Review by Michael on December 5, 2023.

Finally, eight long years after the stunning debut Charnel Passages the guys from Cruciamentum have mercy on us and serve up their eagerly awaited follow-up Obsidian Refractions. A very morbid cover accompanies their music and if it was back in the 80s this would have been a must-have album just because of this. The music hasn't changed too much in comparison to the debut. I mean, a band who names the opener after the title of the debut won't put too much effort into the music or do something differently… will they?

Wrong!! Obsidian Refractions is about 45 minutes of rotten, cavernous vile old school death metal that bands such as Krypts or Spectral Voice do as well. The vocals are full of hatred and spread a very eerie atmosphere. The drums are thundering full of pressure and give the album a very aggressive and intense touch. And the guitars….. the leads are pretty energetic and absolutely sick like Morbid Angel did back on “Altars Of Madness” and “Blessed Are The Sick” (listen to ‘Scorn Manifestation’ for example). But the band has a very chaotic complexity that it sometimes makes it hard to follow although you never feel confused while listening to their stuff. The breaks and turns are just pretty unbelievable or even astonishing and the details in the songs are so lovely composed and sophisticated (or should I say hatefully?) that this might explain why the band took so long to release some new music. But apart from these features, also some more melodic elements crept in into their music (especially concerning the guitar work) and sometimes even some very tasteful keyboard elements here and there and even some death-doom parts that remind me personally pretty much of Demigods masterpiece “Slumber Of Sullen Eyes”.

The sinister atmosphere goes like a common thread through the whole six songs although it is really hard to point out what makes this evilness out. Is it the vocals with the often double-layered voice, is it the hypnotical keyboard like in ‘Drowned’ or is it the battering drums? Maybe it’s the sometimes slight dissonant guitar that feels like rubbing salt into a wound, or maybe it is all those combined together? Well, it is really hard to say. All I know is that this album overflows with negative energy, morbidity and hatred.

You don't believe me? Just check the last song on the album (‘Drowned’). Apart from the fact that it is (with over 10 minutes running time) their longest one on the album, in it you will find all the trademarks which I described. It is a song that fully pulls you in and won’t leave you unimpressed. You can be sure of that! For me, this one together with the latest Vastum are the masterpieces concerning real death metal.

Rating: 9 out of 10 hateful refractions

Review by Jeger on August 4, 2024.

Without much in the way of the olde Dio steel and leather heavy metal to offer and much more in the way of what’s considered to be cutting edge to divvy out, Philly’s Sumerlands are not your dad’s heavy metal band. They formed in 2013 and now sport two impressive full-length LP’s under their belts - the kind of progressive yet soulful stuff that turns heads like a vixen or an exotic car, not a totaled one either… In September of last year, Sumerlands released their latest effort, “Dreamkiller”, via Relapse Records. 

To top 2016’s “Sumerlands” is no minuscule feat, especially considering the unforgettable vocal work of one Phil Swanson - a classic and classy contribution to an album that I’m not so sure Sumerlands thought was going to make such an impact. But the NWOTHM is a thriving movement in The States, so the real question stands: how could an album of its caliber possibly go unappreciated? Well, it didn’t and it’s been a very long, expectations-raising wait for “Dreamkiller”. Is it worth the wait? You bet it is… 

Sumerlands are my favorite heavy metal band for good reason. I believe that class is important and that less is usually always more. There’s no Dragonforce and Iced Earth flamboyance or Manowar cheesiness to be found here; only executive-level heavy metal - the cream and the standard. The aforementioned Phil Swanson was replaced by current vocalist Brendan Radigan. Similar styles but Brendan’s range is superior and he brings more of a sense of urgency to the music. Essential to dynamic cuts like the titular track and “Force of a Storm” that tread familiar but ultimately more dynamic ground. The latter the album’s finest example of musical wisdom in action. It’s soul meets melody in what is probably the sexiest metal song I’ve heard in a long time; smooth as silk with an unforgettable chorus. But still not even the best of what this record has to offer. 

Guitars are the highlight, man! Thought you knew… John Powers and Arthur Rizk? Untouchable. Riff and solo ear candy the whole way through. Everything from the tonality of the guitars down to the chugging tempo to which they’re played and even the modest yet impactful use of effects; all lethal components that make up this perfect weapon of an album. And the rhythm section? Martial and authoritative as it was in the old days. A strong foundation and the glue that holds it all together. Justin DeTore and Brad Raub laying an unshakable foundation for each and every soulful soundscape. The premier cut on the record comes by way of “Edge of the Knife” - a testament to elite songwriting ability and a Jaguar-like level of sleekness to indulge your taste. In many ways, this is the quintessential heavy metal track; full of classic swagger and it’s these kinds of songs that, at one time, turned mere men into legends of the scene. 

Contemporary heavy metal bands tend to unknowingly make a mockery of the genre through what I consider to be an over-slathering of cheese and overly sensationalized 80’s nostalgia. Definitely not the case here. Timeless and transcendent yet rooted in the fundamentals, “Dreamkiller” is an album for today’s metal fan and climate, but also a throwback to a time when integrity and sincerity stood paramount. 

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Brexaul on October 1, 2022.

Sometimes I like to imagine a world like Marvel’s “what if?”. In this specific thread of the multiverse the world would riot if Ozzy released this instead of “Patient No.9”. I’m talking about looting and pillaging just to sacrifice our earthly possessions to thank the Gods that blessed us with such a masterpiece.

Six years after their impressive debut, Sumerlands return with a robust statement. With three out of five members also playing together in Eternal Champion, Justin DeTore still smashing the drumkit and the new addition of Brendan Radigan (of Pagan Altar/Magic Circle fame), the band presents a surprisingly nostalgic but FRESH take on the 80s formula.

Here you will find tons of small nods to Dokken, Malmsteen, Stan Bush and mostly the man himself, as Dreamkiller could well be an Ozzy-in-his-prime album, both due to the parallels between the double O / Brendan’s voices and the Jake E. Lee / Randy Rhoads approach to the guitars. But none of this would really matter without good songs. Thankfully, the songwriting is the star here and mainman Arthur Risk has come along cementing his presence in today’s heavy metal, both with his songwriting skills and of course with the personal approach to his mixes.

The guitar work is really excellent with a refreshing take on riff-oriented heavy metal, filled with fantastic melodies and solos. The subtle (or not) use of keyboards amplifies the nostalgia factor up to 11 and along with the fantastic rhythm section – which is as “analog” as one can get these days- make for a very familiar sound that manages to take you back to the best days of your teenage life.

Just listen to the anthemic 'Force Of A Storm' and tell me it doesn’t bring you back to a montage training in Bloodsport or a flight sequence in Top Gun – hell, even Cobra Kai could make great use of it now that Netflix is big on getting heavy metal bands on their 80s inspired series. There is no bad song here, but if I had to pick some indicative songs apart from the aforementioned, then I’d suggest the crushing opener 'Twilight Points The Way' and the somber closer 'Death To Mercy' which features what has to be a short tribute to the late Bill Tsamis of Warlord.

Where’s the catch you might ask? My only gripe again with Arthur’s escapades is that like his work with Eternal Champion, the album is fairly short but it's so well crafted and addictive that I won’t let it spoil my perfect scoring. This is beautiful, so please don’t make us wait another 6 years.

Rating: 10 out of 10