VACUOUS - In His Blood review

 

VACUOUS - In His Blood

Relapse Records

VACUOUS are a fairly new band out of England. They're a five piece Death Metal act who started out in 2020. The band's first release was a three song demo then they followed it up with a five song EP. Next they put out a live album (what balls!) titled Live in Leeds in 2021. Their first full length came out in 2022 on Me Saco Un Ojo Records. Between then and now they also put out a split EP. 

So here is their second full length and after listening to this one close to nine times in the past couple of days I've gotta say something is cool with VACUOUS. First off they know how to read the scene. In other words yeah they love the Death Metal of old. But clearly they don't want to be just another OSDM revival band. On here yeah there's Death Metal both from the old ways as well as that cavernous sound from 2007 and onward. There's Death Thrash and plenty of Black Metal influence running through some of their compositions. Hell I'll even say there's Death Doom and post 80's Hardcore (metal core which to me is shit) in a few cuts.   

The eight cuts on In His Blood are basically dark as far as the record's atmosphere goes. I mean even when they're trying to rip your guts out. The band experiments with subtle dissonance here and there. Overall the musicianship is good and vocalist Jo Chen is damm good. He can do the the gambit of extreme metal singing as it gutturals, BM shrieks and HC screams. 

Overall In His Blood is a great release. But to me it falls into that category (which is not a new genre) I created years ago as late night extreme stuff. Yes this is a perfect album to play when you get off of work at night. It has that balance of wanting to rage and relax. To me that's something needed. 

https://www.relapse.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://vacuousdeath.bandcamp.com/album/in-his-blood

AD HOMINEM - Totalitarian Black Metal review

 

AD HOMINEM - Totalitarian Black Metal

Osmose Productions

There's a reason why there's no Bandcamp link for you to check out and instead I give you a Youtube link. It's because AD HOMINEM are hated and cancelled from certain platforms. Now personally I'm a fan of AD HOMINEM. I got into em with their Climax of Hatred full length from 2005. I've always considered em one of the best bands the French Black Metal scene had to offer over the decades. 

So before I get into this latest full length. I wanna make a point to acknowledge a few things. Black Metal is pretty much about hate. And sometimes that hatred is directed toward religion. Now there are people who think it's fine if Black Metal acts have songs attacking one major religion aka: Christianity. But these same people also believe if a band attacks the two other major Abrahamic religions then they're horrible and need to be cancelled. To me that's the stance of a hypocrite and you shouldn't be listening to Black Metal at all. 

Now Totalitarian Black Metal (great title by the way) is AD HOMINEM's seventh full length since starting out back in the late 1990's. Kaiser Wodhanaz performs all instruments and vocals. Musically for the past two decades AD HOMINEM's sound is basically a French version of Panzer Division era MARDUK. You've got this ferocious sound from the start of this release. The guitar work is vicious, the drum work is in almost constant blast beat mode.

Of course Kaiser has that hate filled bestial scream to his vocals which makes the songs sound even more aggressive. There's nine cuts overall in a little over thirty one minutes. I like most of the songs but there are stand outs like the title track which will rip your fuckin head off. "Choke the Woke" is a Black n Roll cut which will piss off the hiptards. "The Nuclear Solution" is a fuckin blast fest. I mean this is fuckin slam pit action Black Metal. "Saturday Night Gulag" is also a ripper. 

In the end you've got to be intelligent enough to get the joke. Kaiser Wodhanaz is just a master troll who knows what buttons to push to piss off the weak losers out there. Of course he does it via great sounding furious Black Metal. This is another great album by AD HOMINEM. I'd say the cover art is better than the last two CDs. I want it as a large poster. Kaiser Wodhanaz has a formula to his BM sound that works.  

https://www.osmoseproductions.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaCNSKYsW_0

SKAPHOS - Cult of Uzura review

 

SKAPHOS - Cult of Uzura

Transcending Obscurity Records

Here's the third full length, first on a label as well, from this French Blackened Death foursome. Now my memory is not perfect but when it comes to this style of music from France two band names come to mind. One is TEMPLE OF BAAL and the other is RITUALIZATION. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the guys in this band were fans of the ones I name dropped. 

Now in no way are SKAPHOS influenced by those two above named bands. Instead they travel a well paved path that's familiar to anyone into modern Death Metal. At times their sound can be described as brutal but then they add that dissonance style to bring about the creeps. Of course there's plenty of punishing riffs.   

The sound on here is what for a few years now I refer to as late night music. Musically it's not crazy enough for your neighbors to think you're having a party or a Satanic ritual. Instead it's more like leave me alone I'm in a foreboding relaxed after work mood.  

Guitarist Stephan Petitjean handles the lead guttural vocals. He's got a horrific tone to his voice. Both second guitarist Jeremy Tronyo and bassist Theo Langlois contribute backing vocals which are probably the harsher BM shrieks. Drummer Nathan Faure does a satisfactory job with the blast beating and trigger drum bass sound. It's when he's not in that mode that I find his drum work interesting. 

SKAPHOS's third full length might not be that explosive mind fuck or anthems of battle for all of you extreme types. But ya know in that dark alley there's a small crowd who you only notice when the light of a lit cigarette burns bright on the inhale. They like their Blackened Death to be even toned and without a slam pit. They wanna be in awe and not in sweat or blood. If that's you then here ya go and it's thirteen cuts to enjoy. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://skaphos-label.bandcamp.com/album/cult-of-uzura

EREB ALTOR - Halsingemorker review

 

EREB ALTOR - Halsingemorker

Hammerheart Records

I got into Sweden's EREB ALTOR a few years back simply because 3/4's of the band members were in the amazing Doom Metal band ISOLE. Since I am a huge fan of ISOLE I had to check this act out. My introduction was their 2022 full length Vargtimman. Obviously I was late to the party since EREB ALTOR started out in 2003 but their first full length, By Honour, came out in 2008. 

EREB ALTOR's whole thing or design is to be epic sounding Viking Metal that's a continuation from where Quorthon of BATHORY left off after his passing in 2004. At least that's what some people like to say. I did think it on their last album a bit but after hearing this one I'm not part of that block. 

This EREB ALTOR's tenth full length is probably the best sounding modern developed style of Viking Metal. This is epic as in I want to run out on my back deck in the midst of a storm holding my battle axes and yell hails to Odin. For years fans have accepted the corny shit, myself included. But on here EREB ALTOR really nail the whole style in a melodic way. 

The riffs are decent but the added keyboards add to the atmosphere which, along with the amazing lead and background vocals, culminates into some pure classic sounds. I mean there's almost a Folk Metal element in a few cuts. In the end it's a beautiful piece of work. I can't wait for the weather to be nice so I can blast this on the outdoor speakers while I'm working in the yard.   

https://www.hammerheart.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://erebaltorhhr.bandcamp.com/album/h-lsingem-rker

NAKED WHIPPER - Chapel Defilement review

 

NAKED WHIPPER - Chapel Defilement

Iron Bonehead Productions

Well there's a lot to unpack here so let's start by the fact that this is NAKED WHIPPER's second full length of their career. And just for full disclosure I'm liking what I hear from this release. But the last time this German band was heard from was in the mid-1990's. Oh well what does a thirty year break matter when the music is good.

Speaking of which musically NAKED WHIPPER's sound is Blackened Grind and this release is a relentless barrage of that. The first song "Depraved to the Bone" pretty much describes what you're gonna get out of this 13 cut full length. I mean you're getting violent grind / thrash riffs, your typical blasted grind drum work. If there's bass playing then it's lost most of the time. 

I guess the most fun is listening to the bestial vocals by mainman Dominus A.S. who started NAKED WHIPPER back in 1993. On this album he's got Sonic Incinerator on guitar, Sulphur Irae on bass and the amazing drum work is provided by Cryptic Tormentor. Yeah I know the fake names are funny but the drumming on here is killer. 

Obviously I like this because I'm a long time Grind fan. I was into Grindcore before it actually had a genre title. It was a sound which came out of the late 80's Hardcore scene. Then metal musicians picked up on it and perfected the sound aka: REPULSION and NAPALM DEATH. 

As far as Blackened Grindcore goes yeah over the decades there's been a handful of bands that come under that fold. But I think this new full length by Germany's NAKED WHIPPER is the best sounding take as far as real Blackened Grind should sound like. It's an unholy soundtrack of filth, rage and sonic devistation. An amazing release which BM fans as well as Grind fans, who are not posers, will appreciate. 

https://ironbonehead.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://nakedwhipper.bandcamp.com/album/chapel-defilement

CRUSHUMAN - Besides EP review

 

CRUSHUMAN - Besides EP

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

The maniacs from Upper Marlboro, Maryland are back and they're angry as fuck. I first learned about this extreme sounding three piece in 2024 via their self titled full length which came out on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions.

Musically that album had a lot of variety as in Death Metal, Grindcore and post 90's Hardcore. Looking back I actually liked their aggro-grind and Hardcore stuff. In the end I thought this band has a way of creating apocalyptic sounding metal.

So as far as this nine song EP goes it starts out great but then goes into territory which I don't know what to say. The first two cuts "Select Sacrifice" and "Waiting for a Savior" are cool as in a Hardcore band playing Death Metal. Hell yeah start a slam pit in your basement when your parents are away. "Dead End Suffering" ain't too bad of a cut. 

But when "Apeasement to the Frauds" kicks in then it's really not a cool time. That goes with what follows afterwards. There's way too much not so cool HC style modern riffs which makes me hate to think these guys wear backwards baseball caps and shorts on stage.  Their first album was better but the HC crowd will like this one either way.   

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

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

KNOWLEDGE IS FOR FOOLS - Fast Food for Thought review

KNOWLEDGE IS FOR FOOLS - Fast Food for Thought

Self Released

So once in a while I've gotta rock n fuckin roll. And here's a release which is raw and unrelenting in your face. Bias alert because I'm friends with this North Carolina band. But then again most people in the media don't even admit to that so there ya go. Yeah at least I do and yeah I've been anticipating this release for a while. 

This is the third full length by KNOWLEDGE IS FOR FOOLS aka: KIFF who started out in the late 2000's. If you listen to their first two full lengths, which you should, then you know this band has progressed from being just a cool Punk Rock N Roll band to a catchy anthem concert act. And on this their third full length it's like one arm is covered in tattoos of the RAMONES, STOOGES and the DEAD BOYS to the other arm being covered with tats of THE GODZ, BLACK OAK ARKANSAS & KISS. 

First and fore-most the production on here is over the top. This is the best sounding KIFF release ever as far as headbanging, knee slapping and oh hell fucking yeah sing along screaming. With eleven tracks to pick through it's hard to find some favorites but I've gotta say "Lady Doom" is a kick ass hit. "Fast Food Fight on a Friday Night" is a punk anthem to anyone who knows what that's all about. Also the added female vocals rule.

Why this band rules is simple. You've got these cool raw vocals, a thunderous bass player ya know like old Punk Fuckin Rock and Metal had. Add to that some really savage guitar riffs plus rock n roll soloing. And finally some drumming that kicks fucking ass. All of which are in one song "I Want Blood" as well as the rest of the album but hey there ya go. 

In my not so humble opinion this is the best KIFF album ever, for now of course. If you're a Metal Head or a Punk Rock n Roller and better yet someone inbetween then here ya go. KIFF's third full length is a release you need to check out. It's a damm amazing release, period end of story. Oh fuck it, if you don't buy this release you're a poser. I was paid five bucks to say that last line. I gave it back because if you still don't get this album then you're a loser. Now I can honestly say Nuff Said.

LISTEN TO & BUY HERE:

https://knowledgeisforfools.bandcamp.com/album/fast-food-for-thought