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Aaarrrggghhhh!!!!
Total old style brutal death metal in the vein of early Grave! Only
with Kaamos’ own sick dark twists. Fucking sickened vocals and
diabolical choruses you will chant in your head for days with your
fist pumping the air! I also hear a touch of “Altars Of Madness” –
This CRUSHES!!!! - Dale
Kaamos, P.O. Box
605, 13626 Haninge, SWEDEN Web = kaamos@kurir.net |
This is the
band, maybe a more apt term, the brainchild of Vito Marchese of the
well known Chicago based death doom band November’s Doom. Despite
this recording also largely featuring former and current members of
November’s Doom, the apple in this case, does fall pretty far from
the tree musically and stylistically. The Kahless Clone is an
instrumental band with a musical tapestry, largely made up of
soundscapes mixed with traditional rock/metal instrumentation and
general style, but used in a very non-rock/metal way. It really is a
somber and atmospheric forlorn soundtrack, which invokes the feeling
mentally of wandering in the vast emptiness of outer space,
transported along in solitude by a sleek ship built from the base
minerals of rock and metal. Now, do not get me wrong, anyone seeing
the word metal will listen to this and go this is not fucking metal,
which is correct, it is not, but you can hear it was composed and
performed by musicians whose deep roots are in metal. Some of the
underlying foundation, which moves this ambient soundscape forward
to me sounds to be very much influenced by progressive hard rock /
metal. But it is used in a subtle way, so as to never compete or
dominate the main purpose of creating pure atmosphere, rather than
the traditional song structuring from those theaters of music. Which
for many metal fans is a take it or leave it proposition, it is not
in line with my main tastes as a music fan either, but I have been
known to be won over and dabble in these areas from time to time. I
know the term soundscape is sort of an ambiguous term, which of
course encompasses the overall sound and experience. But, in this
case, to give you a clearer picture beyond the traditional rock and
metal instruments, it includes things like synth, electronic sounds
(including electronic drums mixed with real drumming) and
manipulation, acoustic guitar, piano etc… I have to admit, upon the
first and second listen it was not connecting with me and did not
seem very memorable or overly enjoyable, to be quite honest. But I
am happy to report the more I listened (I must be at least a dozen
listens in now - as I always try to really give all bands a true
chance), it began sink in and those synapses began to slowly fire
and link up and I started to appreciate the music and it began to
speak to me mentally, so more of an emotional connection was made. I
am not often in the mood for pure ambient and progressive music, but
when the mood does take me I think “Our Never-Ending Lonliness” will
be within the small pile of discs I will reach for to scratch that
itch. - Dale
https://thekahlessclone.bandcamp.com/ http://www.thekahlessclone.com/
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This Wisconsin
band, as you may be able to tell from their name and album title,
are a concept band, based on the classic works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Something you may not know about me, both myself and my wife, are
huge Tolkien and Lord Of The Rings fans. So much so, we have in our
home a couple swords, a dagger and Gandalf’s staff replicas in our
home, made by the company that made them for the film. So as you can
imagine straight away, I am fully on board with the band’s concept
from top to bottom. Now on to this bands music, this demo contains
three tracks of middle earth inspired, brutal death metal. I would
describe their brand of death metal, as a combination of New York
sound, mixed heavily with old school Floridian death metal style. I
can hear influences from bands Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Nile,
Immolation, Incantation, Death, Massacre etc… It is very well done
though, it is brutal, but also there is some nice subtle and not so
subtle guitar finesse elements, worked beautifully into the crushing
barbarism. I am sure this is where the Tolkien works come in, but
there is also an epic, triumphant emotive atmosphere, you can feel
through the music, which reflects the world the band clearly
worship. This is on full display, during my favourite song, the
third track entitled “Thorin Oakenshield”, it is a glorious and the
proud warrior Dwarf King Under the Mountain, would be honoured by
this song. Check this out ASAP! - Dale
https://www.reverbnation.com/khazaddum6
https://www.facebook.com/Khazaddumband/ |
Khazaddum are a
fairly new band who come out of the mid-western US brutal death
metal scene. The music is played in the brutal dm style, but the
musicians know how to write some very complex material, which shows
off their skill in the writing process. The guitars are played
mainly in a heavy and extremely fast style, but there are also some
very well crafted and performed memorable slower passages, mixed
with some solos merged into the violent music. The vocalist does a
great job belting out low death metal growls that really fit well
with the bands musical approach. If you are a fan of well performed
brutal death metal, with elements of other genres mixed in, then be
sure to pick up “Plagues Upon Arda” today. - Patrick
https://khazaddumband.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Khazaddumband
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Thanks to Paul
Caravasi from Aquelarre ‘zine for passing along this piece of black
metal hate emanating from Spain. Killing The Reason, play an acidic
brand of blackened metal with some death metal touches. The vocals
are purely spat venomous rasps in the early 90s great tradition and
I really enjoy those, very cryptic and hateful. The music itself is
good, pretty straight forward, but it is well executed with an
intense energy about it. I feel like the songs and riffing, at
times, could have a little more flow at times, but that is a minor
complaint really. Followers of old school black metal should keep an
eye on this band, they have something special starting to brew. I
will really be looking forward to hearing what they can do on their
next release. Beyond Eternity is an extremely impressive for a debut
release! - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/killingthereason
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZMYc4KGOpY
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New York black
metallers (frequently of the avant-garde and technical variety)
Krallice have swung back into my Bandcamp feed with their new EP
Wolf after about a year of not publicly issuing forth new
material. Back in 2017, they produced two great and distinctive
albums in Loüm and Go Be Forgotten, and now they are
at it again with the technically intriguing composition work.
Wolf contains a consistently dark dimension to it that feels
like sinking your hand into blackstrap molasses before reaching its
roiling, fluid depths. Krallice attentively developing atmosphere on
this EP works well for the replay value and is what I might say
distinguishes it from their 2017 offerings. That is not to say that
interest in atmosphere is lacking in Loüm or in Go Be
Forgotten; it is simply an observation about one of the more
noticeably appealing features of Wolf. For example, after
listening to the pummeling instrumentation that pervades the first
three-quarters of "Church," reaching the gently atmospheric section
towards the end of the track acts like an eerie palate-cleanser.
Having that section conclude such a temptingly aggressive
composition with even more controlled chaos to look forward to in
"Time Rendered Omni" is such a treat in terms of album arrangement
because it keeps the listener absorbed in the tension between loose,
temperate measures and those with more tumultuous overtones. Despite
some of these tracks on Wolf ending slightly abruptly, I
found myself enjoying that aspect with repeated listens since it
works with the overall tone of the EP that I just described. I have
never been disappointed in a single album that I have heard by
Krallice—their work always enraptures me in one way or another,
although it's usually due to their technical prowess that does not
waste time with pretention. –Aaron
https://krallice.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/krallice
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Kratornas return
once again to the pages of Canadian Assault. Served up we have
black/grind sickness with gurgling hellspawn vocals. There is
actually a nice mix here and every time you think there is too much
chaos. You are hit with a clean chugging head bang metal riff
section. Super raw so if you are looking for candy-coated production
then look elsewhere. Song titles include: “Diabolical Mutilation
1999”, “Armaments Of Sadism”, “Satanic Macabre”, “Luciferian
Gladiators”, “Bloodbath For Satan” and “Demonic War Slaughter”. - Dale
Send $5 US to: Kratornas, 21
Emerald St., San Eusebio Subdivision, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental,
6121 PHILIPPINES
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I was both
pleased and surprised to get this release. I was pleased because
this is a raw, but good band, which I have been into since their
very early days of the mid to late ‘90s. I was surprised the band
was not only still going, as they have been very quiet in recent
years, but also very surprised, due to the fact that the band is no
longer located in the Philippines. Further to this happening was
they (I say they but Kratornas has been a one man band for most of
it’s existence) moved to my homeland of Canada!! This is fucking
cool to hear! So how about the music? Does the band still play a
high energy chaotic wall of noise blackened grindcore? The answer to
that is yes, but it is more now, more mature song writing, more
varied material yet never losing the trademark ultra harsh brutality
and speed. Another welcome change is, Kratornas finally has a real
drummer (who has now joined the band as the second member) and holy
fuck does it take their sound to a new level, the drums are
powerful, as GB dominates his skit with pure malice and fury. The
dark and evil trademark atmosphere, which permeates all Kratornas
recordings, still is alive and thrives on “Devoured By Damnation”.
Within the confines of the pummeling, ultra violent grind as hinted
to above, there is more maturity and variation than the past
incorporating more short death metal type passages. They do this in
a very catchy way, tossing in infectious bits, which will get your
head going from a nod to a full headbang in no time. The vocals are
still a tremendous melting pot, mixture of obscured hissing yells
and growls, nasally screeches and inhuman howls. I have always
enjoyed Kratornas’ releases, but honestly they have taken everything
not just up a level, they have taken up a couple levels! This is, by
far, their most impressive release and I can not recommend this
highly enough, for devotees of bands who mix black metal and war
metal with large doses of grindcore influence. - Dale
http://www.kratornas.com/
http://kratornas.bandcamp.com/ |
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Brazil’s Krueger
have released their new cd “Return To Death”. An album which has
unleashed a blast of old school death metal and a healthy dose of
thrash guitars. The guitars are fast with some speedy thrashy riffs
and some heavier death metal riffs, with some solos mixed in a few
of the tracks. The drumming is top notch with some crazed and
chaotic patterns. The vocals are death growls, as well as some raspy
screams mixed in a few of the songs. Krueger have released a very
solid album, which I can recommend to anyone who is into early
nineties death and thrash metal. - Patrick
http://www.reverbnation.com/officialkrueger
https://www.facebook.com/officialkrueger
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These
Brazilian’s love, 1980s thrash riffing, but also like newer bestial
warring metal sounds. An odd coupling to be sure but Labatut make it
work. Some bands to mention that can be clearly heard and influenced
are Slayer, Sarcofago, Moonblood, Mutiilation and loads of 80s
thrash, in general. The performance on this recording is pretty
rough, a little sloppy and loose. Yet in Labtut’s case it actually
adds a certain charm and identity to the music. It is strange they
manage to wear their influences upon their sleeve, yet despite that,
they manage to blend it all in a way I have not really heard before.
The whole thing is pretty sick really. Nothing ground breaking but
somehow by the time I hit stop on the stereo, I clearly feel like I
am a confirmed Labatut-iac!
– Dale
www.apocalypticempire.com
www.bloodynecromancer.de
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It is a good day when a new Lavagoat release
ends up in my mailbox. The boys pick up right where they left off
last time around. We are treated to another sludgy, doomy slab of
atmospheric metal, which will hunt you down tirelessly in slow
motion. I always like the dark and heavy vibe Lavagoat projects
mentally with their rumbling audio tapestries. I still hear bits of
influence in their sound from the likes of old Cathedral, Celtic
Frost, Sabbath etc… Despite their doom mainstay, the band are not
adverse to speeding things up, such as they do in the song
“Cimmerion Fury”, they pick up the pace, and ruin everything in
their path, with some great affecting guitar work. The guitars on
the whole album are fantastic, they do some really cool things with
the sound of them, they creatively to manipulate those sounds in a
variety of ways, which create some diverse emotions in the listener.
Lavagoat only gets stronger with time, and I must strongly recommend
yet another of their releases, for you dear readers to check out
post haste. - Dale
https://www.reverbnation.com/lavagoat
https://www.youtube.com/user/LavagoatTV |
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This is fucking
dehumanized and sick death metal. It is very well done and crushing.
Lead bring to mind influences like Cannibal Corpse, Cryptopsy,
Kataklysm and Suffocation mixed with their own sound touches. I’m a
sucker for this kind of music! I just love fast, extreme, brutal,
hateful, violent, heavy and in-your-face barbarity. Six songs here
on a nice looking disc. - Dale
Yours for $8 US to: Lead, P.O. Box 24411, Omaha, NE. 68124-0411, USA
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This Canadian
band could be described as a metalcore band that has a penchant for
progressive touches as well as possessing melodic Swedish death
influence in the guitars. Sometimes the mixings of these different
styles works and other times, not so much. At times the songs lack
flow and fluidity, coming off a little clunky and aimless. When it
works they can write some ripping, emotional metal though. The
vocals for me are another slightly sore spot; they are okay kind of
hoarse yells with a slight growling undertone. They come off
sounding a little forced and maybe are featured a little too heavily
in important parts of the song, distracting away from golden heart
of Lethal Halo. That gold is the guitars, there is some talent there
and if you pay attention the guitars they have some really
interesting things going on and the performance there is fantastic.
This is only their second release, so they have room and time to
grow. If they continue to mature in the song writing department and
the other aspects of Lehtal Halo can catch up to the guitar work,
this could be a band to really watch out for. - Dale
http://LethalHalo.com
http://www.youtube.com/HaloBand
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Lord Almighty
springs up from the Boston metal scene, delivering to us their debut
full length, with only an ep previously under their collective
belts. I don’t know, if I can really confess to ever in particular,
to being a fan of the whole black ‘n roll sub-genre. I mean on the
surface it does not seem like the two genres should mix, one is
generally very serious and the music is very dark and harsh tonally,
where as rock ‘n roll is usually the opposite of that. I will leave
the debate to purists, whose stance I have some sympathy for, on
whether or not the two should be mixed. For me, it comes down more
to the fact I usually have to be in the mood for both, and those
moods are generally very different from each other. So with this
particular sub-genre, for my tastes, it has to constructed quite
carefully and be very well done, which often results in a love it or
hate it reaction. I am pleased to say, Lord Almighty has put a lot
of thought, and care into their song writing, so one element does
not over power the other and the transitions betwixt the two forces
is surprisingly smooth. There are times you can revel in the evil
aura, as well as other times, you can just headbang to the riff and
let the adrenaline flow a bit. Then at other times, often in the
transitional periods you are treated to some wonderful, dare I say
even soulful guitar fills and leads, which simmer slightly with
hints of classic 70s rock southern style guitar work. I could see
for the more ardent black metal fans, they might have a tough time
getting into some of the airy and upbeat riffs and rhythms, which
pop up from time to time. I don’t know man, I sort of feel like I
should not like this, but the impressive vision and skill in the
performance and songwriting, just refused to let me turn away. It is
infectious like that, and I have succumbed to it’s insidious charms,
so if you are open to this kind of music, this surely comes
recommended. - Dale
http://lordalmighty.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/lordalmightymetal |
The
guitarist/vocalist/bassist from the great old Finnish thrash band
Maple Cross (formed in 1985!), heads up this band. Lord Of Pagathorn
released a demo tape way back in 1994, and then nothing, until now
some 15 plus years later! That is strange but good for us they
decided to pick up the band once again. Msilihporcen is an
interesting piece of older school black metal. There is speed and
hate, but it is all accented with some nice interludes and even some
eerie sounding acoustic guitar passages. The mixing of raw cold
anger and tranquil atmospherics is a mixing well met. The music is
nothing ground breaking, but very well done and performed expertly.
The vocals are suitably freezing shrieks with obscured whispered
undertone. The recording as well is fantastic for a demo, it is
heavy, clear and concise without being too slick. I came away from
this release being quite impressed and looking forward to hearing
from this sick horde. They tell me they are working on an album and
seek a suitable record label. I think they not remain unsigned for
long. Hail Finnish black metal! – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/lordofpagathorn
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Unless I’m
mistaken this band features on guitar Eric Herseman, who is also
publicist at Olympic Records. Described as misanthropic deathrash,
this is a term I am in alignment with. 3 songs on here (“Contact
Dermatatis”, “Jungle Hell”, “Spiral Caverns Of The Occult”). They
bring to mind the rising deathrash scene of the late ’80s/early
‘90s. In fact some bands I could name are Ex-Mortis, Demise,
Immortal Fate, Phantasm and so on. It may be due in part to
nostalgia but I fucking love Lord Blasphemer! - Dale
Send $4 US to: Lord Blasphemer,
2658 W. Superior, Apt. 2, Chicago, IL. 60612, USA |
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The Lost Tribes
Of The Moon are a band I find very hard to put into one musical or
metal genre. The bands debut full length, and debut release as a
band period consists of three long songs (ranging from 8+ to 13+
minutes a piece) and three shorter instrumental tracks. The music is
very well written and performed, showing a high level of skill and
consisting of influences from a variety of genres. The guitars are
played with both slower melodic patterns, and at times faster more
aggressive sections throughout each song. The vocals mix both female
clean sung vocals and some male vocals that consist of hollering
screams accented with some melodic male vocal patterns. Lost Tribes
are a very unique blend of traditional doom, early progressive rock
and even some folk metal / rock elements. - Patrick
https://losttribesofthemoon1.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/losttribesofthemoon
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Fuck yes! The
purveyors of disgustingly morbid spirit-raping deathrash hell
return! Anyone who read issue # 2 knows how highly I think of this
band with their review and interview in that issue. I said in the
past I heard influences from (old) Sarcofago, (old)Beherit,
Aggression (i.e.-“Blaspheming At The Altar” ’86 demo). Also if you
like the sickening Canadian metal in the warring mode of Blasphemy
and Soothsayer then this tape will satiate your carnality! The songs
this time are a bit more technical then the last demo. But Diabolus
has not sacrificed the bludgeoning and bestial barbarity and Lust
will tear at you like a pack of starving berzerker wolves! Tired of
all the commercial bullshit? Then order this piece of underground
cult history while you can as I believe this is limited to 500
copies. - Dale
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This is the
bands third full-length apparently, but it is my first taste of the
Madrost madness emanating from this Californian band. The band play
technical thrash metal with a ton of morphing, changing parts and
time signatures. Some might even throw the progressive tag on them,
which I can see to an extent, but I think that is more for
incorporating many other genre elements and the like. Madrost are
far too brutal, fast and heavy for me to think of them as that. I
mean these guys fucking bludgeon you with speedy gut-wrenching
riffing and forceful pound you into submission drumming. As
mentioned, with the revolving changes within each song, you get a
great display of the bands technical prowess, both on their
instruments and their intricate skilled song structuring. I do hear
hints of death metal now and then, maybe something like the band
Death towards the end, when they were going down more of a techno
thrash route. I am sure it is pure coincidence here, but I swear I
hear hints of a great largely unknown now and criminally underrated
deathrash Canadian band named Disciples Of Power, which I am
guessing the Madrost guys have never heard before. Everything on
this album is so refined and mature, so precise and impressively
controlled, but one area that is not controlled are the vocals.
Which are looser harsh yelled gruff traditional thrash vocals, with
a slight growl dm edge, but they are hoarse and spat out with a
level of anger and venom that I enjoyed. Now and then, there are so
many transitions and change ups in the music, impressive as they
are, sometimes they get in the way of actual song flow and not
letting certain brutal and catchy parts room to breathe a little and
let the listener get into a headbanging harmony with the music. That
is my one and only critique here, don’t sacrifice the song, when it
is there for the offing in order to get in as many speedy time
changes and cool parts as you possibly can fit in there. Otherwise,
this is an extremely impressive high octane thrash record, which is
filled with equal measures of song writing finesse and violent
attacking barbarism. Definitely check this one out ASAP. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/madrost https://madrost.bandcamp.com/ |
Simplistic
deathrash with Italian lyrics. Some good riffs here and there but
mostly the material needs to be tighter and more quality. Apparently
Eik and Dario have been playing together since the end of the ‘80s –
it sure doesn’t show! Guys go practice a lot, work on better
material for a year or two. Then send in another a tape. - Dale
Cost is $5 US
to: Materia Grave,
c/o Erick Ballota, 35020 Canadiana (PD), ITALY |
Ahhh the gods of brutal underground death metal return! After
hearing the 2008 demo Vae Victis {which can be downloaded for free
on the bands F.B page!}. I was hooked on this German bands catchy,
brutal and just plain vicious death metal style. It is full of fast,
thick guitars that build from mid-paced to all out whirlwind riffs
and masterful played solo's. The drumming is precise with the
speedy, blast beats chaotic in some songs while other structures are
more heavy, mid-paced drum beats. Timm's vocals are vicious deep
death growls with some higher screams and fit perfectly with Mental
Killing Spree's original brutal death metal style. Fans of brutal
straight-forward death metal are urged to check this band out
today!
- Patrick
https://myspace.com/mentalkillingspree
https://www.facebook.com/mentalkillingspree
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This is a decent
comp. with a little diversity between bands. Here's a quick rundown.
Silentium - "Lament" - A laid back, somewhat heavy take on a goth-rock
sound w/ female vocals. Uninteresting. Droys - "On the trial of Koan"
- A great technical death metal song sounding much like Death with
Steve Digiorgio. It rocks! Midnight Sun - "Nightembrace" - I
remember writing these guys about a year back after ordering their
2nd demo and I mentioned that I thought they were playing in more of
a power metal influenced style. No reply though. Hmm? Not bad.
Fahrenheit - "Blood and Tears" - Another boring goth sounding band
with female vocals. Next. Eternal Sadness - "Autumn" - Starts off
kind of slow with piano etc. but ends up being a halfway decent
melodic death song. Thalia - "Omniscient" - What the fuck is this
shit? 80's rock with a new wave sounding vocalist. Fuck off!!
Glacial Fear - "Numb" - Amore or less trendy sounding death metal
song with Max Cavalera sounding vocals and a lot of harmonics. Bland
and not as heavy as they think they are. Mechanix - "Pain in the
neck" - Pretty good thrash being executed here. Kind of riffing
along like old Overkill. Shadeworks - Exclusive track - An
interesting guitar track without vocals. What you'd expect to hear
on a James Murphy solo record or something but with better twists. – Jeffrey Kusbel |
I was definitely
impressed upon hearing this six song demo. A good production helps
bring out the strength of these songs as I’m sure they would not
sound as cool with a shit production. Some tracks just grind and
thrash along paying no attention what is going on around them. I
actually hear a Human Remains and Ripping Corpse influenced weird
riff attack on a song or two and this is not a bad thing. This is
actually pretty diverse as most metal goes so give it a listen.
– Jeffrey Kusbel
Merde/Avitchi
Records, P.O. Box 8734, Portland, OR. 97207-8734, USA
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This is Italy’s Methedras second cd “System Subversion”. The band
plays a mix of early to mid nineties death, thrashing metal. The
guitars are fast with a lot of great thrashy riffs and some solos,
mixed in a few of the songs, but also have some heavier more chunky
riffs intertwined in the maelstrom. The drumming is done, with a lot
of good heavy beats, but also can speed up with the guitars at times
too. The vocalist has a mix of death metal growls and some gruff
screaming in a few of the tracks. All in all, not a great release,
but it does have some good songs sprinkled among the average ones.
- Patrick
http://www.methedras.com
www.reverbnation.com/methedras
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This has been
out for a while, but it was nice to get a chance to finally hear
this disc. This New Jersey band, takes heavy metal back to its roots
of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, in pretty much every way possible.
The riffing on here is solid, very memorable with melodic song
structures and harmonies, which will stick in your head. You can
tell they worked very hard, to make their songs catchy, and have
some nice old school flow to them. The vocals follow suit, they feel
like they pulled them straight out of 1983 or something. I dig it. I
think fans bands like Virgin Steele, Riot, Lethal, Meliah Rage,
Armored Saint, Running Wild, plus the very early works of Iron
Maiden and Judas Priest, should enjoy the hell out of Midnite
Hellion. The band has a seven inch out, on Witches Brew, since this
disc came out and I believe a live album is in the works as well.
Check this out, NWOBHM and just power metal fans from the early days
of the genre, this is for you. - Dale
http://www.reverbnation.com/midnitehellion
http://www.midnitehellion.com/index.html
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There are 3 tracks
on here “A Step Towards Amenta”, “Create/Eradicate” & “Trauma” that
will appear on their upcoming album, out by the time you read this
on Pavement Records. For the most part it is high octane deathrash
with sharp but short guitar solos. I did enjoy this, but I hit a
real snag with their mixing in of the ‘jump metal’ style sections,
that I dislike so very much. They should concentrate on their more
vicious and less accessible side in the future.
- Dale
Mortuary, c/o Germonville Patrick, 8 parc de
saurupt rue Jean 23, 54130 Saint Max, FRANCE
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Murkocet rise up
out of the Phoenix metal / rock scene with their first full-length
release “Digging Mercy’s Grave”. It is eleven tracks, about 37
minutes of modern or well whatever they are calling Nu-Metal these
days. I usually never listen to this type of band and purposely
avoid doing so. But I can say some of the guitar work is done with a
lot of skill and solid writing ability. But, unless you are a fan of
the mid ‘90s or the modern metal / rock styles, you will probably
end up hating this (as I certainly did as well my friend :) - Dale)
this disc. - Patrick
https://www.murkocetband.com/ https://www.facebook.com/murkocetmetal
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This comp.
features 27 brutal death/grind songs from 22 different bands. All
are at least decent. The bands included are: Necrophagist, Skinned,
Mortal Flesh, Exhumator, Excavatim, Godzilla, Traumatism, Scarve,
Damn Nation, Admortem, Conqueror, Morphisem, Gods of Emptiness, Dead
End, Benighted, Blood Suckers, Uncreation, Lividity, Loggerhead,
Sacred Sin, Absonent Cadence, and The Darkening. The best bands on
this comp to these ears were: Excavation-Traumatism-Scarve-Admortem-Lividity.
Check these motherfuckers out! These bands are definitely worthy of
an album purchase. You will not be disappointed! – Jeffrey
Kusbel
Noise Solution
Recs.- c/o Velvet Music - BP 3072/69397- Lyon Cedex 03, FRANCE |
This is not too bad.
They are
a melodic black metal band from Finland. They come up with some
nice riffs and handle their instruments well enough. I like them
okay, but
they don’t stand out enough for me to give them too many repeated
listens if you know what I mean. - Dale
M.K.L., c/o
Lehtinen, Koroistentie 7a3, 00280 Hiki, FINLAND Email =
kari.kinnunen@phkk.fi |
Damn there is some amazing metal coming out of the underground scene
in Malaysia! Narsamum play some soulful, heavy and dapper deathrash
metal. I do guarentee you will headbang your ass off to this fucking
tape. They know when they have found a good riff and know how to
ride it out. Just great. This is out through the well respected
Muzik Box Productions. - Dale
Muzik Box
Productions, c/o Fadzil, P.O. Box 96, Pejabat POS Majidee, 81100
Johor Bahru, Johor, MALAYSIA
|
|
This band from Chile has supposedly been around since the early
‘90s, but did not make any official releases until 1998 for some
reason. Either way, these South American juggernauts have been
around a long fucking time and have released only two albums and two
EPs during these many years. I guess they are a quality over
quantity band. The band plays melodic death metal, with a Euro
flavour to it yet still retaining a little of their own regions
scene roots. If I had to guess,I would say Necrodemon started out as
more of a straight brutal death metal band. I say that, as I find
most melodo dm bands that do not start out that way usually focus
too much on pretty melody and never get the brutal death metal side
strong enough, creating a lopsided mix that often turns me off.
However, Necrodemon have a pretty good mix going on here, as their
brutal side is brutal and mean, which adds much more effectiveness
in my view when the melodious accents kick into gear. The sound on
here is really good too, heavy and clear. The vocals are
comprehensible growls that have that harsh edge, on a large portion
of them they like to have a quieter, slightly delayed second vocal
that repeats the same words over again, which is pretty cool and
creative. I would suggest using that vocal effect with some
moderation though or it could get tiresome. As I mentioned I am not
the biggest melodic dm fan, but Necrodemon do it right and have
created a pretty solid release with this EP that is worth your
time. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/Necrodemon.cl
http://www.necrodemon.cl/sitio/
|
Interesting.
That's the first word that comes to mind when I listened to Overture
- Neutrad Archon's newest full length. Hailing from California,
this sextet is truly a mix of many different style of metal and
music in general. Progressive base is mixed with black, death,
folk, and experimental metal elements. Quality musicianship is on
display with these guys for sure. The vocals are probably the
weakest part, though. I think there are parts on some of the songs
that are screaming for a clean vocal line ala Halford or Dickinson,
instead of the thrash/blackened hybrid voice that permeates the
album. The keyboard parts are a little out of place at times as
well. There are parts of the album that remind me of Emperor in
places - a wall of sound if you will. Again this is an interesting
release. I'd like to see what they do in the future. If you like
your metal with a cerebral component, Neutral Archon may be for
you. - Mark
http://www.myspace.com/neutradarchon
http://www.neutradarchon.com/ |
“Born
Against Nihilist” is a 2 song demo cassette released by the
band last year, and like all the tapes by this band here, it is pro
pressed and packaged. The music on here is pretty rough and chaotic,
muddy and short tunes that repeat on both sides of the tape. It
honestly feels a little like a jam or rehearsal tape, rather than a
demo, but I really dig the obscure, far off sounding manic vocals
drenched in echoing effect. There are some fast grindy songs that
are pretty good. The packaging on this pro tape and all the N.O.C.O.
tapes I am reviewing look fantastic.
“Split
with Stoner Witch” is a nice little nearly lost gem that was
supposed to be released years ago, but never came out, until now.
You get four songs from each band on this split. Stoner Witch is on
deck first with the track being a really catchy heavy killer riff,
setting the stage for some cool stoner doom metal, the vocals though
could use a bit of work as they sound like a just passable copy of
El Duce from The Mentors mixed with Paul Speckmann. That first track
rules! The second song totally departs from that and is a fast,
raunchy old school punk rock song. That track is apparently a Doom
cover. Stoner’s side is a little eclectic but cool. Now on to the
N.O.C.O. side of the tape. These two tracks are the same ones on the
demo I reviewed above, which are “Born Again Nihilist” & “The Beast
Within”. The sound and production on this recording is far superior
to the sound on the demo tape, which makes these same two tunes more
enjoyable to mine ear. The atmospheric soundscape effects elements
come through much stronger, and as a result, it has much more
impact. It is hard to describe the music style, here it is crossover
punk/hardcore/metal mixed with experimental almost sci-fi sounding
ambient sound sample elements. It is different than a lot of stuff
in these styles you have listened to and interesting enough to
recommend. Along the with the high quality Stoner Witch material it
makes this split tape well worth checking out for sure.
“Live At
Zombiez Bar & Grill,
Amarillo, TX.
5/31/17"
tape comes with two separate versions of the recording of this gig,
side A is the “Raw Mix”, and side B is the “Remastered Mix”. Now, if
you are a regular reader you know I generally enjoy raw, low-fi
recordings, but side A of this cassette is painful to listen to, it
has a continuous hissing, high pitched treble-y whine, like if you
recorded it open air on a blown out ‘80s Boombox. It was so headache
inducing for me, that I confess I gave up a few minutes in and fast
forwarded to side B. So thankfully the remastered mix side, while
still on the slightly raw and low-fi end of things, it is so much
more listenable and enjoyable. The slowed down version of the show
is a rumbling feedback, heavily echoing and fluctuating, almost
sci-fi horror style soundtrack that just melds what is apparently
four songs into one long ricocheted disarray of a singular mindfuck
song, which I surprisingly kind of enjoyed. It is a bit of a weird
experience though, and not conventional sounding at all, pretty
experimental. Apparently, there were vocals in there, but it became
just one continuous soundscape with the effects they lavish upon it
that they are hard to distinguish. I would say unless you are a
grating atmospheric oscillating (wall of) noise fan, you might not
get into this release. I would guess after watching a live clip of
the band online, this came across pretty different in person at the
bar. Okay, so if you want order this or any releases from Doomsday
Today Records either get it online from the physical shop of Ralph’s
Records in Lubbock, Texas (dougstapp@gmail.com + site link below) or
Eternal Darkness Creations at c/o Keith Dempe, P.O. Box 268,
Coraopolis, PA. 15108, USA. - Dale
http://ralphsrecordstx.com/
Label / Band Contact:
pauldoomsday@hotmail.com
|
|
 
“Profit For Armageddon”
is the bands second full length recording (a limited re-release of
it). I love the opening clip, which is one of the greatest sequences
from the fantastic John Carpenter movie They Live. The concept of
that movie seems to inspire a lot of the lyrics in the songs that
follow with similar themes of mind control, brain washing, corporate
dominance, human treachery, loss of liberty and systemic corruption
etc... Shortly afterwards, maybe it is my imagination being
influenced by that clip, but I could swear, on some listens, I hear
the bass mimic that great foreboding Carpenter penned ominous beat,
which I dig, fans of the movie will know exactly what beat I mean.
Musically, I would call them an interesting mixing of things like
the first DRI album, Antiseen, GG Allin, Spazz and maybe some
Agathocles now and then as well. Despite that description NOCO do
have their slower, brooding songs that convey a foreboding
contemplative and melancholic side. But, they eventually do usually
return to the punchy chaos and crossover violence, accentuated with
elements of hardcore, death metal and short intense sporadic bursts
of grindcore. The vocals probably mainly stay in the shouted
hardcore style, but to me, clearly sound like they are sung by a
total metalhead, which produces a little different tone and vibe
than a lot of other hardcore / crossover bands. There are other
styles mixed in the vox, there are some high pitched nasally
squeals, some more death metal growling influenced vocals, but also
some deep sort of distorted spoken word that seem to have a quality
in the delivery that expresses a level of pain and regret. The first
17 tracks make up the album and have a fairly cohesive album feel to
them, which I liked. The last 10 tracks are bonus tracks (consisting
of the entire first album as I understand it) and are a lot more
streamlined death grind crossover, quick hits of speed with a little
less of the hardcore and thrash influences. The bonus tracks, while
it is nice to get extra stuff, those extra tracks are different
enough that they interrupted the flow for me. So, I kind of think it
might be a better listening experience to just have the “Profit…”
album proper on here, minus the bonus tracks, as I like listen to my
stuff on repeat and let it play through. It does serve to show the
progression and a definite higher quality level was achieved on this
second album, over the first. I am told copies of this cd are very
limited & not likely to be repressed so do not hesitate to order
this.
“Resurrection” along with the album above probably has the
best sound that suits the material out of all of the N.O.C.O.
releases I have reviews. This release starts off with the two songs
that are on I think all of the tapes (not the CD), which of course
are “Born Again Nihilist” and “The Beast Within”. There are two
others on here as well “I Await The Prophecy” and “A Wiseman Once
Said…”. It continues on with the metallic hardcore crusty crossover
I described above, always with that experimental, uneasy, slightly
disturbing sci-fi sound effects and samples. The vocals are
definitely an integral part of the music they really, for me, set
and lead the tone of the music, the sound of the vocalists voice and
emphasis he places on certain parts of words creates a vibe. The
vocals in a way remind me of a more obscure, hardcore influenced
version of Barney Greenway of Napalm Death, but with less overall
growling. I believe “Resurrection” is the bands newest released
recording. I was told today by the vocalist they have, just
recently, recorded a new ep and a 19 track third album. So be on the
look out for that, I know I will be. All that said, these two
releases in this particular review are close to the best by the band
and worth checking out if you like crazy, slightly experimental
crossover music. So, if you want order this or any releases from
Doomsday Today Records either get it online from the physical shop
of Ralph’s Records in Lubbock, Texas (dougstapp@gmail.com + site
link below) or Eternal Darkness Creations at c/o Keith Dempe, P.O.
Box 268, Coraopolis, PA. 15108, USA. - Dale
http://ralphsrecordstx.com/
Label / Band Contact:
pauldoomsday@hotmail.com
|
 
Well now, the
notorious N.O.C.O. return to the pages of Canadian Assault,
continuing on their prolific pace of releases in recent times. Some
of which, I reviewed just a couple of months back. This release
really continues down the path of experimentation for the band. A
lot of their early sound and influences from hardcore / crust styles
are nearly non-existent now. Some of the scathing metal influences
remain, but they pop in and out of audio view in quite fleeting
fashion, yet still leaving an indelible mark on the coarse and
caustic disturbing atmosphere. The music is largely centered around
Paul’s vocals and the samples, both of which are often manipulated
in some form or fashion. This is achieved with a barrage of quick
edited bits of those elements sewn together into a patchwork quilt
of depraved lawless auditory sensations. Just about any way you can
think of manipulating sounds is employed on this release from
slowing it down, speeding it up, distorting, twisting and turning it
into a spitefully wanton musical sculpture that is sure to leave an
indelible mark on your psyche. Well okay, so maybe I just do not
listen to many bands that experiment to this level, but I have heard
a handful over the years and I can honestly say this release is
probably one of the more distinct sounding. Does that mean original?
No, probably not, but the way in which they have constructed those
tried and true elements just may be. I have to say outside of the
good raw hardcore / crusty punk, thrashing metal crossover hatred on
the bands second album “Profit For Armageddon”, this roughly 20
minute release is without a doubt N.O.C.O.’s finest hour and a clear
step forward in their evolution, as far as quality is concerned. It
took a few listens to sink in, but this comes quite highly
recommended from me. Well done boys, well fucking done. If you want
order this or any releases from Doomsday Today Records either get it
online from the physical shop of Ralph’s Records in Lubbock, Texas (dougstapp@gmail.com
+ site link below) or Eternal Darkness Creations at c/o Keith Dempe,
P.O. Box 268, Coraopolis, PA. 15108, USA. - Dale
http://ralphsrecordstx.com/
https://therealnoco.bandcamp.com/ |
|
No Salvation
burst out of the deep Polish death metal scene. This is their second
release, after their previous demo, this one consists of five songs,
plus an intro weighing in at a run time of around 26 minutes. This
is some brutal and punishing fast death metal sickness. I can hear a
variety of influences, like a bit from their Polish countrymen such
as Behemoth and Vader, but also there is a strong old school
American influence here with a mix of the NY death metal sound
(Suffocation, Vital Remains etc…) and the Floridian dm sound (early
Deicide, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse). They mix it all together
quite nicely, there is barbaric riffing and the drummer as needed
for this style is a busy bombastic whirlwind on the kit. The vocals
are semi-decipherable deep growls, with a slight gurgling quality,
at times, bubbling underneath the growling. I like them quite a bit.
The end result of it all is somewhat unremarkable, but all the same
a rather enjoyable listen, which the real diehards of the genre will
likely enjoy. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/nosalvation666
http://www.nosalvation.pl/
|
When I first
perused the cover and band name, I thought to myself a black metal
band, and well, I thought very wrong. No these south Floridians,
play epic ‘80s style heavy metal, with heavy doses of classic doom
metal influence. They show their doom influences on their sleeve,
with a cover of “Crystal Ball”, from the mighty Candlemass. This
cover interestingly, is placed right in the middle of the song
order, rather than the usual, traditional tacking on of the cover
song at the end of the album. Speaking of the length, this is quite
prolonged for the ep or mini-album designation, I seem to see it
listed everywhere as, you get five tracks in total and it just
breaks the thirty minute mark. The first song, also the title track,
is darn good song in its own right, but for me has more of the
eighties metal feel, less of the doom feel. As the record continues
along, it continues to build steam, the cover song aside, each track
gets better and better as you go along, and also their doom
influences seem to grow stronger as you go. They do employ some
synth / organ backing and accents, which give off a ‘70s vibe ala
Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Lucifer’s Friend and the like. They doom it
up, but then they mix in poignant, introspective passages, and they
know how to rock a bit form time to time too. I really like the
vocals, again eighties heavy metal rears its gorgeously beast-y head
again; the vocals are clear and smooth, with depth to them at both
ends of the high / low spectrum. I also enjoyed some of the hot solo
work, like that displayed in the middle of the opening track for
instance; I think I got a little hard listening to that one. The
closing track, entitled “To Thee I Give An Orchid”, is a ten minute
magnum opus for the band. This song is the band at its best, there
is a cool muted gallop riff, a punching synth atmosphere, which
surges to the forefront and then recedes again to resume the gallop.
The song slows down, to a brooding standstill towards the middle,
the emotion very slowly starts to build back up the anticipation, as
the flowing doom riff sweeps you along, taking you on an emotional
grand journey. The vocals on this track really showcase well, even
though, they are used in a judicious manner. That closing act is
really the clincher, on me recommending this release, to fans of
classic doom metal and heavy metal of old. I am really looking
forward to this bands next record, it feels like they still have
another gear to get to, and the next one could be something
special. - Dale
http://northerncrownband.com/
https://soundcloud.com/northern-crown-doom
|
|
Nuclear Hatred
is a band made up of the members of Zamboni, who recently had to
change their name (after having this album under that name all ready
to go, the company that owns the rights to the hockey zamboni
threatened to sue them if they did not cease and desist in using the
name - Dale). Nuclear Hatred play a good style of crossover metal,
which has a really good mix of fast thrashing guitars, and some well
written and creative guitar patterns. The drums are played with both
a mid pace, and a crazed fast pacing within the drum arrangements.
If you are a fan of crossover metal, then you should definitely give
Nuclear Hatred a listen today and buy this thing. - Patrick
http://nuclearhatred.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/NuclearHatred/
|
This is a
re-release of the French band, Ossuaire’s 2005 debut demo, which
originally was released on a limited run, of only 100 pieces on cd.
This is my first encounter with the band, who are apparently still
active. But one thing is for sure, they are not a very prolific
band, having formed in 2000, and since then they have released a
total of 11 songs over three releases in sixteen years! So how is
the music on here? It is some solid death metal, in vein of stuff
like old Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, Cannibal Corpse, Immolation and
that style of death dm. I must say, for a first time demo, the song
writing on here is quite good, and the guys play their instruments
well. They are not just brutal, but at times create a pretty cool
atmosphere or vibe, with their music, that creates a dark and
dangerous feeling emotionally. I like that. No, there is nothing
groundbreaking here, just a really solid release, which should
appease fans of old classic American style of death metal. -
Dale
http://ossuaire-deathmetal.blogspot.fr/
http://nihilisticholocaustrecs.bandcamp.com/music
|
|
The bio states
the sound as a blend of “hardcore, punk, southern metal, and heavy
metal”. I don’t hear any punk influence but otherwise there are bits
of each in there. In fact I also hear a little Bay area thrash and
NYFB remind to The Accused a little. A real mish mash and not
something I enjoyed too much. But they do what they do pretty well. - Dale
Send $12 US/$13
World for this full-length to: NYFB, c/o Chris
Espitia, 56 Jefferson St., Jackson, TN. 38301, USA |
|
Some very old
and aged songs but it was sent in for review with some newer
material. In fact looking at the liner notes of the ’03 MLP I see
the music on that release was in fact written in 1998! Extremely raw
sounding old school black metal, a 1 man band and sounds like it but
this is also some good stuff. The background hiss on the recording
is extremely loud and hard to ignore, as is the fact that some of
the material is very disjointed with some sloppy transitions. Now on
with the new material, or maybe just new by comparison as the inlay
notes say the music is from 1996 to 2006, you have to give him one
thing, he is a prolific fellow. During this span of 10 years we are
presented with 7 tracks plus an intro and outro. Ahh this recording
is missing the hiss, I am not very picky with recordings but loud
hiss and white noise is very headache inducing. I am not sure if it
is the clearer production but the drum machine sounds worse, choppy
and more robotic than the MLP. The guitar riffing and sounds
excellent like the MLP and the transition work is more fluid but the
vocals are extremely thin and one dimensional, almost boring with
little passion. Well good luck to Machosias in finding a label as at
this point, a decade into the bands development, it is just not flat
out good enough to be past the demo stages. It is getting close but
there is some definite work to be done here. – Dale
c/o M. Lawrence,
Brunnen-str. 8, D-66538 Neunkirchen / Saar, GERMANY
www.oldpagan.de
|
Three tracks of
exotic old school grinding death metal coming to us from Costa Rica.
Their sound reminds me of some of the death metal coming out of
Greece in the early to mid 90s (ala early Rotting Christ, Varathron,
Sickness etc…). I do not know that I would throw the death/doom tag
on Ordo Caper, then again I would not exactly argue against it
either. As they do have a number of slow brooding, doomy sections on
this release. Those sections have a lot of impact when mixed with
the mid pace and speedy death metal brutality. Everything on here is
very obscure sounding (each instrument and the vocals), a slightly
muffled production that for me adds a cool suffocating ambiance or
feel. Some might assume the sound is like this due to a poor
recording or mix job. I tend to think it was intentional as you can
still discern every moving part, just clear enough to balance the
rawness with a touch of clarity. My only minor complaint is at times
I dislike the drums, it is listed as a human playing it, but somehow
at times comes off sounding a little like a thin drum machine. That
however is not enough to distract from an otherwise excellent demo,
check it out. – Dale
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ordo-Caper/274505092586148
http://www.myspace.com/ordocaper
|
|
This has the
makings of what could be considered a cult demo by some but
everything is poorly recorded and a lot of the better riffs are
lost. This is however a rehearsal demo so too much can't be
expected. On top of the sound quality there is a lot of guitar
noodling and even a drum solo which when coupled with the length of
this thing (which seems way too long) really starts to bore me. Wait
for the official demo. - Jeffrey Kusbel
28 Dufferin St -
St Albert, Alberta - T8N 4Z3, CANADA Band Email = bsymic@powersurfr.com
|
Our friends from
the Czech Republic, Pandemia play intense bastardized death/grind
mayhem. Only three songs here (“Created Again”, “Free Strokes”, “Slavemind”).
A nice mix of American style brutality and rhythm with Euro
precision and execution. – Dale
Pandemia, c/o
Tom Marek, Lesni 7, 350 02 Cheb, CZECH REPUBLIC |
Path of
Damnation features a name familiar to me and the readers of Canadian
Assault. Which is Troy Reynolds, whose past works such as Extreme
Metal fanzine, Autumn Grave, and Black Blood Stigmata have all been
reviewed on these pages. Now Troy has joined with another group of
musicians to form Path Of Damnation. The band play straight up death
metal, it is brutal stuff, but not so much in the guttural belching
fashion. No, this is more in the vein of say late ‘90s style death
metal, when the bands were still brutal, not yet so overly slick as
would become the fashion. But all the same, heading slightly in that
direction, with added clarity, and focus on musicality, and not just
pure brutality. You know the sort of direction, a lot of the scene
slowly headed in, after some landmark releases like Carcass
“Heartwork” etc.. There is some really nice guitar work, and
arrangements on here, that show talent in handling their
instruments, as well as their song writing skills. Look no further
than the song “Sky Turns Red”, where there is some nice underlying
guitar, a cool guitar lead fill and a short, but very cool emotive
solo to finish off the song. The vocals, are deep largely
indecipherable growls, which I did enjoy, as they add a little of
that gritty bestial feel to the mix, which counterpoints the finesse
of some of the guitar work. It is a pretty nice balance, they have
struck between those two sound elements, of elegance and cruelty,
though it could still use a little more refinement to smooth out the
transition and integration between the worlds. But that is precisely
why they have first released this live in the form of a rehearsal
demo tape. It is for fans to enjoy the songs, before the
arrangements and execution, are tweaked and polished. So with that
in mind, I will be looking forward to checking that out, hopefully
sooner than later! - Dale
https://www.reverbnation.com/oblivion666
https://www.facebook.com/pathofdamnation/
|
Do folks still
use that old Ron Burgundy meme about shit escalating quickly? Well,
regardless, Parius’ musical maturation sure did. Jumping from their
EP Let There Be Light (2017) to The Eldritch Realm is
quite a mighty leap and, man, do these dudes stick the landing. From
the technically inclined riffing to the sometimes-unsettling
melodies, Parius will have you hooked at every Lovecraftian twist
and turn of their tracks. What impresses me the most about this
album is the range and variability of the compositions: they move
seamlessly between frenzied, electrified passages and more
stripped-down, acoustic moments. This breadth of possibility is
reflected in the vocal approaches as well, which span traditionally
deep death growls as well as weirdly appealing clean vocals that are
definitely in tune but are somehow uncannily so. While all of this
mobility is taking place in the melodic sections, the bass and drums
remain omnipresent, keeping the compositions grounded in something
consistently tangible, organic, and somewhat entrancing. Just listen
to how the bass in particular draws in the audience at the beginning
of the last track, “Crashing Black Moon,” and you’ll see what I
mean. This track in particular is a phenomenal testament to Parius’
talent with composition, clocking in at 8 minutes and 24 seconds
without a single moment wasted. “Crashing Black Moon” is the longest
track on this album, however, with the rest of them remaining under
the 6-minute mark. The Eldritch Realm is fairly economical in
that way, with a total run-time of about 29 minutes that is
absolutely rewarding upon repeated listens. Trust this coming from
someone who has been listening to it frequently since its release on
July 20th—I always find some new, intriguing bit to enjoy
about this album each time I plug it in. A gratifying listen through
and through, I would highly recommend The Eldritch Realm to
any extreme metal fan who is not squeamish about occasional,
accenting clean vocals and keyboards. –Aaron
https://www.facebook.com/pariusofficial
https://parius.bandcamp.com/
|
I reviewed the
bands previous output, which was their debut release in the form a
rehearsal demo tape. It was really a rough preview of this album, in
a lot of ways as the demo had 4 songs all of which are present on
this debut album, comprising half of the songs on this release. I am
sure it is partly down to the rougher, dirtier recording of the
rehearsal demo, but I feel like the heaviness and aggression on this
full length has been dialed back and the melodicism level increased
proportionally. I think it is more than that recording giving me
this impression though, as some of the newer material not on that
demo, such as songs like “From Shadow”, “Burnt Beyond Recognition”
and “Nemesis” are saturated with this element. Do I wish there was
more straight on bludgeoning brutality mixed in? The answer is yes,
but that does not mean this release is not good, it is pretty
outstanding actually. If you are going to go all in on the melodies,
they better be damn good, the melodies this album is chock full of
are superb and catchy as fuck. Now, do not get me wrong here, there
is still some hints of aggression and darkness in the harmonious
melodo darkened death metal. The guitar work on here is fantastic;
it is obvious there was a lot of thought put into the structuring
and execution of the guitars. Despite the overall sound not
reflecting this style, some of the more nuanced guitar work, fills
and soloing might even remind the listener of the more emotive moody
guitars in thrash and heavy metal. I said after listening to the
demo tape I liked it a lot, but the transitions and overall song
composition could use a little refinement, which is something the
band have done much more skillfully on this impressive release. I am
not a very big melodic death fan, to be honest, but this album
really won me over. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/pathofdamnation
https://pathofdamnation.bandcamp.com |
|
 
This is a
re-release of this U.K. bands demo tape. It was originally, a
digital only release, which originally saw the light of day and the
dark of night way back in 2014. This is some pretty cool old school
brutal death metal with some technical touches here and there. I dig
a lot of riffing, as there is a really heavy feeling to it,
possessing a sort of dark, suffocating and ethereal atmospheric
quality I enjoy more with each successive listen. There are some
cool crazed solos, here and there, which come slashing through the
wall of heavy smothering music, seemingly out of nowhere. I feel
like the bands biggest influences are early ‘90s Floridian death
metal mixed with a little Gorguts “Erosion of Sanity” and
Benediction “The Grand Leveller”. The vocals kind of remind me of
that era too, with those sorts of bands employing good similarly
deep, semi-decipherable rumbling growls. The final track is the
brooding title song “Lifeless Haze”, the longest track on here,
which clocks in at over seven minutes. Somewhere around the 4 to 5
minute mark, it turns into a bit of Godflesh style sequence to mess
with your mind. All in all, this is a pretty damn cool demo, which
V.C. Records has dusted off to give the band a little more of the
recognition it deserves. I had honestly not even heard of the band
prior to getting this, so job done by the label by bringing my
attention to it and in turn helping to get the release some more
attention around the scene. If you love old school raw death metal,
along the lines I described above then check this one out. I believe
there is a free download out there, but the tape is sold cheap
(price I seen was in pounds but looks it converts to about $4US
roughly) for about 20 minutes of music. - Dale
https://visceralcircuitryrecs.bandcamp.com/music http://visc.tictail.com/
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This is good and
a little different than than usual. P.O.P. play deathrash and I know
this sounds weird but they have a doom feel and style without really
playing slow. The lyrics are a concept story about a sexually abused
child who sees his mother murdered by his father. He later becomes a
priest and carries on in his father’s footsteps and starts molesting
altar boys. Unable to deal with what he has done satan beacons and
the priest kills himself (as the cover illustrates). All set to some
pretty cool music. – Dale
Get this 9 song
CD for $7.50 US / $10.50 World to:
P.O.P., 14402
Hawthorne Blvd. # 319, Lawndale, CA. 90260, USA Web =
http://home.pacbell.net/poet666 |
This is my first
time ever hearing Power Theory and damn what an introduction to a
band that plays traditional heavy metal at it’s finest. The first
song is “Brace For Impact”, which is a new song that really shows
off the bands heavy metal spirit. The music is well performed and
written; they stay mainly in the mid paced heavy style. The next two
tracks are “Axes To Grind” and “Colossus” which have been
re-recorded for this release. The rest of the music is played in the
same vein as “Axes To Grind” which is a heavy metal anthem, that
sounds like it could have come out in the early ‘80s heavy metal
scene. Finally, the band has included two live tracks “Dark Eagle”
and “The Truth Shall Set You Free”, which yes, they are live, but
are also extremely tightly played to near perfection. If you are
familiar with this band then be sure to get a copy of this
compilation, if you are new to Power Theory, plus love the NOWBHM
and other early heavy metal acts from the 1980’s then you should get
a copy of this today. - Patrick
https://powertheory.bandcamp.com/ http://powertheory.net/ |
Prayer Of The Dying from Malta have returned with a brand new
release of all new material. Main man Martin Ciappara {vocals,
instruments} has some friends, musicians that help him out on Gods
Failed Creation. As always Martin does a great job of writing and
creating a unique style of blackened death metal with some doomish
element. On the song "The Desert Inside" features female vocals
which are only used in a few lines {and if I am not mistaken this is
the first time Martin has ever used female vocals with Prayer Of
Dying} which sound really good and fit nicely with Martin's musical
writing style so hopefully he will consider using more female vocals
in the future {as long as he does over do it like so many bands do
these days} If you have heard past Prayer Of The Dying releases and
liked them definitely get Gods Failed Creation as it is the bands
most creative and strongest release to date.
- Patrick
http://www.reverbnation.com/prayerofthedying
http://prayerofthedying.yolasite.com/
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“Contempt” is
Prezir’s debut EP, featuring six songs with both black and death
metal intertwined together. The guitarist does a great job of
writing and performing some really creative guitar patterns. There
is also some heavier death metal guitar chords mixed with a rawer
aggressive black metal guitar style. The vocals are a mix of raw
blackened screams and some deeper death metal growls. This is a
really good debut release, so if you a fan of blackened death metal,
then be sure to check out this band soon. - Patrick
https://prezir.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Prezir
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Crushing,
rhythmic and heavy death metal from Texas. This is really old I know
but it was just sent in for review. Primeval have a talent for
writing involved songs that walk the line of mainstream death metal
and underground guttural brutality. Expect a new MCD out from the
band in late 1999 to look forward to. – Dale
Until
then send $13 US/$15 World to: The Texas Death
Syndicate, P.O. Box 30615, Houston, TX. 77249, USA Web =
www.primeval.simplenet.com
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This is another
cool band sent to me by Huaida, who runs Friends Of Hell Promotions,
out of Chile. He also sent me great stuff from bands like Gravered,
Communion and Worship Death. Focusing on this release, at hand,
Profaner are an old style death metal band from Peru. This promo
contains five tracks from the bands past demo and 7” ep releases.
The band has been around a long time now, starting as Bestial Death
in 2005, and changing the name to Profaner in 2007. Profaner in the
music, and the vocals, remind me very much of early Death, with the
growled stylings of one Chuck Schuldiner. Plus, I can hear a touch
of Autopsy, and the early Swedish death metal sound. The raw, heavy
but still more than clear enough production really fits perfectly
with their sound. The second track, “Zombie Curse”, really shows
Profaner at their best keeping ultra heavy, but really varying the
pace up and down, in a very infectious manner that is sure to get
your head banging along. That must be a killer song live. The bands
age shows through, on this release, as they have a mature feel for
song flow and arrangement, which really evokes emotion in me as a
listener. Another fantastic band here, recommended to me, that shows
how alive and kicking the Chilean and Peruvian scenes really are
these days! If you love old school atmospheric, but really heavy
death metal, then you need to get your hands on some Profaner
material soon. - Dale
profaner_deathmetal@hotmail.com
http://www.friendsofhell.cl/
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Ya okay it’s old
shit, but it was sent for review, so it is obviously it is still for
sale. The keyboards are way too high and loud in the mix. God I hate
that! It really is too bad as underneath all that symphonic
excrement, they are playing some memorable and raw metal that should
stand on it's own. - Dale
Send $7 US to:
Prophecy, c/o VAN ACKER Etime, 4 rue du Lieutenant Godineau, 41000
Blois, FRANCE |
This was sent to
me by the cult label Damnation records as they will release two
songs off here on a seven inch. R.O.O. like many Australian bands
are heavy and chaotic warring metal. However R.O.O. do not sound
too much like the known bands D666 or Bestial Warlust. They have
their own sound of raucous metal with some cool obscure sounding
vocals. Which vocally sound like a cross between Order From Chaos
and early Bathory. Keep your eyes on these bastards! – Dale
Razor Of Occam,
P.O. Box 101, Prospect SA 5082, AUSTRALIA Email = Razor_of_Occam@yahoo.com
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Coming out of
the Canadian heavy metal / thrash scene is the new band Reanimator.
The band, play a good mixing of hyper-fast, thrash metal. The
guitars are done with a lot of fast paced structures, with some
contrasted with some heavier slower paced sections. The drumming is
top notch, with fast drum patterns and some mid-paced runs
intertwined in the music. The vocals are a blending of screams and
gruff styled vocals. If you are fans of Exodus, early Testament and
all the other mid-80s thrash scene, then you should do yourself a
favor and check this band out today. - Patrick
https://www.facebook.com/reanimatormtl/timeline
https://myspace.com/reanimatorthrash
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It is always a
pleasure when I receive something from my homeland of Canada. I
actually had not really even heard of Riotor before now. Riotor hail
from the province of Quebec and I think we all know many of the
classic bands that this area has produced (Voivod, Yog Sothots,
Soothsayer and tons more!). This is a really interesting release.
They play classic thrash metal without doubt and do a fine job. The
vocals really grabbed me. Not really your usual ones and they seem
to have a tiny bit of death metal influence but still well rooted in
the classic thrash vocals. At times the vocals remind me to the
vocal performance on “Thirteen Frightened Souls” great ep by
Deceased. I love it. Apparently Riotor met and set the original
foundation for this band at a Razor concert back in 2005. Hell yeah!
Musically this brand of thrashing just feels so old school Canadian
to me. At times I am getting a vibe similar to the classic Sacrifice
album “Soldiers Of Misfortune”. You can hear bits of other Canadian
legends like Slaughter or Aggression in there too. They love to
thrash it out and make you head bang but there is more to it than
that. They definitely possess a sort of depth or dynamic that tends
to make good thrash bands memorable. There is an atmosphere and mood
that sets the tone that once they have you hooked in that is when
they go for the kill and make your neck sore if you know what I
mean?! Because the true order of the day is speed and we all know
that it kills. The playing on here is fantastic and I love the sound
they got it is so dirty yet you can hear everything in their
performance (from all members). Not to leave a single stone unturned
you also get hit with the odd short but just smoking guitar solo
that really fits in well with the music and is not forced. Well the
6 songs on here really fucking kicked my ass! I am so happy the band
sent this to me. I am hooked. They have not rested one second either
as I just checked online and they have recently released another new
demo by the title “Fucking Metal” so contact them right now and get
them both!! – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/riotor
http://www.riotor.ca |
It was nice to
see this arrive in the mailbox. It is the follow-up, yes already, of
their previous demo “Death and Destruction”. Which I reviewed and
loved some time ago and it is Canadian thrash, so you just know, it
will be damn good. I said they reminded me a little of the Canuck
legends Sacrifice and I still hear that. But this time, I think, I
am hearing a little more Kreator influence this time around and it
sounds good. I mean really good. That patented, suck you in and hold
on to you, memorable factor is still there and it serves Riotor very
well. They most definitely have that great old dirty, yet audible,
classic thrash sound down tight again with this recording. There is
another six tracks on this demo too, as Riotor are just rapidly
spitting out the quality material. I do not know if I can even add
much more to this. I would say just re-read my review above, as you
get more of the same. Which is classic quality thrash metal done the
way it was meant to be done. Just get this and support these
maniacs, they deserve it. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/riotor
http://www.riotor.ca
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With Paulus
(drummer) having parted ways with Sacramentary Abolishment (see
interview in issue # 1) he has landed on his feet and has erected
his one man band. Rites Of The Degringolade is a cold act with
memorable songs but holding true to his bestial nature musically.
Hellish black metal with pure venom and hatred incarnate. It
definitely has a dark aura and cryptic atmosphere permeating through
it. – Dale
I suggest you
order this tape immediately for $5 US to:
R.O.T.D., c/o
Paulus, P.O. Box 52112, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G-2T5, CANADA |
Germany's Running Death have just released their second Mcd "The
Call Of Extinction”. The music comes across between fast and
speedy thrash and some influences of old-school heavy metal. The
guitars are done with a lot of talent and creativity, writing some
blazing fast riffs and then slowing it down, to a more mid
paced range that is very memorable. The drums are chaotic in some
parts of the Mcd and other times very controlled. The vocalist has a
good range with some good hollering/yelling vocals and
even some deeper thrashy screams. I will
admit that this could've been better in some areas,
but on the other hand I've heard much worse. So if you’re a fan of
metal music {thrash / heavy metal}
give this band a listen and judge for yourself.
- Patrick
http://runningdeath.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/runningdeath
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