Scour “Gold”
Gold will be released February 21st on Housecore Records in North America & Nuclear Blast in Europe
Phil Anselmo is no stranger to extreme metal. Not only fronting the heavy and iconic Pantera, he has dabbled in other genres of heavy metal. Fronting the sludge metal supergroup Down, featuring members of Crowbar, Eyehategod and Corrosion of Conformity. He also had his crossover thrash/hardcore punk band Arson Anthem w/ Hank Williams III and Mike IX Williams. Even dabbling in black metal with industrial & sludge elements with Christ Inversion. Anselmo’s most recent and popular extreme metal project is his black metal project Scour. Formed in 2015, the band has released three EPs, that were not only well-received by fans and critics, but also featured appearances by Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Cannibal Corpse), Pat O’Brien (Exhorder) and even actor Jason Momoa.
Now, the band is set to release their debut album Gold. After three strong EPs and live performances, while also being signed to major label Nuclear Blast, does Anselmo’s take on black metal live up to the hype following the stellar EPs? Starting 2025 on a high note and showing that Anselmo can deliver a heavy and blasphemic record with Scour?
The album starts off with “Cross”. Right off the bat, the sonic onslaught of driving drums and guitars, along with Anselmo’s shrieking, sniveling vocals truly delivers that blasphemic nature of black metal the band was going for. Derek Engemann & Mark Kloeppel are just delivering the cold, frostbitten Immortal-like guitar riffage that just hits so good. Anselmo hops between sniveling, phlegmy vocals to deep guttural vocals that contrast well with the music. Sounding like black metal while also adding a blackened death metal sound to the music. Drummer Adam Jarvis just flies all over the kit as the song’s just over two minute runtime flies by. One hell of an opening track to kick the album off.
“Blades” open with that hostile, aggressive, high octane guitar/drum blasting combo. Engemann & Kloeppel’s guitars have that ascending/descending guitar style as the riff mixes with the drums and vocals so damn well. Anselmo’s shrieking is so demonic and dynamic, especially at the breakdown at the halfway mark of the song. I love the guitar lead near the three-quarters mark. Creating that reverb-heavy, droning effect before the drums and main riff come back with a thundering thud. Another song that is just straight out the gate, no frills, right to the point black metal.
The album’s lead single is up next “Infusorium”. Opening with a sludgy, slow headbang along feeling with the riff. The song builds and builds with tremolo guitars and strumming guitars, then back to the blasting by Jarvis. The chorus is just a bombardment of aggressive drumming and tremolo guitars that I can picture the pit going crazy during this section. The more guttural vocals on the track really adds a more demonic and evil presence to the song. Creating a more evil, slow-burn feel. With the switch-up near the three-quarters mark, the song almost takes an odd uplifting turn. A swaying and cascading guitar solo soars into a dueling solo section as the double bass keeps time, before bringing the pulse-pounding drums back for one final chorus. On “Ornaments”, we get ringing, heavily reverbed piano hits amongst a windy background and warping studio effects. Acting like an interlude and a breather to the listener after the sonic blitzkrieg of the last three songs. While also continuing the demonic, otherworldly nature with the muffled, distorted spoken word piece and descending, mutated strings beneath it.
“Coin” opens with a deep black metal strumming riff and Anselmo delivering one hell of a guttural death growl. Guitars deliver that trademark tremolo guitar playing, but with light start/stop pacing with the drums. Engemann & Kloeppel are fighting carpel-tunnel as they shred with the tremolo playing and speed, before returning to strum pieces and soaring guitar bends. Double bass just adds punctuation to the brutality of the music so far on the album. Especially with John Jarvis’ bass adding the heft and weight to the pounding pulse of the drumming. Another nice guitar solo near the close of the track, pretty shredtacular and technical for a black metal song. Out of the norm for the genre yes, but one hell of a good choice for the song.
The onslaught of blasphemy continues on “Evil”. Anselmo’s sniveling vocal shrieks hit the listener hard amongst the blast beats and guitars punishing the listener right out of the gate. The production on the album is really well done. Though loud, its not muddy or muffled or distortion in the mix. A fist-pumper of a song and another pit-driving track, Scour knows how to hit the gas and not take their foot off. With the key of their music being straight for the throat black metal. No atmosphere, no ambience, just straightforward black metal.
The blasting and sonic destruction continues on the next track “Devil”. With elements of crust and grindcore, the band continues to not take its foot off the gas and not deviating from the formula. Heavy, aggressive, nihilistic and unhinged, Scour continues to punish the ears with their take on black metal. Engemann & Kloeppel are again riff-machines in their playing. Crafting heavy, bombastic breakdown-like riffs amongst the tremolos and soaring background guitar leads. Anselmo has not lost a step with the vocals on the track. From his trademark deep speaking voice, to unhinged distorted screams to atmospheric shrieking and howls. This was my favorite track off the album. “Contaminated” opens with distorted sound effects and glitchy sounds amongst eerie soundscapes and music box-esque horror tropes. Providing another interlude effect for the album, while also adding a macabre, disjointed and anxiety-inducing feeling for the theme of the album.
“Hell” returns to the depths of the song’s title with the opening blast beats. With a riff very adjacent to Dark Funeral. Drumming is just non-stop blasts and double bass throughout the manic guitar playing and start/stop, speed up/slow down pacing. The song is kind of a hybrid of death metal, black metal, crust and grindcore and works perfectly. A sound that I think perfectly defines Scour to the T. Aggressive, pissed-off, anti-establishment and authoritarian in the musical attitude and delivery. Heavy and ominous, fast and slow at certain points, it is a very diverse song.
Guitars lead the chaos on “Invoke”. The guitars create an almost groove-like bounce to the song, before the blast beats of Jarvis stop that groove and just goes from the throat in the speed and complexity. Anselmo has a very heavy presence on the vocals. Almost mimicking Abbath in some of the vocal cadences. The call to “All Hail Satan” with thundering drums and gang vocals, just adds that evil and doom-like dread while also invoking a call-to-arms in the power and delivery. The accompanying vocal layering of deep growls and high shrieks after it add that nice touch of dread and unknown to the vocals.
The album’s title track is up next. The longest track on the album at just over four minutes, the band continues the constant barrage of drums and guitar in the opening. A nice, Slayer-like thrash riff kicks in before the minute mark. Showing another unique genre choice that the band pulls off well with this album. In a way, paying homage to the first wave of black metal in the vein of Venom or Bathory (which the band would later cover). Bass becomes more prominent in certain sections. Both peaking through on the quiet parts, but also playing the counter melody or adding more heft to the lower parts of the driving guitars throughout the track. The song definitely has a more blackened thrash sound to it, similar to Witchery, Goatwhore and Destroyer 666.
“Angels” continues the trend of short, instrumental breaks soaked in atmosphere, unease and anxiousness. Building tension and fear as the piece progresses. The touch of violin plucks is a nice addition amongst the short string strikes and rising, droning dread throughout the final interlude. Album closer “Serve” opens with the same brash, high energy, one-two punch of evil and dread in the songs opening. The song features some atmospheric elements and slow-downed pacing right before the minute-thirty mark, before the band brings the chaos back in full swing. Though hinting at those atmospheric elements near the three-quarters mark, the song continues the audio blasphemy while the atmospheric elements come back to close the song out. Transitioning into one final blast beat and tremolo guitar piece as the album draws to a close.
Scour’s debut album is a perfect combination of the band’s complex and diverse take on black metal. Though the band hits the staples of black metal with aggressive blast beats and tremolo guitar playing, the inclusion of blackened death metal, thrash, crust and grindcore adds those little touches that helps them stand out from a lot of black metal acts. I will be curious if the band will still continue to do EPs or if they are albums only from the debut onwards, but this was one hell of a debut and a strong start to 2025. If you like no frills black metal that’s fast, short and brutal, Scour’s Gold album is for you.
SCORE: 5 / 5
You can check out the debut album, along with the band’s other EP’s on their Spotify. You can also purchase the album on the band’s Bandcamp.
