SHORT STACK October 2021 part Two

SHORT STACK October 2021 part Two

All these damm EPs I've gotta review

FATHER BEFOULED / EXAUGURATE - Purging Holiness Split

Rotted Life Records

Just a two song, two band, both US death metal split for collectors. This falls into the category of the one you know and the other you don't split EP formula. FATHER BEFOULED is the one I know. They're an INCANTATION worshiping four piece from Georgia who I've been a fan of since 2010. For this one they contribute a typical slow death number titled "Seraphic Augury / Once Righteous". The latter part of the cut is an instrumental.

The newcomer, to me at least, on here is Alabama's EXAUGURATE who are a four piece OSDM act. This is their second release since starting out a year ago. By the way their debut was a four song EP and released by this label. I like their one cut "Enveloped". It's got a little faster pace to it as if the band members were into death thrash in their past. Nothing overwhelming but decent. As far as a winner from this split goes I'll say it's a draw. But I wouldn't mind hearing more from EXAUGURATE.

https://www.rottedlife.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://rottedlife.bandcamp.com/album/purging-holiness

ENSLAVED – Caravans To The Outer Worlds EP

Nuclear Blast

I like early ENSLAVED when they were a Norse Mythology influenced black metal band. They had a unique sound which was part of the individualism of second wave Norwegian black metal. A lot of modern day idiots don't get that fact. And I'll still say my last favorite release by em was Blodhemn but Eld was much better. Frost was their greatest release ever.

Be that as it may I have never been able to get into the band's releases anymore since they turned into a Norse prog rock band with slight black metal influences. What's worse is that all of those releases have the same tired theme. They show a little black metal influence and they totally fuck it up with their Norse prog crap. 

The pattern continues on this EP. Opener "Caravans to the Outer Worlds" starts off cool, palpable hard edged blackened hard rock. Then they fuck it all up. Next three cuts are all throwaway tracks. Norse prog rock is not rock at all. It's boring and if it wasn't for the keyboards their guitar rhythms would be shit.

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://enslaved.bandcamp.com/album/caravans-to-the-outer-worlds

MAYHEM – Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando

Century Media Records

As much as I liked 2019's Daemon full length I immediately thought this EP was gonna be full of throwaway tracks simply because of it's timing. The first side of this one sounds like either alternative versions or throwaways. Sure it's modern MAYHEM and I like it. 

The second side of this EP contains the covers which, according to the label were influences on MAYHEM. That's real bullshit. Wanna know who influenced the band, VENOM, BATHORY and CELTIC FROST. Sure there's a demo with a DEAD KENNEDY's song on it but so fuckin what? The bottom line is that MAYHEM were never influenced by DISCHARGE, THE DEAD KENNEDYS, RUDRIMENTRY PENI and certainly not the RAMONES. So why do these covers? Who knows?

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq0gGPdQzMo&list=PL5jglv0Xs5IPnIsAZFWeNH-FBrmA1QWdX&index=1

THE SHORT STACK: November 2020

 THE SHORT STACK

Short reviews by some famous releases that don't need any fanfare from yours truly

BENEDICTION - Scriptures

Nuclear Blast

OK so the big news going on with this one is the return of Dave Ingram on vocals. For me that's cool since I've been digging his recent work with Rogga Johansson in DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN. For me personally I wasn't into the Dave Hunt on vocals years. That last album, 2008's Killing Music, made me think the band was just on automatic. Sure it sounded good but it's suppose to.

Scriptures is not a return to Transcend the Rubicon or even Grind Bastard. Honestly you don't wanna hear that anyway. Basically it's a death metal release by a band who's older members feel hungry again. Ingram has never lost a bit of his deep bellow vocal style. Guitarists Peter Rew and Darren Brookes are damm heavy handed with the riffs. The new guys in the rhythm section are solid. It's a flawless death metal album.

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

ENSLAVED - Utgard

Nuclear Blast

It's been ten years since I bothered listening to an ENSLAVED release. I figured after all of that time I'd give em a chance listen to see if they've become interesting again. Well no, they're still a full on prog metal act. Sure they'll insert a kernel of past black metal essence into a song or two. The track "Jettegryta" is as close as it gets. And that one even goes the way of modern day DIMMU BORGIR meets a Nordic version of 90's YES. I'll stick with their first three albums.

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

BURZUM - Thulean Mysteries 2xCD

Byelobog Productions

Yeah this double CD release needs a warning sticker and not for what you would think. If you've kept up with Varg over the years, like on his now deleted Youtube channel (he's on Bitchute by the way), or as a fan of BURZUM. Then you know he's not into metal anymore. Varg has been doing the whole dark ambient music style for quite some time. This 23 song release is much less a musical opus (aka: a new BURZUM album) but more of a soundtrack to his MYFAROG role playing game.

Now just the thought of Varg coming up with a D&D style game is enough to bring a sadistic grin as well as an eye roll from me. But I'm dealing with the music here. Varg utilizes plenty of synth, acoustic guitar, tribal instruments, he sings a bit and speaks but this is primarily an instrumental release. And with all of that said, it's horrible unless you need some boring background music to play some fuckin board game. 

http://byelobog-productions.burzum.org/

WARBRINGER - Weapons of Tomorrow

Napalm Records

This was one of the promising acts from the mid 2000's thrash revival. I saw em back then, picked up their releases and then gave up on em about a decade ago with their third release. Back then they were on Century Media Records but in 2017 they came out with their fifth full length Woe to the Vanquished on Napalm Records. Weapons of Tomorrow is their sixth full length and second for the label where all bands go to die.

Actually this is not a bad release. The line-up has only two original members, they don't sound like used SLAYER anymore. They're still thrash but with a character of their own and maybe some power metal influence. This is definitely better than all their past stuff.

https://label.napalmrecords.com/

VARMIA - Z Mar Twych review

VARMIA - Z Mar Twych 

Folkvangr Records 




What we have here is a mixture of Slavic style folk and black metal which follows both Pagan brutality as well as some modern off template takes. This is the debut album by this Polish four piece who started out last year. The promo info mentions ENSLAVED which I can understand since the lead vocals (sung by their guitarist) are a mix of gruff/harsh while the backing vocals (sung by their bassist) are clean. That's done sporadically throughout the release and it is annoying. 

This release starts out with an acoustic guitar intro but then things do turn to darkness and some harsh black metal ensues. There are a couple of tracks that sound like they were ripped from ENSLAVED's playbook. Other times the band tosses in some death metal song structure to pick up the violence. Not my thing at all but I won't throw em under the bus. Musically VARMIA are an exciting band mainly because of all the elements they take from their peers. 

https://folkvangrrecords.bandcamp.com/album/z-mar-twych

https://www.facebook.com/varmiaband