THORN - Nebulous Womb of Eternity review

 

THORN - Nebulous Womb of Eternity

Transcending Obscurity Records

Back in 2023 I called this one man band's third full length "the perfect album for a Death Metal pot head". I said that because musically that release was brutally heavy Death Metal but with a huge amount of Doom atmosphere which to me seemed up in smoke. Then again there might've been some peyote involved. I'll get to that point sooner or later. 

Like I mentioned earlier THORNS is a one man band and musically it's Death Doom. The one man is Brennen Westermeyer from Phoenix, Arizona who performs all instruments. Personally Brennen is great with the cannabal vocals, the guitar riffs / song structures and the off sync guitar leads. But he does need a bassist and drummer. I'm just saying in my not so humble opinion.

Be that as it may this new release is not for pot heads or late night listening unless you're into Lovecraft. This is music which echos through the northern forests of this man's state. Then again it could flow upon the wind of the southern Arizona deserts. This is Death Doom which is actually scary. It's part of the modern take on the genre which has been going on now for a decade. 

I like this album more than the last one simply because it has a creepy vibe which bothers me a lot. I think about being in the wilderness by myself and there's something menacing around my camp. The trudging diabolical riffs and roared bestial vocals make it even worse. Everything about this new album is by far scary and vicious. Yeah it's cool but bothersome on the psyche. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://thorndm.bandcamp.com/album/nebulous-womb-of-eternity

THORN - Evergloom review

 

THORN - Evergloom

Transcending Obscurity Records

Around fifteen years ago the thought of a one man death metal act was considered a rarity or to some degree mockery. Nowadays that's not the case especially with all of the technical tools available. It also helps when the one man is also in another band and this is a side project.

The one man here is Brennen Westermeyer from Phoenix, Arizona who performs all instruments. While doing some research I found out that Brennen is also the singer for the band FLUIDS. I have a NUNSLAUGHTER / FLUIDS split cassette which came out last year on Hells Headbangers Records. Well of course I fuckin do, it's NUNSLAUGHTER dammit. 

But anyways as far as this third album by THORN goes. This is what I like to call late night death doom. Brennen's vocals are the brutal package while the music is mostly atmospheric to tranquil heavy. The riffs are fine but the soloing creates a harmonic feeling almost as if this is psych. I mean "Thanatos Basileos" pushes the gambit on the peyote induced DM idea. The final cut and the title track reinforces the whole trip idea. 

In the end I wished I'd smoke weed nowadays instead of still being a speed freak and beer drinker. This THORN  album is perfect for a death metal pot smoker. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://thorndm.bandcamp.com/album/evergloom

APOKATASTASIS - The Consecratory Secretion review

 

APOKATASTASIS - The Consecratory Secretion

Hessian Firm

Imagine if you will a one man extreme metal act performing a mixture of brutal death metal with tech savvy touches plus some added symphonic black metal atmosphere as well as having melody. No I'm not drunk or on drugs. I'm as honest as the day is long and this debut album by APOKATASTASIS is an extraordinary mind fuck to say the least.

First off the one man genius behind APOKATASTASIS is named Malus who hails from Phoenix, Arizona. Yes he performs everything aka: guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals. Musically this is an uncanny piece of work. The pre-named musically styles just flow throughout without any any break. Malus also does the same with his vocals. I mean you get the harsh BM screams with added pig growls, acid tongued vicious singing and total bear growls.

Malus's guitar work is also exceptional. You get death metal grooves, icy tremolo picked riffs, tech death soloing and blunt brootal or melodic runs. And he makes it all fit into these ten songs. Actually it's nine cuts plus a keyboard intro. Anyways this is a extreme metal fan's listening pleasure. 

https://hessianfirm.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://apokatastasisbrutal.bandcamp.com/album/the-consecratory-secretion

HEINOUS / FLUIDS - Snuffed / Torture Euphoric Split EP review

HEINOUS / FLUIDS - Snuffed / Torture Euphoric Split EP

Horror Pain Gore Death




The HEINOUS side of this split release opens with a news report sound clip about a human chop shop selling everything from various major body parts to severed penis's. The song is titled "Severed" and it got me thinking. The Chinese government has been known to kill prisoners and then sell their body parts on the open market. I wonder if they'll try and do that with all the dead from their Wuhan bat aids epidemic?


But anyways I digress, so who's up for some disgusting goregrind? In these times of quarantine, nothing gets people to self distance from you faster then playing something like this. Both bands here are of the same filthy line. HEINOUS are a from Phoenix, Arizona and contribute (?) four cuts of vile bile. Sound-wise they're fast, crunchy with monstrous vocals. 


On the flip you've got FLUIDS who also hail from Phoenix, Arizona. Hmmm, must be the food. But anyways they add two cuts which are slow, generally disgusting and creep out like shit from MORTICIAN's ass. Both of these bands must be fun to party with. So I'll buy the beer and you can bring over the Mexican snuff porn VHS tapes. Yeah the machine still works.


http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/snuffed-torture-euphoric-split

HARVEST GULGALTHA - Altars Of Devotion review

HARVEST GULGALTHA - Altars Of Devotion 

Nuclear War Now! Productions




There are times when things you're supposed to like are not up to snuff. Take this Phoenix, Arizona outfit for example. HARVEST GULGALTHA play blackened death doom, a style of extreme that I've written thousands of words of praise for bands who also create it. This band does a decent job of it on this their debut full length. But in a time when so many other acts have perfected a richer and horrific sound, HARVEST GULGALTHA are simply small fish in a huge sea.

Originally this came out as a limited to 100 copies cassette under the band’s Aphotic Sonance label. As with their original 2012 demo, Nuclear War Now! Productions also re-released it under their label. Sound wise what we got here is primal blackened death doom that stays away from any modern twists. A decade or so ago this would've been great and to a degree it still is. The cavernous vocals standing upfront and there's that thunderous wall of guitar/bass noise that keeps a steady level of power. 

Although Altars Of Devotion is eight cuts in just slightly thirty eight minutes you would think it was just one continuous song with some atmospheric breaks. Listening to this is like watching a bog that emits gas and shows a few ripples. This trio keeps things minimal with absolutely no guitar leads, simple lumbering song structures with a non deviating tempo. Likeable but not noteworthy.

http://www.nwnprod.com/

https://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/altars-of-devotion

https://aphoticsonance.bandcamp.com/album/harvest-gulgaltha-altars-of-devotion

https://www.facebook.com/harvestgulgaltha