ANTISJW - Kicking the Hornets Nest EP review

 ANTISJW - Kicking the Hornests Nest EP

Self Released

Extreme music has always had a history of taking it to the establishment. This was especially true in the punk rock underground way back in the late 70's/early 80's. The politics of that punk era were on par with anti-corporate, anti nuclear family norms, anti-religion and of course attacking political leaders. Most of it was aggro styled attacking. While other stuff was based in satire but the hints of truth were there which made it funny. Basically it was the new free speech movement done with three chords and an attitude.

So what happens when the people who argued for more freedom (which happened) and used slogans like "No Slaves No Masters" become the masters of the status quo and big corporate establishment? Well the pendulum swings in the opposite direction. The people nowadays who are all for freedom and anti-censorship have become the enemy of the establishment. You have social justice warriors (much like the past's bible thumpers) making decrees for the rest of us to adhere to or else. They're the new religious orthodoxy with shock troops (Antifa & BLM) acting as brown shirts going after the heretics as if this was a new inquisition. 

And of course there's music which in a way documents the insanity of it all but still in parody. This act's five song EP pushes limits in it's intent which I've seen so many times over the decades. Take the song "Gun Em Down", I've heard plenty of songs with similar intent in the past. It's just that in 2020 the targets have changed. I can't see any difference of this band's song "No White Guilt" and MINOR THREAT's "Guilty of Being White" from the 80's. Yeah I know SLAYER covers it better.

Of the five cuts on here you've got some straight up simplistic punk rock n roll, a touch of funk/trip hop and maybe country. The basic theme going on here is to be irritating and vitriolic towards the lack of humor plus easily offended new status quo. If you're a fan of say BOOTLEG BILL, SMEGMA or ZOOGZ RIFT and totally despise hipsters in revolution cosplay outfits then here you go.

LISTEN HERE:

https://soundcloud.com/user-820745104?fbclid=IwAR1GfjAIJd6MtX-Rmk0XBE_klr75qvUfkC_5vJd4_MrIpoeQd_7XvdnGiNM

JUPITERIAN - Protosapien review

 

JUPITERIAN - Protosapien 

Transcending Obscurity Records

Honestly the whole atmospheric sludge ridden doom thing has gotten old over these past twenty years. Of course it's original purveyors were decent. Then the hipsters in the states came in and ruined it with their musicianship. Personally I like the stuff that has some black metal elements within it. Then again I like my coffee black and since it's Fall some breweries are coming out with their black IPAs. I love those beers.

So here we have the third full length by Brazil's JUPITERIAN. It's their second one for the Transcending Obscurity Records label. I'm a fan of the label but somehow I missed out on this band's previous release 2017's Terraforming. Just to get some perspective on JUPITERIAN I went back and listened to that album. And you wonder why it takes me forever to write a review.

With that said Protosapien is definitely a step up if not in a galactic sense. Personally I consider this night time music. And that's when I've listened to it in order to get a great feeling as the waves of crushing riffs and dissonant guitar electricity flows over my senses. You cannot listen to this in the morning. It would be as annoying as listening to some clown on the radio give you the weather and traffic every ten minutes.

JUPITERIAN has a decent style as far as the whole atmospheric sludge ridden doom genre goes. For the most part it's morphine muck with a slow rhythm section torturing your senses. The bestial vocals add more to the tension then a decent relief. I've had hangovers which were similar it pain. Then again the band will rip into some melody which is like a nightmare. Night time music here for ya.

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://tometal.haulix.com/Media/View/80309

EXPUNGED - Self Titled EP review

 

EXPUNGED - Self Titled EP

Hells Headbangers Records

When it comes to releases by Hells Headbangers Records I'm pretty much hooked like a junkie. Blackened thrash from parts unknown, I'll take it. Some bestial blackened filth from a Midwest American burg band who's release is cassette only, sure why not. But once in a while this label will release something that's not so cliche. This here is one of em.

EXPUNGED is a new Canadian three piece who are into old school death metal. Although their take on it is not so cliche. The five cuts displayed on this EP are brutal, filthy and thrashy. If ya wanna pick it apart as far as past influences go it's a combination of early US and Swedish death metal. Good stuff.

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://expunged.bandcamp.com/album/expunged-2

SARCOPTES - Plague Hymns EP review

SARCOPTES - Plague Hymns EP

Transcending Obscurity Records

SARCOPTES is a two piece black metal act from Sacramento, California who have a real surprise short form release here. First off that's some great cover art work. I hardly ever remark about those things but on this I will. As far as the most important part, the music, it's damm good.

This is the duo's third release overall. Prior to this they put out an EP and an LP, the full length came out in 2016. So here we are four years later this is a two song teaser for us all. Obviously this is a precursor to a future full length. Musically there's a Scandinavian black metal influence going on. 

SARCOPTES are all into cool melodies blistered with blast beat drum attacks. Their song structures are fairly simple with an emphasis on a galloping sound which gives things an atmosphere touch. The vocals are totally harsh and their use of keyboards is not overwhelming. In fact the keys are used as a back drop which totally kicks the door away from any symphonic style.

If anything this two song EP by SARCOPTES lacks a powerful production value that their influences depended on. Yeah it's good in a second tier spot but a full length would stand out far better. Maybe that'll be next year.

 

 https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://sarcoptesblack.bandcamp.com/album/plague-hymns-black-thrash-metal

 

THRONE OF IRON - Adventure One review

 

THRONE OF IRON - Adventure One

No Remorse Records

Listening to the debut from this Bloomington, Indiana four piece is a trip back in time. THRONE OF IRON are all about classic fantasy inspired metal from years ago. No name dropping necessary for us older fucks to understand. Adventure One is a decent ride through some fun epic metal. 

Aside from the Dungeons and Dragons inspired intro the rest of the album is damm good. We're talking about quality songs with catchy fist in the air riffs. A trip back to some NWOBHM times. If anything is a miss it's the vocals which are held out in the background. There would be a huge difference is sound quality if they were arranged equal to the raging music.

This comes on a Greek record label known for pushing classic metal sounding stuff from the past. Obviously I'm a fan of this album aside of it sounding as if it was recorded live. When all of this Covid crap is over I'll bet ya this band will be on all of those Keep It True style fests here in the states as well as Europe.

https://www.noremorse.gr/

LISTEN HERE:

https://throneofiron.bandcamp.com/album/adventure-one

HATEFUL - Set Forever On Me review

 

HATEFUL - Set Forever On Me 

Transcending Obscurity Records

So with a band name like HATEFUL what's not to like? Well for there's one glaring thing and it's that this Italian three piece act are Tech Death. Yes as many if not most readers know I've never been a big fan of this style of death metal. As I've said many times I can turn around to stare my shelves of CDs and pick out a handful of bands who play tech death. Now to throw a wrench in your hate for my tastes. I do like plenty of DM acts who are technical but not full blown tech death. Does that make sense to you? Probably not but then again who gives a fuck.

Like I earlier had written, HATEFUL hail from Italy and have also been around for twenty-plus years. Albeit this release is their third full length. Hey they've got jobs in other bands obviously. So how tech death is this release? Well after hearing five songs I've got a pain in my neck. Then again to fans of this sub genre that's obviously a good thing. Musically I'll say HATEFUL stick with the Euro style of tech death as opposed to the US version.

With the exception of those awful high note bass leads, which pop in on a few cuts, this leans fairly towards what you would've heard twenty years ago. Wow, they're old school tech death go figure. Then again I won't go that far. HATEFUL's foundation, especially on the latter half of this release, is 2000's era DM with neck snapping song structures, an amazing drum / bass tag team and no jazz influences. 

As far as the guitar work goes you basically have some decent heavy riffage which seems to be the back drop for a caustic yet bestial vocals. The leads are jump in subtlety which I thought was cool. In the end I found HATEFUL to be a tech death type of band who's into inviting you towards their music as opposed to shoving it into your face. 

 https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hateful.bandcamp.com/album/set-forever-on-me-technical-death-metal

APHONIC THRENODY - The Great Hatred review

APHONIC THRENODY - The Great Hatred 

Transcending Obscurity Records

A few years ago I did a review for another band from this label called TOWARDS ATLANTIS LIGHTS. They were a pretty heavy handed funeral doom band which features members from various other acts from other nations. One of their members was guitarist /bassist Riccardo Veronese from England. So here we have Veronese's other band, although he's in a few more.

APHONIC THRENODY is another international band featuring (along with Veronese) Juan Esteban Escobar from Chile on keyboards and American Justin Buller on guitars. Both of whom are in bands I've never heard of, yeah my loss right. But anyways The Great Hatred, which is their third full length, does not stray too far from what Veronese was doing with TOWARDS ATLANTIS LIGHTS.

This album is what I'd call the epitome of funeral doom or if you prefer, atmospheric death doom. Genre taglines a side if you like MY DYING BRIDE then this is right up your alley. You've got your heavy riffs paired with guitar lead melodies which carry you along. The vocals are a mix of depressive growls or screams of a bear in torment. Then there's the whispered clean singing runs which are used slightly and effectively. I like how on some songs the bass and piano work so well together and complimenting each other.

For me it's the soaring melodies aligned with the claustrophobic atmosphere of their sound which keeps me interested in this slightly less than an hour long release. There's six mostly long cuts. Of those surprisingly I think the ones over ten minutes in length are the most captivating and yeah not boring or repetitive. I'm talking about the menacing and so reminiscent of MDB "The Rise of the Phoenix", the solemn "Interrogation" as well as the awesome "Drowning". On the whole this is sweet elegance with roses as opposed to a dirty field with a empty grave awaiting an occupant. 

 https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://aphonicthrenodydoom.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-hatred-atmospheric-death-doom-metal

 

OXALATE - Infatuating Sickness EP review

 

OXALATE - Infatuating Sickness EP

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

Can I just say that 2020 sucks. Now I don't mean on the whole extent of it although I have been pissed for months now. But even on the music front it's been kind of a boring year. I've listen to so much stuff that a year or two ago I would've been excited about. But compared to the lock-downs and other bullshit going on, I've just been bored.

Then something like this falls through the depressive cracks and I'm psyched. OXALATE is a four piece act from the New York/New Jersey area. To me that location proximity is strange because I grew up in NJ years ago and we hated New York as well as New Yorkers. And they hated us as well. But hey times have changed with one exception, OXALATE play some cool sounding Northeast death metal. 

There's just four songs on here but they all come at you with this raw intensity and bite. Part of it lingers in death doom sewers of old while other times it's thrash pit intensity in a local club with heshers going apeshit. Give this band a full length because they've got the death chops.

http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/infatuating-sickness

VADER - Solitude in Madness review

VADER - Solitude in Madness

Nuclear Blast

So here's the sixteenth full length by VADER. Bias alert, I'm a huge VADER fan. For me as a fan it's not just their brand of death metal (with touches of thrash on occasion) which excites me. It's their consistency to continually put out great music over their long career without tossing out a dud. 

Sure I own all of VADER's full lengths as well as a few short form releases. They're not all perfect albeit some of em are which is an opinion most DM fans agree on. We're talking Polish Metal Power here people. One thing I have noticed is that after a few decent releases VADER will come out with a complete ass kicking of a record. This is one of em. 

Solitude in Madness is eleven short cuts, no songs over four minutes, with a running time of thirty minutes. Yeah that's like an EP but honestly I'm getting tired of over forty five minute releases. So you've got a half hour's worth of death thrash brutality. There's really no nonsense and the only surprise on here was their cover of "Dancing in the Slaughterhouse” by fellow countrymen ACID DRINKERS. All in all a great VADER release and probably their best in a while.

https://www.nuclearblast.de/en/shop/index.html

LISTEN HERE:

https://vader-band.bandcamp.com/

 

LEECHES - A Plague in the Heart of Light Demo review

LEECHES - A Plague in the Heart of Light Demo

Fucking Your Creation Records

LEECHES is a new side project by Wrath from the Greek black metal institution DODSFERD. Now I've been a fan of DODSFERD since their second album Fucking Your Creation from 2007. I liked how Wrath combined depressive hate filled black metal with some black n roll. Over the years that style was fairly consistent. But in recent times Wrath as taken DODSFERD to some progressive moments. In fact I thought their last two albums were fantastic. 

Now with LEECHES, Wrath has gone back to the basics aka: Old School Black Metal 101. His helpers include fellow DODSFERD alumni Nikos S. on guitar and drums plus Apostolis Kotouzas from SORGELIG on bass. Wrath just does vocals. A Plague in the Heart of Light is a perfect title as far as the musical essence on this release. There's five cuts, one of which is an instrumental. 

Basically it's simplistic yet forceful, rude and crude early 90's era BM. If a new band was doing this then I wouldn't think too much of it. But this is fuckin Wrath who's been doing BM for close to twenty years now. This is his sound from many years ago. All of these tracks could've been on early DODSFERD releases. So yeah this is a cool release.

LISTEN HERE: 

https://leechesbm.bandcamp.com/releases

 

HEGEMONY - Enthroned by Persecution review

 

HEGEMONY - Enthroned by Persecution

Hells Headbangers Records

HEGEMONY is a three piece act hailing from Alabama but you can be forgiven if you thought they were a Finnish blackened death band. Yeah I was shocked, shocked I say, when I learned that. But always remember, when you see the Hells Headbangers logo on the back of a release you just buy it. You know it's going to be extreme.

This release is good if you're into a low-fi filth ridden sounding crud, which obviously I am. I know I mentioned the Finnish connection but I'd also add a hint of Columbian blackened death squad sounds. Oh so fitting since this band from the states comes from the deep south. 

Musically this debut album is relentless in it's brutal sound. The maniacal drum work leads the way through most of their cuts. The riffs are full on deranged passages which follow the drumming. Once in a while the bass sounds come in to be diabolical. And of course the vocals are cavernous/bestial. 

Listening to Enthroned by Persecution is as if they're about to be set on fire if they don't please a tyrannical ruler set upon by psychotic fantasies of grandeur. I've got some friends down in Alabama, hopefully who survived the hurricane. I'm gonna ask them about this band. 

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hegemonicdeath.bandcamp.com/releases