VARIOUS ARTISTS - King Of The Kill 3 compilation

 

VARIOUS ARTISTS -  King Of The Kill 3 compilation

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

Sometimes when I listen to a compilation I find myself making note of the songs I don't like when the majority of the comp is cool. In this case yeah most of this sounds cool. To be more exact most of these cuts are Extreme Metal for crazed fans in the underground realm who like to get drunk, have crazy fun and beat people up. I know all about that because I was one of those people. But in all honesty I only beat up bad people. 

This is the third year where Horror Pain Gore Death Productions puts out an Extreme Metal compilation dedicated to the Ruthless Pro Wrestling yearly event called King Of The Kill. Now for those of you out there who are like "oh no wrestling is fake". I have a few words for ya. The outcomes are pre-determined but the physical brawling is real. And yeah people are injured but no one wants that to happen. 

As someone who grew up with Professional Wrestling (Wrassling) in the 1970's I'll tell ya when ECW out of Philly came around in their early days it was the best of Extreme Wrestling. I've still got VHS tapes of various matches where people in the audience would hand wrestlers frying pans to pound their opponents head in with. Another match an audience member handed a wrestler his prosthetic leg to use as a weapon. And of course during a Terry Funk match the crowd just threw all of their metal chairs into the ring. 

With all of that said Ruthless Pro Wrestling is worse. I mean the wrestling competitors will all walk out of the squared circle bloodied and if not standing then lying on the mat in a pool of their own blood. It's like ancient Roman gladiator games minus the swords. Which is why it's called a Deathmatch tournament. So this label, HPGD, decides to come out with another compilation of bands from their label to celebrate people beating the crap of people. Albeit these ain't wrestling themed songs but they're in that Extreme Metal style. 

As far this compilation goes I have to admit that I'm more a fan of the Death Metal acts on here but overall I do have some favorites. Bands like ELBOW DEEP and ANCESTOR OF KAOS are pretty good DM with punishment sounding stuff. ORGAN DEALER rule with their Grindcore attack. BOCC are trudging Death Doom and yeah I like it. RED BRICK are screeching Grindcore. LESCH-NYHAN is knuccle dragging BDM. THE CRIPPLER comes in with a cool as fuck Death Thrash cut. 

Next up we have fuckin MUTILATRED killing it with some great BDM. That's followed by an amazing band to which I've written about before and they are PUTRASCENSION. This is cool sounding Melodic Black Fuckin Metal. You need to own their latest full length. If you don't then I'm gonna call you horrible names. Next up is MAUSOLEUM great OSDM that fuckin rules! 

Now we come to the crazy shit of this compilation. COCAINE CULTURE is Black Metal but doesnt invite me to see the devil but still it's cool. MUDSHOW is brutal sounding Sludge. MATSUNAGA WAS RIGHT contributes the best 25 second Grind cut you ever heard in your fuckin life. ROAD PIG is interesting but I don't know whatafuck to call it. MOONS is basic Stoner Rock and normally I wouldn't give two fucks about em. But after all of the brutal abuse to the psyche this comp delivers hell ya probably need a joint to relax. KOSUKE HASHIDA delivers some good Death Thrash. MENTAL FUNERAL deliver the OSDM. The final cut is by the band L.M.I. and once again I don't know what to call it. Is it Hardcore or Metal or both?

Whatever the case Horror Pain Gore Death Productions has unleashed a whirlwind of a compilation here. 

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/king-of-the-kill-3

ENRAGEMENT - Extinguish All Existence review

 

ENRAGEMENT - Extinguish All Existence

Transcending Obscurity Records

ENRAGEMENT are a four piece act from Finland who are also the second or third band from that nation I've heard this year who take US Brutal Death Metal as a major influence. But with that said this band takes it to a better level. ENRAGEMENT engage in various avenues involving brutality and bloodshed. 

The main part is a furious Brutal DM template then the band adds something different on almost each cut. There's some Grind influences, plenty of Tech Death guitar soloing and some classic Death and Groove. In essence ENRAGEMENT are re-inventing a tired old wheel and making it sound cool as fuck. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://enragement-label.bandcamp.com/album/extinguish-all-existence

DEMIURGON - Miasmatic Deathless Chamber review

 

DEMIURGON - Miasmatic Deathless Chamber

Transcending Obscurity Records

When I saw this was Death Metal from Italy it peaked my interest. In all honesty when it comes to Death Metal the great nation of Italy is not a genre mecca. I mean hey Italian metal is known for Doom and some Black Metal. I think the most famous Death Metal act from Italy is FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE and I'm not a fan of theirs. 

So after a few listens to this their third full length since starting out in 2014 I have quite a lot to say. Musically DEMIURGON are about as original as spaghetti. Now that's not really a slag because influence wise this five piece act has a sound that hearkens back to late 1990s / early 2000's USDM. 

Now as always I don't mind bands who repeat the past as long as they include something of themselves instead of just copying the past. DEMIURGON actually nail all of that by refreshing a DM sound from over twenty years ago. 

Just to cover the bases, The vocals are fucking amazing as in brutal and violent. The riffs are heavy as in feeling em in your chest when played loud. The soloing is damm good as in not Tech crazy. The rhythm section is a fucking master class in performance. 

This is a seven song release and I have to say it's perfect from start to finish. DEMIURGON are the new kings of Italian Death Metal. You'd be a fool not to pick this fucker up because it's just one of the best DM releases you're gonna hear in 2025. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://demiurgon-label.bandcamp.com/album/miasmatic-deathless-chamber

MORTAL SCEPTER - Ethereal Dominance review

 

MORTAL SCEPTER - Ethereal Dominance

Xtreem Music

MORTAL SCEPTER's second album answers the question which is what if SODOM continued on the evil path instead of shitting the bed. Yeah I'm serious. Look I'm old and so are the bands I remember from back in the day. Instead of just hoping for nostalgia from my faves I look for some new acts who will carry the torch to the future. 

MORTAL SCEPTER, a four piece Blackened Thrash act from Dunkirk, France are oddly enough carrying the torch of Teutonic Blackened Thrash to the hilt on this release. This is their second full length on the Xtreem Music label. And just for the record Xtreem Music is the go to European label for Extreme Old School Metal. Yeah that's a free plug. 

But anyways musically these guys really take the SODOM & DESTRUCTION influences then add in their own flavor which makes this a great release. The vocals come across sounding like a young Angel Ripper. The riffs are dark and maniacal. The guitar soloing is like lightning from Valhalla. The drum work is actually perfect. It's just solid with the song structures. You can barely notice the bass. 

Oh yeah MORTAL SCEPTER write good songs that are memorable which in 2025 is unusual. Personally I'd rather have a band like this playing music I remember from the past then certain old acts hanging on just for name recognition. 

https://shop.xtreemmusic.com/english.main.index.php

LISTEN HERE:

https://xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/ethereal-dominance

MALFORMED - Confinement of Flesh review

 

MALFORMED - Confinement of Flesh

Dark Descent Records

All I can say is wow because this is the second Finnish Death Metal band release I've heard this year that's influenced by old school USDM. I just have to laugh a bit about that. I remember when early Finnish DM was influenced by their Swedish neighbors. Of course a few acts came out and created something on their own. I shouldn't have to name drop. 

Anyways this is the full length debut by Finland's MALFORMED who started out back in 2022. Prior to this they've released a demo, a live album and an five song EP. I've been playing this one for some time while I'm making a killer dinner. Just for the record cooking and blasting Death Metal work well. You should try it and thank me afterwards. 

Musically yeah this Finnish DM band loves the old school USDM variety from the early 1990s plus some Finnish Death Doom. Overall their sound covers the bases aka: the vocals are brutal. The riffs are good quality, there's some Tech Death savoy from the early days and the soloing is really good. I like how the bass lines are thick and high in the mix. The drum work is fairly decent as well. 

Overall yeah it's a decent release but I've got a couple hundred or more Death Metal releases on the shelves behind me which I've enjoyed for decades. There you go.

https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/

LISTEN HERE:

https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/confinement-of-flesh

BLOODRIDE - Deafening review

 

BLOODRIDE - Deafening

WormHoleDeath

Thrash from fucking Finland, oh hell yeah I'm interested. This is my first time checking out BLOODRIDE who are a five piece Thrash act. The band has been around since 2000 and has sporadically released a bunch of stuff. This is actually their fifth full length. In all honesty if you're into Thrash 2025 and looking for something new and cool then here ya go. 

Deafening is a twelve song album, actually there's an intro so it's really eleven cuts in a little over thirty seven minutes. Time wise this falls into that perfect sound limit since over forty minutes is too long for Thrash. Musically BLOODRIDE's sound is traditional US Thrash which I'm cool with. They're more into the fuckin aggro style which is always great to pit to. 

The vocals are on the pissed off angry side of things. There's some great riffs on here that push the aggressive point across. But they do know to add some sort of melody without sacrificing there mean attitude. The drum work is full on dynamic which it needs to be. I can barely hear any bass lines. But the guitar lead work is vicious without being over bearing. 

All in all this is a damm good Thrash album and in 2025. Yes I'm shocked, shocked I say, that it's a fucking Finnish band who comes out with some enthusiastic sounds that sure have influences. But Fuck You Mr. Jaded Old School Thrash POS (who probably got into the genre twenty years ago). If someone like me, who remembers the early days of Thrash, can like a cool modern band and give em props. Well that just means I'm cool and BLOODRIDE need to be on the main-stage at Wacken. 

https://wormholedeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

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

OR HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRjkGiZuHCY&list=OLAK5uy_mMZbhcjVSZ3J4omirrkmzq1a3mmI4OYgE&index=2

JORDFAST - BlodsdAd och hor review

 

JORDFAST - BlodsdAd och hor

Black Lion Records

JORDFAST are a fairly new Swedish Black Metal act who've started out in 2017 but didn't release anything until 2021. As far as what we have here this is the three piece act's third full length. I'm also liking every bit of this release. This is Scandinavian 101, all the songs are in Swedish. The title in English is Bloodshed and Fornication. Ah yeah that's cool. 

Now before I continue on something needs to be mentioned. If you've been a fan of Black Metal going back to those days that are considered the First Wave. Then at this point in time you might feel somewhat jaded or bored with whatever new is coming out. I'm with ya on that one people. But in my not so humble opinion JORDFAST is one band that will takeover where the bands of old have left off. 

First off this is a concept album but be that as it may sound-wise this band likes it epic in a BATHORY sense and also in classic 1990's Swedish Black Metal thrashy rip your head off mode. Plus there's interludes of Folk Metal, touches of atmosphere and lot's of filth ridden Black Fuckin Metal. 

I mean the vocals are rude, the guitar soloing is epic to say the least. The riffs are melodic and folk based on a few cuts. The rhythm section is spot on. In the end all I can say is that after forty years of the Black Metal genre this Swedish band makes their nation's blackened legacy continue to greatness. 

https://blacklion.nu/

LISTEN HERE:

https://jordfst.bandcamp.com/album/blodsd-d-och-hor

ENDLESS DISMAL MOAN - Lord of Nightmare Reissue review

 

ENDLESS DISMAL MOAN - Lord of Nightmare Reissue

Hessian Firm

I am not a fan of Japanese Black Metal. Now I've got a couple of SIGH CDs but overall I saw them as being weird just for the sake of it. ENDLESS DISMAL MOAN from Japan were not weird. The past tense is important because this one man Japanese Black Metal band, the one man being Chaos 9 (aka: Takuya Tsutsui) is dead. He killed himself in 2008 using a gun. So much for those strict gun laws in Japan. Pictured below is what he looked like. 

My first thought while listening to this was imagine Kabooki theater meets Wes Craven. In other words the whole atmosphere Chaos 9 produced on this his debut full length from 2006 is horrific. The tremolo picked riffs are savage as well icy cold and cruel. There's keyboards which add in a symphonic element. The drum work is actually programmed which surprised me because they sound organic. Finally Chaos 9's vocals are a cross between a the shrieks of banshee and a blood curdling vampire bat / human hybrid.  

This is a sickening six song release that will have you liking every second of it while the music destroys your mind or it will be something fun to play to piss off friends or neighbors. I'd choose the latter always because my neighbors are assholes especially the one right nextdoor. Otherwise this is not something that would fit in my wheelhouse. 

But if you're a fan of Japanese Extreme Music then this is a second chance to pick something up by an artist who unfortunately decided to take his own life a few years after it was originally released. You might even consider this a masterpiece. Nuff Said! 

https://hessianfirm.bigcartel.com/product/endless-dismal-moan-lord-of-nightmare

LISTEN HERE:

https://endlessdismalmoan.bandcamp.com/album/lord-of-nightmare