|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hmmm…the band
sent me this demo and also their ’97 demo. The ’99 tape shows
improvement, especially the drumming. Though I got a bit of a
darker, cryptic atmosphere from the old demo. You get five songs of brutal
death/grind blasphemy that a die-hard freak can really savor. – Dale
Price is
apparently a hefty 6 I.R.C.’s (International Reply Coupons):
Sanatorio, Caixa
Postal 1303, Belo Horzonte, MG, BRAZIL |
Only 2 songs on
this demo, of note, this Australian act features Anthony Till, the
main man behind the awesome Misery’s Omen. The overall sound is a
tad muffled everything is mixed well enough you can definitely hear
what is going on. “Lone Pine” really takes me back as this release
just reeks and bleeds old Greek black death metal. I unquestionably
find my mind returning to early Rotting Christ, Varathron and
Necromantia. All of which I loved back in the day and still do now,
classic stuff. It is marvelous to hear a few bands starting to
revive this seemingly lost style again and do it so well. A deep
dark and depressively melancholic atmosphere permeates throughout
these two tracks. Update – I have just received word that Sacriphyx
have been signed to Nuclear War Now! For a few releases. Always nice
when a good band finds a good label. – Dale
Sacriphyx, Box
30, Civic Square, ACT 2608 AUSTRALIA
neil_o_death@yahoo.com.au
|
Shit I have been
getting in some great demos this issue. Better crop then the last
issue. Sanctorum blend Euro styles such as melodic death metal,
thrash and a little black metal expertly. They are really talented
players. They keep things melodic but never sacrificing extremity
and keep that brutal and aggressive edge. I like this band a lot
and apparently they are recording their debut CD as I speak. Another
great thing about this tape is that is it is totally free so send
your name and address and get this killer tape FREE! – Dale
Sanctorum, c/o
Joe Waltz, 6376 Anita Dr., Parma Hts., Cleveland, OH. 44130, USA
Email = mdaimon@hotmail.com
|
|
This is the one
man band of David Baxter (ex-Plutonian Shore, ex-Skrew, ex-Škáŋ).
The man’s talent shines through on this full-length of ‘progressive’
black death metal. The roots of the progressive touches are centered
on things like acoustic parts, progressive rock influences, latin
rhythmic incorporation and some small outside the box thinking with
regards to song structuring. The black death elements are thankfully
strong, pronounced and enjoyable to my ear, these metal rudiments
are really more of the foundation of the music than those other
things I named above. All instruments are solidly performed here,
but the drumming in particular is a highlight, so I probably should
not have been surprised upon further inspection to find out David
played the drums in his past bands. While a lot of the rhythms and
riffing is catchy, those elements are also generally kept heavy
and/or essential to the song itself. Which for me, thankfully
largely lacks the too sickly sweet melodic levels, seemingly just
for the sake of being melodic, a pitfall a lot of melodo death bands
fall into in my view. I do say largely, as there is a few times
where I feel the core metal sound on here is slightly undermined,
but those moments are brief and fleeting. Another highlight in
addition to the drumming, for me, is his vocal performance where his
echo-y, rasping growls are commanding and run up an down a register,
which includes short transitory hints of clean-ish singing voice
with a hint of gruff thrash style vox. Yes, the vocals really flesh
things out and honestly they are probably a little under used on
‘Solivagus’ as a whole (and not at all in the title track as an
example). Some of the progressive elements do not always hit the
mark for me, but that said for an old goat black death purist like
myself I still found a lot to like here. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/sarpahorde
https://sarpa6.bandcamp.com/
|
You know
sometimes you come across a release and yes I do mean release, not
demo, not rehearsal tape but a professional release by a record
label. You come across it or it comes across you (and does not even
offer a cum rag to wipe it off), you listen to it perplexed at how a
label could actually release it. “First Strike of the Possessed”, is
garage band rehearsal material in every way, from the paper thin,
boring and unimaginative material, pedestrian sub-par playing, thin
tinny drums and instruments in general that sound as if they were
all recorded simultaneously, in different rooms of the same building
creating something very disjointed sounding. Yes, my friends 11
minutes of something that was not good enough to be recorded on a
boombox, more less given a proper release. They claim in their bio
to be influenced by Beherit, Blasphemy, Profanatica, old Napalm
Death, Terrorizer, Anal Cunt and Venom! HAHA Satanochio cannot even
hope to hold a candle to Venom or even own one their albums, they
sound nothing like Venom or Beherit or Profanatica but do come off
as a lame 3rd rate mix of early Napalm Death mixed with
Anal Cunt and mumblings / sound clips of the movie “Evil Dead” and
evil lyrics to add the ‘Satanic’ part to their tag line of being
“Fist-fucking Satanic grindcore / noise”. I do have some very
unfortunate news, well make that two sad bits of news. First off,
this release was only pressed in 33 copies and is now sold out, so I
am afraid you will be shit out of luck ;). Only 33 people bought
this? Sounds about right. The other regrettable tidbit of news is
the band are currently recording a full length album, hopefully they
are smart and limit it to 66 copies because there are only so many
suckers to go around, you know. VENOM! I nearly busted a gut on that
one! Thanks for the laughs guys. – Dale
www.satanochio.go.ro
axa666@yahoo.com
www.axavalaha.go.ro |
|
Coming out of
New England’s death metal scene is Scalpel with their second cd
“Methods To Delusion”. It features ten tracks of old school death
metal, showcasing well written and performed material. Scalpel play
raw, brutal death metal similar to the mid ‘90s US scene, mixed with
their own ability to write memorable music. The guitars are played
with both extremely fast and crazed patterns, and some more calmer
mid paced sections. The drums are done with the same tempo ranging
from hyper-speed blasting, that do slow to a heavier more middle
paced tempo. If you are a fan of the mid ‘90s American death metal
scene, then be sure to pick up Scalpel’s newest release today. -
Patrick
https://scalpel.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Scalpelofficial/
|
Scorched Earth rain (pun intended) down mid-paced steam rolling
deathtrash with the all important memorability factor. The vocals
follow suit as you can hear and sing along to every gruff word. As
the band say on their flyer “Six crushing anthems of death-thrash
genocide!!!" That sums up this musical maelstrom. So go get the most
out of your extermination! - Dale
Get yours for $8 US / $9 US Everywhere else” P.O. Box 4101, Seattle,
WA. 98104, USA Email = scorchedearthxxx@netscape.net
|
More death-core
stuff. The first 2 tracks have too much hardcore in the voice and
the groove sections. The drummer is a really talented and pretty
tasteful musician. It’s weird the production is good except the 2nd
song where it is really weak!? Different studio? The last 3 songs
display a little blasting and mostly death metal music and this is
where Scrape’s strengths lay. Obviously the more death style tunes
inspire the singer as he drops much of his hardcore style and
shines. Mixed bag but the talent is there. – Dale
Scrape, 164
Powers St., Apt. 3, Brooklyn, NY. 11211, USA Web =
www.scrapeonline.com |
Talk about
bombastic extreme metal! Scythian's debut demo is a pulverizing tour
de force that combines the brutality of European & old American
styled death metal, with morose doom passages and a heavy 80's
thrash aesthetic- imagine a combo of Sodom, Morbid Angel, Nocturnus
and Bathory and you get the idea of exactly what to expect out of
this relentless iron-balls recording. "Suffering to the conquered"
opens with the eerie and somewhat ethereal "Astral Assassins" before
picking up rapidly with "Shattered Idols" and then the very Bathory
esque "Pray to war". Next up comes "Spires to ashes" which echoes
German modern Black-thrash stalwarts Desaster. The title track
follows, showing off Scythian's more than competent handle on
ancient Teutonic thrash metal coupled with just the right hint of
Bathory's "Blood, fire, death" era. Appropriately enough, Scythian
closes this devastating release with a quality rendition of
Bathory's "Holocaust"- one of the few Bathory covers actually done
right. Scythian have emerged strangely enough from England- a
location with little to nothing to show for the heavier side of this
genre. But who cares about where this band comes from, right?
"Suffering to the conquered" blows away just about anything coming
out these days so smugly labeled "brutal death metal", and it is
-more- than an adequate representation of the very best of what
keystone death & thrash bands have to offer us. A rock solid
production, strong vocals and unique combination of brutal & epic
influences makes this a highly memorable and worthwhile investment.
Now signed to Galactic Records, Scythian should have new material
coming along in the near future. Until then, absolutely do NOT
hesitate to contact the band for a copy of this release.
-
Wilhelm
band contact: scythian.death@gmail.com
|
|
I have no
information on this band and could dig up very little about them
online. But I can tell you they are from Ohio and play a disgusting
brand of grindcore. I rather enjoyed this album, it lives up to it’s
title and is very sick, it is also very high energy, dirty grind
with that cool fuck you and everything about you attitude. Which I
really liked haha. Some of their stuff reminds me of some earlier
Meat Shits material, like some of the stuff off of that bands “Fuck
Frenzy” and “Ecstasy Of Death” albums, minus all the porn samples
and horror movie clips though lol! This is some good shit, if you
are into wall of noise grind, with short blasting songs and enjoy
rolling around in your own filth, while listening to this juggernaut
musical maelstrom. This is what they are about, no deeper than that,
so if you like ripping grindcore with an attitude, then pull your
dick out of that hooker, take your last swig of whiskey and get in
touch Sewage Grinder! - Dale
http://sewagegrinder.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/shitgrinder |
 
Well now, I have
some history with this one, the two men Clayton & his cousin Chris
Shaver are the same two who made up the awesome Canadian band Morbid
Darkness, which was around from 1989 to 1996. I was in touch with
them, mainly Clayton (though Chris is a cool guy as well); I even
made the 10 hour drive to stay at Clayton’s house. I believe it was
in the summer of 1994. Not only that, I co-ran the record label
Autopsy Kitchen Records and we re-released their ’94 demo tape on 7”
ep, about a decade later. I have not been contact with Clayton for
the last decade or so, apparently they lost contact with each other
for many years as well, with much water under the bridge I am sure.
They have now reformed (playing together for the first time since
’96!!), and rightly so, after so long they have chosen to form a new
band and this release is the result. I can hear hints of that old
M.D. sound, but overall as many years of life’s travails will tend
to do, they are different people now, so it stands to reason the
music they produce is pretty different sounding yet the old deep
chemistry remains. I must admit, upon first listen I thought this
was just decent, but I am about a dozen listens deep and it grows on
me more and more, I can not stop listening to it now! Many elements
in these songs are stuck in my head, and that is a good sign. I
would say Morbid Darkness were more of an old school black death
metal band and Shadu I would call more of a dark death metal band,
but their old school thrash, speed & heavy metal root system is
deeply entrenched and proudly on display. The music is heavy and
catchy, it had me headbanging at times; there are some killer lyrics
and even some cool repeated chorus sections. I love the line “Raise
Your Head, Open Your Mouth, Drink In The Rain Of Blood!”, which is a
great line that conjures a cool vision in my mind. There are some
cool short guitar solos, which definitely remind me of some of old
solo project jam tapes and things Clayton would give me back in the
day. Clayton (guitar & main vocals) has added to his growling vocal
arsenal since the old days with deeper croaked growling ala
Impetigo, angry adrenaline filled yelling, boiling & bubbling acidic
undertones on his voice, as well as adding some newer black metal
stylistic touches. It is interesting hearing how his older man, life
miles modulating those vocal chords slightly changed his intonation
and his years of experience have deepened his creativity and levels
of his vocal inflections. Clayton has always been a charismatic guy,
but now his musical literal voice now reflects that more than ever
and has never been channeled more effectively. The vocals on here
are diverse and deadly, I do not want to over shadow that Chris adds
his own vocal elements that nicely round out this deep armory.
Speaking of Chris (guitar, bass & drums), he was always the backbone
of the musical song construction bringing both members individual
talents and raw materials into sharper focus. Shadu are
uncompromising, raw and old school, but honestly at the same time do
not really sound much like other old school worshipping bands, they
sound different to my ear, in a good way, something you do not hear
often in this day and age. I am really looking forward to the album
now due out late this year or early in the next. - Dale
https://vhod.ca/s-n-m
https://shadu-nar-mattaru.bandcamp.com/ |
It has only been
a little over two months since Shadu-Nar-Mattaru graced my mailbox
with their self-titled 25 minute debut demo ep. Already they have a
new EP with another 23 minutes of new music; these two metal demons
are clearly feeling the pull of musical inspiration and have been
slaving hard in front of their brimstone & hellfire furnace forging
new music for the hungry UG scene to devour. I have given some
history on this band in the review above (so read that review
first), so let’s jump right into the music. I feel like their thrash
roots are bubbling up a little more this time, as they forcefully
swing their mighty celticfrostyhammer wreaking musical destruction
and sodom-y in all directions. Having said that about the thrash
roots, their sound is still all rooted in a very traditional and
dark death metal sound. The opening title track is a very rhythmic,
infectious tune that got me headbanging and features just fantastic
lyrics that you can sing along to, with the vocals easily; these
lyrics are striking with a cool memorable chorus making this song a
real anthem to me. Well done. The songs on here continue to be
strong, catchy and heavy with some really tasty sounding guitar work
and little nuances going on that I enjoy very much. They even tried
their hand this time around at an epic length song, with
“Torchbearer” clocking in at eight minutes and sees a slowing down
of their usual mid to faster paced material, the tempo in this song
is a lot slower and a bit doomy sounding, which creates a nice
creepy, gloomy necro-aura to their sound. It is not all slow and
doomy though, there is a short pithy middle section, before
returning to the eerie crawl and even has a great emotive guitar
solo in this epic centerpiece track. The vocals on here are varied
in style, all quite distinctive and represent a real strength for
the band, you can tell a lot of thought and attention to detail went
into them. They keep the vocals extreme, but there is also an
emphasis whether they are bloody gurgling yells, gruff thrashy
screams, black metal rasps, death metal growls etc… on always
keeping them intelligible vocalizing in a precise, enunciated
delivery. The outro “Mortuary”, which features underlying subtle
guitars, foreboding drums and a myriad of slightly obscured
whispering, growled, spoken, yelled voices all repeating the title
like some hypnotically frightening, sinister ritual. As soon as I
heard that outro it triggered something in my memory, it felt
vaguely familiar. Then I watched a short interview with the band and
found out why I had that feeling, as this is actually from a
rehearsal tape (which Clayton Shaver copied for me many years ago)
the two made way fucking back in 1990! It still holds up and sounds
good updated on here. The band have decided to scrap the previous
plans of an album in favour of continuing, for the time being, to
just keep releasing more of these eps and I believe they have a
third one planned for this year alone! Keep them coming if they are
going to be this good and the inspiration continues to flow like it
has been. With this release and the next one, I believe they are
going to go the digital download route for now rather than pressing
up CDs. I know if I still ran a label I would be contacting these
guys about releasing this stuff on some physical formats, this stuff
would sound great on vinyl! - Dale
https://vhod.ca/s-n-m
Shadu Youtube Channel
https://shadu-nar-mattaru.bandcamp.com/
|
I dig how the
first song on here starts off feeling already in progress, you are
automatically off and running, no lead up, no build up, just like
1,2 fuck you let’s go! The opening track “The Passage Through
Oblivion”, for me, got my energy level and interest level up quickly
as it thrashes hard straight ahead and as always is shrouded in the
now patented blackened death aura of the Shadu sound. The guitar
fill just before the two minute mark, and again briefly about thirty
seconds later is like audio sex to my ears, love that shit and there
are similar examples of this throughout the release. The title track
(on this five song EP) is up next, as they slow the speed down a
half measure and amplify the level of catchiness and memorability
up. The guitars and the drumming overall, on this second song, keep
the pacing feeling very rhythmic and infectiously hypnotic alongside
an unforgettable chorus. The second to last track “Zeta Reticuli”,
which of course refers to a star system, which many throughout the
years have thought to contain alien life. This two minute song is
largely an instrumental acoustic guitar interlude piece that did
give me a moody sense of the expansive vastness of outer space and
all the mysteries it may possess. The final track “Fade The Day”
sees the band attempting their most ambitious work yet with an 11
minute opus that starts off with a poem from H.P. Lovecraft (whom I
am a long time admirer of, it does not say what poem but I
believe it is from the “Psychopompos…” poem), which make killer
lyrics for a metal song and really helps set up an dark air to start
things off. This epic length song for me is an enjoyable song music
wise (more of that splendid audio sex guitar work on display here),
but the varied dual member, assimilated vocal work and equally epic
and well done lyrics are the centerpiece of enjoyment for me. In my
opinion, this is probably the bands most diverse and musically
cohesive release that feels like two man Shadu are finding their
stride. When I say cohesive above, I am referring to the earlier EPs
that had some great groups of songs, which could be enjoyed if you
plucked them out and listened to them in isolation. Where as, with
this EP it feels like more of a whole, where to enjoy each song
fully you need to listen to the release as a whole experience to get
full enjoyment of the music. For me, that is harder to do and shows
a higher level of planning, fitting each piece of the puzzle
together to create a big picture vision of the whole audio portrait,
if you will. Maybe in future they will do the same with the lyrics
for a full concept release? Who knows what the future holds for this
promising band, all I know is I am looking forward to finding out,
as these two demons show no signs of stopping or even slowing down
their prolific musical output (that is now 3 EPs in 2019 with an
overall run time equivalent of two full length albums!). I am sure
we will not have that long a wait for what is next, but until then
“From The Darkest Corridors” comes highly recommended from me. -
Dale
P.S. - The band have just released
an online only nine minute track called "Nocturnal Winter Part 1"
available on their youtube channel or bandcamp (links below). It is
truly a killer song!!
https://vhod.ca/s-n-m
Shadu Youtube Channel
https://shadu-nar-mattaru.bandcamp.com/ |
The duo of Chris
and Clayton Shaver, cousins bonded by blood and by metal, also
collectively known as Shadu-Nar-Mattaru return to the pages of
Canadian Assault. Based upon past experience I am stoked for it. The
proceedings kick off with an evil, acidic black metal opening to the
first track “The Wrathful And The Sullen”, which quickly gives way
to a heavy, infectious song full of old metal goodness infused with
fantastic energy! Damn, that is a good way to get the listener
pumped and the adrenaline flowing, sucking you in right off the hop.
The second song keeps the pound ripping and the energy rolling. The
third song “To Dark And Forgotten Chambers”, brings the tempo to a
simmering boil and turns up the emotive qualities in the music’s
structuring to create a very chilling, affecting aura backed with
some killer lyrics and an infectious chorus. Actually, most of the
lyrics on here are really fucking good, well thought out, well
written and fleshed out in audio form with a plethora of vocal
nuances superbly performed and placed within each song. I also
should give a nod towards some of the savory guitar work and the
brief, but stirring guitar solos on here. These guys really know how
to bring the best of old school metal, where the song is king, it is
all about the flow, it is about staying true to your roots, it is
about the memorability and the inner sentiment that needs to be
present to make a real metal anthem. For me, Shadu-Nar-Mattaru have
tapped into the ability to create that type of classic metal, I hear
a lifetime of devotion as fans and musicians poured into this
release and I am here for it all day, every day. ‘Dawning Of Nibiru’
is twenty-five minutes of outstanding metal music that does the
Canadian scene proud and obviously comes highly recommended from
me. - Dale
https://vhod.ca/s-n-m
Shadu Youtube Channel
https://shadu-nar-mattaru.bandcamp.com/ |
The prolific
Shadu-Nar-Mattaru (consisting of cousins and longtime musical
collaborators Chris & Clayton Shaver) return once again to the pages
of Canadian Assault. Their releases are always a welcome sight in
both my mailbox and inbox. There are three songs on this new EP “Sad
And Grave”, “A Black That Drank All Light Forever” and “Ladder Of
Lights”. The lengthy title track starts things off by setting the
pace with a more musically downcast, less violent and more morose
Shadu, showcasing an added depth to the bands musical armory. Not to
worry they always stay true to their core and their ‘80s roots, yet
still moving those many influences forward with that own sound baked
into everything. The Morbid Darkness lyric in the second song did
not go unnoticed by me, a welcome nod to cousins’ original band of
the same name that started way back in 1989! I would have to say my
fave song on here is “Ladder Of Lights”, it is a really good song
that while keeping a brisk pace, it does not feel like it when
listening somehow. The music this on this track has a gloomy
essence, punctuated by a despondent Lovecraftian intellectual
psychosis feeling. This is especially brought on by listening to the
fantastic lyrics in the song that are brought to life with superbly
performed and arranged vocals. This release is less attacking and
evil sounding than recent Shadu material, as I mentioned above, but
there is also something slightly different in the guitar tone or the
recording process itself? It does not however affect the high
musical benchmark always set by Shadu, so no worries there. So yes,
back to my thought above, this EP is in a different vein than past
material as it has a dark yet classy sounding aura, while also
possessing more of a melancholic sadness, turning into suicidal
madness emotional quality to music that I found quite enjoyable. You
definitely should check out this criminally underrated band, and if
you check out their bandcamp page they sell their whole catalog for
an extremely reasonable price, so I would highly recommend going
that route, you can thank me later. - Dale
P.S. -
I would also recommend you visit the Shadu Youtube channel, they
recorded a killer cover of Slaughter’s infamous classic song
“Disintegrator/Incinerator”. It is a truly respectful and ripping
tribute to this legendary Canadian band!
https://vhod.ca/s-n-m
Shadu Youtube Channel
https://shadu-nar-mattaru.bandcamp.com/ |
The first track
“Twilight Vespers Of Damnation” starts things off at a rapid pace,
with strong energy riffing and that just sucked me in immediately.
There is a tangentially Iron Maiden feeling in the guitar solo in
the middle of the song that is pretty killer, the vocals switch off
in different variants, which gives off a good liveliness to them and
are so well done and memorable. Shadu keep things on the simple side
overall, putting the focus on catchy riffing that is, again that
word memorable, always keeping a spotlight on the superb vocals,
which are backed by generally always excellent, sometimes strikingly
unforgettable lyrics. Having said all of that, I do miss the
recording / production of some of the earlier releases that had a
darker, fuller tone and bottom end by my ear (it actually reminds on
this release of the guitar sound on Edge Of Sanity’s “Purgatory
Afterglow”), but that is just a tiny nitpick on a personal
preference. The guitar work on the instrumental song “The Plateau Of
Leng” hits the spot for me, an infectious rhythmic riff I loved (and
could have been used more extensively in my opinion), this is
followed by a nuanced guitar fill / solo that oozes a classic metal
sound, as the track begins to recede back into the darkness. The
final track “As The Sunlight Turns Into Dust” despite being my least
fave on the release, still features some memorable lyrics, and
vocals that drip emotion and possesses another sweet riff. Shadu
just keep bringing it and have managed to churn out no less than 7
(often lengthy) EPs over the last two years, enough material really
for 3-4 full-length albums! That is impressive and most of this
material is high quality dark Deathrash music I can recommend. This
bands deserves to be more widely known, but I know they do it for
the love of metal and the UG scene, they also appreciate any and all
of the cult following they do have now. Check them out ASAP!! -
Dale
https://vhod.ca/s-n-m
Shadu Youtube Channel
https://shadu-nar-mattaru.bandcamp.com/ |
This is a
special release for me and for the band I am certain. If you have
been following my series of reviews of releases from this band, you
will know these cousins originally formed a band together called
Morbid Darkness that was in existence from the late ‘80s to middle
‘90s. I was a big fan of this Canadian band (and really though
different from many years passing, Shadu is a tangential or in some
ways not so tangential continuation of M.D.). With that in mind, for
this release they have decided to revisit that original incarnation
in many ways including using the old guitar tone and some stylistic
elements. To say I am stoked for this release is definitely an
understatement. There is even a killer Gustave Dore artwork cover,
another nod to the early days. The guitar tone on here is really
warm and dark sounding; it suits the material on this nearly 30
minute EP (full marks to Shadu for always listing their releases as
EP’s, how many bands these days try to pass off 10-25+ minute
releases as “albums” these days? Too damn many in my opinion). It is
impressive to me how these guys turn out so many releases and nearly
every damn song features excellent, rhythmic heavy riffs that are
both imminently headbangable and memorable. As is usual with Shadu
the vocals are really varied with varied charismatic sounding and
very decipherable growls, gruff yells, plus a myriad of roiling
vocal acidic accents always backed with quality lyrics that tell a
story and infectiously imprint themselves in your memory. As gloomy
sounding as this release is that classic heavy metal sound always
bleeds through their blackened death metal sound. That traditional
metal bleed through encompasses these old goats many metallic
influences, hard earned through long years of dedication. This is
reflected in some really refined guitar fills and smoking guitar
solos, all craftily woven into their sinister musical tapestry.
Apparently this return to their early roots with the guitar tone is
planned as a one off I believe, but I enjoyed it and that old sound
mixed with their matured songwriting and advanced experience is a
lethal combination on ‘The Eternal Wore’. All of which makes this a
high recommendation from me. I look forward to what is next from
this extremely prolific band (9 releases in just over 2 years and
that is not to even mention Chris Shavers two quality solo projects
Transir & Edifice), so I know I likely will not have to wait long.
What more can you ask for from one of your fave UG bands? - Dale
Shadu Youtube Channel
https://shadu-nar-mattaru.bandcamp.com/ |
The Canadian two
man band Shadu-Nar-Mattaru brings their shadowy and deadly sound
back to the pages of CA yet again. I have to say I like the guitar
sound on here, it may be my faulty memory but it feels like the
guitar has a touch more bite and heft to it on this recording. I
found with this twenty-five minute EP hat my head alternating often
between nodding and outright headbanging and that is a damn good
thing, even impressive at times considering how long (7-10 minute
range) the songs are this time around. Shadu have a knack for always
keeping things dark and sinister sounding, they always keep the core
of their sound intact yet are often changing up their general
approach sometimes release to release. You will get one release that
features shorter rip ‘n tear thrashier songs, another with long
doomier songs, another that goes heavy on the darkness and evil etc…
It is possible to spread your wings a little musically without ever
losing sight of what you set out to do with the band and keeping
your roots firmly in the ground. Despite the long songs, unlike
lengthy songs on a couple past releases this time they do not feel
doomy. I mean that gloomy oppressive aura is there but they keep
things at a middling pace with the odd brisk gallop mixed in. I want
to make sure to praise succinct and classy guitar fills / solos that
dot the landscape; they add a real emotional depth that puts some
extra flesh on bone. The bands trademark vocal creativity and high
quality is as reliable as the day is long. Those vox are a multitude
of charismatic and comprehensible growling, gruff yells and other
tumultuous vocal chord manipulation from both men. Lyrically this
band always capably crafts and paints mental scenes that would
probably make the likes of H.P. Lovecraft and Frank Frazetta proud.
I have reviewed a lot of releases (this is the ninth in three years
I believe!) from this very musically fertile band. So, it can be a
challenge to come up with new things to say, but when the band
consistently delivers quality it makes that challenge a pleasure. Do
yourself a favour and stop sleeping on this great dark deathrash
band. - Dale
Shadu Youtube Channel
https://shadu-nar-mattaru.bandcamp.com/ |
 
The everlasting
and ever flowing stream of artistic musical inspiration and
consistent proliferation of releases never ceases to impress me.
Shadu as many of you know is a Canadian band that consists of
cousins Chris and Clayton Shaver. Their latest EP presents six
tracks and over twenty-five minutes of music. Something I have
pointed out in the past is the band always maintains their strong
musical nucleus and rich range of old school metal influences. While
still managing to skillfully augment their style slightly from
release to release, sometimes it is raging speed, sometimes long
doomy songs or headbanging deathrash, and other times marathon
length songs that are not doomy juxtaposed the next time with short
ripping tracks. An example of this is their last release “Doomwards
And Downwards” had epic songs that were seven to ten minutes in
length each, this time around not one song reaches the seven minute
mark. The opening track ‘Wraiths Born Of A Black Expanse’ is a
mid-range paced tune that has this pounding and galloping quality,
coupled with melodic adventurous guitar work. It is anthem-like
where you will probably find yourself unconsciously stomping your
foot and nodding your head along the music. That opening song
certainly gets the adrenaline flowing for me. I think it is fair to
say that first song is a prelude of what is to come on the next song
‘Winds Of Decimation’ with more of an emphasis on pounding, anthem-esque
feel, which features some buoyant traditional metal sounding guitar
fills / solos, melodies and memorable infectious choruses. The
lyrics (which are always great with Shadu) despite the more stirring
airier songs are a contrast to me, as they are really dark, stark,
gloomy and haunting. Which, being totally honest gives me a slightly
uneven feeling when listening to that tune. Having said that I think
the unevenness finds a better level in the last two tracks
“Anunnaki” and “Ghost Parades of Murdered Children” (I imagine this
is influenced by recent news from their province of the discovery of
hundreds of native Indian bodies of children on old church/school
grounds). The first of those two tracks brings a more serious and
introspective mood, where as the last song, a portion of which the
title of the release is lifted from, turns a darker shade of night
to match step with the exceptionally chilling lyrics. This excellent
song is the best on the release for me and it is dripping with
emotion, a great vocal performance filled with morbid darkness and
some really poignant guitar work. This is another very enjoyable EP
and I continue to heartily recommend this great band to all that
will listen. - Dale
Shadu Youtube Channel
Shadu Bandcamp
Shadu
Facebook
Shadu Spotify
|
Hot damn! After
releasing nearly a dozen twenty five-ish minute EP’s over the first
three years of their existence (2019-21), Shadu have unleashed their
debut full-length album. This Canadian band tends to like to shape
shift a little with their sound, while always retaining their old
school foundation, which pulls inspiration from everything from
speed metal to black metal, thrash metal to death metal. This time
around they have a lot of shorter songs; the music is more direct
and driving this time around with the usual emphasis on crushingly
heavy songs that have a catchy element to them that is perfect for
headbanging. Whether they play doomy on one release or a cold and
evil style on the next, they always seem to manage convey a strong
level of effective emotion through excellent deft guitar work and a
dynamic varied vocal performance. Despite the shorter songs (most
are two to four minutes) this album is still a robust length of
around 45 minutes projected across 14 songs. Speaking of the guitar
work some of the sequences and fills on here are fucking gorgeous, a
fine example of this is a track I am listening to now entitled
“Eldritch Dawn”. Back to the driving aspect of this album, it has a
rapid pacing a lot of time, not blinding speed, just this steady
stalking pace that is unrelenting and something I found quite
compelling. Something Shadu always has is superb timeless classic
extreme metal lyrics that are always delivered vocally in a severe
and dark fashion. Those vocals are delivered through an array of
yells, screams and charismatic growls that are always decipherable
enough you can easily follow the lyrics as you listen along.
Speaking of this area, check out how long the great growl at the end
of “Lord Of Lies” is, I dug that. As much as those vocals are a
feature they are only second to the guitar work and song
construction here, both of those areas are first-rate and in my
opinion help elevate Shadu apart from much of the UG metal crowd. I
can recommend any and all of this bands many EPs, they are all
quality releases, but in some ways they seems like they were
training grounds to sharpen their skills leading up to the creation
of ‘The Sorrowful Frost’ – highly recommended! - Dale
Shadu Youtube Channel
Shadu Bandcamp
Shadu
Facebook
Shadu Spotify
|
This is Skeleton
Wolf’s debut release, featuring seven songs, of newer blackened
death metal. The guitars are well written, and extremely well
played; they go from a fast black metal guitar style to a more
controlled modern death metal pattern. The guitarist knows how to
create, and play, a lot of solid guitar runs, and some very well
written solo’s mixed into a few of the tracks. The drumming is very
skilled as well, and can go seamlessly from a mid tempo drum style,
to executing a faster aggressive drum pattern in a few songs. The
vocalist does a good job with brand of death metal growls,
interspersed with some black metal screams filtering in and out,
from time to time throughout the material. - Patrick
https://www.facebook.com/skeletonwolfmusic/
http://skeletonwolf.com/ |
|
Excellent, a new
Skitzo record. I had high expectations for this and I am well
pleased to say I was not disappointed. I would say with this album
more than the last couple, they have gone back to their roots of
‘80s speed / thrash metal and crafted it beautifully. There are a
bunch of guest appearances here, Jeff Becerra sings the whole song
on “Metallic Tyrants” and this song is going to go down as a
classic, so catchy, so face ripping fast and very memorable. Phil
Demmel also sings lead on “We are Dead”, John Marshall from Metal
Church and Sickie Wifebeater from The Mentors both contribute some
lead guitar work. Just so much going on here. I guess my only minor
complaint is the drumming, now and then sounds a bit forced and not
overly smooth on the speedier sections, but not to the point
distracting. “Head of Laci” slows things down a little and we see a
little more introspective side, yet no less heavy or perverted,
that main riff is just so chunky and driving. Main man Lance Ozanix
sounds better than ever, really I have never heard him belt out
vocals this good, with this much range, it appears his ability has
finally caught with the undeniable character and texture his voice
naturally possesses. The recording is just excellent, clear, loud
and superb separation between instruments and hey the drums do not
sound like a typewriter, wonders will never cease. If you want to
headbang and just enjoy yourself in the old tradition get this is
album and hell you even get a robust cover version of “Iron Fist” to
cap off this 12 song platter, I am sure a label will be secured
shortly. – Dale
www.skitzo.biz |
|
Skitzo returns
to the pages of Canadian Assault, this legendary California heavy
metal / thrash band, continues to conjure up the old metal rituals!
I say legend, and I mean it; this band is grossly underrated, and
not nearly heralded enough for continuing on from the early to mid
1980s until today! I have total respect for someone keeping the
dedication and faith for decades. Skitzo is, and always has been,
the brainchild of the talented and imaginative, and deliciously
perverted Lance Ozanix. Skitzo effortlessly from song to song,
switch from heavy metal to thrash metal, and back again. When they
thrash out they fucking thrash, Lance’s vocals on thrash parts, at
times, are the spitting audio image of classic era Nuclear Assault
and Overkill. A lion’s share of the time he sings in a gruff, partly
spoken, partly sung vocal style, which I believe is partly handled
in a co-vocal situation by bassist of Nate Clark. “Dimentia Praecox”
is filled with massively heavy, melodiously memorable riffing; that
and the arranging are a real strength for the band. Finishing off
the trio, we are treated to a strong performance from drummer Mike
Carli, with some tasty drum patterns, and a powerful pounding of
each and every strike on the kit. As usual with Skitzo, they seem to
get some great guest musicians, this time is no different, as we
hear an extensive, and impressive appearance by Tony Rainer formerly
of Blue Cheer. Okay so that covers the new Skitzo tracks on here.
This release is an interesting mix of things, as you get those new
songs, you get an old Skitzo song about Ted Bundy from 1982 (!!),
plus a bevy of great cover songs, which are deep cuts from bands
like PCP, Axe Witch, Posthumous and Skullduggery. Plus some unlisted
devilish surprises, at the end of the album, which I will let you
discover for yourself. As ever, you should expect absolutely
beautifully produced, crystal clear yet heavy productions we have
come to expect from this band. I say get this fucking thing, right
now, it is about time this band got the recognition it is due! -
Dale
https://myspace.com/skitzo667
http://www.skitzo.biz
|
Heavy and mushy
hardcore with metal influences. “NJ Hate Core” is heavy and the
songs are OK but could stand some improvement structurally with more
emphasis put on memorability. “Alone & Twisted” is a slight
betterment, mostly in the riffing which stuck with me a lot more.
Still nothing amazing but Sludge are coming into their own slowly
but steadily. – Dale
Sludge, c/o Dave
Orkin (the bug exterminator!?), 1932 Cologne Ave., Apt. # C-9, Mays
Landing, NJ. 08330, USA
|
One thing I like
about Sludge you get no preaching straight edge crap. What we get
here is more metal tinged mid-tempo hardcore. Their performance on
here seems a bit more focused then their demos. They improve with
each release and seem to have a good following. It’s just not for
me. – Dale
Web = http://members.bellatlantic.net/~sludge98 |
What I am
listening to here is a four song live recording from NC’s Society’s
Burden. Maybe it is just because I am intoxicated at the moment but
I find this release to be very plain and boring. I keep expecting
the band to break into a Down or Crowbar riff or something. No doubt
it is the whole “southern dixie” style these guys are influenced by
but they are just aimlessly puking out riffs without any
originality. Hey! I just noticed, on the bio one of the members is
wearing a Down shirt. Cool T-shirt, just work on the riffs. –
Jeffrey Kusbel
Society’s
Burden, 5312 Manson Road, Julian, NC. 27283, USA
|
My Canadian
brothers return with a new album. The production seems a bit drier
and more focused this time which lends itself well to Solus’
bludgeoning sound. Will Korbut’s growls are deep but dense and tend
to have a slight low hiss to them from time to time. I guess I would
be remiss not to mention some bands whose influence I detect in this
killer bands sound. Those are: Athiest (2nd album), At
The Gates, C. Corpse, and Death alongside small touches of of ‘80s
bay area and German thrash scenes. Recommended. – Dale
Skinmask
Productions, P.O. Box 271, Stn. B, Toronto, Ontario, M5T-2W1, CANADA
Web = www.skinmask.com/solus |
|
I recently
glowingly reviewed a release from the band Imperial Savagery. I
mentioned at that time, it is almost like having one of my fave old
death metal bands, Corpse Vomit reformed, as that band had three
former members of Corpse Vomit in it’s ranks. Well, apparently I
spoke too fucking soon, because Sons of Famine has no less than all
4 members of Corpse Vomit, and for all intents and purposes is
literally a new band, entirely reborn from the ashes of the mighty
Corpse Vomit. They certainly share something in common with their
other band, which is unadulterated savagery; they have it in spades
and deal it out with no mercy. This is some raunchy, dirty, and
angry death metal played at blitzkrieg speeds, there are some truly
biting riffs on this bitch. I like the odd brief, frenzied little
guitar fills strewn about the album, they really stand out in
contrast to the pounding and add a cool dynamic to their sound. This
demo brings me back, to the early to mid 90s, when for me the death
metal scene was at its pinnacle. I mean, this does not sound dated,
but it does sound classic and timeless. I’m not just talking about
the awesome guitar sound on here either with that comment. There are
four songs on this demo, and it is a little on the old side
currently, so fuck me, I hope we get a new release from this great
band soon! These death metal legends, all these years later, still
deliver the goods and still deserve your attention. - Dale
http://sonsoffamine.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/sonsoffamine |
 
It has been a
long time since I reviewed a compilation (they were all over the
place at one time but seemed to nearly die off about 15 years or so
ago). I always find them hard to review with so many bands and only
one song to go on for each one. Paul from Soulgrinder ‘zine has been
branching out lately and releasing a couple things in addition to
the great issues of his print fanzine. The quality here continues,
as the packaging, layout and artwork are all on point. This is not
an amateurish attempt as I assume he had some mastering work done
here. Unlike most underground compilations the sound levels are not
way up and down, which was always a down side to them in the past,
but it feels very level and solid in that area. Paul is a great
champion of the mighty South American UG metal scene and that
continues with this compilation, you get bands from Canada, USA,
Germany, Spain, Chile and a number of bands from Brazil & Peru. So,
this is an excellent primer, for educating yourself on that scene.
Pretty much every song on this comp. ranges from good to very good,
but my personal fave songs were from the followings bands: Nimrod
(Chile), Runa (Peru), Faethom (USA), Cardiac Arrest (USA), Estigma
(Peru), Madrost (USA), Sinaya (Brazil), Profaner (Peru), Lifeless
(Germany), and Demoniac Slaughter (Peru). Price is $12.00 (USA)
$18.00 (Worldwide). - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/soulgrinder.zine/ http://soulgrinderzine.blogspot.com/
|
 
I decided to
call this the Soulgrinder package, as both of these releases were
sent to me by Paul Caravasi of Soulgrinder zine, who is possibly
North America’s leading authority on the South American underground
scene. First up, we have Kraken from Peru, this self-titled disc is their one
and only release, it is older than the stuff I usually review as it
was released in 2014 (yes the band is active). Upon listening to
this though, I can understand why Paul is keen on spreading their
name around the scene, by helping them with promotion. I want you to
think of mid to late ‘80s thrash scene, like the cream of the crop
bands, as Kraken would fit right in perfectly with them. I realize
that is high praise, but Kraken have all the trademarks starting
with a high level of catchy headbang inducing riffs, just one right
after another played on high octane. There are great, well laid out
and performed solos that flat out smoke. The drumming is right on
point, precise and powerful. The singer has a pretty classic gruff
yelled thrash delivery, he is a maniac putting his all into his
emotive maniac screams, and you can feel the sincerity and
adrenaline injected into his performance. The recording / production
of a lot of South American bands is often on the lower end, but damn
this sounds amazing, it is crystal clear, heavy and has real punch
to it. Come on you guys we need a new release! It has been 3 years,
but fuck me did you guys do yourself proud with this recording. They
would be amazing live I bet! Okay, now on to the dvd, much like the
compilation disc I reviewed last month things like this are hard to
review. This has one song and in some cases two songs from each band
(30 tracks in all!), filmed of course at the 2015 edition of the
annual Lima Metal Fest in Peru. Once again, prepare yourself for an
education on the South American UG scene! Everything is quite
professionally done, with there being probably at least five
different camera angles edited together (now and then they get a
little crazy with too many fast edits though), including one on a
zip line type rig. You get the live performances, interspersed with
some band interviews clips, the promoter of the event and even some
comments from fans in the crowd. A lot of lyrics are in English so
some of you will be happy to hear that and the styles range from
heavy metal to thrash to death and black metal. I think my fave
performance of the entire thing is surprise Kraken! They were great;
I only wish they were one of the bands with two songs. My other fave
songs / performances were from Machinage, Cobra, Despondent Chants,
Reino Ermitano, Necropsya, Profaner, Runa and last but not least the
two non-South American bands on the bill being Nocturns A.D. from
Florida and Faith Or Fear from NJ! This is some good stuff and if
you want to order it the price is $10 US (shipping included in US)
$15 US (overseas). - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/Kraken-PER%C3%9A-568734679934614/
https://www.facebook.com/soulgrinder.zine
|
|
What an
unrepresentative and useless band moniker! It certainly doesn’t
elude to the fact that this band blasts out some great heavy, thick
and semi-technical death metal. Watch out for this band but
hopefully if they come to their senses it will be under a different
name.
Spasme, c/o J.
Beaupre, 1715 Poupart # 305, Montreal, Quebec, H2K 3G9, CANADA |
|
|
Steeltoe kick
out some fairly catchy and intense material. They mix hardcore with
death/grind and thrash. Their attitude and feel comes off a bit
punkish though. I know that doesn’t sound good but it is. I mean
things could be tighter and I could do completely without a song
like “Snitch” or parts of it. With it’s awkward spoken word parts
and kinda cheesy lyrics. That is a small complaint and don’t let
that deter you from an otherwise cool listen. – Dale
Steeltoe, P.O.
Box 407, Salina, KS. 67402, USA Web =
http://steeltoe.iuma.com |
It is a shame that
this disc arrived in the mail with a crack in it. I took a chance
anyway and tried playing the disc. It did play the opening intro,
plus the first two songs. Unfortunately for me two songs are hard to
truly judge upon (but I will try my best), especially when taking
into consideration the rest of the disc is comprised of about 40
minutes of music. Stilllife play progressive hard rock / heavy metal
with long epic songs ranging from six minutes in length to over ten
minutes. You can tell this is a demo level band, albeit quite a good
demo level band, based on upon the level of execution and focus in
the song writing. That is not meant as a negative, they actually
have much more ambitious song writing aspirations on display when
compared to most bands at this young stage of development. You can
project at the same time with some maturity and time added to their
song writing skills, this could be a very special band. I think
listening to these guys you might be reminded of bands like Fates
Warning, Queensryche, Iron Maiden and maybe I am crazy but it
reminds me a touch of one of my fave albums “A Mended Rhyme” by Tad
Morose. The vocalist did a good job, and reminds me a lot to Ray
Alder from Fates Warning and I am a huge fan of Alders vocals (see
the album “A
Pleasant Shade
of Gray” for a sterling example of his talent). It really is a pity
my disc got a crack in it, maybe a tip for the band would be to
include a piece of cardboard in the envelope next time or tell the
mail people not to step on it haha. At least I got to hear some of
it, and I liked what I heard a hell of a lot. So that is a caveat to
those reading this review, I have no idea if the rest of the album
is up to the quality of those first two tracks. I can only assume
the answer is affirmative. I hope the band will keep me in mind for
their next release, I hear they are working hard on it as I write
this. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/stilllifehome
|
This a new EP
released in 2010 from the Australian Stormbane (not to be confused
with the Brazilian one). Four tracks of death and thrash inspired
metal. Four members in the band as well. After their first demo
comes this release. Is there anything wrong with this? No, not
really. Singular death metal guitar lines with a death/thrash vocal
style. Rhythm section is pounding the riffs into the listeners
head. For an unsigned band, it's good. Is it something I'd buy?
Probably not. There are just too many other bands that sound like
this. I don't hear anything that separates these guys from the
hundreds of other heavier metal bands. Production is good - nice
separation in the instruments without it being overly produced. Raw
enough to keep the edge, ya know? I did like the third tune, the
title track, an instrumental. Nice musicality with in the structure
of that tune. But, again, it's nothing to write home about. I
believe the bass player spent some time in Spear of Longinus. So,
that may give them either some cred or some press. But, if you take
the music on it's own merits, it's just decent. - Mark
Sugiyama
http://www.myspace.com/stormbanemetal
|
That band name
immediately makes me think of the horror flick from the 80s called
C.H.U.D (which stood for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground
Dwellers). Well I said in the last review of the Vladimirs, that
their album was something different from what I normally get. Well
it is funny I would have to use that line in back to back reviews.
This is even more out there from my usual norm. However like
Vladimirs, SSS seems to revolve their songs around horror movies and
as I said I have a soft spot for that and am a huge horror fan.
Subhumanoid do not do it through lyrics though, it is all through
movie samples. As you may guess this is an industrial project I
suppose you might call it. Some might think samples from horror
movies is over done, a lot of demo bands do it and personally I
never seem to tire of it. Just to be clear here, this is like pure
industrial music, not industrial metal as some might be assuming.
The music is repetitive beats, a drum machine, no vocals but there
are little hisses, growls and the like of which you might often hear
emanating from a zombie in a movie and that actually works with the
music on here. Which is pretty simple and as I said repetitive in a
sort of stark, cold mechanical way. I kind of got into this, but I
am not sure whether or not the average metal maniac reading this
would dig this or not. But if you feel like checking out something
different than the norm and not run of the mill, then you might want
to check out SSS. There are 4 tracks on here and off the top of my
head I would say it runs maybe 8 to 10 minutes in length. I could
not locate a website when searching online and none was included
with the disc, so just an Email for those interested. By the way was
that one sample taken from the classic film They Live?! Nice. – Dale
raysada@yahoo.com
|
I reviewed this
bands debut recording in issue # 3. I liked it, but I had some
criticism for the band. I am happy to say this new disc is an
improvement and really superb! Suicide Culture play mid-paced
thrash/death that will have your head bobbing repeatedly. This is
one of the better unsigned bands out there. – Dale
Send only $1 US
(postage) for a free promo tape. Suicide Culture, c/o Josh Hanenburg,
P.O. Box 70566, Seattle, WA. 98107, USA Web =
www.suicideculture.itgo.com |
|
This band is
from New York, the main force behind the band, is the Argentinian
guitarist / vocalist Alfonso Ferrazza. Apparently Sunlord started
out as a cover band and then eventually morphed into what we have
here on this disc. I am not sure, how to describe them, as they
display a bit of a hodge-podge of influences from song to song. One
song might be all out ripping thrash, the next is kind of crossover
punk / thrash thing, the next is hard rock / metal with heavy
influence from Motorhead and so on. It is all over the place, but
there is some cohesion of style, which manages to peek through now
and then, within each song. I am guessing in this trio, Alfonso is
doing the vocals mostly out of necessity, because his vocals are
clearly the weak link in the Sunlord sound. At first, to be honest,
I thought they were terrible, but as time went on and more listens
were had, they started to grow on me a little bit to the point I did
not mind them as much. Nonetheless they are still the achilles heel
of the band in my opinion. Because the music is pretty great, there
is a lot of talent there, some cool riffing and skillful song
structuring, which kept my interest very well. I might like to see
the band try to hone their sound a little more, so their next album
has a little more unity, and a possible vocal upgrade possibly,
would go a long way. Because the there is a lot of talent in this
band and they know how to write some killer songs that rip. So I am
looking forward to see how they progress with time. - Dale
http://www.dinnermusicforthegods.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com/dinnermusicforthegods
|
|
Coming out of
North Carolina’s metal scene is Suppressive Fire, combining elements
of complex and guitar driven death metal, with some thrashy
elements. The guitars are very well done, with outburst of fast
thrash guitars, with some mid paced heavier sections. The drumming
is performed, with a lot of power, and fast drumming patterns that
fit with the chaotic guitars quite nicely. The vocalist does a good
job, delivering gruff vocals, intertwined with some screams. If you
are a fan of early to mid nineties, style of death metal, then this
is a band you will want to check out very soon. - Patrick
https://suppressivefire.bandcamp.com/
https://www.suppressivefire.net/
|
|
Survival are a
thrash band, with some hardcore leanings, and hail from Oakland
California. They sound like a pretty wild band, just from reading
some background on them, with various members slipping in and out of
jail stays. But on to the music, which is really heavy, catchy and
minimalist. They get straight to the point here, they find their
sweet spot and stick to ala old Prong, another band that pops into
mind is DRI during their great “Thrashzone” album era, but Survival
are probably a bit more stripped down than them. You can hear the
hardcore influence, every now and then, in the structure and gang
shouted parts on the track “Walls”. At times, they create more of an
atmospheric sound with their music, than you would probably think
reading this review. It is that, you just have to hear it to get it,
with that element of their sound. This is nothing mind-blowing, but
I enjoyed this cassette, but I could see some of the extreme metal
die hard crowd, which often reads Canadian Assault, having a tougher
time getting into this. But, especially for 80s thrash crossover
fans, who are into stuff like the aforementioned Prong, or maybe
Biohazard (with their heavier songs), will want to check this out. I
have seen this listed somewhere as a full-length, that is simply not
the case, this puppy is less than 17 minutes long, it is short but
good. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/SurvivalBayArea/
https://survival1.bandcamp.com/music
|
|
Sxuperion is a one man band (who is also a member of Valdur, Weverin
& Garden Of Hesperides) that plays a form of heavy, crushing death
metal with some lethal black metal influences thrown into the deadly
mix. The guitars are played with a nice blend of fast, chaotic
guitar patterns, but things do slow down to a more controlled mid
paced tempo at times. The vocals are low, deep death metal growls
along with some gruff growling mixed into a few of the tracks. The
drums follow along in the same vein with a fast blasting
arrangements blended in with some slower, more controlled drums.
This was my first time hearing Sxuperion, but if you are looking for
a band that plays some destructive old school death metal similar to
old Incantation then “Endless Spiritual Embodiment” is right in your
wheel house. - Patrick
https://bloodymountainrecords.bandcamp.com/
http://www.bloodymountainrecords.com/
|
|
This release
from this North Carolina band is a concept album. What is the
concept? Well, it is a fantasy and sorcery theme; I bet you are
thinking oh another Game Of Thrones thing surely. Well, you would be
wrong, I think this epic novel worthy tale the band has woven has
it’s root in earlier authors like Michael Moorcock, Robert E.
Howard, Edgar Rice Boroughs, Fritz Leiber etc… It is filled with
battles, magical beasts, witches, death, vengeance, cruelty and
triumph. But on to the music, TW play some plodding music, which is
equal parts ’70s & early ‘80s heavy metal and classic doom metal.
Though there are accents of other things, like slight hints of
southern hard rock, as well as a bit stronger hint here and there of
the more modern stoner doom sound. There are some tasty guitar fills
and leads on here I enjoyed. A big influence for the band is surely
Candlemass, but not just in the music, the vocalist without doubt
has patterned his sound and delivery after the mighty Messiah
Marcolin. However, as you can imagine, Temtaption’s vocalist Micah
does not possess Marcolin’s amazing depth and wide range,
nonetheless Micah does a fine job in the mid-range of mirroring that
legend. I like the emotional depth the band is able to convey, with
a concept album it is hard to make things sound fluid, whilst often
trying to mimic the actions and narrative musically of what is going
on in the story. Which is part in parcel why concept albums, if you
do them full on, are difficult create properly molding the music to
the words yet I think Temptation’s Wings has done a fairly admirable
job of just that. A solid doom record, with a lot of heart put into
every aspect of it, it is worth checking out. - Dale
https://temptationswings.bandcamp.com/ https://www.temptationswings.com/
|
Yet another
album from one man band Terminal Descent. More technical and
emotional deathrash outpouring. Tony is a talented metal warrior who
writes some excellent material. As I said in the past the songs
could use a little more identity from one another. Though this
release takes a step in that direction. Unlike most of his releases
only one track has vocals here but I was never bored.
– Dale
This 7 song disc will only cost you $5 US to:
Terminal
Descent, c/o Tony Mikkelson, 236 N. 11th St., Forest
City, IA. 50436, USA |
Tony do you ever
sleep bro!? Now this MCD makes it 4 albums and 2 MCD’s in the last 2
years!! He expects to record another full-length by the end of ’99
too! Just in case you were thinking “oh he records them on his
stereo”, if so you are wrong as his releases have quite respectable
sound. We are treated to 6 new songs of Tony’s unique sounding
speed/thrash and death metal mayhem. A little more straight forward
this time and more aggressive. I am proud to report, with each
release his songs are taking on more of an individual identity.
Which was something I criticized in the past. At times it is easy to
tell only one man recorded this but what a talented one man! How
could you not order this release when it only costs $3 US/$5 World.
– Dale |
|
This is a one man
band. I’m always apprehensive with these as more often then not it
is some 14 yr. old brat who can’t play any instruments. But then
again you really need no talent to make ambient/trance music on a
keyboard. Luckily that is not the case here! It’s a rehearsal so the
sound is really so-so but decent enough for me & the raw, fog
compliments the music. Which is quite good doomy / dark metal that
displays some good riffing and song structure. Worth looking into. - Dale
Terror Throne, c/o Robert Campos, P.O. Box
101, Summit, IL. 60501, USA
|
No date, no bio,
no information except contacts which suits me just fine. I
acknowledge that is four piece are either Russian, Ukranian or are
from Belarus, My incisors have bit into a shit-sandwich with some
infected hospital waste for dressing on this one. I’m sick of it!
Call me a bastard, but this sub-par DM laced with Godflesh,
futuristic sci-fi sounds, folk, flute and stealing keyboards right
from the final Emperor and Dimmu Borgir. All this is good for is
posers who think Fear Factory is the real shit! No Remorse! –
Clayton
amorth@mail.ru
|
|
Torn The Fuck
Apart hail from Kansas fucking City, Kansas and play brutalizing
death metal. I love some good crushing and pillaging death metal as
much as the next guy. I liked some of the little secondary guitar
noodling accents to the riffing, similar to stuff Cryptopsy used to
do and others. But I have to be honest that was the only thing about
this album I really liked. The vocals are decent too. The music
however, overall is some really generic, boring death metal, Torn
even try to throw in some groove parts that sound forced and
uninspired. I can respect these guys for trying to do things on
their own and just getting out there and making it happen, more
power to them. But after releasing a demo and well I guess,
essentially two self-released full length demos after that, over the
span of nearly a decade, with still no action on the label front, I
can see why. But hey, if the boys believe in what they are doing and
are having fun, well then keep on plugging away. I am not saying
they are terrible or anything, just very, very average. - Dale
http://www.reverbnation.com/tornthefuckapart
https://www.facebook.com/tornthefuuckapart
|
This Canadian
band, hailing from the left coast of my homeland, play an
interesting style you do not necessarily run across often, which is
technical progressive thrash metal. This is the bands sophomore
full-length release, which clocks in at over an hour long; I have to
say the production on here is top notch it is crisp, clear and
heavy. I also must admit first here, upon my first full listen I was
not really feeling this record, it was not grabbing me and there is
just so much going on all the time, it felt a little chaotic. But,
upon repeated listens, mixed with a little patience, the layers
started peeling back for me and I began to get into the intricate
workings of the music, along with emotive somewhat stilted flow.
Sure, there is a lot going on here, possibly a little too much at
some points, maybe some of the epic length songs go on a bit long
for their own good, but really most of it works. The song styling
and arrangements are all over the place, but there is a method to
the madness and control within the technical chaos. If you have a
little patience with “The Infinity Complex”, I do think you will see
some of the brilliance going on here, with the many threads
separating and weaving back together again to take you on a fun
ride. Something I like, despite the technicality, despite the
majority of the album going at full tilt with many twists and turns,
yes it is also progressive. But most importantly, they do not forget
about the heavy and the violence of true thrash metal, which
delivers some headbang worthy riffing gallops and guitar chugging to
satisfy the old school fans out there. Some of the more subtle,
classy guitar fills and leads really add a touch of affecting class,
to this whirling dervish of metal mayhem. The musicianship is
first-rate, the song structuring intricately thought out and
performed, it is an impressive release on those merits alone. I can
already tell though, the vocals are going to be a deal breaker for
some, possibly even many, they are not your typical thrash metal
vocals, at first blush, they do not seem like they belong with this
music. I felt that way myself on first listen, then those vocals
started to click for me and in their own strange way, reflect the
frantic spirit of the music. They are gruff and yelled, but they
also have this very abrasive, in your face, grating edge to them
that harkens a bit to the higher nasally vocals some death metal
bands employ, as a semi-frequent accent to the mainstay growling.
They are crazy too, almost out of control, like the partially
indecipherable vocal representation of the voices going through the
head of an insane murderous convict. Honestly, they remind me, as
does the music, of a slightly less insane more modern sounding
version of the vocals, and again the crazy adventurous music of the
The Accused with their classic mid to late ‘80s albums. The more I
think about that the more I would be very surprised to hear the band
say The Accused were not an influence on Torrefy. You have to put
some work and patience into this record, but if you do, it will pay
off in a very rewarding, wonderfully mentally exhausting and
satisfying way. Check this out for sure; it is something different,
something interesting in a time when we do not see much of that.
- Dale
https://torrefy.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Torrefy
|
Torrefy hail
from Victoria, B.C. Canada and explode out of my speakers with some
high energy yet dark sounding speed thrash metal madness. This is
the bands third full-length release. Torrefy do change up the speed
dynamic from time to time, but generally not for long as it is
certainly not an understatement above, these fuckers fucking fly at
supersonic speeds at nearly all times with everything just dripping
in adrenaline. The drums are lightning quick and powerful, the
guitars are a blur with some really swift and enjoyable guitar fills
and solos. The vocalist John Ferguson’s has some cool wall to wall,
acidic and searing maniacal screams, which are punctuated with some
classic gruff touches and whispers of a death metal growl now and
again. The range of the vocals is pretty impressive, as is the
verbal acrobatics Ferguson is forced into to keep up with the
velocity of the ever changing and morphing song structures. The band
list themselves as “Black Speed Death Thrash”, outside of slight
elements of black and death in the vocals, I just did not hear it.
As stated above I see them more as a pure mixing of speed metal and
thrash. However, the more I listen to this, the more I am feeling
this influence with regards to the elements in the song construction
just not in overall tone and style. I could see it if you are a die
hard black death metal fan, but do not care for thrash (what is
wrong with you?! I know you are out there though haha) this may not
be your cup of tea. Whatever you want to call it is fine, I just
call it a good extreme metal record by a talented band that deserves
your attention. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/Torrefy/
https://torrefy.bandcamp.com/
|
Toxic Death
burst out with some blast filled techno death metal. The production
is disjointed and hurts the music I feel. T.D. do know how to hit
you lightning quick like a predator after it’s prey. At 10 songs
this is one lengthy demo and it only costs you $5 US. Intelligently
arranged and performed above the average death metal.
Underworld
Prod., P.O. Box 40, Kojetin 752 01, CZECH REPUBLIC
|
Trenchgrinder
carve out the most savory morsels of crust and death metal and mold
them into their own impressively constructed debut full-length
album, Peace is Forfeit. Their debut sees the four-piece outfit from
New York combining some older material of theirs with some new into
an overall well-organized and securely woven apparatus. The first
track introduces the listener to the tones of malice and futility of
resistance that we become increasingly familiar with as the album
urgently marches on. Forward-facing mayhem (however contradictory
that may sound) remains a central pillar in each track, which can
especially be heard in “Deterrence and Retribution” with its brief,
flaring guitar solos. Enticing, rhythmic riffs fuel the momentum of
the album, keeping the tanks rolling boldly onward, but the
occasional flurries of drums and guitar amid these more mid-tempo
moments are what keep the listener on their toes. Owen Rundquist’s
vocals are also a highlight due to their slight unorthodoxy in the
death metal genre. 2017 has definitely been a great year for seeing
extreme metal bands such as Succumb disrupt genre boundaries and
preconceptions, and I argue that Peace is Forfeit finds
Trenchgrinder joining these ranks. Rundquist shifts between
different pitches and levels of coarseness with his somewhat
gurgled, throaty vocals in such tracks as “For Knowledge of Blood,”
perhaps exhibiting the conflicting voices heard during wartime. Once
the listener makes it through the brazen bulk of the album, they
land on the last track, the one whose title is most exemplary of the
consequences of armed conflict: “Desolation.” This track is an
instrumental, but its grave tone paints a bird’s-eye view of the
bleak aftermath of such an engagement. Culminating in a slick,
palatable 33 minutes of run-time, Peace is Forfeit is a succinct,
yet powerful force to be reckoned with, and I would highly recommend
it for any fan of death metal. – Aaron
https://trenchgrinder.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/trenchgrinder/
|
|
It really is a
small world sometimes. I get a package from an old contact / friend
from France, who runs Nihilistic Holocaust Records, only to find out
the band he sent me for review, is from my own backyard in
Philadelphia. Damn! I am glad he did send this may way. Trenchrot
play great old school death metal, in the vein of stuff, like early
Dismember, Carnage, Grave, Afflicted (“Prodigal Sun” album),
Pestilence, Repulsion mixed with other different stylistic dm bands
like Asphyx, Autopsy and slower more doomy death bands. Despite
those latter examples, most of the music on here, clips along at a
pretty brisk pace, it is more the atmosphere of those doomy bands.
The sound on here is crushing and the riffs will melt your brain, as
they roll over you, in ever attacking waves of audio orgasm. I
should mention I am an absolute sucker for that old Swedish dm style
and the other bands I rattled off. So a more picky fan, of this
style may disagree, but all the same, I think Trenchrot fucking kill
it here, despite wearing some influences on their sleeves. I believe
the band have just released their debut album on Unspeakable Axe
Records. I need to get my claws on that thing, as this demo has me
excited about contracting a more severe case of Trenchrot. -
Dale
http://trenchrotdeathmetal.bandcamp.com/
http://nihilistic.voila.net/
|
A beautifully
pro-packaged tape. The music however is not pretty at all, in fact
it is ugly, heavy, fast and driving. Just how I like it.
Trephination pretty much run the gamut of slow, fast, brooding tempo
death metal. The only lyrics not printed on this 6 song tape are the
ones to “Ghetto”. I guess maybe they ran out of room or so no one
will be offended but either way I could make out most of it from the
singer anyway. One cool excerpt is “I give her crack to suck my
dick, I’m so high I can’t get hard, What the fuck!…Oh it’s getting
hard now!”. Great debut demo, I am sure with a bit more maturity the
next outing is going to fucking slaughter!!
Trephination,
1130 Bleigh Ave., Philadelphia, PA. 19111, USA |
I am immediately
hit with a very, very familiar sound when pressing play. Right from
the vocals to the guitars, to the riffing style and really
everything sounds like Pantera. That is not to say they do not have
the sound down and are good at what they do. It is probably boils
down to the fact I am a not a huge fan of this, what is sometimes
called modernized thrash metal, when I do feel like listening to
some (which is not often) I will just reach for a Pantera album to
be honest. I will say they did not skimp on the production of the
album, everything sounds very good and clear. If you are not like me
and wish Pantera was still around then this might be a band for you
to check into. – Dale
http://www.facebook.com/trialsmusic |
 
Well, for the
Impetigo die hards out there, you wanted more Stevo, you shall get
more Stevo! This time, it is not delving into his early pre-Impetigo
days; no we get to see what Stevo has been up to lately. I was
pretty damn excited to be honest as an Impetigo die hard my own self.
There is an interesting twist in here, in that Stevo’s lyrics are
written and sung in Italian! His vocals sound really fucking cool,
like half sung, half spoken, deep vocals that remind me, a lot of
the great Big Boss of the Czech band Root, especially in his earlier
days. I am mesmerized by those fucking vocals, Stevo sounds like a
maniacal beast of an uncle, on a murderous drunken rage, taking the
time to deeply enjoy living out those deep dark thoughts. His vocals
only sound more diabolic being sung in Italian. Also, I should
mention in this trio, it features Vanessa Nocera of Wooden Stake &
Razorback Records on bass. This band and it’s entire concept is a
tribute or an ode, a love letter of sorts, to the great Giallo genre
of cult horror movie classics from Italy. They mix in lots of audio
clips, as intros, and directly within the songs, which I really
enjoyed and thought they incorporated very well. The music really
mixes up the pacing, from mid-paced to fast sections, which are then
interspersed with some slower moody atmospheric sections, which
really add some emotional depth and punch when things speed up
again. The music itself, I am not sure how to describe, probably
dark heavy metal and thrash would be the mainstay of the sound, but
there are also some of the band members death metal and grind
backgrounds seeping in, if you listen closely. There are some parts,
that remind me of the early 90s period, from one of my fave Italian
bands of all time Mortuary Drape. The production / recording almost
sounds like it is from that late 80s / early 90s and I fucking love
that too. This demo is simply amazing, I keep listening to it over
and over and over, it is so addictive and good, one of the best
releases of the year hands down for me. I am getting aroused and
bathing myself in blood just thinking about a full album from Twist
Ending…Oooohh. By the way the tape has 2014 printed on it, not sure
if there was a delay or what, but it was not actually released until
2015. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/twistending
http://novisiblescars.bandcamp.com/ |
  
Unburied is an
old goat, gray beard entity (much like me) in this UG metal scene.
The band having formed in 1994 and releasing their first demo in
1996, then carried on to release another demo, three split EPs and
two full-length albums through 2012. At this point I think main man
(now the only man as Unburied is a one man band nowadays) Matt Pike
was burnt out and fed up with all the line up hassles and the like.
So the band appears to have went on ice, but Mr. Pike decided to
wake the slumbering beast, whilst taking all control over his bands
music, recording, mixing, production and even cd pressing /
distribution of his releases. This move resulted in a return with
Unburied’s first album in seven years entitled “Primitive, Raw,
Underground” in 2019. This brings us to this release, Matt’s second
full-length since the revive – let’s dig into it. I liked the short
River’s Edge movie clip he used at the start of the second track
“From Beyond The Grave”. Actually, much like those early death metal
demos in this genre there are a lot of movie clips mixed in from
movies like Fight Club, Drive, Dark Side etc… I am here all day for
those as these clips are nicely timed and mixed into the songs here.
This release in some ways feels to me like a really killer death
metal riff tape, to base future songs around. I don’t mean for that
to sound harsh in any way. But whether it is the lack of a
consistent bass guitar rumbling foundation, or the song
construction, or the overall mixing of the individual recording
elements (and no not because it is raw – I love a raw and gritty
sound), perhaps even due to a combination of all of those factors.
It just feels to me like there are small gaps in the song flow that
need minor cohesive strands of sinew and connective tissue to bridge
those little gaps. I understand and respect why Matt is going it
alone now, but maybe the music would benefit from more members? A
good one man bands makes you forget it is a one man band. Having
said all of that, I feel like things come together best on a track
entitled “Criminal Underground” towards the end of the album, which
is the best tune on the release for me, more of this please. The
vocals are gruff shouted growls and the band could use a bit of
upgrade in this department, but Mike does his best and the raw
violent and biting emotion really convey his this man’s dedication
and commitment for what he is doing. He does bring some doomy
elements, now and again, into his songwriting that I appreciate. I
would say if you like raw, primordial and stripped down mean death
metal demo tapes like those from the early ‘90s you will appreciate
this and it will bring back some of that old great feeling. The
passion Matt has for death metal and UG scene bleed through every
second of this album in the music and lyrics. That is a good thing
and my hat is off to him for soldiering on throughout these long
years!
<Bonus Review>
LEATHER & CHAINS ‘Zine Issue #1 *28 Side Stapled Pages* I
have to give Matt Pike props, he was disappointed in the UG metal
‘zine situation in the US, so instead of just bitching he did
something about it. He made this whole fanzine in one month and it
is better than a lot of first issues of print ‘zines that I have
seen in my long experience in this scene. I like how he made sure to
fill up his pages, not use huge kindergarten font in order to make
sure there is lots of content. There are four pages of proper length
well done reviews of albums, demos and fanzines. Then you have
interviews with Deceased, Flesh Crawl, Nunslaughter, Bad Luck 13
Riot Extravaganza, Immolation, Gravesite Productions and lastly,
probably least with me (Canadian Assault – thank you my metal
brother!). The interviews are great, just like I like them long and
in-depth! There are flyers re-printed, it is just pure UG support
and devotion. There is nothing at all I can say bad or critical
about this whatsoever. I just hope there are more issues in the
future. - Dale
https://unburied.bandcamp.com/
https://unburiedbandmerch.wixsite.com/website
|
|
This is the
debut release from this Rochester, NY band presenting five tracks
totaling just under 20 minutes of music. This young band plays raw
sounding stripped down yet not stripped down, brutal old school
metal of death. What do I mean by that? Well, it is stripped down
death metal, but the simplistic main body is supported with some
well crafted song structuring and subtle yet skillful guitar playing
and drum work, which brings that straightforward foundation of their
songs to a higher level. Ultimately Undeath it seems are more
focused on making memorable, headbang inducing songs than trying to
fit a million elements into a song or just playing as fast you can
just for the sake of it. I really enjoyed some of the great
energetic guitar fills that propel the music forward amongst the
mainstay slower mid paced moody death doom style elements. Some
influences I hear bleeding through this killer demo are stuff like
Disembowelment, Demilich “Nespithe”, early Immolation, early Gorguts,
Morbid Angel (2nd & 3rd album period) etc... I
might even say some of the more finesse guitar work reminds me a
little bit of early to mid period Death. I also really dig the dark,
obscured sounding growls with rolling whisper undertone to them,
definitely a highlight for me. Honestly, recording is only slightly
raw, slightly muddy sounding. I think it suits and accentuates their
music well, if I was in this band I would seriously consider
recording their next release the exact same way. That thick, heavy
and deep guitar sound is really pleasing to mine ears. I already can
not wait for this new bands next release! - Dale
https://undeath.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/CaligariRecords
|
|
Like a quick
punch to the face, this eight song CD will drop you! From start to
finish the band go all out grind and when they slow it down you get
a crazy slam riff to pulverize your speakers. The insanely sick
vocals go from low and brutal to high pitched screams. This New
Jersey based band were a great surprise to me thanx to Jenn (bass)!
- Scott
Get it for $8
US/$10 US World to: Unhallowed, c/o Jenn Carrao, 5170 Berkshire
Valley Rd., Oak Ridge, NJ. 07438, USA
|
|
Unholy Baptism
are a duo from Arizona’s black metal scene with their debut full
length release. Mantus takes care of the vocal duties, with some
grim, raw screams and black metal shrieks that really fit the bands
cold black metal style. Both Moloch and Mantus handle the guitar
duties, which go from a controlled mid pace with some well written
and performed patterns, before going for a more crazed and faster
guitar style. The drums are programmed by Moloch, but are done with
both hyper-speed blast beats and some slower mid paced drumming.
Unholy Baptism play a style similar to the mid ‘90s grim black
metal, so if you enjoyed stuff like early Burzum, Gorgoroth etc…
then be sure to check this album out. - Patrick
https://unholybaptism.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/UnholyBaptism/
|
|
A short
interlude of wind sounds and bells starts off the new Unholy Baptism
release, which consists of eight tracks of cold Norwegian inspired
black metal. As mentioned, the band does draw on influences from
early to mid ‘90s black metal, but do add some of their own touches
into the sound while displaying their strong musical skill in the
process. The guitars are mainly played with intense and fast
patterns, but the guitarist does slow down to calmer mid paced range
at times. The vocals are raw grim black metal screams and screeches.
The drums are done with a drum program and are a myriad of extremely
fast and chaotic beats, but thankfully it does not sound like a
robotic drum machine and instead much more like a real drummer than
you would expect. If you are a fan of the early ‘90s black metal
greats such as Immortal, early Darkthrone, Marduk and Dark Funeral
then do yourself a real favor and check this band out today. -
Patrick
https://unholybaptism.bandcamp.com
http://unholybaptism.com/
|
Yeah it is old
but it was sent in for review none-the-less. Decent but pretty
average death/black metal that is only worsened by keyboreds
throughout. Wish the guitars were higher in the mix and the keys
were lower, much, much lower haha! Only 2 songs on here but they are
very long epic tracks probably clocking in about 16 minutes total.
Not good, not bad just very mediocre. The dude from Morbid Tales
Comp tape is either in this band or managing them so write him
below. - Dale
Dark Reign Tapes, c/o John Evangelou, 5
Pigandion 16, 26441 Patra, GREECE
|
|
 
A rehearsal
demo! This takes me way back, to my earlier days in the scene buying
and tape trading for rehearsal demo tapes all the time. Then Pro
Tools on cheap home computers came along and that seemed to
virtually put an end to rehearsal demos. I miss the rawness, the
energy, the spontaneity and live feeling of rehearsal demos. It was
not common back then though, to press them on a professional tape,
as is the case here. St. Louis, Missouri’s Unspeakable is a band who
obviously shares my affinity and good memories of the old days and
ways. The music they conjure up is decidedly old school as well, and
to my ear, consists of a mixture of early death metal mixed with the
first wave of black metal (ala Venom, Sodom, NME etc…), maybe even a
bit of raunchy metal punk like Discharge or GBH influence as well.
At times, I hear sounds that remind me to the death band Phantasm
from the early 90s UG scene; anyone around back then probably got at
least 50 of their flyers in the mail each week. Their “Abominable”
demo tape was pretty great. The music on here is grimy, ugly and
brutal. So much so, many people in the scene who love experimental
death and black bands with super clean plastic production will hate
this, but they did not make it for you so straighten your sweater,
tighten your man bun and hit the fuckin’ road. This is made for
people who love the way things used to be, who like extreme metal
raw and dirty. The vocals are obscure, evil sounding demonic yells &
growls that I really enjoyed and they have more inflection and
character than you might expect with that description. The music
itself has a kind of necro, suffocating atmosphere to it, which I
like, alongside the middle pacing (with the odd speedy bit here and
there) adds to the grim moodiness. There are three original songs on
here, plus a cool cover of NME’s “Unspeakable” from their 1985 demo,
which they obviously took their namesake from. This very limited
release (100 copies), serves a cool collectors item and promotional
tool at the same time, as I believe these three tracks will be on
their upcoming debut LP due out in the near future. I hope I get a
chance to hear that, it is sure to be a true bestial onslaught of an
album. - Dale
http://devilmusic.bigcartel.com/
https://unspeakablerites.bandcamp.com/
|
This band
features the prolific talents and dedication of Lord Sxuperion, who
has no less than 4 different current bands (including one man bands
Garden Of Hesperides & Sxuperion plus full member bands like Weverin
& Valdur) releasing a steady stream of albums and eps. The
California based Valdur return once again with their sixth full
length to date, which features six songs of heavy, crazed blackened
death metal insanity. The music on ‘Goat Of Iniquity’ seems to be
rooted more in the old school death metal style, with some black
metal influences spread throughout the songs. The guitar work is
extreme and chaotic with razor sharp patterns cutting through the
chaos. The guitarist does cut back to a slower, calmer mid paced
structuring in some of the songs adding contrast and fleshed out
with a few solos mixed into the music. The drums follow along the
guitars in the same vein highlighted by some furious hyper speed
blast beats in between the less speedy material that fits Valdur’s
style perfectly. If you are familiar with Valdur’s previous
releases, and like them, then do yourself a favor and pick up a copy
of this release today. - Patrick
https://valdur.bandcamp.com/
http://www.bloodymountainrecords.com/
|
|
This is a one
man band by the drummer of Blessed Offal (among other bands). There
are four tracks on this cassette, which are filled with hatred and
drip with a morbid atmosphere. I think Vein could be best described
as worshippers of Blasphemy and Sarcofago. That is what you get
here, nothing new or innovative, but it was not meant to be, it is
not pretending to be anything else. The atmosphere on here is
extraordinary, it really does capture the mastery of the classic
works by the bands I mentioned above. I mean right down to the
obscure sound, low-fi production values, which is probably the only
way this style of evil warring black metal should be heard. If you
are a devotee of this sub-genre of music, you will want this
release, if you are not a die hard follower of those bands and this
sound; this is probably not for you. I seen online there is only 5
copies of tape left, hopefully you get one before they sell out.
There is however, a digital download version for $4 you can find at
a link below. - Dale
http://novisiblescars.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-vein
http://nvslabel.blogspot.com/
|
|
This was a
surprise in my mailbox recently, not to even mention a real blast
from the past! I reviewed a few Venusian demos way back in the print
issue days, maybe somewhere around 1999 to 2003 time period I want
to say. We are talking about discography of nearly 30 releases to
date, since this one man (David Vora) band’s inception. I am not
sure when it all started, but I believe the band goes back to the
mid-90s! This may be one of David’s most personal releases, as there
is a song about a family member on here, as well as another song,
all about what it is like to live with his affliction of
Schizophrenia. I commend David for opening up like that; it is brave
how much of a brutally honest glimpse he gives you into both his
condition’s effects and living through the heavy medication he needs
to take to manage it. Sorry for the long background and preamble,
time to get to the music. The drum machine on here sounds terrible
especially during the slower and mid-paced songs, it is not as bad
during the faster sections. I thought in the past I have seen pics
of Vora in front of a drum kit (even though it sounded like he was
drumming on a plastic bucket or something), not sure why he went to
the machine, maybe out of some necessity? The vocals are kind of
half sung, half spoken word, rather than being growled or shrieked
or something like that. His voice does sort of have a slight Cronos
from Venom tone to it, which unsurprisingly, knowing me is something
I actually like on this release. I do not know what to say. The
whole thing is not good, understand I am making that clear that it
is pretty bad actually. Having said that, I find certain sections of
this release kind of infectious to listen to somehow despite the low
quality in all areas of this release. It has been many years since I
last heard V.D.C., I am both amazed at David’s dedication to keep
this going all this time, but I must admit I would have thought he
would just naturally have progressed to a higher level with his
playing (even right down to his cover “artwork” as well). Maybe I
could say his song crafting has improved slightly. Then again, it
has been probably over a decade since I listened to the old
material, so I am relying on very old memories of it. But I respect
the man’s dedication to sticking with it and believing in himself,
no matter what anyone says. David is pretty fucking old school
still! You have to actually write to him, as he does not have a
bandcamp or anything else along those lines, at least not that I
could find. - Dale
https://youtu.be/u4_1kJDSY6k
davidvora10@hotmail.com |
|
This was a
pleasant surprise to see arrive in my mailbox. This band based out
of Phoenix, Arizona may be a new band, but their members are
anything but, they are all veterans of the scene, having been in
various bands. The band leader bassist / vocalist George Robb, has
also been in many bands, maybe best known as a founding member of
Agent Steel, where he appeared on their demo, debut album and ep.
These boys could have stepped right out of the great early to mid
80s Crossover Thrash scene. I can hear influences in here (think
specifically of the earlier works from these bands) like Slayer,
D.R.I., Cryptic Slaughter, The Exploited, Exodus, S.O.D., Corrosion
of Conformity, Sacred Reich etc… Violent Revolution carry on the
tradition perfectly, they really have this sound down, playing with
a raw, angry edge at all times. This album is a wonderfully
rampaging wall of noise and controlled chaos. I even dug that short
manic solo in the middle of “Damaged”. I love the vocal parts, where
they spit out that gruff thrash and hardcore mix of vocals, and
multiple members trade off lines of lyric. It really keeps the
energy high, and gives you a feeling, of how cool it must be to see
Violent Revolution live. Because there are many times, I found
myself headbanging to this, and the sudden urge to jump up and punch
the air wildly, like it had stolen something from me. The only thing
I can seem to find that is wrong with this demo; it is 4 songs and
an intro, too fucking short! I want more ASAP!! Get this raw,
beautiful throwback angst drenched, spiked fist in the face of
modern slickly produced bullshit. - Dale
https://www.reverbnation.com/violentrevolution1
http://www.violentrevolution.net
|
We have 4 songs
here “Hunter For Blood”, “Beast Of Sodom”, “Midnight Madness” and
“Pain Of Death”. Unless I’m mistaken I believe this is a side band
from one or more of members of Spear Of Longinus. Quoting the demo
inlay this was “recorded in 1 hour $15 bux…Live in the studio – No
overdubs” and “No digital equipment has fucked up this demo”. It’s
true to the sound is as warm & rough as a red-hot sword cutting thru
trendy bones. In fact it sounds like a production on many a lower
budget ‘80s metal album and that sits with me just fine. I have to
agree with Keith Dempe (Eternal Darkness & C.A. writer) that this
reminds me a bit of Possessed. A veritable studded fist in the face
of all these black disco goth symphonic garbage bands polluting our
scene today! – Dale
Razor Of Occam,
P.O. Box 101, Prospect SA 5082, AUSTRALIA Email = Razor_of_Occam@yahoo.com
|
This is the
debut single, “I am In Hell” from Vorzug, a new band from the
Phoenix, AZ area. The band plays a very old school style of
blackened death metal, with some thrashy guitars in the song. The
song is mid-paced, with some great killer guitar solos and riffs in
the debut song. The drumming goes from extremely fast thrashy drums
down to a middle paced range. The vocalist, starts off with the
death growls, but towards the middle of the song, it switches up to
old school black metal screams. I am very eager, to hear the debut
when it is released, but for now if you are into digital songs /
downloads, then get a copy of this one.
- Patrick
https://www.facebook.com/vorzugmetal
http://www.reverbnation.com/vorzug
|
What is it with
Italy? Nearly every demo band I have heard from there in the last
couple years. Goes from average to awful! Vow Dreams are somewhere
between the horrible and average categories. Plodding death/doom is
an apt description I think. Nothing eventful or even remotely
memorable. Did the well dry up after Bulldozer, Paul Chain, Domine,
Natron and Death SS or am I just hearing the wrong bands!?
Vow Dreams, c/o
Antonello Mura, Via Napoli n. 7 08015, Macomer (NU), ITALY |
I have to
commend this Wisconsin band, on going all out on the promotion
front; they sent a very complete and impressive promotional package.
I have not seen this much effort, money and patience put in to a
promo package for probably a decade now (Yeah I have been at this a
long time I know) at least. It was a little more common place back
then, but these days in the age of digital downloads and everything,
well it is nice to see. Warseid play I suppose more of a European
style black folk metal. Now this is listed as an ep, but you get 30
minutes of music, to Decide and a lot of bands would consider that
album length. The vocals are harsh black metal rasps with a growling
undertone type of vox, they are fine for what they are, but I have
to be honest, for me, to my ear they do not really suit the music
very well. They just do not seem to convey or match the energy or
emotion of the music or seem to fit very well to the music, if you
know what I mean? It is not one of those cases where you go I can
not imagine a different vocalist in there, I can and the one I
imagine is a better fit. The music itself is some good black metal,
not really harsh or low-fi, yet they do not abandon their aggressive
or hateful roots altogether either. No it is a little crisper, with
a slight punchy metal edge, but that edge is rounded off by some of
the symphonic elements and nice rhythms and well thought out, catchy
harmonies. The music is really pretty solid, it could honestly use a
bit more flow though, it is a tad rigid and not always seamless when
transitioning from straight up parts to the more symphonic or
melodic sections. But that will come with time; I am sure because
there obviously is some imagination and talent on display here with
Where Fate Lies Unbound. I think fans of the more symphonic or
melodic black metal and folk sounding bands will be interested in
this one. Yes it is not without its faults, but at the same time it
nicely displays a talented band still finding their way they just
need to work on those vocals first, of course.
– Dale
http://www.reverbnation.com/warseid
http://www.warseid.com/
|
|
Aww yes, Canadian metal. Surely you know those words fill me with
pride. This is the debut assault from Witchblade. The vocals and the
production have a decidedly black/death sort of feel to them. But
the music itself is more in a mid-tempo epic thrash vein, with an
air of power metal overtones throughout the material. I quite
enjoyed this. I think with a little vigilance and musical
progression Witchblade could be a name of note and reverence one
day.
– Dale
Witchblade, P.O. Box
539, # 21 10405 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 3S2, CANADA
Web =
www.telusplanet.net/public/dbowker/witchblade
|
I reviewed this
bands demo “Abolish In Thorns” in ’95 for the Canadian ‘zine The
Sepulchral Voice(RIP). I recall saying they were a good, solid and
dark death metal band with potential. So 4 years later have they
grown into my lofty predictions? The answer is no. They are pretty
much the same talented band trying to stretch their necks above the
crowd with very moderate success. This is the US release version of
their album and has 2 bonus tracks to round the number to ten. The
CD cover is the size and layout of a 7” ep which is a cool idea.
– Dale
Withered Earth,
5 Beechwood Drive, Rochester, NY. 14606, USA Web =
www.witheredearth.com |
Damn, it seems
like I get a lot of quality stuff to review, from bands emanating
out of Texas. Whore Of Bethlehem are no exception, this Austin Texas
band immediately rub raw the senses, both audial and visually
speaking, when you hit play and then start reading their song titles
and lyrics. I must say first off, the guitar sound on here is
fucking massive and brutal, I love it, and those riffs simply crush
all unfortunate to get caught in its path! If is obvious, to me at
least, listening to this that these guys are big fans of a large
section of the old Floridian death metal style. I can definitely
hear influences from bands like Morbid Angel, Deicide, Malevolent
Creation etc… Maybe I imagining things, but I think I hear a little
Dismember in there as well. But these guys are tight, barbaric; they
keep the song writing dynamic and even mix in some frenetic solos.
The drummer is a beast, he mixes it up well and puts in a Herculean
performance, and he matches those massive riffs step for step and
beyond. The vocalist also varies his vocals, slowing it down in
sections, speeding it up his growls in others, slipping in an out of
a higher, more nasally sound for brief periods and spits out
growling yells at emotional high points in songs. I am pretty
impressed with the vocal work on here, it is not just growling
slapped over top of music, there is thought and timing put into his
pissed off roaring. For me, this is a great young band, to keep an
eye out for as fans of old school Floridian death metal will wet
themselves listening to this album. - Dale
http://www.whoreofbethlehem.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com/whoreofbethlehem
|
I love this
bands attitude and honesty in their bio, I also can really relate to
them as they speak about playing a style similar to what they grew
up listening to through tape trading, plus talk of being old. I am
right with you brother, grew up on tape trading too (early to mid
90s) and I am also an old goat in this fucking scene haha. The four
songs on here for me simply are fantastic, they are heavy, they are
rocking, they are dark and they are dripping with old school
intensity and attitude. Not to mention combining some of my
favourite bands and styles as influence. I am not even sure where to
start but think of mixing classic Celtic Frost / Hellhammer, Venom
together with Dismember, Grave, Darkthrone (especially their
releases where they show their Frost influence) and even some
Motorhead thrown into the mix for good measure. The vocals kind of
follow suit to those influences I mention above, a mix of old thrash
gruff yelling with a decipherable growling undertone. They wear
their musical hearts on their sleeve, and I like that, we share that
metal heart and it is hard to tear apart. I say if you are a product
of the 80s and early 90s metal and miss those days, With Burning
Contempt is for you. Keep the ancient flame burning and the spiked
fist pounding! - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/WithBurningContempt http://www.reverbnation.com/withburningcontempt
|
It is always
nice to get something from a band from my area, as is the case with
Philadelphia’s Workhorse III. This release is something a little
different than what I usually receive for review. The band is a
trio, fronted by lead guitarist / vocalist Lisa Christ Superstar,
well mostly fronted by Lisa, as guitarist Steve McCarthy handles
some of the lead and supporting vocals on some songs. I feel
listening to their music, it is rooted in hard rock, but it is also
heavily influenced by metal and always has this little seedy
underbelly of punk running underneath the proceedings. Despite
Workhorse playing a straight forward hard rocking style, there are
actually some very cool guitar fills and leads on here, which add an
extra dynamic emotional layer that puts the songs over the top. I
like the energy of the band, they change things up, but always rock
while lyrically and conceptually having this cool raunchy party
vibe. I could see them being a very entertaining band to see live. I
think fans of bands like Motorhead, Plastmatics, Girlschool mixed
with a slightly more diverse palate of classic rock influences will
really dig this album. - Dale
http://workhorse3.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/3Workhorse |
 
This Chilean
band took me by surprise and in a good way. There are only two songs
on here, but they are both killers and not short songs. Worship
Death play grimy, pulverizing old school death metal in the vein of
Autopsy, Repulsion, Dismember, Grave etc… This is some pretty
fucking glorious stuff. It brings back that old feeling, very nicely
to the point; I can almost taste the air of ripping open one of my
tape traders packages from the early 90s. I love the trademark
Autopsy style drumming and angry bee in a box gutfuck riffing. The
vocals are like hearing an obscure recording, emanating from a pit,
that serves as the mouth of hell. About the only even remotely
negative thing I could say is, I wish the mix on the recording was a
little better, more even, and the first song could use a little more
flow to the pacing. But otherwise, I can not recommend this enough,
to old school death metal die hards!! - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/worshipdeathmetal
https://worshipdeathmetal.bandcamp.com/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
