APOLAUSTIC - No Plenitude Without Suffering review

 

APOLAUSTIC - No Plenitude Without Suffering

Transcending Obscurity Records

So this is a new band by Romain Negro the former vocalist / guitarist of the Swiss Black Metal band STORTREGN. OK fine but this sounds like a follow up from STORTREGN's last album Finitude which came out in 2023. In other words if you are a fan of Switzerland's long time Black Metal / Blackened Death act STORTREGN then you'll like this one a lot. 

There ya go it's Melodic Black Metal to the hilt. It's influenced by the old Swedish Melodic BM sound. And of course there's the Swede DM influence as well. All of which is cool in my book. Romain Negro is also responsible for the cover artwork as well. The guy is fully in control of everything. 

Musically yeah this is cool. Romain Negro has that high pitched roar of a vocal sound. It's a classic vocal sound which anyone into Black Metal for a generation knows well and likes a lot. Along for the ride in this band is drummer Nicolas Muller from the French Melodic Death Metal band AKIAVEL. And on guitar and bass there's Merlin Bogado from DYSSEBEIA who also used to play with STORTREGN during live performances. 

In the end the song writing wins out as far as Melodic Black Metal / Blackened Death goes. Romain Negro finds ways to reaffirm a genre which has been worn out for a decade or more by generic copycats. Yes like I said earlier if you like STORTREGN then you'll like this. But better yet if ya wanna hear a perfect album then here ya go. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://apolaustic-label.bandcamp.com/album/no-plenitude-without-suffering

ATOMIZATOR - Nuclear Booze Patrol review

 

ATOMIZATOR - Nuclear Booze Patrol

Witches Brew

As anyone who reads the reviews on this site (and frankly who doesn't) knows that my opinion on modern day Thrash is low. Look I was around when Thrash started out and it was cool. I liked those bands plus the others that added other genre styles to it aka: Death Thrash and Blackened Thrash. I also supported the Thrash Revival in the late 2000's. But to get me going for you as a band nowadays ya gotta show me something which I'll not be bored with three songs into your release. 

Case in point here we have the debut album by ATOMIZATOR who are a four piece Thrash act from the great nation of Switzerland. Now obviously when you look at Switzerland you think of their banking system, the fuckin alps and of coarse CELTIC FROST. How many people that you know will honestly say "Dude I'm really into the Swiss Thrash scene because it's killer"? Ah yeah whatever. 

So hey here we have a decent contender for some modern day Thrash. But hey look at these guys. They look like a couple of troublesome dudes who came into a place where I've worked at. They drink their shite beers. They probably added on a few shots of cheap booze as well. And of course they got quarters to play pool. An hour or two later I'm throwing these assholes out the door. Yeah I used to be a bouncer at a Punk/Metal club. Surprised?

Be that as it may the opening intro "U-235" on here is not OK in my book. But don't let that sway you because the real opening track "Permanent Injury" is a cool sounding rager with a decent enough riff and vocal attack. ATOMIZATOR soundwise remind me of cool 80's Speed Metal from the US. But sure they're Thrash in your face with some killer extras. 

I really like Philip Lindholm's vocals. He mixes real guy singing with some high pitched 80's Heavy Metal screams. Hell I was while listening to this Lindholm let out one of those screams and my beer bottle started to shake. I thought it was gonna be one of those is it live or is it Memorex moments. OK you people are probably too young for that one. 

Be that as it may Nuclear Booze Patrol is twelve cuts of cool sounding Thrash / Speed Metal. I don't think there's a bad track on here except for the instro opening. Musically this band wants to start a fight with you and to me that's cool. Along with the great lead vocals and Hardcore backing gang vocals I give credit to guitarist Bastien Roth. The guy is a great riff master. 

Add to that ATOMIZATOR has a fuckin amazing rhythm section in bassist Dale Brighouse who makes his thick line playing known throughout this album. Then there's drummer Gabriel Cotting who's a fuckin dynamo behind the kit. Real drumming and no triggers. Yeah to me this album is killer. 

https://witchesbrew.eu/en

LISTEN HERE:

https://witchesbrewthrashes.bandcamp.com/album/nuclear-booze-patrol

VOMITHEIST - NekroFvneral review

 

VOMITHEIST - NekroFvneral

Transcending Obscurity Records

As readers of this site know (and frankly who doesn't read this site) I freely admit my guilty pleasure of hyperbole. But what I am about to describe to you extreme metal enthusiasts out there is true. This is probably one of the best death metal albums of 2023. Yeah I know it's only the middle period of the year. The Fall season release dump is not here yet. But seriously this is the shit. 

This is the debut full length by this three piece Swiss death metal act. So let's start with their band name, VOMITHEIST. Now everyone knows that if there was a fifth component to the big three Swedish DM trident I'd include VOMITORY as number five. I mean these guys got vomit in their name. I love that shit as well as bands having "wolf" or "goat" in their titles. 

Next up comes their album title, NekroFvneral. Yeah it's literally necro funeral and what's not to like about that scene. But of course the end result is always the music and this Swiss band brings on an ass kicking performance. Musically this is old school death metal from back in the day completely savaged and reborn into a cool as fuck image. 

Imagine if you will, DISMEMBER and AUTOPSY having a deformed child. Yeah that's what you get with VOMITHEIST. You've got the HM-2 Boss Pedal worship utilzed to perfection. The riffs are as crunchy as burnt toast. The leads come down like bolts of lightning from above. The song structures are a mix of the classic DM to death & roll at certain times and then some doom. Drum work is fucking amazing. The vocals are a mix of filth and nasty. 

In the end what more can I say which I started with?  I love this album. Their opening track is "Strangled by Entrails". The title track sounds like DISCHARGE. In-between it's a fuckin twisted filth ridden mess with Tom G grunts added to the vocals. Best fuckin death metal album of 2023. 

  

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://vomitheistdm.bandcamp.com/album/nekrofvneral

EGGS OF GOMORRH - Wombspreader review

 

EGGS OF GOMORRH - Wombspreader

Godz Ov War Productions

Switzerland is home to many notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music, the sciences and there's EGGS OF GOMORRH. Now we all know when it comes to extreme music this nation has given us fans CELTIC FROST, CORONER, SAMAEL, KROKUS, ELUVETIE (don't laugh I've got a couple of their CDs) and then there's EGGS OF GOMORRH. 

The tagline on this release is blackened death metal and yeah there's that. But these Swiss extremists love their grind as well. This their second full length release is on full attack mode from the very start. Sound wise it reminds me of PIG DESTROYER before they got boring.

From the start you've got the in your face screamed vocals. There in that death metal / grind angular variety. Then we get the music which is a ferocious assault of riff packages. The drum work is totally maniacal and to me leads things along. 

In the end this album is dedicated to speed and hatred. There's an atmospheric break in the middle portion but a few minutes later this release goes back into full attack mode. It's decent to say the least.

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

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

WACHT - La rumur dal destin EP review

 

WACHT - La rumur dal destin EP

BergStolz Production

I say this a lot. I am not an metal expert in fact I despise people who call themselves metal experts. There will always be a band/artist who is either new or old that we're just now learning about. So in a way I'm an explorer looking for new and cool music. 

Case in point here we have WACHT a Swiss black metal act that's been around since 2006. Their first release was a five song demo in 2007. Since then the band has been fairly prolific as to putting out a variety of releases be they demos, split releases, EPs and compilations of that material plus four full lengths. 

What we have here is an eight song EP. You have seven originals and the final cut is a cover of a song from another Swiss BM act ZANGENTOD. Now musically WACHT has a sound that's controlled BM chaos with a singer who comes across as being literally tortured. I kinda feel for the guy and I'm a cold hearted SOB.

How cold hearted you may ask? Well for example tonight at work I complained why some things were not taken care of during the day. And the answer I got was that the employee who was supposed to do it died. So my answer to that was well at least he had a good excuse for not coming to work.

Now as far as this band goes yeah painful vocals, tortured vocals which made me afraid to blast this release because the fuckin neighbors would call the damm cops on me again. But anyways when I say the band's sound is "controlled BM chaos". I mean there's a pattern of BM style you know plus the band throws in these twisted patterns. Some times it's the drum work and other times it's the disjointed riff sagas. 

All in all WACHT's latest release is interesting to say the least. It has an uncanny quality that draws you in just for it's pure explosive and chaotic nature. This is black metal insanity at it's best. Not only do you need to check this out but I need to go into this band's back catalog. 

http://www.bergstolz.ch/

LISTEN HERE:

https://wacht.bandcamp.com/album/la-rumur-dal-destin

HAN - Breathing the Void review

HAN - Breathing the Void

Northern Silence Productions

Hearing some damm good black metal from Switzerland is usually few and far inbetween. This band here is another perfect example. HAN started out back in 2009 but did not release anything until 2016 with their debut, Facilis Descensus Averni. That one was released by Northern Silence Productions as well and I might say falls into the category of damm good. So after a five year this five piece act returns with their long awaited second full length.

As far as this new one goes it's different from their debut. Facilis Descensus Averni was pretty much old school atmospheric black metal. This new one moves into a more melodic genre style with some cool headbanging grooves to boot. After a typical atmospheric keyboard intro things get rockin.

What comes next is 90's era melodic yet very abrasive black metal. Plenty of times the guitar sounds are like burning sheet metal being ripped apart. The riffs are thrashy especially the tremolo picked intricate ones. The vocals are filth ridden barks mixed with harsh antagonistic screams. Rhythm section, can't hear any bass, is fine with either blast beat madness or basic rock delivery. 

All in all this is another damm great release by HAN. The vocals come over as having that necro feel which the Finnish bands of the 90's had. Most of the songs have a galloping rhythm like on "Lost Souls" or "Breathing the Void" which carries you away like you're on a blackened hell-ride. In the end you just don't want it to end.

https://store.northern-silence.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://han-northernsilence.bandcamp.com/album/breathing-the-void

 

MASSEMORD - Ekstremist EP review

MASSEMORD - Ekstremist EP

This Winter Will Last Forever




OK so if you're a clandestine member of black metal's kvlt underground kult of fandom then MASSEMORD to you are old hat. Maybe you're now calling them sell outs since their releases are more accessible. That and the fact Chi-Com bat aids didn't take out half the world's population must really have bummed you out. Oh well look on the bright side, you still rule the forum. 


But anyways I'm obviously not kvlt enough to have known about MASSEMORD back in the day. That being their days when it was still a solo project by Lord Hastur Warmachine. After a while the Lord took on some members from the band SATANIKA. Not much longer after that the Lord decided to leave but allowed the new guys to keep the name. 


I learned about the band, originally from Bergen, Norway but now call Switzerland home, via the STAY FUCKING NECRO  full length from 2013. Little did I know it was actually a reissue of early MASSEMORD stuff. Yeah it was early lo-fi raw demo quality black metal. My second introduction came with the 12 Years of Mass Murders which actually quite better. 


In January I had MASSEMORD's latest full length, Luciferi Imperium, in the emails and I blew it off by accident. Yeah I know it was a mistake because after checking it out I'm like holy shit it's true second wave black metal sounding material. But it's far better than the releases I'd heard before from this band. Plus they had a great album cover pictured below.

Which brings us to this EP, which I think is far more ferocious sounding than most of the previous LP's worth. Four studio cuts and two demos which are cuts from the previous album and really don't make a difference. The basic tracks here take the whole Norwegian black metal style to a degree of perfection. In that it's what you would expect from followers. 



https://officialmassemord.bandcamp.com/album/ekstremist

https://www.facebook.com/massemord/

TOTENHEER- Die Schwarze Spinne review

TOTENHEER- Die Schwarze Spinne

Self-Released




So here we have a 74-minute concept album by the Swiss black metal band TOTENHEER. The concept is based on a novella titled "The Black Spider" which was written by Albert Bitzius under his pen name Jeremias Gotthelf back in 1842. The Black Spider (aka: Die schwarze Spinne) was his best known work.


The story basically tells the tale of a peasant farming community under the thumb of a not so nice lord. Unable to keep up with the lord's demands the community makes a pack with the devil in order to succeed. The devil helps them and demands a payment of a unbaptized child. The peasants decide to trick and cheat the devil. As retribution the devil sends them the plague in the symbol of the black spider.


Musically the release opens on a somber note then the black metal opera kicks in. TOTENHEER use a melodic black metal style with vocals which are filthy German shouts. The songs vary from slow doom like epics to some good o'l tremolo picked thrash and burn. In the end this is a decent release which you must hear from start to finish.


https://totenheer.bandcamp.com/album/die-schwarze-spinne

https://www.facebook.com/totenheerofficial/

FORLET SIRES - Holy review

FORLET SIRES - Holy 

Cruel Bones Records




Someone once asked me if I play my type of music at work and I said no. The other people I work with play their stuff and I ignore it. So the next question came if I could play music at work what would it be? My answer was death doom because it suits the job. Be that as it may I'm off from work listening to some death doom from a Swiss four piece act. 


Of course the sub genre of death doom has it's own template stretch point. There's either the adherence to death and destruction or a lean towards elegance. These guys are pushing towards the latter at least with one foot while the other is firmly planted in the mainstay. The first two cuts on this band's second full length push the atmosphere part of the phase. We're talking long drawn out riff packages with growled vocals. At times it reminds me of MY DYING BRIDE minus the violin.



The third cut "Dead Skin", which is the best out of the four long songs on here, is a bestial punch to the gut. It's like getting into a fight with a grizzly bear with some subtle tremolo picked rhythms as accompanying back ground music. Still there's that elegance but paired with the vicious execution of blast beats. Final cut, "We Roam This World Alone" least favorite since it rehashes most of the first two cuts . In the end FORLET SIRES don't do a bad job at emulating others.



https://cruelbones.com/

https://forletsires.bandcamp.com/album/holy

https://www.facebook.com/forletsires 

WOLF COUNSEL - Destination Void review

WOLF COUNSEL - Destination Void

Endless Winter



(above is an older video since there's nothing to represent their new material out at this time)

There use to be a band from my neck of the woods called HOUR OF 13. They were flat out classic sounding doom with clean vocals. So as the saying goes nothing good ever lasts, the two musicians involved parted ways and HOUR OF 13 were no more. I've got all of their CDs but ya know you wish for something new to pop up which is similar and can get your fandom excited again.


So I am excited to hear WOLF COUNSEL who fill a void. The band hails from Switzerland where I keep my money. They started out in 2014 and since then have been busy fuckers. This is their fourth full length which means I really need to go back and check out all their previous stuff. You really don't hear classic doom like this any more. Mainly you get plenty of death doom and stuff from hipsters in New York City (New York City?)


WOLF COUNSEL bring about memories of bands like GATES OF SLUMBER, GRAND MAGUS and the a fore mentioned HOUR OF 13. We're talking that whole low and slow style with a course run steadily while a few cool leads cut through the gloom. The vocals, which I mentioned earlier are cleanly sung, are an integral part of the overall effect this style of doom puts forth. All in all this release by WOLF COUNSEL has made 2019 a  great fuckin year for me. 


http://endless-winter.org/

https://www.facebook.com/thewolfcounsel

LYKHAEON - Ominous Eradication of Anguished Souls review

LYKHAEON - Ominous Eradication of Anguished Souls

Godz Ov War Productions




Welcome to a blackened maelstrom of hellish proportions. This band, a three piece act, hail from Switzerland but you would believe they come from the same cavernous regions PORTAL reigns from sound wise. Then again they have caverns in the Alps as well. 


Since H.P. Lovecraft has become a major fascination meme of metal then these two cuts conjure up an entrance theme to the old gods. Bring out the sacrifice, strip her naked and pillar her to greet the master of the universe. I say her because Chthulu doesn't want to see a naked hipster dude. But anyways I digress.


Ominous Eradication of Anguished Souls is two long songs on an EP which carries a religious touch with the spoken wordings which fall in with the wall of fuckin noise this act evokes. This is their second release over all. In 2015 they put out a self released full length, Tanz der Entleibten. One wonders, after listening to this blackened religious testimant, what that would be like. 


http://godzovwar.com/shop/en/

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/ominous-eradication-of-anguished-souls

https://www.facebook.com/lykhaeon

FORGE - Heimdall review

FORGE - Heimdall

Self Released

I don't receive as much Viking themed metal as I did years ago. Obviously the fad has died back and only a few of the original long standing bands are still around. But low and behold we have FORGE from Switzerland who take things to the hilt. Now when I think of Switzerland I am not thinking of vikings. Actually I'm thinking of banking. By the way here's a band photo below. That guy on the bottom left looks like the dude who prepared my taxes last year. 

Now with that said FORGE are actually damm good at the whole viking metal thing. First off they're not pushing the total melodic death metal sound meets Asgard type of shtick. FORGE have a base firmly planted in traditional folk meets metal and have a symphonic touch that's not overwhelming. Their metal portions are exceptional. To hear a band in this genre at this stage of time do so well at not being cliche is a plus to me. 

The violin playing as a full on instrument that takes a song to heights is where I was like, Yeah! So you've got full frontal violin playing meets extremely guttural vocals and a melodic death metal template. But who's doing the keyboards? Also why are the vocals so brutal DM style? Not at all like traditional viking metal by the way. That really failed on my expectation. Look you've got the music pure, the song structure exciting and then you muck it up on the vocals. Oh well, great music with a different vocal style. 

https://forge-metal.bandcamp.com/album/heimdall

https://www.facebook.com/forgemetal

UNGFELL - Totbringaere review

UNGFELL - Totbringaere

Self Released




Who would've guessed that those accordion lessons your parents made you take as a kid were actually something you could use in the future. This is the debut full length by Swiss black metal duo UNGFELL. The band is made up of Menetekel on vocals, all guitars and yeah the accordion. The drummer's name is Infermita. Menetekel is definitely the main man on here.

On Totbringaere, the duo mixes raw second wave style black metal with their regional folk music. Along with the accordion there's also some woodwinds used. The opener "Viures Brunst" is a three minute folk intro to get you in the mood. From that point on a blackened bombast ensues with tremolo picked runs, melody tossed in and tortured vocals that could peel paint. 

There are two things that standout about this release. The first is that the songs, which do combine the elements of metal and folk, have a good structure. Menetekel uses the non amplified instruments (aka: the woodwinds, acoustic guitar, mouth harp and accordion) as important parts of the songs as opposed to simple accents. This is what blackened folk is supposed to sound like. Menetekel also adds some clean cries and spoken word passages which is all folk based. There's also a decent use of samples. By the way whatafuck was that animal sound on "Gottes Acker"? Hell I thought I was having a Rats in the Walls moment there for a second.

The second thing that stands out about this release, and it's a downside, is the poor drum sound. Can you say drums in a can? With that said Totbringaere is a fantastic release especially if you're into quality blackened folk metal.

Rating: 4/5

http://helunco.blogspot.com/

http://gracelessrecordings.storenvy.com/products/19013866-ungfell-totbringre

https://www.facebook.com/Ungfell-1553339294947606/

https://ungfell.bandcamp.com/album/t-tbring-re