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Dark Plague
[Above: inside/cover]
Sadism
Sadism was recorded in 2016 and
released February 18, 2017. This is very traditional straight forward black metal. Very fast and screechy. I was bored by this CD until the third track when things started to get more interesting. There was more range in vocal style and more melody, not to mention bits that stood out, not swallowed by the relentless speed. Don't get me wrong, some people love this obsessive speed, but it doesn't do much for me. I think the feeling gets lost. I also think this vocal style can be annoying. I'm not a fan of this screechy style at all. Sometimes the vocalist changes his style and it sounds much better to my ears, but overall the vocals kill this for me. This CD definitely has some cool parts showing good potential, but it needs more feeling and variation.
[Above: back]
[Above: CD]
[Above: Artwork by Thomas Trigueiro-Pires]
Label Website:
Tir
[Above: cover/back]
Mountains
This release is entirely syth based, and although I would have liked to have heard some sort of vocals added to this, it was pretty good regardless. By the time the fourth track, Forest of Gloom, rolled around the CD had created a nice atmosphere. Some of the songs have a folkish sound to them, while others have a dark ambience. Each track stands out on its own nicely, with good atmopheres and melodies. The bonus track - Satan's Rule - is very different from the rest. It has gutteral sounding vocals and guitars. I'm not sure if this is from a demo or what, but I really liked it overall. An interesting release from a rather mysterious band and I'd like to hear more.
[Above: inside/CD tray - the way that I understand it the text inversion was some sort of factory error.]
Label Website:
Seges Findere
[Above: cover/back]
Nuklear Terrorsonic Power
The extremely prolific Seges Findere return again! Blistering fast and aggressive, Seges presents another dark gem of audio violence. Strigoi's vocals are as strong as ever. Each song does a good job sounding different than the next. I like how each track begins with a short intro of sorts, it serves as a good launching pad for the aggression to come. Seges are definitely not for trendy pussies. It's not 'pretty' sounding black metal. The melodies are draped in violence, the vocals are screams from a battlefield. I can't help but fucking love this band. This sounds best loud!
Label Website:
Evil Damn/Toxic Holocaust/Chainsaw Killer
[Above: cover/back]
Blasphemy, Mayhem & War
Although this isn't new, it's new to me, and probably most of you. This was sent to me by the guitarist of the phenomenal Peruvian band Psicorragia, who also plays in the band Evil Damn presented here on this three band CD. So let's start with Evil Damn, since they are first on the CD. Their sound is raw, melodic and heavy as fuck, this is a total classic. Evil Damn, despite the very odd name, contains everything that made us love the old South American metal gods of days gone by. That pure energy and sincerity, hunger, violence and listenability. A thrashy, death/black mix that has instantly become one of my favorites. It's that good.
It's going to be very hard to compete with the first band, but the CD spins onward... next is Toxic Holocaust. This is an especially raw recording and unfortunately you can barely hear the vocalist. This really sucks as it sounds pretty good and seems to have a lot of potential. I don't know anything about this band or if they ever recorded anything other than this 'rehearsal'.
Next up is Chainsaw Killer from Columbia. Man, I really liked this band! Wow... it took me back to the good old days. This stuff is very listenable, you just want to turn it up! It's sort of like a heavy Speed/Thrash Metal I guess you could say. The vocalist kicks ass and has a cool screech in his repertoire. This is a head banging fucking gem!
[Above: Cover unfolded]
[Above: Cover unfolded - reverse]
[Above: Back]
[Above: CD]
Vardan
[Above: cover/back]
Piercing Cold Distance
First off I have to say this Italian one man band are EXTREMELY prolific, releasing almost TWENTY albums since 2014! I don't know if that is a good thing or not, since I've only heard this one CD. My instincts however would say that's overkill though, and kind of silly, but maybe they all kick ass? But let's talk about the CD in question. This was released by Elegy Records in the summer of 2015, but was previously released in a limited edition cassette back in 2015 by a label called Bylec-Tum Productions.
The last two songs didn't disappoint either. Consider me impressed! I'd like to hear more - and there is a whole lot of material to dig through!
[Above: Inside/CD tray]
[Above: The man]
Waffenruhe
[Above: Promo/sticker]
Promo
Waffenruhe, which means 'cease-fire' is a band that does marching music and instrumental pieces. Let me say that what they do is spectacular! Wow. Very skilled and proffessional stuff. This band could have made marching music for the German army in the glory days, and that is saying a lot!
Angelcide
[Above: front/back]
Black Metal Terrorism
Formed in 2003, Angelcide is from New Jersey/New York. Thus far Angelcide has released three full lengths, a handful of demos, a split and an EP. This is the second release on Elegy Records. The music is pretty varied, from traditional fast black metal, to more atmospheric sounding bits. This CD gets more interesting the further you get into the CD. I thought the first few tracks were good, but nothing unique or really special (except for the killer start of the first song!), however the later tracks really showcased the skill and creativity involved in Angelcide. There is a lot more variation and feeling involved, and a lot more experimentation. I think sometimes things can get lost in the relentless speed of this style of black metal. Nonetheless, there is a lot of elements here that put Angelcide above the norm. I look forward to hearing more.
[Above: Inside/CD]
[Above: Maelstrom - the sole member of Angelcide]
[Above: 2017 Elegy Records flyer (front)]
[Above: 2017 Elegy Records flyer (back)]
[Above: Neat stamps!]
Excoriate
[Above: front/inner]
...Of the Ghastly Stench
Excoriate is a black/death metal band from Chile that has been around since 2005 (there was also an Excoriate from Germany which broke up in 2006). The word excoriate means to:
[Above: Inner]
[Above: CD-R]
[Above: Excoriate]
[Above: Flyer]
Wargoatcult
[Above: Cover/back]
Phasmatis Interregnum
From Spain and formed in 2007, this band has a long release history of many demos, splits and full-length releases, yet this is the first time I've heard them. I immediately liked this. A lot! It's punishing, violent and very listenable. The black metal sort of chanting style of the vocalist is very good, as are every other element that makes up this band. That said, I'd love to hear more variation in the vocals though, and maybe even some experimentation with a slower song, I think they would really excel. Regardless, there's no denying this is some cool sounding stuff.
[Above: Inner case/CD tray]
[Above: Phasmatis Interregnum CD]
[Above: The sole member of Wargoatcult - Necrotomb]
Unsalvation
[Above: CD slipcase cover]
Profound Enslavement
Formed in 2011, Unsalvation is from Finland. It is Doom/death metal with that interesting touch that many Finnish bands have. Elements of this remind me a lot of old Beherit, with whispering sometimes in the background, which is done to good effect. The more I listened to this EP the more I grew to appreciate it. My only complaint is this is only three tracks and an intro...
[Above: CD slipcase Back]
[Above: Profound Enslavement CD]
[Above: An older flyer]
Empire Auriga
[Above: CD slipcase cover]
Ascending the Solarthrone
This CD was a gift to me, so I really wanted to be able to say something nice... unfortunately this really isn't my thing. A lot of other people seem to like it, but I was bored listening to it. It is an ambient/industrial kind of thing, which I do like a lot of bands of this genre, but this particular band just didn't have enough going on. All of the songs bled into one and the vocals were practically non-existent. Maybe I am missing something and I am just too damn jaded? I'd recommend you listen to it for yourself and decide.
[Above: CD back]
[Above: CD]
[Above: Flyer]
Northern
[Above: CD-R]
Desolate Ways to Ultima Thule
Formed back in 2002, this band was known as 'Cold Northern Vengeance' until 2016 when they changed their name to just 'Northern'. A strange move, I personally like the former name a lot better, but whatever, I'll just have to learn to live with it! Okay, North are from New Hampshire in the United States and as of April 2018 they've released two demos, two splits, two compilations and three full lengths. Despite their lengthy history this is the first time I've heard them. There are so many bands these days, coming and going, that I don't even try to keep up, especially since many of them are boring garbage. But, let's look at the album at hand, which Odin from Moribund was cool enough to send me.
[Below: Promotional sheet]
[Below: Band photo]
[Below: Flyer]
Judas Iscariot
[Above: Cover/back]
An Ancient Starry Sky
As the inner CD states, this album was done in 1998, but was never released, until now. I haven't heard any Judas Iscariot in ages, so this was a pleasant reminder. It's pretty amazing that this was kept unreleased for twenty years, it's quite a strong release. Any fan of Judas Iscariot will surely love this, and anyone who appreciates black metal done right. Cold sounding, primitive but melodic and atmospheric, raw and powerful, are words that come to mind. Every song has its own sound and flavor, something many bands today can't seem to achieve. This makes me long for the 1990s... what a wondrous time for music that was. An Ancient Starry Sky is a good release that's aged like fine wine.
[Below: Inside/CD]
[Below: Elegy Promotional poster]
Confessor A.D.
[Above: Cover/back]
Too Late to Pray
Here is a group of guys who know how to make music! Confessor A.D. are from Strassbourg, France, and are self-described as 'an old school metal band'. I liked this from the moment I first heard it. The quality is top notch, the production, the melodic and memorable guitars, an excellent drummer and a very cool sounding vocalist. It's easy to hear influences from the 1980s/1990s here, Confessor A.D. could have come out in the glory days of metal. I would really like to hear more from this band, it seems like they could be on the verge of greatness. I could see them releasing something classic in the future, they are so loaded with potential and have such a great sound already. But as good as they are, they never quite reach that level... yet. Do yourself a favor and listen to this album on YouTube and if you like it check out their label's webpage at:
nihilistic-webzine-distro.fr
[Above: Promotional CD-R]
[Above: Confessor A.D. flyer]
Dekonstruktor
[Above: Cover/back]
Eating the Universe
Dekonstruktor is from Moscow, Russia. It was formed in 2009 under the name 'The Moon Mistress', but was changed in 2014 to Dekonstruktor. In the past they've released a variety of full-lengths, splits and an EP. Many of their releases are released on limited edition cassettes, as well as CDs, but I'm listening to a CD-R sent from Nihilistic Holocaust (Fra). So what is this? It's very dark, doomy, grungy, complex and industrial sounding. The guitars drive the record, with their heavy and relentless melodies. Their music creates tension and intensity, constantly changing, sometimes with a voice, mostly without. But the music really does speak for itself, I enjoyed it very much. You can imagine all of the bands out there that you would enjoy, but you never get a chance to hear them, Dekonstruktor is like that. If you don't check this album out, you'll never know what you are missing. Listen to it from beginning to end, preferably with earphones. A cool discovery for me, from Russia, to France, to the USA.
Dekonstruktor
https://dekonstruktor.bandcamp.com/album/eating-the-universe
Nihilistic Holocaust
[Above: Back]
[Above: CD-R]
[Above: Dekonstruktor]
Valgrind
[Above: Cover/back]
Morning Will Come No More
Valgrind is from Italy and has been around since 1996, although this is my first time hearing them.
First, the name Valgrind is the main entrance to Valhalla in the Norse belief system. Originally they were called Necrospell and they released one demo under that name.
So what is this like? Crushing. Old school death metal with rhythmic guitars and pounding beats. I really liked this and turned it up loud enough to make my ears ring. It's like a time machine back to the good days of death metal. The guitars really stick out, they are very skilled and technical. A lot of classic guitar sound is used, which fits extremely well. But it is hard to single one thing out, since all of it is very proficient. The drummer is a monster, blasting beats like a machine gun at times. But for the most part it is mid-paced to fast and grinding and very listenable. I think the CD gets better and better as it goes on. By track six I was really liking this band and my speakers were getting a good workout. I have to say, their label, Nihilistic Holocaust finds some good underground stuff.
One last thing, check out the Valgrind package above and look at the newspaper used to protect the CD... what in the hells is 'Stella Baby-Foot Portes Ouvertes'? An online translator says it is 'Stella Baby-Foot Open House' in English, but that doesn't really help us. It could be a band name - "The new CD from Stella Baby-Foot, entitled Open House!" Haha
Nihilistic Holocaust
[Above: Cover reverse]
[Above: CD-R]
[Above: Valgrind]
[Above: P.S. France usually has some cool postage stamps showing the symbol of France - Marianne.]
[Above: French president Macron standing in front of a painting used on the postage stamp.]
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[Elegy Records ©2016]
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[Elegy Records ©2016]
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[Elegy Records ©2017]
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[Warhymns Records/Warfuck Records ©2005]
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[Elegy Records ©2017]
I was immediately impressed and taken in by the dark and lonely melodies of track one. Vardan has a definite talent in crafting ambient, moody old school sounding black metal. If all of his many releases sound this good then I am impressed!
But, back to this one... the first track is very long, almost 12 minutes. The second track is keyboard rich just like the first, which fits well with the slow guitar. The black metal style voice is good, while nothing new, it doesn't annoy me like so many other screechy, childish sounding ones.
There are a lot of different parts and segments to the songs and seems to be a lot of experimentation. I think this works very well. Vardan, the sole member of the band, is undeniably a very creative musician.
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[Promotional CD-R]
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[Elegy Records ©2017]
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[Nihilistic Holocaust ©2017]
1. censure or criticize severely.
2. damage or remove part of the surface of (the skin).
I imagine they define themselves as the latter! Excoriate is has a great dark and doomy sound. Very polished and melodic, and most importantly, very listenable. I really liked this band and look forward to hearing a full length (this demo release is four tracks). Yet another great band from South America!
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[Elegy Records ©2017]
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[Elegy Records ©2017]
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[Moribund Records ©2014]
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[Moribund Records ©2018]
This album I found to be very diverse, with many styles presented. There is an anti-antifa song which will really get your freedom-loving blood pumping. This song is worth the purchase of the album alone! I loved the end of it where the singer yells "FUCK ANTIFA!!!" Hahaha. There is also a Viking vibe to the album, with clean singing bits thrown in here and there and a very melodic track dedicated to this style. Most of the album is a good mix of brutality and melody. It's an interesting album, far from typical, and I'd like to hear more from them.
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[Elegy Records ©2018]
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[Nihilistic Holocaust ©2018]
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[Visceral Circuitry Recs ©2018]
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[Nihilistic Holocaust ©2019]
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