CRYPT SERMON - The Stygian Rose review

 

CRYPT SERMON - The Stygian Rose

Dark Descent Records

So for those of you who follow this blog (and frankly who doesn't) then you know I've sang the praises of CRYPT SERMON before. I mean the first two albums by this Philadelphia, PA doom act are incredible as far as epic doom goes. Basically they've pushed the style which SOLITUDE AETERNUS was doing a step further. Oddly enough SOLITUDE AETERNUS pushed ahead of what CANDLEMASS was doing. 

So here we have their third full length and yeah this one is fuckin amazing for a number of reasons. First off and again the guitar soloing on here is just amazing. Add to that the song structures push epic doom into a more atmospheric realm than what you're use to from the classic acts. The vocals are killer as fuck. I mean from start to finish this is a listening experience that'll take over your world for forty five minutes if not your mind forever. 

https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/

LISTEN HERE:

https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-stygian-rose

AROMA - Adenocarcinoma EP review

 

AROMA - Adenocarcinoma EP

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

So do you have ten minutes to kill? Now I don't mean that literally just in case you're a knife wielding maniac reading this and thinking "well as a matter of fact I do." I'm talking time-wise since this EP is six songs under ten minutes. 

The tagline here is goregrind and yeah OK but I bet these guys love some Chris Barnes era CANNIBAL CORPSE. And frankly who doesn't? But anyways AROMA are a four piece band who are from Philadelphia, PA. That's a place which for decades now I've lovingly referred to as Filthadelphia or Hostile City, USA. 

As for this their debut release well, like I mentioned earlier it's six songs, and full on putrid filth and brutality. Musically it emanates from the primitive bowels of brutal death metal and grind. There are times when I believe the drummer is hitting an empty beer can instead of a snare drum. Yeah they're from Philly.

All in all the music does gets better from song one "Aromatic Scent of Instant Death" to the sixth cut "Reluctant Inhalation of Rancid Aerosolized Piss". That's called progression people. Now that's not saying much but with this style of extreme music you've gotta be a dedicated fan. 

I mean brutal DM / goregrind is the basement of the underground. Hell maybe below that which would mean the sewers. Be that as it may I always get a kick out of this style of extreme music. And with that said I've learned which bands are dedicated scumbags and which ones are just genre jumping posers. 

AROMA are scumbags and I mean that in the best way. And if you like this one, which ya should, then they also have an independent split release out with a similar style band called TORTURE PIG from Michigan. Hopefully HPGD can release that one as well.  

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/adenocarcinoma

THE CRIPPLER - I'm Just Gonna Let Myself In review

 

THE CRIPPLER - I'm Just Gonna Let Myself In

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

OK this one wins hands down as the most hate filled album of the year. I'll get to that point later. But hey not surprising enough this is a side project from the members of Philadelphia, PA's EAT THE TURNBUCKLE. Although EAT THE TURNBUCKLE channel their violence via professional wrestling fandom and grindcore. THE CRIPPLER are more about slashers. 

Musically this is a cross between some groove laden death metal, old school grind and plenty of thrash rhythms. For me that's what I call the full fuckin package. The vocals are a mix of full on deep throat-ed aggression with harsh back ground screams. Add that to the riff package you get some cool cuts.

All in all this band puts out everything said earlier as well as some jazz touches, tech death mentions but a whole lot of in your face filth. Great stuff but I wonder how great their next album would be. 

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/im-just-gonna-let-myself-in

LADY BEAST - OMENS EP review

 

LADY BEAST - OMENS EP

Reaper Metal Productions

While still at a time when their 2020 full length, The Vulture's Amulet, is ringing in ears because of it's greatness. Pittsburgh, PA's LADY BEAST decide to drop a new five song EP on fans. Basically this is four new tunes plus a cover of RAINBOW's "Kill the King". This EP also features new bassist Amy Bianco. 

Musically the band hasn't changed sound wise from their last album. Basically it's classic sounding 80's era metal with good riffs, decent guitar soloing plus the strong vocals by Deborah Levine. In a better world a song like "Reaper" would be blasting on FM radio. Then again I thought the same with some of the songs off of their full length. As far as their cover goes it's decent. All in all here's another must own LADY BEAST release.

https://www.reapermetalproductions.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://ladybeast.bandcamp.com/album/omens

WOLVES ATTACK!! - Rest In Piss EP review

 

WOLVES ATTACK!! - Rest In Piss EP

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

Philadelphians into hardcore, drinking and violence. That's what WOLVES ATTACK!! are all about. And you wonder why people call their home Hostile City, USA. Here's the follow-up to the band's Piss on Everything full length from a few years ago. 

Rest in Piss is a six song EP containing five originals and a cover of the MISFITS' "We Bite". The band's version of the cover is pretty straight forward. As far as their originals go it's punch drunk hardcore. It's loud, angry and enjoyable in a humorous way.  

http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/rest-in-piss

LADY BEAST - The Vulture's Amulet review

LADY BEAST - The Vulture's Amulet

Reaper Metal Productions




First time I heard of this band was from watching an interview with this band's singer, Deborah Levine, on the Heavy Metal Relics Youtube show. Right after that I checked out their Vicious Breed full length which came out on Cruz del Sur Records back in 2017. That one was damm good so it's cool to see they're back with another.


Just for the record LADY BEAST is a five piece act from Pittsburgh, PA. The Vulture's Amulet is the band's fourth full length since starting out in 2009. Musically they're a straight up traditional metal act. There's no gimmicks or genre twists on here which some bands like to use to overshadow bad songs. 


LADY BEAST stick to the dynamic hard hitting metal style from the past with a duel guitar attack and a steadfast knockout rhythm section. The result is catchy melodic songs with memorable riffs and extra fiery leads. The vocals are a perfect match to the music. Deborah Levine has a kinda soulful hard rock vocal delivery. She doesn't embellish things with senseless screaming or grunts. Honestly it's damm good to hear a woman in metal nowadays who actually sings.


Song wise this album opens up like popping the top on a can of metal whip-ass. “Metal Machine” charges out of the gate with a searing guitar solo and Levine's sultry and inviting voice. It's gotta be a set opener for sure. From that point onward this album flows like some of the past's notable classics. 


There's some good melodic anthems like "Runes of Rust". Add to that amazing story time sagas with MAIDEN - esque touches on "The Gift" as well as "The Champion". And of course it wouldn't be true fuckin metal without some raise your horned fist crunchy head-banging numbers like "Sacrifice to the Unseen" and "Betrayer". All in all this is one of my favorite albums right now and probably for a long time to come this year and beyond.


https://reapermetalproductions.com/

https://ladybeast.bandcamp.com/album/the-vultures-amulet

https://www.facebook.com/ladybeastofficial/

IN THE FIRE - The Living Horror Show review

IN THE FIRE - The Living Horror Show

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions




TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION, saw them over a decade ago here in NC. Got a t-shirt and their Zen and the Art of Total Fucking Destruction CD. Great show, they played with my friends SLUGNUT. RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER, never saw em but have their CD, Living for Death, Destroying the Rest, from 2009. Trust me it's a great fuckin album.


So with that said what does it all mean to you keen observers of SFM666? Well it shows that I really am one sick individual when it comes to extreme music. But also there's two musicians from those acts in this band right fuckin here. Hailing from Hostile City, USA which most of you know as Philadelphia, PA we have a newer three piece act known as IN THE FIRE.


Actually they're not so new. This is their second full length. The previous bands I mentioned were serious grind fuckin core. This is not grind at all. Sorry but it touches on that genre a bit. Mostly what we have here is death thrash done with amazing old school leads which, production wise, come down from above.


The vocals on here come across as harsh filth which works well considering the style which is being thrust into the listener's heads. Right now as I'm writing this the murderous sounds of this release are pouring out of the speakers. They should come out of your's as well.


http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/the-living-horror-show

https://www.facebook.com/inthefireofficial/

THE END A.D. - Badlands review

THE END A.D. - Badlands

Fastball Music




THE END A.D. are a killer semi new band coming out of Hostile City, USA (aka: Philadelphia, PA). So from a place that has given me plenty of metal related stuff to write about over the years. There's also an extreme underbelly of punk /hardcore/ metal sounding stuff that in the past I also use to write about as well. The city of not so brotherly love has graced me and fans all over with some long time favorite bands like the MORE FIENDS, RANCID VAT, THE 440's, DEADSPOT and THORAZINE to name a few. THE END A.D. are just the latest from Hostile City.



THE END A.D. are a four piece female fronted punk/metal act who've been around since 2014. But their present singer, Ami Friend, joined em in 2017. Since that line-up; which also consists of Lorin Savadove on drums, Paul Juestrich on guitars and Steve Rodgers on bass, they've released an EP and a few singles. Now with this debut full length the band gets some room to spread it's filth, aggression and a goddamn legacy.


With this style of extreme music and type of vocalist I'm sure comparisons will be made to some more notable names of the past. But after giving this a few listens I was left thinking this comes across more like a mix of THORAZINE (another Philly band from the 1990's, who are old friends and still around after all of these years) and TEXAS TERRI & THE STIFF ONES from 90's era California Honestly on a few of these cuts Ami Friend sounds exactly like THORAZINE's Jo-Ann Rogan. I'm talking about powerful vocals with added snarls and hellish screams. But then other times she's Texas Terri Bomb all the way.


Another important note, guitarist Paul Juestrich use to be in an old Philly band from the early 90's. That being DEADSPOT, a crossover thrash act who I saw back in the day and still have an EP and full length of there's. Hearing the riffs and heavy rhythms, the punch in the face style drumming on here definitely has a touch of the past greatness. So this release carries that punk/metal aesthetic to the hilt without sounding forced or generic.


The album starts off with it's two catchiest and fast numbers, "Addiction" and "Why Won't You Die". The latter came out as a single back in June. What follows are just a bunch of cool tunes that either burn slowly like "Junkie Logic" or the trudging "Bitch Magnet". And strangely enough the goddamn epic, as in six plus minutes, ending opus of "I Wanna Be Alone". All in all returning to my Scumfeast print days ideal, Badlands is easily one of the best albums of 2019. Play Raleigh, NC please! 






http://www.fastball-music.de/

https://theendad.bandcamp.com/album/badlands

https://www.facebook.com/The-End-AD-1523510874587806/

BOTIS - Grand Abominations review

BOTIS - Grand Abominations

Self Released




Over the past couple of years I've seen the whole blackened thrash genre become very generic. Yeah I know that's a given in some circles but I've always been a huge fan of the genre and to see it become cookie cutter bullshit is fuckin sad. Certainly there are many good acts putting out that style of extreme. But there's also plenty of bullshit out there. Fortunately BOTIS is not one of them.


This four piece act from Philadelphia, PA (aka: Hostile City, USA) takes a different take on the sub genre by adding some eclectic progressive elements to the template. It's all something which will make you go "what the fuck" a lot. My problem with supposed modern "prog metal" is the lack of song writing chops. This band actually knows how to create a song structure as well as differentiate from it to a opposite point and then fall back well. But still leaving you in that "What the fuck was that"status.


With their song writing craft in tact we need to talk about the basics which are impressive. As far as the vocals go the singer here sounds like a harsh raptor. The drum work is fuckin dynamic and fun to follow. The guitar work is key whether it's on par with your basic thrash riffs or the progressive tangents which remind me of some classics of the past. Why hasn't this band been signed?



https://botisevil.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/botisthrashes/

BLASPHEMOUS - Emerging Through Fire review

BLASPHEMOUS - Emerging Through Fire

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions




This is why Philadelphia, PA is called Hostile City, USA. BLASPHEMOUS is a blackened death metal act from Philly who originally started out back in the mid-2000s. They released a couple of full lengths (Incineration of the Cult in 2008 and Bearer of the Darkest Plagues in 2010). For some reason in 2013 the band went away. Fast forward to the now and the band, whose lone original member is their vocalist Ron Kaiser, are back for another attack.


Now that last point was the nice way of putting out the story. In reality it looks like veteran Kaiser has surrounded himself with some new musicians ( all of whom joined up in 2016) in order to revive the past or his past. If that's the case, the results ain't too bad. BLASPHEMOUS is textbook blackened death that's more Americana in style than Scandinavian. There's just this overwhelmingly ferocious execution about the music. Toss in some thrash and you've got it down pat.


Emerging Through Fire is an appropriate title since this band is fighting their way through relevance in a genre that's way overblown. And they do a fantastic job with it. They've got the chops as far as riffs that actually excite. The songwriting is far from generic. Kaiser has the perfect vocal style for this music. The soloing is on fire as well as beautiful. All in all this is a perfect release pioneered by a man (Kaiser) who is ready and willing to fight onward.



http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/indexmain.html

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/emerging-through-fire

https://www.facebook.com/blasphemousmetal

ON TOP - Top Dollar review

ON TOP - Top Dollar 

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions




Somewhere between early JEFF DAHL, MOTLEY CRUE, GANGREEN and a ninties punk rock and roll act that I'll remember later, this Hostile City (that's Philadelphia, PA) trio fits in. This is a four song EP by ON TOP who have been rocking Philly for a decade now. They've a batch of previous releases to boot, mostly small format stuff but also a full length from 2011.

The common theme on this four song release is rock n roll people. This is the kinda stuff we use to cover a lot of during the Scumfeast Fanzine days back in the late nineties. Yeah back when these guys were kids. Musically you've got 80's metal guitar, a vocalist who could sing punk or thrash and solid drumming that could benefit metal or punk fuckin rock n roll. All in all it's decent headbanging stuff. 

http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/top-dollar

https://www.facebook.com/ONTOPOFFICIAL