CDs/LPs - DEMOS - OLD STUFFS - FANZINES - GIGS
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HAGGUS (Usa) What's your excuse Demo tape. 2023. NO TIME Recs/ FUCK YOUR LIFE Recs.
Hey! Great sounding mix of Mincegore/ Grind grind/ Meat grind.
I see the mixer vomits balls of meat that taste like ARCHAGATHUS transgenically coupled with old HEMDALE (The split CD w/ EXHUMED), with blast beats à la old PIGSTY/ Early BRUTAL TRUTH (First album), also with some pieces of old DEAD INFECTION (Gory Eps) perhaps... Then some moments also sound a bit less serious, like more groovy goregrind or old AHUMADO GRANUJO (Castrate me if I'm wrong).
Some songs are kicking & kinda entertaining the inner meatballs, and the vocals are quite varied (You have a lot of gore, but also some liquid gore, more grunt death, some scream grind, some "complain" core... And some bizarre effects from Saturn here & there lol).
I like the fact the drums & structures keep a "Real grind/ death grind" aspect, at least it sounds efficient and alive on the beats.
Now I don't like all the songs at the same level, the first ones are the best according to my meatballometer (For example the first track contains a great mix of vocals: More of this and I could feel like riding a deformed obese pony in the name of gore! (MY PONY!!), but some songs are a bit less entertaining the tennis player, or there's a bit too much of groovy goregrind by moments (later songs) even is that remains tolerable.
So in my ballorotting opinion, it's a quite good sounding Ep with a bunch of great tracks.
Quite kicking & entertaining... MEATBALLS FOR ALL.
https://www.facebook.com/haggusmincecore

HAMVAK (Ger) "I" Demo tape. 2017. FEKETE TERROR Recs.
I'm not a big fan of Norwegian black metal, so if you remove the high pitched screams and high flying guitars it's a good beginning for me.
This German project kinda falls into the "black death category", I would say a mixture of old school bestial black death, with touches of 90's black metal in the riffs, and some death metal influences.
Most of the vocals are low pitched and quite cavernous, with a few screams from here and there; The guitar tone is "regularly" pitched with some bass frequencies from here and there, so it's a good beginning.
The most bestial moments could remember of early ARCHGOAT (From the 90's, when they had DM vocals) or perhaps early IMPALED NAZARENE (Demos epoch), while some more typically Scandinavian riffs can remember of IMMORTAL ("Pure holocaust") for example; You can also hear some European death from the past, and a bit of old INCANTAION as well.
I might add there is perhaps something of early DARKLORD ("By the force..." Demo'94) in some guitars/ low frequencies, but perhaps it's a too personal interpretation.
Most of the music is fast, understand about 3/4 of the drums are some kind of blastbeats (Not the ultra-fast ones, but it remains fast in my view) and I find it to be a little monotonous after a while. I think adding a super slow riff emerging from the doom world would really bring some life (Or death?) to the compositions.
I found some interesting riffs and nice atmospheres during the playing of this demo. Even if it's not perfect (A bit monotonous sometimes) this is quite good for a first demo and could please underground fans of old styled bestial/ dark black death with a Scandinavian touch.
https://hamvak.bandcamp.com

HANDS OF DOOM (Peru) Cahuideath Demo tape. 2020. GUTS AND BLOOD Recs.
LICK THE BURNING HAMMER OF SOUR DOOM.
Hands of Doom is a Peruvian band which plays old school metal... Black thrash with a strong early CELTIC FROST influence! The mid-paced "cold grooves", the punk Hc accelerations, the doomy moments, the vocals... You can find many similarities with the old C.F. trademark.
I imagine these Peruvian bastards might have planned to synthetize the (Now extinct) same beer that Tom Warrior and evil friends used to drink until chainsaw gutsfuck in the 80's, possibly to create again the same old school evil...
Well, while inspecting their alcoholic cauldron I also found tastes of HELLHAMMER (This comparison wasn't too hard to find, or was it?), SCEPTER (Usa), very early SODOM (In the sign/ Obsessed), and more very early Teutonic thrash in some accelerations...
Ok, Mr Keeper of the cauldron, the last 15 years we have experienced a certain number of bands that were influenced by old CELTIC FROST, so this is not really a surprise in 2023, and some parts during this demo/ Ep could be perfected (For example: A tighter playing by moments), but this remains cool to very cool music to hear & feel the burning atmosphere.
So "Cahuideath" remains an underground product, but with old school metal qualities. Those who can enjoy imperfect releases will be able to appreciate the ancient swing of the hammer. BLACK EYES OF HORROR.
Listen: https://youtu.be/4zK1UUxexsQ

HARLEQUIN ICHTHYOSIS (Usa) Demo CDr. 2009. Self-released.
Even if "Harlequin ichthyosis" is a genetic disorder, and would in theory sound ok for brutal death, beginning anything brutal with the word "Harlequin" is not the best way to make it putrid... "Harlequin" immediately leads the mind to children candies and grandma's old picture books...
Anyway what we have here isn't ultra brutal or ultra something, but closer to a softer IMPALED or later EXHUMED (Without blasts), with a tendency to make it close to CARCASS (Rather "Heartwork”, less heavy metallic), but also with another tendency to make the riffing more melodic, melodic, and to mellow your dick... Sometimes it could be quite nice as it could vaguely remind of the first MORTAL DECAY album, or touches of ooold CRYPTOPSY (I said touches), but in my opinion it's too much as it lacks of Death metal (!) and (s)extremity... We cross the borders of melodic death metal, let's roughly say "The spectral sorrows" of EDGE OF SANITY (I said roughly) and other less interesting bands. I think they try to be too “nice” to awake real feelings… If I'm not wrong, they are not too far from modern deathcore and bands like BLACK DALIDA MURDER (Didn't we get enough of one French blonde singer?). The drums (Drum machine?) sounds a bit too mechanic, I know plastic tits can be nice, but please don't focus on plastic dildos!
This recording shows they aren't totally inapt and hand amputated when it's time to play music, but it also displays they need to inject more and deeper feelings (And to avoid the filler parts...). My hunger grows for something really burning.
http://www.myspace.com/harlequinichthyosisband

HARMER (Fin) Irrationalize Demo tape. 2021. IRON CORPSE Recs/ BITTER INSECT Recs.
Fukked beyond solid limits.
Brain plugged to 220 volts.
BRAINOCUTION PAIN EPILEPSIA.
First demo. This is powerviolence/ grind from Finland with a raw production that makes it abrasive and filth decapitating. It blasts a lot, and there are also "punk" parts but that sound more extreme due to the RAW guitars.
I dig the fast blastbeat parts, it leads me back to early 2000's grind when bands like BIRDFLESH ("Night of the ultimate mosh"), THE KILL, or maybe (maybe) OPENWOUND used to kick my ass. I hope for the drummer these are not one-foot-blasts, or he might have muscular troubles AhAh.
There's clearly a more powerviolence edge, I also thought about HATEWAVE (Usa- For the demo which as BETTER than the album) or DISMEMBERED FETUS.
This is a demo that could please the needs of RAW/ GRIND mental agitators...
Wait, it seems this noise cures the flu... My nose isn't dripping anymore, and the headache seems to be gone. Uh.
https://harmer.bandcamp.com

HAVOK (Bra) The ostentation of the eternal chaos Demo tape. 2007. HEREGE WARFARE Recs.
I noticed that for a change, some black metal labels begin to release Death metal... And this is not a bad idea at all if you ask me!
This band plays a kind of Death metal that's not so old school, especially since they are Brazilian. Their cross is settled between the tombs of a thrashy Death metal and old DEICIDE, very early HYPOCRISY or old GOD DETHRONED... And not so hard-beating touches of early ANATA or mid old DEATH.
Quite good powerful sound, cool low vocals, okey technical skills.
Some drums or guitars could be more rrroooaaarrring (In some thrashy Death metal parts, the drums doesn't kick enough, it sounds a bit too "autoplay" the modern way... Some thrashy riffs sound also a bit too modern to kill) but HAVOK shows they're metallically enabled, and globally it's a cool Demo that might please those who could dig something like 90's Us Death metal mixed with some old GOD DETHRONED.
Label: hellwarprod@gmail.com
Band: havokban@terra.com.br

HEADLESS (Ita) Son of failure Demo CDr'07.
Death metal keeps on creeping in the depths of the underground, waiting with patience and determination for the decline of black metal, metalcore and other kinds of trends that reduce our visions...
The group we'll talk about plays fast death metal à la KRISIUN meets old DEICIDE, with evil touches of old MORBID ANGEL (Altars); The tempos rather vary between the blasts and punching old death beats, but you also have influences of 90's death metal that materialize in slow-downs and create nice atmospheres between DEATH (Old and mid old) or some MORGOTH. Some fast patterns kinda remind me of MORTEM from Peru.
The production is quite good, according to the Morrisound standards of once, it doesn't bother me at all.
"Son of failure" is a cool demo, nothing sounds wrong in the style, it's correctly arranged and there's a nice atmosphere... But there's nothing especially new or neverheard. It could be a cool demo in a voracious underground Death metal collection, but HEADLESS wouldn't be placed in the priority of our hellish ordering lists.
This is only their second demo, so let's see how they evolve in the future and if the fire increases its hellish manifestations of apocalyptic carbonization.
http://www.myspace.com/headlessband

HEADLESS DEATH (Australia) Headless Death Demo tape. 2011. Self-released.
HAIRBAG, HEADBANG!
HAIRBAG, HEADBANG!
HAIRBAG, HEADBANG!
EXPLODE YOUR HEAD ON THE ALTAR OF VOLUNTEER CAR ACCIDENTS.

This is underground grindcore grinding your head, with a dose of death metal located in the mental cracks. This is quite old school sounding due to the production, but not only: To describe the whole I could say this demo sounds like old school grindcore in a more accelerated manner, then a more attentive listening lets appear more "modern" influences here and there (Especially on the second half).
While I hear something closer to the old grind band ATROCITY (Usa) and there occurs to be an emergency not so far from REPULSION, some of the merciless blasts could remind your wounds of PARLAMENTARSIK SODOMI, and the vocals occur to have a little of REPULSION and TERRORIZER... Now, to quote less representative elements, some death grind riffs sound like the best moments of OBLIGATORISK TORTYR's first album, while the most modern patterns wouldn't be so far from DISCORDANCE AXIS, and maybe a bit of BIRDFLESH is also in there (Don't remember which album).
Due to the raw demo sound I don't understand all the riffs, but I can say a part of the stuff is quite intense. Ok some of the guitars don't sound as appealing as others, but the whole package seems intense enough to feel the pleasures of the airbag one more time.
Conclusion? It might be interesting to listen to HEADLESS DEATH with a little better production, on an undergrind point of view.
Those who would dig something like quite old styled grindcore, with faster blasts, might send their chopped heads in Australia to receive something blasting in exchange, when the future recording is released. Feel the edges of the airbag!
http://headlessdeath.bandcamp.com

HEAVING EARTH (Cze) Promo demo'08.
The wound opened by IMMOLATION years ago keeps on bleeding and feeding the microcosmic underground with new bands who try their luck at making it obscure and quite brutal.
It seems HEAVING EARTH understood the style and feeling of the Americans quite well; They sound quite abstract, quite hypnotizing (By moments) and they pile quite a lot of cool riffs in their quite complex (Or better said riffs-crowded) songs... Now these songs sound more like a quite well put together pile of riffs than real complex compositions that can kill and haunt your mind and soul with good riffs and good know-how... This aspect of things might improve with time.
I also hear a bit of heavier MORBID ANGEL (Somewhere between "Domination" and "Gateways...") and some HATE ETERNAL's first album when guitars get more technical (Second song especially)
HEAVING EARTH might not be yet the perfect microsolution to our underground megaproblems (Aka the lack of real killer bands?) but at least the listening isn't bad and quite cool. This promo/ demo is only 2 songs long, so I won't take many conclusions.. But for a first recording it's cool on matters of skills, production and influences... So this is encouraging.
http://www.myspace.com/heavingearthcz

HEDONIST (Can) Sepulchral lacerations Demo 2021. Digital. Self-released.
ONLY DEAF IS REAL!
Uhg... I don't know what I will do for a hobby when I'll be older and really deaf... Perhaps I will review books, or comic books...
Anyway, let's come back to the present, and review more underground metal!
HEDONIST is a death metal band from Canada, that doesn't sound too Canadian...
To sum up the whole, I will say they are big fans of BOLT THROWER, infused their compositions in this main influence, and then also injected various other 90's death metal elements.
To be more precise, I will say their B.T. tastes seem to favor the 1991-1994 epoch (From "Warmaster" to "... For victory"): You can find similarities in the epic "war battle" theme riffs, the moments ridden by double kicks, but also some heaviness, some faster parts...
Then I also found elements from various other old records, like GRAVE ("Back from the grave"), HYPOCRISY ("Osculum obscenum"), GRAVE ("Soulless", a bit), ILLDISPOSED (First album, a bit), ENTOMBED (First Lp, a bit), DISMEMBER (A bit also)... Well, perhaps you notice these are all bands with "big productions".
Sometimes I have a little problem to enjoy some later BOLT THROWER albums in their entirety, because it's often slow or mid-paced... Fortunately for me, this Canadian band injects more fast parts or "dynamic" moments here & there (Even if their riffing isn't as catchy or "cult" as B.T.,. but that's another horror story).
The songs of HEDONIST are compacted to make it sound great, and the quite powerful production helps... But I also feel a part of the tracks during the second half are less great/ energized in the composition, even if remaining quite solid. But this is globally a great sounding demo in the style.
Well, I think I have said enough and a conclusion isn't really necessary, or is it? (Do you need one more cliché ending?)
https://hedonistdeathmetal.com

HELL TORMENT (Peru) Untitled Demo CDr'07.
Now the "goat" word was worldly abused by many black metal bands, most of you readers should be familiar with the entrails of the goat: From behind, under, over, and every other holes! So many hymns and calls to goat-sodomy have been spelled that the goat should become soon the most famous pornstar for metallers! Even better than gothbitches, we have goatbitches! It never says "No", it never says "Again!!" and never pushes the stop button while your favorite crap metal CD is played... I'm surprised so few metallers actually own goats as their own little pets... Dogs and cats aren't metal enough!
Well, enough said about our best friend the goat, let's talk about the first demo of a new band cumming with pleasure from the deepest craters of menacing Peru: HELL TORMENT. This is bestial black death metal with few Death metal and regular black metal influences. Think about BLASPHEMY (Second album) with marks of traditional south American extreme metal (This style that shows its 80's metal influences without anguished-fear from the bank account! Ah!... If you know a bit the current scene, think about SARAM for sexemple... Or simply target some old (Up the legs!) SARCOFAGO).
At first approach, the skills aren't the most "up the mountain" and you might find it a bit too "underground", but few short listening are enough to get into the nice atmosphere and realize the songs are kinda entertaining. I regret there aren't more real Death metal riffs, because they have few cool tremolo guitars of aggression.
The vocals are screamed (With echo effects) or vomited.
The embalming procured by this hellish tormentation is cool, but I'd advice this demo only to big fans of goat-molestation or not too demanding evil metallers, because HELL TORMENT isn't the most blasphemous yet and they haven't reached the level of the current best goat sodomizers (Let's say, ANAL VOMIT).
http://www.myspace.com/helltorment

HELLISH VIEW (Usa) Demo 2021. Tape. DESOLATE Recs.
If you eat bricks, do you also shit bricks?
HELLISH VIEW plays raw old school punk hardcore and throws a big brick from Minnesota/ Usa. A good part of their songs are in the dbeat style à la DOOM or DISFEAR: Fast, crusty, and right to the broken hear. A couple of tracks are more mid-paced in the ugly punk style (Think about the "Exploitation" DOOM song once covered by NAILBOMB).
The production is quite fucking raw, this sounds between a rehearsal and the Swedish death metal guitars (Perhaps). Audio corrosion, parasitic vibration, hear disruption... This is raw war.
I guess this pile of bricks won't please every readers in there, but I have to say this tape sounds quite efficient in the style.
No subtleties, no subterfuges, but raw dbeat/ crust punk the old way with some anger from the brick raisers.
https://hellishview666.bandcamp.com

HEMORRHOID (Usa) Demo 2023. Digital. Self-released.
Don't judge an ass by its cover... Sometimes it might be well rounded... And sometimes it could be haemorrhoidal AhAh
This new band from Oregon/ USA plays death grind with a gore touch, and this is quite brutal.
You find mostly fast (blast) parts à la DEAD INFECTION (Chapters...), BRODEQUIN (Festivals...), perhaps ARCHAGATHUS, with a bit of grooves à la old Dead Inf. here & there.
I also felt a bit of early CARCASS (Leads), or some early NAPALM DEATH (Some old "death grind" peel sessions).
There are only 3 songs here and the whole demo lasts 3 minutes, so it's hard to fully savor the flavor of the rotting corpse, unless you play it several times in a row... But it's what I did, and it wasn't a boring experience to play it again and again.
Nothing new, but this sounds quite solid in the style. Gore penetrators & sickos, keep on an eye on the HEMORRHOID.
Ps: I noticed the band released an album since then, but I didn't have the time to check it... I'm a slow "doomy" reviewer :)
https://hemorrhoid-us.bandcamp.com

HORDÜR (Fra) Detomour Demo CD. 2017. Self-released.
From the depths of the French grindcore underground comes HORDÜR.
This is fast music, and it doesn't always mean love.
This is a melting pot of many grindcore, powerviolence, fastcore stuffs, that comes with touches of other hard musics: Crust, sludge, thrash, death grind...
The songs are often fast and come with many tempo changes, in this meaning it could sound as "technical" but it's rather the songs come with many riffs.
During the listening I thought about french DESECRATOR (R.I.P), Brazilian HUTT (The old stuffs), SAYYADINA, YATTAÏ or a zest of old BIRDFLESH... I don't really find names for the more complex "technical" moments (I'm not and HC expert), perhaps old HUTT would fit if they had fewer Death metal influences and a bigger fast HC background? You answer.
The production is okey, perhaps the guitars could sound rawer or more "grind"? For a first recording it's okey.
I like some blasts in there, some more complex moments aren't bad, and the band tries to not always serve the same grind patterns, but I felt less concerned with a part of the slower sludge moments or some punk/ crust stuffs (Perhaps my spiked states speak here).
Not bad for a first recording, it sounds encouraging and quite kicking by moments.
Fans of fast/ grinding music with a technical touch and a DIY underground appeal might dig it.
(The French speaking readers might understand the subtlety of their band name, but I won't reveal this grinding secret here).
https://hordur.bandcamp.com

HORRID SIGHT (Mex) Dark hallucination Ep. 2022. Digital. Self-released.
This is an express review, as quick as the high speed train that stops at the station.. And starts again before you noticed it!
I'm now talking about the first recording of the Mexican death/ thrash band HORRID SIGHT which contains two songs (Exactly two ones, as well as what I have in the under... Wait...)
This sounds quite powerful and "massive" due to the production. More musically speaking It kinda feels like the aggressive thrash KREATOR once did (Perhaps on their third album? Or maybe "Come of souls" equally?), mixed with mid old PROTECTOR (When they started to evolve towards death metal), with a bit of DEMOLITION HAMMER... There's also something like a modern CARCASS side mostly due to the production & screaming vocals, and some guitars felt like the heavier parts of old MALEVOLENT CREATION (Or later RESURRECTION)... So you understood this is musically between death and thrash, with a somewhat "modern" touch (That would rather point to the 90's or 00's than current very-digital bullshit, so this is okey).
This demo sounds compact and aggressive, it fits well for a two tracks duration.
I noticed the band released a first album since I started to write this review (Perhaps I should rename my webzine to "Slow turtle metal reviews"?) so death/thrash bangers might be interested to check it out.
See you... In the high speed train!
https://horridsight.bandcamp.com

HORRIFIC DISEASE (Jap) 3 songs promo. 2012.
Fierce matador of the bleeding, we have thirst!
Control the fury, to target and extract the best blood from the bull.

I'm not certain if this 3 songs "Mp3 promo" is something real or not, there also seems to be a 7 songs MCD entitled "Disease from hell" containing these 3 songs, but I'm able to write a review anyway.
What we have here is something in the middle between Death metal and thrash metal, or quite "technical" thrashing death if you prefer.
You could imagine the most thrashing parts remind of something like DEMOLITION HAMMER ("Tortured existence"), FORBIDDEN ("Twisted into form") or some mid old TESTAMENT, while the faster blasting parts are closer to old MORBID ANGEL or FLESHTIZED. There's also a bit of DEATH ("Human") in the approach by moments, but the atmosphere is different and it's a less important element. I should point a bit of brutal death is also present here and there.
If these songs were released in 1998 to 2004 it could have been seen as "technical", because it's controlled and not particularly easy to play, but the guitar-handling is different from the current meaning of the word "technical": There aren't zillions of notes or breaks per song, and the music remains quite easy to listen.
A good 50% of the beats are Double kicks, more or less in the style of Gene Hoglan (Just to give an idea, it's not as complicated). The production is clean and quite compact, but hot, quite good in an end 90's manner. Vocals might be the less Death-metallic element from the acoustic spectrum: It's something like high-pitched controlled thrash metal vocals. No problem with it, but it might not be the best choice for every Death-metallers.
This 3 songs promo is quite cool to listen when your mind is on the wavelength for controlled thrashing death, but I'm not certain if the duration of a full-length album would be good for my brutalized hears. Matadore del dolor, your bleeding job isn't over.
http://horrificdisease.bandcamp.com

HORRIFYING (Chile) Demo 1. Tape. 2013. TERROR FROM HELL Recs.
Here's a new old styled Death metal band with two (Current or previous) members of DEMONIC RAGE... And other bands you might not have heard of.
This is old styled Death metal à la POSSESSED ("Seven churches"), SADISTIC INTENT, with faster parts à la IMMOLATIION ("Dawn of possession").
They probably also dig early DEATH (A couple of slower more doomy riffs, some fast regular death metal) and early MORGOTH (First two MLps only).
The vocals could be deeper, more death metal, it's generally closer to black metal or black thrash.
In my rotting opinion, the first song is better because it contains more intricate riffs à la IMMOLATION (Or something).
There are only two songs so it's hard to exhume all of the corpse (Half of the carcass is still in the coffin!).
There's a quite good old necrotic Death metal vibe, this is not original but those who were crucified by death could dig more underground morbidity with this tape.
https://horrifying.bandcamp.com

HUMAN MEAT (Fra) Shape of happiness Demo 2020. Digital. Self-released.
Human Meat is a new "Death grind" project from France, and here is their second recording.
To be more precise, I will say their style is a mixture of Death grind à la NAPALM DEATH, fast crustcore, with some hardcore influences and some old death metal touches.
The whole comes with a quite raw HM-2 guitar sound, which is quite corrosive and sometimes gives it an ENTOMBED taste, while the music sounds more like "modern grind" in blasting parts (Not the modern technical wank).
At the first approach, I thought it would be blastbeats only (I was afraid for my now fragile hears, you know), but in fact the rhythms remain quite varied (There's even some kind of "death'n roll' song).
Even if I'm a little tired with the HM-2 guitar sound (Sometimes it seem used to hide average music behind a well of guitars), I can say the music here is not bad: There are kicking moments, quite energetic parts, no repetitive boredom (For the style)...
Perhaps I also heard some old NASUM, mid old DISMEMBER, old MISERY INDEX or COMECON (First album, for the drums), but it's rather to give an idea...
For me this isn't a new revelation in brutality (I'm kinda an old fart, or not?), but those who dig styles like mid-old school death grind, quite raw hardcore, and the swedeath corrosive sound might enjoy the brutal fist right between their two hears.
(One of the band members used to play in Ananda and Knut)
https://humanmeat.bandcamp.com

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