DEATHSTORM - Cascophonies review

 

DEATHSTORM - Cascophonies

Dying Victims Productions

So here we have the fifth full length by Austria's Thrash veterans DEATHSTORM. I originally got into this three piece act years ago when they were on another label. But it was their fourth full length from 2020, For Dread Shall Reign, which really made me go holy shit this is cool. 

Now let me bore you with a thing I've said for years now. Mainstream Thrash sucks. Twenty years ago you had that Thrash revival which was cool for a moment and then the genre just blew chunks. The only reason I still give a fuck about Thrash is because of bands like DEATHSTORM as well as some Blackened Thrash acts who are not generic. 

So what's cool about this new album by DEATHSTORM? Well let's be honest here. The people of the great nation of Austria are very nice except for these three guys. Hate is the handshake they give to the world and it shows well on tracks like "Body in a Barrel", "Horripilation", "Mask of Sanity" and the final cut "Mortuorum Flies".

Musically it's speed infused hate filled old school Thrash. To me that's the best of the genre with plenty of cool soloing and riffs that want you to punch someone in the face. The drum work as well as bass lines are cool as fuck. The vocals are angry, pissed off and totally real guy sounding. 

The bottom line is if you're into Thrash in 2026 then this is the band you should be listening to. Nuff Said. 

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/cascophonies

KROD / CRUCIATUS INFERNALIS - Storming the Gates of Heaven Split EP review

 

KROD / CRUCIATUS INFERNALIS - Storming the Gates of Heaven Split EP

Kvlt und Kaos Productions

Underground black metal ain't what it use to be. I mean the quality is much better while the sentiment is still the same. Case in point here we have a split release from a fairly new label out of Austria. Just looking at some of their other releases I can see they must believe "if it ain't kvlt it's crap."

So on this split you've got for starters KROD, a one man BM act that hails from Santiago, Chile. That one man being Zabulus Valtakunta who sings and plays everything. Sound-wise this is disturbing jangled melodic yet doom tinged black metal. It's main feature happens to be Zabulus' torturous screaming. Three songs of raw and murderous sounding stuff. 

Next up to the sacrificial altar is CRUCIATUS INFERNALIS, a two piece act that hails from Austria. The genre tag line on em is also black metal with added synths. Musically it's primitive icy riffs mixed in speed with eerie synthesizers. Albeit I liked the Vincent Price voice-over soundbite from the movie The Pit and the Pendulum on one song. there's three cuts in all.

As always with split releases I treat em like a wrestling match to see who wins out. This was a tough one to decide. Although KROD come off as sheer fuckin terror. CRUCIATUS INFERNALIS give off more of a creepy sound, especially on the vocals. And the synth use works perfect. 

Plus the third song by CRUCIATUS INFERNALIS, "Auferstehung" comes off like a blackened surf song. So both bands are decent but I'd rather hear more from the Austrians.   

http://www.kvltundkaos.at/

LISTEN HERE:

https://kvltundkaosproductions.bandcamp.com/album/storming-the-gates-of-heaven

DEATHSTORM - For Dread Shall Reign review

DEATHSTORM - For Dread Shall Reign

Dying Victims Productions




Here's the fourth full length by Austria's thrash metal veterans DEATHSTORM. I've got one of their previous CDs from a few years back. I forget it's title but it had a cool cover and sounded damm good. So if you're a fan of releases by Germany's High Roller Records (their former label) and I know many who are, then you might know of DEATHSTORM. I wouldn't be surprised if they haven't graced the stages of all the good European metal fests. They've been around for a decade now so who knows.


Music wise DEATHSTORM are not going to blow away the minds of the jaded crowd. But to the modern day hesher this will appeal to you. Personally I think these Austrians are fucking great. As almost always the influences from the past abound. But unlike so many other acts DEATHSTORM didn't pick one act of the heyday years of thrash to emulate. 


When listening to For Dread Shall Reign you'll hear some SLAYER influence which I don't have a problem with. They definitely like modern era DESTRUCTION but then who doesn't. In between all of that there's a surprise or two. The song "Sulphuric Scents" is totally SABBATH influence. Even the guitar solo on it sounds like Tony Iomni made a guest appearance. 


Another oddity is when a few Chuck Schuldiner’s signature riff patterns as well as soloing techniques come out of nowhere but sound at home in DEATHSTORM's song writing. The boys have the basic chops down as far as exciting riffs, powerful drumwork and of course gutsy real angry guy vocals. In the end if you want thrash perfection in 2020 well you've got it here.


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

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/deathstorm-for-dread-shall-reign


https://www.facebook.com/deathstormthrash/

IRDORATH - The Final Sin review

IRDORATH - The Final Sin

Art Gates Records





Well so far 2020 has not been a good year for black metal as far as I'm concerned. Sure you would think since we're in a world wide pandemic with pestilence, people dropping dead everywhere and church closings. It should put a smile on every grim and frosty face out there. But musically it's been average at best. But then this little ole glimmer of hope came in for review and now things don't look so bad after all. 


IRDORATH is a four piece act from Austria. They've been around since 2005 and this is their fifth full length. I kinda feel ashamed for not hearing about em before. That goes especially for their past two releases, 2013's I Am Risen and Denial of Creation from 2017. I spotlight those two releases because with this new one it's three in a row where the anti-religion is the main theme in title and songs. Maybe it's a trilogy or just what they like to write about. At this point I don't know. 




As far as what I do understand is that IRDORATH are a pure modern black metal sounding act. Now for you who don't know what modern black metal sounds like then here you go. Think about plenty of thrash oriented riffs. Toss in some actual guitar soloing. Spice it up with a variety of refrains in the song structures. Forgo any synths for background rhythm or atmospheric breaks. And just let the guitars supply amazing riffs, tremolo fills and even some acoustic breaks.


The drum work must be immaculate with thunderous bass and good blastbeat action to accompany the guitars. The end result must have an epic quality as if the band is performing from a mountain top or the bowels of hell. As far as the vocals go you've got what I consider blackened death style singing. A mix of the blast furnace harsh and somewhat growled in order to sound threatening. Yeah that's all of what this band is doing on here. Add to that the ebb and flow of how these nine songs carry on as if a concept piece was being displayed. 


Over the past 3 or 4 years the term "Modern Black Metal" has been tossed around a lot to describe plenty of over hyped mainstream horseshit. Those band's glory had more to do with the guy tweaking the knobs then creating cool sounding music. So for me IRDORATH still have that organic, true feel going for them on this release as opposed to being made good. They're a band who should be on your must listen to list. This might be one of your favorite BM albums to pick up this year.


https://www.artgatesrecords.com/

https://soundcloud.com/irdorathofficial

https://irdorath.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Irdorath

INSANITY ALERT - 666-Pack review

INSANITY ALERT - 666-Pack 

Season Of Mist




When it comes to thrash I've always been more into the evil sounding violent stuff. Hey that's just me but anyway I've been known to like some fun sounding or shall we call it party thrash. I mean it does have it's merits. So when I saw this release, looked at the songs and of course it's title and my first thought was how did MUNICIPAL WASTE miss that one. I mean come on, 666 Pack, that's right up their alley.


Be that as it may here we have the third full length by this Austrian thrash / crossover act. That latter genre point, aka: crossover, is significant because of the band's punk / hardcore influences which are all over the place. There are 21 cuts on here by the way most of which are short sharp blasts of angst ridden, wannabe MUNICIPAL WASTE anthems.


Alright that last part about them being WASTE-oids is pushing it. Actually on here INSANITY ALERT do show diversity. First off they have a thoughtful side, "“The Body Of The Christ Is The Parasite” and "Chronic State of Hate". They have a sense of humor by including parody songs like “Stop! Slammertime” or “Saturday Grind Fever”. Oh yeah and they like to drink, "Why So Beerious?" and mosh "Mosh Mosh Mosh".The band does cover their bases. Maybe if I was a teenager I'd like it more. Ah no. But hey the new kids on the block will like it.


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

https://insanityalert.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/insanityalert

BELPHEGOR - Totenritual review

BELPHEGOR - Totenritual

Nuclear Blast 



I like how this release has that soundbite proclaiming "You Are Tainted! The Devil Is In Your Flesh". It's one of a few more soundbites. Then again this is BELPHEGOR and are one of my favorite bands. Yes bias alert I have been tainted by the sounds of Austria's sons of blackened death metal for many years. I'll also admit that in my book they could do no wrong but they can be mediocre. Case in point, 2014's Conjuring the Dead was a let down for me.

But to the band's credit there were some legitamite reasons for it not being top notch. Helmuth Lehner's serious illness had an impact on his vocal chords. Also they had been putting out incredible releases at a record pace for almost ten years. Plus their early stuff was exceptional as well. So here we have their eleventh full length, along this being their twenty fifth anniversary. BELPHEGOR's latest is a welcome return to, believe it, their past. Most of this release sounds reminiscent of Lucifer Incestus, Goatreich / Fleshcult and Pestapokalypse VI. Basically we're talking about the unholy trinity they put out in the early 2000s.

For those of you new to Satan's house band I'll explain. The songs on here have a subtle touch to there deviant destructive purposes. Were as their last bunch of releases were almost symphonic. On here the band has toned things down a bit, well except for "Apophis / Black Dragon" which is typical. The rest of the album is diabolical in it's execution. The wall of sound is creepy instead of overwhelming. Well rounded song structures intertwining the blasting blackness with punishing death, most of the time in slow motion. Guitar soloing is more intricate as well.

In the end BELPHEGOR created an album severely needed by them to stay interesting. They could've just phoned in a recording of their typical Bondage Walpurgis Necromance themed release and be done with it. But no they went back to their roots to rip one a new asshole. Also one of the best albums of 2017.


http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/shop/index.html

https://www.facebook.com/belphegor