GATES OF SLUMBER - Self Titled review

 

GATES OF SLUMBER - Self Titled

Svart Records

Well it's been a while since we last heard from this great US Doom three piece. Their last album, The Wretch, came out in 2011. The band broke up a few years later. After that two former band members passed away. But in 2019 mainman Karl Simon (guitarist / vocalist) decided to revive the band with two thirds of APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE on board. You've got Chuck Brown who did play drums for GATES OF SLUMBER in the early 2000's. And also there's Steve Janiak on bass and vocals.

Now from what I had read Karl Simon just got this act together in order to do some big shows, play the old songs and collect a paycheck. But hey the guy has so much talent plus he's with two great friends so it was inevitable that this line-up would record something together. And here we are years later with a damm good GATES OF SLUMBER album. By the way I am a huge fan of this band so that's a bias alert. 

With that said this new self titled album is not an obvious follow -up from 2011's The Wretch. Instead it's a throwback to the band's early SABBATH-ian roots with quality help from the new guys. The addition of Steve Janiak is a stand out with his heavy handed bass lines plus his added vocals give things a newer approach. Chuck Brown, whom I'm use to being the guitar / vocalist for APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE, played drums for GATES OF SLUMBER on their debut album. So it all comes to a reunion of sounds. 

So yeah musically this is amazing US Doom. I love listening to "The Fog", "We Are Perdition" and of course the opening track "Embrace the Lie". But hey all six tracks on here are great. All I can say is Karl Simon please keep things going. 

https://www.svartrecords.com/en

LISTEN HERE:

https://thegatesofslumber.bandcamp.com/album/the-gates-of-slumber

PESTILENT HEX - Sorceries Of Sanguine and Shadow review

 

PESTILENT HEX - Sorceries Of Sanguine and Shadow 

Debemur Morti Productions

It's good to see some newer bands making early era Black Metal great again. In this band's case it's Symphonic BM but not from what you've been exposed to by the generic wannabes who copied past greats. PESTILENT HEX are a two piece act hailing from Finland who started out back in 2017. Their debut album, The Ashen Abhorrence, came out in 2022 and on Debemur Morti Productions. 

On this their second full length their sound is some what grandiose, definitely hypnotic and harsh as fuck. The band consists of multi-instrumentalist Lauri Laaksonen who's responsible for the guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. I know him from his work in the death metal act DESOLATE SHRINE. Matti Makela is responsible for the vocals and lyrics. Once again I know this guy from his work in the death metal band CORPSESSED. 

So with all that said this duo takes the old 1990's Symphonic BM style and compresses it into something morbid yet classical to a point. The opening piano instrumental piece "Nocturne" is a perfect example of BEETHOVEN deranged. From that point onward it's controlled chaos meets a wall of sound with ice covered tremolo picked riffs, over the top blast beat drum work and some cool sickening and harsh vocals. The keyboard parts are held into the rhythm background. 

The seven cuts on here (six real songs and the above mentioned intro) take the listener to realms where you feel like you've been thrown out into your back yard naked. You're surrounded by hungry wolves held on leashes by black hooded figures who you cannot recognize. Let the raveness torture begin with some synths in the background. In the end you're enveloped by the harsh beauty even with diabolical pain. 

I always say the best BM releases come out when the temperature is low. The past three nights listening to this it's been below freezing after midnight. That's real atmosphere to concern oneself when it comes to Black Metal. I'm enjoying this one a lot in a way that's on a plane of existence. A horrific place where I just can't resist. 

https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/

LISTEN HERE:

https://pestilenthex.bandcamp.com/album/sorceries-of-sanguine-shadow

ASS TO MOUTH - Enemy of the Human Race review

 

ASS TO MOUTH - Enemy of the Human Race

Selfmadegod Records

So with a band name ASS TO MOUTH I'm gonna guess that these guys are into some extreme porn. Although on this release I couldn't find anything in their fourteen cuts which represented that. To me that's actually a good thing because at this point in time I'm tired of it. On the good side I found this band to be pretty cool sounding. 

ASS TO MOUTH are a three piece Grind / Brutal Death Metal act hailing from the great nation of Poland. Now as we all know Poland is the most Extreme Metal nation in Europe and Grindcore is nothing new to their musicians, But listening to this band's third full length I'm like holy shit that nation rules another genre. ASS TO MOUTH mix Grindcore, Brutal DM and some fuckin cool as Hardcore to their sound.

This is an album that I could see a lot of modern punk rock fans leaning to. I mean the vocals are a mix of screeches and hardcore vocals. The drum work sounds like pounding on Tupperware. There's a cool rocking anti-Notsee song. Some gang vocal sing along cuts meet with grinded out endings. In the end this fucker rocks. 

 

https://selfmadegod.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://selfmadegod.bandcamp.com/album/enemy-of-the-human-race

WHOREDOM RIFE - Den vrede makt review

 

WHOREDOM RIFE - Den vrede makt 

Terratur Possessions

Norway has been going through a Black Metal rebirth over the past few years. If you're in the underground (yes it exists) then you probably know about a few newer bands from that nation who have come out with some remarkable music. WHOREDOM RIFE is one of those bands. This is a project started by multi instrumentalist V. Einride back in 2014. You might know him from his time in KEEP OF KALESSIN. While Einride is responsible for the guitars, bass and drums he's joined by Kjell Rambech who is responsible for the cool as fuck vocals.

What we have here is WHOREDOM RIFE's fourth full length release and in all honesty I've been behind the curve when it came to checking out their previous releases. Den vrede makt is the first album by them that I've checked out the year it came out. Be that as it may when anyone says this band is a return to Norwegian Black Metal greatness it's not a nostalgic copycat run through. 

WHOREDOM RIFE's latest six song release is slightly over fifty minutes in length or in other words their songs are long. Also this is not a re-imagining of KEEP OF KALESSIN who I can honestly say I was never a huge fan of. So with this band and on here V. Einride creates this atmosphere which in part are icy tremolo picked melodies, aggressive hypnotic hostile environments and just plain old school savagery. 

Here is an album that I'll be listening to for many years to come. WHOREDOM RIFE's take on Norwegian Black Metal is a rejuviniting fit for the modern day listener. V. Einride doesn't destroy it by going beyond the template which was done in the 2000s. The beauty is here as well as the grim and frosty elements and the full blown melancholic draw. Damm this is a great album. 

https://terraturpossessions.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://terraturpossessions.bandcamp.com/album/den-vrede-makt

NUNSLAUGHTER - Devils Congeries Vol. 5 Compilation 3 CDs & DVD review

 

NUNSLAUGHTER - Devils Congeries Vol. 5 Compilation 3 CDs & DVD

Hells Headbangers Records

So as I've said many times before yes I'm a NUNSLAUGHTER fan but I only own their full lengths and a few EPs. So years ago when Hells Headbangers Records decided to do this compilation series on NUNSLAUGHTER short form releases I was always on board. Obviously because I'm not going to buy every short form release they've ever done. And by the way there are two many out there and it would cost a lot. I have the four previous volumes in this series. 

So here we have another cool collection of stuff which rules in NUNSLAUGHTER circles aka: Everything. I will say that the majority of the EP recordings are cool. The live stuff is OK. The cover songs are decent. But yeah this is for Fans Only especially if they don't wanna pay out the ass to own the oringinal vinyl. 

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://nunslaughter.bandcamp.com/album/devils-congeries-volume-5

DESTRUKTOR - Indomitable review

 

DESTRUKTOR - Indomitable

Hells Headbangers Records

For some strange reason Australia is a nation that can boast some pretty fuckin extreme metal acts let alone two well known hard rock bands and two cool punk bands. I don't need to name drop em all. If you're into cool music then you should know who I'm talking about. But anyways years ago I heard DESTRUKTOR and I was floored on how cool they sounded. So of course I placed them in with the extreme metal greatness of Australia. 

Now that was based on getting their debut full length Nailed from 2009 and their last one Opprobrium from 2015. Both of which are greatness when it comes to Blackened Death Thrash. So here we are nine fuckin years later and I'm at a crossroads. Indomitable is a good release still holding true to the band's past style. I mean diabolical riffs, powerful drum work and cavernous vocals. But after nine years ya could've improved. Instead this is average sounding Blackened Death Thrash. 

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://destruktor.bandcamp.com/album/indomitable

DECEASED - Children of the Morgue review

 

DECEASED - Children of the Morgue

Hells Headbangers Records

I belong to this Facebook Metal group site (don't laugh) and a while back someone posed a question on who in Metal is the most consistent band since starting out. To me the answer was easy and it's DECEASED. I mean they started out in the mid 80's. Their debut album, Luck of the Corpse, came out 1991. Over the years they've always had a sound which was part Death Thrash and part straight up Metal. Despite going through various line-up changes they still hold to a certain sound which is recognizable. They never sold out to musical fads / popular trends. I mean there's a clear reason why I call DECEASED America's best Metal band because of what I just told ya.

So here we have DECEASED's eleventh full length although I thought 2021's Thrash Times at Ridgemont High was a covers compilation album. But on here it's the mighty sound which you know carries you though out this album. Obviously when it comes to this band's sound it's King Fowley (vocals) who has the vision and it always stays true. I still say that their 2018 full length, Ghostly White, is fuckin amazing. 

So on here you got plenty of death thrash assaults to the head which make you wanna rise to the occasion of slam pit action. But this time around the musicianship kicks in a lot of melodic touches especially on some of the guitar soloing. But still it's the amazing song writing. I mean you've got the galloping riffs, the death thrash punishment, some doom style moments and of course their newer melodic yet harsh style. 

Every listen to this album excites the fuck out of me. Musically it's the epicness of cool sounding extreme metal. The song structures are diverse in the band's normal style but then kick out into wild territory. I mean this one here is a fuckin masterpiece, period end of story. 

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://the-true-deceased.bandcamp.com/album/children-of-the-morgue

BLOOD FEAST - Infinite Evolution review

 

BLOOD FEAST - Infinite Evolution

Hells Headbangers Records

A couple of things to mention here as far as credit to goes. First off to guitarist and now vocalist Adam Tranquilli who has kept this band going (in a way) since starting out in 1986. Secondly thanks to Hells Headbangers Records for giving them a home label that's stood behind em for quite a while now. I mean this label put out their 2017 comeback album The Future State of Wicked which is still one of my favorite Hells Headbangers' releases. Add to that you have their Chopped, Sliced and Diced EP from 2018 which was also killer. And hey a bunch of years later we've got this new one. 

But before I get into this new one there needs to be some historical baggage unloaded. So let's go back to the late 2000's when you had that whole Thrash Revival. Now you had plenty of new bands just copying original Thrash from the 80's sounds. But you also had renewed interest by young fans in Thrash bands from the 80's who were not the Big Four or had major label releases. One of the many past bands which got renewed interest in was BLOOD FEAST from Bayonne, New Jersey which was not far from my NJ roots. BLOOD FEAST had a decent sounding debut full length titled Kill for Pleasure in 1987. Their four song EP Face Fate also from 1987 is also cool to collect as well. 

So in 2007 after about being broke up for seventeen years Adam Tranquilli decides to resurrect the band with some new people and hell yeah they're doing shows and fans are wanting more. So fast forward to this album here, because I've already gone through their recent history. The whole reason why I like em and this new album is that BLOOD FEAST are not bullshit artists. You listen to this release and it's pure late 80's Thrash. The production is still of that era. The song structures are still late 80's intact. They haven't changed to meet with the styles of popular ideas or tech advancements. 

Regardless of Adam having a line-up of people with him for ten years and less. Plus he's doing vocals now after the departure of Chris Natalini. Infinite Evolution is a cool as fuck album. I think there's a lot of irony in the title. But musically I think this nine song release makes the old school fan in me get excited. I wanna hear songs like "Eye of Glass", "Outbreak" and "Ravaging the Loins of Mary" live mixed in with classics from their past. I mean trust me this album is better than anything new by KREATOR or EXODUS. 

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://blood-feast.bandcamp.com/album/infinite-evolution

OXYGEN DESTROYER - Guardian of the Universe review

 

OXYGEN DESTROYER - Guardian of the Universe

Redefining Darkness Records

So just to get the basics out of the way. OXYGEN DESTROYER is a blackened death thrash act from the far Northern left coast of the US, aka: Seattle, Washington / Portland, Oregon. The band are influenced by Kaiju movies which is a Japanese genre of films and television shows featuring giant monsters. Their name is taken directly from the device which killed Godzilla in that original 1950's movie. 

So with that said this is my second time hearing from them. The last time was in 2021 with their second album, Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind. That was a damm good album and here on their third full length the band has really pushed their ferocious style beyond the past. Basically this is a musical onslaught by a wall of thrash guitar riffage, powerful drumming and sinister sounding serpent tongued spit and filth barked vocals. I can only say that this band's third full length is a soundtrack of death thrash brutality and slaughter. 

Now with that said I must admit that I'm only into this for the music. I do know that this album is a musical tribute to the three Gamera films that came out in the 90's. For those of you who don't know the specifics behind that Kaiju then simply put Gamera was a giant turtle with super abilities. I never saw these particular movies. I remember watching the Gamera movies from the 60's and 70's when I was a kid and I hated em. In fact the last good Japanese big monster movie I've actually liked was that recent Godzilla movie. 

https://www.redefiningdarkness.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://oxygen-destroyer.bandcamp.com/album/guardian-of-the-universe

THANATOS - Four Decades of Death compilation review

 

THANATOS - Four Decades of Death compilation

Agonia Records

Let me tell ya something. While listening to this one I've got the most evil sadistic smile on my face. Now I say that because I'm a fan and here's over fifty minutes of great stuff. So for those of you not familiar then I'll explain. When you think of Dutch Death Metal then sure bands like ASPHYX, PESTILENCE and you better know GOREFEST come to mind. But hey THANATOS is not only in the top four but they started the whole thing. 

THANATOS originally started out way back in 1984. I didn't get into them until 2000 with their third full length Angelic Encounters. I've been a fan ever since. Now what I always liked about them is that they are a killer sounding Death Thrash act. Of course there are people who just call em Death Metal and that's fine by me. Actually it's not, they're fuckin great Death Thrash but fuck it.

So what we have here is a bunch of demo songs as well as re-recorded cuts from the past. As a fan yeah I like this a lot. I mean their last album, Violent Death Rituals from 2020, was killer as fuck. But I read a while ago that the band was calling it quits. In fact with this release you also get a DVD of the last (supposed) THANATOS show from 2022. 

I say "supposed" because given the right amount of offered money a band will come back to play a few shows. Either way if you're an old school THANATOS fan then you need this period end of story. If you're a new school extreme metal fan looking for the old and true well sure get this one. But be prepared to max out your credit card because the band's early albums are not eight or twelve bucks anymore so best of luck.

https://www.agoniarecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://agoniarecords.bandcamp.com/album/four-decades-of-death

HAIL OF BULLETS - Self Titled EP reissue review

 

HAIL OF BULLETS - Self Titled EP reissue

Agonia Records

I guess you'll have to file this one under "For Fans Only" of which I am. For those of you who don't know then I'll explain. HAIL OF BULLETS was basically a side project of ASPHYX which started out in 2006. While ASPHYX was death metal / death doom with various lyrical subject matter. HAIL OF BULLETS was similar in sound but lyrically all about historical World War Two subject matter. 

Now being a huge ASPHYX fan years ago I was instantly drawn to liking HAIL OF BULLETS. Their line-up consisted of Martin van Drunen (ASPHYX) on vocals, Paul Baayens (ASPHYX and THANATOS) on guitar, Stephan Gebedi (THANATOS) on guitar, Theo van Eekelen (from HOUWISTER) on bass and finally Ed Warby (formerly of GOREFEST) on drums. Yeah they're a Dutch Extreme Metal supergroup to say the least. 

Their first two albums; Of Frost and War from 2008 and On Divine Winds from 2010, are fuckin amazing. Also toss in their 2009 EP Warsaw Rising for good measure. Now I will say their final album, 2013's III: The Rommel Chronicles, is decent but I hardly listen to it anymore. Now as far as I know the band is in limbo or are no more. 

Be that as it may this EP here is their 2007 four song demo which was never officially released. Actually it was a self-release which the band burned CD-R copies of and gave away to people. Sorry I never got a copy back then. Anyways for fans and completists Agonia Records has given it some respect with cool artwork and you can get it on vinyl.

Now some naysayers out there will say "well all four of these songs are on their first album Of Frost and War so what's the point?" OK that's correct but hey if you're a fan then maybe you want this on vinyl or maybe you just wanna blast these four songs until your head explodes. Which ever comes first I don't care. To me it's just cool to hear these songs again on a different format.

 

https://www.agoniarecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://agoniarecords.bandcamp.com/album/hail-of-bullets

PANDEMIC - Phantoms review

 

PANDEMIC - Phantoms

Dying Victims Productions

OK so long time readers of this blog (and what are the rest of you waiting on?) know that I'm the biggest proponent of Polish extreme metal albeit I'm not Polish. Truth is it's just great music created by amazing people from a damm good nation. Now aside from the usual Death Metal, Black Metal, Grindcore as well as avenues into Doom and Speed Metal hell yeah Poland rules. But when it comes to Thrash I'm thinking yeah but no one comes to mind. 

Be that as it may here we have the second full length by PANDEMIC a four piece Thrash act from Krakow, Poland. This band has some storied baggage since starting out in 2015. But I'm gonna forgo that part and concentrate on their sound. So in all honesty I'm sure some modern day jaded Thrash aficionado could pick this album apart with their negative bullshit. That's not me, thankfully, because if the music sounds cool and gets you excited then it's good Thrash. 

What makes this eight song album by PANDEMIC so damm good in my not so humble opinion is the musicianship. They're a fuckin great band. You've got Gniewko Jelski on bass and vocals. As far as the latter goes he's got a clean yet aggressive vocal style which I like. He kinda reminds me of Kurt Brecht from DRI. But hell his bass lines are thick and powerful as fuck on these songs. Next there's guitarist Marcin Konieczny who's a damm good savage riff master who's totally schooled in 80's era Thrash without being a copycat. 

Next up you've got the shredder in guitarist Wiktor Lobarzewski. This guy is damm good whether he's ripping your face off or laying down some melodic lead work. Finally there's drummer Filip Worek who has to follow up with all of this fierce music and keeps it all organic sounding as well as exciting. 

PANDEMIC's Phantoms is one of the best straight up Thrash albums I've heard this year. There are times when I listen to a song of theirs and think yeah these guys like US Speed Metal as well as Thrash. Call it what you will but hey I just like it a lot. Eight perfect cuts for you to slam pit to. Yeah I'd love to see this band perform at a show and watch people go fuckin nuts. 

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/pandemic-phantoms-lp

HEXENBRETT - Dritte Beschw​orung: Dem Teufel eine Tochter review

 

HEXENBRETT - Dritte Beschw​orung: Dem Teufel eine Tochter

Dying Victims Productions

OK so this one sounds insane but then again it's been a crazy year and I like it. This is the second full length by Germany's HEXENBRETT. They are a two piece heavy metal act with plenty of dark, occult themes and influences to their sound. The press release throws down the "Black Metal" tagline but I'm not going with that even if you say it's first wave BM which I have problems with anyways. 

The two people involved here are Josto Feratu and Scarlettina Bolett. They perform everything as in guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. One of em does the deranged vocals, there's also spoken word parts and all of it is in German by the way which just adds to the harshness. 

Musically the music here rocks in a cool 80's fashion. But hey it's no ACCEPT or SCORPIONS. We're talking a German version of say MERCIFUL FATE minus the falsetto vocals. Then again the song structures, at least mid way through this album are similar to KING DIAMOND. We're talking about theatrical influenced metal beautifully played. And it's more along the lines of late 80's speed metal and even punk fuckin rock. 

HEXENBRETT's second album is a fuckin shock to complacency. I like that because from beginning to end it takes you on a reminder journey and then ruins it throughout. Who would've guessed that a two piece metal act from Germany would put out the most psychotic true Metal album in 2024? 

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/hexenbrett-dritte-beschw-rung-dem-teufel-eine-tochter

IMMORTAL FORCE - Mystic Seance Unrealities review

 

IMMORTAL FORCE  - Mystic Seance Unrealities 

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

In all honesty this label for over a decade now has been my go to place for extreme music that would leave a mainstream lame-stream music fan offended and puking. By the way that's a good thing in my not so humble opinion. But in recent times they've released some stuff which any real death metal fan will like. This year it's the full length by HUMAN INFECTION which is killer as fuck. But then they revert back to the fuckin sickness and I'm all smiles, well a sick sinister grin. 

Here we have the debut full length by IMMORTAL FORCE who are a four piece Death Metal act from Canada more specifically Vancouver, British Columbia or Calgary, Alberta. Whatever and you've got an asshole as a PM. But anyways listening to this is like hearing the Canadian cousins of MORTICIAN to a point. How could you not appreciate cuts like "Hospice Carnage", "Midnight Bloodsplatter", "Mass Murder Meat Market", "Lycanthropic Miscreant" and of course "Open-Casket Gangbang". 

Now it ain't all death doom and sado insanity. These Canadians like some grind as in their cover song choices. On here they do their versions of NAPALM DEATH's "Suffer the Children" and "Ruptured in Purulence" by CARCASS. Both of which are decent to say the least. For me the bottom line is that just being old school influenced ain't enough anymore. 

Honestly you've got to make the old school sound exciting again instead of just copying it. These recent years yeah it's been done. This debut by IMMORTAL FORCE is good but I'm thinking their second full length will be better and with out cover songs. Nuff Said.   

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/mystic-seance-unrealities

DEMONBITCH - Master of the Games review

DEMONBITCH - Master of the Games

Gates of Hell Records / Cruz del Sur Music

When I saw the name of the band my first thought was cool it's some new female fronted metal. OK I was really fucking wrong on that one. Instead what we have here is some complex out of the box sounding Power Metal with a vocalist who is unique sounding to say the least. 

DEMONBITCH are a US five piece act hailing from Detroit, Michigan. The band has been around since 2011 and this is their second full length release. Now when it comes to the Power Metal genre I'm like sure I've got a collection of what someone better than me would call the classics. I have no problem with that since I'm not an aficionado / expert fan of the genre. 

Normally I use to say I've listened to it and it's not my thing. But I believe this second full length by DEMONBITCH needs to be written about for two reasons. This is either great US Power Metal or I'm still a Power Metal novice and should just give up. Be that either point matters when I listen to this release I can't help but think of CIRITH UNGOL. 

Not that DEMONBITCH sound anything like CIRITH UNGOL. It's just that you've got some really cool sounding music with a polarizing vocalist. Look Logon Saton is an amazing clean singing vocalist with an amazing range. He also lets you know every octave he can achieve throughout this release. What's really evil is that after hearing this five times in a row you actually like his eclectic singing style.

As far as the music goes well there's another break from standards which makes this release unique or insane. I believe the guitar work on here is absolutely insane. I mean there's a steady amount of NWOBHM and Speed Metal rhythm song structure style. But then the guitar soloing comes into play and you're sitting there listening and then freaking out at the six string blasts coming through your speakers.  

In the end it's Yngwie meets MAIDEN meets Power Metal traditionalism meets that crazy band who had guitarists jumping around on trampolines on stage with a singer who's all over the fuckin place. Yeah this is insane and I like it.   

http://www.gatesofhellrecords.com/

https://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/store/

LISTEN HERE:

https://demonbitch.bandcamp.com/album/master-of-the-games

 

SICKRECY / BARREN split

 

SICKRECY / BARREN split 

Selfmadegod Records

OK give me a great Grindcore split release and it's about fuckin time. Readers of this blog (and frankly who isn't) know my love of grind. So here we have a worthy release by two bands I've never heard before. Let's start with SICKRECY who are a five piece act from Sweden. I'm looking at their line up since starting out in 2021 and seeing some familiar names. 

There's vocalist Adde Mitroulis who's also in BIRDFLESH as well as formerly playing drums for GENERAL SURGERY. So musically this is some decent standard grind which is cool on their six songs. But then there's BARREN who are a four piece act from Belgium who are totally death grind and who are more into pushing the insanity than SICKRECY. 

Their part on this split consists of nine cuts of insane ferocity, scream in your fuckin face death grind. Hellish vocals meets aggressive beat down rhythms with that crusty crushing sound. In the end BARRON wins this one hands down. 

https://selfmadegod.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://sickrecy.bandcamp.com/album/split-with-barren

https://barrenchainsawgrind.bandcamp.com/album/split-w-sickrecy

DISTRUSTER - Obscurum Per Obscurius EP review

 

DISTRUSTER - Obscurum Per Obscurius EP

Ossuary Records

So let's add speed metal / hardcore to the list of great extreme music from Poland. Just for the record I'm not Polish but damm when it comes to extreme music their nation really does rule. I've been praising extreme bands from Poland for four decades now. So here we have something new and it's DISTRUSTER who musically are a mix of speed metal, hardcore (or what some people call Crust) and I'd say they're touching on Death Thrash a bit. 

The band is a three piece consisting of Kosa on harsh / gruff vocals. Then there's Uappa Terror who aside from doing all of the guitar and bass work also sings. Finally there's veteran drummer James Stewart whose been in a host of extreme bands including VADER and DECAPITATED. Just for the record this band started out in 2021 and has a previously released full length from 2022 titled Sic Semper Tyrannis. 

As far as this release goes you can split it in two. The first four cuts are the meat of this release. Every musical extreme I mentioned above is in these four cuts. Now what comes next are three cuts which are remixed to various degrees. You've got the song "Bullshit" which was on their full length. Next is a remixed version of "God Reject" which is a song from this EP. But this version sounds like something played at a Warsaw underground club rave scene. 

The final cut is "To Live Beautifully" which is another cut from their debut full length but remixed into another Warsaw underground club rave scene style song. So as far as dancing goes the first part makes for some slam pit action while the latter half is disco / rave music. You make the call.

https://ossuaryrecords.com/en/

LISTEN HERE:

https://ossuaryrecords.bandcamp.com/album/obscurum-per-obscurius

GRAVE INFESTATION / NOROTH Split EP review

 

GRAVE INFESTATION / NOROTH Split EP

Carbonized Records

Hey I love split releases but on here we just get one song a piece from each band. Wow how punk rock of ya. Back decades ago when I was all into collecting vinyl I had tons of 7"er split releases with just one song per band. The stuff I liked ended up on cassette compilations. Worse yet was when one of the band's songs was from their new album. So the label was basically pairing a hit song from one band while adding it with a band you did not know or might of cared for.

Be that as it may on here we've got a song from NOROTH "Trepanation Ritual" which is not a song from their last album or a throwaway track. Actually this could've appeared on their last album. Yes it's cool sounding old school diabolical death metal. Ya gotta love the bass lines at the end of this track. Now as far as GRAVE INFESTATION goes they're a four piece Death Metal band out of Canada. They've been around since 2018 and have one full length to their credit, Persecution of the Living, which came out in 2022. They're brand new to me. 

GRAVE INFESTATION's one song contribution to this EP is " Necroslaughterhouse". First off that should be an album title. just saying. But musically these Canadians are more into an onslaught of the Death Metal style. Obviously on this cut they're influenced by early DEATH. It's a great sounding cut which reminds me of the early days when extreme bands morphed from Thrash to what we now recognize as DM. Not only do I like this song a lot but I've gotta get a copy of their full length. 

So it's a fuckin tough call here on who's better. But sure I think NOROTH are amazing and have an excellent full length which came out this year. But GRAVE INFESTATION are a band who are doing something which I've been wanting to hear for years. That being taking that DEATH influence and showing what that band could've done if Chuck didn't go off the deep end. So yeah GRAVE INFESTATION wins this bout. Furthermore this should be a 7" picture disc. Hey look at the cover. Nuff Said!  

https://carbonizedrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://carbonizedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/noroth-grave-infestation

NOROTH - Sacrificial Solace review

 

NOROTH - Sacrificial Solace

Carbonized Records

Ladies & Gentleman and you others I'm writing as a professional here. When you have raw meat sitting around whether it's ground beef on the kitchen counter, a dead animal in the street or a dead body in the woods you're gonna get flies. I say that because this band uses a background sound of flies buzzing around and it's death metal so there you go. 

Anyways this is the third full length by Seattle, Washington's NOROTH. They're a three piece death act who revel in the old school genre foundations yet make it sound fresh to a point. It's all about death, doom, pain, suffering and more pain. Sound-wise these guys come across as if GRAVE meets INCANTATION with the vocalist from HOODED MENACE. 

There's eight cuts on here with a running time of twenty-two minutes. Technically that's short for a DM album. Especially one where every song just oozes out complete diabolical filth. I'm talking about a sound putrid enough to make a grown mainstream music fan puke. And ya know what if this album came out say in 1990 it would be considered one of the all time best DM albums. 

Now sure some jaded people will say this newer old school Death Metal is just copy and paste from past greats. I'd say yeah but let's consider a few things. First off NOROTH is now and the past greats are no more at least many of em and the ones hanging on are just bad examples of themselves. Secondly this album sounds amazing now while many releases from past bands have to rely on remixed / remastered copies. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, and you lame-stream people puking. I'm not dissing on the past. I am a fan of the DM past and appreciate when certain new bands bring it all back to an exciting way. NOROTH does that in an amazing way. This album rules! 

https://carbonizedrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://carbonizedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sacrificial-solace

ENSIFERUM - Winter Storm review

 

ENSIFERUM - Winter Storm

Metal Blade Records

In all honesty it's been quite a while since I checked out an album by this Finnish Folk Metal act. Actually I liked em back in the late 2000's when the whole Viking Metal / Pagan Fest type of stuff was going on. I've still got two full lengths from em, Victory Songs from 2007 and From Afar which came out in 2009. I did hear the band's 2012 full length Unsung Heroes and wasn't thrilled with it. Then again by 2012 I was not so enthralled with the whole pagan metal genre trend. 

So here I am over a decade later back with ENSIFERUM with their ninth album and I think fourth on Metal Blade Records. And here's a shocker I actually like this one. Now just for the record ENSIFERUM were never a Viking Metal band or even a real Folk Metal act. Basically their sound was always melodic death metal and power metal with a load of songs dealing in medieval Finnish battle metal. It's all about fantasy as opposed to history lyrically. These guys were always swinging their would be swords for a Wacken stage spot as opposed to underground coolness. 

With that said Winter Storm pretty much fits the whole epic sound structure. The production on here just amps up everything this band is known for. You've got these galloping rhythms, massive power riffs, harsh and clean vocals plus whispered vocals as well as gang vocals, guest female vocals by Madeleine Liljestam, subtle keyboards and a mighty rhythm section. I know welcome to the mainstage at Wacken. 

Yeah this is a cool sounding album. ENSIFERUM in the past were never a perfect band for me. But they've always came out with a few cool as fuck songs on the albums I liked. On this one inbetween the un-neccissary instrumentals there's cool cuts like "The Howl", "Fatherland", "Winter Storm Vigilantes", "Scars in My Heart" with Madeleine Liljestam and the really epic eight and a half minute "From Order to Chaos". So hell yeah I'm a ENSIFERUM fan again. 

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://ensiferum.bandcamp.com/album/winter-storm

DEIVOS - Apophenia review

DEIVOS - Apophenia

Selfmadegod Records

Through the years not only have I been a huge fan of Polish Death Metal but I've always name dropped VADER as one of my all time favorite bands from that great nation. So here I am in 2024 and I've gotta say sorry Piotr but DEIVOS has become my new favorite Polish Death Metal band. Years ago when I discovered em they had a ferocious unrelenting sound which was punishing. And since then they just get better and more exciting to here. 

A few years ago I thought DEIVOS's Casus Belli, from 2019, was fuckin amazing. But here we are now with their follow up seventh full length and this fucker is Polish DM perfection. DEIVOS were always, in my not so humble opinion, VADER 2.0. Yes they can provide the brutality, the harshness and their tech death attributes were not annoying. In fact it made their sound far more interesting. Instead of depending on the brutal head crushing laurels DEIVOS, especially on here, makes you stop and listen to their audio war. 

I'm blasting this now after midnight and you know it's a rude sound to those uninitiated. You've got straight up guttural vocals. The chugging riffs meets dynamic drumming is devastating. You've got a combo of dive bomb and twisted soloing. Once again the drum work as well as the bass playing is almost militaristic in it's formula. All in all listening to this release just grabs a hold of ya and hits with a surprise or two.Yeah this is why I listen to Death Metal. 

https://selfmadegod.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://selfmadegod.bandcamp.com/album/apophenia

DEKONSTRUCTOR - Ominous Game review

 

DEKONSTRUCTOR - Ominous Game

Self Released

The first time I listened to this I was like wait a minute I've heard this band and written about em before. I was wrong. It's not the band but their style of death thrash which is reminiscent of other great stuff I like. This is the second full length by this four piece act from Costa Rica. The band has been around since 2013 but their first official release came out in 2017 which was a three song demo titled Life Sucking Machines. 

In the past I've always mentioned that despite Thrash being a US metal thing. For me over the past couple of decades I've found the best thrash coming from elsewhere. I'll add to that by saying thrash from Central and South America has pretty much ruled the extreme metal landscape. And this release right here just fuckin proves it. 

Ominous Game is seven amazing tracks that don't break any new ground. Instead they reinforce the coolness of fuckin death thrash extreme metal mania. The vocals are straight up angry. The riffs are pounding to the point of slam pit action. The guitar soloing is fuckin fantastic. And the rhythm section once again screams slam pit action. 

Look people I've said it before that I'm not a huge thrash fan anymore. Mainly because modern thrash is so boring or copycat bullshit. The only thing of late that gets me outta my complacency is something like this. I mean not only does their music make you wanna run through walls but there's some head banging cuts as well. So to the lame-stream music fans out there fuck the bullshit and listen to this.

DEKONSTRUCTOR should be a Thrash household name.   

LISTEN TO and BUY IT HERE:

https://dekonstructor.bandcamp.com/album/ominous-game