PULVERISER / CREMATION

Split LP

(Self Released)

These 2 bands are new to me. Dale went out on a limb & picked this up for me from an overseas distro. Good fucking call bro! The Pulveriser side contains the "Slave Grinder" ep & it kills in an ultra brutal death style that reminds me of early Vomitory quite a bit. The band look young and I'm sure they'll be spreading filth for years to come. The Cremation side is definitely more blasting death metal with some bm touches that make them sound undeniably sinister. This vinyl split is a must for ug fanatics. ~ Jeffrey Kusbel

STARGAZER / ARGHOSLENT

Split 7” EP 2002

(Hellflame Records)

What a perfect pairing of bands!

S – Stargazer are like an occult dream of high caliber deathrash with intelligent structuring & epic atmosphere which equals a memorable addictive listen through the most extreme of art.

A – Anyone who reads C.A. regularly know how much I respect this bands music! They sound like no other. Extremely unique deathrash with hints of power metal background here & there. Supreme piece of vinyl is this!!

Stargazer, Box 182, Ingle Farm, 5098 South AUSTRALIA

STRYCHNINE / LETHAL PRAYER

“Souls To Slaughter / Castella De La Rotta” 2001 Split 10” EP

(Apparition Entertainment)

S – I’ve been really enjoying & reveling in this first rate piece of see thru blood-red vinyl. They are not terribly prolific (2 demos, 1 album and this split), in their 9 years of audio blasphemic existence. Strychnine are a seasoned and confident band who come across to myself as more than a little original & in strong contrast to most of what is making the rounds these days. I would describe Strychnine as late 80s style deathtrash (you know that period when many thrash bands were incorporating death elements) with a slight but note able early 90s black/death metal feel (mainly due to the riffing). Vocalist Don has an 80s speed / thrash clean but still dense lightly graveled delivery which is both unique and personally pleasing. Strychnine are fucking supreme!

L.P. – Didn’t this band go under a different moniker in the early 90s?! I may have them confused with someone else. Anyway, Lethal Prayer play excellently riffed guttural death metal albeit a bit typical. I really like the dark and suffocating atmosphere their music possesses. The vocals are indecipherable, garbled & obscured sounding which I dug a lot.

$10 USA/$12 US CAN/MEX/$17 US Rest of World to: A. Rec., Box 173, Keyport, NJ. 07735 pete@apparitiondistro.com

THE FORGOTTEN / RIGOR SARDONICUS

“Split” 7” EP

(Paragon International / Smiling Death Records)

A split between band & labels – now that is fucking underground!

T. F. – I’ve been into these hellhounds for a long time and every release that they put out slaps me in the face, letting me know this one is better than the last. Cryptic harsh black metal for all your suicide fiends. Vocalist “M” is a monster screamer, he sounds better than before and his vocals really push everything over the top. Hail The Forgotten (Dimentianon!).

R.S. – Play original sounding and vile snails pace head crushing doom. Kind of like if you took that old band Entety on their “Cadaveric Necrogrind” 7” and put them in slow motion mixed with after shocks of a nuclear bomb! This release is limited to 500 copies and mine is #54 – just try and pry it from my death grip!!

Label # 1 = paragonsnuff@aol.com  # 2 = deadseason@yahoo.com

THE TRUE FROST

"Invoking the Aeon of Satan" LP

(Hellflame Productions)

I've read about this band and I've been wanting to check them out. Finally this LP came out on Hellflame run by Solieri Nicola of the zine of the same name. The first song has an awesome opening which very much took me back to the Celtic Frost inspired days of late 90's Darkthrone material. Each song on this record contains a lot of good songwriting and while not too many dynamic moments materialize, most of the songs are still memorable. The vocals are a bit quiet in the mix but this doesn't hinder anything. I highly recommend this to the ug black metal hordes and urge you to play it fukkin loud! - Jeffrey Kusbel

c/o Solieri Nicola - Via India 73 - 41100 Modena - ITALY http://come.to/hellflame  

TOXIC HOLOCAUST / OPRICHNICKI

“Split 7” EP” 2002

(Self Release)

T.H. – Darkened black metal with slight punk leanings. Better than you would think actually.

O – Punk / hardcore style music with some metal riffs. Okay. This vinyl is cheap as shit ($3 US) so give it a chance.

T.H., Box 628, Delaware City, DE. 19706 www.geocities.com/toxicholocaust/nuclearhell