01.09.15 | THE SPIRIT CABINET - HYSTERO EPILEPTIC POSSESSED![]() ![]()
Ván Records, 28.08.2015
Moderately doom-influenced and NWOBHM flavoured heavy metal is on the menu. Fair enough, but there is little meat and gravy,
and too much rice on the plate this time. Neither instrumentation nor sound impresses, though neither is unpleasant either.
The song material isn't distasteful either, but there is of course a weakness that it just keeps running out the other ear.
Unfortunately most of it remains rather anonymously. |
01.09.15 | WEDERGANGER - HALFVERGAAN ONTWAAKT![]() ![]()
Ván Records, 28.08.2015
The music itself is also in an intersection. It has more firepower than post-black, but the pace and state of mind is
calmer and more melancholically landscaped than pure black metal. I find plenty of tristesse, but little disgust, and
not really enough depression to blend in dsbm. Perhaps I'll have to resort to atmospheric black metal, although
Wederganger doesn't offer soaring forest lays drenched in synth. |
28.08.15 | ROOT - ZJEVENÍ (Re-utgivelse)![]() ![]()
I Hate Records, 27.08.15
The band was labelled as satanists by the communist government behind the Iron Curtain early on, and struggled to find
a suitable location to record the album. Yet they succeeded in creating one of the most distinctive soundscapes the genre
has |
28.08.15 | ADVERSARIAL - DEATH, ENDLESS NOTHING AND THE BLACK KNIFE OF NIHILISM![]() ![]()
Dark Descent Records, 21.08.15
We return once more to the chasm of hell, through a swirling wormhole of flames. As the album title indicates, the
Canadians performs their sulphur-stinking inferno via a mixture of death and black, were death metal poses the main bulk.
|
27.08.15 | BONEHUNTER - EVIL TRIUMPHS AGAIN![]() ![]()
Hells Headbangers, 21.08.15
The Finnish trio has been around since 2011 and has got a good handful of smaller releases behind them. |
27.08.15 | HATE ETERNAL - INFERNUS![]() ![]()
Season of Mist, 21.08.15
The album begins brutally, but rather generic with Locust Swarm, and the fear that this would
be a trend throughout the album did not let go until almost half the album had passed. Some sequences with creeping subtle
moods of howling guitars seemed promising, but could it be enough to place Hate Eternal in the elite
series where they belong?
|
26.08.15 | WOLFHEART - SHADOW WORLD![]() ![]()
Spinefarm Records, 21.08.15
At first listen I get a feeling that Wolfheart has moved in a little more heavy and possibly a touch more
technical direction. After a quick round with Winterborn (2013) I don't think that that's the case. It's
probably just Aeon of Cold, the first song on Shadow World, which misleads me with
rather monotonous intensity early on, after an initial piano snippet, that is. Tuomas Saukkonen and
company was probably just as technically versed when our paths crossed last time as well. |
21.08.15 | TAKE OVER AND DESTROY - VACANT FACE![]() ![]()
Pulverised Records, 21.08.15
They mix genres vividly, yet naturally. The band doesn't alter or stumble between different expressions, but has
placed themselves in an abstract intersection between different horror-inspired extreme metal genres and occult 70s
doom. That might perhaps sound peculiar, but Take Over And Destroy makes it sound like the world's
most obvious habitation.
|
21.08.15 | ROTTING CHRIST - LUCIFER OVER ATHENS (Live)![]() ![]()
Season of Mist, 21.08.15
After more than 1200 concerts, the band is undoubtedly professional on stage. Unfortunately I have not been able to see
them live, and nor am I doing so now, for this is barely a CD, and not a visual presentation. Thus, it is difficult to
say whether bag pipes, for example, is played live or if they are just samples. |
20.08.15 | VAEE SOLIS - ADVERSARIAL LIGHT![]() ![]()
Signal Rex &
Mordgrimm, 21.08.15
Portugal has got barely 600 active bands with registered releases (compared with just over 666 bands in Norway), but just
a handful can be said to have a solid name. Thus it can't hurt if the scene gets a little more attention.
|
19.08.15 | SCYTHIAN - HUBRIS IN EXCELSIS![]() ![]()
Hells Headbangers, 21.08.15
British Scythian is the first English band signed to Hells Headbangers, and they don't dishonour
their homeland heritage. On the contrary, they deliver good and euphonious black/death, spiced with epic Viking influences.
|
18.08.15 | LYCHGATE - AN ANTIDOTE FOR THE GLASS PILL![]() ![]()
Blood Music, 18.08.15
The atmosphere Lychgate creates with their new work of art, continues unabatedly its pitch dark
symphonic-sounding efforts with Panopticon-related topics. |
18.08.15 | ÖXXÖ XÖÖX - NÄMÏDÄË![]() ![]()
Blood Music, 01.08.15
The band was founded in 2006 and plays an atmospheric, somewhat quirky variation of gothic-sounding doom metal. |
14.08.15 | GLADIUS SKY - EX METALLO![]() ![]()
Selvutgitt, 02.06.15
Should Gladius Sky get away with such conspicuous theft of sogna-metallic means as that they do here?
(With sogna-metal being a style named after the origin of Ulcus (Molle), Windir, Sigtyr,
Mistur, Cor Scorpii, Vreid etc.) Well, songwriter Tanner Revak makes no secret
of his inspirations, and perhaps it's time to let others attempt to create new magic in the vain of Windir now,
11 years after Valfar's tragic demise. |
14.08.15 | ELYSIAN FIELDS - ADELAIN (Re-utgivelse)![]() ![]()
Nuclear War Now! Productions, 15.08.15
It has taken some time, and I have kind of regretted the decision. |
13.08.15 | HAMMERHEAD - THE SIN EATER![]() ![]()
High Roller Records, 14.08.2015
This proto-metal genre has never been my favourite. Much of what I've heard has been considerably softer than many
ordinary rock bands. A lot of it has also been ruined by revolting castrate vocals. |
12.08.15 | ABYSSAL - ANTIKATASTASEIS![]() ![]()
Profound Lore Records, 23.06.15
With swirling cacophonic and frenetic riffing, only broken up by dystopian-sounding dissonant, pandemoniacal clamour,
a delightfully uncomfortable ceremony begins. A sacramental rite honouring idols only the most repugnantly primitive
and cynically heartless secluded tribes of cannibals would ever consider worshipping.*
|
12.08.15 | ISTENGOAT - ATLAS SHRUGGED![]() ![]()
Blood Harvest, 10.08.15
These minor-key-possessed grave robbers have come a long way in the decomposition process. |
12.08.15 | CREEPING - REVENANT![]() ![]() Daemon Worship (CD), 10.08.15 &
Iron Bonehead (LP), 28.08.15
Behind you; more than a thousand degrees viscous molten rock. In front of you; the sea. |
10.08.15 | MAJESTIC DOWNFALL - ...WHEN DEAD![]() ![]()
Pulverised Records, 07.08.15
The death/doom the band performs is varied in expression, and with rather good sound. It lacks, however, a bit of what
is required in order not to slide right out the other ear. |
10.08.15 | ISTAPP - FROSTBITEN![]() ![]()
Trollzorn, 07.08.2015
Isar on vocals and Fjalar on all instruments and clean vocals now constitutes the duo
Istapp (meaning Icicle) from Mjövik by Karlskrona, south in Sweden. The same duo make up the band
Nivlhel, from Vintersorg's home area Skellefteå, a long distance further north. |
08.08.15 | CIANIDE, SARITAP, BARBATOS, DEIPHAGO & SCARNIVAL![]()
Ladies and Headbangers of the jury, dishonourable judge Gorger hereby summons you from the deepest pits of Hell to
cast your votes and spells on Cianide, Saritap, Barbatos,
Deiphago & Scarnival.
As you might have guessed by now, I'm taking the easy and lazy way out. As written in conjunction with Throaat
three steps below, I've got no less than eight releases scheduled for yesterday. I never have time to cover every release
that I'd love to listen to and write about. Sometimes a promo or two also turns out to be stuff that I don't love
to listen to, nor write about. And than there's those in between. |
08.08.15 | WOMBBATH - DOWNFALL RISING![]() ![]()
Pulverised Records and
Dark Descent Records, 07.08.15
One of the first thing that strikes me when I compare the two albums is the sound, which is far more compressed this time.
With massive DR11, Internal Caustic Torments had large and airy contrasts. Downfall Rising
is with its DR7 another victim of musical vacuum packing, although thankfully the sound is far from
as packed as many other modern masterings are. Otherwise there's not much to nitpick about on the production. A bit muddy,
yes, but that really fits this living dead band.
|
07.08.15 | SHROUD OF THE HERETIC - UNORTHODOX EQUILIBRIUM![]() ![]()
Iron Bonehead, 31.07.15
The album only features four songs, but then again these occupy 42 minutes. |
06.08.15 | THROAAT - BLACK SPEED (EP)![]() ![]()
Invictus Productions, 03.08.15
The trio Throaat from Brooklyn, New York is inspired by the first black wave, black/thrash and other
tough and hard forms of metal from the same era. Maybe they should have been inspired to a greater extent of the eighties
free rein to search musical challenges and uncharted terrains without restrictions, for if it's something one could and
should learn from band that broke new ground it is the ambition to aim for that exact same objective.
|
06.08.15 | DESIGNS OF CHAOS - THE DARKEST STORM (EP)![]() ![]()
Independent, 28.06.15
The term “modern metal” is just asking for trouble. How is one to refer to such a phrase in ten-fifteen years, when it might
be reduced to only “dated metal”? |
05.08.15 | BARSHASKETH - OPHIDIAN HENOSIS![]() ![]()
Blut & Eisen Productions, 30.07.15
Krigeist set the whole thing in motion in his native New Zealand, strongly inspired by black metals
second wave which washed out of Scandinavia as a new series of Viking raids in the early nineties. After the debut-album
Defying the Bonds of Cosmic Thralldom (2010), he moved to Scotland. There he eventually teamed up with
three like-minded lads with experience from acts such as Cnoc an Tursa, Saor and Haar. The
sequel Sitra Achra (2013) was thus released as a full band.
|
05.08.15 | AVANTGARDE MUSIC - IN DECAY WE TRUST VOL.II (Compilation)![]() ![]()
Avantgarde Music, 17.07.2015
Italian Avantgarde Music hardly requires a presentation. The label has been around for over 20 years, almost
25 if we count the first few years under the name Obscure Plasma. According to my calculations, they'll release
their 250th release under the current moniker in September. Along with the sub-label Wounded Love Records they
are closing in on 300 releases (which they've passed if the Obscure Plasma releases is added).
|
04.08.15 | LES ACTEURS DE L'OMBRE PRODUCTIONS - SAMPLER MMXV (Compilation)![]() ![]()
Les Acteurs de L'Ombre Productions, 26.07.2015
This French label's got six years in the game. They have 14 full-length albums behind them, releasing additional four
records in the middle of September. Additionally, the Sub-label Emanations has three discs and an EP on their
conscience. On this compilation album, we receive 12 songs with a total playing time of about 71 minutes.
|
03.08.15 | PERVERSOR - ANTICOSMOCRATOR![]() ![]()
Hells Headbangers, 27.07.15
No fucking wonder then that one becomes slightly disappointed when another outburst of everyday semi-brutal scorched (as
in blackened) death/thrash once again erupts from the soil of the speakers.
|
03.08.15 | FALLEN - FALLEN (Compilation)![]() ![]()
Solitude Productions, 16.07.15
The band was starting in 1996 and released a two track demo in 2004. I can't guarantee that the trio behind the demo also
founded the band, or if any of them tagged along afterwards. Drummer Anders Eek and guitarist
Christian Loos came both from the band Funeral, while vocalist, keyboardist, guitarist and bassist
Kjetil Ottersen joined Funeral's ranks in 2001. |
02.08.15 | FUNERAL - IN FIELDS OF PESTILENT GRIEF (re-release)![]() ![]()
Solitude Productions, 16.07.15
However, the similarities ends there.
|
01.08.15 | Disfago - Disfago (Double 7")![]() ![]()
Witch Ghetto Productions, 08.06.15
The pace varies between fairly quiet tanked staggering and intense puke bonanza. |
01.08.15 | DESTRUKTOR - OPPROBRIUM![]() ![]()
Hells Headbangers, 24.07.15
We also get more flesh on the knuckles in the form of greatly enhanced sound. |