MATSUNAGA WAS RIGHT - Born In Wire review

 

MATSUAGA WAS RIGHT - Born In Wire

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

Well here's some irony for ya. The other night at work the subject of wrestling came up. Now when everyone else was calling out the names of wrestlers from the WWF or NWA. I was naming the greats from ECW. My first wrestler named was Terry Funk. Second one was Sabu, then the Sandman and onward it went. So hey there you go.

Now here we have the new album by MATSUNAGA WAS RIGHT. This is a band from Ohio who I learned about last year with their Kings Of The Deathmatch album. That also came out on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. Yes the label which is the home of the most extreme fuckin stuff you will hear these days. 

I guess it bares repeating, the band is named after one of the most famous Japanese extreme wrestlers of all time, Mitsuhito Matsunaga. Also these guys play fuckin grindcore to the hilt. Born In Wire is fifteen cuts of psychotic grinding wresting themed mayhem. They even do a song about Abdullah The Butcher. Can I get a Hell Yeah. 

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/born-in-wire

SISYPHEAN - Colours of Faith review

SISYPHEAN - Colours of Faith

Transcending Obscurity Records

Black Metal listening after work time which is in the AM hours for me. Although I will wake up the next day to it and that's a shock before coffee. But anyways here we have the second full length by this Lithuanian four piece act. I guess this is one of those black metal releases that makes me grin. 

On the surface musically this band is doing nothing new as far as the whole atmospheric / avant garde style of BM from years ago goes. BUT they add their own imprint which totally blows away comparisons. First and foremost, after a subdued electronic opening instro intro, we're into shock and awe in black metal terms.

There are plenty of things about this album which can overwhelm ya. Starting with the vocals, Dainius puts forth a bevy of intense angry vocal qualities. But it's the fucking emotion which runs the gambit that makes him flat out fucking amazing. His singing style is as if he's being tortured. 

Next up and with out a doubt the best part are the duel guitar work by Kamil and Adomas. Whether it's the basic riffs, twin guitar tremolo-picked harmonies or the hypnotic parts. You'll listen to one cut and go back to hear it again. Add to that the rhythm section adds to the beauty as well as pain. 

The first time I listened to this album I was like OK. The second time I got into it things changed. Great music, in the black metal realm, draws you in. SISYPHEAN's latest release does that to the point where you're like what's next in your painful blackened trauma. This is a great release. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE;

https://sisypheanband.bandcamp.com/album/colours-of-faith-dissonant-black-metal

 

IRONHAWK - Ritual of the War Path review

 

IRONHAWK - Ritual of the War Path

Dying Victims Productions

Here we have a debut full length by a three piece act hailing from Tasmania. I don't get many acts hailing from there especially ones who look like this. 

So if you're wondering if this band has a punk/hc influence I'd say yeah. Well that plus a love for MOTORHEAD and BATHORY. Yeah that's a good thing. Back in the day (aka: the late 80's) we called music like this many things. But I believe speed metal will suffice for today.

Musically you've got ten cuts of primal metal punk, subterranean vocals with echo and a decent if not retro sound. It's simplistic yet cool sounding material. 

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/ironhawk-ritual-of-the-warpath

CTHULHUSS - Obliteration Of Souls review

 

CTHULHUSS - Obliteration Of Souls

Old Temple

So do you have any more room on your LP/CD shelves for a section designated towards death doom bands who are into Lovecraftian themes. Personally I just include em with everything else that's death doom. But let's be honest here. If this Polish band's name didn't set off your alarm bells to what they're all influenced by then you're a novice. 

This is the second album by CTHULHUSS. Their first one, Cthulhu Cult, came out a few years ago. Personally I'd like to come up with my own H.P. Lovecraft thoughts on a band's music then be told to my face what they're into. But this band (well there are no members listed) have some great qualities for a DM style which others have done to death. No pun intended of course.

This Polish band does the whole death doom style justice. At times you think they're just playing by the genre numbers. And then they'll throw in some twists which makes your excitement spark. CTHULHUSS like to insert plenty of chaotic time changes as well as drum work runs which make their song craft generate interest. 

The vocals are on par over the top with basic low tone spoken word parts added to the already harsh tones. There's plenty of lead work melodies running over the crunchy riff work. The bass on here is thick sounding as well as menacing. I believe Cthulhu would give em a chance as his house band.

http://www.oldtemple.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://oldtemple.bandcamp.com/album/cthulhuss-obliteration-of-souls

ANIMALIZE - Meat We're Made Of review

ANIMALIZE - Meat We're Made Of

Dying Victims Productions

This is something that's kind of a surprise for me at least. I really don't get many releases that are full on 80's metal worshiping. Well I do get some but they're more extreme and not in the style that this band is doing. What we have here is the debut album by this French four piece act. Like I said this band is like a page torn from the 1980s. 

Basically you've got catchy fast rhythms, a rapid fire drum beat on most cuts, the vocals are clean with some highs and of course some great guitar soloing. I think the last band that I thought really brought on the full 80's metal character was ENFORCER, musically and wardrobe wise.

Out of the nine cuts on here I'd say half are great while the rest are decent. Oddly enough that's what I think of many old 80's metal releases from my past. But of the great ones which are catchy as fuck I'd say the opener, "Samourai de l'univers", is amazing plus "Back from the Sematary", "The Witch You Are" and the closer "Esprit de l'asile". 

All in all I think ANIMALIZE's debut comes off as something which came out of a time machine. I mean let's be serious. If this came out in 1984/85 we'd all be calling it a fuckin classic. Thankfully they're a new band and we can expect more good stuff from em. 

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/animalize-meat-were-made-of

 

ABYSMAL DAWN – Nightmare Frontier EP review

 

ABYSMAL DAWN – Nightmare Frontier EP 

Season Of Mist

Just to be honest I am a ABYSMAL DAWN fan. Yeah I know "bias alert" but hey Fuck You. I got into this band with their third full length, Leveling the Plane of Existence, which is from 2011. But hey their 2020 full length, Phylogenesis, was their solid slab of death metal perfection.

So what we have here is a four song EP containing one new cut "A Nightmare Slain". Then there's "Blacken the Sky" which is a reworked old demo cut. And finally there's two cover tunes "Behind Space" from IN FLAMES and "Bewitched" by CANDLEMASS. Good Stuff.

Of course the new original cut is good modern day tech death. Hell it could've been a leftover from their last album. The re-done cut from one of their demos is decent. Since I don't have any of their demos it's new to me. As far as the covers go well I never was an IN FLAMES fan. But anyone making melo-deth sound better is fine. The CANDLEMASS cover is fine since it strays from the original version a bit. All in all this is a decent EP but I'd rather have a new album by em.

https://www.season-of-mist.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://abysmaldawn.bandcamp.com/

BESIEGED - Violence Beyond All Reason review

 

BESIEGED - Violence Beyond All Reason

Unspeakable Axe Records

So when I saw that this band was from Canada and played thrash I was like cool. Much to the dismay and non-belief by some of my thrash fan friends. When I ever make a list of some top 10 favorite thrash albums. I always include two of Canada's best aka: SACRIFICE's Forward To Termination and DEAD BRAIN CELLS' self titled album. Yeah it pisses off the heshers but so fuckin what. Sorry people but for me VOIVOD were OK.

Anyways this is the second album by Winnipeg, Canada's BESIEGED. What's interesting is that the band's debut full length, Victims Beyond All Help, came out in 2010. Yeah well that was then and this is now. Musically this band sounds old school thrash as fuck and is firing on all cylinders on this frantic release. 

The basic foundation here is maniac riffs, savage drum work, impressive bass playing plus caustic vocals and off kilter soloing. Their key component is speed and great technical ability. I wouldn't toss em into a revivalist category. Frankly they remind me of RAZOR after 3 Red Bulls and an Eight Ball. In the end this is major fuckin great plus it has that cool cover artwork.

http://www.unspeakableaxerecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://unspeakableaxerecords.bandcamp.com/album/violence-beyond-all-reason

HAUNTER - Discarnate Ails review

 

HAUNTER - Discarnate Ails

Profound Lore Records

The intermingling of advanced stage black and death metal is nothing new. For the past decade we've seen plenty of acts push the progressive reaches of the mixed genre. HAUNTER, who hail from Texas, are the latest band to swim into this lake of darkness. 

Discarnate Ails is their third full length since starting out around a decade ago. Supposedly from what I've read they sounded very different back then as well as on their two previous releases. Since this is my first time listening to em I decided to keep a fresh outlook. 

What you've got here are three tracks with a run time of slightly over thirty minutes. Sounds like an EP to me. But anyways musically this four piece creates a sound that's haunting as well as punishing. Within the first minutes of opener "Overgrown With The Moss" you are treated to the whole package. You get the atmosphere, the blackened fury as well as some progressive DM touches. 

That's pretty much the pattern on all three cuts. Nothing wrong with that idea for me since I've heard it done by others years ago. I won't name drop. At least HAUNTER bring in some personality to the overall and over done sound. There's a variety of vocal styles thrown in. The band's song craft is exciting with all of the variants tossed in. Basically it's a decent sounding half hour. 

https://profoundlorerecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hauntertx.bandcamp.com/ 

INTOLERANCE - Dark Paths of Humanity review

 

INTOLERANCE - Dark Paths of Humanity

Godz Ov War Productions

Whatever you do, don't tell this four piece act that it's 2022. This is the debut full length by the Spanish death metal band, INTOLERANCE. One listen and you'll be thinking it's 1990. Now to me that's fine. If a modern band can create a cool sounding album that reminds me of something classic from decades ago, I'll take it.

Like I said earlier this is the band's debut and yeah it's amazing as far as OSDM goes. Sound-wise this is dark and heavy as it should be. There's a good mix of slow plodding numbers and mid-paced cuts. The latter style gets your blood pumping as well as makes for sick facial expressions. It's the kind of stuff which makes ya wanna run out and punch a douche-bag. Please note that 12 years ago I would've said hipster but they're not around anymore to punch.

Dark Paths of Humanity is eight songs worth of filth ridden dungeon recorded riffs. There's some dive bomb leads thrown in once in a while as well as tranquil runs. The rhythm section works well especially the dynamic drum work. The vocals vary from bestial to harsh screams. So all in all it's a perfect release as far as recreating that Euro death doom sound from decades ago.

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/dark-paths-of-humanity

MISANTHROPIC RAGE - Hallucinatory Phenomena review

 

MISANTHROPIC RAGE - Hallucinatory Phenomena

Godz Ov War Productions

There are those times when a release's title says it all. Poland's MISANTHROPIC RAGE are the benefit to that sage statement. On this their fourth full length this three piece blackened death act from Poland take you on a bad fuckin trip. On multiple listens I found myself eyes shut and watching a music induced hypnotic nightmare. 

There are some cool and great things about this album. First and foremost the avant-garde song structures are absolutely in part intense and otherwise beautiful. All of that is from multi-instrumentalist Dawid Wilku Starega. Whether it's the tranquil acoustic picking, the heavy handed DM riffs or the hypnotic lead work. It all works well. 

As far as the overall package of this release. I can't help but think of an H.P. Lovecraft vibe flowing through these seven cuts. Dawid Wilku Starega is also the main vocalist on here. He provides a variety of vocal styles all in the extreme area. After multiple listens this release just captivates. I've said many times before that black metal cannot go further as far as outside experimentation. MISANTHROPIC RAGE are an act who saw the walls and looked inward to a bounty of inspiration and influences. Here's another Polish band with an extraordinary release.

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/hallucinatory-phenomena

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION - The Exuviae Of Gods Part I EP review

 

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION - The Exuviae Of Gods (Part I) EP 

20 Buck Spin

This is the first of two EPs that Australia's funeral doom merchants will release this year. It's been a few years since their last one, The Incubus of Karma, from 2018. But as they say, misery takes time. And musically MOURNFUL CONGREGATION specialize in the low, slow and thoroughly epic. 

This EP contains three cuts, the first being the fourteen plus minute sojourn "Mountainous Shadows Cast Through Time". It's typical MOURNFUL CONGREGATION as in major heavy riffs, plenty of guitar driven melody and the cavernous vocals. It opens with some keyboards so to break the monotony. 

The second and title cut, "The Exuviae of Gods", is a beautiful, atmospheric and could be proggy instrumental. The third and final song is "An Epic Dream of Desire" and what I consider the money cut. This a song from one of their early demos and reworked. I don't have any of the band's demos. So musically it's cool to hear their early slow and let's bury the dead funeral doom beginnings. 

All in all this EP is amazing especially since I'm a fan. 

https://www.20buckspin.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://mournfulcongregation.bandcamp.com/album/the-exuviae-of-gods-part-i

ORGAN TRAIL - Appetite For Dissection review

 

ORGAN TRAIL - Appetite For Dissection

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions 

Now this is what you call great death grind and worthy of blasting in the early AM hours. There are times I wish I could click the outdoor speakers (which are on the back deck) on at this time. Yeah then the cops would arrive and fine me. Yep extremely loud music is a No No. But gunfire a half mile away, that's OK. 

Well enough of my semi residential living in the city stories. Here we have a band who hail from PA and Maryland plus they have a guy from NC. Basically ORGAN TRAIL, who started out in 2013, are a band made up of extreme metal veterans. Their singer is/was in a Virginia death grind band called MACERATED. Their drummer played with VISCERAL DISGORGE as well as RIVERS OF NIHIL. 

Moving on their bassist is a local NC guy who plays in PATHOGENESIS. I saw them years ago and got one of their CDs. Finally their guitarist use to play in a Maryland DM band called ACRID. As crazy as it is I'm familiar with 3/4's of the band member's previous outings. Which is probably why I can appreciate how these four talented individuals came together to create a great fuckin album. 

How great is it you ask? OK first off all the tropes for a great death grind sound are in place. The vocalist is a versatile maniac. He's got the gutturals, the growls and the psycho screams/howls. The guitarist is an all out assault specialist with the riffs. On certain times he's channeling early Swede Death sounds with cables leading to an electric chair. Other times the guy is pulling off PIG DESTROYER style riff carnage and yet with touches of groove. WTF? 

As far as the rhythm section goes the bass playing on here is thick like a two by four to the head. And of course the drum work is flat out insane. So yeah this is what death grind in the modern era is supposed to be. Great intense sounds, a few sound-bites thrown in. The first one about being a passenger in a car is funny as fuck because I've been there. 

So in the long run you've got a perfect album as far as death grind goes here in the states. There's fourteen cuts in less than twenty five minutes. And their last song is a FLESH PARADE cover "'Bout Had It". Who the fuck does a FLESH PARADE cover in 2022? Better yet who remembers FLESH PARADE, other than me? This band does and that's another killer reason why this is a perfect death grind release.  

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/appetite-for-dissection

MIDNIGHT - Let There Be Witchery review

 

MIDNIGHT - Let There Be Witchery

Metal Blade Records

Well this beauty came out in March but I've been listening to it on and off for a month now. Let me get this out as a bias alert, I'm a huge fan of MIDNIGHT. I've seen em a bunch of times, have all of their releases (the full lengths that is), one compilation and one EP. I also wear a couple of their shirts proudly. 

Be that as it may this the fifth full length by the band, and second one since joining Metal Blade Records. Now personal bias to the side you or anyone cannot deny that MIDNIGHT are still firing on all cylinders after all these years. Their ealy stuff had a punk feel to it. But nowadays they're pure fuckin metal or speed metal if that's more your interpretation.

Their formula is simple yet powerful. Take some good riffs, a few wild solos, solid drumming and hard hitting bass lines. Add the sleazy and horror lyrics plus Athenar's vicious vocals and there you have it. There's nothing technical about it. Basically it rocks just like traditional metal from back in the day.

I don't have to name drop any of these ten songs. They're all fuckin good which makes Let There Be Witchery a perfect album.

https://www.metalblade.com/us/

LISTEN HERE:

https://midnight-ohio.bandcamp.com/

PREDATORY LIGHT - Death And The Twilight Hours review

 

PREDATORY LIGHT - Death And The Twilight Hours 

20 Buck Spin

This blackened doom act from New Mexico originally started out around a decade ago. And from their beginning they were on a roll releasing some short form stuff plus their self titled full length in 2016. And then nothing as if they got lost out in the desert high on peyote. But that really didn't happen. It sounds good though. 

The four members of PREDATORY LIGHT basically started a new band called SUPERSTITION. That was / is a somewhat blackened death metal act which sound-wise was not far from what PREDATORY LIGHT sounded like except no doom. That band had a full length, The Anatomy of Unholy Transformation, from 2019 which also came out on 20 Buck Spin. 

But now these guys are back with PREDATORY LIGHT. Musically it's a continuation of where they left off with their debut. You've got some prog rock touches mixed with doom ala haunting goth and of course it's all blackened. When I heard the opening track, "The Three Living and the Three Dead", which is a thirteen plus minute opus I was like cool. 

The album is just four cuts long. Musically I love the guitar work displayed because it's mostly tremolo picked lead work. The second thing I like here is the superb drum work. The vocals are of that blast furnace throat variety. Unfortunately there's not much bass to be really heard but there's some synths. 

Song -wise like I said the opening track is majestic albeit sounding familiar to another BM act from the past, NEGATIVE PLANE? Another good long cut is "Death and the Twilight Hours" which is hypnotic as well as majestic and ominous. Like I mentioned before this release is four tracks with a running time of just over thirty-eight minutes. Decent.

https://www.20buckspin.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/death-and-the-twilight-hours 

PHARMACIST - Flourishing Extremities On Unspoiled Mental Grounds review

 

PHARMACIST - Flourishing Extremities On Unspoiled Mental Grounds

Bizarre Leprous Productions

A few years ago I heard this band's debut full length Medical Renditions of Grinding Decomposition. My first impressions about em came in quick aka: they sound like fuckin CARCASS. Better yet they sounded like the gore / death grind era of CARCASS. Yeah fuck you Heartwork posers!

So here we have this Japanese two piece act's second full length. This is after two years of doing short form releases many of which were splits. Go ahead and be a collector scum's dream. But anyways this new one is just a continuation from their debut. 

Musically yeah the CARCASS homage is still intact but with an added jolt. With this band it's all about the song structures. Sure you've got some damm filthy sounding riffs, barked carnal vocals plus pounding fuckin drums. But then the guitar soloing jumps in for some laser like melody breaks. 

The songs on here are actually long for a gore grind act. Of the seven tracks on here six go past the seven minute mark. Nothing boring or repetitive either in fact there's plenty of room for multiple time changes. There's plenty of head banging melody, head crushing riffs and of course surgically placed soloing. All in all this is amazing.

http://bizarreleprous.cz/

LISTEN HERE:

https://pharmacistgore.bandcamp.com/album/flourishing-extremities-on-unspoiled-mental-grounds