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VIGILANCE - Enter the Endless Abyss
Dying Victims Productions
Frankly I am not one to want another damm musical genre to be invented on a whim. But seriously people it's been over forty years so I believe it's time to create a metal genre called MAIDEN Metal. Yes and to be included in this new metal genre is simple. All you have to do is sound like IRON MAIDEN. Hell I can think of a dozen bands I've known over the years that would fall into the category. Half of the Dying Victims Productions catalog would fit as well, OK maybe a quarter of em would fit. Now some fucker will say "just call it NWOBHM". Ah no because not all of those bands sounded like MAIDEN.
Now I've gone over the top with this suggestion because I'm listening to one of Slovenia's finest acts, VIGILANCE. This is their fourth full length and they take the MAIDEN influence to the hilt but with some cool originality thrown in. Aside from the wonderfully heavy and forceful galloping bass plus the dual guitar harmonies which is all part and parcel. It's the vocals which give VIGILANCE their first edge. Gilian Adam (vocals & guitars) has an amazing blast furnace voice. He can't be Paul Di'Anno or Bruce Dickinson (or that Blaze guy) so he takes it on as a cool yet filthy fucking harsh natural style. Reminds me of some old 80's British hardcore vocalists. There's some keyboards thrown in on here as well. That was totally out of the ordinary. But on the whole the eight tracks on here are absolutely fantastic.
https://www.dying-victims.de/
https://vigilanceofficial.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/VigilanceAdelsberg/
CHALLENGER - Turned to Dust
Dying Victims Productions
Before I get into this review I need to mention that if you're a fan of old school 80's style metal, thrash, speed metal, etc then this German label Dying Victims Productions is your go to place for all of that. Seriously just go to their Bandcamp site, check out their bands and buy, buy, buy. I will not steer you wrong.
Here's another great one by this label. CHALLENGER are a four piece act from Slovenia. This is their debut EP and they know classic 80's era metal. They're more NWOBHM than California eye liner, cross dresser, glam metal. Of course that's a good thing. Think songs with a melodic flow that have a distinct galloping riff pattern. Real guy vocals with a few explosive heavy metal screams thrown in. And of course some cool soloing like a hot knife into butter.
CHALLENGER's first release is just four songs but it'll remind you of the songs you heard on old comps from the 80's. Then again it could bring back memories of seeing some great band in a club from back in the day. I really cannot name drop any act who they remind me of. They basically come across as one of those second tier acts that really were cool as fuck. And some times you enjoyed them better than the headliners.
https://www.dying-victims.de/
https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/challenger-turned-to-dust
https://www.facebook.com/challengerslo/
DALKHU - Lamentation and Ardent Fire
Godz Ov War Productions
I like when a release comes in with a definitive tag line genre description, in this case it's black metal, and the reality is that there is so much more going on. Case in point DALKHU is a black metal trio from Slovenia who've been around for a decade now. They have two full lengths prior to this one. Those would be Imperator from 2010 and Descend Into Nothingness which came out in 2015.
Now I've never heard those past releases, sorry I've been busy, so I really can't compare. It is interesting enough that the band does take their time between releasing something. Obviously that careful attention to detail was taken on Lamentation and Ardent Fire. What we have here is pure blackened death. Now yeah there's to extreme examples of that sub genre. One is filth ridden and heavy while the other is cold and melodious.
DALKHU fall on the latter of the two previous examples. Then again how bout I just say that these guys graduated from the DISSECTION school of blackened death. There's plenty of sweeping melodies running throughout yet they still carry a very vicious intent. They invoke the art of linking atmosphere while technically delivering galloping tremolo riffs. there's also plenty moderate tempo changes in these cuts which reach out to grab hold of your throat.
There are times on a few cuts when DALKHU do delve deep into their black metal heart. To me that just makes this even more worthwhile as well as sinister. In the end I'll be honest with ya (hah, like I'm not always?). Over the years there's been very few bands who have achieved much by riding the wake behind what DISSECTION created years ago. In fact I can think of three that I really like who have carved a niche of their own into melodic blackened death's genre. I now add DALKHU to that list.
http://godzovwar.com/
https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/lamentation-and-ardent-fire
https://www.facebook.com/DalkhuOfficial/
PROVOCATOR - Satan, Chaos, Blood and Terror
Moribund Records
PROVOCATOR is the solo project of BLEEDING FIST founder Hellscream. Since I probably was one of the few who praised BLEEDING FIST's Bestial Krusifix666ion full length (I said it's like a flaming middle finger salute) in January 2010. I was also very nice to their Devils Ferox EP which came out in August of that same year. So why not give this one some time.
While BLEEDING FIST was Slovenia's blackened homage to the ways of the genre's old school, Hellscream takes this vehicle even further. Originally starting out in 2012 as a solo project which put out the full length Antikristus in 2014 plus a few short form releases prior to and afterward. PROVOCATOR is now a two piece act with Lord Astaroth of the Italian black metal act KURGAALL on lead vocals. Hellscream is still responsible for the instruments and background screams.
Satan, Chaos, Blood and Terror is the second full length by PROVOCATOR. Musically it's everything described in it's title. There's eight cuts of raw sounding old school filth owing much to HELLHAMMER as far as simplicity and BEHERIT as far as being lo-fi. So yeah it sounds like an old demo from the early 90s.
http://www.moribundcult.com/
https://moribundrecords.bandcamp.com/album/satan-chaos-blood-and-terror
https://www.facebook.com/Provocator.Cult
VIGILANCE - Hammer of Satan's Vengeance
Dying Victims Productions
Meanwhile in Slovenia we have this four piece act who are dubbed the new wave of blackened heavy metal. I know a guy in Canada who's head will spin when he reads that. So anyways VIGILANCE do mix traditional NWOBHM sounds with a mild touch of black metal aesthetics. The band has been kickin it for a decade now. Hammer of Satan's Vengeance is their third full length over that time.
There's some good and bad going on here. When their singer attempts a heavy metal scream, while having a gruff singing voice normally, it's criminal. "As the Fires Burn" is a perfect example of this failure. Dude you're not Halford or King Diamond. On the plus side, musically this is pretty cool. They do have a certain early MAIDEN flair on a few cuts. Maybe if they dropped the blackened seasoning and stuck with tradition it would all be better.
https://www.dying-victims.de/
https://vigilanceofficial.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/VigilanceAdelsberg/
