Guerra Total/War Is The Pursuit Of Death: A Hymnal For The Misanthrope/Satanath Records/Iron, Blood & Death Corp./2020 CD Review

   Guerra  Total  are  a  band  from  Columbia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "War  Is  The  Pursuit  Of  Death:  A  Hymnal  For  the  Misanthrope"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  Iron,  Blood  &  Death  Corp.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  also  adding  in  some  influences  of  early  90's  era  death  metal  as  well  as  a  few  growls.

  Clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  also  makes  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  along  with  some  of  the  solos and  leads  adding  in  touches  of  70's  to  80's  era  traditional  metal.  One  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  influence  of  speed  metal  can  also  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  make  an  old  school  style  sound  more  modern.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Spanish  and  English  and  cover  philosophy,  mythology,  atheism,nihilism,  cosmicism  and  selective  misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Guerra  Total  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ancient  Hymns  To  The  Goddess  Of  War(Inanna)"  "Ethnocide  (World  Cenotaph)"  "Holomodor  (La  Muerte  Roja)"  and  "Whiskey  Botch".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybQnGYuWWBQ&utm_source=Zineaholic+PR+Review+Submission+list+from+internet&utm_campaign=77b4dc4fcf-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_05_18_07_04&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8b779bcf03-77b4dc4fcf-126662525           

Guerra Total/Nihilistic Malthusian (The Ouroboros Cosmic Indifferentism)/Iron, Blood And Death Corporation/2017 CD Review

  Guerra  Total  are  a  band  from  Columbia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Nihilistic  Malthusian (The  Ouroboros  Cosmic  Indifferentism)"  which  was  released  by  Iron,  blood  And  Death  Corporation.

  Horror  movie  styles  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  introducing  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  speed  and  thrash  metal  influenced  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grim  black  metal  screams.

  Elements  of  both  first  and  second  wave  black  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  fast  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  deep  death  metal  growls  and  melodic  singing  and  synths  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  jazz  music  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  and  influences  of  punk  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Guerra  Total  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  black,  speed  and  thrash  metal  mixture  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  H.P  Lovecraft,  Nihilism,  and  Philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Guerra  Total  and if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  speed,  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Universal  Misanthropolis"  "Metaphysical  Solipsism"  "Bethlehem  Zombie  God"  and  "Nyarlathotep  (The  Black  Pharoah)".  8  out  of  10.

BANDCAMP       

Guerra Total Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Hello! Well, we are now releasing our 7th Album which is called "Nihilistic Malthusian Manifesto" and our EP "Black Horror Komando". I founded Guerra Total 20 years ago, so this year we have planned to tour (we’re waiting for proposals !) and in April we will start to record a new album.


2.You released your latest full length at the beginning of 2016, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

This one is more Black Metal focused, it still sounds like Guerra Total but  it has a heavier and more experimental approach. Lyrics are more interesting than before, they are mature with different approaches, dealing with war, philosophy and atheism. If you take Venom with Bathory and some 70’s metal plus 90’s, you know  what this album sounds like.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

Philosophical Atheism, Nihilism, metaphysical philosophy, Cosmicism & selective misanthropy...
And whisky ! In every album we have one song dedicated to whisky and rock and roll.


4.Some of your lyrics are influenced by the writings of H.P Lovecraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his writings?

Lovecraft was an Atheist, his writings and cosmicism philosophy fits with my ideas and philosophical background. HP Lovecraft was a person who wrote about physical entities, aliens, not imaginary ones, just the real deal, and human is just an insect in this universe.


5.Some of your lyrics in the past had deal with 'Satanism', did the band at one time consider themselves as Satanists?

Satanism maybe in the atheist way, we used the word "Satan" to reflect the evil and stupidity in the human race, not as a person or deity. I can talk by myself and I am surely not satanist nor religious in any way, I am free.


6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Guerra Total'?

Guerra Total (Total War), war against everything. The human race has been in war since their beginning, there is no a real peace.


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?

We played with Desaster (Germany) and it was a real great show, we had a lot of fun and beer. And with Mayhem! it was a Holocaust! it was hot in the venue. Well  I don’t know, there were a lot of shows, in every show we give all of us, headbanging, fury, pure rock and roll energy, enough said!


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

Yes, we are celebrating the 20 years band’s existence, and we will look for a promoter for a tour, I hope I can find someone asap lol.


9.Recently you where a part of a split with 'Metalucifer', what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording?

Metalucifer and Sabbat, mainly Sabbat, they are living legends. We have previously released a 7" split with Sabbat, it was really cool, and later Metalucifer, so one of my goals was completed. Gezol is a good friend and he always supports this plans, also Thomas from Forgotten Wisdom Prod. He trusted us and made an excellent job there.


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

Well, I think we have many followers, but in the old school way, many fans of Black and Thrash Metal, it’s funny because we don’t consider ourselves like Thrash Metal, we never write about social and political bullshit, I Think I write on more serious subjects.


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

Hmmmmm? Hmmmm, I dont know, maybe we’ll go heavier than ever or simply slower, or more Death Metal oriented, who knows? Every album has something new and I like all kind of metal, maybe I will make a mash up. But we will be always a Metal band, always Black before all.


12.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?

Right now I am listening to Principality of Hell's new album (fucking great dude).
I listen to Elvis, The Beatles, Hendrix, MC5, Marduk, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sarcofago, Johnny Cash, Blasphemy, Destruction, Hocico, Impaled Nazarene, I dont have limits ah ah ah ah !


13.How would you describe your views on misanthropy, nihilism, and atheism?

Nihilism: Since we are born we are doomed, life is odd to carry on with good feelings, you know? Too many dystopic ideas come to my mind now.
Atheism: if we are doomed since we are born and everything is a mess without a purpose so there is nothing who could fix this, only science and reason have solve some aspect in the planet.
Misanthropy: It is more a selective misanthropy. 3 circles, 1) Nuclear Family, 2) Friends, 3) acquaintances (work, business, network etc) outside that I don’t give a shit them, many of them could be a jew, muslim, drug addict, hippie, serial killer, thief, etc. I rather don’t have contact with them.


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

Thank you for letting me write this words, Guerra Total is Old School Black Metal and we don’t support politics and hippies, just Metal.

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Guerra Total/Metalucifer/Forgotten Wisdom Productions/2016 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Columbia's  Guerra  Total  and  Japan's  Metalucifer  which  was  released  by  Forgotten  Wisdom  Productions  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Guerra  Total  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  speed  and  thrash  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  and  old  school  extreme  metal  sound  that  is  more  closer  to  the  first  wave  of black  metal  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  have  more  of  an  aggressive  thrash  style  to  them   and  elements  of  speed  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Back  up  gang  shouts  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  melodic  and  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  but  with  some  more  modern  technology  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  and  power metal  style  screams  and  their  side  of  the  split always  remains  very  true  to  a  very  heavy  and  retro  musical  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Guerra  Total  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  first  wave  black  metal,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  updates  them  for the  modern  day,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics cover  Satanism,  Zombies,  and  Black  Metal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Guerra  Total  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Evil  Headbangers"  and  "Satan's  Army  Of  the  Apocalypse".

  Next  up  is  Metalucifer  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  speed  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  drum  beats  and  a  heavy  old  school  metal  sound  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  are  more  traditional  metal  style  singing  while  also  having  their  aggressive  moments  and  the  music  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  in  the  80's.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  NWOBHM  and  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  elements  of  speed  metal  can  be  heard  and  their  side  of  the  split  also  always  remains  true  to  a  very  hard  and  heavy  musical  direction  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  back  up  gang  shouts.

  Metalucifer  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  early  80's  style  of  heavy  and  speed metal  and  has  the  vintage  style  of  that  era,  the  production  sounds  very  retro  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  heavy  metal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Metalucifer  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bloody  Countess"  and  "Heavy  Metal  Samurai".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  black,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal.  8  out  of  10. 

BANDCAMP