SISYPHEAN - Colours of Faith review

SISYPHEAN - Colours of Faith

Transcending Obscurity Records

Black Metal listening after work time which is in the AM hours for me. Although I will wake up the next day to it and that's a shock before coffee. But anyways here we have the second full length by this Lithuanian four piece act. I guess this is one of those black metal releases that makes me grin. 

On the surface musically this band is doing nothing new as far as the whole atmospheric / avant garde style of BM from years ago goes. BUT they add their own imprint which totally blows away comparisons. First and foremost, after a subdued electronic opening instro intro, we're into shock and awe in black metal terms.

There are plenty of things about this album which can overwhelm ya. Starting with the vocals, Dainius puts forth a bevy of intense angry vocal qualities. But it's the fucking emotion which runs the gambit that makes him flat out fucking amazing. His singing style is as if he's being tortured. 

Next up and with out a doubt the best part are the duel guitar work by Kamil and Adomas. Whether it's the basic riffs, twin guitar tremolo-picked harmonies or the hypnotic parts. You'll listen to one cut and go back to hear it again. Add to that the rhythm section adds to the beauty as well as pain. 

The first time I listened to this album I was like OK. The second time I got into it things changed. Great music, in the black metal realm, draws you in. SISYPHEAN's latest release does that to the point where you're like what's next in your painful blackened trauma. This is a great release. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE;

https://sisypheanband.bandcamp.com/album/colours-of-faith-dissonant-black-metal

 

STRANGULIATORIUS - Doctor's Orders Do Not Touch

 

STRANGULIATORIUS - Doctor's Orders Do Not Touch

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

So when I saw this band's name it made me think wow the imagination of a sick mind boggles. STRANGULIATORIUS could be the name of a new disease. Then again maybe a new horror movie. But luckily for you extreme metal maniacs this is a band from Lithuania who play fuckin great old school style death metal. 

Now after one listen to this, the band's third full length, it was obvious that this four piece act are influenced by DM's early days with a touch of grind. Imagine CARCASS meeting up with VOMITORY for a good time. Now that's my observation but hey any connection from Sweden to England would work. 

Musically the band is far from being a tribute act of the past. Now back in 2008/2009 you had the whole new wave of old school death metal thing going. And yeah I'll admit I fucking loved all of that. But in all honesty the mainstay of those bands were just copying their heroes. So here were are over a decade later and if yer gonna do OSDM again ya need to tweak things up a bit.  

STRANGULIATORIUS not only does that but they also stay true to the old ways. The riffs on some of these songs go into unpredictable grooves. When there is a guitar solo it's so subdued as opposed to being a dive bombing assault. The vocals come off sounding like a maniacal dog bark who will rip out your throat. Add to that a punishing rhythm section who will leave you weak listeners ambulatory. 

The bottom line here is that a well produced album with engaging song structures and a punishing sound within the old ways of a genre always wins. I've said it before this year in reviews but it needs repeating. In 2021 death metal music has been my friend. After blasting this release I wanna shake these guy's hands and say thanks. You check it out and you'll be a true believer as well. Nice cover art work as well.

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/doctors-orders-do-not-touch

SULLEN GUEST - Chapter III review

 

SULLEN GUEST - Chapter III

Self Released

Since this is the March ov Death Metal then why not check out some death doom from Lithuania. The first time I listened to this release I was so glad it was after 2 AM. The second time was an early morning and I wasn't into it at all. I mean it was 11 AM, I was still drinking coffee and was not into it. But hey as far as late night melodic death doom goes it's cool. So I ended up playing this late at night after work with a few beers in me. 

Like I said SULLEN GUEST are a melodic death doom act. The songs on here, there's seven but the last cut is an instrumental, are not destructively heavy. I look at it as tranquil darkness that wraps you up like a shroud. It's not too far from the template created by past greats who delved in this sub genre so well. 

Basically the vocals are diabolical whether it's the deadly screams or deep grunts. The bass lines are thick and stand out like being slapped with a two by four. Drum work is subtle for sure. Aside from the also subtle lead guitar melodies, the riffs come across two fold. You get some electric fuzz doom-ness on a few cuts. While most often it's simple heavy yet melancholy riffs. There are a few times I couldn't help but think of early KATATONIA. If that floats your death doom voyage then you'll like it all.

LISTEN HERE:

https://sullenguest.bandcamp.com/

CRYPTS OF DESPAIR - All Light Swallowed review

 

CRYPTS OF DESPAIR - All Light Swallowed

Transcending Obscurity Records

If there's one thing I've learned by doing this blog (and there are many) it's always expect greatness when a band from the Baltic comes your way. CRYPTS OF DESPAIR is greatness from Lithuania and musically it's in the department of death metal. But even though they've got Poland to the south and Sweden to the west across the sea. This four piece act takes nothing from those DM scenes. 

Instead on this their second full length they've set forth on a blazed trail of their own. Musically this is blackened death doom taken to an unspeakable level of intensity. Seriously the first time I listened to this it left a mark. You want some heavy riffs, you've got em along with some brutal song structures. How bout some tremolo picked atmosphere as if acid is dripping upon your head? Yep you've got that here as well. 

Yes the nine cuts on here are a total mind-fuck of punishing speed and slow doom tempos which beat the living crap out of you. Strap your ass in because this is not a listening experience. It's a fuckin endurance. Do you like your vocals screaming and sick, gruff or how about monstrous? You get all three on here and I'm probably missing an extreme vocal description. How about caustic screams of agony and torment? 

What I get the most out of All Light Swallowed is how well this release, despite it's furious onslaught, is it's cold calculated direction. The musicianship is top notch and the song structures from track one to nine just flow along a river of blood, depression, sorrow and chaos. CRYPTS OF DESPAIR are literally a beast that devours your soul and haunts your consciences. This album has been marked by me as being a skin burner. Fuck Me Running!

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://cryptsofdespairdeath.bandcamp.com/album/all-light-swallowed-death-metal

STRANGULIATORIUS - Rope, Soap, Tabouret review

STRANGULIATORIUS - Rope, Soap, Tabouret

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions




Meanwhile in Lithuania there's a bunch of crazed scenesters banging their heads away to the death metal sounds of STRANGULIATORIUS. Technically not a new band, this four piece started out back in 2012 with as much explosive energy as a mouse fart. Those days resulted in a demo then fast forward five years later they self released a full length. Still that got em, I don't know maybe best Lithuanian metal band status? That probably got the attention from two metalheads from Pottstown, PA of Lithuanian decent. 

But lucky for STRANGULIATORIUS, this their second full length is on HPGD Productions. So that might get em the attention they deserve and maybe they'll be able to afford a few more loaves of rye bread. Just for the record I use to live in Pennsylvania. I knew and went to school with some friends of Lithuanian decent and they do love their rye bread. There's a strange little tidbit from my past but anyways prior to listening I wondered how this band's brand of DM would sound. Since they're from a Baltic nation would they lean more towards their neighbors in Poland or would they be influenced by Sweden from across the sea.


As it turns out this band's sound is influenced by early Swedish DM. At least sound-wise that is with those crunchy yet heavy handed riffs. They have plenty of distortion and groove to induced banging whether heads or fists. They also allow in some speed ala grind. Vocal-wise this comes across more like some brutal US DM with deep guttural sounds emanating from a throat that seconds as a chimney sweep.


The first four cuts on here also appear on the band's self released Praeities Sventieji EP which came out last Spring. No apologies needed if you missed that one. Those cuts as well as some of the other five are all in that OSDM style. I don't get the eleven plus minute opus "Unrepeatable Ritual of Death" tacked onto the end of this but hey after eight decent who cares. By the way a Tabouret is a stool.


http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/rope-soap-tabouret

https://www.facebook.com/stranguliatorius/