When listening to this, you will be taken with the “good, friendly, violent fun”  a term I say because there is a bit of Exodus in them with some of the riffing and the shouted background vocals. You get a bit of “Among The Living “ era of Anthrax. Another band I was getting a sense of was Misery Index. Just listen to the song Leech Breeder and tell me you don’t hear it. Yes, a different genre but you will get a sense of them in the song dynamics and the lyrical approach. I think, Hey if Misery Index went thrash would they sound this way? Just a off hand observation.

So, obviously galloping thrash is the basis here but little elements blend all together to make a entertaining listen. The almost power metal intro of “Perseverance”, The full blast frenetics of “Leech Breeder”, the lyrical truth of “Technophiliac”, the hi speed riffing chug of “Xenomorph Blood”, The Anthrax riffing and Exodus attitude of “Cut The Shit”, and if you really pay attention to the lyrics and obvious song title homage “The North Remembers”. ( Guess what show?) All the material just screams “Play me live!” and is sure to guarantee plenty of crowd participation.

Production is amazingly clear and almost has a live feel to it. Just listen to sound, with the solid snap in the snare and the bass drum has that kick. Obviously with any thrash album, you gotta have that guitar sound, that thrash riffing in the forefront and it is most definitely there. So yeah, I know there is a hundred thrash bands out there, some better, others much worse and nothing is breaking new ground here but still, you can go wrong with Crisix. They have a good history (since 2011) with some solid releases in their bullet belt, not too much too go wrong here. So in the immortal words of Testament,  Into the Pit!

Opener, “Blindening Shower of Light”, starts off slow and lumbering building with intensity but at about the 1:30 mark, the song kicks into high gear. I love the guitar solo near the end, a brief chaotic blast, to bring the song to a close. “Invert The Hearts” will bring on some brief memories of Angelcorpse riffing but all the while keeping it murkier, more old school and this makes things interesting, especially with the more plodding break about half way through, adding that menacing aural decimation. Also, if you are not quite paying attention, the song blends seamlessly into “Universe of Thralls”.

As a three piece, the band cranks out a remarkable wall of sound with the guitar and the drums cutting through clear and bright. There is not much a bass presence but it doesn’t detract too much from the aggressiveness of the music itself.  Next song, “Dawn of the Shadows”can attest to that. Thrash like guitars at times and with some fist pumping riffing and drums. Here, drummer Jonas, really makes his mark. Jumping from the pounding rythmic thumping then injecting some blast beats as well.

On researching about the band, their lyrical approach and concept seem to be a bit different and granted with the vocal approach of Dainius, you may not hear much of what he is singing about, but I like that the band does take a different approach lyrically and go with a different concept and thus gives the fans/listeners something of a newer take on things other than the typical death, satan, death and more satan topics. ( not that this is completely bad either…Ha ha)

So, at a touch over 20 minutes, this EP is great bang for the buck. You cannot go wrong with this release, nothing groundbreaking but a good take on 90’s style bestial black metal.

I quickly re-listened to the debut, to have a barometer for when delving into their latest offering and granted with this release, there is not any extreme change in sound, but this one is more chaotic, slightly tech metal and more evil sounding and even a bit black metal at times. I hear this mainly in the guitars but also in the production. It has a colder and more trebly sound compared to previous releases. With new members being from from such other more black (in a sense) metal bands Apotheosys and Helgardh, I can see some of the black blood bleeding into their new outfit. So, upon listens, I get a crossing of Angelcorpse and Chaos Inception in their sound now, even a bit of Diabolic with their early material in specific.

Obviously with the influx of new blood, one can expect change and with sole member from the beginnings Kreishloff, holding anchor, I can say the music has made a change for the better.

The songs are all quick and to the point, most are at the 4-6 minute mark and are quite unrelenting in their overall assault. ( Just listen to the drums on opener” Conquest or Consent”.) Like stated, the guitars have a much more trebly bite to them and not thick and chunky death metal sound.  In the opener about a ¼ way you hear these blackish tones and some darker melody making its way thru the song. The deathly stomp of “Quantum Mysticism” harkens a bit to the older sound but infuses that Floridian death metal sound into it as well. Drumming is off the charts and much like a earlier band/ review ( Infected Dead) I did, where I spoke highly of the drummer for that group, the drummer here,  Alex Lancia is all over the place. He really has some jackhammers going on here. Listen to “Towers of Silence” for a prime example. Also on the same song about ¾ through the guitars have a unusual effect to them, makes for an interesting sound. With all the fury and speed being put forth, you do get a bit of a respite with the more subdued piano driven interlude “Remembrance“. It’s definitely not all gothic or mellow but more of a melancholic sonic instrumental.

“Times Ceaseless Onslaught“ lures you in a bit with a calm introduction and then boom! into the maelstrom once again. You will hear the prominent Angelcorpse sound here as well.  I mention AngelCorpse alot here because vocalist Josh Crouse must be channeling a bit of Pete Helmkamp in his approach. All through the album, the guitars of Kreishloff and Ethan Lane, are much more varied and I will say a bit more technical in nature. You will not here much in basic rhythms or simple repetitive riffs, There is a that black sound but much of the songs have that style of start/stop riffing intermixed with blackened sentiments and melody. I find this, makes for a more interesting listen in the overall.

I personally enjoyed this darker turn in their sound, and to even were the cover art alludes to the more blackened approach. Songs and intensity are now much more imposing and powerful.

Lets see where this takes them and I am looking to seeing them live to see how they pull this off in a live setting and also to future material from them. Lets hope they can further build upon this.

I will say this upfront, Just by looking at the cover, I was expecting a standard run of the mill death metal album, boy was I wrong!  What we have here is a semblance to Necrophagist, a smidge of early Shadows Fall and some of the thrashiness of Exmortus. You get all these and roll em up to get this 6 song rager from UK based  Infected Dead.

Not quite an EP but this is a condensed shot in the arm of adrenaline and listening to this gets me sitting forward and adjusting the headphones for a better listening experience. I know for the most part in some bands the bassist just follows the chords/patterns of the guitarist but here the drummer plays along with the guitarists and adds his own flourishes and embellishments to the guitars and riffing in general. Much like Vinnie Paul and Dimebag of Pantera, who played together giving the songs that extra oomph and uniqueness. Here, drummer Martin Tang is just all over the place. I’m not saying one dimensional hyper speed assaults ( but he can blaze away when needed ) but just different fills and nuances that just add to the song.

 Needless to say, color me impressed. Both guitar players, Alex Brown and Chris Rahman give a bit of modern tech riffing and song structure in the guitars, this is definitely not grimy old school metal, just razor wire riffing that is intricate a bit melodic but still gets you air guitaring (sorry, my word ) and headbanging at the same moment. Listening to this, you just have to take in the different aspects that make this so enjoyable. The multi faceted vocal delivery of Lou Ede, from semi deep growls to higher pitched screams from verse to verse further compliment the twin guitar attack. At times I get reminded of the vocals of Brian Werner of Infernaeon (also now in Vital Remains) but here Lou is so much more dynamic, imposing in his vocal delivery. Obviously I spoke of the drumming and the bass player, Nathan Hammond can be heard in the mix a bit and gets little spotlights here, such has the ending of Archaic Malevolence. I can’t really say just  come out and pick one stand out track because at 6 songs I feel they all have their moments were things shine and hold your attention.

All in all, an impressive release from these UK ragers, if you are fans of the aforementioned bands and maybe the more modern death metal sounds of Aborted, Black Dahlia Murder, this release can be right up your alley.

First song “Hammer of Hatred” kicks in and it’s full on Marduk, meets Angelcorpse and I love it.  A great way to get the blood flowing and introduce you to their sound. Next song starts up “Barbs of Sadism”, a slightly more subdued affair, not full on blast, then a section of keyboards comes in but not all over the place. It’s then track #3 starts “Tears of Misery”, “wait is this Dimmu Borgir?” with slower pace and keyboards much more prominent, it definitely comes across as such. “Temple of Malevolence” is Angelcorpse meets Carpathian Forest, especially with vocalist Deceiver sounding very much like Nattefrost. Hailing from Australia you can hear some definite Destroyer 666 influences and it contributes to their black ‘n’ roll sound.

What we have here folks is a bit of a identity crisis I think. As you will listen to the album as a whole you will get a range of sounds from song to song and it’s not bad by any means, because its very well played, again vocalist Deceiver spits anger and vitriol with each song and is a great part of the sound, it’s just that sound is all over the place and I don’t think the band has (found) its signature. It’s great that the production is well done and keeps a everything together and contributes to the atmosphere.

Again, not a bad release and for myself, I really enjoyed the faster numbers and I think the albums bookend tracks “Hammer of Hatred” and “Ave Satani” are great representations of what the band sounds like. I would hope the band brings the varied influences together, as whole it could work to establish the band even further.

On the first few listens, the sound seemed to be a bit more folk inspired, “The Darkness of Eternity”, being a prime example. This song has that guitar melody that is catchy as hell, with vocalist Nekhrid, shouting in a dark roar in a sort of anti melodic contrast to the guitar. Those melodic guitar riffs permeate the album at different times and it’s these, that  gave me that initial thought. The song, “Deathless Serpent”, is where the Watain light shines the brightest, maybe a bit too much tho, you could be forgiven to think it was a hidden track off Lawless Darkness.

As I listened further, delving more and more into the songs, I began to get a sense of the darkness and the overall black energy that is also part of the band, together with their more melodic epicness that is very much part of them also. “Decretion At Eschaton” has that Ragnarok vibe I mentioned with the more pummeling drums and some air raids sirens thrown in the mix but at about the final ¾ of the song this background chanting gives back that epic feel again. The song “Rite of Repugnant Fury”, really has a cool quasi epic Bathory aura, with the chants and the general dynamic of the song.

The band is definitely not shy about their music, with this being the sixth release since their formation in 2013 and with the running time being a hour a long it could be a bit daunting to some. They really pack in the riffs and maybe a bit of tightening of the song structure to be more concise and thus give more of a razor cut, than the overall bludgeon of the hammer that is their current sound. The songs are not boring by any means and each song offers different moods and tempos, mini epics in their own rights. Although some songs convey this better than others.

Great Production, good musicianship from all members, a nod to the drummer Cosmarul for giving a interesting performance and although vocalist Nekhrid is a bit one dimensional, his style does fit the songs, also like the interplay between the guitars. Non Serviam Records always have some quality and a tad different releases and this is no different.

Strong hints of Obituary, are what come to mind at first, then with repeated listens shades of death groove of Grave arise. This is not euro death worship either, not like Revel in Flesh or Entrails. There is a touch of the d-beat song structure, the buzzing guitar sound that is so much associated with that genre but this is bit older sounding, which is great. All songs are simplistic in a sense. I don’t mean this in a bad way, what I’m saying is that this is straight ahead, early days death metal. Lo-fi for lack of better words.

No crazy intros, no off kilter song structures, nothing trying to change the world. Just that lumbering zombie (crawling out of the grave on the cover) with a single, destructive purpose. To eat and devour your soul with their sound. Simplistic also because at a tad under 20 minutes in length, there is not a whole lot of time for the superfluous.

No need to go into details about individual songs, because at 4 songs and a intro, things kind of remain on the course previously mentioned, again not boring in any way and with the album length, this prevents it from being so. As of this writing I don’t think its released just yet ( except on vinyl through 20 Buck Spin Records) Give it a try, you can’t go wrong and won’t be disappointed.

Guitars are of the heavy riffing sort, an unrelenting sawblade assault that cuts you down with its intensity.( “A Place In Hell “) The 1-2 1-2 drumming are the 120 MM guns, just set on pounding you into submission. The shouted, deep throated roar of vocalist & bassist Jonathan Boulay, acts as the battlefield commander shouting out battlefield orders to the troops above the cacophony of war. Some standout tracks are opening track “Pleasure of Hate”, I love the standout bass in the production. Jonathan’s playing really gives you that added punch.

When listening to this, touches of Exodus (with Rob Dukes) a slight touch of Demolition Hammer and Sodom are all part of the auditory assault but primarily I would say this is if Overkill had a more death style approach (this is musically of course, not vocally) I say this because in opener “Pleasure of Hate” there are a lot of moments in the sound and plus the bass playing is a bit more evident in some of the other songs as well. The title track “Burn Up The Dead” is another which may ( or may not ) give a tip of the hat to Overkill. Then with songs like “The Executioner”, “Sold To Bleed”, slows things down a tad with a more mid paced overall presentation but still manages to intersperse those mad riffing skills and solo moments. Then there is “Parasite” with its almost catchy chorus and “Bloody Mess” with its interesting song structure, heavy at times, melodic in others and all the while still maintaining the Mortör 

Mortör have been on my listening radar for a bit from their first album Shoot Em All (see? Another video game tie in ) and having heard this album also, I was generally pleased with their overall intensity and their raucous energy and with this album, continues that trend. Nothing groundbreaking by any means, but nowadays with the proliferation of all metal bands and in all genres, you have to listen and adjust accordingly, hence by applying the video game reference it gives you that much more appreciation, I think. Also, just look at that cover art, it just screams video gaming.

Not a whole lot of subtleties involved with this record but like mentioned above it’s not necessarily a bad thing, just perfect background music.So call your friends, get the case of Redbull, put on the gaming console, sit down and get ready for war! both musically and video game speaking of course!

From the get go, after the obligatory intro, listening to the opening song, “Those Who Dwell In The Abyss”, your immediate thought is Dismember’s Like An Everflowing Stream, and it doesn’t end there. Shades of Merciless, Nihilist and Unleashed come to mind. Vocalist/ Bassist JH Wilschrey comes across similar to Johnny Hedlund. A plus about this release, while listening to it a few times, while I try to absorb the deathly essence of the band. I feel they have a more old school, not overproduced sound, which is a good thing. I think with bands like Revel In Flesh, Entrails and some others, while great bands and I love their sound, sometimes it seems like they are really pushing that sound, really over emphasizing THAT guitar tone.

With Soulrot they sound more older, a bit grimier, all sounds come together to make that rotten feeling meld together. “Infertile Anti-Womb” is a good example. That bass intro sounds just real, like the bassist has the same strings on his bass for ages. He plugs in, takes a swig of whiskey and cranks it, it just sounds so deathly natural ( ha ha, my new production term for bands ) The drum sound will give you that feel also, again not big warm sounding drums, clean and crisp, no, no my friends, this has that sound more tattered, more simple sounding. Again NOT a bad thing its just gives that feel that this could have been produced in those glory filled heydays. Listen to “Incorporeal Autopsy” and take note. “The Putrid Canvas”, continues with the Entombed worship and makes it a strong song and an interesting listen. “Majestic Rot” could have been a tattered carcass remnant off Dismember’s early albums. Gritty, pummeling but no crazy speed. Just that steady, decayed corpse groove. While getting familiar and doing some research on the band,they seemed to have a bit more speed on their early releases incorporated into their sound along with a more Autopsy/Incantation base.

So while yes, this album is very derivative and not pushing any new ground and some will say why?? But then we must see and listen too that energy, the passion and just that truly old school feeling they put forth that gives Soulrot some merit. Worth a good listen and support, check them out on the Memento Mori label.

Listening the band as a whole, influences, thoughts and headbanging will come to mind and acted out, the music brings to mind Incantation, some Immolation and for you old skool metal dogs, you may remember Toledo Ohio’s Gutted from early 90’s.

So the album is not all speed, plenty of mid paced groove, the heavy riffing from the depths of death metal hell, those moments of Incantation-isms, some big bass drops, (But not overdone) some guitars squeals and pitches a la Immolation and listen to song “God Grotesque” for that prime Gutted influence. Listening to each song, brings all these different elements together, to which I congratulate the band for making it work, in all its 40 min glory, it’s not overdone or drawn out in any way.Some may say that it could be the “heard it all before” syndrome but their sound has that youthful abandon that just glues your ears to the speakers.

Yes, some bands are stronger, some bands nail that production in spades, I’m sure we can all name a few but as said before, they definitely brought a smile to my face. I mentioned Incantation, because although the influence is readily apparent, I feel Incantation have the edge (of course) in mood,atmosphere and skill but Ekpyrosis just give you that aforementioned deathly abandon that makes it worthwhile. Go with songs like “Immolate The Denied” and “Morticians of God”, all the power, that (Gutted) groove and energy just draws you in further and makes you want to crank it louder.

Drummer Ilaria Casiraghi gives a great performance that melds well with the bass groove and giving the guitars their space to shine. On this note, some have made notice of the production being a bit uneven, or album pacing, I say no to both. Production is warm and guitars have a decent fuzz to the tone, bass is a bit buried but drums have have a full sound, so for a first release, I feel it is well done effort and being the band started in 2013, makes me look forward to later albums to see if they take this further. Also, has part of my listening with my eyes review process, I love the cover artwork, definitely sets the stage of what you are about to listen to.

So with the homage to the old gods, and that youthful energy, make for a great (albeit not groundbreaking ) release from the Memento Mori label.

Hailing from Spain and they seem to be fairly new to scene, with beginnings from 2011, they bring forth a different form of heaviness to the table. It’s all bombastic funeral doom at times but with a healthy dose of black metal. I have a digital copy so I cannot positively say if lyrically it adheres to the Robert E. Howard theme of things but from the song titles, things seem to be a bit more varied in the subject matter, most can be judged by song titles alone. After the brief warrior themed intro, the band hurls straight into a almost black metal song “I’m Your Demise”, it’s not till about early through the mid point that the heavy cavernous doom element kicks in. The power of the drums, and the distorted drone of the bass bring together a huge wall of sound.

Musically it can be huge and dirty and taking in songs such as “Christian Worms” can bring you to your knees. It just has that heavy Asphyx vibe with the guitar, that heavy drone but vocalist Von Pax brings that more blackish scream. “Total Nihilism” also continues with the heavy vibe, the dive bombing guitar moments, but again the vocals take you down that different path. As said tho, listen to that guitar, where not quite up to Asphyx hugeness, it does get the point across.

Song number 6, “The Last Virgin”, begins much like the others but has a mid paced gallop going through the song to add some variety and also “Carnivorous Pussy” bringing some speed to the mix (ahem, amongst other things) “Pure Demonology” is almost black-end death n roll but next song “Christian Worms” dramatically changes pace to the doom spectrum. So keep in mind things can be a bit jarring in tempos and could be seen as a bit uneven for some listeners to the album as a whole.

Most of the songs are not too long in length and the longest being just about 18 minutes,( “Requiem“ ) and things are kept interesting and enough in its sonic variety, so this could make it more palatable for some first time listeners. Production is good with a slight dryness but man does that bass drone really rumble through the speakers at times.

Overall not a bad release and something a bit different (albeit a tad uneven) in its musical approach. Take a gander and listen over at their Bandcamp page and judge for yourself.

Dead War play a sort of proto thrash that is a heavy dose of Hellwitch and a bit of Sadus but not as technical. When listening to this you will also get bits and pieces of death metal and even some black metal. I say this because the songs are not groove laden or really mosh pit inducing to my ears but something a bit more, even the song titles give the indicator of things being a bit different. Listen to opening song “Leptospira”, after its maudlin and languid intro, you will get that black metal feel and that angry, technical (of sorts) thrash core but a bit harsher in its approach as the song progresses.. The song “Debellatio”, also further nails the point home of the different musical attack sounding a bit more death metal like with its thrash core. I find their approach a bit surprising on the onset because it was not what I was expecting but not a bad surprise in any way.

To add a bit of a twist to the mix is the slightly atmospheric, and instrumental soundscape, with its cello and off kilter sounding violin lending much in Gothic overtones. It’s set in the middle of the album, to sort of give the listener a brief respite to the overall audio assault.Speaking of soundscapes, the first 3 songs have intros, that sound wise and mood wise set the tone of the audio assault to be brought upon you.

The album’s sound is decent and a tad trebly and a sufficient  bottom end. It’s harsh and unforgiving much like the album cover which I think conveys the band’s mood and sentiment very well.

The album is short and to the point, the original demo release can be had for for $6 at Bandcamp or grab the reissued CD from Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. And at a tad over 15 minutes you can’t go wrong, so it serves as a good introduction to the band, for those looking for a bit of a multi-dimensional thrash (of sorts) attack.

So I welcomed the opportunity to review the latest release Haeresis. Again, with the artwork and bands imagery I give a thumbs up ( okay so sue me, I love bands with the whole package, because sometimes we do listen with our eyes as well as our ears.) So pressing play, I was welcomed by a thunderous sound that is equal parts Behemoth, later day Setherial and even a touch of some of the technical orchestrated aspects via Fleshgod Apocalypse. With the ears perked on the onset, I sat back to draw in more of the nuances and auditory explosions put forth.

Opener, “Through the Black Temples of Disaster” sets the pace immediately and with it’s guitars and varied drums & double bass pounding. The song is one straight forward attack,but with plenty of variation within the song which embodies much of the aforementioned musical entities but also as a band beginning to make a sound of their own. Noctem is not taking any prisoners with this latest release, and despite numerous line-up changes the band has maintained a consistent output and with vocalist Beleth being a consistent mainstay since the beginning. One thing I noticed is his style, his technique brings an added dimension to the music and contributes to the musical dynamic. He vocally adjusts to the mood and or tempo from a high end black metal screech, down to a lower deathly growl. Listen to the layers of guitars, the core riffing of Ethell, but above that you will have a melodic lead riff adding to the interest.

The keyboards are semi prominent but not in the Dimmu Borgir bombastic vein but something that adds emphasis at different moments. Some may find issue with the fact that much of the album is pretty fast and can be a bit of a blur, but I feel with the structure and song composition, it is not too bad of an issue. Listen to the song “The Submission Discipline” as a testament of this fact, speed, acoustic interludes all contribute to an auditory assault.  Another “minus”, albeit a small one, it could be said,  that once you’ve heard the first three songs you have heard the whole album because they do have much of the same dynamics, style and song structure.

The sound with the guitars, is not too trebly a more thunderous, razor riffing sound, but catchy in their sound & technique. Both guitarists ( The other being Exo) change enough in sound and riffing, so as not to bore. The song “Blind Devotion” is a reprieve from the speed, being more a bombastic dirge and also some of these elements being added to The Dark One The drums at times, remind me a tad of Nick Barker (ex of Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir) with a slightly triggered drum sound but I think with all that is going on musically this sound is utilized to separate and keep sound equally balanced and will set your speakers and ears to trembling.

With all the different bands that are out there, looking to assault your senses, it can be a bit hard to stand out in pack and Noctem are not genre defining by any means but they do offer bang for the buck with a solid release that keeps you interested both visually and as well as with your ears.

Having equal measure Dismember with its speed, not quite the tone, but oh yes, that FEEL is there and the 1-2, 1-2 drumming, you know you just love this, just listen to opener “Eternal Curse of Blood”,  ah yes, Like An EverFlowing Stream indeed. But also listen further and you have bits of the death groove of Grave here also.The mid-paced thump of “Close The Coffin”, illustrates this perfectly, wait till the half way through the song, that (Grave) groove takes shape that will get your head banging, just wonderful. I love the vocals, an angry roar with power and gruffness that you feel in your gut. Vocalist Rosey, formerly of “Putrefied Beauty”, just does an excellent job fronting the band, you know and feel where her voice comes from but she add her touch to make this a better listen. Another great representation, of both sounds, the final two numbers, “Burn The Altar”, with its speed, the riffing, the groove, you hear the bass rumbling along, shaking you to the core and “Considered As Gods” (uuuhm, one can wonder of whom they speak of?) a great closer to this offering to the altar of the swedeath gods

It’s great that the album is quick and to the point, you don’t get bored, you won’t have too much time to dwell on the meaning of things, to say “oh it too derivative” or “Its too simple” No, just sit back and turn it up, it’s fun and gets the point across and blasts you into submission in no time and you can go about your business, with a smile on your face.

The negative, if you want to call it that, is from the last album to this one , it seems more of the Swedish worship is in place with this release, whereas with the debut, Black Chaos, that album, the tone was angrier, more harsh and a bit more unique and not so much idol worship.(Although the guitar tone was a bit more Dismember-ish)

So a great release, interesting cover art with its different color scheme and without breaking any boundaries or looking to change the world, Profanal, add another good, solid stone to the altar of the death gods.

As for musicianship and the songs themselves, all are all, for the most part,  paint by numbers death metal. Granted there are some moments that do grab you, but it is just that, it’s just for a moment. And even at 9 songs it can be a tad monotonous at times, you may find your attention wandering.  Again not a bad release by any means, grab a earful of opening song, “Palpation of Sacramentarium” and next, “Fluent Bilocation”, both with great structure and intensity so this does give one to wonder why the album as a whole could not be like this. I found myself, the more I listened to this tho, I began to get into it and appreciate the little moments, like the lead melody interplay on “Pellucid” and some of the more thrashy moments on the mid section of “Diptych of Perked Oblation”.

Speaking for myself, the cover artwork alone is just about worth the price of the Cd. Great representation of the band in visual and their lyrical stance. With all the demons, monsters and grotesque images, well, suffice it to say you will not be wondering what you are getting into.

Now onto the unique aspect mentioned of the band. It is the often the quirky,misinterpreted (maybe??) translation of the bands songs. I realize sometimes translation can be a issue and conveying thoughts in your native language is another and problems can arise. But what’s funny is that all song titles seem to not make sense. I stress, I’m not making fun of the band by any means, and it could be I’m missing something  I’m sure those that picked up Carcass – Symphonies of Sickness, back in the day were asking themselves what’s going on here?! with their own song titles.

So, those that may be looking for their continual metal endorphin fix, Lectern may fill that need, they have those great moments of death metal goodness with catchy riffing and musicianship but those looking for innovative,  genre defining moments may need to look elsewhere. Take a chance, not a bad listen.

Now having said that, we move on to the latest release V: The Devil’s Fire and if you go with my above description and listen to this chapter of the Baptism saga, you may be crying foul or wonder if Mr. Sarcofagian has gone a bit soft in this day and age. What we have now is a more warm sounding album, a more varied album with better production and (gasp!) clean vocals. Right after the intro “Natus Ex Ignis”, the band launches into “Satananda”, besides the aforementioned better production values, the song is almost typical Baptism in its approach at the beginning. The razor riffing, the vocals, hateful and malignant or shall I say Infectious? Its at the ¾ point you get some clean vocal chants and keyboards that are slightly reminiscent of Empyrium (Ger). In no way is this over the top Dimmu Borgir sound but it does offer something different to the Baptism repertoire.

The song “Devil’s Fire” has that raw powerful feel also, The drums are all over the place,strong and forceful adding that power to the songs and the album itself. What is a bit different, although however brief, is melodic guitar interlude. It brings the song itself into a little bit different territory, but not taking away anything in riffing. The song “Malignant Shadows” harkens most to the past with is slower, spoken word beginning and the rumbling in with a faster mid paced banter. The vocals of Lord Sargofagian are particularly noteworthy here, adding that perfect snarl to the song. Speaking of vocals, granted  session bass, drums and additional guitars players are on the album, different vocalists are utilized. I dont have the booklet to be sure but from what can gather is that they may be providing the different clean vocal approaches heard on the various numbers on the CD. Closing number “Buried With Him” and at a tad over 7 mins is the most grandiose in its nature and offers the dual vocalist approach , here represented at the final 3 quarters. It’s here, that you hear a difference with the lower spoken word growling. With its subtle use of keyboards and more slow burn approach to this song, makes it a worthy closer.

So in closing, we see Baptism, not forgetting nor losing too much of the past and still keeping true to the heart of black metal, but also expanding their blackened wings to encompass a more varied approach. Overall a worthy addition to the library and stalwarts of the Finnish scene.

I’ve come to realize that the metal scene needs their equivalent of big name movie blockbusters. The thing moviegoers live for is to be able to see that latest megahit with it’s visual explosions and to get their senses pummeled and eyeballs melted. I think now is the time for the record companies to adopt a similar approach and release the auditory equivalent. Something a fan will put in and be just like “Holy Crap”!! This is just amazing! The type of CD you put in your car and it just begs for you to put your windows down and crank it even higher, so everybody on the street can hear it. Something to rattle the roof and to get the neighbors in a uproar. I think now, Sleasy Rider Records from Greece can spearhead this movement with the debut album from Nukem – The Unholy Trinity. Everything I said above is here, the review is over, I’m done, just go buy the album and prepare to be amazed with heavy metal goodness.

Ok ok, for those that maybe need a bit more to go with, here we go. All these big movie releases, have big names involved. With Nukem you have current members of Psychotic Waltz and ex Cage and Deathevokation, Brick Bath personnel. You got the guest stars, Jim Durkin from Dark Angel, Laura Christine – Warface/Meldrum/Zimmers Hole, Craig Locicero – Forbidden, Reece Scruggs – Havok, on paper alone that’s a auditory explosion in itself!

As for the music? Well think mid era Megadeth, Pantera, Overkill, Toxic Holocaust are just some of the more immediate sounds that come to mind. As you listen tho, you will hear bits and pieces of others, that come together in this metal assault. Still need more? Okay try this, buy the CD (I’m serious) push play and listen to opening number Warwolf and just feel that smile creep up on your face and involuntarily your hand reaches for the volume knob, to turn it louder. Listen to the chugging intro riff, the screaming intro lead, the drums kick in and guess what? You can hear the bass. Don Lauder has a presence here and he doesn’t just follow the guitars but also creates his own groove. Its those moments along with the riffing at times I get a sense of Pantera.  After the brief scary intro for Evelyn’s Awakening (1st single and video) again you are hit with that chugging rhythm riffing, but faster (shades of Hit the Lights, from you know who) and listen to the solo section, I love when bands at times record how they would be playing live. In this case, no background rhythm playing it’s just a solo lead, the bassist and the drummer and getting to hear what they are doing. They do this at various points on the album. Also, it may be just me but do I hear a little King Diamond in the vocals toward the end? The band slows things down a bit with the next few numbers, but are no less dynamic. We all know we can be pummeled just the same.

With the song “The Deceiver” proves this point. Vocalist and guitarist Steve Brogden manages a wicked snarl in his vocals, reminiscent of “Blitz”and Mustaine but also ever so slightly of Rodney Dunsmore of Devastation (Tex.) He contributes moods and styles to the songs to give more of a dynamic from song to song, he has the high pitched screams, the lower sneers and snarls. So along with doing that, his guitar playing is just as memorable, catchy hooks that just beg for you to air guitar to. I do wonder if live down the line will they enlist a 2nd guitarist. ( Which I’ve come to find out they do, for selection shows, the aforementioned Laura Christine) I’ve seen some video and they are amazing live and pull it off as a 3 piece, so it’s no knock to say they need to. So to make things even more interesting, I love how they take a different song to cover, Black Sabbath’s “TV Crimes”, just a great groove here, again the bass throughout the song, I love it. Great cover. The song “D.O.I”. is just really cool with the faster 123 chugging riffing, the interplay of the bass, drums and guitar. We get a cool little respite with the acoustic/electric guitar interlude Lucida Sideris and then pummel you right afterwards with (their theme song maybe?) Nukem All with its great riffing, the dual guitars solo and the tradeoffs in the soloing, the drumming of Norm Leggio and the shouted chorus, which I’m sure that live is just a crowd favorite. And now, just to throw ANOTHER surprise at you, the band does a cover of “Suspicious Minds” from none other than Elvis Presley. I have to say, how they adapted it and made it…just so Metal, simply astounds me. A great end to a barnstormer of an album.

So, just like with the big blockbuster movies, you don’t go for the deep, emotional commentary or to be brought down by the weight of the world. You go for the fun, the bombast, a time to let go and have that smile put on your face. With Nukem – The Unholy Trinity will do just that for you. Welcome to the new era of audio blockbusters.

On first listen and after the obligatory grandiose evil introduction, your senses and thoughts will be transported to the past. You will most definitely be thinking, is this a unreleased Sarcofago album?  Also, much like the recent release of recorded but not put out CD from Cradle of Filth – Dusk and Her Embrace, you will be forgiven to think that Sepultura did the same with an album between Morbid Visions or after Schizophrenia. This is pure mid 80’s deathrash, the sound is from that era in every aspect. Just listen to the production, most evident in the drum sound, it’s just so retro 1-2, 1-2 in its pounding, not bad in any way but how it’s meant to sound simple and to the point and old school flat sounding. Of course this was intended and the drummer plays well but it’s just “how” he plays that gives that feel.

Musically, as expected it much the same, pure retro worship and not much in the innovation category. This all great for those that look for those days and also for those that think Sepultura of the current age, should just get Max and Igor back and get back to the basics themselves. They have a similar approach like LA based band Sadistic Intent, they play with the plenty of the “old feeling” and the enthusiasm. There is no need for in depth song  analysis or overview, because if you been reading this far, you have a very good idea what you are getting into with this release.

So in ending not a bad release and something of a brief entertainment value when you crave those bands and sound of yesteryear but with the proliferation of this style as of late it seems and all the bands of this sort, some a bit better than others, others with a bit more impact and maybe a bit less derivative. I came into this album with high hopes and was a bit let down because some recent releases have rekindled that fire but alas this just barely stoked the embers.

First things first, I’m a bit bummed that a new logo is on the cover or rather a non logo. It’s a simple font of the band name but the artwork a woodcut, an etching of sorts, like a page torn from an  ancient grimoire, it’s  different but intriguing. Its more subdued and not all satanic and evil. The words spoken by the band be the writings and verses from this ancient tomb of spells. Hence I feel, this gives a different representation for the music, which is a good thing because it’s the vehicle that carries this deeper into your soul.

The music is more dramatic and more mood driven, it’s not all kult bedroom black metal. Shades of Secret of the Moon and touches of Watain come to mind when listening to this.The album starts off a bit different and not very black metal like with the beginning of the song “Blood of the Moon”. It seem to be almost post black metal in its approach, as if the band was purposely luring you to a different form of blackness, leading you away from one abyss to another of their making, but at around the 4:00 minute mark it begins to coalesce and more familiar sound takes place. Not familiar in a basic typical black metal album but more in the sound itself.

“Of Serpents Embrace” continues the same approach, drawing you deeper into their spell. “Seed of Inanna” is really representative of the aforementioned bands sound. New vocalist Vanitas has a lower pitched growl and more of a deeper representation and fits the mood of the music with its more subdued pacing. Listen to “Scorned Ascension” and you will get my drift immediately. Such a dark energy from this more moodier riffing and with the slower rhythmic start and mid song about the 4:00 min mark the song picks up a pace to end the song on that note. As I further delve into this I am reminded of the darkened pulse of Samael’s Ceremony of Opposites, I wouldn’t say the exact same level but we are beginning to see the formation of that evil ritual in the IV sound.

“Sink the Ark of Knowledge” has such energy and dynamic with drummer A.L making his presence known and also marking his recording debut with the band. The song ends with a acoustic outro of sorts that reminds me of something from Led Zeppelin, imagine that. “The Circle” ends the album with another entry of diverse mood and elements. Starts fast, then mid song goes more mid paced with some excellent riffing  and time changes. The album as a whole maintains this constant interplay throughout the album and is welcomed because you don’t want to get too bored or have another typical black metal release on your hands.

Much like the earlier review a bit back, off the latest from Lux Ferre and also from bands like Schammasch and Farsot (Hey guys!, release a new album already!) we are beginning to see a new, well, maybe not new necessarily but a welcomed growth of black (dark?!) metal bands that incorporate mood and atmosphere and a different form of darkness instead of satan, necrogoats and beheaded christs all the time.

Hailing from Austria, and this being their 2nd full length, the band present to us, a form of thrash that brings to mind thoughts of Demolition Hammer and Kreator, if they came from the bay area, during the thrash heyday. Blood Beneath the Crypts, is a fun listen and, production is standard and gets the point across with all instruments being heard.

I say a fun listen because there are riffs aplenty, chugging rhythms, the Sodom/Tom Angelripper inflictions and those little tidbits that bring to mind the solos of Kerry King (“Immortalized Sinner”), the early riffage of Dark Angel (“I Conquer”), a touch of Sacrifice (Can) all which are sure to put a smile on your face in some way and yes, while some may say that this is just a rehash or we’ve heard it all before, the songs are short and to the point and really don’t overstay their welcome. None of the songs go into the 5 minute mark. Listen to “Splendid Mutilation” and get a 2 and half minute rager, which is sure to get this point across.

I’ve made mention in past reviews, that most of us lead busy lives and you may find yourself doing 3 things at once. So those days while washing the car, put this on, cleaning the house before the significant other returns home? Put this on. Writing that last minute review and need to get it done? Put this on. These are the sort of albums that you listen to when you don’t have a lot of time on your hands or you are multitasking, this music fills the void and still get to enjoy some new metal in the meanwhile. So don’t dismiss those 2nd stringers yet….they may surprise you.

With the Poisonous Path, Behexen have created a unrelenting monster of an album with a sound compromising a bit of Dark Funeral, Charon and Watain and making themselves to be spoken in the same words as them when considering this album for 2016 year end lists or just for their own personal faves. I will admit I have not had an opportunity to hear the last album Nightside Emanations, so going into this album from my last basis of judgement My Soul for His Glory, I can hear the further progression contained in this disc, the darkness and atmosphere is almost tangible and lures you in with its emanations.The album sets the tone immediately with the 1st song and title track, much like the image on the cover, it beckons you in, with its sound, the message it conveys of darkness and evil, which waits to corrupt you. Listen for that tolling bell at about the 5:30 mark, what a great addition. You get a sense of those early albums but like mentioned, this beast is dark, punishing, not razor wire, necro black metal but louder, fuller, just listen to the tone of the drums how loud they come across in the mix, guitars and bass create a wall of sound that just slams into you. “Tyrant of the Luminous”, gives you that wall of sound, simple and repetitive but can you fault that for the punishment that it bestows upon you? The song ends with Torog using almost spoken word chant / sermon in his voicing. Its interesting to note that the band did give indications of this musical approach in as far back as Rituale Satanum and its title track with its more slower plodding nature.

“Chalice of the Abyssal Water” & “Cave of the Dark Dream” both bring about the Dark Funeral vibe, with their more quickened pacing. A fault, maybe to call upon this album, is that everything is mixed loud and sort of evenly, so songs can be a bit noisy and when played together ,hence some of the songs may get a bit lost in the miasma and at 10 songs, this is not too much of an issue. One word, or words I have mentioned here continually in this review is dark, unrelenting, monstrous and if you need one song to hammer that home, it’s the album finale, “Rakkauddesta Saatanaan”. Such a great way to end the album and shows such great restraint and confidence with the band to show you don’t need unrelenting speed to damage you but this can batter you just the same. I feel Behexen got a winner here with their continued progression and delving deeper into their own brand of darkness.

The reason I say this, is because Izegrim have been around since 1998, so they got some history behind with a number of full lengths and some EP’s under their belt. So technically they predate those who many will compare them to, namely Arch Enemy via the Angela Gossow/Wages of Sin era. Izegrim have utilized various women singers on prior releases but with the current incarnation they have the services of vocalist and bassist Marloes Voskuil. Who by the way does a have an interesting growl and enunciates the lyrics very well. So yes, when listening to this you will get a lot of Arch Enemy but I feel Izegrim have a rougher, slightly harder edged sound and not as much guitar twiddling going on but enough of the comparisons, on with the band itself!

Consisting of 4 members, the band incorporates a very full and dynamic sound, like previously mentioned a rougher melo-death thrash approach, fast paced, dual guitar leads and changing rhythms and with a lyrical stance dealing with a more personal viewpoint on war, destruction and the chaos of life. Take a listen to “Insanity Is Freedom” to get a good of idea of the harder edge, the chugging rhythms and you may come to enjoy their approach more and not have that comparison so much. “Reflection of Redemption” has some wonderful, drum and guitar interplay, with drummer Ivo Maarhuis playing standout drumming to match the guitars. I love the slow Asphyx like guitar ending, along with the shouted chorus. I feel with the slight difference in the band’s sound, it can be interesting and maybe offer something different, production is great and offers great clarity in sound but many may be too busy saying “Arch Enemy clone!”  Besides the aforementioned sound comparisons, another slight drawback, would be the some of the album may suffer from a bit of a sameness in the sound/ song structure. At 11 songs, it can be a bit of an issue, but on the other hand, each song does offer some cool elements also, so that it does not distract too much from the overall.  So,  dear readers,  if you desperately need your 24hr Arch Enemy fix,  here you go. If you just love metal and love it and want to be entertained, here you go, but if you don’t want to hear a band that may be a bit too familiar to some others, well, you may need to look elsewhere.

At first listens, I get the sense of a more euro sounding Overkill, if they had more of the black metal sound, if that makes any sense. Also they are reminiscent of Necrophobic and their first album The Nocturnal Silence. Another thing that further solidifies my Overkill assessment, is the bass rumbles in the music and the little “solo” moments of bassist Rybosh (on the song “The Viper’s Nest”). Things really remind me of DD Verni’s bass stylings and I just dig that stuff!

The thrash elements are prominent enough and give you some brief headbanging moments. “The Masterpiece of Lie” being being a prime example with its thrashier guitars. Vocalist Rambo brings a bit of the black metal rasp in his approach and makes the music a not so typical thrash metal affair. With some thrash acts, that have that really chunky guitar/catchy sound and create those moshpit inducing riffs, Bloodthirst take that but morph it and add their own history and influence, creating their own dark sound.

To further the blackness of the material, take a look at the song titles such as “No God Shall Stand Before the Pope” or “The Reign of the Antichrist” and you get a good idea what you are getting into and also with the amazing cover art. Having taken a look at the darker stylings of the coin, I have to say that I don’t get that immediate thrash vibe as much. The beginning of “Sacco di Roma” starts with that fast chugging riffing but the black element creeps in and sort of mutes the moshpit feelings. Not a bad thing necessarily as it definitely adds some color to the proceedings making the songs not as one dimensional, but just maybe don’t come in expecting to start a “Toxic Waltz” when listening to this. The production and the band get the job done; the sound is clean and clear. I do wish however that the guitar was a bit more chunkier and overall the sound be bit warmer (again, that darkness thing), even if it’s not a critical issue per se.

Another thing to add, which I have been pleased with as of late with some bands and releases, is that this being an EP, a huge expense is not needed. You get plenty of bang for your buck for a about five bucks and a great introduction to a band with atypical approach to the metal genre.

At 5 songs, the 5th being a bonus track for this release. The Intro, sets the stage for the type of sound we can expect and it’s very old school death metal. Touches of early Asphyx, Nihilist, Dismember, even snippets of early Autopsy but with a more modern production. Kind of what you hear with Sadistic Intent for example. Mind you this is not newer swedeath worship, such as what Entrails, Feral, Revel in Flesh, Blood Mortized are releasing these days, Deathcult  have a much more raw ( dare I say real ?!?) sound that really gets you to those times of yore. The guitars are not quite that distinctive “buzzsaw ( Boss hm-2 pedal ) sound but more natural. Mind you, there are touches of said effect scattered through the 5 songs but it’s not the driving element. There is a darker aura as a whole be it with the music, the sound or the vocals of O. Ketzer. ( Yes, the same from the band Bolzer )

Speaking of the vocals, O Ketzer displays a mid range raspy roar perfectly suited for this music but he also adds a spoken chant voice on songs “Beasts of Faith” and on “Deus Bonus Est”, that give a welcome dynamic to the songs. The later song is their “epic” of sorts, at a tad under 11 minutes is a quite the standout. Plenty of dynamics and varying tempos plus an acoustic outro, all which bring together an interesting dark offering. “Beasts of Faith” is quite the mid paced rager, drummer M. Goathammer carries this song with a simplistic, but steady attack only matched by 2nd guitarist P. Nekros.

All in all an interesting release,they do stand out a bit from the other “deathcults” and they are not groundbreaking by any means but they can be entertaining in their own way, especially for fans of the aforementioned bands and those that appreciate or look for that truly more old school approach.

The two members, Herr AIDS (vocals and guitars) and Ludas (drums) that makeup IAO, initially gained prominence in the now defunct Sauron and went on to form Funeral Goat and then with time, changed the name to Ibex Angel Order. Those familiar with Funeral Goat, know that at its inner black heart, there is a similarity, Funeral is ( was ) more raw, Celtic Frost, Beherit, Archgoat in it’s approach, Ibex has wallowed, gathered if you will this blackness and refined its musical blood soaked dagger and taken a more atmospheric vibe (Listen to “The Terrible One” to see what I mean) but also to hear the monstrous roar of Herr Aids at times, you know this be nothing more than the other side of the blade, both will cut you just as deeply.

Granted nothing here is going to be has fast paced or pummeling as say Marduk or Dark Funeral, no, it’s more of a mood and mind destroying in their approach (again parallels to the great old ones here. Lovecraft once stated  “The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents”) So musically think Ofermod and Orcustus. Tempos and guitar tones are definitely interesting at times, the sort of off kilter guitar riffing on “Numberless Am I”, and the measured, drawn out riffing at the beginning of “Into Pleroma” and with the vocals give rise to Attila and his approach in Mayhem. The listener is drawn into the aura of this music conveys and the production helps with it’s more open and airy sound, cavernous at times. Must make mention of the brief interludes that happen amongst the various songs, with its chanting and ominous voices you hear, they really contribute to the overall and even emphasize the dark evil nature of the music.

So, definitely something to look into and they are a new band, ripe for future rewards and they have that mysterious nature about them, both in sound and presentation, so if it’s something that you want to delve into, give them a listen this should be a good release for all you  listeners out there, who appreciate the occult and more haunting nature of the black metal spectrum.