ANGERSEED - Rapture Is Mine… Glory Is Ours review

 

ANGERSEED - Rapture Is Mine… Glory Is Ours

Pest Records

If your feel for brutal / technical Eastern European Death Metal has subsided over the past few years because your old time favorites haven't put out some stuff then here ya go. ANGERSEED is here to fill your need. They are a four piece act out of Hungary who have been around since 2008. 

Yeah I know it's another cool band from the past who's around today to kick some fucking ass. As far as history goes ANGERSEED put out a demo in 2009. Afterwards they've released a few EPs and a full length, The Proclamation, back in 2016. Their only original member is vocalist Peter D. Maniak who is keeping this band and it's style alive. Hails to this guy! The guy has some great deep mean vocals.

Add to that I give props to drummer Jozsef Gava. I mean this guy is the best Metal drummer in Hungary. His performance on here is fuckin fantastic. This guy's drumwork on this release is a dynamic observation on whether a release is great or average. Jozsef Gava makes it great. Plus you've got guitarist Viktor Nagy who's riffs interplay with the the brutal drumming. Add to that his psychotic solos. 

Yeah ANGERSEED' Rapture Is Mine… Glory Is Ours is an amazing release. This is what I wanna hear as far as Eastern European Death Metal goes. Yes totally brutal with a slight Tech Death sound and drum work which is diabolical. Hell Fuckin Yeah! 

https://pestrecords.ucoz.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://pestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/angerseed-rapture-is-mine-glory-is-ours

DARK REFLECTION - Under the Sign of Vlad Tepes EP review

 

DARK REFLECTION - Under the Sign of Vlad Tepes EP

Pest Records

So before I get into the music here I wanna discuss the title of this release. First off you've got the "Under the Sign of" part which clearly is a BATHORY reference. Then there's VLAD TEPES which is/was a French Black Metal band from the nineties. Now obviously it might be a simple play on words. Vlad Tepes means Vlad the Impaler or Dracula, whatever you prefer. I just wanted to get that out of the way. 

Now here is the debut release by this four piece Italian act. Musically it's old school Death Metal in the totally raw variety. Although I believe their guitarist Riccardo Silla tries hard to introduce some Tech Death style to this beast. It ends up being subtle with vocalist Mauro Mancinelli giving forth some charcoal throated vocals. The rhythm section is adequate. 

It's 2025 and these guys are bringing back, again, another US meets Swedish old school Death Metal sounding release of dedication. It's just four songs in all and I like it. I'd definitely be interested in a full length by DARK REFLECTION in the future.

https://pestrecords.ucoz.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://pestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dark-reflection-under-the-sign-of-vlad-epe

MORMANT DE SNAGOV - Depths Below Space and Existence review

MORMANT DE SNAGOV - Depths Below Space and Existence

Pest Records




Of late I've been hit with plenty of Finnish black metal acts that are not at all like what I, a longtime fan of that great nation's black metal scene, consider traditional. For starters this band here, their name means Grave of Snagov. Snagov is a city in Romania and Pest Records is a Romanian label. That's about it for me because the music here is a sick treat.

MORMANT DE SNAGOV are a new band for me (what else is new?) but they've been around since 2008 and have kept a steady line-up except for their bass player. Over all of that time they've been kinda busy with a bunch of short form releases and two previous full lengths. Their last official release was in 2015 when they did a split release with a Moroccon band called ABNABAK.

So with all of that said and after plenty of listens to this I must say I'm bored. Yes bored like I was in 1996 -1998 when Norwegian bands started producing partially off the template black metal. Yes I know comparing Norway to Finland is/was an insult but hey so is this. MORMANT DE SNAGOV's cadre of blackness consists of harsh vocals, some blast-beats and tremolo runs that are not so frequent. The rest is a mix of thrash riffs, death metal riff runs and some atmospheric lurches into jazz territory. It all gave me a headache after the third listen. Be that as it may one would come away with liking all of that.

http://pestrecords.ucoz.com/

https://pestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/morm-nt-de-snagov-depths-below-space-and-existence

https://www.facebook.com/mormantdesnagov

SOMBRE CROISADE - Balancier Des Ames review

SOMBRE CROISADE - Balancier Des Ames

Pest Records



This is the second full length by the French black metal duo known as SOMBRE CROISADE. Their last one, Litanie au mal, came out in 2012. Other than a split release done in 2013 with another French BM act, AUGURE FUNEBRE, this is their only output over those years. Since band founder Malsain (guitars & drums) and Alrinack (bass & vocals) are also involved in other various bands then the time lapse is obvious.

Be that as it is, SOMBRE CROISADE bring back that grim and hate filled black metal sound which made the early French BM scene stand out from their contemporaries in other parts of Europe. This is raw second wave BM with plenty of higher pitched harsh screams as well as that hornet's nest buzz of the riffs. But hey there's also some melody and  cleaner playing.

I think the bottom line here is that I like this so much because I hate what's become of the French BM scene/sound. I hate the progressive touches. I hate the inclusion of tech death into it. And I really hate the attitudes of hipster nubes over the years in the metal media who snub their noses at the mere mention of Les Légions Noires, MUTIILATION or VLAD TEPES. Sorry but I hate you all but hey I think this is fantastic.
Whether it's the melodic yet harsh rips across the face of "Balancier des Âmes" or the beautifully harsh atmospheric "Souffles d'Ailleurs" that ends also in a tone of hateful beauty which old school French BM was known for. Absolutely a great release by SOMBRE CROISADE.


http://pestrecords.ucoz.com/

https://pestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sombre-croisade-balancier-des-mes

https://www.facebook.com/Sombre-Croisade-182174508542958/