Saturday, July 15, 2017

Blood - Mental Conflicts




If you've been involved in the metal underground since the days that metal fanzines were printed on paper then there's a good chance that you've heard of German noisecore band Blood especially since the band released their first record on the US label Wild Rags records back in 1989 and at the time the label seemed to be in every metal fanzine.

Vic Records recently released their fourth album "Mental Conflicts"which the band released back in 1994 finds the band utilizing both grindcore and slowing down and edging towards death metal within their rotting musical stew so it's not all fast and furious. As the best Blood tracks are short and quick bursts that's the review over.

Check out the title track in this video clip.



Release date: 23 June 2017

3/5

Friday, July 14, 2017

Pathology - Pathology





Bleeeeeurggggggghhhhhm, blurggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, beeeeeeeelchhhhhhhhhhhh. society, bllaaarggghhh, basically sums up both the vocals and the lyrics for brutal death metal band, Pathology. It sounds like the vocalist is trying to escape from inside a washing machine while it's doing a spin cycle but he is a complete failure as a soldier in the war against machines and is also crying his eyes out. The music is relentless fast brutal death metal with very little time to slow down and honestly when Pathology slow down and abandon the vocals, they sound like a good band unfortunately these parts are a very small percentage of this release. The drums are absolutely punished at a speed that sounds like the man handling the sticks has either never heard of or desires repetitive strain injury. The guitar sound is clear but those annoying vocals are way too loud in the mix. It's really difficult for a casual listener to distinguish between the bursts of noise (let's not call these creations songs) as there's no obvious starting and stopping points as Pathology take the same stand to intros. Despite the fact that Pathology are now up to album nine with their self-titled, there's definitely no desire from these parts to explore their back catalogue as this release totally misses the mark.





1/5


https://comatosemusic.bandcamp.com/album/pathology




Pathology on facebook

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Poseidon - Prologue



After only existing a year London UK band, Poseidon release their debut album "Prologue". When a band opens with an album with a song that spans past the thirteen minute mark, it better keep the listener's attention. Poseiden manage this feat by changing styles without a blunder in "The Beginning The End The Colony"with the tunes opening Neurosis heavy drone later integrating a layer fuzzed out stoner rock on top without halting the drone, then there's a post-metal/hardcore part with guttural vocals that keep a listener which twist Poseidon will take next.
There's a real surprise in the second track as the band take a much quieter approach with an acoustic guitar and keyboards on "Mother Mary of Scorn" which brings The Church to mind due to the vocals. There's a menacing torment of a metallic hell about to break out in the latter parts of the track.

Anyone who has ever been curious as to what fuzzed out post-metal sounds like should hear the intro to "Chainbreaker"which breaks the shackles and chains with interludes of short metallic riffing. The track builds into an absolutely ripping finale. The album concludes with a lengthy track "Omega", which starts with samples from a mad preacher then a Pink Floyd style intro builds and there are a few thrash metal style riffs and drumbeats spiced up with more than a teaspoon full of sludge.

"Prologue"is an interesting start to an ongoing narrative entitled "The Medusa Chronicles"which Poseidon promises to carry through to future records and detail the collapse of civilization and its reconstruction all wrapped in a post apocalyptic sci-fi opera. I'm anxious to hear much more from this UK band.

Release date: 21 July 2017


3.5/5


Poseidon on bandcamp



Poseidon on facebook



Pos

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Destroyer of Light - Chamber of Horrors



Texas band Destroyer of Light are unmistakably doom metal merchants. On their second album, they start out with a instrumental entitled "Whispers Into the Threshold". "Chamber of Horrors" largely follows the doom metal blueprint although the songs short length informs the listener know that Destroyer of Light are not your run of the mill dime a dozen Black Sabbath wannabe doom metallers. The follow up track "Into the Smoke" confirms this although the riffing and drumming is slow and certainly does bring Sabbath to mind, the throaty vocals at the start of the song add an element of sludge style heaviness but further through the track they switch to the more traditional style of doom vocals without missing a beat (pun intended since the tempo is slow). A horror movie sample opens "The Virgin" which is followed with vocals sung in a near whisper over a musically quiet part which doesn't last for long as there is some short yelling before the vocals transform into Ozzy style. A shouted part over doom and sludgy is an interesting turn within the song to further convey the feeling of sheer terror, which was set up by the track's opening sample. Destroyer of Light look towards 70's psychedelia in the instrumental track "Twilight Procession". The vocal delivery on "Buried Alive" contains a desperation reminiscent of Life of Agony's on their "River Runs Red" and grunted spoken vocals kick in around the mid-part of the song and there's no escaping from the uneasiness of a nightmare.

The electronic press kit states that Destroyer of Light are influenced by Eyehategod, Electric Wizard, Mercyful Fate and Autopsy. Still, like every other doom band Sabbath worship is of the highest priority. Just check out the tracks "Lux Crusher", " and "Prisoner of Eternity", which are pure Black Sabbath. However, Destroyer of Light make it much more interesting and really hit the mark when they integrate their non-doom influences especially on "The Virgin" and "Buried Alive" however they don't utilize these influences enough on "Chambers of Horrors" to truly separate themselves from the pack of doomsters.

3/5


Release date: 14 July 2017


Destroyer of Light on Bandcamp





Destroyer of Light on Facebook




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Monday, July 10, 2017

Zaraza - Spasms of Rebirth



Dear Reader

I trust this day finds you well. I have a treasure for you but first you, dear reader, need to answer four questions before you will be eligible to receive this gift.

Do you like doom metal? Do you like wallowing in the pits of sludge? Does the mention of industrial music cause your mouth to froth? Would a combination of the three be of interest to you? If you answered no to any of these questions then stop reading this review right NOW and go and read the emails in your spam folder.

If you answered, yes to all four questions then Canadian and Ecuadorian duo, Zaraza's latest album "Spasm of Rebirth" will be of interest. The duo play a hybrid of sludge, doom and industrial. If band references are important to you then. dear reader, you should think of Godflesh colliding in the underworld with Eyehategod with samples the conjure up a sense of dread.



Now, dear reader, if you're still reading this and we're both still alive as I doubt either of us have much time left in this world then I implore you to get a copy of Zaraza's "Spasms of Rebirth" rather than give me your bank details.



Your sincerely



A near dead blogger



PS Check out this youtube video for their track "Church of Gravity.





PPS: Check out a number of tracks from the album on Zaraza's bandcamp page. "Maskwearer" is a highly recommended track. Oh, yeah. By the way, the physical format of this album will be available from 17 July 2017 until whenever it's not.


3.5/5








Sunday, July 9, 2017

El Camino - Cursed Congregation





Sometimes it's a real headscratcher when it comes to describing a band and El Camino's press kit describes them as a black/thrash metal band. The only resemblance of thrash here are the vocals, which are reminiscent of Martin Walkyier of Sabbat(UK) who wouldn't sound out of place on many a black metal album. From the outset of "Cursed Congregation"Swedish metal band El Camino combine doom and gothic elements with black metal. Ïnto the Dark"doesn't race into the depths of hell ala thrash metal but plods along with evil intent. "Intent of Man's Heart"speeds up to nearly the walking pace of a live person but these guys do sound like they are living dead due to the dragging pace and the spitting goblin vocals. There's some traditional metal style in the soloing during the album's title track. There are near spoken parts in "Penance Pyre" that add another to the atmosphere deathly doom and once again Sabbat come to mind.

"Cursed Congregation"is close to how My Dying Bride would have sounded on their early albums if they'd added black metal to their doom laden metal tunes rather than death metal. Is this style doomed black metal or blackened doom metal? I'm uncertain but I know I like it much more than straight up black metal.

3.5/5

El Camino on bandcamp


El Camino on facebook




Beastwars - IV

After over a year off for various reasons, we have returned solely because we wanted to review the new Beastwars album. I really w...