Post pop, post metal, shoegaze… whatever you feel most comfortably describes something like this, De Arma is a dreary gothic tinged band consisting of metal folks choosing to explore their fragile/wounded side. Featuring Andreas Pettersson (Armagedda) and Frank Allain (Fen), De Arma strikes me as more along the lines of post “Brave Murder Day” Katatonia with similar downtrodden pitch singing and the bands overall affinity for those tense melancholic melodies that soar above a pulsing power chord foundation. Think Discouraged ones and Tonight’s Decision, though a bit more upbeat for a close starting point. The meat of the tracks is distorted, but the clean melody lines act as the hooks and ultimate depressors for each track. This formula has been pretty thoroughly tested and proven effective by others before De Arma, but this projects contribution to the “woe is me” continuum is effective and enjoyable after several listens and the right mood. Being rooted in the metal scene, the songwriters behind this trio just can’t let the blackness go, finding harsh vocals entering tracks like These Filthy Panes and Wretch to allow a greatly appreciated edge to enter into this otherwise downtrodden, though well written album. The music takes note during these heavier segments of sound, embracing more of a distorted buzz at its core and an effective black metal atmosphere set to a simplistic 4/4, if not “Poppy” time signature. Granted, bands like Alcest, Katatonia, or The Cure really don’t have to nervously look over their shoulder here, but De Arma could be a contender in that more commercial world as they are an effective sum of all the aforementioned parts. This isn’t a style that I frequent in my day to day listening habits, but I do like it and can appreciate what De Arma has achieved with their debut full-length. -Marty
Trollmusic
Imperium Dekadenz – Meadows of Nostalgia
•March 20, 2013 • 4 Comments
Expansive black metal arising from Germany to demonstrate once again that this country has fought through the BM stagnation of the early 2000’s to produce a talented and relevant scene not ashamed to look at their homeland’s beautiful woodlands for inspiration (also check out Finsterforst!).
Imperium Dekadenz is a 2 piece band that embraces mid-paced tempos to allow the brunt of this material to unfurl over droning and dissonant melodies that mesmerize with hypnotic qualities spun through grandiose song structures. There’s a very pleasing pulse at the core of Meadows of Nostalgia that is ponderous and inwardly reflective while taking refuge in an atmosphere that could have sit quite comfortably amongst the mist enveloped hills of Norway circa 1995. What I really appreciate about this album is Imperium Dekadenz’ patience with their riff work, placement and direction. They take their time in these songs by way of sensible repetition and melodic moments that flow along as if carried by a gentle breeze. The production of this album adds to the clarity and vibrance thanks to a very professional sound canvas that allows each instrument to be heard, though not losing site of that organic element so often overlooked by modern recording techniques. As simplistic power chord rhythms provide a suitable foundation, memorable tremolo melodies add a sense of feel that is almost medieval in style and quality as found on the excellently layered track “Tranen des Bacchus”. With the harsh unfaltering screams of the vocalist offering a sensible and effective strike of dismay to battle with the spirit found in these songs, the overall musical message of Imperium Dekadenz appeals to my Viking era Bathory worship and there’s even a minor glimpse of Summoning in there thanks to that machine-like plod to really set me on a world sculpting journey in my head.
Meadows of Nostalgia is one of those albums that I just want to get lost in, not caring about song titles, when it’s going to end, or where it’s going to take me… I just crave and yearn for the escape and this German duo delivers. With cover art that perfectly depicts the melancholy so expertly unleashed within, Imperium Dekadenz is another band that I have overlooked throughout the years and have 3 other albums that came before Meadows of Nostalgia that I also need to investigate. Well done. -Marty
Underground Activities/Season of Mist
Lantern – Below
•March 20, 2013 • 7 Comments
Dark Descent Records continues their onslaught of staunch ancient death metal upheaval and the bleak sounds fall upon these ears as a sign of the past rising again to reclaim it’s throne. I’m still reeling from the greatness of Desolate Shrine and Maveth, but fellow Finnish countrymen Lantern are also calling upon the darkness with uniqueness and more of a mystical atmosphere than the 2 aforementioned, and very different bands.
Musically is where this band impresses me. Lantern specialize in atypical riffing phrases that rage with blasting tremolo based riffs. This element leans into bizarre note selections that flicker upon the cavern walls with reverb soaked atmosphere as Lantern illuminate our passage while we travel deeper into the chamber. Cruciatus is the sole composer of this material and he demonstrates his greatly advanced talents by really selling those malevolent riffs with well considered placement and a playing/writing style that brings to mind the early years of Treblinka/Tiamat… scales that were perhaps subconsciously inspired by Middle Eastern music mixed with metal for that evil sounding twist of the senses. This is most evident on the slower tracks “Demons in my Room” and “Revenant” with their sinister crawl and simplistic melodies that pile on the darkness. Cruciatus has a gift for effortlessly creating this intense atmosphere whether the material is mid-paced, or speeding into disjointed abandon as found on the odd, though intriguing closing track, “From the Ruins”.
With an album’s worth of material this inspired, one hopes the vocals follow suit to accentuate the power manifesting in the songs. Having said that, vocalist Necrophilos’ growled shouting style is an acquired taste. His delivery makes sense, for this style of shouting harkens back to evil metal’s yesteryear, and it comes off sounding strange as if to capitalize on the unique feel within the music, but due to his performance being a bit too loud in the mix, he tends to get in the way of the songs. There is little dimension in his singing style, so the monotone performance ends up being frustrating at times. As he alters his pitch and intensity to achieve a more aggravated screaming style found towards the end of “Manifesting Shambolic Aura” and fleeting moments of the already mentioned and really interesting track “From the Ruins”, we are given a glimpse into a dynamic that would have been a welcomed addition to the final product. The more I have spun this album, the less his vocals have bothered me… I can accept his performance, I just think there is too much of this hollowed out shouting and there would have been more of an impact with a bit of variation.
Regardless of my personal vocal preferences initially getting in the way of my enjoyment of “Below”, the complex and rewarding music on display here forced me to work through my apprehension to fully enjoy this album. Lantern truly have chiseled out a sound all their own. -Marty
Dark Descent Records
Satan – Life Sentence
•March 20, 2013 • 1 Comment
Buried in the wake of Big Four debuts and fading memories, 1983 debut album Court In The Act by Satan nevertheless stands tall as a blinding example of what pure, unadulterated Metal could be. While primarily influenced by the tenets of the NWOBHM of which they were a part, Satan flayed the ears of the unholy with a variety of forward-thinking sonics, combining intricate proto-thrash riffing (reminiscent of early Mercyful Fate in moments), fantastically epic but always tasteful leads, and the completely discernible and professional clean-singing of Brian Ross, whose voice never devolves into self-parody. (if you haven’t heard Court In The Act, stop reading this, look it up and give it a listen). But we aren’t here to focus solely on that thirty-year old classic; no, we have also come to learn what has befallen these elder statesman of the UK scene, and to see what negative effect – if any – the intervening decades have had on their abilities to craft a classic. I am pleased to say:
None whatsoever. Life Sentence is the true successor to Court In The Act (1987 follow-up Suspended Sentence, with its harsher vocalist and drier overall sound, lacked the smooth, potent force of its older sibling). With the original lineup all in place, Satan’s high-flying, expertly-phrased melody lines and riffing have returned as if reappearing, modified DeLorean-style, from the past. Brian Ross croons and harmonizes with the same skill and aplomb as he did in the OG days of straight-up, no-additional-adjectives-necessary Heavy Metal. Members of Satan have, with Life Sentence, taken pains to create that same analog warmth accompanying their early-eighties defining moment, keeping things raw but meticulous, road-tested but reverbed, in the sky and in your face. Too often attempts to rekindle the fire from this time-period end in total failure, but not now. Life Sentence contains all that made unblemished British Steel great – soaring guitarwork, skilled pitch singing, a healthy respect for myth/history – and blessed us all with Court In the Act‘s prodigal son. -Jim
Listenable Records
With Burning Contempt – Red Visions (demo)
•March 20, 2013 • 2 Comments
Nothing like friends that know you well. Our WG curator, for example, knows I am a sucker for Celtic Frost sycophants of any kind, so after spinning ‘With Burning Contempt”s demo Red Visions, he wisely handed this 2013 time-capsule over to me. And it crushes, basking in its decidedly First Wave, ‘Frost-worshipping glory. In what surely must be the result of spinning CF’s Morbid Tales LP until the stylus slices through it, then belching along with Cronos while playing warped Venom 7”s, ‘With Burning Contempt has concocted a frills-free thrasher with the low-end roar of ‘Dethroned Emperor’-style riffing, sidled with the bucolic snarl of the aforementioned UK Satanic-pranksters in their more aggressive moments. Indeed, early Black and Death Metal are – proudly – the only ingredients in effect here, nothing more, most certainly nothing less, and yet, Red Visions succeeds. Proclaiming “Cough, cough … we are old” in the disc’s accompanying promo letter clues one in on ‘With Burning Contempt”s belief that even today, with sub-sub-post-genres, symphonic this, tech that, et al, the only weapons you’ll really ever need to lay waste to weak eardrums are a few screams, a well-played d-Beat, and a downtuned, nastily distorted guitar. WBC remind us that while innovation is great, constant overcompensating can distract from Extreme Metal’s intent. Thus, Red Visions poses this question: if we are fated to claw our way back to our roots anyway, why not take up permanent residence there? -Jim
Self-Released
http://withburningcontempt.bandcamp.com/
Zombiefication – At the Caves of Eternal
•March 20, 2013 • 1 Comment
Ah, OSDM, will ever I tire of thee? Not right now; not as long as worm-ridden filth like At the Caves of the Eternal continues to cross my path. From the first few firefly-like notes of the title track’s acoustic intro, you know a unusual treat has been set before you. Zombiefication lovingly incorporate the mid-tempos and bark of the Swedeath masters, but beneath their gum-bared smiles lies something all the more foul. Guitar tones are purposely cooled, drums are simply, yet convincingly programmed, melody lines are thinned, yet remain sharp, and the resulting effect is compelling. But just as I began erroneously anticipate where I thought where this Mexican duo were heading, the undead bastard that is the Zombiefication curb-stomp took an inevitable bite of my brain, in the glorious form of a Celtic Frost infusion. The unflinchingly Swiss-watch accurate, yet memorable drumming of Reed St. Mark and Berlin Wall-thick riff biceps of Tom G. Warrior helped make To Mega Therion an enduring high point of their canon, and Zombiefication have studied fervently its, ‘oo’s, ‘aah’s, power-tempo changes, tom-work, and spine-snapping intensity with gusto. While the Swedish DM influence is never far behind, the Frostisms provide a much-needed balance to what in the extreme scene is an arguable overuse of the HM-2 pedal these days. Turning this way and that, Zombieification’s song aren’t afraid to bring listeners all the way down to Doom-speed, nor are they averse to fist-pumping double-bass rolls that, while a well-known tactic, never fail (if done with character) to give this aging hesher’s worn leather jacket new rips. Also skin-flaying are their down-picked, industrial strength chainsaw-riffs that could easily saw a Sequoyah in two. Together, all these approaches and arrangements comprise an intriguing sophomore effort. This album will be one that grows on you, a bit like the bacteria of a gangrene-ridden arm. You must give At the Caves of Eternal repeated listens to hear its character come to the fore. Don’t let what you’ve heard before stop you from stepping your way through this entire album, for At the Caves of Eternal truly hides the Hooved-One in the details, and in doing so transcends the sum of its heralded, and in some cases too-closely-imitated parts. -Jim
Pulverized Records
Somewhere between here and utter madness…
•March 13, 2013 • 9 CommentsWe have a short one for you this week dear readers, but no less potent. 5 reviews and a promise for more to come as interviews get hashed out and finalized along with the long promised Sacred Reich essay. Time just seems to always be a fight, but we continue to strike with the weekly updates. As always, your feedback is appreciated and your playlists desired. Until next week, here’s a glimpse into our listening habits…
Marty Rytkonen Playlist
Infinity – Non De Hac Terra
Vex – Thanatopsis
Haiduk – Spellbook
Pentacle – The Fifth Moon
Seidr – Ginnungagap (master)
Aosoth – Arrow in Heart
Sig:Ar:Tyr – Beyond the North Winds
Celestiial – Where Life Springs Eternal
Allegiance – Hymn Till Hangagud
Chthe’ilist – Amechth’ntaas’m’rriachth Demo
Jim Clifton Playlist
Summoning – Dol Guldur
Summoning – Stronghold
Sacramentum – Far Away From the Sun
Rigor Mortis – s/t
Cultes Des Ghoules – Henbane
Necrocurse – Grip of the Dead (can’t seem to get enough of this one)
Victor Griffin’s In-Graved – s/t
Bolt Thrower – Realm of Chaos
Forlorn Chambers – Unborn and Hollow (demo)
Wolves In The Throne Room – Two Hunters
Darkthrone – Hate Them
Abyssal – Novit enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius
•March 13, 2013 • 2 Comments
Testimony to the taste of our readership, Abyssal’s Novit enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius was brought to my attention on bandcamp a couple of months before I heard Profound Lore were picking up and releasing the album. At the time, and on our commenters’ high recommendations, I gave this initially self-released wonder a spin, and immediately fell into the forlorn chasm created by these UK blackened-deathsters. Steeped in the slurry of Portal, the chaos of Mitochondrian, and against-all-odds catchiness of Antediluvian, Abyssal nevertheless have their own agenda. While taking cues from their aforementioned PL brethren, Abyssal worship at the altar of the Riff God above all else, in doing so breaking up tremolo-picking and bent Blut Aus Nord-style chordings with imposingly large, down-picked chugsters that force your ear canals to stand and be counted. Instead of enveloping you in full-on madness, this band’s choice of focus – memorable, marching riff admonishment – has you teetering on sanity’s brink, and is altogether more frightening for it. How much more afraid can you be anyway, once already inside the maelstrom? Abyssal show, through their anti-aria writing, this resolute belief: real tension arises before you step over the edge, in that moment when you willingly lay your senses and better judgement aside, when your tidal wave of fear *almost* holds you back from opening up to the black … but fails. In that soundspace between hope and hopelessness, life and death, Abyssal take root and thrive. Novit enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius’s balance between uneasiness and awe provides the listener an unreliable handhold for avoiding a tumble down into the dark. As the beats deftly blast, as the voice belches fire, and as distortion scours your soul, you’ll swear to those you know in polite society that yes, of course, you’ll hold on to your mind for as long as you possibly can. But as the album carries on, Abyssal will beckon, again and again. And you will obey.
You will let go. -Jim
Profound Lore
Aosoth – Arrow in Heart
•March 13, 2013 • 3 Comments
Aosoth is a French trio that strikes out with their dark visions to scar humanity with their twisted form of black metal. If you were to strip away the perplexing jazz technicalities of Deathspell Omega, you may be getting an idea what thriving and demented world Aosoth inhabits. Arrow in the Heart is my first experience with this band and I must say that they straddle the line between nightmarish dissonance and skillfully formed song structures with an adventurous ear for waves of distortion. The riffs erupt through crippling chords and single note fills that bend and torment their way into a realm that sounds a bit off key, but the displaced or deconstructed moments of melody and interesting electronics thrown in reveal a sadistic uniqueness that will keep you enslaved by the sound. The track, “One with the Prince with a Thousand Enemies” piles on such a chilling and ugly atmosphere at the same time, it feels like the paralyzing heat of Death’s breath on your neck. The way this band creates a punishing rhythmic flow as on the odd and complex Temple of Knowledge, only to snap out of the groove and into a blinding blast of bizarre riffing and atypical beats is very schizophrenic and at times debilitating. The hollowed/burnt to a crisp vocalizations only add to the bleak atmosphere of this album and I must admit that Arrow in the Heart is the perfect selection for late night pondering where you fixate on all the wrong and hurt in your life. I may not go to that not so special place that often, but Aosoth have unearthed your soundtrack from the abyss. There are 4 other full-lengths in their catalog that I now need to investigate… -Marty
Agonia Records
Dead River Runs Dry – Winter 2012 (demo)
•March 13, 2013 • Leave a Comment
I love Australia, and probably won’t ever ‘go to there’. That paradox should clue you in to the fact that I dearly love that country’s extreme music output with greats like Destroyer 666, Mournful Congregation, Denouncement Pyre, etc, etc, littering the Land Down Under. The up-and-comers don’t disappoint either, however, as evidenced by Black Metal outfit Dead River Runs Dry’s latest demo, one that arrives soaked with the same high-quality level of black/death noise of their fellow Aussies. Sargeist-like sounds curl in and around the very-human and standout drumwork of Dan Nahum, setting the listener up for the very brief but welcome bits of Doom and Thrash that rise and fall along the journey. Interplay of guitars now-dissonant, now-melodic proliferate in the mix, creating expressions foreboding and desolate in the brain, especially on ‘Dying Gleam on the Sun Eternal’, a closer that would have held my attention even if it were ten minutes longer. And though the voice of the perhaps ironically-named Brad Gentle, along with the low-mixed but audible bass rumble of Krist Sadler, remain the mortar in Dead River Runs Dry’s wall of sound, the potency therein is undeniable: Gentle’s throat sidles easily between an Ihsahn / Attila range that complements the muted schizophrenia of the songwriting quite well. Acquire this thirteen minute offering to the gods from below the equator, and you will gaze into the twisting innards of this revered land’s next generation of hell-bringers with admiration. -Jim
Self-Released
http://deadriverrunsdry.bandcamp.com/
Infinity – Non De Hac Terra
•March 13, 2013 • Leave a Comment
It has been since 2004 that I last heard, or even pondered the existence of Holland’s Infinity. With their 2nd album, “The Birth of Death” being hopelessly lost and neglected in my CD collection, my fuzzy memory recalls slightly melodic black metal trying to claw its way out of the “Cult” category into something more substantial.
Having now spent some uninterrupted time with Non De Hac Terra, it seems that through the course of 5 full-length albums, this well versed in the black arts power trio has indeed “figured it out” and created something that just might flourish with the correct push behind it. Though not as much of a stylistic derivative as the excellent, though tribute styled German band Thulcandra, Infinity’s music is steeped in the mythical lore of Dissection worship. The furious pace along with moments of rhythmic and riff technicality allows elements of Absu to offset the Nodtveidt-isms haunting their song writing. I must make it clear, that Dissection was such an amazing and special entity to me (sans Reinkaos… never clicked with me) as Jon’s musical vision was so advanced and touched with excellence due in a large part to his gift for writing those soaring harmonies, that if a newer band gleans off some of that unholy fire and can do it justice, I’m not going to complain about the stylistic similarities and yes, lack of originality. A good song is paramount and Non De Hac Terra is full of them. With a crisp and cold production at the helm, the tight sound allows bewitching harmonies to rise like incense smoke into the night sky to bond with the mist of the moon. Melody is the great motivator on this album, for the abundance of it fills each track with unshakable hooks allowing the razor sharp mid-ranged vocals to possess with their icy screams. The music effortlessly embraces the black, melodic death and evil thrash metal genres skillfully by taking them all in and redirecting the attack into very natural flowing song structures and varying emotions that exhale agonized blast beat winds one moment, to fuel more punchy thrash beats the next to keep the dynamics interesting and off centered.
Perhaps the final act of wearing their influences on their sleeve is found in the blue tinted and excellent cover art provided by Necrolord (Dissection/Emperor artist), but don’t let this dissuade you. Non De Hac Terra is a powerful and well conceived album sure to enchant those of you, like me, that placed so much worth and trust on the middle era melodic death/black era of the Sweden’s geographical metal movement. This one’s a scorcher that effortlessly reanimates the past to rise again and be a vital attack in 2013. -Marty
New Era Productions/Hammerheart Records
Tod Huetet Uebel – Morte e Caos (demo)
•March 13, 2013 • 1 Comment
The perfect antidote for the snooze-inducing glut of psychedelic sludge crap slung toward my inbox, apparently, is blast-beating, furious Black Metal, with a little bit of classic Thrash. I felt close to tearing my gray hair out until I came across this three-song piece of coal from Lisbon, Portugal. Vocals remind me of those that rip straight from the larynx of Wrest, with an Leviathan-esque lacerating screech buried under a layer of cold six-string extremity, blending its tone with that familiar furious BM chord abuse that we know – and delight in – so well. On this one-man Black Metal beast, programmed drums snap relentlessly across the thick guitarscape, but for this type of music, such percussion only adds to the raw hatred conveyed across the whole of Morte e Caos’s three tracks. But back to the Thrash. While most of what’s heard is of the corpse-painted variety, each song has a moment of mid-tempo Speed Metal attack with alternate-picking, complementing double-bass drumwork and engendering a nod or two amidst the maelstrom. Daniel Coelho also employs melody lines that add to the journey, but cleverly inters these as well; your ear will have to focus to find them, and that little extra bit of effort positively affects the overall experience of the album. If nothing else, the pure abandon of Morte e Caos has emptied the trend-wax from my ears this week, and for that reason alone, Tod Huetet Uebel deserves a horns-up hail. -Jim
Self-Released
http://todhuetetuebel.bandcamp.com/
Knowledge comes second to doing what you’re told …
•March 6, 2013 • 12 CommentsHouse Rytkonen is slowly but surely getting back in order! Maestro Marty returns with a vengeance, presenting you with a plethora of reviews and an interview with Midwestern Black Metallists Canis Dirus. But that’s not all on tap for his return to the world of electrons; oh no, our need for e-companionship surges forward with our inclusion of another exclusive stream of heaviosity this week: presenting Necrocurse (see below)! The memorable and maniacal come together in equal measure upon this album’s helping of heathen hellaciousness, take our charred and ashen word for it. Welcome back Marty’s full-fledged reappearance, and publish your own playlists and ramblings below, all while enjoying a healthy dose of mid-week extremity – pure courtesy of the wordsmiths of WG \m/
Marty Rytkonen – Playlist
Paul Stanley – Solo album (what is this you say? A blast from my childhood, that is by far the best Kiss album NOT written by Kiss. So much atmosphere, GOOD hard rock, AND the bass lines are crushing!)
Darkthrone – The Underground Resistance
Darkthrone – Transylvanian Hunger
Forlorn Chambers – Unborn and Hollow Demo
Necrocurse – Grip of the Dead
Dawn – Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy)
Manilla Road – Mysterium
Destroyer 666 – To the Devil His Due
Khors – Return to Abandoned
Morbid – December Moon
Jim Clifton – Playlist
Immortal – Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism
Necrocurse – Grip of the Dead
Sacred Reich – Ignorance
Angelcorpse – The Inexorable
Agalloch – The Mantle
Cadaross – So Pale Is The Light
Portishead – S/T
Lustre – Glimpse of Glory / Night Spirit / Welcome Winter
Bob Marley and the Wailers – One Love
Mayhem – Ordo Ad Chao
Streaming: Necrocurse – ‘The Devil Cobra’
•March 6, 2013 • 5 CommentsNecrocurse Debut “The Devil’s Cobra” from their upcoming full-length, Grip of the Dead as an exclusive stream on Worm Gear…
It has been quite some time since something so ancient and excellent has crossed our desks at the Worm compound, but Sweden’s Necrocurse have seared their impression on our minds with Grip of the Dead (See our review for this release in this weeks update). This 11 track descent into darkness is a vibrant attack of aggression and furious melodies from the collective minds of veterans who have done time in bands such as Nifelheim, Sacramentum, Swordmaster, and Runemagick.
This album is the real deal and Worm Gear is proud to work with Pulverised Records to give you all an exclusive view into the abyss with “The Devil’s Cobra” from the forthcoming Grip of the Dead.
Race to the grave and bang your fucking heads….
Sweden’s hell-majestic Death Metallers NECROCURSE have truly invoked pure evil with the much anticipated debut full-length “Grip Of The Dead”!
With members from Nifelheim, Swordmaster, Runemagick, Sacramentum, etc and set in a traditional ancient Heavy Metal spirit, “Grip Of The Dead” is a convocation of ominous Deathchaos and Blackened Thrash destruction. Together with a slab of anthemic devil-horn theatrical antics, the end result is a perfect assimilation of the legitimate NECROCURSE sound-stamp!
Recorded, mixed and mastered at Sonic Train Studios with legendary King Diamond guitar maestro Andy La Rocque (King Diamond, Melechesh, Hammerfall, etc) and the stunningly nefarious artwork cover by David Herrerias (Antichrist (Swe)), the Morbid Maniacs have returned and it is going to be unpleasant.
The first riffs and songs to the band was composed in 2004 but was then only as a project and not meant to be official. A few demo songs were recorded but much more than that did not happen. It was in 2009/2010 that the band had a full line-up and the name NECROCURSE became official.
In 2010, the band recorded their first serious recording. The result was five songs, later released in 2011 on two 7″ vinyls “Chaos Carnage Cataclysm” and “Insane Curse Of Morbidity” by the Norwegian label Aftermath Music. Two tape versions was also released with bonus material by the Swedish label Death Invocation Records. The recordings were then re-mastered and re-released as a shaped CD ”Shape of Death” by Aftermath Music in 2012.
In 2011, the band began working hard on new material and some unofficial demos were recorded. Several record companies contacted the band and NECROCURSE chose to work with Pulverised Records from Singapore. This resulted in a worldwide contract for an album on CD and vinyl.
In 2012, the band is ready to play live. Several gigs were made during the year in clubs and festivals such as Beyond The Gates Festival (Norway), Kill-Town Death Fest (Denmark), Metal Legacy Festival (Sweden) and others. NECROCURSE quickly gained a reputation as a great live band with fast-paced action and intense show on stage.
In September, the band began recording the new full album “Grip Of The Dead” in Sonic Train Studios (Varberg, Sweden) with Andy La Rocque at the controls. Recording continued in smaller studios to finally become mixed in Sonic Train Studios in October. The release is scheduled in early 2013.
During 2013, in addition to release new album, NECROCURSE will also appear livemore, better and harder than before!
Canis Dirus – Wolves among the sheep…
•March 6, 2013 • 3 Comments
Canis Dirus is a US black metal band that has produced 2 well written albums (A Somber Wind from a Distant Shore and Anden Om Norr) while enduring the hurdles that come from both of its members living in 2 different states and rolling with the nightmares that befall us all while going through this life. In spite of the challenge, Ohioan RH and Minnesota native TMP have persevered and harnessed all their past experiences/hardships to weave them into the melancholic and introspective sounds that make up Canis Dirus. With ties musically to older Burzum and other melodic/dissonant vices that can be felt throughout decades of black metal evolution, the band has learned and managed their influences to arrive at a very mature and powerful statement with their latest release, Anden Om Norr. This album is quite violent at times and consistently a depressive glimpse into its creators thoughts as the songs dynamically flow between harsh aggression and an almost folk-like sense of centered tranquility. Recorded solely by the band, Anden Om Norr comes across as a very personal endeavor that stands out as a pure statement from these 2 proud upholders of USBM. Both members of Canis Dirus recently took the time to answer our inquiries into the workings of this musical pursuit. -Marty
Worm Gear: US black metal has always had a harder time proving itself it seems on a global market due to the intense popularity of European and Scandinavian bands, not to mention the US bands often different take on the overall sound. How has the response been to both Canis Dirus albums and where do you think this band sits with all of this and with fans of the genre? Is the thought of an “American scene” even that important anymore as artistic globalization has obscured borders thanks to the internet?
RH: the response to our first album was pretty positive in terms of the reviews I’ve seen. Our second release, Anden Om Norr, has only been out a couple months and I have yet to see any reviews for it. I’m hoping that will change soon but I’m guessing promotion isn’t a priority this time around for the Moribund war machine. In terms of the scene, I can’t really tell you where we do or do not fit in. We’ve got our friends, contacts and supporters but, being a studio project, we don’t have the opportunity to play out and gauge responses from people we don’t know, so it’s hard to say. I personally don’t care how the American scene is viewed and find it a little ridiculous that such prejudices (for lack of a better term) still exist. There has been some killer music created here and the fact that American Black Metal bands have some sort of stigma attached to them (us?) is pretty fucking sad. There are some really great bands and some really shitty bands emerging from just about every shadow on the planet. I could probably carry on about this for hours but there’s not much point in doing so. We’re not here to be a part of any scene or to prove anything to anyone anywhere. We’re doing something we enjoy and that we’re pretty proud of. If people are as concerned with a bands origin as they are its music, they need to be doing something else.
WG: Canis Dirus burst onto the scene in 2009 with your debut release, A Somber Wind from a Distant Shore. This turned out to be a really mature and atmospheric release in spite of the band bypassing the demo stage. How was the sound and style of this band developed since an often important development stage has been avoided? Was this level of rapid growth more difficult with yourself and TMP living in different states? What gave you 2 the idea to create this project and how did it all come together?
RH: TMP has been writing music for many years with ties to a few other projects (Uvall and Dormant to name a few –ed) and I think the Canis Dirus material is a natural extension of what he had been doing, and it all just came together. He approached me about doing vocals for a project and sent me some of the tracks. I thought they were great so we started talking and Canis Dirus was born. The only real issue we had/have living in different states is that it’s difficult for me to be as active in the creative process as I would like to be and recording has been difficult with scheduling trips to MN etc.
TMP: As far as Canis Dirus is concerned I don’t really feel that a demo stage was necessary. I’ve had a few other music projects in the past and in terms of black metal I released two full length albums on Blackmetal.com under the Uvall banner. While those cd’s were full length albums in their own right, I guess one could consider those ‘demos’ for Canis Dirus. There are similarities with both projects, particularly the slower tempos but I felt that in order to further the quality and overall feel of the music of Uvall it was absolutely imperative that I recruit somebody else to handle the vocals. Rob and I had been throwing around the idea of starting a project together and in the end I just thought it would be better for the both of us to just start a whole new project, thus Canis Dirus was birthed.
WG: Anden Om Norr has built upon the bleak atmosphere of the debut with more of a harsh and intense fire, yet hasn’t lost sight of where it all started. If anything, influences like Burzum (especially with your insane vocals) and Drudkh arise even more from the material. Would you agree that your bands evolution has benefited from the dark past of the black metal genre? How do you feel that both albums compare and where do you see this band going?
RH: there are things about both records I would like to change, especially with the vocals. With the first album, all vocals were completed in one night and for the most part in one take. This was after driving all that day from Ohio to Minnesota and the recording itself took place while I was consuming a decent amount of Jack Daniels. I was pretty well exhausted and my voice didn’t hold up as well as I had hoped. We were smarter the second time around and it paid off vocally. I think the overall sound is a little harsher due to the life experiences that lead up to and through the composition of these tracks. Todd writes all of the material but, when he’s writing, he’s constantly sending samples and we’re in contact frequently where I provide feedback and any ideas I may have. While I feel the first album had a more morose vibe to it, the second had more energy tied to it. Whether that was positive or negative energy, we were both experiencing some pretty significant situations in our lives and I think that comes across in the material. Where we’re headed is up in the air at this point. We both know we want to do more with Canis Dirus but when that is and what that means remains to be seen. Above all else, we’re good friends so it could be a decade from now, when our kids are older and things are a little more settled, before the next activity. I certainly hope that’s not the case, but it was nearly three years between the first two, so you never know.
WG: The meaning of black metal is often debated by its artists and fans alike. What makes it “black Metal” to you? Is it indeed defined by ideology, or overall sound? Does this even matter anymore now that the genre has become so popular and in a lot of ways fashionable?
RH: Black Metal, to me, is a very personal thing and is more about the sound and the feeling than it is the ideology of the artist. There are a lot of people out there who would disagree with me and insist that it’s only Black Metal if it’s in league with Satan. I understand this argument and can see where they are coming from. For me, Black Metal is a very primal experience and one that I use to escape from the shit I have to deal with in the real world; whether that is some vile piece of shit I had to deal with at work or my own thoughts constantly fucking with my head. It’s a beautiful, majestic and almost spiritual vehicle that is a source of strength and inspiration for me.
WG: Where does Canis Dirus stand with all of this? Is ideology an important part in the message you are conveying with this band? I realize this is often a personal exploration, but could you share what goes into your lyrics and what people can expect from your message?
RH: there are no lyrics for our music. When we were working on the first album, I tried to write lyrics but nothing really clicked and it seemed insincere to me. There was something very personal about the material and I wanted to keep that vibe with the vocals if at all possible. I decided to go in to the recording session with ideas for lyrics but I wanted to improvise and go with thoughts and emotions that were there in the moment. It ended up being a fantastic experience for me and one that brought a great deal of emotion to the recording and gave it very genuine tones as far as I’m concerned. After that experience, there was no question that the second album would be handled the same way. In terms of an ideology, we’ve never discussed anything like that and there’s no real message we’re trying to push. We’re certainly not Satanists or political in any way. With that being said, we do have many similar…concerns with the way society in general handles itself, and the shit we’re doing to the planet. My personal beliefs aren’t important to me in terms of passing them along to a Canis Dirus listener. When they plug in to one of the albums, I want it to connect with them on some base level that helps them escape from life for a while and maybe feel something…anger, peace, joy, sadness, whatever. It sounds cliché as fuck, but that is what I look for when I am listening to music. If we can help someone else achieve that, that’s pretty damn cool.
WG: Yourself and TMP are both family men on top of all the other things you do/have 
already done in the underground metal scene. Has having children over the years affected your thoughts on the world, spirituality, and black metal/the desire to create it? I know for myself personally, having a child has calmed some of the fires I used to have burning within… have you possibly shared in this experience and if so, how will that affect your writing in the future?
RH: needless to say, having children changed me quite a bit. Prior to my children, I couldn’t have cared any less about what people thought of me. As they have grown, I’ve come to realize that the way I am viewed by parents, teachers, etc. can have a very significant impact on the way my kids are treated. Right or wrong, it’s a fact of life. The biggest challenge for me is being social with the other parents when at a school function or a birthday party. My natural tendency is to avoid contact with them but, with some conditioning, I’ve learned to engage them a little. It’s uncomfortable for me but that little bit of pain goes a long way for the kids socially. Aside from essentially getting the green light to hang with the other kids, it also sets an example for my children. If there’s one thing I DON’T want for my boys, it’s for them to be burdened with my antisocial tendencies. In terms of the music, my fire burns as bright, if not brighter, than ever before. I’ve been a fan of heavy music since the early 70’s when my best friend’s brothers did nothing but play Kiss records all day. I’m now 41 and metal is more important to me than ever…whether it be as a fan, a member of Canis Dirus or running Ars Magna. Metal has always been in my life and it will always be in my life.
TMP: Well Marty, as you know my first son was just born in October of 2012 so other than extreme lack of sleep not a whole lot has changed for me. If anything I think those fires that you speak might just start to burn even brighter for me. Black metal to me has always stood for a complete non-conformist attitude and, for lack of a better term a big ‘fuck you’ to society in general so as the father of a newborn the general idea from society as a whole would be that the expectation is that it’s now time for me to ‘grow up’ but that very concept speaks to the ignorance our society as a whole.
WG: Awareness for nature is seeing a bit of a revival in this modern day and age with more people returning to the woods, or even being conscious of the products they buy, the cars they drive, or the companies they support. What are your thoughts on this? As a pessimist myself, I see this as coming far too late as mankind has been inadvertently destroying earth with our ways and “advancements”. Would you agree that the impending climate change is the Earth’s last best way of cleansing itself of the infection?
RH: I have mixed feelings on this topic. I’m certainly glad that more and more people/corporations/governments are trying to implement change but, as you stated, I feel it’s too little, too late. That’s not to say I think it’s pointless and that we should all give up; it’s just sad that mankind took so long to figure out that we were going about things in the wrong fashion. A species will try to make the most of its situation, and that’s what we did. Unfortunately, it came at a great cost and those who had the knowledge and power to enact change decades ago didn’t do so…they kept it hidden and/or buried in so many varying accounts and contradictory data that no one knew what to believe and so we forged forward; advancements in technology and comfort at the expense of countless lives and the future of the planet. Hell, we know what’s happening and they are still doing it today.
WG: You have created your own studio over the years and have produced a good handful of releases yourself. For the gear heads out there, what are some of the tools you use to write and record with?
TMP: Honestly my setup is quite archaic in comparison to what I’m sure most bands / projects use today. Essentially I use a 16 track Tascam digital recorder for multi-tracking. I don’t use any sort of ProTools rig or anything like that. I do however use an old (by today’s standards) sequencing program called Acid Pro that I use for things like drum patterns or ambient beds that I’ve created with keyboards and then import them into Acid. For us it works pretty well because I can throw together an idea or even record a full song and then render it as an mp3 to send to RH for him to review. If he has any input I can then go back and change or edit the track fairly easily so it makes the both of us living in different states a bit easier in terms of the creative process.
WG: I am especially impressed with your use of synthetic drums. Most people in a situation similar to yours use this amazing tool, but try to bury the drums in the mix to mask the imperfections in the tone, or lifeless limitations in hope of fooling the listener. On both of your albums, you don’t hide the drums at all, in fact there are several times that you have them playing by themselves which sounds very authentic and “human”. What are your thoughts on programmed or sequenced drums, not only in what you do, but when listening to them in other people’s music? And if I may, what software/machines do you use?
TMP: The drums for Canis Dirus are in fact human drums. However, they are recorded as patterns based on what I need for the particular songs and then turned into .wav files that can easily be imported into the Acid program that I spoke of before. It works great for us. The guy who records them for me lives in the Chicago area but doesn’t really wish to be named so that’s why we just used his first initial, A when we gave him credit for session drums on the album. As far as how other bands or projects use synthetic drums, I’ve honestly never thought much about it.
WG: Both of you have bled a considerable amount of money and dedication into your own respected underground record labels (Ars Magna Recordings and God is Myth). What have been your proudest moments as label bosses? Through the years of supporting extreme metal behind the scenes so to speak, how have you noticed things changing? Have sales found a sense of normalcy since the Gov’t has shut down file share sites like Megaupload?
RH: I’m pretty damn proud of everything I’ve done with Ars Magna. There are a shitload of things I wish I had done differently from an administrative standpoint but, in terms of releases, I have no regrets whatsoever. If I had to pick one thing that stands above everything else, it would be the friendships I’ve developed. Most of the people I’ve worked with still keep in touch with me fairly regularly and were pleased with their experience with AMR. I haven’t created the biggest or the best label by any means, but I’ve stayed true to what I set out to do; release music I enjoy, regardless of current trends, and to do it honestly to the benefit of the artist. The biggest changes I’ve seen through the years are the ability to record a goddamned symphony from your closet and make it sound like a million bucks and the slow death of physical media. I could discuss both of those topics for hours, as well, so I’ll leave that until our next interview!
TMP: I concur with Rob as far as being pretty much proud of everything I’ve done with God is Myth Records. Most specifically I would say the H.P. Lovecraft Series that I came up with is of particular importance to me. I can’t really speak to sales over the past couple of years because GIM has been dormant for quite some time now but that soon will change.
WG: Ars Magna and God is Myth will be combining businesses here in the near future. How do you see this affecting sales and what you both do for your bands? Both labels share a similar style of music, but are unique personalities reflecting the people behind each label. Will this union change the style of bands you look to work with? Pros and cons?
TMP: Well, this is probably the first time this news has gone public so I can’t think of a better platform to announce it that with Worm Gear. Yes, Ars Magna Recordings and God is Myth Records are merging, so to speak. Essentially Rob will be taking over all of the God is Myth titles as well as all of the mailorder stock that I had accumulated over the past 10 years. I’m very excited about this. It will allow the God is Myth name to live on while at the same time allow Ars Magna to distribute / promote the God is Myth catalog which will ultimately create a pretty damn diverse roster of bands / releases.
RH: I don’t see any changes to the style of projects we work with and the only con I see to this unholy union is that it should have been done years ago!
WG: Getting back to Canis Dirus… life has gotten quite busy for both of you this past year. I am wondering how this will change what you do with this musical project? Is another album even in the cards for you? Will the style of music change to suit your recording situation? What will the future hold?
RH: I don’t think either of us wants Canis Dirus to end now because we’ve still got those fires burning and more ideas floating around. Anden Om Norr gave us a better idea of what we can do and everything really started to gel. On the other hand, life is life. Like you said, we both have families, homes and jobs that have to come first. If we do resurface again, it will most likely be down the road quite a bit and the style of music will reveal itself when/if writing begins.
TMP: I couldn’t have said it better myself. The thing that I love about this project is that there is no pressure. Even with the contract that we were under with Moribund Records there was no pressure in terms of getting an album out. We were totally left to our own schedules and timelines. I do not want this to end any time soon. However, we both live in two different states and we are family men. So time will tell when the next Canis Dirus record will surface but suffice it to say you have not heard the last from us.
WG: The final thoughts are left with you! Thank you or your time and interest in being a part of the Worm Gear community.
RH: thanks to everyone who has supported Canis Dirus or Ars Magna in any way! Continued thanks to Odin/Moribund and thank you Marty for the interview and the support! WORMGEAR RULES! Yury Arkadin kicks ass. To everyone reading this…buy shit from bands and small labels! Get out to shows! If you can’t make a show, buy a cd or something from the band’s website and spread the word. Every little bit helps!!! Did I forget anything?!?!? Oh, right…SUPPORT THE FUCKING SCENE!!!
TMP: Thanks Marty / Worm Gear for the opportunity. Your continued support and love for underground music is unparalleled and I salute you. Until next time…..
Anal Blasphemy – Perversions of Satan
•March 6, 2013 • Leave a Comment
With a name like Anal Blasphemy, one forms an opinion what they are going to hear before they ever push play, and in some cases, this being one of them, I question if I really want to hit play at all. But for the sake of science and the fact that I’m a seeker to the point where curiosity will always get the best of me, I fearlessly enter the sonic anal cave of blasphemy anyway fully ready to be crippled (and underwhelmed) by an indecipherable mash of demo era Beherit meets your dad’s leaf blower. This was thankfully NOT the case! As the minimal, though engaging old school attack of the title track Perversions of Satan erupt with conviction and well-written bite, I am once again reminded to NEVER judge a band by their name or how I think it’s going to be. Though you’re admittedly not going to be experiencing anything remarkable on the originality front with this release (which I’m fine with), the material sounds like it was crafted in the early 90’s…. and it’s damn good. A.B. Have thankfully avoided blast beats in favor of menacingly sinister sounding riffs that plow along in power chord abandon along with some interestingly sick dissonant chord structures as witnessed from the dark emanations arising from the album closer, “Altar of Indulgence”. Anal Blasphemy sit quite comfortably in that nebulous realm where the death and black metal worlds violate the goat for the dark lord as this style just feels that much more authentic and powerful from this union of genres. The album sounds like it was recorded analog and live, and while the murky sound is a level of lo-fi that embraces a bit of a basement quality, the recording fits the material perfectly and is pleasing in it’s affinity for metal the old way. Plus the fact you can hear every instrument and nuance, the sound becomes an integral part of Anal Blasphemy’s S&M dungeon atmosphere. Add perverse samples to the satanic ritual and Molestor Kadotus’ tormented/atypical screaming style and you have a monument of filth that endures the ages with it’s lust for simplistic, though mighty anthems to life in spiritual hell. Anal Blasphemy have impressed me with their style and for it, they stand out as a unique entity in a country that has made a name for itself with a glut of bands playing more of a punk crust meets black metal delivery. Well done. -Marty
Hammer of Hate
Complete Failure – The Art Gospel of Aggravated Assault
•March 6, 2013 • Leave a Comment
It’s easy to forget flavors of grindcore can vary as wildly as a blind chimp-run Baskin Robbins. Most albums sent our way have feet firmly planted in early Death Metal musically, but as our dear readers already know, that is far from the only story to tell. Erupting from Pittsburgh, PA, and sonically outside the DM-influenced norm, are Complete Failure, a grind band sprung more from the duct-taped pedals of powerviolence and hardcore enthusiasts than those utilized by Bill Steer disciples. The thick, fibrous walls of the ‘His Hero Is Gone’-guitar sound are the unstable fission fuel employed here, promising bleeding eyes and dissolving bowels to all those who step into Complete Failure’s restricted area of grind. Underneath the roiling riffery, decaying, four-string rods with the warmth of early ’80s punk flavor and bass-chording styles of Man Is The Bastard absorb and reflect the distorted energy in flux around them. Joe Mack voices the meltdown, his fury sloughing walls of concrete to sludge, while admonishing victims to take up grievances with and battles against those responsible for the debacle. But while echoes of politicized/electrified/amplified punk angst overarch the approach here, all-Metal rage-shakin’ half-times reminiscent of Rotten Sound do rear their filthy heads now and again, just enough to pull the unsuspecting into the pit with an authenticity that can neither be ignored nor disobeyed. Throw into this disavowed event a drummer as unafraid to grind with spirited tomwork as he is with blasting snare, and it’s time for FEMA to rope off the area from any unprotected onlookers ill-suited for Complete Failure’s noise of invisible death. A record awaits, tailor-made for when you finally fire off that angry letter written in blood to (insert name of whatever hated person in power here), so seek out the three-years-in-the-making The Art Gospel of Aggravated Assault wherever fine grind is sold – if unpeaceful protest is your stomached cup of tea. -Jim
Season of Mist
Lustre – Lost in Lustrous Night Skies
•March 6, 2013 • Leave a Comment
Lustre’s distinct brand of dark ambient Black Metal returns in 2013 with Lost in Lustrous Night Skies, a strong collection of rarities previously unleashed on a variety of difficult-to-unearth cassettes and EP’s only, due to the ubiquitous ‘limited release’ dynamic pervasive among our wintry, misanthropic obsessives whose music we adhere to. Nachtzeit’s Burzumic, repetitive synth concoctions, always slow, but purposeful electronic drums, and low-mixed, open-chorded guitars, are all toned perfectly for staring at snowfall through cold windowglass or providing the perfect backdrop for a Winter’s afternoon spent indoors. As I mentioned in my review of last year’s They Awoke to The Scent of Spring, the music of Lustre provides a very real sense of peace for the listener, despite being soaked completely with cold Swedish misanthropy and sorrow. Indeed, were it not for Nachtzeit’s random, Ringwraith-like shrieks that appear and fade across not just this but all his discography, one could convince any fan of solemn-sounding music to give this Scandinavian take on atmospheric BM the ol’ college try, such is the ancient, dank well-depth and room-filling capability of this deceptively simple music. Since first hearing 2010’s Welcome Winter, Lustre’s albums have maintained an inexplicable grasp on me, and Lost in Lustrous Night Skies, while being a compilation and not a new release per se, gleefully tightens that frozen grip with its promise of buried, laid-back BM treasures previously unfound. I wouldn’t usually recommend a collection of past tracks for those unfamiliar with a band, but I’m not usually talking about Lustre. Lost in Lustrous Night Skies suffices as completionist fare for the initiated (and as a high-quality introduction for those who are not) to peer into the mind of a woefully under-appreciated, dark ambient artist. -Jim
ATMF
Messiahlator – Brain Killer (demo)
•March 6, 2013 • Leave a Comment
Fine, I admit it. There’s very little chance I’lll ignore the opportunity to review a cassette that a) sounds like time-traveling ’80s punk-thrash with a little Death Metal thrown in for good measure and b) comes with a human-written promo letter and c) is called Messiahlator. Let that band name roll off your tongue: Messiahlator. A sworn promise of asskickery, delivered. This demo has everything you’ll ever need: hand-drawn cover, gang vocals that sound like they’re pitch-transposed (but aren’t), songs ranging from 1 to 3 minutes, guitars and drums that are hyperspeedy crust punk one minute, thrash-o-death the next. Apparently the snow in Edmonton is laced with vitriol, as band after band escaping the sewers Up North appears ready to shake bad-tempered, drunken fists at every institution writers of this fine webzine wag aging middle-fingers at. Brain Killer eviscerates in the only way an album with that title could: bluntly, with a back-alley, rusted butcher-blade of sonics laid to tape gift-wrapped for the schizoid criminal in us all. Besides the bludgeoning that honors its influences while dragging them into the modern age with blitzkreig drumming and enough attitude to impress The Grouch with more than a modicum of snarky delivery/devilry, this album is (stifle the eye-rolls, elitists) fun. That’s right, I said it; fun. Yes, you know you like to flash a toothy, evil grin every once in a diabolical full moon. So go to bandcamp and download, or do the better thing and opt for the cassette; besides being analog, it comes with a tiny, sweet sticker (heh). Most importantly of all, there’s a track called called ‘Canada Dry’ – and they’re from Canada, remember (heh x2)? Quickly now; click/swipe/whatever to open a new tab in your browser and get this shite. -Jim
Self-Released
Necrocurse – Grip of the Dead
•March 6, 2013 • 1 Comment
Having been churning out the written word with Worm Gear since 1995, I’ve had the opportunity to drift with the rise and fall of different geographical metal scenes that have risen up to points of over-saturation and annoyance, only to burn themselves out and retreat. In the mid 90’s, NY style brutal death metal was the hot item. Oh man what a tough one that was to endure. Swedish melodic death and eventual black metal soon followed suit, with every band from Sweden sounding as if they had suckled at the teets of Thomas Lindburg and the At The Gates crew. This was a sound that burt out for me really quick as there was nothing really new under the sun, especially if the band bragged about their Gothenburg affiliation, or even relocated there to be under the microscope of greedy and non discerning record labels. Through it all, there was a deeper and more noteworthy scene burrowing beneath the surface of the Swedish explosion that possessed more of an impressive fire for the dark arts. Bands like Sacramentum (early), Nifelheim (gods!), Runemagik and the like all centered their efforts on melodic, heavy, intense, and conviction bloated musical praise for the dark lord. Some of these bands faded into obscurity, while others continue on to spread their excellent unholy seed.
While Necrocurse have been pushing out EPs (3 of them) since 2011, they have finally focused their energy and unearthed their debut full-length, Grip of the Dead”. Featuring members Nicklas Rudolfsson (Sacramentum, Runemagick, Deathwitch, Swordmaster and a long list of others), Johan Backman (Runemagick), Stefan Rodin (Masticator), Martin Andersson, and the blazing vocal prowess of Nifelheim’s Hellbutcher, Necrocurse is a thriving entity of thrashing black purity and sonic torture sure to take the listener back in time to more exciting and influential times in regards to underground metal. Necrocurse in many ways have surpassed the greatness of the bands where each of these individuals came from due to the cautious modernization and relevance of the material on this album, while NEVER letting go of the ancient evil metal spirit. Grip of the Dead is a hungry beast that unleashes hell as the opening moments and riffs of “Prelude of Devastation” instantly attack the senses with a buzzsaw-like ferocity and guitar work that ignites with inferno hell-riffage and memorable songwriting. At times the blunt delivery puts me in mind of Nicklas’ old project band Deathwitch due to the simplistic, though undeniably effective hooks, but Necrocurse offers far more in the realm of melody with searing harmonies that never sound weak. Imagine if Smith and Murray decided to join Bathory and add their influence (sans solos) to the first 3 albums for a twisted pipe dream that is nearly a reality with the birth of Necrocurse. The simplistic segments of sound layer perfectly together in this material so that the music sounds authentic, advanced, pure, and so striking with the energetic push of a D-beat and a seemingly endless array of tempo choices to keep the material moving deftly into the fires of the end. The teeth grinding blast of the title track intro really stokes an aggression you can feel in your chest. Hellbutcher’s caustic and coherent vocal scars are icing on this infernal cake as his over the top screams never let up the attack and add even more of an old school Bathory charm to exist within this excellent album.
Necrocurse have reminded me just how good this often tired, but essential style of blackness can and SHOULD be, for Grip of the Dead instantly impressed me with it’s lust for metal the old way. Such a vibrant union between blunt underground intensity and a traditional metal style of melody… this album shows that the 2 styles NEED each other and empower the songwriting spark with enough fuel to grow into something memorable and worthy of a wider appreciation. After 15 spins of this release, I’m still not tired of it which speaks volumes. -Marty
Pulverised Records
Worm Gear 