Friday, December 30, 2022

Plague Widow/Despair/2017 EP Review

 


  This  is  another  review  of  a  recording  from  California's  Plague  Widow  which  continues  the  blackened  mixture  of  death  metal,  crust  and  grindcore  from  previous  releases  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2017  and  called  "Despair".


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  at  times.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  can  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.


  Tremolo  picking  can  also b e  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  while  the  music  also  adds  in  some  touches  of  crust.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  short  in  length  along  with  all  of  the  musical   instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of t he  music  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.


  On  this  recording  Plague  Widow  remains  true  to  the  mixture  of  black,  death  metal,  crust  and  grindcore  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Cosmicism,  Misanthropy  and  Consciousness  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Plague  Widow  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  metal,  crust  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vestige"  "desired  collapse  In  Humanity" and "Drowning  Within  The  Abyss".  8  OUT  OF  10.


https://plaguewidow.bandcamp.com/album/despair


    .


  

Plague Widow/Self Titled/Buriedinhell Records/2012 Demo Review

 


  Plague  Widow  are  a  band  from  California  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  crust,  grindcore  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2012  demo  which  was  released  by  Buriedinhell  Records.


  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  demo  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  grindcore  elements  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.


  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  short  in  length  while  touches  of  crust  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples,  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffs  at  times.  


  Plague  Widow  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death  metal,  crust  and  grindcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Cosmicism,  Misanthropy  and  Consciousness  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Plague  Widow  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  metal,  crust  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Womb"  and  "Assimilated  Consciousness".   8  out  of  10.


https://plaguewidow.bandcamp.com/album/plague-widow     


  

Abolizion/Cosmic Waves of Despair/2022 EP Review

 


  This  is  the  final  review  of  a  recording  from  Hungary's  Abolizion  solo  project  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  dissonant  style  of  blackened  death  metal  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2022  and  called  "Cosmic  Waves  Of  Despair".


  A  very  dark,  distorted  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  brutal  direction.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast b eats  and  tremolo  picking  and  the  music  also  has  its  dissonant  moments.


  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  ad d in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  all  of  the  drum b eats  also  being  programmed,  synths  can  also b e  heard  briefly  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  On  this  recording  Abolizion  takes  dissonant  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  brutal  death  metal  to  create  a  very  aggressive  sounding  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  despair  and  violence  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abolizion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dissonant  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Despair".  8  out  of  10.


https://abolizion.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-waves-of-despair      


  

Abolizion/Red And Blue/2022 EP Review

 


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Hungary's  solo  project  Abolizion  which  shows  him  taking  his  dissonant  style  of  blackened  death  metal  into  more  of  a  melodic  direction  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2022  and  called  "Red  And  Blue".


  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  All  of  the  drum  beats  are  programmed  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  guttural  death  metal  growls  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast b eats  and  black  metal  elements  can b e  heard.


  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  along  with  some  of t he  riffs  also  add  in  a  dissonant  touch.  Influences  of  slam  can be  heard  in  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  some  screams  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  


  On t his  recording  Abolizion  takes  his  blackened  death  metal  style  into  more  of  a  melodic  and  atmospheric  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  destructive  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abolizion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Facing  Worlds  (At  Destruction)".  8  out  of  10.


https://abolizion.bandcamp.com/album/red-and-blue      


  

Abolizion/Extraterran Biosphere/2021 Demo Review

 


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Hungary's  solo  project  Abolizion  which  continues  the  dissonant  and  blackened  style  of  death  metal  and  the  demo  was  self  released  in  2021  and  called  "Extraterran  Biosphere".


  Programmed  drum  beats  start  off  the  demo  along  with  some  synths  and  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later.   Vocals  are  mostly  guttural  death  metal  growls  while  touches  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  brutal  blast b eats.


  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  has  its  dissonant  moments  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  sounding  at  times.  as  well  as  the  riffing  also  adding  in  elements  of  deathcore  and  slam  to  enhance  the  brutality,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  ar e utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.


  On  this  recording  Abolizion  expands  on  his  blackened  death  metal  style  by  getting  more  experimental  and  mixing  in  other  brutal  metal  genres.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  and  horror  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abolizion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Human  Tissue  left  To  Rot  In  AN  Extreterrestial  Jungle".  8  out  of  10.


https://abolizion.bandcamp.com/album/extraterran-biosphere  .


 

Abolizion/Α​β​ο​λ​ι​ζ​ι​ο​ν/2021 EP Review

 


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Hungary's  solo  project  Abolizion  which  continues  the  dissonant  style  of  blackened  death  metal  from  his  previous  release  and  the  ep  was  released  in  2021  and  called  "Α​β​ο​λ​ι​ζ​ι​ο​ν".


  Distorted  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  and  brutal  direction which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  guttural  death  metal  growls  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  elements  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times.


  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  also  has  its  dissonant  moments   All  of t he  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  some  synths  also  being  utilized  briefly  


  On  this  recording  Abolizion  takes  hi  dissonant  and  blackened  death  emtal  style  into  more  of  a  brutal  and  experimental  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  and  destruction  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abolizion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dissonant  blackened  death  emtal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Hyperblast".  8  out  of  10.


https://abolizion.bandcamp.com/album/-         

Abolizion/Nevtelen/2021 EP Review

 


  Abolizion  are  a  solo  project  from  Hungary  that  plays  a  very  dissonant  and  blackened  from  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2021  ep  "Nevtelen".


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  guttural  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  riffs  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  melodies  and  dissonant  structures.


  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  tracks  are  in  the  3  minute  range.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  also  being  added  into  the  faster  riffing  and  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.


  Abolizion  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  dissonant  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Hungarian  and  cover  darkness  and  death  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Abolizion  are  a  very  great  sounding  dissonant  blackened  death  emtal  solo  project  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Katalepszia".  8  out  of  10.


https://abolizion.bandcamp.com/album/n-vtelen  

Thursday, December 29, 2022

Misanthropæ/Untitled/2022 Full Length Review

 


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from   Misanthropæ  which  continues  the  blackened  grindcore  style  of  his  previous  release  and  the  album  was  self  released  in  2022  and  untitled.


  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  dissonant  structures  and  melodies  can  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.


  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  songs  are  also  longer  than  the  previous  ep.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing ,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  adds  in  a  small  amount of  clean  playing.


  On  this  recording   Misanthropæ  takes  his  blackened  grindcore  style  into  more  of  a  dissonant  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  oppressive  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from   Misanthropæ  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "REASON  I"  REASON  IV"  and  "REASON  VII".  8  out  of  10.


https://misanthropae.bandcamp.com/album/untitled

Misanthropæ/2021 EP Review

 


  Misanthropæ  are  a  solo  project  from  New  York  that  plays  a  blackened  from  of  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2021  ep .


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length.


  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  All  of t he  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  all  of  the  music  sticking  to  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  direction  as  well  as  some  of t he  riffing  also  having  its  dissonant  moments.


  Misanthropæ  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  misery  and  mayhem  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Misanthropæ  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  grindcore  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Trudge"  and  "Befall".  8  out  of  10.


https://misanthropae.bandcamp.com/album/ep


  


  

Intimidation Display/Pulverizing Inferiority/2022 Full Length Review

 


  Intimidation  Display  are  a  band  from  Maryland  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Pulverizing  Inferiority".


  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of t he  guitar  riffing.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  guttural  sounding  death  metal  growls.


  Touches  of  slam  can  also  be  heard  in  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  while  elements  of  grindcore  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music.  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  short  in  length  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times,  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  distorted  style  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  a  brutal  direction.


  Intimidation  Display  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  blackened  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violence,  retribution  and  economic  disparity  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Intimidation  Display  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pulverizing  Inferiority"  "Massacre"  and  "Wrong  One".  8  out  of  10.


  https://open.spotify.com/artist/62OOo0qMZN5FSOYp2CecXN


https://www.instagram.com/intimidationdisplay/
https://www.facebook.com/IntimidationDisplay/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Wn6BtK4pXI7VaBt1Cr6Nw
https://open.spotify.com/artist/62OOo0qMZN5FSOYp2CecXN
https://intimidationdisplay.bandcamp.com/album/pulverizing-inferiority
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/intimidation-display/1609522522


  

  

Azator/Horrors From Aeon Past/2019 EP Review

 


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Argentina's  Azator  which  continues  the  blackened  thrash  metal  style  of  the  previous  demo  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2019  and  called  "Horrors  From  Aeon  past".


  Ritualistic  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  thrash  metal  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Keyboards  can  also b e  heard  at  times  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.


  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  ad d in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  that  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  tremolo  picking  also  being  added  into  the  riffing  at  times, clear  chants  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at times.


  On  this  recording  Azator  expands  on  the  blackened  thrash  metal  style  that  they  introduced  on  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Lovecraftian  Horror,  Satanism  and  Occultism  themes. 


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Azator  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  Satan's  Hole"  and  "Ritual  of  Blood".  8  out  of  10.


https://azator.bandcamp.com/album/horrors-from-aeons-past-2

Azator/Demo 08 Review

 


  Azator  are  a  band  from  Argentina  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2008  demo.


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  demo  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also b e  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.


  Tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  the  faster  riffing  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a   decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  synths  also  being  added  into  the  background  briefly  and  all  of t he  music  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.


  Azator  played  a  style  of  blackened  thrash  metal  on  this  recording  that  was  very  modern  for  2008.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Lovecraftian  Horror  and  occultism  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Azator  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Dead  Bodies".  8  out  of  10.


https://azator.bandcamp.com/album/demo-08

IronFister/Thrash som faen/Bad Noise Records/2020 EP Review

 


  IronFister  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Thrash  som  faen"  which  was  released  by  bad  Noise  Records.


  A  very  hard  and  heavy  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of t he  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  first  wave  style  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  with  some  modern  touches.


  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  extreme  metal  style  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.   The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  musical  direction.


  IronFister  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  era  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  mix  them  together  with  a  more  modern  aggression  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  violence  and  war  themes.


  In  my  opinion  IronFister  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fuel"  and  "Manifest  of  Death".  8  out  of  10.


https://badnoiserecords.bandcamp.com/album/thrash-som-faen    

Atomic Drop/Macho Madness/2021 EP Review

 


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Virginia's  Atomic  Drop  which  continues  the  wrestling  themes  style  of  blackened  thrash  metal  from  their  previous  release  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2021  and  called  "Macho  Madness".


  Wrestling  samples  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  thrash  metal  direction  a  few  seconds  later.  Vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also b ringing  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style  and  also  add  in  touches  of  classic  metal  and  hard  rock..


  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  Clean  playing  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  allot  of  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  but  mixed  in  with  a  more  modern  day  aggression  as  well as  the  songs  also  adding  in  elements  of  crossover. 


  On  this  recording  Atomic  Drop  remains  true  to  the  wrestling  themed  style  of  blackened  thrash  metal  that  he  had  established  on  previous  releases.   The  production  sounds  very  professional  wile  the  lyrics  cover  Wrestling  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Atomic  Drop  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Macho  madness"  and  "Hostile  Takeover".  8  out  of  10.


https://atomicdrop1.bandcamp.com/album/macho-madness    


    

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Atomic Drop/Meatsauce Mountain/2020 EP Review

 


  Atomic  Drop  are  a  solo  project  from  Virginia  that  plays  a  wrestling  themes  form  of  blackened  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  ep  "Meatsauce  Mountain".


  A  vey  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  being  done  in  a  fist  wave  black  metal  style  and  clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times.


  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  also  gives  an  80;s  style  a  more  modern  sound.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  and  the  music  also  adds  in  influences  of  speed,  traditional  metal  and  crossover. 


  Atomic  Drop  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  black  and  thrash  metal  with  other  extreme  genres  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Wrestling  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Atomic  Drop  are  a  very  great  sounding  wrestling  themes  blackened  thrash  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Alfredo  Assassin"  and  "Purely  Sexy".  8  out  of  10.


https://atomicdrop1.bandcamp.com/album/meatsauce-mountain 

Demiser/Surrender To Sin/2019 Demo Review

 


  Demiser  are  a  band  from  South  Carolina  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  demo  "Surrender  To  Sin".


  Melodic  yet  heavy  riffing  starts  off  the  demo  before  going  into  a  faster  thrash  metal  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements  and  blast b eats.  Vocals  are  mostly  first  wave  style  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  era  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  in  an  old  school  style.


  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  along  with  the  faster  riffing  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking.


  Demiser  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  era  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  a  more  modern  aggression  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Anti  Christianity  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Demiser  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Warfuck  Demon  Lust".  8 out  of  10.


https://demiser.bandcamp.com/album/surrender-to-sin


     

Eternal Evil/Rise Of Death/2019 Demo Review

 


  Eternal  Evil  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  ep  "Rise  Of  Death".


  A  very  dark  sounding  and  demonic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  demo  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  an  old  school  style  and  all  of  the  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats,  thrash  and  speed  metal  elements  can  also  be  heard  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  first  wave  influences.  Most  of  the  recording  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  era  as  well  as  adding  in  a  more  modern  day  aggression  and  all  of  the  songs  also  stick  to  a  heavier  musical  direction.


  On  this  recording  Eternal  Evil  went  back  to  the  80's  era  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  mixed   them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Death  and  Murder  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Eternal  Evil  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rise  of  Death"  and  "Witches  Spell".  8  out  of  10.


  https://eternalevil.bandcamp.com/album/rise-of-death   

Malleus Interview

 

For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?



N - Malleus started sometime in 2012 I believe. It’s been so long, it’s starting to get difficult to remember. The band started off as a three piece with myself (The Hammer) on guitar, The Relentless on drums, and The Channeler handling bass and vocals. The Relentless and I had been playing in various punk projects and were getting a little bored with the style so we decided to start something incorporating those influences and mixing them with our love for Celtic Frost, Slayer, Metallica, Bathory, etc. We kept the band pretty quiet for the first few years. We weren’t intentionally keeping it a mystery necessarily. We were very much just writing for ourselves and weren’t really sure where we’d take the project. Then sometime in 2016, we decided to release what we had written as a demo tape, “Storm of Witchcraft”. To sum up the sound, if you can imagine Quorthon singing for Celtic Frost, that’d be the essence of our sound.



In 2023 you also have your first full length coming out, musically how does it differ from your previous ep's? 



N - This record is far more dynamic than the early records. We still love the earlier releases but they were definitely a little “one-note” in many ways and generally, just fast. Not a lot of differentiation between tracks. With the new album, we really tried to break out of our comfort zone and write songs that run the gamut on speed, tone, mood, etc.  



This is also your first release in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?



M - In late 2017 our singer, The Channeller, decided to depart the band ahead of releasing the Night Raids 12”. That was when I was asked to join and take over playing bass. From there, we soon began writing The Fires of Heaven album. Outside of a dozen or so gigs, we spent the majority of the next 4 years confined to our rehearsal studio, refining the songs and crafting a linear concept for our first proper album. We had an interim singer during this period, but we ultimately decided to part ways with them in early 2020. By that point, The Channeller had found themself ready to return to the band, which is ultimately for the best as it makes for a cohesive catalog of recorded output. We finally entered the studio to record the album in late 2021 and have been preparing for its release ever since.



A lot of your lyrics go into the historical aspects of occultism, demonology and witchcraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?



C - I have a strong fascination with these topics, and our singer (The Channeler) and I have spent the better part of the past two decades reading, writing, and talking about them from different perspectives as students of history and psychology respectively. At the core of this is what we’d describe as “humankind's innate fear of the unknown,” and how, time and time again throughout recorded history, this fear has followed a very predictable path: the manifestation of personal and societal anxiety; an eventual psychological off-loading of this anxiety onto a scapegoat (an “other”); and as a result of never actually facing these serious emotions in a meaningful way, the rise of hatred, violence, and, on a societal level, eventual codified oppression of “the other”.  



It is a dark and depressing legacy to be certain, and whether or not this cycle will ever be broken at large remains to be seen. As for “The Fires of Heaven,” we tried to explore these themes by focusing on the initial half-century or so of the English Puritan conquest of and experience in New England. These were deeply paranoid and Old Testament God-fearing people, whose often violent interactions with the many other cultural groups in the region at the time (myriad indigenous peoples and groups, French Catholics, enslaved Africans, etc.), as well as their own religious infighting, significantly impacted the formation of early American identity. 



What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Malleus'?



C - The term is Latin for “hammer.” And while it is loosely inspired by the “Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer of Witches),” an infamous treatise on witchcraft written by two German clergymen in the late 15th century, the primary connection is that our earlier material dealt more directly with European witchcraft and occultism, and so we thought the term “Hammer” (in Latin) sounded cool. That said, this should not be confused for any type of stamp of approval for that text. While worth understanding for its historical context, it is a dark and deeply misogynistic book. It would be almost comical in its paranoia had it not helped to influence the overwhelmingly large (compared to other parts of Europe) number of witchcraft trials and executions throughout the Holy Roman Empire during the early-modern period. 



Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?



M - The album cover was painted by Adam Burke. We commissioned him to create a piece that would specifically tie into the overarching concept of the album, setting the scene for the narrative to play out. The full painting is intended to be displayed on a gatefold album sleeve, so a simple glimpse of the cover online may not offer viewers the whole picture. There is more to it, something menacing creeping in the shadows of the forest…



C - Yes, the English Puritans in New England truly believed that Satan and his minions lurked just beyond the veil of the forests waiting to corrupt their Godly pursuits and "mission." It's all very complicated, and this is over simplifying things a bit, but you can really draw a direct line between their perception (versus reality), and the hatred and violence they perpetrated. We wanted the cover to try and capture this.



What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?



M - We did a couple of shows with Occult Burial and Black Rat in the spring of 2018. Even if it was only NYC and Boston, each gig was fantastic in terms of the energies from the bands. Everyone clicked stylistically and that was reflected by the enthusiasm of the audience and the breakneck performances from everyone who played. 



N - We also had a gig early on with Merciless. It was awesome to have shared the stage with such a legendary band.



Do you have any touring or show plans for 2023?



M - We’ll see what opportunities present themselves but it is our hope to begin performing in support of the album by Spring 2023. 



The new album is going to be released on 'Armageddon Label', how would you compare working with this label to other labels that you have been a part of in the past?



M - The biggest difference for us with Armageddon is the personal rapport we have with the label owner, Ben Barnett. Growing up in New England, we’ve frequented his record shop (Armageddon) and we’ve seen his band (Dropdead) perform live countless times. So working with Ben feels familiar for us. This is not always the case when working with a random label who approaches you through the internet to release your music. Those engagements may turn out to be fruitful, trusted partnerships in the long run, but in my experience the relationship with the label head tends to fizzle out as soon as the release engagement has ended. While Armageddon has been around since the late 80’s, it still operates very much as a DIY record label, and with that the ethics and business practice remain consistent with how they have been for 30+ years now. 



On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, thrash and speed metal?



N - Generally, the response has been great. We think there is a rawness and abrasiveness to the band that people really gravitated towards. And when we say rawness, we don’t mean hiding behind a wall of noise and distortion to project this fake aura with the band. We think the songs and the energy they brought really resonated with people and reminded them of the classics they love but at the same time, weren’t a rehash of ideas they had heard before. 



What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?



M - Our main musical focus outside of Malleus is a project called The Watcher. This was something I started prior to joining Malleus, and it has since become closely woven with the other band members. We’re currently working on a full-length that will be recorded in late-2023. Aside from this, one of my older projects called Isolant will see some releases this year on Social Napalm and Sentient Ruin respectively. 



Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?



M - It is really difficult to anticipate any shifts in style for any future output, as it simply seems so far down the line for us at the moment. I think for now we’re just excited to finally see this album through to completion and focus on that for the time being. 



What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



M - Aside from the obvious influence of bands like Celtic Frost and Bathory, I think collectively our biggest influence would be Metallica. On a personal level, Iron Maiden, Motorhead and Amebix also reign supreme for inspiration. Outside of the usual suspects, the stuff that I’ve been reaching for most often these days would be Warren Zevon, Nocturnal Emissions, Jean Michel Jarre, Metalian, Doldrum, and Ä.I.D.S..



C - We each also have a strong fascination with myriad foundational and influential bands and musicians from the 50s, 60s, 70s, etc. It helps to keep the music sounding perhaps a little “fresher”. For example, rather than just say “We should write a song that sounds like this one specific Venom track,” we really try to understand what groups influenced a specific band or scene, and even what influenced those acts. This often takes you back to blues, soul, psych rock, whatever, but we feel it’s critical to have a solid foundation in the history of aggressive music.



Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?



M - Many thanks for the support. Cheers.


http://malleusheavymetal.bandcamp.com

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Malleus/The Fires Of Heaven/Armageddon Label/2023 Full Length Review

 


  Boston,  Massachusetts  Malleus  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  black,  death.  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "The  Fires  of  Heaven"  which  will  b3e  released  in  2023  by  Armageddon  Label.


  Stringed  instruments  start  off  the  album  before  going  into a   heavier  thrash  metal  influenced  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  blast b eats.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  an  old  school  style  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  speed  metal  elements.


  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  influences  from  the  first  wave  era.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  One  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts,  touches  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  of  the  tracks also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  synths  and  clean  playing  is  also  added  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  th e lyrics  cover  the  arrival  of  the  Puritans  in  New  England  during  the  17th  century  and  their  superstitions  that  led  to  bloody  conflicts  and  the  Salem  Witchcraft  Trial. 


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Malleus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death,  thrash  and  speed  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Dark  Sun  Rises"  "The  Fires  of  heaven"  and  "Mourning  War".  8  out  of  10.


  http://armageddonlabel.bandcamp.com/album/the-fires-of-heaven

http://malleusheavymetal.bandcamp.com     

Friday, December 16, 2022

Private Prisons/Extinction/Trepanation Recordings/2022 Full Length Review

 


  Private  Prisons  are  a  band  from  Anaheim,  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Extinction"  which  was  released  by  trepanation  Recordings.


  Dark  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  screams  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.


  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style.  Loops  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction. 


  Private  Prisons  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  post  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  torture,  death,  abandonment,  imprisonment,  eternal  damnation  and  universal  cycle  of  violence.


  In  my  opinion  Private  Prisons  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Extrication"  and  "Never  Again/Never  Forget".  8  out  of  10.


   https://privateprisonsband.bandcamp.com/album/extrication-2         

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Choir/Songs For A Tarnished World/Total Dissonance Worship/2023 Full Length Review

 


  Choir  are  a  solo  project  originally  from  Singapore  but  now  resides  in  Brazil  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  album  "Songs  For  A  Tarnished  World"  which  will b e  released  in  2023  by  Total  Dissonance  Worship.


  Distorted  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  tortured  voices  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  more  of  a  darker  and  heavier  musical  direction.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  elements  of  doom  metal  also  being  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.


  Vocals  are  mostly  guttural  sounding  death  metal  growls  while  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.


  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also h ear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  ar e introduced  onto  the  recording  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  and  dissonant  style  and  the  soundscapes  also  bring  in  elements  of  dark  ambient.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  horrors  of t he  realm  of  reality.


  In  my  opinion  Choir  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  with  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out5  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Drawn  To  An  Early  grave"  "Wall  For  The  Evocation  Of  Mire"  and  "Caravan  And  Swarm".  8  out  of  10.


  https://www.instagram.com/choirdooms/        

Monday, December 12, 2022

Deadnight Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new EP.




MG:


 


We are in the process of re-recording two songs from our first album (Messenger of Death) for a new single. We felt it was time to revisit the songs and give them a proper recording. The digital release should be available in early 2023.


 


2.Recently you have released a new ep, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?


 


MG:


The music is more straightforward but with more attitude. The songs are shorter, in the 3:15-3:30 range but with no shortage of catchy riffs and hooks. We recorded the drums and rhythm guitar live with no click tracks to capture an organic vibe. This may seem like a de-evolution from our previous work but most of this material was actually written 15 years ago so the EP kind of stands on its own.


 


3.Other than a couple of singles this is also your first release since 2011, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during this time frame?


 


MG:


I was in my early 30’s at that time and put music on hold to focus on my career. Deadnight was always my band so the other members moved on to other projects. Our bassist, John Porada, went on to Terminate and did a short stint in Nachtmystium. Our drummer, Jim Smith, played in Terminate and retired from music. Our second guitarist, Scott Wright, also played in Terminate and at one time filled in on bass for The Chasm. Our current drummer, Vern was involved in the band back in 2009-2010. Max and I founded the project back in 2003 but he left in 2007 due to university obligations. 


 


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?


MG:


The music is always written first and the lyrics are usually at the end of the writing process. The opening track was inspired by Hellraiser. Executioner took some inspiration from the punisher and death wish. The second half of the EP is a bit spiteful and touches on local scene politics. We write what comes to us naturally and try not to limit ourselves by staying within boundaries. I think we have stayed fairly consistent in terms of songwriting throughout the years. 


 


 


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Deadnight'?


MG: We took the name from the opening track on the first bodom record. We wanted a short name that was to the point. When someone sees the logo they automatically know we are not a cliche death metal band.


 


6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new ep cover?


 


MG:


The cover was created with digital art and the design was kept simple to reflect the music - straightforward and to the point. The concept behind the EP is basically our attitude and contempt for the local music scene.




7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?


 


One of my favorite memories was opening for Kreator and Exodus in Milwaukee in 2009.


The Red Line Tap in Chicago (RIP) had some great shows. It was a tiny dive but was very intimate.  When we get on stage, we do our thing and let our instruments do the talking. I’m not a fan of costumes, gimmicks or stage theatrics - unless it’s maiden or the king.


 


8.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2023?


 


MG:


We are planning a few shows for the near future but our live appearances will be a rare thing.




9.On your recordings you have worked with 'Andrew Laroque and Dan Swano, did you feel this was a huge honor to work with these legendary people?


 


MG:


I did produce both releases and we were fortunate to have worked with Andy and Dan remotely during the mastering process. It was an absolute privilege and we are very pleased with the results. It’s extremely gratifying to have your work touched by legends.


 


10.The new ep was self released but the band has worked with a label in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?


 


MG:


We released our last two EPs independently due to lack of label interest. We’re actively seeking a label to collaborate with on our new material and re-issue our first album on vinyl.


 


11.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of black and thrash metal?


 


MG:


Globally, the feedback has been very positive considering we’re an underground band with no label support in 13 years.


 


 


12.When can we expect another full length and where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?


 


MG:


The next full-length album is already written and should be released sometime next year.  The songs are more aligned with our first album but with a more modern production. We are focusing on more epic style songs that put us on the map to begin with. 


 


13.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?




MG: I’ve been listening to the reissue LP of Death - Human. The remix Jim Morris did on the newer SSL console really made everything pop and come to life. It just sounds incredible.


 


Max: I’ve just been revisiting a bunch of old black/death metal favorites like Dissection, Limbonic Art, Mysticum, Angelcorpse, Marduk.




14.Before we wrap up this itnerview, do you have any final word sor thoughts?


 


Thank you for taking the time for the interview and review! Updates, music and merch will be posted on our website:   http://Deadnight.net