Sun of Nothing - Maze

Ο όρος "Λαβύρινθος" χρησιμοποιείται πολλές φορές για να δηλώσει ένα οικοδόμημα με πολύπλοκους διαδρόμους που καθιστούν δύσκολη ή αδύνατη την έξοδο από αυτό, καθώς και κάθε παρόμοια διάταξη δρόμων ή στοών.

1. Liars in Wait

2. After the Fall
3. Ghost
4. Voidhanger
5. Buried Endeavors

Mortals - Cursed to See the Future (2014) Review

Album | Cursed to See the Future
Country | United States
Genre | Sludge / Crust / Black Metal
Label | Relapse Records

Coming from New York, the all-female trio Mortals release their second full length record Cursed to See the Future under the Aegis of Relapse Records, which is also the first release of the band through a certain label (all their previous records were self-released). One can't say Relapse hasn't proven itself exemplary these years and here is another valuable newcomer band they found and promoted, as this record fuses the unconventional parts of sludge and black metal naturally and perfectly as they are.

The tracks of the record range from four to nine and a half minutes and clock up to fourty seven minutes in total, making Cursed to See the Future the longest and most important release of the band so far. The production here is very clean and pleasant, giving the distorted guitars and the vocals a bit higher attention into a direct and full sound. The album carries a unique essence when it comes to it's content, flowing perfectly as it progresses and constantly offering divergent moments as well as memorable parts.

Mortals grew from a metal / punk outfit to sludge / hardcore and now something like blackened sludge and their earlier steps still have a spot in their music. There are plenty of hardcore and sludge elements in Cursed to See the Future, mainly in the prolific and distinct riffs of the tracks that are aimed to bulldoze the listener with their heaviness, as one of the finest characteristics of the record. The guitars sculpt the characteristic sound of the record and the switching of lines is so natural as if it was meant to be, a truly remarkable effort compiled of a bunch of amazing riffs, not a poor one included.

The turn towards black metal is also apparent in the album, unfolding during it's very first moments in the opening track “View from the Tower”, which also serves as a first taste of the devastation the album causes. There are sparse moments and sparse riffs inside the various guitar melodies, while “Series of Decay” is a composition strongly into the black metal temperament. Mortals have a gift in creating solid compositions the same way as the all powerful Darkthrone and that's what makes this record so easy listening and organic.

Apart from the guitars, another amazing point of the record is the screams of the vocalist, high pitched screams moving between black metal and crust, they are accurate and legit through the whole album. Mortals did a great job with Cursed to See the Future, which has elements of various genres very well mixed together. 

DAMAGE: [8.5/10]

Door to Door Promotion: Propast & Dementia Senex & This Place Is A Zoo

 

These releases were sent to me via email and they are posted by request.

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Propast - Věstnik Preispodnji [EP]

Black Metal from Serbia

 

Straightforward black metal with chilling production and great harsh vocals and satanic content. The band has only released this EP for now and it contains a Graveland cover too, which is pinpointing their style, in the likes of any slavic black metal band. Lyrics and titles in Serbian.

 

 

Bandcamp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dementia Senex - Heartworm [EP]

 Death Metal / Sludge / Doom Metal / Post-Hardcore from Italy

 

Dementia Senex is a project that was started, and keeps getting developed over the years; from 2008 to 2011 the band, which was at an embryonic stage, slowly started to grow. The band got to play with bands such as Ulcerate (NZ), Svart Crown (FR), Fleshgod Apocalypse, Putridity, Fuck The Facts (CAN), Murder Therapy and The Modern Age Slavery... achieving good visibility in the Italian underground death metal scene. In 2012 Dementia Senex feels highly motivated and has already started performing live. A new repertory, much different and meaningful; a sick mix of death metal, post core and doom is ready to be played.

 

Listen | Facebook

 

 

This Place Is A Zoo - People Movers [Single]

Experimental Metal / Hardcore / Electronic from the US

A track from the upcoming This Place Is A Zoo album could possibly be described from the very band name, when it brings different styles and sounds together to create this uplifting and party-like music. These guys have released a full album in 2011 named A Good Time and an EP in 2012 named It's A Fucking Tree. Fun banging.

Bandcamp | Facebook

Black Tusk - Tend No Wounds (EP, 2013) Review

Black Tusk "Tend No Wounds" 

Summer 2013, Relapse Records

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Black Tusk are known for their talent in creating riffs, they already have three damn good full length albums out and about. They are energetic, electrifying and addictive, because of their easy-to-go-with rock 'n' roll sludge, they come in handy when you need a trip, or a good time generally. These are exactly the elements this new EP lacks, throwing it down in the dungeon of mediocrity.

For some reason, every instrument sounds weaker to me. The guitars are shy, like they are afraid to play faster or heavier, at least more consistently. The drumming is pretty bland, even the vocals do not have the power they can have, if one considers their first albums. As a combination, it feels like Black Tusk are for some reason holding back. The production can't really help either, since the tracks are sloppy, poorly composed and unoriginal. I can't feel the movement i am feeling when im listening to their other stuff, the whole thing sounds like something a newcomer school band would release.

After a short riffing intro, the first song "Enemy of Reason" has a typical riff that literally anyone into metal could think of. I can't recall the times i've thought of that riff in my head or heard it in various hardcore bands, it would be nice if it was the first time a band played it, but it has really worn out. Surely not what one would expect from this band. The second song "The Weak and The Wise" is even more mellow, and the starting riff reminds of Sweet Dreams. FUCKING SWEET DREAMS. Whatever happened here. These two tracks have the major flaws to me, then follow two more that have nothing to offer, so i won't hesitate talking about them at all. A small portion of hope was restored with the last track "In Days of Woe" , which has a middle-paced but interesting riff, that might just sound nice because the rest of the tracks are worthless.

I don't know if they did that intentionally, because there is not much experimentation here. I was hoping for a better outcome from this band, and i will listen to the new album when it comes out, even though this new record was a rabbit punch for me.

DAMAGE: 1.5/10