Torn the Fuck Apart are from the US. They play Death Metal and this is their second album.
Torn the Fuck Apart combine Brutal Slamming Death Metal with Technical Death Metal to sound like the bastard offspring of Dying Fetus and Cannibal Corpse.
Heavy riffs collide with widdly guitar leads to create that Dying Fetus-style mix of brutality and technicality that works so well for them. Torn the Fuck Apart then add into the mix a bit more Cannibal Corpse influenced riffs a well as elements from the Slam school of thought.
The songs are good, with heavy riffs flying around and leads slicing through the chaos like knives. There’s plenty to get caught up in and the double bass and blast beats flow freely.
The vocalist uses very deep, guttural growls; his is a very good voice for this kind of music.
Musically the album has a maturity that belies the image you might get of the band from their songtitles, etc. This is advanced-level Death Metal with lots to keep the listener hooked as the band bash you around the head with their aural assault.
Have a listen and I’m sure you’ll get drawn into their technically brutal world.
I love Doom. I especially love the kind of crazy-heavy doom with thunderously slow drumming that makes up these two colossal tracks. There’s over 1 hour and 25 minutes of music on this release and all of it is pure agony of the most exquisite variety.
The band play lumbering, slow Doom. It’s wave after wave of noisy guitar assault and deafening barrage. The relentless crashing of the instruments is a thing of down-tempo beauty.
The sustained nature of the riffs and the utter disregard for anything other than massive sonic excess is a form of purity in itself. This is not music for the casual listener; this is for hardcore Doom fans alone and even then this would challenge even the hardened of these. Listening to these two tracks will be a feat of endurance for some and torture for others. A rare subset, however, will find blissful relaxation in the aural assault that Ommadon bring. This is music to hypnotize the Doom devotee to. It’s an experience to get lost in and forget all other forms of music to. This is aural enjoyment of slow extremity at its most clear.
There are no vocals. Guitar and drums is what we get and there is nothing to disturb the trance-like state this music can bring you to if you let it.
I say it again; I love Doom, in all its incarnations and guises. V is like the very distilled essence of Doom, of slowness and crushing heaviness. It’s a love affair that most won’t understand, but who cares? This kind of music is never going to have a mass appeal. It’s never even going to have just a small appeal; less than small in fact. This is for the people who have a real connection with heavy, extreme music and everything that comes along with it.
This is music that’s big, grand, large, in every sense. It’s huge, monolithic, monstrous, gargantuan…it’s an utter beast of devastating intent and purity of purpose. Ommadon have crafted a veritable masterpiece of Doom art.
Vermin Womb are from the US and this is their début EP.
Made up of members with an impressive Extreme Metal pedigree, (Primitive Man, Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire), this releases takes that collective knowledge and experience and funnels it into a veritable natural disaster’s worth of extremity and violence given form.
This is a combination of Sludge, Grind, Death Metal and pissed off Hardcore. It’s not for the faint-hearted and sounds like the end of the world is coming. It’s brutal, nasty, and very, very heavy.
The songs here combine the ferocity and general disdain of Hardcore/Grindcore with the murky evil of Sludge and the brutality of Death Metal. There’s even a Blackened edge.
Take Eyehategod, Brutal Truth and Anaal Nathrakh, mash them all up, put the remains in a blender, force feed the resultant slop into a few hapless victims and the resulting screams of pain and agony will sound a bit like Vermin Womb.
The singer is probably one of these unfortunates as it sounds like he’s been gargling liquid nightmares and is now vomiting forth the worst of his experiences.
This is impressively ugly and it takes real determination and talent to create Metal this heavy and grotesque.
Absolutely horrible music that you can’t afford to miss out on.
Confrontation are from the Netherlands. This is their début EP and they play Death Metal.
This is Old-School Death Metal with a malignant Doom influence. Think Swedish Death Metal meets Incantation. The recording has a bit of that Swedish tone, an evil vibe and a very tasty drum sound.
The songs are lumbering, heavy behemoths of dark destructive energy and deep, inhuman growling.
There are only three tracks on this release but each song is relatively long with the whole EP clocking in at just under 20 minutes.
What I like about this band is that they take the Swedish/Old-School sound and really ramp up the Doom side of the equation. The end of the first track, for example, is a great combination of feedback drenched slow riffing, harrowing noise and deep growls.
The band know how slowness works and how to make the most of it; atmosphere, feeling – these are important to the band. The start of the second track reinforces this as we get an eerie guitar melody over a pitch-black Doom riff and slow, crawling drums. When the vocals kick in it sounds as if Bolt Thrower have slowed down more than normal and decided to take the evil route to Death Metal.
Highly enjoyable – a hidden gem of the Metal underground.
This is an impressive EP that should be listened to by fans of both Doom and Death Metal. Be sure to check them out.
This is the first demo by Dutch Death Metal band Miasmata.
It opens explosively with pignoise and blastbeats. A firm opening statement if ever there was one.
It may be just a demo but the sound is acceptable enough and showcases the band’s blend of chugging slam and blasting brutality. Solos and the odd flash of melodics appear in the songs as the band aren’t adverse to adding a bit of colour to the tracks.
I’d classify this short demo as a cross between Dying Fetus and Deicide. This songs are surprisingly enjoyable and overall I like this. This is no frills, no nonsense Death Metal that gets the job done nicely.
This demo is a good first release and if the band spend a bit more time honing their art then I think their eventual début album will go down a storm.
Uburen are from Norway and this is their début album. They play Black Metal.
This is Viking-themed Black Metal with hints of Death Metal thrown into the mix here and there. Heavier than the norm for this style, Uburen play to the more extreme side of the Viking sub-genre.
The vocals alternate between Black Metal screams, rasps and deeper growls, with some spoken word and other styles making the odd appearance. The singer puts in a great performance and his vocals are quite varied compared to most monotonous vocalists who have maybe one or two sounds at most that they make.
The guitars are rhythmically melodic, stirring up the appropriate emotions and have a good double bass foundation that they build their songs on top of. This is not pseudo-commercial fodder, this is the real deal. Rather than the heroic songs and style-over-substance façade of most Viking/Pagan bands, Uburen have got to the blood and guts of the matter and their interpretation of the genre is altogether dirtier and heavier.
There are some really enjoyable, powerful scything Black Metal moments on this release and the combination of the higher/deeper vocals merely enhances this.
Imagine Enslaved if they were less Progressive and more aggressive, or maybe Amon Amarth if they used Black Metal as the basis for their sound rather than Death Metal.
Uburen deserve a wider audience than they’re probably going to get. You can help remedy this however – check out Withered Roots today and feel the blood run hot through your veins once more.
Methedras are from Italy and play Modern Thrash Metal. This is their fourth album.
A state-of-the-art heavy and crisp sound blares out of the speakers accompanied by a maniacal laugh and enough modern Thrash sensibilities to crush an elephant, (poor elephant). Methedras waste no time in preparing their mission statement and declaring it boldly.
This is Modern Thrash Metal and it’s ready to riot. Essentially the band mix elements of modern bands such as Lamb of God, Soilwork and Byzantine, Thrash bands like Annihilator and Testament and a touch of Death Metal to create an aggressively heavy album that pulls no punches. Think Testament’s Low updated for 2014.
The vocals are suitably extreme, combining screams and shouts with some deeper growling, as well as the odd melodic semi-cleaner chorus. The singer manages to achieve this with no small amount of charisma as well. Well done that man!
The songs are mature, well written and overall the album as a whole feels very comprehensive. The combination of aggressively Metal riffs and harsh vocals make for a good listening experience. With memorable choruses and hooks aplenty this is a fine collection of songs that I can imagine going down a storm live.
System Subversion is modern Metal without any of the commercial pandering or posturing that is so prevalent in today’s music. It’s modern with a heavier angle and a proper appreciation for Metal – it doesn’t let the side down.
Horizon is a one-man project from Finland. This is his second EP.
This is a short release containing Ambient soundscapes, Neo-Classical sounds and moments of Shoegaze that are all perfectly suited to night time reflection and introspection.
By its very nature a release such as this will be atmospheric and emotive and Horizon does a good job of playing to the innate strengths of the style.
There is also a good amount of variety of composition and delivery apparent in these 5 songs. We get ambient textures, piano, drums, bass, electronica, guitars and other sounds all used to create a vivid palette of emotional resonance with the listener.
This is strongly written music and creates the right mood of darkness with a hint of light; music for when night is starting to fade and dawn is approaching.
The compositions are mature and although they have elements of melancholy the overall beauty of the tracks doesn’t let this become overly negative.
The slight Electronica influence is subtle enough to have a positive impact on the songs without becoming stifling or overwhelming; rather it’s another string to the artist’s bow that he uses to enhance the songs and give them a modern flavour.
This is a very good EP and my only real criticism, such as it is, is that it’s a very short release. Apparently he’s working on a full album so hopefully this will make an appearance at some point in the future. Keep a close watch for it.
In the meantime, get a hold of this little gem. Sit back, relax and take it all in.
Feed the Ego is Algebra’s second album and a veritable delight for all fans of the harsher, darker side of Thrash Metal. Tony and Phil from the band filled me in with some insights into what makes them tick…
What are your influences?
Tony: So many things ! Regarding the effort put in Algebra I listen to a lot of not-so-easy-listening thrash, for example Forbidden’s “Distortion” record, “Time Does Not Heal” by Dark Angel or some Forced Entry. Personally, regarding my style of drumming, it’s quite easy to name: Lombardo, Hoglan, Benante and as a bonus I always put a Lars Ulrich drum fill in every record… it’s up to you to find it.
Phil: I think that every band that I intensely listen to inspires me, whether it’s conscious or not. I started listening to thrash and then thrash and then some more thrash. I think my first influences are Megadeth, Forbidden, Testament, etc. As time went along, I started listening to more and more extreme metal. And slowly some death metal parts started to appear in my songwriting.
What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?
Tony: Right now while I’m answering your interview, I’m updating my Accept compilation, which is a band I really love. Besides that, I really recommend Misery Index’s latest album “The Killing Gods” to any listener of extreme metal.
Phil: Not really new bands. I listen to a lot of bands like Dawn and God Dethroned right now
What were/are your aims with Feed the Ego?
Tony: To give the listener a real album, not just one or two songs that stand out, but a progression. Of course, it’s not a concept album, but you can listen to it in its entirety without being too disorientated. The lyrics, for us, are globally as important as the music, they also need a certain degree of coherence.
Phil: To make the best Swiss thrash record since Polymorph hahaha. I set multiple goals for this album. The first is a musical one. I think that after Polymorph, everything had to be redone regarding songwriting and searching for new ideas etc. I find it to be a difficult moment because you easily say to yourself: “damn, how will I find new ideas”. But slowly it all comes naturally and the songs started to spawn and then all your fears disappear. The second goal was to give the new album more exposure than Polymorph. When you do things DIY-style, your exposure tends to be quickly limited. We were lucky enough to have contact with Eric from UnspeakableAxe who offered us to release our next album.
Are you happy with how it turned out?
Tony: I’m the happiest guy on this damn earth. I’ve been fighting ever since the first time I sat down behind the drumkit and played songs from Kill Em All to make an album of this quality, even if it’s not related to Kill Em All. Right now, when listening to my own album, I can objectively say: Damn, this is not bad!
Phil: Oooohh yeeeeeesss. First off, I’m very happy with how the CD turned out, at all levels. Whether it’s the playing, the lyrics or the production. Furthermore, our expectations were fulfilled, like I said, by the fact that UnspeakableAxe released our record. The communication and exposure is already y so much bigger than it was for Polymorph, thanks to their job.
How do you feel about the recording/production of the album?
Tony: We are more than satisfied with the job Andy Classen did in only 4 days on our first record “Polymorph”. Because of that, we worked with him again and are very happy about it. The sound remains very natural compared to a lot of modern productions, and that was our main goal. Furthermore, having played with Holy Moses, he very easily understands our examples and comments.
Phil: I’m really happy with the way the album sounds. We all worked really hard for it to be as clean as tight and right as possible. Some songs needed more hours of work than others and at many times we were on the verge of kicking us in the nutsack but globally speaking, everything sounds like we wanted it to sound. Because we like our sound to be as natural as possible, we once again recruited Andy Classen, who already worked on Polymorph. His job is even better this time.
What can you tell us about the lyrics?
Tony: The lyrics are strong and in accordance with my opinions and thoughts. I will never talk about something I don’t believe in or that has no interest. I like to study human relationships, the current state of the world, and many other subjects. It seems like it’s too well thought of for thrash, but I’m not so sure of that!
Give us a bit of information on the songwriting process.
Tony: Two words: Guitar Pro (version 3.0. haha). It’s actually very easy for us to write songs. Phil and myself are the biggest input of raw ideas. After that, I sit down and think about not putting 52 riffs per song, but to develop a single idea in many different ways. And that’s what’s funny in Algebra’s music, many people here think that we spend a thousand hours to arrange our songs, but in general, the same idea will be used for the main riff, the arpeggios, the clean bits, etc… It’s a question of arranging and that makes all the difference when you listen to it, believe me.
Overall you work in the heavier/darker side of Thrash Metal I’d say – was this a conscious decision or something that developed naturally?
Tony: Both. Like everybody, we started by playing Slayer and Sepultura covers among many others, but it didn’t totally complete all of our wishes and ambitions, albeit the genius of these bands and the undeniable contribution to metal music, they lack of musical elements that we keep close to our hearts. Slayer, for example, did it really well on a record like “Divine Intervention”, with a wide range of riffs, vocals, great arrangements, without losing the aggressive and fast side that defines Slayer. I listen to a lot of things with great care, Voivod, Coroner, Pestilence, Atheist, thus when I write songs, I want to add as much variation in the music as possible.
Phil: I’d say that’s something that developed itself through time. Regarding myself, I don’t write songs saying to myself “ah shit, this needs to sound more evil”. I roll with sensations in music and it’s that part that I like the most. When I write songs, I will not propose something that doesn’t touch me, even if the riff is cool.
Your song My Shelf is a little different to the rest of the album – it works really well and adds a bit of variety. Tell us about this song.
Tony: Simple (as usual): Reviews. We listen carefully to positive and negative reviews that listeners make about our music, that’s what allows us to move forward. I can very well recall the day when I read the next comment, on Youtube I believe: “Never slow down and never play ballads, it’s for pussies.” That’s when I was forced to show that we also like that and that it can rightfully be put on a thrash record. For example, Testament’s ballads are musical pearls that shouldn’t be ignored.
How do you see your position in the wider Thrash Metal musical framework/genre?
Tony: I’m really happy we can spread albums on a worldwide scale like we did with “Polymorph” and now thanks to UnspeakableAxe Records, this is going beyond our expectations. We reach a lot of listeners that are very demanding and genuine connoisseurs, that are satisfied with our records. And I won’t hide to you that not reaching the 15-year-old thrash revival fans isn’t important to us, because that style doesn’t affect us, we think it’s empty, musically speaking, and redundant.
Phil: We’re not that bad at all hahaha. All jokes aside, I think it’s hard to find your place in a scene satiated with “revival” bands that nag all the people that like real thrash. I believe that thrash isn’t just about having Ed Repka artwork, tight pants and Converse Weapons.
How do you see your songs/direction developing in the future?
Tony: We are going to continue in the same direction by keeping ultra solid foundations of old school thrash while adding all the other musical elements that influence us.
Phil: Regarding myself, I never know which direction I’m taking whenever I write new riffs or new song ideas. But I think that over time, I’d like to have songs with more complicated structures. Having more technical songs will come naturally with time but I don’t want to leave the “in your face” side.
What’s next for Algebra?
Tony: Gigs! Gigs! Gigs! We really love to play live and to share our music with fans and listeners.
Phil: Since the departure of our vocalist/guitarist, the main priority is to find new members. A lot of work is ahead for us!
Hailing from Denmark, The Manipulated are an Instrumental Sludge Band and this is their second release.
Well, I must admit that the album cover immediately puts me off this release. I mean, who wouldn’t be put off by that? But let’s persevere and see what lies within, as ultimately it’s only the music that matters.
It’s immediately apparent that the music is well worth the listen, as interesting and crushing Doom riffs come falling out of the speakers. The music they create is rich and textured in the gloomy-but-devastating arts.
Whether slow and miserable or upbeat and despondent, The Manipulated create an aural tapestry of doubt, wretchedness and recrimination. It’s effective and noteworthy.
The band combine noise and trumpet into their Sludge assault to add extra layers of filth and intrigue into their dismal sound.
It’s not all crushing Doom and Sludge however, as there are plenty of lighter moments too, although these are just as dark as the heavier ones. This aspect of their sound shows a Post-Metal influence and is reminiscent of bands like Isis, only with more shadows and places to hide.
The Manipulated have produced a very enjoyable and solid piece of work with Neon Messiah. It’s bleak and unforgiving but that only adds to its charm in my book.
Torn the Fuck Apart are from the US. They play Death Metal and this is their second album.
Wonderbox Metal 