Fucking Bölzer

[Eoin McLove]

Yeah, third spin in and it's getting better already. The drumming is incredible, particularly on the last song. It feels in some ways like a step backwards from 'Hero' so I just need to readjust.

[Grim Reality]

Just gave it a first listen there. Sounds brilliant and coherent throughout. Despite Hero being one of the best albums I've heard in years I resisted the temptation (didn't bother) to listen to the preview track so my initial impression is unadulterated. When I used to listen to Metallica or whoever back in the day I hated when you knew a single well before you got the album and then had to do a lot of listening to re balance your impressions of the whole thing.

Anyway. Another massive release. The vocals as ever are class and the seem harsher /more aggressive than previous. I was a fan of the clean singing from the get go and no change here.

As mentioned the drumming is ferocious and seems to really ramp it up a notch from previous releases.

One of the only modern bands worth caring about and they transcend the entire extreme genre.

[mickO)))]

Really grew tired of the latest release very fast songs are too long and drawn out. I hope the next release is better.

[Eoin McLove]

Having the opposite experience here.  I still think the last song is needlessly padded out with ambient shite but the songs have really started to grow on me.

[mickO)))]

I got caught off guard at the beginning by the music and lyrics in the Shepherd song. I am glad in the end I didn't buy a physical copy.

[Eoin McLove]

Revisiting 'Hero' this morning for the first time in ages. What an album. A modern classic as far as I'm concerned. Grim Reality said it above, they transcend genre boundaries and really just stand on their own. It's good to see the style they have developed within black and death metal hasn't become a trend so they are being left to their own devices. It keeps the sound fresh. There was one band being hyped momentarily last year who seemed to be edging into their territory quite a bit,  their name escapes me, but they just lacked everything that sets Bölzer apart from the pack.

'Hero', though... what a monumental record.

[TurnTheAirBlue]

Great stuff alright! Wore it out when I first heard it. That 3-minute intro to Phosphor never gets old. Can't wait to hear what they do next.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

A class of its own. I mentioned it somewhere here at the time, but when I was going through a recent, first of my life, Rammstein binge, I was pleasantly surprised to hear what I think must have been a direct or indirect inspiration for the whistling which Bölzer integrate so well on Hero, given that Okoi is so open in his diverse musical appreciations and influences:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2rQzv8OWEY

[ochoill]

A class of its own. I mentioned it somewhere here at the time, but when I was going through a recent, first of my life, Rammstein binge, I was pleasantly surprised to hear what I think must have been a direct or indirect inspiration for the whistling which Bölzer integrate so well on Hero, given that Okoi is so open in his diverse musical appreciations and influences:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2rQzv8OWEY

When I was in secondary school a lad told me he'd sell me a Rammstein CD for a fiver.  What a deal, I thought, having heard a few tracks on MTV2/Kerrang and enjoying them, but never going much further what with the dial up at home and CDs still costing pounds to investigate.  On he arrives later in the week with a cover printed on normal paper that was definitely mocked up in MS Paint, and some absolutely brutal bootlegs he ripped off Napster.  There were about three listenable songs on it, and Engel was one of them.  Great track.  I still bought it off him and all, I wonder if it's still in the crate of CDs I have hidden away.  I have a copy of Kill II This "Trinity" from around the same era too, permanently borrowed from Astfgyl there, which he lovingly reconstructed using clear contact to the point you can't read the song names on it and the CD looks like it was used as a brake disc for a few years.  For the best.

Revisiting 'Hero' this morning for the first time in ages. What an album. A modern classic as far as I'm concerned. Grim Reality said it above, they transcend genre boundaries and really just stand on their own. It's good to see the style they have developed within black and death metal hasn't become a trend so they are being left to their own devices. It keeps the sound fresh. There was one band being hyped momentarily last year who seemed to be edging into their territory quite a bit,  their name escapes me, but they just lacked everything that sets Bölzer apart from the pack.

'Hero', though... what a monumental record.

It is fantastic.  Great to see it so unique alright, and you could never tire of the album, though it goes a few months between listens for me it's still a regular occurrence.  After that recent Ruins of Beverast album came out, I thought there were a few similarities in the production in spots, and in the style, but obviously not exactly the same.  The joy soon after when both bands were announced to play Limerick - serious combination.  Can't wait.

[Eoin McLove]

https://youtu.be/oLGUgpn5-38

An in-depth interview here with Okoi. I enjoyed it but I'd like to have heard a few more details about the new album that they are working on. High hopes for that one. I might stick on Hero today. And why not! Sure, didn't the good lord himself take the guts of an hour out of being crucified to give it a spin.

[ochoill]

Have Hero on here again meself, shittily off the back of a phone because I am away with no speakers or anything.  Doesn't matter, it's still great.  Not looking for clones by any means but what to you reach for to keep this particular buzz going?  I'm likely going for mid era Enslaved after this but that's not exact either, it does have some nod to the progressions and style of riffs mind.

[Eoin McLove]

There was a band called Jade I think who released something a couple of years ago. I thought they were shite when I checked them out- Bölzer lite sort of stuff- and realised I don't really want another Bölzer. So it's hard to find anything in that similar positive vein that have a similar sound. You could try later day Borknagar. Different style but it has an uplifting quality to my ear that could work. Maybe something like Summoning or Falkenbach purely for that epic, triumphant vibe, but again stylistically not many similarities there.

[ochoill]

Cheers, I'll try out a few of those.  Yeah it's a tough find.  I gave Eld a spin yesterday afterwards and it had a few bits in common but again not exact (still a class album anyway though).  Drifted off down a different route to Kreationist "Dans L'interminable" out of a memory that it had some fairly triumphant sounding BM on it, though it was ultimately nothing alike it was still great.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Out of the bands I lumped Bölzer in with here, Morbus Chron/Sweven are the one I would most often listen to back to back with Bölzer. I find they scratch a similar itch.
https://forum.metalwarfare.com/index.php?topic=1965.0

[Eoin McLove]

https://youtu.be/CKud8rGf-d0

Bölzer aired a new song live recently named The Pauper (Be A Prince in the Arms of Death). I've given it one spin and it has set my brain on fire. It is epic, barbaric, rocking and uplifting. It's Bölzer in other words. I will be listening to it on repeat over the next few days I'm sure. Maybe there's a new EP or album on the way... fingers crossed.

Edit. I read my post above and it looks like they are working on an album.