Band: MORGUE
Country: Canada
Title: Flames and Blood
Label: Self-released
Year: 2010
Style: Black Death Metal
Review:
One of the best Black Death Metal debut albums I've hear in a while! Although this is released back in 2010, I've only got the chance to listen to it now. This Canadian quintet released with Flames of Blood one memorable piece of Metal, I tell you; each and every track is memorable and has at least one feature to make capture your attention, but overall the band impresses through the vocalist's ferocity (made me think of Czech Avenger), the occasional groovy but at the same time aggressive drumming, the doomy bass lines, and the guitarists' creativity. Great stuff, I'll spin it a bit more and after I'll pass to their second album sent for a review as well. Get your hands on this CD, yes, the sound is a bit dirty and unpolished, but that makes it even more genuine!
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 9/10
Contact:
www.facebook.com/MorgueTheBand
Band: MORGUE
Country: Canada
Title: Dethroned
Label: Self-released
Year: 2011
Style: Black Death Metal
Review:
Second full-length album from the Canadian Morgue (there are lots and lots of Morgue bands around the world), Dethroned is made of 9 tracks totaling almost 45 minutes of Black Death Metal as on the first, previously reviewed, album, but this time I feel the music is more brutal and less groovy. Unfortunately their music although sounding curdled and quite solid, becomes part of the nowadays Black Death trend trying to be as aggressive and shocking as possible. Well, it gets dull after a while, so I was less impressed by Dethroned than I was by their debut, and still almost 3 years passed since this second album was released, it's about time for a third, I'm curious how that will sound. In conclusion Dethroned is an ok Black Death album, but lacks the catchiness of Flames and Blood.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 7.5/10
Contact:
www.facebook.com/MorgueTheBand
Band: MURDER RAPE
Country: Brazil
Title: For Evil I Spill My Blood
Label: Evil Horde Records
Year: 2013
Style: Black Metal
Review:
The look and quality of this CD are are making it worth your money even before getting to the music itself because if you already know this band you should know what to expect. Murder Rape started as a Doomy act in 1992 but soon turned to Black Metal, a genre that fits their lyrics and attitude much better. After 2 full-length albums released back in the '90's and one in 2001, Murder Rape had a 12 years long break until 2013 when this new, fourth, album was out on Evil Horde Records (my guess is that EHR is owned by a Murder Rape member, but that's only a supposition). 9 tracks, almost 40 minutes of uncompromising Black Metal with intelligent structures, excellent sound quality, the right amount of diversity, and above all nothing to inspire any lack of honesty from the band, they really seem to be the real deal: a satanic ensemble spreading hate and anger. The good technical quality of Murder Rape's members is undeniable, I suggest you try getting this album in your collection.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 9.5/10
Contact:
www.evilhorderec.com
Band: NOCTEM
Country: Spain
Title: Exilium
Label: Art Gates Records
Year: 2014
Style: Black Death Metal
Review:
Noctem is definitely one of the hardest working bands in the European Black Death Metal scene, here's their third studio album released 3 years and numerous live shows after the well-received Oblivion. The band continues to give shape to their Extreme Metal and although it will still be considered as a part of the Behemoth-lead Black Death movement, they have an own identity, part of this being the vocals (sounding like cuffed growls and screams), part their Symphonic interludes and part the melodic guitar leads and solos refreshing the tracks every now and then. I don't see many differences between Oblivion and Exilium, but I'm not even sure if there should have been any in the end; the band is professional to the bone, their music is top-notch quality, their image and dedication are excellent, I see no reason why you'd be excused for missing this new album. And I'm sure Exilium is just another step for Noctem's World domination.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 9.5/10
Contact:
www.noctemofficial.com
www.artgatesrecords.com
Band: NYKSTA
Country: Lithuania
Title: Lieka Tik Sienos
Label: Inferna Profundus Records
Year: 2014
Style: Post Black Metal
Review:
Young band that seems to be raised from the ashed of a defunct act named Dereliction, I've never heard of anyway, so I'll just take Nyksta as a young band founded in 2013. This is their debut album and we get right away where they are heading for: Post-Black Metal; melodic, with lots of repetitive, hypnotic parts, quite soft and gloomy overall but with its share of aggression, using loads of effects and trying to create heavy atmospheres, that's how I see their music. Good quality on both sound and compositions, but with lack of something to stand out; well, I think the vocalist may be the first that will become a highligh for this band in the future, the potential is there, they all seem to be able to create memorable music and this debut album is a nice appetizer for what's to hopefully come. What I'll remember after playing this a couple of times will be the energy and crude delivery of the vocal parts and the short and very simple but highly effective sax appearance on the sixth track.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 8/10
Contact:
www.facebook.com/viskasnyksta
www.infernaprofundusrecords.bigcartel.com
Band: ONIROPHAGUS
Country: Spain
Title: Prehuman
Label: Xtreem Music
Year: 2013
Style: Doom Death Metal
Review:
After their first EP "Defiler of Hope" Onirophagus come back with their first long album "Prehuman" offering a good mixture between doom and death metal music with a little touch of black influence best felt in some of the vocal snaky screams, guitar riffs and atmosphere. The album consists of 7 long tracks most of them over 7 minutes except for the track "Aeger" which most of them start with the more doomy riffs and the more speedy death parts in the middle and in some part the drums takes the initiative of melting the speed riffs into the doom parts wich gives this bands its unique sound differing from other Doom/Death bands that you feel like two sounds comming together as they keep bouncing from mood to mood. One of the best tracks in the album is "Feverish" with fast intro yet still doomy before in the third minute the guitars gives one of my favourite riffs in this album with a rythm that will make you bang your head and as always before the end the death influence strikes back again with fast,powerful melodic riff that was the best end to this track. In the middle of the album "Aeger" offers some really enjoyable acoustic work that gives a smooth break between these heavy tracks. Along the album the drummer has done a good job moving the riffs from fast to slow parts as did the vocals , and the guitars had this unique old school doomy sound yet with its own interpretation but I feel they can work more on the conceptual aspect of their riffs. In conclusion "Prehuman" is a great itroduction of "Onirophagus" to the world with sound loyal to the earlier waves of Doom/Death bands yet so different and unique in its way that make this album an enjoyable experience to any metal fan in general and put this band under the eyes of every Doom/Death Metal fan.
Reviewed by Tarek
Rating: 7/10
Contact:
www.reverbnation.com/onirophagus
www.label.xtreemmusic.com
Band: PAIMONIA
Country: Serbia
Title: Disease Named Humanity
Label: Humanity's Plague Productions
Year: 2013
Style: Black Death Metal
Review:
Finally this exciting newcomer from Serbian lands managed to sign a record deal and release their debut album; Disease Named Humanity is made of 7 tracks totaling 42 minutes of Black Death Metal, and although the band remained a duo after the departure of 2 other members last year, this album sounds like hell (in a good way!), at least the guitar riffs are some of the most wicked and interesting I've heard in this style. The vocals, although I don't like them particularly, could become a trademark for the band; this type of strangled, hoarse, dying screams are quite interesting. The rhythm section is top-notch as well creating an intensity that will bring you to the verge of claustrophobia. The occasional slow paced, semi-acoustic parts are a real treat for the ears and there's even a short violin part thrown inthere, I love it. Even if this is their debut album, Paimonia proves to be able to become a real candidate for this genre's throne, get this album and decide for yourselves.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 9/10
Contact:
www.facebook.com/paimonia
www.facebook.com/HumanitysPlagueProdBlackMetal
Band: PANYCHIDA
Country: Czech Republic
Title: Grief for an Idol
Label: Paragon / Werewolf / Cursed
Year: 2013
Style: Pagan Metal
Review:
Some (most) bands don't have a label and these guys have three, haha; that says a lot on both the band's potential and the state of the Metal underground at the moment, with multiple labels releasing the same album and also label preferring to re-release old stuff than sign new bands, weird times indeed. Panychida seems to be one of the most active Extreme Metal bands in Czech Republic, this is their third album to date and their fans only had to wait 2 years since their previous material was released, the Woodland Journey EP back in 2011. The band follows the same paths as on their previous albums, meaning Pagan Metal; aggressive, hateful and fast paced Black Metal combined with Epic, Melodic, Technical and mid-paced Pagan / Folk inspired Metal. The addition of traditional instruments, choirs, clean vocals, and narrations made this album more interesting and drifted it a bit from the path their raw, raspy vocals are heading it to. As a general impression Grief for an Idol is a very solid release that might win them some more fans along the way, Panychida proves to be a real force to be reckoned, three underground labels releasing this album actually makes sense after the audition, so go grab yourselves a copy.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 8.5/10
Contact:
www.panychida.com
www.paragonrecords.org
www.cursedrecords.at
www.werewolfshop.cz
Band: PRAYER OF THE DYING
Country: Malta
Title: God's Failed Creation
Label: Self-released
Year: 2013
Style: Black Death Metal
Review:
Martin Ciappara, this fantastic Underground warrior from Malta, finally managed to release his 4th full-length album, this time with a lot of his friends being featured as special guests, each of the 12 tracks featured has at least 1 special guest. If you're not familiar with Prayer of the Dying's music I'd say it's a melodic but at the same time aggressive, underground sounding Black Death Metal with plenty of diversity so you won't be bored; the rhythms range from doomy, atmospheric and quite depressive slow paced, to steady and catchy mid-paced, to fast and assaulting. By "underground sounding" I mean the production is not polished and over-worked as for example in Behemoth's case, Martin likes to keep things simple and quite old-school, you'll hear that in his compositions, too, for example the bass solo in "The Full Moon" is something I haven't heard in a long, long time. The whole album is full of these little unexpected elements that make it delicious, it's not boring at all, on the contrary I'd say. Of course there are some negative aspects as well, like the synthetic sound of the drums and the monotone vocals, but all in all this is a successful album so if you're an underground supporter make sure you start supporting this guy and his music, he deserves it.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 8.5/10
Contact:
www.prayerofthedying.yolasite.com
Band: PRIMAL
Country: Poland
Title: Deathzone
Label: Quid Est Veritas Productions
Year: 2011
Style: Black Metal
Review:
I have no idea what's the point of sending me this CD since the band released 2 more full-length albums since then and on the same record label. Primal is a one man band from Warsaw started in 2008, and this is its debut album, an 8 tracks effort totaling almost 45 minutes (2 of the tracks are actually interludes, to the album is made of 6 actual tracks). Unfortunately I wasn't able to digest almost anything from it, except for a few good guitar leads and solos here and there; the drum-machine becomes annoying after a while, and so are the vocals that sound very promising at first audition, then you just discover there's no deeper dimension to them. The whole becomes really chaotic and with no real horizon at least once per track and that has an awful impact on the listener, I guess PrimalOne, the man behind this moniker, has to decide where he's headed with this project, to start building on that line and definitely stop mixing all genres he listens to, at least on this album he proved he's not capable of a good result.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 4/10
Contact:
www.primalband.bandcamp.com
www.qevproductions.dbv.pl
Band: QUINTESSENCE OF VERSATILITY
Country: France
Title: Reveal the Truth
Label: Delta Productions
Year: 2014
Style: Deathcore
Review:
This bands seems to be a little productive one judging by their discography so far; it was founded in 2008 and this is only the second EP to date. Well, maybe they are over-efficient when it comes to live shows and after all that's what any band craves for, gigs. Here we get 5 tracks mixing Deathcore with occasional Brutal Death Metal influences, but with plenty of melodic touches all over; actually the guys' music impresses by how open to melodic touches it is, at least the lead guitarist is heavily influenced by old patterns in Heavy Metal music, he adds a lot of melodic guitar leads and solos all over the place and I'd say that he's the main highlight of this band. On the other side there are also plenty of mid-paced parts that will bore the modern listeners to death (stuff like on track 3 is what the new kids are looking for), this also because the production is good but misses a certain punch and heaviness such a band needs so much. I think this band is still in search for an own path, they still have some work to do.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 6.5/10
Contact:
www.qov-official.com
www.deltaprodlabel.com
Band: SHADOWS GROUND
Country: Ukraine
Title: Mysteria Mystica Calvus Mons
Label: Hexencave Productions
Year: 2013
Style: Black Metal
Review:
Fourth full-length album from this Ukraine based Black Metal band founded in 1998, "Mysteria Mystica Calvus Mons" is made of 8 tracks and lasts for 45 minutes of quite melodic traditional Black Metal. I like the mysterious atmospheres inspired by this release, but musically speaking there's nothing that could surprise or enchant the listener. The guitars are really horrible at times (amateurish riffs and mistakes in execution) and the drums sound becomes really annoying after a while, two of the major elements dragging down this album. On the other hand I like the vocals and part of the riffs, plus the overall atmosphere, but there's still work to do in Shadows Ground.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 6/10
Contact:
www.shadowsground.bandcamp.com
www.hexencave.wz.cz
Band: THE HOWLING VOID
Country: USA
Title: Nightfall
Label: Solitude Productions
Year: 2013
Style: Funeral Doom Metal
Review:
Fourth studio album from this one-man project, Nightfall features 6 tracks and lasts for more than an hour of monotone, oppressive, desolate music. If you already know this project I'd say the difference from its previous full-length is the decrease in vocal usage, most of the music being delivered instrumentally now. For this genre's standards The Howling Void fits perfectly (monotone, heavy, low-tuned, atmospheric, crawling, and systhematically oppressive), but it doesn't stand out with anything in particular, so although this album has a good sound, is well executed, and follows the patterns of this genre to the bone, it won't surprise anyone, probably it will fall into mediocrity.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 6/10
Contact:
www.facebook.com/TheHowlingVoid
www.solitude-prod.com
Band: UPYR
Country: Bulgaria
Title: Altars / Tunnels
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2013
Style: Doom Black Metal
Review:
After getting to know Obsidian Sea a couple of years ago through Solitude Productions, here's another exponent of the Bulgarian Doom Metal scene trying to break through the underground. Upyr is a young quintet and this is their debut demo, a 4 tracks effort lasting for 40 minutes, so it's almost like we're listening to a full-length album. It's clear they are still in search for an own style, but the debut is very promising, at least the first 2 tracks are an excellent and interesting blend of Doom and Black Metal, the third track unfortunately bored me to death being based on only a long semi-acustic repetitive pattern (like Anathema used to do) for more than 10 minutes, and the last track is rehearsal recorded and to me it seems more like Doom Death Metal than Doom Black Metal. So all in all I'll stick to the first 2 tracks and hope that's the band future orientation. Anyway, a very interesting and surprising outfit from Bulgaria to keep an eye on.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 7.5/10
Contact:
www.facebook.com/upyrband
Band: VANITY BLVD
Country: Sweden
Title: Wicked Temptation
Label: Noisehead Records
Year: 2014
Style: Sleaze Metal
Review:
I was just blaming Noisehead Records for starting to focus almost exclusively on Core bands lately and here's a huge slap in the face I get, Vanity Blvd are far, far from being a Core band, they are following a trend too, but a trend straight from the '80's: Sleaze / Hair Metal, in their case with female vocals. That's such a breath of, I wouldn't say fresh, but different air, and although Vanity Blvd are not an exceptional outfit their music is honest, easy to digest, diverse, entertaining, perfect to spice up your day. As I see it, it's about time for a Glam / Sleaze revival and if it will happen Vanity Blvd will be an important part of it, for sure, they have all features to make it in this genre, and this album, although not perfect or particularly catchy, is a good step forward for them, it doesn't have any particular faults either.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 8/10
Contact:
www.facebook.com/VanityBLVD
www.noiseheadrecords.com
Band: VIKINGORE
Country: Spain
Title: Wolves in the Battlefront
Label: Noisehead Records
Year: 2013
Style: Viking Death Metal
Review:
I have to admit after the huge success Amon Amarth had with their Viking Death Metal I was expecting a lot more bands to follow their path, but for my surprise I've only heard of a few. Vikingore debuts with Wolves in the Battlefront, a 9 tracks full-length lasting for a bit more than 40 minutes. Unfortunately the production is not top-notch as one might expect from a label with such a reputation as Noisehead's, but the biggest problem for this band are the vocals: the growls sound like belches actually and the screams sound like recorded with a PC mic by a guy with the flu, definitely not on my taste. Most of the music doesn't flow as smooth as it should have, at least for now they don't seem like a curdled and mature monolith, but there's still time. There are some good parts as well, but all in all I'm not convinced by this debut album, sorry.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 5/10
Contact:
www.facebook.com/vikingore
www.noiseheadrecords.com
Band: WELTSCHMERZ
Country: Holland
Title: Odium Humani Generis
Label: Immortal Frost Productions
Year: 2014
Style: Black Metal
Review:
Not as young as I thought at first, Weltschmerz was founed in 2009 but this is their debut full-length. Made of 8 tracks and lasting for a bit more than 40 minutes, Odium Humani Generis is a surprising album presenting us a very energetic and extremely promising Dutch band; the guitar riffs are awesome, the vocals (although in need of a pich of polish) are raw and hateful as they should be, the guitar leads I found to be at least interesting, and the rhythm section is full of energy although the production faults it a bit. Anyway, this seems to be a band that will try to work on a path of their own their technical skills allow such a target for the near future, so if you're searching for a band that keeps it traditional but throws in lots of intelligent compositions you should definitely try Weltschmerz, a band I will keep an eye on. As a minus for this album (of course it's not perfect) I would mention the slow parts, a bit boring at times. Still the good parts prevail in the end.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 8/10
Contact:
www.facebook.com/weltschmerzmetal
www.immortalfrostproductions.com
Band: WINDBRUCH
Country: Russia
Title: No Stars, Only Full Dark
Label: Hypnotic Dirge Records
Year: 2014
Style: Depressive Ambient Black Metal
Review:
It seems Hypnotic Dirge starts fishing in East European waters, I guess the collaboration with Solitude Productions had its share of influence on this matter, especially since Ukraine and Russia are so rich in doomy, depressive bands. Windbruch already released a split on Hypnotic Dirge and they extended their contract with this second full-length, the first being released by Romanian Sun & Moon Records in 2009. Windbruch seems to borrow / mix elements from Funeral Doom, Dark Ambient, Post Black Metal and Depressive Black Metal, and the final result is really oppressive, hope-shattering and even claustrophobic; it's not the most technically impressive release, but the atmospheres Windbruch manages to create are worth your while if you're into the above mentioned genres. An interesting feature of its music is that although all tracks are different one from another, the overall album sounds curdled and following a sole idea.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 7.5/10
Contact:
www.vk.com/club8244742
www.hypnoticdirgerecords.com
Band: WINGS IN MOTION
Country: Greece
Title: Cyclicity
Label: Another Side Records
Year: 2014
Style: Melodic Death Metal
Review:
Here's a nice surprise from Greece, a band founded in 2008 but a band that only managed to release their debut 6 years later; too bad because they seem really enthusiast and ready to take on the World. This album features 10 tracks lasting for 47 minutes of Death Metal, melodic and modern Death Metal with a touch of Progressive. Wings in Motion seems to be a quite mature outfit, their music is Swiss-clock precise all the time to a point when the riffs seem unhuman, but at the same time it's epic and majestic, all this by blending a few old-school patterns and polishing them with lots of modern influences. Cyclicity is complex but at the same time easy flowing, as a debut album I couldn't ask for more from this band, so I'd suggest to go get a copy of this album, Wings in Motion might become a name we'll all hear much more abou in the future.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 8.5/10
Contact:
www.facebook.com/wingsinmotion
www.metalscraprecords.com