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This demo from the Swedish cult band Malign
was originally released on cassette (limited to 300 copies) and
never re-released again until now. I wonder if the band resisted it
for some time? Because this is some killer freezing 1st
and 2nd wave mix black metal that has that great early
‘90s evil, raw and eerie sound to the music / recording tath I have
always worshipped. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/Malignofficial/
https://www.shadowrecords.se/
These Norwegians
have been releasing quality hypnotic black metal since 93' and it
shows. Fans of this style must hear this.
– Jeffrey Kusbel
This Italian one woman project is really
interesting. It is epic and dark sounding heavy metal doom of the
old school variety. Sort of like a cool mix of the cleaner viking-era
Bathory mixed with stripped down version of doomy heavy metal like
Death SS, Paul Chain, Omen (slower parts), Chastain (ditto)… The
vocals are clean, heavily layered which mostly works, sometimes not,
but mostly well done & enjoyable. - Dale
https://www.martheband.bandcamp.com/
https://www.caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/
Death metal that
is very reminiscent of Righteous Pigs mixed with Dismember. Nothing
special, weak vocals but the mix of those influences is interesting. - Dale
www.cudgel.de
www.masticscum.com
This is a
re-release of the CD out years ago on Iron Pegasus - a collection of
songs from the bands ’96 demo + ’95 7” EP. Classic UG 90’s bm with
an epic Bathory, viking-era aura. This is by far a superior release
to the previous one.
- Dale
Ihr666@yahoo.se
If you like hard
rock then you will love this new album from the main man guitar king
of MSG and former member of The Scorpions & UFO.
- Dale
www.armageddon.de
Ex-Crimson Glory
singer Midnight’s solo record. I did not expect to like this as much
as I do. Hard rock that might appeal to fans of “Operation Mindcrime”,
Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, “A Mended Rhyme” type of stuff. - Dale
www.themidnightmansion.com
This new Canadian band has a grandiose concept
album idea and has been working on it for five years. This EP is
songs “II”, “IV” & “VI” from that album, but not presented in that
order, kinda strange. How about the music though? Miscreation plays
some excellent semi-technical OSDM that shows a high level of skill
and thoughtful song construction. Jessy Leduc puts in a solid &
intense growling vocal performance. - Dale
https://miscreationofficial.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MiscreationOfficial
This is a re-release of these Russians 2012
album, shortly afterwards they changed their name to Dekonstruktor
whose releases I have reviewed in CA. I liked Dekonstruktor’s early
works best, so this is even earlier before the trippy experimental
bits & industrial sampling influences came in. This is pure sludgy
sounding doom metal in the bands purest embryonic form and it is
fantastic! Get this. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/NonameRecordz
https://noname666.bandcamp.com/
Previously this Swedish band had only released
two single song digital downloads (both on this 5 song EP). So this
is their physical media debut. It is some stripped down blackened
deathrash that sounds like it came right out of the late ‘80s. It is
raw and heavy yet at other times polished especially those killer
solos. I love the whispery evil growling vocals that are very clear
and decipherable. This just fucking rips! - Dale
https://morbidbreath-se.bandcamp.com/
https://redefiningdarknessrecords.bandcamp.com/
Some heavy and flowing death doom metal out of
Italy that possesses a lot of old school influences. It is heavy yet
also very emotive, dripping with an aura of melancholy. There are a
lot of traditional metal touches in the guitars with some fills and
poignant leads. The vocals are great growls that remind me to the
vox of the early works of like Grave, Benediction, Paradise Lost
etc… and are accented by dark Type O like spoken voices. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/morticularex
http://www.immortalsouls.sk/
This is the second full length release from
Chile's Mortify. It is a great journey through 12 tracks of fast
paced old school death metal mixed with some heavier mid paced
patterns to give each song a identity of their own. All musicians
are skilled on their respective instruments, so the music is very
well delivered. Mortify have a crafted a great album of OSDM that
manages to make a unique and memorable mark on the UG scene. -
Patrick
https://www.facebook.com/MortifyDeathMetal
https://chaos-records.bandcamp.com/
Můra is a new entity from the Czech Republic
and features members of The Tower & Sekeromlat. They produce a
massive, murky wall of death doom metal that reeks of an evil and
oppressive aura that permeates the music. Which is slow moving,
torturous and those imposing elongated roiling growls follow suit in
a most sinister fashion. Two songs here that clock in at 20 minutes
and leave me wanting more soon. - Dale
https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/
http://www.caligarirecords.com/
This is the solo band of Greg Edwards, who
released a string of albums with his original one man project
(melodic tinged black metal) Necronoclast via Moribund Recs from
2007-11. Mycelium is a very different band though as the music is
brutal, headbanging and lyrically mushroom fixated dm that pays
homage to the early to mid ‘90s death metal bands from New York,
Florida, Finland & Sweden. It is far from original, but it is also
well done, showcasing this mans talent and the music rips! -
Dale
https://www.facebook.com/myceliumband
https://bloodharvestrecords.bandcamp.com/
Pure brutal
American sounding death metal from this English band with some heavy
doses of early Napalm Death grind. Well done but to be honest,
nothing too exciting either. - Dale
www.coprorecords.co.uk
Nailgunner
–
Pure old school thrash metal that is a mix of ‘80s Canadian & German
thrashing madness. 5 tracks of blissful insanity!
Wounds
– Another Finnish band and they play more on the death metal
side of things but hell this is bestial burst records, so you know
there is some thrash in those festered gashes.
- Dale
www.wounds-reich.net
Http://bestialburst.blackmetal.fi
www.nailgunner.cjb.net
You get pretty
much what you are paying for here. A very full live album
documenting a good portion of newer material and less of the
"classic" songs.
– Jeffrey Kusbel
I wish I could
give a better review but I only got this CD to play a few seconds of
each track. What I could make out kind of sounded like a brutal
Goatlord mixed with Bolt Thrower & more evil Benediction type of
vocals.
- Dale
https://worshiphimrecords.bandcamp.com/ www.todeskult.de
What a crazy world this is sometimes. Here I
am from Canada and having grown up there in this time period and
being knowledgeable about Canadian bands. Yet I am discovering this
band from Canada through a Swedish label as they have re-released
their 1974 & 1975 albums. It is some pretty amazing ‘70s style
classic hard rock, extreme metal fans might hate, but I dig it!
- Dale
https://regainrecords.bandcamp.com/album/space-rangers
https://www.shadowrecords.se
Suffocating death metal brutality from Iran of
all places; it is in the early ‘90s mainly mid paced dm with blast
beating speed bursts. The deep roiling & churning growls add to a
cool atmosphere on this 2 song vinyl. There is a drummer listed, but
some of the drums sound like a drum machine to me, weird. Limited to
350 pieces, 100 on see-thru orange. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/nexcarnis
http://www.bloodharvest.se/
Exceptionally
melancholic and introspective black metal that meanders it’s pace
but really is evil in it’s own unique way. - Dale
www.foreverplaguedrecords.cjb.net
‘Berserker’ is Niohoggr's 2018 debut album,
originally only a digital release, but is now getting a cd press.
The music is created & performed by the mastermind Memphist. The
guitars are played with a mix of fast and ripping guitar chords that
does slow to a mid paced range at times. All the instruments are
played with intensity and good writing ability. The vocals are raw
black metal screeches and screams. This is a massive debut filled
with some great music. - Patrick
https://niohoggr.bandcamp.com/music
https://bchrecords.storenvy.com/
  
9TH Plague return sounding better than ever. If you like your death
metal heavy & varied in a cross of maybe Morbid Angel & Hate Eternal
I have a band for you.
- Dale
PO Box 9048, S-250 09 Helsingborg, SWEDEN
www.9thplague.com
An innovative
release. I very much enjoyed this album. Crazy death metal with the
ever evolving slant. Many weird riffs and an involved understanding
that more needs to be experimented with when creating music these
days. – Jeffrey Kusbel
This is some of
the most angry, vicious and brutal Deathrash metal I have heard in a
long time! These bastards play for keeps! This may be their debut
album, but the band features members of Blaspherian, Cemetarian,
P.L.F etc… Excellent precise dark deathrash insanity. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/OathOfCruelty
http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/
Oregon’s Ogre
return with no less than their 5th album of hard rock and
heavy metal doom along the lines of 1970s bands ala Black Sabbath,
Deep Purple, Captain Beyond, Sir Lord Baltimore, Leaf Hound, Pagan
Altar, Pentagram etc… If you love classic ‘70s hard rock & doomy
heavy metal then pick this puppy up ASAP. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/Rockogre/
https://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com
Finnish classic
heavy metallers Orphan Devil come to us with a 2 song piece of
vinyl. They play a satisfying sort of more subdued Iron Maiden style
of hm with some enjoyable, understated guitar work. Not necessarily
outstanding, but all the same solid and enjoyable music worth a
listen. - Dale
https://orphandevil.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/gatesofhellrecords
Folk metal. Hmmm,
I cannot deny the melodies are catchy. I also will not deny not
liking Otyg or their disrespectful desecration of metal.
- Dale
Great death
metal in every way. I have been championing these guys since their
demo days and they have only gotten better. - Dale
Metal Age, Box
42, 038 61 Vrutky, SLOVAKIA
Phantom Fire is
a new band from Norway. They play an interesting mix of old school
traditional heavy metal and thrash, but with an black metal
influenced varnish of black blood covering everything. Basically it
is very first wave of black metal influenced by bands like Venom,
Bathory, early Sodom, Infernal Majesty, Mortuary Drape etc… Only two
killer songs here, but a full length is supposed to be on the way
later this year. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/PhantomFireOfficial/
https://edgedcircleproductions.com/
This band
features Chris Black (Professor Black, Superchrist, Dawnbringer)
whose career I have been following and enjoying for a long time.
Pharaoh play power metal in the tradition of Helstar, Jag Panzer,
Iced Earth, early Sanctuary etc… Their sound and style is very old
school, they have a knack for writing catchy and memorable songs all
performed by very talented musicians. Some great vocals too. -
Dale
https://www.facebook.com/PharaohOfficial
https://cruzdelsurmusic.bandcamp.com/
Phenocryst from
Portugal grace us with their debut recording. The band may be new,
but the members are also in bands like Summon, Sepulcros, Concilium
& Necrobode. You get five tracks dirty, brutal & dark death metal
with great suffocating doomy touches. The whispery growling vocals
are massive. OSDM wonderfully influenced by the classic bands from
the Sweden and the US. - Dale
https://phenocryst.bandcamp.com/
https://www.bloodharvest.se/
I got a couple
of the bands early ‘90s 7” ep’s (split w/Plutocracy is a classic!)
and their first album, before I lost track of them. A kid yells on
the 1st track “It’s time to grind!!” and Phobia do just that by
putting on a display of some of the meanest, most brutal & great
grindcore insanity you will ever hear! The legends keep stoking
their considerable legacy! Don’t be fooled if you see this listed as
an album, it is a 15 minute ep and I can not stop listening to it
over and over on repeat – killer! - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/phobiagrindcore
https://willowtip.bandcamp.com/
Energetic
straight forward clean death metal from Romania. Some nice depth in
the guitar work and the growls (not gurgles or grunts) are nice and
deep. - Dale
www.possession.at
This is the
Brazilian bands debut EP. It starts off with sounds of a fire
burning and screams, and then the music kicks in with raw fast
guitars played with intensity. The vocals are grim screams and some
demonic growls. “Asmodeus” is up next, it is played with some very
well written mid paced and faster guitar passages. Track three is
raw and nasty, filled with pounding fast drums. The vocals are harsh
and grim screechy bm screams that really fit the song. This is a
great debut of raw, nasty old school style black metal. -
Patrick
https://profanaticlust.bandcamp.com/
https://bchrecords.storenvy.com/
  
Progoat is a
solo project out of the US black metal scene with his 2nd full
length release. You get 11 tracks of lo-fi bestial black metal. Most
tracks are played in the mid paced range with some samples and
industrial elements mixed into a few songs. The vocals are a mix of
demonic gruff growls and some black metal screams. If you are a fan
of early Beherit and early 90's black metal then pick up a copy
today. - Patrick
progoat.bandcamp.com
bchrecords.storenvy.com
plaguedemonrecords.storenvy.com
Pustilence is a
new band out of Australia with their first release. They play old
school American style death metal, but they do so with this
incredible energy to the music, which features a lot of twists and
turns in the songwriting. It is interesting and dynamic death metal
music you can easily headbang to! Get it. - Dale
https://pustilenceaus.bandcamp.com/releases
http://www.personal-records.com/
An ‘80s thrash
band that stayed true to their roots?! This follow up again of
re-released gems of Protector by I Hate, bears that out, this time
we have the ’89 LP + ’90 MLP + live tracks. This band was amazing,
just catchy fast straight ahead thrash in the classic German vein. A
must have! - Dale
www.ihaterecords.cjb.net
Not sure how to
describe them? I guess ‘80s heavy metal with some thrash and death
metal elements mixed into the maelstrom. Not bad just average. -
Dale
Hailing from the
same area I was born and raised (Alberta, Canada), not to mention
cut my teeth on the UG scene. They play progressive tech brutal
death metal. These buggers are talented as fuck & highly skilled.
The music is very technical and creative, but most importantly for
me with this style is they keep the smooth flow of each song going
strong. Definitely a band to keep an eye on! - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/protosequence
https://laceratedenemyrecords.bandcamp.com/
Run of the mill
semi-technical brutal death metal in the American mold coming from
the Aussie act. - Dale
www.neurotic-records.com
www.psycroptic.com
Hard rock with a
radio friendly vibe. It did not grab me despite being well done.
- Dale
www.afm-records.de
  
Rat King from
Seattle, WA play high energy heavy fuzzy riffed metal that is a
melting pot of death metal, sludge, stoner metal mixed with slight
experimental accents & small wisps of grind & thrash with skillful
guitar nuances and song structuring - something different but good
for extreme metal fans. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/ratkingseattle
https://withinthemindrecords.bandcamp.com
Ravenous Death
produces gargantuan, grimy and crushingly guttural Mexican death
metal that takes no prisoners. The vocals are shadowy evil growls
that sometimes feature a cool croaking underbelly, and other times
screeching demon shrieks – great vocals. I would say fanatics of
brutal, dark death metal in the vein of bands like Grave, Vomitory,
Malevolent Creation, Dismember, Immolation and the like should take
note. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/RavenousDeathOfficial/
http://www.memento-mori.es/
Reptilium is a
South American death metal band that is a side-project of bands from
neighboring provinces. This new release features four tracks of
occult death metal with some black metal elements blended into some
of the music. The members seem to draw influences mainly from
current brutal death metal, as well as some early ‘90s influences
can be heard. - Patrick
https://www.facebook.com/reptiliumsect
https://reptiliumsect.bandcamp.com/releases
More brutal
death metal, kind of technical and at times not. Like a cross
between Suffocation and Mortician. - Dale
This is main man Rogga Johansson of Paganizer
(among many other bands he is in!) return with one of his longest
running bands Revolting with it’s 7th full-length album.
This is really a great quality album. Think of some of the very best
early Swedish death metal bands (Nihilist, Dismember, Grave etc…)
brutality mixed with the superb melody of early to mid ‘90s Edge of
Sanity. - Dale
https://revoltingdeath.bandcamp.com/ https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/
Road Warrior
start things off and this song feels a little more epic heavy metal
than a lot of the material on their debut album, which was faster &
more hard rocking. This song is a little more moody and emotive
maybe like a mix of Manilla Road, King Diamond, Fates Warning &
Candlemass. Killer tune!!
The
Gravebreaker track, I definitely hear hints of the early works
of German heavy metal bands like Accept & Grave Digger mixed with
some Judas Priest both in the music and in the vocal timing and
phrasing. The lyrics are about the cult Kung-Fu movie “Death
Promise”. Pure quality on this awesome split. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/RoadWarrior1986 https://www.facebook.com/gatesofhellrecords
This is a one man band from Kyle House (Decrepisy,
Serpents Of Dawn). The music is heavily influenced by the final two
Bathory “Nordaland” albums along with a nearly constant driving &
pounding hypnotically catchy backbone. The vocals are kind of husky
shouted yell / growls that do the job, but are probably the weakest
part of Rökkr’s sound. It is different though and an infectious
listen. - Dale
https://chaos-records.bandcamp.com/
https://www.chaos-records.com/
Rothadás hail from Hungary and this is their
debut album, following a previous demo a couple years back. The
music is a massive wall of overpowering and all encompassing dark
death and heavy on the doom metal. It produces a sickeningly
wonderful rumble that you will feel reverberating through your chest
like a jackhammer set to slow motion. This is a pretty killer
debut. - Dale
https://rothadasdeathdoom.bandcamp.com/
https://www.mesacounojo.com/
Rotheads hail from Romania. I was trying to
think of other Romanian bands I know off the top of the dome, and
the only name that came to mind was Negura Bunget. But Rotheads are
quite different from them, they play dark and grimy death metal
especially in the old Finnish style ala Convulse, Rippikoulu,
Abhorrence and mix it with US death doom like Cianide and for sure
early Autopsy. A lot of bands are playing this style now and I can
never get enough of it – well done here. - Dale
https://rotheads.bandcamp.com/
http://www.memento-mori.es/
Great mix of
bands to introduce you to the South American scene. Included:
Purulent, Inhumate, NB 604, Carnarium, Nahual, Evilheart, Dyspraxia
and shit loads more! - Dale
R.w. Prod., Beto
Ampuero D., Av. Victor Raul Haya de la Torre 191 – Muro, Chiclayo,
PERU rottenworld@yahoo.es
They kind of
remind me of a spunky Gothenburg death metal band playing back metal
and doing a fair job. - Dale
www.neurotic-records.com
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