The Angry Scotsman The debut album from Aussie prog metal band Alchemist.

I say prog metal because while there is heaviness, intensity and growls o plenty, musically this is far outside anything in the realm of death metal. Death, Atheist, Cynic even Edge of Sanity never created such an out there product.

"Jar of Kingdom" is a blend of death metal influenced prog metal and psychedelia. There is also some very noticeable Eastern influence. It is an intriguing and ambitious effort that doesn't seem fully developed on this album. While I applaud the effort, (and am glad to know I'm not alone in thinking you can like extreme metal and Pink Floyd)it is just not fully "there" yet. The album is a bit inconsistent, and while Adam Agius' vocals aren't the worst by any means, I'm not really a fan. His shrill growls are actually a lot more energetic than the standard, but also can be as laughable at times. Not a turn off, but not the best.

Musically, the songs have very progressive structures that can range from blast beat death metal to spaced out, Pink Floyd style movements. The music can stop and start on a dime, usually with wild shifts in tempo and style. The guitar work features both heavy, death metal and psychedelic, trippy styles, often at the same time.

The guitar work and song structures are easily the strongest thing on this album, unique and unorthodox are the only ways to put it. As well as awesome. The drumming is fitting and more than servicable.

Just for a change of pace, songs like "Found" are mellow and feature female vocals, and "Whale" is an acoustic piece with some type of tribal drumming, xylophones (or synths) and the sounds of whales.

Some standout songs are "Abstraction" (with its relaxing and brutal movements and sweet psychedelic melodies) "Shell" featuring surprisingly nice melodies, and "Brumal-A View From Pluto" which has one of the best openings I've ever heard and is a particularly brutal and usual piece. I love the surf rock riff over blast beats and distorted mess of tremolo picking.

The finale "Worlds Within Worlds" is a true musical journey, which features some of the best melodies and writing on the album. While some other songs can suffer from a lack of cohesiveness, this one works perfectly for most of it, and is really one of the more unique things I've ever heard. Where else can you feel like relaxing in a Middle Eastern palace and headbanging in a doom metal show??

Very interesting album that makes me feel ashamed I never herd of this band until 2011. What Alchemist tried to do on this album is not easy, and indeed it sounds a bit chaotic at times. Not organized chaos though, more like 2 buses carrying a death metal and psychedelic rock band collided. Sometimes awkward but it also works and the musicianship and songwriting skills here are impressive.

Good, but not great, album that leaves you wanting a bit more.

Three Stars

bonnek Fifth chapter on the speedway to the galaxy. Austal Alian is yet another highly enjoyable album from Alchemist. The tempo is somewhat higher then 'Organasm' and the sound is dryer and more aggressive. Due to the focus on tight playing and fast riotous rhythms, the album has a slightly more industrial feel then its predecessors. The songs are strong as ever and the vocals keep their distinctive diversity, so there’s more then enough to please a metal endorsing prog fan here.

'Alpha Cappella Nova Vega' is the high point for me and served as a perfect introduction for me to this band. With its fine echo laden guitar strumming, hypnotizing mantra and steadily building crescendo, the song is immediately accessible. The remainder of the album is close to the same heights but might take you a bit more time to digest.

Admitted, I'm a huge fanboy of these guy so I can't help rating it a 9/10. Recommend for fans of Voivod, space-metal and Neurosis-on-speed.

UMUR Lunasphere is the second full-length studio album by Australian experimental metal act Alchemist. I was introduced to the band via their fifth and sixth albums Austral Alien (2003) and Tripsis (2007) which are both albums I greatly enjoy and treasure. Alchemist debut album Jar of Kingdom (1993) didn´t impress me much though with its low budget production and imature songwriting but there were promises of better things to come on that album too and while those promises are not totally fullfilled on Lunasphere, this album is much better than the debut.

The music is a style of experimental metal which draws influences from both thrash and death metal as well as post punk/ rock like Killing Joke. There´s also an ethnic influence in the music as well as several rather psychadelic elements. A really interesting cocktail that actually works most of the time. The music is very guitar driven and it´s a great joy to listen to how the two guitarists Adam Agius ( also vocals) and Roy Torkington compliment each other. A trademark that is still present in their music today. The rythm section is tight and evenadventurous at times. The vocals are harsh. Not really growls though. They actually remind me a bit of how Max Cavalera sounded on Roots (1996) by Sepultura.

The production is a bit below standard and it is my biggest problem with this album but it´s far from unbearable and I´m fully able to appreciate the music even though the sound isn´t that good.

There are still edges that needs cutting on Lunasphere but it is a very bold and adventurous album and I greatly respect the band for trying hard to create a unique sound. A 3 star rating is deserved.

UMUR Jar of Kingdom is the debut studio album from Australian progressive/ experimental extreme metal act Alchemist. The album was originally released in 1993 on the Lethal label. Jar of Kingdom was re-released through the Thrust label in 1999 in order for Alchemist to be released from their contract with Thrust and seek an international contract deal instead. Until then their music had solely been available in Australia. The re-release includes Alchemist´s 1991 demo.

The original album is a pretty raw experimental death metal affair. Certainly experimental but not neccessarely enjoyable the whole time. One thing I have always been a fan of when talking about Alchemist is the raw vocal delivery from frontman and guitarist Adam Agius. There´s a man who sings/ semi-growls like he means it. Really aggressive approach. The music has some psychadelic parts that are really enjoyable IMO and those moments are mostly created by Roy Torkington´s lead guitar effects. He is a really inventive guitarist. If you want an example of how varied most tracks on Jar of Kingdom are just listen to the third track on the album called Purple. Very interesting.

The musicianship is pretty good but the bad production drags the album seriously down.

Jar of Kingdom is a good first release from Alchemist but on a personal level I can´t say that the music on the album really interests me much. There are moments here and there where I´m thinking that this is a really good album but soon after comes a section where I´m not very impressed so the best word to describe the album would probably be inconsistent. 2.5 stars will be my rating.

bonnek Alchemist play brutal, fast, intelligent space metal. The vocals are generally gruff but varied. With some low key chanting, Killing Joke bellowing, rough but decent death metal grunts and occasional Umma Gumma screaming. In comparison to the previous album the songs have become more concise and I must admit, a bit less diverse, with less room for extended instrumental passages or psychedelic effects. But there are no weak tracks and the very full and fat production fits their sound very well.

Each song is an epic journey through their sci-fi topic matter. You won’t find catchy choruses or singalongs on the way, only densely layered atmospheres on top of irresistible grooves. The rhythm of this band is one of their most attractive features. There an unstoppable urgency in this music, almost invoking fear by its stringent command. And on subsequent albums they would shift the tempo even another gear further up!