WAN - Antichristian Douchebags

 

WAN - Antichristian Douchebags

Corrupted Flesh Records

I think it was last month in a review I stated that black metal as a genre had reached it's limits. I stand by that because you can only stretch the template so far until it becomes something else. Over a decade ago the same thing happened with death metal. What you had were young musicians not into the modern stuff. They wanted to go back to the old ways. Which brought about the term New Wave of Old School Death Metal.

Now in the genre of black metal it's a different take. You will always have diehards who like the old ways. Case in point here, this is the fourth full length by Sweden's WAN. The band has been around since 2010 and according to their PR info they're influenced by BATHORY, HELLHAMMER, early MAYHEM and ABIGAIL. 

After listening to this thirteen song release I can say that none of those influences are on here. Sound wise this is demo quality raw black metal circa mid-90's. Now if you're a KVLT type then hell yeah you'll go apeshit over the non production horribly recorded values of this release. Personally I love the vocalist's sick style/sound. He sounds possessed which is what you want.

In the end I say when the band pushes the blackened thrash influences they're cool. Otherwise this comes across as a what if DARKTHRONE had demos minus the death metal beats. But hey KVLT people will love this.

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://corruptedfleshrecords.bandcamp.com/album/antichristian-douchebags

TUNDRA - The Darkening Sky review

 

TUNDRA - The Darkening Sky

Corrupted Flesh Records

So there's some explaining to get through here before any actual music commentary is explored. The label is releasing this album in March and on my birthday as well. But when I went to check out info on this band I learned something else. This release originally came out via a self release by the band back in 2019. Since then the band has also put out a slew of short form releases. And after listening to this full length I really need to check out those other releases.  

So OK it's getting it's proper debut of sorts. I see it all the time and after listening to The Darkening Sky I'm ready to scream hell fuckin yeah. Now just to get through all the info. TUNDRA are an Italian black metal act who started out back in 2002, aka: wow. This release is here is their fourth full length. But this band's catalog of short form releases is so extensive that it would take time and money to collect em all.

With all of that said what we have here is some traditional 90's era style raw black fuckin metal. Yeah I know, raw black metal in 2022 the mind boggles. But TUNDRA have two things going for em which I like a lot. Those things being conviction and atmosphere. 

Now as far as the latter part, what is black metal atmosphere? Well that's when the band's music takes you out of your comfortable zone and drags you into their dark realm. Listening to this album does that. Starting with the opening bass lead intro "End of an Era" which is somber. Then the face ripping title track commences and it's welcome to hell boys and girls. 

Great things about this release, cold and cruel sounding tremolo picked riffs, maniacal vocals that are harsh enough to peel paint off of walls. Add to all of that you've got solid drum work through out. Want some more? OK there's aspects of doom and thrash on here. Add to that the acoustic melodies slipped in. Yes this is grim and frosty at it's best.

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://corruptedfleshrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-darkening-sky

SAIDAN / KLANEN - Split review

 

SAIDAN / KLANEN - Split

Corrupted Flesh Records

First split release of 2022 in for review and it's by two black metal acts. That's always cool. The two bands in question are SAIDAN and KLANEN. Now SAIDAN is a two piece act from Nashville, Tennessee. They've been around for a few years and have a full length, Jigoku: Spiraling Chasms of the Blackest Hell, which came out last year on Obscurant Visions. My younger brother lives in Nashville. He's also a musician but I doubt he's heard of SAIDAN. 

The other band on this split, KLANEN, hails from Virginia and is a one man BM act. Starting out a few years ago KLANEN has garnered a slew of small format releases to his credit and a full length. I give the guy props for his conviction to put out so many releases in a short span of time. 

Now as always when it comes to split releases I like to put the bands in a proverbial bout as in wrestling terms to see who wins. So starting with SAIDAN, they contribute three cuts to this release. Musically they're basic Scandinavian second wave raw BM in style. Half way through their first cut, "Atomic Age", they steal from SLAYER. Plus one of their cuts is an instrumental which is a throwaway to me. Otherwise they pretty much nail the basics of the past via tremolo picked riffs, ice sickle soloing, harsh vocals and basic drum work. Yeah I like em.

Next up are the three cuts from KLANEN. Once again the sound here is basic Scandinavian second wave raw BM style. Then again I own some releases by Greek bands from the 90's who were close to this edge. Vocal style reminds me of some past one man USBM acts. Plenty of hoots, howls and wailing. It's kinda tough to pick a winner here. Both acts have some classic traits which are interesting enough to make ya wanna hear a proper full length. 

I say it's a tie. Collectors of USBM take notice. 

LISTEN HERE:

https://corruptedfleshrecords.bandcamp.com/album/saidan-klanen

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

SLAUGHTERCOFFIN - Unholy Soldiers of Satan review

 

SLAUGHTERCOFFIN - Unholy Soldiers of Satan 

Corrupted Flesh Records

Well with a name like SLAUGHTERCOFFIN this band has to be from, Sweden? Actually I was expecting this band to be from from one of the northern nations of South America. Whose band members were involved in or know some who perform satanic murder cult ritual killings on unknowing travelers who venture into the wrong neighborhoods.

But no this band is from Sweden and nothing against that. I love Swedish death metal. I've got friends from over there. They're heavily into death metal, black metal and doom. But they're so fuckin nice. Be that as it may I'm sure they'ed be into SLAUGHTERCOFFIN. They're a band which started out a few years ago and this is their first full length or compilation. I just don't know from the PR info. So I did some looking.

Unholy Soldiers of Satan originally was a four song EP. To make it a full length the label added three songs from the band's “End All Life” demo to enhance things. Actually it's a pretty smart idea. Musically the sound on here is blackened death metal/thrash with dependence of the HM Boss pedal for some crunch to their guitars. The vocals come off in that raw bestial style. In all it's old school satanic slam pit inducing stuff.

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://corruptedfleshrecords.bandcamp.com/album/unholy-soldiers-of-satan-2

PUNCTURE WOUND - Complete Carnage of Coagulating Cacophonous Corpses review

 

PUNCTURE WOUND - Complete Carnage of Coagulating Cacophonous Corpses

Corrupted Flesh Records

So what we have here is pretty cool at least in my not so humble opinion. This is the debut full length by Australia's PUNCTURE WOUND. They're a death metal act that started out a few years back. Prior to this one they just released an EP and a few singles. Yeah I'm sure those hits went to the Top of the Pops. 

But anyways the main reason I think they're cool is that their sound is not a copycat version of some of their country's contemporaries in the death metal genre. In other words they're not blackened, have cavernous vocals or production and there's no wall of suffocating noise. I'm not going to name drop but intelligent readers know where I'm going with that.

PUNCTURE WOUND are pure old school sounding death metal but the kicker here is they sound like they're USDM. In fact let's just name the elephant in the bloody corner. That would be Corpsegrinder era CANNIBAL CORPSE but I'll say they add a touch of Sweden's GRAVE as well.

Now for you jaded fuckers here's an analogy for ya. My favorite kind of bread is Rosemary baked bread. Sure the fuckers who make it nowadays call it "artisan" in order to charge more for it. But basically it's just herb encrusted bread. Now the recipe is probably a hundred years old but I get it every once in a while baked fresh and it's great. 

It's the same way with a new band who takes an old recipe and runs with it. If I was so lucky to see this band play the states I'd be the old guy in the crowd in fuckin awe. And if some loser behind me said "They sound like so n so". I'd turn around and say "well they're not playing tonight so enjoy this or leave, loser." 

PUNCTURE WOUND pretty much check all the boxes as far as great death metal goes. Also it helps to write about em after work at midnight while having a beer. But anyways trudging riffs, YES. Mean guy throaty vocals, yeah check that one. A quality rhythm section that accompanies the riff package, YEP. Amazing solo work in the breaks, ah not as much as I would like but what they do is decent. 

In the end I got to say by the third listen this band won me over. It's old school but it just sounds fresh, exciting and of course diabolical. Meet the new kings of Australian Death Metal.

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://corruptedfleshrecords.bandcamp.com/album/puncture-wound-complete-carnage-of-coagulating-cacophonous-corpses