Gnostic – Hatewar 666
This is black metal from Texas featuring ex-Thornspawn members. I can’t stand Thornspawn and this isn’t any better. It sounds like a rehearsal. I don’t understand why music like this is released on CD. With such a dry and raw production it seems more appropriate this be released on a cassette or vinyl. The brutal parts work well and are surely the stronger point of Gnostic but, with little variation, tend to become boring for these ears. The more melodic parts seem to fail – “Imperial Gnostic Domination” being an exception as the first riff reminds me of Godless North. The vocals sound amateur and almost held back at times. You can feel the spit on your face from how dry the rasp is. The drumming is very fast and tight. I’m sure these guys enjoy what they do. I don’t. After listening to this in its entirety, I couldn’t help but grab Bloodhammer’s “Abbedissan Saatanalliset Houreet”. I’d recommend that album over this any day for stripped-down and raw black metal. Decide for yourself though. I’m lost on this one. – TRA
INFERNUS REX
Worm Gear 