Necrophagia - Ready for Death (1990) Review

Album | Ready for Death
Country | USA
Genre | Death Metal
Label | Embalming

~ Infecting thousands by the day ~

Necrophagia is one of the veteran bands in the genre of death metal, because they formed as early as 1983. The band also introduced the horror elements to their lyrics, a catchy subject later adapted by many a band, showing the efffect these guys had to this day. The band released their first and iconic album Season of the Dead in 1987, even though Ready for Death consists of even earlier recordings. The tracks for their second album, which was officially out in 1990, were actually made in 1986 and the label refused to release them. Now, why is that?

If you think other material by Necrophagia are primitive, wait till you listen to this. The barbaric sound of this bootleg album characterizes it's cult status as one of the sickest recordings of the genre, praised by the most extreme death metal fans. However, I don't want to give it more credit than it deserves, as it clearly isn't the best effort they have made and not the most influential album by them either. By 1986, it seems like Necrophagia had a relatively long way to go, which they wishfully did in a year before their ravenous debut.

The production of Ready for Death is up and down shitty, but not completely unbearable. Imagine listening to the first Impetigo records, but with a lot less grind elements. Labels often fought against the bands trying to get even more extreme because it was still uncertain economically and I'm glad these guys waited until Season of the Dead, which is an improvement in all aspects. Necrophagia's style is not yet distinctive in Ready for Death, as there are plenty of thrash metal elements, along with a bit of black metal in the vocals, as they are similar to early black metal recordings of the late 80s. I guess all extreme metal was one back then.

The compositions feature a couple of pure death metal riffs here and there, but mostly are an unsteady blend of playing with not much to give to the listener of today. In fact, there is often a jam rage, with repetitive high hats and shreddy riffing, making the songs even more fuzzy. Ready for Death is not an album for purely musical interest, as it is more agressive and unfriendly, especially for it's time. Apart from that, the album will be an awesome ride for fans of dirty death metal, early grindcore, goregrind or anything similar. The lyrics are graphic enough, at least the ones available.

Two tracks were later used in Season of the Dead, "Ancient Slumber" and "Mental Decay", while the rest of the tracks were used in a compilation released later in 2000 titled A Legacy of Horror, Gore and Sickness. Necrophagia's Ready for Death isn't that special, being an early and sloppy recording by the band. It could easily be their debut record but it seems fate was on their side, offering a more complete work only a year later. All Necrophagia freaks out there need this too though.

The name on the grave on the right is Edward Gein? Great.

DAMAGE: [4/10]

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Disma - Towards the Megalith (2011) Review

Album | Towards the Megalith

Country | USA
Genre | Death Metal
Label | Profound Lore Records

 

~ We are the proprietors of the abyss ~

I always think death metal should be a merciless, soul crushing experience. Traditional death metal bands are brutal, but not always do they achieve something further than shreddy riffs and guttural growls, which always sounds good anyway. That explains why I loved Incantation from the first listen, as well as the bands that follow the same path with them these years, like Disma. This is the first and only full length by the band so far and it definitely was one of the best albums of the year 2011, since it has thrilling compositions and a "dismal" atmosphere that few bands have today. It was also an awaited listen, since the band's first demo in 2009 and the small taste of an EP in 2011.

There are eight tracks that collect up to fourty six minutes of music in Towards the Megalith. Most of the tracks have been used in previous releases but there are also a few new compositions, which is really a pleasure, since I was eager to listen to their early stuff with the sound they deserve. The production of the record is finally more than worthy of listening, thick and powerful, as the tracks themselves. The guitars and the drums build the first layer of the sound, where the inhuman growls come and go above, creating a deathlike aura from start to finish. The excellent cover artwork visually describes the music too, as a road towards a big gate into the underworld, along with death wizards and necromancers and around a sickly-green main colour.

Disma's style has a lot of doom / death metal elements, as they often slow things down and keep simple riffs, rhythmic drum beats and even slower vocals in various parts of their songs. It feels great when such parts come in, since they are well made and give even more strength to the faster parts (i.e. the transition from the end of "Chasm of Oceanus" to the intro of "Spectral Domination" is like being hit in the face by a sledgehammer) and emphasizing the solid structure the album has. Many would think of Autopsy during the gloomier moments, but still Autopsy are more traditional American death and don't step towards a darker sound like Disma. In Towards the Megalith, the drums sound organic and not squashed out of existence like in most records of the 21st century, which is very cool to listen to. The bass has a dose of distortion in it (check the track "Vault of Membros", which is also masterpiece).

All in all, I took exactly what I expected from the debut of Disma, which is something relentless and gloriously heavy. The band gave all they had to offer in here and no listener is safe when listening to it, being a flawless effort in it's entirety. The band's style is certain but not repetitive, and all the melodies are down-tuned and straightforward, giving a pummeling vibe as  background where all hell breaks loose with each track. I definitely recommend Towards the Megalith to ANY fan of underground death metal, any person who aches for some actual brutality when the genre it taken too far melodically, lyrically and in terms of modernity today, so that more people fit in and like it. Towards the Megalith is strict and and dangerous, if found in the wrong hands.

DAMAGE: [9.25/10]

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Paganizer - Cadaver Casket (On a Gurney to Hell) (2014) [Ep]

Origin: Gamleby, Sweden
Genre: Old School Death Metal
Label: Cyclone Empire

Paganizer is the most characteristic band of Rogga Johansson, the man responsible for many extreme metal acts in the Swedish scene today. While all are inclined towards the traditional sound of their country, his inspiration seems to be never-ending and this EP was a direct sequence of their last album “World Lobotomy”.

The band’s sound has a specific wavelength and “Cadaver Casket” is exactly what one would expect, meaning direct Swedish death metal. The classic compositions with a fairly clean production and full sound, do not deviate much from the latest releases of the band and contribute one more mini album with more of Rogga’s music, which will not leave the ones who dig it any room for complaints.

Strangely enough, I liked this EP more than their last two albums, maybe because the original drummer Matties Fiebig returned to the line-up. The tracks here feel a bit more energetic than before and might be some of the best in quality the band has offered the last four years.

There is the horror movie picturesque both at the cover (a work of Daniel “Devilish” Johnsson) and the song titles, giving an even more beautiful facette to the record, which is intended mainly for pleasure and fun. Many bands continue what Entombed and Dismember began two decades ago, and Paganizer is definitely one of them.

DAMAGE: [6.75/10]

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Satariel - White Ink: Chapter One [EP]

Album: White Ink: Chapter One
Year: 2014
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Origin: Sweden

Despite being one really important band for the genre and it's time, Satariel never amazed me until this release, which is really awesome. Three cohesive, well-written and heavy compositions mark their return and I definitely look forward to a new album or something. More spicy information, the last track "Ending Circle" reminds a bit of Ghost Brigade's "Clawmaster". Both are awesome tracks.

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Disma - The Manifestation (EP, 2011) Review

Origin: New Jersey, US
Genre: Old School Death Metal
Album: Disma / Winterwolf
Label: Doomentia Records

In 2011, Disma went on with three releases, a split with Winterwolf, this EP and their debut full length Towards the Megalith. By then, all fans were possibly waiting for the full album when this arrived to their hands, which was a really good taste of what was about to come, but not much to deal with on it's own. Since Towards the Megalith was released about a month after this EP, it's not but a minor release.

The Manifestation contains two tracks, both of them were new back then and only one was used shortly after. The band still moved to the same pace as in their first demo in 2009, only with a clearer and deeper production (a main issue before, if you ask me). The tracks are a mixture of a fast and slow pace torment and the demonic vocals create one bit of an aura for death metal.

Even though they tracks are decent, I listened to this in a chronologically wrong way and it was already damned by the following release of the band, it felt a little bit uneccessary to me. Don't hesitate to check it though, especially if you're a fun of the band, as "The Manifestation" is only featured here.

DAMAGE: [6/10]