When I first got the idea of posting about this album I had some phrases I wanted to use and notes I wanted to hit upon. But then I felt like I didn’t want to write about the album. I wanted to show you. So here are a bunch of clips of styles and influences you will hear when you put it on…
Cannibal CorpsehardcoreDeathd-beatgrindcoretribalCarcassnoisy blastbeatbrass/flutesSolo Of The Year contendersurf
The last clip is from the death metal/surf rock crossover bonus track, “Surfin’ Blood Futile”. I hope you get to hear that too, even though it’s a bit removed from the rest of the album. Which, as you can see, is already sprawling with variation.
Bass goes twanggg. Brrrrrrrr.
This is a great debut album. I thank Anubi Press for sending it to me, and my brain for actually reading an email for once.
Noxis is a four-piece from Cleveland, Ohio. “Violence Inherent In The System” is their first full length release and this reviewer’s first contact with the band. Release date: June 28th, 2024 via Rotted Life (US) and Dawnbreed Records (Europe). Check out the (currently) two video singles for the album below.
Like once before, when this blog/webpage was reawakened from slumber (Cruz), it’s because of death metal. Undead metal, if you will.
Eternal, this young band, formed in 2021. They are from Phoenix, Arizona (US) and I bet their first order of business was: make the most generic looking logo for the most uninspired band name possible. I love it. It positively screams death metal and the Old English typeface is such a staple.
They plopped onto my radar in early 2023 with the release of their Faceless Evil EP. Unfortunately I never came back to that record, so now when their debut full-length has finally arrived it is more or less a new band for me. Only, this time I know I will keep them in rotation.
This album starts out with a cute little intro track. I used to be really annoyed by those, but since a few years I have come to enjoy the anticipation they build up. And hopefully there is a pay-off. Track 2, “Hammer Of Eternal Torment” is a huge pay-off!
The soundscape is definitely in the old-school realm, but after the first introduction of the electric instruments we get a blastbeat section that almost feels out of place. It kind of announces that “no, we are not in 1994 – this is 2024” and it is oh, so good. The following d-beat bridges and verse and the double kicked bass drum passage grounds me, and we are actually standing with one foot in the early 90’s and the other in the now.
The vocals are just how I like them: harsh, throaty and not particularly guttural. The music is melodic in the classic Swedish Death Metal way and core-y or slammy vocals would not fit. Yes, Eternal is the 2024 equivalent to early Entombed. The logo, the buzzsaw guitars, the vocals. It’s all there. And we also get some extras!
Blastbeats are one thing. More double kicks another. More punch and more atmosphere. There are tempo changes; groovy bits, melodic bits, blasty bits, progressive bits, all sprinkled throughout in a very engaging way. I made a clip of “Guide Thy Hand” (track 3) and sent it to some friends and in it we heard a taste of both Bolt Thrower and Atheist/Death.
Track 4, “Torture Chapel”, is more of all this (except the Atheist thing) and it starts with a great nod to Sodom‘s “Blasphemer”. It’s likely not intentional, but I approve.
Next up, “Spectral Immolation”, has me question myself a little bit. It might be a Freudian influence on seeing the word, but isn’t this reminiscent of Immolation? The song is short, but sweet. That’s what it is. And heavy, like death metal.
I didn’t mean to go through each and every track in this text. I just really liked breaking down these songs while having them play in my ears, like I do now when writing this. What you should do, however, is stop reading and just click the first link below and find a good way to listen to this wonderful album for yourself. I’m sure you will find it again on my top list of albums released in 2024.
Bolag: In Your Face Records, Tierp (Sverige) Årtal: 2002 Titel: Bloodstains From Beyond 2
In Your Face Records från Tierp blev inte långlivade. Inte ett enda album släpptes med denna etikett. Ärligt talat vet jag inte ens hur själva “etiketten” såg ut. De lyckades dock få ut några återsläpp av okända demos och en handfull samlingar. Idag tar vi oss an del två av Bloodstains From Beyond-serien. Ett knippe samlingar utan röd tråd i vare sig låtval eller utseende. Del två är inte lika snygg som ettan och håller överlag också lägre kvalitet, men som bekant är det den mest mediokra musiken som är den mest intressanta.
Vi tar låtarna, en i taget. Jag försökte själv lägga upp material att strömma, men fick copyright claim så ni får njuta av logotyperna och själva drömma fram hur detta låter.
1. End Dream “Obsessional Portent”
Namnkonkurrerande med amerikanska Dreamzfate, som också albumdebuterade året innan, startar denna samling med danska End Dream. Henrik var med och startade det som skulle komma att bli Anubis Gate, men han hoppade av som deras basist innan de på riktigt tagit form för att han ville satsa på hårdare musik. I End Dream spelar han rytmgitarr och sjunger. Det sägs att han även skrev de flesta trumpartier som Morten spelar på albumet “Sansa Tempestus” som den aktuella låten är tagen ifrån. Tänk en blandning mellan Autopsy och Siebenbürgen, på Siebenbürgen-sidan av skalan, med ett stort uns av Atrocity (ja, det Atrocity). Spännande start!
2. Thingiver “For All The Last”
Thrash, mestadels från Norge. En av medlemmarna var tidigare med i Ludvikas stoltheter, Sacred Night. Oklart vem. Tydligt inspirerade av Slayers två senaste album och den samtida portugisiska crossover-scenen, bjuder spår två på tvåtaktsbonanza och gang-vocals under tre minuter. Helt okej låt. Oläslig logotyp. På fel sätt.
3. Ehlgraad “Lious En Kiithan”
Det här gänget är från Holland (jag vet att det inte är ett land, men jag menar regionen i Nederländerna) och bandnamnet betyder säkert “hårdkokt ägg” på flamländska. Låter ungefär som svenska Azeazeron, fast långsammare. Sämre än Azeazeron såklart. Det behöver väl knappast skrivas. Lite mellanösterninfluenser, men produktionen gör den här låten svårlyssnad.
4. Gorma “Gasta”
Hardcore från Borås. Det här är inte min grej. Vi lämnar denna direkt för att inte göra någon ledsen.
5. Grave Reaper “The Last Of The Ancient”
Om inte texthäftet sagt att det här gänget är från Frankrike så hade jag gått all-in på Tyskland. Ej att förväxla med de satanistiska brasilianarna med samma namn. Här är det klassisk tysk heavy metal som bjuds. Ja, i stil med Grave Digger. Visste ni förresten att Grave Digger under en kort period hette Hawaii? Mellan tredje och fjärde albumet. Det är jättekonstigt. Vad folk hittar på.
6(66). Casual Death “Humanity Ends”
Inte mycket är känt om detta band. Det kan vara ett enmansprojekt från Karlstad, men det ryktas också om att det är skivbolagsbossen Andreas tillsammans med sin kusin som ligger bakom denna låt. Någon mer musik har det inte blivit, varken förr eller senare, så vill ni njuta av anonym svensk(?) millennieskiftesdödsmetall a’la [alla] så får ni passa på här. Jag diggar och skäms omvartannat.
7. Lethargation “Dissolution Purgatory”
Från albumet “The Grand Insision” kommer samlingens största hit. Här är det findöds som bjuds. 50/50 Gotland och Florida. Bandet är dock från Tyskland och jag slänger in hela albumomslaget för att det är så snyggt (bortsett från logga och titel)! Samma låt användes även på “Bloodstains From Beyond 3” men då i nyinspelad version och den är såklart mycket sämre.
8. Insolation “Hunger Of The Innosent”
Proffsig felstavning. Trött dödsthrash. Passar på att påminna om att året är 2002 och alla låtarna på “Bloodstains From Beyond 2” är från mellan 2000-2002 så ni kanske förstår vidden/djupet av adjektivet “trött” i den här paragrafen.
9. Hrvya “Az Ókori Utolsó”
Ungern och metal. Det är som handen och handsken för mig. Jag har väl inte lyssnat på exakt alla band därifrån, men det är slående hög gillandegrad i mina liggare. Den här låten från Hrvya är som bäst OK dock. Lyssna hellre på deras album från 1999 som är nästan bra, nästan rå, black metal med lite inslag av viking och folk. Ja, ni vet, sådär som det ofta låter. “Az Ókori Utolsó” är tagen från en EP mellan två album där de bytte stil och det gick snabbt utför.
10. EVQ Antra “1111101”
Industrial metal från Huskvarna. Det sägs att denna duo träffades på arbetsplatsen och gnistor flög i luften. Mekanisk verkstad. Sånt händer. Det här är mest oljud för mig. Det är väldigt lite metal i denna låt och VÄLDIGT mycket industrial, om man säger så. Jag ser framför mig att det abrupta stoppet innan andra halvan av låten kommer av att de var tvungna att avbryta inspelningen då de höll på att slarva på arbetstid och arbetsledaren kom och skällde ut dem. Jag hoppas inte de sagt upp sig från sitt dagtidsjobb. Om man säger så.
11. Grimmer “Not Enough Of Flesh”
Vad tycker ni saknas på den här otroligt brokiga samlingen? In Your Face Records ville i alla fall avsluta med ett långväga inlägg. Grimmer är från Chile. Jag känner folk som älskar allt som kommer därifrån, men jag har själv inte riktigt fastnat för något av det. Det är dock sångarbasisten Lucas som gjorde att jag fick upp ögonen för denna samling och detta skivbolag. Han spenderade lite tid i Sverige mellan 1997-1998 ungefär och jag sprang på honom på en spelning när han besökte min stad. Jag gissar att han var lika social med Andreas från In Your Face Records som han varit med mig därefter, eftersom han blev ombedd att skicka ett låtbidrag till Tierp några år senare. Behöver jag ens säga vad det handlar om för musik? Svartskhräph såklart. Eller blackened thrash som det heter på spanska. Det låter i alla fall som allt annat från Chile, men jag gillar det ju lite extra på grund av den personliga kopplingen. Oläslig logotyp. På rätt sätt.
Jag sade från början att här saknas röd tråd i låtvalet, men när jag nu läser igenom detta inlägg så är det långt värre än jag föreställde mig. Finns det ingenting som de här banden har gemensamt? Jo, de är såklart påhittade allihop. Förutom referenserna. Hawaii är för roligt alltså. Och Azeazeron gillar jag på riktigt.
I’m sure I read “death metal” in the description before I pressed play wherever I first sniffed out this release. The artwork enforced that sentiment. What I wasn’t ready for however, was just how much I would come to adore this album.
I have been a fan of Entombed since I discovered them around the Same Difference album. Very weird entry point, I know. But I survived. The passing of LG was the toughest celebrity death for me at the time. Still is, at the time of writing. What I didn’t know about Entombed and LG before March 7th, 2021, was just how little he had been involved in the writing of the music and lyrics for the Entombed songs. The one contribution he made was the instrumental piano piece “DCLXVI” on that same album. So imagine the impression the intro to Cruz‘s Confines De La Cordura had on me, and the power it still holds. Historically, I have rarely seen the point of any type of intro track, but this one here… Oh, buoy. I’m drowning.
After that gut-wrenching intro, the barrage begins. Power Trip stomp, buzzsaw guitars, raspy reverb-laden vocals, chaotic leads and a bass tone that shakes the rust out from under my car (and can help you with constipation). If you like to-the-point death metal, you will love this, Boss!
The second big surprise comes with track 4: an amazing space-synth intro that evolves into a death metal epic. “Els Murs Errants” is 9:02 long, but don’t think this is a slow track. It starts off slow, but becomes just as aggressive as the rest of the songs. The PT stomp continues, the buzzsaw guitars are still hacking away and I’m still on my knees in adoration.
The title track is pretty nondescript but keeps in with the consistency of the other songs. Actually, the consistency of the album might be the one weak point on here. It’s pretty hard to distinguish the songs from one another. There are definitely some variations to the intros (especially that synth!) but drop me in the middle of a random song and I wouldn’t be able to tell you which one it is, even though I have played this album at least a dozen times by now (double that if you count the sleeping hours).
For a fan of semi-dirty death metal I’d wager this last paragraph is of little concern. And I am definitely not turned off by it. For what we get served, after that three minute atmospheric piano prelude, is a sub-40 minutes of intoxicating harsh music to vibrate our grey matter.
Cruz is a five-man band from Barcelona, Spain. Confines De La Cordura is their second album and it will be released on September 26th by Nuclear Winter Records.
[Nuclear War Now! Productions]
[Release: 15 April 2017]
The retro revival continues with this EP by Italian debutantes Sangue. “Sangue” means blood, and it goes to figure that that’s what the band is out for, playing blackened death metal in early 90’s style.
The production is kind of wobbly and it makes me remember how a worn cassette tape would sound when you try to record over it for the 17th time. The guitars are really gritty and the riffing style makes them the most black metal of all the elements, while the drums sound lifted straight off one of Bathory‘s first three albums. The bass could be replaced by an extra push of the lower frequencies on the equalizer for the guitars, that’s how much of an identity that has. But at the same time, that is also pretty fitting.
The vocals are the most unique part of the record. They fill out the sonic stage in a spectral fashion. It might be a make or break type of uniqueness, but I find the style kind of interesting.
Now, the songs are too short and this EP is more of a sampler, running only for 5:37 with two tracks. Sangue would do well to follow up with a proper album within short to keep momentum, but the old-school lo-fi style presented here does not get me particularly excited about that prospect.
I know I have not been writing much these last few weeks, but I just have to stop by and share these wonderful news. Dream Evil have announced their new album called “SIX,” due May 26th. The first track on the album is eponymous and they have posted a video of it, which I suggest you check out here below. Great news!
First off: this album has a lot of low end. A lot! Now, continue reading.
Thill Smitts Terror is the third album by this Norwegian unique sounding metal group. At least I have never experienced music sounding like this before. The production of this album is a continuation of a journey that really started with their last album album, Von Rov Shelter in 2009. A journey to completely envelop the listener in deep bass, sprinkled with buzzing guitars and evil croaking, mostly in mid-tempo.
I tried to fiddle with the sound of the album but I couldn’t get the pounding bass to normal levels with the equalizer I have on hand. It’s really deep seated and permeates every little piece on the record. Except for the symphonic intro and outro that is. The first time around I thought something broke in my headphones when the audio changed so drastically from the first track to the first song proper.
They are a strange group of people, Slagmaur. They play with masks and use wicked stage-names and their real identities are supposedly still unknown. The platform of their music is black metal, but they have turned it into something completely their own. Anyone into the esoteric and avant-garde will probably find something interesting on Thill Smitts Terror. I am on the fence about this one. On the one hand I am interested to hear what the album would sound like with a normal mix and master. But on the other hand, the band has made its choice to present their music in this way, and maybe it would get lost without this over the top conflagration of sonic vibrations.
When the steady beat of the drums sometimes is broken up by devilish chanting you get some chance to breathe, but otherwise this is probably the most oppressive listening experience I have ever made myself repeat on several occasions. Such is the game of the reviewer. I could have put this aside after the first rotation, but I made myself push on, and while not cheaply, Thill Smitts Terror has more than a little something to give. It is not the greatest record I have ever heard, but it is interesting. Good job on Osmose Productions for picking up Slagmaur anyway. I hope that more people get to hear them!
[ViciSolum Productions]
[released February 24, 2017]
It’s tough when you have so very high expectations of, well anything, and then finally arrive to meet whatever it is you have looked forward to. In pure self-defense I tried to not think too much about Aathma since after its announcement, but the closer the release date crept, the more my spine was becoming titillated by sheer anticipation.
Persefone is one of very few metal groups out of the small nation Andorra, situated in-betwixt France and Spain. They are a serious force, writing complex and ultimately very rewarding music. For years since their inception they were building up to the massive Spiritual Migration album, which landed in 2013 and, after some hesitation on my side, completely blew up the year end list. I was on the verge of writing them off as a metalcore type deal, and not a very interesting one, but since I was reviewing the album (Spiritual Migration was my first contact with the band) I felt I had to play it one more time, and that changed everything.
What Persefone became, and still remain with Aathma, is something so beautifully layered and immensely gratifying that I find myself longing to hear it every now and then. Aathma is up there. The 2017 effort from the band is using all the same ingredients as its predecessor and puts them together in just the right way. The grooving drums, technical stop-go guitars and ever-changing vocals are arranged with remarkable precision and never become too complex. It’s a hard thing to write this kind of music so fluid and grandiose, but Persefone manage, and the band, together with producer Jens Bogren have created a top-notch product.
I have listened to Aathma pretty much every day since it was released and by now I feel almost as familiar with it as Spiritual. For good and for bad. I know for a fact that I really like this album and that it’s amazing, but it’s also harder to describe why without getting too abstract at this point. The short version would be that Aathma is massive, hard-hitting, beautiful, epic, progressive and positioned right at the top of the Best Of 2017.
Since I shared the news of the Wintersun campaign the other day, I thought I might as well link to this one as well.
Eterknight are an up-and-coming symphonic folk/melodic death metal outfit from Mexico. The Wintersun influences in their music is very apparent, especially on their second release, Winter’s Calling (that name alone…), but they also had the good taste to include a cover of Ensiferum‘s “Hero In A Dream” on their Ragnarök EP.
Both these releases have been independently recorded and released, and I think the band sounds very good. To take the next step, they are now asking for donations to be able to purchase their own studio equipment. Much like Wintersun, but their end goal is 100(!) times lower. Perks for pledging money includes digital access to the coming album and merch in several forms.
[Nuclear War Now! Productions]
The vocals are the most unique part of the record. They fill out the sonic stage in a spectral fashion. It might be a make or break type of uniqueness, but I find the style kind of interesting.
Metalopsy Metal Reviews 