Now reviewed: RISE ABOVE DEAD, IDLE CLASS, NoM, ONWARD TO OLYMPAS and CAPTAIN PLANET

by marcs77

RISE ABOVE DEAD Stellar Filth (LP)

I could tentatively label this band, hailing from Milan, Italy, post-something (be it post-hardcore, post-metal...) but I guess they'd be happy to label their project post-RISE ABOVE DEAD if really a label has to be cast upon this mammoth of sludgy heaviness and obscure tense atmospheres they deliver through the 7 tracks that make up “STELLAR FILTH”.
This new vinyl, released last June 2012, follows-up to their debut EP “Human Disintegration” dated 2010.

Heavily oppressing vocals and sloooow-doom-ish thick riffages that could have sparked right off the down-tuned guitars of Toni Iommi or "Wino" Weinrich (you know these dudes, right?).
The tracks are kinda lengthy journey through an outer dimension that must be taken in bit by bit but which will probably won't let you free when you've got caught into this world.
Comparing the two releases it's quite obvious that on “Stellar Filth” the quintet slowed down more than a notch. This gets back to the post-RISE ABOVE DEAD I wrote in the opening lines. But the new stuff kinda resume where they had left off with the first minutes of previous EP last track “Scattered And Forgotten”.
The obscure yet intriguing cover-artwork comes courtesy of modern-visionary artist Justin Bartlett which already worked with the likes of Sunn O))), Trap Them, The Secret (and Rise Above Dead EP).
Definitely a record not for all but I'm sure that if you get into this stuff it will hunt forever like it happened since my very first time listening to Black Sabbath many many years ago.

Check: https://www.facebook.com/riseabovedead

IDLE CLASS Stumbling Home (LP)
This opens up with an instrumental happy circus march like to give way to some high paced melodic hardcore punk which owes much to Propagandhi, Strike Anywhere, Polar Bear Club, Antillectual, Atlas Losing Grip and Roma's Jet Market.
There's lotta energy potential here, the much need good amount of melodies and hooks and musicians prowess that the fans of the genre have come to love and pretend.
I personally love the song “Hillview”.
The cover artwork it's worth a mention. Nice job.
IDLE CLASS hails from Munich and released this “STUMBLING HOME” has a debut 6-track EP last July 2012.
The guys have a new LP “The Drama's Done” out on Blackstar Foundation that I just got for review but haven't listened to it yet. I expect nice things to come.
Meanwhile I suggest you not to miss on “Stambling Home”. Okay?

Check: www.facebook.com/idleclass

NoM Brains, Monkeys And The World New Order (CD)

It took much time to me before I got to work on this review but this record was now literally burning in flames for the wait to get its due chance to blow my hears away. Now it came its time dudes.
NoM (short for Nuisance Of Majority) is a five-piece hailing from North Germany and they play a really wrecking blood pumping rendering of metallic hardcore meet deathmetal meets rancid rock n' roll (they simply label themselves death&roll).
“Deconstruction Of Humanity” the official opening, after the sampler/intro “Death Of Prebrain”, beats the path of the more punishing death metal until some melodic 90's stonerock-ish vocals (the voice hits the notes of SOAD's Serj Tankian) break the unrelenting assault.

“Way To Die” its like early Motörhead took at it's brutal level to later offer mid of the way in song a chorus which will probably stick to your mind right away.
The guys didn't invent this genre and I don't know whether it's really possible to track it down the day-zero but the likes of Entombed “Wolverine Blues” era, Gorefest “Soul Survivor” era, Venom, Debauchery, Doomriders and Italian bands like Roma's Southern Drinkdestruction can be good reference points to check out whether you're a freshman with the genre.
However, NoM are more within the hardcore than all above mentioned acts. So listen to “BRAINS, MONKEYS AND THE WORLD NEW ORDER” because it kicks ass from start to end and it has got a killer comic like cover artwork.
Get in touch directly with the band for a copy since differently from the previous two works this is a DIY thing.

Check: http://www.n-o-m.de/

ONWARD TO OLYMPAS Indicator (CD)

ONWARD TO OLYMPAS one of that modern band that mixes the brutality of metalcore with the hooks and melodic clean vocals which are a trade-mark of the much-loved-much-hated genre of this decade.
“Wolf's Jaw” it's a full-on beatdown+breakdowns number where the very brutal vocals are blended with some cleans that reminds the like of Linkin Park.
While next up, a metallic number, “Circles & Illusions” could come out off a Killswitch Engage songs book.
Compared to their previous effort I got for review in 2010 you can hear that the band has taken their sound up a notch, and this particularly as far as production goes.
The record is out on Facedown record and if you're not among the haters you'll find here something worth a listen.

Check: https://www.facebook.com/onwardtoolympas

CAPTAIN PLANET Triebeis (CD)

CAPTAIN PLANET five-some from Hamburg, Germany have been around since 2005 and play some post-punk rock sung in German.
There's definitely something newwave-ish to their proposal a bit of emo suggestions and at times they remind me of a more adrenalin driven version of The Killer.
CAPTAIN PLANET are definitely more punk and less pop, you know what I mean?
For a non-German the fact that they sing in their own language gives it's own feel to the whole proposal.
This year they released a split 7” with Clickclickdecker.
Nice record.

Check: https://www.facebook.com/captainmeincaptain