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The wait is over for the third A Transylvanian Funeral, it is here
through Forbidden Records. Sleepwalker {all instruments, vocals} has
created the strongest ATF to date with Funeral Goetia, it is 12
songs of raw, primitive black metal. Raw, razor sharp guitar chords,
fast unrelenting drums. For those familiar with past A Transylvanian
Funeral's releases, Sleepwalker is doing the drums himself on this
release and dropped the drum machine, he does a really good job
playing the drums fast, chaotic yet some well done patterns with the
guitars and vocals. Sleepwalker vocals are really
well sung traditional black metal screams and some vicious shrieks.
If you are a fan of the past releases definitely get this you will
not be disappointed!! One of the u.s black metal scene's best bands,
and if you are new to the band and you enjoy early to mid 90's
style raw black metal that is primitive and straight forward b.m then
get A Transylvanian Funeral today!!
- Patrick
http://www.myspace.com/atransylvanianfuneral
http://forbidden-records.com/ |
I am and have
been a big Abaza fan for many years. So I do not say it lightly that
with this release Abazagorath have out done themselves and clearly
show why they are leading the charge in the USBM scene! This is an
EP but does clock in at 23 minutes, so really they could have billed
this as a MCD or Mini album for what you get. I have much doubt that
my paltry words will be able to express or get across to the reader
how much of a masterwork this release is. Without doubt this is some
of the best cold and cryptic black metal I have ever heard. I put it
up there in the stratosphere of my all time faves. The five tracks
on here, even played on a bright summer day somehow make me feel
like I am alone in the dark, attempting to peer through the
blackness, the blood is frozen in my veins and my heart no longer
pumps bright red, it spews ink coloured hatred. The music on here is
simultaneously harsh and catchy, really catchy but vicious and
cruel, giving off a superb cryptic atmosphere every step of the way.
This is a must own for fans of old black metal in the early 90s
tradition. Order it now! – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/abazagorathhorde
http://www.reverbnation.com/abazagorath
|
Classic intro
mainstream documentary type clip on Satanism, that gives off that
Rosemary’s Baby sort of atmosphere. These clips continue to pop up
throughout the album. Some will see that as cheesy I am sure, but I
like it. Raunchy and evil fuzz death/doom/stoner metal is what you
get on Stoned. I automatically find myself thinking of great
American doom band Goatlord. The bio throws in Deep Purple as an
influence, maybe the pacing here and there but otherwise I do not
hear that at all. I like the mix of horror / Satanism alongside the
stoner aesthetic, it is different you have to give them that much.
The vocals are clear and understandable but also vomiting and deep,
it is a nice combination which works well with the music. The pacing
is good with the rhythmic ritualistic repetition interspersed with
more rocking and upbeat sections ala St. Vitus at times I suppose.
Some killer guitar fills and short soloing which really adds to the
atmosphere. There is nothing especially stand out or amazing about
Acid Witch. But they are a little off-beat and they roll out some
powerful fuzzed out death/doom with that sinister touch. I found
myself enjoying this album. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/acidwitch
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/
|
|
I am not sure if
this just fell out of print from the excellent label Razorback
Records or what? But the album goes from strength to strength and
sees a re-release now through the almighty Hells Headbangers
Records. It did not take me long to find out why this album is
highly sought after by such quality labels. Acid Witch play a very
cool and unique brand of death doom metal. The base riffs are slow
motion bulldozers ripping up the ground like it is weak flesh from
bone, so heavy, added to that are these crazy spaced out guitar
leads all backed with out of this world sound effects. The vocals
are really deep, slow but intelligible growls that give me a classic
feel; you do not hear that many newer bands doing cool vocals like
this anymore. This album sort of makes me think if you took the
first My Dying Bride album, sent those bands members out to space
and got them hopped up on LSD the resulting album would be
Witchtanic haha. About the only bad thing I could possibly say and
it is a minor complaint, would be some of the keyboard / organ and
sound effects are kind of piercing and a tad high in the mix at
times. But really it is a petty little complaint as this is an
amazing death doom album. I dig it a lot, for me it actually blows
away their follow up sophomore album. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/acidwitch
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/ |
|
After listening to Mexico's The Advent Equation's debut I'm amazed
for two reasons number one a band can combine brilliant melodic,
progressive music but in the next breath combine it with more heavy
straight forward death and make it sound so good and original. And
the second is why is this band not signed yet? When so many crappy
bands get signed over the quality ones like this, it is a shame. As
mentioned The Advent Equation seem to shine when playing both styles
of music, the more extreme and melodic sides of metal equally. The
vocals are done in mostly clean male vocal patterns which fit very
well with the bands music, but there are some deeper death growls
also used in the heavier parts which work just as well. This is a
band to watch out for in the future, to see where they go from here.
I see a bright future for them so I for one look forward to hearing
their future releases.
- Patrick
https://www.facebook.com/theadventequation
http://www.myspace.com/adventmx
|
I was a little
surprised initially to find out this band was made up partially from
the remnants of other Danish bands like Victimizer and Church
Bizarre. Those are extreme brutalizing metal bands. While Altar of
Oblivion are a slow paced, melodic heavy metal band, I hesitate to
call them doom metal, yet they do remind me of Candlemass and they
are a doom band, so let’s call a spade a spade here. So melodic
heavy metal doom band it is. Now normally when you see classic doom
automatically people tend to think of Black Sabbath and bands like
this, but Altar sound nothing like that and do not have those big
crushing riffs. Their music produces in me more of an epic, yet
somber mood and if you can get in that mindset, it is an emotional
journey Grand Gesture… will take you on. Despite the obvious
Candlemass influence the vocalist does not have the emotional or
dynamic range of Messiah Marcolin, he has some range but it is more
of a monotone, hypnotic delivery and I do like the vocals. I can
hear influences mixed within their doom sound such as Manilla Road,
Gothic Knights, Solitude Aeturnus and the like. As I said this is a
journey, not just a crush and grind you to bits with slow motion
doom riffs, nothing wrong with that of course, but Altar of Oblivion
spread that power out across each instrument and that glow stretches
across you like a wet blanket that just encompasses you in warmth
and despair. To sum things up, this is a damn fine album, which I
very much recommend and the scene in Denmark continues to show it’s
quality with this excellent young band. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/altarofoblivion
http://shadowkingdomrecords.com/ |
We have some
black metal of the Norwegian persuasion. I do not know a lot about
the band. But apparently they formed in 2002, signed with a label,
but never released an album and then went on hiatus for some four
years. Elde represents their return to the scene for the first time
since their demo in ’03 and of course is their debut. It seems like
each song starts out really mid-paced and sort of atmospheric or
melancholic then shifts gears in the second half with some
quickening in the speed. The vocals from Loge are very vague
sounding whispered growling/croak and just sort of melt into the
background not standing out, which I am sure was intentional. The
drums back everything up well but are maybe more cymbal laden than
many bm albums. The riffing can really be hypnotic at times and sets
my mind wondering through misty landscapes and mountainous areas
covered in forest play in my subconscious. That sounds a little
corny I know but that is what Elde seems to do to me. I have a
feeling the band would not be unpleased by having that effect. - Dale
http://www.soulsellerrecords.com/
http://www.myspace.com/alverg |
I think if I had
to describe this Czech Republic band it would be as doomy black
death metal. I know that covers a lot of bases, then again so does
this album. Maybe some might just call this dark metal, hence the
album title. I am not sure but it is an interesting record, nothing
groundbreaking, yet Avenger do have a fairly distinctive sound in
this day and age when that is a hard thing to do. I really got into
it when they were doing their more doomy, atmospheric material mixed
with the extremity. But during the longer sections when they went
all out speed and hate, surprisingly to me I kind of lost focus and
interest a little. Not sure why as it is well done. Either way
overall I like what Avenger is doing and can only see them getting
more and more interesting on future releases, just have that
feeling. If you like doom and black metal first and foremost and do
not mind the mixing of the two, you should definitely check out into
Bohemian Dark Metal. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/avengerofficial
http://www.deathgasm.com/
|
Azaghal are old
goats by now in the black metal scene, having released demos, eps
and albums since 1998 at a steady pace. I believe is their 9th
album. I am a fan of some of their past works. Nemesis changes
nothing for these great old bm stalwarts, they have not progressed
or started adding a bunch of useless frills that would only serve to
dilute the purity of their sound. No Azaghal, much like their
countrymen Horna, just continue to raise their goblets, dripping
with blood towards the classic early 90s black metal that I know so
well and worship so thoroughly. This is some cold and cryptic music
with rasping screams adding a layer of frosty anger to the flowing
river of darkness. For those of you that do not follow the 2nd
wave of bm closely or only like to listen to the classic albums,
then this not for you as there is nothing new to see or hear here.
However, if you are like me and can really never get enough of this
style of music then Azaghal never disappoints and you will be
pleased with Nemesis. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/azaghalterrorcult
http://www.moribundcult.com/
|
This
is bahimiron's second cd for the Moribund Cult. The last Bahimiron
release was decent but nothing great. But with Rebel Hymns of The
Left Handed Terror the band strikes back again with full force and
violent fury. To put it simply this is a sick, twisted masterpiece
of frenzied raw destruction. With so many black metal bands going
the route of crystal clear production, clean vocals, whatever they
seem to lose sight of what this music is about. But not Bahimiron
it's great to hear a band sticking to their roots and keeping their
music aggressive, ugly and destructive. -
Patrick
http://www.moribundcult.com/index.html
http://www.myspace.com/bahimiron |
Binah are from
the UK and play a mixture of heavy slow to mid-paced death metal. In
the current scene where a lot of bands seem to rely on speed or
guttural style vocal effects to be "brutal" it's refreshing to hear
a band that remembers what death metal should sound like, and where
its roots lie. Raw, heavy guitars and bass, deep death metal growls
that are extremely well done and fit perfectly with Binah's dark and
heavy sound. I will admit the band does walk a fine line with some
of their slower, heavier guitar parts giving the band sort of a
death/doomish sound similar to the early 90's bands such as
Skepticism, Thergothon and the similar bands, but I really won't
label this band a doom band as their sound and heart lies within the
old-school death metal - fans of early Grave, Benediction etc. will
love Binah's heavy, dark death metal sounds. - Patrick
http://www.reverbnation.com/binahband
http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/
|
|
A day to
celebrate here in the Void HQ, as this review marks post number 200
for the zine. I'm not gonna start pouring champagne in a crystal
glass and singing karaoke to Abba, no way - this is gonna be the
genuine article: metal and ice cold beer. Metalheads are universally
known for being extra passionate to the music created in their
'formative' years, so this CD is a release that compiles two
separate 1991-ish recordings by the Finnish cult band Black
Crucifixion can only be praised by yours truly. Not for purely
nostalgic reasons either - one has to acknowledge the band for being
on the leading curve of the soon to be exploding (then!) second wave
black metal and their connection to Holocausto's Beherit has been
well documented. Sandwiched between an intro and outro, the three
songs of 'The Fallen..' are a good example of the coming madness -
lo-filthy produced, charmingly underdeveloped, filled with crudely
cold atmosphere and the famous 'whispering' vocal effect best known
from 'Drawing Down The Moon'. ''I'm a god now, and the slaves shall
serve/Fuck your herd conformity, the noble shall rule", this
short excerpt from the lyrics to the mostly excellent cut 'Flowing
Downwards' describes the whole mindset of those involved in that
particular, and highly influential, scene better than a million
words. Respect. 'Satanic Zeitgeist', the live portion of the disc,
is, quite unsurprisingly, even more viciously raw and morbid
sounding, bordering on Impaled Nazarene trademarked chaos in the
faster parts of the presented songs. Black Crucifixion have
seemingly been wise enough not to fall completely for that trick
though, injecting catchy mid-tempo hooks throughout the tracks, as
well as an enthusiastic cover version of 'In League With Satan'. Not
a must-buy for everyone but a fitting document of an era. Lay down
your souls. - Vladimir Petrov
http://www.paasto.com/bc/
http://www.soulsellerrecords.com/
|
Italian doom
metal and as any dedicated doom fan knows Italy is a place where
doom has set down its roots deeply for many years. Immediately
coming to mind are legends like Paul Chain and Death SS. I have
spent many an hour listening to those two bands and Paul Chain in
particular. The band is described as epic occult doom metal, and the
bio cites early Candlemass as an influence for Black Oath and that
is bang on. They borrow from that sound, but they do it well and put
their own vibe or twist upon it. The Oath employ keyboards,
something I am not always a fan of, but they are in general applied
sparsely and kept lower in the mix so they really do sound like more
of an accompaniment, and do not drown out the traditional
instruments. The vocals are classic clean sung traditional doom
style vocals, quite melodious and flowing, they fit the music well.
Another influence that is springing to mind for me as I listen is
the American group Solitude Aeturnus, and maybe a small touch of the
almighty Trouble. The Third Aeon is a promising debut album with
moments of true brilliance, and a worthy addition to the traditional
doom scene. It is hardly surprising I Hate Records found them; they
have a special talent for searching out great doom. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/blackoath666
http://www.ihate.se/ |
Black vulture is a band featuring Martin Ciappara who most will know
from his black/doom/death band Prayer Of The Dying. Black Vulture is
a three piece band with Martin handling the drums, the band plays
mid-paced death metal with some black metal influences in some parts
of the songs. The guitars range from fast riffs to a more mid-pace
and have some really well-played and even catchy riffs and patterns.
Martin has proven he can sing and play guitar etc. in Prayer Of The
Dying but his drumming is pretty damn good as he keeps up with
guitars quite well going from fast to mid-paced range with some
catchy faster/aggressive death metal drum patterns of his own. Black
Vulture is definitely a band worth looking into for fans who enjoy
good solid death/black metal.
- Patrick
http://www.myspace.com/blackvultureblack |
|
You have to
admire labels that still release cassette tapes. I mean you see this
here and there in Europe still, where some release on multiple
formats including cassette, but cassette only releases in the US is
unheard of. That is some pretty impressive dedication in my view.
This label is run by Bill Connolly, who also ran a tape label back
in the early to mid-90s. In fact, I ordered a couple comps he
released and a cool demo tape he released by the band Moonburn back
in like ‘93/94. I suppose for the most part this is an old mans
game. I am not sure how many young metal fans even own a cd player,
let alone something that will play cassettes haha! Being an old
bastard, I not only have a large tape collection, but multiple
sources to play them on. It brings me back to my tape trading days.
Blessed Offal is a name I have heard around a bunch in recent years,
but until now have not had the pleasure to experience. This band
immediately makes me think of an old death/doom band I used to
worship many moons ago that went by the name Disembowelment. Yet
another influence for this band that I kneeled to the altar of is
early Grave. It is a fine combination of immense death doom metal
suffocation and hateful old school death metal in its finest form.
The vocals are also in the Grave vein with some accompanying acidic
higher accented vox. You also get some occasional great frenzied
guitar soloing which works a lot better than you would think. What a
great release and this is something I would suggest you under no
circumstances pass up getting. This is for fans of Disembowelment,
Grave, early Incantation and the like. – Dale
http://nvslabel.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/
|
The opening
track “Gulveig”, has this really different, almost off-kilter
pulsating riffing pattern, at first I was not sure I liked it, but
as it went on I found to be very unique sounding and gives this
strange feel that I liked. To those unfamiliar with this Canadian
one man band (well there is a drummer, a session guy I believe),
they play darkened black / death metal with Nordic themes and
lyrics, as main man, Nordavinden is of Nordic descent. I think the
riff I described above is a fairly apt description of the bands
sound in general, it is not your usual cookie cutter sounding band,
they are doing different things. I would go so far as to say
Bloodaxe has a sound of it’s own and is just very different, kind of
strange and singular, it will probably be a shock to some fans to
listen to that are conditioned to everyone sounding the same. I mean
this is dark, evil, heavy, epic and depressive music, so it covers
the elements fans of the genre long for, but they take a separate
path to get there. I am actually quite stricken by this album, this
is not the first time I have encountered Bloodaxe, I know them well,
they have not released anything since 2004, it feels like I am
hearing them for the first time, I am impressed. The vocals are not
your typical vocals either, neither growled in the death metal
fashion or hissed like the classic black metal way. They are a combo
of spoken word passages and the main vocals are a deep spoken
whispered voice with a tinge of bm vox, it seems like some Viking
spirit is whispering lore on the winds as they pass through a dense
stretch of wood. I first made contact with this band they were based
out of the opposite of Canada from where I grew up and lived, but
now they are based out of my old stomping grounds (okay so yes that
probably only means something to me haha). It is a pleasure to
receive such a unique and grim band from my homeland, if you want
something that sounds different yet great, a breath of fresh air in
the underground scene. Then look no further than Bloodaxe! -
Dale
http://www.bloodaxe.net/
https://www.facebook.com/TheTrueBloodaxe |
|
I will say this
right up front, the average reader on Canadian Assault is probably a
metalhead through and through. Blood Of The Sun play 70s hard rock
to the core, this is not metal at all, so if that is not your bag
then move to the next review. I am a metal guy to the bone too, but
I have a huge soft spot 70s music of the hard rocking variety. I
guess die hards of CA should know this for my worship of stuff like
Deep Purple, Lucifer’s Friend, Captain Beyond and stuff like 70s
Pentagram. It should be no great surprise. I tend to worship that
decade in many forms, from the music to the movies, tv, culture and
even just movies set in that decade. Blood Of The Sun are so 70s it
hurts brother, they bleed for it and have that old sound down to a
proverbial ‘T’. If I have any complaint whatsoever, it is a small
one, which is the vocalist is a little more high pitch and squeal-y
than I am used to or like with this style, not sure this fellow has
the power or range to be hitting those areas, he is no Ian Gillian
lets just say. But the rest of the time when the vocals are not in
the squeal register, they are just fine and sound great. The real
capper to this sweet little record, is they managed to get the
legendary Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich to play guitar and sing on one of
the tracks! It is awesome. If they could have managed to get Wino to
do the whole album, this would have went from being a good album to
being a future classic, all the same nice touch. Just to top
everything off on the packaging end of things, you gets a set of
bare tits on the front and back covers. I am sold and all 70s hard
rock fans should be too! - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/bloodofthesun
http://www.listenable.net/
|
|
U.K's Blooddawn return with their most violent and vicious recording
yet! The duo are influenced by mid-era Marduk, mixed with brutal
blackened war metal. The production on Opus Dei is probably the best
of any Blooddawn release that I have heard without compromising the
bands original visions. Razor-sharp guitar riffs, hyper-speed blasts
of blaspehmy. The vocals are growls and screams of pissed off anger,
the vocals seem to have some kind of effects being used on them to
give them a industrial touch and sound but fit very well with the
music. If you have never heard Blooddawn in the past and you enjoy
violent, uncompromising war/black metal I would highly suggest
picking up Opus Dei asap. And if you have heard Blooddawn what are
you waiting for? This is Blooddawn at their sickest and best!! - Patrick
http://www.myspace.com/blooddawnmusic
http://www.myspace.com/panzerfaustproductions
|
This is a
re-issue of this bands 1971 hard rock record, for me, it is a lost
gem that I had never heard about. This album is older than I am, yet
to me it is still very relevant and sounds great. I may be one of
those rare extreme metal fans though that worships 70s hard rock.
Just to give fans of this stuff a general reference, think of 70s
rock acts like Deep Purple, early Pentagram (the vocals on here even
remind me a bit of a young Bobby Liebling), Sir Lord Baltimore, Blue
Cheer, Captain Beyond, Nazareth, Iron Butterfly, Kiss. Though I will
admit Bolder Damn maybe lack some of the heaviness (except the epic
length closing track Dead Meat is pretty fucking heavy – wow!) of
and mean street attitude of the above bands and maybe that will turn
a few 70s hard rock fans off. Then again keep in mind this was 1971,
not 1976. There was a huge evolution in this genre during that short
period of time. I find this music pretty trippy, sorta psychedelic
at times, a bit commercial at other times, they definitely have a
cool atmosphere and vibe to their sound. I really like it, but
probably only real die in the wool 70s rock fans will properly
appreciate this. Thank you, once again to Shadow Kingdom Records for
digging up another obscure gem. I just live to get this kind of
stuff.
- Dale
http://shadowkingdomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mourning
http://shadowkingdomrecords.com
|
|
Psalms for the dead is Candlemass' final "studio" cd and what a
release! The doom legends have certainly outdone themselves and
released their best most memorable release to date. Heavy,
traditional doom riffs that are both extremely heavy and powerful
but also extremely catchy and will be stuck in your head long after
the cd is over. Vocals are performed by the great Robert Lowe {of
Solitude Aeturnus fame} are sung amazingly as each note is delivered
masterfully and sounds perfectly. The production for the release is
just as great as it is not too over-produced but it is done just
well enough for each musician to shine with their
individual instrument. It is a shame that this is the end of one of
the doom greats recording days but Psalms For The Dead is about as
perfect of a cd as you will ever you hear. So nothing like going out
on top! {Special Note: The band is not breaking up but will not be
recording anymore studio-releases from here on out instead just
focusing on touring and playing live so keep an eye out on the
Napalm and Candlemass web-sites for all the latest updates and news
concerning this great doom band}.
- Patrick
http://www.candlemass.se/candlemass/
http://www.myspace.com/candlemass |
|
I have been lucky enough to follow this great band since their
debut cd in 2006 "morgue mutilations". Now up to their fourth
masterpiece of old-school horror-gore drenched style of death rot.
The band has unleashed "Vortex of Violence” the bands most
devastating release to date featuring 11 songs of uncompromising,
aggressive death metal in it's truest form heavy, straight forward
riffs and solo's that are both relentless but also original and
varied as you can tell each of the songs apart of one another which
is not easy task in this form of metal. Adam Scott's vocals have
never sounded more sick or vicious growls that are definitely some
of the best of the best in scene today. Vortex of Violence will
definitely go down as one of 2012's best death metal releases. So do
yourself a favor and buy this it will please both long-time and
new fans of this great Illinois band. - Patrick
http://www.myspace.com/deathrot
http://www.ibexmoonrecords.com
|
After nearly
nine years of dormant silence Holland's Centurian have awoken once
again to spread their violent vision and sound. They play
unapologetic, uncompromising blackened death metal with heavy, fast
chaotic riffs. The drumming is fierce non-stop blast assaults, the
vocalist reminds of {early} Glen Benton growls/screams but fit
Centurian's brutal style perfectly. Contra Rationem is one of the
best blackened death releases I've heard in awhile, it is great to
see Centurian back in action. Do yourself a favor and buy this
today!
- Patrick
http://www.centurian333.com/
http://www.listenable.net/
|
Another band
comes at us out of the great Polish metal scene. Centurion really do
not sound much like most of their countrymen, in fact they play a
style with a big nod towards 90s American brutal death metal. And it
is vicious, straight ahead extremity lunging forward like a speeding
bullet train. The vocals are rapid fire growls that try to match the
break neck speed of the music, they are pretty imposing and
frightening sounding. I do not have a lot to fault Centurion for,
they do everything pretty well, but at the end of the day this album
just does not stick with me that much. I would say extreme die hards
of this style might want to give this a try, otherwise I might
pass. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/centuriondeathmetal
http://www.wydawnictwopsycho.com/ |
This is a new band from Denmark's underground metal scene, but one
I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot about in the coming months. The
music is heavy slow to mid-paced guitars that have a old-school
death/doomish feel and sound to them. J.P's vocals are a mix of
deeper death growls, screams and some gruff spoken type of vocal
patterns. Cerekloth have done a great job of mixing in old-school
death gods like Autopsy, Cianide etc and mixed in their own warped,
disturbed creative ideas. If you are looking for something
old-school sounding but with some originality to it then check out
Cerekloth.
- Patrick
http://www.cerekloth.dk/
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/ |
|
Things happen
slowly, akin to the pace of the tunes played, is one of the most
used jokes in the world of doom metal. Yet even by those standards
the amount of time 'Minstrel Of Mourning' has taken to finally see
the light of the day is mind-blowing, as documented by the extensive
liner notes by both Stevo and Brett Fugate included in the album's
booklet. Yes, Stevo - the monster best known and respected for his
work in Impetigo, one of the most important and cult bands EVER in
the underground history. Undeniably, there are some parts on these
songs bearing resemblance to the classic that is Impetigo's 'Horror
Of The Zombies', which could hardly be a surprise as both those
albums have been written roughly at the same time, yet we're talking
a different beast here. Stevo switched from bass to guitar, added
the quite explanatory pseudonym "St. Vitus" to his name and
alongside the remaining three band members created and recorded a
doom album full of despair and mortal dread. An album that sounds as
good now as it would've sounded if released back in 1993 - probably
because the stench of death is eternal and some of it is captured
here by no-frills riffs and tempos, interesting, sometimes rather
bizarre, vocals and an overall atmosphere much akin to the one of
strolling through the graveyard on a harsh November night. 'Minstrel
Of Mourning' isn't the type of album to give you a
revelation, neither is the end-it-all doom masterpiece but it's a
good document of a band doing what's in their hearts, as morbid as
they might be, ahead of its time. Doom fans and Impetigo maniacs
alike should pay attention to this. – Vladimir Petrov
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Church_of_Misery/10708
http://www.razorbackrecords.com/ |
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The U.S death metal legends return with their sixth full-length
release and the name couldn't be better "Gods Of Death". In
Cianide's twenty years plus in the underground the band has never
once compromised their sound or "added" any new elements to change
with the times or be more popular in the scene they helped create.
That is something to be respected whether you like this band or not.
Gods Of Death carries on Cianide's tradition of creating and playing
some of the heaviest death metal ever heard. Crushing mid-paced
guitars and heavy, mid-paced drums that keep up with the mood and
pace of the band. The vocalist delivers with some excellent death
growls with no effects, no pig squeals just angry growls. Cianide
are a band that doesn’t change for anyone. But they get better and
better with each release!! Definitely one of 2011's best death metal
albums! Buy this or die a poser. – Patrick
http://www.myspace.com/cianidekills
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/ |
Coldworker
brings us their third album, the first to grace mine ears. The
mighty Dan Swano apparently was responsible for the final mix and
mastering on here and accordingly it sounds great, but retains a
heavy, non-plastic edge. No complaints there. This is death metal
and while it is not totally retro, you can definitely hear the great
old Swedish dm sound creeping into their material. The music is
really tight, has some catchy riffing and the drummer is a
whirlwind, he comes over the top scrape off any flesh that may be
left on your bones. This is some good death metal music guys, but it
is also pretty predictable, straight ahead fair which some of the
more discerning fans of the genre might not get that much from. I
don’t know I enjoyed, nothing remarkable, but good competent death
metal music with a little of that old Swedish flavour many of us
love. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/coldworker
http://www.listenable.net/
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Corpus Mortale
come at us out of Denmark, the Danish underground metal scene seems
can produce some interesting bands and seems to be a little
underrated. They have produced in recent times, a lot of good bands
like Victimizer, Deus Otiosus, Altar Of Oblivion, Denial Of God
(okay so they have been around forever, but still going strong) etc…
CM play some chunky, thick death metal with guitars that cut into
you repeatedly like a gatling gun on the field of battle. The vocals
are deep, vile growls that flow across the music like a spreading
sickness. There is some solid guitar work on here and smattering of
cool short guitar leads, which adds a little extra dynamic to the
proceedings, the drums are relentless. Yes, Fleshcraft is a solid
chunk of death metal that might please fans of old bands like Grave,
Hypocrisy Swedish style sounds mixed with a healthy dose of somewhat
non-descript older Floridian death metal influences. It is not mind
blowing really, but it is some really solid death metal that should
please the genre die hards that have to have it all. - Dale
http://www.reverbnation.com/corpusmortale
http://www.deepsend.com/
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Nothing like listening to some good ole old-school brutal Swedish
death metal to get the adrenaline going is there? Apparently
the musicians in corrosive carcass feel the same way and have
created some of the Best and heaviest Swedish death metal to be hard
in some years. As soon as you hit the play button to listen to this
monster of a release of you are instantly hit with heavy, thundering
drums fast whirlwind guitars that are equally as heavy as they are
fast. The vocalist fits the music perfectly with his deep vicious
growls. Fans that enjoy early Dismember, Entombed and the more rawer
Swedish style bands will love Corrosive Carcass I know I can't wait
to hear what these guys put out next.
- Patrick
http://www.reverbnation.com/corrosivecarcass
http://www.officialabyssrecords.com |
The opening
track is an instrumental, that sets the table and let’s you know
straight away that you are listening to accomplished, controlled and
stylish musicians. Then you are followed up with the song “Chaemera”,
which it is immediately hard not to think of Thin Lizzy, it is that
subdued but still rocking type of vibe, replete with Phil Lynott
sounding vocals. Then things change up and you get more of an
energetic rocking sound with a real progressive tinge to it like
King Crimson or something, but without forgetting to come back
around to rocking out. This is really a very interesting record. I
must admit though, despite the sound being clear, it is so over
controlled sounding, lacking a lot of bottom end and oomph, for a
lack of a better word. I think if they got that kind of production
and fleshed things out that way more, it could really take their
great sound to a whole other level. This is something to check out,
not for every extreme metal fan to be sure, but devotee’s of old
school and new school progressive hard rock will want to give this
one a listen. I must say Shadow Kingdom records for me, are starting
to become one of the best labels in the world at identifying new
talent and releasing it, yet also digging up really worthy gems from
a forgotten yesteryear that were unfortunately overlooked. -
Dale
http://www.skykrakken.com/
http://shadowkingdomrecords.com |
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This is the
Michigan Coven, not to be confused with the Pacific Northwest or
Chicago bands that used the same moniker. Also up front you should
know this is a re-release of an album the band released in 1987, but
it was only ever released on vinyl! So does this fall into the
hidden or forgotten gem category, I would say the answer is yes it
does. I find their music very cool, quite hypnotic and leisurely
paced but still heavy metal and not really slowing down into the
doom regions. The vocalist has this very obscure, laid back trippy
vocal delivery much of the time and I really like that, he does turn
up the emotion now and then and even has an epic Norse (reflecting
the lyric imagery) flair about his vocals. Now that I think about it
I might have to take the doom comment back as now and then
Candlemass comes to mind. But I must say Coven on this album have a
sound of their own. I mean I can list a couple bands just to give
you an idea of the type of melodic, atmospheric heavy metal they
play. Some bands like Manilla Road, Omen, Cirith Ungol come to mind
as having a vaguely similar sound and more than anything probably a
similar pacing to their music. I’m not saying this was the ultimate
find of all finds, but I am damn happy someone dusted off this cool
album and brought it back out of obscurity for us all to enjoy and
give the album some new life. This is my first meeting with Shadow
Kingdom Records, going by this release and looking over their roster
of releases I hope to be hearing again from this label and soon!
- Dale
http://www.reverbnation.com/coven13
http://shadowkingdomrecords.com/ |
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Count Raven is a
name well-known to doom heavy metal merchant followers like myself.
The Raven had been silent, for some, long thirteen years now!
Apparently the original band tried a reformation, but despite some
good live appearances was once again not destined to continue. The
mainman of Count Raven, Dan Fondelius decided to carry on regardless
and recruited new members Fredrik Jansson on bass and Jens Bock on
the skins. What with so much time passing and some original pieces
falling by the way side. Has the old magic faded away? It is the
question swirling in my mind as I prepared to play “Mammon’s War”
with muted anticipation. The biggest positive for me is Fondelius
staying, as he is the vocalist and much of the character of the old
foundation. His Ozzy Sabbath-era vocals, are perfect for this style
of classic doom, and, I am admittedly a sucker for this vocal style.
The opening track, “The Poltergeist” grabs you straight away as a
hooky, traditional heavy metal burner that should please fans of
old. You get some of everything, from the heavy to the emotional,
melancholy and introspective. But you are snapped out of the trance
with great rocking as well and memorable riffs. It is hard not to
enjoy the sullen, epic atmosphere on this album and some of the
nuanced and classy background guitar accents of Fondelius are not
lost on me. This is a grand return to form for Count Raven in my
view. I hope the new line up is solid and they stay around for
another long run. Get this. – Dale
www.ihate.se
www.myspace.com/ihate666
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Occult death metallers Cultes Des Ghoules are back! Henbane is five
tracks of dark mid-paced death metal with some blackened influences.
The band is not afraid to unleash their violent side with brutal
outbursts of blast beats, raw, primitive guitar riffs. The vocals
are harsh death growls & screams. Each song is a lengthy ranging
between eight and twelve minutes, not a horrible release but
honestly the music does get a little boring, drawn out for this
style. If your a fan of Cultes Des Ghoules past releases you will
enjoy Henbane or if you enjoy dark, primitive/raw death/black metal
you might wanna check this Polish blacked death metal band out.
- Patrick
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/cultesdesghoules/
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/
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Florida's Cystic Dysentery have released their debut album, which is
eight tracks of brutal, fast, technical death metal. There is
nothing really new or outstanding on Culture Of Death. I suppose if
you are a die-hard fan of technical death metal and buy/collect
every band that releases something in this genre. Then I'd say buy
this release. But otherwise I would just recommend listening to your
older Deeds Of Flesh or Dying Fetus releases.
- Patrick
http://www.myspace.com/cysticdysentery
http://www.deathgasm.com/
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As I understand
it this album was released on a limited run of 100 CDRs, then the
mighty I Hate Records picked it up, had the band re-record the bass
and some guitar solos were added, then re-mixed for this final
product. Damnations Hammer are a UK Doom / Death metal band that
seems to be heavily influenced by the superb authors H.P. Lovecraft
and Robert E. Howard. The simple description I gave above of the
band playing Doom / Death actually covers what you will hear on
here, as it is pretty straight forward music. But it is good; it is
fine, that is it, just very simple music that is also quite
effective. The bio uses the description of Celtic Frost (as they
were entering their avant-garde period I assume they mean?) and
Candlemass (which I can hear as well, but to a lesser extent). Those
influences do have a doomy death metal element added to them. The
music itself is slow to mid-paced, almost pulsating in its
crushingly heavy and hypnotic pounding fashion; this music
completely grinds you into submission in slow motion. It is kind of
repetitive and a one trick pony in some respects, but that one trick
works very well for them and they create a very cool atmosphere. The
vocals are fairly clean, slightly gruff, spoken-sung vocals, nothing
remarkable here but they seem to suit the music okay and it works.
We get some good stuff on Disciples Of Hex, not mind-blowing or
overly amazing, but something the genre fanatics will eat up. I Hate
Records just keeps finding these good to excellent doom bands I have
never heard about. - Dale
http://www.reverbnation.com/damnationshammer
http://www.ihate.se/ |
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Oh hell yes! The
mighty German sickos Dead return to the pages of Canadian Assault. I
became a fan of this band through their Far Beyond Your Imagination
& Slaves To The Abysmal Perversity demos in the early 90s, as well
as their splits with Gut, Meat Shits and Regurgitate. As you may
have guessed I am a fan of their crusty death metal and they have
been mixing it with porn and just general debauchery about as long
as anyone and longer than most. The clips and the lyrics to songs
like “Cock-A-Hoop”, “Liquor Store Goddess”, and “Possessed Soldiers
of Luv” set the mood and atmosphere. But make no mistake these guys
also make great fucking death metal. It is catchy, filled with
morbidity, flat out crushing music with some old school vocals that
vomit straight from the pits of hell (some of these vox might remind
you to early Carcass, even though they have been around as long as
that band). I am not even sure what else to say, this just rules and
is for fans of old school death metal ala Incantation, Autopsy type
stuff who enjoy some porn and alcohol mixed into the presentation.
Well then go get Dead bitch!. – Dale
http://www.dead-slaves.com/home/
http://www.fda-rekotz.com/
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Svart Records has only released a handful of death metal releases
{that I know of}, but the few I have heard have been nothing short
of excellent. Finland's DeathChain are no exception releasing their
sixth release Ritual Death Metal DeathChain seems to mix old school
death metal with some modern brutality. The guitars are fast, semi
raw with tempo changes in some songs. The drumming is done
flawlessly, extremely fast with some breaks that give the band a
nice range of extreme old school style and mid-range old-school
death metal. The vocals are a nice mix of brutal death growls and
raw screams that go perfectly with DeathChain's style of dm. I can't
really think of any certain bands that DeathChain sound like but the
band does seem to draw inspiration from the early 90's Swedish and
Finnish death metal gods and mixes them together with the
musicians talent to write original extreme death. Fans of
uncompromising, old school Finnish and Swedish styled death
metal will love DeathChain!!
- Patrick
http://www.reverbnation.com/deathchain
http://www.svartrecords.com/
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From the
opening riff of onwards it is obvious the members of Deathhammer
are influenced by the classic black/thrash sounds of the mid
80's,early 90's. With the aggressive, whirlwind guitars mixed with
the drummers aggressive blasts of fury. The band does draw from
their influences but without
being a total clone band. Their is enough
originality and well-thought out guitar patterns to keep the
old-school fanatics happy without having to rip-off any one elder
god band or certain country from the golden era of speed/thrash
metal. If you crave chaotic, insane blackened, speed metal then look
no further Deathhammer is here to crush all. - Patrick
www.myspace.com/savageposerhunt
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/ |
These Austrian
thrashers used to go under the name Damage, releasing a couple demos
in 2008 & 2009, before changing their name and releasing an ep and a
mini-LP through I Hate. This brings us up to date with As Death
Awakes, the bands debut album. The listener is immediately hit right
from the opening seconds with a non-stop, raging thrash assault,
true high speed octane destruction! I mean these guys are fucking
heavy, they make you headbang, but they hardly let up for a second,
you will wreck your neck trying to keep up. A million miles a second
riffing, then they slow down briefly from time to time, by slow down
I mean like shifting from all-out Blitzkrieg and slowing it down to
frenzied carpet bombing speed. These guys must be in great shape to
play this shit live. Just think of bands like early Kreator, Sodom,
Sadus, Forced Entry and bands like this. The vocalist is almost as
manic as the music as he screams / yells his thrashed out voice like
some serial killer in the middle of an attack. I am not sure how
else to describe this band, but if you love old school thrash metal
in the way it is rarely played these days, if you love it faster
than fast, look no further than Deathstorm, they are easily near the
top of the heap in the thrash metal scene in this modern age. -
Dale
http://www.myspace.com/damagewebsite
http://www.ihate.se/ |
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I reviewed this
album for Canadian Assault, the first time was back when it was
released in 2000, now some twelve years later it gets it’s
re-release through the cult label Hells Headbangers. Actually that
brings back a memory, as I got the promo for the original release
one day, listen to it, then go to the NJ Metalfest the next day and
I end up hanging out with King Fowley himself briefly and letting
him know I loved it. This album really featured the death metal
kings Deceased feeling and sewing their heavy metal oats, which is
where they came from. If you know much about these guys they were
just as into heavy metal back in the 80s when this band formed as
they were into thrash and death metal. They could have went either
way, but chose to form a death metal band, what I am saying is this
was no retro jump because it was cool at the time, these guys had
lived it for decades. As for the music as I said this is a heavy
metal record, not a dm record, though you can kind of tell it is a
death band at times playing it. But they do it so well, so fucking
smoothly and write such catchy riffs and harmonies, that it blow
your hair back. King Fowley’s vocals are great as ever, he is a
talented drummer, but he really showcases his vocal talents on this
album, sure you have a slight base of his gruff growl, but he
conveys such emotive range on here, that I am just hypnotized and
haunted by his vocals. The lyrical content on here sort of reflects
the bands music choice, they reach back into classic metal for this
album and the lyrics similarly reach back into classic horror of
it’s early days, you know Poe, Lovecraft and that sort of old school
horror story telling. If you made the mistake of missing this the
first time around, you have received a second chance in this life to
correct your mistake. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/undeadmachines
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/ |
I know very little about this about this U.K thrash metal band but
after hearing Chains Of Delusion it's easy to understand why Shadow
Kingdom signed and released them. Deceptor embrace everything that
made metal so pure and great back in the early days of thrash, the
lightning fast guitar riffs and extremely fast yet catchy and
memorable metal solos. The drums are just as catchy and pummeling in
their approach with fast thrashing beats. The vocalist keeps it in
the traditional thrash metal realm with hollering/screaming vocal
patterns and also some higher pitched screams. Definitely
recommended for fans of {old} Megadeth {So Far, So Good, So What
era}, early Priest, Slayer, I even hear a little Bruce Dickinson
influence in some of the vocal patterns and Maiden in the guitars.
- Patrick
http://www.myspace.com/deceptormetal
http://shadowkingdomrecords.com/ |
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The war machine
known as Deiphago once again returns with their newest release of
primitive, vicious blackened war metal mixed with noisy grinding
guitars and blasting drums. The album starts off with a intro
of air-raid sirens which is a perfect beginning to the attack that
Deiphago has planned on 'Satan Alpha Omega'. Deiphago embrace the
best qualities in the classic raw, primitive black metal scene (Sarcofago,
Beherit, etc.) and mix them with noisy, raw thrashy guitars and
blasting chaotic drums. Deiphago (like all of Hells Headbangers
bands) hold the old-school values and sound close to their metallic
heart. If you enjoyed the past releases of the band then check out
'Satan Alpha Omega' this will not disappoint you!! Or if you
enjoy intense, raw, uncompromising blackened war metal that takes no
prisoners then definitely be sure to check out Deiphago!! No other
band does it better. - Patrick
http://www.myspace.com/deiphago
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/
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If one is
planning to pay a visit to the crypt those Danes have been dwelling
in for the last two decades, now the time is right as you'd be
greeted by their most accomplished work to date. Sure, metal is a
young man's game, we all have heard that saying more than once, yet
the old guard is more than capable at times to dismiss the cliché
and Denial Of God are one of the better examples of that. The band
has easily morphed all their different influences to create a creepy
vibe that's presented throughout the whole album, silently
whispering all but forgotten names from the glorious past of our
beloved metal in the process. Black metal, doomy psychedelics, heavy
metal - you name it and rest assured you'd be able to discover all
these in 'Death And The Beyond' (amazing title IMO!). Fans of modern
day super-duper 'technical' playing, triggered-to-death drums and
brick walled sound, please, stay clear of this - you'd not get it,
anyway. Good riddance. Die. However, all those who love the genuine
atmosphere of good old metal done with clarity, class and dignity
should invest their time and listen to this - you'd be rewarded,
that's much certain. This album is a definitive keeper for a whole
generation of fans, fiends and immortals. Chapeau, Denial Of God!
- Vladimir Petrov
http://www.denialofgod.net/
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/
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Australia's masters of death metal Denouncement Pyre return with
their second full length for Hells Headbangers. Denouncement Pyre
like to mix up their old-school metal going from furious
thrashing guitars to more controlled heavy, raw mid-paced death
metal guitars without ever losing their intensity. The production of
Almighty Arcanum is perfect for this style as it is
not demo/rehearsal raw but it is not the modern day over produced
either, where a lot of bands seem to loose their metal aura and
sound. If you’re looking for pure aggressive, authentic death/thrash
done in honor of the masters nobody does it better then Australia's
Denouncement Pyre.
- Patrick
http://www.reverbnation.com/denouncementpyre
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/ |
The Polish death
metal scene just continues to grow and expand. I had no idea until
recently that scene was producing this many bands. Depopulate add to
that total and of course play death metal, which grinds along at a
mid to fast pace, mostly pretty straight forward stuff. The yelled /
growled vocals are pretty prolific and prominent in the songs
overall focus. To be honest I have listened to this album a couple
times now and not much really interests me or grabs me. It is not
that it is bad, because it is not, it is just solid death metal, but
also kind of uninspired and sort of mundane sounding. I guess that
sounds harsh, but I am just being honest, it is not bad material,
just nothing stands out for me either. An album for the total genre
diehards only to digest I would think. - Dale
https://www.facebook.com/depopulate
http://www.myspace.com/depopulateofficial |
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I seen these
guys band name, then seen these blokes are from Germany and I am
thinking gotta be a straight up old school German thrash band. I hit
play and I heard some slashing, powerful guitars build to a
crescendo and busting through my headphones. Nope I was wrong this
is some really good old school Swedish death metal influenced
sickness. I mean not entirely that sound, you can hear some old
school American influence like Repulsion or Autopsy going on, so in
other words only the finest do they draw from. Just like those
influences the vocals kind of differ from the usual but also sound
rather similar to the bands vocals above, plus maybe some Martin Van
Drunen from Pestilence thrown in for good measure. These guys know
how make some killer riffs, not going a million miles a minute, no
they sit down on a good riff and milk it, I like that. My Empire has
a cool as a rotting corpse atmosphere to it and it really takes me
back to the old days, which is a place I like to be with my music.
Check this the hell out. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/deserted-fear
http://www.fda-rekotz.com/gx/ |
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I am usually a
little worried when a bands very first output is an album released
through a record label. It is usually an inferior product by a band
not yet ready for this step. I am a firm believer in bands cutting
their teeth by releasing demos, eps and the like. I have to admit
this is a pretty impressive release on the bands first recording
attempt. We are treated to some fine dirge-y doomy death metal with
dark, black metal like overtones to the sound. Desolate Shrine
employ the two vocalist approach and it seems to work pretty
seamlessly, though admittedly neither sound that different from the
other, most bands it seems do this when the styles contrast, such as
a high pitch / low end combination. For a young band their song
writing chops seem smooth and show a certain level of maturity.
Tenebrous Towers has a very moody, monolithic type atmosphere at
work, yet it is remains extremely heavy in an obscurely evil sort of
manner. Fuck man I would break my own rule and sign this band myself
without them ever having released a demo too. One of the more
impressive debuts I have heard in some time. - Dale
http://desolateshrine.bandcamp.com/
http://www.hammer-of-hate.com/ |
It is cool to
see American Line is still going strong. I was really into one of
their early bands by the name Disgorge back around 1997-ish. I
picked up one or two of their releases afterward, but had not really
heard their name again since then. But the label has been going
strong and this is the South American release (US and Europe handled
by another label) of the album. I had previously reviewed and very
much liked the demo material of this Danish band. I never tire of
brief movie clip intros or mixed into songs, so The Shining excerpt,
one of my fave movies helped set the tone for me on this album.
Murderer sees the band with a slightly cleaned up sound and a
stream lined style, a sound that is more their own than on the demo.
They play a vicious mixture of thrash and death metal, a two headed
monster that is well met. Deus Otiosus surely know how to write some
great head banging riffs, they are really heavy but seemingly always
retaining that shroud of darkness that whispers around the edges
like a creeping fog. Some parts remind me of Grave, if you slowed
them down a pace or two and added a doomy feel to it all. I find it
rather impressive that the band is able to marry the brutality of
death metal, the heavy neck cranking aggression of thrash with a
dark doom metal atmosphere. The vocals of Anders Bo Rasmussen are
great deep growls that are frightening and forceful in their
delivery and tone. Deus has a decidedly Scandinavian sound, but you
can also hear some American influence. There are some great guitar
leads on here as well and they add a nice dimension to the sound.
All in all a very well crafted album that is highly recommended and
not easily forgotten, those riffs will be ringing in your head for
ages! – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/deusotiosus
http://www.alprods.net/
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I knew after hearing the Deus Otious debut "Murderer", it would not
take long for this band to find an honest/good label to work with
for release number two. And the u.s label Deepsend records {which
seems to be a small but growing label if you haven’t checked them
out before and enjoy the more old-school dm, brutal side of dm/grind
I suggest you check out their site - Patrick} stepped up. And here
we have Godless, eight tracks of well-played death metal with
touches of thrash and a hint of black metal, but only in some of the
guitar tones. There is a whirlwind of raging guitars riffs and
solo's, the drumming is top-notch beats with both faster beats and
more controlled beats. Deus Otiosus has released a perfect follow up
to Murderer carrying on the raw, aggressive old school death/thrash
style heard on their debut album. This is recommended to all
metal fanatics.
- Patrick
http://www.myspace.com/deusotiosus
http://www.deepsend.com/
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Ehh…Latvia's Diseim are ok, but not what I was expecting. I'm not
sure if my expectations were too high but I've listened to "Holy
Wrath" about 3 times and just can't get into it. Boring and
bland death metal that really doesn’t really stand out, there are
some doomish parts but that really can't help the bands sound. Maybe
on the next release Diseim will have a better standing of
musicianship or musical direction. Personally I'd say pass on this
and grab yourself one of Abyss Records many other great releases
there are available.
- Patrick
http://www.myspace.com/diseim
http://www.officialabyssrecords.com/
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