Obscureviolence/Refuting The Flesh/Transcending Obscurity Records/2025 EP Review

 

  Obscureviolence  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  ep  "Refuting  The  Flesh"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  Distorted  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  and  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  more  of  a  90's  style  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.

  Obscureviolence  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  fast,  aggressive  and  brutal  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  horror  and  violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Obscureviolence  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Refuting  The  Flesh"  and  "Pulse  of  Subconscious  Cruelty".  8  out  of  10.

  Official Video Stream #1

Official Video Stream #2

Obscureviolence Bandcamp

Obscureviolence Facebook      

Thy Legion/Grand Cosmic Funeral/Art Gates Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Thy  Legion  are  a  band  from  Malta  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Grand  Cosmic  Funeral"  which  was  released  by  Art  Gates  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  some  melodies  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  van  also  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  spoken  words  and  chants  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  as  well  as  couple  of  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.

  Thy  Legion  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  modern  and  aggressive  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Thy  Legion  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  World  Funeral"  "Those  Who  Are  Awake"  and  "Upon  A  Wretched  Time".  8  out  of  10.

  https://artgatesrecords.com/artists/thy-legion

https://youtu.be/yKW0Asl7vnM

Abschworzunge/Whorl/I, Voidhanger Records/2024 EP Review

 

   Abschworzunge  are  an  international  project  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  ep  "Whorl"  which  was  released  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  brutal  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  more  of  a  dark  and  chaotic  style.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  blast  beats  are  also  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  mixed  in  with  a  few  black  metal  screams  while  a  couple  of  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.

  Power  electronics  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as  well as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  words,  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  synths.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  emptiness,  cosmic  indifference  and  the  stark  reality  of  human  insignificance.

  In  my  opinion  Abschworzunge  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Heinous  Constellations"  and  "Whorl".  8  out  of  10.

  https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/whorl      

Onslaught Kommand/Malignancy/Godz Ov War Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Chile's  Onslaught  Kommand  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Malignancy"  which  was  released  by  Godz  Ov  War  Productions.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  deep  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  along  with  a  lot  of  the  songs  also  being  very  short  in  length,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  On  this  recording  Onslaught  Kommand  remain  true  to  the  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  perversions  and  explicit  violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Onslaught  Kommand  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUD E "Elite  Hunting  Gore"  "Satanic  Storming"  "Perverted  Goat  Kommand"  and  "Axis  Of  The  Unholy  Power".  8  out  of  10.

  Full Album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0JUaXTM-ts&t=491s

Bandcamp: https://onslaughtkommand.bandcamp.com/album/malignancy    

  

Immortal Bird/Sin Querencia/20 Buck Spin/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Chicago,  Illinois's  Immortal  Bird  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  dissonant  mixture  of  black,  death  metal,  grind,  hardcore  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Sin  Querencia"  which  was  released  by  20  Buck  Spin.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  dissonant  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  grindcore  elements  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  A  lot  of  the  mid  tempo  sections  are  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  hardcore  and  noise  rock  and  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  also  bringing  in  more  of  a  technical  style  when  they  are  utilized  and  as  the  album  progresses  some  of  the  tracks  also  mix  in  an  influence  of  thrash  metal,  aggressive  shouts  are  also  introduced  on  a  later  song.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover   complicity  and  complacency  in  our  current  reality.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Immortal  Bird  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dissonant  black,  death  metal,  grind,  hardcore  and  noise  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bioluminescent  Toxins"  "Ocean  Endless"  and  "Sin  Querencia".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/immortalbirdband

https://immortalbird.bandcamp.com

https://www.instagram.com/immortalbird

https://linktr.ee/immortalbird     

    

Hjort Interview

 

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

The hjort story started in 2022, right after we released our "Nebula"-EP with V/Haze Miasma. At this time I channeled certain personal stress factors into lots of creative output - and I needed a different songwriting approach. Even more atmosphere. Longer tracks. Just sounds and instruments. Right from the heart.

 

2.In 2025 your first full length coming out, musically how does it differ from your previous singles?

The 2022 "Trilogy" wasn´t meant as an album or EP. Every track was happening spontaneously and released one by one. Those three tracks turned out to be quite dark and very monotonous. Now "evolve IV-VIII" had a bigger interval to the melodic songwriting approach within V/Haze Miasma. I missed that and felt the urge to create a whole album which should transport the vibe of the "Trilogy" but also lighten up a bit by clearer structures and some catchy melodies  - as we use them in V/Haze Miasma, too. I guess my whole mood during the songwriting process was in a way much more positive and confident. I think you can hear that. And in addition, this time I´m very proud of the whole production which is in this case entirely done by myself, aside from mastering which was done as always by Sebastian Moser of Grotesque Studios, my partner in (musical) crime since over 20 years.

 

3.So far all of the music has been instrumental. Are there any plans to use vocals in the future?

There aren´t any plans, but you never know.

 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name "Hjort"?

It´s norwegian for deer. The "Trilogy" tracks were very inspired by autumn forests. The deer is a very proud and illustrious animal. I teached myself some Norwegian at that time. So for me this combination felt quite fitting.

 

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

I´d love to! The artwork is also largely done by myself. "evolve IV-VIII" was recorded in winter 2023/2024. At the same time I spent some days in the mountains of Bavaria and Austria. All the pictures you can find on the Vinyl version were taken by me at that time, mostly while walking or skiing through this beautiful nature.

 

6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?

I´m very open in working together with other musicians in general. That´s what I always did during the last 25 years and more in different bands like Circle of Grief, Shapeshift, Gloomball and until today in V/Haze Miasma. I love how creativity flourishes when different minds give their input into it. But I also like the possibility of a solo project to put everything right in the way I feel it.

 

7.The new album is going to be released on 'Inertial Music', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Inertial Music is a small but very delicate label from Italy which was founded just in the beginning of 2024, when I´m right. They got my attention by releasing the solo work of Niklas Sundin. I directly felt that those guys follow a similar vibe in music and aesthetics, and I am very happy until today that I wasn´t wrong! I love the pleasant way of communication and cooperation but it's always focussed, reliable and very professional at the same time. And the owner Enrico Longhin is a very nice guy by the way!

 

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, doom and post metal?

I´m not sure about that, as hjort didn't get very much attention yet. But this even wasn´t the idea in the beginning. But now there is this beautiful album, so we are just starting to spread the word. You know, this is somehow part of the art. Not only create music but also release it, spread it, without knowing about the subsequent feedback. And yes, there were first reviews and reactions where people told in very beautiful words how much this music touched them on an emotional level. There couldn´t be a bigger compliment for me. This kind of connection between musician and listener always feels like magic!

 

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

I don't think too much about that. I quit dreaming about being rich and famous many years ago, haha. Seriously, over the years I just found my way to enjoy being creative and feel confident with it. And this includes Hjort as well as V/Haze Miasma which I also hope stays a part of my musical being.

 

10.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?

I am and always will be influenced by emotional music like black metal but also grunge. I moreover found out over the years that most of my music has a progressive touch. So I´m not a very old school guy when it comes to black metal. At the moment I listen very much to bands like Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Dool, Solstafir, Ghost Brigade, but also Pain of Salvation, Archive or Madrugada, PJ Harvey, just to name a few. I´m listening music all the time, I love vinyls, this is also an important part of my life.

 

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

If I´m not working or making music I love to be outside, ideally hiking some mountain!

 

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

Thank you very much for your interest and your questions. I really appreciate that and everyone who gives hjort a shot - highly recommended lying on the floor in the dark or with no more than candlelight - and the volume on a proper level. Be nice to nature and the people around you!

https://youtu.be/v5uI4IGOkfI

Mercenario/Tormented Souls/Hells Headbangers Records/204 EP Review

 

  Mercenario  are  a  duo  from  the  united  States  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  204  ep  "Tormented  Souls"  which  was  released  by  hells  Headbangers  Records.

  The  sounds  of  war  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats,  grindcore  elements  and  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking. 

  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  brutal  moments  and  the  whole  ep  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Mercanario  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  early  90's  era  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  war  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mercenario  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "World  Of  Lost  Souls"  and  "Beast  Of  War".  8  out  of  10.

  https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/item.asp?PID=123986