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AxSxBxO (Uk) Demo tape. 2014. JESBOLIGAKURAC Recs.
There's a toxic mushroom inside my head.
Quick, I need a wall of concrete to tear it up!
Express reviews are not a crime, especially when it's about short grindcore releases.
This new English band plays quite simple, straight to the perpaing grindcore, with influences of death grind, slower hardcore, or even sludge (By moments).
The demo begins in a quite kicking manner. The songs contain enough changes to avoid boredom, globally the tempos are quite varied.
AxSxBxO stands for "Anti Social Behavior Order".
I appreciate the energy to appear here and there, but there are a bit too much of slower/ sludgy parts, and I wouldn't bet a ball on the skull-grinding efficiency of each riff... But for a first demo it's not bad and lets me imagine the band might improve the right way.
When there is no more elephant ivory on earth, the dentists will use cinderblock teeth prosthesis. It will only be more brutal and crusty! (Ok, ok, ivory might be a bit "old school" for this use, but it sounded far better).
https://asbogrind.bandcamp.com

A MAN NAMED ONIGUMO (Usa) Fluidic reconstruction Ep. 2023. Digital. Self-released.
Strange band name.
Musically this solo project provides the soul mangler with brutal death metal in a rather American genre... But this is not ultra brutal, and rather strange & varied for Americanized brutality...
There's a strange effect on vocals that makes it sound either like an alien is singing to tease humans before taking them in his spaceship, or either like an human is suffering "subconscious" mental abduction...
Musically there are a bunch of dripping parts à la early DEVOURMENT, but it's often taken to or elongated in strange somewhat "progressive" death riffs or beats that make it sound more bizarre... You might also hear some SARCOLYTIC for the "regular brutality" and maybe DEMILICH for the strange influences... I know this description isn't the clearer, but there are currently too many aliens in the parallel world that parasitize the reception of the mental signal AhAh.
The production is quite cool and have a 90's/ 2000's flair. The cover artwork is quite cool, even if it seems to have been AI generated.
This is a quite strange Ep, I can't say I was totally gotten into the abduction (Might be a bit too "strange" for me?) but I think it might be interesting for those who enjoy something a bit different in a brutal spectrum.
Wow, I was slow to "digest" this release and write a review, I saw the guy released a bunch of new stuffs since then...
https://onigumo.bandcamp.com

AÄZYLIUM (Fra) Prelude to confinement Demo CDr. 2010.
After few seconds of a "frightening" creaking door noise, this demo begins with something like brutal death metal, in a not very modern manner.
The first song could sound like what DEEDS OF FLESH were doing a couple of albums ago (Less technical, but with the same kind of color) with little touches of later GORGUTS (Less tortured). At this point I could have expected something quite nice, but it often turns to something more average, with less color...
Sometimes it follows a "bruta-bruta-abrupt" state of mind we often crossed a few years ago, sometimes it's closer to blasting thrashing death, perhaps it's also not too far from Malaysian brutal death (In a less fucked manner) and there are some black metal touches. To quote some soundalike names, I could list old CANNIBAL CORPSE (Butched/ Tomb), American REGURGITATION (The album, not the mid-paced demo), a bit of old DEICIDE (Fast parts), some French MORTUARY (One of their CDs sounded like blasting thrashing death) and maybe the first ABORTED CD (That wasn't too pleasant). There are also touches of older simple Death metal sometimes, I could quote the old band JUDECCA, but do you know what the fuck it was? (And is it worth the quote?)
From time to time you still find little technical or "Gorguts" touches (Quite discarded guitars that make it a little more tortured), unfortunately they often choose to use this kind of old average blasting death/ brutal death riffs that don't turn me on much since years... You know these riffs that could remind of the first KRONOS album, some old records of German KADATH, the first INHUMATE CDs and the list could go on... An underground supporter might argue there's a little red atmosphere all along the length of this demo, and it could sound quite "abrupt", and there are worst underground recordings… But there's always worse and we should target improvement instead of easy-satisfaction if we want to reach stronger levels of sonic defenestration.
The touches of technical or discarding guitars might show they want to evolve in a quite interesting manner in the future, but their current music just sounds like average underground stuff in my hears. I don't mean they should absolutely be more technical/ complex whatever to be interesting, it's just most of these riffs don't do much (And maybe the drums sound too "electronic"). Please, drink more Red Bull.
http://www.myspace.com/aazylium

ABHORRENT EXECRATION (Fra) Demo MMXXIII Tape. 2023. Self-released.
As some of you already know, the french putrid death metal band PUTREFIANCE has split up. But two of the members created a new morbid entity, which is called ABHORRENT EXECRATION! The style is quite different, while we remain in the death metal world, you can feel their path went closer to something like "black metal", or perhaps should I use the word "evilness".
To describe the whole, I would say this is barbaric death/ obscure black death that sounds quite seriously close to early ARCHOGAT (When they had death metal vocals and a deep sound from the lower caverns).
While the old tape player is trembling, you might feel the absurd brutal blastbeats of the goat, teasing the virgin ass in obscure perversion... Until the vigorous spermatozoïdal explosion in the depths!
I was going to quote the name BRODEQUIN ("Festivals of death") for some raw barbarity, but this said some peoples might be confused coz we aren't talking about brutal death here (Even if the bros of Brodequin had somewhat torture-filled medieval themes)... We are probably closer to old PROCLAMATION and more blasphemous brutal muscle-men barbarity of this kind. I also felt some old grindcore touches on some "drum hits", but the spirit is more evil.
This is bestial obscure barbarity for those who aren't afraid to explore the most bestial G.O.A.T phantasms, an underground way.
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL UNDERGROUND CAVERNS, OR THE MAINSTREAM SOIL WILL COLLAPSE UNDER YOUR FEET!
https://abhorrentexecration.bandcamp.com

ABBREVIATED (Can) Demo 2023. Digital. Self-released.
Extra long moronic shit talking? ABBREVIATED.
Intrusive tramway bottom scraping? ABBREVIATED.
Oppressive hierarchical bad faith erupted from cynicism? ABBREVIATED.

Abbreviated is a new band from British Columbia, Canada. This demo contains angry powerviolence with injections of punk hardcore parts here & there. This sounds quite intense in the fast grinding parts, which represent about 3/4 of the content. Then you also find more old styled Hc/ Punk moments here & there.
This is quite compacted music, with changes of riffs sometimes before you'd expect another brick in the face (It gives a little "noisecore" touch, same than for a part of the powerviolence style)... Sometimes it's not far from old styled grindcore, but with more "abrupt" changes.
The production is raw enough, quite nice.
There's nothing new, but it's quite well blasted stuff... (Anyway, we don't need to color the bricks in pink or rainbow to make it more destructive!)
This sounds like a pretty intense demo you could listen to five or six times in a row if you wanted to write a review... It's what I did.
MY BRICKS ETERNALLY GREY REMAIN.
https://abbreviated.bandcamp.com

ABCEST (Fra) L'horreur indicible MCD. 2023. Self-released.
ABCEST is a french death metal band which plays a style I don't listen to a lot anymore...
A style we found more frequently in the French underground around 2010, with a bit more of a modern approach. But their music isn't badly made, so I had to re-activate the old rusty robot and run the "Support_the_underground.exe" program in recovery mode.
The machine is ready, the hears are hearing.
To keep on describing the content, I would say the music of this band from the South (Clermont Ferrand) takes influences from 90's American death metal, blackened death, something like "brutal death", and uses more modern elements to develop their compositions here and there.
A blackened approach in the riffs is more present than usual for death metal, it can be close to your blasting Nordic storm, but can also be a little more "aerial", and might even reach something like "blackened sludge" in the spirit... But the whole remains death metal globally.
While listening to the five tracks, I thought about (In no particular order): SUFFOCATION, GURRKHAS, AD PATRES, Old DEICIDE ("Once upon the cross"), MORBID ANGEL, old GOJIRA, early IMPUREZA (First demos), or BEHEMOTH.
Some parts sound quite ferocious and there's some intensity to be found, while other moments are less interesting for me, or it can sound a bit flat ... The whole comes with a very decent production according to the standards of the style they play.
My tastes are personally located in a more old school or rotting 'n filthy spectrum of the death metal world, but there are some qualities and a nice intensity in these songs, so the fans of the style might find interest in this Ep.
Now, it's time to reboot the robot.
https://abcest.bandcamp.com

ABYSM (Uk) Unleash the fallen Demo tape. 2014. Self-released.
Spiritual overload maximum. Eruptions and intense tremors in the sulfur caverns.
Will the tectonic plates collide and struggle one more time?
ABYSM is a new underground project mostly composed of one member handling the guitars/ vocals, who was helped by a drummer and a bassist for this recording.
Globally the style is dark Death metal reminding of old INCANTATION, with a more-than-seldom black death edge bringing the whole closer to early ARCHGOAT (For some obscurity) or even some south American sickness (For more bestial moments).
An attentive listening can let appear more "regular" old school death metal: A bit of slower Finnish, a bit of regular European, or a bit of early US (Fast early Possessed or slow early Death), but the whole globally keeps a dark death metal/ black death taste due to the recording, the vocals and quite raw playing.
There are nice moments of darkness (Ex: Some guitars have the "obscure stagnancy" it needs to create nice atmospheres) and some riffs aren't bad at all (The first song seems to be the best from the tape), unfortunately the drum-playing isn't right-to-the-coffin, some parts a bit too rough (The playing, some structures) and some riffs sound too familiar.
Unfortunately the cover of GRAVE ("Hating life") isn't the best: Even if the riffs aren't mistaken, it's quite wasted by a more approximate playing (The playing didn't bother me that much with the other songs, maybe because I know this GRAVE track by heart?)
This is a first demo that contains an equal quantity of average and more promising parts.
The main member wrote in a letter that everything was recorded in the first take and the next release (Planned as a MCD) will contain longer and more straightforward tracks, so that might mean improvements will happen at the right levels?
Until then, the sulfur we will keep on collecting, in the caverns.
Email: abysm(a)email.com

ABYSM DIABOLIS (Can) Visions from the haunted realm Demo CD. 2022. Self-released.
If Gene Palubicki of ANGEL CORPSE/ PERDITION TEMPLE had children in age to play music, they surely would have eaten hours and hours of satanic black death playing and banging in their young years, and the final result could be something like this ABYSM DIABOLIS demo.
Fast satanic death metal, with influences of the blackened, morbid tremolo riffs, and quite rasp vomiting vocals...
Even though this is a solo project, the only member plays everything, this doesn't sound bad at all (No programmed drums were used, so I imagine this probably wasn't as easy to achieve as 30 minutes of click- click- click on a software).
The music is quite good sounding early MORBID ANGEL/ early ANGEL CORPSE worship with decent compositions. Sometimes it might also remember of other early death thrashing bands like INCUBUS ("God died on his knees" demo) for example... When the music gets a bit more atmospheric on the last tracks, it happens to remind me of MORBID ANGEL “Domination” meets NOCTURNUS (The early stuffs or the comeback album under the “Nocturnus AD” moniker)…
I wouldn't wake up at night to reverse a cross in the name of ABYSM DIABOLIS, but this is quite well done satanic death that sounds cool to hear.
https://abysmdiabolis.bandcamp.com

ACxDC (Usa) The second coming Demo tape. 2011. Spiderbaby Recs. Carefully selected pieces of white excrements sold to you at golden price, according to very precise speculative standards (That voluntary buried the concepts of feeling and musical integrity million miles ago...). What we need is a blasting explosion to reverse the effects of shameless cock-sucking!
ACxDC has nothing to do with hard rock, neither very short pants, neither old school death metal (Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t keep this webzine free from modern old school death metal to keep away from speculating bullshit influences) since their genre is old styled (But not retro) grindcore!
Think about a blasting grindure between old Grind, powerviolence (For the scream aspect) and noisecore (For the relatively short length of tracks). Every beats aren't blasts, but the spirit is Grind. This grindcore in itself isn't that particular, neither the most grindasmic, but I like the intensity escaping this recording and ACxDC provides a quite good karcher-wash of your cemented mental walls. This could be very nice for grind junkies.
A bit more songs will be needed for the next demo.
http://acxdc.bandcamp.com

ACID MASS (Usa) Lust for violence Ep 2023. Digital. Self-released.
Yes. Yes. Yes sir.
Yes. Yes. Yessongs.
Yes. Yes. Yesterday.
No. No. Nothing face's gone.

Here's a pretty cool old styled thrash demo, that could be seen as a homage to 80's thrash. It comes with a quite dark atmosphere you found in the "morbid thrash" records in these evil years.
I hear some influences of ooold SLAYER (First two Lps), old BATHORY (The thrashing songs from the Jubileum compilation CD, those of the epoch of the 3rd and 4th albums), old DESTRUCTION (A tad less melodic), and maybe a zest of CARNIVORE (But it might be due to the guitar sound).
The style can be fast or mid-tempo, it depends. The first song "The spectre" has great "lightning fast" speed thrash riffs, yup, then I feel the end of the demo is less catchy.
Reproaches? The drums are a bit too low in the mix, and the vocals might be too soft/ "polite", but that remains ok...
This is a pretty cool/ entertaining demo to listen to once you're in the retro 80's thrashing mood.
No No Yes No... "The yes needs the no to win against the no" (French joke)
https://acidmass666.bandcamp.com

ACRID TOMB (Usa) Acrid tomb Demo Tape. 2022. ICONOCLAM CONQUEST Recs.
Here's a new band/ project from Missouri opening the gates of the underground world with a two songs demo. Two songs to cleanse each side of the coffin with anti audio-parasites acid.
Their style is 90's Death metal close to what you could hear in the early/ mid 90's in America.
The cauldron lets emanate fumes smelling like a melting of old MORBID ANGEL ("Domination"), old MORTA SKULD, old DEICIDE ("Once upon the cross"), mid old INCANTATION (The somewhat cleaner epoch, I have in mind "Blasphemy"), with some brutalizing moments à la CANNIBAL CORPSE ("Tomb..."), and some zests of old BRUTALITY or old DECREPIT (Usa). The production sounds somewhat morissoundish, it's perhaps a bit "deaf" but remains globally cool.
Some of the lineup's body parts are also present in other musical zombie activities such as The wakedead gathering, Invultation, Filth eater... But I read the guitarist/ bassist is coming from other outfits I didn't know, so the aforementioned musician's contributions might not reflect that much in the recomposing of the Frankenstein's corpse puzzle (If that sentence really means something for the readers ahah... I just meant the guitarist might compose most of the music).
This is very pleasant to discover & listen to this kind of demos. It doesn't really contain something new, but it's quite well composed and I'm listening to these songs for the 5th or 6th time in a row without boredom... So ACRID TOMB might suit the hears of 90's American death metal enthusiasts.
https://acridtomb.bandcamp.com

AD PATRES (Fra) Promo 2010. CDr.
Do I feel trapped in an infinite maze of mazing amazement? Not really, but at least the first demo of this French band is quite good, and lights a bit more hopes than another of these "Let's play old school Death metal, there's nothing simpler than that (We already exhausted the Darkthrone xeroxing machine anyway)" very sincere bands...
AD PATRES plays quite motivated and kicking Death metal that rather follows the blasting and obscure genre: To be more precise it's molesting in the middle between  obscure "brutal" death and something closer to blasting death or (not modern) brutal death; While the first one reminds me of MORBID ANGEL on "Domination" (Fast parts with tremolos, polyphonic touches, mid-paced moments with double-kicks' warfare) or IMMOLATION on "Unholy cult" (But in a less complex manner) the approximately 50% of blasting death is closer to SUFFOCATION (On their most blasting/ impact ridden recording "Souls to deny") or MALEVOLENT CREATION's last fifty percent of discography... Add possible touches of the last FLESHTIZED demo for more "technical" guitars...
What? My description isn't obscure enough and you need deep French underground? Ok I can add quite strong similarities with AMETHYSTE's last recordings (Even more the demo released before the first album, than this said album), while there's a bit of CARMINA (Before they turned bru bru bru-tal... So the first demo) and BLACK BLEEDING's last demos (Rather "The awakening") aren't so far in genre...
The drumming has quite a lot to do with Dave Culross (Who played in Malevolent Creation and  Suffocation for the MCD quoted before) with touches of Dave Lombardo in less intense moments...
The music from this demo is quite good and quite efficient, there's some intensity in these songs, but every guitar parts aren't of the same quality as far as I macerate: While some riffs are quite great on an emotional point of view, and the majestic leads sound cool, a few riffs in the fast parts sound a bit easy, and I'm not sure about few mid-paced thrash parts...
It's cool to see AD PATRES decided to follow this path of kicking Death metal: More French bands used to play this style in the past and I'm feeling like France begun to lack of guts and balls... Hope they will hang on and intensify the feeling!
(Parenthetically notification of maceration: Do not pay attention to the Latin moniker or the fact their drummer used to play in SETH, ENTHRONED and others, there's nothing to do with weak black metal...)
http://www.myspace.com/adpatresdeathmetal

AMBULANCE (Mex) Rehearsal Demo 2021. Tape. SINDROME Recs.
You like to vomit voluptuously?
You like to be voluptuously vomited upon?
You enjoy to be voluptuously vomited upon in the morgue by the ugly and hungry surgeon?
Then keep on reading.

Some peoples might complain I review a bit too much of goregrind lately, and they might be partially right, but it's something I find quite fun and easy to do recently... So don't shoot the ambulance and enjoy the rottenness :-)
AMBULANCE is a new goregrind band from Mexico, which plays it quite old school and reminiscent of very early CARCASS (Mostly "Reek of putrefaction" and the demos). This sounds quite filthy and ugly, like an old demo... But the music doesn't suck as you can find some real riffs, and even a couple of (!) leads.
I guess some gore integrists might hear more "gore death grind" than "real goregrind" here, since you don't find the end 90's/ early 00's clichés of the gore (Grooves etc)... But to countervomit, I might say the vocals are a bit too loud in the mix sometimes, so I think other peoples might not hear the riffs easily (At least I did).
While listening to the rancid corpse mastication, I also heard potential similarities with early DEAD INFECTION (First album), early GENERAL SURGERY (First MCD, for the vocals) and possibly maybe (Don't say Björk) a couple of old Finnish DM riffs.
Well this is a very underground, but also cool demo in the style. So fans of underground and slashing bowel crepitation might be interested.
https://ambulancegore.bandcamp.com

AMPUTORY (Fin) Promo 2010. CDr. Self-released.
Great Death metal! The first song "Enslavement in the basement" is a very good piece of fast old school Scandinavian Death metal, with a burning dark red aura, a real feeling of revenge, something nocturnal in the tremolo riff... It reminds me of ooold GRAVE for the punch and the atmosphere, as well as something like early NECROPHOBIC (For some nocturnal mysticism in the main riff), and touches of GRAVE ("Back from the grave") for some mid-paced riffs, or zests of old EDGE OF SANITY for some arrangements... It's simple and comes with a quite good production (Let's say à la old GRAVE, but less crispy for the guitars). A great glorious Death metal track!
The two other songs "Genocidal breed" and "Compulsive amputation" aren't as emotionally appealing and don't sound as old school in all the length... All in all it could be a mixture of mid-paced GRAVE ("Back from the grave"), with some EDGE OF SANITY ("Cryptic"), half melodic death from the 94-96 era (Not the most faggotic ones, huh?), bits of melodic first CEMETARY album ("An evil shade of grey") and some thrashing touches. Globally it's more mid-paced. It's quite comfortable to listen, but not too enthusiasting.
Based on the first track "Enslavement in the basement" I imagine AMPUTORY could have a great burning Death metal future! Hope this demo was more than a one time project, and the band will insert more feelings of revenge and glory in their next Death metal songs!
http://www.myspace.com/amputory

ANNIHILATION TEXT (Can) Defamation manifesto Demo CDr'07.
Even though what we can often hear from these lands often lies into the technical and original kinds , Canada's grounds aren't totally dry in matters of Death metal.
A Death metal that especially choose the darkened paths of MORBID ANGEL ("Domination", with a touch of "Gateways") and execrates a nice atmosphere from the chalice of all captivating sins. The march is rather mid-placed, and heavy, with double kicks.
As said before, the MORBID ANGEL influence is strong (For the atmosphere, "dominating" heaviness, quite majestic leads... As well as for the vocals and production) but you could also find other elements such as impure waves of IMMOLATION, floridian Death metal (Something between BRUTALITY, RESURRECTION of later MORTA SKULED), some old HATE ETERNAL, a bit of crushing SUFFOCATION, fantomatic tumors à la CONVERGENCE FORM WITHIN (Even if C.F.W is more burning) and a little melodic something that helps to pack the composition a nice way.
To summarize my feelings, I'll say this cool band didn't discover the morbid musical words that instantaneously annihilate humanity and they didn't develop a language of their own yet, but it's a cool band with good atmospheres and whose potential only asks to be developed. Good fucking luck!
http://www.myspace.com/invoketerror

ANNUNCIATION (Uk) Annuntiatio mortis metallum Demo tape. 2015. Self-released.
Annunciation is a new band from Uk, their style is Death metal in a rather evil manner, here is their first two tracks demo.
On the first song, the biggest influence seems located in the old recordings of MORBID ANGEL and ANGEL CORPSE, since a good part of the riffing is based on fast tremolos, or fast guitars, and then you have more "dominating" heavier riffs. There are also touches of NILE, a couple of thrashier riffs à la POSSESSED ("Beyond the gates") and they remind me of the French band MISGIVINGS sometimes. Not a bad song, I can listen without problem.
For the second song, even if the satanic death influences are also present, it shows a more "death black" approach, with riffs being not so far from GOD DETHRONED (I'm not an expert of the style). Even if a little technical touch is also here in the middle, I find this song is more common and sounds less convincing.
The production is quite "raw", it sounds like a rehearsal, in a quite clear enough manner. I can hear the riffs without problem, but I'm used to this kind of recordings, so... Perhaps the band should be a bit tighter next time, but this impression might be due to the sound.
Two songs is a bit short to have an opinion about the qualities. Here I can listen to the first song without problem, while the second one isn't too much my cup of satanic blood, so I'll conclude it's an average recording and the listener will need more to be able to judge.
https://annunciation.bandcamp.com

ANOXIA (Uk) Manufacturing the end Demo CDr'07.
English Death metal. This demo begins well, the 1st minutes strike with fast old school death metal and an abrasive production that makes them sound like DISMEMBER.
Then I'm not so milk-hearted about the following: A part of the stuffs is much slower (Somekind of boring position between BENEDICTION, few INCANTATION or black metal) or thrashy...Some cool parts à la ENTOMBED (Death'n roll) or CARCASS ("Heartwork") aren't bad, but wasted by ideas of a lesser lacerating importance.
Well it seems the band doesn't really know which victim they aim to kill, and so by targeting more than 1 bottom they do not really kick the ass.
A shame coz they have nice moments... A brutal lifting/ refocus as well as more work on structures might help to underline their best moments.
http://www.myspace.com/anoxiaweb

ANTHEM (Pol) Necronomicon Demo CDr. 2009. Self-released.
If you want to open your mind, first you will have to open your skull! And so we need something ultra brutal to break the cranium.
The polish guys of ANTHEM could be a right choice for this penetrating affair.
Their style isn't so far from the brutal and evil Death metal usually coming from Poland, except it might be a bit more blasting... It's very often fast and contains some kind of epicness that reminds me of KRISIUN or also REBAELLIUM, while you can also feel some MORBID ANGEL influences (Dark aura for example), some similarities with CENTURIAN, and little touches of NILE. I don't know if their riffs are particularly catching the attention of the decrepiting cadaver, but their music sounds quite extreme, there's a nice atmosphere, and nothing sounds particularly weak or bothering... (It's already quite nice)
Fans of extreme and evil brutal death could find in ANTHEM a nice manifestation of evil to support.
(This review is too short? Ok, come and write your big book about a two songs demo, you fucking poofter!)
http://www.myspace.com/anthemdeathmetal

ANTRO (Ger) Demo II Tape. 2022. KELLERASSEL Recs.
Speed your brain.
This German band is related to grindcore, but their style isn't really the same...
In my hears these 4 songs sound closer to blasting punk hardcore the old way (80's) with influences of old thrash in some riffs. This tastes like stressful work in a warehouse.
It also reminds me of end 80's protogrind, including some bands you found on Earache records in the very early years (Before this label went more metal and death metal), with a touch of old ATROCITY (The American one, not the German...), and some old Japanese grind/ fastcore underground bands (Like NO VALUE if someone remembers of them).
If you're totally into metal, ANTRO is probably too punk/ hardcore for you... But you might be surprised to hear some real thrashing riffs (Especially on the 4th track "Defastiodistorção" which has an old IMPIETY vibe or something). Quite great sound demo in the style.
Listen: https://kellerasselrecords.bandcamp.com/i

APOCRYPHON (Usa) Apocryphon Demo 2011. Self-released.
I love going to the dentist, because I love anesthesia.
The first song begins in a brutal and quite technical way à la old CEPHALIC CARNAGE, but you rapidly feel more darkness appears, and with the following tracks the global spectrum becomes more metallic, yet doesn't totally turn into metal.
APOCRYPHON plays something I could call "Technical satanic grind metal", a mixture between dark technical "old school" death, mid old technical grind, mid old brutal death, with a bit of black metal influences... Is this clear? Not really, so the review keeps on going.
When listening you could hear quite technical hydro grind à la CEPHALIC CARNAGE (For guitars, for some smoke or few experimental touches), quite technical but obscure death à la mid old IMMOLATION, and some DEICIDE influenced satanic Death metal (For vocals and double kick rumbles), or some mid old BRUTAL TRUTH (For some technical riffing, guitar dissonances, composition's packing); Sometimes I feel they're not too far from some early IBEX MOON releases (Were a couple of bands played Death metal in a dark and quite technical manner (First Bloody sign records, First Estuary Lp, or Incrust)).
My will to try and define their music might sound like trying to cut the ass hairs in 4 pieces, but the different influences that weren't necessarily meant to be glued together are quite well packaged and the content flows quite well, so I wouldn't be surprised to read some peoples wouldn't notice a part of these influences.
This demo contains quite intense moments, and some dark atmospheres occur to appear, but I don't find all parts to be as entertaining (Even if decently integrated), and I feel the guitar sound is too crisp for the most Death metal parts (While it works for the more grind ones)
The effluves of APOCRYPHON aren't the most rejoicing yet, but doesn't taste the worst either, and there might be something like a musical particularity to develop with time. This band could please those who would like a mixture between the brutality, the reasonably technical/ experimental, and the obscure atmosphere, with an old school touch.
http://apocryphon.bandcamp.com

ARATRON (Hol) The recovery Demo. Pro CDr. 2013.
DAMNATION OF THE HOLY COCK! The deep cunt of the underground vomits new Death metal bands everyday, the quantity never stops to increase and will soon become hard to swallow, even for the most bloodthirsty Death metal maniacs... (Might they love deep cunt or not).
Here we have a good example of an average Death metal band, you can listen to their recording for a while, some songs are even quite kicking, but nothing "special" thrills your demonic balls. and after another while something like boredom appears.
Most of the music is fast, old styled Death metal that could remind of the first two UNLEASHED albums (Minus the grooves), the first DEATH album, then there are slower or more "crusty" moments that might be influenced by CELTIC FROST (Not sure) and something a bit more DISMEMBERISH appears later... There are also a few black metal influences (Some vocals, a few riffs).
There might be something polish in there, but the style is not so brutal, this might be due to the production...?
Enough of description, now comes the hammer: The problem with these songs lies in the riffs that often sound usual. It's usual "Death metal riffs", that seem to be and sound like "Death metal riffs", but the guitars from the best albums that make you thrill might be more than "Death metal riffs".
I also have to say around the 3rd track the vocals tend to annoy me a bit (Did he drink too much of bad beer, or does it become too black metal influenced?).
This isn't pure shit, for example the first track is quite kicking (And contains quite “morbid/ technical” riffs), but I find the whole too usual and lacking of thrills. So it's just average Death metal.
Hope the cunt of the underground won't run too dry, otherwise swallowing what comes out will become harder...
http://www.aratron.net

ARCANEBLAZE (Russia) Spawn of putrefaction MCD. 2021. WINGS OF DESTRUCTION Recs.
When I try to write a short review, it's never so short... Even if it is sometimes hard to start the motor of the old reviewing wagon (Especially for promo stuffs), once some sentences are coming, the words keep on adding on the piles of words, and finally you get a normal sized review...
ARCANEBLAZE is a Russian solo project based on the thrashing genre. Globally what I hear is old school thrash/ blackened thrash, with some speed elements on guitars here & there.
I hear some old KREATOR, old BATHORY, a bit of old MEGADETH ("Rust in peace" for some technical guitar touches, even if the spirit is not really the same), and perhaps a little of old BULLDOZER.
Well, concerning the old BATHORY influence it doesn't sound THAT close, because there were more chaos and evilness in the playing of Quorthon... So I would rather point a couple of "unreleased" songs such as "Burning leather" which were very tight and clearly had a drum machine. (This said, a track of this CD could also remember of the Bathory "Requiem" album... Yes, it was a decent thrash album, you blackened fundamentalist, but it was perhaps too repetitive/ monotonous on rhythms and changes).
The tracks of ARCANEBLAZE are quite precise and "clearly" produced. The drums are a machine, so it adds to the precision.
Well, this release doesn't sound bad, it has some qualities, but it seems to be too precise/ cerebral for me... I enjoy when thrash/ black is a bit more rock'n roll and let's the fumes of beer & hell escape from the speakers.
https://arcaneblaze.bandcamp.com

ASSUMPTION (Ita) The three appearances MCD. 2014. TERROR FROM HELL Recs.
Cryogenized collection of suspended animations,
gathered together as a mask of dead flesh.
Animated shreds of skin,
amalgamated in divergent convulsive pernicious micro-entities.

After an obscure death metal beginning that lets you imagine the content will be very influenced by INCANTATION, the darkened music becomes much doomier...
And then it evolves between old school doom (Death-metallic version) and old Death doom (In a quite mid-paced manner).
For the doomier I will quote DISEMBOWELMENT (A strong influence), WINTER, or very early MY DYING BRIDE (With fewer "melodies").
For the most death-metallic parts I will quote SORROW, INCANTATION (Slower patterns) and perhaps ASPHYX (Embrace the death) or HYPONIC (When they were a Death metal band).
The first songs are more "dynamic" and worked on a guitar point of view, while the last ones are more on the doom side with monolithic riffs.
During the second song there are interesting guitar polyphonies that remember me the 2nd album of ATROCITY (Ger) (This introduction that sounded quite "glamorous" in a sickened and poisoned manner... Perhaps ASSUMPTION are also longing for Death AhAh)
The production is appropriate, quite heavy sounding and the guitars are "deaf" enough. 
In my humble impaled opinion this isn't an essential release, but there are interesting/ good moments and nothing sounds wrong during the listening. Fans of doom metal from the cave with a quite strong Death metal influence might dig it.
https://assumption.bandcamp.com

ATARAXY (Spa) Rotten shit Demo CDr'09.
At least, this time I received a quite well targeted promo... It's not Davecore or technicouille... So let's insert our finger in the asshole of the dead and hear what happens... Move it on the left, move it on the right, just a bit faster, a little deeper... Ok, the sounds from the bowels remind of old Death metal from the end 80's, beginning 90's; To sum it up, that would be a mix between the fast death, slower doomy and few blasts.
I'm not sure if this description would totally fit, but I occur to think about INFAMY ("The blood shall flow") for the sound, some blasts and slower moments... But the little atmosphere isn't burning as it's rather dark (Not too far from CARNAGE). The slowest moments could also remind of ASPHYX ("The rack"), DEMIGOD (Beginnings), while some fast moments could remorgue ASPHYX, early GRAVE (Demos) with some CARNAGE/ DISMEMBER (Without crusty stuffs or melodic guits)... And there are few black metal influences... Well, you see I made a quite putrid pile of nice comparisons, but don't take it too seriously because the bowels of our friend the dead are quite young and it shows: The songs aren't structured the best way, sometimes things are too simple, the playing isn't too convicted/ tight as crush; the drumming could be more dynamic/ varied, other things could be improved, and I know some peoples could find the listening of this demo to be boring... It's average but doesn't completely suck if you ask me. It's a first recording that shows the band might improve and intensify the feeling if they stick to it and work. So, keep on teasing our friend the dead!
http://www.myspace.com/atrociousataraxy

ATAVISMA (Fra) Where wolves once dwelled Demo MCD. 2014. Dead Center Recs.
Listening to the demo of this new French band, I see a Neanderthal mourning in the caverns and knocking down the monoliths in anger... This is a quite cavernous affair.
The style they play is death doom, with many slow (Or double-kick ridden) tempos: This is mostly about the heaviness, or something quite rampant.
If you need to read the names of some possible influences, I could add those of FUNEBRARUM (Old), INCANTATION (Old... For the heaviness, and the vocals), with a bit of Finnish and Swedish Death metal thrown here and there.
Something reminds me of ooold American Death metal bands that were very much tending to the heaviness and somewhat "grotesque" side of things... (Unfortunately the names were erased from my mind by the time and dust, but I remember these sounded influenced by the first ROTTREVORE album's heaviness, and weren't so far from the first DECREPIT demo and Ep, if you follow my hammer... In lack of a better example, you could think MORTUOUS's 2nd demo doesn't sound far by moments).
I imagine some peoples could hear similarities with old GRAVE ("You'll never see...") for the heaviness, even if the atmosphere is different... In the case of ATAVISMA it is cold, quite necro, sometimes almost "grim" (Or possibly "funeral" in the most doomy parts).
A drum-machine was used, most of the time it doesn't bother my cavernous mourning (The drum samples are ok, and the programming is not "over the top"), except in the fast moments where some of the programming could be improved (To sound more natural).
Some moments show it's a first demo: Some guitars are a bit hesitating, and some structures aren't the best... But to counterbalance these points, some riffs aren't bad at all and there's quite some heaviness. The most interesting moments occur to take place in the most doomy and slow death doom patterns.
For a first recording, it's not a bad cavernous shot; Let's see how the band evolves and hope they will dig deeper in the underground to enlarge the size of their cavern... (Because as some of you might have noticed: The larger a cavern is, the stronger echoes of death will resonate).
http://atavisma.bandcamp.com

ATROCE (Can) Rites obscurs Demo tape. 2014. Self-released.
Canada is not only about technical metal.
This new band is more old school and turned towards the dark side of the thing, their style is located somewhere between thrashing death metal and a quite old styled evil (Blackened) death metal. The music can regularly remind of early DEICIDE (Or the (Old) AMON days) with quite abrupt accelerations that could remember of ABHORER (The album).
Perhaps some worm impalers could hear some ooold MALEVOLENT CREATION (First albums) here & there for the motivated aspect of the playing, but it's not the main key... It would be more significant to quote the black metal influences that appear at the corner of various riffs.
Quite good drummer with apparently no weakness during blasts (I can say so, there are no triggers).
The raw, quite "live" production gives the whole a more live/ underground aspect.
Personally I find their most blasting parts quite kicking, but I’m less interested when the playing tends to be more elaborated. Now perhaps the production is a little too raw to have a real opinion about the music? The band released an album since then, it might be a cool idea to put a crucified hear on this new CD to check if it turns your internal crosses inside out.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/Atroce

AUMNARIUM (Can) Relic of mood Ep. Tape. 2021. BENT WINDOW Recs.
ABSTRACTUM VOMITUM
IN AETERNUM CRUCIFIXUM
Here is a quite interesting project that melts avantgarde, with somewhat atmospheric black metal, some death metal elements... The outcome is quite unusual (And darkened).
The music comes with a quite atmospheric edge, in part due to the use of keyboards, but these and the guitar playing sound more abstract (A bit "out of time") than usual atmo BM... Then the low pitched death metal vocals bring something from the cavern that really sounds nice in the context: It recalls of early DARKLORD (Australia)'s first demo from 1994 (This is perhaps not as bestial, but still), melted with "strange" influences à la MAYHEM ("Wolf's lair abyss" for example), with somewhat of end 90's semi melodic black death in a more "abstract" manner, and touches of mid old DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA ("Pleasure dome"?).
Perhaps this description will look like I'm a hesitant equilibrist in the eyes of black metal specialists who fluently practice jumping on Satan's trampoline (No, I'm not a Lawnmower Deth fan, I just own the old Earache recs "Grindcrusher" compilation), but I'm not one of them...
Perhaps this demo would sound like if old SKELETON OF GOD went post/ avantgarde black metal (So their style would be some kind of "Progressive hydro black"? Or "Post water black metal"?)
I find it nice AUMNARIUM takes a "modern" approach while their music somewhat stays in the darkness (Not only, but still), and the production remains quite "natural" (Which gives a somewhat 90's/ end 90's feeling).
I'm not an expert of all things post/ technical/ avant... So I'm not the best to judge, but this is a nice Ep/ Demo as far as my own crucifixion goes.
https://aumnarium.bandcamp.com

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