“SAAC” is a Finnish black metal solo project founded this year of the member of “Goat Tunnel”, which new stuff is also reviewed in September. The three songs of the EP are normal length ones. They are raw, cold and brutal. There are not much speed or rhythm changes and the drums, screams and guitars are juts blasting your ears. Lyrically “S”, the guy behind “SAAC”, uses the much used topics of misanthropy, hate and insanity.
11 minutes, released by “Death Worm Records”, a small also Finnish label, of raw black metal, which have their good moments, but in my opinion they are not to often. The price of the EP (3,50 €) is okay and if you have “paypal”, you can order it over the labels myspace page.
Band: SANCTIFICATION
Country: Sweden
Title: Black Reign
Label: Pulverised Records
Year: 2009
Style: Brutal Swedish Death Metal
Review:
Fans of pure brutal death metal but are tired of all the newer bands who add black, prog or even the horrific "core" to their brutal sound can take a huge sigh of relief with Sweden's Sanctification. Black Reign is nine tracks of pure old-school Swedish brutality. Hypocrisy and early Entombed {think Left Hand Path era} come to mind when listening to this band. Extreme fast guitar chords and few solo's and a drummer who is a master at creating a heavy mid-paced beats or the more psychotic blast beats. Fans of {early} Hypocrisy, Desultory, and Entombed will defintly want to check out this band and their brutal yet "classic" sound.
Reviewed by Patrick
Contact:
Band: SEELENFROST
Country: Germany
Title: Im Schatten toter Wörter
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
Imagine cold rain falling in big drops and rumbling thunder. A smooth undistorted e-guitar starts some lonely and sad tunes. The song “Als kalter Regen...” (When cold rain...) is a nice break after the two fast songs in the beginning, but then a cut: the next song and the typical “Seelenfrost” sound comes up. A fast and raw coldness of black metal with much blast-beats and an atmospheric guitar riffing. I like very much that there are still some short moments of speakings or some ambient sounds, they make the album a great varied one, because there are appearing also some songs which are not fitting directly in the concept (e.g. D.S.O.N).
The band itself is coming from Germany and includes three (source: homepage) guys. The founding year is 2006. This reviewed piece of music is their first Album, but one split and five demos are preceding. The lyrics are moving between dark nature mystic and sorrow of the human existence.
I really appreciate the listening to this band. Everyone who likes German underground black metal can grab this without any doubt. You can order it from their homepage.
Reviewed by Robert
Contact:
Band: SIHR
Country: USA
Title: Beneath the Twelwe Mile Zone
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2009
Style: Doom Metal
Review:
This is a must for fans of Electric Wizard, Bongzilla, Church Of Misery and Weedeater, this is one of the heaviest things released this year and its all free from their website, the link is below so grab a download and you wont be disappointed. The album starts with "Russian Legs" full of monumental riffage, shredding solo work and some spoken word samples that add to the crushing intensity of this track. They couldn't open the album in any heavier fashion, this is pure unadulterated heaviness. "Comes With The Territory" is up next and continues the intense pummeling attack. The vocals are typical of bands like this but so heavy in their delivery, the thought of being unoriginal wont be a issue. The rolling riff lines combined with a super heavy bottom end bass sound makes this impossible not to get blown away. "Working With Knots" starts off with a twisted, distorted riff before it moves into more pure Sludge driven headbanging ecstasy. This reminds me of "Church Of Misery's" finest work and the section starting at 2:20 is just magic in the most Doomed out way possible. The guitar work is exceptionally good and it seems like these guys were made to play this sort of music, this band has the potential to be the next kings of super heavy ass Sludge/Doom music. "Running Wild" is again another killer track with the a riff that slays,not to mention the lead work that interweaves its way through the arrangement. Still 4 tracks in and the quality hasn't let up, crank this baby up and you will have to scrape yourself off the walls after its finished. "Unbecoming Misdeeds" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, once again its heavy as hell with those tortured growling vocals pushing the Doom intensity to a new level. "Kurmari Kandam", the final track and the longest track on the album at over 10 minutes is a tour de force of Sludge Metal. The solo that works its way into the track at around the 4 minute mark is a monster, swirling and twisting all the way. The track winds down to a feedback laden, Psychedelic finish which seems a perfect way to end such a great album. I say download this band before they become household names in the Doom/Sludge world. This is so good and so freakin heavy.... Essential listening and get it for free from their site.
Reviewed by Ed
Contact:
Band: SOULDECEIVER
Country: Italy
Title: Mankinds Mistakes
Label: SG Records
Year: 2009
Style: Thrash Death
Review:
Souldeceiver is a relatively young band in the Italian Extreme Metal scene. Formed in 2007 they have already released a demo the same year and their debut album this year. Mankinds Mistakes treats us with a very good stab of aggressive death thrash with progressive direction a la Death school. The very first positive thing that hits you (or at least got my attention) when listening to this 9 tracks album is the fantastic voice of Francesco. His vocals are pretty linear (when it comes to the tones used), but this is the exact voice that a band like this needs to become loved in the extreme metal scene: wicked, sharp as a razorblade, comprehensive, I would say a more Death Metal like Mille Petrozza, so to sum it up: metal to the bone! Then it's obvious how talented the other guys are when it comes to composition: catchy guitar riffs, perfect solos (the right amount, not too many), hammering rhythm section and also melodic from time to time, all these presented with a crystal clear sound. This is another band that should make Italy proud to have such a vulcano as a metal scene... Again: awesome vocals! :)
Reviewed by Adrian
Contact:
Band: SOUND OF DETESTATION
Country: Sweden
Title: Sound of Detestaion
Label: Grindhead Records
Year: 2009
Style: Grindcore
Review:
Sweden's Sound Of Detestation have released an impressive debut for Grindhead Rec. The band has the brutal approach of most European grind bands as well as some old-school hardcore influence that only adds to Sound Of Detestation's already brutal, old-school grind approach. The vocals like most bands playing this style are shared and fit very well together mixing in brutal growls, screams/screechs and some hardcore "clean" vocal screams. The drums {compliments of a human drummer} are blasted through each song with a psychotic intensity. The production even gives off the old-school feel not extremly raw and underproduced but also not polished and over-produced like so many of todays bands. Sound Of Detestation mix old-school grind, hardcore together nicely defintly worth a listen for fans of the European style of grindcore.
reviewed by Patrick
Contact:
Band: STILLNESS BLADE
Country: Italy
Title: The First Dark Chapter (Misanthropic Elevation)
Label: Obskure Sombre
Year: 2007
Style: Brutal Death Metal
Review:
Stillness Blade comes from Italy and was founded 2002 and before releasing this debut album in 2007, they have tested the public's reactions with 2 demos, one in 2004 and another in 2005. Unlike many other Italian death metal bands Stillness Blade goes for old-school fast and dark death metal. Don't be fooled by their band name and logo like I was, this is a straigth in your face brutal death metal band taking inspiration from the glorious days of this genre, meaning the end of '80's - beginning of '90's. To be honest, I don't like their band name and logo, I think it's not suitable for their music, but in exchange I looove their music: great growls, powerful guitar leads and great solos here and there. It's awesome! The only minus for their music, the drums-pedal which is going nuts sometimes and doesn't fit at all with the music. If the drums are programmed (which I think they are), they should work more next time. If that's a real drummer on this release, well, he should quit drinking energizers.
Good band, rotten, old-school atmosphere, I love it. But you should stay away if you're looking for something new.
Reviewed by Adrian
Contact:
Band: SWITCHBLADE
Country: Sweden
Title: Switchblade
Label: Trust No One Rec.
Year: 2009
Style: Sludge Drone
Review:
This is another band from Sweden,it seems every review i am doing at the moment is a Swedish band.You can't complain though when bands like Switchblade are just so good. I will put it this way, if you have been listening to bands like "Khanate" for so long you have become immune to the heaviness then you must check out this band. The band has been flying under the radar for most people for years so it might be surprising to know that this is their fifth album and best but strangely self-titled album. This is one real ugly sounding album, bleak and often painful to the senses but so heavy at times its in danger of being crushed by its own sonic weight. Its not a album that you need to highlight certain tracks, it is better appreciated to be judge as a whole body of work. There is only three tracks on here taking up the best part of a hour and its a body of work that is bleak, dark and extremely abstract. Obvious comparisons will point to Khanate and Earth but really this band can stand out on their own. I don't think any other band can touch them at the moment for avant-doom. Musically the band can move from ambient moments with whispering vocals to massive, bludgeoning sections with some frenzied shrieking vocals. The guitar and bass is thick and buzzing while the drumming is hammering but with a real feel for making the tracks even more dramatic. This is a band that understands the dynamics needed to make some rather uncomfortable doom-noise while still retaining enough arrangement skills to keep it interesting.
This record is a beast that makes no excuses for being absolutely monolithic and intense,this band plays from the gut. There is some insane vocal work to compliment the harrowing guitar work and the production is right up to the challenge. If you like music that builds to massive peaks and then takes you down to dark ambiance only to bring you up to harrowing heights once again then check this out. I can't see how this band can follow this album, its a monster and one of the most intense doom albums ever made. Don't expect many if any traditional doom metal riffs or heavy metal style vocal techniques here, this is for the hardcore doom/sludge fan that can appreciate the abstract doom approach. Best listened to by yourself in a dark room, cranked to 10 but don't expect to get too cozy in your chair because this is one punishing album.
Reviewed by Ed
Contact:
