CUTTHROAT - Invoking Terror EP review

 

CUTTHROAT - Invoking Terror EP

Dying Victims Productions

Well I can't wait till next St. Paddy's Day when someone at the place I work at asks me for some Irish music suggestions. So what we have here is the first official release by Ireland's CUTTHROAT. They are a three piece Blackened Thrash act who first started out in 2023. 

Sound-wise CUTTHROAT are a raw aggressive sounding act who are dedicated fans to this genre. I've said it many times but it bares repeting, my favorite Thrash is Blackened Thrash. But I hate the generic copycats. CUTTHROAT is not that at all. Now sure if ya wanna name drop influences they excibet, sure go for it and be a dick. 

This release is five diabolical deeds of the dammed. An impressive debut and keep an eye out for this band in the future. 

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/invoking-terror

LOWCARD DE LA MORTE / KILLSEDUCTION Split EP review

 

LOWCARD DE LA MORTE / KILLSEDUCTION Split EP

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

OK bias alert because this split release reminds me of the 1980's Underground Hardcore / Speed Metal era when you only heard good music via tape trading. What we have here are two bands from Japan who not only nail the sound and fury. But the production is time honoring perfect. The fucking attitude is a slam pit smack to the face. 

First of there's LOWCARD DE LA MORTE who deliver six cuts that are pure old school sounding Hardcore / Speed Metal. I mean short songs, meaty riffs, aggro vocals with plenty of tongue in cheek lyrics. It's serious music for the not so serious but want to get crazy to. 

The second band here is KILLSEDUCTION who deliver five cuts in a different way. Yeah it's Hardcore, Speed Metal as well as Thrash and Grind. That latter touch is obvious since guitarist Takafumi Matsubara of GRIDLINK is in the band. Musically their songs are a psychotic speed trip which would be more enjoyable if I was still a coke head. But for right now their short sharp and diverse extreme shock is pretty cool. 

Like all split releases I judge em as wrestling matches. I mean real wrestling and not like that BS on TV today. This is Japan style Wrestling from decades ago in a exploding barred wire match with tacks on the mat. Although KILLSEDUCTION seem to walk into this ring as the predominant winner and heals. I'm choosing the baby-face LOWCARD DE LA MORTE who do a better job jumping off the ropes and pinning. 

NUFF SAID!

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/kill-de-la-morte

NINTH REALM - Damnation's Veil review

 

NINTH REALM - Damnation's Veil

Transcending Obscurity Records

I've said it before but I'll repeat myself. Thrash Metal in these modern times is boring as shit. Some bands sound cool only because they remind ya of a past favorite. Then you've got these other acts who just go off the rail and end up boring. That's why I like Blackened Thrash because I know what to expect. It either sounds damm good or it's generic garbage. 

Which brings us to this latest full length from Maryland's NINTH REALM. The band started back in 2018 and has been putting out plenty of short form releases. Their first full length, A Fate Unbroken, came out in 2022. So here's their second full length. The genre tagline on here is Crossover / Thrash Metal. Personally I don't get the Crossover part because I don't hear 80's Hardcore. But everything else is cool.

With the exception of the intro cut, which is boring. This is a damm good album. NINTH REALM just excel in aggressive, violent, pummeling sounds. It's the equivalent of a dozen bullet belt, jean jacket cut-off wearing hessians kicking into your house and beating the crap out of you. That's if you're a hipster. If it was my house, I'm armed so the first nine of ya would be shot and I'd have a second magazine in the chamber fast enough to finish the next three. 

Be that it is I think violence is a quality motive when listening to this release. NINTH REALM are all into that with rapid galloping riffs, a pounding / savage rhythm section and a damm violent sounding vocalist. This is my kind of Thrash in 2026. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://ninthrealm-label.bandcamp.com/album/damnations-veil

VERDUN - Abyssal Womb review

 

VERDUN - Abyssal Womb

Transcending Obscurity Records

The first time I heard this French Blackened Sludge band was on a Transcending Obscurity Records compilation in 2006. At the time I thought they were interesting and wanted to hear more. Unfortunately the band chose to put out their future releases on other labels. Now they're back with Transcending Obscurity Records after releasing an EP in 2011, two full lengths (a debut in 2016 and their sophomore album in 2019). They also released a split EP with a US Sludge / Doom band OLD IRON in 2021. 

So here we are now and despite all of the inbetween stuff I was still excited to hear VERDUN's latest full length on one of my favorite labels. Now just for the record this genre, Blackened Sludge / Doom, has lost it's excitement (in my not so humble opinion) because too many bands performing it literally suck. I mean there are too many acts who can not write good songs. They depend too much on dissonant ambient trope sound effect. 

VERDUN on this new album are not like that. The seven cuts on here invoke hate, violence and greatness to be alive and do it. The music on here is not for some hipster pothead. This is music for people who wanna beat the shit out of hipster potheads. A few of these cuts are head-banging, fist raising anthems which should invoke a real maniacal slam pit. 

Let's give props to guitarist Jay Pinelli who comes up with decent riffs which keep you excited and yet border on the dissonant boredom. The rhythm section of drummer Geraud Jonquet and bassist Florian Celdran needs to be congratulated for exercising great power as well as intricate touches throughout. Finally there's vocalist David Sadok, who probably needs a throat lozenge after this recording. He's got a Blackened screech vocal from hell.

All in all if I haven't made in plain earlier. VERDUN have made Blackened Sludge cool again. This album is perfect from start to finish. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://verdun-label.bandcamp.com/album/abyssal-womb

GRIM LEGION - Harbingers of Death review

 

GRIM LEGION - Harbingers of Death

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

If you're gonna play Extreme Metal than the opening assault of your release must be devastating. If ya wanna slow it down later on that's fine. But I come from a military background and as an expert in ambushes you just want to start by an explosion to fuck their asses up. Then follow with sustained fire into the kill zone. After that run across the field and make sure no one is living.

I look at a Death Metal release the same way and what we have here is pretty cool. The cover art on this release is damm good. Musically it's Old School Death Metal / Death Doom. If I was gonna name drop hell it's Sweden's GRAVE meets USA's INCANTATION. But of course we have to look who is in this band to get a better picture. 

GRIM LEGION is a five piece act from the great state of New Jersey. I can say that because I was born and lived there till 1976. Both guitarists of this band are also in EVOKEN as in John Paradiso and Randy Cavanaugh. The other band members are drummer Ryan Donato, bassist Markus Misery and damm good Death Metal vocalist Devlin Bane (aka: Carmine Vincent Matteliano).

Originally GRIM LEGION started out in 1988 and called it a day by 1991. To their record they did produce three demos. In 2011 the band reformed and eventually released a debut full length, Unholy Resurrection, in 2014 and also on this label. Fast forward to now and yeah if you're into the whole old school formula of Death Metal and some Death Doom then you'll like this one a lot. It's a punishing MFer, Nuff Said!

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/harbingers-of-death

IRON KOBRA - Eternal Dagger review

 

IRON KOBRA - Eternal Dagger

Dying Victims Productions

The first time I heard IRON KOBRA was on a split 7" incher they did with a band called ATOM SMASHER in 2023. Back then I gave the win to ATOM SMASHER on that split. But here we are a few years later with the third full length by this German four piece Metal act. After a few listens I was easily a fan of this release because it reminds of the late 1980's. 

The tagline on this release as far as a genre description is Heavy Metal. OK sure but no it's not. This is early Power Metal. What you have here musically is early MAIDEN - esque galloping rhythms, a lot of Speed Metal style and a great Metal vocalist. Back in the day we fans just called it Metal. It was the late 1980's, we were bored with the big name bands and this sound came out which was cool. 

Years, well decades, later I was playing a CD at a party and a friend said "I didn't know you liked Power Metal." I was like no I hate Power Metal because at that time the genre was / is pathetic. But no because of some music scribes cool sounding post Heavy Metal was defined as Power Metal. Whatever, so what we have here is cool as fuck.

I mean what's not to like. Opener "Trembling Dungeons" starts off with a great Heavy Metal scream by vocalist / guitarist Sir Serpent. And from that point on you get furious riffs, a pounding rhythm section and dynamic soloing. You get nine cuts in all and in my not so humble opinion IRON KOBRA's Eternal Dagger is my favorite album of this genre style this year, so far of course.

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/eternal-dagger

REVOLTING - Supernatural Anthems review

 

REVOLTING -  Supernatural Anthems

Xtreem Music

If you read this blog (and frankly who doesn't?) then you know I've been a fan of Rogga Johansson who has been the most important artist in Swedish Death Metal for the past three decades. The guy is involved in various bands my favorites being PAGANIZER and REVOLTING. 

Just for the record PAGANIZER has a decent album out this year titled As Mankind Rots on Xtreem Music. So here we have REVOLTING's tenth album. Hey I gotta say their last full length, Night of the Horrid, from 2024 was damm good. Plus it had the album cover of the year in my not so humble opinion.

Be all of that as it may REVOLTING's tenth full length is pretty fucking savage which is what this band has all been about. Musically this is a pilgrimage into what we Extreme Metal fans love about Swedish Death Metal. Listening to this makes me forget to a point the originals who created the genre. 

Which is why I respect Rogga Johansson because the guy keeps the genre music exciting without playing games. I like that a lot and this tenth full length by REVOLTING is cool as fuck. The album cover is not as great as the last one. But musically this is ripping Swede Death at it's finest. 

You've got Revolting Rogga on vocals and rip roaring riffs with dynamic soloing. Grotesque Tobias delivers some pounding bass work. And of course drummer Mutated Martin is one of the best percussionists in the genre. I mean seriously the guys a maniac. 

I thought REVOLTING's last album was great. This one here just blows that opinion aside with a slap across the face. I like this album a lot. Rogga you're a great Swede Death MFer!

https://fullofmetal.com/en/

LISTEN HERE:

https://xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/supernatural-anthems

ACOLYTHUS - Unearthly Kingdoms Neath Lifeless Stars review

 

ACOLYTHUS - Unearthly Kingdoms Neath Lifeless Stars

Inverse Records

So this came in on the PR info that it was Old School Finnish Black Metal. Ah really? I mean they don't sound like BEHERIT or IMPALED NAZARENE who were two of the most important Finnish BM bands of the early era. This band also does not sound like ARCHGOAT, HORNA, BEHEXEN, SARGEIST or SATANIC WARMASTER. All of whom are / were killer as fuck and literally defined the whole Finnish Black Metal scene for decades. 

Actually ACOLYTHUS come across as one or two Finnish BM bands from the 1990's who just copied what the Swedes and Norwegians were doing. Pardon me if I don't name drop because it's late and I'm too tired to search through two and half standing shelves of Black Metal releases to find a good sharp nail. Obviously after one listen it's clear that this Finnish three piece are influenced from a more melodic form of the genre. I like that to a point. 

The vocals are of that blackened screech as well as baritone style. You've got the icy tremolo picked riffs. The drum work is good but for me this is introduction Black Metal for people with nose rings and gender confusion issues. Nuff Said!  

https://www.inverse.fi/

LISTEN HERE:

https://acolythus.bandcamp.com/album/unearthly-kingdoms-neath-lifeless-stars

GORENCEPHALIC - Gore of the Forgotten EP Re-Release review

GORENCEPHALIC - Gore of the Forgotten EP re-release

Nihilistic Holocaust

So when this came in for review I checked out the band's line-up and saw that their drummer use to play in MYSTIFIER. That was a guarantee to check this out. Let me be clear on this point. If it wasn't for Greyhaze Records reissues of great Extreme Metal bands from South America then Metal fans here in the states wouldn't know shit about the greatness of bands from South America. 

With that said there's a bunch of things to say but the main thing I like about GORENCEPHALIC is their rhythm section. It's a standout which makes them non generic. Sound-wise this four piece band from Brazil is all Brutal Fuckin Death Metal with a progressive bent. But not too much since the rhythm section delivers in such a bad ass fashion. Usually it's the vocals and riffs matched with the drum work which defines Brutal Fuckin DM. 

Just for the record since I didn't mention it earlier, GORENCEPHALIC is a four piece Brutal DM act from Brazil who started out in 2023. Since then they've put out a handful of short form releases. Basically it's been a handful of singles and two EPs. This particular release originally came out in late 2024 as a five song EP. Now it's all five songs plus the song "Body Snatcher" which was an early single. Add to that you've got two live cuts. 

Now in all honesty when it comes to Extreme Metal from Brazil the first band name I'd always say is KRISIUN. Sure I like / have releases by the legacy bands from the great nation of Brazil as well as other nations from South America. But for me KRISIUN is it. GORENCEPHALIC just charged up behind em. I hope they release something really cool in the near future. 

https://nihilistic-webzine-distro.fr/

LISTEN HERE:

https://gorencephalic.bandcamp.com/album/gore-of-the-forgotten-2