Arson Cafe: 2013

Showing posts with label 2013. Show all posts

Malthusian - Demo MMXIII (Demo, 2013) Review

Malthusian is one of the bands that devastates the stage with a shameless drowning black / death metal sound, inciting immense darkness and nothingness with their music. Even though this is the debut demo and only release of the band, they have been receiving good comments and I'm just here to add to the pile, since MMXIII Demo is just too powerful to be ignored and needs to be heard by everyone. I'm a sucker when it comes to bands like this anyway, since they usually stay underground and when milestone black metallers fail, dudes like these come to offer some pure inbred hatred to fill their shoes.

MMXIII contains three tracks and clocks a total of twenty four minutes, ranging from crushing fast paced parts a few doomier moments here and there. The production creates a thick and inhuman sound similar to bands like Cruciamentum or Grave Miasma, providing the listener with enough to deal with from the first seconds when wrapped into it's madness. Therefore, this demo sounds similar to an underground old school / orthodox death metal record, focusing a lot on down-tuned, tormenting melodies and punching bass. It already feels that I'm advertising the band but they're that good, really.

The compositions themselves include some of the best stuff I have heard lately, making me wonder how come I've missed them, as searching for obscure bands is mostly what I do during my free time. Malthusian's diversity ranges from funereal doom, to old school death and black, along with some parts of technicality, all fused in an insane but gorgeous way. A bit of noise is constantly lurking behind the instrumentation for atmosphere purposes and there is an instrumental three minute intro part during the first track "Wraith///Plague Spore" which sets the mood. When a riff rises from the chaos, it's a dissonant and cutting line that shows the band's song writing ability, with amazing melodies arriving in accurate moments.

If something also drew my attention, it was the strength of the vocals in the demo and apparently three out of four members (everyone except the drummer) are offering their services in the tracks. There are awesome demonish growls and painful harsh screams, moving along with the song structure and nicely spitting the lyrics whenever feels necessary. The voice itself give a certain character to MMXIII and I guess it would not be the same without them and I guess it has such variety due to the different members doing different lines. It's always good as long as the result is legit, and this is way above legit.

It seems like the concept of the band is unusual too, talking about the Malthusian catastrophe and you can find information about it here or here. It's obvious that we have to do with a band with great potential and a future of glory in the underground, as long as they continue like this. It's a very good first demo that will please the fans of this style and maybe give them something new to chew on for some time, as there are more into this release than you think (or listen, probably). And if there is a modern necro sound, this is it.

DAMAGE: 9/10

Facebook

Omega & Ravencult - Split (2013) Review

While I am a fan of Ravencult's whole discography, I was not familiar with the other act that contributed on this split before the time I got this, the old school black / thrashers Omega. Both bands have put out two full lengths so far, spreading the same kind of traditional eighties extreme metal and that's a fair reason for them to team up and release something like this together. The split contains two songs from each band, one of which is a cover, and it lasts eleven minutes in total. Since it was only released in 7" vinyl, I had the chance to listen to it on a vinyl player instead of digital streaming and that alone is great.

The sound of the record is fairly dirtier than what the bands have released in the past, giving a great, old fashioned feeling that reminds a lot of primitive first wave black metal. I don't consider it was that fascinating but it was surely enjoyable and should not be any cleaner, since there ought to be grimness and unforgiving ear assault. The instruments are audible and they provoke the dusty aesthetic of early bands, as if this record was released thirty years ago, a common ambition that is shared among many bands of today. Personally, I always go along with such attempts and I like listening to them, even though they usually don't add anything new to the genre or it's progress.

The split starts with the two Omega tracks and the opener is "Straight Down In Hell", which is the actual definition of old school black / thrash. It's based on a couple of speed / thrash metal riffs that remind a lot of early Venom, the vocals have the same harsh tone and it is somewhere around a middle going to fast speed, shouting the chorus line "straight down in hell" clearly and repetitively. The structure of the song is familiar too, containing a solo and few variations as a whole. Of course, it's far from original or unheard, but it should be fun jamming and recording it. Then, there is a cover of Zemial's "Fullmoon Necrophilia", done in Omega's way. It's not better or worse, it just is.

When Ravencult kicks in, one can hear their familiar style of playing and their superiority over the previous band. Their track "Deifier of Necromancy" is like a recording originally for Morbid Blood, as the fast paced black 'n' roll rhythms are once again the main ingredients. There is a great compositional arrangement and I loved the same things I loved in Morbid Blood, these being the wonderful riffs and the raw, raspy vocals. It's not a new surprise for Ravencult fans, just another awesome track to listen to. The last track of the split is their effort on Hellhammer's "Massacra", which pinpoints the original direction of the whole release. It's the eighties and you didn't know it.

It's a fact that Ravencult are more recognized than Omega and a comparison would justify that if one took a listen on this split record. Of course, naming who's better is not the point, since it is a great piece of old school black / thrash, with sincere compositions from each band and above all, a sincere feeling. I think all the die hard fans of that music and that era, will see this as a great gift from the bands and they will consider it a gem. It doesn't go any further than where bands have gone and gone again, if you are comfortable around this wave length, it works.

DAMAGE: 6.75/10

Omega @ Facebook
Ravencult @ Facebook

Slaughterday - Nightmare Vortex (2013) Review

The newborn child of F.D.A. Rekotz stoop up out of nothing and released a first demo, to let the fans know their message comes from the underground and they are not here to play around. That demo had a fair impact on me but not more than a band's obscure debut, short before they disappear, so I chose to wait and see what the Germans would do next, hoping for a record in 2014. They did not fail to surprise me with a full record ready the same year, which was promoted more than enough for a previously unknown band and yet it has the merit is was credited beforehand.

The album welcomes you with this gripping and captivating album cover (done by no other than Mark Cooper), depicting a rotten kingdom in chaos, surrounded by thick clouds and rivers of blood. The details and the combination of blue and red are amazing, providing the record with a wonderful and positive first look. Nightmare Vortex contains eight tracks (plus a limited edition Pentagram cover) and it involves forty minutes of heavy and straightforward death metal. It's the full outfit, from the art, to the feeling, to the music, to the lyrical themes, everything praises the notion of not being friendly and easy going.

Slaughterday (the weird name must be taken from an Autopsy track, if anyone wondered) come from a place a little souther than the usual suspects in Sweden, but the ground is not unharmed in Germany either, since it's a country that has been trampled again and again by huge metal acts of all subgenres, still suffering brutal quality to this day. I'm not surprised when an adept and brilliant band comes from these lands, especially when they nourish their freshness and creativity, like these guys do. Their music is extremely powerful and it's not looking up to other bigger bands, instead it freely moves around combinations of menacing melodies and it creates a really cool, comforting piece of work.

I'm not saying that Nightmare Vortex is something new entirely, as the common progressions and patterns are often used throughout the album, maintaining a standard structure of fast and middle paced moments. Still, the main content of the album is very well factual and skillful, undergoing series of concrete riffing that is played in a way that it's memorable, personal and unmistakable. You might as well squeeze your mind a little harder trying to find the exact band(s) that Slaughterday have a strong similarity with and maybe you'll come up with nothing, since they have made a chemical of 10% influences and 90% own inspiration.

Axiomatically, the guitar work in the album is bone-breaking. I can't choose with certainty among these crushing riffs that characterize every single song, with "Nightmare Vortex", "Unearthly Evocation", "Morbid Shroud of Sickness" and "Cult of the Dreaming Dead" being severely barbarous. Of course, the solos in various moments have a certain beauty and destroy in their own way, like in the opening "Unearthly Evocation" and in "Cosmic Horror", while the punishing slow paced part in "Obsessed with the Undead" is an intense twist that can be found in other tracks as well.

There is also a great vocal delivery as well. Over with the groovy rhythms moans a deep, powerful voice that goes from growls to semi growling / shouting at some points, spitting comprehensible words most of the times, so you probably won't have a problem singing along. Take "Addicted to the Grave" (which is definitely among the album's best moments with it's bell sample and a catchy chorus) and follow the lyrics to get an idea. Moreover, the drumming is rather standard but not poor, with lot's of know-how demonstration going on. I don't think Bernd Reiners lacks the voice or the drumming skills.

I could not point out any highlights when it comes to the bass playing, since it doesn't make itself present that much, possibly due to the loud and thick production. Listening to the tracks carefully will let you know that there is a grumpy noise going on behind the guitar sound, but it didn't make a big difference to me and there is not much attention to be spent in that direction, as the awesome distortion melodies will fill any blank spots in the album. This is some well written brutality and has all the potential to get bigger in the near future, if the band doesn't give up for any reason. Nightmare Vortex is everything a death metal fan loves and more, without necessarily relying on a heavy sound or studio atmosphere tricks, but aiming to melt your face from start to finish. It's sound is crystal clear, it's compositions amazing and nothing could possibly go wrong with you partying on this for a long time.

DAMAGE: 8.75/10

Facebook
Bandcamp

Catarrhal - Fleshgrave (2013) Review

Album | Fleshgrave
Country | Belgium
Genre | Death Metal
Label | Rotten to the Core Records

Apart from Aborted and Enthroned, not many Belgian bands come to mind as I speak and I'm not thruthfully sure of what's going on with metal at that northern country, located just below England and near France. From that aspect, I'm always keen in a lesser known and lively band of almost any genre, like these guys Catarrhal, who have been active for more than ten years now. The band focuses on a time-honored pattern of death metal, bastardized with sparse, eerie melodies and very few elements of grindcore, the last not really difining their music.

Fleshgrave is the second full length album by the act, a follow up of their now seven year old debut Putressence, which was unleashed in 2007 on the same label as the one that promotes this one. The record contains ten tracks that climb up to fourty one minutes in length, mirroring a conscientious and veracious attitude, directed to all the fans of traditional extremity alike. It does not lack originality and it's barely a copycat album, for I noticed several nice textures in it's miscellaneous parts and I can't say I disapproved them at all.

The production of the album is fairly muddy, creating a foul atmosphere that rarely comes up in straightforward death metal albums. I would prefer if it was a little more dynamic (scoring a DR5), something that has mostly damaged the drums in this particular case. Apart from their technical regularity, they sound a bit trampled and daunted, not achieving much as a signficant part of the instrumentation. Apart from that, the essence of the sound is right on the spot and very pleasing, assuring a solid outcome that fits the underground scene very much.

There are not many variations in the vocal delivery of Serge Massin, who uses the natural, brutal growls for every note in the album. As direct the album was, he furthemore avoids any clean singing or high pitched screams and his work is pretty good too. His vocals reminded me of a mixture between nineties Benton and Mullen, striving for the same kind of sound and angryness. Apart from that, I loved the bass sound in the album, which is finally given enough space. Sometimes it's not an outsider in the music at all, stepping forward into the stage to demonstrate it's beauty.

What I appreciated the most in the record was the guitar work. It's not fancy or complicated, as if the guitarists were trying to prove how good shredders they are during the recording sessions, while it's not disgustingly convenient either. The album is filled with authentic, cutting riffs, awesome fills and adequate solos that appear often, sometimes more than once in the same track. When the band attempts to get more melodic, it does not disregard it's original brutality and therefore, Fleshgrave is a heavy album from start to finish. More specifically, I liked "Disinter" for that reason (and the wonderful and crystal clear bass line), as well as the self-titled "Fleshgrave", which has a fascinating intro melody.

I was not aware of Catarrhal before and I must say I'm a bit into them after this album. There are solid ideas in Fleshgrave and even though it does not have what it needs to be a standout album or a year's highlight, it's pretty legit and enjoyable in overall. The guys have as much talent and appetite as they need to create good death metal and their excitement can be felt at moments, bringing some modest, probably unheard material, to suggest to your old school metal friends.

DAMAGE: 7/10

Facebook
Soundcloud
Homepage

Kult of Taurus - Divination Labyrinths (2013) Review

I don't remember when or how I first listened to this band, but I remember it was the Fallen EP they released in 2009 and I was intrigued by their execution style. Naturally, I completely lost track soon after until I got this album, which is also their debut full length after six years of activity, which are more than enough for a band to bond and find it's own personality. Divination Labyrinths is a solid effort that should reach the ears of as many fans of hellenic black metal as possible, as it isn't repetitive or significantly weak at any point, while not breaking through any borders either.

If you haven't noticed already, Vicotnik of Dodheimsgard has been giving the helping hand to various Greek bands (most importantly being in Naer Mataron) and he is involved here too, since the mixing and mastering of the album was done by him. Taking good care of the band's sound, it's not dusty at all, but still hostile to outsiders, while there are no glitches or annoying imbalancies among the instruments and the vocals. It is also a major improvement compared to their previous releases, which had the low-fi, one channeled black metal production plague. The album lasts a little bit over half an hour and contains eight tracks, including two instrumentals.

The musicianship of the album is relatively insightful and legit, worshiping a pure black metal philosophy that's based on satanism and occultism. Despite their semi-mythologic name (if you want to know more about Crete and the minotaur, click here) which also confused me a bit at first sight, the band does not speak that much about Ancient Greece or other pagan subjects, keeping track of the core of the genre. I found a couple of really good guitar lines among the generally authentic work and most of the tracks have an eventful moment or two, something that I think is decisive in my final and positive view of the whole album.

A dude named Sarpedon handles the vocals in Divination Labyrinths and his effort is terrific. There is a significant level of harshness and anger in his tone, he steps correctly on the songs and has great capabilities as a whole, judging from the screams and the very few, narrating cleans he does in the album (for instance, in the track "ΠΤΩΣΗ", meaning "Fall"). The drums and the bass also have nice feelings, even though they never get the first role in the album, since the memorable elements are mostly the vocals the guitar. Musically, the album stands above average because of the beautiful and original compositions, like the tracks "Where No Moon Rises", "Hidden In All Ages" and "Channeling End".

This is by no means another regular hellenic black metal album. Apart from the main and intelligent instrumentation, discreet electronic samples have been used very beautifully. First of all, the two instrumental tracks are electronic based. The introduction contains a haunting synth with a man speaking above it, similar to horror movie introductions or serial killer crimes information. Even though it's quite clear, I don't fully get what it says, but it has been made clear by the band that it's a piece of an interview of the psychiatrist Carl Jung. "Tree of Gifts pt. 2" is the outro of the album and includes a wondrous piano line, synths, whispers and generally is much better than the simplistic intro. Anyhow, I enjoy both of them.

Apart from these, there are some weird noises during the end of the track "Channeling End", which remind of industrial black metal, or experimentations of early Norwegian black metal bands with electronics. Same unidentified but entertaining additions have been used in "The Light That Divides the Earth" and "Tree of Gifts pt. 1" (which has a fully ambient part towards the end". The result not only fits the album, but also provides a refreshing sound, fond of innovation and quality. Black metal fused with machine electronics is not a new idea in the scene and it's not completely appreciated by the die hard fans, something I don't go along with, especially when a band uses them correctly.

Divination Labyrinths is a remarkable debut by Kult of Taurus, lacking almost nothing and having a personal facete. Built on solid ideas, it has variety and efficiency in content, even if I think I would not mind if it was ten minutes longer or something. The band's hard work all these years is presented here and it might end up being one of my favorite black metal bands from Greece, if it continues like this with a second release in the next years.

DAMAGE: 8.0/10

Facebook

Wordpress

Theosis - Behold the Glorious Night (2013) Review

Theosis is one of the projects led by Astraeos, the Greek musician also behind Mortuus Sum, Vetusmora and Morbid Fog. When the last called it quits earlier this year, I guess his attention was focused on his other projects, all revolved around primitive black metal with a few epic / pagan elements. This is the third release of Theosis this year, since there are already two official demos out, behind this final full length entitled Behold the Glorious Night. The band attempts to worship the obscure bands of the nineties (Vlad Tepes, Moonblood and the likes) with a truthful but average record.

Containing eight tracks (from which one is a Satanic Warmaster cover), the album climbs up to thirty eight minutes in length, more than enough for one to form an opinion about Theosis. A couple of one song demos are definitely not enough but as I got my hands on this, I knew what to expect. The cover art and the song titles as well as the lyrics come directly from the heart of the old school, authentic brand of the genre. Therefore, it shall be a tempting record for any closet brat, who hunts down such underground artifacts within a minute of recognition.

Behold the Glorious Night should only be experienced by the fans of the scene, people who know their way around the genre and have certain standards and likes. The atmosphere of the underground during the second wave is present here, with every composition depending on a few guitar riffs. Seldom are there changes after the introduction and the record keeps rolling at it's own rhythm, not overtrying or overproducing. Sadly, this does not turn very well for the result as a whole, because it seems like nothing more than a comfortable, time approved and repeated effort of older bands.

The production is murky equivocal, deliberately channeled to sound like something of the earlier years. Creating such a sound for the band is no innovation to the genre and if you choose to do it, know that we have listened to it like a thousand times so far so the music must have something really special in order to select it out from a load of other records. I don't think there is any special ingredient in this one though and that's why it will scarcely reach mediocrity to the judgement of an exacting listener. There is no doubt that it will affect many die hard fans that can be satisfied with anything similar to their beloved, dusty sound (and I am partly one of them) but that's it, really.

The first tracks didn't move me at all. There is this church organ / synth made introduction "Celestial Grace" which opens the record nicely, but when the first song "Rise of the Black Legions" kicks in, the instability is obvious. There are two main riffs in the whole song with a few melodies above them here and there, and I assure you that you that these thoughts will come to your mind: "Oh, isn't this the other band I was looking the other day, coming from Kvltland with only a few demos during 1991-1993?" or "Yeah, I wrote this riff as well the other day when I was randomly jamming with my guitar". The first song sounds like a filler and that's not good at all. "Drink His Blood from the Cup of Immortality" is the best track of the album. It has a nice churchlike chant in the beginning and then strikes with a nice and horrendous main part.

"Behold the Glorious Night" sounds like a mixture between early Norwegian / Swedish black metal, as if members from Emperor and Throne of Ahaz gathered for a one-night rehearsal. Again, there is one main riff, which is pleasant enough, even though it's strangely familiar. There are two songs "Blessed be the Black Moon" and "I Invoke the Forces of Darkness" that offer very few to the whole idea, while "Under the Spell of Thy Lord" has a melodic and epic part that reminds of epic black metal and more into early Summoning. Hardly a highlight but still worth mentionable.

Throughout the album, I could not make my mind whether I like the vocals or not. At some points, they seemed really sharp and rigid, and then as if it breaks, it fades out and loses it's power. To me, it's a mere imitation of other black metal singers (I thought of Ihsahn in more than half the songs), mostly indifferent if you exclude a couple of good moments. As a whole, Behold the Glorious Night is one of these lookalike albums. Bands should stop releasing stuff trying to get close to the music of the classic albums, not in their essence but with copying and pasting their music as it is. This record is a trip around Europe, presenting the sound of other bands, resulting in something typical and faceless. Like every other, you won't remember a thing after it finishes.

DAMAGE: 4.75/10

Bandcamp
Facebook

Dodsferd - A Breed of Parasites (2013) Review

A band with a history and a serious name inside and outside the national borders, Dodsferd are one of the most notorious acts from Greece, who has been spitting aggressive anger for more than ten years now. Their anti-human concept and direct music is generally appreciated by the fans and their name often comes up in conversations about suicidal / raw black metal, therefore they are a band to look out by definition for me. From what I have listened in the past, I don't think their are albums are more than average or over the top, even though I have an urge to listen from time to time.

What is more, 2013 seems like a really active year for the band, since two splits, a compilation, an EP and this full length were all released this year. I gave this a head start since it's the full record of the year and it was not the kind of black metal they used to play after all. The band has taken a turn into something more melodic and atmospheric without losing it's depressive subject, while absorbing ideas from genres like post-black or melodic black, as well as dark ambient / noise. The outcome is very solid and interesting, with a fair dose of originality.

A Breed of Parasites contains eight compositions with a total length of thirty two minutes, including a nine minute cover of the song "Eternal Bliss... Eternal Death" by Judas Iscariot. Meaning that the new music included in the album is a little less than twenty five minutes, not very long for a full length album and insufficient for many. I would not hesitate in naming this a full length and I believe it's more of an EP, even though the issue doesn't effect the quality at all. Dodsferd are coming up with a bunch of releases (including the The Parasitic Survival of the Human Race record) and there is plenty of material available. I would prefer a longer album just so I would listen to more of this.

Listening to it, one comes across a rather unusual track arrangement. There are two long tracks, lasting 8-9 minutes, along with the Judas Iscariot cover. In between, three instrumentals have been placed, each one relatively shorter and vocal-free, like the typical interlude used in the middle of various records. When other bands include one interlude in a ten track album, Dodsferd choose to include three of them in an already briefer package. The ending of the last track is also a 2-3 minute ambient piece, which makes this album almost half black metal, half dark ambient. Not only does it work, but also it is successful at preserving the listener's attention.

The instrumentals are legit and compelling, showing a talent of the band in creating a dark atmosphere with synths. The opening track "An Unbearable Pain" contains a repetitive guitar note with scattered sounds behind it, while a great couple of synth lines is played towards it's and. Track 3 "... Til the Day You Die" is more minimalistic and shadowy, close to drone / noise and track 5 "The Burden of Feeling Alive" is strongly bleak and dispiriting. It would fit for a noisy intro of an old Shining record, having a depressing melody and various noises that can play mind games with your head if heard too carefully. In other words, sheer awesomeness and success.

I'm satisfied with the black metal part of the album as well. The tracks have variety, they are well composed and in very good shape, when it comes to the sound. The album is glistening enough as much as a record of modern black metal does but it doesn't abandon it's past completely, don't expect a family friendly record. I enjoyed the solos of the tracks and the attention that has been given to them not only by the guitarists Nadir and Wrath, but by the compositions themselves, which are not chocking them out. Another aspect that brought up Shining to me, especially the solo part in "Burning the Symbols of Your God ". Even the cover is executed in a personal way, adding some ambient in the beginning and giving more emphasis to the already existing synths. Finally, I feel obliged to leave some credits for the vocalist Wrath, as his howls and screams are just glorious.

The band experimented with A Breed of Parasites, integrating heavy ambiance into their tracks and the record as a whole. The change was a certain risk to take, given that the followers of the raw black metal scene are never satisfied with anything clean or melodic, but still the band came through and put out an album worth listening to. Now, if this had a couple of full tracks more, reaching 45-50 minutes in length maybe, it would definitely be a remarkable effort by Dodsferd. At least, it's one of the releases I have enjoyed the most by them so far.

DAMAGE: 7.5/10

Crypticus - The Barrens (2013) Review

Album | The Barrens

Country | USA
Genre | Death Metal
Label | Razorback Records

| The clocktower chimes the 13th time |

Crypticus is yet another band that leans towards horror concepts and riff based compositions, creating average but enjoyable albums recommended for any age. Even though there isn't much going on when you're listening to them, it doesn't feel like they're doing something wrong, but more like they aren't doing something special either. The Barrens is their third and latest album to date and it offers some really tasty grooves, as well as occult aspirations, and that's about it. Apart from a couple of great moments, I didn't find the album that fascinating after all.

The band consists of two guys and one of them is a Norwegian dude that has experience with bands like Megascavenger and The Grotesquery, stepping into the realm of Rogga Johansson and his countless projects. Crypticus seem to be influenced and have some characteristics of that part of Swedish death metal, mainly because of the lyrical theme, the general aesthetics and the stomping riffing attitude they have. The Barrens contains eleven tracks (and a bonus one in physical format) and lasts thirty four minutes. It sounds like these guys have laid back on the already known recipes, comfortably recreating them with a few personal additions and little spirit to present, as if they know which notes to play, but not why they should be played.

My first objection on the album is the gargling vocals. While it seems like they're decent growls, they don't sound painful or staggering at all, delivering some kind of boredom from the vocalist who was eager for this shit to get on. I can't call a growl decent, especially when it doesn't have the power and the intention to dominate as a main part of a record like that, failing to draw any attention as the listener focuses more and more on the rest of the instruments and eventually on nothing at all. If you listen to each track closely, you get the feeling that the vocals were recorded in a low volume which was courageously increased to catch up with the overly boosted guitars.

Which brings me to another weak point of the album, which is the production. I don't like the way it has been mixed, erasing any signs of bass, squashing the drums into one-dimensional, fake sounding hits, dragging the vocals on the top and the guitars right behind them. From the first songs, it's obvious how the toms have been strangely altered into click sounds while the snares and high hats are notably cleaner, a common result of sloppy production, which would not be such a deal if the album didn't have all these blast beats. They are capable of giving you a headache for that reason and The Barrens is full of them. The drummer goes for solid musicianship and does whatever possible to accompany the songs, but his partial success is clouded by the annoying sound they later arranged in the studio.

On the other hand, the guitar work is splendid. The tracks have great melodies and great changes, as well as some exciting solos. For the most part, the album is suitable for drinking and headbanging, insinuating the use of bulky riffs in it's entirety. Specifically, I enjoyed "Together Towards Terror", Being the best aspect of the whole thing, it's what makes The Barrens a little memorable and the reason it was kept alive in my head, for a little while, after it finished. The band also uses a bit of synth lines in a couple of songs and in the introduction, accurately and correctly used to add to the horror vibe in tracks like "Necronom IX" and "Misanthropy Mine", the latter being the standout track of the whole album.

I believe the album will be an attraction for a significant part of the scene and it will generally get positive comments. However, it's fragile sound and disturbing vocals overthrew it into the dumpster and I'm not coming back to it any soon. If this is what the band had to offer five years after the release of their previous full length They Called Me Mad!, I am not impressed at all. A nice cover, some solid lyrics (and parts of them taken as quote texts) and regular jamming is not enough for me, and me only. I encourage you to listen for yourself and you might find something in there, it's not completely drained.

DAMAGE: 4.5/10

Facebook

Bandcamp

I almost check Swedish death metal bands blindfolded, in case we're talking about old school fanatics instead of the Gothenburg scene, which is cool but not as cool, let's be honest. Constantly searching for new bands, one is pleased when one finds a legit Entombed copycat, always having the desire for originality as a secret wish on the back of their mind. Now, you can't tell Beastiality from Stockholm completely innovative, but they do sound like themselves in their first ever demo, Ancient Ball Chimes.

The production is really dirty. The instruments sound dusty, the drums are hidden behind the buzz and the vocals are a mix of growls / screams / whispers, something from the depths of hell, worn out and rough. However, everything is pleasingly audible and the noise is deliberately channeled towards building a thick layer of a stenching rabble, totally raw and haunting in it's entirety. The demo grows in you the more you listen to it, provided that the necessary time is given to it.

The concept of the band revolves around witchcraft, Satan and morbid subjects, which gives them a more occult label compared to the classics of the scene. Ancient Ball Chimes is generally more malefic than the average death metal record, with a furious pace that doesn't really go into the doom department at all. The three songs included in here offer a total of thirteen minutes of music, containing a bunch of melodies and a few samples for you to grasp on while trying to choose your favorite track off them. For me, the standout track is the last "Funeral of A Virgin Sinner", since it has an awesome bell intro (I have a thing for church bells, I'm sorry), really interesting and dark riffs, but most of all, a peculiar clean vocal scream towards the end, that sounds a bit distorted even for the underground heavy metal standards.

The demo is very close to black metal aesthetically as well as musically. In fact, I was thinking of early Bathory throughout the whole recording, especially in the first song "Curse of the Devil". Given that these guys come from the same country, it's more than logical for one think that they are influenced by the first Quorthon era. That's probably the reason why it's not pure death metal like other Swedish bands, drawing influences from two different genres. Generally, I would place this as a combination of early 80s black / thrash, combined with the first wave of black as well as Swedish death, with equal doses of the first two and a larger one of the third.

Ancient Ball Chimes is for the lovers of extreme metal demo recordings. The band has produced it in a way that it's personality does not drift away while it unfolds and it has a respectable degree of quality, touching various underground genres in various moments. I'm going to look out for these guys, hoping that they will record and release a full length album anytime soon. Until then, I guarantee that they deserve your attention.

DAMAGE: 8.0/10

Bandcamp

Ildjarn & Hate Forest - Those Once Mighty Fallen (Split, 2013) Review

Sometimes, records get enormous hype before their official release and every last person interested into that particular genre is looking out for it, regardless of their taste on the band(s) and / or out of curiosity, they end up listening to it. It's not often but it's reasonable, since people want to be informed on the most important news of their scene, have an opinion on them etc... The split release of Hate Forest with Ildjarn was breaking and unexpected news. It described each blackster's terror and joy at the same time, for a result that had potential for a win or an embarassing loss, as everyone was excited, I know you hoped it is not a fiasco of two of your favourite bands, ruining their image and reputation. When you are informed that these are old recordings remastered, isn't there that awkward moment when you don't really agree with the label's decision but you can't judge either, if they are respected to the scene? Come on, when labels need money, they find shitty, forgotten rehearsals that the (by now famous) band hates, they remaster them and re-release them, hoping for any profit. Am I right?

The situation grows worse when one of the bands is Ildjarn, the epitome of disgusting sound. It's so dirty that it has divided the black metal community into two sides, the ones that consider all his work garbage and the ones that see him as the one and only purist and visionary. Ildjarn is notorious and a famous misanthropist after all. I have to admit that I would listen to this record and leave a sigh when it finishes, for no new music and yet new records, for recycling old glory, for not leaving one artist to rest in peace when they choose to etc.... One the other side, Hate Forest have been raped by re-releases of their hidden recordings several times after they disbanded, which is somehow funny, a band no longer active to release a demo, a split, a compilation and now a second split. It seems like they rushed it. It's natural that the label probably takes the band's permission for all these new albums, but I would prefer they quit the bullshit and get together for new music if they want new albums under their name. Hate Forest are excluded, since I am a huge fan of them and I can't take a black metal fan seriously if they haven't spent time on this fundamental European band.

Dilemma rises when the above thoughts spin around your head and at the same time it's Osmose Productions that organizes the release. It's not the non-existent rip-off label of your fraud neighbor, it's THE Osmose Productions. A look into their roster and history will help the people unfamiliar with it to understand the level of professionalism and accuracy of choices that goes on in there, so this isn't either a joke or a false statement. You are actually going to have a split between two of the most controversial but also approved acts in the whole genre, which is somehow, a historic event. It might just be my overexcitement and big mouth, but still I was very curious to listen to this, since I like specific parts of Ildjarn's discography and loathe a fair part of them as well. There are times that I do feel the organic, nature-driven raw sound he intended to make, but it's not always undeviating and capturing as it should, resulting in a missed shot. According to the information we have, Hate Forest's side was recorded in 2000-2001 and Ildjarn's side in 1994.

Starting off with the first six compositions by Ildjarn, which are, as relieving as it can be, something more than astonishing. Truly amazing, straightforward tracks of pure, delicate black metal for every fan out there. The atmosphere, the feeling of isolation, the hatred for mankind's idiocy, everything flowrishes wonderfully in it's most primitive and basic form. This might be the root of the tree for sure. This material belongs to the solid side of the band and delivers equal strength to Darkthrone's unholy trilogy, equally dirty, destructive and unhuman. The noisy guitar sound, the clear bass, the definition-of-the-genre immense vocals, the banging drums and some additives of keyboard melodies that remind of nostalgic, medieval ambient is what the package contains. There is a decent proportion of synths in the songs, as much as needed, without deviating from the original angressiveness. Track two "Ashes of Stars" and the short "Gates to Bottomless Halls" include some classic Norwegian riffing, while "Birds of Misty Dusk" and "Mountains Covered with Snow Forever" are more atmospheric, in their own unique way. "Forest Crypt" is the opening track and goes through all the elements of Ildjarn's music during it's seven minutes of length.

Descending further into Hate Forest's offerings, they open with "Cimmerian Shadows", which is a beautiful dark ambient piece as an introduction, pointing out the closure of the first part of the record as well. I don't know what recordings are these and under what treatment they went, but it's a crystal clear sound, similar and even cleaner than some of their own albums. The signature of the band shines from the guitar work again, which sounds and feels like Slavonic black metal, a bit less furious than the first but largely epic. The vocals are similar to regular Hate Forest, which might sound unusual to a person that has never listened to them before, because they lean towards death metal. These are deep, old school growls for the most parts, could easily fit to any death metal band of that period and I can't say I would prefer traditional screams, since the instrumentation goes along with the voice perfectly. I liked the first three tracks after the intro, being a great agglomeration of Hate Forest's own style, in both fast (track "Howl of Hyperborean Winters") and middle paced tempos (the penultimate eight minute "Crowned with Crescent Horns"). I was a little dismayed by the beginning of the last track "Abyss Wanderer", which reminds me of weird electronic genres I don't like, as it contains such synth lines at the background. That's why it's the weakest track of their side to me.

I would laugh if you had told me beforehand, that I would enjoy Ildjarn more over Hate Forest (excuse my ignorance). Both bands demonstrate the best of their abilities and their personal approach to the genre, writhing precisely between atmosphere and roughness without getting too repetitive at all. Of course these tracks all come from the long gone past and that's why I enjoy them even more, because it's unheard music of the best era for black metal by two really good acts. Whatever doubts I had before getting into this are gone now and I salute Osmose for this creation, as well as the bands for the original compositions. Under it's sharp surface, the record depicts the nature of it's harmony, bitter and very artistic. Highly recommended for the fans.

DAMAGE: 9.0/10

Satan's Host - Virgin Sails (2013) Review

I thought I would never fully enjoy heavy metal again because of the bands' constant and maybe unwilling struggle to get too shreddy or too old school, with ballarina singers and unexceptional songs, effect-driven, lacking spirit. Even when a new band arises that I find solid, it's because of their passion to bring the eighties back and succeeding in that. Now, Satan's Host avoided all this and made their way to a new album that I enjoyed the most for this year when it comes to clean singing metal. Maybe because they went through a period of black / death in the nineties, which is pretty much a Midas touch for any band. Just kidding of course, but with a sincere perspective.

The band was created in 1977 and I have only heard their debut album Metal from Hell that was released in 1986, which was right on the spot for it's time but yet not completely bewitching. I lost track of them and only came across the new release because of the amazing cover (as usual) and the funny album title, hoping for something at least bearable. Lot's bands fade away over the years and these guys have a huge run already.

Right of the back, the concept revolves around darkness and evil with some shots of occultism, the perfect and appropriate themes of bands into the originator of extreme metal, much better than fairy tales and pink make-up, as most of the mainstream bands do nowadays. Finally, I get to read some wonderful lyrics from a newcomer heavy metal band, since i'm way too critical on the matter, this is serious business. The have done Necronomicon references in the past and their approach once again is poetic. Naturally, they are accurately embellished by the marvelous voice of Leviathan Thirisen, the band's singer (who played in Jag Panzer before Satan's Host). The vocals sound direct and powerful, hitting high notes as well as a few torn out screams and growls, as If the guy was born for this position. The double singing in various moments in the album is magnificent and the whole performance delivers exquisite singing fortitude.

Musically, Virgin Sails is one interesting and mauling composition after the other. The production is polished and presents a very friendly environment for the listener to headbang on, while the songs offer plenty of neckbreaking moments, built on furious riffs and solos, as well as pummeling beats all the way. The drummer of the band is called Evil Little Hobbit and seems to be influenced by classic heavy and death metal drumming all the way. While the main fills are close to the regular pattern, there are several moments where he gets more intense will blast beats and complex playing, making the contribution of the drums notable during the album. The reason they are now labeled as blackened heavy metal is not only because of the lyrical theme, but because of the music itself, which is one step further than most of the scene's bands, with more variety as well.

I noticed allusions to various genres in the songs, like the stoner-like riff in the middle of "Dichotomy", the harsh vocals refering to black / death in "Reanimated Anomalies", the Enslaved-driven introduction guitar melody in "Infinite Impossibilities" and the black metal part of "Vaporous of the Blood", not to mention the grungy interlude "Taromati". The groovy beginnings of "Of Beast and Men" and the self-titled track remind of modern groove / death metal too. The overall guitar work is astonishing and worthy of any title, because of the hammering riffing that co-works with the coming and going, wondrous solos.

From what I heard, this is a great album with lot's of ingredients for everyone. I guarantee you won't be listening to the same song again and again, more like you'll be astounded by the variety. It focuses and stays close to the core of heavy metal, but often wanders off in other subgenres without losing track of the flow, keeping up a standard of quality as a whole.

DAMAGE: 8.0/10

www.facebook.com/SatansHost
http://www.satanshost.com/

Axeslasher - Anthology of Terror Vol. I (EP, 2013) Review

Country | USA
Genre | Thrash Metal
Date | October 31th, 2013
Label | Self-released

| Tales of vintage gore |

I don't usually like bands with funny lyrics or joking subjects and titles, since they seem generally offending to the rest of the scene of hard working musicians. This includes comedy metal or crossover thrash, goregrind and other inconsistent genres, they seem to have a very immature and temporary approach to music. Before you freak out, of course there are exceptions and Axeslasher from Colorado is one. The odds to like this new band are a lot, starting with the perfect cover right out of the classic horror cloud, it's colourful and very realistic, something I fell in love with on sight (because Ken Sarafin is a genius).

Anthology of Terror Vol.1 is the first EP release (containing six tracks) by the band and from it's good ratings, I would say people can recognize solid thrash metal. The production of the record is clean and harsh, creating a direct and cutting sound, deriving mainly from the guitar noise. The guitar work comes down to cutting riffs and solos as well as some groovier, hardcore lines to boost the headbang even higher. It is not easy going and doesn't rest a minute, it does not remind of any other band and it's pretty heavy without necessarily sounding old school. All the vocals are shrieked and there is no clean singing at all, like these were some Skeletonwitch rehearsals or early steps. In this kind of edgy music, any cleans would ruin everything anyway. The drums are pretty full and rely on blast beating rhythms a lot, I could live with less of them but they are solid in general, energetic and present at all times.

The record opens with a one and a half minute instrumental track, the infamous "Mark of the Pizzagram" which has hammering blast s and a nice guitar melody, as "Invasion of the Babysnatchers" introduces the full potential of the band for the first time. It is a short song and leaves space for the standout track of the EP "Woodland Tortuary" to unravel. Awesome, lovely murder case samples and well written parts, with fast and middle paced moments that make it the one song to check out if you don't want to listen to the whole thing. "The Axeslasher" and "Order of the Coven" continue in the same vein, wielders of a diligent and productive mosh, while the last track "Gucci Gucci" has it's moments but is not as good as the previous three.

The concept of horror is also obvious, from the titles and the artwork (more and more bands adapt it lately, or?) if one excludes the ridiculous song names "Mark of the Pizzagram" and "Gucci Gucci", the source of my lean antipathy, even though I love pizza. And I'm sure Satan loves pizza to, so these guys totally have deep meanings behind their songs that I can't get. This is a great debut release for a newcomer band, the assiduous effort is clear and should be left with some feedback. Judging from the title, I hope there are more volumes coming, with more horror inspired thrash metal and less goofy names, despite the fact that they are entertaining. Make sure to buy a pizzagram patch.

DAMAGE: 7.25/10

Facebook

Tumblr

Mitochondrion - Antinumerology (EP, 2013) Review

Country | Canada

Genre | Black / Death Metal

Date | September 3rd, 2013

Label | Dark Descent Records

| Void in the Flesh |

I have come to the conclusion that this is a serious band after all, but when I first listened to their music with Archaeaeon I thought the name was hysterical and some kind of joke. However, the sound itself is as punishing and stomping as I want it to be, so their goofy name does not prevent me from spinning their albums regurarly. The latest offering is this EP titled Antinumerology, containing three tracks and lasting no more than twelve minutes of thick and diseased noise, covered in a simple colored and wondrous cover art by Richard Friend. In fact, the album is split into Side A "Insummation" and Side B "137 (Mors Formulae) / Antinumerology" from the vinyl release so there are two compositions, the latter split into two parts in various internet versions of the album (and in Metal Archives).

Mitochondrion belongs to the family of Grave Miasma, Father Befouled and similar bands, which means they master the skill of an anti-human black / death / doom mixture, relentless and always with an enlightening and mysterious concept behind it. Just the title of this EP triggers some wondering for what this new riddle might be. The vocals on the record are high class deep growls, with no alterations or variety, as monotonous and disgusting as they can sound, with several points of twisted breathing and howling. They follow the traditional death metal pattern but not as distinguishable, since the singer(s) here focus more on the occult atmosphere than just brutality. Again, this should be well known to fans of this style.

The reason the EP does not get eventually boring is that it's short for it's own good and it has lot's of different parts to unravel as it progresses, from fast melodies to middle-paced tormenting moments, painted with interesting riffing all along. All three tracks and especially the second one "137 (Mors Formulae)", which is short and crushing, reminded me a lot of Dead Congregation and their masterpiece Graves of the Archangels. I can't say I noticed any significant bass lines in the album, probably because it was mixed on the down low, but one can feel it's effect during the dissonant lines of the EP.

The opening track "Insummation" is by far the longest composition (six minutes) and begins with amazing fast riffing, before descending into more doomier, grubbier harmonies, switching from hasty to slow parts until the end. The self-titled song is instrumental and maintains the same level of prosperity, lacking any new ideas but still tight. Mitochondrion deliver the same type of power with Antinumerology but I prefer their two albums, which contain significantly more music and a wider approach to death metal. Still, the EP had it's moments and I will be listening to the first two songs for some time, until a full album is constructed. The signs are scant but good.

DAMAGE: 7.0/10

Convulse - Evil Prevails (2013) Review

Convulse: Evil Prevails

Country | Finland

Genre | Death Metal

Date | November 1st, 2013

Label | Svart Records

| Clouds red as fire |

It seems like a lot of bands from the past are coming back with new releases after a lot of years (Sorcery and Protector come to mind). The old school fans have no right to complain about anything anymore, since not only the old bands arise from their ashes to release new music, but also there is a whole scene of newcomer bands that play as if they still live in the late eighties and nineties. When I first found Convulse, I fell in love with their debut album A World Without God, for it had the amazing sound and that particularly amazing feeling that old bands bring inside you when you listen to their forgotten, buried records. Then, I was a bit let down by their sophomore Reflections, and left the band into cold ice. Almost forgot about them. When the reissue of World Without God came out in 2010 it hit me that these guys might be back together, without thinking of a new release at all, something that made this album a surprise. In fact, I was not sure of who this band is, because the name didn't ring any bells at first sight. There are new members, the drummer and one guitarist, hired by the other two, original members, the singer/guitarist and bassist.

Getting down to the content, Evil Prevails is a dark, intense, old school death metal record from guys that seem to never get old. I'm glad time has not erased their urge to make great music and I'm talking about one of my favourite comebacks of the year, to be exact. A problem I often encounter in such cases, is that the frontman usually has lost his deep growling voice and goes with softer, shouting vocals instead. It works fine most of the times, but I personally prefer the downtuned, rancid vocals in death metal, and that's what I get here. Rami is a magnificent vocalist and he demonstrates his talents not only with his unearthly growls, but also with some clean vocals that are inserted in the more silent, doomy, acoustic minutes. The slower, grimy parts in the tracks remind me of the doom side of Autopsy, less frequent but in the same vein.

I'm pretty straightforward with what I want from this kind of death metal and such experimentations rarely pass the test for me, but this time I found it delicate, smartly used, a great addition in general. There are plenty of fast-paced hammering parts for you to enjoy anyway. The songs are built around numerous riffs and solos, enhanced by a great vocal and drum work, worshipping the first wave of Finnish death metal, with them being a significant part of it in the first place. If one would ask pure old school riffology in this album, it is exactly what one will get. Plenty of them, good varations in each song, with the proper way of using breakdowns and an overdose of agressiveness pouring out of every single line.

The now matured musicianship here helps a lot to the clear band improvement, in terms of composition and album structure. It flows nicely, warms your heart and caresses your ears, leaving a strong feeling of you traveling through time back into the tape trading era. With a production pleasingly raw to the fans and unfriendly to the outsider scene of modern meloshit, it builds it's own walls of protection from the unaware and repays it's followers with a remarkable, non stop trip of brutality. Lyrically, they don't go far from the familiar subjects, like genocide and war, as well as religion, pretty much the same like what they included in their debut. Not to mention the captivating cover artwork, done by the common suspect Luxi Lahtinen, who has been active into the painting business in the early nineties, drawing for bands like Avulsed and Demilich.

This is well written, accurate and relentless death metal, from the beginning to the end, executed by masters of the area, leaving the listener with very few to dislike, if any. You will find blast-beats, doom additives, clean parts, but all of them revolve around the old school attitude of death metal. The whole package is exactly how the job is done, but if I was to choose some standout tracks, these would be Days Are Dark, Unholy War and Reborn In Chaos, each one containing some of the best moments of the album, which ends with a sound of babies crying. What we get here is forgotten death metal with several new school elements as an enhancement. It is an enthralling album with enough, non-repetitive music for you to enjoy, without stepping into the trap of being a replica to all other, usual and simply good bands. It turns out Convulse had still some ideas to work on in the rear.

DAMAGE: 8.5/10

| www.facebook.com/convulse |

Tridentifer - Zombified (Demo, 2013) Review

October 10th, 2013
Relf-released

At first, I confused the band's name as Zombified and thought it was the Swedish grindcore / deathmetallers, but the logo and the art did not remind me of anything so I thought that I misunderstood. Now, the band's name is Tridentifer and they are a newborn band from Germany, having no official releases apart from this debut demo. They operate with the pure, non-additive side of death metal, strictly inside it's borders and with hardly any surprise characteristic, which works both in their service and against them, depending on the listener's frenzy on the genre.

Four songs reside in this demo, which from the looks and only, gives a reliable idea of the band's objectives. Simple, mutilated corpse, probably traditionally drawn with classic fonts and green colour on the logo and blood, is very close to the cornerstone of every self-funded band's first steps. As one descends into the noise, everything goes by the plan. The production is rough and sharp, flirting with the sound of modern old school death metal bands like Entrails or Revolting, without necessarily copying the Swedish formula. Moving mostly around middle-paced patterns with a lot of groovy/blast-beating moments, their music is not hard to headbang to, despite the fact that it's not anything new to an experienced listener. Of course, releases like these are self-limited into the scene and only and this one will attract very few, if any people outside from death metal. Besides, I'm positive these guys do not really care about that and with hard work, they could accomplish a solid full album. It's not hard to make a listenable demo, pleasing to the fans for a short period of time, the true challenge lies in making it memorable and Zombified does not really do that.

The mastering and mixing are good for a first demo, achieving a clean and discernible sound that keeps it all standing. The riffing and drumming lines are rather regular, predicable and overall not that amazing as you would want, even though brutality is involved here, especially with the semi-shouting and growling vocals, very much influenced by the northern bands. I had a hard time trying to listen to the bass and I can't seem to come up with it's shining moment, thinking that it was kept in the dark on purpose, for a steady rhythm or something. The record starts with "Bloodwine", which contains a sample of sea waves and sound for about half a minute, then getting into flogging melodies that feature a legit solo towards the end, which again, has a sound of a shooting cannon. It's a short song that shows the narrow but well used pack of ideas they have, while the second song song "Zombified" does not change anything. The penultimate "Of Days To Come" is the longest track and the best on the demo, staring with a clean guitar intro and getting into a main part with interesting guitar lines. The fourth track "Ripping Cancer" is another concrete track, it opens an mechanic made intro and it has a staunch structure, based on it's familiar riffs.

Tridentifer do not bring anything new to the table with their debut demo Zombified, which would be really better if they had some faster and heavier parts, instead of the easy ones they had now. The several good moments were a bit ruined by the drums, as the slow blasts were fuzzing everything out. The band is still looking for it's sound and it has a way to maturity, but that doesn't hold them from creating an enjoyable, average release. It left me with an impression of indifference after it ended, still I believe that they can grow into something more complete if they stay focused.

DAMAGE: 5.25/10

Oranssi Pazuzu - Valonielu (2013) Review

October 11th, 2013
Svart Records

| Woe of cannibal galaxies |

Rough days need rough music and I was not anticipating a new offering by this band, it totally caught me sleeping. Do you know Oranssi Pazuzu? If not, you should. They are the patronizers of psychedelic black metal, adorning a whole new side of the genre with their peculiar incarnation of sound. Formed in 2007, the Finnish surrealists arrive to question your standards once more with their third album Valonielu, which to me, is a mysterious gateway full of enigmas and riddles. Judging from the band's statement "Oranssi Pazuzu makes music that invites all the arsonists and smokers to hold hands", I think their vision fits this blog perfectly and I'm definitely re-examining their older albums as well.

The band's music emphasizes on a bizarre amalgamation of various unconventional styles while mainly revolving around black metal, forging a unique and intriguing sound, which gives them an identity among numerous look alikes in the scene. Coming from a non-metal background (the members were playing in weird rock bands before this) and having no knowledge on how to create traditional black metal is a bliss and a key element for them to go on and create something that amazing. The psych here is enormous and unexpected sounds pop out of every corner of the album, introducing elements of ambient, space rock and 90s black metal.

Oranssi Pazuzu dare to prolong some of their tracks up to eleven and fifteen minutes, challenging the listener's patience and fooling them into one bottomless pit of psychedelic utopia. After several listens, I still feel I have not fully consumed the tasty content of the album, which appears to have more and more hidden sequences that need close attention to grasp on. The album was produced under the aegis of Jaime Gomez, who has also worked for Ulver, Hexvessel, Gates of Slumber... So it was in the hands of a professional. I sensed the band's potential with the first two albums but this is overwhelming, I am impressed.

The reigning atmosphere during the album is this of the late sixties and early nineties, achieved by plenty underground prog / phychedelic rock bands as well as the ultra legends Pink Floyd. Or, to be more exact, it goes a little deeper and darker than that old scene, not only with the doses of black metal but also with the synths themselves. Absorbing all sorts of bizarre noises, the tracks contain catchy guitar riffs melded with hypnotic keys and screeching screams, driven by a smooth rhythm giving drum work.

Over it's 42 minute length, it offers a trippy experience into your subconscious as you're swallowed by it's alluring beauty and smartly executed compositional variety. New bands with a strongly personal and monumental sound like Oranssi Pazuzu are the ones who own the future for their delicate visions, as I would gladly swear that you have not heard something like this before. Combining their influences flawlessly, they build an addictive album that flows as a calm river and is probably going to stick in the listener's ears for some time. Instead of a fast-paced tempo, they move in a moderate speed so that the droning components can be experienced, giving time to grasp on the more than enough samples and synth lines.

A good example of my aforementioned comments is the opening track "Vino Verso", which kicks off with a druggy and a simplistic note riff, going on for almost it's whole length. The keyboards hold the leading role and characterize the song, launching new tones one after the other and establishing the band's elements all together on the table. A druggy/space feeling is created and the pure black metal elements are a minority, mainly in the vocals.

The second track "Tyhja Tempelli" is one of my favourite on the album, due to it's sick and dark vibe, deriving once again from the synths. It's slow and ailing, like the instrumentation of a dying junkhead, or a soundtrack to a deranged psychological movie. Their focus on mind games and creating hallucinations via their music is more than obvious on this brilliant four minute track.

"Uraanisula" begins with a slow, depressive introduction that fits the black metal pattern, then comes a small great sample before it's main part. Here, the clobbering melodies and riffs can be relegated to modern Swedish Shining, evenly painful with more electronic characteristics. The middle of the song is subdued by unclear samples and jamming guitar randomness, with a steady tone from the bass and the drums. Towards the end, it speeds up and leads to one of the most frenetic moments of the album. The track is quite long, as it reaches eleven minutes.

Track four "ReikA Maisemassa" is purely psychedelic. It's gloomy and fearful with lot's of unexpected notes that refer to complete technological disorder, it features simple toms and keyboards, painting the room with several, brightly-coloured lines, circled and squared. Bringing back the original vibe, "Olen Aukaissut Uuden SilmAn" is dangerously digging inside your brain with grinding sc-fi synths and the same, stinky way that they have by now made known.

The final track "YmpyrA On Viiva Tomussa" climbs up to fifteen minutes in length, above every other in the record. The calm, vivid intro that slowly builds into a main part sounds like a post-black metal song but much more maniacal, similar to a product of dementia. A bunch of unbalanced synths dominate the battlefiend again, involving bulky instrumentation, even when the sky seems to clear. It portrays the band in it's entirety, as they have used time in their favor to include all the major characteristics of the album into one, solid construction. It might seem chaotic and random, but the album has a high level of consistency, each track rendering to the album's flow by leaving and open connection with the next one, thus being a great all together listen.

All in all, Valonielu elucidates how talent and originality can create an astonishing piece of art, in any form of art, as well as music. It is fairly reasonable that Oranssi Pazuzu have not reprinted the pure and raw style of their country's scene like Behexen, Sargeist or Horna, so don't expect this kind of black metal here. It is more psychedelia and less metal with bits of science fiction and drugs, a legit sound and a ridiculous assortment of concepts. Influenced by unrelated bands, this musical hodgepodge is to be played and replayed until reality can't be distinguished from dreams and matter is no more.

DAMAGE: 8.5/10

| Facebook | Bandcamp | Website |

Satyricon - Satyricon (2013) Review

September 9th, 2013
Roadrunner Records

The new album by Satyricon is the most controversial by them to date and everyone has been stating an opinion since the news spread, even from the first single they streamed before the release. Coming from a band with a twenty year history and heavyweight albums on their backs, they had made it clear that you can't really expect what to listen from them. Five years after The Age of Nero, which was also questioned by the scene for it's unclear dispute, while they where playing in fashion shows and not only, it seemed like the demise of the band was eating them from the inside. I rarely throw dirt on an album before I get an insight on it and despite the hate everyone except the well paid big zines was showing on this new effort by them, I was curious to check it out myself. I knew it was going to be different because that's what Satyricon do, they would never release the same record twice, their developmental nature is useful and neccessary, even though it has not always worked for them in the past.

When the first song "The World, It Rumbles Tonight" came out, I thought they were joking. It clearly is one of the lamest and most washed out tracks I have listened lately, so much that I couldn't even get pissed at it at first glance. I had hopes that the album would be different and I can now say that it is tricky, difficult to judge with a clear mind. Satyr has stated that he enjoys playing black metal and rock together and I wasn't baffled until I listened to this, understanding what he meant. Satyricon contains ideas never introduced by the band before . It is way slower and a bit mellow. Like a forgotten, harmless recipe for rock, with bland harsh vocals and no agressiveness at all. Judging from the band's latest photoshoots, they decided to become cute for the sake of money and that's what their music represents as well, a mediocre mainstream band that has misunderstood the meaning of evolution. Popular belief is, that Satyricon is full of innovation and personality just because no one else has combined two note hard rock with worn out black metal vocals before, definitely not an arguement to prove it's meager value.

No wonder they went that soft and aimless, with a grunge producer like Adam Kasper and misleading promotion with statements like "the eighth album of the Norwegian black metal pioneers". Seriously? Using their glorious past to desperately ask for attention is what gives the feedback to this band, whose album would already be in the garbage bin if they were newcomers. It's not the mixing and producing that fail, since the sound is polished enough and the instruments (especially the drums) sound quite natural. It's the songs that are weak and the pattern that has been followed in mixing them, which makes the whole album unfathomable and lifeless. I'm not complaining because this isn't another Nemesis Divina or something, but because it is bad on it's own. I was always resilient with them and supported them up until The Age of Nero, which had its moments, but they have completely lost the way. This album is void of compositional power and foresight, something that characterized their previous albums. One can be easily fooled by it's warm approach, which is just a facet to hide the artistic imperfections that can be spotted everywhere on the album, from the cover art to the ten year old boy band riffs, lacking integrity and spirit.

Apart from the prosaic first single, other songs like Nocturnal Flare, Natt, Nekrohaven and The Infinity of Time and Space prove my point. Even for rock, they lack any strengh or quality, sounding as if some instruments are missing, like they were half-recorded. There is one moment that reminds of their early period, with the song Ageless Northern Spirit which has the title and the sound of something closer to black metal in the beginning, but sticks to being as unimpressive as the rest. Phoenix, the track which features Sivert Hoyem of Madrugada in the vocals, is the one-eyed man in the land of the blind. I would hate it if the rest of the album was any good, but now it is just one neat song, which was composed relying on the included musicians rather than the actual content. Satyr does not participate in there at all, which makes it the track closest to actual rock off the whole album.

Middle-paced, nonthreatening, boringly emotional rock, like the Kiss version of extreme metal. They kick their fanbase right in the guts with this embarrasing record. I recommend you avoid this album, since it has nothing to offer to you. I get the feeling that this easy to go pop rock/metal was written in a couple of days, a sad presentation of a once visionary band that has been dead for a long time. It's members, pillaging on their own corpses, making me wonder even more how they will continue and I'm looking forward to their future albums, leaving them space for a deeper grave, the most likely scenario. Satyricon is no more.

DAMAGE: 2.0/10

Abated Mass of Flesh - The Anatomy of Impurity (EP, 2013) Review

September 3rd, 2013
Rottweiler Records

Abated Mass of Flesh come from Tennessee, US and they are a part of the new wave of brutal death metal, which seems to be in fashion lately. They don't have much of a discography yet and when I listened to their debut EP back in 2011 (one that I had gotten along with the 80.000 Dead EP) I couldn't really get into it, but I did not hate it either, it was a neat, noisy record. Two years later, they release two more EP and one of them is this, which is just wrong to my eyes.

The fans of BDM are almost immune to the flaws of the genre and will jamm on anything you give them, as long as it has guttural, eructating vocals and blast beats, and that's the only way to enjoy this. The songs here are very similar to each other and there is nothing uncommon in them to be any special, except the shredding two second intro in "My Cross To Claim" or in the middle of "Deadland", which again, is often used in such occassions. In general, they sound like the new era of Pathology, with a slightly dirtier production and a worse drummer. I mean, it sounds like there are four guys hitting random notes back there. The high hats are used too often and they are loud enough to toss everything else on the side, making the process of listening somehow staggering.

The vocal work is limited to the regular brutal death singing with some highs and you can listen to a few pig squeels in some moments, but that's about it, naturally. There is a bass drop on every corner of this record, as if it was used to fill the musical gaps and it does, in it's own way. At least they avoided the hardcore breakdowns. There is a sense of randomness to the compositional structure, as if they connected two different songs into one, or fused ideas in a goalless way. The mini album closes with an instrumental track with a preaching sample about how important the love of God is, and that brings me to my last point, the lyrics. It is a christian band and I can't help but laugh about the content, Give me strength o, Lord.

To sum up, I think "The Anatomy of Impurity" targets it's audience to those who like religious content in their music, as well as the fans of brutal death metal, but it might seem repulsive to anyone outside. Apart from that, it is rather nonchalant on it's own and there are definitely better things in that scene for you to check out.

DAMAGE: 3.0/10

Ancestors Blood - A Moment of Clarity (2013) Review

August 6th, 2013

Heidens Hart Records

Finnish Ancestors Blood return with a second full length album after five years, when they released the mannered and tight debut "Return of the Ancient Ones". The band moves towards pagan black metal and generally speaks about anti-christianity and paganism, describing their music as esoteric heathen metal. The new album contains eight tracks and lasts about 45 minutes.

Starting with a clean sounding debut record and then turning your back to the studio and praising more primitive, raw sounds, is encountered less often than the other way around and this is the case here. They seem to go back to their demo period and explore new sides of it, sticking to the basics and focusing on the dirty production to build an intact, cacophonous atmosphere, with the synths to take the leading role in the whole act. As they do, one can listen to amusing melodies from the keyboards and it's the key aspect that makes the songs memorable, for their primordial sensation and aesthetic. Even though it's not musically better than it's predecessor, it sure is more aggressive, even with all the synth additions that make it mainly atmospheric.

Apart from the keys, little changes can be found between the songs and there lies the Achille's tendon of the album. The guitars are too fuzzy to give the impression of variation or change, sounding like the same thing played over and over again, with a few moments in the sun only when a solo or lead riff comes in. Combined with the guitars and the sparse bass, it creates a somehow plastic sound that does not highlight the compositional work of the band, trapping them into their own production. Nevertheless, the music is addictive if you listen to it closely, with the bands giving away talent in songs like Puu Ianikuinen and the grim vocals being way better than the howling / screaming that took place in their first album.

"A Moment of Clarity" runs on middle fast paced rhythms, calming down only during the intro and outro, interlude and some dispersed song parts. It can be described as a raw version of Summoning, if they ever decided to adjust pure black metal elements into their music, maintaining it's place as a legit album because of the engaging synth lines. A strict judge will find a couple of failing characteristics that might ruin the image of the album, but it will enjoy the fans whatsoever.

DAMAGE: 5.5/10

Facebook | Website

[Recommended to fanatics of Satyricon debut and later Summoning.]

Pages