Intro song named “Into the Grave”- check.

Gothic font logo- check.

So I’ll give you one guess what the debut release from Ataraxy’s Santi Racaj sounds like?

Yeah, though hailing from sunny Spain, this is 100%  Grave worship, so HM2 buzzing death metal, but Santi has given it a more raw, putrid, sometimes doomy aura, that has a bit of an Autopsy stench here and there (i.e, the little bridge during “A Somber Night”).

Santi brought in Ataraxy bandmate Javi to handle vocals, and he has a spot-on early Jorgen Sandstrom roar. And the guitar tone has a sort of early Grave demo/first album low end, which makes tracks like “The Eternal Embrace”, “Rebellion Against the Grave” and “Revenge From Beyond”, deliver the musty, but feral old school death metal goodness, even if i wish the bass drum had a little more heft.

A solid introductory EP, and now I need to go and check out Ataraxy, I guess.

Anyway, “The Vastness of Time” starts things off with a movie clip and a killer growl from Ralf. The galloping is pretty classic until the high velocity blast beats erupt. Within the first few seconds, the band lets us know they are making good on their word of upping the brutality. This track gets into a slower groove, then into more of that fast galloping.. Jonny is laying down some killer guitar soloing with harmonies as Ralf uses more of his deep guttural registers. Perfect start to this horror soundtrack.

“Death Mask” is up next, incorporating keys and a classic gallop calling to mind 1989, then seamlessly shifting into a vicious blast beat. Some dual-layered vocals on the slower moments, with a good use of the keyboards adding ambience and flair. More guitar soloing, keys, and brutal blast beats. Ralf growling as if he is chewing on corpses as he and Jonny dig up some graves and start feasting on skulls, together. That’s the way to do it fellas!!

“Never Ending Night of Terror” starts with an eerie ambience that I could envision walking through some dimly lit path on a full moon drenched in fog evening. The song has creepy sounds throughout, as this song plods along, with some classical guitar playing throughout the track. Talk about an expansive song – I applaud Heads for the Dead for creating this track, which has a plethora of nice guitar solos. Excellent album title song.

“Give Me Life” has creative growls, blasts, and brutal death metal all around. Jonny dialed in with his guitar tone on this album. The death metal has that European flair of classic 90’s death metal and the element of melody, more commonly used in those bands. There are also flashes of early 90’s, late 80’s American death metal as well. This track has a monstrous rhythm section over the blasts and fast gallops and that damn guitar tone is pulverizing. It will hit you like a 10 ton hammer over and over and over again.

“The Shape of Light Bleeds Black” starts slow and with some wacky key sounds, and the plodding heaviness is as thick as a New England fog. The double bass drums sound really nice on this song, and the start and stop moments at the 1.29 moments with Ralf’s growls and then guitar solos, after are on point. Excellent guitar riffing and the tempo stays pretty much in neutral on this song. That helps break up some of the more brutal sections, which are all over this album, and throwing in a few slower, drenched in atmospheric numbers, is exactly what Dr. Giggles ordered.

Never Ending Night of Terror is yet another solid slab of death metal from Heads for the Dead. Their creative blend of horror atmospherics, keyboards, and song placement is what gets me every time. Yes, there is an uptick in brutality on this album; however, there is also an increase in melody too. The band certainly knows how to blend both together, and that is something one would expect from scene veterans. So eat some skulls, dress in your favorite Halloween costume, and start some damn circle pits to Heads for the Dead, now!!!

I reviewed Downfall Rising on this very site of ours, too.  Since then, they have released four other albums and now add Beyond the Abyss as the fifth to the list.  All these albums are solid slabs of Swedish death metal.  Håkan Stuvemark is the mainman since the beginning,g crafting those swirling guitar licks, and Jonny Pettersson joined in on the reunion as vocalist and guitarist in 2014.  Rounding out the band is: Thomas von Wachenfeldt on guitars, Matt Davidson bass and Antti Silventoinen as their newest member on drums.  First thing is the striking use of green on the album cover- great choice, and the cover has an old school flair which I very much appreciate.

The intro opening this 42-minute album has ambience and atmosphere, and slowly gets louder and does not overstay its welcome at just a minute, “Words Unspoken” then erupts with a classic guitar riff.  This riff is tremendous then right into the old school early 90’s beat before erupting into a vicious blast before settling into a slower passage with a cool guitar solo.  The guitar melodies, from the beginning, return, and you will be headbanging like it’s 1989 all over again.  Jonny sounds awesome on this with his usual lower registers, but he adds some killer higher register vocals.  The bombastic opening moment returns towards the end as well.  This is one of the best songs Wombbath has ever created, and such a smart decision to open the album with this track.  Excellent!

“A Symphony of Dread” is next, and the heaving heaviness of that opening guitar riff will cave in your chest in 0.0 seconds.  The song meanders forward in this monolith of extreme heaviness with bursts of blast beats and atmospheric sounds of orchestration towards the end, giving the band a more epic and bigger sound than in the past.

“Malevolent” has a killer and classic Swedish guitar opening riff, as the mid-paced and slower moments allow us to catch our breath somewhat.  Terrific double bass drums – they sound so damn good on this album and the snare drum sound has a loud deep resonating bass sound to it.  This is good.  They mixed this drum sound in perfectly.  I say this because Swedish death metal, done correctly, with the dense and chainsaw-style guitar tone, if not mixed right, will drown everything out.  Not here.  It also helps that Wombbath has more melody and harmonies than many of the bands out there playing a similar style of death metal.  The harmonies and melodies cut through nicely on all the heaviness and blasting when all those moments erupt.

“Consumed by Fire”, at over six minutes, is the longest song, and this closes out the album.  Remember earlier I referenced the band having more of an epic quality and sound this time around, and this album’s closer brings it.  Slower in nature with monstrously heavy riffing and orchestration to coincide with the rhythm.  You get the feeling you’re listening to a big-sounding recording.  This song with the variety of vocal tones, instrumentation, and atmosphere must be listened to with headphones, AirPods, Heavy’s headphones, whatever, to fully capture the expansive nature of the music.  Damn good album closer.

With all that said and done, this is on the longer side of recordings for the band.  They have had some 35-minute albums and then some longer, so maybe this falls in the middle.  There is a lot going on in these songs.  A lot of depth and thought went into crafting this album.  I am glad the band took a few years off to record a new album as well, rather than release another album during COVID, like a few years ago.  There seems to be added freshness to the material on Beyond the Abyss.  This is another kickass album from Wombbath.

The joke’s on him because I don’t like my family, so I want to be clear I’m only writing more because I want. How could I not want to write about these horror movie-driven stalwarts? So it begins with “Heart of Darkness,” which includes a nice rumble until the middle of the track where it gets quiet, then goes into an almost blackened blast section. Immediately following that is an excellent solo, then back to the near-death doom verse. If you thought this track was finished, I think I can hear a faint mellotron in the background before it all goes blasting to the finish.

If you’re looking for standouts, you don’t have to look far. I could mention all five of them, but I like to be more brief with EP reviews, so I’ll mention “The God Forsaken.” It has a slow build, which does include some deep growls, but doesn’t kick in until what I would call a “fast” Insomnium section. It then gets quiet like most of their tracks. This is when a spoken word section starts, sounding like Behemoth. If you were surprised by that, check out the male choral vocals immediately following. That lead with around a minute left is soulful as fuck.

I’m gonna forgive the song title on the next one, “Self-Immolation in Fire” because… How else, and move on to the closer “Possession,” which begins with, wait, is that a xylophone? Anyway, the main guitar part takes on the same melody. The track sounds unique and hits its stride when they mesh together. It’s an excellent closer that does indeed make me want more Heads for the Dead.

Damn it, I’ve done enough talking about Heads for the Dead on here that they should put me in their next thank you list and send me a gift bag. Of course, I already have all their albums on CD, own a Serpent’s Curse hoodie, as well as a Great Conjuration baseball shirt, so I’m repping proudly. Anyway, I enjoy this band as you may have noticed. There’s never a dip in quality, and they’re one of the most unique and exciting death metal revival bands we have. Cherish them.

Firmly rooted in the early Entombed and Grave tones of yore, the album rumbles with a old school musk rather than a more polished HM 2 sound of some of tier peers. This is a more filthy, dirty tone with a focus on mid paced , sometimes more doomy pacing rather than slicing leads and more energetic, pummeling gallops.

The more crawling, rotten throes are rendered with a perfect production from Ulf Blomberg (who also produced last years Crawl release, Rituals), and the vocals of Rille are a perfect deep, throaty complement, recalling Grave’s Ola Lindgren. Just don’t expect any truly classic or instantly memorable numbers amid the 37 minute and 9 songs.

But you can expect some Autopsy meets Grave, sickly, shambling HM2 lumbers and grooves. From aptly opener “Life in the Sewers” through the likes of  rumbling “Inner Carnivore” and loping “Madness of Creation” to 6 minute closer “Stench Of Infection”, the album does what it does with solid efficiency and results. There are a couple of blasts or more traditional Stockholm canters like the “Life in the Sewers”, the title track “Translucent Visions”, or “Non​-​Functioning Pile of Rot”, but it certainly is not the focus of this solid entry into the genre, that renders a more reeking, rotting tone.

If you answered “OUGHHH”  or “HEEEEYY”  to either of those questions, the debut album from this French/Dutch duo consisting of  ‘R’ (drums) and ‘E” (vocals, guitars, bass), should be a easy, instant purchase for you.

Much like other obviously named  tribute bands like Dishammer, there isn’t much else to expound upon. This is sneering, grimy, riffy blackish punk/thrash with a focus on swampy mid paced riffs and gruff vocals. The  distinct Celtic Frost guitar tone and pace give it an old school musk without being to overly raw or primal, and the album is essentially one long 11 song 38 minute cover/tribute to “In the Shadow of the Horns” (listen to the start of “Sworn in Blood”) and “Circle of the Tyrants”.

That said, the songs are largely pretty long from 4 to 7 minutes long, so with only “Sworn in Blood” and “Oracle of Death” (with one of the album’s only blast beats) clocking in under 3 minutes. There’s a couple of more crawling numbers like closer ‘Stigma Diabloli’ and “Ad Infinitum” and 1 more uptempo song in  “Empire De la Mort”, but for the most part the songs all have that instantly recognizable gait and lurch that Tom G Warrior made famous.

That’s about it really, there’s no point in trying to flesh the review out. DungeönHammer know what they want to sound like and you know exactly what you are getting. Nothing more, nothing less.

In case you don’t know this group and its members within its ranks are none other than Kam Lee ( Death, Massacre, The Grotesquery and a host of others) and Rogga Johansson (Revolting, Putrevore, Paganizer, Those Who Bring Torture and host of million others) Morgan Lie ( Naglfar) and Ronnie Bjornstrom ( Aeon, Ribreader) almost a “supergroup of sorts and what they have gathered to create is basically a version of Massacre, a bit of early Six Feet Under and a sprinkling of Rogga’s (many) other groups. The headscratcher part is why? Why do we need another group with some of the above members play in another band with same members under a different name, cant they just do this in The Grotesquery perhaps? So whatever the reasons they may be, this is entertaining has a one off affair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0IWxcH40vo

I have heard bits and pieces of earlier releases from Bone Gnawer (this being their 7^th) and its still basically the same lots of horror/zombie movie samples and interludes, Kam Lee still sounds as good as ever the song “Chrome Skull” is great example of his vocals and along with the musicianship and its galloping mid paced chug.” Below A Murder of Carrion Crows” has a killer guitar sound and riff. Songs tend to avoid all out speed and go for a catchier vibe reminiscent of Massacre, Bolt Thrower, you know, the evil dark late 80 death metal you have come to know and love.

All songs are well played and production is up there and not disappointing and with the members experience involved its good to see that this is done right. Again, like mentioned above not a terrible release, its been done before and we all know by who. I just wonder why we need another band saying the same thing, Quality over quantity I say.

A few months ago I got a digital promo from Iron Bonehead Records, Interstellar Knowledge of the Purple Entity, a 5 song vinyl only EP, the duo’s third official release. I never got around to reviewing it because I don’t feel reviewing digital files of a vinyl release does the release justice. However, a mere few months later, Pulverised drops this Morbid Revelations compilation containing said EP as well as the band’s Deathmanicvs Revelation EP and Morbid Ovation demo from 2012.

The result? 17 tracks including three covers and one radio appearance of Boss HM2 goodness, that really hearkens back to the classics like Nihilist and Carnage, with a more raw, primal sound and some tangible nods to the legendary albums of the style like Left Hand Path and Like an Ever Flowing Stream.

The guitar tone is spot on and not overdone or forced like some of the band’s peers (not that there is anything wrong with that), and the demo quality is pretty apparent, but it breathes some musky old miasma to the riffs, many of which will recognize. The songs start with the Interstellar Knowledge of the Purple Entity and go backwards, as does the sound quality, getting more raw and demo-mish as the compilation goes on. The 5 tracks that make the Interstellar Knowledge of the Purple Entity EP are the clear standouts with the “Left Hand Path” familiar keyboard nod of “Sabbatical Demonic Invocation” or the “Revel in Flesh” inspired “Slaughtered From Beyond”. A cover of Carnage‘s “Torn Apart” hammers the EP home gloriously.

The tracks from the Deathmanicvs Revelation EP and the Morbid Ovation demo are much more lo fi, but still enjoyable with a feral energy and truly old school musk. And the covers of Sepultura‘s “Show Me the Wrath” and Sacrilege‘s (The UK crust/doom act from the ’80s/’90s) “A Violation of Something Sacred” are certainly entertaining amid the fetid mid range filled, feedback drenched scrawls, gallops and blasts of “Macabre Oblivion” and “Putrefaction”. The release ends with a 12 minute live performance from Dead at JFKC Radio show, and it’s actually pretty good sounding.

This compilation along with the recent Festerday (…And Oceans before they were …And Oceans) compilation have been absolute joys to listen too these last few weeks as they represent a more honest and less polished or forced take on the sound I love so much. And I’m really looking forward to a full length album from these guys at some point down the road.

Coming across like a more nasty, blackened, furious version Tragedy or Wolfbrigade, Usurping the Throne of Disease is a 32 minute, 9 song tornado of rocks and glass shredding, tearing and ripping its way through your soft flesh. There’s some inherent d-beat melody that drives the assault, but’s its a  power chord driven sense of sneering, punky melody that’s as infectious as it is furious.  Just listen to opener “The Howling Wolves of Armageddon” or “Millions Lie Slaughtered”.

To be honest, I have not heard anything this unrelenting and volatile in a while. The guitar tone has a slight mid range buzz as expected giving the  Darkthrone influence some heft while the vocals of the controversial transsexual front woman Kat Shevil are a mix of gruff gravelly shouts and some blackened rasps and the overall hue has a distinct blackened/death/thrash undertone feel (maybe due to members serving in death metal acts Horrifed and Uncoffined), despite the d-beat structures.

Songs like “Mass Graves of the Innocent” or ‘Till Graven” reign things in bit to more traditional d-beat canter, but there is still an air of filthy, ashen vitriol dripping from every note and howl on tracks like “Deathstrike of the Scythe”,”Venomous Warfare” or closer “Swathed by the Black Wings of Death” which ends the simple, effective salvo of an album with a searing exclamation point. Don’t be surprised if this sneaks onto my year end list somehow, and I just hope  this project remains active and continues to rise through the UK’s extreme metal ranks and deliver more killer albums in the future.

Though absolutely nothing on At the Caves of Eternal is remotely unique, it doesn’t mean the album – or Zombiefication for that matter – are just a bogus rip-off of everything that was created and released in the early 1990’s. They know how to shred the listener’s eardrums with savage and simple death metal, just the way it ought to be. Overflowing with nods to early Entombed/Grave/Dismember and host of others, At the Caves of Eternal is a treat to hear because of how smooth and deadly it is.

The nine songs on the album are all easily constructed; there are no finesse-laden frills here. They follow the simple blueprint of what made the glory days of Scandinavian (and some American) death metal so, uh, glorious “back in the day.” Easy riffs, simplistic drum patterns, and Petrov-esque vocals make everything about Zombiefication fun.

They don’t try to pretend they are anything else than a couple of dudes who love this particular style of metal and enjoy creating it. With a nasty production that sounds like it rolled right out of 1993, the record is a grimy, dirty, kickass ripper that seems to end too soon. And while this scribe typically loathes programmed drums, the ones heard on At the Caves of Eternal sound as organic and lively as any other heard before (if there is a human drummer behind the tracks, the liner notes of the promo don’t specify as such).

Is Zombiefication or anything they release going to ever be considered original or something that will reinvent the wheel? So far, the answer is a resounding “no” but that doesn’t matter. Unlike the majority of the newer bands playing this style of retro death metal, Zombiefication do a superb job of recreating a lost time in metal that was so precious to many. With Dismember disbanded and Entombed playing a much more rock-laden style of metal for years now, there’s no reason why Zombiefication can’t carry on the old school Swedish sound with their music, even if they are from Mexico.

Their tradition of using a different vocalist for each album remains unbroken here. This time, it’s Alexander Högbom of Volturyon and Spasmodic. His high to low growls will come as no surprise, but they’re more expressive than most and fit the music well. Just don’t expect any clean crooning like you often get with this style. This album also sees the addition of Norrman’s younger brother, Mattias, on bass, though the firstborn still handles most of the songwriting.

“Of Wounds to Come” kicks off the proceedings with a downcast swagger that obviously comes from Norrman’s many years with Katatonia. The aura of his former band’s mid-period permeates the entire album, making it feel like what Katatonia could’ve sounded like if they hadn’t abandoned their deathly origins during that time. Even the Emil Alstermark-penned “Emptiness Fulfilled” has a strong Last Fair Deal Gone Down feel to it, albeit interspersed with some My Dying Bride-like guitar weeping, a welcome addition to their sound. However, the album is not without some references to the project’s own past as “Our Constellation,” “Caught in Silence,” and “Watching the Drowners” would’ve fit in nicely on Grey Dawn. They stumble a little when “The Day I Dissolved” degenerates into a slow march to nowhere, although the remaining tracks will make you forget all about that. “In Hopeless Pursuit” contains some memorable riffs reminiscent of modern Paradise Lost and the fragile chords of “Adoring Ashes” are some of the most moving of the album.

Even though I would describe the music as melodic, there really aren’t many full-blown melodies to stick in your head. The songs are mostly composed of ever-shifting melancholic chords in generally linear song structures, which hinders memorability, but increases replay value. Initial impressions could also be hurt by the lack of the additional instrumentation and vocal styles that often appear in this genre. Nothing jumps out and grabs you at first, but repeat listens are rewarding as the subtle guitar work and songwriting slowly worm into your brain.

This modern incarnation of October Tide has not quite yet brought back the emotional power of the Renkse/Norrman duo days, but it’s obvious that more effort went into this album than its predecessor, making it a more worthy successor to Grey Dawn and a quality album in its own right. It may take a little more time to fully appreciate, but it’s worth the effort.

Ulcer make no bones about their influence leaning heavily into the early Entombed/Nihilist and Dismember tones and song structures. The guitar tone is pure rough and ready, early Sunlight Studios and the riffs are all rooted in Left Hand Path, Clandestine and Like an Ever Flowing Stream. For example I initially though second track “Devilspeed” was a cover of the Carnage/Dismember track “Torn Apart” before it took  a different course.

And that feeling runs through most of Grant Us Death, as the songs all seem to have some sort of nod or moments that recalls some classic track or riff. Whether its the nice  mid song romp of “Bloodpainted Salvation”  and “Thanatoeuphoria” that seem pulled right from something on Clandestine  or enjoyable gallop of “The Love Song”  and “Godcremation’ which would be right at home on Indecent & Obscene. Then there is the opening canter of “The Pact” which really sounds like a lost track from Left Hand Path. But for a huge fan of the style such as me, that’s not a bad things, even when it’s pretty blatant, as the guitar tone and delivery is still pretty damn solid. “My Lord has Horns”  had a more melodic, latter Dismember while closer “When Horror Comes” recalls “In Deaths Sleep” complete with spoken word.

While not a spectacular example of the style on par with Entrails or Binah, Ulcer will certainly tide you over until the new Entrails, Revel In Flesh or Just Before Dawn albums drop later this year  but is yet another solid addition to the genre that keeps delivering despite the saturation.

Commented Stålhammar: “BOMBS OF HADES are psyched to have the next album released through Pulverised. A Serpent’s Redemption will satisfy souls starved for some true old-school death metal and will be unleashed before the Summer of 2012.”

Added Pulverised Records A&R Manager Calvin Chiang: “BOMBS OF HADES are one band that have been on our radar for some time now. We finally thought it was time to seize the opportunity to grab them for a brand new record. To further confirm that our gut feeling was correct, our good old friend Ayong (founder of Pulverised Records) coincidentally recommended the band and strongly insisted we get BOMBS OF HADES on our roster by hook or by crook! Expect full-blown death metal abomination!”

BOMBS OF HADES:

Jonas Stålhammar – Vocals / Guitar

P-O Söderback – Guitar

Magnus Forsberg – Drums

Anders Ekman – Bass

The short of it is that my first thoughts upon listening to the disc were something along the lines of “Goddamn, it sure seems like I’ve been reviewing a shit ton of old school Swedish death metal and every time I turn around a new release from a different group of chaps trotting out a similar style is falling into my lap,” and a few minutes later those thoughts turned to, “That all may be true and it is not like there is a whole lot more to say that hasn’t been said before, but I’m still a sucker for this stuff.”

That brings me to the most important point for those that would like at least some idea of what they’re getting with Necrology. The answer is that they’re getting a pretty good, if wholly unoriginal, collection of chunky, groovy, and even a little catchy old school Swedish death metal. At a minimum, the songwriting is solid. I’m thinking a sound that falls somewhere between Vomitory (just not as all-out bludgeoning) and Nominon (with more memorable songwriting). The album moves with speed and purpose too, leaving no time for a twiddling of the thumbs or a rolling of the eyes; only a banging of the head.

Now that my early onset Alzheimer’s has been confirmed, I’ll cope as best I can and see if I can find some other gems that I forgot I liked.

As a nine-track offering, Black Reign never wears out its welcome, thanks to concise songwriting. It definitely helps that listeners are served up some very head-bang-able numbers, a handful of which (e.g. the title track and “Eternal”) offer surprisingly hooky chorus melodies. Anything more than nine tacks and the aforementioned redundancy would become an issue. As it stands, Black Reign is a minor pleasant surprise and a pretty tasty bowl of death. – Scott Alisoglu
www.myspace.com/sanctificationband

With lyrics in all Swedish, The Few Against Many (TFAM) will be a tough sell to most, but this is death metal – it doesn’t really matter much. Mr. Alvestam sticks to his tremendous death metal roar and growl here, refraining from any clean vocals. This is a much more straight forward and less saccharine offering than Scar Symmetry, but as with most of the guys projects, there’s a twist – there’s a good deal of orchestration wove into the mix, providing some atmospherics, but not overpowering the songs.

Embracing a mostly Stockholm-ish sound, TFAM occasionally tread into the waters of thrash or the more melodic, depending on the song. “Blod” for example hops around a bit, at one moment led by synths, then at another locking into sturdy death metal groove or speedy thrash break, all of which can be skirted with bits of orchestration. The title track fades in with rapid double bass, a melodic lead and backed by light synths, then breaks into a blast beat filled verse accompanied by eerie orchestration which makes for a nice combo. “Abider”, “Hadanfard” and “Heresi” all rumble along with a more straight forward approach, but include some melodic bits as well.

The end result may not be the best thing these chaps have done, but if nothing else it’s solid and enjoyable. This has the mark of Christian Alvestam and all over it, but it still manages to be pretty unique, thanks mostly to the orchestration – you won’t confuse TFAM with Unmoored, Incapacity or Torchbearer. Alvestam fans are sure to eat it up, and is still recommended to anyone who digs on any kind of Swedish Death Metal.

So now 2009 rolls around and we get the first album of new Whiplash material since 1998’s Thrashback. It is called Unborn Again and I freakin’ love it, so much so that it will be a contender for my year-end list – if not a top 10 selection, then easily a top 20. And here’s the part that may surprise you, unless you’re a Whiplash devotee: Unborn Again is not a pure thrash metal album! It is an exceedingly well written, rip roaring collection of songs that draw influences from the world of traditional heavy metal and blues-based hard rock, as well as thrash metal, and there isn’t a bum track in the bunch.

Above all else, Unborn Again is an album that sticks with the basics of guitar, bass, drums, and vocals to grand effect. The riffs are fantastic, the album sounds like a band playing live in the studio, the grooves are big, and the songs are memorable. On the purely thrash end of the spectrum, you are treated to all out ball breakers like “Float Face Down,” “Feeding Frenzy,” and “Pitbulls in the Playground” (featuring a riff that could have appeared on Kill ‘Em All). From there, things become more varied in scope. On “Swallow the Slaughter” and “Snuff” – the latter a great song with a backing vocal line that sinks deep into the psyche – the style is as much trad-metal as thrash. Then you’ve the groovy muscularity and bluesy hard rock swagger of “Firewater” (complete with a Native American chant intro) and the Mountain-esque “Hook in Mouth,” not to mention a stuttering rocker called “Fight or Flight” that features a riff that rides the “Immigrant Song” edge. The album rounds out with rock solid instrumental “Parade of Two Legs” and a fire-breathing rendition of Montrose’s “I Got the Fire” that gives me goose bumps just thinking about it.

All wrapped up in the kind of Jersey blue collar vibe one hears from Overkill, Unborn Again is an album without flaw. It just feels like a classic. Guess I better get searching the back catalogcatalogue. Highly recommended for anyone with good taste.

I’m not sure what the years have done to The Black’s original line-up, but some digging in the Metal Archives shows that two-thirds of the band is now made up of members of Vinterland, with the third member coming from Eternal Darkness. Haven’t heard either of those acts, so I can’t compare, but Alongside Death sounds real old-school, with a couple of modern, almost post-black touches as well.

The attack begins with short, violent opener “On the Descent to Hell” – a barely-two-minute blizzard of blastbeats and sick, misshapen riffs that comes off like a mix of Mayhem and Leviathan. The wet, gargled vocals also take a big cue from Wrest, although they’re more aggressive than his usually ponderous, mysterious delivery. Follow-up “Death’s Crown” is equally as nasty and typically Nordic, walking the dagger’s edge between chaos and clarity, and it’s here that the raw-yet-nuanced production really stands out. Makes you wish that a band like Satyricon had never ponied up the funds to pay for the cleaned-up, sterile production of their recent efforts.

Speaking of Satyricon, it seems The Black count them as a major influence as well, as the rest of the album sounds like a mix of that band’s output, both recent and classic. “A Contract Written in Ashes” and “Dead Seed” are slithery, crawling dirges, although “Contract,” as well as “Fleshless,” pick up to a dirty black n’ roll tempo. They sound a lot like tracks on Volcano and Now Diabolical, whereas “Death Throes,” with its churning percussion and undulating riffs, recalls The Shadowthrone instead (and the track “Woods to Eternity” in particular). The Black does crank up the pace again for the closing title track, though it’s largely comprised of the same clipped, thorny guitarwork as the rest of slower pieces, so even with the increase in speed, it comes off as slightly redundant.

While I do like the filthy, miserable vibe that The Black have created, Alongside Death suffers from uneven pacing. The austere tracks that dominate the album’s midsection are still well-crafted, but after that firebomb of an opener, the album as a whole is a bit of a drag. Hopefully next time around they’ll craft a more balanced experience – more of The Black and less of The Bleak. And let’s hope it’s not another fourteen years before we get it.

Salvation Like Destruction begins old-school style in the form of “Talon and Teeth,” a track that builds into an all-out thrash assault. “The Axiom Star” follows suit, though at a slower pace. A buzzing guitar tone and the relentless beating of the drums give the songs a weathered feel, while the guitar’s solid (and dirty) attack places the emphasis on the band’s thrash capabilities. There’s a little bit of black metal to be heard, especially in tracks like “Proselytiser,” but with Assaulter there’s a fine line between one genre and the other. “Between Gods and Men” closes out the record with a nearly somber, war-like cadence, the band seemingly thoroughly satisfied with pummelling the shit out of their listeners’ ears.

Assaulter gnash their collective teeth to mold a new album that sounds almost like it was written and recorded 20 years ago. Salvation Like Destruction spews venom like Venom and holds a special place in its blackened core for Sodom-worship. These Aussies know a thing or two about creating a timeless sound-one that grows exceedingly more popular each day. Unlike some of their peers in the new thrash scene, Assaulter authentically brings the aggression and the hate of old-school thrash.

Feast Of Flesh draws lyrical and visual inspiration from Italian horror filmmakers like Ruggero Deodato and Umberto Lenzi. One track is titled “Make You Die Slowly,” and seemingly based on Lenzi’s Cannibal Ferox, a gut-churning film that features animal deaths next to staged carnage. So, yeah, this album has the former singer of Massacre rhapsodizing about preparing nubile flesh for a primitive dinner plate.The thematic influences give a firm indication of the sound. If Mortician-inspired horror lyrics mixed with crunchy riffage suits your fancy then this album will taste as good as an undercooked fibia.

Feast of Flesh is straightforward death in the early 1990s Florida template. Bone Gnawer is more up-tempo than Obituary but lacks the authority of a Malevolent Creation or other elder statesmen. Ronnie Bjornstrom’s  (also in Ribspreader) riffs are the strongest part of the album, and fellow horror buffs Killjoy of Necrophagia and Stevo of Impetigo offer guest vocals. But after a few listens to “Cannibal Cookout” and other retro Morrisound tracks I wasn’t inspired to play this again. If I want old school death metal I defer to the innovators unless it’s something special. Lee’s pedigree and the gory lyrics and artwork aren’t enough to sustain this album.

Perhaps a horror anthology is appropriate: this isn’t a genre-creating film like “Dawn of The Dead.” It’s more like the third or fourth installment of a slasher series. The thrills are predictable and the ending predetermined, but if you like this sort of thing you’ll be happy.

Comments label manager Roy: “When I came across their debut album, I really loved what I heard and knew that we had to have IN MOURNING on our roster as not many bands of this particular genre could fascinate me the way IN MOURNING did. It was perfect timing when I found out that the band was just about to enter the studio to record their follow-up to Shrouded Divine. I quickly struck a deal with them and the rest is history. We are very excited to have them on our roster and cannot wait to hear the new album.”

Adds the band: “Signing to Pulverised feels like a good ‘next step’ for the band and will hopefully bring our music to a broader audience. We are very pleased that Pulverised has given us this opportunity, and we think this will be a good collaboration. We’re currently focusing hard on rehearsing and finishing up the material for our new album.”

http://www.inmourning.net
http://www.myspace.com/in_mourning

Comments Paul Speckmann: “It’s an honor and a pleasure to be signing with a real label like Pulverised Records. I really feel like this label will believe in MASTER like a label should. It’s really been difficult to find a label that’s willing to dedicate itself to a band like MASTER who incidentally has been surviving the underground since 1983. I certainly have confidence in Pulverised Records and hopefully we can bring the band along to the next level. Forget all the cheap imitators, there’s only one MASTER consisting of Speckmann, Nejezchleba and Pradlovsky, so be forewarned. The soon to be recorded new CD will be as brutal as its predecessor. Look for speed, intensity and as always objective lyrical content. For myself, I certainly live through my music, it is certainly my muse.”

Speckmann and co. are set to commence work on the new material for a full-length album in August and the new album should be completed at the end of 2009. More details and announcements will be made.

MASTER will kick off their tour on 5th of June 2009 with two shows in Germany before proceeding for a 21-date American tour starting on 8th of July 2009 onwards.

MASTER is:
Paul Speckmann – Vocals, Bass
Alex Nejezchleba – Guitars
Zdenek Pradlovsky – Drums

http://www.master-speckmetal.com
http://www.myspace.com/masterspeckmann
http://www.pulverised.net

At a just-right 35 minutes the album contains no filler, including a rather cool instrumental intro (complete with an opening battle-sounds sequence) called “Marching Towards Destruction (from San Francisco to Stockhom).” The theme is obviously war-fed (as in “…real-life adaptations of the horrific incidents of the cruel war and militaristic concepts”), but given the parenthetical part of that intro’s title, one wonders whether a double-meaning is also involved (sorry, I don’t have the lyrics).

Marching Towards Destruction is no Of Frost and War (Hail of Bullets), but it is a solid and wholly entertaining Swede-death romp that proudly takes cues from the likes of Dismember. Not surprisingly, the sound is evocative of the Sunlight Studios classic period (even though it was actually recorded at Studio Evocation) right down to those motor-buzz bass lines. The songwriting ain’t too shabby either. The style is straight ahead, yet not overly simplistic. The group mixes up the arrangements fairly well (speed-kill to mid-tempo crush, etc, like on “Artillery Pointing West”), incorporates decent chorus melodies (e.g. “War of Attrition”), and tosses in some guitar leads that are not only tuneful, but also quite sinister (“Brutal War,” “Outbreak of the Blitz”). The little twists here and there, such as the cool bass line intro to “Mankind Dead and Raped” and the guitar harmony on “Slowly to Decay,” make a difference too. Just brace yourself for the massive explosion (as in “boom!”) that follows the final cut. It actually made me jump.

Nothing to really bitch about on Marching Towards Destruction and fans of the Stockholm sound should enjoy what Axis Powers have wrought. Just don’t look for musical reinvention or album-of-the-year material. Just enjoy it. I know I did.

Tribulation, have been around since 2001 and despite this debut album have numerous demos and an EP under their belt. Though, hardly contributing anything new, The Horror pays homage to many colonizers of death metal and delivers a top-notch display of fierce, nasty, thrashing death metal, with attitude lost by many in the modern metal world. Backed with horror themes and Enforcer guitarist Adam Zaars, Tribulation blow doors wide open with power, catchy riffs, and savory duel guitars that will make Slayer, Morbid Angel, Carcass and any Stockholm fans weak in the knees.

“Crypt of Thanatophilia,” starts things of and picks up speed three times within the first half of the song. Thrash power chords and blasts fill this record with piercing urgency that dwells heavily in the black metal realm making this occult cobbler taste ever so sweet.

The groove is firmly in place within Tribulation’s sound and at times carries an Entombed quality. Clocking in at just over a half hour this bad mother holds enough tastefully written riffs to school many of today’s greenhorns. “Curse of Resurrection,” Slams with Egyptian style soloing and one could draw another comparison to Melechesh. The solos run rampant throughout and are important to the catchiness of this record.

J. Andersson handles vocal and bass duties and remits a raspy, gut gurgle of the tongue similar to Naglfar, Jeff Walker, and Necrophobic. Mixed and mastered by Tore Stjerna of Necromorbus Studios (Watain and In Battle) the down right rotten aroma this CD gives off is all too perfect.

With this type of an album you know what you’re going to get. For a debut, The Horror is bloodthirsty nod to the old school that reeks of quality musicianship. If you want your face devoured by the crypt keeper then look no further. Tribulation is fun stuff.