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GARGOUYLLAS (Fra) Gargouyllas Demo CDr'09.
Gargouyllas, what a strange name, in my mind it sounds like some "Ragout de gargouilles" (Gargoyle stew in english)... Seems to be your local underground stuff done an amateurish manner... But the music is better than the odor of the moniker.
It's some kind of thrash death, with a quite technical (Yet not very technical) side. It evolves between the fast and mid-tempo. Vocals are kind of regular death vocals.
When it's closer to Death metal I find it quite cool, when it's thrashier (Or even closer to melodic thrash, yet not uber gay) it's less of my pleasure. I wouldn't say it's old school, maybe just a little "out dated" because more bands used to cook this kind of stew only few years ago.
The first song is quite cool, and I have the feeling quality decreases a bit with each new songs (The last one is quite boring to me).
This could please those who like quite controlled thrash death and dig underground demos, it's not the most emotional or impressive stew pot I tasted, but it's not so bad. I think with just a few more catchy parts and a little focus it could taste much better for the enjoyers of the style.
(When the 4 songs are over, it repeats again the same 4 songs without vocals... A bit strange... Maybe they want you to join the gargoyle karaoke? So where are the lyrics? Huh!)
http://www.myspace.com/gargouyllas

   

GENDO IKARI (Uk) Unit 1 Demo tape. 1997. OVERFLÖD Recs.
Cinderblocks are my savior.
Crushing your face is my savior.
Throwing big perpains in your face is my pleasure.
Cinderblocks are my savior.

This band comes from Glasgow, Uk, and their music sounds quite brutal.
This is grindcore/ Powerviolence with a quite straight/ Brutal approach.
There are more technical / chaotic moments on the guitars, but most keeps a right-to-the-point approach.
Contrary to quite a lot of grind/ Pv bands, GENDO IKARI didn't use a lot of dbeat/ crust or sludge Hc influences, most of the riffing and drumming are into the fast styles (Blasts, but not only) (Then some mid-paced hardcore moments can appear, but it remains straight).
Sometimes there's something like a death grind feeling, when the musicians get more "metal" they can remember me of some NAPALM DEATH or some old brutal death bands (Not the newer stuffs).
Well, this is quite kicking stuffs, I'm not sure if I will remember the riffs or some catchier parts in months of time, but at least this is quite kicking stuff with no apparent flaws. This is quite brutal stuff.
https://gendoikari.bandcamp.com

 

GENOCIDE SHRINES (Sri Lanka) Devanation monumentemples Demo tape. 2013. CYCLOPEAN EYE Recs.
Great death black metal in the vein of early ARCHGOAT, with low-tuned guitars and deep vocals evoking the spirit of ancient bestial bowels rumination.
There are no high-pitched screamy screams, no high-pitched "Where are the low strings?" guitars... No influence that could have come from Norway in the 90's...
This could also taste like early IMPALED NAZARNE at some points ("Tol cormpt norz norz norz") for quite bestial and low-pitched deformed-goat cavern-erucations.
I see a voracious grizzly of death blowing fuses at the top of gigantic mountains, and screaming his rage!
Now I wish there were fewer slow parts, sometimes more blasts would enhance the deepness of demonic penetration, and every moments aren't of the same defenestrating quality, but it's often the case with new releases. There are a couple of occult/ ritual interludes, some will say it enhances the darkness, some will say it dissolves the intensity.
I'm usually not too much into the death black/ war metal ways of the flesh, but I feel there's something more in this tape of GENOCIDE SHRINES.
HAILZ THE GRIZZLY!
Listen:
http://cyclopeaneyeproductions.bandcamp.com

 

GILGAXAR (Indonesia) Aberration intentional Demo tape. 2019. BBT Productions.
I stopped listening to newer brutal death/ technical brutal bands when their music became super clinical'n digital, very cold, or extremely abrasively produced...It's not a new story, I prefer old school brutal death... But from time to time I fall on the reekording of a band that kinda twists my dead brain cells.
GILGAXAR plays quite twisted old brutal death, meets death metal, and comes from Indonesia.
Their tunes remind me of early SUFFOCATION ("Effigy" or "Breeding"), early MONSTROSITY (First album), ooold GORGUTS (First albums), maybe early PYREXIA (1st album), REPUDILATION (Usa), with touches of CANNIBAL CORPSE ("Tomb of the mutilated") and perhaps some ooold CENOTAPH (Turkey) or mid-old SINISTER ("Aggressive measures")... Pfew, this is a quite long list of name dropping, isn't it? ;-)
What you hear is a quite "technical" riffing in the old way, it sounds quite "absurd" the way I can dig it...
The production wasn't digitally castrated, this really sounds like a reekording from end 90's, and this is cool... I dig how the guitars have super heavy frequencies with some low bass sounds being over-saturated! (Well, keep in mind this is real underground music! Not for fans of digital protools overdose!)
Rhythmically this is quite varied, you don't find blast beats only, as there are a lot of old fast "death metal beats".
This underground recording was a cool voyage back in the time of end 90's brutality... Perhaps my enjoyment was partly due to nostalgic underwear oozings? I don't know, there are cool moments to hear, quite "absurd" guitars and nicely kicking fast DM beats... Then I can't guarantee if the riffs are really catchy, and if every readers will have the same 90's cadaveric impression (And it's a shame all the tracks don't have the same production).
Anyway, GILGAXAR provided me with some cool listenings, in the past of the oozing bowels and juicy hot crepitating innards.
https://gilgaxar1.bandcamp.com



GOAT STALKER (Hungary) Headvig Demo pro CDr. 2011. Self-released.
Here you have nice death grind influenced by NAPALM DEATH (Minus the indus), with nice moments of bulldogstress blast-beats, a couple of dbeat moments and some heavier parts.
It also reminded me of mid old REGURGITATE (Minus the gore... So let's say "Carnivorous erection" or "Deviant" (Without the old school vibes)), and some LOCK UP.
This is not original and I’m not so fan of all heavier moments (It depends), but songs are quite well put together and it can be kinda right to the juicy cunt...
I know this isn't the kind of "grindcore" that pleases the punk blasters anymore (Too much of metal? Some of them hear metal everywhere... But it's true this demo has a good powerful sound) and GOAT STALKER has split up (The main member preferred to concentrate on other grind projects)... So in front of this big spatiotemporal hole, I will stop the review now.
http://youtu.be/5tGPuspKN7o

 

GOAT TYRANT (Pol) Untitled Demo tape'08.
It's globally the same style than the demo'06, except the mid placed VENOM/ BATHORY moments have decreased and the band apparently takes a more black/ thrash approach (Yet it remains old school and quite "putrid"... It might be less "nostalgic" though, but more violent and ugly).
Sounds like some early MERCILESS (Less controlled and more fucked) with some BATHORY spirit, old AURA NOIR, and NIFELHEIM crap-fuck state of mind... Some thrash, some black, some really old spirit... Crush the tape recorder, we're death and drunk...
The last song of the 2 ones (Yes, this demo is short, only 2 tracks and an intro) reminds me of VICTIMIZER for some riffing style reason and raw necro sound to fuck your bottom... I guess they are alcoholics and proud of it.
This might please the needs of bangers who like it raw, necro, quite ugly and violent, and spend their lives in underground caves of some sorts...
I prefer the "Necromantical curse" demo because of the convenient VENOMous laziness that helps me to rest, and maybe the band needs to develop and improve more to reach an impressive level in the (more "technical") style they seem to target... I still hoped this tape would be the same raw speed metal BATHORY did when copying MOTORHEAD on their demos, but the band doesn't seem to evolve towards this style... Once again my cock is trapped! Argh...
c/o Micahl Dolinski, Ul. Krakinskiego 18 B, 83110 TCZEW, POLAND
Email: Complete_necro@vp.pl


 

GOAT VOMIT (Bel) Advance MMXI. CDr. 2011. Self-released.
Extreme bullshit bombardier.
Obese livid excrements plunger.
Ass Teasing the fat cougar with strength and anger.

When you don’t have the right tools, unblocking water closets is like an ugly fist-fucking.

This promo CDr comes with a quite funny cover taking the old PUNGENT STENCH artwork (Two cadavers kissing each others) and replacing the corpses with a nazi and a communist, Uh.
In the letter they sent, the band said they play old school "Grind death crust". In my humble ass-penetrating opinion this is partly true, or perhaps I would change the order of the 3 words...
The music is mostly composed of simple crustcore and old death metal, then you have a few blast beats here and there. This could remember of old MASTER, a bit of HELLHAMMER, some DISSECT, early NECROPHAGIA (First album, perhaps due to the production), some UNSEEN TERROR (For the not totally serious state of mind), some DOOM (The band), mid-paced groovy beats à la early NAPALM DEATH/ DEFECATION, with blasts à la old NYCTOPHOBIC or something.
  And in some fast moments they remind me of very old IMPALED NAZARENE (The first demos/ album or bootleg live from this epoch).
There are nice moments where tension grows here and there.
I like the fact the production is quite simple and natural, the drums are even quite "deaf" which is quite nice for a rest... And guitars have a bit of dust.
Well this is a quite cool promo, this isn't really extreme and it can be felt this is quite relaxed, but there's an underground charm and there are cool moments. This is a real underground recording that might please punk metallers or drunk metallers who have some grind and some beers in mind.
Web page:
https://www.facebook.com/GoatVomit



GOAT WAR (Usa) Warwolf Demo tape. 2017. HEATHEN TRIBE Recs.
Could I describe the music of this band as "Thrashing goat metal"? Not really, because you would think it's a very bestial matter, while the audio content here is much closer to black speed/ black thrash, with a lot of 80's influences.
Think about something in the middle between early BATHORY, old VENOM, early SLAYER, with a bit of early CELTIC FROST here & there... (And maybe some old BULLDOZER, but I'm not an expert in power tools of destruction AhAh).
Sometimes the music tends to touch old heavy metal, it's due to the old Venom influence in the riffs, but also to some "speed metal" vocal touches for example.
The production is quite "raw" in the meaning it sounds underground, perhaps like a rehearsal captured with a 4 tracker (So it's listenable once you're adapted).
It's a quite cool tape to listen to, on one hand  the songs flow quite well and there are some cool guitars, on the other hand sometimes the riffs are a bit too close to the original cult Lps... But globally it's not a badly spiked listening.
GOAT WAR might be a good band to see live in cavernous darkened bar conditions!
GOAT INSIDE. SPIKES OUTSIDE.
https://goatwar.bandcamp.com



GOEMAGOT (Usa) Parasitic Incineration Demo CDr. 2012. Sevared recs.
In the vomiting flow of Sevared released you happen to find something quite cool.
This time the gore mashmallow is called GOEMAGOT and plays brutal death metal. Their music isn't the most modern, and even quite "old styled" under some angles, even if the taste for brutality remains the main approach.
Listening to the 3 songs you could think about old SUFFOCATION ("Effigy" for the brutality and slam/ grooves), old DEEDS OF FLESH ("Trading pieces" for the brutality), old DEICIDE (For some Death metal riffs developing a darker or more "satanic" mood), some REGURGITATION ("Tales of necrophilia" for the brutality) and little crazy touches of old DYING FETUS, in a mixture that might not be as brutallizing as you might imagine.
You could also find some old CANNIBAL CORPSE ("Butchered") but the style is often different, and I would refer mostly to the production and some atmospheres. It's not all brutal since the songs also contain influences closer to regular, or better say 90's Morrisound Death metal (Double-kick ridden or quite groovy stuffs like MORTA SKULD for example) in a quite important amount (Let's say 1/4), it's quite welcome.
On a level of brutality/ intensity, we doesn't exceed "Butchered at birth" to name an example, but it doesn't matter and the listening is quite cool.
What could be improved? Even if the songs are quite well rounded, some riffs' concatenation could sound more vaseline-fluid, and the third track is less cool (It begins a bit like NILE, but huh?).
This demo doesn't contain a bleeding orgasm, but there is an atmosphere of blood and quite entertaining body parts.
GOEMAGGOT plays a kind of brutal death that doesn't try to be extremely brutal or technical, and inserts enough regular Death metal influences to be able to warm your "not-so-brutal" hears with wet body parts. "Parasitic Incineration" sounds like a quite cool demo. Feed the gore maggot!
http://www.myspace.com/goemagot


 

GOREPHILIA (Fin) In Death Demo MCD. 2010. Self-released.
I reviewed the previous demo of this band a few years ago, when they were called GORETEXX. They probably changed their moniker to avoid misunderstanding with the Gore-tex clothes provider... And perhaps because of a forthcoming musical evolution: This demo isn't really in the same genre, the music is more dynamic and (maybe) more old styled in a way (I should replunge in the previous demo...).
I have read some reviewers write how this recording sounded so Finnish and close to the old Finnish Death metal bands, but I partly disagree (Maybe some peoples shouldn't receive any biography or any other information than music itself? Who knows Ah Ah) since I would see a mixture with some fast (And sometimes quite evil) Death metal taking from old MORBID ANGEL (Tremolo hatred) or old INCANTATION (Obscure blasting punishment), with some old Finnish sounding Death containing quite strange melodies or quite grotesque heavy guitars, and some regular slow Death metal (Let's quote CONVULSE and other "cult" stuffs like that). Sometimes I could also point the old recordings of ENCABULOS (Rather the "Abandoning the flesh" MCD) when it's double kicks ridden and sounds quite dark.
This recording contains nice moments, some fast parts should be quite rageful during a gig, an atmosphere is quite present from here and there and the «mysterious» Finnish touch should be developed for example... But I feel like I miss something; Some arrangements could be more efficient, some riffs could contain a bit more (Of more) and I sometimes feel a bit of stagnancy(?)...Maybe this genre has became a bit too conservatively self-phagocytosing for me?
Anyway this demo could please big fans of underground Death metal, coffin swallowers and macerators of rancid craziness... I think if this band will do something great, then it would be for the next release, when they have put everything in the right order and the planets are all aligned... Check your morbid puzzle!
http://www.myspace.com/gorephilia

 

  

 

      
 

GORETEXX (Fin) Rotting Demo CDr'07.
GORETEXX is a cool Finnish Death metal band that plays it old school, but in a not so Finnish way to die.
I'd rather think about old AUTOPSY (First album) mixed with some early DEATH, a doomy death touch (Sometimes OBITUARY), some faster patterns with a taste of INCANTATION (But the drumming skills don't really follow this blasting case).
I found zests of early VIOGRESSION (Call it old OBITUARY if you wish, anyway I wish you hell!) while they sound quite close to the first demos of TOMBTHROAT (Ger), and it seems we aren't so far from PUTRENANCE sometimes (Some Finnish ways to die a morbid way might be there, after all).
There's nothing new at all in their riffs and it's often more based on a quite "tranquility" atmosphere, but the songs are built an okey way and a nice atmosphere emerges from the pores of the rotting cadaver.
The production is quite deaf and doesn't follow nowadays' standards of pseudo virility, but this is pleasant in my hears (It sounds quite natural).
So, GORETEXX has released a cool first demo, with its positive and negative aspects. For most it might be only another average demo, but those who dig the embalming atmosphere of early AUTOPSY (And especially big fans of the style) might have found a livid enough place to rest under the graves.
I wonder what the band moniker means, but in my hears GORETEXX strangely sounds like some label of sportsmen’s clothes.
http://www.myspace.com/goretexxband

 


 

GRANULOCYTIC BLASTOMA (Thailand) Grindsore MCD. 2013. BLOODLINE Recs.
Transsphenoidal resection of the pituitary gland.
Mitral stenosis and mitral insufficiency.
Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis.
This wasn't a macerated gory medical intro, but a couple of song-titles... I think you can imagine what will be heard inside :-)
This MCD contains a lot of songs. The whole evolves between old influenced goregrind and rather 90's death grind.
Of course the old CARCASS influence is present when we talk about the infusion of old gore, but I'll rather speak about old Carcass-clones because the music doesn't sound as extreme as "Symphonies of sickness"...
So, concerning the putrid testicle cloning, I can list the names of GENERAL SURGERY (Old... The MCD from the 90's, not the "newer" stuffs), ooold SANITYS DAWN (The "Cryptic menu" album, before they went more extreme and then powerviolence) with a bit of old gory DEAD INFECTION (Perhaps the 1st album or Eps, anything before "Chapter of accidents" I imagine) and perhaps a bit of very early MUCUPURULENT. I also hear some more regular deathgrind, or more death-metal-influenced stuff along the lines of NAPALM DEATH ("Harmony corruption").
The difference between GRANULOCYTIC BLASTOMA and the average old, or new, gory bands lies in the amount of tempos and riffs changes in each song: Here it is quite numerous, and could even sound "technical" for this reason.
The music is quite often groovy, this lets me imagine the content was designed in bowels and crepitation for fans of quite "bizarre" sounding goregrind.
Now my reproaches... I regret the blast-parts don't sound more extreme, and the guitars would have deserved to come with more bass frequencies to enhance the bizarrity.
This is not a thrilling recording, but I think it could be quite putridly entertaining for the fans of gore who like the style quite correctly played (And it's not so often the case if you talk about real gore)
Url:
https://www.facebook.com/GranulocyticBlastoma



GRAVE ASCENSION (Usa) Demo tape. 2015. Self-released.
BONELESS PENETRATOR.
COSMIC DISSOLUTION.
IMMURED IN THE ZODIAC.
TORMENTED BY THE TWELVE.

The moniker of this band might let you imagine their music is just composed of obscure black death, as well as many new bands in 2017, but the content reveals to be quite different and more interesting.
Roughly, this is a quite good mixture between obscure death à la INCANTATION and old school Death metal in a 90's manner.
The impression you have is that the music is very much into the obscure side, but this is partly due to the darkened production.
You have quite a lot of Incantation alike moments, for the fast barbaric blastbeats ridden assault, or some heavier riffings, some peoples might also hear some VASAELETH for the obscurity, but there's indeed quite a lot of cool old school death that tastes like old AUTOPSY (For the thickness of some fast and slow parts), then you find some early DEATH ("Scream bloody gore" and "Leprozy" minus the melodies), a bit of infernal thrashing
  death that could remember of early POSSESSED or early NECROPHAGIA perhaps...
There's clearly some feeling in there, some heavy moments are quite crushing,, some fast barbaric parts are quite epic, and I like the "No brainshaking" mindset of some old death moments.
Now, even if the production is quite thick and heavy (Which is a plus in my morbid book) it is also quite obscure sounding and might refrain those who aren't really into the obscure (Even perhaps "occult") side. The track they put in first position might not be the best: First half is a bit too long or quite "boringly" simple. Perhaps the whole also needs a bit of an "original" or "particular" aspect, but well it's a first demo... This is a quite good worshipping of death that comes with feeling and some interesting moments. Fans of the style will dig it.
https://graveascension.bandcamp.com



 

GRAVEHAMMER (Swe) Morbid obscurity Demo CDr'07.
GRAVEHAMMER is a new Death metal band formed by younger metallers who choose a way of torturing the cadaver that do not sound especially Swedish... but rather American and evil! I got a copy of their previous Demo, "Rehearsal of death", that suffered from a too raw rehearsal sound. With this new short recording, they hopefully improved the recording (That sounds more edible) and the music (That sounds more energetic).
The songs are built on a basis of early thrashy Death metal à la POSSESSED, with an addition of blast beats à la ABHORER/ early MORBID ANGEL, and few black metal touches for the necro (Like old NIFELHEIM?). One could draw comparisons with some old SARCOFAGO ("Inri"), very old SODOM or early RIGOR MORTIS (Usa)...
There's a nice energy and the songs are structured a quite strict way, which is unfortunately a bit wattered down by the not-so-tight playing, but it remains okey for a demo. (Remember 80's Death metal self-releases weren't produced in plastic surgery hospitals, but in the caves with rotten tape players!).
This is obviously demo-stuff that won't please the plastic silicon metal business, but even if it's not really killer or putrid, they evolve in the right way and begin to procreate something that could please Evil death metal fanatics! I appreciate the style they choose and a nice early evil death metal atmosphere is touchable. Good luck in the future, keep the cross inverted and burning!
http://www.myspace.com/gravehammerswe

 

GRAVERED (Chile) Cult to... MCD. 2019. IRON, BLOOD AND DEATH CORPORATION Recs.
If things keep on evolving this way… Due to the amount of Chilean bands I review and distribute, I might have to change the name of this website to CHILEAN METAL REVIEWS, or CHILEAN METAL INVASION AhAh...
The review begins: I could listen to a previous recording of this morbid band from Santiago, and this newer Ep is in the same style: Quite crushing death metal in the old school way.
Their style is a bit different from the usual Chilean metal, their morbid approach is much closer to ooold GRAVE, and especially the "You'll never see..." album (Perhaps with a few remains of the "Back from the grave" CD)… Are you putrefied? I also hear similarities with an old demo tape of the Canadian band ROTTING (Stuffs released before their album which was more "brutal") but this was a somewhat “super-underground” band, so don’t search too far in your old memories…
Here the music is often heavy, with a crushing "Swedish" buzzraw sound, and good obscure atmospheres in the dark red tones (You want rotting blood... You've got it!)
I know some peoples might also hear some early ENTOMBED (First Lp), some early ILLDISPOSED, or perhaps old WOMBBATH, but these are rather "minor" influences.
Perhaps this MCD is more interesting and crushing than the older one GRAVERED released in 2016 (“Coffins graves and tombs”), because I feel more atmosphere and heaviness here...
(This MCD also contains 3 live tracks in the second part; Even if more studio songs would have been a better gruesome rejoicing, the sound quality is quite good for a live recording).
GRAVERED didn't reach the same level of juicy orgasmic morbidity than old GRAVE, but this is quite good death metal to please the fans (Of the rather heavier style) in their abrupt cavern.
DEFORMED. DECOMPOSED. OBSESSED BY MOURNING.
https://www.facebook.com/gravered.deathmetal



 

GRAVEROBBER (Hol) Conscious autopsy Demo tape. 2014. HEADBANGERS Recs.
The empty grave is mine.
I will be able to lock up the sexy babe(s) inside, and infiltrate the depths, once their gasping for air has stopped...
Sometimes it's so nice to be the undertaker...

Globally this demo sounds like old death metal influenced by early DEATH (First Lp), the demos of AUTOPSY, with a bit of early NECROPHAGIA,
a bit of very early CANNIBAL CORPSE (The demo from 89, or the most old school parts of the first album), with old Swedish dbeat influences, and something like an early "Grind" touch in the state of mind and the playing (A bit of REPULSION or ATROCITY (Usa), even if blasts aren't numerous).

At the first approach I was first rather embalmed by the cool and old death metal of the first track (The riffs aren't badly felt in the style, and there's a relaxed/ no brain-shaking aspect reminding me the first HERPES (Fra) demo, for example), then I wondered "What the fuck?" when I heard the bad blastbeats of the second song... Hopefully this problem was only present on this song (If they could come back in time, I would have suggested to put the 5th and 6th songs at the beginning (It's cooler), and the second track towards the end).
This is a demo that sounds like old demos, as if it was recorded on a 4 or 8-tracker, and the influences make it tastes like 87-88 death metal with a bit of "grind".
Personally I really prefer what came later in 89-90-91, for reasons of heaviness and intense death metal power, and some of their songs are a bit boring... But they also have quite cool and entertaining tracks, with enough energy to please fans of old death metal "shits".
I think with more time and rehearsals GRAVE ROBBER could improve and release a second demo that could contain only cool songs... I'm not dreaming, they only have to open the right caskets and keep the empty ones carefully closed! So, keep a salt-rubbed eye on this band if you're still into this kind of retro (But not uber cult) death metal.
https://graverobber.bandcamp.com


 

GRAVEWARDS (Gre) Subconscious lobotomy Demo tape. 2017. Self-released.
This new Greek band plays death metal in a rather early 90's fashioned genre, but this isn't really what you would expect from an "old styled" band in 2017. The music isn't too thrashing, neither too fast; You will find much more mid-paced moments, stranger "grooves" mixed with a portion of death doom.
The mid paced moments sound quite close to GOREFEST (Especially "Erase"), mid old BENEDICTION (Perhaps due to the big sound), and some peoples might hear BOLT THROWER due to high pitched guitars (But the spirit here is more about sorrow than battles and war).
There are influences of very early technical death, well perhaps you won't hear it if you aren't an old fart, but some quite strange structures, "grooves" (Or way some riffs are built) tastes like ooold ATROCITY (Germany/ "Blut" album), mid old DEATH, mid old DISARHMONIC ORCHESTRA (Not so weird) and some very obscure demo bands from 94/95.
When Gravewards tends to be doomier, or more sorrowful, they can remind me a newer band such as SOLOTHUS (I'm still not an expert of doom, so...).
What could the band do to improve their music? Perhaps use a few really doomy/ monolithic riffs to bring more diversity, or perhaps a couple of "technical"/ strange riffs could be really stranger to counterbalance with the whole (A bit of weird stuffs is good... Technical stuffs suck when it's weird and strange all the time).
This is a quite cool demo located between the "doomier" and the little more "strange" worlds of death metal, it's pleasant to hear since it's a bit different... Even if I wasn't thrilled or led to a travel into a thrilling infraworld, there are enough nice moments to make of it a cool demo.
Web page:
https://www.facebook.com/Gravewards



 

GRIND PAD (Hol) Grave matter MCD'09. Self released.
I'm not sure what their moniker could mean, but in my computerized mind it sounds like "Grindcore joystick" or something like that... Grindcore joystick? Joycore grindstick? Are we talking about sexual tools and blasting vagina-teasing matters? Hmm, not really you pervert dude, because this Dutch band has no porno influence and their music sticks in the brutality.
As a whole, I could say their stronger influences reside somewhere between what MALEVOLENT CREATION did few years ago ("Eternal", "The will to kill" or a little of "The fine art of murder"), SUFFOCATION (Rather "Despise the sun" for the impact approach) or PYREXIA ("Age of the wicked"), then with few touches of more thrashy stuffs (RITUAL CARNAGE?), more "conventional" brutality (I thought about some mid old DERANGED), a little Hardcore, few melodic touches (Between old GOD DETHRONED, or almost later DEATH), while almost grindcore guitars could remind of LOCK UP or some later NAPALM DEATH.
So you guess right when you imagine most is into the blasting world. There are some slow-downs and usual Death (Or crusty) beats, but most is blasting a way or another.
The band has a nice sense of the brutal riff, and some parts are quite strongly kicking! I think some riffings wouldn't brutalize a displaced way on the last PYREXIA album for example.
On the other hand, few structures sounded a little strange in my hears (Kind of debrutallized the impact of a brutal riffure, hu?), few blasts weren't of my liking (Kick and snare at the same time), few slower HC parts aren't for me... And, yes, you will read again the "Lowest-common-reviewer-denominator". Are you ready? One, two, three... "Their music isn't very original"... Ok, but what should one do? Insert Polka or waltz influences a Mexican way, or Peruvian xylophone to play post classical music from New Zealand? Not sure if it would be good...
The production is good for the style, nothing to say at this level.
All in all, I think it's an honest brutal MCD that might turn on those who like brutality in a not too mind-shaking, almost "grind", manner.
Some parts are great, some parts are more common, but all in all I think big fans of the style would kinda crunch it.
http://www.myspace.com/grindpad

   
 

GUTVOID (Can) Astral bestiary Demo 2019. Digital. Self-released.
If the worms had tentacles, their caresses would be bleedingly tickling.
What you have here is the first three tracks demo of a metal band from Toronto/ Canada.
The first song entitled "They came dripping from the stars" sounds great and quite super cool: This is strange death metal, with a Finnish vibe à la DEMILICH (Less technical) and there's quite some demented groove to be found! Yuck! Then the two following compositions are different, the style is much closer to death doom/ funeral doom. This sounds quite nice and quite solid in the genre, sometimes not too far from SOLOTHUS (I believe), perhaps with a little black metal touch... But the atmosphere is more about sorrow, darkness and despair, while after hearing the first song your soul requested more Finnish demilichian vibes of the demented.
Well, the two styles the band approaches are quite different, there's quite a gap between both... It might leave a couple of listeners a little perplexed I imagine.
I think if GUTVOID had recorded 3 songs in the same DEMILICH alike vibe, they would already have a (small) label deal, because this genre is quite "demanded" at the moment...
But composing music and having inspiration aren't always (Often?) synchronized with popular demand... So perhaps The musicians could try to mix the two styles in the inside of the same songs, it would make the whole more homogeneous to hear, or it might create interesting "Russian mountains" with perhaps a little more progressive structures, who knows?... The future will tell which astral surprises you can expect from them.
https://gutvoid.bandcamp.com

  

 

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