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American death
metal though not of the old school I come from and tend to like. No
Genesis resides in new school sounds mixing death metal and hardcore
in the breakdown kind of style. There are even some traces of the
melodo Scandinavian metal ala In Flames or Children of Bodom ilk.
Some of the growling vocals are actually really good, but every now
and then they get kind of rhyme-y and rap like, which rapidly loses
the plot for me and turns me off completely. I like Abacinate best
when they put their heads down and just rip full force ahead with
their heaviest death metal riffing. Those moments are generally
interrupted with the breakdowns and hardcore sections. I have
nothing against hardcore, I like it, but not that many death metal
bands are adept at combining the two in an interesting way. The
melodic power metal influence at times does help to cut down on the
awkward transitions from dm to hardcore and add a touch of class to
proceedings. A mixed bag here, I think you really have to dig the
metal core thing or whatever they are calling it these days (hey I
am an old man I might be out of touch here), to enjoy this album, at
least it does not delve too far into the lame mallcore thing. We
must be thankful for small favours sometimes haha. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/abacinatenj
http://www.epitomite.com/
|
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/
|
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Hungary's
Aetherius Obscuritas have released their fifth CD "Black Medicine".
The bands core sound seems to have its roots in early 90's Black
Metal whether it is the cold-raw Burzum sound or the more melodic,
dark Dissection, Ancient influences. Main songwriter Arkhorrl
(vocals, instruments) has created a dark masterpiece. But also
proves throughout the songs on this release he is not afraid to add
some variety to the already dark, and unique sound of Aetherius
Obscuritas. Mixing in Black Metal screams, some spoken word passages
as well as clean male vocal lines. The guitars are fast and brutal
riffs and solos with some rawness mixed into the production. The
drums which are performed by Zson who does a magnificent job on the
drums. If you are familiar with Aetherius Obscuritas past releases
then you know this band unique approach to Black Metal. If you have
never heard the band and you are a fan of dark, Black Metal with
some atmosphere then check out this CD now. – Patrick
http://www.paragonrecords.org
http://www.myspace.com/aetheriusobscuritas |
Aldaaron have
been in the black metal underground for a few years now. Releasing
one demo {2007's "Des Legend Et Ancients Dieus} and one listen to
the new cd and you will understand why paragon records picked them
up for this release {and hopefully more in the future!} as the music
created is simply brillant. Eight tracks of early 90's styled fast
black metal with a lot of memorable and well used atmosphere blended
in nicely. The drums are furious and pounding away with so much
force and aggression. The guitars are just as fast with intense
riffs and blazing speeds. All mixed in with the whirlwind of guitar
riffs are some great sounding and placed solo's. Aldaaron is a band
that is a must hear for fans of {early} Dissection, Emperor and even
a little Immortal can be heard within Aldaaron's dark sound. –
Patrick
http://www.paragonrecords.org
http://www.myspace.com/aldaaron |
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 |
That long and
kind of over dramatic band name had me thinking this might just be a
straight goth band. With second lingering thoughts of an
atmospheric, sort of dreamy, emotional metal band with some black
metal style mixed in. I was wrong on the first count, but nailed it
with the second wave. AAFCC (sounds like an electrical term or
something) are full of moody atmospherics, but can be heard with the
odd burst of aggression and speed, via traditional instrumentation
from time to time. At first I was not sure I was a fan of the fuzzy
guitar tone, but it has gradually has begun to grow on me. It surely
beats the plastic, carbon copy sound that has been all the rage in
recent times (though maybe I am just showing my age and old school
nature here?). The vocals are fairly standard fair for the style,
you know the obscure yelled rasps, floating in the background like a
muted, far off Varg Vikernes or some such. Some of the guitar
harmonies do it for me, yet much of the music is too far on the soft
and trance like side of things to realize their full potential. They
could probably learn a few things in this arena, from label mates
Semen Datura, who are a wonderful band. I may be being a tad harsh
on them, as for the most part this is a good record and they have a
good grasp on what they are trying to achieve. I probably just would
have them take a slightly different path and that is probably more
down to personal taste, than anything else. If you like this style
of music you could do worse. I find myself left wanting just a
little more, as I think the band have it within them to give more.
They are a young band so… we will see. – Dale
http://www.atmf.net
http://www.myspace.com/crippledchildren2009
|
This Finnish
band play a brand of pagan black metal. Having released a handful of
demos, a full length, a best of (already?), and a split, this EP
came out in 2009. There are keyboards mixed in amongst the melodic
black metal - very nice production on the instruments on this
release. The vocals are very weak, though - black metal inspired
despair yelling. As
I sit here listening, I like the music part of the band but the
vocals don't really fit in with it. Either the band needs to get
more old school raw black metal for the vocals to work or the singer
needs to start actually singing to keep up with the rest of the
band. Decent. -
Mark
http://www.heidenshart.nl.nu/
http://www.myspace.com/ancestorsbloodfinland
|
Well this is
something new under the black sun for me. We have all seen and heard
hundreds of one man bands. But have you ever before heard of a one
woman band?! I have not and I have to admit I am intrigued by an
individual of the female persuasion being this dedicated and hard to
the core in the bm realm. Her corpse painted photos throughout the
cd booklet are fantastic and mirror the music perfectly. Also
believe it or not after all of these years and bands, she does some
poses in those photos I have never seen before. The depressive and
suicidal lyrics only intrigue further. This Finnish woman goes by
the name Possessed Demoness and is joined only as a session drummer
by some fellow going by the name of Mental Penetrator. The vocals
are hysterical, I do not mean that in a mocking way, she sounds
completely hysterical and maniacal with her tortured and yes
anguished screams and hollering. Think of the vox from the first
Cradle of Filth but turned up a notch on the intensity and more out
of control. I find myself to be fascinated with them and can not
stop listening. Every now and then she slips in a clean but still
dark sounding vocal, no angelic type stuff, just spoken / sung bits.
The music is solid, often mid paced almost introspective black
metal. The silence is shattered from time to time with some raging
speed and frantic darkness that runs headlong through the mist with
tortured hate. I could see the riffing and some of the sound being
akin to Judas Iscariot or a rougher, looser Horna type sound. I
could see due to the love it or hate it type vocals, that this is
probably a polarizing sort of band. As for me I enjoyed this album
quite a bit. – Dale
http://www.hammer-of-hate.com/
http://www.myspace.com/anguished666
|
During the early
days Arckanum was written off by some as nothing more than a Burzum
clone. While there is no denying a similarity in sound and style. I
feel that is selling Arckanum a little short. There is a lot more
depth there and it is not like they came on the block a decade later
like many bands worshipped these days. The first demo (spell) was
cast upon us in 1993. Just in case there is anyone reading this that
does not know of Arckanum. I should mention this is the debut album
and of course a re-release with more to come. One of the areas
people sell them short, in my opinion, is the overall emotion and
dark atmosphere this album and band exude. It grabs you and grows on
you, it envelopes you like a swallowing mist and takes you into a
trance state. The guitars on here are fantastic and just flow with a
melodic quality to them that keeps your attention fixed. Shamaatae’s
vocals are great, quite abrasive hoarse yelling with a touch of the
black metal rasp. Despite the uncompromising and rough nature of the
vocals it does not distract too much from that trance-like spell the
music holds over you. In fact, it is a welcome counter point to it
all. I really like this album and it is very good for a first
release, especially if you consider when it was released. This debut
album does not have the perfect production for the Arckanum style,
but it is good anyway. It could be a little more raw instead of
being as clean as it, but it is still good nonetheless. I am
thinking this must have been one of the early recordings at the soon
to be famous Abyss studios? It seems like the perfect amount of time
has passed for a set of Arckanum re-releases. It is surely an
underrated band that deserves to be well known once again in the
scene. – Dale
http://www.arckanum.se/
http://www.debemur-morti.com/
|
Listening to
these re-releases of old, reminds me to the early days of Arckanum.
It was when the so called black metal mafias were running around and
pointing fingers at all who were not true. I recall bands like
Fluerety and Arckanum labeled as the untrue and unserious. “He runs
around with a paper mache mask in the woods, pretending he is a
troll!” It is all humorous for me to think about now. Anyway, on to
the topic at hand, this is the 1997 sophomore follow-up for Arckanum.
The sound here for my taste is much more suited to the band. It is
more heavy and raw and powerful, it suits the guitars very well and
the drums have more ‘umph’ too. As I am sure some fans will mention
an Arckanum album must be listened to as a whole to get the full
experience. Just picking out a song or two in isolation produces a
great disservice to Shamaatae’s seamless vision. I would say the
pace on here is more intense and aggressive than the debut album.
You would think that might kill some of the atmosphere from the
first album, but really it just morphs it into a new feeling or
aura. An aura you soak in through your skin and not just your ears.
Shamaatae seems to really be perfecting his tortured spirit, emotive
yelling and rasp to perfection at this point in the Arc evolution.
With the lyrics all having been written in ancient Swedish, it
definitely gives a vibe all it’s own with the distinctive vocal
style and pronunciation. Something I have always respected about
Arckanum is the organic nature of it all and the resistance to take
the thin and easy way out with synthesizer all over the place.
“Kostogher” for me is an important release in black metal with real
vision and is surely a must own album. – Dale
http://www.arckanum.se/
http://www.debemur-morti.com/
|
When I see that
album title, it reminds me of one my fave movies Almost Famous. If
you like that flick then you know what why. It has been almost 4
years since the last Ares Kingdom album. I must say, it was well
worth the wait. The band has taken their sound to new heights I had
not imagined. You can tell they used that time to perfect their
craft and give the material the attention it deserved. AK has never
been ones to rush things before their time, as evidenced by
Incendiary being their second record since their 1996
formation. They have taken the time honoured tradition of thrash
metal and molded it into something most remarkable. I was not
provided with lyrics, but I can make many of them out and as can be
expected from these fellows, they are intelligent and well thought
out. I love the lyrics to “Abandon In Place”, it is about the
Chernobyl meltdown and includes an actual emergency call from the
event. Which is all brilliantly executed and the emotion in the
music reflects the lyrics and the incident itself. It is not an easy
task to marry all of these elements in unison, but Ares Kingdom do
so masterfully. I enjoyed Alex Blume’s vocals and his growls are
clear and decipherable and at times remind me to early Grave (and I
fucking love Grave). They are not all over the place, but there are
some amazing guitar solos/fills on here that absolutely smoke and
yet add poignant emotive depth to the music at the same time. I
would be remiss not to mention the superb and tasteful drum
performance from Mike Miller. He supports the guitars wonderfully
and leaves enough room for the compositions to breathe. I like the
epic feel to Incendiary and how they kept things on the straight
forward side and not get tangled into too many riffs or a run away
train speed. It is not just epic in scope though. There are also a
number of quite somber and melancholic sections that really add
emotional dynamics to the whole. I know it is early in 2010, but
Incendiary for me, already has record of the year candidate written
all over it. - Dale
http://www.areskingdom.com
http://www.nwnprod.com/ |
It is probably
an understatement to say this is something a little different for
the mighty Hells Headbangers label. Armour might be on the lighter
end of the scale for many reading this. But I have always been a fan
of certain bands in this style. The first song Rock ‘n Roll Tonite,
would be a mixing of what you could hear on a Loudness, Dokken,
Sword or Accept record back in the day. The following song The Time
is Right has a massive Keel sound and feel to it mixed with a dash
of old Grave Digger. The third track is a rocker by the name of Sex
Demon, you can hear the WASP influence coming through here, maybe
some Tank as well. Are you sensing a pattern here? Yeah these guys
are none too original, they wear their influences on their sleeves
in a major way and the style they emulate or immolate (depending
upon your opinion) fluctuates from song to song. Some will surely
find this a little too cheesy for their tastes and make no mistake
it can be cheesy. Not to mention some of the stuff is probably a
little too close to so called hair metal for many people’s tastes.
For me I love stuff like WASP, Accept, old Grave Digger etc… So a
lot of the stuff on here is okay with me, not to mention that they
keep things just serious enough and heavy enough to keep me
listening. You always read reviews like this is not just another
retro band, well in my opinion you probably could call this just
another retro band. But it is a good one and it seems very clear to
me that these guys just bleed this style of music as fans. It is
hard not to tap into some of that infectious devotion. If you like
some or all of the above bands you will dig this one too. These guys
would totally win VH1 Rock ‘N Roll Fantasy camp battle of the bands
hands down haha. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/metalarmour
http://armour.hellsheadbangers.com/
|
Italian black
metal. Four piece band. A throaty shouted vocal delivery.
Musicianship is decent. I can't really find anything wrong with this
release. But, I also can't find anything right about it. It's not
bad but it doesn't have that extra spark to make it something
special. There are so many bands in the scene, I wouldn't be able to
pick Ars Macabra out from the rest of them. I would recommend riding
a few of the riffs out instead of constantly changing them. The
album goes by in a blur. Mediocre release bordering on good. -
Mark
http://www.arsmacabra.com/
|
This disc came
with no information whatsoever. I mean not even a website or even an
album title or clearly marked record label that released it on the
packaging. I had to do some digging to find that contact information
for those reading this review, no clue why none of that was included
with the disc or on the packaging. This album is out on disc and LP
by the way, which I always love to see for fellow vinyl hounds like
myself. There are only 4 songs on here, yet this is a full length
album, with songs ranging in playing time between 6 minutes and 14
minutes. I guess you could call these songs and the album itself a
slow burner of sorts and some patience is required. The band calls
their music blackened death rock doom metal. Which is probably a
fair description, but the death rock title made me cringe and is
probably a bit misleading to some, it is not hokey like that term
might suggest. Atriarch are a dark doom metal band, they travel the
less beaten misty path and do so at a sluggish and measured pace.
The vocals sound like some far off yet all encompassing musings from
an introspective spirit and you can never quite locate their source.
Just really vague sounding but they fit with the music nicely and
help set the atmosphere. Forever The End washes over you producing
within you waves of grief and melancholy and forlorn. It is entirely
up to you to decide if you want let those deep feelings take hold of
you and take you on the journey. I know I did and the experience was
a powerful one. Doom hounds might want to make a trip to Seventh
Rule for another fix. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/atriarchmetal
http://www.seventhrule.com/
|
By Satan’s hairy
nutsack, is there ever an end to Swedish black metal, in the classic
old style? The answer of course is no and I fucking love that
answer! This is all assuming of course, that it is good and coming
across lousy bm from Sverige is a rare enough occurrence, at least
in my experience. Avsky label themselves as ‘malignant black metal’
and that is apt term. They incorporate some more slow, moody and
alternating rocking parts than many black metal bands in this genre.
Yet they never lose the trademark cold and evil atmosphere that is
always a welcome slow down of the blood pumping in my veins. “The
Beyond” is a fantastic gloomy and haunting instrumental. Which is
not something you hear a lot on bm albums. But it fits here nicely.
This is definitely one of the better black metal albums I have heard
in a while. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/avskyband
http://www.moribundcult.com/ |
I would suspect
most people reading this have heard the Finnish Azaghal by now. They
have been doing it a long time now. They formed in 1995 and released
their first demo tapes in ’98. I will admit this is the first
Azaghal release I have got in hand and in my head in a few years. It
is good to see they are still delivering harsh, fast and dark black
metal like always and as was masterfully set out in the old days.
The vocals are striking and slashing classic black metal rasps, but
they help keep the atmosphere cold and mean. There are some sections
where Azaghal get a little too liberal with their use of synth, but
thankfully those times are short-lived and well spread out.
“Teraphim” is a cruel record but there is also plenty of melody
woven into the hate. A song like “Filosofi” is an excellent example
of this, some great texture and melody, but keeping the dank
atmosphere strong. You will be presented with ambient moments and
dramatic passages, but it all serves the greater good. That greater
good being a heaping plate of excellent black metal with great
emotional depth. I guess the quality after eight albums should be
this high, but I greatly appreciate excellence nonetheless.
– Dale
www.moribundcult.com
www.blackterrormetal.cjb.net
|
More great
fucking American Black Metal! Bahimiron features the almighty Blaash
from Where’s My Skin zine which is one of the best American zines
and has been going for ever or least 12 years or so… Any regular
Assault reader knows I am a big follower of this band, demos, 7
inches have all been great and now I get to cleanse my palate with
the harsh and bitter sounds on this full length ball of fire,
straight from the pits of the Southern USA. Bahimiron loves to cut
and slash at you with some truly vile guitar lines that forge ahead
with speed and rhythm reminding me of early Emperor, old Immortal,
early Beherit and other old school Scandinavian scoundrel. Pure
Negativism… definitely has a flow to, much like the river of Acheron
and cannot be dissected into parts, picking out only one or two
songs to listen to is detriment to the overall journey and cold, oh
so cold ambience which rises from the band like a deep fog. The
vocals provided by Grimlord are vicious and hurl through the air at
like 100 metal pellet balls from a 12 gauge shotgun tearing and
rending your eardrums into exhaustion and defeat. Often mid paced
setting a hypnotic atmosphere yet interspersed with healthy doses of
speed and juxtaposed sparingly with some moody contemplative
passages. As mentioned this album must be listened as whole to get
the right experience bled into it’s framework. Bahimiron bring
affliction to the afflicted, Bahirmiron bring sickness to the sick
and Bahimiron spread their plague to the welcome it and force it
upon those who do not. Get this now. – Dale
www.bahimiron.cjb.net
www.auramystique.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 |
Russian
industrial black metal. The opening instrumental sets the tone - the
industrial piece "Mutation". Then the next song kicks in with a mix
of raw black metal, industrial black metal experimentation, and
atmospheric unknown. This release would work for the open minded
metal head I suspect. Well most of 'em any way. It's well executed
and there is a whole lot going on. But, in the end, is this
something I would listen to again? Probably not. It's too
experimental for it's own good if you ask me. It reminds me of
musicians that play just to show you how good they are at their
instruments. Who cares? Not me. It's an interesting release though.
But I prefer my black metal sans industrial elements. If you like
the mix of the two genres, hey, this may work for you. - Mark
http://www.myspace.com/balanceinterruption
http://www.hammer-of-hate.com/
|
\
The booklet for
this CD is awesome. It flips outwards in four directions and then in
the middle reads like a book. I am sure the pressing plant were like
“You want to do what?!” *grumble* *grumble* haha. The artwork is
kind of bizarre too, but good like a warped Frank Miller graphic
novel or something. So what about the music then? You would think
with that kind of build up, it would be rather amazing. But at times
it is one huge jumbled mess of industrial, electronica, and just a
metal mish-mash. The other times when they really hit on a good
industrial part with some solid metal foundation mixed in it really
works for them. Now I like some old industrial stuff (Ministry, old
Fear Factory, Skinny Puppy, Lard, Godflesh, old Pitchshifter and a
couple more) so it is not like I am against this genre entirely by
any means. But I have to admit it, there are sections of material on
here that are truly boring. They have a good aura about them in this
style, but seem to lack that step to turn their musical bits into
something interesting or memorable. To take it to that next level if
you will. I guess I am being a little bit hard here, but I also
suppose I am little bit picky when it comes to this style. I mean
the bands I listed above pretty much make up my entire industrial
collection. I generally only go for the best, the cream of the crop.
BBYB are just not quite there yet, but surely there are signs they
could get to that level in the future. This is after all their debut
just going by the album title (I have no bio to work off of so…). I
think what they are missing besides more interesting song
arrangements, is emotion, they convey very little emotion in their
music. I think back to the old albums of Godflesh, Ministry, Fear
Factory and the like. They are positively dripping with emotion,
have infectious song structures and keep one hooked every step of
the way. If BBYB can manage to grasp that, then they have all the
fundamentals to make a great industrial metal band. I will be
looking forward to their next release to see how things come along. - Dale
http://www.myspace/khaaranus
http://www.myspace.com/bbyb |
Hells Headbangers has unearthed and released one of the greatest
black metal bands earliest recordings. Beherit's At The Devils
Studio showcases the bands early primitive violent days. Thin
guitars, drums that range from mid-pace to fast blast beats. The
vocals are demonic growls/screams with some lower whispered type of
vocals that fit Beherit's sound perfectly. This is a must have for
fans of Beherit's first two cd's.
- Patrick
http://www.youtube.com/user/beheritengram
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/ |
This is a little
is a different kind of a band for Agonia Records. It is a rocking,
quirky band that is high on the melody. A problem of theirs is they
do have some great harmonies, but rarely stick with them or flesh
them out and fail to get the most out of them. Beissert instead veer
around in a bunch of different directions and when they hit on
something good they just seem to drop it and move on. I find that a
little frustrating to listen to. Not that their style is something I
listen to much to begin with. So I need something to draw me in and
keep me there. It is not all bad and there is some really good
material here. But the band need some focus and could use some
maturity in the art of crafting their songs. Despite all the
criticism the band has a certain character and quality to their
sound that makes you curious to hear more. I have seen this band
compared to everything from Clawfinger to Pantera to Crowbar to Life
of Agony to Clutch to Neurosis to Hatebreed. Some of the influences
I can definitely see and others I do not hear at all to be honest. I
can actually hear some Corrosion of Conformity in there, not as good
mind, and also much more quirky and commercial sounding. But I can
definitely hear that influence in there. The vocals are actually
kind of cool. I can hear a touch of COC there as well from their way
underrated “Blind” album. The vocals here are sort of more hip and
modern sounding I guess. They are not my usual bag, but I quite
enjoyed them and find them to be a highlight of the album. They kind
range from normal clear sung vocals, to higher clean vocals mixed
with some clear decipherable growling thrash style singing. It is a
dynamic mix and an addictive one. This is a band I would be
interested to hear in the future to see if their quirky songwriting
can be taken to a higher level of development and patience.
Certainly not for everyone but if you like things on the peculiar
side and not always extreme. You might like this, if you like it
always kept heavy and brutal then avoid. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/beissert
http://www.agoniarecords.com/ |
A re-release
from the Satanic Swede’s debut album, of insanity and anarchy that
first came to us back in 2002. Yes on this first strike they have a
clearer, ever so slightly polished sound. This statement is a bit of
a misnomer however, if you have heard their past material (demos)
and knew just how hellishly raw, chaotic and lo-fi they were! There
is a bit less chaos and lust musically speaking. Though this surely
does not apply to attitude, lyrical content or overall conception of
sickness, which has been this bands calling card all along. They
carry on ripping and delivering it all with a delicious sadistic
spirit. Bestial Mockery could be called a wall of noise, but I mean
that in a good way. Musically and execution-wise, they are very
loose, mean and caustic. But it is now more in the frosty fire
bloody knuckled & whiskey soaked raunch of bands (in their early
days of course!) like Motorhead, Venom and Bathory mixed with punky
bits of war metal. All of which had an influence upon this ripping
slab of hatred I now gorge upon. Stylistically I would label them
classic old school speed/thrash war metal as well as some bits ‘o
Swedish brutal death such as old Grave (listen to the beginning of
“Morbid Invertation” to see my point). It most definitely is a
chugging metallic razor of an album with a headbang inducing sound. – Dale
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/
http://www.myspace.com/bestialmockery666 |
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/ |
|
The Florida
metal war mongers return with their third full length. What can I
say? It sounds like ball busting Black Witchery. If you know this
band (and you should), then they deliver the goods. No frills, no
bullshit, just straight forward barbaric black metal. What you see
is what you get and I like that. When you pick up a new Black
Witchery release, you know what you're getting. And in this case,
that's a good thing! - Mark
http://www.myspace.com/blackwitchery
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/
|
Blaspherian are
from Texas, they have been around half a decade or so, yet this is
their debut album. You know I kind of like that. So many bands rush
right into making an album or signing the first offer that comes
along from the thousands of small labels. Blaspherian have been
releasing a couple demos and eps and honing their craft. I think
this album will appeal to fans of old school death metal that got
off on bands like early Incantation, Imprecation, Immolation (though
not as complex or layered but in general sound) and maybe even some
death / doom bands like Disembowelment and the like. Yes fans of
newer death will probably not like this, and complain about how low-fi
/ obscure sounding it is, like hey dude where are the start and stop
jumping time changes?! I would guess Blaspherian would be pleased
about that reaction, because they did not make this album for them,
it is proudly the antithesis of that metal/mallcore crap. These guys
love to hang out there with that rumbling doomy wall of monotonous
wall of noise; it just runs over you like a steamroller. They do
change it up at times and inject short bouts of adrenaline with
frenzied drums that batter the kit from one end to the other. The
vocals are extremely obscure deep growls that mostly melt into the
background of the mix and music. The whole thing is pretty brutal
and hypnotic at the same time. I like it, but I bet it will be an
acquired taste for some of you reading this. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/blaspherian
http://www.deathgasm.com/
|
You do not hear
bands from Slovenia every day. As one can gather from the title this
is a war metal style band. As is the custom it seems with this style
the album is fairly short at 30 minutes. Though I will say this for
them, they do have some semi-slowed down moments which definitely
adds a little more dynamic than your usual war chaos metal band.
Maybe even a small nod to Hellhammer perhaps? Yes not a lot of
originality or own sound, but I still found this slashing hate a
good listen. If nothing else, there seems to be, a lot of passion
behind the compositions. The vocalist sounds like some kind of mean
and evil black metal biker that spent too many hours downing brews
and smoking everything he can get his hands on. Yeah I like those
vocals a lot. Bleeding First also have an interesting look, judging
from the pic on their website, they look like a cross between
Leatherface mixed with the road warriors and some traditional metal
draping. They may not bring a lot of originality musically, but
visually they combine some classic stuff into an image of their own.
I guess it depends on how much you like that style. If enjoy a lot
of bands like this, you will probably like this one too. There are
certainly a lot worse out there. But, if you only like the more
elite, cream of the crop, in this genre then you can probably do
without Bleeding Fist and not lose any sleep over it. –
Dale
www.moribundcult.com
www.bleeding-fist.com
|
The Slovenian
Fist are back to give me a second dose of the black. Nothing much
has changed in the meantime, they continue to grind out raging doses
of chaos war metal. As I pointed out with their last release, I like
that they are not afraid to have some slowed down moody passages. It
adds a lot of depth to their music with profound, but short moments
to catch ones breath. Before you are thrown back head long into the
assault of blitzing speed and battering ram metal mayhem. It is one
dimensional, but that is sort of the calling card of this style, so
you either worship that or not. Sort of funny I compared them in a
vague way last time to having a small Hellhammer influence in my
last review. As they cover the song “Messiah” from that same said
band. The vocalist still sounds like a little like an evil black
metal biker with a bad smoking habit and I still dig those vocals.
Worth checking it out if you like this kind of thing. –
Dale
http://www.bleeding-fist.com/
http://www.moribundcult.com/
|
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/
|
|
Could this
possibly be the Blood Cult I remember from way back in the 90s?! If
it is, then I do not recall them sounding like this - at all. They
proclaim themselves as southern rock & country influenced black
metal rednecks!? What an incredibly dumb sounding term that is and
they willingly label themselves as such? Ouch. I feel embarrassed
for them. The vocals are actually pretty damn funny. They come off
sounding like the result of Axl Rose pretending to make demon voices
from cheesy 80s horror movies. With repeated listens the vocals grow
on me a little, but still it is a little hard to take seriously. I
mean hearing Axl…er…Preston yelling “Satanic Rites!” in that voice,
it has to be a joke right? There are some sparsely used more
traditional black metal rasps and the band should think about
sticking to those a little more. The music is all over the place. It
is kind of southern rocking, kind of black metal riffing, some
frantic solos, and country tawngy elements to some of the rhythms.
To be honest at times, it is just one big mess and a little hard to
listen to. Sort of like if you made a huge pot of soup and started
randomly throwing in food stuffs that do not go well together. It
does not end up tasting like complete garbage, but it is a confusing
mish-mash and not at all satisfying. Which I think describes Blood
Cult’s music fairly accurately. I mean a song like “Illinoisan
Altar” probably could go on some lousy country album and if there
were no vocals, no one would bat an eye. Sorry I tried to like this,
but there is just no way, it is quite simply crap. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/redneckblackmetal
www.moribundcult.com/ |
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
|
I am no
authority on the Blut Aus Nord catalog. I think I only have one of
their releases I reviewed and off the top of my head it was the one
that followed this record in 2003. An album that was on the
experimental black metal side of things during that time to an
extent I suppose. I have not given the band a lot of thought since
then. As I am sure most of you know this is a re-release of the
bands 2001 album. From what I can gather about the band and their
history, this release was kind of a transitional one for them. It
bridges the gap between their harsher black metal roots and their
newer material, which is more experimental and maybe a little
bizarre even. With Mystical Beast you can hear the old Darkthrone
and Burzum influence. But Blut Aus Nord do this style very well and
add their own stamp to it. It is a moody, depressive and
introspective black metal record yet it never lets the harsh cold
anger that made the old second wave of black metal so great in my
mind. I am finding it difficult not be possessed by the freezing
sounds on here and at the same time impressed with the dedication
and craftsmanship that went into constructing this musical
experience. Debemur Morti do not disappoint with the quality in
which the double disc album is presented either. This comes highly
recommended by me. – Dale
http://www.blutausnord.com/
http://www.debemur-morti.com/
|
I have to be
honest that I really prefer the earlier, more straight forward and
harsher black metal output from Blut Aus Nord. The aggression and
hate and worship of early 90s black metal is something I held in
common with them. I admit I missed a couple of their recent albums.
But I came away feeling unimpressed and a little bored with the
music on 777 Sect(s). It is mostly just really monotonous,
unchanging, low-key, unemotional industrial metal droning with a
subdued black metal undercurrent. Epitome IV for example is far too
long (at 12 minutes) and had me bored to tears. There are moments
when there is a little more going on and some interesting song
structures are present. Yet it was still not enough to hold my
interest. Looking at some reviews online, apparently I am in the
minority with this opinion. So be it. – Dale
http://www.debemur-morti.com/
http://www.blutausnord.com/
|
Some times I'm
in a mood where I just want to hear some no frills metal. No drum
triggers, over processed guitar tones, or vocals phased to the end
of days. The straight forward down n dirty metal where you can
actually picture the musicians bashing it out in the studio - live -
in one or two takes is what I crave. The US based trio Bones play
exactly this type of metal. A fuzzy ass bass tone that will of
course remind many of Lemmy, guitar riffs from the old thrash days,
and a real drum kit that is taking a beating, that's what Bones
deliver on their debut. From the opener "March of the Dead" to
"Delirium Tremens" (a nod to the Belgian beer perhaps?), Bones strap
on the denim and leather and let it rip from beginning to end. Good
stuff! - Mark
http://www.myspace.com/bonesofchicago
http://www.facebook.com/planetmetal |
I have to admit,
I am just now discovering Brown Jenkins. So it came as a bit of a
surprise and shock to find out they have already broken up some time
ago. This is apparently the result of their final recording. The
band name is apparently that of a familiar of the Witch in the HP
Lovecraft story “The Dreams In The Witch House”. In fact, originally
the band was a sort of a concept band based on only Lovecraft
stories. It did not start out that way, but eventually Brown Jenkins
morphed into a one man band as it stands on this recording. The
music gets me into an amazing trance-like state and just sends my
mind swimming in its gorgeous hypnotic flow. This is almost entirely
due to the freezing, droning guitars which are justifiably out front
of the mix and hog all the attention. In fact, the vocals and drums
are extremely minimal and actually add only a small amount of
usefulness to “Death Obsession”. I see some people say it is
insulting to even compare this band to anyone, but fuck let’s be
honest guys there is a lot of classic Emperor, Darkthrone and
especially Burzum going on here. It is only fitting the one man of
the band Umesh Amtey admits to it by wearing a Burzum shirt on the
back cover. I see some listing Hellhammer as an influence but
outside of the fuzzy guitar tone that seems way off base to me. They
are correct in the fact that the band manages to take those borrowed
sounds into something at least approaching their own direction. The
music or guitars may be repetitive in overall sound, but in their
own flowing way they often change up their rhythm and melody. While
never missing a beat, nor approximating anything resembling a
conventional structural change. At times the pace is a bit slower
and contemplative, but for such an atmospheric sounding record with
that kind of aura, the pace surprisingly is mostly moderate to
speedy. It is a very abstract sort of black metal record, but one I
enjoyed very much. I could listen to those guitars for hours and I
did just that. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/brownjenkins13
http://www.moribundcult.com/
|
A two man black
metal band from the USA. One man handles the instruments, one
handles the vocals. Their name comes from the ancient breed of wolf,
the dire wolf. Musically TMP lays down some great instrumentation. A
bit of the early suicidal black metal sound is evident. A bit epic
in places. Good stuff. Vocally, anguished screams that in my opinion
are not on par with the music. I would rather hear this album as an
instrumental. Or, improve the vocal performance. A good
release. I'm not sure if this is their only material but I'd like to
see how they've developed since this came out. - Mark
http://www.myspace.com/thecanisdirus
http://www.moribundcult.com/
|
This Czech band
have been around for over ten years now. This release came out in
2009. Sort of a hybrid of styles - doom, metal, even a little folk
in the overall feel. Musically they are competent. The vocals take
a bit of getting used to, though. Main man Blackie seems to be a one
man band with the exception of drums. It's nice to hear bands that
are one or two members that can pull off the band sound. It's not
easy. You have to have vision to really hear what the other
instruments should be doing to pass yourself off as 4 or 5 member
band. This isn't really something I would buy but there's no denying
it's quality music. - Mark
http://www.myspace.com/calesclan
http://metalbreath.cz/en/metal-breath/ |
Czech grind is a
thing of legend in the UG and one of the best and most prolific
grind scenes around. One of the good ones and one of the well-known
are Cerebral Turbulency. Who are coming fresh from going off the
rails last album with the semi-awful and decidedly bland “Crash
Test” mallcore train wreck. Will Cerebral look to get back on track
and make amends to the loyal followers who were disappointed and
dejected? I am happy to report that Turbulent ones are back steaming
ahead on the right path. The real aggression and trademark grinding
have thankfully returned in a big way. Some sections of the album
are an intense rape ‘n pillage assault with chainsaw guitars and
lightning quick, scatter shot drumming. There is a lot of very good
things going on but it is a mixed bag as well. Because they
incorporate so many different things (samples, effects, tons of
different vocal styles etc…) into the songs. Some of the off the
wall things really work and other times it does not and seems like
they were forced into the song just to have it there. But do not let
that statement keep you away as there is plenty of good material to
go around and Cerebral Turbulency give you a taste of what made them
so good in the first place. Yes this is some intense shit. Which is
all the more pity with this being the bands final release as they
have decided to split up after 15 years of grinding. – Dale
http://www.khaaranus.wz.cz
http://www.myspace.com/cerebralturbulency
|
I love crossover
thrash bands. This particular one comes to us by way of Italy. Hells
Headbangers have really been diversifying the bands they sign lately
and in a good way. As can be expected with this style the songs are
often on the short side and the album comes in at under 30 minutes.
Goodness these fucking guys can rip, they hit you with those cool
tumbling riffs that trundle forward quickly like a sweet motorcycle
with timing problem in the overheating engine. Those killer riffs
make me want to mosh and headbang like a raving lunatic. I also love
those gruff and gutsy vocals that sound like the guy has been a life
long smoker and heavy drinker. This shit is getting me nostalgic and
wanting to reach for my Cryptic Slaughter, DRI, Tankard, SOD etc…
The audio insanity of Children Of Technology fits right in
perfectly. It is great to see bands like COT, Adrenicide, Short
Sharp Shock keeping this style alive and well. Not only that but
they want your beer, your bitches and think your teeth look silly
inside your mouth, so spit them out! There are limited cassette and
vinyl versions of this release, good luck searching them out. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/childrenoftechnology
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/ |
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/ |
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
|
Old-school
death/thrash lives and it has never sounded better or more fierce.
Ohio's Crucified Mortals have nice catalog of back demo's, splits,
but have unleashed their full-length debut with eleven tracks of
early 80's aggressive thrash guitar oriented music mixed with some
early 90's u.s style death metal this is a perfect blend of
uncompromising, unrelenting death/thrash. The guitars are played
with a lot of chaotic violent riffs and pure metal solo's but also
within the chaos the band showcases some well-written and even
complex structures. The vocals are gruff growls. The production is
pure-perfection it is not extremely raw/thin sounding like so many
from the 80's were but is also not over-produced and weak like so
many of today’s bands. It fits the band chaotic sound very well
giving the listener the chance to hear every guitar note, thunderous
drum or horrific growl. Crucified Mortals is a must have for all
fans of old-school death/thrash - Patrick
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/
http://www.myspace.com/crucifiedmortals
|
This Polish horde is somewhat of a mystery as very little is known
about the members. Well Haxan is the bands "debut" originally
released in 2008. Hells Headbangers has decided to re-release it for
the maniacs who might have missed it the first time around. The best
way to describe Cultes Des Ghoules sound would be filthy, raw
old-school death metal with touches of black metal within the
thin/raw guitar riffs and screechy style vocals. Cultes Des Ghoules
is definitely not a band for everyone but if you enjoy the older
bands like Varathron or early Mortuary Drape then this should give
you some idea on the great style the band has continued to carry on
within their sound.
- Patrick
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/cultesdesghoules/
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/ |
Dark Celebration
are Paragon Records latest signing/release and what a monumental
metal release it is. This Brazilian band is pure old-school Death
Metal through and through. Mid-to extremely fast chaotic drumming
and insane whirlwind guitar riffs and some solo's thrown into the
mix. The vocals are just as extreme and unpredictable with some
gruff growls, screams/shrieks and the deeper brutal sounding growl.
Fans of (old) Incantation, (old) Morbid Angel, Krisiun or pure Death
Metal in general will want to find and this release as soon as
possible! – Patrick
http://www.paragonrecords.org
http://www.myspace.com/darkcelebration666 |
The guys at
Paragon never cease to amaze me whether it be mind-numbing slow
Doom, harsh Black Metal or crushing grind these guys know Metal
inside and out. Germany's own Darkestrah play a nice blend of
atmospheric Black Metal and cold/pagan Metal mix. The vocals are
shrieks and some deeper growls blended in with the musicianship that
is above average. Mid paced semi-raw guitars and even some acoustic
parts added in to keep the dark feelings alive. And mid-paced
drumming. I was a little worried when I saw the band had a synth
player but the band uses them to their advantage mixing them right
in with the other instruments to create a dark, haunting atmosphere.
For fans of dark pagan Blackness. – Patrick
http://www.paragonrecords.org
http://www.myspace.com/officialdarkestrah |
I like that Dead
Shape Figure paid their dues before releasing an album. In my view
you do not see enough of that these days in the UG scene worldwide.
But probably it is most evident in Scandinavia where it seems like
any band that has had a few rehearsals and maybe a live show gets
signed for an album. This is the bands second album after forming in
2003 and releasing an ep and a couple of demos. The music on here is
fast, sometimes technical high octane modern thrash metal that is
heavy and riff driven. There is a plethora of weighty riffs that are
memorable and fairly catchy. The sound on here is crystal clear, I
almost feel like I am sitting right next to the drummer. The vocals
are death metal style yelled growls and hurl out like the spray from
buck shot rifle blast and really kill in a good way. However the
clean vocals that are interspersed to a lesser (though not enough
into the less ledger) extent are almost laughable in how terribly
bad they are. A word of advice to the band, either drop those or get
someone who can do a more competent job. Those clean vocals are
really are the only real black mark on an otherwise solid and
enjoyable album of rocking thrash metal. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/deadshapefigure
http://www.dynamicartsrecords.com/
|
I am quite
familiar with Deathbound thanks to Dynamic Arts. They have sent me
most of the bands releases over the years. In turn, they have made
me a fan of this bludgeoning bastard band from the wintry lands of
Finland. While I am at it I should commend DA Records on the superb
job they do promoting their bands. Having co-founded a record label
myself and worked on some of the promotion end of things, I can
appreciate a job well done. Deathbound never let down, they never
quit and just keeping churning out raging blast beat death metal
grindcore intensity. I think the energy on here will remind you of
the adrenaline rush you get from a band like Nasum for example. The
vocalist is amazing, a real growling beast with semi-decipherable
vocals that just roar at you. I would put these vocals up with the
best dm vocals in the history of the genre. Some bands that jump to
mind vocally I would put in the same category are Dismember,
Benediction, Napalm Death, Grave etc… I worship those bands and
their vocals so that is no hollow compliment or comparison. These
guys are such a killer band. They are well rounded and have it all
really, from brutality to technicality to excellent song writing and
topped off with superb vocals. Without doubt Deathbound are one of
the elite level bands in the death and grind scenes today. A must
have. – Dale
http://www.dynamicartsrecords.com/artists.php?Deathbound
http://www.dynamicartsrecords.com/
|
It is hard to
believe they Deiphago apparently have been around for 20 years and
this is the second album?!?. “Filipino Antichrist” is some heavily
influenced Blasphemy mixed with Sarcofago chaos metal from the
Philippines of course. I hate to say it, but this comes off sounding
a little like a train wreck, a real mess and not in a good way. You
almost get the feeling with it being so loud and chaotic, if each
member can even hear the other playing. As much of the individual
instruments do not sound like they belong together or that they all
got confused and started playing separate songs (or ‘things’ might
be a better word than songs). Do not get me wrong I love Blasphemy
and Sarcofago and that style for a long, long time. Yet, compared to
those bands this kind of sounds just a tad better than the
equivalent of warmed over garbage. Probably the most interesting
part of the presentation is the maniacal, heavy breather vocals
which convey a lot of confused emotion and raw anger, while
ultimately going nowhere. The production is loud, but kind of
treble-y and hissing which for me is headache inducing. I do not
think I can listen to this mess any longer as just because you can
play noisy, chaotic and loud does not automatically make it any
good. Deiphago are a sparkling example of that and after twenty
years of practice too! I think I will go listen to the real deal and
put on some old Blasphemy and Beherit. – Dale
http://www.deiphago.hellsheadbangers.com
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/
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I have not seen
a logo that hard to decipher for a while. It brings back some
nostalgia from the early to middle 90s with all the great brutal
death bands. That feeling is well founded musically as well as
Denouncement Pyre’s brand of death metal harkens back to some
classic early ‘90s dm. I love the production on here, really heavy
but old school sounding. The drum sound has that deep in your chest
thud quality on the bass drum and the nice pitter patter timbre from
the tom toms that I love and is so often missing these days. It is
an organic sounding production; unlike many an album today that
sounds like each instrument has a layer of slick plastic wrapped
around it. The vocals are not your traditional death metal growls,
but rather most of the time an evil and dark sounding hiss / rasp
with an undertone of the old stand-by growl. Those vocals really
suit the ominous malevolent atmosphere the music creates. They have
a little different style, but think of the atmosphere created on the
masterpiece album “Rites Of The Black Mass” by Acheron or maybe some
earlier Ancient Rites stuff. All these damn Australians seem to know
how to do is make great UG metal! - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/metalarmour
http://www.myspace.com/denouncementpyre |
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/ |
I must say
getting a new release from Destruktor, for me, is like hearing from
old friend you lost connection with for a time. In way, it literally
is as the mainman of Destruktor, Glenn was an old friend of mine. We
used to write letters on paper to each other, not sure if anyone
remembers archaic tradition? We lost touch, but he still reaches out
with his music and reminds me he is still around the scene from time
to time. Glenn definitely has an old school sort of mind set and it
shows in his music. This is some fine dark, but brutal death metal
just like in the early days. It grinds you down with rolling riffing
and death marching drum runs. Glenn’s vocals are tortured and
guttural growls which compliment the raging music nicely. It all has
a very organic feel to it and the band will probably be well pleased
to hear that. As if fans of modern metallic plastic machinations are
unhappy, despite the sound being well clear on here, it likely is
too rough and heavy for their slick ears and mass media junked up
minds. Then again Australians always seem to have a deep respect for
the old metal traditions. If you are looking for something fresh and
innovative and smooth, well, just keep on looking. If you want
something that is vital and heavy and dark as it is mean, then you
have found what you were looking for. I mean who does not enjoy a
spiked glove first to the teeth? It is hard to believe Destruktor
has been around for over a decade releasing demos, eps and a split.
Yet, this is their debut album and they did it up right. Congrats
Glenn and get in touch you old goat. – Dale
http://www.destruktor.com/
http://www.hellsheadbangers.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 usually do not
complain that much about production. But sometimes the mix is just
not good or at least well done. The recording is fine and clear, but
the drums are too loud in the mix and over power the guitars,
especially when the drums are really active which is often. Also
most of the time it seems hard to hear that there is a bass player
on here and that hurts the bottom end of their sound a great deal.
The only thing that seems to be at a proper level is the vocals of
female vocalist Antonie. She does a solid job with some great hoarse
yell growling that shows some depth, she also mixes in some squeals
and higher pitched stuff from time to time as an accent. The music
seems to present itself as death metal, but there is no denying a
heavy thrash metal influence that bleeds through the constantly
blasting loud drums. There is a quite a lot of melody injected in
there, yet I almost hesitate to throw them into the melodic death
genre. But I would not argue that hard against it either. I would
posit they are a little heavier and rely on aggression a little more
than most meldodeath bands. At the end of the day nothing special
but not a bad listen either. So I will leave it up to you if you
love this style enough to go for it. I enjoyed it, but still it will
be one of those records for me that is easy to forget and not reach
for to have repeat listens. – Dale
http://www.myspace.com/damnmetal
http://www.unexplodedrecords.com/
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Well I got this
album and the new album that followed in the same package. For some
unknown reason I went and reviewed the new album first, foregoing
chronological order. So I guess you can refer to that review on more
of the background on the band and their history with Canadian
Assault. The recording is not quite as nice or fitting as the new
record Collapse The Void, but it still gets the job done coming
across heavy and dark. The musicianship is solid and the music
itself is challenging to perform, but not overly so. Hossanas is a
rough, mean beast that punishes with little discretion, yet there is
some level of control among the black/death chaos. The vocals from
Mike as can always be expected are purely maniacal, forceful and he
puts every ounce of everything he has got into them. Dimentianon at
times employ touches of unusual structuring and timing to their
songs which creates a lot of introspective and tortured atmospheres.
These unique qualities often help them to not sound much like anyone
else I can think of to be honest. Something which is in this day and
age is a compliment all by its lonesome. My view is this band is
quite underrated and deserves more attention within the scene. They
deserve at the least not to get lost in the shuffle like so many
quality bands. – Dale
http://www.ncmrecords.com/
http://www.myspace.com/dimentianon
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Dimentianon (and
prior to that The Forgotten) make their return to the pages of
Canadian Assault. We are both getting old and crusty now as I recall
reviewing their listening / reviewing their demos a decade ago! I
kind of lost touch with the band and label and missed out on them
for a while. The line up has changed since I last heard them. In
fact, the band is still made up of old member Mike and Maureen (from
the home base in NY), but the rest of the band is in the band
Sectioned from the UK. The album was recorded in Deer Park, New
York, so apparently the British invaded America rather than the
reverse to make this happen. Dimentianon sound a little different my
last experience with them. They have a cleaner, heavier sound and I
think you can see maturity creeping into their songwriting. Vocalist
Mike still sounds great, powerful and more controlled than previous.
I have not seen the band live lately, but this guy Mike was pretty
fucking intense live and left his guts out on the stage. I have
heard hundreds of bands try to mix intense black / death metal
together with stripped down melodic breaks and introspective
interludes. But very few have mastered the art of doing it well like
Dimentianon have and they do not need to simply drench you in piles
of synth (though there surely is that element present) to achieve
it. A testament to their vision and talent. I can recommend this
strongly to anyone who loves black / death melded with reflective
somber soundscapes and good musicianship. The recording really does
the music justice as well, it is full and heavy and not overly
slick, a mistake in my view many bands make these days. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/dimentianon
http://www.themetalunderground.com/ |
The Visions of
Death, was apparently originally scheduled for release on Reaper
Metal Records. But subsequently was, due to reasons I do not know,
handed over to the capable hands of Hells Headbangers. This album,
for me is a very entertaining listen. For me, it brings back
memories of my early days in the UG and just before that. You know
the very late 80s and early 90s, there was that link between thrash
and what would become brutal death metal. You would call the style
death metal, but there were definite signs of the bands thrash metal
roots. When I think of that time and when I listen to Disfigured
Dead, it immediately brings to mind bands from that time like Death,
Autopsy, Repulsion, Nihilist, Slaughter, Immortal Fate and the like.
It is obvious that is what Disfigured are going for and are not
ashamed to wear their influences on their sleeves. This is what they
are, take it or leave it. That is what you can expect a relentless
death thrash attack, replete with Scream Bloody Gore vocals and
pubescent gore lyrics. There is definitely nothing groundbreaking,
but I still fucking love it. As I said it is was a fun listen to be
sure and I banged my head a time or two.
– Dale
http://www.myspace.com/disfigureddeaddeathmetal
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/
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I must confess I
missed this band the first time when they were around, and had not
even heard of them. I am little sad about that fact – I wish I heard
them decades ago. I am able to find little information on this band,
they are from the Czech Republic (the second I heard the vocals I
already knew this, more on that later), and this particular release
was originally set loose on the world way back in 1990. I think it
would be fair to call them a slower paced thrash metal band with a
lot of old heavy metal influence. Their sound though is so distinct,
instant classic sounding, and the odd quirky speed of the songs
makes it sound so cool and it just sticks in your head. There are
some superb guitar leads and fills and they really help round out
the songs without sounding like a wank at all. Now back to the
vocals. The second I heard them and the phrasing of the words, I
knew these guys were Czech. It often reminds me to the cleaner, dark
sounding parts from the legendary Czech band Root. I worship Root
and am fully obsessed with their vocals delivered via the talented
Big Boss. I can not get enough of the vocals on this album. The fact
that it is all backed with wonderful, classic sounding songs only
further takes this record to elite levels in my view. The only track
I do not like on here is the one with the English chorus called
“Crazy Boy”, it is a more upbeat happy sounding song than the other
material, but the English sung vocals are horrible and ruin the
song. Apparently this is limited to only 500 copies. A magnificent
record and I am thrilled I have finally found this at after missing
out for all these years. I consider myself lucky to have a copy and
I am also happy I got the Czech language sung version. The two disc
in case you wondered are the Czech and English versions apparently. – Dale
http://www.drakar-metal.eu/
http://www.ihate.se/
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Now how can you
not get a kick out of a band with members who go by monikers like
Gaylord Shemale, Bitchy Rockmore and Alcoholic Sperm?! They also
claim they are “Too metal for punk and too punk for metal” – that
sounds about right and also sounds like something I would like. I
did not look at the running time but I would guess it barely hits
the twenty minute mark. Drunken Bastards deliver like they promise,
adult beverage soaked raunchy speed metal ala Cryptic Slaughter,
Gang Green mixed Agnostic Front and some crazy other bands that are
on the tip of my tongue right now but will not come out. These boys
just rage full speed ahead on every song with some nasty heavy riffs
that are catchy and sound cool as hell with the rapid fire drums and
gang shouted vocals back ups. Yeah I really dig this. But I have
always dug bands like this. Some metal purists might not. How can
you go wrong with song titles like Drink With Satan, Baptized In
Speed And Blood and Posercrusher. These Hungarians are right
twisted. - Dale
http://www.myspace.com/drunkenbastard666
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/
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