Friday, December 29, 2017

Nimrod BC.-God of War and Chaos (2017)

Thrash combines the right amount of aggression and technical flair into a virtuoso worshipping demon that is Nimrod BC. If you are having a bad day and wish you could kick the shit out of whoever made it so, this album is quite therapeutic and a good alternative to facing assault charges. The entire album is a mix of insanely thrashing style. Rapidly shifting beats and riffs, and literally bashing the hell out of the listener until his ears bleed. This album is so fkn fast, if you like thrash Metal and you don’t have this album, lie and say you do have it until you can get it, don’t be caught praising Nimrod BC and  not actually have your own copy, get this one. The production of this album is what I consider “Made by the best one for thrash metal, the one and only Bill Metroyer”: clean and powerful. The vocals are fantastic and after few seconds a true fucking heavy riff takes dominion with a bit faster mid tempo. The technical level is high and the form of the song is always catchy. The songs are always long and quite complicated in their riffs. The work done by the drums-bass-guitars is always perfect and quite difficult, awesome guitars solos and some speed metal riffs. Well, I have to stop my review. I can only say: “Buy this fucking album!!” and you are gonna love it for sure. I think this is the true Nimrod Bc peak in songwriting, technique and inspiration. A must for every die hard thrash metal fan. A Killer Album !!!
facebook.com/nimrodmetalband
facebook.com/MetalapolisRecords
Review by Paul Caravasi

Valdur-Divine Cessation (2017)

Valdur has a hateful fire burning up inside of them and violently crafted an evil, this is a crucial album into the underground world of extreme metal. Possessing a threatening brutal Black/death sound, the listener is feeling no hope escaping their body as if they're watching their blood pour down a plug hole. Most of the guitar riffs we encounter are of the death metal variety but are crushed and almost deformed by an overwhelming amount of nasty, waspy and have this violent creation taking form before us. This album is brutal as fuck, this is an unrelenting  demon of an album; inducing the listener into a strange demonic path. As I said, the songs on this album fit together perfectly but keeps the listener on edge the entire time, thanks to the drum tempo changing around a lot and unusual riff patterns (typical Black/death metal behaviour). This band should be in the collection of extreme metal collectors everywhere.
www.bloodymountainrecords.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Mudra-One Look Beyond (2017)

Mudra from peru is essentially a new band, a terriffic lineup fresh and vital. A quality modern thrash. The riffs are thick and fkn brutal, like i said before, well suited to the modern thrash approach.The entire album kills. "Brutal Genocide" is as brutal as it can get and that solo there is pure class and it hits you like a brick wall with its inhumane speed and brutality. Steve Montenegro snarls his way through in the most inhumane way and the riffs are as heavy as a ton of bricks. Solos really do the job. I doubt any thrash album can be disappointed with this. "One Look Beyond" is a incredible lesson in thrash the Mudra way. The entire album is worth hearing !!
facebook.com/MUDRA-THRASH-METAL-259961850702099
Review by Paul Caravasi

Demon Head-Thunder on the Fields (2017)

The Cassette opens with an awesome track and maintains the high quality level right to the end. The music is very varied both in tempo and intensity which makes the whole experience very interesting. The drums have this groovy feel to them and the guitar work is impressive. Not only the riffs but also the lead work delivered is amazing. “We are Burning” and “Thunder on the fields",  also the vocals work very well. He has a great tone and I enjoy his singing.The bass has leading parts in several songs, so in conclusion every member really does a good job. Combining this with seven great tracks and you got a really unique and interesting album. If you're a fan of NWOBHM,this is Very recommendable.
facebook.com/Demoncoven
www.caligarirecords.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Kriegszittern/Minenfeld (Split Cassette 2017)

Kriegszittern: Dark, brutal and Heavy. Three characteristics are present on this band, each song is a gem in its own right; there are no fillers. The guitars are vicious; they come through clearly but without having the sound of being overproduced. The riffs in each song are numerous and varied, but they meld together almost perfectly, there is hardly an awkward moment throughout this cassette.  Killer riffs, they never get old. The drumming ranges from standard time keeping to interesting double bass patterns and relentless blast beats. The bass drum isn’t too loud, but sometimes it isn’t that audible either. With the intense riffing going on and how well the snare fits in with the songs however, I hardly notice that. The songs are still fun to listen to, head banging atmospheric death metal tracks with killer solos and demonic vocals. this band is eerie and heavy.
Minenfeld: The best way to describe the overall sound of this band is a mix of Dismember, the rhythmic focus of Suffocation, Morpheus, and the extreme thrash and grindcore bands of the early 90's. This mixture serves as an interesting feature of the cassette, with raw vocals adding to the charm, makes this an easy band to listen to. The obvious blast beats and up tempo parts are always present to break the mid-paced, gore parts and add the deserved speed. This is a good piece of old school raw death metal.
www.caligarirecords.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

K.L.L.K.-Le Brasier Des Mondes (2017)

I can’t recommend any black metal bands in particular to illustrate the point, because black metal doesn’t appeal to me. I can definitely recommend a doom metal band, however: this one, the  band K.L.L.K. is like being crushed by a glacier at top speed. In other words, it’s very heavy, it’s very cold, and it’s very, very slow – songs to watch the earth freeze to the core by.  You shouldn’t listen to this cassette in summer or by day or with the heating on and you probably won’t be able to listen to it repeatedly, but if you like, or want to hear doom metal you should definitely listen to it. Very interesting !!
www.caligarirecords.com
K.L.L.K.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Taphos Nomos/Urdun "RIP" (Split Cassette)

Taphos Nomos: It is always interesting to review bands that play this. I am only able to comment on the music itself and how it affects me. Once I could HEAR THE DAMN THING, I found Taphos Nomos to be a truly unique and highly enjoyable Death metal band. So, I believe there is not much more to be said about this unstoppable death metal beast. If you like extreme metal and you don't like this, you just probably don't really like extreme metal at all.  If you are into early Morbid Angel, Asphyx, Incantation, Immolation, this is simply essential. GET IT!
Urdun: Sharp and savage, tearing away at your face like a rabid pitbull. The guitars are sludgy as hell, shredding, harmonized, and purely fucking metal. Make no mistake here - Every riff and lead break on this thing is an expertly crafted sledgehammer to face. Basically, if you like death metal, you need this band. If you don't like it, you're a dick and would be better off listening to metalcore.
www.caligarirecords.com
facebook.com/taphosnomos
facebook.com/urdun
Review by Paul Caravasi

Unspekeable-Expulsion of the triumphant Beast ( Demo 2017)

Brutal and blasting death metal with their own identity. Sure their music is as wicked and gruff as death metal has any right to be, but it’s also unblessed with eerie structures, memorable anti-melodies, and an ever present, nearly tangible sense of Black metal and desperation. Everything that gives off an image of death metal is present in this demo. Heavy guitars, lyrics about occultism, demonic vocals. Now, I consider this demo to be flawless - that's right, there is nothing wrong with this demo at all. Why, though? Well, this demo is crushing. The heaviness of this demo is like being trapped in a swamp full of mush and below that swamp lies an evil that just sucks your soul in to never return. That's the best way I could describe how oppressive and dark a demo like this is. Monstrous vocals, somehow manages to sound like Cthulhu combined with Satan himself to give off one of the most devastating vocal performance. Overall, this is a kick ass demo. There are no flaws and everything about it is perfect from the guitar tone, to the fitting solos, to the drumming, and the bass playing. It all fits together perfectly like an elaborate puzzle. It is really that good.
unspekeablerites.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Morbid Cross-Ep 2015

This debut Ep features insane riffs and some truly awesome soloing. Holy freaking fudge this is a crazy band. There is a very fine line between what is actually metal and what is noise, and this band pushes that line to it's absolute limit without being just noise. This Ep will destroy you listen after listen. Morbid Cross from New jersey fuses absolutely wicked raw power with insane riffing and ferocious vocals in a very surprisingly fashion. Sure, there are bands who play way faster than this, and other bands who played as heavy as this, but usually not both of these aspects combined in such a way. It's rare that you hear a band with this much aggression and energy. I cannot get enough of this Ep, it is insanely good. The music on here is play by a bunch of pissed off kids who armed themselves with the ability to thrash, and they do a wicked job. Overall, this debut Ep is an absolute beast. It is not at all polished or clean. It is a monster that will assault you. I love it and I listen to it regularly, it never ceases to put a smile on my face with its raw energy and power. Also features a cover of the legendary Sodom "M16". If you are a Thrash metal fan buy this right freaking now, you will like this if you haven't already heard it. If you want something to seriously get you headbanging or if you want some seriously intense metal, check this band out !!
facebook.com/Morbid-Cross-215892291757245
Review by Paul Caravasi

La Bruja (2017)

This Peruvian band just simply makes interesting, varied music that needs to be heard and enjoyed by any fan of 70s heavy metal and hard rock. This is a new project by members of Kranium and Reino Ermitaño. This album has it all: aggressive, introspective, and melodic songs. It really just makes you want to move your head and sing along, even if you can't sing worth a damn. Outside influences are used to perfectly compliment a somewhat classic sound, and it's just a fact that it produces five cool songs, all of which can be enjoyed. Check out La Bruja right away. You'll love their sound if you love bands like Purple, Sabbath and Uriah Heep, it sound badass. Then give yourself a little bit of time to let the rest of the album sink in. It may take a few listens, but this may very well end up as one of your favorites. If you know spanish check out the lyrics on the album too: equally introspective, soulful, and telling some interesting stories and ideas which, while not traditionally "metal", are still awesome.
facebook.com/ToxikoProducciones
Review by Paul Caravasi

Genocidal Terror/One day in Fukushima 7" split Ep (2015)


These maniacs have been conjuring some of the cruelest Death/Grind metal ever summoned! Wimps and posers be warned! The Dark Lords are here! This is a Split 7" with One Day in Fukushima. Lets' talk about Genocidal Terror first. I imagine poser corpses all over the place, and i think this holocaust is complete ( well in my mind is when listening to this pulverizing Ep) The tight Death/grind execution is expertly played in this trio. Drums whip the grueling pace while the lightning fast speed picking flies above it all, raining down deadly metal notes. The bass is on death command, warning Nu metal  fans to run for cover. Vocals vomiting hate for all those who choose to pose is palpable. It is clear it pumps through his metal heart. This is an excellent band playing a savage metal style. Well now is the turn for One Day in Fukushima. From an Instrumental standpoint, complexity is not their forte. The riffs are extremely basic. This doesn't necessarily make it bad. They're catchy and you'll most likely enjoy the riffs very much. The drumming is very fast. In my opinion, the fast, and almost careless, do what you want feel, is what made me love this band. You have to just accept the fact that this band is basic, fast, heavy, and pretty crazy sounding. This is fkn grindcore and is great. I enjoy the commotion created within the songs. Overall, I fkn like it. Even though it's basic, it has a great sound,, it's brutal as fuck, and it will kick your ass. I can't stress enough that it is not for everyone. You've been warned. LONG LIVE EXTREME MUSIC !!!!
facebook.com/Genocidalterror
genocidalterror.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/odifgrind
onedayinfukushima.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Code Red-Fang of the Sun (2017)

The thrash metal revival has become huge now once again. All countries with a metal culture already have their fair share of new thrash metal acts. Code Red from Japan are a bunch of really energetic fast guys. Their originality might not but that good, but their energy and solid song writing easily makes up for it. Top of the bill enthusiastic retro thrash on which the pace is very high most of the time. Exactly the way I like it. Izuru’s screaming and screeching vocals are exactly what this music needs. Hyperactive drumming in true Nuclear Assault and early Slayer fashion with razor sharp guitars. It’s difficult to name highlights since the album as a whole simply rages on without giving the listener time to breath. But if I have to, it would be opener "Rise of the Avenger" and "Toward the South. Catchy and furious sing-a-long songs that will do perfect in a live environment. This album should be available all over the world. Code Red is by far the best new thrash metal band from Japan and I can’t wait to hear new material. Fkn Insane !!
facebook.com/CODE-RED-458722400828324
thrashingcultrecords.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Strike Master (2017)

It's really hard to find good bands these days , specially when everyone try to imitate other bands. Strike Master from Mexico finally reaches his definitive lineup, an unstoppable trio with which they raze the world. All the tracks maintain a lot of melody, speed, rage and they are very catchy, by that I mean the riffs, the choruses, the guitar solos, drumming is insane,  and even the  bass is killer on this release. All of them are real gems of pure speed and aggression. They remind me a lot of heavy/speed metal bands from the 80's, with very good riffs. Regarding the production, I personally like it very much, a perfectly audible bass and aggressive and dirty guitar just like the voice, like i said the drummer is a fkn beast. You don’t get bored while you're listening to the album, it’s not monotonous, the songs are very original and worked. They are made with desire to destroy your ears. In short, an essential record from an era when all the bands are overproduced. I can't really highlight nothing, because I like all of it, it's perfect. Many people probably don’t think like me, but i don't give a crap, this album is a must have, period !!!
www.strikemaster.net
facebook.com/strikemasterofficial
Review by Paul Caravasi

Monday, December 4, 2017

The Kahless Clone "Our Never-ending loneliness" (2017)

Every single one of the members showcases their abilities perfectly and beautifully throughout the entirety of the Ep. Every track brings a vibrant and powerful feeling to them, drum work adds an amazing base to the structure of the songs and is just predominant enough for the audience to enjoy it without being pulled away from the rest. Bass work is absolutely beautiful and truly adds something to the Ep that became a deciding factor in its greatness. Guitar work is completley earth shattering. Throughout the whole Ep extremely complex and stunning guitar melodies are displayed and are played perfectly without a single slip up. All the members and their musical abilities truly come together in "Our Never-ending Loneliness"  and form an over all perfect tone and feeling with it. In conclusion, this is a must listen for any metal fan.
www.thekahlessclone.com
clawhammerpr@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Gatoebrio-Epico, Sucio y Malparido (2017)

This album is easily worthy of a perfect rating. But I'm sure that some will say that Doom Metal is boring, and blah blah blah. I hope this record isn't ignored by metalheads. This record hits just as hard, and sometimes harder than all the early 70's classic bands as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. It's full of the gloom and doom that I love. The music is influenced by Black Sabbath i must say. Vocals are so cool, the guitar is heavy and down tuned, i mean every instrument deliver a powerful rhythm section. Now let's get to the songs. There is some slow, heavy and bluesy stuff on here, most notably "Cabezas con Coronas"", the amazing dark song "La era de la nausea". There are some more upbeat songs too. Such as "Altezas de las Mentiras"", my personal favorite "Batallas en los viajes Internos". A cool doom metal band from United States featuring Peruvian musicians from bands as Mazo, Reino Ermitaño and Mantra Wheel. This album is essential to every collection of metal albums. I think you can find this album online, if not, contact: Gato Mazo Cortez to get a copy right now. So put down that extreme  metal you're listening too, and check out the band that has a fkn amazing sound. You will not be disappointed. I almost forget to tell you, Grab a few beers and enjoy !!!
facebook.com/ToxikoProducciones
Review by Paul Caravasi

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Penthos-Lifeless Haze (Demo 2017)

Penthos is without question among the staples of death metal these days. Brilliant sinister riffs that convey feelings of deranged madness and bloodlust with intensity in death metal, it's majestically brutal. It features savage tremolo-picked riffs;  magnificently imposing whirlwind of utterly dark death metal. This demo expresses hate and powerful offensive intent extremely well; The hatred that Penthos expresses here is condensed, brutal and intense. “Lifeless Haze” is something entirely unique. This demo is fkn insane !!
facebook.com/Penthos-192106544137256
Review by Paul Caravasi

Dick Vomit-Terminally Chill (2017)

The world is an unfair place, that's for damn sure... This band from Pennsylvania is fkn awesome and deserve better support. So, what's the band like?  Sheer, breakneck speed with catchy riffs. Guitarist/vocalist Richard Puke has some really harsh vocals, shouted and pushed almost to the point of death-metal gruffness, and his razor-sharp guitar tone slices through the riffs. Bassist Scrotie Iommi is surprisingly agile - his bass lines are supportive without being merely doubling, and he knows exactly when to throw in a good fill. Both original drummer Peter Piss is a human whirlwind, and kept up the pace admirably. It doesn't matter what style of music you're talking about, nothing beats a good tune. Dick Vomit cross this traditional Thrash Metal sound with the speed of hardcore punk. In reality though, they truly had a sound all their own. Much of this has to do with their tremendously catchy sound. These guys know how to use catchy choruses and hooks to their benefit without ever sounding remotely poppy. This Cd is easily intense enough to get almost any thrasher's blood flowing! It's just such a well thought-out album and each song is highly memorable to the point where the tunes will get stuck in your head. Killer stuff !!
facebook.com/dickvomit66642069
dickvomit.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Face First-The Demo Tape (2017)

Almost 10 minutes of unrelenting angry lyrics, screaming vocals, pulse pounding bass, power chord guitars, and unstoppable percussion. I think if you go to see this band live, be sure to not forget your helmet because that mosh pit has to be pure madness. This demo is musically pretty basic overall. Each song follows the same pattern: heavy riffs pound, singer screams, drums kick. If you're looking to relieve some anger should keep listening. Looking forward to hear their full lenght album!
facebook.com/FaceFirstMA
Review by Paul Caravasi

Apothesary-Accept Loss Forever (2017)

Brutal riffs and a touch of melody. Really, this is how every song carries on. There is no shortage of chunky riffing, harmonies, and well executed solos here. Textbook brutality executed by capable musicians. The guitarwork throughout is quite impressive, and my favorite aspect of the album. The drumming is pretty textbook, and doesn't really deviate from the norm- nonetheless, the drummer is good at what he does as well the bass. The vocals, which alternate between a hardcorish scream (a la In Flames and At the Gates) and a death growl are a nice touch to the music. The production is also flawless. Apothesary aren't out to break any boundaries per se; however, they are out to kick some ass. I can't help but think of mid-period death when I listen to the shredding and structures of this album. If you are a fan of classically executed death metal, chilling to the bone, I would highly recommend you obtain this album. Fast riffs, great melody, perfectly executed screechy vocals, and great lyrics. Those are the four things that come to my mind when somebody asks me if Apothesary is a good band. All in all, Tremendous Melodic Death album, great melody and killer vocals, terrific lyrics, flawless drumming. Highlights of the album: "Sensory Overload", "1976" , "Elizabeth", and "You've met with a terrible fate,Haven't you?". I highly recommend at least giving a listen, as it is well worth it if you do like it !!
facebook.com/apothesary
Review by Paul Caravasi

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Hessian Wolf Children-Wolves Orchestra (Rehearsal 2014)

“Wolves Orchestra” is my first encounter with Hessian Wolf Children and I have to say I like what I hear. I would consider this rehearsal to be straight grindcore. It’s just got that attitude that they were going to do whatever they wanted on this cassette and didn’t care if people liked it or not. The presentation of this tape is awesome, shorts songs. This is just another reason why this cassette seems like pure grindcore to me. Lots of punk influenced riffs, and of course, blast-beats. The vocals are just insane. They fit in very nicely with the grindcore and punk atmosphere. The songs themselves don't vary all that much. Punk riffs, pounding blast-beats, and indecipherable vocals. Short and to the point grind from beginning to end. The drums are perfect. Overall, this rehearsal is very good. If you’re a fan of grindcore, buy this Cassette. In Grindcore we trust !!
facebook.com/hessianwolfchildren
hessianwolfchildren@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Gravewards-Subconscious Lobotomy (Demo Tape 2016)

Athens, sweet Athens… A hideous monster is born – Greek death metal. This demo tape show not only death but also some thrash metal influences. But don’t be afraid, these maniacs  prepared pure death metal in the way it should to be! Believe me, the effect is just perfect! When you can hear the sound of music and Nikos screams, you can relish great riffs, bass passages and insane drumming, an excellent performance on this one. The guitar work/leads are really tuneful, memorable, it makes “Subconscious Lobotomy” something special.  Amazing, outstanding opening of the killer track. You can hear a real band, three soldiers of pure metal which know what to do with their skills, minds and instruments! Fast, accurate song with crushing guitar solo ends with Niko screams. Gravewards attack with energetic riffs, some twisted melodies bombing auditory centre. Here we have slow down and murderous musicians assault. To put it all together – mixing excellent perfect riffs, bass/drums devastation and biting vocals, Gravewards create something I define as a magnum opus of death metal genre. It sounds raw a bit, from the other side very solid. So this is obvious that by this review I would like to pay homage to this band, unique band with soul. The band which is a real interpretation of everything in metal music. Killer demo!!
facebook.com/gravewards
gravewards.band@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Fractial Generator-Apotheosynthesis (2017)

A well-produced album, heaviness and oppressive atmosphere, but each instrument is easily discernible, making the whole album crushing. Atmosphere, heaviness; these two things are integral to this band’s sound, but they wouldn’t amount to much if they weren’t propped up by good, brutal songs. The band strides the death metal demarcation perfectly, crafting superb slowdowns of despair to interperse with their high-octane face-melters. It's an incredible experience, especially on headphones. In a genre rife with stagnation and imitation, it is refreshing to hear another  band answer the challenge of the other younger peers and then casually brush them aside with an album so masterly that it is somewhat hard to fathom. Fractial Generator continue to progress and inspire and "Apotheosynthesis" is a true highlight !
facebook.com/fractalgeneratorofficial
everlastingspew.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Valgrind-Seal of Phobos (2017)

A brutal album. Valgrind speaks to many in different forms. Extremely heavy production, tight and commanding drumwork, catchy, sharp guitar work, chaotic, amazing leads, and of course, catchy yet angry vocals, yes, this album has indeed a lot of features. There are maybe one or two riffs or sections in the brutal 5 songs - but not enough to really be called thrash, this amazing work of Death Metal will have you wanting to hear it again and again until you're black to the blind. The double bass is clear in your ears...you're pounded upon relentlessly by an unbreakable wall of pure death metal. The lead in the songs are killer. The harmonics at the end of the riffs are truly amazing. There you have it. A powerful fkn death metal album!
facebook.com/valgrindband
everlastingspew.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Maze of Sothoth-Soul Demise (2017)

The music on here is just flat out amazing. These riffs are so beyond heavy, i mean all the tracks deliver insanely heavy parts, plenty of blast beats, they change up a lot on this album in terms of the drumming and guitar riffs. The riffs are so incredibly heavy that it is hard not to love this album. “Lies” is an amazing song with yet another (big surprise) amazingly heavy riff. I usually don’t put lyrics in my reviews but “Seed of Hatred” has some of my favorite lyrics ever: “
Our union will create a new form of Evil
Put in your womb the seed of hatred
your sacrifice won't be in vain
errant demons populate the earth”
Production on here is one word, perfect. None of the drums get lost behind the guitars and they sound amazing, vocals are in top form here. Everything about this album is good and I think you will agree. Best tracks – “Lies”, “Seed of Hatred”, and “Multiple Eyes"
facebook.com/MazeofSothothOfficial
everlastingspew.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Naga-Inanimate (2017)

A blast of pulverizing doom, gutteral vocals and Hellhammerish chord. Inevitable and ensuing aftermath of hunger, desolation, and hopelessness.  As for the tracks themselves, what you get here is delivered at the irnoic pace of a funeral procession. This is strictly metal in conception and execution, regardless of its  novel properties. Totally dark and fucking evil heaviness...and I am an avid and well-educated fan of Doom Metal and other extreme stuff…Here it is also interesting to draw a comparison with Black Metal which often is considered the most cold, dark and evil kind of metal or even music in general. Well, some Black Metal bands might appear more maniacal due to their somewhat chaotic hysteria and to some degree they achieve to create some evilness since most of them strive really hard, but with Naga it’s just true and natural, they don’t want it out of principle, they just deliver it. And the same goes for the darkness and coldness. Where especially Norway orientated Black Metal bands might have this Northern coldness like winds over deserted mountains, which on sunny days might still cause warm feelings for the beauty of nature. Inanimate should be of interest to any fan of really heavy, dark and brutal metal, but probably it will always remain a rarity in record collections. Fortunately, those who understand this kind of music enjoy the more. Eternal frost, indeed!
everlastingspewrecords.bandcamp.com/album/inanimate
everlastingspew.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Voids of Vomit-Ritual Expiation (2017)

Death metal from Italy inspired in the vein that brought us Death and Obituary, this rigid adherence to a classical sound raises this album up for what it's worth, their insistence on keeping it basic old school sound more in their favor , the good thing is that they don't sound like a modern technical death clone. The great elements of this album? all of them. Listen to this amazing death metal album and  the solos and vocals remain entrenched in one solid territory.  Having said that, what had me so attracted to Voids of Vomit is having two impressive guitarists, they can do something more with their instruments than arpeggios on the highest possible notes, actually manage to convey some emotion other than pure frenetic energy, and perfectly compliments the uncomfortable atmosphere contained in these brutal songs, the incredibly versatile voice for this death metal vocalist is killer, going from low growls, to rabid snarls, high pitched shrieks and semi growled shouts that is almost reminiscent of pre-death metal thrash artists such as Possessed. Such a vocal style will be disconcerting to anyone unfamiliar with death metal before Cannibal Corpse, but in an era where very few extreme metal vocalists are immediately distinguishable from the crowd of cookie monsters, vocals such as these are a breath of fresh air. These two memorable elements aside, the rest of what is on here is standard fair for this kick ass band. The riffs are a nice balance between sinister riffage and late 80s death metal speed and brutality. This is intense and brutal. Being a fan of this particular strain of death metal, I enjoyed this record and leave a good impression on. Take that tidbit of information as you will; if you are a fan of late 80s style death metal like I am, you will enjoy this record, I can guarantee that this will be the death metal record that will stay with you forever !
facebook.com/voidsofvomit
voidsofvomit.bandcamp.com
everlastingspew.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Whispering Woods-Perditus Et Dea (2015)

"Perditus Et Dea" truly contains pieces of musical genius and creativity. It also sparks a question many other bands trigger. What is Metal? I remember being in a car with a friend listening Nightwish in 2001, she said to me: if any person not familiarized with metal, listens from here on (after the vocals I don´t remember which song) would swear this is classical and not metal music. Whispering Woods, in a way, possess the same vein of musical expression but in a dark and more sinister direction. While being metal, many of their songs are full of feeling and emotion, orchestration and arrangements; soprano's vocals blessing the whole picture. It´s not that metal is cold music for mass murderers. Quite the contrary, Whispering Woods is one of the bands that stands out and proves that metal is an open forum of expression, not limited by closed-mindedness or stereotypes (ok, maybe there are a few exceptions), and that, musically, it is a space for geniuses to flow. That doesn´t seem to speak much of the album, so let´s get on with it, and hope that I may get my point clear. This album is full of feeling and emotions. As a whole, the concept really states that metal is a form of open and obscure expression. I hope I make my point clear by saying that metal bands incorporate elements such as Flute, Keyboards and Sopranos giving metal a more elaborate and complex prism of musical creation. So, is this metal? Yes, it is music, it is metal.
facebook.com/WhisperingWoodsBand
pestrecords.ucoz.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Devangelic-Phlegethon (2017)

Brutal/technical death metal.  Heavy riffs with intermingling technicalities, the production clarity puts a nice sheen on the instruments, bringing the thundering snare drum to life and giving the guitars a noise-free, crisp distortion that ensures the plethora of guitar notes sound just as clean picked as they actually are. The blasting drum beats and crushing guitar play well off of each other, leaving the blood pumping bass to tie everything together into a smoother presentation. Good audio quality really immerses the listener in the experience, and catchy grooves make sure that the listener stays captivated. Another interesting release of 2017.
devangelic.com
facebook.com/devangelic.official
comatosemusic.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Khazaddum-Plagues Upon Arda (2017)

Khazaddum attacks once again, it sounds more complete and more visceral while executing it more elegantly. Standardly written death metal, morphed into a grisly, ferocious beast. This album’s darker and more thought-out. Savage Riffs, bass is warmer and burlier, the double bass is non-stop, and the tone makes it addicting. Luka’s vocals are brutal as fuck. Each song contains immense, turbulent rhythms, chaotic leads, and epic riffing. The pace is almost always fast throughout the album, but the best is made up of those mid-paced breaks akin to thrash breaks which opt for a catchier style. Either works for Khazaddum and here they’re able to play it both ways while keeping it consistent and memorable. The drumming modifies its patterns during these times into something more flowing, of course, and that’s something I prefer to any blast beats. Truly an epic example of superior musicanship. Excellent job on this album. Any Death metal fan needs to hear this album or buy it, also for any fan of Lord of the Rings as well. Hail to metal !!
facebook.com/khazaddumband
khazaddumband.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Alliance for Death Domination split Cd (2017)

This split Cd came from Spain featuring two important powerful old school Death metal bands. Karonte plays an extremely fast, intense, high-octane brand of death metal, featuring some of the most mind blowingly fast and precise drumming, each and every track is 100% solid death metal. This is a prime example of how death metal should be done, with many memorable moments, some very fast growls reminiscent of Cannibal Corpse's George Fisher. This is a true masterclass in the art of death metal music, and deserves a listen from everyone.
Bloody Brotherhood is an unholy orgy of double bass and blastbeat drumming, with superb with flashy guitar work. The tempo varies from lightning fast to fast, the very few slow passages in the songs are used only to emphasise the head crushing speed of the rest of the music. This is the kind of band that makes you bang your head like a lunatic, this vocal style matches the music perfectly. This is a good explanation of the band so all metalheads can know what this band is all about. Death Metal to the bone !!
karonte.info
facebook.com/bloodybrotherhood
facebook.com/deadsheepproductions
Review by Paul Caravasi

Anger Tears-Censored (2016)

This is a compilation of early demos of the band from 1992-93'. This re issue is from 2016. Anger Tears is a band from Spain, what we have here is a fusion of thrash and Heavy Metal. A crash of waves exploding into a hyperspeed riff fest. Chorus vocals and sufficient riffing are replete with thrash, but the underlying melody has a distinct heavy vibe to it. Anger Tears kick your ass not merely with riffs and solos, but with thick bass and plenty of melody! is a damn catchy album!, excellent guitar work. In the end what we have is healthy mixture of thrash with related, complimenting musical styles that give the band a new energy. It is fairly memorable and worth a few spins. Reccomended.
facebook.com/deadsheepproductions
deadsheepproductions.es
Review by Paul Caravasi

Epidemic-Malformed Conscience (2017)

In this era of Metal, the bands are experimenting with a lot of influences. Due to this bad development, I was looking for angry sounds. I'm glad to discover bands like Epidemic. And it's no disadvantage. Their music is a fresh breeze. Armed with a reliable sense for catchiness, Epidemic offers a  hard musical approach, flowing riffs contrasted with the extremely raw voice and definitely not afraid of explicit lyrics. Epidemic commuted between stomping mid-tempo numbers and fast-paced pieces. Generally speaking, a bunch of fantastic neckbreakers, for example “Losing Time” or “Hatred”, shined with their dynamic. Vocalist/Guitar player Adam is here to demonstrate his very bad mood and to evoke emotions like hatred and hostility. Following this line, he did a good job. His vocal performance did not lack of aggression or vigor. The constantly high level of the tunes is remarkable. Good tracks with some hardcore breakdowns but still thrashy!
facebook.com/theplaguebegins13
horrorpaingoredeath.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Bereft of Light-Hoinar (2017)

This one man solo project has many good points to it. The drumming, while less on the doom metal side and more on the Black metal side. The guitar riffs are cool, raw, and melancholy, they sound very melancholy, dark, and very fitting of the atmosphere. Growls are good. Needless to say, this is a good starting point for anyone who wants to get into Bereft of Light.
facebook.com/Bereft-Of-Light-2283859621840073
loudragemusic.com
pestrecords.ucoz.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Ordinul Negru-Sorcery of Darkness (2015)

Melting the Black metal they are well-known for with Doom influences, this Cd only consists in the dark, depressive Black metal. Sure, joyful it is not, this effort never fall into sleep-inducing monotony, the band has noticeably sped up with some slow, creeping, slightly down-tuned doom riffs, and a deep and discouraged voice, and poetically sick lyrics. This Cd has really to be listened to as a whole, is part of the general dark, and almost MORBID, atmosphere on each song. With this release the band's future looks very gloomy. What, for this band, means of course it looks bright.
facebook.com/ordinulnegru
loudragemusic.com
pestrecords.ucoz.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Descend Into despair-Synaptic Veil (2017)

Straight-up pure doom metal from Romania. An overall strong and worthy addition to the metal scene and an important influence on heavy music, excellent vocals perfectly accompany the dense atmosphere and depressing motifs of this killer band. The album takes hold of the listener, keeps them down amidst a sea of woe, the gloomy atmosphere of the guitar work is superb, it produces a startling effect, triumphantly melodies that is as catchy as it is sad and brutal at the same time, desperate whisper compelling and dark. The overall sound of Synaptic Veil is not what one would classify “heavy metal.” The snail-paced, death-influenced doom is definitely here. Descend into despair play a sort of mid-tempo shoegaze style here⎯with heavier guitars and drums, for fans of depressing music, doom metal or no, it’s hard to argue with the shear emotive and oppressive power of this record. Killer record from start to finish!!
facebook.com/descendintodespairband
loudragemusic.com
pestrecords.ucoz.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Friday, September 1, 2017

Gothic-Demons (2017)

Musically speaking, probably is the closest representation to the melodic metal sound. It basically contains 60% of the modern, more "alternative" sound and the 40% remaining is melodic death metal. The guitars are extremely well played and effective throughout. The melodic riffs dance around a barrage of drums and a mixture of harsh and clean vocals quite nicely, most of the song is still preformed with harsh vocals. All of these songs are catchy but that really doesn't degrade the musical quality. There are a lot of mellow moments on the album as well, although this album musically is well done there aren't any death growls on here to point out, instead, just a common screaming technique used in most modern melodic death metal albums but the album still sounds solid overall.
facebook.com/Gothic.Romania
pestrecords.ucoz.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Blutrina-Looney Fucking Grind (2017)

This release is unlike any other grindcore album that I've heard. Since this is the first album I've listened to from this bandfrom Romania. I have to say they have a very creative imagination with the brutal edge they deliver.  It has some very strong areas and of course like any other release from any band it has to have at least 1 or 2 weak points. A good aspect of this album is the fact that, although it may sound repetitive at most points (which is usually the case with most grindcore acts), it never fails to aspire creativity and originality in a genre that by most people's standards don't expect much from. Another great thing about this release are the shredding riffs that are found scattered throughout the whole thing not to mention all the weird sampling they evoke in every song (Audio samples taken from Looney tunes, Family guy, Cow and chicken), everything else here is heavy as fuck. The album is very subtle and it's probably only worth the listen just for the dynamic guitar and drum work other than that you can either like it or hate it. Personally I think it kicks ass so if you're a fan of grind and are seeking a new twist to this genre consider picking up this album sometime
facebook.com/Blutrina
pestrecords.ucoz.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Prezir-Contempt ( EP 2017)

This is pure well-constructed brutal Black/death metal for excellence. The feeling of clandestine, slowly emerging catastrophe is a trademark of this band. Their sound? crawling riffs and bestial drumming delivering a death metal motif with songs that sound like the musical accompaniment to the Angels of the apocalypse marching towards sinners to be deposited in the pits of Hell.  Again boasting a vicious sound job proving their place among death metal’s deadliest here. These maniacs deliver a fully demonic performance perfectly attuned to the band's occult lyrics. Brilliant riffs and flashes of genius in the solos delivered along with demented vocals, it is refreshing to hear another new project answer the challenge in the underground metal scene. Contempt is a true flawless masterpiece!!
facebook.com/Prezir
prezir.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Scalpel-Methods to Delusion (2017)

American death metal has never really been known for having too much in the ways of frills, lots of melody, and any remorse. It’s all business and no messing around, especially with Scalpel  and their latest record entitled "Methods to Delusion", and this is their chance to prove to their fans and prospective fans what they are made of. Was this album of an amount of quality that astonished me? Yes, once you hear it, cannot ignore its aggression and energy. An album containing a ridiculous amount of blasting sections and the most dissonant collection of riffs that I have heard in a long time. There are a lot of riffs and structures straight out of the Cannibal Corpse playbook. From one blast beat to the next, Drummer just annihilates his kit with a relentless ferocity like that of a mad-man. Everyone else in the band follows suit with their frantic riffs that are strung together and complex. I must admire the astute ferocity at which Scalpel plays at. They are the sort of songs that can get crowds whipped up into a moshing frenzy in a live setting and they are the definite tone-setter for this album. I just love the demented and deranged quality that wafts off of these songs. No matter what song you listen to, you are going to get your share of madness. This is for those who enjoy nothing but slamming brutal death metal.
 www.scalpel.us
facebook.com/Scalpelofficial
Review by Paul Caravasi

Soul Remnants-Ouroboros (2017)

This release still features some faster death metal elements from the past as well as the twin guitar leads and a versatile vocal performance somewhere between slightly restrained growling, slightly experimental performances inspired by different Thrash, Death and why not Black metal for moments. The album also is filled with extremely brutal orientated choruses.The choruses on this album are extremely strong and probably among the very best in the band's entire career. The drumming is amazing as well the riffs, the band is more extreme metal orientated side, no matter what you think about the band's new sounds, this album will kick your ass. The verses are fast, powerful and unchained concerning both the energizing riffs, the pitiless rhythm section and the wild vocals. The choruses comes around with beautiful guitar harmonies and some soloing just after the vocal part. The rhythm section grooves in an enjoyable way and never gets too sluggish. The vocals are raw-emotional and to the point. Other than incredibly catchy offerings, you get to hear a balanced mixture of powerful melodic death metal. If we look at this release in a good way, this is probably a reconciliatory record for both metalheads fans of the early days in metal and the contemporary phase. On this record, both worlds harmoniously collide in almost equal parts. Otherwise, the songs writing and some incredibly catchy choruses make this album stand out as a high quality release in the band's discography. This release doesn't include any fillers and only above average to excellent songs. This album may not be as revolutionary but it's definitely a highlight in the band's career that both old and new fans should know and own. Great work on this one !
www.soulremnants.com
facebook.com/SoulRemnants
Review by Paul Caravasi

Oblivion-Cyclogenesis Songs for Armageddon (2016)

A compilation of their material was a good idea for Oblivion; it features their older songs During the 90s, Oblivion was totally and completely absent from the thrash metal scene. Then in 2011, their spirit held together and resurrected itself. So, they surprisingly decided to rejoin as a band with three founding members and put out this killer material. This filled loyal fans as myself with immense satisfaction. As mentioned previously, the band put together all their material from 1984 to 1990. This double Cd includes a 24 page booklet filled with pics, flyers, artwork and some cool memorabilia. The music brings back many memories to their older demos..and the band achieved their goal of keeping listeners interested. The fierce guitar executions are great. There really aren't any songs to dislike. The music here contains guitar rhythms that were already innovative for their time during the earlier days. In retrospect, this compilation does a lot for the band and keeps loyal fans impressed with Oblivion. Seventeen tracks of great thrash metal was  a smart move by the band. If originality in thrash metal is to your liking, then this compilation will best suit your interest. I'm glad these guys are back !!
www.OBLIVIONBAND.com
facebook.com/ObivionUSA
BobPetro@comcast.net
Review by Paul Caravasi

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Black Mourning Light Metal fest 2017

Founded by Dustin Ekman in 2015, Black Mourning Light has grown from a one-day festival to a two day festival, and has hosted such bands as Uada, Helleborus, Panzerfaust, Erimha, Idolatry, Noire, and Altars of Grief, and many more. Headlined by two of the most notorious bestial black metal bands in the history of the genre, Black Mourning Light Metal Festival once more shows growth in it's short time in existence. Revenge and Blasphemy top off a festival brimming with putridity. Also featuring the bands Rites of Thy Degringolade, Antichrist, The Projectionist, The Lucifer Project and more, Black Mourning Light is a certified destination festival, and one of the few in Western Canada that caters specifically to the black metal and doom crowd.
Tickets are available online through TicketFly and Crown of Viserys.
Ticket link for TicketFly: https://goo.gl/iOf9fm
Ticket link for Crown of Viserys: https://goo.gl/tpdXoB

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Total Death-Inmerso en la Sangre (2015)

Total Death have pretty well abandoned most of their old doom-death roots with this release, "Inmerso en la Sangre". A few roots still remain but not enough to consider it as much of a doom album in the vein of the previous classic . Instead we are treated with more experimental Death Metal, even progressive music. But you can find some good heavy guitars. This album would be better classified as dark beauty. The vocals are pretty well all in some form of clean singing or spoken vocals. I believe they have really improved their vocals. Much more atmospheric is this release, although in a different way from their previous style. Relies on more of a mixture of melodic guitars. Clean electric, acoustic are used quite often as well as a few excellent lead harmonies. The sound in general is much softer but still can easily be considered a dark, sorrowful album. Has the occassional chaotic screams which compliment the music great, but its main strength over the older albums is well produced, well played variety of instruments. They use keyboards and other atmosphere to make up for the lack of distorted intensity on this release present in older albums. Total Death took a huge step and a chance on this Record. It is good music, good songs. I  would recommend it to anyone not just looking for heavy metal. Vocals play a large part in this, but the music has a more epic feel to it as well. Over the course of this album, emphasis is put equally on instrumentation and atmosphere, which is an incredible combination when correctly executed. The guitars dirge along, almost as if trying to enact the emotion that the song's lyrics portray. In other words, I was surprised when I finally took the time to give this album a proper listen. Good Job on this one!!
facebook.com/muertetotal
Review by Paul Caravasi

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Jenner-To Live is To Suffer (2017)

This album is a simple Speed/Thrash metal effort, a very good one. A polished production. "Hear the Thunder Roar" completely crush your skull, as well does "Demon's Call", "Factory of Death" is the obligatory headbanger of this album.The whole album is totally well produced, and I like that. I rather listen to something that sounds amazingly good than a tape recording of a Poser black metal project. Overall it's a great recomendation for anyone who likes 80s metal. We have a large collection of solid tracks that could shack up to the "Fabulous Disaster" era of Exodus and some Warlock influences in terms of vocal performance and riffs. What do you get when you blend the riffing style of  Speed/Thrash metal and add vocals of Doro ??? Answer: You get Jenner. "To live is to Suffer" packs a screaming punch of Speed/thrash metal. There are a lot of enough good songs on this album for every metal head to want to seek out this album. The voice is amazing, and if you've never heard it then you are missing out!
facebook.com/jennerserbia
www.inferno-records.net
zineaholicpr@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Fondlecorpse-Dark Contagion (2017)

Silvester Koorevaar is a genius in my book. This Cd is amazing, with an amazing mix of styles and genres including death, grind and thrash Fondle Corpse from The Netherlands has created an awesome fucking album. There is so much diversity here that literally any Metalhead can enjoy it. The guitar tone is killer, my favourite parts are all of them, even solos (yes you heard right) solos. Nothing here sounds out of place, they also have  great riffs and grooves that really give the album replay value. I could find myself going back to this album every now and then whenever I need a good extreme metal fix.  About the vocals, got your growls and screams and all that. Fits with the music fkn well. What do you expect from a extreme fkn band? The drums are good, lots of blasts and what not, good tempo, etc. Everything played on this album is really good plus the bass. I could listen to it all day, it's still stuck in my head. To sum up this album... BUY IT! It is well worth your money. The musicians who play them rule and even the lyrics rule too! They're all about gore. If you want a good listen, this is the right place to find it. I highly recommend this to anyone who just wants to hear some good Metal. I don't know what else I can tell you to convince you that you should get this album, just fkn get it!
facebook.com/Fondlecorpse
fondlecorpse.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Necrowretch-Satanic Slavery (2017)

The guitar playing on this album is vicious. This is what death/thrash should sound like. It is just unbelievably kickass with the fast paced thrash. "Satanic Slavery" starts with a brutal approach. After the first song kicks into you'll feel like you're in fucking hell. The vocals are very aggressive and suit the music perfectly. Blast beats and traditional death metal like guitars is what you will find on these Gem. The savage death metal style guitars mutate into a thrash symphony which is very, very well executed. The brilliancy about this band is that they somehow manage to integrate so many riffs into one song to technical perfection. While this album is extremely fast it almost seems as though it comes naturally and with little effort. The power on this band is absolutely inspiring. The whole album is dark and it's heavy as fuck the whole way through, and also essential to any fan of death or thrash metal. Fantastic!
facebook.com/Necrowretch
www.Necrowretch.net
necrowretch.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Compendium of Metal Vol. 10 by Metal on Metal Records (2017)

Well, the material here kicks ass. However, some of it is spectacularly generic. Basically what what we have here is a sort of sampler of bands, with each band getting one track. The opening band, Outrage, really...eh. I don't even know how to put this. They are easily the strongest band on the compilation, and really a good choice for an opening band to start the compilation. The song is fucking BRUTAL thrash in the vein of old Kreator/Sodom, which is totally fine in my book. Eternal Thirst from chile is a good power metal band. However, there's not a whole lot else I can say about them. They sound like they know exactly what they're doing, and succeed at what they're trying to achieve. The Lamp of Thoth (Doom/Heavy Metal), Meliah Rage (Power/Thrash), Emerald (Heavy metal), Ankham Witch (Heavy/Doom), Risen Prophecy (Thrash/Power), Horacle (Heavy metal), Sacro Sanctus (Blackened Heavy/Doom), Cadaveric Poison (another amazing Death/thrash project by Paul Speckmann), Wildhunt (Technical thrash), Metal Law (Traditional heavy metal), Sacred Gate (Heavy Metal) and the legendary Power/Heavy metal band Attacker. Pretty much all the bands are Heavy, Thrash and/Or Death Thrash just a couple of average Doom tunes as well. This compilation is definitely worth your time to hear and after a careful consideration, I'd say that this album is worth buying, if you enjoy any kind of Traditional Heavy Metal or thrash, especially the really vicious, nasty kind that borders on blackened thrash or deathrash. If you see this CD at a local record store or, pick it up!
www.metal-on-metal.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Outrage-And the Bedlam Broke Loose (2017)

There are various reasons why I consider this to be a killer band. First of all because it musically is a fucking ‘evil’ style of thrash. Fast and filthy. Opening track "And the bedlam broke loose" simply is the best song ever written. This composition comes close to perfection. The threatening into riff emphasised by the supporting distorted bass guitar, followed by an up tempo verse and chorus and a eerie mid paced middle section. The dynamics presented here are mind blowing and the song never loses its tension. Another thrashing highlight is "Breed" on which Frank P. sounds best with his raspy voice. Definitely a brutal song. This album is Strong, fast, catchy and filled with great riffs, breaks and lyrics. I really enjoyed this album from start to finish. This album isn’t anything groundbreaking, but holy shit does this rock pretty hard. In the end, you can’t claim to know what extreme metal is, if you have never listened to “And the Bedlam broke Loose”: this opus embodies the truest, most primitive soul of Metal (which nowadays has been unfortunately lost among many circles), but behind it there is a highly competent and passionate band that manages to shine flawlessly in terms of quality and professionalism, in a cohesive mix that reaches absolute perfection. Listen to this album, or die trying 'cause it's fkn amazing!!
facebook.com/OutragePforzheim
www.metal-on-metal.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

The Lamp Of Thoth-This is not a Laughing Matter (2017)

If you like Saint Vitus, Pentagram and Black Sabbath, you would love this Cd. Dementedly clear vocals and a never ending web of riffs.Literally full of incredible tracks, the album is a compilation of their Ep from 2011 and their demo from 2013. Meshing a funky vibe with skull crushing riffs, it features amazing band interplay and flourishes with more doomy weight. Great Sabbathy riff feast.That part alone makes this album worth buying because it is simply pure genius. This Cd will stand as a great album and, in my opinion, a real landmark release. Get this album.
thelampofthoth.bandcamp.com
www.metal-on-metal.com
Review by Paul Caravasi