Deeds of Flesh - Trading Pieces

Before the modern day studio effect pollution, this is how death metal albums used to sound like. Debut by now legends Deeds of Flesh came out as organic and as thick as they could make it, in about the middle of the best decade ever. 

All instruments sound perfectly organic, it's quite technical, the production is perfect and the drums are way above average. Simple and ugly lyrics throughout, and lot's of tempo changes as well as great guitar riffs.

Good first step for the band, especially after an equally juicy EP a year earlier, Gradually Melted. Trading Pieces can be there for all your death metal cravings. [4/5 - Excellent]

Tracklist:

1. Carnivorous Ways

2. Born Then Torn Apart

3. Trading Pieces

4. Hunting Humans

5. Impious Offerings

6. Acid Troops

7. Deeds of Flesh

8. Erected on Stakes

9. Chunks in the Shower

10. Blasted

11. Outro

Autumn 1996, Repulse Records

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Bullet Ratings - May '23

Blood Ceremony - The Old Ways Remain [3.5/5 - Great] 
% good marks here

Cattle Decapitation - Terrasite [3.5/5 - Great] 
% better than Death Atlas, cringe still works in their favour somehow

Drain - Living Proof [2/5 - Bad] 
% is this what kids listen to today instead of thrash metal?

Grave Desecrator - Immundissime Spiritus [3/5 - Good] 
% fine as is

Hasard - Malivore [3.5/5 - Great]
% thick

Impetuous Ritual - Iniquitous Barbarik Synthesis [3/5 - Good]
% 15 years of what's going on

Krallice - Porous Resonant Abyss [3/5 - Good] 
% you'll probably enjoy this

Morkera - Aggravations [4/5 - Excellent] 
% sharp like a venom bite

Nefarious Vermin - Abolition of Tradition [2.5/5 - Average] 
% the definition of average

Sacrilegious Impalement - IV - Infinite Victor [2.5/5 - Average] 
% maybe this is fine, but it's all the same

Absu - Tara

Arguably great album, as are their previous ones and with a kickass cover as well. It was the turning point before the band stopped its activities for a while, before coming back with their self-titled album in 2009 in a bigger label, Candelight Records. 

With Tara, I have the same problem I always have with Absu, their type of raging playstyle eventually becomes repetitive for me, and gets me tired.

A few tracks here are awesome, like for example "Pillars of Mercy", "From Ancient Times" and the longer one "Stone of Destiny", which features classic King Diamond worship screams.

Still, 52 minutes of this was too much for me. Definitely good, but I could live with half of it. [3/5]

Tracklist:
1. Tara
2. Pillars of Mercy
3. A Shield with an Iron Face
4. Manannán
5. The Cognate House of Courtly Witches Lies West of County Meath
6. She Cries the Quiet Lake
7. Yrp Lluyddawc
8. From Ancient Times (Starless Skies Burn to Ash)
9. Four Crossed Wands (Spell 181)
10. Vorago (Spell 182)
11. Bron (Of the Waves)
12. Stone of Destiny (...for Magh Slecht and Ard Righ)
13. Tara (Recapitulation)

Spring 2001, Osmose Productions
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Covenant - In Times Before the Light

Covenant were wise to change their name into The Kovenant to separate the time they were unique and beautiful with the time they went completely off the rails. 

I can't believe they also went on to pick this fine piece of work and slaughter its soul in 2002 with that horrendous re-recording. 

Apart from that, one of the most amazing symphonic black metal albums from Norway and maybe generally, full of memorable tracks and great production exactly to fit its time and the perfect medieval cover. 

Possibly overlooked, it's one of the classics of the late 90's and there's a few more around there that you might have also missed. [4.5/5]

Tracklist:

1. Towards the Crown of Nights

2. Dragonstorms

3. The Dark Conquest

4. From the Storm of Shadows

5. Night of the Blackwinds

6. The Chasm

7. Visions of a Lost Kingdom

8. Through the Eyes of the Raven

9. In Times Before the Light

10. Monarch of the Mighty Darkness