Continued from page 14 groove in the vein of“ The Saw is the Law” from 2014’ s Our Endless War. From the getgo, Bozeman sounds like a raging maniac and continues throughout the entire album. His vocal range is unfuckablewith. His evil gutturals( no clean singing this time), low / mid-pitched hardcore barks— and especially his spine tingling highpitched wails— makes him one of, if not the best, deathcore vocalists around today. The 10 standout tracks contain some of the band’ s best earth-moving breakdowns, brutal beatdowns, and chugging slams. Yet, there are some wonderful interlaced melodies interjected as well that are emotive and memorable – almost hummable. Produced by guitarist Zach Householder while the mixing was handled by Drew Fulk, the menacing guitar tone of the band’ s three-pronged guitar assault brilliantly shines through while each player’ s performance is layered together well without getting drowned out. The same goes for the placement of the drums, which tended to be muffled on the band’ s past few albums. Hymns in Dissonance is a surprisingly enjoyable return to the band’ s brutal roots, proving to be one vicious slab of molten modern deathcore.
– Kelley Simms
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FIERCE ATMOSPHERES The Versailles Records Sessions
( Self)
To think that local progressive / power metal band Fierce Atmospheres has been around in one form or another for almost a quarter of a century is rather admirable. Initially formed in 2001 in Austin, Texas, Fierce Atmospheres has released five EPs, two full-length albums, and has contributed to several compilation and tribute albums. The 10 tracks that appear on The Versailles Records Sessions compilation were recorded from 2011 to 2017 for the
Versailles Records label in Nashville. Featuring powerhouse vocalist Taran de Pablos, guitarists Eric Gosselin and Sean Coogan, bassist Lance King and drummer John Ashe, Fierce Atmospheres has enlisted a diverse lineup of dynamic guest vocalists for these tracks. Album opener“ Children of the Damned” from Iron Maiden possesses a controlled, proggy feel with spot-on vocals from Steve Reimer of fellow Chicagoans Slauter Xstroyes, while the instrumentation is fantastic. On“ Master of Puppets,” which appeared on the compilation The Many Faces Of Metallica( A Journey Through The Inner World Of Metallica), the band achieves a spectacular guitar and bass tone with the instruments cutting through like a razor, while the vocals contain an even more NWOBHM inflection that Metallica initially grew up on. The raw and energetic rendition of Mötley Crüe’ s“ Take Me to the Top” is decorated with John Yeager’ s top notch vocal performance, making him an almost dead ringer for a young and vibrant Vince Neal. The band really shines on Deep Purple’ s“ Perfect Strangers,” which previously appeared as a bonus track on 2015’ s Forsaken EP. Current Fierce Atmospheres vocalist Taran DePablos gives off immense Ian Gillan vibes with his sparkling mid-range and impressive highs. Attempting to cover Led Zeppelin’ s“ Achilles Last Stand” might be an arduous task, as the original song’ s duration is already long enough, so patience here leads to a rather well payoff. The band’ s versions of Black Sabbath’ s“ A National Acrobat” and“ After Forever” are bolstered by a heavier sonority, decorated with the gritty vocals of Joe Martina, and although“ Children of the Sea,” featuring vocalist Arturas Blazukas, lacks the superior dynamics of Ronnie James Dio, his range serves the song well. When it comes to performing cover songs, a band should go into it with the mindset of making the original song their own. For the most part, Fierce Atmospheres accomplishes this, while also sticking to the original instrumentation and musical tones. On The Versailles Records Sessions, Fierce Atmospheres gives these well known classic tracks a shot of energetic prog / power metal flavor.
— Kelley Simms Continued on page 18
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16 illinoisentertainer. com may 2025