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OATH TO VANQUISH (Lebanon) Applied schizophrenic science CD'06. GRINDETHIC.
OATH TO VANQUISH plays a nice varied brutal death relaxing and climaxing the tortured corpse through the use of various testosterone influences.
The entrails happen to be warmed thanx to ultra brutal death, quite old styled death thrashing riffs, some technical brutality, nice fast black metal, and some more melodic yet quite extreme stuffs.
Quoting some bands' moniker to draw comparisons wouldn't be very representative due to the varied testoterone injections our friendly corpse was submitted to, but you could think about some mid old INCANTATION (For the obscure atmosphere), INCESTUOUS/ CINERARY/ DEEDS OF FLESH (For the typically US Brutal death), early DARK FUNERAL (For the kind of black metallic intensity), HATE ETERNAL (For the technical brutality), IMMOLATION (For the strange sounding chords) and a bit of later MAYHEM.
I dig the low pitched gut-puking delirias that awake intestinal vibrations à la early EXHUMED, and happen to take a little goregrind approach (early MUCUPURULENT)... But unfortunately, most of the vocals are high pitched screams that could be characterized as "black metal with a little bit of old CARCASS and EXHUMED".
The tracks are quite long, and are built around quite many variations on (sometimes) vibrating riffs. Some moments aren't bad at all, and sound quite extreme and brutal, thanx (in part) to the low pitched vocals of gore, but a bunch of moments are often emotionally usual.
This album is quite well produced, and remains quite enjoyable to listen, but I regret the best moments were diluted with riffs of a lesser emotional importance.
Nothing original or really personal, and after a while the intensity decreases (Even if it remains decent and quite solid), but "Applied schizophrenic science" is a quite strongly packaged pile of sulfur that might be a nice choice for big fans of correctly played underground extreme music.
http://www.oath-to-vanquish.com

OBITUARY (Usa) Frozen in time CD'05. ROADRUNNER.
Most of the reunion albums seem to disappoint most of the old school fans who expected something as powerful and ass-kicking as the early days of their fave bands, when the musicians were still young, angry and needed to take over the whole world.
What could we expect from the new OBITUARY album? Especially when we think their last really good album dates back to a quite long time... Their last album "Back from the dead" that wasn't cool (rather average and not worked enough riffs, unsurprising patterns, lack of fast rythms), at best it was only cool... "World demise" was quite interesting because of it's midly original approach, new hardcorish influenced and devastating sound. "The end complete" was cool and had its moments, but it wasn't that killer and powerfull, just a good album for the big fans of the style... So their last REALLY crushing one dates back to the mighty "Cause of death" (with its crushing and lifelong-catchy riffs,  memorables rythms and arrangements).
I was afraid of another "Back from the dead", but hopefully it's not really the case. There are more refreshing ideas thrown from here and there, and the whole seems a bit more worked on and a bit more energetic! This new OBITUARY album would sound as a mix of "The end complete" and "Back from the dead", with few hints of their first epoch also tending to the heaviness, or sometimes to midplacedness.
Most of the music is midplaced or slow, some really heavy moments could remind of "Rotting ways" for exemple.
Guitarwize, it has more OBITUARY sounding-textures than the quite boring "Back from the dead", there are also fewer 'groovy hardcorish' patterns, even thought a bunch of slow old school hardcore remains in there, unfortunately. On a vocals' point of view, no need to be afraid, John Tardy is still scorching his throat and it sounds good, no problem!
I regret the fact their are so few accelerations on good old adrenaline death metal tempos, it would really boost some songs. The drum patterns are too expectable in my hears, it fits correctly to the riffs, but we need something a bit more surprising to boost the power. (Some riffs sound cool and could have been quite weird if the drums where in a broken tempo or something alternating from the expected beat).
Most of the riffs sound like heavy or mid-placed OBITUARY; nothing really soarprising, but cool in the style... Hopefully there are fewer ideas that sound fresher (The middle of "Insane") and some songs are more inspired than the whole!
"Back inside" is a quite efficient song in a kind of midplaced death metal, with nice flirting double bass drums, somekind of nice 'chorus', a nicely structured track with cool riffs and John repetitively screaming "Back inside".
The song "Stamp alone" has a faster tempo and sound quite a lot like good old CELTIC FROST, or some early OBITUARY (Cause of death), it's a nice song with a vibrating opening riff that might sound hiiiiips cool when you're drunk! It would have fit 100% on their first albums! This IS a REAL OBITUARY song! Ah!
To conclude, I regret there aren't more surprises in this album, and some moments could seem too expectable or convenient, while some riffs are too easy and remind too much some of their  previous ideas, but all in all it's a cool album with some good tracks. Obviously, this album won't be a classic one and won't turn your head inside out the brutal way, it's a quite 'good' album with both its negative and positive points. For sure we could have expected much more from the band who recorded the mighty "Slowly we rot" and "Cause of death", but this album sounds really better than the 'quite' boring "Back from the dead" (who let me think the enthusiasm of the band was quite dead) and shows OBITUARY are still able to record decent quality albums who remain quite varied and cool enough for the big fans of Death metal! I think this album would fit in a discography, between "The end complete" and "World demise". It will be pleasant for those who are a lot in the old school death metal trip, who like their Death metal heavy, with a quite obscure and insane mood, and who are not too demanding! For big Death metal fans only.
http://www.obituary.cc 

OBLIGATORISK TORTYR (Swe) Obligatorisk tortyr CD’01 OSMOSE.
O.T plays a mix of old school Death, Death Grind and Grindcore with few "original" touches" (discarding riffs, etc.). I've got very mixed feelings about this one. Even if it has some qualities, it also has its share of bad points and defaults. As I feel as nice as a little bird that awakes in a lighty and beautifull day, I'll begin with the negative points! Eh eh!
Most of the riffs here are your cliché Death/ Grind riffs, with the kind of tremolos or few heavier ones I've ever heard before. Some tracks doesn't sound well done(smells the composed in a hurry stuffs), and the whole is repetitive!
But there are hopefully some nice parts in here, such as the drummer who's tight, fast, and does some cool stuffs from here and there.
There are some few quite Brutal riffs from here and there ("Snart bryter kriget ut" is a cool Grind death track the old school way. "Avloppsbunn" is a quite cool track also.) Some vocals remind me a bit some old school Death bands like old ENTOMBED or CARNAGE... and there are a bunch of Grindcore vocals (à la new BIRDFLESH for example).
As a whole they could sound as a mix of S.O.B, BIRDFLESH(New), UNLEASHED(a bit), old INHUMATE, old ENTOMBED (a bit) and some Death/ Thrashing bands like REPUGNANT or old VOMITORY.
My conclusion is it isn't too bad, but don't buy this album and try to ear some tracks from here and there. It was unfortunately composed ways too fast! They could have done a very cool MCD or Ep while they offer here 23/25 average tracks that lacks the cool ass kicking edge few of their tracks own.
Insert coin, and try again.    
http://come.to/obligatorisk_tortyr

OBSCURITY (Swe) Damnations pride CD'98. SCARLET Recs.
My first vaginal meeting with OBSCURITY wasn't cool. At first hear I thought this was too old, not tight and not cool! So this album was fastly sold back to a friend running a cheesy old school zine (Ah Ah)... But I experienced this old crap one more time in an almost drunk state of HHHHUUUUUUuuuuu!! And something cool could be felt! Ok, this sounds old, but the alcoholic urge made me realize some of these old primal and almost punkish thrash riffs followed the 'Fuck off' spirit of SLAUGHTER! Ah! Abrupt hardcore thrash riffs with harmonized vocals à la old CARNIVORE! Few more beers tasted like early NECROPHAGIA (The dirty mood), old BATHORY (Blackened tremolithic powerchords). Fast powerchords tremolo mania was in use years before Satan possessed all the Norwegian schools!!
The metallic mood is obscure and angry, the music is fast as fuck and simple as a crude brutal fuck! Cool stuff for burning heads who need it simple, alcoholic... and who overall worship early SLAUGHTER!  This album contains the 2 OBSCURITY demos and 2 lately recorded tracks. The second demo entitled "Damnations pride" sounds like their only worth material in 2004, while the other stuffs sound too fucking old or uninspiring. This is average/ very average, but those who like this kind of old stuffs will dig their graves on this almost kitsch morbid old metal alcoholic first banging mania!

OCEAN MACHINE (USA) Biomech CD'97 USG
This album that's not very new but still very good is the deepest and most achieved project of Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD). Oscillating between a melancholy and a freshness near of U2, and some certain metal, indus and rock (POLICE?) influences, this album that is the result of ten years of writing disappoint me in no way. The whole is quite varied and counts for exemple a track in the depressive vein of GODFLESH or another one with and aquatic mood. This is emotionally engulfing in it's freshness! Totally face bashing Metal with a big structured sound that makes your head travel in the finest places of the infinite ocean! Listen to the 7th wave ;-)  All the more, this isn't only simple metal/ metal since a nice amount of samples are mixed in the background and give some consitency to the guitars.
Words wouldn't be enough convincing to make you foresee the quality of this album that is more powerfull and intense than a good amount of death metal bands!
This is great for those who like me need a good bash of fresh air between two sulphurous albums.

OLTRETOMBA (Spa) Sounds from beyond the grave MCD. 2011. Self-released
Intra-coffin crepitation.
This is the worms' dance.
This is the worms' morbid dance.

Beware sensible readers who are only able to tolerate the sweetest perfection: This review was written from 3 mp3s tracks while the real release contains 6 songs... This isn't the most serious way to get your brain inseminated with a band's rotting music, but what should I do when nothing else can be found to download?
So here I inspect half of the entrails: This Italian band/ project plays some kind of old styled gory Death metal with old grindcore influences... Smell the odors of the first GENERAL SURGERY MCD, the CARNAGE Lp, a bit of SANITYS DAWN (First album), plus touches of this gory bowel and that ancient graveyard...
Some decrepiting cadavers might be tempted to quote old (but not early) CARCASS, and I understand the riffing similarity, but I find the style of OLTRETOMBA to be less extreme and not so totally-sick-in-the-mind... So the General Surgery and Sanitys Dawn quotes should be enough.
At the first listenings I found the songs to be more influenced by old Swedish Death metal (Some early ENTOMBED and some old DISMEMBER in the fast parts, some muddy CARNAGE etc), while this impression vanished and the whole now gives me a more gory and "bizarre" mind feeling.  
There are not a lot of blastbeats at the end, so some peoples might argue about the grindcore word, but I'm talking about something else than powerchorded-blasting-grindstressXplosion.
This Mini-coffin-disc doesn't awake the spirit of the 80's bombastic milf who came with deliciously appealing big tits (And could even tease the stone cold corpse), but it's not bad to listen to and contains some quite funnily bizarre riffs. Fans of CARCASS-clones might enjoy it enough to add this Mini-crepitating-disc to their collection.
Webpage: https://myspace.com/oltretombaasturias

OMNIOID (Australia) Womb of infinity CD. 2015. GHASTLY MUSIC Recs.
Quite interesting sounding brutal death metal.
Contrary to quite a lot of new underground releases in the US brutal death genre (Those you can find on obscure blogs), this album isn't an agglomeration of hundreds of complicated riffs that doesn't have more impact than gore noise: Here there are quite a lot of riffs, but it sounds like riffs, and there's some research for it doesn't sound too usual.
I hear some old DEFEATED SANITY (For the most technical moments for example), old DISGORGE (Usa), some DEEDS OF FLESH (Less epic), and touches of MARIAH CAREY (Exclusively when she goes through the meat grinder).
Now this is quite hard to judge this kind of release in a few listenings, there aren't instantaneously catchy riffs or "radio friendly" choruses, but the whole gives me a quite good impression for the style. Perhaps I could say it sounds "Quite dark and tentacular".
The production isn't too much of triggers, botox and under-fingers plastic injection: It remains quite "natural" (For the style), the guitars keep some heaviness and you can hear the bass.
I couldn't say if OMNIOÏD would be considered as some kind of highlight in the purely brutal spectrum of brutal death metal, since I stopped following the big names of the genre for most, but at least I could suggest fans of quite technical brutal death to lay a couple of hears on this recording.
https://omnioid.bandcamp.com

ONTOGENY (Usa) Pillars of perversion CD'07. Self released.
When will peoples realize the most famous bands aren't necessarily the best? For example, I downloaded this ONTOGENY album by hazard on some brutal death blog, and their self produced first CD doesn't sound worse than many of the "Official albums released on professional labels", no!
What this cool brutal death band practices is at the middle between technical things à la NECROPHAGIST/ old SPAWN OF POSSESION and heavier or brutaler moments sounding like ORIGIN/ UNMERCIFUL. Fewer elements could also remind of CAPHARNAUM, COPROPHAGO ("Jazzy" touches), QUO VADIS, DEICIDE ("Legion" for the technical brutal) or later PESTILENCE (Futuristic moods, especially in some leads or special chords), but the whole is right in the middle of the technical and the brutal.
ONTOGENY never really abuses of their skills, and so they do not sound too complex or "arrogant", but rather quite varied.
The second part of the CD is less complex, less "In your face", as it follows more usual patterns of brutality and melodic technicality (A la DEATH ("Symbolic") or UNLOGICIST) that often sound less impressive.
During the studious listening, I detected nothing really new or as emotional as a frightening spiked fist in your partially awaken face; But some riffs sound good (Quite catchy), the first part of the album has quite some impact and nothing from the compact whole sounds invalid in this quite demanding style. After 4-5 tracks I feel kinda bleuarghed, but it might be due to the fact I've never been a voracious fan of the style.
ONTOGENY isn't the next technical brutal death revelation (A touch of genius would lack for this), but they do their thing well and professionally. They might be a good alternative for fans of the aforementioned bands who need more.
http://www.ontogenyband.com

OPENWOUND (Australia)/ CAPTAIN CLEANOFF (Australia)
Split Ep'99 IN LEAGUE WITH SATAN.
Finally I found some OPENWOUND's stuffs on a Grinding Mp3s hub! I discovered them some months ago with a Mp3 on a label's website (No escape Recs), I put it on my Comp CDr, but it was impossible to find anything of them anywhere...
But stop these blah blah and here we go for the review.
OPENWOUND plays refreshing Grindcore from the land of jumping and boxing kangaroos! It's fast Grind with some Crusty punk touches, quite energetic and refreshing, but nothing totally destructive à la old NAPALM DEATH! There are some Grinding riffs as well as "newer" sounding parts that would go along the lines of some punk stuffs, these riffs have got something to do with some of the last Napalm Death releases. Nice tracks! It's not constructed in a so conventional way. Most of the screams are high pitched, but there are some deep growls. It's energetic enough! Unfortunately OPENWOUND has split up, two of the guys have another band called THE KILL that's different, more Grinding raw noisecore, with simple tracks and mostly blasts only (but it's not bad, more raw and underground as fuck stuffs...). OPENWOUND was a definitely cool band! Nice food for open-minded grinders!
I've ever reviewed some stuffs of a CAPTAIN band, but in this case the guy has two legs only (shitty intro isn't it!?). CAPTAIN CLEANOFF hopefully doesn't suck as much as CAPTAIN 3 LEGGS. They play somekind of Grind/Death/Crust. There are Heavy Death metal riffs à la HEMDALE. Blasts, Blasts. Heavy raw vocals and scorched screams. Crusty riffs à la DISRUPT, Grind parts à la old NYCTOPHOBIC.
The Grindcore riffs are common, even if I detected a few mid placed guitars that didn't sound bad, there's nothing special here. An Ok/ Average band.
http://www.geocities.com/blastasfuk

OPETH (SWE) "BLACKWATER PARK" CD’00 MUSIC FOR NATIONS
Here we get one of 2001's best releases for sure. Opeth are one of the most unique metal bands I have ever heard. Words are lacking when it comes to describing this wonderful album.I often see Opeth described as melodic Death metal in mailorder lists but thats crap in my opinion. No Death metal here, except the powerful guttural vocals of Mikael Akerfelt. To me Opeth sounds more like emotional, dark Doom with progressive influences due to the original ideas they put in each song.The vocals are unique, mixing as I said low death like vocals with beautiful clean vocals (done by the same person surprisingly enough! Great job!). The guitar work is pure wizardry, and as on Opeth previous releases the songs are still full of superb acoustic interludes. this cd smells perfection, IT IS BRILLIANT!!!!!!!! If you're open minded, go get it and enjoy it!!!
Email : doug.wright@music-for-nations.co.uk
Web site : http://www.opeth.com/
                                                           Nicolas

OPHIOLATRY (BRA) Anti-Evangelistic process CD'02 EVIL VENGEANCE.
This release offers you somekind of a technical/ obscure Brazilian Brutal death with hyper fast blasting moments à la KRISIUN. They've got some riffs strongly influenced by DEICIDE's "Legion" album, and this is not a bad point. I could find some technical touches à la NECROPHAGIST and some discording riffing tunes à la CANNIBAL CORPSE ("Tomb of the mutilated"). While the leads are in an apocalyptic way à la KRISIUN, a good part of the riffs reminds me of some American influenced Brutal death metal. But there are no mosh parts here as the whole is very technical and almost blasting.
The guttural vocals tone reminded me of the French Brutal death band DISGUST.
Some bands I may quote for their technical guitars' aspects are SINISTER, SUFFOCATION (of course) and maybe NATRON. Their dissonant blasting riffs could remind me of WICKED INNOCENCE that would have decided to Grind on their bizarre sounding riffs.
I'm not too much into this kind of very technical and articulated in a complex vein bands, but I can tell you it sounds pro and totally tightly executed. So the ones who enjoy this kind of brutality may have found a band to satisfy their need for (soulless?) technical and compex Brutality.
Email: EVIL666VENGEANCE@aol.com

ORCHRIST (BEL) Echoes of the void CD'02.
While their previous demo reminded me a bit the sound and the style of some bands that released average doom/ death metal albums around 1991, they're now far more "happy" with rocking melodic touches and all what a rocking happy death metal head doesn't need.
All the more, their logo have been done in an old Death metal way,
as if Dan Sea Grave has taken his pen to do a second SEANCE logo,
but it's absolutely not ancient Death metal influenced! .
I could quote influences such as PARADISE LOST ("Icon") for the most sad parts, but the whole is more melodic in the vein of NIGH IN GALES and Co. Happy. Happy. Happy, do you want to dance with me?
This seems to be correctly constructed and played in an OK way, but it's not my style anyway. It's you to see if you like this kind of melodic and lets say happy bands.

ORGAN HARVEST (Fra) Bowels waltz CD'02 DEADSUN.
Even if the band has got some demos, I haven't hear them before.
They've just released a CD on DEADSUN Recs  and it wasn't a special mark of quality as I think most of the releases of this label are fucking boring.
ORGAN HARVEST plays somekind of Brutal death grind reminding me of old INHUMATE ("Internal life" CD), BRUTAL TRUTH ("Sounds of the animal kingdom" for technical riffs), MACHIAVELIK and a bit of DYING FETUS. They have a good bounch of American influenced Heavy Brutal death riffings mixed with double bass drums. Its not the same style but they remind me of SUBLIME CADAVERIC DECOMPOSITION (who said they were impressive?)'s first full length CD for the unhearable and blasting noisy side. They own quite gore death grindgore vocals.
No riffs stands out and some Grindings parts also sound confused.
It was done to sound Brutal and gore, but it doesn't impress me!
(Hey DEADSUN Recs, there are far better bands that haven't got a deal in France!!) Maybe some guys who enjoy the old INHUMATE's stuffs will find it being a nice piece of bowels to fit their gory tastes, but my opinion that's clear and that could seem hard for big undergrounders is I awaited really more from a pro release. Nothing that impressed me here.
http://organharvest.brutal.free.fr

OSSUARY (Uruguay) Black winds of conspiracy Tape Lp'03. TERROR FROM HELL.
The first track begins in a cool way! This DEICIDE-like riff à la INSISION sounds cool and quite catchy! Then follows a quite good Death grind with strong old MORBID ANGEL influences (right at the burning border between "Blessed are the sick" and "Covenant"). A nice track of Brutal death meets Death grind with a clean epic interlude and a good powerful production. Not far from the top notch and worth the best 2nd rate Death metal bands who currently crowd our extreme underground! Unfortunately, the remaining of this release is less impressive: it rather follows an older kind of Brutal death (These are the older demos of the band, dating back to 95, 96, 00...) that reminds me the demos the typical death metal influenced Brutal death bands from Russia (or other kinds of eastern countries) could record few years ago. It's not as tight, not as well performed and all in all average/ very average, even if an obscure underground mood could be felt. Some tracks sound like somekind of "melodic" death grind, this sounds quite cool, this kind of death metal is actually totally forgotten. (Except by DIVINE RAPTURE). Notice this discography Tape Lp finishes with few cover tracks of SARCOFAGO, MANOWAR, POSSESSED and MOTLEY CRUE. To conclude, the first track, which is the last one recorded by the band, is promising in this kind of Death grind from which emanates some cool old school atmosphere and brutality; the other tracks aren't essential for your Death metal collection since it's more or less the average kind of brutal death many bands played few years ago. (It doesn't suck and remains quite cool, but many are the decent bands in the style). So, only the biggest fans and insane collectors should put their hands on this tape, I'll keep the first track "Sex Magik Spell" in mind while it lets us imagine the best for OSSUARY's Brutal death metal future!
Email: Ossuary@adinet.com.uy 

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