As mentioned a couple of months ago, I maxed out on my 160 GB iPod Classic and decided to split the ROCK and the METAL across two iPods (one a new iPod touch that one of my sons got me for Christmas back in 2019). I’ve already done one post on the Rock iPod… now the first for the METAL!

“Back To The People”, Infectious Grooves The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move… It’s The Infectious Grooves

AHHHHHHAHAHA! How funny… the first song coming up on shuffle is about as far away from metal as can be and certainly leans more to the funky side of Mike Muir’s band of merry men. A bit of a showcase for Robert Trujillo whose popping and slapping bass style is the highlight (although not showcased in his gig with the big boys in Metallica), but there’s also enough skanky guitar from Dean Pleasants and drum ‘n percussive groove from Jane’s Addiction’s Stephen Perkins to make this cut a bit of funky fun. Throw in the odd asides from Muir and you’ve got a bit o’ entertainment akin to stuff like the Red Hot Chili Peppers (OLD RHCP, not new).

“These Boots Are Made For Walkin'” Megadeth, Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good

Oh, it’s one of THOSE blog posts this week eh? A bit of the tomfoolery here on the shuffle, this being a metalized version of the Nancy Sinatra classic (the non-censored one to boot!) and also our second album in a row with an ellipsis in it (what’s an ellipsis? Google it!) At any rate, this is an absolutely KILLER version done in true early Megadeth piss ‘n vinegar style with snotty vocals, slippery guitar runs, and thunderous Gar Samuelson drums. Supposedly songwriter Lee Hazelwood was not happy with this version and has forced the band to censor much of the vocal on Killing rereleases, which in an odd way is funny in its own way as much of it is bleeped out (some REALLY long bleeps too). Love the “walking bass” intro and nasty Chris Poland solo at the beginning.

“Off The Edge” Megadeth, Super Collider

Well, TWO ‘Deth songs in a row… guess the tomfoolery continues! At any rate “Off The Edge” comes from the somewhat lamented Super Collider and in all honesty is a pretty rockin’ cut, not the thrashy stuff from the early days but a decent, galloping riff and a pretty good snarly Mustaine vocal. One of the reasons I run in shuffle mode is that I’ll often miss songs like this when listening to the original albums in full and don’t really catch how good they are unless it’s out of context and I’m not expecting it. A bit of a similar vibe and groove to what’s on Symphony Of Destruction with some decent leadwork but not the over the top speed and relentless headbanging found on Peace Sells.

“Moon” Leprous, The Congregation

Oh I forgot to mention… the metal iPod has quite the mix from the genre with Leprous representing the more progressive side of things, maybe a bit more from an avant garde and experimental front. “Moon” move along on a pretty tricky drum groove from Baard Kolstad (who happens to be making his band debut here) and atmospheric keyboard work from vocalist Elinar Solberg, whose singing style is pretty dramatic and touches the full throated near falsetto range. About midway through comes the guitar, which is content to just ride a muted, distorted rhythm until the last minute of the song as it blends more heavier riffs and pull offs with more dramatic keyswork. A bit “out there” overall but it all works to dramatic effect. Quite the interesting band.

“Sleeping On The Job” Gillan, Glory Road

So what does Ian Gillan do after leaving the mighty Deep Purple machine in 1973 before making his triumphant return to that vocal throne in 1984? Outside of a few years running a studio and experimenting with a dern near rock/metal/fusion (?) band, our favorite yelper leads a crack band under the Gillan moniker that brings him near full circle to the hard rock he was quite famous for. “Sleeping On The Job” has a killer main riff with great guitar/keyboard interplay between Bernie Torme and Colin Townes that comes darn near the work of the aforementioned Purple but leans a little more towards bluesy, bouncy fun. Gillan in great voice, content to sing more rather than scream his hearty head off.

“Riding On The Wind” Judas Priest, Live In Memphis

Basically the boot version of Priest DVD Live Vengeance, this period was likely the height of my Priest fandom as the band had just come out with the searing Screaming For Vengeance and this actual video was being shown periodically on MTV back in the good ol’ days. And boy does this version smoke; Halford really letting ‘er rip vocally and hitting a range that’s crossed between flat out singing and mid-tier scream with some strong upper register as well. For those of you that want to know why I love metal, this is a great reason. This has always been one of my favorite unheralded Priest songs- such a great, great riff, fantastic tag team guitar work, propulsive drive, but most of all… THAT VOCAL. Just when you think he’s about to lose it he pushes his voice even further. Fantastic stuff.

“Riddles Are Abound Tonight” Sausage, Riddles Are Abound Tonight

Shhhhh… don’t tell anyone… but Sausage is Primus…. well, not really but one listen to the unmistakable voice, weirdoramaness, and bass fwapping from the one and only Les Claypool and it would be hard to argue about that there fact, BUT… it’s NOT Primus. But… kinda? So whatcha got here is ol’ Les with a couple of dudes who were part of the original Primus BEFORE they became the Primus that we all know and love today. Said couple of dudes left the band in the pre-fame days but in 1994 all three got together and put together this truly frizzle fried release. “Riddles Are Abound Tonight” has EVERYTHING you love about Primus: world class and wacky bass, weird vocals and lyrics, noisy guitar, and kickin’ drum beats. In a word… fun!

“Dance Of The Dead” Iron Maiden, En Vivo!

I think most of you know that I’m a HUGE Iron Maiden fan. HUUUUUUUUUGE. That said, I’ve always been kinda lukewarm on this song and I don’t really know why- it pains me to say that it’s almost a bit of a “paint by numbers” Maiden tale, a bit of “Fear Of The Dark” crossed with “Hallowed Be Thy Name” and “Afraid To Shoot Strangers” but with a Celtic jig. Maybe it’s the LOOOOONG intro (three minutes?!) but eventually we get into yer typical Maiden romp; this version maybe a tad bit rushed (thanks Mr McBrain) but it does feature some absolutely stonking solos from the Three Amigos with Janick winning this round. As always, Bruce does one helluva job singing and is in proper thespian mode for the spooky lyrical content. Ahh… I’m too hard on this one.

“Genocya” Overkill, From The Underground And Below

In the 90s it seemed as if Overkill were the only thrash band (I know, I know… there WERE others, but it SEEMED that way) still flying the metal flag with the onset of grunge. This era of the band still hung on to their thrashy roots but often injected a bit more groove and doom into their sound, with “Genocya” being a decent taster of what they were doing at the time with a shade more darker and demented menace on display here. As always Blitz is on fire, his raging, almost punkish delivery often pushing Overkill songs on to even greater headbanging heights. I love how the song builds from an atonal yet crunchy riff, DD’s doomy bass, and Blitz’s controlled snarl until it pushes into overdrive. Slow, fast, slower, then even faster… very cool.

“Death Alley Driver” Rainbow, Straight Between The Eyes

Like that Gillan cat above, what did the great Ritchie Blackmore do in his time away from Deep Purple? Why he formed his own fab band in Rainbow, initially fronted by Ronnie James Dio before moving on to more commercial heights with the smoother belt of Joe Lynn Turner. “Death Alley Driver” leans very close to “Highway Star” territory with its speedy riff, fleet fingered noodling, and mesmerizing organ solo but in the end is really its own thing in the hands of the measured pace and bluesier tones of Turner and a mix focused more on the Man In Black’s searing guitar work. Maybe a bit of a cleaner and safer take in comparison but it’s still tons of fun and the song rocks hard with Ritchie’s slight of hand always a thing of beauty.

First place this blog post goes to the mighty “Riding On The Wind” with spot number two going to “These Boots” and the third goes to “Dance Of Death” (yeah, I know I’m the contrarian… but it’s IRON MAIDEN!)

Before I get too deep into this review I need to make you readers aware of a few facts that may, in some eyes, appear to make this review a bit one-sided and not as objective as it needs to be.  I think most of you are fully aware that this blog highlights music that I am personally interested in and on occasion I like to share newer music that may appeal to some of you “tune junkies” as well, so regardless you’re always going to get a positive slant from me.  So in Eternal Void’s case:  1) they are a local metal band from the Cincinnati/Dayton area not too far from me; and 2) my son Ian Remley is the bassist in the band.  But…  take away those factors and this is still a stunning release full of various layers, vocal dynamics, dense sonics, sheer intensity, and subtle beauty all wrapped in a crushing, 38+ minute statement that is well worth your attention.

I’ll admit that I’d heard bits and pieces of each song as the band was laying down the tracks and although I’d had favorites from some early rough mixes, what really knocked me out was the depth and breadth of just the instrumental tracks.  I’d caught the band live a few years ago before my son joined and thought they sounded really good- lots of heavy riffing, jackhammer drumming, and fiery vocals- so when Ian mentioned that he was joining I was excited for what I would hear.  But what I didn’t know at the time was that the band had recruited a second guitarist and one I knew quite well-  Waylon Baker, Ian’s former bandmate in his previous band The Earth Laid Bare.  Always solid in the riff department, I had a feeling Waylon’s melodic, layered patterns could provide an emotional lift/shift and provide some serious ear candy that would fit in with original guitarist Evan Hildebrandt’s muscular riffs.  After just one listen to those early raw tracks, I could tell with the addition of Ian and Waylon that this was shaping up to be an excellent disc.

So how about the final product?  As someone who likes both sides of the heavy/light coin, any band that can combine the best of both elements in their material always catches my ear and this disc does not disappoint.  Listening to Serenity In The Black is a journey through various shades of color and a collage of sound within songs and across the entirety of the disc; one minute you’re listening to the insistent throb of a riff (take intro cut “Crippling Thing”) that shifts to a melodic and bright chorus section before careening back and forth between double timed crunch and deep growls (“I feel broken”) to a beautifully tapped melodic and clean vocal section, and the next minute you’re listening to the ferocious heaviosity of something like “Enemy” (possibly my favorite cut on here), which combines a frenetic, thrashy pace with some serious chug and aggressive vocals.  However, if that heavy is too much for you this release is well-balanced with songs like the melancholic and beautifully melodic “Despondent” and the dark and hopeful “Catching Rain”; two songs that feature mostly clean vocals from Logan Adams (the former also featuring Spiritbox singer Courtney LaPlante, who meshes extremely well) that offer up a sharp contrast to much of the material on this disc.  That mix of styles and the overall variety is well balanced and has me hitting the repeat button and on second listen I’ll hear something I’d not caught before.  There are so many layers of sounds, textures, tones, and emotions on display that it’s hard for me to imagine someone NOT finding something to like here.  It’s that good.

Hard to choose highlights but I’ll pick out a few things that sink in and grab my ear:

The bass:  Of course!  VERY PROUD of my son and his playing on this disc and the final master really showcases a massively deep (and I do mean DEEEEEEP) bass tone.  It’s not that I hear the bass but I FEEL it; it’s the solid foundation on every song.  One minute Ian is holding down thick roots and letting single notes rumble to support certain sections of a song, and the next he’s got a fluid, speedy run to match the riffs that Evan and Waylon are laying down.  That vibration… that insistent “WHOOOOM”…  is the constant and the glue that everything is stuck to and built on.

The drums:  Man, talk about some solid thunder.  Dylan Krebs is the machine and really drives the band forward on a lot of this material, whether it be massive double kicks through the heavier sections or laying back a shade in the lighter moments.  Especially love the intro to the monstrous “Enemy” and the wall of sound supporting the riff.

The guitars:  Already highlighted a bit at the beginning but to rehash…  give me a fat, beefy riff you’re good, give me a beautifully ethereal melody and that’s fab too, but the ability to combine the two and make it interesting?  Now you’re talking.  Just fantastic work here by Evan and Waylon.

The vocals:  I mentioned at the beginning how excited I was with the depth and breadth of the instrumental tracks?  Same excitement when I heard the vocal tracks for the first time.  Logan Adams delivers some fiery power via deep, guttural growls one moment to melodic and clean vocal sections the next, which adds to the multiple moods, ebbs, and flows within and across each track.  Excellent!

Dynamics:  Where do I start?  This is where a lot of the magic happens on this disc.  Lead track “Crippling Thing” is a great example-  there is so much tempo build and manic shift going on at the intro and during the heavy sections, but then the bar gets raised with an uplifting clean vocal and melodic tapping section that whiplashes back to an insistently crushing riff.  Same dynamics apply to the massive title cut “Serenity In The Black”, which builds up from a dark and brooding intro section into a dense wall of thick chords and tricky riffage until the bottom falls out in favor of another quiet buildup of whispered vocals and mélange of sound.  Toss in the storming aural journey of the swirling “I Hope You Know” for one final uplifting crescendo (some GREAT bass runs here) to close out one awesome disc.

“Willow”:   Not sure what it is about this song, but the mood shift from “Catching Rain” into “Willow” is such a mighty deep and wide crevice that speaks further to the dynamics on display and is probably the best example of tonal shift between individual songs rather than within the songs themselves.  The relatively quiet and introspective hopefulness of “Catching Rain” is at one end of the sonic spectrum but the full-on shift into the blindingly hot “Willow” is like going from 0 to 60 MPH in the blink of an eye.  Makes a strong run for favorite song on the disc along with “Enemy” and the title cut.

All in all, if you like heavy and atmospheric metal with progressive touches then Serenity In The Black is a very worthwhile addition to your music library.  I’ve only highlighted a little over half of the album but all songs are VERY good-  download and buy the whole thing, press play, and leave it on repeat because you’re going to want to hear it a few times in a row.  Kudos to the guys for making an excellent record-  I can’t wait to hear how this sounds live!

To buy merch, click here: Merch | Eternal Void (bandcamp.com)