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
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
AFTER (Usa) TKG Demo.
2019. Digital.
This is a pretty energetic punk hardcore band from Brooklyn. The music is
simple and quite raw, following the old & nice dbeat style. This reminds me
of a more "punkish" DISRUPT (Especially the "Unrest"
album), with very old school fast punk hardcore moments, and little
"rock'n roll" touches à la DISFEAR.
Listening to their tracks, I wonder why they didn't call their band
"DISAFTER"? Ah Ah
When I saw the artwork of the demo, I expected to feel some "punk"
influences à la early CELTIC FROST ("Into the crypts of Rays"), but
there are no metal touches here, it's mostly punk & dbeat.
The music of AFTER is a little too punk for my tastes, coz the dbeat I enjoy
somewhat reached the next level of "hardcore power"... But I'm not a
big HC fan anyway, and nothing sounds wrong here, so the fans of dbeat/ early
punk hardcore might find interest here.
Smash your head with bromide bottles.
Break the bottles, break the bottles!
Test the hardness of your rotten skull.
https://aftertkg.bandcamp.com
ALTARS (Usa) Demo. 2017.
Self-released.
Blow again, winds from the inner of the earth.
Howl again, voice of all tectonic frictions.
The throat of the earth awakes from its rusted petrified sleep,
To serve our shameful sinners' existence with more obscure death.
This ALTARS is not the Australian death metal outfit that used the same moniker
before splitting up recently, this one is a new band from California that can
sound musically close at the first approach.
This is fast and hateful Death metal, with loads of tumultuous fast parts that
easily impale the priests, and slower (Sometimes really doomy) moments that
turn the crosses inside out on the sour grounds.
This sounds like a mix between old INCANTATION (Less epic), AVULSION (Usa -
"Dimensions of darkness"), with possible zests of IMMOLATION
("Unholy cult"?), with a bit of early DEICIDE and early MORBID ANGEL.
I think some could hear early BESTIAL WARLUST, but it might be due to some
chaos in the production.
Compared to the Australian ALTARS the music sounds less technical and
complexically fucked, this is more straightforward in a world of chaos.
This globally sounds extreme and quite intense, there are great riffs and quite
tumultuous moments. Now I didn’t find original or really personal moments,
nothing to really feed the brain, but the music doesn't sound mummified in
carbon-copying.
I have very few infos about this band, expect this is their first demo and
they're located in San José, California.
ALTARS should be a quite fucking intense band live and it could be a
religious-faith-breaking pleasure to explore their next recording.
https://altars666.bandcamp.com
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
|
ANIMATED DEAD (Usa)
Tombs of carnage Tape. 2020. NECROTIC Recs/ NIGHT OF THE BLOOD TAPES Recs.
MORBID BATHTUB STRANGULATION.
THE CADAVERIC ANSWER CAME FROM THE TUBES.
SEWER REVENGE; FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE SUBSOIL.
This band from Illinois plays cool underground death metal/ grind, and their
auditory excretions were rematerialized on a blood red tape.
In fact, the style of the band is quite old school in the "brutal"
genre, between old death and rawer grind meets old death grind assaults.
In the most death moments, it reminds me of very early brutal death à la ooold
CANNIBAL CORPSE (First album "Eaten back to life" only), and perhaps
a bit of very early BROKEN HOPE (Before they went more technical and
"pro").
Globally I feel the music perhaps has a bit more of a "grindcore"
meets old death grind edge, I said perhaps, I think about the old band ATROCITY
(Usa), with frenetic blastbeats à la ooold EXHUMED (Especially the "Chords
of chaos" split CD) or some raw blasts à la HATEWAVE... (But the old
Cannibal influence regularly comes back on the cutting table).
This release sounds quite underground and a bit "raw", so it's not
for the crystal clear cum-slurpers, but there's some quite good grind and old
brutal energy, as well as good moments in the cadaveric riffing. So check it
out if you're a body chunk collector, the old school way.
https://animateddead.bandcamp.com
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
ANTHROPOPHAGOUS (Usa)
Spoiled marrow Demo 2019. Digital.
Are you in a need for obese and ugly death metal crass to explode your
parasitic brain?
Then you might have found a nice purity-healing medication with
ANTHROPOPHAGOUS.
Their style is roughly fat ugly death metal in the style of old ROTTREVORE, old
AUTOPSY (Less epic), with some great Finnish sounding riffs of doom here, or
some regular death metal there (That can be "thrashy" or
"crusty', but only by moments).
If you want to talk about newer bands, the music is perhaps not unlike some
UNDERGANG or TOMBMOLD sometimes.
This tape is full of heaviness and ugliness but sometimes the band is almost
inserting its ugly fingers in the scrotum of sludge (Rather the old one, no
"atmospheric" stuffs here), and I'm not a very big fan of sludgey
stuffs, so...
The ugly crass addicts might be interested to read this demo also happens to
contain few death grind accelerations à la old REPULSION (Or EYE GOUGER).
Well, obviously this is destined to the fester, to the fans of the ugly, and
might not please everyone (Who cares?). This is a quite great sounding tape to
please fans of ugly, doomy, death metal crass.
https://anthropophagous.bandcamp.com
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
APOFENIA (Argentina) A
cold night's death Demo tape. 2019. NEKRASSIOUS Tapes.
If you like death metal rotten, cold and ugly.
If you like old demos from the early 90's that were recorded on 4 trackers.
If you like to sleep in seas of crass and rancid ugliness,
Then this quite bizarre tape might be for your hears.
As you probably understood, this band practices very old school death/ death
thrash.
During the listening I thought about early AUTOPSY (Death doom), the demos of
NIHILIST, the first DEATH album ("Scream bloody gore"), maybe some
extremely early IMMOLATION (The first demos), with a touch of old Finnish death
reekordings for some bizarre moods. (Sometimes there's also perhaps a bit of
Napalm Death "Harmony corruption", but it's not an enormous influence).
I tried to review this demo, listening to the bandcamp page of the band, but it
didn't work because of a too clear digital sound (Due to my speakers?)... So I
shut down the speakers, and inserted the promo tape sent by the label in a
noisy cassette player, and it was immediately more convenient! (More heaviness
and analog bass frequencies :-) )
Well, the playing of the band isn't always super tight, it's even a bit strange
by moments, but it's a demo so it fits the rotting context.
This tape is destined to fans of real underground death metal, the production
is roughly closer to "Morbid visions" (Perhaps a little better) than
"Left hand path", but it doesn't really matter as there are cool
moments of morbidity and repugnance. DECAPITATE THE BIZARRE AND DEFORMED!
Band: https://apofenia.bandcamp.com
Label: https://www.facebook.com/Nekrassious-Tapes/
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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