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DAWN OF MAN (Can)/ INSECT CORPSE (Can) Split tape. 2022. THE BUTCHER SHED Recs.
You like to vomit?
You enjoy vomiting in the cavern?
You really enjoy voluptuously vomiting in the cavern while painting obscure animals on the cold walls?
Then this cassette might suit your regurgitating pleasures.

The first band, DAWN OF MAN, plays obscure underground death metal in a spirit close to the 90's or some obscure (unmodern) early 00's demos. There's a taste of ooold IMMOLATION and perhaps BEYOND FEAR (Uk), in a not so technical manner though, then comes in more doom & heaviness, you might think about SORROW (The 90's band). There's also a little fukked touch that might remember a bit of INFESTER (Usa), or perhaps very early SAD EX. Some parts have a little (old) sludge feel, even if it's not really the same kind of riffing, and some ooold BRUJERA demo tracks also came to mind for some reason ("Vibrating" frequencies? ahah).
This is not the most perfect recording, somewhere it's closer to 90's rehearsals than the current Eps you might be used to, it has a somewhat "live" feel, but it's not a problem for my hears: I enjoy the atmosphere and the style they choose. Quite cool stuff for fans of obscure underground death metal!

The second band INSECT CORPSE is different, much more located in the doomy world, even if they keep a quite strong underground flair.
To be a bit more precise, the music sounds like some kind of suffocating doom death with quite tortured screamed vocals. This is quite slow, sinister, and somewhat heavy on the belly. I wouldn't say the content is really repetitive, but I guess they like to "insist" on some quite doomy riffs. This band isn't bad, but to be quite regurgitatingly honest, I preferred DAWN OF MAN.

This tape sounds like a cool release, at the condition you dig metal with an underground attitude, and recorded without filters/ digital manipulation/ aural surgery... This is somewhat the way the bands sound in their rehearsal rooms, but with a quite cool sound recording (As opposed to the 80's/ 90's boombox captures which often ended quite shitty and all distorted...). https://thebutchershedrecords.bandcamp.com

DE-NIHIL (Jap)/ DISCRETE CORPORALITY (Jap) Split tape. 2006. Self-released.
DE-NIHIL is the “new” project of a guy who used to play in NYARLATHOTEP and DEATHCHURCH.
The musical content provides strange Death metal, meets death "grind", with a little touch of doom.
Sometimes it could remind of very early SANITYS DAWN ("Cryptic menu") yet without blast-beats. There's something bizarre in the rendering that could remind of goregrind, but musically it could be closer to some old Finnish "technical" jazz-influenced death metal… If you see what I’m trying to mean (Yes, it’s not particularly clear, but it’s bizarre huhu)
The listening (s)experience is not bad, this kind of (s)experimental stuff can be quite entertaining, but it lacks of fast parts & blasts for my hears. Perhaps it will vibrate the bizarre nerve of some crazy decomposers.

DISCRETE CORPORALITY plays some kind of "cyber goregrind", musically not so far from old CATASEXUAL URGE MOTIVATION, but in a not so sickened/ crazy manner, and there are real pieces of doom in the yogurt.
I could even say most of the music sounds closer to doom, or slow doomy parts (Sometimes with a little of stoner or industrial flavor... Find enclosed a couple of names: SORROW, early PITCH SHIFTER (Mostly for the drum-machine) and perhaps WINTER), with more seldom and sudden ultra-fast accelerations... To make sure I'm clear, 3/4 of the music is rather doomy/ heavy.
The listening (s)experience is not bad, it spews to my face the band might even have found the first fruits of a personal style, but I find the music a bit too rigid/ lacking of something (For my humble decrepited tastes) and apparently Discrete Corporality aren’t active anymore.

DEADENING (Usa) Of perverse subversion Demo tape'07.
This isn't the next perfect sterile plastic-worship recording, but it reminds me of a time when it was cooler to receive promo demos... To sum it up brutally, this is a mix of old styled Death metal with influences of old crustcore and touches of Grindcore. You get plenty of tchoopa tchoopa beats. Concerning the Death metal, one could quote early AUTOPSY (Not for the doomy, but the faster... And this isn't the same atmosphere), GOAT THROTTLER or VOMITORY ("Raped in their own blood"). Grindcore-wize you get some ATROCITY (Usa) or eventually REPULSION... But, and there might be a big Butt covered with tons of rancid-butter and trying to hide your crooked smeller, don't forget crustcore also takes a quite strong place in there: While some peoples could hear some early MASTER or eventually early ENTOMBED for the crusty Death, I hear strong influences of DISRUPT (Unrest), it's really close by moments.
I'm not too fond of the leads, for some reasons it sounds strange, maybe due to some chorus effect.
The (spiked?) point that waters down the listening the most are those black metal screams... It would sound so much better with real Death metal growls or some deep pitched early EXHUMED! (Well, you could turn your mind on some DR SHRINKER or eventually early NECROPHAGIA to easily accept the screams, but I need it deep and REAL :-P... And who needs the singer of THOR'S HAMMER to pollute our putrid death? Who? Who apart from some boring black metallers?).
It's conclusion time: For a solo project, it's a quite cool demo. I appreciate the influences, rhythmic approach and there's no mule-shit riff that doesn't fit the style.
Now the sound is a bit too blur sometimes, and there's nothing original at all... But for a first demo, I heard less rottenable recordings... And I think the underground termits who hide in the most crass-filled dusts will agree with me... Hmmm... Trying to use the services of other musicians who dig crusty Death might help this project to become more kicking and to sharpen its crustcore edge...
http://www.myspace.com/deadening666

DEADSPEAK (Pol) Mad cults Demo CDr'08
How could the goats have landed when it hasn't taken off yet? You stupid nanny-goat cunt!
This time we travel through regular mail (It's most probably the safest way since I rarely see postmen crushing on towers and things like that... Ok I might be a bit too big for that, but well...) and we go in Poland to hear more Death metal... This promo was sent by a fanzine editor who uses a pen to write, wait it's not surprising it's Poland! Ah!
DEADSPEAK plays old Death thrash metal with a technical side, the whole influenced by early MORBID ANGEL, POSSESSED, with some old YATTERING (First album) and maybe some old AGRESSOR (Fra), hints of old thrash metal (Few riffings à la early SLAYER?) or possibly EXHUMATOR (Might be due to the sound). When they get into more technical guitars or drums (It's a beat-machine) they remind me of an old demo the French band THALIDOMIDE did when they were into techno death/ thrash... The Us band TERMINAL DESCENT also came to my mind.
Coming back to the MORBID ANGEL influence, it would rather sound like "Abominations of desolation" than "Altars of madness" because the recording makes them sound like an old demo. The biggest problem might be the recording: Vocals are very much in the front, while guitars sound too much in the back or too thin... And some leads appear from nowhere in the middle and "over" everything... It's not particularly badly played, and they even get quite seriously fast or complex by moments, but they could be a bit more tight sometimes, and I feel like some testosterone urges lead them to a little too chaotic playing (Well THRONEUM fans could dig it).
If I pay a closer, more focused hear, I can say DEADSPEAK doesn't have bad technical skills and could make something cooler, with better production and a satanic lifting (Keep only the best of the best). "Mad cults" sounds like an average underground demo, but their case isn't desperate, no.
Email: Zsmag@op.pl

DEAD ENEMY (Bra) Knowing the enemy Demo tape. 2020. DRINKIN' BEER IN BANDANA Recs.
I think milk, water or alcohol-free beers won't be welcome here!
What you get is what you deserve: Quite brutal thrash/ crossover the old way.
The seven songs of this Ep remind me of old NUCLEAR ASSAULT, mixed with some old brutal US thrash (Not the semi melodic/ heavy metal influenced stuffs... They are closer to DARK ANGEL), and perhaps moments of the first RIGOR MORTIS LP (Usa).
This is quite kicking music, with a quite powerful sound, and some hardcore/ crossover shouting vocals here & there.
Nothing new, or thrilling like an ice-cream in the middle of a heatwave, but this is quite invigorating metal with enough bottom kicking to keep you alive.
Now you lost, the game is over, you didn't survive, you're out of order, and no one will be there to handle you with care!
https://deadenemy.bandcamp.com

DEAD MEAT (Can) Demo 2022. Digital. Self-released.
We are all someone's piece of meat.
This part of DEAD MEAT is a new grind band from Alberta/ Canada, and they come up with this first demo of blasting underground filth.
Located between grindcore and 90's underground death grind from the demo days, it blasts as fuck!
Short songs and tight drumming, this is the cold meat you get served.
Somewhere, I feel there's almost something like very early brutal death, but that might be due to the fact I don't understand the riffs too well (It doesn't matter, I get the putrid underground vibrations in replacement!)
Musickally, it sounds like a meatgrinded mix of early ALIENATION MENTAL (Mostly the drums), INOPEXIA (Russia), SUFFICIDE (Fra) for the absurdity, very early DESECRATOR (Fra), perhaps early THE KILL (Australia) or some antediluvian SUBLIME CADAVERIC DECOMPOSITION (Demos)... But DEAD MEAT globally comes with more grind influences than the last paragraph might depict.
This is for underground freaks only, so don't expect easy listening Kentucky Fried Catchiness, or digital transvestite blasting skate punk! I dig the fact they didn't choose a clear (Or maybe usual "HM-2" production) so this demo sounds more absurd and underground!
Quite "bizarre" and blasting stuff... Hailz the subterranean filth!
https://deadmeatgrind.bandcamp.com

DEATH VOMIT (Chile) ...Pyre!!! MCD. 2018. MUSHANTUFE Recs.
This Chilean band is addicted to pure ugliness and sickness. What they use to destruct their instruments is a sick mixture of bestial black death, old school death metal, and tortuous evil DM riffs.
By moments this traumatized concoction really sounds like old SADISTIK EXEKUTION ("We're death... Fukk you!", an album recorded before the Aussie schizos went all brutal and blastbeating, it's important to notice: Quite different style and sweating) for the hellish atmosphere coming with crazy screams, insane guitars, cavernous production... (During the doomier parts, the Chilean guys also sound sick and remind me of the same SAD-EX album).
When they reach the borders of old school death they sound closer to the old GRAVE demos (Or a little of AUTOPSY for the putridity). In faster satanic death parts I also thought about FALLEN CHRIST or old THRONEUM.
There is some sickness & intensity there, but I would say these 3 songs (+intro and outro) are destined to fans of cavernous filth only. DEATH VOMIT furnishes the kind of sick sounds that owns more morbid resonance under a high influence of alcohol abuse... So, insert your destructed-hears in the sarcastic headphones with zero water in the blood! ILL WATER NEGLECT! SATANIC METAL ALCOHOLATRY!
https://deathvomit.bandcamp.com

DEATHCULT (Usa) Demo CDr. 2011.
"Cumming summer 2012 on Razorback recordings, debut album by Chicago's Death cult: The test of time".
This sentence lets me wonder if it's really needed to review their demo on a website focused on deep underground, because they might leave the world of hand-made obscurity quite soon... Anyway it was quite easy for me to gather words and ideas about this two songs recording, so here we go.
Listening to this band for the first time you can feel some mid old OBITUARY riffing similarities (Both "The end complete" and "Back from the dead", even if the second one is rather due to a quite comfortable hot production), but it also contains other influences to sound more «Metal» and along the lines of PENTACLE or what I remember of CIANIDE (To make my description simple). The more old school nature of some guitars lets me wonder if they weren’t rather interested in the first CELTIC FROST records, than the OBITUARY ones quoted before. Most of the guitars composing the second song would enable this idea as the content, mostly located between black and thrash metal, remembers me of old PENTACLE and a bit of old DESASTER (Ger), in a way that doesn’t sound morbid but closer to some kind of metallic enthusiasm, an old school way.
Vocals are not deep or morbid, it's something like high-pitched, screeched but controlled and not raw.
There’s nothing to push you into a decapitated headbanging, or make you vomit your toxic beer again and again, the goal of the band doesn't seem to be violent or intense but to write old school songs. Instead of calling it «Death metal» as their label does, I feel like a closest description could be «A mixture of old school metal, between Death metal, black metal and thrash, in a quite mid-paced manner».
The content of this demo is quite cool. Some peoples could enjoy the quite "relaxed" old school rendering of the whole, or the way songs are composed, in a spirit quite close to IRON PEGASUS records from few years ago.
http://www.reverbnation.com/deathcultchicago

DEATHHAMMER (Nor) Wrath of the antichrist Demo'07.
In 2006, this very young band released a first demo that wasn't very successful: Old styled trash metal that suffered from various problems such as too predictable/ familiar riffs, lack of energy and too generic playing... and it sounded flat.
Now they're back with a third demo, and it's better. It remains old styled thrash metal, rather the German way. It's more energetic and has a bit more impact, the riffs aren't as sucky, the drum playing is cooler (It sounds more alive) and listening turns out to be nice ;-) Now they should improve the leads as well as to focus a bit tighter playing.
A punk aspect, as well as the vocals and the enthusiasm of youth reminds me of early KREATOR ("Endless pain"). They also could remind of FARSCAPE in a way.
Well it remains "usual" riffs (It's thrash metal after all) and deep underground stuffs that should rather please the biggest fans, but the songs are better done and the two guys show more enthusiasm. So we should hope they'll keep on improving this way.
http://home.no/deathhammer

DEATHCHAMBER (Swe) His will be done Demo CDr. 2011. Self-released.
At the first online approach I found the music of this band to be quite heavily brutal, in a way close to CANNIBAL CORPSE on "Vile", but unfortunately for my personal grizzly bear an introduction with sexy imaginary song titles such as "Deflorated on a meathook" won't be possible, because DEATHCHAMBER's music has more to do with MORBID ANGEL. This is quite motivated and relentless Death metal, the stronger influence probably being Trey Azagtoth’s mystical machine on "Domination", It uses the same kind of blasting patterns, dominating riffs over double bass kicks (And sometimes tremolo picking polyphonies), but the atmosphere isn't the same... It's less majestic and "enjewelled", or should I say it's less based on the atmosphere?
There's a more "testosterone" influence, for this reason I think about MALEVOLENT CREATION (Rather the "Eternal" epoch) or maybe SUFFOCATION on "Despise the sun" (When they sounded less typically as Suffocation but more blast-ridden).
From here and there one could also hear some HATE ETERNAL (First and second album), some DEICIDE, early CENTURIAN or some VITAL REMAINS (The riffing is obviously not all Azagtothish)... But their music isn't sooo evil, it has a quite professional and "brutal" approach that could remind American (But not too US Brutal death) bands from few years ago (See the Malevolent Creation quote few lines before)... For this reason I could underline gimmicks of the "Vile" CANNIBAL CORPSE record: It can be found at the level of some structuring tips, some rigidity and some "chuga chuga" fast Death metal parts.
From here and there some quite well placed keyboards appear: Sometimes it consists of choirs and reminds me of the first black metal records, sometimes it's closer to the "Forever underground" record of VITAL REMAINS.
This sounds quite intense, all tight and correctly packaged to kick your bottom, but it's also not too original, and they repeat some riffs maybe a little too much to really awake the slime... If they are able to reproduce the same music live, DEATHCHAMBER should be a quite kicking affair (But a little something of intensity lacks to really convince the brutalized juice from my centrifuged skull). Anyway, listener, keep your hearing prosthesis plugged in!
http://www.myspace.com/deathchamberswe

DEATHRONATION (Ger) A soil forsaken Demo CDr'06.
Some underground moments are quite amusing. For example, some bands claim to be sooo original and to have found their own "style" when the listeners don't know what to compare their music to... But more than half ot the time it's due to the fact their riffs are so familiar and were already abused by a thousand juicy goats, so you do not really know which animal vagina to quote for a blasphemous comparison!
I have nothing personal against DEATHRONATION (I don't know them) and I don't think they'd claim to be the new gods of originality (They'd be too old school and underground for that), but a couple of listenings didn't really help me to choose an exactly juicy goat, or another.
The music is balanced between quite basic old styled Death metal (Somewhere between early DEATH, early MORGOTH, with some old ASPHYX, and a spit of very early PARADISE LOST) and South American/ East Asian vomiting assaults of blasting bestial necroblasts.
There's a nice atmosphere of once I kinda like, but most of the time this is just the usual riffs that would make it hard to distinguish their demo from other atrocities I already own... And the fast parts aren't the most right in your face... So perseverance and work are needed.
http://www.deathronation.de

DEBONED (Can) Deboned Demo CDr. 2013. HUMAN DISGRACE Recs.
You tattooed your bones, to leave a message to your inheritors.
I need to steal and erase this precious message.
Shredding your skin.
Tearing your flesh.
Mangling your muscles.
Stealing your bones.
DEBONED. DEBONED. DEBONED.

Here's the first demo of a young Canadian grind band. The production is quite raw (Quite abrasive guitars), with an equal portion of blats and dbeats.
This is quite "simple" stuff without too much complications, if you dig grindcore the way it was perhaps you'll dig it without bones.
It sometimes sounds a bit like REPULSION, but the feeling is different, there's fewer terror and the atmosphere is not really "hot". I think they are not unlike ATROCITY (Us), and they have probably listened to early (punkish) NAPALM DEATH.
There's a slower, more mid-paced, song in the middle that kinda bores me. I'm not a punk guy.
This is a decent first demo, I would have enjoyed more explosions of stress, but I'm already dead and boneless.
Grind your bones, and sniff it in lines of cadaveric powder.
http://deboned.bandcamp.com
https://youtu.be/wv90N0KKuz0

DECEPTOR (Uk) Bound to the oath Demo CDr’07.
When I received this demo, my first approach wasn't too impressed and I thought these English metallers were just another retro thrash band sounding like the others... But a few months later, I tried it again with more attention and noticed DECEPTOR isn't so bad. Yes, it's mostly retro thrash following the quite usual patterns of the kind, but the band injects a bit more personal gimmicks and nice atmospheres, in the not too repetitive songs; which makes the listening pleasant.
I stopped enhancing the size of my thrash metal knowledge a good couple of years ago (It even tends to decrease) but I could say this band reminds of SLAYER ("Hell awaits"), with a bumper of KREATOR/ DESTRUCTION/ DARKNESS (Ooold), but also INFERNAL MAJESTY ("None shall defy"… For little more «technical» touches) or early MASTER (Especially on the third song) with maybe some D.B.C (But it's too old for me to be certain)... With something like NUCLEAR ASSAULT in the state of mind? (It might be, at least I didn’t find something closer to define the attitude or «street» aspect). Sometimes it's even a little bit too heavy/ powerful for thrash metal and could be seen as very early Death metal on a matter of style or production.  
From time to time, the band uses to be slower (Especially on one song) and embraces a more heavy metal spectrum. Not my fave part of their style, and could be a little improved sometimes, but it's a nice addition to the whole (Think about METALLICA between the 2nd and 3rd Lp or a little of early IRON MAIDEN).
The production is quite round and okey. The vocals are sometimes quite great sounding, sometimes a bit average, but it's one of the things that gives some underground charm to the whole, it's not ultra perfect or ultra manipulated or ambitious, it's just what it is :)
DECEPTOR isn't an over the top headpunching nuclear asshole, but they're quite cool to listen as they develop a quite cool old school charm. Their music might please underground metallers who don't like when thrash is too raw, too screamy or too thin...
http://www.myspace.com/deceptormetal

DEEPTHROAT TRACHEOTOMY (Fra) Demo CDr. 2009.
Deep throat? Hmmm, this might sound interesting for some peoples, especially this big pervert who joins 5 more porno groups on myspace everyday... (Maybe he added Nihilistic holocaust as it sounded like a sexual torture group? A radical anti-penis clerical order?). But his first approach might be quite sharp since no sexy babe is hiding behind these songs and the technically brutal style might sever anything becoming too hard in the underwears (So you’d better don’t move... Not even a little).
The music of this French band sounds somewhere between technical death and brutal death metal, but the genre isn't the most brutal as I would globally speak about technical death with blasts, a portion of blasting death, and quite many riffs or tempo changes.
They quite often remind me what GOROD were doing few years ago (When they were sill named GORGASM), you could also think about old PSYCROPTIC, touches of (Older) SEVERE TORTURE, some SPAWN OF POSSESSESSION, some DEATH (Rather "Symbolic"), some ILLOGICIST... It might not be the more adequate description, but you could make a decent idea..
The production probably lacks of plastic and brightness for the genre... It surely does since it's a demo recording that wasn't especially produced, but at least you can hear what happens (Personally I'd prefer it to be heavier, but technical brutality doesn't follow my needs since a few years).
After a while I find this demo to become quite boring, I have the feeling the nicest riffs were in the first tracks and the music becomes more usual...
This is technically alright stuff, and some riffs from here and there sound nice, but it still needs some work around catchiness and (possible) diversity. Maybe DTT will have the needed ideas and inspiration to caress the hears of technical fans in the future, so try it again later maybe, Sam.
http://www.myspace.com/ilovedeepthroattracheotomy

DEFECTIVE CHAIN (Usa) Demo 2022. Digital. Self-released.
If the band names SACRAMENTUM or SEXCREMENT pop up in your mind while seeing the name of the town SACRAMENTO, perhaps you're not reading the right review...
Well Sacramento is their town of origin and the style is closer to punk than metal.
This demo contains pretty sweet old school punk hardcore in the style of what you heard in the 80's. It comes with a lot of fast HC parts, sometimes not so far from early crustcore (But the beat and guitar "swing" are different), then some heavier moments the old school way appear to make you raise your fist.
The vocals can sound quite federative sometimes. Some thrashing guitars kinda remind me of NUCLEAR ASSAULT (The band... Not what might explode in Russia/ Ukraine...).
At the end of the demo (Approximately) the band turns out a little more "rock'n roll" and luminous (Like some old VOÏVOD perhaps??).
Nothing new here, but this is a quite fresh sounding demo.
If you pile up old school punk HC demo tapes, as some guys pile up bottles of energy drinks, then you could dig this cassette and feel the refreshing of old "fast" core.
REFRESH THE DEMON.
https://defectivechain.bandcamp.com

DEMONIC RAGE (Chile) Promo 2009. CDr.
Stagnation is fucking boring, it sounds like a flat absence of erection and super powers... When nothing happens, you can only drown in the sterile shit...
But hopefully some bands improve, like the Chilean morbid cocktail shakers of DEMONIC RAGE!
I know some of their previous demos which weren't bad in the style, but this time with this 2 songs promo they inject more burning feeling and heaviness in their death black metal! This is hotter, more bestial and cumvincing... It sounds like ABHORER on viagra! In the future hope they will keep on opening the legs of your girlfriend the same bestial way.
Oh... This was a too short review? I got a premature ejaculation...

DEMORED (Ger) Absolution through dissolution MCD. 2016. NECKBREAKER Recs.
Trapped and tied down in the inner tunnels of an ancient crypt.
Suffering for ancient beliefs that were forgotten years ago.
The masters of torture have deceased, and no one knows about the existence of this cave.
Suffering and bound to silence and oblivion.

This is the second MCD of a German band called DEMORED that plays a rather traditional Death metal. Their music is clearly rooted in the 90's European style, but it's not absolutely old school since a bit more "modern" influences came in the spectrum.
To speak about the most old school approach, you can hear quite a lot of heaviness and double-kick moments that can evoke old GRAVE, old FLESHCRAWL, a bit of ASPHYX, some accelerations take a more Swedish approach à la DISMEMBER, while some mysterious moments can sound like old ENTOMBED (90's). (Perhaps there are a couple of more melodic or black metal influences, but it's minor elements.)
To speak about the more "modern" approach, the blasting parts give a kind of impact that tastes like FLESHTIZED... But DEMORED doesn't have a brutal death approach, so perhaps I should better quote old NOMINON (From end 90's, when they were more into blastbeats) for this comparison.
I can't help thinking about the GRAVE's comeback album from the beginning 00's ("Back from the grave") both for the tendencies to play it heavy and the quite powerful sound.
I also feel some Death metal parts taste like the harder moments of EDGE OF SANITY (On "Purgatory" or "Crimson").
Even if the whole is cool, there are a few things that I like less: I find a couple of slower moments to be a bit boring (It sounds like old Benediction), hopefully these are seldom. Then a part of the blast parts don't add power in my opinion. And the track at the end sounds less inspired on a matter of riffs.
There's nothing new here, but the music can be quite ferocious and catchy, it's quite well packed, and the tendency of the band to embrace quite heavier tempos (and the little more melodic touches) give it more particularity than the current usual OSDM.
This is a quite solid recording that could please fans of old GRAVE, old FLESHCRAWL, or the harder moments of EDGE OF SANITY.
Web page: https://www.facebook.com/demoredmetal

DEPRAVITY (Autralia) Reign of the depraved Demo. 2016. Self-released.
This new Australian band comes with a first recording that doesn't seem like it was recorded by beginners. This is NILE/ MORBID ANGEL/ BEHEMOTH influenced Death metal, with a quite majestic approach, and just enough of skills not to plunge the skull in boredom.
Quite nice to hear a new Death metal band that didn't choose to play it ultra brutal, ultra technical, or ultra old school... I would say the whole is mostly the kind of DM you heard more often between 2005 and 2010, when the technical and brutal sides of music used to add more catchiness than it destroyed the songs.
There are some atmospheric touches (The great opening of first song) or some blackened riffs (Which might be a little to BM for me).
Those who listen closer might also hear some newer CANNIBAL CORPSE riffings, or some crazier technical riffs à la early/ old PSYCROPTIC (Something reminds me of BRUTALITY, but it might be a too subjective impression).
The playing and production are quite neat. There's nothing particularly bad to say about the music... Except that I wasn't really hooked by the cross of depravation. But there's enough to please fans of the style. INSERT MORBID COIN IN THE DEPRAVED SLOT.
https://depravityaustralia.bandcamp.com

DEPRESSOR (Usa) Collection CDr.
This cool (partial) discography CDr contains DEPRESSOR recordings that were release between 1995 and 1999.
The songs from the 95 and 97 cassettes are really cool; expect industrial metal à la early GODFLESH ("Streetcleaner"), with some early PITCH SHIFTER and a thrashy edge. It's really close to old GODFLESH, both for the mechanic guitars and drum machine, vocals and global approach, even though it's not as intense or chaotic.
The production has a nice abrasive edge, and the drum-machine has the right sound. There are also few touches that could sound like some VOÏVOD or few very early FEAR FACTORY. It's not bad at all, some moments could even be said as "Killer", and fans of the early J. Broadrick's recordings could surely find some pleasure in there! Some visions and atmospheres of chaos and desolation are there.
On the other hand, I'm less enthusiastic concerning the following songs that were released on Eps for most. Over all, it's faster and has a bigger "Hardcore" approach (Some sludge, hardcore thrash, some crust, a bit of mid-placed CELTIC FROST/ HELLHAMMER, and other "HC" influenced stuffs I don't know well). The GODFLESH influence still can be felt, but in smaller quantities. And the band used the services of a real drummer, so a part of the mechanic industrial side was lost. I can find some qualities in these songs, but I'm really less interested coz in these DEPRESSOR would rather sound like a quite raw underground hardcorish band.
I regret the fact they didn't keep the style of their first recordings, because then they shew more apocalyptic ideas and quite big things could have been possible... But this is how life goes on, and the flesh of god knows how much it's not easy.
http://www.karaterex.com/depressor

DEVOID OF THOUGHT (Ita) Cosmic apoptosis Demo tape. 2019. CALIGARI Recs.
SUSPENDED ANIMATION.
INTO HERMETIC OBSCURITY,
COMES THE BARBEWIRED TRANSCENDANCE.
This Italian band plays a kind of death metal that can sound strange...
To sum up the three songs enclosed in this cassette, I could describe the content as: Quite obscure and "experimental" death metal from the cavern, with dissonances and a blackened touch.
The strange structures and quite abnormal twists can have a taste of the Australian ALTARS ("Paramnesia"), early ATROCITY ("Hallucinations", and this first album only), very early SKELETON OF GOD (But in a less "brutal" spectrum), while there's a taste for dissonances that might lead them closer to some black metal, or perhaps old KHANATE (Even if this is another musical world).
Well, the first part of this review might let you wonder if the content sounds super weird, or not, but it's not really the case: The music still contains a good amount of more regular death metal parts in the fast way, blast beats, and black metal influences (Some riffs really sound blackened)... If you want a few more name-droppings, I also thought about some OLD FUNERAL or later GROTESQUE (But less thrashing) in the more "regular" death metal parts, even if these two names might sound a bit too old school in comparison...
Perhaps the production is a bit too raw (Or rasp?) for this kind of more "technical" sound?
Well, I'm not really emotionally shaken by this musick, but what the tape provides isn't uninteresting listenings... Sometimes it's a bit like if mid old BRUTAL TRUTH explored a more obscure world with more "necro" death metal roots.
This second drop of toxic semen might develop into something more wicked and mentally broken with the accumulation of time, dust, and suffering... So, stay locked in the glass coffin of suspended animations.
https://devoidofthought.bandcamp.com

DIABOLICAL DEMON DIRECTOR (Australia) The demon chamber MCD. 2009. GRAVEYARD SHIFT Recs.
Someone put a dildo in my mailbox, and strangely enough it was still wet.
Surprised, I tried to smell the item of shocking back-and-forth, it had an odor of sulfur.
Intrigued, I tried to insert this tool of beloved zigzags in my imaginary vagina (In my dreams I'm a giant oozing vagina with small wings... Interested? Call 69-666-69 between 3 and 5 AM), but it didn't work... So what should I do? Maybe call the demons? The diabolical demon director?
This recording I'm in front of was professionally pressed as a MCD, but the production sounds like an old recording from the end 80's, I wouldn't say rehearsal but something between the 4 and 8 track-recording. The music is close to old Germanic thrash, and the old German puking force I'd find the closer could be SODOM ("In the sign of evil"/ "Possessed by cruelty") for the vocals full of echo that give an early evil metal touch, the quite raw approach, and some sudden stops on slow chords; It sounds less "punk" though, and it's not the only element, maybe 50% only. I think some peoples might also hear some VIOLENT FORCE, TORMENTOR (Pre-KREATOR) or DESTRUCTION's early demos, but it's a bit too old for me to certify the comparison on my left ball (The right one was already lost with a risky bestial metal review, so no more bets!)
Now comes the Damocles minute of criticism: I think D.D.D can be quite cool when you're in the right mood, but I wasn't hanged by an evil pope in an urge to gather more souls. I don't think all the riffs are that nice, and the chose beats aren't always the best (Or is it coz the playing isn't always so tight?), and it's not original (Very original statement, isn't it?), but there are nice old vibes here and there. They currently more or less sound like a local band who can make decently structured and varied enough tracks, and not bore the nice warm entertainment of local old school metallers. I'd say it's an average demo with some charm from here and there... (Some peoples should stop crying when they read "average", because it's just in the middle between 0 and 20: Something like 10/20, 11/20 or 12/20 isn't bad, as far as I remember my school days...)
http://ddd.freewebpages.org/home.html

DODSKVAD (Nor) Kronike II Demo tape. 2022. CALIGARI Recs.
Dark and underground.
This is how this pretty obscure Norwegian band tastes.
Their music is death metal, an old school way. What did you expect? I won't drink my coffee white... But the beverage is a bit more elaborated than you imagine.
The ways the songs are composed reminds me of french OSSUAIRE's last recording ("Mortes fables") but the musical content in itself is a bit different... A better way to describe the content for you, would be to imagine if SADISTIC INTENT went a little more "progressive" (Not in a modern way) and injected some doomy tones in some riffs... And also featured similarities with early DARKTHRONE (First death metal album only), very early IMMOLATION (First Lp), some old AUTOPSY, mid old DEATH (but darker), very early VALGRIND (First album only), and perhaps old EULOGY (Usa) for a somewhat "dark technical" touch...
The atmosphere is dark, sometimes the feeling is close to 90's black metal.
There might be some kind of "morbid romanticism" in there, which kinda leads me back to ATROCITY's 2nd album (Todessehnsucht) but in a less venomous manner perhaps (Well, don't bite this apple too blindly, it might be poisoned) and the music of the Norwegians probably has more roots in old Scandinavian death...
At first hear, I thought DODSKVAD would be just one more "obscure sounding" DM band... But their music is clearly better: This is a well composed demo, with good riffs, feelings... And somewhat of an own personality by moments. Very nice job!
Ps: Some of the band member use or used to play in NEKROMANTHEON, NOCTURNAL BREED, ABOMINAT or SOVEREIGN...
https://dodskvad.bandcamp.com

DRENCROM (Chile) Promotional Demo 2015 CDr. Self-released.
It's not fun when your CD-player says "No disc", but it doesn't really matter since it's a promotional CDr.
DRENCROM is a new thrash metal band from Chile that released only two demos yet.
The music they play is clearly old styled (No modern influence), but it's not really retro... The style is clearly more savage and thrashing than in the nostalgia.
Most of the songs are built around fast thrashing tremolo guitars in the 80's way, think about early KREATOR with a touch of DESTRUCTION (Minus the speed metal stuffs), then there's also a black metal touch (That can remind of early SARCOFAGO or mid old IMPIETY in the most savage moments, or perhaps early DESASTER (Ger) in the most thrashing moments), and also touches of early Death metal (POSSESSED "Seven churches" for example).
The songs are built with enough of changes and little technical touches for it doesn't get boring. I'm not a big fan of thrash, but it sounds like a decent/ very decent demo that could please fans of spiked thrash from the past with touches of extreme bestiality.
Email: vcdsster(a)gmail.com

DUNCE (Fra) Divine power Demo CDr'07
Few peoples might wonder if they're sleeping or not... "Few", because DUNCE was a French band that might not have crossed the borders of foreign countries and released "only" 4 demos, "Sleeping" because who would have expected such an underground band would come back without suckcess possibilities? (At least the golden dollars aren't their motives). First of all I got in touch with the name of the band through some articles to be published in the underground columns of the French metal press, they were quite often featured in METAL HAMMER for example, and then I finally got to hear a copy of a demo few years after... Yes I actually heard only 1 recording from the 4, so my knowledge about what happened isn't actually the best, but as far as I remember they actually played some kind of thrashy death speed metal in a quite "basic" way that reminded of early MASTER and stuffs like that. It has nice moments.
Now a little introduction is done, we can talk about the content of this new recording: It contains 9 tracks to float between old styled Death metal, thrash metal and some sub/ post evolutions of the genres... It basically depends on the track, since influences come and go, but the kinds of metal to surface the most often are this early Death metal à la DEATH (Scream bloody gore) or some MASSACRE (With the slow tempos, the fast death thrashing beats) and some thrash metal to remind of KREATOR (Pleasure to kill), and (quite) obviously some SLAYER. One could also find the thrashy influence of old NUCLEAR ASSAULT (And stuffs like that), current TESTAMENT, some evil Death metal (A la old MORBID ANGEL/ MUTILATED) on the first track, the modern thrash of 1994-1998 (I don't like this aspect that much... Think about KREATOR "Cause for conflict" or the power thrash epoch of ACCUSER). The bass-guitar occurs to do some cool technical stuffs, which reminds me some old techno death bands that occurred to plague the French scene for my pleasure 14 years ago, but you could also tend to think about SADUS elements if you wish. An old LOUDBLAST reference wouldn't be displayed for some melodies taking place in the interludes or some not so fast/ not so thrashy moments.
Well there's nothing new or original in there, the band only offers a more or less cool mixture of influences they like... But it doesn't particularly bother me since the search of originality tends to boring shit half of the time.
The vocals aren't particularly morbid or guttural, it might as well be called thrash metal vocals.
On matter of production, it reminds me the good-quality demos of 10 years ago.
This doesn't particularly sound retro, it's more like the guys had fun and played their stuffs as it naturally came... I guess it could please peoples who only need it cool and don't give a fuck about the necro/ retro/ mummified. Well, on one hand some songs has cool ideas and nice riffings, while other songs kinda bore me with ideas of lesser quality (Too much midplaced sometimes, too much "old modern thrash power stuffing your asshole")... I think the band could have released a shorter demo with (for example) only 5 songs to feature the best of the beast (Grrroooaaarrr) and so the listening impact would have been much cooler! This recording shows some qualities as well as some imperfections, so the future can be imagined under cool week-end's sunny rays if the band improves a bit more...
http://www.dunce-divine-power.com

DYSMORPHIC (Fra) Dysmorphic Demo MCD. 2010. Self-released.
Reviewing this kind of technical music isn't the easiest for me, because the words doesn't flow as easily as hungry burning lava, but I will try to write something decent since the music of DYSMORPHIC isn't bad.
What calms down the blood at the first approach is the production, the sound is neat and quite high pitched in the same way than many modern tech death bands, but hopefully it's not abusive and the aural adaptation isn't bleeding.
The kind of music is something in the middle between technical brutal death, and quite modern brutality, but there's not of too much and I detected no useless guitar wankery... Rather than being ultra technical, I would rather say their music is composed of quite many details that follow quite well each others, there are many changes but it's not too much and doesn't sound like random militia either...
On a level of influences, I would say MORBID ANGEL was quite important for them (You'd rather find the fast parts and riffings, sometimes I occur to think about "Heretic" for an embellished side even if it's not exactly the same... But there are not the heaviest moments of Azagtoth neither the evil side), some riffing could go along the lines of old NECROPHAGIST (First album?), the first PSYCROPTIC albums could also be quite close, and some touches of SUFFOCATION are also present... But maybe I'll stop there, since I didn't closely follow the evolution of what lies in the middle between tech death and modern brutal death.
In fact my fave song from this demo is actually the bonus track, which takes a more "In-your-face" approach and tastes closer to SUFFOCATION, but I think it's an older track that was composed when they were called NECROTICISM...
To conclude, this is a quite neat demo... Maybe it lost some craziness because of the neat approach, and I didn't detect the ball punishing riff, but those who dig this kind of brutal death might be interested.
http://www.myspace.com/dysmorphicmetal

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