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Sarfaust are a death thrash metal band coming out of Australia’s
metal scene and this is their debut album featuring eleven songs of
aggressive, semi-violent thrashing death metal. The guitars are a
fast, whirlwind style played with skill and experience. The vocals
are raw, thrashy screams that fit the bands music perfectly. This is
an excellent release worth checking out. - Patrick
https://sarfaust.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Death-Zone-Prod/
Brazil's Satanic Command’s debut full-length
is 6 songs of old school, hateful black metal that is devastating
and intense. The music is primitive and well executed with a mix of
mid paced and some faster guitar passages that are played with skill
and a great writing ability. The vocals are a mix of grim, raw black
metal screams & shrieks that fit the music perfectly. If you are a
fan of old school satanic black metal then do yourself a favor and
pick up a copy of ‘Cult Of The Beast's Blood’ today. - Patrick
voidofapep.bandcamp.com
https://plaguedemon.storenvy.com
https://bchrecords.storenvy.com
Keybored laden
lightweight Goteborg style melodic death metal. This is just too
lightweight for me, glad this scene is dwindling. - Dale
Unmatched
Brutality continue to impress me with their stellar commitment to
promoting their bands. Scid is what you come to expect from U.M.,
pure unadulterated steamrolling death metal grinding at it’s finest.
If you love speed, brutality and riffs you can bang to, then
contract a case of
Scids.
- Dale
U.M.
Records, PO Box 1869, Powell, TN.37849, USA
www.unmatchedbrutality.com
Excellent
recording. Floridian black death that sounds a tad too much like new
Dark Funeral and old Cradle of Filth for my liking. Some solid riffs
and ideas here but it did not come together for me. - Dale
M.S. Music, c/o
Andrew Parrish, Louisville, OH. 44641, USA www.geocities.com/morbidsoulsmusic
Septage is a new
band from Denmark that plays dirty, grimy, grinding death metal
sickness. There is a lot of indecipherable growling; bullfrog
belching growls and other myriad of sewer vocal emanations. It’s
hard for me not to draw comparisons to the first two Carcass albums,
but also I hear influences like Repulsion, Impetigo, Autopsy, Ghoul,
Exhumed and the like. It is very well done. Me Saco is doing the 7”
and Dark Descent the CD FYI. Check it out kids. - Dale
www.facebook.com/sepdeath
mesacounojo.bandcamp.com
www.darkdescentrecords.com
This Finnish
bands debut album carries on in the rich tradition of that countries
storied death metal history. I hear influences like Adramelech,
Demilich, Abhorrence, Amorphis (1st album) & Convulse
mixed with some Dismember and a dash of American influence dm
influence. This is a really good album of nasty, aggressive and
crushing death metal goodness. It is well worth your time and
money. - Dale
https://sepulchralcurse.bandcamp.com/ https://transcendingobscurity.bandcamp.com/
Melodo metal
drowned like an unwanted puppy dog, in tons of electronica. It is
one wimpy soup of junk.
- Dale
www.dynamicartsrecords.com
  
This is on a new
sub-label of Hammerheart records. Mix a little Unleashed / Bolt
Thrower with ‘80s heavy metal (Iron Maiden) and you have Shadowbreed.
Killer stuff - Dale.
1980s hard rock
like a mix of the The Cult with all the glam bands of the era. Yuck,
this sucks! - Dale
www.afm-records-de
Brutish thrash
and old school death mix that owes much to Canadian legends
Slaughter! Not as good as the originators but decent nonetheless if
you love this style. - Dale
http://bestialburst.blackmetal.fi
This is an
interesting band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is hard to
describe exactly, but it is equal parts of black metal & ultra fast,
relentless thrash riffing with small chunks of hardcore and punk
mixed into the riffs and song structuring. It is fucking brutal and
heavy though, incited an adrenaline through my veins that got me
headbanging. Different, good, extreme. Give it a try. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/SKUMSTRIKE
https://www.caligarirecords.bandcamp.com
I reviewed this
like 6 or 7 years ago when Invictus released it the first time! Here
it is again, Slaughter Lord are old Oz thrash legends and if you do
not know that, then get this already. - Dale
www.invictusproductions.net
This is listed
as an EP, you get 2 exclusive songs, but you also get a Manilla Road
cover and three demo versions of previously released songs for a
total of 35+ minutes of music. This release features more of the
great classic heavy metal epic doom Smoulder displayed on their
killer debut album. The vocals of Sarah are fantastic, infectious to
listen to & a perfect fit for the music. - Dale
https://smoulder.bandcamp.com/
https://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/
The first edition leaned more in the black, death, thrash direction
largely from South America. This 2nd edition leans more heavily
towards heavy metal, speed, death, thrash metal crossover arenas.
This time around it is more of an international line-up featuring
good to great songs from bands like Fondlecorpse, Eternal Breath,
Teratos, Paralysis, Hatchet, Blizzard Hunter, Oblivion, Tormented,
MX, Paganfire, Ruin, Gravered, Metal Crucifier and lots more! Great
sound, top notch packaging. Get it! - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/soulgrinder.zine/
http://soulgrinderzine.blogspot.com/
This Portuguese
band is interesting they black metal infused with pissed off punk
rock or punk mixed with bm, whichever way you view it. It is some
really mean aggressive and dark sounding music that raw & loose, but
not too loose. I have to confess being a bit of a purist with both
genres, so I am surprised how much I liked this and well they pulled
off that balance. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/abutrerex/
https://abutrerecords.bandcamp.com/
This is the first
recording/album of this new one man Norwegian black metal band. The
introspective yet ominous element of Solus Grief is strong on here,
yet it is not all synth or that sort of thing, there is a lot of
free flowing, sprawling guitar work and affecting emotive drums. All
of which, delivers grim and potent payload of atmosphere, that
blankets the entirety of the album. This is a strong debut worth
looking into.
- Dale
  
Coming out of
the prolific UG scene of Chile is Soulrot with their second album.
These guys play gut churning metal of death taking the earliest
works of bands like Nihilist, Dismember, Slaughter, Carnage,
Repulsion, Autopsy, Grave and speeding them up whilst throwing in
dirty South American classic grinding chaos. This was a fun
headbanging listen for me. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/soulrotchile
http://www.memento-mori.es/
War metal with
heavy thrash roots, the riffing is fucking awesome!! It makes me
want to crush something. A really sick atmosphere to the music. Oh
how I like this, unstoppable. - Dale
www.spearhead.cjb.net
Pennsylvania’s
SpellBook (formerly Witch Hazel) chiefly play hard rock with a heavy
metal doom undercurrent of the very old school ‘70s variety. I find
myself enjoying their memorable & catchy songs as they chug along
filling me with some intoxicating nostalgia. The ambitious epic
length closer is creative but my least favourite part of an
otherwise pretty damn good album. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/spellbookband/ https://cruzdelsurmusic.bandcamp.com/
This is a
compilation release of this cult band from Australia. It features
their ’96 demo & ‘97 7” EP. The demo is very raw & dark, but hints
at the advanced nature of the band musically and lyrically, which
would be further realized in the future. The EP has a cleaner
production but same as the demo. A great tribute release honour a
cornerstone band of the Aussie UG! - Dale
https://stargazeraustralia.bandcamp.com/
http://www.nwnprod.com/
This is the debut album from this Canadian
band. They play extremely well done, memorable old school heavy
metal. I am a huge Dio fan, it is clear these Quebecers are also, as
I hear elements of his work musically and vocally from his days in
Rainbow and his awesome Dio band. They have other varied influences
from that classic time period as well for sure. Starlight Ritual is
a talented group of musicians who write good songs. Check them out.
- Dale
https://starlightritual.bandcamp.com/
https://templeofmystery.bandcamp.com/
This is the
Brazilian grinding death metal bands first new music released in 13
years and features twenty-two tracks of insane blasting grindcore
that attacks both the eardrums and the senses. If you are a fan of
Agathocles and early Napalm Death then definitely do yourself a
favour and pick up a copy of this as soon as possible. - Patrick
https://www.facebook.com/Stomachalcorrosion
https://www.greyhazerecords.com/
Trendy start and
stop chugga ‘jump metal’ with rap vocals. Live no less. This is so
awful. I feel nauseated! - Dale
This Indonesian
band plays fucking brutal death metal in the ‘90s US tradition. It
is really heavy death metal with some solid songwriting that had me
rapid-fire headbanging at times. The drumming on here is fantastic,
but I wish the drums had a fuller, more powerful sound on the
recording. If you love old school brutal dm then get this! -
Dale
https://www.facebook.com/sufism666
https://brutalmind.bandcamp.com/
I have always
wanted to like Sunn. However, like Boris their brand of tedious do
nothing doom was just boring. Here it is not miles better but they
have added a bunch of black metal collaborators which has added a
sick Beherit-ish crusty feel. - Dale
www.southernlord.com
This is
Synteleia’s debut album featuring nine tracks of atmospheric, mid
paced black metal. The listener will hear the influence of Greece’s
elder gods of the bm scene ala early Rotting Christ, Necromantia &
Varathron in their sound. The band does put their own touches to
this classic revered style to great a good record. - Patrick
https://www.facebook.com/synteleia
https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/
Aussie band Temple Nightside are not very
technical, a bit stripped down, but the band creates an all
encompassing atmosphere that permeates with audio evil, darkness and
ultra heavy fucking death metal goodness. The obscure sounding,
rumbling, roiling growls create this fantastic wake that springs up
then quickly melts into the background. I enjoyed this album an
awful lot. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/templenightsidenecromancy
https://ironbonehead.de/
This Swiss band play raw, dirty, filthy
blackened deathrash metal insanity. They pay homage to many of the
great South American bands from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s! It is
evil and grimy and captures that old vintage energy reminds me of
the time when the scene was so new and dangerous. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/Temple-Ov-Perversion
https://www.clavisecretorvm.com
HAHAHAHA…What is
this? They should at least change the name for the respect of the
old fans!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my dark lord is this bad. - Dale
Commercial
tinged grindcore mixed heavily with jazz and off the wall goofiness.
They do it well but it is also fuggin mess at the same time. Great
one minute and shite the next, though thankfully more that former
than the latter. - Dale
www.coprorecords.co.uk
www.testswitchisolator.co.uk
TIR were formed in 1980 (!!!), managing to
release just one demo tape from ’80-86, reformed ’89-’97, before
finally reforming again in 2005 for the long haul & amazingly
releasing their debut album in 2011! This is their second album of
absolutely fantastic old school heavy metal with great songs, superb
guitar work and ace vocals sung in their native Italian! - Dale
https://tirheavymetal.bandcamp.com/
https://www.gatesofhellrecords.com/
  
Rock music, the
kind you could easily turn the radio on and hear. I just do not
listen to commercial shit like this – sorry. - Dale
Russian
symphonic black metal with dark metal & gothic music mixed in. The
music is well written and performed with both a fast and a more
controlled pace. The vocals are raw black metal screams & screeches
that fit the music perfectly. TIH do a good job of creating quality
music with a variety of genres and influences.
- Patrick
https://tragedyinhope.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/tragedyinhope
This promo is
for the re-release of this ‘01 demo disc, now out for the first time
on pro-pressed cassette tape. The band play old school early ‘90s
North American style death metal and are great at it. They also have
some interesting & adventurous technical, trippy song structuring
elements that set them apart from the pack. This over looked gem
deserves to be heard! - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/visceralcircuitryrecs
https://visceralcircuitryrecs.bandcamp.com/music
There are 6 songs from Y-Incision & 7 songs
from Treasonist, both bands do one cover song of each others
material – cool idea. Y-Incision plays a brutal and vile mix of
death metal & grindcore with smaller touches of punk & hardcore
influence. Treasonist plays super barbarous, nasty semi-technical
early ‘90s death metal with heavy doses of grindcore from the same
time period. Recommended. - Dale
https://treasonistgrind.bandcamp.com
http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com
I enjoyed Tulus’
early works in the late ‘90s, callous evil black metal with a level
of charisma. I have not heard them for a decade. Some of their core
sound remains, which is what I like most about this LP. But now, I
guess over time they have so called progressed, by adding fun and
sweet catchy sections I did not enjoy. Maybe they are just keeping
up with the times, but I miss the harshness & evil. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/TULUSband/
http://www.soulsellerrecords.com/
Yes this is the
reformed Tyrant from Los Angeles that formed in the late ‘70s and
put out a two albums on Metal Blade in the mid ‘80s. This is some
very solid classic early to mid ‘80s heavy metal madness. Did I
mention they now have one of metals greatest vocalists Rob Lowe? He
was only in bands like Solitude Aeturnus & Candlemass for a combined
25 years! He is amazing & you should get this posthaste! - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/TYRANT-172515856798/
https://www.shadowkingdomrecords.com/
Denmark’s
Undergang bring forth through backed up sewers their fifth album of
dirty, soiled and guttural old school US dm like the early works of
Repulsion, Autopsy, Impetigo, Incantation, Rottrevore, Funebrarum
mixed with Finnish dark ‘n grimy dm bands like Rippikoulu, Convulse,
Krypts etc… It is garbled, it is filthy, and it is a brutal gurgling
cesspit of wonderful evil death metal sickness!! - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/undergang www.darkdescentrecords.com/
www.mesacounojo.com/
Total trend carbon
copy ‘jump metal’ band in the vein of Machine Head, Skinlab, Fear
Factory ect…I hate this happy-skippy hop up and down crap! - Dale
This is another
one man band from my long time contact Mikael Holm (Aggressive
Mutilator, Hang The Lord & Blixtnedslag). Urtiden is a darkened
heavy metal band that is old school metal with some catchy hook
laden, middle paced songs. The singing is a clear voice with
shadowy, whispered undertones, great vocals that fit the music
superbly. I find this three track demo to be a very infectious and
satisfying listen. - Dale
https://urtiden.bandcamp.com/releases
mikael-holm@hotmail.com
The veteran one
man band from Ireland returns with his 38th release!! As
I have said before, what David lacks in talent on his instruments /
songwriting, he makes up for with perseverance & dedication to UG
metal. This disc seems to have more distortion & feedback than usual
and honestly it helps fill in the songs a bit more. I have always
dug David’s voice and vocals. If you love super raw, primitive and
DIY (in every aspect) bands you may want to give VDC a try. -
Dale
https://youtu.be/u4_1kJDSY6k
davidvora10@hotmail.com
Overall this is a
kind of boring release in the symphonic death vein. Includes a cover
of Mercyful Fates "Nuns Have No Fun" but it is also just about as
exciting as the rest of this album is. – Jeffrey Kusbel
A good one man
band makes you forget it is a one man band. Spectre (also one half
of the duo behind the band Minenwerfer) from Sacramento, California
does just that. He combines raw second wave black metal with more
epic flowing bm style and spouts out some good evil rasping vocals
with lyrics about medieval history. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/vermineux
http://www.purity-through-fire.com/
Vivisektio is a
band from Finland that formed in 1983! They reformed about a decade
ago and these old bastards have been going strong since. They play
extremely fast, ripping and pissed off hardcore punk music. This is
some great stuff with good songs and a wicked attitude. This chick
on vocals is great, damn she shreds it up!! Check these fuckers out
if you love harsh, lightning fast, spiked fist to the face punk
rock. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/svartrecords
http://www.svartrecords.com/en
Vomit Angel
unleash their debut this month through Iron Bonhead Records. This
album features 20 songs of total death grind madness, with some
black metal influences used in a few of the tracks. The vocals are
guttural growls and some gruff old school growls. If you are a fan
of grind metal with both death and black metal influences be sure to
pick up a copy of this record soon.
- Patrick
https://www.facebook.com/VomitAngelDK
https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com
V.G. play death
metal that bring to mind the styles of Dying Fetus, Cryptopsy,
Fleshgrind ect... Not original but fucking great barbarity anyway! - Dale
c/o Stephane
Morillon, 40 Rue Frere, 33000 Bordeaux, FRANCE Email = voracegang@aol.com
This Dutch metal
band was around from 1979-1990, but reformed in ‘98 for the long
haul. They uncovered old 1987 demo songs for a never released 2nd
album & re-recorded those songs to release now! The result is classy
NOWBHM style music replete w/those crazy ‘80s screams ‘n screeches a
lot of modern fans hate but I dig. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/VortexHeavyMetal
https://www.gatesofhellrecords.com/
American black
metal supergroup featuring members of Nachtmystium, Xasthur, Krieg &
Leviathan. This has to be one of the better bm albums I have gotten
for a while. Nothing fancy just a visceral / melancholy dichotomy
drown in evil. - Dale
S.L. Recordings,
Box 291967, Los Angeles, CA. 90029, USA
www.southernlord.com
Minimalistic
slooow funeral doom where the vocals are as much a main instrument
as the guitar and drums. Extremely simple but also effective. -
Dale
www.firedoom.fi
Brutal ‘ancient’
death metal that actually smokes mixed with oriental interludes
played on traditional instruments like Koto Harps, Taiko drums. Very
interesting and punishing. - Dale
D. Records, Box
46554, London N1 2WW, U.K.
dissident@dissident.plus.com
David Vora has been wreaking UG metal havoc with his one man Irish
band for 25 years now! David has a rudimentary command of the guitar
and uses a drum machine that is not great sounding, but serves his
purpose I suppose. My fave part of VDC is still David’s distinctive
voice as he belts out gruff, emotion filled half sung, half spoken
vox dripping with ehco-y venom. The songs are extremely stripped
down & simplistic, lacking song structuring vision, but the man
gives it his best and that is admirable. Who cares what anyone else
thinks, keep it going David! - Dale
https://youtu.be/u4_1kJDSY6k
davidvora10@hotmail.com
David Vora is
back. You will get an idea of what he does with this one man project
in the review above (and in the demo section). I must say all has
stayed the same, except this time it feels like he put more thought
and work in the song structuring, a little more creative with it and
there’s threadbare Dismember cover, believe it or not. It is bad,
but so filled with dedication that it is so bad that it is good.
Soldier on David! - Dale
https://youtu.be/u4_1kJDSY6k
davidvora10@hotmail.com
David Vora’s
Irish one man band returns! I have covered it many times before,
V.D.C. is like the musical version of a so bad that it is good
movie, he can hardly play the instruments and everything is loose
and unrefined. But David puts so much heart and dedication (over so
many years) into it; I can not help but to appreciate him. There is
a “A Skull Full Of Maggots” C.C. cover which is cool &
entertaining. There is an interview with David on here as a bonus!
Rock on David! - Dale
https://youtu.be/u4_1kJDSY6k
davidvora10@hotmail.com
I have done
quite a number of VDC reviews by now; please read those for more
background. This long running one man Irish band does his best to
make up for an acute lack of instrumental talent with passion,
dogged dedication & perseverance to express his love for metal music
regardless. There is a cover of Slayer’s “Postmortem” and a number
of re-recorded songs that reach back into the ‘90s I believe. The
title track is my fave on this release. - Dale
https://youtu.be/u4_1kJDSY6k
davidvora10@hotmail.com
I can not lie to
my readers this one man band release is bad; it lacks any real skill
on the instruments and next to no cohesive songwriting abilities. I
have always liked David’s voice and vocals, as well as his
dedication to keep the faith and keep making music his way for
nearly 30 years! David pours himself into his lyrics too, which is
great. But yes, the overall presentation is sub-par yet has some
train wreck charm to it. - Dale
https://youtu.be/u4_1kJDSY6k
davidvora10@hotmail.com
  
There actually
appears to be a bit of actual music and vocals among the sappy
nature CD sound effects. One of the most boring bands on this
planet! - Dale
Flood… Records,
Box 402, Pinole, CA. 94564, USA
www.floodtheearth.com
Raging, fast and
rhythmic like the old days, think Suffocation, Sinister, Cannibal
Corpse etc… I enjoyed it. - Dale
Neurotic Recs.,
Stratinghpad 23, 5025 DS Tilburg, NETHERLANDS
www.neurotic-records.com
Gothy slick
light ‘metal’ with those poofy, I’m really sexy husky clean male
goth vocals. Total crap… Surprise it is on Prophecy! - Dale
www.prophecy.cd
Always hard to
review compilations but if you love guttural death metal with
indecipherable vocals and black metal, you will love this release.
Some bands are: Thy Funeral, Ahriman, Age of Agony, Warkult, Blood
Rainbow, Gutted, Funebre… - Dale
www.terranisproductions.hu
I could not even
begin to guess why this was sent to Canadian Assault for review but
it is extremely gay in my opinion. I cannot even believe I am
listening to it right now! Die!! – Jeffrey Kusbel
  
Vardlokker is
the mastermind behind this Oregon one man band. Whose music is
violent, devastating and eerie blackened death metal. The vocals are
nice low, deep opaque shadowy growls. Do yourself a favor and pick
up a copy of this killer release. - Patrick
https://www.facebook.com/witchbones
https://ironbonehead.de
Black / gothic
ambient music. These trendy Americans try really hard to be the next
Cradle Of Filth. I guess Fullmoon has now jumped on the goth
bandwagon too! - Dale
Super raunchy ‘n
raw Satanic warring thrash in the old Canadian ‘80s spirit. Their
intense old school spirit and energy is infectious. - Dale
c/o Alkoholic
Wraht, Ul. Francuska 4/20, 65-941 Zielona Gora, POLAND
This is
interesting, a Danish band playing North American style caustic war
metal ala Conqueror, Blasphemy with Deicide, old Monstrosity and so
on. I really grasped it. - Dale
impaler@ancientdarkness.dk
www.ancientdarkness.dk
Baltimore’s
Wormhole combines brutality with extreme technicality to create an
explosive, intricately crafted & played slamming death metal grind
LP. The vocals in contrast to the pin point finesse of the playing
are indecipherable vomitous, guttural growls that I honestly loved.
Great new band, check them out! - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/wormholemetal/
https://laceratedenemy.bigcartel.com
Wraith play
straight up ripping thrash metal in the early to mid ‘80s tradition
and they do it to the fucking hilt! The songs are really heavy yet
have a catchy hook element to them and you can headbang to the
roaring riffs. The music and vocals have a slight shadowy dark edge
to them, adding a little touch of danger to the proceedings. If you
love old classic thrash from the eighties and can not get enough
then have I got a band for you. - Dale
https://wraith-us.bandcamp.com/
https://shop.redefiningdarkness.com/
Evil sounding
but very slickly executed black metal with a melodic undercurrent.
Really this band is better than 80% of all bands in this genre
today. Must have. - Dale
U. Records,
Stockhauserstr. 3a, 35638 Leun, GERMANY
alex@undercover-records.de
www.undercover-records.de
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