Affliction - Execution is Necessary
As Memory Dies - Transmutate
Au Sacre Des Nuits - Anti Humain
Bogrit / Tampax Vortex - Fetus Burger
Brownfilled Human Race - Scatyricon
Byfrost - Byfrostmetal
Circle Of Ghosts - Collecting Memories
Crematoria - Demolish
Dark Metamorphosis- Last Temptation of Dracularde
Decrepitaph - Grotesque Dwellings
Decrepitaph - Ancient Death Metal
Deep-Pression - Blunt Razor
Eliminator - Breaking The Wheel
Elite Drug Dealers - Assfuck, Cocaine & Drugdealers
Eterul - Verso Ascendere
Excarnated - Homicidal Decimation
Excarnated - Purging the Earth
Fermentia - Promo 2009
Goat Tunnel - Widow Dancing in the Grave of the Blessed
Gourva - Fog Crusher
Immer - Ash to Ash & Dust to Dust
Impaled Bitch - Tumor for Dinner
Karnysera - La voix du mal
Lustmord - 666 EP
Mnemonic Wetbrain Syndrome - Demo 2008
Mooncult - Descend Upon Us
Murder Therapy - The Therapy
Nibelheim - Drawing the Lines
Nocturnes Mist - Southern Storms
Omen - Observance of Baphometized
Sjenovik - Zhepaniah
Spellcraft - Promo 2009
Trismegisto - Eerie Black Path
Tzelmoth - Arcano Lucifer
Vaginal Flatulation - Refresh the Blood
Vanhelga - Enslaved by God
Vomit The Hate - Of Ignorance and Selfdestruction
Vomit The Soul - Apostles of Inexpression
Band: AFFLICTION
Country: Turkey
Title: Execution is Necessary
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2007
Style: Modern Death Metal
Review:
Affliction was formed back in 1998 in Izmir, Turkey, and lately it seems the sun is beginning to shine on their alley, too. This year they won an important online contest for World's Best Indie Band, and that says a lot, it says they have lots and lots of followers and friends, which is oh so important for any band.
Now, talking about this selfreleased album, we're dealing with a melodic, modern and technical death metal a la In Flames. They have succeeded to perfectly combine extremely sharp, metallic guitar riffs with a Swiss clock like rhythm section and a perfect vocal style for this kind of music: angry, vicious, comprehensive and catchy. They have proven their skills when it comes to instruments handling, and also to composition. the tracks, although different one from another and using various metal patterns, are very well curdled, compact and all in all very headbanging friendly.
13 tracks, almost 1 hour of music, a top notch act coming from Turkey to conquer the world. They will leave the underground pretty soon, that's what I'm predicting for Affliction.
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Band: AS MEMORY DIES
Country: Italy
Title: Transmutate
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2009
Style: Modern Death Metal
Review:
The absolutely insane competition that exists nowadays in the Italian extreme metal scene is the best support for its progress. There are countless bands trying their best to get noticed and it's not so easy since all of them are giving it all to succeed. As Memory Dies is another band from Italy that displays its professionalism through this debut album, album that is available, I think, only through online download, but I won't bet my hat on this.
This is a quintet formed in 2005, playing some extremely well structured modern death metal, a strong combination of melodic lines and technical skills. 7 tracks lasting for around 50 minutes, complex compositions, different one from another, so leaving aside the boring element. The music is more technical than brutal, and the aggressive touch comes from the sharp, angry vocals of Fabio. The addition of keyboards here and there gives the melodic guitar leads more accent, but as said earlier, the vocals, supported by a powerful rhythm section, balances the whole and the result is an interesting piece of modern (maybe this is not the best term as it has no links with the new core scene) death metal.
Entertaining, fresh and interesting. Give As memory Dies a try!
PS: Well, Fabio told me the album is available through their webshop as well, so if you want it, check out their myspace profile and you'll be guided.
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Band: AU SACRE DES NUITS
Country: Brasil
Title: Anti Humain
Label: Beneath The Fog Prod.
Year: 2009
Style: Funeral Doom / Black Metal
Review:
It's been a long time since my last review of such an experimental project. Nowadays I'm dealing mostly with straigth-forward metal bands so when I got this from Beneath The Fog I was curious if I could take it all, and strange enough I did, and even liked it. Ok, I'm very openminded when it comes to music, but ASDN is really a good act.
The most important aspect of a sucidal music outfit is the atmosphere it manages to create, if the only depressive thing are some yelled, desperate vocals, then I get bored in an instant. The man behind ASDN, Necrophelinthorn, also member of Abske Fides, really worked a lot to create these 6 tracks, that's for sure, each track has its own identity and complexity and I would say the final outcome is a very meditative, dark and depressive music.
Very good, complex work that reaches aggressive, fast and raw black metal, funeral doom passages, ambient parts and some noise insertions, but all of them blended perfectly. Seems BTF Prod. only released this as a 50 copies limited release, so you better hurry if you want to get one, I'm told only 10 copies of the original pressing are still avalable and also that the label released a second printing limited to 300 copies. A Digipak version is in works right now. Strongly recommended!
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Band: BOGRIT / TAMPAX VORTEX
Country: Philippines / Italy
Title: Fetus Burger
Label: Anura Records
Year: 2008
Style: Gore Grind / Grindcore
Review:
The approach for this EP is very amateurish, at least from Tampax Vortex's side. Why? The band's name and myspace link are wrong, they are missing an "x", and so the band is listed as Tampa Vortex! I can't believe they haven't seen that, that's a puerile mistake that should have been corrected but if you access their myspace profile you'll see the flyer of this release, it's the same. Good work! :)
Tampax Vortex is a one man project from Italy mentioned as being Grindcore, but that's wrong as well! T.V.'s music is a mix of industrial like drum machines, nintendo sounds, flicks cuts and guttural vocal sounds (not words, but that's fine). The music has a fairly techno rhythm overall which might be the best part of it.
I have reviewed Bogrit before and it seems they either don't want to improve, or they cannot. It may be the first choice as in this scene only few bands want to reach a good instrumental level, it's maybe the same as in raw black metal, on which bands are trv and which are not. Anyways, it's their choice, I must respect it.
I admire these two guys only because they have a label, too, on the same path, and they are struggling to promote their stuff. That's good underground attide.
Now the music is fast, raw, and that's pretty much all: very simple, fast drum machine + some sounds which I'm not sure are guitars or really distorted vocals (that's a first!).
This is for maniacs only!
PS: Guys, change the Tampax Vortex name or at least their link, what the fuck, this is a year old!
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Band: BROWNFILLED HUMAN RACE
Country: Russia / Israel
Title: Scatyricon
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2009
Style: ScatGrind
Review:
Well scatgrind is most probably the most disgusting music styles of them allyou must be pretty much deviated to be a scatgrind addict, but I'm sure it has it's share of followers as any other underground piece of pie, in this case filled with shit. :)
BHR is a duo composed of Emile from Israel and Jash from Russia, also known as member of Absoranie Bogom, a well known name in the grind scene nowadays.They have started this project this year and already started working on a 3 ways split with Painful Defloration and D9 (to be released soon on DAC Prod.) before flushing this disgusting 5 tracks EP this month. The sound is pretty good, good enough to taste this scatgrind for about 5 minutes of grinding drum-programms, powerful guitar riffs, gurgling vocals, porn cuts, all packed perfectly with a professional presentation that makes you want to tase it. I guess this name will become in a short amount of time one of the leaders of its genre, so get this EP for free download from their Myspace profile. Man, this is sick...
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Band: BYFROST
Country: Norway
Title: Byfrostmetal
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2008
Style: Black Thrash Metal
Review:
It seems I'm having a great day today in what concerns the materials I choose to review, until now all of them being absolutely great, 100% metal as it's supposed to be, catchy, angry, complex and proud. Byfrost is part of the same category of bands that makes you proud of being a metalhead. Even if they can be compared to Immortal, their music is a bit different, has a more melodic approach, but that kind of melody that is perfectly combined with aggressivity. These guys are very skilled musicians, they aren't doing any progressive metal here, but their way if to create extremely catchy tunes, strong guitar riffs that drives you to a continuous headbanging, sharp solos, pounding drums and mature vocals. Very entertaining for any metalhead, be sure to check them out.
4 tracks, about 20 minutes of playing, good sound, profi packaging (too bad it doesn't include lyrics, from what I hear those are really an important piece and would add a good amount of interest), a great preview for their upcoming full-length due to be released this year and supported by a European Tour.
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Band: CIRCLE OF GHOSTS
Country: Canada
Title: Collecting memories
Label: Beneath the Fog Productions
Year: 2009
Style: Depressive Ambient/Black Metal
Review:
First, when I started my player with the first song of this new full length master piece of “Circle of Ghosts”, I thought: Oh no. But just for one second. After some rhythm mistakes, which are maybe planned, the song started fully and developed its great atmosphere and it just took me with it to a dark, mystic journey into eternal shadows. The sound quality is maybe not the best, but the music is so intensive that it takes you immediately into its cold hands.
You can find on ten tracks complete ambient or black metal songs and also some which are traveling between those both genres. The black metal songs are mostly in mid-tempo, which is the best decision for the whole atmosphere. “Hauntings” is a good example for that. I really like that change between this both contrasts black metal and ambient. It is making your mind free for every new song which is starting and with that either your heart for letting the unique atmosphere crow in it. Supporting this, the songs are never too long that they are going to be boring. I never have the wish in mind that a song please should stop or that I am becoming impatient. Either the voice is greatly used: Screams, whispers, cryings. Goosebumps!
Reviewed by Robert
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Band: CREMATORIA
Country: Denmark
Title: Demolish
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2009
Style: Death Thrash
Review:
Crematoria is a new band in the Danish Death Metal scene, a five-pieces act founded last year that has recently released their debut demo. An extremely good demo composed of 3 tracks lasting for almost 15 minutes. These guys play as they are doing it for ages, and this demo should get them a nice name in the underground although it's a short one. It starts aggressively with a fast deathrash track very well structured, is continued by and old-school death metal track with the fattest sound around and it's finished by a melodic but still very powerful and metalic thrash death metal track. To sum it up, Crematoria is intense death metal blended with many thrash metal influences: extremely powerful guitars, pounding drums, interesting and up-front bass lines, and great vocals. Very mature and skilled work on this demo, hope they'll keep it up and bring some more in the near future.
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Band: DARK METAMORPHOSIS
Country: USA
Title: Last Temptation of Dracularde
Label: Beneath The Fog
Year: 2009
Style: Melodic Black Metal
Review:
What??? Dark Metamorphosis released not less than 5 (FIVE!!!) albums this year??? There should be something rotten here, I've never heard of a band releasing 5 full-length albums in one year, or better said in three quarters of a year, we're only in September... Well, if I've never heard of one that doesn't mean is impossible, but I will still keep my doubts.
Another interesting fact is that Dark Metamorphosis is a solo project, Count Dracularde being the one behind it. I would define its music as being melodic black metal, but its melody is that raw, unpolished, simple and somehow naive melody type used in the mid '90's. But really the whole album is like one from the '90's recorded on tape, with weak sound but good intentions, emotional and pure.
There are 7 quite long tracks here lasting for 1 hour, 1 hour that in some point, maybe from the sound point of view, reminded me of the first Evol releases. Musicwise D.M. is based on guitar leads and a subtle keyboard background. Too bad the vocals are so in the back, you cannot really get an idea on their path. All in all this is a good project, for fans of '90's melodic black. I'm just curios if Count will release yet another album this year.
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Band: DECREPITAPH
Country: USA
Title: Grotesque Dwellings
Label: Mad Thrasher Music
Year: 2006
Style: Old School Death Metal
Review:
Decrepitaph hails from the States and was formed back in early 2005. Since then they have created themselves a pretty solid name in the underground death metal scene, and that might be because of their style, old-school slow death metal, not used to be played anymore in the scene. Most bands nowadays try to reach the fastest rhythms, but that's not Decrepitaph's case. Yes, they have their own share of fast parts, but the overall outcome is a slow old-school very dark and raw death metal.
This is their debut demo limited to 100 handnumbered copies, so I don't think it's still available. It may have become a collectionars piece since 2006 when it was released. The music is simple but uncompromising, it reeks of honesty, that's why I like it. The sound is good enough for a demo, it may be recorded on an old 4 tracks as far as I'm concerned. It seems it's recorded back in the end '80's! If you like this type of death metal you should definitely search for a copy of this release, you'll fuckin' love it!
Forgot to mention, on this release Decrepitaph is a one man band, Elektrokutioner being the man behind this moniker.
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Band: DECREPITAPH
Country: USA
Title: Ancient Death Metal
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2007
Style: Old School Death Metal
Review:
Second Decrepitaph release, this time as a duo, "Ancient Death Metal" is a promo CD released again in 100 copies, so again I'm not sure you'll still be able to find any around... No worries, get their 2009 "Ancient Dwellings" CD which is a demo anthology, you'll most probably find these tracks inthere. Razorback signed them and I'm not wondering why at all, this is the perfect label for Decrepitaph.
On this CD the sound is better, but when I say better I'm not saying is more modern, I'm saying only that the mixing and mastering took a bit more time this time. Their musical style is unchanged: old school death metal, mostly slow paced, whith some fast parts. This is music from the grave! Although not intense in execution, it's very intense in atmosphere, this is the real American old school, the one so many bands took as influence. Great job! Hope to have the chance to review this band again sometime soon.
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Band: DEEP-PRESSION
Country: Czech Republic and others
Title: Blunt Razor
Label: Beneath The Fog Production (USA)
Year: 2009
Style: Experimental, minimalistic Ambient
Review:
"I rather prefer to die than change for those humanoids", that is a quote of the member M.v.K. of Deep-pression, a five-man band from different countries, and can be taken as a main thought of the music itself. Next to „fucking life“, nature and dark feelings like depression and disillusion, also the deep thinking of existence finds its influence.
With the dark lyrics, which are spoken, the music is dreamy but in a dark, sometimes creepy and deep way. With the main use of synths and some distorted guitar shadows in the background, the particular use of full guitar and bass riffs and drums (for example in „Names“) the compilation „blunt razor“ with 6 tracks is an individual mirror for their influences and keeps your mind flying through a black tunnel with some gray, pale spotlights of self reflection and melancholy.
Reviewed by Robert
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Band: ELIMINATOR
Country: USA
Title: Breaking the Wheel
Label: Ukragh Prod./Suffering Jesus Prod.
Year: 2008
Style: Speed Thrash Metal
Review:
Wow, awesome release! It's a long, long time since I've last listened to a speed thrash act and I have the luck that this one is a great one. I tell you, these guys play like they are part of the armaggedon, the plague that kills us all. Normally I don't do such comparations, I'm not the right person to compare bands with diseases, disasters and so on, but Eliminator are making me do it. From start till the end this material is so fast, so intense and diabolic that it's impossible not to like this: very catchy guitar riffs and solos, vicious black metal like vocals, old-school spikes & leather '80's like style, ultra-fast drumming, awesome cover artwork. In my opinion the only weak part of this CD, and that is really the only one, is the drum programming that is so synthetic that sometimes it gets annoying.
2 labels co-released this close-to-perfection material on CD and another one on vinyl and Eliminator really deserves this promotion. I hope they'll record with real drums next time.
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Band: ELITE DRUG DEALERS
Country: Russia
Title: Assfuck, Cocaine & Drugdealers
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2009
Style: Cyber Gore Grind
Review:
Now this would be a perfect fit for Obscene Extreme Fest! EDD are from Russia, a duo formed this year only, and they have already released 2 EPs. This is their latest release, an 11 tracks EP filled with so much humor and disgusting shit, perfectly combined, that's it's genius! This is not your ordinary awful sound on a basement gore grind project, it actually sounds good, most probably because it's done on PC, but the mixing and mastering are clever. Now the music (music is not the proper word, haha): groovy, blasting drum machine, pig squeals, gory guttural vocals, movies cuts, techno elements, whores all over, keyboards (this is the part where should work a bit more), bass guitar done on PC I think, Frank Sinatra, hahaha, etc. This is not done within a night, these two guys really worked a bit more to make the whole sound so compact and catchy. I love this band, and you do too, but you haven't had a chance to give it a listen, so what are you waiting for (I'm talking with the Gore Grinders with good humor only!)?
Contact:
Band: ETERUL
Country: New Zealand
Title: Verso Ascendere
Label: Beneath The Fog Production (USA)
Year: 2009
Style: Experimental Ambient/Black Metal
Review:
This great and young black metal band from New Zealand, formed in the years 2008 and 2009, plays on its first debut album “Verso Ascendere” great individual black metal with nice acoustic parts which are fitting perfect to the whole atmosphere. Doesn't matter if it is the undistorted guitar also the piano, or the synths, which are giving the album a touch of ambient, they all underline and create with the fast and depressive riffs of heavy e-guitars and drums a great atmospheric sound. The Vocals are screamed and the vocalist and guitarist Tagovornik makes a pretty good job. The drums, though they are programmed, are not sounding like that is a proof of the high skills of Keberous who also plays the guitar next to the synths and the bass.
Lyrically they are singing about misanthropy and the existence of us itself in six songs full of coldness. Everyone who likes fast cold black metal but with some acoustic changes and melodic thoughtful parts should not hesitate to buy that album. I love it!
Reviewed by Robert
Contact:
Band: EXCARNATED
Country: Australia
Title: Homicidal Decimation
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2002
Style: Death Metal
Review:
I'm glad I get to review yet another band that plays my fave metal style, old school death metal, and I get to review even 2 of their releases. Excarnated is a project started back in '97 by a legend of Australian underground metal scene, Christ, also known from acts like Sanguineos, The Nihilistic Front, Pervertum Obscurum, a.o.
This debut album is composed by 10 tracks lasting for almost 40 minutes, and everything inhere literally screams old-school: from the band's awesome logo, to the EP's cover artwork, and from the music itself to the lyrics' composition. Excarnated is displaying here a devastating mid-tempo brutal death metal with simple yet very effective guitar work, double vocals (growls completed by screams here and there), catchy rhythms, dark and aggressive atmosphere, but unfortunately the lack of a real drummer proves to be a problem. The drum-programming is becoming annoying at times because it sounds too synthetic. If you can pass over that, the album is great, old-school brutal death US-school influenced.
Contact:
Band: EXCARNATED
Country: Australia
Title: Purging the Earth
Label: Life Fluid Prod.
Year: 2006
Style: Death Metal
Review:
This album is Excarnated's second and unfortunately last release as the band split-up afterwards. I won't place a bet that Chris will never reactivate the band, and hopefully he will eventually.
Anyway, if on their debut Excarnated was a duo, on this album it is a real band, a 4 pieces band that still keeps the old-school sound as their path. The differences from their first effort would be: much better drums, this time with a real drummer that really does his job very well, a not so good as the previous album guitar production (this time it laks volume so guitars are a bit in the back and that steals a bit of this band's aggression), some moden brutal death guitar riffs and overall an even darker atmosphere. So if Excarnated lost a bit of aggression, it gained on dark atmosphere and complexity. With a better production this album would have been a real gem of Autralian's metal underground.
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Band: FERMENTIA
Country: USA
Title: Promo 2009
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2009
Style: Brutal Death Metal
Review:
Fermentia is a new band in teh Texas Underground Death Metal movement, being formed in late 2008, although the guys are not unexperienced, they've played in different bands over there I haven't heard of, but the UG is sooo big nowadays that it's absolutely impossible to get aquinted with all the bands.
This promo consists of 2 extremely brutal and fast tracks but unfortunately lacks big on the sound part and that makes it a bit difficult to stay on top of all what's happenning here. At first listen it seems a bit chaotic, but then you can discover the elements that will make this band go further: the lead guitar is great, fast, aggressive and very well concieved, strong, pounding bass lines, brutal drums, sick guttural gory vocals with some high pitched ones here and there, and overall the music is not monotonous.
This is only the beginning, I'm curious what these guys will bring when they'll enter a proper studio and record more songs.
Contact:
Band: GOAT TUNNEL
Country: Finland
Title: Widow Dancing In The Grave Of The Blessed
Label: Death Worm Records
Year: 2009
Style: Depressive Downtempo/Doom Metal
Review:
“Goat Tunnel”, a one man project from Espoo laying in cold Finland next to Helsinki and formed in 2007, plays a creepy and raw downtempo doom metal. On the new demo are appearing three songs full of coldness and sounds, which could be directly from a horror movie. A deep cawing and cowling makes the whole thing even sicker. There is mostly not really a melody. The songs are more a mix of riffs and accords with the intense use of the creepy voice. There is no drum or keyboard nor a bass. The whole music is very minimalistic, but that means not that it would not go under the skin of the listener.
Everyone who likes such kind of dark, sick and cruel music, should give this EP and the other demos a listen. The price of the demo is low, so for such a person it´s a good investigation.
Reviewed by Robert
Contact:
Band: GOURVA
Country: Finland
Title: Fog Crusher
Label: Death Worm Records
Year: 2009
Style: Experimental Drone Doom
Review:
This is a duo coming from Finland where Olli, the man behind Death Worm Rec. is also involved, or better said is the co-founder. Gourva was started this year and here we have it's debut EP, a 4 tracks material lasting for almost 20 minutes. Well after these 20 minutes you'll certainly know if you're suffering from claustrophobia; the two Finns take charge on your acoustic senses and deliver a cold, impersonal and somehow scarry atmosphere through repeated chords, highly reverbed guitars, a few noise elements and appropriate keyboard touches on the background. If you have the curiosity to check their video (Sumun Ruostuttama) too, you'll get what this is all about. I would dare anyone to have a Gourva listening session in the deep woods, at night, alone...
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Band: IMMER
Country: Czech Republic
Title: Ash to Ash & Dust to Dust
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2008
Style: Death'n'Roll
Review:
Hell yeah, I'm glad I have the chance to review such bands lately. Although I like a lot the new stuff in extreme metal, too, I'll always remain an old-school guy and I'll always enjoy reviewing old-school stuff. Immer is one of those bands that play for tribute, tribute to the end of the '80's / beginning of the '90's sound and style of music. They were formed back in '92, but I've never heard of them, so I started checking their bio and found out why: the band was inactive during the 1994 to 2007 period, thirteen years of not playing... Anyways, horns up for them to putting the band together and creating new tunes.
Immer's music is death'n'roll well put together, metallic as hell and extremely enjoyable. Just think of all these bands in one: Motorhead, Sodom, Master, Six Feet Under and even some Debauchery or old Grave. Simple but effective music: powerful death vocals with understandable words, old-school guitar riffs with a million balls, and simple drum beating. 14 tracks, all with their own identity and attitude, almost an hour of death'n'roll to enjoy in your car rides.
It seems they are preparing for the release of a new album, but I'm not sure of that as their English is not comprehensive at all on their website. I'll be glad to hear their new stuff.
Contact:
Band: IMPALED BITCH
Country: Italy
Title: Tumor for Dinner
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2009
Style: Death Grind
Review:
This is yet another one-man-band coming from Italy this time; Impaled Bitch started in 2008 as a duo, Soso and Brutal, but soon after the release of their debut EP, Brutal leaves the band so Soso starts on his own. I haven't had the chance to listen to their previous work, so I don't know if the music became better or not in the meantime. "Tumor for Dinner" is an almose 10 minutes demo containing 4 tracks + 1 cover of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" (not the best around, but very enjoyable I must admit).
Even though Sosos labels his music as grindcore I would say this is an extremely brutal death metal with grinding touches; the music is not full-on speed and destruction, it has some dark, mid-tempo death metal parts too, and that's not a bad point at all. I like the fact he's making his music quite varied and uses whatever influences he likes. There are even some good guitar solos that shows Soso knows how to handle his instrument (in this case the guitar). I only hope his next release will have a better sound as "Tumor for Dinner" lacks a good sound...
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Band: KARNYSERA
Country: France
Title: La voix du mal
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2007
Style: Electro Thrash
Review:
Karnysera, a French group started exactly 10 years ago, released "La voix du mal", their debut album, in the beginning of 2008, after they previously released some demo tapes. the band plays a strange compilation of genres that can be best synthetized in what is called electro thrash metal. It's not often you get accross such a band, I would say, even though I would net be fully correct, Karnysera is an old-school progressive thrash metal band. I mean their blend of music would have brougth a progressive edge to the end '80's - beginning of '90's over populated thrash metal scene.
"La voix du mal" is composed of 12 tracks (almost 1 hour of playing) each of them with their own identity. To be honest I got a bit bored when starting to listen to this album (maybe also because it's in French and I don't understand a word), but then, during the progression of these tracks I got into it, I started to understand what's Karnysera's path and ideas. Normally I don't like synthetic music, but this one is synthetic on purpose, it's a breath of fresh air as they don't necessarily want to be the most aggressive or brutal band, they just like ot experiment with drum programming, metallic guitar riffs completed by melodic guitar leads from time to time and some fast ones too, plus a very important bass section.
This album gives you only 2 choices: hate it or love it, but give it a few listens before judging.
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Band: LUSTMORD
Country: USA
Title: 666 EP
Label: Death Rape Inc.
Year: 2009
Style: Oldschool Death Metal
Review:
Lustmord is a oldschool death metal band from USA which was formed in the year 2000. The genre name is the program for those 5 guys named Anthony Lustmord making the vocals (Jesus Fish, Murders Inc., De Kinderlookers, The Axe Murder Boys, Womb Raiders), Dan Beck killing the drums (Blood Haven, Exiled (US)), Shadow Man at guitar (Blood Stained Pyramids), Rock Rollain at the bass (Bloodhave, Kult Of Thorn) and Abel Rodriguez playing the second guitar (Bulls Eye Massacre). Also appears sometimes the session guitarist Allen West (Obituary, Six Feet Under (US)). The sound is clear and hard. The guitars are more in a warm setting but very heavy. The drum is clear and the voice is growled and screamed. The songs itself are changing between slow and heavy tunes to fast blasting death.
The new EP will have five songs, two new and three older ones. All in all this will be a good piece of death metal of the old school with a flexible songwriting and sound. So it will be at the end something for everyone who likes death metal not only the oldschool-lovers.
Reviewed by Robert
Contact:
Band: MNEMONIC WETBRAIN SYNDROME
Country: USA
Title: Demo 2008
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2008
Style: Gore Grind
Review:
M.W.S. is a duo from USA formed in 2007. This one is their debut demo and their only release so far, but it seems they are working on a new one as they've signed with Morgue House Records.
This is a 4 tracks, very short demo (only 5 mins) introducing M.W.S. to the listeners: ultra fast blasting drum programs, mid-tempo guitar leads, gurgling, guttural and inhuman vocals. Simple music but packed so well it's enjoyable. The riffs remind me of old-school brutal death metal, the demo's sound is good enough for anyone who's into gore grind to have a clean taste of M.W.S. Recommended if you're into simple but extremely dark and disgusting gore grind.
Contact:
Band: MOONCULT
Country: Greece
Title: Descend Upon Us
Label: Winter Solace Productions
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
Mooncult is a greek one man band of Lycaon, who has also a side project called “Necranastais” and was born in November 2007. Till now there are three releases. This reviewed one is the third. It is a tape produced by the underground label “Winter Solace Productions”.
Though it is nothing new or over individual, the five songs are a solid black metal art with fast guitars, screams, whispering and some sample using. An exception is the last song, next to the intro, which is more psychedelic and includes some sea sounds. The title "Sirens cry for the End” is fitting perfectly, then there is also a female singing which flies through the song like a wind and reminds me of the Sirens.
This tape is a short but intensive piece of raw black metal about hate, occult, darkness, power and chaos. But you shouldn't expect any revolutionary influences or new fashioned elements.
Reviewed by Robert
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Band: MURDER THERAPY
Country: Italy
Title: The Therapy
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2008
Style: Brutal Death Metal
Review:
Holy shit, this EP hits you hard right from the start with Murder Therapy's insane death metal lines, a killer combination of fury and brutality. No room for compasion here, the 4 Italians take no prisoners and their attack is unrelenting from the start till the end. An excellent sound makes this even more crushing: brutal vocals (combination of growls and powerful harsh screams), sick drumming, modern brutal death metal guitars that take inspiration from the thrash school, too, '90's like compositions combined with modern touches. A very good debut that laks a bit in catchiness though, and the tracks are a bit short, the longest one having 3:05 minutes only. Track 4, "The Therapy" is the best in my opinion, it even has a death'n'roll guitar lead that makes it original.
The band is now a 5 pieces and has signed with Deity Down Records where it seems they have released a first full-length "Symetry of Delirium". Add another band on your list of Italian bands to check out. This country is most probably the best ground for breeding good metal nowadays.
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Band: NIBELHEIM
Country: Italy
Title: Drawing the Lines...
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2007
Style: Thrash Death
Review:
Nibelheim is a female-fronted Thrash Death Metal band from Italy formed back in 2003. They had numerous line-up changes before finding the most suitable musicians to move forward, and so this Demo EP was released only 4 years after the band's foundation.
What can I say after listening to this material is that this band definitely has a good future, their music is so mature and enjoyable that you get to hate there's only 16 minutes of playing. Stefania has a perfect voice, she sounds angry as hell, but she still demonstrates her "soft" part in some melodic insertions. I would compare her to Cadaveria or Angela of Arch Enemy, but I like her approach better. The instrumentists in Nibelheim are great as well, succeeding to deliver razor sharp guitar riffs, a great solo on "Dancers to God", complex rhythm section and maybe the best thing of all, a great mix and mastering that allows you to follow all instruments without any problem.
In the meantime they have released a new EP and from what I've heard on their Myspace page...holy crap, this band gets to be a unique act that could storm the metal scene if they would have a good label's support. Check them out for some solid, straigth to your face thrash metal. Thumbs up for Nibelheim.
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Band: NOCTURNES MIST
Country: Australia
Title: Southern Storms
Label: Thorn Laceration Records
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
This EP was released by the band back in 1998 and now it is re-released on tape by UK based label Thorn Laceration. It's a limited edition of only 50 copies, so have to be quick to get it.
It's hard to find any info on Nocturnes Mist, all I could find is that they are a 4 pieces band now, but on this EP they were a 5 members band, their vocalist departed in the meantime. They play aggressive and fast black metal with keyboards, but I won't call them Symphonic Black Metal, at least on this release, because the keys are only used as background, to accentuate the cold, dark atmosphere. This EP is nothing out of the ordinary, but it's a good one for any underground black metal follower, it's aggressive, has that raw yet comprehensive sound such a band should have, good lead guitars, vicious vocals, catchy compositions, 2 keyboard interludes, pounding drums. Not an EP to be ashamed at all, although I don't think they have any intention of leaving the obscure underground and spread their music more than this.
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Band: OMEN
Country: Malaysia
Title: Observance of Baphometized
Label: Thorn Laceration Records
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
Omen is a 5 members black metal band coming from Malaysia that was formed in 2007. This is their first release, a demo made of 7 tracks, almost half an hour of playing.
The first track is an atmospheric intro which if it's not cut from a movie, it's very well done, very dark and cold, perfect for a black metal band. Then we're introduced in Omen's music, a simplistic, fast black metal with mid-tempoed parts that are quite welcomed, but to be honest I can't stand the vocals, the guy needs to do something else on their next releases as on this one he's only yelling, and I'm not talking of fine black metal shrieks, he's only yelling. At some extent is ok, but not on the whole demo... Their music becomes a childish attempt and that's a pity because the others are really trying hard: the guitars have some variations with good leads, the rhythmic section, although with minor mistakes, makes a good job, and the music is not boring.
Besides 3 of their own songs there are 2 covers (Nebiras - teh cover is a bit too fast, and not in a good way, and Langsuyr - this is actually a very good cover!), one intro and one interlude. There's also a bonus track, but it has very poor sound so you cannot really understand all what's happening there.
Thorn Laceration released this demo in a limited 30 copies edition. Listen to the band's music on Myspace, you may like it more then me.
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Band: SJENOVIK
Country: USA
Title: Zephaniah
Label: Beneath the Fog Productions
Year: 2009
Style: Acoustic Psychedelic Black Metal
Review:
I am very impressed of this two man project. This upcoming album “Zephaniah” is a great individual and intellectual masterpiece, using psychedelic sounds, heavy guitars, mid-tempo and blast beats and awesome acoustical parts. The voice is screamed and fits perfectly to the whole atmosphere and getup of this six songs. The guys behind all this are Shane Ball (drums & electronics) and James Johnson (guitar & voices). The lyrical topics are mythology, philosophy and occultism, rooting in the Slavonian past what you can also see from the name. But there are no folk elements as you maybe would now expect and which appeared on the album before named “Covenant and Nihilism”.
Next to this one, there are a split made this year and some demos from 2006 on, which is also the born date of the band.
Sjenovik created here in 37 minutes a wonderful artistic black metal experience and everyone who likes something special and new should not hesitate to buy this album.
I hope that there will come yet much more from these two guys.
Reviewed by Robert
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Band: SPELLCRAFT
Country: Spain
Title: Promo 2009
Label: Grotesque Prod.
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
I was ready to admit I'm ashamed I've never heard of this band before receiving this promo because I'm in this scene, reviewing and interviewing bands, for more than 10 years now and still Spellcraft is a new name to my ears, and I would have said that because Spellcraft is around since 1996, but after reading their bio I found the reason, until 2008 they have released only limited edition demos, so I don't have to admit anything now, haha.
As said, Spellcraft started back in 1996 and released a couple of demos, a promo and I think an album in 2008 on Grotesque Productions. This 4 tracks promo prefaces a second opus, one that will storm the black metal underground for sure. These Spanish black metallers play a dark kind of black metal strongly influenced by the '90's Sweedish school with haunting lead guitars, fast and sharp rhythm section, and a great vocal part. The vicious, dark and occult vocals are blending with clean, pagan-like vocals.
Razor-sharp rhythms, good technical skills, dark atmosphere, pretty long compositions, melodic lead guitars, still remaining fast and aggressive, that what Spellcraft is about, not new or innovative, but very catchy and interesting. Can't wait for the album.
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Band: TRISMEGISTO
Country: Italy
Title: Eerie Black Path
Label: Beneath The Fog Productions
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
This band comes from Italy and was started one year ago as a solo project of Trismegisto. Short time after he already released a split with the Croatian project Bethroned, release followed by the ad of more musicians so that Trismegisto became a full line-up band. This EP was recorded this year and released by Beneath The Fog Prod., a pretty fast development I might say.
Trismegisto presents on this EP 5 fast black metal tracks + one atmospheric intro, all very well composed: interesting rhythms, very good vocals, the use of Italian language is most definitely a plus, very good riffs, melodic keyboard / acoustic guitars parts, clever lead guitars (check the fifth track), overall a very curdeled but still very diversified material, it's not always you find such a young band with such good compositions.
A very good EP, with the right attitude and excelent musicianship.
If these guys will have a bit of luck, we'll see them in the top of underground black metal in short time. And I hope they'll stay underground...
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Band: TZELMOTH
Country: Columbia
Title: Arcano Lucifer
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
What can I tell about this band? It's a five man band from Columbia created by the two members Sabathaniis (guitar) and Emperor (drums) in 1999. After a long break they rejoined and created the first musical things from 2005 on.
The music itself is old fashioned and not very individual. It's raw, simple and with low quality. The concept and the lyrics are the same. That means there are the typical nothing special hate, anti Christianity, satanic and so on topics. The provocative character and style sounds for us Europeans quite normal and somehow boring, but in Columbia, where the metal scene is just in baby shoes, those bands are something new. We had here the same development.
So if you like such “true” low and raw black metal, with the sound of a jam room you are very right here. But for me that band is one of thousands in the scene.
Reviewed by Robert
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