CDs/LPsDEMOS - OLD STUFFS - FANZINES - GIGS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

DEMOs reviews:

# / A / B / C / D / E / F / G / H / I / J / K / L / M
N / O / P / Q / R / S / T / U / V / W / XYZ

 

 

C.H.U.D (Can) Horror fiends Demo tape. 2014. GOZER Records.
I have stayed away from goregrind for a good couple of years, since too many cheap bedroom projects macerated in less than the time for a premature ejaculation were released here, and here, and there (And also there). It seemed everyone had his own lo-fi goregrind project, was releasing a demo, and it turned out to be boring even before the first bowel lick.
But sometimes, gory surprises happen, and you fall on prepared meals that actually contain real pieces of meat!
  The real meat that wasn't genetically altered, neither synthetically created... And then I need to say B.U.R.P! (Brutal Urge to Regurgitate Purulence).

C.H.U.D is making goregrind from Canada... Or should I say "some kind of goregrind", because there's no groovy, no easy listening riffs, and the content is more like an obscure gory version of end 90's American “brutal death” (No “core”), with touches of Australian darkness, and low tuned goregrind guitars from the burning sewers of brutal sandwich wandering-milf penetration.
I don't understand more than 5/10 of the riffs thanks to the super low-tuned guitars that taste like hyper vibrating bass frequencies from HELL... But it doesn't bother since you can feel there's something... Something like brutal instinct! (And this kind of guitars with quite floating strings is quite cool)
I would say it can remind of old CABAL (Fra) without the special "melodies", SANGUINEOUS (Australia) without the hyperspace exploring drum-machine, or old MORTICIAN in a less monolithic/ super binary brutality (With perhaps a few riffs à la old INCANTATION).
The tracks contain enough breaks, changes, and actually this is quite "technical" (But hopefully contains no demonstration).
I won't dissect and analyze the whole meat-package, first because most of you readers didn't read until 1/3 of this review, and second because my thermometer is still full of excrements! But I can say the first half of the demo tastes more efficient than the second half.
Now there is an intro before each song... The horror movie samples in themselves aren't bad, but it's too long... I know patience is gold, but it's not my virtue in November 2014.
Those who need a clear production will be cursed with this kind of release,
but underground fans of goregrind and obscure gore brutal death could rejoice the feast of the serpentine bowels! PAIN AND PLEASURE, INDIVISIBLE.
http://www.reverbnation.com/chud4



 

CADAVEROUS (Usa) Slam the coffin shut Tape Ep. 2021. FROZEN SCREAMS IMPRINT Recs.
Ok, to feel in the right conditions to write this review, I bought a jar of peanut butter, and have tasted the morbid flesh after delicately spreading the "jam" on the toast... Peanut butter isn't usual in France, contrary to Usa were CADAVEROUS comes from (That was my little effort of adaptation).
This tape is their first three tracks demo and it sounds very inspired by late 80's/ early 90's death metal, with a preference for the American style. While listening I thought about mid old DEATH (Rather "Spiritual" or "Human"?), MORTA SKULD's second album ("As humanity fades"), old UNLEASHED (For fast "thrashing" parts), old JUNGLE ROT (Second album "Slaughter the weak" for some "thrash" and groovy touches), plus some guitar reminiscences of MORBID ANGEL and old CANNIBAL CORPSE... This is more or less what you will find in this candy jar.
This demo is nice to listen to, it can even become cool if you have eaten enough of "Cool candys"... But perhaps it's a bit too scholar or lacks of "intense" depths? (Maybe this impression is due to the production, or fact they were trapped recording in a studio?).
Anyway, you could put your hand in the candy jar to taste for yourself... I think there would be no "ugly" surprises for fans of 90's US Death metal (No hungry modern spiders trying to bite your fingers, or no "Post everything" leeches trying to suck your blood AhAh).
https://cadaverousdeath.bandcamp.com



 

CALCINED (Switzerland) Thwarted Demo MCD. 2011. Self-released.
Dissecting yourself from the inside, precisely cutting the flesh and tearing the veins, the nanorobots keep on marching from your penis towards your brain... You will learn to avoid free-of-charge sexual androids, you fucking imprudent bastard!
CALCINED is a Swiss band who quotes the early MONSTROSITY album as an influence; It could have begun a better way since I'm not a fan of "Imperial doom" (Neither of the following ones, even if it sounded better). Their music could be described as something in the middle between mid old brutal death, blasting death and more "regular" (yet fast) old Death metal parts.
Sometimes I feel like this demo could have been recorded a couple of years ago by a French band, since it regularly happens to remind me of the first KRONOS album, some old RECUEIL MORBIDE and maybe an early MORGUE (Fra) demo... But this sentence could globally only describe half of the music as you can also hear a good portion of typically US brutality (Let's quote DISGORGE (Usa) or CINERARY, even if I don't feel super precise…), brutal mosh or grooves à la old DEVOURMENT (Or eventually REPUDIILATION), some old DAMNABLE (Pol), and more "regular" yet quite brutal death metal closer to old FLESHTIZED (First Cd), old DEICIDE or blasting old MORBID ANGEL...
On a brutal point of view this sounds like a decent effort, the "regular" Death metal parts are more of my putrid liking and some moments could be quite intense in live conditions, but I'm not always too interested in the content and some of the elements sound a bit strange in my hears (The drumming style isn't always really of my tastes, and isn't the whole a little "messy" due to the production or amount of riffs?)
I don't like too much the guitar sound, it's a bit too rasp and lacks of some heaviness (Something with more bass frequencies could have enhanced vibrations of morbid brutality... But maybe it's simply more a brutal (Not so modern) production than an old school one?)
CALCINED didn't kick the "I like" ball nor the "I don't like" bleeding ball, in my hears it sounds like an average recording with both its highs and lows...
The result is respectable, freaks of underground brutality could like it, and it would be nice to have a band of this kind in your area... But I'm waiting for the upcoming improvements!
http://www.myspace.com/calcined



 

CALIBER 666 (Swe) Caliber 666 Demo MCD'07.
This band plays Swedish Death metal, but not in the most retro manner since their music sounds more professional and less frenetic than what the legions of the necro exhume. The most of this demo resides in the heavy and slow moments of GRAVE on "Back from the grave"... Add to this various kinds of death such as some fast and "melodic" tremolo riffs of DISMEMBER, some MALEVOLENT CREATION ("Eternal") for the double kicks ridden, a bit of BOLT THROWER/ SLAYERish epic riffs, few blasts, and maybe the most brutal from EDGE OF SANITY (On "Cryptic").
I know few MALEVOLENT CREATION alike rhythmic guitars and quite "modern" influences wouldn't please the old school Swedish integrists.
The recording is good quality, sounds almost like an album.
This tastes quite heavy and brutal, there are nice ideas from here and there, but maybe the band tends to be a bit too slow and heavy (A few more fast patterns the old Swedish way could help, yes)
I think fans of the mentioned GRAVE album, or some FACEBREAKERS/ FLESHCRAWL or CHAOSBREED wouldn't dislike. Now let's see how CALIBER 666 evolves.
http://www.myspace.com/caliber666sweden

 

 

CANDERO (Usa) Human Disease Demo CDr. 2011.
The sanguineous cunnilingual crusade keeps on going. When searching for some brutal death metal, in the middle of the unlistenable you happen to find something cooler.
Even if the Americans of CANDERO aren't super technical, mega complicated or tera modern (Which isn't necessarily good), their music contains some quite good and kicking moments.
The first half of the first track is strongly in the SUFFOCATION "Effigy" manner: Simple, kicking, quite heavily blasting and well put together. Some peoples might say it's carbon copying, but some guts are there, so give me more brutal cloning! Unfortunately in the middle it turns to mid-paced grooves, in a more hardcore and also quite "experimental" manner that sounds like "Flop!" in my energized hears.
The same kind of problem also happens in the other songs... There are quite good moments, and then "BLAM!" they inject something strange or less interesting that calms down the brutal smurfing enthusiasm.
Let's describe a bit more the music, to have a better idea of the content: There's more SUFFOCATION (Not the most technical, I'm talking about some heaviness and some powerful chord riffing), some SKINLESS (First records) in the heavy moments, some touches of the first PYREXIA album (For some ways of structuring stuffs)... It's obviously more than SUFFO influenced, but I'm sorry my head seems to become something like a forget-everything-punching-ball... The whole is very much in the old 98-2004 US brutal death genre, yet with more grooves, and the guitar production is quite heavy (No stupid abuse of unbrutal high-pitched frequencies).
As said before, some parts are good and quite kicking, while some patterns are quite strange or too "groovycore" for my needs. CANDERO is a band that might still hesitate between a couple of brutal goals and would need to improve the riff compacting efficiency. For a first recording it's quite encouraging.
http://www.myspace.com/canderobrutaldeath

    

CARBONIZED CHURCH (Chile) Proclaiming the glory of Satan Demo tape. 2017. EVIL STEEL Recs.
COMPRESSED INTO NITROCONCUSSIONS.
DEFORMED BEAST INTO INTERNAL MOLESTATION.
LAPIDATION OF THE INNER INDIVIDUALITY.
TO REACH THE ETERNAL CAVEMAN BANISHEMENT.

This is old school and obscure underground Death metal.
While many Chilean bands have an early POSSESSED thrashing edge, these anonymously ripping death-metal-heads take a more early 90's death metal approach that can remember of very early DEATH (First and second album only), early MASSACRE (Unreleased album or demos), or also BAPHOMET (Minus the early "brutal death" touches, there are no blasts here). But the production here makes the whole more obscure, it's quite powerful but the riffs aren't THAT easy to distinguish from the ambient hatred (And it's not a bad point for me, the darkness remains present this way, if you want to hear the riffs just adapt your weak hears!)
I can't avoid thinking there is something here to be close to NAPALM DEATH "Harmony corruption", but there is no grindcore or deathgrind influence here, I'm thinking about the most deathmetallic parts this album had (And perhaps a bit of the drum sound). I might also perhaps add a bit of very old BENEDICTION, but it's not the main morbid point.
In my humble crucified and bleedings hears (No, I have no piercing, my word-plays are often quite abstract... In this case "crucified" rather refers to quite damaged hears due to too much of crushing metal AhAh).
CARBONIZED CHURCH sounds like a cool traditional death metal band in the (welcomed) simple style. There are some guts, quite kicking moments and heaviness in there.
Oh, I didn't hear new riffs nor really feel a bolt of thunder carbonizing the beast from the cave, but there are enough of guts and morbidity here to please fans of underground morbid death metal.
Email: carbonizedchurch(a)gmail.com



 

CARNAL RAPTURE (Ita) Promo 2008. CDr
This Italian band plays technical Death metal in a way that sounds close to the techno death of mid 90's, in a little more modern way.
While there are lots of jazzy influences on beats, the guitar side of the thing could remind of PESTILENCE ("Spheres") in a bit more changing and less rigid manner, while the first CYNIC album wouldn't be displaced (Eventhough this is not the same atmosphere), and some parts reminds me of ATHEIST ("Elements") without all the samba interludes...
To replace it in a more "current" spectrum, I might say the band doesn't sound too far from COPROFAGO (Chile), maybe mid old ILLOGICIST (Without the DEATH influence) and perhaps a little of GORY BLISTER (But this last one is not certain).
One thing that bothers me a bit lies in the fact the guitars have a very thing sound in the more controlled parts, all the little notes sound a bit like flies, while it shows no problem in other moments... The vocals are more or less hoarse, maybe something like CORONER with a bit more saturation, it's ok for the genre but some sporadic little effects or changes could improve the rendering.
I used to like the techno death style more or less, depending on the bands, and I didn't follow closely at all the evolutions of technical death metal, so don't ask me for a precise description nor an expert emotional introspection... All I could say is: CARNAL RAPTURE has a quite good musical level (This is complex, and stuffs doesn't seem misplaced), and the atmosphere would be quite modern, yet not too much, with some quite luminous or dissonant touches from here and there...
I regret it's not a bit more emotional, and no stuffs really branded my brain the haunting way... This seems to be a valid recording big fans of the style could get a grip on.
http://www.myspace.com/carnalrapture

    

 

CATASTROPHE (Turkey) Atrocious chaos Demo MCDr. 2009. EXTREMINAL Recs.
Here's a small demo that contains only 1 track, but it could be worse.
The style of this Turkish band is incrustated in Brutal death metal, but in a not too modern fashioned genre: It occurs to remind me of old NECROPHAGIST (The demo or eventually the first album), SINISTER ("Creative killings"/ "Savage or grace") and CANNIBAL CORPSE ("Vile" and some later stuffs, but not "Gallery of suicide" which was less brutal). The riffing is more or less technical by moments, but not too much. The tempo varies between the fast blasting moments and slower parts.
The drums might be electronic, triggered or machine programmed, but for the genre it doesn't bother.
There's nothing original, but this song is packed a quite efficient way. I kinda like the nice dark red atmosphere (It wasn't erased by a plastic production).
So CATASTROPHE might be quite cool for fans of the genre; What about recording a longer demo?
http://www.myspace.com/catastrophetr

 

CAVERN (Fra) Acceptance of mediocrity Demo CDr. 2013. Self-grinded.
CAVERN, CROMAG, FUKKED UP.
Or should I say "Compressed cavern cromag taken in a whirlwind of blasting stress"? Because the music of this new French band is not mourning, at all, but rather energetic, compressed and sounds like a blasting mix between blasting death, grindcore, with elements of more "melodic/ technical" DEATH (The band) and regular Death metal.
While the blasting death and tremoloriffings can remind of some bands quoted in the following lot of parenthesis ((( MORTALIZED (Jap), DYING FETUS (Last album, for the energy), DEPRAVED (Fra/ The MCD and first album for the energy), ANASARCA (First album/ Some tremolos), ANATA (First album/ Less technical), SOILS OF FATE (First demo), GOD DETHRONED (A bit of "The grand grimoire" for some "melodic" fast tremolos... It's not so accurate, but...) ))), the right-to-the-point structures have much to do with grindcore, and the more "technical" parts are closer to later DEATH but also French AD MORTEM (R.I.P) ((You know, this "tech" death from the mid-end 90's)).
I could say their music sounds by moments like a more compressed/ accelerated version of regular Death metal and tech/ death from the 90's... With less technicals.... ((Uh?) (Some of the band members come from grindcore so this isn't an exploding surprise)). This results in a not so heavy, but rather "compressed" music.
Wait, who has exhumed the corpse of Chuck Schuldiner? The screaming vocalist really sounds like "The sounds of perseverance" by moments, this is strange to hear Chuck on a background of blast beats. Ah Ah. (I know this won't please every Death metallers).
I like the energy/ stress/ right-to-the-point aspect, but some riffs become a bit usual after a while, (For exemple some regular "tech" death riffs sound too common or lack of heaviness for my internal ugly bear) ((And I'm not totally fond of the screamy vocals)) (((But this doesn't mean the whole is bad) (It depends on if you like this style))) ((((So you might like it if you like fast stuffs)))). (((((Conclusion))): (((This is fast music for fast peoples))). (((See for yourself if you're fast, or not)))))). [(((((((( BLAAAST ))))))))]
https://cacavern.bandcamp.com

  

CERECLOTH (Swe) This temple is a grave Demo tape. 2016. Bloodsoaked recs.

This CERECLOTH is a new Death metal band, even though the musicians played in other outfits before.
When death metal turns out to be heavier, it doesn't mean it sucks, in this case the style becomes closer to BOLT THROWER, old ILLDISPOSED, and mid old GRAVE (The comeback album "Back from the grave"), mixed with some kinda more heavy-metal melodies that might sound like Bolt Thrower in some hears, but there's a little oriental touch and the spirit might be closer to EDGE OF SANITY.
The production is quite powerful, but not too much.
The opening riff of the second song bothers me a bit, there's some kind of "core" groove and makes it a little too "happy". Perhaps the drums are a bit too usual.
  
This isn't a sensational recording, but nothing sounds wrong (Expect one riff) and it's globally quite well packed. This is a pretty solid demo that might please fans of heavier death metal that would taste like a mix of old GRAVE, ooold ILLDISPOSED, perhaps old FLESHCRAWL, BOLT THROWER, EDGE OF SANITY.
Web page:
https://www.facebook.com/cereclothsweden 



CHAINBREAKER (Can) Enslave your masters Demo tape. 2016. STAINED GLASS Recs.
Was this tape meant to be listened to with your coffee and a little delicate chocolate? I'm rightfully wondering because of the nice looking pro tape, it's clearly cream colored... CREAM!
But after all, the music might be a little too thrashing for those who savor their coffee with a pinch of golden sugar...
This is quite strongly influenced by old thrash/ speed metal in an 80's manner, but there's something more in the brewage...
The first approach is quite thrashing, and some riffs have a more "rock'n roll" touch, but then you can also feel something punk in the riffs, and something more rock'n roll in the leads which can make them sound closer to some crustcore bands (Old DISFEAR for example).
During the listening, I also happened to think (In jumbled and shaken order) about some old RAZOR (For some riffs), very early BATHORY (Demos) minus the evilness, some old ENTOMBED ("Hollowman" MCD) for the kicking, some old EXODUS for the vocals, or perhaps a bit of CARNIVORE for some angriness.
The music is clearly old school influenced/ No brain shaking/ No water acceptance; But the production is also heavier and more powerful (Listen to the overdriven bass guitar), which makes it a little less retro (But who really cares?).
For those who would like to locate the musicians in the spatiotemporal underground, I could add the drummer used to play in RAMMER, while the guitarist is a part of CAULDRON.
Those who dig old school thrashing/ dbeat stuffs with a bit of rock'n roll could dig CHAINBREAKER without too much of efforts. Now this is perhaps not good to the point of building a cathedral with empty beer bottles, but there is enough to erase some brains here.
https://chainbreakercan.bandcamp.com



CHAOSBRINGER (Rus) Immersion in darkness Demo tape. 2016. CADAVERIC DISSOLUTION Recs.
Now the god eater has deceased and lays to rest, some newer entities have to perpetuate the spirit of war and heaviness.
This new Russian band sounds a lot like mid-old BOLT THROWER, these words shouldn't be taken as light volatile gossips.
This is clearly the same style of slower, heavy Death metal that you could find on 'The 4th crusade" or 'For victory", with some great sounding pitch shifted vocals BOLT THROWER also used on a couple of tracks (I think the song "world eater" is a good example).
There are some great heavy moments such as the first song, and the low vocals add some greatness to the whole. This said the style is a bit different from B.T. in the sense there are fewer epic melodies (With 2-3 guitar schemes at the same time). I don't like so much when Chaos Bringer tries to be faster (These blast beats with snare and kick at the same time, I never dug it much), and it seems to me the 2nd song is less interesting (It sounds more convenient, more "autoplay" groovy something, a bit like later Bolt thrower perhaps).
This is a quite cool first demo with great moments, I think the band could develop something quite terribly cool if they explore deeper the world of BOLT THROWER and inject more depths and heaviness. Keep an eye on a potential future world eater?
https://chaosbringer.bandcamp.com

 

 

CHRONIC INFECTION (Mex) Paradoxical infection Demo tape'07. DEATHMUTT Records.
Where are all the brutal death and Death metal webzines that infected the web 4-5 years ago? In lack of cool underground scriptures to read on a weekly basis, it seems I'll have to do it myself...
"Paradoxical infection" is a quite cool demo that roughly mixes almost current brutal death, regular brutal stuffs and old styled 94-98 brutality. First you have the DISGORGE (Usa), early DISGORGE (Mex), MINDLY ROTTEN and some American ultra blastong brutalitong, then you hear some early SOILS OF FATE/ CANNIBAL CORPSE, and you like some BROKEN HOPE (Before the ultra technical), MORTAL DECAY (First CD) or old SKINLESS (Heavier riffs)... (You also find few jazzy technical touches or eventually zests of older Death metal...)
I'm not too much into their fast/ most brutal "crazy" moments, as it seems to be a bit "too much", and some songs' structures are a bit strange (Kinda like imperfect changes or too much riffs), but some other riffs are cool à la mid old BROKEN HOPE or old MORTAL DECAY and turns the whole morbid dysentery into a more entertaining symphony for castrated bowels. It remains perfectible and some tracks are a bit long, but this demo contains proofs of coolness and might please brutal death heads who aren't against some "diversity".
Label: muttcoremuttcore@yahoo.com
Band: http://www.chronicinfection.com

   

 

CHTE'ILIST (Can) Amechthntaasmrriachth Demo 2012. Unreleased.
Interesting twisted Death metal. While many newer bands choose to follow the regular Swedish way or something quite easy to digest, these Canadian broken skulls embraced something more challenging, cosmic, brutal, yet strongly old school infused.
While their biggest influence is very probably DEMILICH in its crooked bizarrity, you can also find some TIMEGHOUL for the brutal and strange approaches, or few heavier deformed corpse grooves à la CREMATORY (Swe).
While some moments are quite severely obscure, others tend to use twisted "broken" grooves, others to blast with more brutality, and others tend to a technical approach that can lead to the abstract and the cosmic (During quite good moments of mystical dreams).
Even thought the music is less polished and not so enjeweled, I sometimes feel we're not so far from EMPEROR's third album "IX Equilibrium" for the atmosphere and some quality of composition. (During the third track which shows a more atmospheric keyboard ridden approach, they might also be closer to old ABIGOR, but keep in mind I'm not a black metal specialist)
In its fastest or most technical moments, CHTE'ILIST has nothing to envy to the modern brutal death or technical bands on a skills point of view, but the atmosphere they develop is much more old school and their production sounds natural with no trigging or plastic manipulation... Could this be technical Death metal for the old school minds?
If you want comparisons with more modern bands, I could say NAUSEANT wasn't so far in some themes (Well, they were also DEMILICH influenced) but sounded less extreme, and the US band COSMIC ATROPHY also tried to do something quite close (But wasn't too passionating because of sounding too scholar and having a too neat production).
This demo is a promising recording. It shows what the band is already able to do, and lets imagine quite enthusiasming deformed visions of future aural materializations from cosmic absurdities. I wish CHTE'ILIST will keep on developing the twisted and obscure, and won't get too technical with the next one.
Now I'm less positive about the fact they don't want to physically release this demo, because they're not satisfied with it (What the fuck?) and want to focus on the composition of a full-length album (I know a couple of small labels (Including myself) who would be whiling to release this demo, liberating the musicians from any "business" purpose).So you probably will have to wait for end 2013 or 2014 if you want to own a CHTE'ILIST recording.
http://www.facebook.com/Chtheilist



 

COAGULATE (Usa) The art of cryptosis Demo tape. 2020. ROTTED LIFE Recs.
Dissecting the parallel worlds,
and exploring the other dimensions of what could have been.
We are in 2021, and so many bands release recordings that sound so much like the 90's... That there must have been a "crack" in the space time continuum!
In the precise case of COAGULATE, the Death metal they choose to play tastes very influenced by the old Finnish style. The music is quite heavy, obscure, and also quite mysterious.
I dig the low pitched vocals, it is very looow and sounds kinda "Demilichish”, but the music isn’t as strange and “fucked” as DEMILICH, it sounds closer to the old regular Finnish style.
The guitars happen to sound quite interesting, when the "melodies" soak in a work of more mysteries. Some riffures also have something in common with death doom from the early 90's in the spirit, and they also happen to explore a little stranger, somewhat "technical" patterns, but this isn't technical death (Even old school).
Well, perhaps I would have enjoyed a couple of faster rhythms or blastbeats here & there.
I'm not always the biggest fan of the heavier kinds of death metal (For example, I always have a problem to listen to a BOLT THROWER album in its entirety, especially "The 4th crusade" or "For victory") but the "melodies" of COAGULATE kinda helped me to go further.
(This said, perhaps COAGULATE aren't that far from mid old Bolt thrower sometimes, this would be to verify... And by moments they also aren't so far from french CATACOMB ("In the maze of kadath") but I would have to teleport myself in space and time to update 15-20 years old impressions...)
((Oh, it seems I'm losing myself in other parallel musical dimensions again, I'm now mentally flying in  reviews from another fanzine, from another decade... So let's go back to this recording to write the conclusion))
So, this tape of COAGULATE is a quite interesting recording, I'm not a so big fan of all the ingredients they incorporated, but there's some potential for mystery and obscurity here.
https://coagulatempls.bandcamp.com



COFFIN CURSE (Chile) Into the dark MCD. 2015. APOCALYPTIC Recs.
Open the book of forgotten unnamed mysteries.
Written in unlearnt ancient languages,
it can't be spelled neither understood by the newer generations.
Without the words and understanding,
the newer souls will have to penetrate the dark in an absence of mental knowledge.
As primitive animals, as original beasts, they will feast to penetrate darkness.

COFFIN CURSE practices cool old school death metal with a touch of darkness and an influence of thrash metal.
The main lines of this Ep are based on early old styled death metal and can remember of early DEATH, old MASSACRE, with something of AUTOPSY (Minus the doomier moments), and a little of early BENEDICTION... (One might also think about very early SEPULTURA ("Morbid visions") but in a less bestial manner... I also regularly think about old VADER for some riffs, but I'm not sure if this is an influence of theirs).
Then you can find an influence of the dark for some INCANTATIONesque riffs in the fast style, for the same reason I also occurred to think about old ENCABULOS ("Abandoning the flesh" MCD).
Then you can also find an influence of old school thrash metal: To make it simple think about old SLAYER ("Hell awaits"/ "Reign in blood")... One could argue the riffs and drum-beats I have in mind could rather be spelled as "proto death", but this is almost the same thing than "morbid thrash".
I could also mention a dark atmosphere is present during this release, but it remains closer to the old classical DM style than the more modern occult/ ubber dark ways...
There are some cool old school DM and thrash riffings in there, the atmosphere is pleasant... But perhaps this is only a cool/ very cool release? A dozen more of creepy listenings in the name of the extremely hairy goat would let you know.
In my book of occult tales and darkened mysteries, this 5 songs MCD reveals to be a quite good recording. I didn't feel the appearance of a really mandatory part of composition, but the whole is morbidly pleasant and could please fans of old school death metal (The old way) with an added portion of darkness.
Webpage:
https://coffincurse.bandcamp.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COLUMBARIUM (Bel) Rivers of blood Tape single. 2022. DUST & BONES Recs.
I'm not the biggest fan of doom, but when I'm in a doomy mood and feels the gloom, it's always nice to hear such kind of slower, somber sounds... Especially when some death metal influences crossed the path of the composition.
On this two tracks "single" tape, the Belgian band COLOMBARIUM practices classical doom/ death doom, with something that catches my attention: Great low placed vocals coming a somewhat "pitch" effect that makes it sound lower, and great! (In the way of the "World eater" Bolt thrower "slogan", if you see what I mean).
On a purely musical point of view, I would say the riffings are close to the old English doom style: With some heavier guitar chords, some more epic parts, and also cleaner moments.
This is pretty okey to listen to, with some quite cool parts, but I would have preferred to feel a bit more of death metal (death doom crushing) in the riffings. What makes it great for me, are the vocals! I will let the doom experts judge with their mourning hears. Until then, keep on rotting in the doomed world.
https://columbarium.bandcamp.com

 

COLOSTOMY SPACEBAG (Usa) Gore in space MCD. 2019. FUCK YOUR LIFE Recs.
I'm subject to mental prosthesis failures.
I need a kick fix of gastric alien acid to counterbalance!
COLOSTOMY SPACEBAG is a very cool goregrind project from California, with a member of HAGGUS.
I have to say the quality of goregrind has increased again the last years, this is not weak music played without skills here!
What you have is great sounding "gore death grind", with nicely played tracks, accelerations on Neptunian alien orgasms, or quite cool grooves of the oozing obese corpse...
The use of gravity blasts kinda make them sound like a more gory early ALIENATION MENTAL. Sometimes the songs are very short, which gives a noisecore touch.
During the 10:39 minutes of the whole, the tracks remain quite varied, and so it doesn't sound repetitive.
Of course you would need to enjoy death grind and gore stuffs to dig it... But it's very cool for a goregrind subproject! Hail the gory pulp!
(Their bandcamp link is dead)


CONGEALED PUTRESCENCE (Usa) Within the ceaseless murk Tape Ep. 2022. CALIGARI Recs.
Turn the scalpel upside down, in the patient's belly. I'm now the crazy surgeon, let's have evil fun... Blaspheme the intestines! Let's blast beat in his bowels, from the inside!

Here is a very cool Ep whose body parts can be stocked in the middle of death metal, gory death grind and perhaps "gore" in general.
This is in fact strongly influenced by old CARCASS ("Symphonies…" and a bit of "Necroticism…") for various reasons such as the riffing, lead guitars, vocals, production, and more... Some moments really reminded me of early EXHUMED (What they did before the albums) and it's really nice coz this is my favorite epoch of the US band... I also felt a bit of Incantation (The cleaner releases' blatbeat parts, perhaps "Blasphemy") and some guitars might sound a little like old Finnish death (The bizarre stuffs).
Well, even if some parts are blasting into the gore don't expect total goregrind vomit chaos, because the music of CONGEALED PUTRESCENCE sounds more death metal influenced, a bit more technical and also quite well produced.
There are some great riffs in there, some epic "pathologicial" guitars, some kicking fast and obscure... The songs are quite well composed (The right body parts placed at the right moment, so Mr Frankenstein feels sexier for the upcoming terror party)...
While reading these words you might imagine this demo is the perfect pathological experience, but I feel sometimes it sounds a little too "technical" or "clean/ polished" to open the abscess in full... But well there are enough great parts to satisfy my starving desire for pus.  It's a very cool Ep for fans of old (But not early) CARCASS/ IMPALED/ EXHUMED & the carcass likes...
https://congealedputrescence.bandcamp.com


CONJURETH (Usa) Foul formations Demo tape. 2020. NECROLATRY Recs.
Some of my regular readers might have noticed the reviewing content of the webzine has became a bit more varied the last few years (Or so), and more opened to quite close genres like thrash, black and even some punk Hc. The fact is, I'm writing reviews about music mostly based on death metal since a bit more than 20 years, and sometimes it seemed like I was writing the same review for the 3rd, or even 4th time (AhAh), and it created some kind of juxtaposition of badly vibrating mental sicknesses in space and time... So it felt quite needed to broaden the spectrum to "other kinds" of extreme music genres than only pure DM... (It's not that I don't enjoy listening to it anymore, I still dig the morbid cavern, it's more like writing the same again, and again (And again) became a bit tiring).

So for a change, you dirty readers, what about reviewing a death metal band that sounds quite conservative and obscure? AhAh.
This pretty young band from California already released two demos in 2020. What I hear on this first one sounds quite close to early "satanic" death from Usa. I have in mind outfits like early DEICIDE (The first album), some very early MORBID ANGEL (Almost pre-Altars), with a touch of the first IMMOLATION album (For some strange vibes), perhaps some BEYOND FEAR (Uk, not as technical), and a bit of old SADISTIC INTENT (Less "thrashing"?). If you want more obscure underground names, I also thought about the old Swiss band AMON (And their album "Shemhamforash").
In fact the music of CONJURETH isn't the fastest, there's even a good portion of mid-pacedness or double-kick ridden rhythms, but music isn't about who's the fastest in a bicycle race... Sometimes you'll even find little "melodic" (Or should I say epic?) riffs here a there, but globally the music remains in a morbid/ dark death metal realm.
Well, this tape sounds like a pretty good demo, I wasn't really branded by the burning crucifix of Ben Glenton (Yup, no typing mistake), but "Foul formations" sounds like a pretty tight first shot of blood. DEATH METAL ETERNAL.
https://conjureth.bandcamp.com



 

CONSENT (Usa) Conception Demo 2012. Self-released.
Ciment, mon amour! Ensevelissez moi sous des litres de ciment!
Faites moi ressentir les joies instantanées du grand plongeon cimenté, juste avant qu'il durcisse!
This is not bad. This is not as ferocious as the idea of a god eating a god, but remains quite cement-juicy in the hear.  
This American band plays grindcore from the "core" side of the coffee grinder,
but not in the most chaotic or "punk" manner. Apparently they call their music Power Violence, but due to the quite neat and clean production (Yet it's not triggered/ plastic), and fact musicians don't get all so chaotic and self-krushing, I would simply call it grindcore.
Grindcore in a not so old school, but neither so modern manner, with a bunch of blasts, quite sudden accelerations, some crustcore moments and slower sludge touches. You can also feel some more hardcore sensitivities that bring some distress and cement darkness... And sometimes I could think about the blasting Hc of ANANDA (RIP), but it's only a gross comparison.
Even if it's not particularly retro in influences or structures, the music of CONSENT might sound quite too regular for some crazy minded freaks who need to fuck their brains until the thoughts stop running in acceleration, but the content is neat to listen and quite easy to swallow... In French I would say something like "Ca passe tout seul".
***But how come this demo was re-released by the "GRINDCORE KARAOKE" netlabel and there are many vocals on the songs? I can't scream over the record and I want my brutal karaoke!! This is pure consumer trickery! Send me back my money!!! (This demo is for free download lol)***
I tried to get in touch with the band for underground stuffs like a possible tape release or a small interview, but it didn't do much, maybe CONSENT is only a subproject or they aren't too active... Future will say if more grinding music comes out from their cemented brains.
Le ciment, c'est la vie.
http://consentpv.bandcamp.com

 

 

CORPSECUM (Usa)/ INTESTINAL DISGORGE (Usa) Split CDr'07. MENTAL ABUSE Recs.

You're in an hopeless case of asshole warming emergency? Your rectum is so cold that you're frightened by the attack of Norwegian zombies straight from the inside of the Water closets? I have a little something for you: This little split CDr might be of some pustular help.
Not especially for the part of CORPSECUM, since I'm not too much into usual goregrind and too be honest it sounds like another band in the middle of the gowwwgwind scene of last days that sounds too putridly sleeping in its own vomit... It's not the worst project I heard, but musically sleeping I hear nothing particular: Riffs à la GUT (Or eventually some old MORTICIAN with maybe a little of old IMPETIGO), or PLASMA (And boring stuffs like that)... It could be convenient to listen once you're swimming into the waves of many hot beers, but it's just a project like so many others... They need to inject something to become "MORE": More gore, more stress, more urge, more rape... Because convenience and "keeping it cool" never helped, unless you're a big cat ensured of his daily dinners. http://www.myspace.com/corpsecums
But according to what follows on this little CDr, the voracious worm could easier penetrate your little asshole, and feed, grow, climb along your bowels to finally face the most exquisite virtue of entrails terrorism: INTESTINAL DIGORGE! (Up the razors?). Contrary to what you could expect, this isn't particularly gore, but rather GRIND and energetic with freshness and craziness inside... It's shooting the liquid acid and screaming all over, with the help of few lower grunts or saturated liquid emanators. The music lies somewhere between grind, technical grind, brutawl death metal, and some funny (But not stupid) things. I appreciate the fact the musicians aren't wankers who discovered the blast few months ago, and so some riffs are kinda well packed, the song structures sound compressed and some fast blasts sound quite destructive. Well this isn't the new grinding revelation, I didn't feel an urge to turn my bedroom inside out and some things don't fit my ugly needs, but it sounds fresh and quite entertaining. According to some sites, it seems IxDx plays noise/grind, but it isn't the case here... I Hope this split isn't the little good release from a big shit of vaguely vomited discography! http://www.myspace.com/intestinaldisgorge

 

 

CRAWLING DEATH (Pol) New murder art Demo CDr'08. LET THEM COME Recs.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CUM CUMULATOR! Your weekly provider of second hand condoms! All sizes available, varied kinds of tastes (Strawberry, Portuguese tomato, ass juice, foot smell, vaginal liquor... Ask for complete list!)... Wholesale possibility! ### Offer of the week: Get 10 pierced used condoms for the price of 5! ###. Contact Cum cumulator now: Cumcumbaby@cumadelicti.org
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
As you can see, I currently lack of putrid funds, and I have to insert advertisements in the reviews... How nice is it? Ah Ah.

This promo was sent to me a fat while ago, but job changes had reason of my promo-dissecting motivations... Finally the review is here, re-chewed and re-puked.
What you could hear is something between fast (2/3) and slower (1/3) Death metal, in my mind it sounds quite close to MORBID ANGEL ("Domination"), YATTERING, some LUCIFERION (Due to the sound?), HATE ETERNAL (Less complex and noise fucking, so not the latest albums), NILE (Minus egyptianism), with some slower parts that could remind of mid old LOUDBLAST, mid old DEATH, few BENEDICTION (Not the old stuffs) or eventually GOREFEST ("Erase"). The drumming would sound closer to what Dave Culross did in MALEVOLENT CREATION and so gives an "impact" side to the whole.
Eventhough the first approach seems like it will be an all brutal recording, it is finally quite varied and contains various influences from the Death metal spectrum... This explains why my pile of soundalike quotes doesn't give a so clear idea of what you can hear...
The music sounds quite solid, and it's all tight or correctly composed... But I'm not so thrilled about it... I miss something really catchy, fucking emotional or uterus punching (Yes, I changed sex to earn more money... Apparently transsexuals are better paid!). So big fans of the style could like this record, but it's not an exceptional release, just a quite solid one in the middle of quite solid ones... But it could be worse, huh?
http://www.myspace.com/crawlingdeath


 

CRYOSHOCK (Swe) Cryoshock MCD. 2017. Self-released.
Sometimes you receive promo CDs and you don't really know what to say about it.
I have never been a fan of mid-paced death metal, and that is roughly what this MCD contains: Mid-paced metal located between mid 90's death metal and quite "modern" thrash of the same era, with a quite clean approach (And a kind of "power metal" oncoming by moments).
Even if some faster parts appear here and there, most is in the mid-paced...
Some stuffs might remember of mid 90's GOREFEST (Less "bluesy"), or mid 90's HYPOCRISY (Melodic touch), some then might remember of mid 90's TESTAMENT (Or perhaps the first Machine head album) for a "power" side.
The production is quite "clean" and kinda suits what peoples into the 90's PANTERA state of mind could dig.
Well, this is really a style I don't feel like listening to anymore, and the music seems to be too much situated in the averages (Nothing "special" happening in how I conceive things).
I skip. Give me death, blood and agony.
https://cryoshock.bandcamp.com


 

CRYPT DAGGER (Ger) Tales of torment Demo tape. 2019. SCREAMING SKULL Recs.
When the Metal-archives website is too slow and lags, lags, lags... You need some thrashing metal stuff to kick their ass and accelerate the browsing of webpages... At the time of paper zines, you never were so fucking slow to turn the pages of a magazine, unless you were dead-drunk or deeply asleep...
CRYPT DAGGER are an old school thrashing metal band from Germany. At the first spiked approach I confused them for a "speed metal" band (The evil way), but the content is different... Less rock'n roll, less fun, you'll find more "brutality" and "evil" the old way!
In my humble ugly bear-hears, it sounds like a mixture of HELLHAMMER (Fast songs), early MASTER (And especially the "unreleased" album, for the quite super raw sound), with a bit of MAYHEM ("Deathcrush") ((And maybe a little zest of "Live in Leipzig", but you didn't see this microscopic quote)).
I also found some heavier "proto death metal" parts à la very early MORTICIAN, or ATROCITY (The Us band), but I'm not sure if these are a part of their influences... After all it might only be a HELLHAMMEr influence taken in a little more death-metallic spectrum (Or perhaps something like SLAUGHTER and their song "Incinerator").
Well this is a pretty sweet analog poisoned-candy. I'm not the biggest HELLHAMMER fan (always preferred CELTIC FROST), but this demo sounds quite cool in the style and I understand why some fans of simple retro "thrash" could dig it, and reverse their beer bottles up their mouths until it's empty and dry. BEER INSIDE. MIND OUTSIDE.
https://cryptdagger.bandcamp.com


 
 

CRYPT SERMON (Usa) Demo MMXIII. Demo 2013. Self-released.
Thirteen candles of doom burning before your eyes.
Confusing your vision with fumes of scalding uncertainty.
Would you free the words that quench the flames of anxiety?
Would you free the sword from the stone of paralyzing uncertainty?

CRYPT SERMON is a new band from Pennsylvania, and with this first demo they freed more than a couple of words of doom, the old school way.
In fact the style they choose to evolve in is close to the early emanations of the 80's (When it was closer to heavy metal) with some remains of the early 90's (When it was closer to Death metal), and so I clearly feel something close to the first album of CANDLESSMASS (For the classy doomy heavy metal and the good sounding vocals) while some more elaborated sorrowful guitar melodies reminds me of ooold MY DYING BRIDE (Possibly the MCDs)... But I didn't become a doom expert since the last doomy review, so it would be better to stop developing not-too-precise comparisons...
The natural production fits quite well the music and helps to enhance the "retro" tonality.
Some moments remind me of the "Conan the Barbarian" movie when Conan is pushing the heavy wheel in an exhausting manner.
The atmosphere is quite dark and brown, some melodies are neat and the quite lamenting sung vocals aren't bad either. My preference goes to the first track "Temple doors". Nice to listen to. Fans of old school doom metal/ heavy doom might dig their grave with some commitment.
http://cryptsermon.bandcamp.com


CRYPTIC GRAVE (Fra) Cryptic grave Demo. 2017. Self-released.
When you're bored of hearing too many new death metal bands trying to sound Swedish, or trying to follow a more popular path that doesn't coincide with their inner hearts (Old school doesn't always mean without compromise, especially in 2017), it's time to search in the deeper bowels of your country's darkest underground, at a level where fame and suckcess doesn't mean enough to interfere...
We will now talk about a new death metal band/ project that was formed by previous musicians of TORGEIST or OTARGOS, and other guys, and their music sounds quite old school.
Some peoples might wonder why "Quite old school"? Because even if the style is clearly stuck in the 90's, with some heaviness, some obscure atmospheres, and little more thrashy parts, you can also hear traces of what once was the beginning of death metal evolution: I have in mind some more "technical" guitars DEATH used on the 2nd or 3rd albums, or quite more acid sounding guitars à la mid old PESTILENCE (2nd or 3rd albums as well). (Well, this is probably a personal feeling and some peoples might not notice if they aren't more than 30-35 years old lol).
At the first approach the music seemed to be very influenced by OBITUARY, because of the quite scorched vocals and some heavier patterns, but this isn't really their main influence. I would really classify them as being closer to early/ old DEATH (With more emphasis on the mid-paced moments), mid old PESTILENCE, old MORGOTH and MERCYLESS (Fra)'s first album.
This is a quite cool demo, with some nice riffs, cool vocals, and it comes with a production that is very appropriate for a demo. Nothing ground-breaking or vital, but it's a quite good offering to the hears of underground Death metal fans.
Web page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Cryptic-Grave



CRYPTIC REALMS (International) Eve of fatality Promo CDr. 2015. Self-released.
SUSPENDED VOMITURITION
FORCING THE MOVIE TO PLAY BACKWARDS.
ENTRAILS AND PUTRID REMAINS,
SWALLOWED BACK BY THE SENDER.

This new multinational project plays simple old death metal, in a genre close to what you heard during the end 80's, beginning 90's...
Even if the content isn't morbidly thrilling, you can regularly occur to think about MORGOTH ("Cursed" without the doomy), early DEATH (First two Lps only), PENTACLE (Early recordings for the thrashy side), MASSACRE (1st Lp) or OBITUARY ("The end complete" for some slower mid-paced riffs).
The main problem is the drum machine, even if it is quite discreet the way it's programmed is rather average and probably doesn't add power; And globally the riffs in itselves didn't catch my attention or tear my bowels more than that... Ok, it's not boring guitars, and there's a little atmosphere, but globally it just sounds like "Death metal riffs" in a new world were old styled DM riffs appear everyday on the web. This said there are nicer elements that could be developed deeper, such as higher pitched epic guitars (On the first song) that give a little old INCANTATION touch. The vocals aren't bad, it has something of old OBITUARY (Not so deep or roooaring) or old PENTACLE, screeching vocals.
Some members of this project used to play in a lot of bands, I could quote those I know: Offal, Gutwrench, Abyssus, Axecutor...
So, you read my words, this is a demo I can listen to without particular problem, but I need more to get a deathmetallic erection.
Anyway it might please the hears of those who are a lot into retro 90's stuffs and dig things while conveniently sat in a sofa, retro stuff to rest in peace.
https://crypticrealms.bandcamp.com


 

 

CRYPTIC VOID (Usa) Wasteland Demo tape. 2016. Self-released.
IN GRIND WE TRUST?
RESTART THE SUSPENDED ANIMATION... OF GLOBAL SUFFERING.
IN THIS WORLD "NEVER AGAIN" MEANS NOTHING.
YOU ADAPT TO BACKWARDS FILLING
OR FACE INSTANTANEOUS DISINTEGRATION.

Great sounding deathgrind reminding of NAPALM DEATH ("Utopia banished"/ "Harmony corruption" era) with a good amount of destructive blasts, and kind of dementia accesses.
The napalmic difference lies in the fact the songs are shorter, contain more riffs/ tempos changes, but also sound less "technical".
I can hear also a bit of old TERRORIZER for some grinding energy, some P.L.F. for more extreme/ modern touches, and perhaps a bit of old MASTIC SCUM, but these remain minor points.
During the listening, the grinding machine needs a good minute to get started, since it begins in a quite mid paced/ "groovy" manner (More or less à la "Suffer the children"), but then it's mostly filled with blasts, tempo changes, and fast death metal parts.
The main negative point lies in the fact this demo is very short, only 5 songs, and seems like it could have been included in a split (Now I see metal archives claims it's a limited promo, so perhaps the songs will be re-recorded later...)
This is a quite kicking recording, not bad, it could be interesting for fans of the grinding style.
https://crypticvoid.bandcamp.com



 

CRYPTUS (Ireland) Dawn of ages Demo CDr'07.
Simple and raw sounding Death metal that purges the skull with old influences from the 90's. There's a clear old GRAVE influence at various levels (Vocals, sound, drums in heavy moments) but also a quite present HYPOCRISY mark ("Osculum obscenum") for the brutality and the "half melodic" guitars in the blasts.
I noticed some nice touches of early PARADISE LOST's epic guitars that briefly open doors to nostalgia. Also heard some ROTTING (Can) (Between the last demo and the "Crushed" CD) or a bit of ASPHYX's "Last one on earth".
The drum machine is simple, but it's ok or the style, it especially works well in double kicks à la GRAVE.
After two songs the production changes and gets less powerful, it's a shame... After a few more songs the style gets a bit less brutal and a bit more melodic, maybe somewhere between "later" HYPOCRISY (?) and old PARASIDE LOST with touches of early AMORPHIS... It's ok, but less cool.
It's just a demo from a solo project, no brutal revelation, and after some songs the entertainment tends to decrease, but I found it cool. Nice influences, nice brutality, some cool atmospheres... If he keeps on making the sound more powerful and songs more intense (But not too blasts ridden, ok?) CRYPTUS might become a quite damn cool entity in the world of demos and naturally simple Death metal solo projects.
http://www.myspace.com/cryptus101



 

CURMUDGEON (Usa) Martyr Demo tape. 2013. KNOCHEN TAPES Recs.
The thought of the day: If you play in a band and don't want peoples to post videos of your band online... Don't play gigs!
  Some bands really pay too much attention to their image, even some rock bands that seem to have some kind of hard rock mentality. Bootleg videos are the truth: If it's not perfect, it's because someone didn't play it perfectly...
Now my ranttly ramble is over, I can begin this review with more chaotic music. The first lines about bootlegs had nothing to do with CURMUDGEON since they don't play "Hard rock". Roughly their stuff is closer to powerviolence, even if there are quite a lot of mid-paced or slow parts for the style. So perhaps I should call it hardcore/ powerviolence or something: This seems to be both influenced by mid-paced old HC stuffs from New York, the slower one, and the faster one, yet it's never too complex nor chaotic. The music remains quite simple to hear. The vocals seem to be shouted in a loudspeaker.
Now the production is really close to what you can hear in the powerviolence world, quite seriously abrasive guitars, with attacks of larsens here and there...
It's not bad, but it lacks of blastbeats and fast attacks for me, but since I'm not a big hardcore fan it's better to leave the headcores make their opinions.
Web page:
https://curmudgeon.bandcamp.com



CURSE (Swe) Spawn of hatred Demo tape. 2013. BIFROST Recs.
I read this Swedish band split up, but fuck off space and time!
  We can always talk about music, even when the band stopped its activities.
What this formation played is black/ thrash, and while some skull bangers might imagine a very thrashing genre, I have to tell them the morning cereals are equally portioned between 90's black metal and black thrash.
For you to have an idea of the sound, I could quote some names such as AURA NOIR ("Black thrash attack"), some old/ early DARKTHRONE, DEATHWITCH (Insert old fart namedropping here... It was a retro project of some Sacramentum guys around 1998), or some old NECROPHOBIC/ Early DARK FUNERAL when the riffing is more Scandinavian (Mostly the last song).
The production reminds me somewhat of MARDUK ("Live in Germania"), but the style is different: There aren't many blastbeats here and it's globally less "melodic"... Well this is a quite raw production.
The style of the band isn't really over the top, it's even classical in the genre (When they play pure black metal... One of the songs is a bit... Boring?), but some tracks are quite kicking and some riffs aren't bad (For example when they use Scandinavian sounding guitars, it sounds quite good).
This tape could please the underground fans of black/ thrash who like it quite aggressive. Try to play it in your stereo if both hears of yours are still functional!
Webpage: https://www.facebook.com/curseblackmetal



CURSUS BELLUM (Swe) Accusing the dead Demo tape. 2016. DOWNFALL Recs.
I have fewer time to review promo items sent in the mail, but I try to stick to it because the bands made the effort to send a physical product and to pay for the postage (It's not as if they only cut-and-pasted my address in an email they would send to a thousand of other zines... I don't know how other zine-makers feel about it, but I feel no obligation to review the amount of digital promos invading my mailbox, it's endless...).
Enough of my personal opinion about non-musical matters, now let's talk about the first recording of this new Swedish band. Their biography described the music as "blackened death metal" and this is a fitting description.
While the production and some dark vibes have clearly something of black metal, the music is globally closer to Death metal.
There are a lot of fast parts, blastbeats, and quite an amount of riff changes in these songs that kinda sound like old MORBID ANGEL, mid old BEHEMOTH, very early CENTURIAN, perhaps with a bit of old MAYHEM, and also a bit of very early HATE ETERNAL (Demo and first album) yet with some more chaotic touches and riffs being closer to black metal.
For a reason they remind me when IMMORTAL suddenly got very influenced by Morbid Angel (The "Blizzard beast" album), minus the winter/ Norway influences. It's not really my thing, but it can sound quite savage and researched.
This is a quite well packed demo with some kicking moments and nice atmospheres.
This could please fans of blackened death metal who like their music to be a little researched.
Webpage:
https://cursusbellum.bandcamp.com



 

CUT YOUR THROAT (Gre) Cut your throat CDr. 2007. Self-released.
DO IT YOURSELF. CUT YOUR THROAT.
DO IT YOURSELF. I HAVE A CHAINSAW FOR RENT!
This release is turning quite old, especially in these modern days when many want everything instantaneously... But I'm retro-blasting (Blasting in reverse) so this won't be a burning problem.
I recently discovered this band on a split tape with some noise projects, but it's not the same style. Here you have quite cool and kicking grindcore/ death grind.
They remind me of old BLOOD DUSTER (When they didn't groove that much), SAYYADINA, and there's some old NAPALM DEATH (But not that much).
The more you progress in the listening, the more Death metal influences appear (For example some of it reminds me the way HUTT (Bra) used to inject Death metal in their short songs).
The first couple of songs are definitely the best (First track has something "hypnotizing" à la SICKENING GORE), when you go further in the listening some later ones are less efficient/ serious (No poo-piss jokes yet) and some riffs become more usual for grind.
I won't spend too much time dissecting/ analyzing/ cutting up the blasts. (The band's last releases where two split Eps in 2010; so they might be inactive/ split up?), but this was a nice blasting surprise with some kind of grinding potential.
DO IT YOURSELF.
MY CHAINSAW IS YOURS!
http://www.diymusic.org/cutyourthroat

 

 

>> NEXT PAGE