MAUSOLEUM - Defiling the Decayed review

 

MAUSOLEUM - Defiling the Decayed

Moribund Records

It's the middle of October, there's a full moon out tonight and I'm listening to the new MAUSOLEUM full length. Ya know life is good. But hey I've talked about MAUSOLEUM in the past but if ya need a refresher then here ya go. MAUSOLEUM are a four piece Death Metal band from the great state of Pennsylvania. Of course it's great because I use to live there and I've still have family who call it home. Plus most of em listen to Metal.  

As far as MAUSOLEUM goes yeah call me a fan. I mean they're an old school DM sounding act who are purveyors of horror influences. Whether the subject matter is cemetery ghouls, scary movie references or just plain rip open the coffins and lets have some fun. And they've been doing it sporadically since their debut album in 2003. So here we have their third full length after a quiet period. Their last release was a split with the Japanese band ANATOMIA from 2020. 

Defiling the Decayed is just a continuation of what they do best. Imagine these guys as old time grave diggers who throw you into the hole and shovel dirt in your face. In the past I've compared em to Sweden's GRAVE but MAUSOLEUM does lean more into a death doom style. Plus they know how to be punishing.

 

That's because they've got original guitarist / vocalist Adam Kegg laying down these sickening riffs as well as bestial vocals. Bassist Robert Yench is also an original member and his playing stands out so much. Another long time band member, Craig Stiles, continues to lay down these sick, demented and at times fiery guitar leads. Their newest band member is drummer Chris Demydenko who came on in 2020. This guy does bring in some cool runs which work well with this style of DM. 

In the end this is a great album and probably better than their first two, yeah I know I'm pushing it because hey there is a full moon. After all of these years MAUSOLEUM still knows how to punish and sound so fuckin eerie. It's the time of October scary and right now this album works for me. Gore, Horror, Death and more Gore!

https://www.moribundcult.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://thezombiecult.bandcamp.com/album/defiling-the-decayed

HEADS FOR THE DEAD - Slash 'n' Roll EP review

 

HEADS FOR THE DEAD - Slash 'n' Roll EP

Transcending Obscurity Records

So I've been looking forward to this release ever since the label put out a teaser video for one of the songs on here "Maniac".  Well more to that since I've been a fan of HEADS FOR THE DEAD since learning about em a few years ago. 

The band is an international super group of sorts with Ralf Hauber from REVEL IN FLESH on vocals. Ed Warby who's been in GOREFEST as well as HAIL OF BULLETS on drums. And of course there's mainman Jonny Pettersson on guitars, bass (and keys?)who I know from WORMBATH. 

Now why I was excited about this EP is because I'm a huge fan of this band's last two full length albums which are 2018's Serpent's Curse and Into the Red from 2020. Yeah I highly recommend those two. Musically HEADS FOR THE DEAD are old school crunchy death metal with a whole lot more of extreme style tossed in for good measure.

As far as this EP goes you've got five cuts all paying homage to classic horror. I've already mentioned "Maniac" which is kinda death n roll. Next up is "Halloween" which is a reinterpretation of the movie theme funneled through some death metal beating.  Another movie song gets the DM treatment that one being "The Thing" done entirely in the band's style. 

Next up are two Punk covers, the first being "Skulls" by the MISFITS and the second one being "Pet Cemetery" by the RAMONES. I've heard MISFITS' cut covered so many times I'm sick of hearing it. On the other hand hearing the RAMONES done Death Metal was cool. I'd call this release a collector's item.

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://headsforthedead.bandcamp.com/album/slash-n-roll-horror-death-metal

ABYSMAL GRIEF - Reveal Nothing review

ABYSMAL GRIEF - Reveal Nothing

Terror from Hell Records


It's kinda early for Halloween but when you're celebrating twenty years as a band who cares. ABYSMAL GRIEF climbed out of the grave back in the late 90s and over time have become the go to purveyors (along with fellow countrymen DEATH SS) of Occult/Gothic metal. What's up with Italian metalheads and the whole Gothic trip, Hammond organs and doom? Must be living around all of those cathedrals or something. 


Anyways many years ago ABYSMAL GRIEF climbed out of an Italian graveyard running by releasing their debut EP, Exsequia Occulta. Since then they've kept their hearse full of gas (ok it's horse drawn) by putting out a bunch of stuff all in the whole Occult Gothic doom metal genre. Years ago after I did a review of a DEATH SS compilation (All the Colors of the Dark - The Very Best of Death SS, to be precise) a girl I know asked me what I thought of ABYSMAL GRIEF. I told her, TYPE O NEGATIVE with keyboards, which is a spot on description. You could also say the vocals are kinda reminiscent of Zacherle the "cool ghoul" horror host on a few cuts.


So here we have a compilation by ABYSMAL GRIEF that contains all of the cuts from their singles, splits and 7’’, plus one unreleased track. Now unless you're from Italy (or a ghoul who wears a BAUHAUS shirt every day) then you probably don't own any of this original material. Therefore it's your lucky day goth-y. Since Occult metal has been the flavor of the era, well maybe over the past five years, then this comp comes out at a perfect time.


Now don't be a fuckin cheapo and get the digital download. Get the box set which by the way actually is a wooden box. Along with this CD you get an ABYSMAL GRIEF pin, poster and a t-shirt. Also if ya live in the states you get a stick of incense. Yeah I know, fuck the incense that's why you need to get the Euro version with includes a velvet pouch with cemetery dirt. Now that's cool as fuck albeit cheesy.    

Rating: 5/5 






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http://www.abysmalgrief.com/