MAUL - Gallery of Torment Compilation review

 

MAUL - Gallery of Torment Compilation

Corrupted Flesh Records

Normally when a band's promo release info goes onto explain to me how to think, I'm headed for the DELETE. As for this one when I read the words "Many fans regard modern Death Metal as drained of inspiration and creativity.". I was so close. But hey to explain to this band and the author of their promo info. It's not the fans who have problems with present day death metal. It's the mainstream music scribes who are paid by labels to promote their lame-stream stuff while overlooking cool stuff. 

I was thinking about that above paragraph while listening to the first part of this release. As I got through the whole comp I was wondering which big label was going to sign em up first in 2022. MAUL have everything going for em as far as their mixed bag of old/new/tranquil sound goes. Of course that's over quite a few years of dedication on their craft. This Fargo, North Dakota act (no movie jokes because I've heard some killer extreme metal from there over the years) started out in 2017.

Their path starts in 2018 with some demos and from there it goes forward to official short form releases and even a live album. Wow how audacious is that? Which brings us to this compilation which contains the band's choices from their previous releases. They're all cool to say the least but hey they're not breaking new ground. 

First off the rhythm section, even with the tupper-ware snare sound, is very good. The song structures rang from cool Swedish death metal to basic US brutal stuff. The guitar work is always coming across with the rough riffs and damm good. Unfortunately there's no cool or menacing solo work. As far as vocals go they definitely stand out whether it's sore throat or filth ridden.

In the end, hey this band might get signed next year to a big fuckin label. They've got it all to be there as far as sound and style goes. Plus they've got a cool logo. Who knows they just might get onto a tour with their not so loved much peers. Hey be careful what you wish for. 

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://corruptedfleshrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gallery-of-torment

NECROCHAOS - Mortal Angels Descent review

 

NECROCHAOS - Mortal Angels Descent

Godz Ov War Productions

This is not my first run in with Germany's one man death metal act NECROCHAOS. The first time was in 2020 when this label released the act's three song 2019 demo, and added two more cuts, as an EP. The one man multi-instrumentalist responsible is Eugen Kohl. A diabolical individual who also has close to ten other extreme sounding solo acts to his credit. No one wants to play with Eugen. Then again if you give this a spin you'll understand why.

One of the first things I mentioned about the EP back then was that it wasn't your mother's German death metal. To be honest when it comes to extreme music from Germany I rarely think of death metal especially something with a distinct aura of it's own. I mean over the decades I've heard a few unique ones. But for the most part German DM bands find themselves heavily influenced by the genre powerhouses from Poland or Sweden. 

As I said a few years ago NECROCHAOS combines the old school DM sounds from Finland as well as Australia but I'll add to it by saying there's some USDM influence as well. Now the combination of all of that actually takes on a character of it's own. And since it's 2021 where almost anyone can say "There's nothing new in death metal, I've heard it all". You really need to gives this release time to overwhelm your senses. 

I always get hammered by PR people and labels asking why does it take so long for me to write about their releases. My answer is always hey in Orwell's book 1984 Winston Smith spends weeks being tortured till he finally breaks. So when it comes to torturous extreme music I should get at least half of that to write something. Which is what you need to for something this well done. 

From the beginning of this six song debut full length the brutal crushing sound just takes over. From there the gambit is open to a variety of punishing formulas. Now as much as I love the mid-paced riff carnage. I have to say when certain cuts mix that with some diabolical death doom and those blast furnace vocals from a horrible place. We're talking perfection here. I'd like to shake this guy's hand for putting something out this cool in 2021. But I'd probably get second degree burns. 

https://www.godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/mortal-angels-descent

BLACK CEREMONIAL KULT - Crowned in Chaos EP review

 

BLACK CEREMONIAL KULT - Crowned in Chaos EP

Godz Ov War Productions

The band's name could also be the title description of my wedding night from my first marriage. Who knew I married into a witch coven. But anyways here we have some Chilean blackened death metal the likes which all extreme music fans know and adore. Sound-wise this release is like meeting an old friend but more on that later.

BLACK CEREMONIAL KULT are a four piece act who got their start in 2014. Since then they've put out only short form releases. Here's another although it's probably their first official release that's not a demo or split release. What we have here are eleven songs overall with an intro and an outro as bookends. 

Now when I say this is like an old friend I mean think of the style of blackened death which puts forth an oppressive crushing sound. Add to that some bestial vocals from the netherworld. Top it off with a touch of Lovecraft horror atmospherics along  with that classic Chilean approach to extreme music. And you'll going hello old friend nice to hear from ya. 

https://www.godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/crowned-in-chaos

GNOSIS - Omens from the Dead Realm review

 

GNOSIS - Omens from the Dead Realm

Godz Ov War Productions

I've known a couple of bands named GNOSIS over the decades. This one hails from Florida and are a three piece blackened death act. And just for the record they don't push an American style of DM or BM in their overall sound. Personally I believe they've taken their cues from the old European scene. But you're first five popular spots would be wrong.

Musically the vocals are dungeon deep sounding, the rhythm section has been pushed to the back but the riffs are tremendous. It all reminds me of something from the early 90's when some bands couldn't cut it as death metal so they went full on black metal. Then two albums later they went gothic but that's another story.

This is the third full length by GNOSIS which makes me want to hear their early stuff. Omens from the Dead Realm can best be described as a listening pleasure since the band likes to mix things up. You've got some guest singers who break the monotony in the vocal department. There's some decent guitar solos which break from the norm. It's a perfect listen for those of us up at 4 AM in the morning.

https://www.godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/omens-from-the-dead-realm

INSISTENT - Disease review

 

INSISTENT - Disease

L'inphantile Collective

Why of course I'd give one a chance, look at the album cover. INSISTENT is a fairly new band from the Czech Republic who started out a few years back. Musically we're talking grindcore here. Now after a few listens I can say that INSISTENT are not following closely to what their northern neighbors in Poland have been doing for decades.

In fact on this their second full length the band's overall take on the genre is old school raw as well as filth ridden. And yet there's a touch of perfection within the band's overall instrumentation to this album. You've got thirteen tracks in almost twenty something minutes. The band knows how to mix the grinding fast and furious cuts with some death metal beats. 

The vocals come off as a caustic beast in pain. In other words this gentleman has a voice to be reckoned with. The music falls into a part old school grind with death metal tenets. No savage leads or avant meanderings to be found here. I'm on the fence for this one. I give it a ten for punishment but it's 2021, please give me more to remember then a cool album cover.

http://www.neonarcis.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://insistent.bandcamp.com/album/disease

CRYPT MONARCH - The Necronaut review

 

CRYPT MONARCH - The Necronaut

Electric Valley Records

Well pass the bong I think I'm SLEEP (for the obvious) or maybe CONAN (for modern listeners). Yes what we have here is the debut album by this three piece stoner doom act from Costa Rica. Now depending on how much of a fan to this particular genre will be the basis for you liking this or not. 

For example if you're into the colors green, purple and black. If you collect SABBATH black lite posters or have every version of SLEEP's Dopesmoker on every format. Then this might be repetitive to you. On the other hand if you're not jaded about what stoner rock acts you check out then this one might interest you. 

I of course fall into that latter category only because I'm willing to give things at least one chance. That and I'm bored with all of my older releases. So this band started out in 2020 but are by no means new to the school. Two of their members were/are also in a band called AGE OF THE WOLF which are also in the whole sludgy, stoner side of doom. 

So The Necronaut consists of three long songs which come in at thirty six minutes. It's basic stoner sludge where the riff be it slow is king. Vocals are held back a bit, hello CONAN, and the drum work is high in the mix. The SABBATH-ian moments abound plus there's a few cool leads which follow the rhythms. Fire one up because it's 420 everywhere.

https://www.electricvalleyrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://cryptmonarch.bandcamp.com/releases

DRAWN AND QUARTERED - Congregation Pestilence review

 

DRAWN AND QUARTERED - Congregation Pestilence

Krucyator Productions

DRAWN AND QUARTERED are a band who I got into years ago because they were on Moribund Records. At that time I was buying everything from that label. Moribund Records was basically a black metal label but DRAWN AND QUARTERED were their stand out death metal act. I mean they were doing old school death metal before it was cool and revived. 

My first album by them was Hail Infernal Darkness from 2006. Yeah an amazing album and from that point I started getting their previous stuff and bought whatever came out next. So yeah this was the band I was into in the late 2000's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozu3E3sYZEY&t=147s

So the next thing I know is that they left Moribund Records and came out with a new album, Feeding Hell's Furnace, on a new label Nuclear Winter Records. That one, which came out in 2012, was damm good but after that I lost touch with the band. They put out The One Who Lurks in 2018 which I missed but here we have their latest. And I have to say this new one is their best ever.

Basically what you have here is cavernous vocal style death metal. We're talking a full on beast in the vocal dept. Add to that the mixture of old school death metal filth, East Coast style, and some tech death touches. All of which is amazing since DRAWN AND QUARTERED are a left coast band. Basically this is the same band I knew from fifteen years ago updated to modern appreciation.  

https://krucyator.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://krucyator.bandcamp.com/album/congregation-pestilence