This is Vredehammer’s second album. They play Black Metal and are from Norway.
Vredehammer play aggressive Black Metal that keeps the core of the genre alive and well, while merging it with a state-of-the-art blackness that bands like Satyricon, Keep of Kalessin and Temple of Baal do so well. Add a bit of Death Metal in the form of something like Behemoth and even a touch of Aura Noir-esque Thrash and you have a good overview of Vredehammer’s style. Tracks like Ursus even have a bit of the Amon Amarth about them, to my ears.
The vocals consist of dark outbursts that strike a fine balance between legibility and outright harshness. Sitting somewhere between the styles of Black and Death Metal, they work well to provide a focal point for the music without dominating it.
Powerful rhythm guitars form the bedrock of the tracks and these punish and damage for all they’re worth. Interestingly though, the band build on these strong foundations to provide a more well-rounded listening experience than you might expect; Violator is not a one-dimensional album.
Twisted melodics and bright, ethereal leads occasionally add colour and texture to the band’s blackened rhythms, allowing them to explore wider pastures that their brutal tendencies might otherwise preclude them from. This adds a lot to the album and raises it to another level, quality-wise. This is all wrapped around their inherent malevolent nastiness though, which is never too far from proceedings.
Boasting a strong production to round things off, Violator is a very enjoyable album, and at 35 minutes in length it’s easy to get your fill of their blackened aggression.
Communal Grave are a Death/Thrash Metal band from Pakistan. This is their début album.
The singer has a pretty impressively scary deep growl that’s as dark as night and reeks of a huge black pit that you could easily fall into. It’s the kind of cavernous growl that makes an immediate impression and for a few moments it’s easy to forget the music that’s backing it up.
Phew.
As for the music – this is Melodic Death Metal that’s merged with Thrash Metal to produce an exact and precise rendition of both styles, mixed in together and spiced with some nice melodic tendencies throughout the songs.
The band sound like they have a tight rein on the music, playing everything with precision and care, focusing on the end result of the song and considering every part down to the last riff. This is in stark contrast to the feral vocals that sound completely unbound and unfettered, savagely growling their way over the melodic riffs and mellifluous leads. The contrast between the rough growls and precision-cut music is jarring, but somehow works nonetheless.
The longer-than-average nature of some of the tracks allows the band explore various melodic climes and these 45 minutes pass by easily, with the listener concurrently being buoyed up by the melodic assault and tore down by the deep, malevolent growls.
Ha! No matter how many times I listen to this, the best word I can think of to describe the singer’s vocals is “terrifying”. Oh, you’ll probably listen to them and think they’re deep growls and nothing more, but for me, for some unnameable reason, they hit a raw nerve that chills me to my very core. What’s that all about then? Best not to dig too deep I suspect.
At any rate, it all adds to the experience and Solace in Violencia is an engaging and enjoyable listen.
Now, excuse me while I go and select some new underwear…
This is the second album from UK Death Metal band Horrified.
Horrified’s début album Descent into Putridity was a maggot-filled coffin full of raw, underground Swedish-influenced Death Metal. Things have changed since then, it seems.
A Swedish Death Metal influence is still apparent, but the band have expanded their horizons and taken in further influence from the more melodic side of the Swedish scene; think bands like Dissection, Edge of Sanity and Eucharist. It’s an interesting and unexpected change of direction for Horrified that allows them to develop their more expansive, progressive and melodic sides, while still including some nice brutality when they want.
As this development sees the band becoming more sophisticated and melodic, there’s a corresponding increase in length in the songs, with a couple breaching the eight minute mark. This allows the band to add the melodic, emotive side to the core of their old-school style, achieving a blistering combination of the two that works really well.
Although I miss the primitive old-school rumble of their début, I must admit that it’s very nice to see a band develop and spread their wings further afield than their early influences. As these influences do still play a part in their sound though, it’s not a total departure. The end result is that they have progressed into an entity that’s far more interesting and accomplished than what they have demonstrated in the past, and Of Despair is a very enjoyable and compelling piece of work.
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.
This is the début EP from Slovakian Blackened Death Metal band Goholor.
Offering up a 16 minute EP as their first venture into the world, Goholor play their Death Metal with a decent side of Black, making for sickening noises and dark Metal the likes of which are not for the average person.
Deep growls are backed up by scathing screaming highlights; the singer has the kind of growl that many a Death Metal vocalist can only imagine.
The music is well-played and obviously written by people who know how to handle the style. It’s precise and focused without being overly so, leaving room for a rougher edge that allows the songs to breathe and move freely in the gloom of the blackened auras that the band create.
With good riffs that harken back to the old-school, the band’s Black Metal influences enhance their well-crafted Death Metal core. The Black Metal elements add further depth to the tracks as the dark melodies worm their way into the essence of the songs’ aggressive tendencies.
A very enjoyable first release that delivers the goods and also promises much for the future.
This is the second album from Bulgarian Death Metal band Concrete.
Concrete play gore-soaked old-school Death Metal with plenty of presence.
The cookie-monster growls are as satisfying as any in the style and the singer’s performance suits the music nicely.
Heavy guitars herald the largely mid-paced assault that occasionally breaks through into blast beats. The band play the USDM style and the songs are written accordingly. There’s plenty of chugging destruction and some nice squealing added here and there, as well as some decent solos.
Simple and aggressive; you can’t really go wrong with something like this. Unless you’re just not a fan or are tired of the style, then it’s hard to not enjoy Chambers of Afterlife. It won’t earn any awards for innovation, but that’s not the point; this is an ode to pure Death Metal and it’s an ode I’ve liked hearing.
This is the kind of album that gets better the louder you play it. The riffs come alive even more and you get to feel the full, unfettered impact of the songs.
Chambers of Afterlife is a solid album that will suit older Cannibal Corpse fans down to the ground. Check them out and blast them out at full volume.
Casket Robbery’s début album Evolution of Evil is full of catchy songwriting and memorable brutality. Featuring bucketloads of groove and rhythm, this is Death Metal to get moving to. With this in mind, let’s find out a bit more…
For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!
Cory: We are Casket Robbery. Death, groove metal.
Patrick: WE’RE CASKET ROBBERY AND WE’RE FROM MADISON, WISCONSIN!
Give us a bit of background to Casket Robbery
Cory: Dustin and I started this band a few years back as a recording project. We were really just trying to make something super heavy and fun/catchy but didn’t think much of it while we were tracking the first few songs. We were just drinking beer and having a blast in the studio doing the songs. I felt like a lot of death metal bands lack the catchy part and thought it would be cool to see if we could add that element to this. We shared the recordings with people and we started getting a lot of show offers right off the bat. So, we decided to call some friends up to create a live band and we just went for it full force. We saw the potential in the music and it grew from there.
Patrick: I only joined the band last June but I have been friends with Cory for years and followed the band from its inception. They really brought something different to death metal, and I hope to contribute in my own way to that unique twist on brutal metal music that Casket Robbery delivers.
What are your influences?
Cory: When I write for Casket I try to write visually. So really, my influences are horror movies. If you take a look into the lyrics and songs on the album you should be able to paint a picture or sort of visualize the song moods. When I am writing songs I keep a story/concept in my head. Like, what would be the death metal sound track that a serial killer would hear in his head while hacking up victims? That’s my influence the best I can explain. Musically, I am eclectic and listen to anything from death metal to pop music. I draw music inspiration from everything and can’t really pinpoint a band that I draw from.
Patrick: As far as what I do on bass for Casket Robbery goes, I really look to dudes like Alex Webster and Nick Schendzeilos. They’re definitely two apex death metal bass players and really give me a direction for honing my technique since guitar is my primary instrument and I’ve only recently picked up bass as something to take seriously.
What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?
Cory: I have been listening to Children of Bodom’s “Halo of Blood” a lot. I am really loving it. Also, check out Graveworm’s latest!
Patrick: As I type this, I have had Keith Merrow’s album “Awaken the Stone King” playing on repeat for the past two or three hours. I can highly recommend any of his solo albums (it’s all brutal, technical instrumental prog metal with a ton of old school death metal influence) as well as his Conquering Dystopia project with Jeff Loomis, Alex Rüdinger, and Alex Webster. He’s supposed to have something he did with Wes Hauch (ex-The Faceless) on the way soon that I’m beyond stoked to hear.
How do you feel about the Death Metal scene in 2016?
Cory: I have been hearing a lot of cool things. There are some great bands out there. Even in the midwest (Wisconsin specifically) there are a lot of bands coming out of our area that are really doing well and putting out great albums.
Patrick: Lot of great stuff to look forward to! The past two or three years have been huge for death metal, and a lot of cool albums are coming out in this year. Definitely looking forward to hearing some new Fallujah and Revocation!
Give us a bit of background to Evolution of Evil – any particular concepts or ideas you want to discuss?
Cory: We stepped up our game musically and conceptually on this album. We started to get labelled as a band that writes serial killer songs but there is a lot more to offer on this album. Dustin has these great concepts and horror stories that he has been writing lyrics about. This album is all about the evils of the world. Every one of us is evil and has the capability of pursuing evil thoughts. This album is a fun roller coaster ride.
How do you go about writing your songs?
Cory: On this album I did a majority of the writing. Sometimes it will start with a concept that Dustin has and I will write a whole song with that in mind. Or, I will have a concept in mind and start writing. This album, we both just fed off of the Evolution of Evil idea. It came naturally. I start with the framework of riffs and structures and then hand them off to Dustin to add lyrics and Greg and Patrick add their own input to make the songs come to life. Everyone has input after the initial song writing. If something isn’t working or sucks we change it. Dustin and I are super collaborative in the early stages and will go back and forth on lyrics and riffs until we feel it’s perfect. And then it only gets better when everyone else adds their touch.
How did the recording process go?
Cory: It was a very long process. We didn’t have a full band when we started recording and writing this album. And it was all self funded. I produced and handled most of the efforts of this so I just chipped away at it a little at a time. I knew we needed to step up the production of the album. I recorded the guitars with Cody Ratley, and drums were done by Greg in his studio. Then we brought it back to my studio and I tracked everything else. We took a lot of time on vocals and layering. Basically, every piece was thought out and done the way it needed to be done. It was all natural and organic feeling. We knew it was our début album so we took our time on it. When the recording was done we took it to Chris Wisco at Belle City sound for mixing. He had done the last few Jungle Rot albums that we all loved the sound of and we knew he would deliver that huge and heavy sound we needed for this. Cody Ratley mastered it and really added the perfect final touch to it!
What’s your favourite song on the album and why?
Cory: I am really digging Pray for Death. John Laux did a guest solo on it and it really rips. I can’t thank him enough for adding it!
Patrick: It’s a tie between Pray for Death and The Final Chapter. They’re just my favorite songs to play live because they’re a bit more on the technical side for me as the bass player. Annibelle is right up there as well.
What are your live shows like?
Cory: Tons of energy! And always heavy. You will have fun, come check it out. We will be hitting the east coast soon!
Patrick: Fun, energetic, and heavy. We always want everyone who comes to see Casket Robbery play to have a good time, and the best way to do that is for us to have a good time ourselves!
What does the future hold for Casket Robbery?
Cory: We are going to keep the Casket train rolling. More shows and tours after this album and then we will start writing!
Patrick: More releases. More shows. Tours. We’re gonna push this as hard as we can, as far as it will go.
Abyssus are a Greek Death Metal band and this is a compilation of their older work.
Now this is the stuff! Ever since I heard their extremely good Split with Morbider, I’ve been a fan of this band. Then their début album Into the Abyss raised its ugly head and I was hooked.
This compilation pulls together their split with Slaktgrav, the aforementioned split with Morbider, their split with Nocturnal Vomit, and finally their 2012 EP Monarch to the Kingdom of the Dead, with two Death and Slayer covers tacked on the end. All of which makes for 55 minutes of old-school Death Metal heaven.
If you haven’t encountered Abyssus before, (why not?), then they play Obituary-inspired old-school Death Metal that’s just so very more-ish that as soon as you stop listening to them you can’t help reaching for the play button once again. Abyssus sound good and that’s all there is to it really.
Presented in reverse chronological order, this is essentially taking a trip back in time with the band, back through their discography. Their style hasn’t massively changed, but you can tell that they have progressed if you know what you’re looking for. With each release they get just that little bit tighter and more focused, just that little bit more professional in delivery and in the recording department.
I’d say that Monarch of the Kingdom of the Dead is the biggest departure from their normal sound here, which makes sense as it was their first release; these songs have more of a Swedish Death Metal influence and sound than the rest of their work, as well as a slightly more modern, polished delivery style. It’s all relative of course, but it’s noticeably different from the rest of the material here. It’s still good, but it’s the weakest part of the release, and I’m glad that after this they progressed, (regressed?), their style somewhat into the old-school institution they are quickly becoming.
Overall this release gets a giant thumbs up from me. Stick it on and get ready to uncontrollably groove yourself into the ground, as when Abyssus play you just can’t keep still, it’s just not done.
This is the début album by US Death Metallers Casket Robbery.
Casket Robbery play rhythmic Death Metal with a modern/groove Metal influence. They successfully incorporate into their assault elements of Lamb of God and Pantera along with those of Aborted and Kataklysm , as well as mixing in some European Metal influences that allow the band to inject some extra melodic streaks into the tracks that actually remind me of Septic Flesh in places.
Although there’s a lot of mid-paced grooving there’s also enough speed used to keep things varied. The melodic aspect, although not a huge part of their sound, furnishes the songs with enough leads and solos to add another tasty flavour to the tracks.
This is a release that’s heavy and full of riffs. It’s so easy to get carried along with the beat that before you know it your body starts with the twitching and spasming and there’s nowt to be done about it. Hmm, not the best way to describe toe-tappingly-good is it, but you get the idea…
Vocally the singer has an unfriendly snarl that pitches him between a growl and a scream. It matches the rhythmic muscularity of the music and cuts nicely deep into the meat of the matter.
After 37 minutes, some catchy songwriting and some memorable brutality later, Evolution of Evil has left a good impression. The band have produced a very enjoyable album that stands up to repeated listens well and positively encourages them.
This is the fifth album from Polish Blackened Death Metallers Stillborn.
Stillborn play abrasive, rough Death Metal with a Black Metal edge. It’s gritty, jagged and quite enjoyable. A Thrash Metal influence raises its head on some of the riffs too, lending the band an extra energy on occasion.
Their sound is one of a Black Metal band playing Death Metal, with the recording following this accordingly.
This is malevolent, Satanic music that has a decent blackened side to the deathly brutality. The songs have an earthy authenticity to them that’s made all the more enjoyable simply due to the good riffs and barbarous blackened sheen that everything has.
Ugly growls and dirty shrieks form the bedrock of the vocals as the music blasts and slashes its way through the 34 minute playing time. The songs are well-written and it’s clear that the band have learned a thing or two during their near two-decade existence.
Decent riffs, decent songs, murderous atmosphere; Stillborn have a new fan here.
Recommended for all fans of underground brutality.
This is Vredehammer’s second album. They play Black Metal and are from Norway.
Wonderbox Metal 