Worm Gear

The look and overall feel of this CD screamed chaotic warmetal (the gasmasks, bullet belts and barbed wire pentagram on the cover indicated sloppy redundancy/extremism), so I went into the world of Slovenia’s Bleeding Fist with a bit of disinterest. The surprise came during the opening seconds where it was unveiled that “Bestial Kruzifix666ion” was a lot more influenced by blackened traditional metal that I could ever have expected. A lot of tasteful lead work and even a few dueling guitar lines give this harsh, yet sensibly formed music a strong epic vibe even though the band tries their hardest to dirty up the performance and feel of the album with studio grit with more primitive segments of music. The vocalists mid range snarl is a good fit for this bands structured, though caustic onslaught. His vocal placement often steers clear of the obvious motion in the riffs unless it is needed, which gives each track a stately sense of power. The sloppiest element on “Bestial Kruzifix666ion” is the drum work. The technique and patterns being played sound technically diverse and just as mighty as the music, but the timing feels a bit sloppy on occasion which is the only real indication that this band would like to have that “warmetal” classification tossed around when people talk about their music. Catchy melodies and primal blasts of aggression are the foundation, breeding a memorable take on various metal styles. Bleeding Fist are far from an original band and I think the cover art of this release is an indication of this as they strive to fit in somewhere… anywhere! But the fact of the matter is that this quartet writes some interesting and effective music that borders on the thrash, black, and Necro heavy metal genres. If you need the image to match the mayhem, Bleeding Fist will be thrilled to throw another nail through the gasmask and layer of fake blood on for you in their next photo shoot. –Marty

Moribund Records

When it comes to thinking about death metal bands and geography, Italy is one of those countries that really haven’t produced any bands that instantly spring to mind as being something noteworthy. I’m sure there are some over the years that have planted their flag firmly in the genre, but it seems the countries appreciation for romanticism is far more rooted in doom, or black metal tendencies. Italy’s Faust seemingly benefit from their countries low-key approach to death metal, for this band has erupted from a long, though not very productive history with “From Glory to Infinity”… a rather unique sounding album of teched out, though very memorable death. This band formed in 1993, released a demo, then an EP in 2001, only for this full-length to be unveiled by Paragon Records. Not the most prolific bunch of musicians, but this is mainly due to main man Aleister ‘s involvement with Norway’s Ancient over the years. From Glory to Infinity” skillfully mixes melodious harmonies and classical interludes as found on the impressive “Sentimental Worship”, with teched out brutality that never loses sight of hook oriented verse and chorus work. A sleeker, more tuneful Morbid Angel comes to mind when stretching to find a point of comparison for Faust. Adding Steve DiGiorgio to the line-up in the studio (maybe even live…. Hard to say how deep his involvement runs) compounds the stylish complexity found on this album, for his ever mind blowing bass work cuts through the mix of this CD like a knife, finding his sound to be a little more clean, even percussive sounding to accomidate the precise performance of fellow studio musician Darek “Daray” Brzozowski from Dimmu Borgir and Sunwheel fame. It’s a nice contrast up against the warm guitar tone, not to mention the deep, though very unique guttural moaning style of guitarist Aleister. All the tracks possess a warm flow where nothing sounds out of place or awkward, just 1 full album worth of well considered death metal that embraces the old school of the genre, but feeling more at home stylistically alongside bands like Death and the aforementioned Morbid Angel. Very enjoyable. –Marty

Paragon Records

This CD turned out to be a nice surprise. The Polish duo Flame of War, take their NSBM values and inject them into one of the more moving and depressive, old styled black metal releases I’ve heard in quite some time. They do it all by clinging to all the staples of the genre, but not succumbing to boring structures, or crappy lo-fi trappings often used by the legions of bedroom BM warriors. Flame of War can play their instruments and even though the stick to the more simplistic side of riff writing, clean guitar lines and some lead work rip into dissonant chords and more distinct riffage that paints a very dreary landscape where dismay is the scourge upon the land. “Transcendence” is made up of 3 very long tracks, “Transcendence” 14:46, “Unity” 15:38, and “Fate” 26:49, all of which possess very memorable riffs and very sensible structures that never fall into moments of boredom. And to make this even more impressive, the drums are all programmed and mixed in with sequenced atmospherics (minor synth work), but the programming is so well done, the mechanical feel that COULD have corrupted this material, isn’t there at all. Everything sounds very natural and surging with a warm atmosphere that really emits a strong emotion (“sorrow” would be said emotion) rarely found at this level conviction. When the vocals come in, the sinister, almost demonic singing style is bloated by reverb and hits the listener like a chilling breeze on the face. The delivery isn’t so pronounced that it steps on the music at all, rather creeps out of the sonic fog like a specter moaning just inside the canvas of the forest. Sure Flame of War are obviously influenced by Burzum and other noteworthy Norwegian black metal masters, but they take the classic aesthetic and add enough of their own style and excellent songwriting skills to make “Transcendence” something truly powerful to behold and get lost in. –Marty

Eastside

I find it surprising that “After the Fall” is my first crossing with Malta’s Forsaken, a very mature quartet of songwriters who have plundered the lush orchards of doom since 1991. “After the Fall” is very vibrant sounding sonically, with a guitar buzz that breathes in a room ambience and a massive tone that gives this band that hint of a stoner doom vibe. Vintage amps and old guitars, all played loudly is the sound they are successfully emulating, but the motion and openness in the riff work and overall compositions take on more of a weighty epic metal grandiosity. There’s a noticeable level of seriousness and angered intent in the music, more so than any stoner doom band that I’ve heard in ages, so the stylistic comparison begins and ends with the guitar sound. Leo Stivala’s vocal skills are quite impressive in the pitch singing style, for his power comes off as effortless and the smoothness in his pipes masterfully walks the line between uplifting energy, and more subtle/quiet dynamics all without ever sounding like a 3^rd rate power metal cheese fest. “Armida’s Kiss” in particular stood out due to an insanely heavy hook with grooved out and unpredictable motion in the main riff, only to further open up structurally with classy solo work and a new set of riff ideas. Forsaken aren’t afraid to stray off the beaten path and pride themselves on breaking out of tired and true pop structures. Don’t be surprised to hear a song end in a much different area/mindset than it began. This trait is one of the many that really draws me to this band. The emotion within the songs and obvious care for every note on this album instantly won me over even with having no preconceived notions going in. Add sparse, but quite enjoyable solos to further push the epic metal hugeness of “After the Fall” to the forefront of the genre and my “regular rotation” stack of listening CDs. After several trips through this CD, it became clear that Candlemass is a very big influence on Forsaken, but the band has clearly risen above their idols in many ways with so much more musical development in their arsenal and by avoiding the blatant Sabbath worship employed by Leif and crew. A truly great release. –Marty

I HATE

We are all aware of Infernus’ struggle to keep the rights for the band name Gorgoroth he created and toiled beneath for so many years, from the willing usurpers Ghaal and King of Hell. It has been a long and bloody battle, strewn throughout and perpetuated by the media… all glorifying a legal move by 2 non original members of the band, trying desperately to steal the name in order to maintain all the popularity the brand has earned for them throughout the years. The fact it went as far as it did boggles the mind, but triumphantly, the rights to black metals most pure band, Gorgoroth, returns to its rightful owner. And Infernus was ready to strike, for “Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt” sounds like the Gorgoroth of old that fell out of step when Ghaal and King of Hell were in the band and their affinity for more advanced/complex musical compositions took control of the helm. “Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt” revels in the dissonant Norwegian harmonies that drape atmosphere over these simplistic songs. The spacious riffs and structures of this album are a welcomed change of pace for Gorgoroth, and so is the return of Pest to the cancerous vocal throne. His delivery may not sound as over the top as his past works, but his familiar delivery fits together perfectly with Infernus’ writing style. He even offers brief moments of pitch singing as found in “Human Sacrifice” to add some diversity to his resume and depth to this album. Initially, this release sounded far too clean, shaving off the harshness we’ve come to expect from classic Gorgoroth, but repeated listens reveals this lack of sonic aggression has been replaced by a definite warmth, almost like an organic room sound that yields a different type of power. The mp3’s I was sent by the label for this review could be the culprit, but there is little evidence of Frank Watkin’s (Obituary) bass work on “Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt” which I guess makes him feel right at home. How so? When was the last time you heard his bass anywhere on an Obituary album? My point exactly! Having those bass frequencies would have given this album a bit more dimension, but the well written songs, solid vocal performance, and equally solid drum work of former Dissection drummer Tomas Asklund (who also co-produced this album alongside Infernus), more than make up for the lack of 4 string fury. It took me a few spins to overcome a production that is good, but a little too clean for my expectations when hearing a new Gorgoroth album for the first time, but I’m glad I stuck to the task and allowed “Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt” to work its black magic over my appreciation. Gorgoroth is back and has produced a worthy opus of correct, old styled Norwegian black metal that shall keep Infernus and crew firmly perched atop the throngs of new musicians that have ripped him off countless times over the years. It’s gotta feel like vindication for a man that has been under someone else’s thumb for so long. –Marty

Regain Records

Ever since Legion’s ejection from the ranks of Marduk, a band that he helped elevate to it’s lofty popularity due to his scathing vocal delivery and intense live demeanor, Morgan has taken back a hold of the reigns and is steering this band back into the underground with a rekindled sense of twisted musical sadism. Lifted from the band Funeral Mist, vocalist Daniel “Mortuus” Rosten has seemingly filled Legions boots perfectly and in a lot of ways, proven that his more tortured vocal performance was the perfect fit for future Marduk albums. After hearing this union and really enjoying “Wormwood” and the 2 previous albums, it is clear to me that Legion had to go. Mortuus’ dank and seedy howls inject the filth into this material and from his debut performance for this band on “Plague Angel” forward, every release has gotten better, if not a touch more experimental/elegant. Morgan is no longer afraid to slow down the tempo as found on “Funeral Dawn”, a plodding track that revels in atypical harmonies soaring over the top. An almost militaristic march is felt in this tune, forcing Marduk fans of old to learn patience in order to feel the full impact, for this album and its predecessor, “Rom 5:12” are no longer about speed as a crutch dominated tunes that felt independent of each other as a whole. Modern day Marduk now writes songs conceptually that feel like a piece in the ongoing puzzle that is the full album. This full album experience finds Marduk embracing a musical maturity that was the ever elusive element on past works. “Wormwood” in a lot of ways, feels a bit like Mortuus’ other band, Funeral Mist… especially the CD “Maranatha” that I reviewed in the last update. There are powerful tracks full of diversity and tempo variation, then there are interconnecting tracks like “Unclosing the Curse” that act as theatrical mood setters, digging into a heavy atmosphere hell bent on creating mental visions, rather than the balls out machismo and predictable nature of old tracks like “Fistfucking Gods Planet”, etc. This mixed in with Morgan’s more atypical take on his riff writing has given Marduk a much bolder statement to unleash upon the world. From the chaotic slides that whip the track “Into Utter Madness” into an uneasy fury, little changes in the way he writes riffs and plays guitar is re-conquering the rusty formula that middle era Marduk was seemingly all too comfortable with. “Woormwood” is yet another really strong building block in this bands journey that gets even better the more it is played. I can’t help but think that Marduk is only 1 album away in this evolution from writing a masterpiece. Time shall tell! –Marty

Regain Records

This is my first brush with both artists, but have heard a lot over the years about Craig Pillard’s (Former Incantation) bass dominant descent into the realm of the plodding and experimental with his soul jarring project, Methadrone. As I anticipated, the descriptions I’ve read for this music is right in line with what is present for his tracks on this split. Simplistic, though emotive droning bass lines that writhe along to a programmed drum beat for the foundation, with ghostly sounding harmonies crawling over the top to perpetuate the unceasing din. Somehow, this thundering vibe is very hypnotic, if not nightmarish, only for Fragment to offer a hint of light on this split. This project is very heavily influenced by later day Godflesh, with uplifting pitch vocals possessed by reverb, confidently empowering equally effected guitar lines. The feeling of tracks like “Clay Dust” and “Golem” comes off as a darker take on post rock, but 10 times more powerful and moving. Methadrone as well dig in deep with filth ridden fingers into very emotive progressions on the meaty and melancholic “A View into the Empty” and “”Absorbed (version 2)”. Both projects weep sonic waves of sorrow and use this music to pine for a release from life’s torment. “Astray” is set up with alternating tracks for each artist, which I initially thought would have been a bit of an annoyance, but since both artists compliment each other so perfectly, the dense instrumental darkness of Methadrone is followed up quite nicely by the more reassuring warmth of Fragment and his vocals help break the otherworldly spell. This is a very powerful split CD for those of you trying to expand your musical horizons and fall helplessly deeper into the darkside. “Astray” is highly recommended!! –Marty

Locust Swarm Records

21 years since their debut full-length, Germany’s Minotaur sound like they haven’t aged a bit, still churning out a cleaned up German thrash attack ala Kreator, sans the bestial fuzz of Kreator’s early masterworks. In fact, this band undoubtedly owes a lot of their early popularity to said fellow countrymen, for fans spill over their interest to check out other bands of the same ilk. The Kreator and Destruction influence runs a bit too deep in this music. Andreas Richwien sounds nearly exact to a young Mille (Terrible Certainty Era), and Minotaur’s style revolves around note based riffs, albeit a touch more related to Destruction than Kreator stylistically, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. Minotaur’s musical intentions are impure when it comes to originality. I applaud the dedication to the thrash faith and the songs are just the right amount of sloppy and structurally confused (in a good way) to lead one to believe that “God may Show you Mercy… We will Not” could have come out in ‘84/’85. But… it didn’t! Minotaur’s emphasis on a clean production rolled off all the grit that would have allowed the much needed dose of intensity to empower the busy guitar work and blastless beats. We’ve heard it before… sometimes better, sometimes worse. Such a middle of the road existence makes a release such as this really tough to fully embrace. If you’re a thrash purist, Minotaur wants to sell you something safe. I guess I really needed more of a bite in the production and a bit more inventiveness when it comes to songs and overall style. Hey… Mille’s vocals have been fried for ages… Kreator really needs to give Andreas a call. –Marty

I HATE

“Front the Final Foes” struck me instantly as a modern take (a very full production gives this album a slick presentation) on an ancient death/black metal journey. Very memorable riffing allows the hooks to set deep within the mind and allows the drummer to explore some creative fills and percussive flair. Tom Warrior tinged vocal yells keep the lyrical delivery simplistic, though no less potent as tense string bends/riffs as found on “The Sum of Your Loss” lay down a head nodding groove before piling on the tension with crisp and exact sounding blast beats that effortlessly slide in for dynamics. This release is predominantly mid-paced in delivery, but is so well written, that other tempo shifts come and go, skillfully empowering the movement and dimension within the songwriting. “Cult Rapture” is a definite favorite of mine, with it’s pulsating riff work and powerful picking style that erodes into dissonant black metal chording. Ruins Doesn’t strike me as necessarily death, or black metal… rather this duo is a mighty union of both styles with an unquenchable thirst for catchy songwriting served up by way of the late 80’s, early 90’s. Very well done. I’ll definitely be digging back into their catalog to see if the quality can be found lurking there as well. –Marty

Debemur Morti Productions

I didn’t have to dig too far, just a bit deeper into the crippling promo pile to realize that the Moribund Horde released Ruins 2^nd full length album, “Cauldron” mid 2009 here in the states and sent it in some time ago. Though not as Celtic Frost influenced as their new release, “Front the Final Foes”, “Cauldron” is just as superbly constructed in the songwriting department as this band demonstrates that you can operate within the blackened metal realm and possess a sound that is organic, not to mention original even though more modern influences do surface on occasion. Each song on this album flows with a warm atmosphere and smooth progressions that leave little indication where the song is going to end up when it finishes. I really like such an atypical style of composition, for I think we have all grown tired of the same old dog and pony show from the black metal world when it comes to blind Darkthrone and Burzum worship. Perhaps it is Ruins isolative location in Australia that keeps the obvious outside influence at arms length as they turn inward for the spirit and direction to create the music they have. Again, superior and inventive drum work ranges from tasty tribal plodding, to embrace pristine blasting that burrows deep into tense moments of emotion and despair. The riff ideas feel a lot warmer this time out, as Alex Pope focuses on despondent chords and notes that suggest a heavy strain of depression, but their delivery strikes me as so unique, I’m more in tune as to what it is he’s playing and how it fits in seamlessly with the song, than how it makes me feel. That comes later as I have become more familiar with the music, and is when the emotive side of this creeping demon finally steps in to meddle with the strings that struggle to keep my thoughts “sane”. Ruins are a great band that I truly hope more of you will spend some time further inspecting. Some very well written blackness on display here. –Marty

Moribund Records

I am so thankful that this drum machine driven, Darkthrone affinity is bleeding out of the BM genre, because it has time and again weakened the true essence of the music. Bands like Semen Datura, having been toiling beneath the banner since ’98, have survived the rise and fall of it all, and continue to make music regardless of how obscure they may be. And I guess I would consider this band a figment of obscurity, for this being their 3^rd full length album, I have never heard, or heard of this band until now… the quite skillfully composed and unique sounding “Einsamkeit”. S.D. uphold the true essence of BM with melodic dissonance in the chords and harmonies that lilt down as if to be covered by a comforting blanket of falling autumn leaves, but they stray from the tried and true “formula” that has all but ruined black metal, by incorporating some progged out chords, time signatures, “jammed” out drum progressions (something a machine could NEVER replicate), and deeply moving feelings in the music as found on the stunningly atmospheric track, “Unter Bleigrauen Wolkenlasten”. This 6 minutes of greatness touches upon a deeper emotion of hypnotic musical manipulation and even a minute hint of post rock droning for that lost in the woodlands sense of wonder. From this point on, cancerous BM screams embrace other avenues of expression in the form of dreamy clean singing and more shouted moments when the riffs call for something more pointed. Tracks like “Mental Outlaw” are a bit disjointed in structure as the band butts even more of a droning post rock influence up against sparse moments of strangeness where spoken word passages creep in the background as if to throw the listener out of the dense atmosphere established in the 1^st half of this album. Then “Marschbefehl” hurls us back into the trashing, malevolent speed, yet S.D. maintain an awkward delivery that just feels a bit off somehow as they switch off into clean guitar passages and other musical genres for inspiration. The end result is infinitely interesting and keeps this CD deeply rooted in my player, but it is rather disjointing to the senses. This is undoubtedly the bands intention, but I feel that if they were to focus on more of a centered and powerful atmosphere and emotive sense of songwriting as found on the aforementioned “Unter Bleigrauen Wolkenlasten”, they would have achieved a coherent and moving greatness. I thin Semen Datura has all the tools they need here to indeed create their masterpiece, and even though I have greatly appreciated the music and creativity found on “Einsamkeit”, I feel they need to strip down their songwriting model and take a closer look at what is most effective and embrace that, over blatant attempts at being odd. –Marty

ATMF

For a Norwegian band, Svarttjern really doesn’t come off as one stylistically. Their sound doesn’t possess that eerie woodland atmosphere often shared by their fellow countrymen; in fact, this band has opted for the brutal approach to the genre. Some really connect with this delivery, but even though I can hear some substantial song development within Svarttjern’s compositions, the lack of overall feeling leaves me unable to gain any sort of connection to this music. It doesn’t help that vocalist Hans Fyrste centers all his efforts on a dimensionless, mid-ranged snarl. The production itself is quite punchy, allowing the crunch dominant verses and tremolo speed picking to shine through with suitable clarity. The music itself seems to be more focused on a late era thrash persona (“Upon Human Ending” in particular… this track feels like something I would have really been into back in high school with its subtle German thrash elements in the guitar work) in feel and attack, with precision blast beats replacing moshable D beats. Where Svarttjern succeeds is in their overall execution. The maimed naked victim on the cover pretty much sums up the delivery and intent of the sonic message this band is trying to convey. Again… some can gain something out of such an attack, but I prefer a bit more life and originality in the riff work and dynamics in the overall songwriting. For what it is, “Misanthropic Path of Madness” is hard to outright discredit, for the talent wielded by Svarttjern is evident. Their style however has been manhandled many times before them and in order to stand out in this overpopulated crowd, a band had better be at the top of their game. Svarttjern simply sound like a young band still figuring out how to define themselves musically… this is their debut full-length after all. Perhaps future releases will find some much needed development entering into their blasphemous equation. –Marty

Swarzdorn/Twilight

Featuring members also found in bands such as Ohtar, Selbstmord, Thor’s Hammer, Dark Fury, and Graveland’s own Rob Darken on synths, Thoth is a Polish super group of sorts looking to rekindle the church fires of the mid 90’s with mystical sounding and eerie black metal. “From the Abyss of Dungeons of Darkness” is a slow to mid paced mood sculpter where clean guitar lines weep sorrowful melodies and act as the main foundation of the songs, for tremolo note based riffs to buzz off in the background over the slow drum beat. The layering effect paints a very complex canvas which is made even denser by the atmospheric and subtle synth textures by Darken’s keen ear for not overdoing it on the keys. The songs are so dense in execution, yet such a clear and surprisingly thin production makes this recording sound a bit alien to the senses. It almost had to be this way or all the layers swirling about could have gotten lost in a more midrange to bottom end production. Speed does enter into the picture on occasion as the buried blast beat patterns (I’m guessing this is a machine) on “…to kill…” apply a needed sense of tension, but the majority of this album is slow to mid paced allowing each song to dig in with a long forgotten and obscure aura that can only be described as “chilling Polish occult”. For me, the hardest hurdle to get over on “From the Abyss of Dungeons of Darkness” is the vocals. I can appreciate the “crying Orc”, Varg Vikernes throaty screaming style used as a dynamic, but this delivery is the main vocal performance on the album. Most of the time it works just fine and is mixed off in the background acting as cries from another dimension, but when this delivery is right up front, it actually sucks some of the impact out of the music in a feeble way. There are times were a more forceful or intense screaming style would have accentuated the music more effectively, but once the CD reaches the halfway point, I have grown accustomed to the delivery and can get back into the interesting folds pouring out of this epic release of unashamed Burzum worship. “From the Abyss of Dungeons of Darkness” is perhaps much more symphonic than any of the Burzum material, but without the Count’s musical contribution to the black metal scene, “bands” like Thoth would definitely not have existed. If you have the patience for slower moving and a more epic strain of underground black metal, Thoth will appeal to fans that just cannot move past the mid 90’s era of the genre. -Marty

Elegy Records

The Polish born Witchmaster is a thriving blend of thrashing death with a touch of evil black metal riffage. The spirit and overall feel of the guitar work does put me in mind of minor Destroyer 666 worship, but nowhere near as triumphant both musically and vocally. Even a hint of a rock vibe in the guitar and drum work falls into the formula on “Total Annihilation”, which is more of a mid-paced headbanger that will have the fists flying in the front row. Vocally, screamer Bastis produces a drunken sounding, mid-ranged snarl that has more in common with old styled death metal and it helps give this album an enjoyable filth of old that digs deeper in every time I’ve spun this. “Road to Treblinka” features the bands most solid and interesting song structure and a handful of riffs that sit perfectly together, but leap from rockin’ motion, to blasting intensity. It’s an interesting take on some tired and true formulas that have made their presence known time and time again in the metal world. Featuring members of Profanum, Christ Agony, Hell-Born, Incantation and a few others, there’s a long history of death and black metal veterans on display here that have created a really well written opus that isn’t afraid to reach across several genres within the metal realm to achieve the denim, leather, and hell attack that is the core of their sound. If you go into it not expecting a lot of originality, you’ll like Trucizm even more. –Marty

Ibex Moon Records

Yet another lengthy delay between updates. This of course isn’t the intention, but it’s unfortunately the way it is. I’ll try to be a bit more on the stick in the coming weeks. I certainly have a lot of music to cover.

Here’s a list of things I’ve been spinning a lot of currently:

Asphyx – Death… The Brutal Way
The Accused – Oh Martha
Wodensthrone – Loss
Blood of the Black Owl/At the Head of the Woods – Unreleased split material
Voivod – Infini
Ahab – The Divinity of  Oceans
Darkestrah – The Silk Road
Dissection – Storm of the Lights Bane
Kerbenok – O
Razor of Occam – Homage to Martyrs
Slugathor – Echoes from Beneath
Subhumans – EPLP

If it turns out you enjoy this blog format, don’t hesitate to comment on reviews, or share the link with your friends. We greatly appreciate the spreading of our propaganda.

Thanks as always for your time and support!

-Marty/Worm

“Death… The Brutal Way” is easily my album of the year and the return to form that I have been anticipating for years. It’s not that Holland’s Asphyx in the later days have been bad, for albums such as “God Cries” and “On the Wings of Inferno” were enjoyable death metal, but the institution of Asphyx just lost a bit of the rawness and doom laden urgency that was such a vibrant part of their first 3 releases. “The Rack” in particular will forever reign as one of the best death metal albums… EVER. Martin Van Drunen’s vocals were purely anguished. The death and doom laden riff work was simplistic, but so earth crumbling that all one can do is bang thy head. And that tone… speaker cones wept beneath the shredding and pulsating rawness of the bands life ending guitar tone. Unparalleled. Mighty. Dank with the stench of coffin exhuming rot. “The Rack” will forever be a tough album for Asphyx… hell, for any band, to beat. “Death… the Brutal Way” features the long sought after return of Van Drunen, hot on the heals of Hail of Bullets popularity and proud upholding of ancient death metal, the time couldn’t be better for Asphyx to strike again. And to back it all up, they reconvened in the studio and did what they had to do… created 10 death bloated, doom hailing anthems to the darker path of musical extremism. This album has years of filth under its collective fingernails and the grime that detonates out of the speakers is so full of conviction, that long lost urgency is the very backbone of this album. Van Drunen sounds like he hasn’t missed a beat and his throat can withstand the torture of leading 2 bands. The music nostalgically falls in line to sound like material that could fit in quite comfortably after the “Crush the Cenotaph” EP and just before “Last One on Earth” full-length, for the writing trio of Wannes Gubbels (bass/Pentacle), Paul Baayens (guitar/Hail of Bullets), and of course the longstanding cenotaph of brutality himself, Bob Bagchus (drums),dug back into the vaults to rekindle the formula that works best for this band… agonizingly slow doom dirges as found on “Asphyx II (They Died as they Marched)”, that explode into furious progressions of blast-less aggression on the anthemic “Death the Brutal Way”. Effects ridden harmonies soar above the droning foundation in a simplistic fashion, but the impact is heightened by the fact that it doesn’t have to be complex to be good. Asphyx are the antithesis of what modern day “turbo” death metal has become and it’s good to hear an always solid band come back and show the new school that keeping it simple provides just as many effective and interesting avenues of brutality, while keeping the songs memorable and worth coming back to for repeated listens. Along with an albums worth of classic death metal, “Death… the Brutal Way” contains a bonus DVD featuring the return of Asphyx to the stage with their pro-shot performance at Party San Open Air Festival in 2007. Top quality and value all the way around. “Die by fucken Asphyx”… indeed! –Marty

Ibex Moon Records

A band is only as good as it’s drummer right? With Behemoth’s incredible skins man, Inferno, poised at the kit for Azarath, you know right away that this material is going to be over the top technical and perfect in every way when it comes to the rhythm section. To my surprise, Azarath do have the tendency to showboat a bit in the mathematical riff department, but a vast majority of this album is very well written and memorable. A lot of feeling and emotion in the riffs as well…. Something that really is lacking in modern day “turbo” death metal. The guitar work and accompanying harmonies are as evil sounding as the pro Satan subject matter. In fact this band possesses a hint of the old death metal spirit, the only difference being the pristine blast work and innovative fills effortlessly unleashed by Inferno. Such amazing speed was something never considered on the older classics because… well… they hadn’t mastered the technique yet. The guttural, though discernable vocal style of bassist Bruno fits this material perfectly as the band sculpts their way through 11 tracks of lethal material, full of crushing guitar work and potent tempo changes. Intricate guitar work doesn’t have to mean, “lifeless” and Azarath gets this point, and have created a very powerful and moving strike of death metal around one of the best drummers in the business. This material sits with me so much better than anything Behemoth has put out in quite a few years. Check it out if the overly technical and largely tuneless attack of the modern era has left you feeling cold. –Marty

Deathgasm Records

Many hail “The Priest of Satan” as a 2^nd gen, black metal classic. Mostly known for Jon Nodtveit’s involvement in the band during the mid 90’s, The Black to me was always enjoyable, but pretty derivative of the Swedish BM aesthetic. The cult vibe was there in Nodtveidt’s eerie synth work and the songs rang through with conviction and the necessary atmosphere, but I always found more worth and power in Dissection (even though both entities sound nothing alike). The Black’s lack of material throughout the years left them feeling like a one off project, more so than a full fledged band trying to refine their songwriting abilities as they forge onward. 14 years have passed since the debut and time has found The Black adopting more of a hateful, if not chaotic, modern black metal sound. Fans of Gorgoroth take note, for the churning clarity in the guitars and overall sharpness in tone is a similar breed of predator. The riff work however, is noticeably more complex and hard to initially grasp. By adding in this stylistic element to embrace this newer era of black metal, The Black have shunned any sort of atmosphere and creepiness that once was a part of their sound. Even though I’ve spun this CD several times and don’t mind some of the tracks (“Death Throes” and “A Contract Written in Ashes” are both standouts with their slower tempos and actual feeling in the riff work), the production just feels too clean. Too perfect. Too much emphasis on precision has entered this bands formula and severely neutered the overall concept of what The Black started out as. “Alongside Death” is definitely a sharp listen, one that begins to make more sense as one becomes accustomed to the songs, but really too many years of excellent black metal have come and gone for this CD to come off as anything more than “decent”. Too little, too late? –Marty

Pulverised Records

Once again, Deathspell Omega take the current day black metal listener to a realm far beyond jazz, far beyond the scales and “rules” of traditional BM or even rock guitar on the 1 track, 22 minute MCD, “Chaining the Katechon”. Very often, it sounds like the guitar is melting as atypical bends, finger taps, and a just plain bizarre playing style corrupts and augments this material into a unique breed of demon in the black metal world. Mikko Aspa from Clandestine Blaze fame still helms this misshapen and awkward vessel of sound with his burnt out gravel vocals and interesting placement of lyrics. The bends and pulling at the strings unleashes nauseous riffs that meld and twist between barren rhythmic ideas and full on precision blast beats that stop on a dime. Such a chaotic, but somehow sensibly unique style of creating a song, is fully engrossing. When the final note and beat ends, I find myself hitting play again just to see if there’s something new for me to pick out of this body of work. And as usual…. There is! It doesn’t matter if you prefer this bands older, more traditional black metal, or the artistic disheveling of the boundaries of metal, Deathspell Omega are one of the most creative and essential entities currently making music. You cannot deny their bold experimentation and obvious obsession for breaking all the rules. As always…. Excellent! –Marty

Ajna/Norma Evangelium Diaboli