This is the début album from Norwegian Death Metal band Killing for Company.
Killing for Company’s music seems like it has congealed from a pool of blood that’s seeped out of the corpse of old-school Death Metal. To get an idea of the band’s sound, think Bolt Thrower and Autopsy; mix this with a bit of, (old), Hypocrisy and then add in some atmosphere and coloured melody. Continue reading “Killing for Company – House of Hades (Review)”
This is the third album from Purtenance, who are a Finnish Death Metal band.
Purtenance play old-school Death Metal that’s so ancient that as you sit listening to it in whatever dank crypt you chanced upon it in, it starts noticeably getting darker and as the crypt doors start creaking, you’re convinced all manner of shambling horrors are descending on your position. You’re probably right.
From the very first riff, this album has instant charisma and it’s extremely hard not to like its rotten charms. The band wear their influences on their sleeves and if you’re a fan of bands like Bolt Thrower, Incantation and Autopsy, you won’t go far wrong here. However, given that their first album was released in 1992, Purtenance know a little bit about the old-school and …To Spread the Flame of Ancients is as honest and authentic as it gets.
The singer has one of the best Death Metal voices I’ve heard in a while for this style. It’s an absolutely huge and pitch black growl that seems to come from the depths of The Pit. Sooooo good.
The songs are well-written, quality beasts, evoking just the right amounts of rot and power at the same time. Unlike a lot of old-school-themed bands, they also throw in a few unusual riffs and ideas here and there, as well as some dark melodies, faster sections and blast beats; all too often neglected in a sub-genre where mid-paced seems to rule the roost. Due to this, there’s a lot of differentiation between tracks on this album and it’s easy to not only tell them apart but to also have them slot nicely next to each other, making for an album you can enjoy either in bite-size, (bloody), chunks or holistically in one sitting. A worthy achievement.
An extremely enjoyable and satisfying 46 minutes. Purtenance have released an album of character and quality, one that I can heartily recommend.
Dementia 13 are a Death Metal band from Portugal. This is their début album.
Sometimes only Old-School Death Metal will do. Yes, it’s always nice to hear the latest in TechDeath fusion, or the latests sophisticated Avant-Garde Black Metal opus, or some new-fangled take on Doom…but sometimes you just want something primitive, ugly and swamped in Death Metal’s rich heritage. For times like that, there’s bands like this.
This is horror-inspired music, with each track finding inspiration in a different film.
With a decent sound that means the guitars sound good and heavy while the bass is actually audible, Dementia 13 take a festering, decaying sub-genre by storm and kick up some dust and muck while they’re at it.
This is a very satisfying release. The tasty riffs and deep, growling vocals hit the right spots and Ways of Enclosure is full of grim, filthy Death Metal that manages to capture the spirit of the Old-School style perfectly without sounding stale or tired, as so many do.
The singer’s voice is perfectly gruff but still surprisingly legible. His throaty growl tears along over the steady pace of the music, while the guitars throw out riff after riff and dark tidings aplenty.
Fans of Bolt Thrower, Massacre, Entombed, Autopsy and Six Feet Under will find a lot to enjoy with Dementia 13.
Ululate is a one-man Chinese Death Metal band and this is his second album.
His take on Death Metal is one drenched in horror and cannibalism. It’s an Old-School brand that has lost none of its teeth despite its age.
Ululate play Death Metal as it was originally intended and infuses dark melodies with enough morbidity and graveyard rot that in some ways it’s hard to believe it’s 2015 when you listen to it.
Classic riffs and winding melodies work their way into your mind and soon the Metal is all that matters once more. There is some quality riffage on display here and the songwriting skills of the brain behind the band is highly polished, even if the music is not.
Back to Cannibal World combines a few different Old-School sub-genres into one thoroughly foetid release. It’s a difficult sound to pin down in some ways, as it incorporates elements of bands such as Immolation, Autopsy, Incantation and Cannibal Corpse.
Ultimately this is just a really good Death Metal album, regardless of how one chooses to classify or talk about it. It has a whole bunch of interesting riffs, flawlessly delivered deep growls and songs that hit the spot. When you want an Old-School Death Metal fix that sounds fresher than most, Back to Cannibal World is where it’s at.
Highly recommended.
Six Feet Under are a Death Metal band from the US, although it’s highly likely that they need no introduction. This is their eleventh album.
This album is slightly different to previous releases as it’s somewhat of a collaboratively written effort between Six Feet Under main man Chris Barnes and Cannabis Corpse’s bassist/vocalist.
How has this changed things? At first glance not a lot, but on closer inspection there are some subtle alterations to Six Feet Under’s Death ‘n’ Groove style this time around.
Some of the riffs are a little more complicated, (just a little), there’s a little more aggression, a pinch of extra speed and a little more fun. Not fun in the ridiculous, novelty way, but fun in the Autopsy-covered-in-bowels style of macabre fun. You know, graveyard fun.
Also, some of the riffs just have a bit more Metal to them, Death-style almost. Not all, but it’s noticeable in places.
These ten tracks are catchy and laden with enough barbed hooks to stick into anything. The songs continue to batter and bruise their way through the running time with all of the finesse of a wrecking ball, of course. But would we want it any other way? No way.
Ultimately Six Feet Under are the kind of band you either take to or don’t. Of course you can realistically say that about any band, but Six Feet Under certainly do seem to be one of those groups that people either love or hate.
I think that Crypt of the Devil will do very little to convince those who have already decided they don’t like the band. For those of us who are fans though, it’s similar enough to the normal Six Feet Under output to sound reassuringly familiar; however the small but important alterations to their sound due to the collaborative songwriting mean that they come across fresher and hungrier than ever.
After two decades of Death Metal Six Feet Under are still going strong. Crypt of the Devil is yet another solid slab of mid-paced Death Metal that’s meaty enough to satisfy that craving for rotten, putrid flesh that I know you all crave.
Turn the volume up and get ready to bang your head once more.
Offal and Zombie Cookbook are both from Brazil and both play predominantly Old-School Death Metal.
Offal are first up, with two tracks lasting 5 minutes.
The first song consists of some nice Old-School battery, with plenty of murk and the stench of the crypt about it.
It’s a very well written song with some really good riffs and a thoughtful structure. Good leads enhance the foetid aura and it shows that Offal have learned a thing or two from listening to their old Autopsy and Impetigo records.
Cavernous growls are the vocals of choice, sounding ancient and terrifying with their ominous presence.
The second song, Spinal Extractions Fiend for Blood, is much shorter, with more of a Grind influence, but even this is delivered in an Old-School style.
Zombie Cookbook are next, with two tracks lasting 6 minutes.
First song Motel Hell has an Old-School vibe as well, recalling a rotten mix of old Obituary and Death with a hint of Thrash Metal thrown in for good measure. The vocals lash out as if in pain and the sense of the underground is strong.
The second song, Eredità Maledetta, is shorter, faster and altogether tighter.
Zombie Cookbook sound like an undiscovered band from the late 90’s. That’s a compliment, of course.
A short and brutal split that reeks of the underground and revels in its Old-School nature.
Listen if you dare.
Putrid Evocation are from Chile and this is their Death Metal début album.
Putrid Evocation play Old-School Death Metal with a strong reek of the grave and a palpable miasma of rotten flesh.
The band write ancient, primordial Death Metal tracks that are ultra-primitive in their assault. The songs may be simple but they’re also effective and Echoes of Death should satisfy any cravings you have for Old-School Death Metal.
A raw, murky production seals in the feeling of decay and Putrid Evocation are clearly not interested in any aspect of modernity. It’s an acquired taste of course, but if you’re not a fan of clinical, high-gloss recordings then you should feel right at home here.
Featuring a few Doom and even proto-Black Metal elements in their sound, the band successfully create their crypt-like tales with the love and care of a recently risen ghoul.
Early Incantation, Death, Autopsy, Dismember, etc. are your guides to the sound of Putrid Evocation.
Be sure to give them a listen.
Puteraeon are from Sweden and play Death Metal. This is their third album.
Old-School Swedish Death Metal will never die, and I for one am happy about this.
So what of Puteraeon? Think early Entombed with dirty great Doom riffs and some punkier influences to boot. They faithfully reproduce That Chainsaw Sound as all real purveyors of this style must and the concentration is firmly on the songs and the heavy-yet-melodic riffs.
As you can see this is the usual fare for Swedish Death Metal, but that’s not to denigrate the band at all. They may have chosen a well-trodden route but they’re not without ability; the songs here are enjoyable romps through the blood-soaked Swedish landscape and the vocals in particular sound more bestial than most.
Also; Puteraeon do inject a few influences outside of the standard Swedish template – hints of Carcass, Pestilence, Autopsy and Bolt Thrower can be found here and there, buried beneath the chainsaws. That’s the beauty of Death Metal, no matter which particular subgenre a band specialise in there’s always room to throw in other influences.
If you’re fed up of this style then there won’t be much here to convince you otherwise, but if you still enjoy this particular brand of Death Metal then The Crawling Chaos hits the spot. It’s also a release that gets better the more you listen to it, which is always a good thing to be able to say about an album. It has top cover artwork too.
Check them out.
Coffinborn are from Hungary and play Death Metal. This is their début EP.
This is Old-School Death Metal through and through. The band rip, tear and shred through these 4 tracks with morbid fervour.
This is rotten, stinking Death Metal that’s clawed its way out of the depths of the foetid crypt in search of brains and fresh body parts.
Cavernous vocals fill the air and one can almost imagine some ravenous, giant maw being opened ready to suck in all light and matter.
The dirty, filthy sound they have fits the music perfectly and the tracks pummel and bash with pleasing brutality.
Some good riffs and melodies stick out and there’s a good chug and groove in parts.
Mixing elements of the Old-School from bands such as Autopsy, Dismember, Incantation and Death; Coffinborn’s Classic Death Metal is played well and with good songs.
There are only 4 tracks on this EP but at just under 21 minutes in length it’s a good hit of Death Metal for Old-School fans. This is a very enjoyable release that promises good things for the future of this band.
Their début album could be one to watch. Check them out.
Vastum are from the US and play Death Metal; Patricidal Lust is their second album.
How’s that for some album artwork, eh? What’s all that about then? Top work.
Vastum specialise in Old-School Death Metal with a dollop of Doom and Crust thrown in for good measure. Incantation and Autopsy should be your first reference points. Vastum are their own entity of course and they play this style of Classic Death Metal remarkably well.
The songs are harrowing tales of the dark side of humanity and the music is the perfect representation of this.
Each track is well-written and everything on this release sounds powerful and ancient. The singer bellows with fervour and the music rages and dirges in equal amounts.
The solos are well executed and add spice to the Doomy riffing. Leads add colour and overall these songs have a lot of substance to them, with the longer length of the songs allowing the band to cram a lot in.
As the Classic Death Metal style goes this is a strong album full of good songs. Put this on your list of albums to get this month, you won’t regret it.
Wonderbox Metal 