AETHERIUS OBSCURITAS
BLACK MEDICINE - FEKETE ORVOSSAG
2009 PARAGON RECORDS
This sounds a little better than the last album I heard from AETHERIUS OBSCURITAS. This semi-symphonic black metal band from Hungary has gone in an ANCIENT
meets BURZUM kind of direction and it works fairly well. Several guest stars make appearances, including Nimroth of CIRITH GORGAR and Lord Kaiaphas who you might recall
was on ANCIENT's second album. I had no idea he was even still around. Sadly, as has become my mantra... if you're new to the black metal scene, you'll love this.
If you've been around for a while, you'll find it more or less average.
ALTAR OF OBLIVION
SINEWS OF ANGUISH
2009 SHADOW KINGDOM RECORDS
Chances are that if you heard ALTAR OF OBLIVION's demo, The Shadow Era, you probably thought it was damn near perfect.
Well, the short story here is that you can in fact improve upon perfection. Sinews of Anguish takes everything they
did on the demo and makes it better. Heavier. Darker. Doomier. "Wrapped in Ruins" makes a second appearance, this
time close to a minute shorter than before, but with tons more power behind it. The doom albums from 2009 that will most likely
be remembered will be those from CANDLEMASS and HEAVEN & HELL, but in reality these four Danes have both of those albums beat.
Sinews of Anguish follows in the footsteps of Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, taking traditional orthodox doom to new highs (or lows
as the case may be). Beginning with the opener, "The Final Pledge," this is an album that demands the listener to bang their damn head.
The power of the riff-- and the 4/4 drums-- compels you. I personally bow to no man or god, but I now pray at two altars... one of them pagan,
the other to oblivion. Barring a new album from SOLITUDE AETERNUS, I don't see how any doom band can top this one this year. Yes, it's better
than the latest from CANDLEMASS. Yeah, I said it.
ANAL VOMIT
GATHERING OF THE PUTRID DEMONS
2009 BLACK SEED PRODUCTIONS
Back with a third album, Peru's ANAL VOMIT once again prove that when it comes to bestial metal brutality, no place on earth
can come close to matching South America. Once again, they continue with the legacy that was left by the likes of PARABELLUM,
PENTAGRAM, VULCANO, HOLOCAUSTO, EXPULSER, and a host of others. As you'd expect, the production is suitably dirty. Whether
by design or by accident, it is a very important factor in the ANAL VOMIT sound. In fact, the production matches up to the utterly
depraved lyrics perfectly. Fans of SONATA ARCTICA need not apply. ANAL VOMIT will massacre your pansy asses without mercy!
ALDAARON
NOUS REVIENDRONS IMMORTELS
2010 PARAGON RECORDS
This French band is aware that their name comes at least somewhat close to that of "Alderaan"? You know, the planet that was reduced to an asteroid
field by the "that's no moon" Death Star in the original Star Wars? Right. I must say that it's a little unique for a black metal band to have
their lyrics in French, but at least some of what I hear seem to be weather reports from the French Alps. I thought Norway did enough of that crap in the 1990s.
While there are some fairly interesting parts in these songs, that's about what they are: parts. You need something more than that to create songs that can
sustain a listener's interest through an entire album.
ANCIENT CROSS
ANCIENT CROSS
2009 STORMSPELL RECORDS
Back in 2006, this Texas five-piece released a self-titled album. I guess it didn't get too much attention, but the little
it did get was positive. So positive that Stormspell Records has reissued it with a whole new layout, and it's just about
guaranteed that more people will hear it this time. With their HELSTAR meets METAL CHURCH sound, ANCIENT CROSS would have fit
in just fine with the Metal Blade roster from the 80s. At the very least, they would have been on one of the Metal Massacre
compilations. Vocalist Michael Lance (who briefly fronted REVEREND following the passing of David Wayne and also now fronts WITCHES MARK)
has a rough edged voice that suits the band perfectly. No ultra-high vocals, nothing too pretty or fancy in the songs here
either. Power metal this ain't. ANCIENT CROSS play 100% American-made working class heavy metal, no doubt about it.
AOSOTH
ASHES OF ANGES
2009 AGONIA RECORDS
MKM of ANTAEUS put together this black/death metal project that's more or less ok. Not much to really say, other than that the bass drums are ultra-heavy,
and what gives with the ANTAEUS cover song?
ASPHYX
DEATH... THE BRUTAL WAY
2009 IBEX MOON RECORDS / CENTURY MEDIA
Don't let the album title fool you. This is not "brutal death metal" in the modern meaning of the term. This is what
brutality originally was, and to many of us still is. Death... The Brutal Way is the album that was never supposed
to happen. The recent reformation was just to play some live gigs and have some fun. But of course as these things go,
that's not quite how it went. New guitarist Paul Baayens (THANATOS, HAIL OF BULLETS) came up with some ideas and the
next thing you know, ASPHYX was revitalized with new songs to play. Longtime fans will be very pleased to hear Martin
van Drunen back on vocals, as Wannes Gubbels (PENTACLE) concentrates mostly on bass, but still adds his voice here and there.
Bob Bagchus is of course back on drums, as it really wouldn't be ASPHYX without him now, would it? This slab of horrific
doomy death metal is as good as anything they've released in the past, and is better than at least two of their previous
efforts (I'll leave it to you to figure out which two I'm referring to). I've heard a few complaints and grumblings about
a lack of guitar solos here, but all that tells me is that some people just haven't been paying attention over the years.
ASPHYX have never been about solos. Most songs don't even include them, and those that do have just simple little bits
that act as transitions between one part of a song and the next. No solos needed, and none wanted. The heart of the
ASPHYX sound has ever been about the riff. You know what I'm referring to, don't you? That should really be in capital
letters, shouldn't it? THE RIFF. The skull smashing, bone breaking riff. Heavy as all hell and as crushing as possible.
Not just one of them either... ASPHYX always come up with a whole album of them! As comebacks go, this is one of the all-time
best. Death... The Brutal Way is more than I could have ever dared hope for and more.
AT WAR
INFIDEL
2009 HEAVY ARTILLERY
I'll begin by belaboring the obvious... Heavy Artillery is the perfect label choice by AT WAR. Not because of the other bands on the roster. Not because
the label seems to doing well at finding underground thrash. But because... well, look; The band is called AT WAR, and unless some other label were
to come along called "Survival Knife" or similar, then this was the right choice. Amazingly enough, all three original members are present here and they
still sound like they used to. Maybe a little heavier though, thanks to producer Alex Perialas. Now there's a name I have't heard in a while. As far as
the songs go, AT WAR prefer to keep things relatively simple, sticking with just a couple of riffs per song and not just repeating them, but playing the hell
out of them. Lyrically, they're just what you'd expect them to be: about war. Long before JUNGLE ROT same to be, AT WAR had already conquered the same territory,
... and did a better job of it too! Usually with bands like this, the case is that either they're all lovey dovey and are anti-war, or they see red with rage, and want to
utterly decimate whatever might cross their path. AT WAR don't take on their subject matter to either extreme. They're for the troops, but withhold the right to question
why soldiers are sent to fight. As the saying goes, "I love my country. But I am scared to death of its government." Political agendas are not supported here.
Only the armed forces and heavy metal.
AVENGER
FEAST OF ANGER - JOY OF DESPAIR
2009 DEATHGASM RECORDS
It's been several years since AVENGER released the mighty Godless album. So many, in fact, that I had figured they had
broken up. Thankfully, that's not the case, as here we have Feast of Anger - Joy of Despair
This time around, the lyrics
are in their native Czech, but that's not the only change. In the past, comparisons between AVENGER's style and that of BOLT THROWER
have been made. Not so this time. To these ears, the band has gone in more of a black metal direction, leaning towards the pagan
style, but not sounds that bands of that subgenre tend to favor. The death metal sound does pop back into the mix, but the song structures
are heavily black metal flavored. That's not a negative thing, it just means that AVENGER might not sound quite like you would have expected
them to this time. As things are, the old school feeling and sound are both still there, and AVENGER still kick as much ass as they did before.
Here's to hoping they don't take nearly as long to release their next album.
THE BEAST OF THE APOCALYPSE
A VOICE FROM THE FOUR HORNS OF THE GOLDEN ALTAR
2009 TRANSCENDENTAL CREATIONS
The aptly named THE BEAST OF THE APOCALYPSE is a duo from the Netherlands that are indeed a veritable beast of destruction. Fans of ARCHGOAT or BEHERIT are going to
find a lot to like here. This is an album that has a simple but highly effective sound that is combined with no doubt occult lyrics. Underground black metal has been
going in a primitive direction lately, and at least for me it's the way it should be. While maybe not as brilliant as the latest from Spain's TEITANBLOOD, this is still
far and above much of the other black metal albums I've heard lately. If anything, this album is proof that the true meaning of black metal is slowly being rediscovered.
That can only be a good (er... nasty bad evil) thing.
BELPHEGOR
WALPURGIS RITES - HEXENWAHN
2009 NUCLEAR BLAST
Three albums in to their deal with Nuclear Blast, and I'm still amazed at how far BELPHEGOR have come along since their early days on Lethal Records and then Last
Episode. Judging by the sound of this album, BELPHEGOR might be the start, or in the middle of, some changes in their sound. They've always had a black/death mix,
but the last few albums catered more towards the "extreme as it gets" end of the death metal spectrum. The songs were played as fast as possible, and I'm surprised their drummer
didn't spontaneously combust from it. This time around, the black metal side of their sound is the main focus, at least for the first few tracks. With some serious backing
keyboards, BELPHEGOR wander dangerously into symphonic black metal territory. I'm really not sure what they were thinking of with this move, and when they drop back to their death
metal side after a few tracks, it's as if they weren't really sure either. Once back on the death metal side of the fence, they also don't instantly go to balls-out speed.
They keep things a little slower to add the depth and variety that the previous two albums lacked. So for the most part, BELPHEGOR are tweaking their sound in a very positive direction.
You can only blast so fast for so long before it's all just an impenetrable and indistinguishable wall of sound. Now... anyone care to explain why the coverart was censored?
It looks to me like it was just their take on the traditional image of Baphomet we've seen over the years. I guess when you include small images of the damned fornicating in Hell, it
becomes a little over the top. But come on... CANNIBAL CORPSE have sold Tomb of the Mutilated uncensored for years, and that cover is far more graphic.
THE BLACK
ALONGSIDE DEATH
2009 PULVERISED RECORDS
Many years ago (or 1994 for those who need to know the exact year), a little Swedish black metal band unleashed an album called The Priest of Satan. Except for
those who were slightly ahead of the curve and into black metal at the time, this album went largely unnoticed... at least until it came out that Jon Nodtveidt of DISSECTION
was a member. Then all of a sudden copies became ultra-scarce. But the simple fact of the matter is that THE BLACK was not Jon's band. The main force behind it
was Make Pesonen, also of death/doom metallers ETERNAL DARKNESS. Now here we are seventeen years later, and he's finally gotten a lineup that he feels is worthy enough to
record their followup. Based on that, the man must be a perfectionist. Chances are that this time, there will be a good deal more interest in THE BLACK, along with some confusion...
of the "Hey, wasn't that Jon's band?" category. Sadly, there isn't really much here to get all that excited about. There's no low end present, almost as if they forgot to mix the bass
in. The eight tracks are all more or less indistinguishable from each other, and consist of high speed black metal with some dark melodies. Had this been released even fifteen
years ago, it would have had a decent amount of impact. Now though, THE BLACK is really not much more than just another also-ran in the scene.
BLASPHEMIC CRUELTY
DEVIL'S MAYHEM
2008 OSMOSE PRODUCTIONS
While ANGELCORPSE was on ice, guitarist Gene Palubicki wasn't resting on his laurels. A new unholy triumvirate convened between the years
2003 and 2008, consisting of Gene, newcomer Gina Ambrosio on drums, and Alex Blume [ARES KINGDOM, NEPENTHE] handling bass and vocal duties.
Not surprisingly, the music here is not all that removed from what ANGELCORPSE was, but to these ears it sounds like Gene gets to cut loose
a little more, throwing out to us all those little mini-solos he used to do, especially on the Hammer of the Gods album. MORBID ANGEL's early
works are still a big influence as well, and there's a strong Altars of Madness vibe running throughout these seven tracks.
As ever, speed is the name of the game and there's really no slow parts to be found that I can think of. I've heard the band described as death/thrash. There
is some merit to that idea, as their sound treads territory similar to that of POSSESSED, SACRIFICE, and of course the early days of the aforementioned
MORBID ANGEL. I rather like that. It's good to have a band that has the old (or "Ancient," as my friend Wannes Gubbels would say) spirit in their sound,
but does so without looking towards Europe, particularly Scandinavia for ideas or influences, and instead focuses on North America. So yes, ANGELCORPSE
is again dead (long live ANGELCORPSE), but now we have the Devil's Mayhem of BLASPHEMIC CRUELTY. Fans of one will surely become fans of the other.
BLIZZARD
THE ROARING TANKS OF ARMAGEDDON
2009 EVILSPELL RECORDS
If there is beer in Hell, then surely there are also dive bars. And where there are dive bars, there are bar bands. Germany's BLIZZARD play every night at
the one run by the Hell's Angels. Balor and the boys are back after taking several years off and are twice as ugly as you remember them. The band claim to
play "Rock n' Hellish Metal," which must mean metal infused with a healthy dose of punk rock. They're definitely from the same musical school of thought as MOTORHEAD,
VENOM and WARFARE. There's even a tiny twist of sleazy glam rock in their sound. Tracks like "Whiskey Demon" (lyrics by Chris Reifert of AUTOPSY/ABSCESS!) or especially
"Whore Rock" have this sound nailed down.
BLOOD MORTIZED
BLOOD MORTIZED
2009
Unbelievable. Unreal. Impossible. Only it's not. Anyone who thought this style of death metal was gone forever is
going to be in for a big shock the first time they hear BLOOD MORTIZED. Featuring members of long-dead death metal
heroes EXCRUCIATE and CRYPT OF KERBEROS, as well as a former member of AMON AMARTH, it was a foregone conclusion that
BLOOD MORTIZED was going to be a devastating force. Just how devastating... that's where the surprise is. For fans
of that old school Swedish sound, it doesn't get any more Swedish sounding or old school than this. Destined to be one of the sleeper
albums of 2009. Really amazing stuff that will bring back the spirit of 1990 and 1991.
BONE GNAWER
FEAST OF FLESH
2009 PULVERISED RECORDS
You knew it was going to happen sooner or later. While maybe not on the same scale as the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object, the pairing
of Kam Lee and Rogga Johansson is at least as big as Godzilla versus King Kong. Style-wise, this could have gone either way... Swedish or American in sound. As it turns out,
this is very American sounding death metal with a somewhat blunted Swedish guitar tone. Shades of MASSACRE too, and it's not just because Kam bellows like a wounded ox
throughout, but because there's plenty of guitar divebombs in the songs. Somewhere, Rick Rozz is probably pissed that his signature sound got ripped off.
Don't expect there to be many profound thoughts in the lyrics either. "Cannibal Cook-Out" is about just what the title says it is. No hidden meanings,
no deep insights into the (in)human condition other than the fact that we're all made of meat. But what did you expect? This is death metal,
not Phantom of the Fucking Opera.
CEREKLOTH
PANDEMONIUM PRAYERS
2009 HELLS HEADBANGERS
In truth, this was first released in 2008 on vinyl by the almighty Blood Harvest label, but now Hells Headbangers have pressed it onto CD along with a bonus track.
With members hailing from other bands such as ALTAR OF OBLIVION, CHURCH BIZARRE, VICTIMIZER, and KILL, it should be immediately obvious that CEREKLOTH are going to
destroy all. It's really not fair that other than a recent demo, they've only done the fourteen minutes worth of music here. Even the most passive fan of black/death metal
is going to be clamoring for more as soon as they hear this. One might be of the opinion that CEREKLOTH is a continuation of CHURCH BIZARRE, but that would be very wrong.
This is much more in the vein of WATAIN or TRIBULATION, and really is what we might have gotten if DISSECTION had gone for a more "Stockholm sound" death metal approach back
in 1989.
THE CHASM
FARSEEING THE PARANORMAL ABYSM
2009 LUX INFRAMUNDIS
It's been quite a while since THE CHASM released The Spell of Retribution, and this new album has been a long time
coming. You may have already noticed that the band is no longer signed to Earache Records. I for one think this is for
the best. Earache didn't really do much to give THE CHASM the crucial push they could have used. I don't believe that
the label truly understood the band, their music, or their motivations. One listen to Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm
will instantly make you realize that Earache (and for that matter, any of the bigger metal labels out there) would have
had no idea how to approach this album. Simply put, and as cliche and trite as it may sound... this is not music for
the masses. This is not for the trendies or for those who only follow bands who are regulars on the tour circuit.
Even amongst those who have been fans of THE CHASM in the past, there may well be those who will fall by the wayside with
this release. THE CHASM have ever walked their own path, not caring about what the rest of the scene is doing. As a
result, their style of death metal does not conform to any so-called "rules," nor does it adhere to many of metal's normal
"conventions." These warriors write their own rules, and that's damn obvious right from the opening of "Entering a Superior
Dimension." On the last few albums from THE CHASM, we were treated to instrumental "intro" tracks that served to set
the mood of what was to come. Not so here. Instead, the band just get right to it. As I listened to all eight songs,
one work continually came to mind: obscure. Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm is not the kind of album that one is
going to instantly understand. The material here is not straightforward in any way. The same holds true for all of their
albums, but this time THE CHASM have pushed things even further. The songs here do not resemble those of the past, and
they present a challenging and formidable listen... the kind of thing that may well turn off some of their fans. Even more
confounding to some will be the fact that half of these songs are instrumentals. If that doesn't go against the grain of
what is usually expected of a metal band, then I don't know what does. The lyrics are still of the occult journey through
the inner mind variety. The cover art might indicate that this could change though. Instead of invoking a great mystic temple
or symbol of an ancient forgotten god, we instead stand above an abyss obscured by swirling clouds. Perhaps this signifies a change
that the outer realms will be next to be explored. But for now, we contemplate our thoughts and inner beings before starting
yet another journey. From here, only the strongest and bravest will continue.
CLAWS
ABSORBED IN THE NETHERVOID
2009 RAZORBACK RECORDS
For a guy who was all but out of the metal band scene until recently, Lasse Pyykkö is really making up for lost time. PHLEGETHON are
back together, but in the meantime he's been busy with HOODED MENACE, VACANT COFFIN, ACID WITCH... and now CLAWS. Each of these
bands have a different sound... HOODED MENACE being doom-laded death metal, and ACID WITCH being... well... completely deranged
psychedelic death metal. CLAWS continues this trend, and takes us back to circa 1989 with something that just exudes the same
atmosphere of NIHILIST, early ENTOMBED, and a good dose of UNLEASHED. All done in the darker and ever so morbid Finnish way, of
course. Some might say this isn't all that creative, but considering the fact that ENTOMBED have "grown up and progressed"
past this sound (note the heavy sarcasm in that statement), I for one am glad that someone picked up the flag and is flying it
higher than ever. The really neat thing is that the sound here is dirty, and on a par with the old demos of the aforementioned
bands, but with a very good balance between the levels of the instruments and vocals. Lasse handles everything here except for
writing the lyrics. His usual partners in crime (Billy Nocera, Tanya Sim and the Elektrocutioner) take care of those. All in all,
I hope that Lasse doesn't burn himself out with all of these projects he's doing, because each of them has been a winner so far and
we'd all like to hear more from each of them.
COUNT RAVEN
MAMMONS WAR
2009 I HATE RECORDS
File this one under "Band Reunions that Resulted in a Good Album." ... only, make that an EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD album. Utter jaw-dropping mega-doom
from this trio who the doom community (especially us fanatics of the Hellhound Records age) have missed terribly. Yes, Dan Fondelius still sounds like
Ozzy, but so what? Ozzy hasn't done anything good in years, and this puts even his final two studio albums with BLACK SABBATH to shame. Not surprisingly,
the band slips in a very non-metal track, which just happens to be the title track. "Mammons War" is practically all synthesizer-driven except for some
drums here and there... but you know something? I didn't even notice the lack of guitar until it was about halfway over. But don't worry. As soon as
"A Lifetime" starts, it hits you square in the balls with as massive a guitar tone that COUNT RAVEN can manage. And that's fucking massive, let me tell you.
This album is practically everything I'd hoped it would be and more. Doom never felt so good.
DEMONICAL
HELLSWORN
2009 CYCLONE EMPIRE
By the time of their demise, CENTINEX had become a little too pretty and clean compared to what they had been like when they
first started. Three of the four members decided to continue on, and so DEMONICAL was born. With this new band came a
"return to basics" sound. Melodies? Gone. Anything "nice" sounding? Gone. What we're left with is a sound that comes straight
out of 1990, and is distinctly and unmistakeably Swedish. It's also very obvious that ENTOMBED, and particularly Left Hand Path
was one of, if not the, main source of inspiration. DEMONICAL go in that direction, and take it further than ENTOMBED ever did, proving
that there was much more to be explored after Clandestine that didn't involve death and roll. This is the kind of album
that makes me remember what drew me in to becoming a death metal fan(atic) in the first place. Unadulterated brutality combined
with a sense of musicianship, understanding that a song is more than the sum of its parts, and most importantly... heart. The
members of DEMONICAL know they're not going to make METALLICA-money, and they don't care. For them, it's all about staying
true to what death metal music is supposed to be about.
DIE HARD
NIHILISTIC VISION
2009 AGONIA RECORDS
Featuring a member of WATAIN, Sweden's DIE HARD were formed, as the band themselves claim, as a direct response to the current glut of thrash metal revivalists.
In their opinion, just about all of these newer bands are false, while of course they are true. Pompous as that attitude may sound, there's actually quite a bit of
merit to it nonetheless. In no way are DIE HARD a pale, sad imitation of [insert random 80s thrash metal band name here], but instead draw from all of those bands while
at the same time sounding nothing like any single one of them. Nor can you go and pick out specific parts of any of the songs and say, "Oh, this sounds like [insert
random 80s thrash metal band name here]." This is music that is played from the heart, not the wallet, and not from a misplaced desire to be part of something that was
missed out on simply because of being born too late.
FAUST
FROM GLORY TO INFINITY
2009 PARAGON RECORDS
It's a sad thing when the best one can say is that the painting of the naked nun on the album cover has a nice set of tits. FAUST really didn't do much
for me, and that's probably my own fault for having listened to metal for a good twenty years now. Even with Steve DiGiorgio (DEATH, SADUS) on bass, this
just doesn't really go anywhere. FAUST is a techy sort of death black band (note I didn't say black death), with endless lyrics of fucking in church, loads of
guitars that go widdly widdly, pinch harmonic, melody, repeat, and deep vocals like those in AETERNUS. This is one of those albums that I don't hate, but
don't really care about either. There's not much else to say. Really.
FESTERED
FLESH PERVERSION
2009 RAZORBACK RECORDS
Leave it to Razorback Records to find yet another band of sickos to add to their already depraved roster. They didn't have to look far, as FESTERED is yet another project
of Elektrokutioner, who you might already be familar with thanks to the work he's done in DECREPITAPH, SHROUDED and SKINCRAWLER. Or maybe you're a fan of the up and coming
FATHER BEFOULED and heard that vocalist Ghoat is also part of FESTERED. Regardless, you somehow managed to get locked in this cemetery that's slowly been sinking deeper and
deeper into the swamp, and it just happens to be Friday the thirteenth on a night of the full moon. Gibbering, perverted things are about to crawl forth from the muck
and decay, and drag you back below with them. First, to listen to the sickness that's on this album... and second... to be devoured, of course. FESTERED is fairly standard fare
from Razorback... heavy gore and horror oriented metal with an old school death metal sound that's sure to please all of the zombies and weird fucks out there.
THE FEW AGAINST MANY
SOT
2009 PULVERISED RECORDS
Christian Alvestam seems to either come up with something I completely love, or utterly hate. UNMOORED? Great band. SCAR SYMMETRY? Crap. INCAPACITY? Awesome.
TORCHBEARER? Ick. Get the picture? So here we have THE FEW AGAINST MANY. First, the good news. Despite the name, this is not some cruddy metalcore band. The
bad news? That's about where the good news ends. This is some groove-oriented type death metal, with a semi-tech edge. Combine that with a whole lot of keyboards that
add a progressive slant (think of some of Dan Swano's solo stuff), and what you end up with... is a mess. Odd that the keyboards figure in so prominently, yet
they don't have a member committed to them full-time (... say, I have heard that Mustis from DIMMU BORGIR is looking for a new gig...). I don't know what the deal with that
is, but I do know that this one falls in the "blah" category alongside several other bands that Christian has been involved in.
THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR
ALGIZ + BERKANAN
2009 NO COLOURS RECORDS
A couple of members of THROCULT decided to do this side project, combining stoner rock, psychedelia, Norse mythology and
a little bit of black metal. An odd mix to be sure, but it does seem to at least somewhat work. The No Colours version is
actually a CD repress of the originally vinyl-only release. I've seen the original cover art, and it lends itself more to
the stoner rock genre than anything else (drawing of a chick with big tits, psycedelic style lettering, etc). Not
surprisingly, the new cover on the No Colours version is more of a black metal kind of thing (black sky, dead tree). The sounds
here may well be an acquired taste, as the songs do tend to wander around a lot. In fact, the album's opener is a mega-long super epic
that was probably a little too much to hit us over the head with right away. Still, it does give us a good idea of what will come
on the rest of the album, as it contains a little bit of everything that THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR are about.
GENOCIDE (NIPPON)
BLACK SANCTUARY
2009 SHADOW KINGDOM RECORDS
Every so often, you run into an album that makes you ask, "Where has this been all my life?" Such was the case for me with this
reissue of GENOCIDE's Black Sanctuary. Even more important is the question, "Why didn't these guys become bigger than they are?"
The answer to the first question is simply that I missed them the first time around. The answer to the second is that other than this one
studio album, they've only done a couple of live releases. That's not very much for a band that started in 1979. Be that as it may,
this band, now called GENOCIDE (NIPPON) is one that simply must be heard. With a sound that comes across like MERCYFUL FATE crossed
with Sad Wings of Destiny era JUDAS PRIEST and maybe some very early IRON MAIDEN, the music made by GENOCIDE (NIPPON) is very haunting
and eerie, without being creepy. While the lyrics have next to nothing to do with the subject, the music and vocals do tend to conjure up
the image of a long abandoned house with a ghost as the sole occupant. This is the sort of thing that while I could wish that they do
another album, I also hope that they don't... to do so could tarnish the image of them that comes from Black Sanctuary should such an
album not measure up. As a bonus, Shadow Kingdom records has also included a bonus disc of demo versions of several of the songs on the album.
I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, it's cool to have these demos. But I think it would have been a significant improvement
if perhaps one of their live recordings was on the bonus disc instead.
GOD DETHRONED
PASSIONDALE
2009 METAL BLADE RECORDS
My hat is off to Henri Sattler and company. They've managed to put together one hell of a comeback album, and doing so Passiondale
can be counted as one of the best releases of their career. The Toxic Touch wasn't what I could call a bad album, but there was just
something "off" with it as far as the classic GOD DETHRONED sound goes. Not so here. Other than some clean vocals on a couple of tracks, this
is pure GOD DETHRONED as you've known them for years. On the subject of those clean vocals, they're not something I would have chosen to include (and
often I wonder why death metal bands even bother with them as opposed to just a regular spoken word part), but they do fit in and don't come across
as contrived or forced. This is brutal in the old school sense, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Heavy as all hell with crushing riffs. It
really doesn't get any better than this.
GOREAPHOBIA
MORTAL REPULSION
2009 IBEX MOON RECORDS
Long ago, in a time long forgot, there was a band out of Pennsylvania called GOREAPHOBIA. This was back in the early days
of Relapse Records, and after some successful 7" releases and a tour with IMMOLATION, the band was poised to record an album
for that label, and it was to be called Conqueror of Thorns. Sadly, this did not come to pass for one reason or another,
and the band broke up, only to be remembered by those who were into the scene at the time. Until now. GOREAPHOBIA have reunited
and have finally recorded a debut album, although with a different title (and possibly different direction) than was intended all
those years ago. GOREAPHOBIA lies somewhere in the realm between AUTOPSY, WINTER and MONSTROSITY's Imperial Doom. This is sludge-laden
doomy death metal, although it is a bit cleaner than I'd like. Ugly, yes. But it could be just a little more vile. Even so,
this is disgusting enough to chase all the trendies away with ease. Nothing modern sounding can be found here, it's as if the
band just stepped out of a time machine straight from 1994. In short, this is the kind of death metal I live for. By definition,
reunions are supposed to suck... only no one told these guys! Those who are used to hearing Chris Gamble in BLOOD STORM will
be treated to a whole different vocal style by him. He sticks with the lows, as all kinds of nastiness gurgles forth from his
throat. Kind of reminds me of a mix of Kam Lee and Alex Krull back in the early ATROCITY days. Going back and comparing
Mortal Repulsion to the Vile Beast of Abomination demo compilation, we find that GOREAPHOBIA have become a lot
darker in style and prefer a far murkier production. This suits them well. Hopefully they keep things together this time because
we need more!
GRAVE MIASMA
EXALTED EMANATION
2009 SEPULCHRAL VOICE
For those who don't know, GRAVE MIASMA was formerly known as GOAT MOLESTOR. Along with the name change came a major change in sound. The former worshippers of early
SARCOFAGO have moved beyond that sound and into something that comes forth from the darkest, deepest depths of Hell. This is some seriously twisted and nasty
death metal, and comes in second only to what TEITANBLOOD also belched out this year. GRAVE MIASMA is something you really need to just experience for yourself.
HELLBASTARD
THE NEED TO KILL / ECO WAR
2009 SELFMADEGOD RECORDS
This fucking hurts. I was so looking forward to this pair of new releases by the reunited HELLBASTARD, and I ended up so very, very let down. I know that
crust is supposed to have a rough sound, but this is so rough, it sounds forced and really not very produced at all. It's like they took expensive equipment and tried
to turn it into what they originally used. That never works. Even worse, the vocals are so buried under everything, they might as well not even be there at all. Even
the re-recorded songs sound like ass. Some might say that all of this makes for a "truer" crust sound, but they'd be ignoring the modern thrash metal elements the
band has chosen to throw in. Big mistake all around, and I'm just totally left feeling crushed. Not in a good way either.
HUNTERS MOON
THE SERPENTS LUST
2009 HELLS HEADBANGERS
This is a new band consisting of a couple of former members of Australia's NOCTURNAL GRAVES and DENOUNCEMENT PYRE. J. Eradicator and Lust have abandoned
most of the typical "war metal" sound that we know and love from down under, in favor of an even more back-to-basics approach. We're talking complete and
total BATHORY worship here, my friends. Not the later over the top battlefield epic stuff, mind you, but more of the earlier flavor...
only without the "recorded in a bathroom" kind of sound. One could look to BATHORY's mighty "A Fine Day to Die" as their main source of inspiration. True,
naysayers will most likely dismiss HUNTERS MOON as unoriginal and not very creative, but people like that are really missing the point. Not many bands out there
these days remember much of the old black metal sound. Too many of the supposedly "creative" ones are too busy hammering on their keyboards, touching up their
corpsepaint, and have themselves convinced that what they do is some kind of art. They can all go fuck themselves. The real black metal is here.
HYPOCRISY
A TASTE OF EXTREME DIVINITY
2009 NUCLEAR BLAST
Well, it looks like we've gotten past the attempt to turn us all on to the Catch-22 album again and HYPOCRISY is back to death metal as usual. A
Taste of Extreme Divinity is what HYPOCRISY is all about, and with an exception, has always been about. They found their sound on The Fourth Dimension
and had it perfected by the time they did their self-titled release. So the band doesn't mess with the formula these days. Dependable, with lots of heavy melodic riffs. That's how we like them.
I SHALT BECOME
THE PENDLE WITCH TRIALS
2009 NO COLOURS RECORDS
Somewhere, buried in the archives, I've got a few demo tapes of this one man project. I knew I SHALT BECOME had gotten a deal
with Germany's No Colours Records, but this is the first time I've heard any of the actual albums. Those old demos had a strong BURZUM feel
to them (the metal stuff, not the keyboard bullshit releases), but it seems that I SHALT BECOME has gone in a different direction entirely these days.
In fact, The Pendle Witch Trials is not a metal album at all, but just track after track of dull-as-fuck atmospheric wanderings. Admittedly,
there was a time when I might have gone for this kind of music, but I've moved on. Not metal? I'm not listening.
IGNITOR
THE SPIDER QUEEN
2009 HEAVY ARTILLERY / CRUZ DEL SUR
It was kind of surprising to learn that some of IGNITOR's key members left the band shortly after releasing Road of Bones a couple of years ago. But
it was even more of a surprise when the news came out about Jason McMaster (WATCHTOWER) joining the lineup. The combination of Jason and Stewart "Batlord" Lawrence (AGONY COLUMN)
seemed like a can't miss venture. But as it turns out, it missed the mark considerably. The Spider Queen is more or less
IGNITOR's attempt at doing a KING DIAMOND type of release. Not a knock specifically against the band, but I really do wish that concept
albums (including those by KD) came with a narrative of some sort for us to read. Having to decipher the tale from the lyrics can sometimes be
a real pain in the ass. Look, Quorthon did this with Blood On Ice, and Dio did the same with Magica. So I'm not asking for all that much. The story here
isn't all that clear to me, although it does have some elements of the tale of Oedipus. Moving beyond that, I found a lot of the songs here
to be heavy laden with cheese, and the production has a really "timid" feeling to it. I suppose you could call this album "powerless metal."
Sadly, Jason McMaster doesn't really add all that much to the proceedings either. They could have hired anyone with the ability to hit high notes and it wouldn't have
mattered much. I don't completely detest what they did here, but this album is most likely destined to sit on a shelf in my home and be forgotten about.
IMMORTAL
ALL SHALL FALL
2009 NUCLEAR BLAST
Following in the same footsteps as EMPEROR, IMMORTAL broke up a few years ago after releasing their highest acclaimed album (at least for the majority
of the underground). Now they're back (although some might count the I release as an IMMORTAL album). Somehow or another, Abbath has kept the short album/long
album pattern going, as this one is most definitely short and Sons of Northern Darkness was long. If for some odd reason you're expecting sweeping
changes in IMMORTAL's sound, forget it. But if you're also expecting to hear a revitalized band, you can forget that as well. Let's put it like this...
the songs are good, but the performance is lacking. There's a strong "going through the motions" feeling here, and one gets the idea that IMMORTAL are
at that point where they can just crank out an album and it will sell a virtually guaranteed number of copies (or else be downloaded illegally several times
that number). Fortunately, despite the twinge of disappointment I feel in regard to this album, other bands have disappointed me far worse this year.
INFERNO
BLACK DEVOTION
2009 AGONIA RECORDS
This black metal act from the Czech Republic has been around since 1996, but unless you've been into hunting down import albums, you've most likely never heard of them.
With a thrashing, stormy style that reminds me a bit of GORGOROTH, INFERNO have a feeling in their music that seems familiar... and yet not familiar at the same time. While
I give them props for being around for so long, I also didn't find them to be all that original or make much of an impression on me. Just kind of "standard" sounding if you
know what I mean.
INFINITUM OBSCURE
SUB ATRIS CAELIS
2009 DEATHGASM RECORDS
Big changes between this album and its predecessor, Internal Dark Force. Band lineup? Totally revamped. Roberto Lizarraga is of course still the leader
and chief songwriter (I.O. is his creation and he writes everything here save for the lyrics on "Scepter of Malevolence"). But guitarist Noel Bello has been welcomed
back into the fold so it's almost like we've come back to old times. For those who were less than thrilled with the production on Internal Dark Force, there is
no such misstep this time around. When you've got Bill Metoyer (yes, THAT Bill Metoyer) as the recording engineer and then put Tore Stjerna of Necromorbus Studios to work on
the mastering... well, there's nothing much else to say. That's about as perfect as it can get. INFINITUM OBSCURE's sound has changed a bit here too. It's no secret that Roberto
became close friends with Jon Nodtveidt prior to his death, and there is a lot of DISSECTION influence going on here. Or rather, there's a lot of Jon's philosophical influence here.
The lyrics focus a lot on the subject of death, dying, and what is on the other side. For the most part, there's a strong attitude of the importance of oneself, of being in
command of one's own fate, and of refusing the subjugation of another's will. It's as if the hand of The Adversary himself wrote these tales of death and solitude. Once the long intro titled
"Serenade for Destruction" ends and "Seeding Darkness" begins, we are taken on a journey that plunges headlong through darkness. On the other side, we possibly find ourselves changed.
Exactly how we are changed is different for everyone.
IRON MAN
I HAVE RETURNED
2009 SHADOW KINGDOM RECORDS
Ten years. That's how long it's been since we last heard a new album from IRON MAN. It's been so long that one might
have thought they were done for good... the iron turned to rust. Despite a veritable plague of setbacks, Al Morris III
managed to persevere and built a new lineup around himself. I Have Returned is not just an album title, it's
a statement from a Guitar God who has been missing for some time. It might as well have been called, "Look on my works,
ye Mighty, and despair!" Despair because what IRON MAN came up with this time is an album to be reckoned with. For
those unfamiliar with IRON MAN, know that this is blue collar doom metal, cut from the same cloth as SAINT VITUS or
THE OBSESSED. Those looking for an epic sound like that of CANDLEMASS or SOLITUDE AETERNUS had best look elsewhere,
for the sound of this band is one that became a strong influence on today's stoner rock. In fact, the opening track,
"Burn the Sky" has a very strong stoner vibe to it. Things do settle down into a more doom mood afterwards, but I
Have Returned has more in common with Generation Void than it does The Passage. Don't let that faze
you, as this album still stomps on virtually anything that was even remotely derived from the IRON MAN sound. The more
I think about it, that ten year gap may have been beneficial (although I doubt the band would see it that way). With
no schedule to follow, no label boss pushing for a new album, IRON MAN had the opportunity to craft their songs with
care like artists should, rather than crank them out on the assembly line of mediocrity as so many others do.
JONAH QUIZZ
ANTHOLOGY 1980 - 1982
2009 STORMSPELL RECORDS
So who was JONAH QUIZZ, and why should I care about an early 80s Swedish band who sang in their native tongue?
Well, for me the main reason I had to check this album out was because of who sang for them. Does the name
Johan Langquist ring a bell? You know... the guy who sang on Epicus Doomicus Metallicus by CANDLEMASS? Yeah, him.
A little background for you... This was his band prior to joining CANDLEMASS, and also the band he went back to
after CANDLEMASS. They released a pair of demos and competed on some sort of rock band contest on Swedish television.
Sadly, they lost to EUROPE. As for their sound, JONAH QUIZZ have a 70s style metal/proto-doom style mixed with
a touch of NWOBHM (think early DEF LEPPARD), but without any flashy touches or high speed guitar acrobatics.
This is one of those cases of a band that had the chops but couldn't catch the right break. As is always the case
with releases of this sort by Stormspell Records, this is obviously a labor of love. I really can't say how they
managed to get ahold of a recording of this quality, unless one of the band members had the master tapes hidden in
some box in their attic. Even knowing about this band in the first place is damn impressive. Then you look at the
liner notes, old photos in the layout and the English translations of the lyrics and you can tell that a lot of
work went into this release. All the more reason you should pick it up if you're a student of the scene and love
discovering previously unknown or forgotten treasures.
KLADOVEST
ESCAPE IN MELANCHOLY
2009 NO COLOURS RECORDS
Well hey, if you're looking for the next BURZUM, you might have found it. KLADOVEST, with a member of DRUDKH on vocals gives us
four tracks that are hypnotic, melancholy and depressive as all hell. I think some of Varg's compositions for BURZUM had more
energy to them, but this isn't half bad at all!
MAIM
FROM THE WOMB TO THE TOMB...
2009 SOULSELLER RECORDS
Usually, when a band outside of the USA goes for an "American" death metal sound, they wind up sounding like SUFFOCATION
or something even more technical. Not so with Sweden's MAIM. While they've kept the classic "chainsaw" sound (although not
as sharp as intense), they've gone back to some of the real American death metal roots. AUTOPSY, REPULSION, and maybe even MASTER
immediately come to mind. So yes, this is some very sludgy, ugly death metal that reeks of a graverot stench. They even
cover an AUTOPSY song. I won't tell you which one, but you'll instantly recognize it as soon as you hear it. Some other reviews
I've read about this album have said MAIM have a "sloppy" sound. That's a term I really try to avoid. I can see where that idea
comes from, but "sloppy" would indicate that they're completely out of synch with each other... and that's not the case. Sure, they
have a loose style, but it really comes from being more about the feeling of the song and not about precision. Muck-encrusted death
metal like this can get away with that, and it's expected to be that way. MAIM are about as untechnical as you can get, and that's why I love this
album so much.
MALFEITOR
INCUBUS
2009 AGONIA RECORDS
All of the pieces are there for this Italian black metal band to be something to be reckoned with. Better than average songwriting, better than average
talent with their instruments, and very good production. Somehow though, it doesn't come together right and Incubus is nothing more than
an average black metal album at best. This is the kind of thing where if you've just discovered the genre, they'll instantly be your favorite band. But
if you've been around the block a few times, chances are that you've heard everything they have to offer.
MARDUK
WORMWOOD
2009 REGAIN RECORDS
If there was any thought in your mind that MARDUK would not be able to follow up ROM 5:12 with anything even close to that album, let those thoughts
be dashed away and forgotten. Proving that Plague Angel was just a flukey misstep (and I know I practically stand alone in that opinion), Wormwood
continues on in the path that was first set upon by World Funeral. The short story is that MARDUK's sound is now very fucked up (in a good way!) on many different
levels, and again vocalist Mortuus is no small part of this. He, along with the rest of the band once again make the usual mockery out of all that is holy and good
in both this world and the spiritual one. Naysayers be damned, MARDUK are at the top of their game right now.
MIASMAL
MIASMAL
2008 DETEST RECORDS
Detest Records originally released this demo on cassette format, but the band also has it available on CDR, and I believe I heard
something about Nuclear War Now! doing a vinyl release. No matter what format it's on, if you're a fan of old school
death metal, you really can't afford to be without this one. The year of release may claim it was from 2008, but it
might as well read 1989 instead. You can file this one right alongside Left Hand Path or Clandestine
without feeling guilty. Vocally, vocalist Pontus reminds me the most of Johan Larsson of SEANCE. They both have that
deep and barbaric quality that many other bands have tried to emulate and failed. I don't think I've been this psyched-up
about a demo since DEATHEVOKVATION released Blood.
MIDNIGHT PRIEST
RAINHA DA MAGIA NEGRA
2009 STORMSPELL RECORDS
MIDNIGHT PRIEST is a heavy metal band in all traditional senses of the term. They hail from Portugal, and their lyrics are in Portuguese. In the
English-dominated metal world, this is something we don't come across too often... at least not outside of early 80s French metal or the early 90s Scandinavian black metal
scene. As far as their style, let's just say that if these guys had been around in 1980, IRON MAIDEN might have had some serious competition. There's also
a little MERCYFUL FATE in there as well, but minus the occult angle. With only six tracks here, I'm feeling a little disappointed, as this is the kind
of thing I always want more of. So let's hope for a full length in the near future, but for the time being pick this one up and throw the sign of the horns
up high!
MR. DEATH
DETACHED FROM LIFE
2009 AGONIA RECORDS
Just ignore the decidedly goofy name. MR. DEATH features Jorgen Thullberg and Stefan Lagergran, both of whom did time in TREBLINKA and also briefly in TIAMAT.
So yes, this is 100% pure old school Swedish death metal. In fact, the members of MR. DEATH might as well have been placed in suspended animation and buried in a
graveyard back in 1991 and were exhumed and thawed out only this year. There is absolutely nothing here that even remotely sounds like it came from a
post-1991 influence. This shows quite a difference between them and other recent "retro-death metal" bands. Even the almighty BLOOD MORTIZED at least took a shower
before starting to write new music. The members of MR. DEATH have a quality to them that they went straight into the studio in order to capture the essence of
the grave.
MY OWN GRAVE
NECROLOGY
2009 PULVERISED RECORDS
I was more than just a little impressed by MY OWN GRAVE's mini-CD, Unholy, from 2007. At the time, I was very interested in hearing more. Well,
here it is, all eleven songs of it, clocking in at just about thirty-five minutes. Obviously, each track is short and gets to the point very quickly. This is some fairly
fast and brutal stuff that recalls a lot of the old 1990s Swedish death metal. The only thing missing is the biting guitar tone. If DISMEMBER can be compared
to a rabid pitbull with big fangs, then Necrology is more like being savaged by that same dog with no teeth and only gums. This just misses the mark
of being truly excellent.
NAZXUL
ICONOCLAST
2009 MORIBUND RECORDS
To put it bluntly, I was horribly disappointed with Iconoclast. Compared to the almighty Totem album, this doesn't measure up at all. The current members
of the band just weren't able to give us the same impact as what we heard back in 1995 on the debut, or even on 1998's Black Seed. I think they at least were in the same
ballpark here, but so many elements of what made NAZXUL "NAZXUL" aren't present. The vocals are completely different, the assault approach in the music isn't there, and Iconoclast
ends up just being only a fraction of what I'd hoped it would be. To be fair though, if all memory of what they used to sound like were taken away, then NAZXUL are a damn fine
band on this album, easily crushing just about every bigger name in the scene. ... which makes it all the more painful for an old fan like me, who thinks of what might have been.
NITEFALL
RED MOON RISING
2009 STORMSPELL RECORDS
Stormspell does it again with this compilation of the three demos released between 1990 and 1992 from NITEFALL.
I seriously have no idea where he finds these bands. However he does it though, I hope he keeps on doing it. With
the rise of death and then black metal in the early 1990s (plus the popularity of that grunge stuff), there wasn't
too much of a market for plain old heavy metal except of course, for the already established names. But there were
those who still tried their best to carry the torch, if even for only a short time. Cleveland, Ohio's NITEFALL
were one of those. Coming out of the ashes of the speed metal band SEVERE WARNING, it's plain to these ears that
NITEFALL were either a few years behind the times, or ahead of their time. One could say "behind," because the
golden years of heavy metal had already come and gone. "Ahead," because pure heavy metal has made a serious comeback
in recent years. So let's just say that they're a band out of time and leave it at that. Either way, this is yet
another previously unknown gem to just about all of us. Fans of CIRITH UNGOL or OMEN will want this one in their
collection for sure, as NITEFALL sound like one of those old bands from Metal Blade's early (glory) days. There's no
denying their "American" sound, and with tracks like "The Quest," "Desert of Ice," or especially "Don't
Break the Seal," you may even convince yourself that they were on one of the Metal Massacre compilations.
Sadly, the three demos here are all that exist from NITEFALL, although vocalist/guitarist Mike Kotarski still releases
albums under his alias "Ace the Raven." Whether or not he still performs live, I don't know. If he does, then I hope
that maybe from time to time he digs out of of these tracks, as they deserve to live on and not be forgotten.
NOVOY ZAVET (NEW TESTAMENT)
APOCALYPSE
2009 STORMSPELL RECORDS
Disregard the date above. This album is a reissue, and originally was released in 1994. But of course outside of Russia most
people probably have never even heard of the band, let alone the album. Before going on, we should get one other detail out
of the way. NOVOY ZAVET played doom metal with a Christian outlook. Now the religious aspect is either going to turn you
off immediately, or like me, you won't care. So read ahead if you're more about the music than the message, and skip to the
next review if you're not. Chances are that the first thing that will strike you is the voice of Slava Gorbachev. He comes
in sounding somewhat like a mix of Johan Lanquist (ex-CANDLEMASS) and Steve Sylvester (DEATH SS). That qualifies as unique in
my book. The music has the same heavy tone as CANDLEMASS' Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, but with even more bass behind
it. Going back to the lyrics, NOVOY ZAVET may have Christian themes, but they're not very blatant. Not a single "fall to
your knees before Jesus" type of line appears in any of the songs. If anyone out there remembers POSSESSION, the lyrics are
kind of similar. Dark, not very positive stuff... with an almost feeling of despair throughout. This really is not your typically
sounding doom metal album. I'm just hoping that maybe Stormspell decides to reissue their other two albums!
OMISION
PRAY
2009 SELF RELEASE
Third time out of the gate for this band of Mexican madmen, and they're just getting better with each release. Interesting change in the lineup this time, as
Joel Marquez is now on drums. You might remember him from the early days of SADISTIC INTENT, as well as the early INFINITUM OBSCURE lineup. Speaking of whom,
Roto Lizarraga is still here as well. But make no mistake. This is no reunion thing. Put IO out of your mind completely, as guitarist/vocalist Heriberto Perez
writes all the music and lyrics, so this is his baby and his vision. So enough of that; time to start the real review. This is probably... no, strike that... this IS
the best production OMISION has gotten so far. Everything comes through almost equally, with no single instrument (or voice) stomping all over anything else. This is
as professional as a demo can sound, and anyone who thinks that "demo recording" means "play live into a single microphone" needs to get their head out of their ass and
reevaluate their life (or lack thereof). The sounds of death metal have overtaken most of the thrash influences, and if I'm forced to make any kind of comparison between
OMISION's sound and that of any other bands, then let it be this... Pray has what can only be described as the bastard mix of early MONSTROSITY and the death metal
sides of TERRORIZER and NAPALM DEATH (think Harmony Corruption). This can mostly be heard on "Assault in the Vatican," which opens in classic TERRORIZER style.
Now if that doesn't get you salivating, there's no hope for you on this earth. Hopefully, some label somewhere gives these guys a shot because they're really turning into
an underground powerhouse.
www.myspace.com/omisionmx
PAGANIZER
SCANDINAVIAN WARMACHINE
2009 CYCLONE EMPIRE
So the story is that this was originally going to be just a mini-CD (although with eight tracks, it would have been almost like a lot of full lengths we see), but it quickly turned
into a sixteen-track onslaught as only Rogga Johansson can do it. I swear I can't believe the well of ideas hasn't run dry yet. The man is a riff-writing machine,
and everything he comes up with is beyond awesome. No filler tracks here. God, it's like 1990 never ended.
PESTILENTIAL SHADOWS
IN MEMORIAM, ILL OMEN
2009 PULVERISED RECORDS
I don't get it. I've seen a lot of praise heaped upon this band that features several members of NAXZUL, but all I hear is harsh, grim black metal that comes across as
uninspired, run-of-the-mill, and... well, dull.
POST MORTEM
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD
2009 TABOO PRODUCTIONS
Up until now, I'd never checked out the USA's own POST MORTEM (not to be confused with the utter shit German band with the similar-but-single-word name). If anything,
it was probably their lousy cover art that turned me off. Message From the Dead is no exception in that department, but it may well be that I was mistaken for all of
these years. With Joe McCarthy's untimely demise, his vocals are not part of this release. Instead, this album has been put out as a tribute to him. However,
guitarist John Alexander got Mirai Kawashima of SIGH to handle the singing department. The result is nothing short of macabre, with a kind of CELTIC FROST meets SLAUGHTER vibe.
Sounds like I've been missing out all this time! As a bonus, a few tracks have been added on with other vocalists who wanted to be part of this, including Seth Putnam (ANAL CUNT)
and Mike Perun (CIANIDE).
SANCTIFICATION
BLACK REIGN
2009 PULVERISED RECORDS
Sweden's SANCTIFICATION is somewhat of a super-group, as it includes Masse Broberg (you know Emperor Magus Caligula of DARK FUNERAL) on guest vocals,
as well as a couple of members of IN BATTLE. It should be noted that since this album was recorded, Masse has since joined as their regular vocalist.
I'm already looking forward to hearing their next album simply because it's been a lot of years since his death metal days with HYPOCRISY. The band
covers a lot of ground with this album, with a mega-heavy sound. My thoughts on what I was hearing changed periodically as I listend to this disc.
At first, it seemed that SANCTIFICATION could be characterized as Sweden's answer to KRISIUN. Then, they started to come across as a more brutal version of
AMON AMARTH. In the end though, it was very apparent that like a lot of other bands, they've chosen to look towards MORBID ANGEL's slower and heavier
songs, such as those off of Domination. So I suppose the best description would be that they sound like a mix of those three bands. A very potent
brew, to be sure.
SECRETS OF THE MOON
PRIVILEGIVM
2009 LUPUS LOUNGE
SECRETS OF THE MOON is one of those black metal bands that's very big on esoteric concepts and image. They're not the sort of band that you'd expect to tour do any
live shows (although they do), much less do full tours (which they have). At the present time, no original members of SOTM remain in the lineup, although the current
members are or have been part of bands such as ANTAEUS, VORKREIST and CORPUS CHRISTII among others. Honestly, I really didn't hear much of anything here to get very excited
about, although towards the end there is a strong feeling of unease in the songs. If they'd managed to have that throughout the entire album, then there would have
been something as impressive as what they'd hoped to create here.
SECTIONED
PURULENT REALITY
2010 PARAGON RECORDS
I have to admit that calling my initial thoughts about this album "skeptical" prior to listening to it would be an understatement. Sorry, I can't help it. When I read
a biography that talks about how "old school" a band is and then goes on to list that it's for fans of old MORGOTH, GRAVE and DISMEMBER, I tend not to believe it.
Well, this is one of those few cases where you can believe the hype. This new band that features members of DIMENTIANON lives up to that old school billing. In fact,
if you listen closely, there is a real and true MORGOTH influence here that stems from the Cursed album and what came before it. I really can't think of the last time
I could actually say that a band sounded anything like MORGOTH. On top of that, the vocals are in an old school, fairly unique vein. They're not the standard gurgle and grind
fare that we've gotten so used to (or rather... complacent about). So wow, big thumbs up on this one. Look you can be old school without sounding like you're from Sweden!
SERVORUM
WE ARE BRUTALITY
2008 SELF RELEASE
There is no shortage of bands coming out of the Philippines and the surrounding areas these days. There's KORIHOR and KRATORNAS,
and of course legends DEIPHAGO. SERVORUM are very much like these bands, with their BLASPHEMY worshipping ways. SERVORUM
don't focus on the all-out chaos of BLASPHEMY, except it comes to guitar soloss. And the fact is those are far closer to
what KRISIUN does these days. As I said, their sound is full of chaos, but it's a controlled sort of chaos. The songs still
have a structure of sorts to them, and there's no random acts of wankiness going on here. This is very much like being bludgeoned to
death. ... and smiling like a sick fuck the entire time.
www.myspace.com/servorum
SHACKLES
TRAITORS' GATE
2009 HELLS HEADBANGERS
It just kills me when a band as talented as this, with a sound like this opts to throw in the towel almost immediately after getting something that they've
strived so hard for. Case in point: Australia's SHACKLES. This is their debut on Hell's Headbangers Records, and they've already gone and broken up. Not due to
lack of success, mind you, but because they feel they have accomplished everything they can accomplish with this band... and of course the ever persistent line-up
problems. On the subject of their accomplishments, I disagree. This was just the start for these guys. While they do have a cleaner
sound and a bit more melody than most of their peers (you know... GOSPEL OF THE HORNS, ASSAULTER, DESTROYER 666...), the bestial ferocity is still ever present.
Much like those bands, SHACKLES is most assuredly the bastard offspring of DARK ANGEL, KREATOR, POSSESSED and VENOM. They almost seamlessly merge death, black and
thrash metal into one sound here with the result being as good of an album as any of their better known countrymen have released during their careers. The fact that
it's already over is just a damn shame. Between the loss of this band and GOSPEL OF THE HORNS, 2009 has been kind of a shitty year for fans of this style.
SINISTER REALM
SINISTER REALM
2009 SHADOW KINGDOM RECORDS
Based off of the name and the cover art, I expected something a lot... darker. While not what I had thought they would be like,
SINISTER REALM still do not disappoint. This is some damn fine doom-oriented heavy metal that's completely devoid of any
stoner-rock elements. Somehow or another, despite keeping the song lengths between the five to six minute mark, SINISTER REALM still
manage to conjure up an epic feeling. But I would have expected no less from Darrin McClosky and John Gaffney, both also of
PALE DIVINE. SINISTER REALM is sort of a continuation of what they do in that band, only with a little more rock vibe and more
heavy metal than doom throughout. Tracks like "Message From Beyond" are instant classics which avoid the pitfall of collapsing under their own
weight. As a matter of fact, you'll probably notice a similarity in that song to "Diary of a Madman" around the 3:11 mark.
Ozzy Osbourne isn't necessarily one of their big influences, but some bits and pieces here and there do tend to remind me of the
first two solo albums from the Prince of Darkness. And while SINISTER REALM owe a lot more to MANILLA ROAD than BLACK
SABBATH, they also manage to not sound like any single one of their influences. These days, that's a big accomplishment.
SINNERS BURN
MORTUARY RENDEZVOUS
2009 NO COLOURS RECORDS
Originally, SINNERS BURN was a reunion of the original PAGANIZER lineup. But between the debut album and this one,
some major changes took place. Not only did Rogga Johansson leave, but so did just about everyone else. I think only the drummer
is left from the lineup of the first album. So these circumstances that immediately beg the question, "Could the band maintain the quality
of the debut without three fourths of the original band present?" In a word... no. This followup comes nowhere close to the standard set by the debut.
The vocals aren't as intense and brutal as before, and while the riffs have the right Swedish distortion applied to them, they don't hit anywhere near
as hard. Maybe that's just the fault of the production, but it's still a big problem in my opinion. Lots of promise and potential here... but none of
it realized. What a letdown. I don't think I've been this disillusioned since DEMIGOD's last album.
SUFFOCATION
BLOOD OATH
2009 NUCLEAR BLAST
I'm one of those assholes who never liked SUFFOCATION until I heard Souls to Deny. That comeback album pissed
off a lot of longtime fans for one reason or another, but I thought it was the best thing they'd ever done up to that point.
Blood Oath continues in that same vein, and it will be interesting to see how this one is hailed by their diehard fans.
The title track is the first cut on the album, and the guys just get right to it. No intro of any kind to be found here.
I think the songs here have had a lot of the technical aspect scaled back so that SUFFOCATION now has more of a straightforward
death metal sound. Still with all the NYDM aspects and brutality intact, but definitely more streamlined and more of what I
would call "focus." That means the songs here aren't just collections of riffs combined with drumbeats. Every single band
that has wanted to be SUFFOCATION over the years should really take note of that. Furthermore, vocalist Frank Mullen continues
with his more "hardcore" style approach. Those who were hoping for a return to the gurgling days as on Human Waste will
be very disappointed. Frank is very understandable here, which is good because the lyrics to these songs deserve to be
sung in a way that our ears can process them as more than just a bunch of grunts and growls. Lots of thought behind what's said
in these songs, and it's such a welcome change from the usual corpse mutilation and molestation that we usually get these days.
The production here is a step up from their last album too. Suffocation had a lot of fuzz on it that really distracted
from much of what was going on. Blood Oath is a lot cleaner but without becoming dry. While still not my favorite
band, my attitude towards SUFFOCATION has gone from dislike to respect, as they have more than proven that they are well ahead
of any single one of their many imitators.
THANATOS
JUSTIFIED GENOCIDE
2009 DEITY DOWN RECORDS
Not fair. It's just not fair, dammit. What is it with this metal scene where shit bands like JOB FOR A COWBOY or HACKNEYED get the deals with the big labels,
but THANATOS, who have more than paid their dues over the years, are relegated to tiny labels with little or no distribution? Seriously. If it wasn't for the fact that
Stephan Gebedi happened to bring some copies with him to the 2009 Maryland Deathfest (where he was performing with HAIL OF BULLETS), I would have probably gotten a brain hemorrhage
looking at the websites of every online distro for a copy of Justified Genocide. I don't know the exact circumstances of why it took the band nine years to
release another full length, but I'd like to think that maybe it's because THANATOS truly care about what they release and refuse to put out something half-assed simply because their label
tells them to. If that's the case, then I have even more respect for them, and I can understand why they're on a small label. But let's move past all that. THANATOS have given us
one hell of an album in Justified Genocide, and it may well go down in metal history as their Reign in Blood. Yes, goddammit, it's that good. This is one of the bands
that practically wrote the book on death thrash, and here's proof of it. Forget your so-called "brutal death metal" or "deathcore." This is what brutality really is. This is what
brutality in metal was always meant to be. Toss in a couple of covers of MASSACRE and DARK ANGEL, and things just go completely over the top. On that alone, it's obvious that THANATOS are in this for the right
reason: love of the music. Oh sure, those other craptastical acts I mentioned earlier might be too, but let's come back in twenty five years and see if they're still around. A quick
word on the title track though... those two words combined make for a very strong statement, and I'm sure that there are those who will immediately decide that THANATOS are a band of racists without
having read the actual lyrics. The song "Justified Genocide" isn't about calling for the extermination of any race of people. It's a very negative look at the likes of Hitler, Mao Tse Tung, Stalin
and a few others, all of whom killed (or sacrificed or murdered depending on how you look at it) thousands or even millions of people who opposed their ideals and views. In their eyes, these
atrocities were justified. Sadly, we have yet to truly learn from these lessons of the past and prevent such things from happening again.
THORNAFIRE
VOREX DECONSTRUCCION
2009 IBEX MOON RECORDS
More brutally intense death metal from Chile for those who like it in the true South American tradition. To my ears at least, THORNAFIRE took a different direction this time around. I'm hearing
a lot more black metal influences here than were on their last album. Hey, I'm all for the black/death stuff, but can't death metal bands just stay death metal? The songs tend to wander between the two different
styles, but never fully cross over into one particular territory for too long of a time. And it's not like they go all DIMMU BORGIR on us or anything. THORNAFIRE do stick to the more intense black metal
bands for influence... maybe early ENTHRONED is a good example. Maybe this wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it's a good listen. I doubt this trio of terror is going to go all corpse-paint on us
with their next one.
VADER
NECROPOLIS
2009 NUCLEAR BLAST
I have no idea what happened to VADER's lineup after the XXV album, but this is a whole new army Peter has assembled for himself. VADER have never let me down,
but Necropolis goes above and beyond the call of duty. The entire album was recorded only by Peter and new drummer Paul, with the rest of the band joining later.
It seems to have worked, as this might as well have been named The Ultimate Incantation II. That says it all right there.
VEKTOR
BLACK FUTURE
2009 HEAVY ARTILLERY
If parallel worlds exist, then Arizona's VEKTOR would be from the one where VOIVOD hailed from the Bay Area and not Canada. Black Future sounds very much like what
Killing Technology might have sounded like if the likes of TESTAMENT, EXODUS, or any number of other Northern California bands had spawned it. In fact, VEKTOR's logo
even owes a lot of that of VOIVOD. The nine tracks here are some very driven techno-thrash, and are also all fairly long. While a few somewhat black metal sounding riffs
pop up here and there, they're very well balanced out by those that sound as if Mille Petrozza of KREATOR wrote them. VEKTOR manage to come across as progressive without
the arrogance. Apparently, this is not their debut album either. Maybe we'll luck out and see a reissue of 2006's Demolition sometime. Else we'll all have to journey to
that other dimensional world I spoke of earlier.
VICTIMIZER
RESURRECTED ABOMINATIONS
2009 HELLS HEADBANGERS
Reports that Denmark's VICTIMIZER had called it a day were apparently a little hasty. They did break up, but have gotten back
together at least on a temporary basis. The first real output comes in the form of this nasty little mini-CD titled Resurrected
Abominations. Five tracks of ugly death thrash are here for your listening (dis)pleasure, including a HOBBS ANGEL OF DEATH
cover tune. Not much has changed for VICTIMIZER's core sound. It's the same mid-paced thrashing death metal as before. Don't
that statement to mean that there's something wrong it either. Nothing's broken here. The only thing that needs fixing is the
fact that this is not a full length assault. With luck, they'll do another one of those for us real soon.
WHIPLASH
UNBORN AGAIN
2009 PULVERISED RECORDS
I really didn't have much hope for this album. When I heard that Tony Portaro was giving it yet another shot, my immediate thought was, "Enough. Just let WHIPLASH stay
dead." Well, I was wrong. While I still hold the opinion that the only true WHIPLASH consists of the three Tonys (Portaro, Scaglione, and the sadly deceased Bono), I have to
admit that this isn't all that bad. In fact, it's a whole lot better than their last studio album, Thrashback (which did feature Tony, Tony and Tony). Tony Bono's vocals
are a hell of a lot better here... but I'm not sure if him being buried in the mix has anything to do with that. I don't think that Unborn Again is quite up to par, but
nothing's ever going to top the first two albums and the demos. A good listen, and WHIPLASH does quite a bit here to school the new schoolers.
