“The Atrophy of the Will” reminds me a bit of older death mixed with earlier influences mentioned.  Scott also handles the vocalist with are pretty like his vocals in Sunless.   This track has a great middle section that has an old school Kreator vibe before going into dueling guitar solos. “The Slough” opens with a gorgeous harmony section and for the most part is one of the most melodic songs on the album.  Most of the songs are around three to four minutes for the most part other than the last track.

These guys do an excellent job of creating their own atmosphere which is a refreshing and unique take on this subgenre.Tracks like “Old Horizon” remind me a bit of Cynic or Atheist. Ruhland’s drum work is outstanding through out and in my opinion shines on this tune.  The harmony sections also have a bit of a Voivod feel to them.   Neat mix.  “Silent Freeway” opens with a fantastic groove section before going into the verse.  The overall mix of the album feels like this could have been released between 1991 and 1993.  This is not a bad thing at all. “The Fog” is one of my favorite tracks on the album as the build between opening riff and where the song goes is a bit of a roller coaster that goes through a series of awesome runs and into some thrashier groove elements.

“Callousness of the Soul” opens with frantic arpeggio runs into a bit of blasting! There is an outer space sense of melody that Obsolete has that reminds me a bit of bands like Oxiplegatz and Crystal Age. The closing track “Intercostal” reminds me a bit of Individual Thought Patterns in terms of note selection and then goes into a gorgeous solo section which would make Andy Larocque blush.  Given the work of these guys other projects there is no surprise here with the musicianship and songwriting.  This is an excellent debut, and I am excited to see where these guys go in the future.  Recommended.

A few years ago I reviewed the 4 Doors to Death four-way split released via Unspeakable Axe Records and I not only touched upon the stellar job done by both the label and the contributing bands of introducing themselves upon a potentially untapped listener, but also the nostalgia 4 Doors to Death provided in the way of remembrance and homage to the early ’90’s Roadrunner Records’ compilation, At Death’s Door. Just like A.D.D. had its follow-up successor, At Death’s Door II, Unspeakable Axe follows similar suit with 4 Doors to Death II. Though where Roadrunner’s first comp. was superior to its successor, Unspeakable Axe delivers a fantastic split in 4 Doors to Death II, easily surpassing it predecessor, and I say that with no disrespect to the bands from the initial 4 Doors…, but the truth is 4 Doors to Death II simply crushes.

If I’m being totally honest, I have to admit to being a bit worried about the quality of the content that was to be found on 4 Doors to Death II (simply known as 4DD2 from here on out). Out of the four represented bands, Nucleus, Ectoplasma, Fetid Zombie, and Temple of Void, three had brand new full-length albums released within the last year. One could only speculate and assume that the better, more catchy, more hard-hitting material would be saved for each band’s individual releases and that contributions to said four-way split would herein contain b-sides/leftovers from previous recording sessions. While that assumption is not necessarily wrong, it definitely isn’t right either; one doesn’t have to fret too much, as pretty much all of the tracks presented on 4DD2 are solidly competent through and through and ultimately, are just as good as any of the band’s material on their own independent releases. In fact, I was a bit surprised that not only was everything as good as it was, but it’s the lesser known acts of the four i.e. Ectoplasma and Fetid Zombie, that seemed to step up to the plate and deliver one hell of a homerun onslaught with their respective material.

After a simple and slightly eerie piano intro Nucleus comes storming out of the gates,    kicking things off with a densely packed, off kilter, and damn near dissonant, in your face, barbarous ripper in the form of “Nexus”.  The song gives off an uneasy, equilibrium askewed feeling that Nucleus has made a sound out of, recalling the influential might of their main inspirations, Timeghoul and Demilich, as well as a healthy dose of Immolation and Incantation. It’s a good track and suitable opener, but honestly nothing that the band hasn’t delivered before and even better on their own releases. The band follows up “Nexus” with the more intriguing and engaging “Replicant”, showcasing a bit of a d-beat step in the song’s beginning that quickly morphs into an Incantation-esque death shuffle of weighty avalanche riffs, bends, squeals, and an overall evil dirtiness. The track has an underlying thrashing to it, almost upbeat in its pseudo-dissonance , with waves of riffage cascading upon each other that highlight a barrage of blasts one moment, while bringing things to a sudden lurching of brutality the next. Like the majority of Nucleus‘ output, “Replicant” seems to purposefully suffer from schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder, while blissfully maintaining a sound the band has expertly crafted.

Skipping ahead a bit to Temple of Void, who actually close out 4DD2 with a trio of tracks that are damn impressive on their own, and even moreso when taken into the three-song concept that lyrically ties them together, are exactly the kind of examples I would provide to any newcomers to the band. “Voidmind” is a top notch representation of Temple of Void, being a slower to midpaced dirge of oppressive crush that the band masters so damn well. The track opens in a slight evocative way, leading to gloriously heavy and simpler riffage of moving doom. Paired with the D&D lyrical content of  mind flayers and ustilagors, “Voidmind” hits in a perfect crushing emotional stir that befits the band to a tee. The last two contributions from T.o.V., and the albums final two tracks  as well, are the instrumental, “Perfection of the Hideous” and “Ceremorphisis”. The former begins with a roll of thunder and a light pour of rainfall as a slow and eerie melody picks itself out of the dreaded feeling that the song produces. The track’s melody is a simple thing of melancholic beauty that eventually gives way to a  gorgeous guitar solo that gives a wonderful feeling of Glenn Tipton influence. The latter, “Ceremorphisis” is Temple of Void doing what they do, and that is laying the crush down. Fat riffs and burly death driven bellows and gutturals meld together in earth flattening authority. Half-way through the track picks up its tempo, bringing the onslaught of riffery to a slightly higher kill score. Lyrically the track finishes up its tale of, well, ceremorphisis, and becoming a mind slave to another creation and elder life. Good stuff that fits within the different mythos T.o.V. have lyrically employed.

Also contributing a trio of tracks to ADD2 is the long running one-man band, Fetid Zombie, of artist and instrumentalist, Mark Riddick. One-man acts can be definitely be hit or miss, and Fetid Zombie has been no different in the past, as I’ve been familiar with the band for quite awhile now. Having said that, I think Riddick has been more successful than not when it comes to Fetid Zombie, and the tracks he contributes here are actually some his best, if I dare say so myself. Though to be fair and honest, Riddick has upped the ante on some of his material over the past five years or so by letting go of the reins a bit and employing some guest and session members on various vocal, drum, and lead guitar duties. Recent material has included the participation of Daniel Alderson(Horrified),  Ralf Haubersson(Revel in Flesh), Chris Monroy(Skeletal Remains), James Malone(Arsis), and even Michael Amott(Arch Enemy, Carcass, Carnage). These guest appearances have injected some freshness to Fetid Zombie‘s already established sound, as well as some genuine full-fledged band feeling.

Things are no different this go around, as Riddick has enlisted, once again, James Malone for leads, Jeramie Kling(The Absence, Ribspreader, Necromancing the Stone) for drums, and Clare Webster(EdenFall), Daniel Kelley(Ossuarium), and Kyle Shaw(Obscene) all for vocal roles. A solid line-up for some solid material. From “Bloodlust Consecrations”, and its old-school thrashing death mixed with just a smidge  of  ’90’s progressive death and slathered in torturously brutal vocals, tasty grooves and pinch harmonics, to the synth laden, death lurching, Pestilence styled flavor of “Celestial Horror”, to “Chaos Scythe”, and its ripping deathly thrashings that recall some of F. Z.’s earlier days of brutal and blast. “Chaos Scythe” comes in a little shorter and a bit more straight forward, but the energy contained within is high and addictive, leaving you wanting more when the song and ultimately, Fetid Zombie‘s time is up.

Saving the best for last, at least here in my review, is Greece’s Ectoplasma, who are actually the second band featured on ADD2 when listened to in proper order. Though I only became aware and familiar with the band through their sophomore full-length, the 2018 release, Cavern of Foul Unbeings, I’ve been a stauch fan and supporter since. Having formed in 2012 and not releasing their debut until 2016, Ectoplasma has since remained quite prolific, having just released White-Eyed Trance, their third full-length album, last year, as well as a few splits and EP’s between proper LP’s. Nonetheless, I was a little surprised to not only see them featured on ADD2, but to find out that their contributions were just as fantastic to my ears as any of their previous material.

Thick and grimey, yet full of punch and crunch, Ectoplasma is a gnarly old-school maelstrom of death metal bliss. The band seemingly has the ability to remind me of the entire ’90’s death metal scene while staying true to itself and its own originality, if you can call it that. From the stylings of Cannibal Corpse, Grave, Death, Benediction, Immolation, (older) Gorguts, Sinister, Suffocation, Incantation, Seance, Vore, Autopsy, and even Bolt Thrower, Ectoplasma somehow manages to cull an uncanny amount of influence into their sound without sounding and/or coming off as a cheap imitation or a plagiaristic knock-off.  Not to be that guy, but if you’re one of the older folks(forty and over), then you’re going to, most likely, dig the living shit out of these Greecians. Whether it be the monstrous ripping pummel of fat riffs, double kicks, and springy bass found in “Infestation of the Extraneous Ones”, the fast and engaging, ready to blast off faces and saw off heads metal ‘o death groove of “Ominous Wormhole Butchery”, the catchy, chunky riffed and rolling bass blaster of “Extraterrestrial Matter of Amorphous Rot”, complete with some nice uptempo thrashings that remind of their Spitting Coffins debut, or  “Atrocious Ovomorphic Death” (ya gotta love these song titles…seriously, they’re most excellent), and the track’s straightforward, in your face, scorching divinity; not to mention its massive Vore-ish breakdown at the 2:25 mark, you’re going to love this band.

All in all, I would have to say that 4DD2 is quite a success. Not only does it bring a mix of great current death metal might, but as I stated at the beginning of this review, it even manages to eclipse the first 4 Doors to Death outing. The bands featured on 4DD2 are simply a great representation of the kind of death metal that got us fans into and made us fall in love with the genre in the first place. Hell, half of the appeal and allure of 4DD2 is its real deal ingenuinity. This album and the bands therein are not your flavor of the week trend or some retro bandwagon to jump on. Whether currently realized or not by the metal majority, these bands are a few amongst a handful of acts that are paving a path to be possible front runners and/or top-tier stature holders in the very near future, so do yourself a favor and check out 4 Doors to Death II and the stellar acts within before your neighbor’s thirteen year old starts sporting that latest Temple of Void t-shirt.

Well, Cemetery Filth doesn’t think so. At least not their dreams. This album has a lot more going for it than that in vogue cavernous death metal sound. Make no mistake about it, though. This is modern old school death metal (“oxymoron?” How dare you call me that!).

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. What makes this different from any other old school death metal album? When “Subduction,” the first offering kicks in, the production immediately stands out. Yes, it’s, for lack of a better term, filthy, but it’s also clear. The bass is audible, and the guitars are front and center. This is no “HM-2” death metal, either. The guitars don’t sound like a buzz saw, but more like, you know, guitars. My head nods through the first track, then I kind of lose my place until late in the proceedings because it all sounds similar.

Near the end of the album, I rediscover where I am momentarily. “From Euphonic Crypts” is the first (and last) reprieve one gets from the full-on death metal assault, which is why it caught my attention. Even then, it’s selection number 8 on a 9-track album, it’s only about a minute long, and it segues into the final track, “Dominion.” So far, dear reader (and listener), you have been treated to short blasts of old school death, but the final track is slightly over 9 minutes. However, we have no progressive take on the genre here. What we have is a constantly writhing, crawling, slimy slab of what you’ve come to expect. If listening critically, the song could be divided into a few different movements. With a couple minutes left, the guitar takes over a lead that matches the current riff very well, then fades out to the end of the album.

If you had a look at the artwork, read the band name, and decided to give it a listen, then you probably already knew how you would feel. There’s something to be said for that. If this kind of death metal is up your dark alley (decide for yourself if that’s a butthole joke), then you’ll enjoy what Cemetery Filth has on display. On the other hand, if you want something new, progressive, and mind-bending, look elsewhere.

Otherwise, if you’re looking to get filthy in the cemetery, you could do far worse than using Dominion as your soundtrack. My only advice is to bring some lube because dead ladies (or gentlemen if that’s what floats your penis) have dry, dusty bones, but that’s doesn’t mean you have to.

So 5 long years later we are greeted with the third opus from Algebra–Pulse? and this is beyond crushing.  After the 45 second “Ego Destroyed” instrumental “Inner Constraints” starts with an epic build-up with the riffing and drums before the thrash takes over and the crunch of the guitars is thing of perfect beauty as the song thrashes all along with the Edy’s awesome vocals which are harsh, yet very understandable. There is even some nice Sepultura parts at the 1.50 mark.  Yes, lots of vintage Sepultura rears its head on this release, think Beneath the Remains/Arise era-it’s intense.  This has to do with the extraordinary rhythm section which is also provided by with Mathy on the bass guitar and Phil, as well as Edy on guitar.   The strumming bass lines on this song are really awesome.

“Addicted to Authority” is one of the highlights, for me, on this release.  Excellent riffing to open the song before the bass guitar strumming starts in and then the mid paced drums roll in as the singing starts to remind me of a little on the melodic Phil Anselmo side and then around the mid section part a nice little growl erupts before the song goes right back into the groove.  Excellent double bass patterns erupt and the guitar riffing has more Sepultura inspired moments which are just killer.  The isolated vocals with the song title being yelled out with the guitar riffing coming in is the Holy Shit moment as the song gallops into a monster thrash beat which will have you smiling ear to ear.  The song whips right into more mid-pacing before the thrash pace closes out this awesome song.

“Manipulated Soul” has nice melodic edge to the beginning-but don’t let that fool you.  The 35 second part gets into the thrash part then right into a few quick blast beats to swipe your head clean off that useless trunk of a body now.  Monstrous double bass on this song as well.  Killer and I mean killer guitar riffing about 2/3 into the song and the thrash beat then slows to a monster groove with chest collapsing double bass drums.  If this moment with the ethereal guitar solos is not opening up sinkholes by now then something is wrong in the universe.  Great stop n start riffing and then the song picks up pace with some more blast beats. Excellent vocals, choruses, drums and this is one of the best songs Algebra has ever written-a must have in their live performance.

The rest of the album goes along the same route with thrashing and some melodic moments.  You will hear some vintage Metallica on the title track.  Super awesome.  The band treats us to a great cover of Sepultura’s classic song “Dead Embryonic Cells”.  The song stays true and brutal to the original.

At 12 songs at close to an hour, Algebra brought the quantity as well as the quality as Pulse? is their finest album to date.  Algebra are easily one of the best thrash metal bands out there and I have said this time and time again when reviewing their prior albums I think they put the majority of the big league thrash metal bands to shame.  It’s really no comparison.

Pulse? sports their finest production to date.  The music punches you in the gut and everything is heard wonderfully.  The lyrics are well thought out and the cd is slayed out great with a nice booklet.  If you have missed out on Algebra’s music please buy all their releases-they truly are one of the best thrash bands in existence.  Buy or Die!

Regardless if your preferred nomenclature is thrashing death or deathly thrash, the one undeniable fact is that Aggravator, both band and album, brilliantly rip like it’s 1989; and if your 1989 leans more to Consuming Impulse and Altars of Madness than it does Practice What You Preach and Fabulous Disaster, then you’re going to be extremely pleased with Aggravator. Wasting no time in getting down to business, “Desensitized Devotion” showcases that heavy Death/Atheist influence, as well as touching upon some nice Slayer-esque moments between the 1:30-2:00 minute mark. This aesthetic continues successfully, not only through the EP’s next track, “Redundancy”, but as whole through Aggravator‘s nearly eighteen minute run time.  While “Carved Apart” is a bit more thrash prominent in its scope, “Carnal Forms” devours with its fantastic melding vibes of Death and Slayer. The song captures a mixed energy akin to swirling some “Perennial Quest” amongst “Behind the Crooked Cross”. Throw in some great instrumentation, courtesy of bassist, Tristan Hernandez, and “Carnal Forms” becomes quite a nice head-bobbing banger of extremity.

Another thrashing beatdown comes in the form of the straightforward ripper, “Frantic Repressions”, while EP closer, “Suspended Agonal Breathing” builds up in a splendid, midpaced pit friendly moment that kind of reminds me of old Exhorder amongst the Death and Atheist influences. Some fantastic prominent bass and a great guitar solo mix around the track’s two minute mark, hittting perfectly when paired up with guitarist/vocalist, Derek Jones’, wonderful late ’80’s death rasps. The song is a winner, albeit a bit short, ending abruptly and leaving one craving more. Though shouldn’t an EP do exactly that? With its great mix and production, and compelling, if not somewhat  standard, album cover, Aggravator is all cheers and no jeers.

The EP strikes on a more personal level as well, as Aggravator features the lead guitar/solo work of late guitarist Jesse Lopez, who passed away last year at the age of 29. It’s always great to see a band triumph in the face of perils and hard times and especially triumph in putting out such great material that features and honors a fallen brother. Hopefully working with Unspeakable Axe Records will benefit the band in many ways, as they and the label are a perfect match for each other, and Aggravator fits right in among the stellar releases/pedigree acts Unspeakable Axe have released just this year alone(Nucleus, Sadistic Ritual, Algebra, Critical Defiance, & Ripper). Regardless of whatever the future may bring, the reality of the here and now is that Aggravator has struck gold with this EP. Though how could they have not? When you can produce material that has a South of Heaven-circa like quality, but with an authorship talent akin to Schuldiner, Azagthoth, Shaefer, Mameli and the likes, great songs are destined to happen.

Sentient garnered a positive review from myself here at Teeth of the Divine, and even ended up placing in my top albums of 2016 with its unique blend of Demilich and Timeghoul influences, and here in 2019, Enitity seems very promising in doing the same. Nothing has really changed in the Nucleus sound department, other than a further solidifying of the bands visceral application. The band’s crushing Finnish fortitude (Demilich, Convulse, Adramelech, Seance(yeah, I know they’re Norwegian)) mixed with twisting Canadian character (Gorguts, Voivod, Chthe’ilist) and the American death blows of Timeghoul, Immolation, Incantation, Nocturnus, and Atheist remain as strong and vigilant as ever.

With an eerie oddity of picking, “Arrival” begins before Nucleus‘ crushing might kicks in. The track brilliantly showcases the band’s primary influences while creating a new beast unto itself. There are some great shifts in the song’s riffing, and a technicality in an off-beat, swirling, beauty in chaos kind of way. Old school flavored but farm fresh, and a  more than solid opening to Entity. The rest of the album flows in a consistent pace and formula as “Arrival”, with none of Entity‘s tracks truly standing head and shoulders above the other. A good and bad thing in itself, but luckily with Nucleus, the songwriting  is so densely strong that it comes out as a win-win situation, and honestly there’s something to like and talk about in every one of Entity‘s eight tracks.

Whether it’s the off-kilter rhythms and the quirky and groovy Luc Lemay (Gorguts) inspired lunges and lurches of the album’s title track, the aura melting and catchy preternatural bleak foreboding of McEntee/Pillard (Incantation) worship in “Mobilization” and instrumental, “Approach”, the Lovecraft meets Bradbury brand of cacophanous magnificence of “Uplift”, or the consistently shifting, yet focused, path of preeminence in “Dominion”, Entity has something, a lot of things, in fact, to offer the true death metal enthusiast . Not to say that Nucleus makes you work more to appreciate their brutality, but they’re definitely not for your fly-by-night, weak-kneed, weekend metal warrior. It’s damn near immpossible to pick individual songs as treasures or highlights for the aforementioned reasons that all of Entity‘s songs kick some serious ass, but I tend to lean toward “Uplift”, “Dominion” and “Timechasm” when it comes to choosing favorites. With “Uplift”, everything seems so unique and atonal, but it all comes together in an otherworldly headbanging inducing of rhythmic madness. Catchy in its brutal cosmic drive, the track is like the aural equivalent to Ed Repka’s From Beyond (Massacre) album cover, though imagined as a maddening Dan Seagrave rendering as opposed to Repka’s more cartoonish approach. “Dominion” simply annihilates with a maelstrom of licks seemingly pulled from an abyssal well connected to dimensions outside of perceived space and time; a true anti-cosmic metal of death. While “Timechasm” hits as the perfect closer. Opening the track with slithering riffage that morphs into an almost militant tone, until rippng into a raw Immolation-esque gulf enveloping movement, never going too intense tempo wise, but managing to stay consistently pummeling the enitre time.

Having just heavily and deservedly boasted on Entity and its abilities of death metal might, and being more than pleased with Nucleus‘ second full-length offering, I was initially a little underwhelmed with Entity. Sentient was a finely crafted breath of fresh air, and while Entity is quite an awesome listen in its own right, in the end, it progresses only in small areas, essentially achieving a side step of development. To be fair though, what constitutes as progressive leaps for many other bands are mere shuffles to Nucleus, so in essence, you get quite a lot from a little when it comes to the band. All in all, Nucleus are clearly an aberrant conglomeration of punishing death, and Entity is bound to make many a list when it comes to the best albums of 2019.

A shame too, as their style of thrashy, blackened death metal is quite endearing as it invokes a blend of Nocturnus (without the keys/synths), Pestilence, Dreaming Dead, Astarte, Asphyx, and Slayer, as well as a few nods to Incantation and fellow Texans, Absu. Yet as endearing as it is, it doesn’t help or change the problem of Blood Oracle simply sounding too safe. In all honesty, I think this can be chalked up to the album having a too “clear” and “controlled” production. Don’t get me wrong, Morgengrau sound great on Blood Oracle and their tones and/or levels are all fantastic, but there is just something lacking in the “bite” department, resulting in a slight tameness. I’m willing to bet that a little bit of reckless abandon, or even a smidge of raw sloppiness, could do wonders for the presentation of Blood Oracle‘s material. I would imagine in the live setting this material opens up in vast ways, achieving a more dynamic presence in the songs than what is captured on disc.

Something else I found to hinder the album for me personally, was Blood Oracle‘s tracklisting. Of the album’s eight songs, I found the second half to be more appealing and engaging. So much so, that upon repeat listens, I tended to find that I enjoyed the first half of Blood Oracle much more after being played immediately following the second half. Maybe if the tracklist was simply reversed, Blood Oracle would have hit me harder and pulled me in quicker than it did, or ultimately didn’t do.

Here’s where I start to sound like a hypocrite though, because as much as I have just passive-aggressively bashed Blood Oracle, the last thing I am going to tell you about the album is that it really is pretty good. All the individual tracks have something to like about them and even though their placement/order on the album coud have been better, they all tend to flow evenly. I can see why Unspeakable Axe picked up the band, as their style fits the label perfectly, as well as pairs up nicely to other Unspeakable Axe artists such as Trenchrot and Ripper, and even parent label, Dark Descent, and their release of Skeletal Remains’ awesome new album. While it doesn’t outdo the labelmates that I just listed and doesn’t hold a candle to the bands influences, Blood Oracle have proved that with a little fine tuning, or maybe in their case, a little less fine tuning Morgengrau definitely could make an impact on the sometimes highly convoluted scene of extreme metal.

“Enter the Cellar” comes through with an eerie intro before the slow mid-paced crunch of the guitar squealing and the drums come through, as “Existence Dissolved” comes forth to destroy your limbs. You can feel the slow build-up until the nice blast comes in and smashes your teeth right down your gullet and Matt laying down some killer growls. The slow part comes back in with some killer guitar work, with the nice guitar slide. The mid-paced part I started upheaving houses across the block. This created monstrous ditches which I proceeded to throw my trash in and then cover up with some dirt. It looked like a huge body. The blast comes right back and then before you know it it’s over.

“Gruesome Procedure” is another ambient intro, before “Altar of Desecration” comes in with pounding drums and neat cymbals and another cool growl before a part which reminded me of Autopsy comes in. A plus in my book and a nice old-school feel to the death/thrash beat-it’s a classic moment. If you snooze you will miss the guitar solo at the 1.20 part and then more mid-pacing and more solos over the faster part-we’re off to the races. About a minute later the Autopsy doom death dirge comes in and a killer atmosphere to boot. Nice bass guitar passages as well and then it’s over.

Cool demo. The red cassette is packaged nicely with lyrics. The production is not as good as the album, but as a pro-demo, it does sound great, even with the added rawness. Since the Echoes of Dismemberment album was released not quite 2 years ago, it could be this or next year before a new album is released from Scorched. In the meantime, head on over to their FB or Bandcamp page and pick up the demo. While you’re at it, buy the cd and a shirt. Hymns From The Cellar is a nice little precursor to the next Scorched full-length.

  Nucleus gets the ball rolling with “Sentience”, a short instrumental intro of simple chords and an off kilter melody that rings with just a touch of spaciness before heading off into “Dosadi”, with its Atheist meets Seance aesthetic that sets up nicely, the formula for the rest of Sentient‘s tracks. More off kilter Atheist type rhythms and melodies show up in “Cantos”, as well as some Immolation and Demilich mannerisms, with that prevalent Seance vibe. Both “Extirpate” and “Swarm” drip with that heavy, punishing, yet catchy, Saltrubbed Eyes old school familiarness, in the way that the bass and kick drums just beat you down relentlessly. It’s hard to really pick an album highlight. Not only do all the tracks shine in their own way, they do so in such a heavily influenced recipe that comes across in a completely, non-plagiaristic fashion. From the large influences of Timeghoul and Demilich on “Ancient” and “Insurgent”, or the “Cube”, with its myriad mix of everything from blasts, tremolo picked melodies, off kilter rhythms, rung and strummed chords, hammer ons, pull offs, and so on, all melded together with a little weirdness and even some Anacrusis-isms too, Sentient simply seems real and honest.

“Starflyer” closes the album out in a supremely, fine form. Slower cosmic/ethereal, dissonant doominess begins the track, and the Timeghoul influence is strong with a wonderful interplay in the instrumentation. The 3:00 minute mark lays a fat groove, then quickly melds into massive chords drenched in doom that call at the throne of John McEntee(Incantation), before falling back into a Timeghoul thrashing to close out the song and album. Every track offered up on Sentient is a success in my book. They all have a nice balance; an ebb and flow of solid, even familiar, rhythmic structures with a healthy dose of eccentric melodies, flair, and ideas that push the material forward.

The influences of Demilich, Atheist, Timeghoul, and Seance are just pouring off of this album like sweat off a whore in church. It’s like Nespithe, Piece of Time, Saltrubbed Eyes, and the Tumultuous Travelings and Panaramic Twilight demos all took part in some metal orgy, and somehow Sentient was the odd, yet wonderful outcome. Admittedly, that’s a weird analogy, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t true. Nucleus have a winner with Sentient, and their label, Unspeakable Axe, continues to pull from a seemingly, infinite well of talented bands. Very much like their labelmates Ripper, and their latest album, Experiments of Existence,(in fact, both Ripper‘s and Nucleus‘ new releases feel very much like they could be companion/brother and sister albums, so to speak.) Sentient is an awesome, old school flavored attack that can easily hold its own in today’s more “modern” metal scene.

Once in awhile, a label would put out a compilation album or two and in 1990 and 1993, Roadrunner Records released At Death’s Door and At Death’s Door II. These two compilations were huge to fans, giving us a look into a dozen different bands at a low price without having to hunt endlessly, and a lot of the time unsuccessfully, for some awesome new death metal. Unspeakable Axe Records have seemingly payed respect to these two Roadrunner comps. with their  4 Doors to Death split, released earlier this year, featuring four of the labels acts, each contributing a few songs of deathly pleasures.

First up is Cemetery Filth, sporting members from both the Tennessee and Georgia areas, this four piece bring more than a competent mix of old school death metal with their three contributions to this four way split. “Consumption of Volition” gets things going nicely, and one can easily hear a mix of influences ranging from Cancer, Morbid Angel, Gorefest, and Benediction (ex-Benediction growler, Dave Ingram, actually lends some guest vocals to this track). It’s a good song, but nothing you haven’t heard done many times over, yet groundbreaking isn’t what Cemetery Filth are trying to be, so how could one fault them for that.“Dagonian Dialect…the Obelisk Unearthed” follows with a simple beginning of rung out chords and a slow delightfully melodic lead with a slight evil flair. There are some really appealing guitar tones here too, just clean enough to really pull out all the riffs and changes. Honestly, the track recalls many different artists all at the same time, from Death to Autopsy to (old) Edge of Sanity, but it mostly makes me feel like Morbid Angel‘s “God of Emptiness” had been re-worked with an Altars of Madness controlled chaos type of vibe. Cemetery Filth close out their part of 4 Doors to Death with “Cosmic Wraiths”, and its slight Grave/Swedish death metal influence, though without the full HM2 worship.

Alabama’s Ectovoid chime in next with just two entries into this split, the first being “Ash Primordial”. Sporting a dirtier tone than Cemetery Filth, Ectovoid also wield a sound steeped in old school, though far more Incantation in their presentation. The track features some splendid droning evil riffs and even a tad bit of that suffocating Nile-esque vibe. At just under six minutes, the track feels too long and could have benefited in cutting it back a minute or so. Ectovoid follows it up with “Possessed by Ancient Dread”, which still retains the massive Incantation influence, but is easily more interesting than “Ash Primordial”. Beginning much like Judas Priest‘s “Between the Hammer and the Anvil”, it’s a slower to mid-paced track with thick riffs and haunting little melodies. Plodding along in great fashion to about the half way point, the song picks up just a smidge, not fast by any means, before closing things out with a nice tortured growl/death rattle.

Third to bat in this metal four-way is the Canadian act, Sabbatory. These Winnipeg deathsters contribute two songs to 4 Doors to Death, one being a pretty spot on cover of Mortuary Drape‘s  “Primordial”, so you know what you’re getting there. That makes “Ascension to My Holy Tomb” the only original track by Sabbatory, and while it’s not the most original, it is a damn fun listen. Again, rooted in the old school sound like the majority of  bands on Unspeakable Axe’s roster, Sabbatory rock an early Pestilence and Asphyx influence, especially in the vocal department. The track has a raw/organic, fun, and rollicking thrashy death sound to it and pulls you in with its genuineness. Its nice use of simple dynamics rocks out with just a dash of Swedish death in its tone and style, and the song really moves forward in successful fashion. It’s catchy and fun, kind of like Scream Bloody Gore era Death playing an Impaled style of metal.

Closing things out on 4 Doors to Death is Philadelphia’s Trenchrot. If you are not already familiar with their thrashy take of Asphyx meets Bolt Thrower meets Death meets Autopsy, then I feel for you…I really do. “Hell Pilot’s Call” starts out with a slower, drawn out death dirge that really brings to mind an Entombed/Dismember, with a bit of old Gorguts, vibe in its structure. The song is ominous, yet burly in its dissonance, panning out to be more than just a bash and dash effort. “Powerful Kandarian Steel” follows things up with a nice little Evil Dead themed rager. Speedier momnents morph into slower, chunky change ups  that surround and promote the song’s central ideas, while tortured chants of “Klaatu Verata Niktu” rise and fall, and a simple yet powerfully effective solo  rips its way through your eardrums. It’s a great track that ends in dreadful forlorn, setting up both Trenchrot’s final contribution and the split’s last song with a more than apt cover of Death‘s “Evil Dead”. The cover is spot on, tight, and accurate as fuck, actually enhancing the original with some added lead work and harmonizing in places. In all honesty, this cover is probably the best song on the entire split. That isn’t a diss to any of the bands, but more of a nod to how Chuck Schuldiner’s songwriting really was special and ahead of everyone else.

All in all , 4 Doors to Death is a fun way to check out a few different, great bands while not breaking the bank. While it pays homage to those old and awesome compilations from back in the day, it ultimately achieves a more cohesive listen than said comps. and honestly, is just a really good time.

Chile’s Ripper is the real deal folks, and Experiment of Existence is plain and simple, a damn near perfectly crafted album. Okay, maybe perfect is going a little too far but I’ll be damned if Experiment of Existence isn’t a fun, thrashing rager of an album reeking of old school fury and honestly, doesn’t disappoint throughout any of its eleven tracks. Blending the sounds of Death, Possessed, Dark Angel, Morbid Angel, Sepultura, and Kreator, Ripper offers up a dirty and evil, audible thrashing of death metal from yesteryear with a nice progressive flair, and a bassist that plays like a madman. The best description to Ripper‘s music that I can come up with is to imagine Chuck Schuldiner (Death), Trey Azagthoth (Morbid Angel), the Cavalera brothers (Sepultura), and Roger Patterson (Atheist), Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse), and D.D. Verni (Overkill), getting together in 1991to create metal bliss.

I’m not even going to bother breaking down the majority of the album’s material, as all of it is a winner, and worth your time for a listen or two (or 25). From the catchy death thrash of opener “Magnetic Solar Storms”, to the progressive flair of Schuldiner/Death mannerisms and pacings of “Anthropophagic Life”, “Experiment of Existence”, and “Rotten Dreams”, or the Beneath the Remains/Altars of Madness/Piece of Time infusions of “The Alpha Orionis”, “Neuronal Unity”, and “Spherical Energy”. Hell, I even catch a little Slayer vibe too, especially in “Humanity Was Wrong”. Ripper have done a great job with Experiment of Existence. The album is a definite barn burner,with a clean , yet still dirty enough production that fits the music well. All of the band’s members deserve some kudos for their performances, especially for coming across so genuinely true to the old school, while blazing forward with it’s aural death, but I have to say, it’s bassist, Pablo Cortes who really ends up stealing the show. His performance and tone are simply ripping…(see what I did there?) The man is like a conglomeration of  Webster, Patterson, Verni, Harris, DiGiorgio, and what other badasses of bass that you can think of. Just listen to the bass solo/instrumental, “Chromatic Fantasy” and try not to have either a shit eating grin on your face, or your entire jaw dropping repeatedly to the floor. It’s like listening to Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) molesting his fretboard, but it’s a bass! I freaking love it!

Ripper is the type of band that most well rounded extreme metal fans can find more than a few merits in. Like I said earlier, Experiments of Existence is damn near a perfectly crafted album. Though there is nothing really pushing the envelope of metal’s boundaries, or essentially anything that is going to be new and/or surprising to a metal veteran’s ears, the feeling of excitement, the rush of adrenaline, the urge to fist-pump and headbang with a smile stretched from ear to ear, is heavily evoked with Experiments of Existence, and that is sometimes all you need to achieve a high caliber, quality album. I don’t know where Unspeakable Axe keeps finding so many great bands that can pay homage to some of metal’s gone-by-years, while maintaining a current relevance, but I for one, am mighty thankful that they are.

Baltimore’s Putrisect chime in first with “Blasphemous Reprisal”, a dark and heavy old school flavored death metal attack that sounds as if Incantation and early Death clashed together in gladiator battle. The song simply has a dirty and evil feel, along with a nice chunky deft in the riffs and tremolo picking. Throw some tasty squeals, bends, and pinch harmonics into its fast paced bludgeoning, and “Blasphemous Reprisal” ends up giving you a really decent beatdown. Slowing things down just a bit , “Final Cleansing” builds with a controlled, yet chaotic vibe to about two minutes in before busting out with some thrashing and blasting old school death metal, then slowing things down again for evil’s sake, before closing out the track with a half decent lead/solo.

“Astral Martyrdom”would be the highlight from Putrisect‘s contribution to this split. Beginning with propelling drums and a catchy melody, reminiscent of late ’80’s Death, or even Entombed, the track is an uptempo rager. Nice blasting abounds and some decent lead guitar work can be found on this track also, though the vocals tend to step on the solo some, which is a shame, as it shows some diversity in the mix. I definitely feel that the solo work leading to the end of the song could have been longer and used to better affect.

Overall, Putrisect play a real promising and enjoyable form of mostly, old school American death metal. The vocals can get a bit one dimensional after awhile, but the material has enough changes and tempo shifts to keep it from becoming dull, though they need “more” in the soloing department.

Scorched offer up only two actual songs on Final State of Existence, as “Impending Demise” is simply a weird, yet creepy intro leading into “Lust for Strangulation”. Right from the get go, you can tell that this Delaware based band drink from a different side of the old school death metal river than Putrisect. Immediately, a little cleaner, more fluid, and melodic even. The beginnings of “Lust for Strangulation” bring to mind a Nile-esque feel, a`la Amongst the Catacombs era before morphing into late ’90’s Morbid Angel fluctuations, and a more straight forward death metal attack, akin to a Blood Red Throne type of thrashing, wrapped in a blanket of Incantation. Definitely old school flavored and definitely good stuff; even if you have heard it before under a different moniker.

“Visceral Ascension” wraps up Scorched‘s contributions, as well as the split release itself, and does so in fine form. Wearing their influences a little less on this track, “Visceral Ascension” starts with a heavy and ominous feel in the guitar work before throwing it into high gear with some more U.S. old school. Heavy riffs, roaring, cavernous bellows, and some good, solid lead work spearhead a short Fetid Zombie/Crypticus rocking out vibe before ripping back into a fitting solo run to close out the song.

All in all, both Putrisect and Scorched compliment each other rather well, with just enough similarities in the evil and dirty department that gives Final State of Existence a little more cohesiveness or solidity, if you will, that many split releases  are lacking. If I was forced to pick a favorite of the two bands, I would go with Scorched, but as it stands, both Scorched and Putrisect have piqued my interests enough to look out for future material from both death dealers.  

Bursting with intricate complexity, fluid melody, and captivating dynamics galore. This Pittsburg, California quartet takes the viciousness found in the debuts of their Bay Area thrash forefathers, (i.e. Bonded by Blood, Kill ‘em All, The Legacy, Forbidden Evil, The Ultra Violence, & even Seven Churches) and melds it to a ‘90’s progressive death metal skeleton, (i.e. Death, Atheist, early Cynic, Pestilence, & Anacrusis) then wraps this skeleton in the flesh of today’s technical death wizardry. If you needed a more clear aural picture, then imagine members of Obscura, Necrophagist, and Fallujah forming an Exodus-styled thrash band and using the last four albums of the Death catalog, for influence/inspiration. Sounds awesome, right? Well, it is, Biological Enslavement is that damn good.

From the short, pummeling instrumental intro of “Decadence”, to the Cynic/Death beatdown of “Minus Human”, or the thrashing of “Bleak Prognosis”, with its Dragonforce-styled solo acrobatics, to the simply flat-out stellar musicianship of “Forgotten Faces”, “The Alchemist”, and the stunning instrumental “A Journey Through Dreams”, Biological Enslavement delivers in spades. Trying to illustrate this album is a bit of a conundrum for me, to break down and define the great tracks, catchy riffs, and memorable licks would be long-winded and redundant, as every song on the album is a top notch winner, chock full of catchy riffs, and memorable licks abound at every corner. Though to simply say this album kicks major ass seems lazy and adolescent, yet that’s where I am at with Biological Enslavement. The plain and simple truth about Hemotoxin is this, whatever it is you like and/or crave about extreme metal can, and will, be satiated with Biological Enslavement.

Visceral, pounding, thrashy, melodic, progressive, warm, technical, pulsing, brilliant and full of life are all ways that I would describe Hemotoxin. Metal that gets the blood flowing and the neurons firing in the ‘ol grey matter. Maybe I’m a tad biased in my opinion, being that this type of metal (‘80’s thrash & ‘90’s death) is some of my favorite, but I wholeheartedly recommend Biological Enslavement, and can tell you I will be throwing out some cash for the album, my damn self, when it hits the streets.

The label’s current slew of release includes the second effort of retro charged Germanic thrash metal from Chile’s Ripper, and that can be found in the giveaway!

In fact, here’s what you could be getting by simply filling the form down below:

 

Ripper – Experiment of Existence Cassette
http://www.unspeakableaxerecords.com/purchase/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=69&products_id=317

V/A – 4 Doors to Death CD
https://unspeakableaxerecords.bandcamp.com/album/4-doors-to-death

Insanity – Visions of Apocalypse CD
https://unspeakableaxerecords.bandcamp.com/album/visions-of-apocalypse

Besieged – s/t Vinyl 7″
https://unspeakableaxerecords.bandcamp.com/album/besieged-2

Besieged t-shirt (winner must specify size S/M/L/XL)
http://www.unspeakableaxerecords.com/purchase/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=249

From the bludgeoning opener, “Strapped to the Gurney”, to the Altars of Madness meets Hell Awaits, frantic, fast paced attack of “Necromutation”, up to closer and title track, “Acidic Remains”, with its Testament-like beginning morphing into a Cannibal Corpse rager, Manic Scum brings the goods. Sure, it has been done before, but damn it, when it’s good, it’s good. Of the EP’s four tracks, I’d have to say “Human Pulp” is easily the highlight. The Floridian vibe runs strong, with the song sounding much like a magnificent clash of Eaten Back to Life and Leprosy. In fact, the Death influence at the 1:47 minute mark to the 2:50 is simply awesome. Nothing fancy, just a solid old-school beat-down. Personally, I wish the leads/solos on Acidic Remains had a little more depth to them, but as they stand, they occupy a decent middle ground style, somewhere between Rick Rozz and James Murphy, maybe leaning a bit more to the former.

It really is a shame that these four tracks and their fifteen minutes go by so quickly, leaving you wanting at least four more songs. I imagine this re-release is to introduce, or re-introduce, the metal listening world to Manic Scum, as the group does have new material coming out soon. My advice is to get this EP, and mark your calendars for their new release, because if you’re like me, and love that sound of the original death metal explosion, then this band is surely one you will want to keep tabs on.

So a perfect fit for Unspeakable Axe, Insanity is back after over 20 years since the debut album and sounds like they are still stuck in the late 80s/early 90s, which is a good thing. They are still playing that raw, formative death/thrash metal that was basically more aggressive thrash metal with harsher vocals  and darker themes and it sounds as dusty and primal as you’d expect without sounding like a forced retro band or a simple homage. These guys lived it and did it back then, and it shows.

Now I can’t say I’m completely enamored, and I’m not craving any of the 9 songs, but I can appreciate the sound for what it it. The guitars are nice and rough, the vocals are horse and gravelly, there’s no triggers or clicky drums, there’s no processed ultra brutal vocals, there’s nothing sterile and surgical. What there is, is a musty, shambling, fetid zombie that hasn’t quite fully rotted yet. Mummified even. And while I’m not clamoring to revisit the album, it works.

The likes of “Dread the Dawn”, ‘Tired”  and “Blind” have a certain, real raw energy that made the scene so honest back then. You can hear and feel the style that would be a stepping stone and transition to the likes of Death, Deicide and Morbid Angel  (especially in the solos), as the thrash backbone has a more technical, darker tone and delivery, not the more party vibe that thrash had in the 80s. So if that bygone era holds a special place in your heart, Insanity has come from there to the present and brought it with them very successfully.

I have to be honest here, I had never heard Sadistic Ritual, and the only reason I gave them a listen was because the band’s newest EP, Edge of the Knife, is on Unspeakable Axe Records and I absolutely dug the shit out Trenchrot’s Necronomic Warfare album, released last year on Unspeakable Axe. Regardless of the reason, my logic payed off, as Edge of the Knife is a blistering tight, dirty, yet excellently produced, six song slab of Teutonic influenced thrash, with a slight inkling of today’s modern thrown in for good measure. Think old-school Sodom and Kreator mashed with a little Toxic Holocaust and Skeletonwitch, and you get a good idea of what these, Atlanta based, neck wreckers bring to the table.

Songs like “Merciless Retribution” and “Edge of the Knife” are not only thrash as fuck, they also give you a bit of a more extreme/death metal vibe, courtesy of some well-placed blastbeats from drummer, Baltazar Abarca. His drumming throughout Edge of the Knife is extremely compatible with the rest of the music.  Though it is really quite standard for a thrash affair, pretty much just following the rhythm and intensity laid out by the riffs, yet he does a splendid job at knowing when to slow down, when to blast, and when to kick it up to a double time beat.

Guitarists, Charlie Southern, also the band’s vocalist, and Alex Parra, really do have a strong grasp of their songwriting, and of thrash metal in general, despite their younger age, and the fact that the genre’s heyday was over long before these guys were able to throw a fist in the air. Their riffs are razor sharp and tight as a gnat’s ass throughout each song. I’m sure these guys destroy their picks with the abundant doubles and triplets they throw out.

Whether it is the death metal feel at the 2:35 to the 2:56 minute mark, or the classic thrash breakdown at the 3:31 mark, the aforementioned “Merciless Retribution” is going to make your head bang and your fists pump; while “Funeral Raid” proves that everything your heart fancies about thrash metal can be achieved in a mere two minutes. Simply put, Edge of the Knife is a barn burning metal storm of an album. While retro in nature, it feels completely natural and unforced, coming off as a genuine great time as opposed to a retro rehash. Though there is nothing on any of the material on Edge of the Knife that hasn’t been done many times before, all six songs are chock full of good to great moments and really do provide in one, fun as hell, listen.

My only real, minor quip with the album is that the tempo of the material never really varies too much from song to song. Sure, it ebbs and flows some but it always manages to return to the standard upbeat rpm’s of thrash, which can lead to a sameness of the material. I say this is a minor quip, because in the long run this is only an EP, and at 23 minutes running time this bad boy is over before anything really has a chance to annoy or irritate. Now, if we were talking about a 45 minute, or more, full-length, then this could be a much larger issue. As it stands, Edge of the Knife is definitely worth your time if your metal heart loves a good, honest thrashing.

Now admittedly, its not all roses, as the traditional heavy metal croons of lead vocalist and guitarist Erin Ewing are a bit flat, as are the back up vocals of her two male compadres Dave Monomania (drums) and Skottie Lobotomy (bass), even with few blackened hawkish screams here  and there, that keep things on the more extreme side (i.e “Shadows”).

But The Secret Fire is about riffs- rollicking Maiden-y, punky (some of these riffs I can picture on an Offspring release), fist raising riffs laden with a twangy Harris-y bass and its all brought together by Topan Das (yeah, he of Fuck the Facts) and a nice analog sound that gives everything a clear but organic sound. Throw in lyrics and imagery all dealing with Tolkien based mythology and you have a complete package.

The likes of opener “Death March” (with a great video using the 80s fantasy cheese movie classic Sorceress), personal favorite the criminally short “Black Moon” with a deadly chorus and some 70’s style keys which litter other tracks), “Winter”, “Dark Lord” and the blacker, aforementioned “Shadows” and “Dragon Flies” will have you yelling, head banging and first pumping in your car with the windows down. It’s the perfect summer metal album.

A few tempered moments like “Riders” and  “Night Siege” will have the lighters out, though not full on ballads as the album is still pretty well a rocker from start to finish and has become my new guilty pleasure when I need time away from HM2 buzzsaws, breakdowns and growls.

Sure, there is lots of other old school stuff going on here from Possessed, Asphyx, Nihilist,Celtic Frost and lots of thrash and such (not surprising as Sabbatory feature es members of thrashers Besieged, who recently had their unreleased debut released by Unspeakable Axe), but once you hear the opening riff of the likes of the title track, the Leprosy-ish canter of “The Endless Pessimistic Voyage” and closer “Orbiting Obscuron”, it’s impossible not to recall either Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy or Spiritual Healing. 

The release is only 7 songs and 32 minutes long, so it gets right to it with no fanfare or bullshit. The production is musty but not forced and the vocals of Kier Keatting are a simple gruff shout. The riffs are generally a thrashy take on death metal with a few d beat canters and old school death metal lurches (i.e “Hypnotic Regression”, “Infantasy”) and plenty of Schuldiner-esque solos thrown in. I mean just listen to the solo towards the end of “Orbiting Obscuron”.

It’s pretty simple stuff, but if you loved the aforementioned Trenchrot or Morfin albums, it is very similar in style and substance and will satiate your desire for a sound that displays death metal fetal stages very very well.

Asphyx, Death, Entombed, Pestilence, Master, Celtic Frost, Possessed and a healthy dose of thrash can be heard on Necronomic Warfare’s 11 no nonsense songs. it would have been perfectly suited amid some of the recent FDA Rekotz releases (Slaughterday, Harm, Morfin, Skeletal Remains, Chapel of Disease) as it sounds old school in a natural, organic way rather than try too hard or focus or one sound (ie the Stockholm buzz).  It’s got a dusty, musty guitar tone, that sounds great without being too retro or too forced.

The raspy strained vocals of Steve Jansson channel Van Drunen/Schuldiner/Reifert and the riffs simply worship all the aforementioned bands to a T.Whether it’s the killer gallop that surfaces near the end of “Gustav Gun”, the Celtic Frost lope of “The Most Unspeakable of Acts” (replete with Tom G Warrior styled “grunt), doomy, Asphyx-like crawl in “Mad Dogs of War”, killer opening canter of “Sickening Devotion”, quick thrash stab of “Maddening Aggression”  or Bolt Thrower rumble/Entombed trot  of “Necrotic Victory”, it’s all satisfying stuff.

At 48 minutes, the album is a shade too long considering the simplistic style so a little after the eighth track, the Autopsy meets Asphyx -ish 7 1/2 title track, complete with 90 keyboards I start to wane, and things start to repeat, despite the fun I’m generally having. To be fair, the last 3 tracks are added demo tracks from the 2013 “Dragged Down to Hell” demo, so the natural cut off makes sense.

Think of Trenchrot as a cheaper, less star riddled and more raw and older school version of Hail of Bullets, down to the warring themes, but it is certainly worth your time and a nice release for Unspeakable Axe.

Other than Mortal Infinity’s District Destruction, not much of this thrash revival has grabbed my attention, so the likes of Revocation, Havoc, Toxic Holocaust and such hasn’t really floated my boat , but here comes Canada’s Besieged to kick me in the nuts and remind me why I loved so many metal records from the late 80s.

Originally  self released back in 2010,  and now unearthed by new Dark Descent imprint label Unspeakable Axe Records, the sole album from these wild Manitobans is a gloriously old school thrash/death metal attack that rather than simply throw on a pair of white high tops and a denim vest, delivers riff after riff of tight, gritty thrash metal with a death metal tinge much like Possessed, classic Sepultura and early Slayer and man does it rock.,

From start to finish, this 31 minute gem is a rip roaring riff fest of high octane thrash. The gruffer vocals and break neck speed give it a death metal stench, but these riffs are pure old school speed/thrash metal that makes no bones about its obvious influences. Just listen to fourth track “The End”, and you’d think it was a lost, un-mastered track from the Beneath the Remains sessions. The rest of the songs all have the same hint as well as more than obvious nods to Possessed ground breaking sound, but Besieged don’t feel the need to modern it up or make it overly clean and polished. It’s rough and ready but has bite and slice contained withing the earthy, loose sound.

And none of this sounds forced or faked to get in on the retro thrash revival that appears to be on its last legs. This is as honest sounding as it gets, even for three years old material. Heck, the band even has no shame in delivering almost all the songs with the same pace and very similar riffing, but its done with such energy and truly honest and feral panache its impossible not to overlook and simply enjoy the riffs for what they are. From opener “Internal Suffering” through the aforementioned standout “The End” or classically structured thrasher  “Trapped Inside”  and  to slightly slower closer Slayer inspired  “Black”, the album is just a simple joy to listen to.