CHARIOTS OVERDRIVE - The End of Antiquity review

 

CHARIOTS OVERDRIVE - The End of Antiquity

Gates of Hell Records

I am shocked, shocked I say because this band reminds me of CIRITH UNGOL in that the music is great but the vocals are horrible. OK horrible is not the right description. I'll just say they're out of sync with the style of music being produced on this release.

This is the debut release by CHARIOTS OVERDRIVE a four piece act from Georgia. By the way all four members of this band are from China. They started out in 2023 and prior to this they released a demo and a single. 

Musically this a mix of 80's Underground Metal, some Thrash and Power Metal. All in all I like their sound throughout this nine song release. The opening acoustic guitar instrumental opening sucks. Then it rocks with "Parasite" which is cool. Every song on here, except for the other instrumental "Sunken Throb" is cool. 

So here's the problem in not so humble opinion. CIRITH UNGOL had Tim Baker's over the top octave vocals. This band has a punk rock singer who can't push an octave above a real guy vocal to save his life. When he tries to push it higher then you feel screwed. The guy's name is Hong Zhao who plays rhythm guitar, some leads and sings. 

One dollar says they get deported as Chinese spies. 

http://www.gatesofhellrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://chariotsoverdrive.bandcamp.com/album/the-end-of-antiquity

HELLRIPPER – Coronach review

 

HELLRIPPER – Coronach

Century Media Records

OK so for starters I'm a HELLRIPPER fan but in all honesty I don't go back re-listening to their releases as much as I do with early MIDNIGHT or TOXIC HOLOCAUST. Those two bands need to be mentioned because HELLRIPPER is basically the Scottish version of them. All are one man bands doing Blackened Thrash / Speed Metal. The one man in this case is James McBain who performs everything in the studio.  

I got into HELLRIPPER way back with their The Manifestation of Evil EP from 2015. So sure when James McBain started out the sound was raw aka: low production, etc. Then the full lengths came out and hell yeah this guy was a new leading force from Scotland doing what Americans were doing already (aka: early MIDNIGHT and TOXIC HOLOCAUST). 

I'll say that this release sound wise is a well produced Blackened Thrash album. It's the best thing HELLRIPPER has ever done. When it comes to the riffs as well as guitar soloing this one shines. Of course the added keyboards gives it a cool Symphonic BM feel on a couple of cuts. McBain is mostly in a Blackened screech vocal mode throughout this release.

But all in all after five listens in two days I'm not into returning to it for a while. Still it's a great release. 

https://www.centurymedia.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hellripper.bandcamp.com/album/coronach-24-bit-hd-audio

TYRANN - Tyrann Forever review

 

TYRANN - Tyrann Forever

Dying Victims Productions

Electric Assault Records

OK so I know I'm old but I am not senile, yet. I know it's 2026 but listening to this release you would think it's 1986. The opening cut on here, "Born for Hell", could've easily appeared on one of those Metal Blade compilations from back then. So yeah we're talking about some fuckin nostalgia sound here. But there's a reason for that which will come about a few lines down. 

This is the third full length from TYRANN, a four piece act who hail from Stockholm, Sdewen. They've been around since 2018 and besides the full lengths they've released a bunch of short form releases as well. Musically it's 1980's Hard Rock / Heavy Metal. And for someone like myself was around back then this just sounds so fuckin cool. but hey the members of this band are not strange to nostalgia.

Something important to mention is that the band members of TYRANN are or where in some cool bands I liked before. For example you've got bassist / vocalist Tobias Lindqvist who use to be in ENFORCER. Drummer Jakob Ljungberg was also in ENFORCER as well as TRIBULATION. Just for the record I like TRIBULATION's first album when they were an Old School Death Metal band. What came out afterwards I'm not a fan of.

But next we've got on guitars Adam Zaars who is in TRIBULATION as well as being once in ENFORCER as well as REPUGNANT. And finally there's Joseph Tholl on guitar who was also in ENFORCER and is still in TRIBULATION.

 

Now I'm not saying what these guys are doing makes TYRANN sound like equals to the big heavies of that era. But as far as the second tier bunch or what we called the Underground Metal scene back in the day. Yeah this four piece would've been huge. I mean you've got great vocals. The riffs are decent and the guitar solos are cool. In all honesty it's like a pre-ENFORCER. By the way this is a split release between ELECTRIC ASSAULT RECORDS who are doing the vinyl and DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS who are releasing this on CD.

https://dying-victims.de/

http://electricassaultrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/tyrann-forever

BAPHOMET'S BLOOD - Satanic Metal Attack Reissue

 

BAPHOMET'S BLOOD - Satanic Metal Attack Reissue

Dying Victims Productions

So if you read this blog, and frankly who doesn't, then you know of the Italian Thrash band BULLDOZER. They came out in the mid-1980's with a sound that was Euro Thrash meets MOTORHEAD. Their first album, The Day of Wrath, is a must own full length release. Everything after that is up to you. I finally saw BULLDOZER a few years ago and it was a bucket list moment for me. 

Which brings us to BAPHOMET'S BLOOD, who I've said in a review of their last full length release, are the children of BULLDOZER. That release was 2016's In Satan We Trust. They're not influenced by Teutonic Thrash or VENOM like BULLDOZER was. But they have the Speed Metal attitude and the whole satanic aura. 

This debut album of their's from 2006 originally came out on Dies Irae Records. Iron Bonehead Productions reissued it in 2016. So here we are a decade later with Dying Victims Productions giving it another chance. And all I can say is hell fuckin yeah. I mean with songs like "Blood, Vomit and Satan", "Satanic Beerdrinkers", "Speed Metal Warriors" and onward. Yeah this is a cool sounding Extreme Metal release. And it's from a band I like in the modern era.

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/satanic-metal-attack

KARLOFF - Revered By Death review

 

KARLOFF - Revered By Death 

Dying Victims Productions

Well with a name like KARLOFF I was figuring Dying Victims Productions was going to branch off with some Doom acts for once. I mean KARLOFF, it's a reminder of the famous actor Boris Karloff. He's the guy who played Frankenstein's monster, the original Mummy and was in a huge amount of early horror movies from way back in the Universal studio picture days of the 1930's. He continued to make various other movies all the way to the 1960's. So yeah I was expecting some cool Gothic Doom.

But no, alas, because this is more like Blackened Speed Metal / Punk and noise, some of the faster cuts are in the vein of early MIDNIGHT. KARLOFF is a three piece act hailing from Germany. The band started out in 2018. This is the band's second full length overall. Just for the record, if you know your German Death Metal then the mainman in this band is Tom Horrified (aka: Tom Hoffmann) who sings and plays drums in GRAVEYARD GHOUL. In KARLOFF he's the singer and guitarist.  

I'll be generous and say there's some Doom on this release. I mean "When The Flames Devour You All" is pretty miserable. "On Weathered Altar" is a Doomish Psych instrumental. Other cuts have hints of CELTIC FROST with some dynamic riffage. Overall it's a dark hate filled release with eight cuts but only an EP's worth which I'd call decent. There's no cool guitar lead work since Tom Hoffmann is a drummer. 

As I mentioned earlier this is Tom Hoffmann's side project while his Death Metal real job sits on hold. So take that for what it's worth.

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/revered-by-death

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO - De Venom Natura review

 

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO - De Venom Natura

Self Released

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO is an Italian band I learned about in 2024 with their debut full length Fire Blades from the Tomb. That one came out on Season of Mist records. This new one is a self release which to me seems crazy because this band is killer. Musically PONTE DEL DIAVOLO answer the question as in what if Siouxsie Soux from the old English Post Punk band SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES fronted a Blackened Doom / Post Punk act. 

I liked their debut album a lot. They also have a compilation of their three early EPs which came out in late 2024 on Time to Kill Records. That's something I really wanna pick up but for now we have this seven song full length. You've got six originals and a cover of BAUHAUS's "In the Flat Field". Ah hell yeah on the BAUHAUS cover. 

For me this is better than their debut. The songs come across as more intricate whether they be Blackened Doom or the Gothic Post Punk stuff. They even throw in a trombone player on one song. There's also a duet on "Silence Walk With Me" featuring Gionata Potenti from the Italian Black Metal band NUBIVAGANT. Of course for me it's the amazing vocals by Erba del Diavolo which wins me over along with the overall sound and atmosphere the whole band produces. 

In the end yeah this is a winner. Of course I'm shocked this release is not on a label whether small or large. I mean what the fuck is going on here?  

LISTEN AND BUY IT HERE:

https://pontedeldiavolo666.bandcamp.com/album/de-venom-natura

WITCH PISS - The Devil Doesn't Burn review

 

WITCH PISS - The Devil Doesn't Burn

Ardua Music

Well with a name like WITCH PISS how could I not check em out. Now in all of my years I've never tasted Witch Piss. But I've certanly had my face into some Witch cunt. Be that personal acknowlegdement out of the way here we have the second full length by Belguim's WITCH PISS. They are a five piece Stoner Rock / Doom act.

 

Musically it all comes across as popular bluesy sounding Metal. If Belguim has a Grammy thing then this band would win. I'm joking on that point seriously with a name like WITCH PISS? But musically this band comes across like mainstream rock and it's very US oriented in sound. If I could pick an influence I'd say they like CORROSION OF CONFORMITY. 

If that floats your boat then here ya go. Great album cover which would be cool on a t-shirt. 

https://www.arduamusic.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://witchpiss1.bandcamp.com/album/the-devil-doesnt-burn