DEVENIAL VERDICT - Old Blood Fresh Wounds compilation review

 

DEVENIAL VERDICT - Old Blood  Fresh Wounds

Transcending Obscurity Records

I've been a fan of Finland's DEVENIAL VERDICT for a few years now. I consider their 2022 debut full length, Ash Blind and their sophomore album Blessing of Despair from 2024 to be amazing. But it must be noted that DEVENIAL VERDICT are not a typical wake and bake Death Metal band. I've always called em Death Metal for late night listeners.

So when this came in for review I was shocked that they came out with a new album that quick. Thankfully I was wrong because this is actually early material per say. Since the band has been around for twenty years they decided to come out with a release which was part old songs given a revamp plus their Soulthirst EP which came out in 2016. 

In all honesty this release is for DEVENIAL VERDICT fans new and old. I think it's cool. Listening to their early stuff you realize they were your average modern Death Metal act with some Tech Death style thrown in. I mean it was the late 2000s / early 2010s. If I heard this stuff back in the day I'd say it was OK. Although "The Unborn God" is damm good.

Now the important portion is the inclusion of their Soulthirst EP from 2016 because it's on this release where you can hear the band progressing to where they are now. I really like this part because what came next six years later was their debut Ash Blind. It's not a perfect graduation because the band is still sound-wise in their early phase but still it's cool. 

I guess I'll have to file this one under the term "compilation" and a damm good one for fans only. Then again "reissue" works just as well.

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://devenialverdictband.bandcamp.com/album/old-blood-fresh-wounds

DAMNABLE - Inperdition reissue review

 

DAMNABLE - Inperdition Reissue

Godz Ov War Productions

I'm always into showcasing the brutality of Polish extreme metal. But I gotta say this one really kicked my fuckin ass when I first played it. I never knew about this band although I can hear how they influenced some acts afterwards. DAMNABLE were a four piece death grind act from Poland who started out back in the early 1990's. While they were together from 1992 to 2004 they ended up putting out two full lengths and a handful of split releases.

 

Inperdition was the band's first full length release from 1996. It originally came out on a cassette from Immortal Records. So when listening to this now I take into account that this came out when black metal was still riding high in people's minds. Plus there were other music things going on, some cool and some horrible. But this was formidable death grind which came out in obscurity.

This album has it all as far as the genre would later get serious about. You've got the bestial barked vocals with added hellish screams of torment. Musically you've got this crunchy guitar tone used for maniacal riffs. The bass work is thunderous. The drumming is spot on snare pounding. And what guitar solos which sneak in are short sharp shocks. 

This is a ten song release but if you skip the intro and outro you've got eight punishing cuts. Songs like "The Myth" with it's croaking vocals, "Underworld" which is a slaughter fest for the senses and the almost progressive song structured "Self Analysis" happen to be my favorites here. Yeah this is one of those must find reissues.

https://www.godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/inperdition

 

THROMBUS – Mental Turmoil Reissue review

THROMBUS – Mental Turmoil Reissue

La Caverna Records




I'm thinking many people out there in the land of metal fandom will not immediately recognize this band. On the other hand if you're a collector of everything death metal or a US doom fan then you might know about this. THROMBUS were a four piece US death metal act who hailed from Oregon back in the early 1990s. The doom connection comes from one of the band members here, Isamu Sato, who played on three (and in my opinion best) of YOB's early albums. Now there's second US doom connection here as well in that another guy, Mike Brown, played with the band ALDEBARAN who I happen to be a fan of as well.


Now while THROMBUS only lasted a handful of years in the early 90s. This their sole release has garnered a somewhat legendary status by some people who've made it out to be a collectible item. Mental Turmoil was originally released by the band as a cassette. (see below)

The band put out around a 100 copies and afterwards, in the latter 90s, it was passed on in second or third hand copies via tape trading. During the 2000s or when the internet explosion came about it became available on obscure metal download sites. Don't lie, you know exactly what I'm talking about. A few years back I was reading something that mentioned the band as legendary and I had thought this had been reissued on CD by the way the author was writing about it. Obviously I was mistaken because here it is now.


Musically in a reality sense THROMBUS on Mental Turmoil are not legendary. It's basic 90's era US death metal in a vein similar to many acts at the time. Maybe more similar to Midwest DM then Floridian. I know if I picked it apart then I could name drop. Now as far as quality yes it's good. The band followed the 90's era basics of decent chunky rhythms, dirty guitar tones, some sharp solos and of course gruff vocals pushed to the front. All six cuts are decent but not in any way groundbreaking. 


Now that's not to say this is not worthwhile. It's always cool to see something from the past which was unavailable to fans getting a second shot. Also having it available on CD makes it better for people with thin wallets. I don't begrudge people selling things on Ebay and making a profit from it. I just hate ripoff artists. Nuff Said.



https://lacavernarecs.bandcamp.com/

https://lacavernarecs.bandcamp.com/album/mental-turmoil

DEATH VOMIT - Gutted by Horrors reissue review

DEATH VOMIT - Gutted by Horrors reissue

Hells Headbangers Records




Well even though these Chilean death metal merchants have a new limited edition EP out titled Pyre, I believe it's this reissue to truly be worth talking about. It was just a few years ago, 2014 to be exact, when this release first dropped. Originally put out on CD by the Spanish label Xtreem Music (who I use to get a bunch of stuff to review years ago). This was their debut full length. 


Now musically DEATH VOMIT were not doing anything new on this release. In fact Gutted by Horrors is just another example of a new band worshiping old school DM of the past. But the fact here is that they did it so fuckin well. Imagine a mixture of BLASPHEMY, PORTAL, DISMEMBER and INCANTATION all culled in a cauldron of black bubbling sulfurous liquid. You just might need asbestos gloves to hold this less you'll receive festering blisters.


https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

https://death-vomit.bandcamp.com/

COLTSBLOOD - Ascending Into Shimmering Darkness review

COLTSBLOOD - Ascending Into Shimmering Darkness 

Black Bow Records




So if you're a regular reader of SFM666 (and frankly who isn't) then you're probably wondering why I'm writing about a release that came out last year on Candlelight Records. Well dear confused, it's because Black Bow Records is re-issuing this one on vinyl. The pretentious record collecting scum will love that. Secondly COLTSBLOOD are new to me so hey I wanna write about em.


Yes, yes you're shocked that I don't know about COLTSBLOOD. Yeah I'm so behind the times. Maybe I should get some English Doom fanatic to throw a fuckin brick through my window to announce every little tidbit of information about the British doom scene. I'm serious because I rarely read other websites.


But anyway in this band's case I'll take the brick. Now that I know about COLTSBLOOD and listened to this a few nights after work, which is a perfect time, I love them. First off this is John McNulty who formerly played bass in CONAN. That's your sludge factor. With this band (a three piece featuring John on bass & vocals, Jemma McNulty on guitar and drummer Jay Plested) the man has veered away from the path of his old band. 


COLTSBLOOD are for the most part dark as in it's sludge metal meets a more atmospheric genre side of black metal and maybe something leaning to the funeral side of doom. John's vocals are a mix of psychotic screams, bestial grunting and feral haunting. When not hammering down-tuned massive sludgey riffs Jemma's guitar playing twists tremolo picked hypnotic harmonies. The drum work is fine as well.


The bottom line for me here is between their whole bludgeoning there's some fast blackened effects as well as a little dark melodious space. A fine release and worth a re-issue, or a re-inspection for those of us (myself included) who missed out on it the first time around.


https://blackbowrecords.bigcartel.com/

https://coltsblood.bandcamp.com/album/ascending-into-shimmering-darkness

https://www.facebook.com/Coltsblood

SLOMATICS / CONAN - Split reissue review

SLOMATICS / CONAN - Split reissue

Black Bow Records






The release's cover artwork depicting a heavy metal warrior riding upon a giant snail pretty much sums up what you're gonna hear. This originally came out in 2011 as a limited 12"er on Head of Crom Records. But it seems, according to the promo info, that this particular release has been an on demand by fans wishlist item.


Now just for the record England's CONAN and Ireland's SLOMATICS have been around for a good decade. But unless you're a devoted fan of slow and heavy music then you are like "Who?" Be that as it may this falls into that holy grail type of releases category. SABBATH on ludes, cough syrup and a brick on the needle as you spin Master of Reality on the turntable.


Both bands deliver three cuts a piece of pure sticky monster sized sludge rock. And just like my opinion of their split with MAMMOTH WEED WIZARD BASTARDS back in January, the SLOMATICS rule on this one as well.



http://www.blackbowrecords.com/

https://conan-conan.bandcamp.com/album/split-with-slomatics

https://slomatics.bandcamp.com/album/conan-slomatics-split

https://www.facebook.com/Slomatics/

https://www.facebook.com/hailconan/