it), but I have the two albums and I do like it. Not a masterpiece, beware of that, just two good albums released by Holy Records. I think it’s a band that should be checked by new metalheads and maybe some old metalheads that didn’t had the chance to check them back in the 90s’. The Key Keeper 666