HIDEOUS MANGLEUES - All Your Friends Are Dead Reissue review

 

HIDEOUS MANGLEUES - All Your Friends Are Dead Reissue

Hells Headbangers Records

There's a lot to unpack here as far as personal history goes as well as other stuff. First off the original version of this CD came out in 1996 on Ecocentric Records. And for many Extreme Metal fans it's considered a unholy grail of Grind. I've got a copy albeit years after it came out and if memory serves me I think I got it "used". But there's some personal connection I have with HIDEOUS MANGLEUES. 

Back in the fall of 1989 I moved back to Pennsylvania from North Carolina. I don't want to get into the "whys" about it. In 1990 I saw an ad in a fanzine for the HIDEOUS MANGLEUES demo All Your Friends Are Dead. It was a thirty-two song cassette tape. It was like three bucks so I sent em a five for postage. Maybe a month went by until it came in the mail I fuckin liked it a lot. 

Now at that time I was also doing my own print fanzine, which was all about underground music, so I wrote to the band if they wanted to do an interview. I included a dozen questions to em in the package and that was it. Once again some weeks went by and the band sent me a package. In it was their interview answers as well as their new five song 7"er We Live... So yeah good times back in the 1990's. 

For history's sake HIDEOUS MANGLEUS started out in 1989. They were from around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They were a four piece act consisting of Sam Biles on vocals, someone named Feev on guitar, Joel Bonde on bass, and Curt Bonde on drums. Why were they not well known back then? Well when the mainstream music media and labels at that time pushed other acts then the underground ones get lost in the way. 

But hey the cool thing is that HELLS HEADBANGERS, as always, delivers the goods when it comes to bands from the past who deserve recognition. Plus they put it out on CD as well as double vinyl. Musically HIDEOUS MANGLEUS were early ghouls of Grind who had a background in Punk fuckin Rock as well as Metal. I always thought they were a fun extreme sounding band. This is a soundtrack for insanity and getting reissued is one of the best things ever. Nuff Said!

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hideousmangleus.bandcamp.com/album/all-your-friends-are-dead-2

ARGUS MEGERE - Cerburea apusului review

 

ARGUS MEGERE - Cerburea apusului

Loud Rage Music

So when I saw this release come in for review and learned the basic PR info about it I got excited. ARGUS MEGERE is another Romanian Black Metal band fronted by Fulmineos (aka: Emilian Matlak). I'm familiar with one of his other bands ORDINUL NEGRU. I've got two of their full length releases and they're both damm good. After listening to this one a few times I can say yeah there's a huge difference in the two bands. 

Just for the record ARGUS MEGERE is a band Fulmineos started way back in 1996. Their first full length, Obscur și etern, came out in 2001. What we have here is their fifth full length. Now since I can't judge this upon the band's previous releases. I will say it's far different than ORDINUL NEGRU which is just great Black Metal. 

ARGUS MEGERE is a grandiose mix of a lot of things. I mean there's Folk influenced Black Metal, melodic atmospheric keyboard driven prog, straight up Black Metal as well as a touch of Doom. This is what, in the past, I described as late night Black Metal. There's five tracks on here with only one an instrumental, "Șarpele din Nouri", being under five minutes. The other four tracks are long epic journeys into atmospheric realms of rich sound. 

Always remember that in order to come away with this style you need great musicianship. Whether it's the delicate use of keyboards, the dynamic drum work, the melodic guitar sounds that run throughout and of course the various vocal styles being performed. I mean this is not just an album. It's a classic piece of music composed by the Romanian artist Fulmineos. 

A decade ago I said the future of Classical Music will be created by artists from the Black Metal scene. It was a total boast on my part at the time based on listening to one or two albums I liked. But here we are now and listening to this it's like I am proven right. Even better is that this is not what those hiptard losers back in the day thought Black Metal would "progress" into. 

Yeah this is Black Metal on it's own artist's terms producing some amazing sounds, ruling atmosphere and an enjoying tranquil touch at moments while still under greatness by a raw blackened attack. I like this a lot and also I can die now. I mean nothing is gonna beat this one so Boom! Just kidding but it is an amazing release which should be checked out.

http://www.loudragemusic.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://loudragemusic.bandcamp.com/album/argus-megere-cerburea-apusului

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

CADAVRUL - Necrotic Savagery review

 

CADAVRUL - Necrotic Savagery 

Loud Rage Music

Obviously anyone into Extreme Metal knows that the great nation of Romania has a Black Metal scene worth it's weight in postage fees for vinyl and CDs. But for me I think their Death Metal scene gets overlooked a bit. I'm always looking for that cool as fuck Death Metal act from Romania who kick fuckin ass. 

Well people here we have one. CADAVRUL, which means "corpse" in Romanian, started out back in 2005. They put out a demo in 2006 and finally released a full length in 2013 titled Enter the Morgue which was a self release. So now all of these years later we have a new full length release which sound-wise could've came out in 1992. 

I'm just saying the style is completely Old School Death Metal which for anyone who reads this blog (and frankly who doesn't) knows that's the DM style I'm into for the most part. And in all honesty I don't give a fuck what year it is or where you're from. If it sounds good then it's a winner in my book. So yeah CADAVRUL's Necrotic Savagery is a winner for many reasons. 

First off sound-wise this album comes off closer to early US Death Metal than the Eastern European variety. The rhythm section pretty much nails it on every song without jumping out. The riffs are dark, dirty and savage. Plus you've got a vocalist who comes across as a bear woken up too early from hibernation and he's pissed. The guitar soloing is minimal but there's some cool melodic runs which are perfect. 

All in all it's been a while there for this Romanian DM act but hey their return is worth it. This is a perfect DM album, period end of story. So get it!   

http://www.loudragemusic.com/

LISTON HERE:

https://loudragemusic.bandcamp.com/album/cadavrul-necrotic-savagery

CATTLE HAMMER – Dark Thoughts With Lights Out EP review

 

CATTLE HAMMER – Dark Thoughts With Lights Out EP

Road To Masochist

Who was the motherfucker that came up with the phrase "The more things change. The more they stay the same"? I wanna know because that is my opinion of Extreme Metal over the past decade. I need to do an Op/Ed on that. But with that said here we have another cool sounding band that falls into that trap known as "For Fans Of" which they don't deserve but will be pigeon-holed into by others anyway. 

CATTLE HAMMER, ah yeah that's a cool band name and I do know what it means. This English Sludge/Drone band started out in 2023. Their mainman is guitarist / vocalist Duncan Wilkins who's mostly known by me as being in the Blackened Grindcore band FUKPIG. Since starting out a few years back they've put out a few short form releases. A two song full length titled Cattle Hammer's Methlehem came out early last year. They also put out a compilation of the 2023 demos last year.

So now we have their four song EP. It should also be noted that along with Duncan Wilkins on guitar and vocals there's second guitarist Wyles, J (?) along with the rhythm section of bassist Darren Donovan and drummer Issac Cartwright. This four piece is involved in creating some cool sounding, albeit familiar, sludgey drone. I mean sure listening to this is reminiscent of sounds I heard in the past. I'm talking about slightly blackened snail paced sludgy drone doom which was great for a late night blasting party of drinking and debauchery. It's not that boring crap that slips into the genre by hiptards.

In the end, and after a bunch of plays, I like this short form release a lot.CATTLE HAMMER are the epitome of great sounding Sludgy Drone in 2026. This is a cool late night volume up blast. You know who this is really "for fans of"? Extreme Metal fans who go about their day. Blasting something like this either before or after they go to work, or party, or whatever.  

https://roadtomasochist.co.uk/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVRItOA_K_o

HYPERION - Cybergenesis review

 HYPERION - Cybergenesis

Fighter Records

Just for the record back in 2020 this Italian Power Metal band put out a killer album titled Into the Maelstrom which I liked a lot. And like I always state honestly I'm not a Power Metal fan. But I like good music. So here we are six years later and HYPERION has just released the best album of their career as well as being a contending powerhouse to their German Power Metal peers. 

First off a lot of things have changed in this band in the years. Starting with new vocalist Max Morelli who joined in 2023. This guy has a better vocal style than his predecessor. He's a great Power Metal vocalist minus the heavy metal screams. Next up you've got new guitarist Francis Di Pasquale who is responsible for the exceptional lead work which runs throughout this album. I mean this guy can shred, create melodic leads and is also into guitar pyrotechnics like a English Power Metal band that I'm not very fond of to say the least. 

Anyways this eight song release should be manna from a Power Metal heaven for fans. I've gotta say "Yet We Still Fight" is my favorite cut on here. There's others like "The Shackles of Chronitus" which is Max Morelli's best vocal performance on this album. Mainman, guitarist and original member Davide Cotti is keeping this band alive and over the past few years has done well. If his vision was to create an amazing sounding Power Metal band that had an old school touch along with a tech sense on the guitars then he did it.

Don't be surprised to see this one in my end of year favorites.

http://www.fighter-records.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hyperionbandheavy.bandcamp.com/album/cybergenesis

MOONCHAPEL - Three Faced Trinity For A Two-Faced World review

 

MOONCHAPEL - Three Faced Trinity For A Two-Faced World 

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

This is the third full length release by Maryland's MOONCHAPEL who are also a one man act. The one man being Kyle Shuman who obviously performs all instruments along with vocals. He's also the mainman behind the band EMBERS OF OUROBOROS. That act had an album out also on this label last year titled The Autumnal Decline and Hermetic Maturation. 

This is my introduction to MOONCHAPEL and in all honesty musically this is nothing I haven't heard before. But that doesn't mean it's not intriguing. The genre tagline is Blackened Death Metal and yeah it has that going for it. Then again this release has a certain strong cryptic Black Metal quality. I like the subdued vocals as if they're coming out from walls by hidden faces all while the music is blasting a relentless assault. 

There's that old school raw quality in the overall sound which a lot of modern bands just don't do anymore. This is brutal horror that anyone into H.P. Lovecraft or Edgar Allan Poe will enjoy. This is an eight cut album and the first seven cuts convey an intense suspenseful agony that wants the listener to be in fear as well as hopelessness. The final and title cut comes across as a meaningful yet welcome to hell type of situation. 

Like I said earlier I've heard music like this before. MOONCHAPEL, on this release, definitely provide a far more believable evil atmosphere than what I've been hearing of late. To me this is Black Metal and it's only January. This release is something you need to play in October during Halloween. Fuck the pumpkins! Fuck the candy! Just blast this one because it's really fuckin scary. 

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/three-faced-trinity-for-a-two-faced-world