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AB-NORM (GER) Inside CD'00 SHOW NO MERCY.
The beginning reblasted my brain to some old SINISTER destructive moments, yes for some technical and sometimes quite complex reasons they evoked the old times of the Brutal death band from the Netherlands. But the vocals (the way it's placed and how it sounds) plus the drumming could also remind ya of SINISTER. Some old SUFFOCATION can be spelled for the technical side.
Around the 4th track, they loose the efficiency... even if it's faster again with the 6th one. Sounds like some American brutal death bands also.
I could quote a few bands as NATRON(ITA) or even DAMNABLE (POL).
The whole is correctly executed and with a good amount of variations in a given track. Plus the sound is quite good.
To conclude I'll say this band sounds in my ears like a copy of old SINISTER without the memorable touch that made the dutch band appear in my 30 Death metal bands top list at the time. Not bad but nothing special, so it's average... http://www.ab-norm.de

ABADDON INCARNATE (IRE) Nadir CD'01 SENTINEL.
I really expected something in an old school and obscure Death metal style from them. But their style is rather a quite modern Brutal death mixed with some Grindcore. They own some modern Brutal death riffs mixed with grindcore like high pitched screams and some strong modern grindcore influences (that are more in the goremetal side of the thing).
By moments, they play a ripping sounding Death metal that could remind some EXHUMED ("Gore metal"), INFAMY ("The blood shall flow"), plus they own a DAMNABLE side ("Demo'96") for the noisy Brutal Death touch.  
SANITYS DAWN ("Mangled in the meatgrind") shall be named for the CARCASS influenced Brutality while BRUTAL TRUTH may be seen as an influence for some vocals, some blasting parts and for a few heavy Grind riffs. (Could notice also the french grinders BLOCKHEADS...).
There's a bizarre and morbid touch à la old IMMOLATION/ ROTTREVORE in the 2 first riffs of the track called "Aeons of our dying" that's quite catchy.
As a whole, this Brutal sounding albums includes some quite cool riffs, it's above the average, but some parts sound like Brutal noise because of this brutal sound and some riffs aren't the most inspired, this might be cool for big maniacs but not much more.
www.abaddonincarnate.8m.com/ 

ABHORDIUM (Fin) Declaration of perdition MCD. 2009. Self-released.
The frontal artwork of this recording looks quite close to some CANNIBAL CORPSE covers, but the music is quite different... At the first approach you could feel in a very special mood: Just image, every inhabitants of a whole city shitting in your face at the same time... Gore delicious!
This super juicy feeling is probably due to the quite "dark" production coupled with a quite technical musical genre, it's quite downtuned and "complex"...
You might already have a little idea of the auditory content: This is obscure brutal death metal taking both from the "old styled" ways and more modern approaches: While the natural and un-manipulated production makes it sounding quite somber, the playing of the band takes as much from older “dominating” brutal death/ death as from more modern (And sometimes quite technical) approaches.
On one hand you can feel some MORBID ANGEL (Rather the most brutal of "Formulas fatal...", but also some burning soul from older ones), some NILE (Minus the Egyptian and epic influences, it's rather the brutal parts), some BYATIS (The first and only album, with fewer "melodies"), some of the CONVERGENCE FROM WITHIN CD (But isn't it close to Morbid angel?) or the last FLESHTIZED Demo if you wish.
On the other hand, you can hear more modern (Or USBD) influences: I could quote some DEFEATED SANITY (Rather the second album: Quite technical and not polished technical brutality), some French MORGUE (Demos and first releases), a little of ORIGIN, touches of mid "old" HATE ETERNAL or a bit of INSISION ("Ikon") even if it's not the most accurate one (I was thinking about some quite technical parts)...
The songs are built around quite a lot of riffs and changes.
Some moments are quite cool, and it sounds (Tada) brutal, but something bothers me quite a bit... Maybe it's due to the quite controlled brutally-modern gimmicks that might restrain a bit the atmosphere... Or the rhythmic approach they choose about half of the time is simply not my fave...
My almost totally decapitated rotting head balances between two choices: It could be quite cool underground stuff, while it could also be quite average (According to my counter of catchy and thrilling riffs). This band has quite good technical skills, they know how to decently compact a crowd of riffs in their songs, and some of their ideas are really not bad, but I think they could improve important things such as the catchyness (Maybe a bit more of choruses and fewer riffs changes would help?) or the emotional intensity (This might automatically be improved by the improvement of the previous point... Or this might not).
http://www.myspace.com/abhordium

ABHORRENCE (BRA) Evoking the abomination CD'02 EVIL VENGEANCE.
I remember I reviewed their "Ascension" Demo'98 in my 2nd paper issue, and their new tracks sounds more extreme and more strongly influenced by KRISIUN. I Could find some old school Death metal riffs à la ANGEL CORPSE (2nd album) and this is maybe not a coincidence as EVIL VENGEANCE is the label of Gene Palubicki (guitarist of ANGEL CORPSE).
Their Death metal is almost always fast and Grinding à la KRISIUN "Black force domain" and "Apocalyptic revelations".
I found the riffs less impressive than on the "Apocalyptic..." CD of their Brazilian metal brothers, this KRISIUN CD mentioned above made me thrill and rise up my fist for a good amount of listenings, while this ABHORRENCE CD is just a cool one.
Anyway, I appreciate the tightness of the Grinding drumming, and mixed between all the extreme like sounding tremolo riffs, you'll find apocalyptic like sounding leads à la KRISIUN/ old MORBID ANGEL.
One could notice a few technical riffs à la very old DEICIDE (2 first CDs) and a few tremolo Death metal riffs in the vein of MALEVOLENT CREATION's more recent offerings or VADER's demo days.
This band goes along the lines of KRISIUN and all their Brazilians fans and followers such as REBAELLIUM... during the playing of this CD I didn't found much than 'cool' stuffs (neverending blastbeats doesn't impress me anymore...) Those who are totally into this style may find a quite interesting band in ABHORRENCE.
http://www.siage.com.br/abhorrence.htm

ABOMINAT (Nor) Storms of calamity Ep'06. NO POSERS PLEASE! Recs.
Cool sounding  old styled brutal Death metal that tastes very much like old SUFFOCATION! And you couldn't say this comparison results from random words because ABOMINAT probably worships "Effigy of the forgotten" as hell: It can be heard in the various ways of approaching the brutal death style, the way of composing songs, the production, the vocals... Hopefully this doesn't sound like a weak copy, the band transmits cool obscure atmospheres and they are owner of quite good skills (In use for cool compositions).
Well, the music isn't as emotionally intense as SUFFOCATION and I'm not yet sure something could stand as "Really catchy and to be remembered in the grave", but you can at least listen without troubles: No boring shit!
For a first recording, it's a fine collection of internal piercings. Good luck!
http://www.myspace.com/abominat

ABORTED (Bel)/ CHRIST DENIED (Spa) Split CD'00 SOULREAPER Recs.
If I had bought this split CD when it was released, I surely would'nt have bet one Euro on the following of ABORTED's carrer, and I would have sent them rotting with the 12000 other hopeless tomorrows bands of Death metal! Because the 3 tracks included here, even if it's still extremely brutal, have nothing especially exciting (maybe a bit "Sea of cartillage"), and one have very often the feeling about listening to a weak copy of SUFFOCATION. It's the same problems that with their first album, and it's the same result: this split joins the thousands and thousands releases one doesn't get any pleasure listening to, but one will go and listen to by choice. CHRIST DENIED isn't better, to the contrary, and it's cocktail of ultra guttural or very high pitched vocals and conveniant riffs is fastly forgotten. This even if the drum machine is well programmed.  Only the PYREXIA cover stands out a bit. It's the kind of CDs that will hardely survive during the next big purges of my CD collection!
http://users.pandora.be/sven.decaluwe1   Pierre

ABRASIVE (GER) Desire MCD'02.
Ah Ah! The cover will make you touch your balls to examine if it hasn't been crushed by the adultered woman!
Now coming to the music, most of ABRASIVE's style is composed of old school Death metal and Brutal Death metal à la CANNIBAL CORPSE (with the usual double bass drums added to the blast beats).
There are a few heavier DxMx riffs here and there ( à la old GOREFEST or old BOLT THROWER). I may speak about SUFFOCATION or DEVOURMENT for some heavy riffs, but ABRASIVE hasn't reached the same level of musical quality. SKINLESS' 2 first albums wan also be quoted in this case. Their riffs lack of personnality and would deserve to be more worked out! It remains quite common riffs to be honnest.
As a whole this isn't bad, they can offer something better with their next release, but this MCD isn't much more than Ok. German brutallers: keep an eye open?  
http://www.semendemon.de

ABSCESS (Usa) Thirst for Blood, Hunger for Flesh CD'04. NECROHARMONIC.
Even though I really dug as fuck some of the AUTOPSY's grave digging releases, I've never been a big maniac of ABSCESS... This CD contains tracks taken from several ABSCESS' Eps, plus some unreleased rehearsal and demo tracks... On some of these the state of mind is the one of a big 120-Kg lazy bastard who spends his putrid days drinking beers and eating brutal burgers as he remains unemployed since years and years. Total social frustration, feeling of social rejection and drowning in putrid crass as he screams against society some fucked up looser hymns such as "Leech boy", "For those I hate" or the nicely REPULSION influenced "Speed freak".
The tracks of this album are in varied styles that remain garage anyway: early Death metal, crustcore, old school punk, Doomed rock'n roll crass... Somewhere between early AUTOPSY, the DEAD KENNEDYS, DISRUPT, ENTOMBED ("To shoot straight" epoch), DOOM and others early crustcore punk fukk you all bands I don't know much. By moments it tastes like THE MELVINS who would have eaten a shitload of Death metal and violent punk crust in their fukked up adolescence. Garage, noisy, approximate to fukk you better! Some tracks really sound like rehearsal recorded pieces of shit that were composed in 15 minutes just to get fun, while some tracks sound cool.
So don't buy this release unless you're a fuckked up asocial lazy bastard or a total ABSCESS maniac. This compilation is the kind of macerated pile of putrid vaginal extractions that can only please the big rancid fans of the band. In short words: Average/ Very average and for big fans of ABSCESS only!
http://www.metalprovider.com/abscess

ABSCESS (USA) Throbbing black werebeast EP’98 RELAPSE.
Ce groupe compte en ses membres Chris reifert, l’ancien batteur d’AUTOPSY et je m’attendais vraiment à quelque chose de mieux, on a droit ici à une sorte de punk grind avec des riffs très simples et dépouillés d’idées. AUTOPSY était 100 fois meilleur, Fuck the régression!

ABSENCE OF FAITH (USA) Digital revolution CD'01 SELF RELEASED.
The manga/ comics like drawings on their CD cover didn't procure me a very good first approach.
To define their style, I could quote some NINE INCH NAILS meets SKINNY PUPPY for the vocals mixed with the most electro sides of N.I.N, KMFDM and old FRONT 242. There are some techno music influences that wouldn't be so far from the music of the MORTAL KOMBAT movie (1st one). Some DEPECHE MODE ("Violator" and "Songs of faith and devotion") for dark electronic body music inclusions can be named.
While some vocals' parts sound cool, some doesn't really fit to the music in my ears. There may be some MARYLIN MANSON (2nd CD) for some a bit cynic like vox. Most of the music includes dancemusic like rythms and they quite often use some noisy touches (for this style of music).
To conclude: A part of this CD sounds Ok, but some other parts remind me too much the bands mentionned before! They need to work on their style to find some more personnal ideas, and offer some deep ideas! I'm not a lot into electro stuffs, those who enjoy this style may find a few pleasant listenings here...
http://www.absenceoffaith.net

ABSOLUCION (Mex)  Absolucion CD’02. DOGMA DESTROYER Recs.
The hungry big dick of REGURGITATE's "Carnivorous erection" is back to devour your cheezy face! But this might cock of hell has grown a lot, thanks to beers and sweet cunts! This nice artwork shows the CARNIVOROUS GODZILLA COCK CRUSHING YOUR LAME CITY AND ASS-FUCKING HORNY BUILDINGS!
ABSOLUCION played a corrosive cocktale of old school grind, Crustcore punk and powerviolence the screamy and noisy way! I wasn't much impressed at the first hear, but behind this average sound and not distorted enough guitars; lies nicely constructed grindfuck with the right influences!
ABSOLUCION plays it balanced at the right spiked middle between the grinding shit and the rather D-beat or mid placed HC. Some cool enough riffs sounds kinda like old S.O.B, early NAPALM DEATH, DISRUPT, with a zest of PIG DESTROYER (Prowler in the yard). They even have a good old rotten creeping feeling à la DEFECATION/ REPULSION(?) by moments! There are strong influences of some powerviolence induced bands I don't remember clearly... probably VIOLENT HEADACHE or ASS DESTROYER?
Some punkish riffs sound too much punk and 'melodic' to entertain me. And some guitars taste ever heard. It's not always the tighter, but it's chaotic shit the old school way, so that sounds ok!
All in all, it's a pleasant release. The main problem comes from the not that good production (guitars taste like flies by moments...) and the riffs aren't catchy or really face punching. This is the kind of stuffs you enjoy when you actually want to hear grind rebellion and energy.
But what you have here is a decent underground Grind HxCx chaos that might turn on the underground beer Grinders! Cool Ep packaging by the way. The band has split up, so I might be late one more time. Uh!
Email: grindbastard@anti-ignorance.net

ABSOLUTE DEFIANCE (Indo) Systematic terror decimation CD’02 FROM BEYOND.
Until a few weeks, I knew Indonesia only for the very average/ low quality of its metal scene. But since a few Underground listenings, I've had the opportunity to put an hear on some tracks of decent Brutal death bands like SIKSAKUBUR for example.
ABSOLUTE DEFIANCE is one of these bands that makes me think the Indonesian scene isn't plagued with low averageness and extreme "convenience", even if their style isn't personal nor especially good.
(The band was called VILE before and had to change its name coz of the American guys.)
What I hear in these brutalized by double kicks speakers is an American styled Brutal death that's very near of old SUFFOCATION. It could almost sound as a clone, but it's quite well articulated and there are no ass-digging riffs nor dust breathing vocals. You've understood this Brutal death is full of breaks, quite technical riffs, and more groovy or heavy parts; the whole sounding a lot like "Effigy of the forgotten", "Human waste" or some very old PYREXIA recordings.
Even if nothing stands out, even if no riff has got a real feeling, it's a well-produced almost pro band. Nothing really killer, but big fans of Brutal Death metal may find ABSOLUTE DEFIANCE Ok. Even if they play a style that was played and played in a brutal overdose by many bands, A.D is in anyway better than most of the Indonesian bands who are not good! K.

ABSORBED (Hol) Visions in bloodred CD'02.
Sweden 1989/ 1990. Do you get?
ABSORBED sounds a lot like the bands that released cult albums at this epoch in these Swedish lands of desolation! Their style is old school Death metal reminding me of DISMEMBER's "Like an ever flowing stream" a lot! (For melodic tremolos, punky Death metal riffs, etc...).
There are also some old ENTOMBED (guitar stuffs and few vocals), some CARNAGE, a bit of GRAVE (on punching Death metal parts) and few touches of UNLEASHED. Good sound, tight musicians. Some of their riffs remind me a lot (!!) of the bands mentioned before. And by moments, I've got a bit too much the feeling of "I've ever heard this Death metal riff before"... Their style rather reminds me of DISMEMBER than ENTOMBED since it has more of the quite melodic and quite aggressive Death metal of DISMEMBER than of the total punch in your face and crushing as hell music of old ENTOMBED!
Well, I think it's correctly constructed old school Death metal but no personality nor a deep crushing feeling of Death was detected by my inner instinct! The music is Ok, it can be nice to see them live, but I found nothing special! So I guess it can be cool for those who enjoyed a lot what DISMEMBER did after their first LP, or for guys who still need a lot of old school Death metal (might it be original, personal or not). Nothing else!
http://come.to/absorbed

ABSURD (Ger) Totenlieder CD'03
Quote: "Pioneering black metal fusion from Germany who received a large degree of media attention...' Blah blah blah! Five words are largely enough: "Bad black metal from Germany!!" Pioneering a so poor musical scene who gladly enclose itself in mediocrity isn't hard at all! I don't see them as pioneer of anything... Maybe you'll do if you worship the releases ov "trve kvlt labels" such as the ultra boring NO COLOURS!
Where is the so-called hatred towards religion and the church? I find happy sounding  riffs! Where are the so called Frozen darkened rituals? I find happy sounding leading guitars that evokes in my mind the dances ov happy and dancing little children!
The band has a bunch of CDs in their trollish bags, to be honest I don't hear many traces of musical evolutions! The riffs are simple as fuck and inefficient, the melodies of the leading guitars sounds like bad beginning guitarist improvisations, and the tracks are structured in a common way.
The German sung vocals sound weak by moments. Some traditional sounding vocal choruses sound Ok. Some vocals and riffs remind me of HORNA, even if the style isn't fast. The band tries to be 'original': there are some calm interludes and shit, but it doesn't do anything! The mark ov averageness is one more time here! Reinverse the inverted cross, and stop this church's fire! It has to be deserved!
One more time the trve kvlt ov hell is betrayed!! It's maybe my trve lack ov interest for the Black metal style that doesn't make me enjoy this CD (???), bvt this sounds more like happy-folk with disortion than Black metal! On an objektive point ov spike, this doesn't sovnd serious nor Killer!! Avoid it like Cradle ov chiasse or Mierda burger if you know what disco-dancing on happy black metal is!

ABYSSUS (Gre) Into the abyss Tape Lp. 2016. CHAOS AND HELL Recs.
Slowly you rot, till the end is complete.
You're in pain, stuck in the dead silence.
Rotting ways are sickening.
Chopped in half, dying, slowly you rot.
Bleeding from the inside, turned inside out, you won't find the arise.
Back to none, sickened an intoxicated, Slowly you rot.

This Greek band plays simple old school Death metal influenced by old OBITUARY for most, with touches of varied other old Death metal bands from the past and from Europe.
As said before, the maggots-infested skull of old OBITUARY can often be found at the corner of fast, simple, quite primal riffs; you can also feel it during slower, heavier, more monolithic guitars ("The end complete"), and during some vocals (Even if it's not so scorched or deep).
One can also find some DEATH (Rather "Leprosy", or perhaps a little of "Scream bloody..." but just a little) minus the more melodic touches.
There's also a darker aspect, it doesn't sound different from early MORGOTH, and it can also become more atmospheric.
The production improved compared to the first demo tape, it's heavier and almost sounds Morrisound-alike, which doesn't displease me...
I think the music also contains more atmospheres compared to the older recordings, it's a nice improvement.
It's really simple music sometimes, I think it could displease some potential listeners (Those who dislike Obituary won't dig it), even if some atmospheres might counterbalance.
I think we could say it is "Old death metal made by fans, for fans".
It's a quite cool album of simple old school death, nothing I find erectile, but it's quite good to hear when you're in the mood for this quite darker and no brain-shaking genre. Fans of Morissoundeath could enjoy some listenings.
http://abyssus666.bandcamp.com

ACHERON (USA) Those who have risen CD’98 FULLMOON
Je dois dire que je n’ai jamais été un grand fan de la musique d’ACHERON à leur débuts quand ils étaient vraiment « Evil », même si leur black heavy/ black/ thrash était pas mal, je n’aimais que quelques riffs et il manquait quelque chose. Depuis leur MCD « antigod antichrist », le style des américains a évolué vers quelque chose de beaucoup moins sombre, peut on encore appeler leur musique proche du heavy et de l’atmosphérique du black métal? Je ne crois pas. Sur leur nouvel album « Those who have risen »,  les traces de black métal sont infimes et même s’ils accueillent David Vincent ( Ex- MORBID ANGEL, GENITORTURERS) et Georges Corpsegrinder fisher ( CANNIBAL CORPSE) pour quelques guests vocaux et Tony Laureno (MALEVOLENT CREATION) comme batteur à temps plein et le tout reste monotone et peut convaincant.  

ACT OF GODS (Fra) Dies irae MCD'03 OSMOSE.
This is the same recording than their "Dies irae" Demo'02, but with a great obscure deadly packaging reminding me somekind of the old ASPHYX releases! So I cut and past the old review: "This new french band includes previous members of the great and cult french Death metal band MUTILATED that released some demos and haunted the french Thrashy underground with it's pure Death metal some years ago! So the guitarist and the drummer that were once a part of MUTILATED are back with a new band called ACT OF GODS, and their style is still totally into an old school Death metal! You'll find here some strong MORBID ANGEL influences (both old and new) for some old school Death/ Thrash riffings à la POSSESSED and chaotic like leads from hell! The first track "Act of the insane" is the best one in my opinion, it includes a good gut tripping heavy and Brutal riff! And a quite interesting riff follows in the track... They also own some elements of old VADER (for a few tremolo riffs), INSISION/ New MORBID ANGEL (for some low tuned obscure riffs) and there are some reminding elements of the old MUTILATED's style. As you can see it remains in the old school style, and it's rather well done!"
I think there are as well some heavy Brutal death influences à la CANNIBAL CORPSE in their stuffs, and it can be felt they're into Death metal since some years! Nice shoot! This MCD can be interesting for those who like their Death metal obscure, old school but with a Brutal heavy side!
http://www.act-of-gods.com

ACTIVE STENOSIS (Gre) Succumbed to infection Tape. 2017. FERMENTED BILE VOMIT Recs/ KITCHEN VOMIT Recs.
Tease your pink juicy entrails.
Warm your bowels with the sharp scalpel;
Because this is extreme gore grindcore, without musical flaws!

This piece of extreme music decomposition is inspired from the most extreme moments of CARCASS "Symphonies of sickness" (Minus the slower and more melodic parts), there is also a blast-as-fuck mania and bizarre touches reminding of early SANITYS DAWN (When they were into the gore), with gory repugnant grindcore and crusty moments à la old REGURGITATE, and perhaps with a bit of old LAST DAYS OF HUMANITY (This is only an example, I'm not a fan of LDOH, and don't know them enough to guarantee a serious quote).
Many newer grindcore band don't have very good skills, here it's the contrary: The songs are tight, well built, and the playing is even technical by moments (Which makes the content a bit closer to old brutal death).
This is quite extreme and kicking stuffs, musically speaking ACTIVE STENOSIS could please many fans of grindcore and brutal death... But now come the very gore vocals that vomit all he swamp from the corpse-filled sewers, it's not low in the mix and could disgust those who don't cum for the gore. Anyway "Succumbed to infection" would quite surely sound like a very good album for fans of extreme gore grindcore. It was also released on pro CD by EYE OF THE DEAD Recs.
https://activestenosis.bandcamp.com

ADNAUSEAM (USA) Desire, Aspire, Inspire, Expire CD’97 INDEPENDANT SICKNESS.
Parfois je ne comprend pas comment des fanzines peuvent donner d’excellentes chroniques à un groupe comme ADNAUSEAM, je m’attendais vraiment à une tuerie et je suis déçu! Pour moi ce groupe ne propose rien de spécial qui le fera sortir de la masse de groupes de death métal moyens infestants la scène.
A la première écoute, leur death métal assez complexe semble approximatif mais après quelques écoutes j’ai une meilleure impression, certains riffs plutôt portés sur l’ambiance ne sont pas trop mals.
Certains passages rapides et dissonants sont un peu dans le style de NUCLEAR DEATH,  on note quelques influences VIOGRESSION pour les passages les plus doom. Juste un groupe très très moyen qui pourrait donner une meilleure impression avec une meilleure production qui est ici un peu terne pour un album ( ça aurait été OK pour une démo). Reste à voir si leur musique a sa place sur CD.

ADULTERY (CZE) Age of seven towers MCD'01 AVALANCHE PROD.
This band's music is very much influenced by a black metal that sounds quite classical but also very much into a more atmospheric and melodic vein as there are some clear male and female vocals mixed here and there. Some riffs are more classical Death/ Thrash metal influenced.
If you want to imagine what kind of music they're playing, notice the following bands: MARDUK, JUDAS ISCARIOT, ORPHANAGE (for female vocals) and maybe SWORDMASTER (for a blackthrashing metal touch).
A track is composed only of clear vocals and violin, it's somekind of folkloric thing in the STILLE VOLK vein.
But it remains common as nothing stands out in my ears. Big Underground black metal fans may find it cool.
Email: alrabor@centrum.cz

AGATHOCLES (Bel) Black clouds determinate CD'94 CYBER MUSIC.
This is by far the AGATHOCLES release I consider as the best one! I remember some friends and I had some nice moments being smoked, listening to this release and watching TV programs such as newsreels! Hallucinating on their stupid and so out of touch with reality nice looking faces! Negative trip, but cool trip!
Cool Heavy "I despise this shit existence" intro that's followed by good grinding Crust that was composed, played and sung with real convictions! Check a few tracks' titles: "Sentimental hypocrisy", "Megalomaniac stupidity", "Black clouds determinate"... Ah!
Very efficient stuff, and there's a fuck off touch I enjoy on their stuff!
All the more I enjoy the low vocals that are quite near of the ones they used on their split with PATARENI, the "Reject adaption" track with the "We don't give a fuck" chorus and the one entitled "Love is an abstract" were good for grinding loosers! There's also some gory touches in high-pitched vocals, but it was more cynical and disgusted that anything else!  I still don't see the difference between Mince core and Grind/ Crust apart from the lyrics' topics.
If there's an only album you may hear from their (too) numerous releases, definitely check "Black clouds determinate"! This smells the dust, factories and obscure dangerous cities!
If only they could release less stuffs and take more time to make really good stuffs... because the potential was fucking here!
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/1783

AGATHOCLES (Bel)/ EMBOLISM (Slo) Split tape'98 COPROFAGIA.
Even if AGATHOCLES is a cult bands in the "crowd" of cult bands, and mostly in the Grind scene, I have never appreciated their music more than that. Most of the time it's due to a lack of energy in the tracks' playing. It's quite different for their side of this split that includes tracks from 97/98. Some big punk riffs are here, some blasts being the opposite of the actual 'too much tight ones' and some crust vocals are here... in short words, there's nothing new, neither for Grindcore and neither for Agathocles.
But on this side, there's really enough to satisfy the big grindcore fan. Mostly the 3 first tracks, the remaining is more common, but AGATHOCLES' goal isn't to push up the limits of the style in anyway.

It also does seem to be the goal of the Slovak guys of EMBOLISM who play the most traditional Grindcore that may exist. A lot of common points with HAEMORRHAGE are here, understand it's very often cool in the mid tempo parts while it lacks in energy on the blast parts. And as lucky as we are, it doesn't stop blasting. It would be better for the curious ones to have a listen to the album they released later on, but it'd be better to interest yourself to HAEMORRHAGE rather than to a pale copy...    Pierre         

AGATHOCLES (BEL)/ URBAN STRUGGLE (FRA)  Split Ep'01 VENDREDI 13.
URBAN STRUGGLE plays the kind of Grind/ HxCx Punk with wanna sound Crust riffs but the drums' rythms doesn't follow very well the riffings.
It's quite common with more or less efficient riffs. It can be Ok for big undergrounders but I'd rather see them releasing some more demos before their trax shall be burnt on a mighty black vynil. Still some mistakes in songs' writing in my ears. It's a very average band in my opinion.
I see AGATHOCLES releasing a lot of split Eps/ CDs/ Demos as I discover some new releases from them each time I carefully look into an obscure distro list coming from a country unknown before.
And I must say they should be carefull not to become a "Mac Donald" type Grind/ Mincecore band while recording songs as an intensive grinding Death factory.
I know some of their tracks are very good, but a good part of their stuffs are just classical Grind/ Mince whatever...
3 or 4 times less releases maybe wouldn't be as cool for their fans, but their fewer releases would be really better!
Think about it!
davids@weewee.scs-internet.fr

AGMEN(Cze) CD'01 MERCILESS Recs.
This is Black/Death metal with a folk touch in the melancolical melodies.
Reminds me of some very old MOONSPELL + the vocals of ARCKANUM (Swe: the band on Necropolis). There are touches of EMPEROR (2nd CD) for some stormlike sounding Death/ Black riffs but also some SACRAMENTUM for some harmonies and breaks.
I also noticed some touches in the vein of the bands BESTIAL WARLUST ("Blood and valour"), DARK FUNERAL ("Secrets of the black arts"), MAYHEM ("De mysteriis dom sathanas"), IMMORTAL ("Pure holocaust", "At the heart...") and a few well hidden heavy metal touches.
Notice there is a cover version of the band TÖRR.
I guess the lyrics are in the czech language as I didn't hear an english word and as the titles are in czesch..
Some riffs sound everheard to me, not to say common, but I guess it can please the big fans of the style as it's quite varied, correctly constructed... but I need more than this!!

AHUMADO GRANUJO (Cze) Instrumenta chirurgica CD'01.
Since their last album "Splatter tekk" was a pleasantly face punching item, it could be nice to have an hear and spread few words about this first album that was later released as a split CD with UTOPIA!
Back then the style of the band was funnier, and less 'professional'... with more approximations. Crusty Goregrind à la GUT, PURULENT SPERMCANAL, DEAD INFECTION (On Eps), with a gory bizarre funny touch! Correctly produced and listenable Goregrind: It’s not your old fart recorded with a rotten tape player! The tracks lacked in brutality, some parts were too light and funny, but there were some nice moments. The vocals were quite varied while the riffs will probably sound repetitive for those who don’t cum each semendrop on Goregrind. A very cool band for fans of the style, but this CD is average in my opinion!
If you want some good Brutal Goregrind, check their "Splatter tekk" CD! It's really better, more crushing and professional!
http://ahumado-granujo.wz.cz

AHUMADO GRANUJO (Cze) Splatter tekk CD'02 DOWNFALL.
Nice cover reminding me some Japanese full of action video games!
This Czech band that includes a member of ALIENATION MENTAL seems like it will take a relative importance in the Goregrind scene with their cool Grindcore/ Crust/ Grindgore!
Their tracks are quite short and a part of it (about 1/3 to almost 1/2) offers good ideas that give a heavy necrosed impact to the thing. If you read between my lines you'll understand it's quite worth the listening.
This is Grindcore/ Goregrind with some Crusty touches! Some parts are more groovy while there are a few riffs sounding more catchy than the whole! There is also some SANITYS DAWN's disjoncted riffings and EXHUMED's heavy ripping Death/ Grind with bass drums' rumbles! And old DEAD INFECTION Eps' names can be grinded through my full of beef meat mouth to let you see there's some Brutal sounding Grind style in here! Notice there are techno, trip hop, or electronic music intro before almost every tracks, it sounds nice in the style.
It may be a nice band to listen to with some pot and a nice smoking stuffs...
At the very first listenings I would have concluded my review this way: "Cool and for fans of goregrind (but not shitty) bands that tend to crust their arses!" But now that I have been surprised as a little bitch, the more I've listened to this the more I discovered cool riffs! For example the 7th track that begins with a very cool trip hop like intro à la BJÖRK owns a very Brutal mid placed riff deep in its middle! Just a well done track! So my final conclusion will be "It's a band that has the potential to get a good place in the extreme futuristic disjoncted goregrind scene!!".
http://ahumado-granujo.wz.cz

AHUMADO GRANUJO (Cze) Chemical holocaust CD’04 KHAARANUS Prod.
Now lets talk about a release that sounds more fun than the kind of stuffs reviewed here. AHUMADO GRANUJO have earned a decent following with their previous album "Splatter tekk" and so the expectations could be felt!
This new album isn't much different from the previous one, but there are still some noticeable changes! First of all the whole production is more powerful! It sounds bigger, even if I feel a lack of raw deepness in the guitars. Then the drummer seems tighter and more efficient than before, he brings a kinda more straight to the point touch to the band. Then there a fewer electronic music and technoish interludes between the tracks. These ones are cool, but it was to present on the previous album to fit much with my needs of pure bestiality!
Now let's explode in some pure musical grinding considerations! AHUMADO sounds more direct with this new release! Grindcore meets Crustcore meets Grindgore, with reminiscences of old NAPALM DEATH, GUT, old CBT, old AGATHOCLES ("Black clouds determinate"), old HAEMORRHAGE. Most of the vocals are gore, with some superb nasal pitch shifted effects that can only make laugh the full of beer metaller! There are also high pitched screams.
This album has few new influences (discarding riffs, few rocking punk guitars) but it didn't change the whole style.
Even if the music has more impact, I found less riffs that caught my attention and branded my brain, but it might cum on me after more listenings! Since I don't listen to much Grindcore nowadays...
This album is really outstanding from most releases in the Grindgore/ Grindcore style! It's played with a BRUTAL positive POWER, so it's an advisable as fuck album for grind maniacs who remain quite open minded! Test it... or FUCKING ROT!!
http://sweb.cz/ahumado

AKELDAMA (USA) Eternal, immortal Demo'2002
Death/ Grind metal. I don't like too much the way they sound in this tape. It's made in a not efficient way, and you may fuck me or not, the riffs sounds fucking ever heard so many times before! It'd remind me of ORIGIN (USA), APOCALYPTIC (SPA- For the sound and some CANNIBAL CORPSE's influences) but it could have been compared to some kind of SUFFOCATION without the final kick that makes it all: the inner impulse! Somewhere, Some of the heavier parts are ok... This is a first demo and it's all played thight so I think they can only improve. But it remains average/ very average stuff!.
http://www.angelfire.com/art/akeldama 

ALIENATION MENTAL (Cze)/ MALIGNANT TUMOUR (Cze) Split CD'99 KHARAANUS Prod.
Their "Kopferkingel" demo let me imagine a promising band, and one year later ALIENATION MENTAL comes back in full progress with its style.
The tracks are really longer, but it became even faster (it's frightening!) and brutal, and incredibly complex. To the point it became not very understandable, the vocals being the minimum in the growling style without any will to create some catchy parts. But the really catchy riffs make its appearance, as well as a few mid tempos, and the CARCASS and FEAR FACTORY covers are really shredding and the band keeps it's personal touch into it! It's the beginning of the big things with tracks such as "The" or "Autogrind" that are the ones that marked me the most!
In the case of MALIGNANT TUMOUR, there's no surprise, it's some typical Malignant tumour in the style of the second half of their career. In brief words, understand it's some AGATHOCLES (with by hazards some covers of Agathocles) mixed with some REGURGITATE in their gore period (they take their name from here, and it's not what REGURGITATE did the best, far from this!). Even if one would find some of their best tracks on this side of their split, I must say I've got some problem to get some interest in a band while their references and influences doesn't interest me that much at the basis (the last REGURGITATE's releases are really better!).
All the more, in this case it's not a beginning band that's searching for its personality, but a band that has definitely chosen to have no personality. It's rather disturbing.
http://www.webpark.cz/mental     Pierre             

ALIENATION MENTAL (CZE) Ball spouter CD'02 KHAARANUS.
After the interview of the band, here's the review of their CD, it's just logical! Uh?
Ultra Brutal and compressed as a fucking cosmeticfull old bitch in a norvegian fridge Brutal death grind! Ultra fast grinding moments that desctructs your left brain's activity à la DEVOURMENT and old CRYPTOPSY! Heavy Brutal Death riffs à la TON ("Blind follower" Demo).
Ultra technical parts melted altogether in unusual structures that sound fucking Brutal and efficient!
It can be disappointing at the very first listenings, but those who discovered complex Brutal death bands like NILE and had a few problems enjoying the whole thing at the beginning know what I mean!
All this complexity can be boring for some guys though.
Some riffs could sound messed up, but each time you get it it's fastly followed by a great riff! Great Nu metal like breaks that turns into catchy at the very first listening heavy riffs! Riffings that will big bang the Yena's libidinal zig zag!
They own the same original touch FEAR FACTORY had at the time of their "Soul of a new machine" CD for the fact of mixing several extreme waves... it's at least the feeling it procures me!
Here's one of the few outstanding CDs of this year! Get it if you're into technical Brutality with a fresh aspect!
http://www.webpark.cz/mental

ALLFATHER (Can) weapon of ascension CD'04. INVICTUS.
Unholy putrefaction and malignant pustular devourer? More or less in theory... but no really in the real facts. ALLFATHER plays some kind of Black death metal at the right granitic border between what bands like ANGEL CORPSE of IMMORTAL (old) could have done in the past. The scorched vocals and some fast noisy riffs (that happen to sound like MORBID ANGEL) remind me of ANGEL CORPSE's fastest parts. Some moments could evoke some IMMORTAL songs between "Battles in the north" and "Blizzard beast", while some all-blast-focused stuffs with semi-melodic riffs could remind of old MARDUK, WAR or HELLACAUST for example... Few melodic black and 80's thrashy touches are there. They might be influenced by KRISIUN as well.
In theory that sounds cool, but in fact I'm not enthusiastic. ALLFATHER's tracks seem correctly built while the riffs seem decent, but I didn't find anything deeply emotional or mind-blowing (And the sound is too blackmetallish for my tastes: it lacks of heavy frequencies).
ALLFATHER sounds quite pro and might please some ANGEL CORPSE fans, but I need something more soulful for an album of this kind.
http://www.allfather.cjb.net

ALTAR BLOOD (Usa) From the darkest chasms CD. 2021. BESTIAL INVASION Recs.
When I listen to the new death metal releases popping up everywhere, I sometimes wonder if some of them didn't forget the "Cool". Perhaps my mind was a little too infused in comic books and 3rd grade horror-movie themed death metal, but sometimes I feel some new bands want to be so necro/ harsh or blackened... That it leaves me cold.
Anyway, what you have here is the first album of US Death metallers ALTAR BLOOD which sounds cool and quite good in my book of flesh.
What they recorded comes with a "natural" production and evolves into a 90's and quite "obscure" death metal, ten songs I could locate somewhere between old DEICIDE, DRAWN AND QUARTERED, early IMMOLATION (First album), or a bit of INCANTATIION (Fast epic parts), with some influences of more regular OSDM here & there.
For those who meticulously read the fanzines, or followed the demo activities of once, I could quote other bands that kinda sound alike: For example IMPUREZA's first demos (Before they went "all hispanic"), BEYOND FEAR (Uk), and maybe GOREAPHOBIA...
The vocals are cool, quite "deep" but you can understand something (He's not hidden in the depths of a cavern).
This album provides a quite good "evil" death metal that can also be punching. Musically it's not really exceptional, but fairly enough good riffs & skills are emanating from the inside to please the fans of the style. DEATH METAL ETERNAL.
https://altarblood.bandcamp.com

ALTAR OF GIALLO (Spa) A bloodfeast for the dead CD'07. LAST HOUSE ON THE RIGHT Recs.
AOG is a band I subconsciously linked with coolness without even hearing their music, it might be due to the fooling ways of myspace or their cool sounding band name, I don't know... Anyway it's time to listen and dissect the parasitic flesh-penetrating giblets right now, so open up your legs and I'll insert my scalpel deep inside...
What I can see is gore influenced grindcore, it's even more gore than grind, yet without touching the ultra gore anus-vomiturition or ultra-blablablasts... The goal seems to create a cool atmosphere with some kind of Razorback records state of mind (Taste for the horror movies and funny stories like that)... Cool is the word to use, convenient or relaxed might fit even better; Because even if early CARCASS could be seen as a big influence, various green pustulating points such as the very relaxed state of mind, not particularly aggressive approach and guitar sound would make them much closer to the first GENERAL SURGERY MCD. I also hear some IMPETIGO and few slower old school Death metal touches.
I think ALTAR OF GIALLO might please those who like cool old school death gore/ grind to relax after long days of work, fans of the first GENERAL SURGERY MCD might also find nice giblets for their decrepiting moments of embalming, but the whole is too convenient for me and wouldn't particularly please the fans of grind who like it aggressive, fast as a blasting fuck and furious as hell... In my opinion it's average music for the bigger fans of the style only. Maybe they'll find a place on Razorback records in few years, who knows... At least they share the same state of mind...
http://www.myspace.com/altarofgiallo

AMAGORTIS (Switzerland) Intrinsic indecency CD'2011. BRUTAL BANDS Recs.
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Now the advertisement is done, we can begin with the review: I remember listening to this band few years ago and thinking it was quite neat and quite catchy (Even if not totally killer) blasting death/ brutal death... With this new album AMAGORTIS takes a more brutal and USBD approach, and it's not the most modern way... In my cum-filled hears it sounds like a brutal mix of DISGORGE (Usa), early DEEDS OF FLESH (When they were about merciless brutality), with slower heavy parts à la DEVOURMENT and grooves that could remind of the first groovy brutal death bands (I remember the Spanish UNCREATION, but there might have been more… Or is it simply mosh parts?). Add touches of old VIBRION (For some "military" stuff in the snare drumming), early SUBLIME CADAVERIC DECOMPOSITION (In some blast-as-fuck moments), and a little of early CRYPTOPSY or even early DEICIDE in some Death metal riffs...
As you can see, I use again more old brutal death quotes to speak about the newer bands, is this really putridly adequate or am I misleaded by my lack of interest for the new BruBruBrews? I can't guarantee this putrid fact, but I can't help thinking most of this recording could have been composed and served a little 10 years ago (Which is rather a good point in this case: No ultra triggered drumming, no ultra technical bullshit that refuses to fly... I think they could more or less play the same in live situation)
The songs contain quite a lot of changes, riffs and stuffs packed together... It doesn't sound technical, but rather quite complex... Those who don't like the brutal side of things would probably get bored (It’s something like a brutal head wash), and the groovy side of the thing could sound like moshing parts or something (Riffs are well articulated so it didn’t bother me), but I think this album is quite well packed and contains an interesting logic of brutality (The way of structuring riffs together makes it quite sick sounding). After some songs I begin to get bored little by little, that might be due to the fact I'm less concerned by this genre or due to something else… I didn't feel a particular atmosphere or something like that, but at least this album sounds quite brutal and is built a sick way... Quite good investment for brutal heads? That might be.
http://www.amagortis.ch

AMOEBA (Fra) Counterweight CD. 2014. Self-released.
AMOEBA is a semi-technical death metal band from France who comes back with a first full-length album. In 2011 they released a first demo that was quite technical, this new recording follows the same musical lines but contains more punch and sounds a bit more colored.
Something nice is their quite brutal music doesn't turn too technical, and there often remains a sense of melody in the compositions... Understand in the most technical moments, the music doesn't become an illogical maelstrom of notes, and some influences of 90's death black can appear here and there (For example the first CROWN OF THORNS albums, before they changed name to THE CROWN)
If you search for something over the top you might not find what you need in there, but to counterbalance the absence of "overthetopness" (Which isn't absolutely needed) the music is correctly composed and remains quite hot enough.
I'm not equally receptive to every musical elements available in these nine tracks: The whole is correctly composed, played and produced, but some elements tend to dissolve the pleasure you could get (I think about some rhythmical approaches, some technically brutal gimmicks that never pleased me, or some core touches (Even if it's more tolerable than in many new albums)).
Please notice I made the wonderful effort of avoiding (almost) any name quote (My fingers are still hooked and nervous)... So if you brutally need more precise musical informations, you might make the effort to visit their Bandcamp page to check out the whole album.
I won't write down a clear conclusion since I'm not the most brutally appropriate listener to do so, but I might say this album could be a pretty cool release for fans of semi technical, semi brutal death metal, with a touch of melody.
Now some rancid underwear drowners might question the depths of their underpants about the length-of-life this kind of album can have... Since I'm not an expert in scrotomancy, the safest way to answer would be with "See you in a few years".
http://amoebametal.bandcamp.com

ANAAL NATHRAKH (Uk) The codex necro CD’01 MORDGRIMM.
I was told by several guys ANAAL NATHRAAK was a very intense band. So, I downloaded an album on the web one time more, and I'm quite disappointed since isn’t that intense... Ok it's fats Black metal with a powerful raw sound, the whole is compressed and totally pro, it sounds more extreme than a bunch of Black metal stuffs I've had the opportunity to listen to... But the riffs are too simple, and I find nothing from the epic catchiness, blackened resurgence of evil or total mind blowing satanic energy I await from a Black metal CD.
The screams are saturated, what I don't like that much.
But keep in mind I'm difficult with the Black metal I listen to. This doesn't sound band and may please some Black metal heads!
The whole may sound as a melting pot around mid old MAYHEM (Blasts and heavier riffs), old DARK FUNERAL, the most raging parts of old EMPEROR, some old IMMORTAL, a bit of old BATHORY (Slow parts), and some bands I don't know. Most of it is fast, a bit of diversity in the extreme would be welcome. I wonder if the drummer would be so fast and regular live (isn’t it a drum-machine?).
It doesn't suck and there are some quite obscure parts, but this isn't an album that will be remembered!
http://www.geocities.com/anaalnathrakh

ANANDA (Fra) Profane CD’00 OVERCOME.
This isn't the kind of wine you drink everyday during the lunch, this isn't the kind of CD your review as your usual daily promo or demo! This ANANDA release is more than a simple extreme metal release! It's excellent! Being both expressive, brutal, blasting, heavy, fresh and well done, this "Profane" CD is a bash of fresh darkened air!
Somewhere between new-school Hardcore, the last releases of NAPALM DEATH (in its most discarding or fresher parts), some darkened parts of KILLING JOKE's last releases, some old GODFLESH, some MESHUGGAH, some extreme metal in many senses of the word (from blasting grindcore to punching Death metal), this ANANDA CD is full of rage, rebellion, distress, heaviness and beauty. This is far better than their 10' MLP that was released some years ago and that was more strictly HxCx. The drum playing is quite varied, almost jazzy by moments, and the riffs aren't repetitive.
The lyrics are very sensed and quite well thought ("Journées exsangues", "Fragile quiétude", "Du fond du coeur", "L'apathie de sens"). All the more, the production is very good, and their music is quite original.
An excellent CD situated at the threshold of the Hardcore and extreme metal styles that can please fans of both genres! Recommended!
http://membres.lycos.fr/willty

ANARKHON (Bra) Welcome to the gore show CD. 2013. ROTTEN FOETUS Recs.
Voluptuously excremented.
The most nauseant rejections of this putrid world,
spread out all over your face.

Years ago I heard an old album of this Brazilian band and I wasn't too impressed, it was usual brutal death metal whose only goal seemed to brutallize.
But, things change and some cooks inject new gory fruits in their flesh marmalade, this new album is cooler, it leaves more space to the riffs and to the "playing" (Even if it's not particularly technical) and the style could be qualified as "old brutal death metal meets old styled death".
During the listening, I view multiple jars of gore marmalade, I hear some mid old CANNIBAL CORPSE (The biggest influence), some elements of old SINISTER (Perhaps the "Aggressive measures"/ "Creative killings" era) and zests of early NATRON (Before they signed to PONY records).
This album isn’t over the top of the gore-fruits pyramid, the Cannibal corpse influences aren't particularly "fresh" (How could it be?), but it's quite cool to listen, there are catchy riffs here and there as well as some nice atmospheres.
Welcome to the gore show, were blood-filled cucumbers grow like cactuses in the desert.
http://anarkhon.com

ANATA (SWE) The infernal depths of hatred CD'98 SEASONS OF MYST
I heard one track from these swedish death metallers on a comp. CD and there was a good riff à la MORBID ANGEL with a great obscure atmosphere in the vein of "Blessed are the sick", so it sounded promising. But I was disappointed when I got this CD. Ok, the whole music (that's technical death/black metal with both a technical and a brutal edge) is well played and quite varied + complex, it can please the brutalheads as it's pro done in everyways (from the music to the sound and the packaging) but I was awaiting more from them!

ANATA (Swe) Dreams of death and dismay CD'01 Season of mist.
After a beginning of career in brass band, here's the second album of ANATA awaited at the turning. In spite of its qualities "The Infernal The depths of hatred" had disappointed much of those in which one had made believe that they held there the "next big thing", and it was necessary for the band to confirm their position imperatively. Anata thus continues the evolution started with War II, forsaking more and more the melodic Death of its beginnings to the profit of a very worked and technical Brutal Death. But as on the two tracks of War II, Anata is rather shitting that anything else. Not enough melody to constitute a bridge towards the new Swedish scene for the narrowest spirits, not effective enough in the brutal death style for the brutallizers, Anata being, more than on its first disc, wedged between two worlds, without that serf its. It is necessary to await a good fifteen minutes before hearing a worth the listen track, and patience is quickly lost. All the more the structures are always as complicated as before.
Anata misses what any group, even the most technical or most tortured one, to make good music: some hang ons and a real verse/chorus basis on which one can develop. The amateurs of vaguely Brutal music without tail nor head may find themselves here, I prefer to listen to some really Brutal death or really melodic Death instead of this bastard hybrid.
http://www.varberg.se/~drake     Pierre

ANATOMIA (Jap) Dissected humanity CD'05. NECROHARMONIC Recs.
ANATOMIA is a new band formed from the ashes of the quite long time running TRANSGRESSOR who already played Death metal, but a quite technical and brutal way.
ANATOMIA were often compared to AUTOPSY, and it's not wrong words since the doomy old school Death metal of these Japanese Deathheads tastes like old AUTOPSY on various rotting occasions: You have the primal instinct escaping the perverted pores of an abrupt brain, the gore vocals, the doomy moments, the fast and quite punching beats... I could also find similarities with ABSCESS for the dirtiness and some sludge.
At first approaches this is a really cool album. But after a while I'm not so impressed anymore. Maybe because the music is a bit too simple/ easy to compose while AUTOPSY always had more surprises and nice polyphonic harmonies, even in their most fukked moments... Or maybe because I'd prefer to hear more punching old school Death metal beats (For orgies of running sickness!) while a good portion of doom heaviness is bound to crushing my speakers. It's a good album to listen when you want to feel the embalming of death rotting your entrails, but it doesn't work so well when the approach is more cerebral and morbidly analyzing the causes of death.
For the defense of ANATOMIA, I should say I'm not a big fan of doomy & sludgy affairs, and not much (Of structures and playing surprises) would be needed to make the whole much more impressing.
So it's a cool album that might likely entertrail those who dig the most doomy of AUTOPSY, and especially "Mental funeral" or "Acts of the unspeakable", but this "Dissected humanity" is rather destined to the fans of doom. I'll keep an eye on their future engravements with an hope for more fast Death metal the punching way.
http://www.geocities.jp/anatomia_jp

ANCIENT OBLITERATION (Can) A menacing reality CD. 2010. Self-released.
"Cloud" might be the right word to describe my feelings after the listening of this record, because it leaves me with the shadow of a doubt, and a bit more.
This is old school end 80's obscure thrash metal, meets pre Death metal sometimes. The beats aren't particularly going in the fast manner, and the music is sometimes more based on the atmosphere.
There happens to be quite interesting moments, such as the opening track "Radiated overlords"  which is very cool and develops a nice vibe of nocturnal fear (Sounds like an imminent disaster is coming, probably fire, or perhaps a nuclear power station just cracked...), with nice riffs, quite great drums... Cool... But unfortunately everything isn't that cool and there are stuffs I could live without (Such as these average mid-paced thrash stuffs), and the band also tends to sound amateurish (Or deep underground if you prefer).
If you want a description of the music, well, giving an idea of the whole would be hard because I don't clearly remember the albums that were close to approx 50% of the thrash death content, but  sometimes the most Death metal alike riffs doesn't sound so far from the first NECROPHAGIA album, while some moments sounded like a less technical version of INFERNAL MAJESTY, and few touches of Sci-Fi thrash evoked end 80's VOIVOD in my mind. I also heard something closer to the French thrash bands who used to be influenced by SEPULTURA ("Chaos AD"/ "Arise") around 1995-97 (Might this be a part of the unidentified 50%? Not certain at all).
Vocals tend to try and sound quite "theatrical" or quite sick a late 80's way (Inject a little of NECROPHAGIA's first album), which brings a bit of personality to the whole.
I think I would have more enjoyed this record if it arrived at my place when I was a teenager, eating lots of cakes and listening to average metal albums all afternoons to get in the atmosphere... But this thrash death is not really my style anymore, and I became harder to satisfy.
Personally speaking, I will only remember the very cool first song "Radiated overlords" and a few things from here and there... The whole album could be okey for a gig, but there are so many other records standing before the executionnary Hi-fi player that I probably wouldn't have the time to listen at home... At least it shows ANCIENT OBLITERATION can inject an atmosphere in their music, and know how to write a very cool song, so listening to their next recording could be something cool. Hope they will intensify the emotional intensity and keep on progressing in the way of the "Radiated overlords" song.
http://ancientobliteration.bandcamp.com

ANCIENTS REBIRTH (SWE) Damnated hell’s arrival CD’98 NECROPOLIS.
Auparavant le groupe évoluait dans un style proche des premiers BATHORY mais ils ont changé leur style pour quelque chose plus proche du vieux thrash métal avec des batteries rapides, ils suivent la mode black thrash quoi! Dans l’ensemble c’est pas terrible car cliché mais certains riffs acceptables viennent sauver ce disque de la corbeille. On notera « Flag of hate » de KREATOR qui est repris pour la énième fois. Un autre album supportable mais inutile sur la pile.

ANDABATA (Ger) Corpse grinding machine CD. 2011. Self-released.
+++ Promotional advert +++ If you look into the dog-food box, the dog-food box will also look into you! FROZEN DAYMARES 2, the crude story of an haunted dog-food box! (September 2012 on you screens).
This band apparently uses no guitars, but two bass guitars instead... Sometimes I could have doubts because of the screamed notes (Is it possible to do that with a bass guitar? Maybe a 6 strings one?). Anyway you wouldn't really hear the difference because of the style they play: Something like fast death/ black with lots of blasts and tremolo guitars (Well, basses). It also contains more old sounding death/ thrash parts, being quite close to regular old death metal (But with more thrashing parts).
The blasts and quite brutal approach remind me of the first PROFANITY (Ger) album, with something like old KRISIUN ("Black force domain" and previous stuffs), with some vocals and blasts à la early DEICIDE, and a dose of thrash à la old SLAYER and early DARK ANGEL ("Darkness descends" for the tremolos all the way).
Well, some moments are quite nice to listen while some aren't too entertaining the entrails... It's something like an average underground record.
This album is too long, because while it could have been pleasing the peasant for a demo (Or half of a split CD), 14 songs for 41:23 minutes of music goes beyond my abilities to absorb the cassoulet. They need to better select the sausages and the beans composing their mixture to offer us, a maybe smaller, but easier to enjoy box of cassoulet.
http://www.andabata.de

ANDROPHAGOUS (Ger) / TOXIC REVOLUTION (Ger) Split CD'08. F.D.A Rekotz Recs.
Trying to split the skull in half isn't always so easy, so at least some peoples simply split the CD in half... Yes, I know it's a quite shitty joke, but something was needed to begin this review...
Some subconscious feeling let me expect some pure grindcore songs for both bands, but the truth is a bit different... As far as my sexchanging understanding is concerned, ANDROPHAGOUS plays some kind of Death grind, with some grindcore and "crust". They like to blast quite a lot. They remind me of ROTTEN COLD or some old SUBLIME CADAVERIC DECOMPOSITION or eventually DESECRATOR (Fra). It's quite noisy sounding, probably due to the raw but quite clear production. I think this band is ok, and might please some blasting music fans, but I'm not especially impressed by their music: It sounds quite compressed and relatively intense, but there's no particular moment to really grab my nuts and introduce by force a killer riffs in my mind... And some of these blasts don't please my soul too much...
TOXIC REVOLUTION is more on the grindcore side of the skull, since they have more punk and hardcore roots... I might call their music some kind of "Grindcore with fastcore and punk crust influences". They also like to blast and blast, but there are some mid placed or quite groovy parts... Sometime I have a quite strange feeling of listening to some fast blasting black metal, huh hoh? At least it's the same kind of riffing. TOXIC REVOLUTION is an okey band in the most grindcore alike patterns, because some riffs sound like it could slay some glamer during gigs, but I'm not particularly into the remaining patterns, and they kinda have the same problem than ANDROPHAGOUS since no riff penetrated my brain for an haunting season...
To sum it up, it's an ok-okey split that might please big fans of grindcore or blasting music. None of the band particularly suck, but there's nothing really great or shocking either... Just some kind of decent underground split, and it's already not so bad taking in account the amount of boooring CDs released every decaying minute.
http://www.fda-rekotz.com

ANGEL CORPSE (Usa) Nuclear hell Ep'96.
The vomiting continues!
I initially discovered ANGEL CORPSE with this Ep recorded live in Lyon. Raw, raw Death grind à la old MORBID ANGEL meets POSSESSED!
Ah! Ah! The first listening, I played it on 45 RPM instead of 33 RPM, it sounded fucking killer and the drummer seemed incredible! Ah Ah! Ultra faaaaaaast! I preferred this recording than their first CD "Hammer of gods" since it sounded more raw and seemed faster! The sulfur bass sound was more roaaarrrring as hell! Add some more scorched vocals from an ex ORDER FROM CHAOS (cool band name!), some chaotic leads and I was ready to invert some crosses! Lol
That was a pure Underground band at this time and they fit quite well to what I was maniacally searching for: Old school raw Death metal! (I don't like their music that much now that a few years have gone...).
Angel corpse isn't a Death metallic legend, but it was a cool band with some good ideas! Their best release will remain the good "Exterminate" CD!
http://come.to/angelcorpse

ANGEL CORPSE (Usa) Hammer of gods CD'96 OSMOSE.
At this time I was searching for very old sounding Death metal and old school bands. Discovering IMPIETY, ABHORER, ARCHGOAT among others, I heard some words about ORDER FROM CHAOS in old zines. Their vocalist was in ANGEL CORPSE, so I checked out some ANGEL CORPSE Eps ("Nuclear Hell" live in Lyon and "Wolflust") and then their first CD.
To be honest, it wasn't very good, just Ok for a first release, but it had some morbid Death metal elements I was searching for! Their music was very much influenced by old MORBID ANGEL, POSSESSED. The positive points of this CD were some cool apocalyptic sounding leads, the nice scorched vocals of Peter Helmkamp and the way some riffs sounded totally in the old style ( à la ABHORER for example). Some tracks were quite nice. Old school Death/ Thrash with raw black parts reminding me of very old IMPIETY (on Eps).
But the whole remained very classic, I figured it out later after I listened so much to old MORBID ANGEL and POSSESSED. Some riffs were just... wanna sound Death metal with no real inspiration, and the drummer wasn't very impressive! The sound was Ok for an album, cool roaring bass guitars, nice vocals...
As a whole it remains an album I almost never listen to, it was Ok for its time and few tracks are nice ("Sodomy curse" for example). I think their second CD "Exterminate" is very better both in terms of drumming, riffing, composition and production! I didn't hear enough of their 3rd one "The inexorable" to say anything about it here. If you want to listen to ANGEL CORPSE, try their "Exterminate" CD or eventually the "Nuclear hell" Ep. I think all their Eps have been repressed on a full CD entitled "Iron, blood and blasphemy" released through Osmose.
http://come.to/angelcorpse  

ANGEL CORPSE (Usa) Inexorable CD’99. OSMOSE.
Do you still have the guts? UUUUUUUUUHHHHH!!
Perversely insert his 3rd ANGEL CORPSE album in your CD player and face an hyper brutal morbid truth! The face punching fist of reality!
With this 3rd album ANGEL CORPSE offered the underground its most extreme and professional totally dead release! Never-ending fast as light ass kicking blasts with brutal and evil guitars being so fast and extreme it crosses the speed of light and exterminates any kind of atoms from your moronic carcass in grotesque and absurd fucking emptiness! All in all the guitars are still very much old school Death influenced, as it reminds a lot of old MORBID ANGEL and POSSESSED, plus some early VOMITORY ("Raped in their own blood"). Some raw Black death could be found as well... but the whole is played so fast and professional ANGEL CORPSE doesn't sound as old school as before, but rather like some kind of super death grind band with old school death metal riffing tendencies.
"Inexorable" might not be the catchier ANGEL CORPSE release. For example I prefer their first album for the midly chaotic side and the not too perfect execution of songs that let a morbid atmosphere and brain corroding old school metal "rock'n roll" easily emerge from the chaotic war ensemble of cryptic scorched screams, old school burning guitars and roooaaarrring bass guitars.
Anyway that remains the most skillful, better arranged and most extreme ANGEL CORPSE album in which will eternally lie a potential to brutally ass-kick those who like it extreme as fuck! Not really memorable in my opinion, not one of the best albums procreated in this kind of all the way fast Death metal, but this is bloody centuries in advance on the 90% late and lost average Death metal bands!!
Rumors say the band will come back...cross your fingers motherfuckers! And pray for another album of this deadly kind!
http://come.to/angelcorpse

ANGMAR (Fin) Planet Satan Demo MCD'02.
As some of you might know, Satan isn't always very clever. But this time the lord of darkness had a quite nice idea when he made me download some ANGMAR tracks.
Their style is raw Black metal that could remind of old MARDUK and SATANIC SLAUGHTER with some Death thrash touches. The tracks are correctly constructed, but the riffs are Ok only. Not killer but just compressed enough. The point that caught my attention is the drumming, there are some nice blasts and few cool stuffs in here. Not a bad drummer.
The nicest track is the second one, while the 3rd and 4th one are quite boring. The sound is very high pitched (à la old MARDUK).
Well, that remains some demo stuffs and some riffs are too average, but it might be a quite cool demo for big Underground Black metal fans!
http://www.angmarband.cjb.net

ANIMA DAMNATA (Pol) Agonizing Journey Through the Burning Universe and Transcendental Ritual of Transfiguration CD'04.
This is brutal satanik Death metal to extinct the worth kind of MORONS!!
Imagine satanic obscure Brutal Death metal in the old DEICIDE meets INCANTATION and ABHORER's ways, with Czech ultra blast assaults and a true hellish need to open the gate of total darkness! VOMIT THE FILTH! FUCKING VOMIT THE BLOOD!! VOMIT ALL THIS FUKK!! FUKK YOU ALL!!
The putrid satanic vomits of raw make them sound like old BLASPHEMY!
They have some technical riffs that make this Brutal band sound like a Satanic Brutal black metal band. FUKK OFF!! Bizarre riffs that sounds wicked and fucked up: FUCKK OFF!! The band seems to have a good technical level and masterize enough their instruments: FUKK OFF!!
You have no other choice than to FUKK OFF!!
Old Brutal IMPIETY and old Satanic MORBID ANGEL (Altars of total madness!!) wouldn't be misplaced quotes in this brutal crucifying machinery of hell!
Fans of FALLEN CHRIST have found a new band to fit their nun-impaling fiestas: ANIMA DAMNATA!
They sound kinda like a satanic American Brutal death band by moments!?
I don't like much most of their ultra blasts that sound too fast for my putrid needs, and all the tracks don't impress me much. But hell! This is worth the listening for maniacs of ultra fast, technical as fukk and darkened as hell Brutal metal! And Satan needs more bands of this kind to cleanse the earth from its most crappy kind of beings! Not really memorable but fucking brutal and viciously satanic overall! Worth the head-impaling listening for most metal fukkers!
http://www.animadamnata.com

ANKH (Pol) Expect unexpected CD'03 METAL MIND.
Average electro 70's pop rock that like to experiment a lot and smoke a big buzz, but does nothing for me!

APOPLEXY (Fra) Life, toughts and destiny CD'99.
APOPLEXY is a French band from Strasbourg who has ever done gigs with bigger names such as Cradle of shit... Even if the whole is tight, on a musical point of view I don't enjoy it at all! I find it linear and boring, I've also felt like I ever heard their riffs before and the vocals doesn't fit at all with the music: it's Goregrind like vocals with melodic death music...
http://membres.lycos.fr/macflyz             Mat

APOCRYPHETIC (Usa) Heir to the cosmos Tape album. 2021. SUNSHINE WARD Recs.
It tries to invade your cracking skull.
It tries to rape your heap of liquid brain cells.
It tries to penetrate and brand your subconscious with a big inverted cross...
This is... This is... Satanic death metal from Usa.

At the first approach, this album gives the impression of a very fast and blasting release in the burning death metal style, something full of blasts and close to CENTURIAN, old KRISIUN, ANGEL CORPSE... But more listenings reveal the band has more 90's (And also more old school) influences than (s)expected. Sometimes I feel like listening to "Exterminate" by ANGEL CORPSE (Quite "rasp" evil vocals on an evil DM background). Sometimes it seems I'm in the middle of "Apocalyptic revelations" by KRISIUN (Fast tremolo riffs with blasts)... But there's more than that: I also hear some old & mid old MORBID ANGEL (Not fast only), old DEICIDE, old MALEVOLENT CREATION, perhaps SADISTIC INTENT...
I'm not as much a big fan of blasting DM as I used to, so the listening impact is probably not as sulfurous as desired... Here I prefer the really old school riffs that pop up from here & there (The first song even sounds quite catchy in the ghoulish/ necro style), then some heavier moments are even cool (Or can be very cool, such as the strange kinda darkly "hallucinogenic" theme/ riffing in the last song...)
So my feelings about this album are mixed: There are very cool old school parts, good 90's "epic" ideas and some nice heavier riffs... But also a bit too much of blastbeats, and some fast riffs sound a bit common in my old hears... But I realize, that perhaps this album was simply not destined to my old hears? Only the little devil knows...
(Anyway, this recording sounds more inspiring than the last MORBID ANGEL album, even if not as "professionally" produced or composed... Listen to the last song "Dawn of lamentation" only...)
https://apocryphetic.bandcamp.com

ARBITRATOR (Rus) Kill their religion Tape Lp'98. BLACKSMITH.
According to the band's name, I was afraid of some dull-dull and quite boooring eastern countries' death grind, but it would be worse.
ARBITRATOR plays some listenable and quite decent sounding thrash metal. The fastest parts could remind some kind of SODOM/ KREATOR, with screamed vocals, which is ok, some mid-placed patterns can remind some old thrashing band rather locating in the US... But the problem lies in these jazzy slap-bass guitars and mid-placed melodic stuffs! It kills the energy! Please, no milk in my beer!!
It sounds a bit outdated, but keep in mind this tape was released in '98.
All in all, it's average stuff with decent thrash-stuffs and disappointing life "metal" mid-placedness, melodickness, and expectable mid-placed thrash. Listenable, but nothing priority or on any up position of the killing list.
There could be worse surprises if you steal by hazard though, but I'd rather consider this tape Lp as a demo!

ARCK ENEMY (SWE) Stigmata CD’98 CENTURY MEDIA
Voilà le nouveau groupe de Michael Amott ( Ex- CARCASS/ CARNAGE) qui disait vouloir rejouer du death métal car c’est la musique qui est dans son sang. Désolé mais c’est difficile d’appeler ça du DEATH METAL car ça porte plus vers le heavy métal à la MEGADETH, CARCASS époque « heartwork » sans les rythmes grind  » le tout est très mélodique. Les seules éléments death métal dans sa musique est la voix du chanteur entre celle de Barney (NAPALM DEATH) et du mec de BENEDICTION, et le son assez puissant mais malheureusement cet album ne propose aucune composition vraiment mémorable même si c’est pas trop mal foutu et si les solos heavy metal sont convainquants. J’ai bien l’impression que ce n’est pas Michael Amott qui rendait la musique de CARCASS excellente.   

ARCKANUM (SWE) Kampen CD’98 NECROPOLIS.
Voilà une autre sensation black métal du moment! Du black métal joué par un... Troll! Le tout commence par un petit son de source d’eau, puis viens du black rapide, très gai et très banal chanté en ancien suédois, pour moi ça n’a rien à foutre avec le black, le métal et l’underground! Le black métal doit être noir, extrême, nihiliste, destructeur, tout ce que vous voulez sauf comme c’est le cas ici! Sérieusement parlant je ne vois aucun intérêt dans l’acquisition de cet album.   

ARKHON INFAUSTUS (Fra) Filth catalyst CD'03 OSMOSE.
I've read some bad rumors about their ideology in some forums, and the reviews I read of their previous CD didn't especially turn me on to listen to their extreme metal. But finally here's the review of the freshly downloaded latest CD! What I hear is old school Death/Black metal with a lot of Blast beats. Their style is quite raw, between old school Death and raw Black. Point very old ANGEL CORPSE, KRISIUN/ SARCOFAGO (tremolo riffs), old IMMORTAL, some BESTIAL WARLUST(but it's not very epic and war induced!), MAYHEM (Wolf's layr abyss). A few old school Death slow parts are present.
It doesn't stop blasting for most of it!
The funny fact is some extreme metal releases have became as monotonous as some techno stuffs (Boom boom boom) some metallers were laughing at a few years ago!
The production of the drums and the very fast (too fast to impress me) drumplaying reminds me of EMPEROR's "IX Equilibrium" CD. There are a few low placed riffs that sound a bit more obscure.
There might be some emotions in their music, but I found nothing deep nor severely passionate that would distinguish them from other average bands that release CDs in this style.
The whole is rawly produced with a quite powerful sound, but nothing attracted my attention, some highlights and outstanding elements are fucking needed. The riffs itself remains too common.
Even if it's tight and fast, it remains average!
http://evilness.com/arkhon666

ARMAGEDDA (Swe) CD'01 MERCILESS Recs.
Fast Black Metal with a few death metal touches that reminds me of DARKTHRONE's "Under the funeral moon" and "Panzerfaust" albums.
There are some melodies in the vein of old MAYHEM/ old EMPEROR (splir Cd with ENSLAVED).
Well, it didn't really hooked me, even if it's "uncompromising" as said in the bio, I've the feeling thousands of bands ever played this riffs during the 90's black metal years' first norvegian Black Metal wave.
For nostalgics of these darkened moment

ARMAGEDDA (Swe) / SVARTHYMN (Swe) In blackest ruins Split Ep’01 DEATHCULT Prod.
On this split Ep, the tracks of ARMAGEDDA are a bit different from their “The final war approaching” LP, I think it was recorded before.
It reminds me of the very beginnings of BATHORY (especially their demos) on the first track that is in a Black/ Speed metal vein, simple and poorly produced.
The second track is very fast Black metal (for a part of it) with a simple as fuck riff à la old IMPALED NAZARENE, while it also reminds me of old VON for several buried reasons. A funny part in this track is the very fast and disgusted vocals in the very beginning of the song.
This is very old school Black metal with similarities to old DARKTHRONE.
The music of Armaggeda isn’t my style, but I’ve got the feeling some of their tracks on “The final war approaching” were better composed while the tracks of this Ep sound more generic (and cliché?). I found no interest here!
SVARTHYMN plays slow Black metal, I could define their style as somekind of Black/ Doom and define a link with the old stuffs of GRAVELAND, DARKTHRONE, or even some soft parts of the Doom band NEOLITHIC. This is sorrowful stuff that may lead to nostalgia, but nothing special anyway. This is better produced than Armagedda.
Surprisingly enough, there’s a very fast part à la DARK FUNERAL after a very slow part! But it remain common…  (It’s the Black metal kind of simple riffs I’ve ever heard so many times before...).
It’s not my style, I enjoy only the cream of the cream in Black metal! Some bands are doing some far better stuffs, and even if their music is very common, SVARTHYMN doesn’t seem too crappy!
http://www.geocities.com/svarthymn

ARMAGEDDA (Swe) Only true believers CD'03 AGONIA Recs.
Engulfed in the frozen winds of darkness I discovered this new ARMAGEDDA album. Since the band's previous album "The final war approaching" two noticeable changes took place: the band sounds more professional with a better (and cold as fuck) production, their Norwegian black metal sounds more simple and raw to the point than before! It has more impact and sounds more emotional, even if the music might sound less personal (?).
I still have the feeling these tunes could have been recorded at the end of the 80's as it reminds me of old DARKTHRONE, IMMORTAL ("Pure holocaust"), old MAYHEM... but also old BATHORY for the march of doom. Few other reminiscences could be HORNA and a little bit of Bestial warlust. There's also a thrash influence that could remind of bands like DESASTER.
Some riffs froze my blood with darkened fears! These riffs smell the black disgust and glacial mourn! But all the tracks didn't sound so inspired as some seems everheard... At least the tracks are correctly composed and a bunch of it sounds fresh enough. The Black metal of ARMAGEDDA isn't much original, but some tracks have the darkened feeling many bands miss! The maniacs of ancient raw Black metal may find a strong CD here! A shame the band split up!
http://www.armagedda.net

ARTHUR KILL (Usa) Addiction CD'03 ATTACK Music.
This time I didn't receive only a biography with all the positive and promotional points (understand what has to be said in the review!) but also the list of the best tracks of the CD (understand the ones the too busy reviews have to listen to review the CD! The remaining sucks anyway! Ah Ah!). A.K plays somekind of "Modern metal" (understand rock with overdriven guitars), somekind of Nu metal with background synths and DEPECHE MODE stuffs plus a will to write pop choruses!?? There are Ok riffs (not in the "best tracks" in fact, lol) but it seems they always want to write choruses, and fuck this! There's an acoustic like riff that sounds like the happier of REM!! Why did I receive it?? Too much pop, soft rock and crap to be reviewed here!!

ASGARD (FRA) Chamane MCD’98 KALY
On voit déjà la presse française et tous les zines et magazines lèches cul encenser ce groupe français qui soit disant propose un death métal original, novateur et même puissant! D’abord une petite mise au point: on ne peut pas appeler ça du death métal car ils ont de nombreuses influences très variées telles que l’indus ( riffs dissonants), des touches de core et les riffs death métal sont mélodiques dans la veine des groupes de death/ black, l’ensemble n’est pas si bien foutu que ça et les riffs sont soit OK, soit médiocres mais jamais bons, désolé mais c’est la stricte vérité!   

ATROCIA (Fra) Dystopia: The machine murders CD. 2015. Self-released
In their biography, this band wrote their music consists in an eclectic death metal, and this is a quite fitting description.
The corpse-bangers should only notice the word "eclectic" doesn't take a pejorative meaning in this case, since you will find no influence of frooty loop cereals, mellow dick death or transvestite core...  The whole evolves between "old brutal death" and 90's death metal, with touches of other minor influences here and there.
Since I feel the corpse is begging for maggots, I will drop some names: For the blasting death and old brutal death I use to hear CANNIBAL CORPSE or old SEVERE TORTURE, for the older death metal I can trace some mid old MALEVOLENT CREATION, perhaps some peoples will hear SUFFOCATION but not the most technical or groovy songs... There are also some early "deathcore" touches à la early DYING FETUS, MISERY INDEX or perhaps old SKINLESS, and a bit of 90's tech death in the spirit of DEATH/ ATHEIST.
The cover artwork looks nice, I like this kind of painted cover.
Nothing sounds wrong here, and some moments are quite kicking, but I can't say I was mercilessly caught by the riffs or something.
For some reasons I became quite paranoid/ doubtful with many newer albums to sound brutal, so I'll conclude with the fact ATROCIA comes with a self-produced album that sounds professional and could turn on some fans of the style.
http://atrocia.bandcamp.com

ATTACK OF RAGE (Slo) Grindpeace CD'07. GRODHAISN
More unwanted promos, more minimal efforts.
This is somewhere between Death grind, grindcore and crustcore, quite professionally done.
There's a kinda old school grind riffing with power chords that sounds nice, plus little influences of various things to refresh the skull... Seems a bit like some SUPPOSITORY (Less convenient), BLOCKHEADS, DISRUPT, old CBT or some MASSIVE CHARGE... The mid placed hardcore parts waste some energy. The low pitched vocals are Okey, but what are these high pitched screams that sound like a crushed cat that would suffer car-molestation?? It really waste the listening... What you need is angry bulldogs!!! This album sounds globally professional and efficiently built, and could please fans of grindcore who aren't against touches of Hardcore, emocore and could bear these screamy vocals... I heard best bands in the style, but it's globally quite cool and could please fans...
http://www.attackofrage.com

AURORA (DEN) Eos CD’98 VOICES OF WONDER
Chaque jour voit apparaître un nouveau groupe de black plus mélodique et atmosphérique que son prédécesseur, ils veulent tous inclure plus de vocaux clairs et féminins et être plus « jolis » les uns que les autres, cette mode m’exaspèrent car tous ces groupes sonnent plus clichés les uns que les autres! Notez donc ici la présence de tous les éléments cités ci dessus, sans la bonne production ce groupe ne vaut rien.Quelques riffs sont OK mais est-ce suffisant pour en faire un album recommandable? Non!

AUDIOPAIN (Nor) The traumatizer MCD'04. FIAS CO Prod.
During the hours of wandering lost consciousness, I wonder if these remembrances of purity and spiritual plenitude were real of simply triphased imaginative hallucinations... anyway it's time for another beer! Present sucks, future can only be worse... Futile ruminations can only waste the morbid pleasures of the fucking beer! So let's fucking thrash in hell!!
AUDIOPAIN are here for this bloody matter! These Swedish motherfuckers practice an old fast thrash metal along the lines of old DESTRUCTION, early RAZOR, SLAYER (Two first Lps of hell!!), NIFELHEIM, AURA NOIR and possibly some old MERCILESS (Swe), but the madness goes beyond your beloved old thrash as AUDIOPAIN surprisingly injects some discarding old VOÏVOD influences from here and there! This strange aspect can especially be felt on the third track "Living among humans", a strange piece of "experimental discarding black power metal" along the lines of MAYHEM ("Wolf's lair abyss")'s slowest parts, old VOÏVOD and MORGOTH on "Odium". The screamed and scorched vocals aren't displeasing, it even sounds like Mark Grewe (Morgoth) on "Odium" by moments, when the Black thrash metal spirit isn't prevailing. There are strange bass lines from here and there. Some tracks are more worked and complex while some riffs have an extra technical complex edge bands such as old MEGADETH or old INFERNAL MAJESTY wouldn't have disliked.
I think some of AUDIOPAIN's tracks are a bit too long... shortening some and emphasizing some choruses would boost their thrashing power. They have the benefits of a crystal clear production that will shred your face into pieces like a sharp razor!
To conclude there were not really catchy riffs here (few newer bands are able to do so...) and there's not much really new, but AUDIO PAIN has well structured thrashing tracks that offer enough variations between different kinds of extreme metal, as well as a cool sense of thrashing riff mania, to please the patched and drunk as fuck necrothrashers of death who remained curious about newer metal releases! AUDIO PAIN has their chances!
Email: audiopain@hotmail.com
 

AUTOPSY (Usa) Shitfun CD'95 Peaceville.
Last try for AUTOPSY. They put the whole level a bit under their few pervious releases, but they doesn't really convince the listener. The vocals are still so calamitous, the riffs are poor, and one couldn't avoid to think he heard really better in the style. This time again, the parts in which they try to play Grind are the less depressing ones, maybe because a bad Grind track only lengths around 45 seconds. To be honnest, it's as useless to develop this review as to expend on this release. AUTOPSY definitely have been the band of an only album.
http://www.zenial.nl/html/autopsy.htm     Pierre       

AUTOPSY (USA) Torn from the grave CD’01 PEACEVILLE.
This CD offering some tracks from all AUTOPSY’s albums is a nice invest if you don’t know the band. If you have ever got some of their albums, it’s not a very interesting invest as the 5 bonus tracks it offers aren’t really unknow ones, it’s only demos or live versions of songs that had ever been released before on albums. Anyway, AUTOPSY played heavy and classical fast Death Metal/ full of sorrow Doom that could remind a bit of early DEATH with SLAYER influenced drumplaying and brutal disgorge pig screams.
Their 1st one «  Severed survival » will eternally remain my fave one as in my eyes, they were at the golden age of their creativity and inventivity.
 

AUTOPSY (Usa) Dead as fuck CD’04 NECROHARMONIC.
You want some gore! You fuckking mourn fukker, and the brutality of death overtakes all as this room is soon to be fukked up inside out! Under brutal pulsions of bestial defecations! You need some AUTOPSY!!
Here's a very cool idea NECROHARMONIC had! Releasing on a bloody pus-filled CD the "Tortured moans of agony" double live Ep and the "Live from the grave" Lp, two out of stock and hard to find AUTOPSY items!
So you have the pleasure to listen to 2 shows recorded the 16/05/1993 at Bonnie Aleo and 30/03/1991 at the Waters Club, San Diego, California.
Heavy doomed death metal that can only be played by obese fuckers who don't give a fucking shit, but death and gore! The old school Death metal frenezy of the early fuckked up days is here on some tracks that reenergize your rotten beer sack! There tracks have all what you know of AUTOPSY, coz I guess those who don't like AUTOPSY won't read this review, and they can fuck off anyway!
Pure fucking doom riffs with quite epic harmonies, darkened heavy death metal with a quite mysterious or hypnotizing touch that makes you feel like the putrid beer is overtaking on your head and you will kick all the fools by a brutal death!
All these putrid tracks have a lot of beer melted DEATH (early) and MASSACRE influences while some early doomed as fuck morbid PARADISE LOST is bloody here for the deadly doom! Some heavy mourning guitars can sound similar to old CRO MAGS or eventually a very early CATHEDRAL (Demo days and first album) that would really be mourning! Drowning in pure obscurity! The doomy melodies of DARKTHRONE's first album "Soulside journey" can be found.
On the "Live from the grave", Chris Reifert's vocals sound like and angry Pitbull! Héhé!
The track list have some AUTOPSY tunes taken from all the band's release anterior to "Shitfun", I would have preferred more tracks from "Severed survival" (That's why the "Live from the grave" is better in my opinion). The sound quality of these two recordings is very decent, you can hear the drums, guitars and vocals without problem.
Conclusion: The packaging is cool with an intense cover artwork showing the perverted morbid medicine man, and there is a cool amount of photos in the booklet! A very cool CD for all-times AUTOPSY fans! The other ones can FUCK OFF and DIE A BLOODY DEATH!
http://www.necroharmonic.com

AUTOPSY (Usa) Ridden with disease CD NECROHARMONIC.
Argh! This isn't a very new release, but I missed to put it in the bowelgrinding machine! What you have here is a damn cool re-release of AUTOPSY's two first Demos on a churning piece of sadistik glass! The first Demo "1987 Demo" has 4 tracks, including two fukken songs that weren't recorded on any album later! First there's "Human genocide"! A good punch in the Death metal fat ass kicking shit of AUTOPSY! Totally in the vein of "Severed survival": simple but smashing death metal with a portion of rancid heaviness, some bizarre doom in the mind and touches of early DEATH ("Scream bloody gore" era). It's obvious one has to be a big fat fukker to compose the heavy Death metal of AUTOPSY! Ah Ah! I always thought their fast parts also have an heavy and doomy side.
"Mauled to death" is the other track that wasn't released as well. Less cool stuffs to find here since the music is more common in the Death metal style. An ok track for its time; it was probably one of the earliest AUTOPSY compositions.
This first Demo also has the two tracks "Embalmed" and "Stillborn" that appeared in almost the same versions on the killer "Severed survival" LP! Heavy brutal grinding obese death with unlogical riffs and scorched pig screams! A very cool Demo that shows AUTOPSY's most raw and garage aspect!
Then you have the "Critical madness" Demo'88 that includes 3 tracks later to be recorded on AUTOPSY's first full-length: "Charred remains", "Ridden with disease" and "Critical madness". Still the good old school ass-beating death with real heaviness and drunk mourning! More sickness from the screamed vocals of Chris Reifert who was also a good drummer! Some riffs had a real bizarre catchy feel injected in simple yet efficient guitars! This second demo, being better produced than the first one, had some tracks that would later become pure AUTOPSY classics!
I totally understand most of web underfed 'rockers' and pets won't dig these AUTOPSY tracks coz the AUTOPSY's music was too much primal, doomed and death in the early way for their 'well thinking' minds! And by the way AUTOPSY's state of mind had nothing to do with what we can see on the "Metal web"! All these fucktards spend so much time arguing on 'Buddhist originality' and 'Olympic technicity' and blah and blah! They forget the most important: Death and a brutal feeling! AUTOPSY was pure Doom in the mind, darkness in the eyes, a rotten beer in the hand and pure deadly riffs in the bag of death! No sterile web bullshits! Only ass kicking heaviness the ancient way!
I forgot to tell you this piece of cool CD has two live tracks as well. These ones are the chosen ones: "Severed survival" and "Service for a vacant coffin". Nice choice and more than correct sound for live tracks!
This CD is a very cool piece of good old AUTOPSY! A very cool item for AUTOPSY maniacs! If you don't own it you are a gay Cunt!! Go wear your pink stockings and die in pain! Good luck to change your sex then since it seems totally fucking out of stock! AH AH!
http://www.necroharmonic.com

AUTOPSY (Usa) Horrific Obsession Ep'09. PEACEVILLE Recs.
Now all, or almost all of the old school bands have reformed and disappointed the filthy listeners, now "old school" seems to be welcomed again and quite many peoples are there to praise the style, it was time for AUTOPSY to come back and record some new songs... Some peoples could become suspicious, since the timing might seem strange, but can we really talk about questions of timing since Mr Reifert and some of his necro-affiliates have always been playing some necro, fukked music, with ABSCESS, THE RAVENOUS or EATMYFUK? I'll simply say I didn't particularly like THE RAVENOUS and am not into most of ABSCESS so I didn't expect much about some imaginary new AUTOPSY recording... But finally it's here... So... So... So... Are there any traces of cum and delicious diamonds of blood inside?
The first track is quite boring, most of it sounds like the less good parts from "Mental funeral", with a little of stoner in the middle, rather mid placed and quite boring due to the fact riffs are simply average and so simple... I really don't find much to say, I'm certain the band could have composed this stuff in 15 minutes during their best days... Hopefully there's a little acceleration at the very end to awake the bored dead.
The second and last track sounds better! Still more simple than older AUTOPSY but I find more deepness: The opening riff is quite nice, somekind of mystic epic thing taking some kind of doom or stoner to a faster rocking (?) world, sounds cool, then it follows faster heavy bulldog rhythms of the hippopotamus-run-to-the-delicious-green-honey-pot, Ah! Even if it's not a sooo great song compared to the old recordings, it sounds decent and cool. And not pure rehash of old stuff as a little something new is here (For AUTOPSY at least). I think it wouldn't have disfigured a release like "Mental funeral" or "Acts of the unspeakable". More of this, if possible?
Conclusion? My corpse-erotic feelings are quite mixed with this releases... The vocals still sound quite sick and bleuargh, but you won't find the killer energy and doomy atmosphere of the first album, neither the mysteries and catchy parts from the second one, or the epic doom and bowel explosions of the third one... Even for what it is, new urges of brutal masturbation weren't awaken (But there's something nice in the second song). On technical and playing points of view it's ok, and they doesn't sound asleep, but they need to make a much bigger bowel investment in possible future songs.
Now I wouldn't be surprised to see this release praised as pure gold, since old school is currently quite "trendy" (All the more since this item is limited to 1000) but it's fucking obvious these songs could be better! HEY!! WAKE UP FOOLS! It's fucking AUTOPSY, not one of your little 10 minutes old school sensations of the day! Do you also need to plunge the great bands with potential into sewer shit and semen-filled illusions of perfection?
AUTOPSY did and could still do something great (The second song shows that) and I hope the current old school tolerance ("It's old school so it's great..." or "As long as it's old styled it's a classic"... You know...) won't let Reifert and co drift in easiness or false illusions of glory. Fingers crossed, in the anus of the dead.

AUTUMN VERSES (FIN) tunes of disconsolation CD’97 SOLISTITIUM
Voilà un autre album de black métal symphonique et atmosphérique rappelant le nouveau EMPEROR, SATYRICON. La production est bonne et la musique bien exécutée mais cela n’est pas suffisant pour écrire un bon album dans ce style ( et d’ailleurs dans tous les styles) de musique. La musique est banale et statique.   

AVOIMEN HAUDAN LÖYHKÄ (Fin)/ DAMNGOD (Fin) Split Ep'09. TRITONUS Recs.
AVOIMEN was already quite brutal and heavy on their previous demo MCD, but these two new songs sound more convincing in my semen filled hears. Imagine old GRAVE (First two Lps) with mid old BOLT THROWER heaviness, mid old DISMEMBER (For a raw "punk" approach), a few blasts à la DEAD CONGREGATION and you can picture a nicely tormented aural image of the whole. The production is a bit rawer than the usual Swedish Death style, and there are also much fewer crust or Hc influences. This isn't a total cock impaling revelation, but AVOIMEN has enough power to send back the noses of shameless cock-suckers right in their vilest shits! Which is already very good these days!
The style of DAMNGOD is different, I can not exactly define since the two songs take different forms... So the first one is blasting death à la MISERY INDEX, with some crust parts and old school HC "hymns", and the end shakes the hear between thrash and old school Hardcore.
The second track begins with a sludge/ stoner riff and lasts with it all the long, with few leads or vocals on the top... Well, some blasts and changes would have been needed. Not sure what the style of this band really is at the end, but it seems to be something ok with correctly packed songs (If they don't sludge too much of corpse).
http://www.myspace.com/ahldeathmetal
http://www.myspace.com/damngod1

AVULSED (Spa) Stabwound orgasm CD'99 REPULSE.
I have never enjoyed AVULSED's music, especially on their oldest releases! When they played very average death metal! This album was a bit fast, a bit more brutal death metal (à la Cannibal corpse)... but nothing to turn me on!
The gore vocals of Dave Rotten are super cool! Guttural growls from the guts! Ah! If he wasn't vomiting his guts on the average guitar parts, it's almost certain I wouldn't have listened to this album again.
The music is between Brutal death and old school death... quite similar to old DEATH, old EDGE OF SANITY (less "experimental"), some DISMEMBER, some GRAVE and others Swedish Death metal bands from the 90's... Some riffs sound better than before, but most of it aren't developed/ worked on enough.
An average and common CD with excellent Brutal vocals from the guts!
http://www.avulsed.com

AXIS POWERS (Swe) Pure slaughter CD'05. IRON FIST Recs.
Abyssal, obscure, putrefaction... Death metal!
AXIS POWERS practices an old school Death metal being very near of GRAVE (First two albums), early ENTOMBED (Left hand path) with some early DISMEMBER (Less melodic) and putrid zests of early AUTOPSY. The vocals have a very GRAVE alike deep tone, the guitar production has a Thomas Skogsberg edge, the band didn't forget early Swedish death was influenced by Punk/ Crust...
Ok, it sounds very old school, and takes a lot from very interesting and cult bands from the past... but it really lacks something: some riffs sound VERY influenced by these masters of death, and there's nothing new or suprising at all...
AXIS POWERS sounds like many demo-bands from the 90's who strongly copied ENTOMBED/ GRAVE... Think about bands like MACRODEX and many other swedish followers... They also sound like early VOMITORY (Raped in their own blood) and GOD MACABRE... So do not expect something really crushing and embalming in an intense feeling of obscure mystery and intense corrosive putrefaction. No! All in all it sounds like a quite assiduous student reproducing the patterns of its death metal teacher, minus the genious and burning inspiration.
The drumming has real weakness, it lacks of power and ass-kicking breaks... It's just average demo drumming. Some riffs and "ideas" are too directly coming from early ENTOMBED and the likes, and some riffs weren't worked enough (It was possible to do really better!)
The cover is nothing specially cool and lacks of death!
This album isn't really bad, and sounds closer to ancient Swedish death than many of these so-called "Old school as fuck" bands that do not sound so old school... But I miss something in the atmosphere, way of playing the music (Nothing Efficient with a big "E") and "personality".
Big fans of the style might be interested, at the condition they are big worshippers and almost endless collectors of this Death metal kind.
In my opinion, it sounds like a demo release at various levels. A real album would have needed more work and personnal investement... In fact A.P. is a side-project (of 3 guys from SUICIDAL WINDS)... Not really surprising.

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