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BALAMUTHIA (Swe) Devouring human flesh Demo 2022. Digital. Self-released.
This is the first demo of a band that aims to emulate the style of CANNIBAL CORPSE, at least the American brutal machine was a big influence on this recording.
This contains death metal/ old brutal death with a good percentage of "thrashing beats" (Close to the most old school parts of mid to later Cannibal C.). I didn't find a lot of blastbeats for brutal death, but it doesn't matter, as long as the meat remains quite burning.
You can also hear some mid-paced 90's alike "death metal/ hardcore" parts that remind me of early SKINLESS, or perhaps some end 90's MALEVOLENT CREATION (Maybe there are too much of it for my own cavernous preferences).
The red blood-filled atmosphere and decapitated "no brainshake" spirit from Cannibal Corpse are there... But after a while this gets quite boring... Perhaps due to the fact the last quarter of the demo isn't as tight/ efficient...
Some die hard decapitated C.C. fans could dig this release, but I think there's a (cadaver-filled) room for improvement. This demo is not awful in the style, as opposed to what my word-play could let bleed in your mind, but this can be improved.
https://balamuthia.bandcamp.com


BANEFUL STORM (Fra) Invocations Ep. 2017. Digital. Self-released.
This is a new Death metal project from France that sounds very inspired by early MORBID ANGEL ("Altars of madness").
While some bands that also followed the path of old Azagtoth mostly took the extreme/ blasting side (For example of CENTURIAN), this french one-musician project took the style in all its variety: The different kinds of beats, different kinds of riffs, the same kind of vocals, the same kind of rasp production... (Perhaps there aren't that much of two-guitar polyphonies tough). This is clearly influenced by old MORBID ANGE, to the point of worship, but there's also some intensity and energy in the songs, which isn't always the case of worshippers or "clone" bands.
I also hear some early DEICIDE in the riffs (First album or AMON days) and some guitars have a little more thrash metal/ black thrash approach (Think about SODOM "Persecution mania" for example), but the whole still sounds like satanic death. The leads can sound great and nicely chaotic.
I believe the drums are actually a drum machine, Metal-archives says there's only one musician but the drums don't sound so mechanic or clinical, so I have a doubt.
Well, this isn't as great and emotionally intense as "Altars" (Not a real surprise here), but it's a quite good recording.
Now a shame the beginning of the third song sounds so much like an ANGEL CORPSE track from the second album. (Very close riff, same beat, same kind of break... Oups), the last song sounds a little more common, and perhaps the whole is a bit too close to "Altars" to totally kick the ass?
Anyway, this is a quite good recording and worshippers of old Satanic Death metal à là early MORBID ANGEL/ early DEICIDE/ AMON wouldn't have problems to swallow it up.
https://banefulstorm.bandcamp.com

 
 

BASTARD GRAVE (Swe) Unmarked grave Demo tape. 2014. Self-released.
At the first approach, you could be seriously tempted to believe this new Swedish band is strictly influenced by the first albums of DISMEMBER and ENTOMBED (I mean only the first one for each), but a closer listening lets other influences appear.
Most of the music, riffing, production is close to the two bands quoted before, but there are also more "melodic" guitars or arrangements that could remember of the first NECROPHOBIC album and what EDGE OF SANITY were doing on "Unorthodox".
There are also quite a couple of riffs to be closer to later ENTOMBED (From the "Uprising" album, minus the MOTORHEAD vibe) and also a bit of the deathrock/ groove death era.
There's no metal of death/ thrashing death influence from the post REPUGNANT followers we quite often meet in our Hifis... Perhaps this is due to the fact the musicians have a more hardcore than metal background? Anyway I didn't feel that much of Hc influences, expect for some vocals, there even are quite few dbeat drums for the style.
To come back to more metal matters, one could also hear fast parts to remind of the first VOMITORY album from 1996 (When they were more old school).
Well, I didn't find really thrilling riffs or juicy surprises, but the songs are packed in a quite neat manner, with quite a lot of changes, and even if this tastes like "One more swedeath" band in my mouth, some stuffs are rather well played.
I imagine those who dig this kind of swedeath might dig this tape a way or another... I don't listen to ENTOMBED or DISMEMBER a lot anymore, so that might explain I was averagely impressed.
https://bastardgrave.bandcamp.com



 

BASTARD PRIEST (Swe) Merciless insane death Demo tape'08. ZOMBIE RITUAL Recs
Cryptic entrapment of the skull.
Force fed trepanation with broken razors.
Underground impaling of the mind and consciousness.
Will they need more when we'll be dead?
If you try to listen to this demo with the deep underground approach and search to feel the obscure waves from the depths, you might be disappointed. BASTARD PRIEST isn't about the death atmosphere, but globally punch and energy to go somewhere like in your face, or in the belly. Most of this demo is based around 90's Death metal, but not in a particularly retro or nostalgic manner, I guess they don't care too much.
-The first track especially reminds me what DISMEMBER did just after their great first Lp, with a bit of ENTOMBED. It's always fast, with a "raw an unhearable" sound and few melodies.
-The second song is more D-beat like and especially reminds me of early MASTER (Crusty and simple style).
-The third one has a totally mystic REPUGNANT alike intro of melodic riff, and the remaining is based around a fast REPUGNANT/ NECROVATION beat, yet with something from Black metal 'Like early IMPALED NAZARENE?)
-The 4th one begins with simple but big chords à la ENTOMBED, and most of the song is located in the fast Swe-Death of CARNAGE/ ENTOMBED ("Tchuka tchuka" style).
-The last song is a cover of an  old Swedish HC punk band.
The production has something raw that makes it very Dismember alike. The vocals aren't the deepest, sometimes it spits more than anything or sounds like early HC with many echo effect (It could come deeper from the caves, to make it more "Death" and morbid). There's something a bit punk in the playing, something like "Fuck off". Some riffs sound a bit too simple or already eaten before, but some quite well built structures help to make the rendering more impressive. Because of the vocals and crust approach (And a little of guitar sound?) you sometimes forget it's Death and feels in the middle of a crust CD... :-)
It's not my fave demo of the last months, I need more atmospheres and morbidity, but some songs show some punching promises (Hope they'll stick to this style and develop the right way (If there's only one, or two, or more...). Nothing new, but it contains enough energy and freshness. Isn't it what some peoples call great?
http://www.myspace.com/bastardpriestsweden

 
 

BEANSIDHE (Switzerland) De Mortis Eloquentia Demo MCD. 2010. Self-released.
Did you say review? I'm sorry but I don't know what this means... All I'm doing is typing on little pieces of plastic to try and represent the noises crossing my head...
You know, I'm swimming in warm cadaveric juice, and if the sounds escaping the speakers do not find resonance in the said juice (Aka macerating corpse likor), I won't be able to tell much more about the gastric metal values...
I'm only transcribing the vibrations of the juice.
This is the problem with a lot of metal records today: It was built by the minds, for the minds, everything precisely set to fit some intellectual standards... But strangely enough the cadaveric juice is often not taken in account, and even denied, as if it was totally forbidden to write music with your inner feelings and entrails... So if you try to listen to these said records an instinctive and natural way, mind disabled, you often will feel unconcerned, dumb, as if nothing escaping these complicated sounds speaks to yourself, your insides...
This is more or less the problem of BEANSIDHE, even if I could have found worse to develop the previous idea: Their music sounds fresh, well built, and contains a certain biting and enthusiasm, but doesn't it remain in the scale of cerebral emotions?
Their stuff is between black metal and death metal, with more thrashy touches. Most of the beats are fast or blasting. During the listening I occurred to think about old DISSECTION (This is clear) or MAYHEM (Maybe "Chimera"?). There's sometimes a thrashy, sometimes more death metallic melodic touch that remembers me DECAMERON, but they do not have the same atmosphere. Some quite technical, and more original thrash influences sound like some old AUDIO PAIN. For reasons of modernity and "efficiency" they sound like the last albums of YRKHOON.
This is well produced and retargeted in a software studio to make the whole sound more precise, tight, with more "brilliance", and there's no problem at this level... But it's not really the kind of music to concern me...
So this is all well built, and some peoples will like it without doubt, but isn't there something lacking somewhere? I mean in the rendering of the inner...
http://www.beansidhe.ch


 

BEAUTICIAN (Uk) Analysis of beauty Ep. 2015. Digital.
I don't listen to a lot of death grind or brutal death anymore, because the old school sounds embalmed my brain to cryptic decerebration (AhAh), but from time to time you find something you dig, and then it's nice to clean your undertaker shovel.
BEAUTICIAN is an underground deathgrind band from Uk and their stuff is quite "fresh" and quite cool to listen to.
What you have is short tracks with quite a lot of changes. I feel they are quite close to an old INTENSE HAMMER RAGE demo I own, they also have perhaps something of old PIGSTY (Cze) riffing-wise, and some quite frenetic blasts remind me of old ALIENATION MENTAL. I also found something that remembered my skull of old HEMDALE (Minus the gore), at least there's something from the end 90's/ early 00's brutality here... Something like the early 00's brutal death before it became ultra complex, ultra brutal, ultra abrasive, and ultra... boring?
I can hear some fun in the playing and the songs are built in a quite efficient manner.
Now the production is somewhat natural, without over-overdriven abrasion, that's perhaps a reason for I like it... Uh?
Well, this remains underground stuff and it's not a new underwear-reversing revelation, but this demo is quite fun to hear in the brutal style.
(I wasn't sure about the meaning of their moniker, did it stand for "beautiful mortician"?... Until google translation shew me it's closer to "Cosmetic surgery).
https://beautician.bandcamp.com


 

BEDLAM OF CACOPHONY (Usa) Demo CDr'07.
The CDr format isn't always very good for reviewers... My CD player is growing old, and I needed to insist at least 20 times so that it detects the existence of this Demo...(I'm not sure if a tape player ever refused to recognize a tape, but that's another matter). Hopefully for me B.O.C's music has nothing to do with James Blunt (Who's "Back to bedlam") and the listening was a bit more rewarding than rehashing pop music. It is something like half modern sick brutal death, with a technical and cacophonous edge. Now all old schoolers have gone, in fear of the "sick shit", I can describe the content.
Well, it's clear someone viciously put an CEPHALIC CARNAGE CD in their moses basket when they were little babies, because the music reminds me both old CEPHALIC CARNAGE, SKELETON OF GOD (Less brutal death though), HUMAN REMAINS, mid old BRUTAL TRUTH and things like that... You know: We are ultra sick, and complex, and we'll fuck your listener's brain as fast as our fingers humanly can... I have to say most of the time it's not my sick-shit... Even if some moments work quite well (The sick way), there's too much of "We must be fast and technical and fucked up and put the baby in the washing machine" without something really deep, or emotional (The third dimension of pain and horror). It's the same problem for many bands of the style. Hopefully there are few more "old styled" bruta riffs and some more edible parts (that contain more depths) to make it more "fucked-up-friendly".
I'd advice them to take more time to compose a song, and keep only the best of the best... So the sickness could transform into a soul-infecting whirlwind of pure horror... But for now it's only something you can listen and feel some aggression from, which would be quite okey for a lot of peoples...
http://www.myspace.com/bedlamofcacophony

 
 

BEHEAD (Chile) Awakening of a murderous soul Demo tape. 2015. STREET METAL BLASPHEMY Recs.
FROM THE PAST COMES THE STORM.
ESCAPE FROM THE VOID OF MORBID REALITIES.
FROM CHILEAN HELL COMES THE STORM.
PLUNGE AGAIN IN THE VOID OF THRASHING & SARCASTIC REALITIES.

BEHEAD is an old school thrashing band from Talagante, Chile.
On this tape they remind me of SEPULTURA ("Schizophrenia" and a bit of "Beneath...") for the fast mix of thrash & death with kicking drums, while they also remember of SEPULTURA (But "Morbid visions") for some morbid sonorities and partly for the vocals.
You can also hear some early KREATOR ("Pleasure to kill"), some early POSSESSED, maybe early DARKNESS (Ger), and perhaps a bit of the first CANCER album.
You got it, this is full of fast beats and fast tremolo guitars, there's (almost) no surrender for the fans of the slow.
Perhaps this is the "clearer" produced tape of BEHEAD, at least more than the other cassettes I heard from them, so it puts more emphasis on the thrashing side than the death metal/ morbid side. This sounds quite tight and compact.
BEHEAD might not offer pure juicy metallic masturbatorium (If that really means something AhAh), but this is quite solid and fast skull metal, to bang the hears of underground thrash metal fans. Chile strikes again.
https://beheadband.bandcamp.com


BENOTHING (Fin) Temporal bliss surrealms MCD. 2021. EVERLASTING SPEW Recs.
This is quite kicking and punishing old school death metal influenced by the early 90's, that takes the path of the "thrashy" Swedish genre, then embarks other neighbor elements on the travel.
The core of the music tastes like the kicking thrashy parts of old DISMEMBER, early ENTOMBED/ NIHILIST or DEATHBREATH, while some sludgier pieces could call back MURDER SQUAD, and some darker/ blackened tones also appear...
Even if the guitars are based on old school riffs, I feel something not so "retro" is also to be found (Perhaps some "Depressive" black/ doom guitars, or the blastbeats going at somewhat full-speed-grindcore... Or perhaps the production?) Hmm, maybe this impression is also due to the fresh energy of the whole (So I would say this quite kicking, old school, but they have their minds in 2022).
Even if nothing new was really heard in there, this feels like a quite refreshing and kicking Ep.
I'd say BENOTHING is worth the hear for fans of old death metal who aren't 100% exclusively stuck into the "old school".
Now I feel like masticating a menthol chewing gum, sat on a Scandinavian tomb at full night... And a stranger lends me a DISCHARGE Lp entitled "Hear nothing, see nothing, say nothing"... And I scream "BE NOTHING!" in return.
https://www.facebook.com/benothingdeath


 

BIFID CORPSE (Usa)/ SURFER JAMES (Usa)/ PYTHIAN (Usa) Split MCD. 2022. MORBID & MISERABLE Recs.
Nice 3 way compact disc! Angry bear fucking the corpse fisting the zombie! In a blood-filled grinding agony.

The first band BIFID CORPSE comes with a name that reminds me of these very biological yogurts you got 15 years ago, but their music contains no fermented milk. This sounds like angry death grind with a powerviolence side. Perhaps like very early PHOBIA (Eps) meets old BRUTAL TRUTH (Need to control). The second song is slower for most, almost sludge. The vocalist is an angry bear.

The second band SURFER JAMES is more "fucked" musically, hear something between hardcore/ punk and grindcore with some kinda fucked powerviolence structures (Understand "fucked" as a synonym of somewhat crazy/ sick and noisy). They insert 3 songs plus a DISRUPT cover.

The third band PYTHIAN is different, their sound is heavier, between "chaotic" hardcore and sludge stuff. It sounds quite heavy and "dark" (Or distressed?). Uh, their second song is an industrial noise one, so perhaps they're dreaming of creating a Merzbow or Einstürzende Neubaten cover band? (Just kidding).

I appreciate the underground feel of the whole release, and this could be a nice 3 way for fans of "core" stuffs.
Bifid corpse: https://bifidcorpse.bandcamp.com
Surfer james: https://surferjames.bandcamp.com
Pythian: https://pythian.bandcamp.com
Label: https://morbidandmiserable.bandcamp.com



 

BLACK MAGIC MOUNTAIN GOAT (Swe) Demo 2013. CDr. Self-released.
Even though their name might seem like they play 70's influenced doom/ hard rock, the music is closer to what could awake the interest of rancid coffin swallowers.
This new project was formed by previous members of REVOKATION or DE TVEKSAMMA and plays old school death/ necro metal the way we knew it 6 to 7 years ago, or more.
While the whole could rather remind the first album of VOMITORY (Which sounded much more old school than their following brutal records) for this mix of regular old Death metal and "blasting" faster moments, I know some peoples might hear a bit of REPUGNANT in there, a bit of early DEATH (Scream bloody gore... For the kicking drums) in there, and the fact some riffs are thrashier (Especially the second song) leads my mind to the thrashing guitars of VICTIMIZER ("Communist crusher" Ep for example).
The production is simple (Should I say "unproduced"? Not really because it's better than 80's rehearsals), for this reason I imagine some peoples could hear reminiscences of the first ANGEL CORPSE album (Or Eps) in the fast moments, but there's nothing much similar on a riffing point of view.
The fast patterns with old styled thrashing Death metal beats are quite kicking, the framework of the coffin isn't bad, but I wasn't particularly thrilled with the riffs. I'm currently less interested in underground necro/ necro stuffs, so this might explain a part of my impressions?
I must disagree with the statement of the band who claims to bring "Brutal Swedish death metal. Not old school, not contemporary, just vulgar brutality"... In my rotting hears this is typically the kind of old school/ necro metal you could often see in underground death/ black fanzines 5-6 years ago, or more... But I imagine the goal of this statement was to avoid any link with the current old school death fashion.
Blog: http://bmmgoat.blogspot.se

 

BLACK SISTER (Uk) Unreleased Demo CDr. 2007.
I got this CDr from the guy of PROBLEM? Records who usually releases Crustcore and old school HC stuffs... It was surprising to hear this project lies in the potter fields of old thrash metal, with enough punch to offer a pleasant listening.
This is a quite energetic and motivated thrashing mania that lies in some kind of old VIOLENCE meets old NUCLEAR ASSAULT, with touches of early AURA NOIR, DESTRUCTION, DARKNESS (Ger), AUDIO PAIN and crossover à la old SOD. I could also quote old MERCILESS as an influence, for some screamy vocals and the enthusiasm/ freshness of the young thrashers who will split your skull, but the whole state of mind isn't so metal or "evil", there's some kind of fun hidding behind. A fun that occurs to show its crooked nose in the quite hysteric screamy vocals (These vocals might be improved, because it's the less good point in my opinion... And fuck the high pitched background screams: Cradle of chicken was never good).
The production isn't bad at all, there's an old crispy and crushy aspect that gives a taste of DISMEMBER and improves the impact of the music.
Even if BLACK SISTER is only a subproject, it's not bad and sounds better than many thrashing parallel projects... Nothing immortal or really killer, but those who need to thrash and break more skulls from their neck might dig the headbanging.
Nothing from this (6 songs/ 13:57 minutes) CDr is released yet, but it might see the impure lights of the underground under the form of some split Ep...
c/o PROBLEM? Recs, Pillars Strathmiglo, Road fife, KY15 7AD ALBA, UNITED KINGDOM.

 
 

BLAME (Fra) Blame Demo CD'07.
I was a bit afraid about the content of this demo, because the "Blame" name reminds me some bands who used to play not really metallic "Thrash/ Death" 12 years ago... But it's not particularly the case, since they might not have liked the Machine head, the Sepultura (Roots moody roots), the Pantera or the Kickback... The whole sounds as a mixture of Death/ thrash, blasting death, and mid-placed thrash "core"... You find a bit of every sub-genres, for example influences of some DEATH ("Symbolic"), DUNGORTHEB (1st CD), KRONOS' first album (If I remember well), with few slower "core" riffs à la PITBULLS IN THE NURSERY.
The vocals kinda remind me of Crass from CRUSHER ("Act II - Undermine") and might sound too "core" to really suit the music.
The band sounds motivated, and the tracks are correctly played or structured, but I don't feel much on an emotional point of view... For example, it's the same problem with French KRONOS (Who seem to have relative success), even if both bands aren't at the same level of playing, what they procure remains some kind of motivation/ "brutality", yet without awaking some emotions to come from under the surface. Well, BLAME have some kinda cool thrashy riffs, almost heavy metal guitars, or ok leads...
So, why don't I get into their music?
-Maybe the production is a bit too thin for the style? I heard "worse" and I'm able to ignore the production.
-Maybe some riffs are too generic? Maybe, but it doesn't particularly bother me.
-Maybe the mix of cooler thrash/ heavy riffs and blasting patterns doesn't help convenience? That might be a reason, because the two don't require the same mood as far as I'm concerned.
-Maybe the band is too motivated and plays it a bit too "fast" to macerate? Well, I like some faster and more compressed things...
Maybe there's no particular reason after all, I don't get much into BLAME and that's all...
Some peoples might like it, but I'd rather think about local supporters and underground fans, since it's only Ok underground stuff as far as I'm concerned.
http://www.myspace.com/blamemetal


  

BLASPHEMOUS (Indonesia) Burned in hell Demo tape'07. METAL ZONE Distro.
This tape demo shows it, almost proudly, a nice ortographical mistake written in big letters on the front cover... But we should pay much more attention to the feeling than matters of lesser importance... So, here you go: BLASPHEMOUS practices a kind of Brutal death that doesn't plague the scene anymore, these Indonesian brutallers chose to play it quite old school and with a nice aura that directly leads me back to the brutal death demos I inspected, once engulfed in the darkened bowels of underground convenience around 1996 and 1997... The style kinda sounds like some old SUFFOCATION mixed with early PYREXIA (1st album), a bit of old MALEVOLENT CREATION (With more purulence), some early BROKEN HOPE (When their minds were full of grindcore and gore atrocities), plus some old style and more simple Death metal that could doom it like JUDECCA, some BAPHOMET/ BANISHED or eventually old SADISTIC INTENT.
You should notice BLASPHEMOUS aren't the proud owners of over the top skills, in a way this isn't especially technical (Half of the time it's just enough, sometimes a bit too simple). I think what lacks is: A bit of differences/ changes between the tracks, it sounds a bit too much the same.
I wouldn't advice this demo to every maniacs of flower pot violence, it would rather please those who need an atmosphere of energy through not-too-modern brutality and do not care to explore the bowels of the impure underground, might it be surgically masticated or not. For underground maniacs only?
As south east Asian brutal hordes keep on improving, we masticate your greedy balls with iron teeth, and we can't wait for your bleeding! You overground label employee who kill the music!
Email: metalzonedistro@yahoo.com.my

 

  

BLESSED OFFAL (Usa) 2009 promo. CDr.
Here's a quite short review for a quite cool promo.
This Us band plays obscure Death metal à la INCANTATION, I'm especially thinking about "Mortal throne of Nazarene" (For some epic rawness in the blasting battles), with a little of ANGEL CORPSE ("Hammer of gods"), mixed with excerpts of BAPHOMET/ BANISHED in some heavy/ mid placed patterns... And maybe some little eruptions from old EXHUMED (Split w/ HEMDALE). The quite deaf, yet quite cool, heavy sounding production could make them comparable to ARCHGOAT (90's).
The two last songs have a different sound, more like a rehearsal, with much fewer bass frequencies... Which makes it sound like black metal (Bad idea, if it was volunteer).
This is not a definitely crushing collection of crunching reekordings, BLESSED OFFAL takes the form of an "usual" band of the kind and everything doesn't seem perfect yet, but there's enough transpiration and nice atmospheres to listen in brutal obscurity and imagine their upcoming release could fire some sulfur from your corroded skeleton. Hope this CDr is a nice appetizer for future destruction!
http://www.myspace.com/blessedoffal

  

HERPES Old school death
Free download

 

 



BLOOD OATH (Chile) The line between Ep. 2017. Rereleased 2020. DIABOLICAL SUMMONING Recs.
"Two minutes to midnight!!!"... This is when you have to stand two minutes of advertisements on Youtube before the MIDNIGHT album begins... AhAh, just kidding.
Let's explore the Chilean underground once again, this time with another pretty young band that came here with their third release (After a demo and a single).
Their style is old school death metal in the late 80's approach, as it musically reminds me quite a lot of the first DEATH album (Scream bloody gore), as well as portions of old MASSACRE, some old POSSESSED, some old AUTOPSY (Not as fucked). This is pretty cool to listen to, and everything is made in an old 80's vibe... Nothing is unpleasant, and some moments are even cool... But perhaps the riffs are a little too usual for my old rusty hears, or perhaps it lacks a little of cadaveric juice? (Or zombie semen? You choose) to engrave the riffs in your mind.
Now, I didn't mean this is a bad release, I found nice moments such as: Nice appearing bass guitars, cool technical riffs à la early POSSESSED, mid-paced moments à la early DEATH... And there's a somewhat "All analog" feel in the playing that somewhat reminds me of SEPULTURA ("Morbid visions"... With perhaps not so cheap hardware)... But maybe the band needs a bit more of time spent in the rehearsing torture chamber to find more mental-incrustating riffs...
This remains a pretty cool Ep in the style, and could please big fans of underground thrashing death à la early DEATH. Watch them evolve in the future, through the influence of morbid lust and rites of cruelty.
https://bloodoath.bandcamp.com



BLOOD SPORT (Fin) Steel system/ Agitator Demo. 2020. Digital. Self-released.
Speed kills, but who's bleeding?
Oh! What you have here is very cool old school speed metal with a strong 80's influence!
When I say "Speed", in this spiking case I'm talking about a mix of faster heavy metal style, with a dose of more rock'n roll riffs, and a portion of "pre-thrash" fast riffings (So Blood sport might take both of the early speed metal genres, if you want to be a precise old fart).
The music is warm & cool to listen to, the songs are developed in an 80's heavy atmosphere (Variations on themes, etc). This reminds me of the first ENFORCER Demo (Sweden/ When it was still a solo project), with some old MERCYFUL FATE ("Don't break the oath"), then with some early DESTRUCTION or old RAZOR in the more thrashing moments, and perhaps with something from BATHORY (Think about the "Burning leather" bonus track) for some speed metal riffs (But the spirit isn't so evil here)...
Uh, there are some GREAT technical & rock'n roll speed riffs here, it stands out and catches your rotting skull! (Notice the drumming is probably a machine, but it doesn't bother).
This demo contains two very nice songs in the old school style! This is quite promising.
At the moment I'm writing these words, these songs were also released by the band in a small quantity of tapes, but I imagine it shouldn't be too long until a label boosts the distribution... SPEED OR BLEED
https://bloodsportz.bandcamp.com


 

BLOODFIEND (Chile) Evil mass of putrid decay Demo tape. 2019. VISCERAL CIRCUITRY Recs.
VOMITING MANGLES BONES IS MY SAVIOUR!
BLOODFIEND is a Chilean black/ grind band in the vein of old toxic BLASPHEMY and early satanic vomiting BESTIAL WARLUST.
This is mostly fast stuff with a fucked up goat zombie spirit emanating from the piles of vomit.
This said some moments can be more punk and remember me the dbeat parts of old AGATHOCLES, but this is only a seldom bizarre impression since the whole is more about black death/ black grind.
During the abject listening I also happen to feel a sense of absurdity à la old ABHORER ("Zygotical sabbatory anabapt").
Perhaps the content isn't always as fast as I orgasmically expected, I would like a part of the blasts to be faster, but perhaps it brings a touch of end 80's extreme music (If you know what I urinate!)
Notice this band/ project contains at least a member of DEMONIC RAGE.
This is a cool project full of vomits and quite fukked up riffs, for fans of underground toxic dementia only.
I initially got this demo on CDr, but it was also rereleased on tape, after this review was written (I’m slow publishing the reviews Ahah)
https://visceralcircuitryrecs.bandcamp.com


 

BLOOD VENGEANCE (Ger) Promo CDr'07.
It seems this band once practiced black metal, released a demo, an Ep as well as a full-length... To finally turn its cross towards the side of Death.
What you hear is blasting Death metal à la MORBID ANGEL/ HATE ETERNAL that was compressed with enough conviction to sound kicking. The musicians have a quite good level and decent knowledge of the style, so what they built contains no disturbing element.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel much emotional on matters of atmosphere or hatred, and they lack of very-own personal ideas for my death-infested hears. But I heard worse reconvertions, for a new beginning it sounds quite kicking. Let's see how the feeling will manifest during the next recordings... If it does...
http://www.bloodvengeance.com

 

BOCC (Spa) Demo II Tape. 2022. ROMANTIC SONGS Recs.
If you like sensual music and romantic songs, this demo isn't really for you... Unless romantic means something like Neanderthal knocking his sex slave in the cavern with a cudgel, then, you could be at the right place.
BOCC is a somewhat neanderthalish band from Spain, they released a couple of other recordings but here I'm talking about their second demo. It contains old, perhaps archaic, death metal that sounds quite thick and cavernous, with some death doom influences.
In my obliterated hears, it sounds like a mix of CIANIDE, AUTOPSY, WINTER and SORROW, minus the "epic" parts Autopsy had by moments (And perhaps minus the more metallic spirit of Cianide).
This is quite cool to hear, there is some thickness in there and the content tastes quite ugly... Like a horde of dark dusty worms in the depths of a cavern... Sometimes it even reaches the territories of ooold sludge... But perhaps it's a bit too much of heavy/ thick stuff for my own sensible romantic needs. Anyway fans of doomy death metal absurdity and cavern ugliness from the underground might be interested. PILE UP THE TAPES, AS NEANDERTHAL PILED UP THE BONES.
https://bocc.bandcamp.com



BODY ASPHYXIATION SCIENCE (Uk) Gravitational blood art Tape Ep. 2022. GURGLING GORE Recs.
Tired always drinking the same beverages?
Tired always feeling the same taste in your decayed mouth?
What about replacing water by blood in your coffee? "BLOOD COFFEE!!! The best solution to keep flies and posers away from your "BIG 4" mug, especially if served cold and sugar free. GET IT NOW!! >>> Insert your credit card number and profit from this exceptional offer! It's easy... INSERT THE CREDIT CARD & MAGICAL CODE! *** BLOOD COFFEE NOW AND TONIGHT!! BLOOD COFFEE anytime of the day!!!"
As always I'm reviewing new or unknown bands, that seem too "underground" for the "mainstream underground" guys... Here I'll be talking about the first E.P. of B.A.S. that comes after a demo, a single, and a split tape.
Their style is death metal with a quite modern approach, that could be understood as an intermixture of later GORGUTS, HATE ETERNAL, MORBID ANGEL (Later) or ALTARS (Australia).
Depending on the songs, some dissonances can really be present at the level of guitars, it can taste quite acid or refreshing depending on the theme... But the music isn't SO complex or hard to swallow, you can also find a decent amount of kicking parts or blast-beat ridden moments.
The opening song really gave me an impression of “COMECON goes blastbeats” (Or even reminded me of the Czech CRUSHER (The "Untearable off colossus" album)), but B.A.S. evolves in a different world, with different feelings... Some parts almost seemed blackened at first, but then it evolves in some acid "aerial suffering", if I could say so. This Ep might be taken as an updated extreme kind of death metal (The one from 10-15 years ago, Hate eternal etc) with more dissonances...
I often find the bands in the modern/ dissonant kinds of the genre to be hard to swallow, but I found BODY ASPHYXIATION SCIENCE to be quite interesting and pleasant to listen to (Repeatedly, to write a review...). So I imagine the fans of extreme genres that sound a bit different might be interested... You don't need to put blood in your coffee to taste something different. Ah!
https://bodyasphyxiationscience.bandcamp.com


BOLLOCK SWINE (Uk) Enchanted fruity melon esculents Tape. 2018. LOFI OR DIE Recs.
PINK SATANIC BEARS AND EPYLEPTIC MANGA PANDAS.
This is noisegrind with touches of noisecore.
It reminds me when I was younger, when I was listening to grindcore & didn't understand the riffs... It's kinda the same (s)experience: Focus on the chaos created by the guitars and blasting drums. This said, I can't write BOLLOCK SWINE crosses the borders of shitnoise/ shitgrind because there are some skills in the drum playing (It's not weak noisecore with 2 weeks of drumming behind lol).
The raw abrasive side reminds me of some old ANAL CUNT stuffs, but there are no vocals here, and no traces of jokes/ humor...
This is quite raw/ abrasive stuff with traces of harshnoise or some effects on samples...
Give the manga bear a chance, and insert this tape right in his ass.
http://www.jigokuki.org/lod_tgs



BONE WEAPON (Usa) Thrive or starve Demo tape. 2023. TRANSYLVANIAN Recs.
Neanderthals fighting Neanderthals with carved bones, in this dark age of a fog.
Who will win? Most probably the stomachs! Since no piece of flesh will remain...
This demo sounds gritty, fattish and obscure. The band's music is described here & there as "death doom", which isn't wrong, but I also often feel something close to sludge (The dark one).
They sometimes sound like MORBID ANGEL (Covenant)'s slow tracks, the old album of SORROW (Usa), AUTOPSY, perhaps ASPHYX ("Embrace the death" minus the epic doom parts... This might be due in part to the production, but there's something "bestial" in common), with more sludge injected in the veins.
Most of the tempos are balancing between the slow and mid-paced, with few abruptish accelerations.... Well there's also something quite "abrupt" here since it doesn't taste like "embellished" doom.
Not sure if I would listen to "Thrive and starve" very often, but this is a quite obscure & cavernish demo.
https://www.instagram.com/boneweapondeath



BONER (Rus)/ SLAVEHAND (Rus) Split tape. 2019. PEACHSHKN Recs.
Short releases demand short reviews.
Hopefully, I'm not a porn actor trying to transform or represent noisecore songs into movies (What? MULTIPLE BLASTING MICRO PREMATURE EJACULATIONS IN A MINUTE? You should be "well-trained" for that Ah Ah...)
Well, this release is not really about noisecore, and not about porn at all: What you hear is located between grindcore, powerviolence and death grind.
The first band is BONER from Moscow, which plays Powerviolence/ Grind. They have quite short songs with some absurd/ surprise breaks here & there. This is quite "classical" PxVx stuffs with lots of blasts, some fukked up spirit, and few punk/ HC touches. I preferred them on the split with WARTHOG because the production here is not as good, but this remains decent powerviolence noisy stuff.
The second band is SLAVEHAND from "Tits Petersburg" (Aka Saint Petersburg) which plays old school grindcore meets angry death grind the old way. This reminds me of what you could find in the 90's and early 00's (But I forgot the names of these obscure demo bands... So you will have to read "famous" comparisons): Ooold NAPALM DEATH ("Mentally murdered" and a bit of "Utopia banished" sometimes), old PHOBIA (Usa/ For the 90's stuffs such as the first Eps), maybe some old DAMNABLE (Poland/ On a split CD I got in the previous century... But this would have to be verified), and perhaps a little of old EXHUMED (On the split with Hemdale, minus the gore).
Sometimes the vocalist sounds like the angry bear in your fridge, when there's nothing left to eat! ANGRY.
SLAVEHAND provides your fridge with nice obscure anger, and some nice kicking (body) parts, but there's also a bit of stagnancy sometimes… This is not original, but quite kicking stuff in the style anyway.
(Well, this review wasn't so short!)
Boner:
https://goodpowerviolence.bandcamp.com
Slavehand: https://slavehand.bandcamp.com


  

BRAIN MELTING (Fra) Demo CDr. 2010. Self-released.
Even if I shook it quite hard, there wasn't much juice to escape this CDr...
What I hear on this deep underground demo is brutal death metal reminding the first NECROPHAGIST album and some old VADER, with some riffs à la old CANNIBAL CORPSE (Tappings), touches of GORGUTS for discarding riffs, and more thrashy guitars here and there... It also reminds me a bit "Voluptuously minced" of the Turkish CENOTAPH (But I didn't hear this record since a decade, so nothing should be bet on this quote). There are quite a lot of riffs, some doesn't bother in the brutal death style while some are easy or too average.
The production is so thin: There's only one guitar, apparently no bass guitar is present, and a drum machine is used... So it doesn't sound powerful and would rather remind the personal recordings you to do to check ideas (A few free softwares can be used to record multiple instruments and get a quite better sound, for free (Or crack? No, I don't use hard drugs, except Hard rock sometimes :justonefix:)). At least the guitarist is tight and doesn't make mistakes (Even if there are quite a lot of changes).
This is a deep underground demo... Do I really need to develop the analysis and criticism? I'm not sure since the band recently split up... At least this review could be used as an announcement to their death...
http://www.myspace.com/brainmelting



BROTHER (Usa) Demo II. Tape. 2019. MA GLORY Recs.
I was bored and went on Bandcamp to discover some new old school grind bands, to perhaps review them... But now it seems many musicians insert any imaginable keywords to reach as many peoples as possible... When you type "Grindcore" you don't necessarily want to hear raw black metal, or auto-tuned technical deathcore, so you skip that "crap" very quickly!
This time, instead of grindcore, I found this hardcore band from Massachusetts which isn't bad!
This is pretty old school influenced hardcore, somewhere between the fast punk hardcore, heavier Hc, with some grindcore moments. It sounds quite straight to the point & the songs are quite short and flow well.
They have a female singer, but she doesn't suck, she sounds quite motivated and revendicative.
Great bass guitar overdrive, it sounds very much like old school grind.
This is a pretty sweet demo, I imagine they could kick fat ass live... F.A.T. A.S.S.!
https://brothernbhc.bandcamp.com


 

BRUTALITY (Usa) Ruins of humans Demo. 2013. Self-released.
Oooh yes... After problems that occured at various levels and seemed to really block  the band when their previously reformed in 2003, BRUTALITY seem to be back for good!
What we have here is a two songs digital Ep that contains cool music to embalm the decrepited hears of Brutality fans.
I would say these compositions doesn't sound closer to a BRUTALITY album in particular, it reminds in more or less equal portions of their 3 full-lengths: You can hear heavy riffs, epic guitars, beautiful melodic leads, deep and powerful vocals, double kicks, or some faster parts to energize the corpse from here and there... It generally contains what you would expect from a recording of theirs (This said, there might not be as many blast and fast parts as "Screams of anguish", and sometimes the content might take a little more of an "adult/ progressive" approach (In the state of mind, not the structural complexity), so peoples who need something quite frenetic could remain in hunger).
On a level of quality, I would say these two songs could be situated in the average of  "When the sky turns black" and "In mourning", it has very cool moments and nicely embalming riffs but doesn't top the average level of "Screams of anguish", if you understand what I'm trying to mean :-) It's just an analysis, there's enough to please the Brutality fans and they wouldn't need to force themselves to be pleased (Ah!). The only negative point I would quote, if I would be to be picky, would be that some riffs are repeated a bit too much for my tastes... But for a comeback demo I heard real worse.
The production is heavy and quite natural, nothing triggered or plastic-injected: This is good to get in the atmosphere and see the colours of the songs.
An interesting point lies in the fact the current line up is almost the same than on "Screams of anguish", so we could dream about the magical effects of a sinergy that could lead to new realms of creativity :)
I didn't know what to expect since their demo from 2003 wasn't particularly enthusiasming, but these 2 new songs are very cool and let me imagine their forthcoming album won't be a metallic disappointement. Now cross fingers,  and pray for the burning creativity shall rise!  
http://www.brutalitytheband.com 


  

BUKKAKE VIOLENCE COMMANDO (Ita)/ FETISH (Ita) Split tape'07. GRIND BLOCK. Recs.
B.V.C. plays usual noisecore/ grindnoise. There are many short songs (30 according to the title). In the style it sounds ok, but I heard more intense and/ or surprising. Some low pitched growls are quite cool. It might entertain big fans of the style, but BUKKAKE VIOLENCE COMMANDO needs more intensity to kick the ass of seldom listeners.
FETISH plays techno gore, and it sucks: Boring superficial "Boom boom" beats with under the average gore vocals, and some movie sample interludes. It's probably nothing more than another 1-hour-lasting subproject that would find it's right home on myspace! (Why bother releasing that crap on tape?). I don't give a fuck about such "funny" crap! Avoid at all costs... Or consciously sodomize yourself!
http://www.myspace.com/grindblockrecords

  

 

BURIAL CURSE (Usa) Untitled Demo tape. 2012. VERMIS MYSTERRIS Recs.
Even thought I didn't register at the local goat milk brewery, I still receive black metal promos from time to time...
Hopefully for me, the demo of this young band isn't pure Bm, as it contains some old Death metal influences, as the sound isn't particularly high-pitched, and about 66,6 % of the vocals aren't screams.
The listening leads me back to 90's black death. You could think about a mix between old ARCHGOAT, BESTIAL WARLUST in a less bestial manner, with some old INCANTATION and some regular black metal.
I happen to feel some slow sludge moments aren't far from old SADISTIK EXEKUTION ("We're Death..."... But the content is not fukked), while some seldom touches of the first IMPALED NAZARENE record could be heard (Rather in the attitude or vocal gimmicks?) and few simple riffs could remind of VON.
A part of the vocals are deeper death metal voices, some are a bit more bestial and echoed, a few are quite "smoke" and detached from reality.
Now don't blame my rotting consciousness if my old black/ death descriptions aren't precise or putridly adequate, this genre isn't the kind of old metal I listened to the most.
At least I can say there's a will to develop some kind of occult atmosphere (Sometimes it works quite well, sometimes I find it less sulfuring).
To be more critical, I must add some riffs are too simple and would need a little more of development...  The structures of the songs help (Riffs aren't repeated too often and changes occur quite often), but some riffs remain a bit too simple. I was a bit bored when the music turned too much into regular black metal, but it remains tolerable.
I wouldn't be totally surprised if BURIAL CURSE was re-released one day on a label like Sepulchral voice (And sold to you for cult prices, thanks to the last necro selling points).
This is a classical recording with some elements to improve and some mistakes to diminish, but it's also not badly felt and it contains some atmosphere here and there. Not bad for a first demo.
http://www.myspace.com/burialcurse



 

BURIED (Hol) Into the Tombs Demo CDr. 2011. Self-released.
The words "In worms I lay" might fit the music of this band. This demo composed of two songs (And an intro) is in the regular old school Death metal style.
The first song is close to OBITUARY (Rather "The end complete" era).
It's mostly mid-paced, with no accelerations, with some simple tremolo guitars or heavier riffs. Nothing particular, but fans of old Obituary might find it nice to rest in worms. The quite gromph vocals make it a little closer to early Six Feet Under.
The second song is based for most on a blasting pattern reminding of the first BAPHOMET album (Or is it some NAPALM DEATH "Harmony corruption"?), with a mid-paced part here, a doomy riff there and a quite amateurish guitar close to the end. Was it really recorded in 2011?
According to Methane-archives.com the band is composed of two musicians, so it could be something like a sub-project.
Their music is usual old school death stuff, this sounds like a demo, and drums could be improved by moments, but it's listenable and those who like the bands quoted before might not be displeased if they like underground demos. Conclusion: BURIED needs to find the tip to make the worms dance (A morbid way).
http://www.myspace.com/buried-metal



 
 

BURN VICTIM (Can) Pinto Demo 2014. Self-released.
Modern pyramid necro.
I collect the corpses that were mummified in cement.
I pile them up in the undergrounds,
and make pathways of cemented death.
--------------------------------------------------
5 songs in almost 3 minutes.
This is grindcore/ powerviolence mixed with hardcore (Fast and slower).
There's no modern, technical/ weirdo influence.
The blasting parts are quite energetic, kinda like a grey brick in your morning cereals.
The production is quite abrasive, kinda rasp like perpaings.
But the blast parts aren't SO numerous... I'm listening to Grind/ PV mostly for blasts, so there aren't enough for me.
To conclude, we can say the flesh of the victim is burnt because the music sounds abrasive and quite screamy, but next time I hope they will burn the corpse to the bones.
++++++++++++++++++++++
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++++++++++++++++++++++
https://burnvictummmmm.bandcamp.com


 
 

BY THE PATIENT (Denmark) Catenation of adversity Demo CD'09.
Beware filthy reader, for the 5 coming minutes this webzine will change it's name to BY THE PROMO! Ah Ah! Yes, I received a not totally well targeted promo CD, but I'm in a very nice mood so I'll try to decently write a review...  
It's often the same with these new bands who play modern brutal death/ death core/ extreme metal (Call it as you wish, I'm not sure), I globally can listen to their music but don't really get into what escapes the speakers...
Hopefully for my macerating tastes, their music isn't too core, too headbreakingly complex or too gay... Globally I can say it sounds like quite modern brutal death metal, with touches of melodies and dissonant or heavier core stuffs from here and there... It's often fast or blasting, with few heavier riffs and quite a lot of guitar or tempo changes. Some moments seem to work quite well on an impact/ brutal point of view. The production is good powerful and clear at the same time.
On a matter of influences, I hear something like old and "new" SKINLESS, CANNIBAL CORPSE, ORIGIN, a little of DEVOURMENT, ZUBROWSKA, some technical Hc à la NOSTROMO and few touches of heavier distress à la ANANDA, plus little zests of thrashy melodic swedish death... But I guess all these names are a bit too old styled to be make adequate quotes...
What else could I say? I'm not informed about the what's-good-and-what's-not of this musical spectrum, but BY THE PATIENT seems to be a decent band with correct skills, maybe a bit too clear/ scholar on some borders, but perhaps big fans of the style would get into it?
I guess I won't soulfully get into their music until they go more putrid and change their name for BY THE DIPHTERIA, AS WE MACERATE or AS WE CATAPULT THE GORE IN HEAVEN, but putridity doesn't seem to be their goal...
http://www.myspace.com/weirdoldeddie

 

 

 

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