71TONMAN - War Is Peace, Peace Is Slavery EP review

 

71TONMAN - War Is Peace, Peace Is Slavery EP

Transcending Obscurity Records

Just for the record, Poland has really started to have a decent sludge metal scene. I mean overall that nation's musicians have done everything in high levels when it comes to extreme metal. So it's about time for some sludgy creeping filth. I've been hearing a few acts before and 71TONMAN is the latest for me. Of course a three song EP is not a bad way either.

War Is Peace, Peace Is Slavery is the fourth release by this Polish five piece act. Prior to this one they've put out two full lengths and a split. As far as this one goes there's an Orwellian take on the song titles. You've got "War Is Peace", "Peace Is Slavery" and "Ignorance Is Strength". 

The first two cuts come off as basically Sludge Metal 101. You've got your slow filthy riffs which crush, kill and destroy. The rhythm section carries things along in similar fashion. The vocals are bestial in an almost garbled way. Actually the singer sounds like a drunken bear which is kind of a change. 

Musically this does have a creepy fascination as far as sludge goes. The band does know when to break from the pattern and inject some beauty via an atmospheric break. At other times the band can get quite vicious like on the second track. Punch in some speedy moments amid the pummeling sounds.

The third song is kind of a bore since it's simply ambient sounds with the singer whispering, muttering or talking in his sleep. I don't know. It's nine plus minutes long and after the six minute mark I kept going back to the first two cuts which are pretty cool. When it's comes to liking newer sludge metal bands I always think "well it's better than those hipsters from over a decade ago who invaded the metal scene." Yeah this EP by 71TONMAN have peaked my interest into wanting to know what they've done before.

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://71tonmanband.bandcamp.com/album/war-is-peace-peace-is-slavery-sludge-doom-metal

PORTAL - Avow review

 

PORTAL - Avow

Profound Lore Records

If PORTAL recorded themselves taking a dump in their recording studio cave complex. A plethora a metal media scribes would hail it as the greatest thing they ever did. Of course it would be an EP or a split release. Now I open here with that statement because I thought their last full length, Ion, was not that good. 

In fact I still hail 2007's Outre and Swarth from 2009 as their best releases. I'm a huge fan of those releases. In fact I was blasting Outre the other day. So I don't see myself as not getting it while everyone else does when it comes to liking the band's more recent material. I look at it as herd mentality and a very small herd it is.

Now with that type of pre-release not so excitement I delved into this latest one with an open mind. Seriously I did. So I have to say for starters Avow is more of an endurance test of nerves then an album. When the album opened with the screams on "Catafalque" I was like cool. And in fact even though it's too long a cut at ten plus a few second in length, it was a great way to set the tone. 

But then the rest of this album played through and I got bored with it. How bored you ask? Well the second time listening to Avow I remembered I needed to send some detailed emails to work. So basically this release was just background noise. And that's my big problem with modern day Portal. 

When PORTAL started out they were a blackened death metal act be it in their own unique style. Then afterwards, and especially on this one, they're just a noise rock act with vocals spoken over a wall of deranged noise. And what's with the "experimental" tagline they've been given of late? Is that from idiots who never heard of No Wave from the late 70's/early 80's?

I'd say the song "Bode" brought me back from the abyss of boredom. Frankly I was about to do laundry. I gave this five listens and in the end it starts off strong and finished well with "Drain". But inbetween it's pointless noise by a band who forgot how to write songs which capture your attention. I feel sorry for em. 

 

https://profoundlorerecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/avow

FELLED - The Intimate Earth review

 

FELLED - The Intimate Earth 

Transcending Obscurity Records

Here we have the debut album by this blackened folk metal act from Oregon. Now for a few years I've heard folk elements injected into black metal. It's nothing new to the scene. What FELLED, who are a four piece act, are doing is something completely different from what you might have heard in the past.  

Trust me when I see the term "Neo-folk", I walk away. Basically I know it's some hipster scribe bullshit. I'm going to see WARDRUNA later this year and if you called them Neo-Folk then Einar Selvik will come out and punch you in the face. So for facts sake FELLED are not hipster Neo-Folk. For starters they're from Oregon. Yeah I know we're trending on bad ice here. But you will be surprised. 

The basics for FELLED are a very cool sounding atmospheric black metal act which utilizes a violin player as a lead instrumentalist. She, Tiffany Holliday, is your lead guitarist and your rhythm maker plus she adds some vocals. So this is something I like, I like a lot. Two of the members of this band are also in the Doom metal act POET. So there's some melancholy influence there on this five song forty minute release.

In the end I keep going back to some melodies on here which make this one of those late night black metal classics. The bestial vocals, the guitar tremolo picked rhythms and the violin solos. Add to that the mixture of beauty and blackened intensity. Yeah I like it. I like it a lot. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://felledblackmetal.bandcamp.com/album/the-intimate-earth-folk-black-metal

SPECTRAL WOUND - A Diabolic Thirst review

 

SPECTRAL WOUND - A Diabolic Thirst

Profound Lore Records

As the saying goes, the third time's the charm. Montreal's SPECTRAL WOUND had two previous full lengths which black metal fans probably thought were decent. Speaking for myself I'd say yeah they were OK. A Diabolic Thirst, the band's third one, will have people wondering wow what changed? Well after giving this a chance listen, at first, I'd say the band revamped the best aspects of their previous work. The end result here is a very powerful and explosive sound. Which is why I've been blasting it many times.

There are a couple of things about this release which remind me of late 90's/early 2000's black metal from Finland. For starters the black and white cover art/photo. Next up musically it's got those raw necro filth styled vocals. The band does inject some melody into their brand of black metal when they're not trying to rip your head off and shit down your neck. So it's not entirely a Finnish copycat. There's plenty of homegrown aspects to their sound (aka: Quebecois black metal style).

The sound on here is mournful as if every verse sung by vocalist Jonah is agony. The melodies invoke that same emotion. With twin guitars there's a continuous wall of riffs, either tremolo picked or just straight up. The band invokes some doom at times and even some chance atmospheric passages. The bottom line here is that every so often a black metal act from Quebec will knock me for a loop and own my stereo. This one will do.

https://profoundlorerecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://spectralwound.bandcamp.com/album/a-diabolic-thirst

GRAVE MIASMA - Abyss of Wrathful Deities review

 

GRAVE MIASMA - Abyss of Wrathful Deities

Sepulchral Voice Records / Dark Descent Records

Well first off I love looking at an album cover that stares back at you and not in a nice way mind you. Looking at this monstrosity I think Lovecraft. As if this thing not only wants to kill you but eat ya afterwards. And not out of hunger either, I'm thinking it just wants to eat you because it's what evil things do.

Now on a similar note this latest one from England's GRAVE MIASMA is something of beast willing to tear you to pieces. This is the band's second full length and the first thing they've released since 2016's Endless Pilgrimage EP. On that last five song EP the band had developed their overall sound slightly away from previous releases. This albums has the band continuing of that beaten path. 

Musically this is modern blackened death with some thrash touches. The vocals are cavernous and the riffs are fuckin relentless. The atmosphere on here is claustrophobic and yet the sound is clean as in production values. Every little intricate detail is enhanced from the dive bomb solos to the subtle drum rolls during song structure breaks. 

Abyss of Wrathful Deities reaches the plateau that this band has been climbing towards over the years. The album grows more sinister from beginning to it's climatic end. Certainly one of the better releases of 2021.

https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/

http://www.sepulchralvoice.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://gravemiasma-svr.bandcamp.com/album/abyss-of-wrathful-deities

MORTIFY - Grotesque Buzzsaw Defilement EP review

 

MORTIFY - Grotesque Buzzsaw Defilement EP 

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

This is the second studio release by Japan's MORTIFY. Supposedly they're a super group but the only person I recognize in the band is guitarist Takuya Koreeda. He use to play bass and scream in COFFINS back in the day. As in yeah on my favorite COFFINS album Buried Death from 2008. 

But what we have here is death grind of the short sharp shock variety. There's twelve tracks on here and most of em under a minute in length. Personally I'd rather hear a full song if you're gonna go the Swedish Death Metal route. But the theme with these guys is simply to rip your head off. If that's your thing then here ya go. I did like the sound bite from the 70's movie The Night Strangler.

http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/grotesque-buzzsaw-defilement

 

SLAUGHTERCOFFIN - Unholy Soldiers of Satan review

 

SLAUGHTERCOFFIN - Unholy Soldiers of Satan 

Corrupted Flesh Records

Well with a name like SLAUGHTERCOFFIN this band has to be from, Sweden? Actually I was expecting this band to be from from one of the northern nations of South America. Whose band members were involved in or know some who perform satanic murder cult ritual killings on unknowing travelers who venture into the wrong neighborhoods.

But no this band is from Sweden and nothing against that. I love Swedish death metal. I've got friends from over there. They're heavily into death metal, black metal and doom. But they're so fuckin nice. Be that as it may I'm sure they'ed be into SLAUGHTERCOFFIN. They're a band which started out a few years ago and this is their first full length or compilation. I just don't know from the PR info. So I did some looking.

Unholy Soldiers of Satan originally was a four song EP. To make it a full length the label added three songs from the band's “End All Life” demo to enhance things. Actually it's a pretty smart idea. Musically the sound on here is blackened death metal/thrash with dependence of the HM Boss pedal for some crunch to their guitars. The vocals come off in that raw bestial style. In all it's old school satanic slam pit inducing stuff.

https://www.corrupted-flesh.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://corruptedfleshrecords.bandcamp.com/album/unholy-soldiers-of-satan-2

PUNCTURE WOUND - Complete Carnage of Coagulating Cacophonous Corpses review

 

PUNCTURE WOUND - Complete Carnage of Coagulating Cacophonous Corpses

Corrupted Flesh Records

So what we have here is pretty cool at least in my not so humble opinion. This is the debut full length by Australia's PUNCTURE WOUND. They're a death metal act that started out a few years back. Prior to this one they just released an EP and a few singles. Yeah I'm sure those hits went to the Top of the Pops. 

But anyways the main reason I think they're cool is that their sound is not a copycat version of some of their country's contemporaries in the death metal genre. In other words they're not blackened, have cavernous vocals or production and there's no wall of suffocating noise. I'm not going to name drop but intelligent readers know where I'm going with that.

PUNCTURE WOUND are pure old school sounding death metal but the kicker here is they sound like they're USDM. In fact let's just name the elephant in the bloody corner. That would be Corpsegrinder era CANNIBAL CORPSE but I'll say they add a touch of Sweden's GRAVE as well.

Now for you jaded fuckers here's an analogy for ya. My favorite kind of bread is Rosemary baked bread. Sure the fuckers who make it nowadays call it "artisan" in order to charge more for it. But basically it's just herb encrusted bread. Now the recipe is probably a hundred years old but I get it every once in a while baked fresh and it's great. 

It's the same way with a new band who takes an old recipe and runs with it. If I was so lucky to see this band play the states I'd be the old guy in the crowd in fuckin awe. And if some loser behind me said "They sound like so n so". I'd turn around and say "well they're not playing tonight so enjoy this or leave, loser." 

PUNCTURE WOUND pretty much check all the boxes as far as great death metal goes. Also it helps to write about em after work at midnight while having a beer. But anyways trudging riffs, YES. Mean guy throaty vocals, yeah check that one. A quality rhythm section that accompanies the riff package, YEP. Amazing solo work in the breaks, ah not as much as I would like but what they do is decent. 

In the end I got to say by the third listen this band won me over. It's old school but it just sounds fresh, exciting and of course diabolical. Meet the new kings of Australian Death Metal.

https://www.corrupted-flesh.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://corruptedfleshrecords.bandcamp.com/album/puncture-wound-complete-carnage-of-coagulating-cacophonous-corpses

APHRODITE - Orgasmic Glory review

 

APHRODITE - Orgasmic Glory

Fighter Records

Well for starters you gotta love the cover artwork. To me it's out of Greek Mythology and depicts the Athenian hero Theseus when he meets up with the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. Theseus does kill the Minotaur by the way, hope I didn't ruin it for ya. But anyways if you were thinking this was some Greek band doing the whole mythology trip you would be only half right.

Yes APHRODITE are into the whole Greek Mythology trip but they're from Canada. They're also a speed metal three piece which started out a few years back and this is their second full length. The band is led by Jo Steel who's in charge of the guitars, bass and drums. Those of you in Canada might also know Jo from his one man project ICE WAR, as well as a few other acts.

The second member of this act is lead guitarist Yan Turbo. Let me tell ya this guy is a shredder to say the least. The third member here is sort of familiar to me since I know of her other band DEMONA and that is vocalist Tanza Speed. She's originally from Vaparaíso, Chile but moved to Canada some years ago and now lives in the US. 

Musically this is definitely a throwback to the 1980's. Speed Metal rose it's ugly head out of the underground hardcore scene back in the mid-80's. The bands then liked punk/hardcore but also liked some metal and leaned more to the latter. But talent wise many of em didn't have the style or chops to go full on thrash. So Speed Metal was their avenue and in the past decade or more the genre has resurfaced as being stronger than before.

So with that said let's start out with Tanza's vocals. She sounds like a perfect punk band singer from the late 80's. Her vocal style is the whole sing/speak thing with some howls thrown in. Jo Steel's riffs are catchy and a mix of melodic punk and some speed. Yeah if this came out in 1988 and the band were writing social/political songs then they would've been huge in the underground.

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://fighter-records.bandcamp.com/album/orgasmic-glory

GRUNT - Discipline review

 

GRUNT - Discipline

Larvae Productions 

So when I read in the promo info that "GRUNT are undoubtedly one of the most controversial acts from the modern days, famous for their infamous shows, during which women and men are sexually tortured and exploited, the band delivers a bizarre, cold and explicit live experience." I'm like so what's the point? GWAR was a cool act to watch but their albums sucked. Oh yeah and I've seen the MENTORS. So controversial in 2021 as far as extreme music goes is in the eye of the beholder. 

Be that as it may I have a hard time not laughing at some vocalist wearing a goth SMBDM mask and probably singing with it it on. Actually he reminds me of the really bad Bane character from the 2012 movie The Dark Knight Rises. Dude didn't the whole Covid mask mandate piss you off or what? Well anyways regardless what this band does on stage I'll say listening to this their third full length is a treat to say the least. 

GRUNT hail from Portugal and combine death metal, grindcore and techno into a musical acid bath. Once I got the visuals out of my imagination I started to really enjoy this. It has it's chaotic and thunderous moments similar to symphonic death metal. The techno synth parts ain't annoying. And of course the grind is good. If you're jaded then you'll take a walk from it. But given a chance and it'll kick your ass. 

https://www.larvae.pt/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6xUlRSa8BA

HEAVY SENTENCE - Bang to Rights review

 

HEAVY SENTENCE - Bang to Rights

Dying Victims Productions

I was thinking of saying that this release answers the question what if Lemmy decided to sing for a total NWOBHM band. But this English band's vocalist, Gaz Howells, has a slightly better reach. But damm he's close which is why this debut album to me is damm great. 

Yeah HEAVY SENTENCE hail from England and this is their amazing debut full length. They started out a few years ago and released two EPs prior to this one. No great bass lines but damm this sounds like an unearthed gem from 1981. You've got cool twin guitar harmonies and leads worth their weight in Fast Eddie Clark's sweat. 

The only problem I have with this release is that I hate the album cover artwork. Otherwise this is probably the best thing you're gonna hear in 2021 as far as a homage to music from thirty years ago. Ten songs in over thirty five minutes. That's a perfect time line. HEAVY SENTENCE rules, horns up!

https://www.dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/heavy-sentence-bang-to-rights

ANGRRSTH - Donikad review

 

ANGRRSTH - Donikad 

Godz Ov War Productions

Melody, epic grandeur and power bursting out at the seems. That's what Poland's ANGRRSTH puts forth on this their debut full length. The band doesn't lure you in with atmospheric intros. Nor do they drag you in kicking and screaming. ANGRRSTH simply jumps out at you. 

From the opening sounds of the first track on here, "Ciało me wyklęte", we're talking about a modern black metal sound with vocals a touch psychotic, horrific and whispered. It's melodic yet fierce and the band makes good use of some duel riff patterns. There's plenty of tremolo packed riffage plus some solid rhythms. Call it their own wall of sound. 

The album is seven songs with a running time of just over thirty-five minutes. Musically I have to say this release had me enthralled. I would love to see this band live. Yeah I should be so lucky but I'd be that one guy in the crowd staring as the music engulfed every fiber of my being. In my not so humble opinion 2021 has not been a banner year for black metal. Leave it to this Polish band to put out one of the more memorable releases of the year.

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/donik-d-2

WILCZYCA - DrakoNequissime review

 

WILCZYCA - DrakoNequissime

Godz Ov War Productions

This album is so raw, MAYHEM could use it as a stage prop. While listening to this, the band's third full length, descriptive words like blackened thrash or blackened punk come to mind. This Polish band is actually a two piece act. You've got the mainman Louve who handles the instruments (guitars and drums). While on vocals you've got Nidhogg who's into high pitched screaming.

Musically the band does mix up their momentum with the tempos. It's not all head ripping. Last song on here, "Nema", is an eight minute instrumental and their only track which contains some atmosphere (aka: silence). Overall this release is basement black metal at it's core. Which is not a bad thing since they'd probably kill the audience afterwards.

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/drakonequissime

SZNUR - Dom Cztowieka review

 

SZNUR - Dom Cztowieka

Godz Ov War Productions

What we have here is some misanthropic black metal that's as disturbing as the album cover it dwells in. While listening to the release the first time. I kept staring at the cover art wondering if that's the band's home, a party house or just a dwelling of someone from parts unknown. Either way it's kinda cool. 

SZNUR, which means rope in Polish I mean hey look at their logo, has been around for a few years now. This is the third full length by the band. Actually I believe SZNUR started out in 2017 as a one man project. That one man being Seth who's responsible for the everything which is guitars, vocals and drum programming. There's no bass on here but hey it's raw black metal so who cares? By the way there are two other musicians on here, a drummer and a vocalist.

Be that as it may musically this is pretty cool. The tremolo picked melodies are old school harsh and give way to a brisk atmosphere that's unsettling to say the least. I love the riffs on these songs. Sometimes the missing bass lines is a disadvantage. But overall as a late night black metal listen this works well.

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/dom-cz-owieka

ZGARD - Place of Power review

 

ZGARD - Place of Power

Schwarzdorn Production

Like I always say, black metal music can be harsh as well as brutal but it can also be beautiful. That pretty much says it all about this latest release by Ukraine's ZGARD. From the info I got this has been a one man band for a while with some session players, on drums, added on. The one man here is Yaromisl. As well as being the vocalist and composer he's also responsible for the guitars, bass, some drumming,  keyboards, flutes and Jews Harp.

ZGARD have been around for a while to say the least. The discography starts out in 2012. Of that Yaromisl has come out with six full length releases prior to this one. Unfortunately this is my introduction to his band but I'm liking this one. I'd say musically this release carries that Eastern European black metal rawness with the added symphonic elements. It's not far off from what some of his contemporaries have been pushing of late. 

On Place of Power has a great melodic feel to a good portion of it's cuts. The harshness comes from the vocals which are more like cries of anguish from the wilderness. Sound wise the tempos move from violent to grandiose movements. I'd say there is more than a little latter day BATHORY influence going on with a touch of GRAVELAND. All in all a great listening experience. 

http://www.schwarzdorn.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://schwarzdornproduction.bandcamp.com/album/place-of-power-sd56cd