Album Review – Thrashera / Não Gosto! (2020)

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Blasting thrashing anthems about devious behavior, sex, alcohol and drug abuse, this Brazilian horde delivers an ode to all things metal in their band new (and rebellious) opus.

With nearly 20 releases under their bullet belts, Brazilian Thrash Metal horde Thrashera is a veritable institution in the underground in their homeland, blasting thrashing anthems about devious behavior, sex, alcohol and drug abuse, horror films, war, massacres, nuclear disasters, violence, underground counterculture, punk issues and the headbanging way of life since their inception in the year of 2010 in the city of Rio de Janeiro by three maniacs deeply into the 80’s wave of Satanic metal and primitive Rock N’ Roll. It’s that lattermost element which has endeared the band to so many across the international underground, and their brand new full-length album, rebelliously titled Não Gosto!, is definitely going to launch Thrashera onto an ever wider stage, which the band will promptly destroy.

Currently comprised of vocalist Chakal, guitarists Madcrusher and Bode de Sade, bassist Anras Vardamir and drummer Surtur Impurus, Thrashera are not just about partying, with the album title, translated to English as “I don’t like it!”, depicting the band’s distrust in the current political and religious scenario in their homeland. “The name of the album stands as a denial manifest towards the present political and religious ideologies in Brazil responsible for ‘killing’ – oppressing – all artistic forms of expression. It’s a reinforcement of our lyric approach in the last decade as a band, in an era where the individual liberty for the underground movement and its followers is in serious danger. Expressing Não Gosto! as a mantra, it’s probably the only reasonable path! Não Gosto! synthesizes all the refusal towards the hypocrisy that commands the world, guiding our masses into the abyss with an unconscious grin. This is also a shout-out and a wakeup call to all the underground forces to organize, react, and unite themselves in order to avoid the extinction of the most marginalized culture in the planet. Metal always said No! And always will!”, commented the band about the album.

A cinematic, eerie and anti-religious intro evolves into a feast of old school Thrash Metal led by Surtur’s frantic beats in Intro Víbora Resistente / Não Gosto!, featuring guest vocals by Luiz Carlos Louzada (Vulcano) and Armando Exekutor (Flageladör), and I must say all vocal lines couldn’t have sounded more demonic than this, with its raw and primeval sound making the whole thing even more entertaining. Then acoustic guitars permeate the air in Maré 669 before all hell breaks loose and Madcrusher and Bode de Sade begin slashing their stringed weapons beautifully, resulting in over six minutes of nonstop electricity and blasphemy blasted by Thrashera with Chakal sounding absolutely demented and wicked on vocals; followed by Rei dos Excessos, a song that begins in full force with Surtur and Anras being in an infernal sync with their respective instruments. Put differently, it’s pure old school thrash with no shenanigans nor any artificial elements, where once again the band worships Satan and all that’s considered immoral or forbidden. And Sangue ao Metal is a fast and furious ode to all things metal led by Chakal’s vicious, deep roars while Surtur keeps hammering and pounding his drums manically, inspired by the classic sonority from the early days of the almighty Slayer.

Sounding heavy-as-hell and utterly aggressive just the way we like it, it’s time for the band to fire a new (and hard) version for their 2012 song Trapped in the 80’s (you can check the original one HERE, released in the split album Guerreiros do Álcool), with the 2020 version sounding more polished and thrashier, leaning at times towards Speed Metal. After such demented onrush of sounds, guess what the band has to offer us all? Well, those guys love metal music more than anything, which becomes beyond clear in the high-octane Metal!, where both Madcrusher and Bode de Sade decimate our ears with their hellish riffs, while Chakal keeps vociferating the song’s boisterous words in the name of Heavy Metal. Mysterious female voices praising the power of women and their fight against sexism ignite another bestial tune titled Correntes Não Prendem Serpentes, where Chakal (together with an uncanny female guest vocalist) barks the song’s lyrics about witches and other female characters, followed by Igreja, the band’s personal  tribute to a cult album titled Cabeça Dinossauro, released in 1986 by an amazing Brazilian band called Titãs (check the original song HERE), with Thrashera’s version sounding and feeling amazing with its raw and visceral Thrash Metal vibe, once again against all that’s wrong with religion and the church.

You can join Thrashera in their cult to Thrash Metal and everything that’s considered evil (and therefore good) by following the band on Facebook, and grab your copy of their rebellious soundtrack to the end of our days from the Hellprod Records’ BandCamp page or webstore. I must warn you, though, that once you enter their realm of depravity, blasphemy and violence, there’s no way back, which in the end is a good thing as you’ll be against all that’s wrong in their homeland right now. This is what first-class old Thrash Metal is all about, always against religion and politics, always fast, furious and infernal, and always perfect for having a beer while slamming into the circle pit with your friends. That’s all that we really like in our lives, and always will.

Best moments of the album: Maré 669, Sangue ao Metal and Metal!.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Helldprod Records

Track listing
1. Intro Víbora Resistente / Não Gosto! 5:46
2. Maré 669 6:19
3. Rei dos Excessos 3:09
4. Sangue ao Metal 4:08
5. Trapped in the 80’s (Hard version) 4:22
6. Metal! 4:08
7. Correntes Não Prendem Serpentes 5:17
8. Igreja (Titãs cover) 2:51

Band members
Chakal – vocals
Madcrusher – guitars
Bode de Sade – guitars, backing vocals
Anras Vardamir – bass, backing vocals
Surtur Impurus – drums

Guest musicians
Luiz Carlos Louzada – vocals on “Não Gosto!”
Armando Exekutor – vocals on “Não Gosto!”

Album Review – Lucifer Star Machine / The Devil’s Breath (2020)

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Raise your horns to the high-octane, hard-hitting fusion of Rock N’ Roll, Punk Rock and Hardcore blasted by a German squad armed with their brand new album.

Are you ready for a feast of high-octane, hard-hitting Rock N’ Roll, Punk Rock and Hardcore blasted by the tattooed, white trash bastard sons of the devil, collectively known as German Punk N’ Roll squad Lucifer Star Machine? Telling tales about love, pain, death and religious atrocities, Lucifer Star Machine will unleash hell upon us once again with their fourth full-length opus titled The Devil’s Breath, a 42-minute long road to hell that lures the listener with huge choruses, infernal riffs and monstrous melodies presented with the band’s trademarked straightforward, no-bullshit attitude, and perfectly visualized in the album cover art by Polish artist Łukasz Jaszak, giving the album a a vintage horror magazine look which complements the music and pays homage to the big boys of Rock N’ Roll such as Motörhead, Ramones, Social Distortion, Volbeat, Misfits and Turbonegro.

Formed in London, England in 2002, but based in Hamburg, Germany since 2014, the hometown of lead singer Tor Abyss, the now all-German band comprised of the aforementioned Tor Abyss on vocals, Mickey Necro and Marshall Speed on the guitars, Benny Zin on bass and Jay Impact on drums has outdone themselves in The Devil’s Breath, resulting in an album full of honesty, heart and soul with a fantastic storyline captured in every song. Setting a new standard for the band itself, The Devil’s Breath brings to our ears a high-energy mixture of classic rock and punk with a touch of metal and hints of 50’s Rock n’ Roll, combining raw, heartfelt music with great musicianship and addictive hooks and, therefore, being highly recommended for fans of the dancing and electrifying music of all aforementioned Rock N’ Roll icons.

Excerpts from “not-so-good” TV news ignite the frantic and electrifying The Void, blending the best elements from Punk Rock with the badass Rock N’ Roll by Motörhead. Moreover, Tor is berserk on vocals while Jay doesn’t stop smashing his drums not even for a single second, and after such demolishing start to the album it’s time for more melodic and dancing punk music in Dwell In Misery, where Mickey and Marshall are on fire with their razor-edged riffs, being therefore recommended for admirers of the music by the Misfits and Social Distortion. Jay keeps hammering his drums in Cruel Hearts, and if you enjoy a good mosh pit with your friends this is the perfect soundtrack for that, not to mention how Benny’s rumbling bass makes the earth tremble, feeling like the Misfits and Volbeat had a bastard son; followed by Baby, When You Cry, a great song presenting an old school vibe without sounding outdated or obsolete at all, perfect for lovers who want to dance the night away together, while the band’s guitar duo continues to kick some serious ass with their riffs and solos.

A strident riffage and a headbanging rhythm are the main ingredients in The Night Is Young, with Tor leading his henchmen with his raspy vocals in this never-ending party while Benny extracts insane sounds from his bass; whereas more rumbling bass punches and endless electricity fill out every empty space in Eat Dust, originally released in 2015 as a single, with all band members being in perfect sync delivering a vibrant Punk Rock extravaganza for our total delectation. In A Touch Of Death the band adds nuances of Rockabilly to their music just the way Volbeat would do, but of course keeping their Punk Rock core essence intact, resulting in another great option for slamming into the pit, while El Camino Real definitely feels like a song that could be used in a Quentin Tarantino movie, with Tor impersonating a classic singer the likes of Elvis Presley while Jay brings forward tons of groove with his precise beats. And their Rock N’ Roll party goes on in Pretender, showcasing a solid job done by both Mickey and Marshall on the guitars (despite getting a bit tiring after a while).

Then putting the pedal to the metal the quintet pierces our ears with the frantic and vicious Evil Blood, blasting nonstop action with highlights to Jay’s awesome performance on drums and with Tor sounding even more rabid and demented on vocals. And as there’s no such thing as getting tired of Rock N’ Roll, the band delivers another fun composition titled Midnight Crawler, where their crisp guitar riffs are effectively boosted by Benny’s thunderous bass, with more high-speed dirty pounding rock music filling our avid ears in Your Love Remains, where Jay and Benny show no mercy for our heads with their menacing low-tuned roars. Put differently, this song will certainly please all fans of classic punk music the likes of the Misfits without a shadow of a doubt. And lastly, their personal “tribute” to the devil comes as the title-track Devil’s Breath, starting in an acoustic way in great Spaghetti Western/Johnny Cash fashion and continuing on that obscure and very entertaining vibe until the very end, with Tor having an amazing and introspective vocal performance.

Having said all that, what are you waiting for to join Lucifer Star Machine and their best buddy, the devil himself, in their quest for Rock N’ Roll? Simply follow them on Facebook for news, tour dates and other nice-to-know details about the band, and grab your copy of The Devil’s Breath directly from their BandCamp page or from their official webstore, as well as from other locations such as the Season of Mist webstore and the Bilocation Records webstore. And you know what to do after putting your hands on such incendiary album of Punk N’ Roll, right? That’s quite a simple and very pleasant task. Grab a cold beer, slam into the circle pit together with Lucifer Star Machine and, above all that, always raise your horns.

Best moments of the album: The Void, Cruel Hearts, Eat Dust and Evil Blood.

Worst moments of the album: Pretender.

Released in 2020 The Sign Records

Track listing
1. The Void 3:40
2. Dwell In Misery 3:12
3. Cruel Hearts 2:57
4. Baby, When You Cry 3:33
5. The Night Is Young 3:50
6. Eat Dust 2:32
7. A Touch Of Death 4:00
8. El Camino Real 2:33
9. Pretender 3:46
10. Evil Blood 2:18
11. Midnight Crawler 3:44
12. Your Love Remains 3:22
13. Devil’s Breath 3:15

Band members
Tor Abyss – vocals
Mickey Necro – guitars
Marshall Speed – guitars
Benny Zin – bass
Jay Impact – drums

Album Review – Kassad / London Orbital (2020)

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Combining the misery and madness of modern urban life with abrasive Black Metal, this British one-man band offers the perfect soundtrack to our harsh lives in the city.

Formed in 2014 in London, England, Urban Black Metal one-man project Kassad conveys an all-encompassing sense of existential terror and claustrophobic anxiety that hits you and builds to a crescendo before everything descends into dread and finally nothingness, combining the misery, futility, and madness of modern urban life with abrasive and gritty Black Metal and a hallucinatory ambience, being therefore highly recommended for fans of bands like Ihsahn, Darkspace, Burzum, Altar of Plagues, Nachtmystium and Downfall of Nur, among several others. After the releases of his debut EP Humans, in 2016, and his first full-length album Faces Turn Away, in 2017, an album that by the way explored themes of misery and claustrophobia in an urban setting, it’s time for Kassad to dive deep into this theme once again with his sophomore full-length opus, entitled London Orbital.

Recorded and mixed at Lusus Studios in London, mastered by Daniel Thabet at Liquid Studios, and featuring a gray and modern cover art by Brutal Colours, London Orbital centers around modern urban living and looks to a near future of megacities where the city itself is a personified, malevolent being where human empathy and culture have been replaced by artificial intelligence. “I wanted to create music for an imagined, future London – one where the city’s monoliths of glass and concrete have come alive to assert their malevolent control over the millions of people that live and toil amongst them. Workers travel in the vast shadows of these buildings, in the tunnels and transport systems that snake below or in the briefest snatches of sun that are yet to be blacked out. If you tilt your head and look at the city just right, you can already see the light starting to turn to darkness,” commented Kassad about his newborn spawn, an album that, besides its strong Black Metal root, also knows when to slow to a crawling funeral dirge to convey total despair and the loss of hope.

Ominous and melancholic sounds permeate the air from the very first second in The Boundary, where the serenity of Post-Metal is beautifully blasted by Kassad through his strident guitars and steady beats, exploding into high-end Urban Black Metal until its enfolding ending and with first-class poetry flowing from its introspective lyrics (“The city on the hill / Calls me for herself / Wants to own me / Like all her empty souls / That live inside her walls / A digital slave hoard / Eternal fires in code”). Then darker and heavier than the opening track, The Concrete is a gorgeous and captivating lesson in Atmospheric Black Metal where Kassad roars and gnarls in great fashion while at the same time he keeps pounding his drums and slashing his guitar strings nonstop, always focusing on extracting minimalist sounds and tones from all instruments.

And Kassad offers more of his Stygian and introspective sounds in The Hope, a song perfect for gazing at the sky on a cold winter night in the city, and as soon as you are absolutely mesmerized by his atmospheric and depressive music, Kassad brings forth a wall of blackened sounds that will crush your senses mercilessly. The Hopeless starts in a way that’s just as obscure and gray, working as a sequel to the previous song, showcasing Doom Metal-inspired sluggish beats intertwined with sounds of nature and eerie background elements before Kassad comes ripping with his anguishes growls in another top-tier Post-Black Metal extravaganza; and as Kassad’s grand finale to the album we have The Hollow, which begins in an even more melancholic and grim manner, with that bleak and ethereal vibe going on until the end of the song in a solid and vibrant display of austere, unadulterated and piercing Urban Black Metal.

As aforementioned, in London Orbital, which is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, Kassad continues to delve into the claustrophobic, grim and lonely life in the city, resulting in a must-have album for admirers of the more modern side of Post-Black Metal and Atmospheric Black Metal. Hence, don’t forget to show your support to Kassad by following him on Facebook, and of course by purchasing your copy of London Orbital from the Hypnotic Dirge Records’ BandCamp or webstore in different formats, like the regular CD version or the “Faces Surveilled From Orbit” mega-bundle, as well as from Apple Music, from Amazon, from CD Baby or from Discogs. In a nutshell, Kassad managed to turn all the hopelessness, solitude and cold landscapes of his hometown into a majestic feast of grim and at the same time delicate sounds in London Orbital, proving Urban Black Metal is and will always be the perfect soundtrack for our harsh lives in the concrete jungles we live in.

Best moments of the album: The Concrete and The Hopeless.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Hypnotic Dirge Records

Track listing
1. The Boundary 7:27
2. The Concrete 5:26
3. The Hope 8:14
4. The Hopeless 8:54
5. The Hollow 8:42

Band members
Kassad – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Crimson Sun / Fates (2020)

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Known for their gripping live performances, catchy sounds and melodies, this Finnish Melodic Heavy Metal institution is ready to take the world of heavy music by storm with their sophomore album.

Known for their gripping live performances, catchy sounds and melodies, Finnish Melodic Heavy Metal institution Crimson Sun is ready to take the world of heavy music by storm with their sophomore album Fates, the follow-up to their debut full-length installment Towards the Light, released in 2015, and the EP The Spirit of Unchainable, from 2017. Formed under an unknown name in 2001 in the city of Hamina, Finland, and evolving into their current moniker in 2005, Crimson Sun have been making a name for themselves since their inception, quickly finding their way into the hearts of metalheads from all around the world and, as a consequence, leading the band currently formed by frontwoman Sini Seppälä, guitarist Joni Junnila, bassist Jukka Jauhiainen, keyboardist Miikka Hujanen and drummer Antti Rantavuo  to perform in some of the biggest metal festivals in Finland and to tour around Europe.

Thematically centered around different fates of people, and loosely referring to the band’s own experiences as well, Fates is an amalgamation of classic and contemporary rock and metal styles centered on the band’s Melodic, Symphonic and Alternative Metal core essence, offering their fans the perfect soundtrack to face our daily struggles and obstacles. “The album took its time as we all went through some major changes in our personal lives – some of us started families, some lost relationships or loved ones, built houses, gained new jobs… Life happened! ‘Fates’ proves however, that despite things changing we can get past all difficulties and challenges and move on – and make the kind of music we want to hear”, explained guitarist Joni Junnila about the band’s newborn spawn, complementing by saying that the album “represents continuity in our musical career. Some of the reviews of the first album suggested that we might just be a one-album-wonder. ‘Fates’ hopefully proves to everyone that this is not the case! We continue to grow and evolve – and we won’t even be just a ‘two-album-wonder’.”

Antti sets fire to the album with his frantic beats in the opening track The Beast Within, presenting elements from Symphonic and Alternative Metal as if Nightwish and Lacuna Coil had a child together, all boosted by Miikka’s futuristic keys and Sini’s crisp, high-pitched vocals. Then continuing to venture through the realms of modern Alternative Metal the band offers us all Virtual Reality, with Joni and Jukka extracting sheer adrenaline from their stringed weapons while Miikka and his whimsical keys bring a touch of lunacy to the musicality; followed by We Are One, where the quintet adds a considerable dosage of passion, melancholy and hope to their core sound, with Antti dictating the rhythm while Sini continues to shine on vocals, not to mention the dense and smooth bass lines by Jukka.

The Prison is one of the most symphonic of all songs, but of course still showcasing the band’s trademark electricity, being highly recommended for fans of bands like Epica and Lacuna Coil, with Sini and Miikka being on absolute fire while supported by Jukka and Antti’s thunderous kitchen. And it’s time to slow things down and enjoy Sini’s passionate performance in Overcome while her bandmates generate a delicate and ethereal ambience, resulting in a beautiful break from the faster pace of the rest of the album, flowing into Fate of Nora, which starts in an introspective way before exploding into modern-day Symphonic Metal led by Miikka and his sharp keys. Moreover, Jukka brings thunder to the music with his potent bass jabs, keeping the album as vibrant as it can be, setting the tone for the excellent Trailblazer, the perfect depiction of how powerful the music by Crimson Sun truly is, blasting tons of electricity to the masses while Sini is effectively supported by all her bandmates, in special by Antti’s fierce beats and fills and Joni’s slashing riffs.

Slightly more futuristic than its predecessors, Distant Stars flirts at times with electronic music and Industrial Rock and Metal, and albeit being a good composition it’s a bit generic if compared to all other songs (but still presenting a great job done by Miikka on keyboards, though), whereas Essence of Creation, an upbeat tune blending modern metal music with several electronic nuances, brings forward a shot of stamina into our avid ears while Sini declaims the song’s poetic lyrics in great fashion (“Respect the unscripted rule / The lifeline of all things / From life to life the cosmic ways go / They outline every shape we know / The meaning of life can’t be held / Nor contained in the world we live / Not even identified in a way we are used to”). And their last blast of high-end metal music made in Finland comes in the form of Last Day on Earth, the boldest of all songs overflowing passion and epicness thanks to Sini’s stunning vocal performance and Miikka’s classy keys, while Joni continues to shred his strings until the song’s climatic conclusion.

You can listen to Fates in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but if I were you I would show my utmost support to such talented Finnish band by purchasing the album from their official webstore, as well as from Record Shop X, from Apple Music or from Amazon. Also, don’t forget to follow Crimson Sun on Facebook and on Instagram, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their flammable music. Finland has always been considered a reference in Melodic and Symphonic Metal with bands like Nightwish and Stratovarius spearheading the local movement, and now with the rise of Crimson Sun we can all rest assured the land of ice and snow will also continue to be called the land of metal music for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: The Beast Within, The Prison, Trailblazer and Essence of Creation.

Worst moments of the album: Distant Stars.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. The Beast Within 3:32
2. Virtual Reality 3:06
3. We Are One 4:04
4. The Prison 4:57
5. Overcome 3:12
6. Fate of Nora 4:14
7. Trailblazer 3:18
8. Distant Stars 4:22
9. Essence of Creation 3:40
10. Last Day on Earth 5:33

Band members
Sini Seppälä – vocals
Joni Junnila – guitar
Jukka Jauhiainen – bass
Miikka Hujanen – keyboards
Antti Rantavuo – drums

Album Review – Lutharö / Wings of Agony EP (2020)

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Bringing a fresh take on Heavy Metal to listeners around the world, this up-and-coming Canadian band returns with a darker yet still very melodic sound in their brand new (and excellent) EP.

Founded in 2014 under the name Incarnadine in Hamilton, a Canadian port city on the western tip of Lake Ontario, the Melodic Heavy/Death Metal powerhouse now known as Lutharö aims at bringing a fresh take on Heavy Metal to listeners around the world with their unique and diverse sound loaded with catchy riffs, blazing solos and vocals ranging from vicious growls to clean passages that will send a chill down your spine, being therefore highly recommended for fans of the music by iconic bands like Arch Enemy, Unleash the Archers, Amon Amarth and Behemoth. Over the years, Lutharö have grown into their distinctive sound, emerging with a heavy and dark formula that gets fans moving, culminating in 2018 with the release of their debut EP Unleash The Beast and now in 2020 with the release of their sophomore opus Wings of Agony.

Stepping out of their comfort zone for their new album, the Canadian quintet comprised of Krista Shipperbottom on vocals, Victor Bucur and John Raposo on the guitars, Chris Pacey on bass and Duval Gabraiel on drums (although the drums in the EP were recorded by session musician Cale Costello) promises to be more innovative and imaginative than in Unleash The Beast, being the perfect introduction to the new era of Lutharö that, albeit darker than before, still sounds and feels very melodic and embodies the same amount of energy their fans have learned to enjoy. Featuring a stylish cover art designed by Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu (twilight13media.com), Wings of Agony will bring to your metallic ears 25 minutes of classic yet at the same time modern metal music, positioning Krista and the boys as one of the most promising and interesting names of the current Canadian underground scene.

Ominous, ethereal sounds kick off the opening track Barren, before the band’s guitar duo Victor and John start slashing their strings beautifully and Krista begins blasting her high-pitched, enraged screams, bringing forward elements from a myriad of styles such as Thrash, Death and even Black Metal. Needless to say, the EP couldn’t have started in a better way, and things get even better in Diamond Back, leaning towards the Melodic Death Metal played by some of their biggest influences such as Arch Enemy and The Agonist. The intricate and flammable beats by Cale are effectively complemented by the crisp riffs fired by both guitars, all embraced by another brutal performance by Krista with both her strident clean vocals and she-wolf roars. And a touch of epicness spices up the intro to the also high-octane Blood Lightning, where the quintet puts the pedal to the metal in a hybrid between classic Thrash Metal and modern-day Melodic Heavy Metal, also featuring awesome guitar solos delivered by Victor as the icing on the cake.

Will to Survive is a brilliant headbanging tune by Lutharö where the guitars sound furious just the way we like it in extreme music, while Chris’ rumbling bass and Cale’s frantic beats keep the atmosphere dense and thunderous from start to finish. In addition, Krista is once again superb on vocals, and in my humble opinion this is a beautiful and exciting path I would love to see Lutharö follow in their future releases. Last but not least, closing the EP we have the title-track Wings of Agony, more melodic and modernized than its predecessors, offering the listener another feast of razor-edged riffs, blast beats and menacing bass punches, not to mention the song’s catchy chorus powerfully declaimed by Krista (“Go on and wake from this sleep / Let distant light unbind your wings / Go on and soar / Forever more / Into a journey of pain”), with the music flowing into a dark and serene ending.

When I saw Lutharö live for the very first (and so far the only) time in 2018 opening for the almighty Canadian metal heroes Striker and Unleash The Archers here in Toronto, I instantly knew I was witnessing the rise of a future beast of Canadian metal, with Wings of Agony, which is available from the band’s own BandCamp page (and soon from other locations and platforms), cementing their name in the local scene. Hence, if you want to know more about Lutharö and listen to more of their music, simply follow them on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and stream their previous and new releases on Spotify  as much as you want. Krista and her henchmen are undeniably talented, crazy for metal music and extremely focused on what they do, spreading their wings all over Canada and soon the world with their breathtaking music for our total delight.

Best moments of the album: Diamond Back and Will to Survive.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Barren 5:21
2. Diamond Back 4:31
3. Blood Lightning 4:41
4. Will to Survive 5:09
5. Wings of Agony 6:02

Band members
Krista Shipperbottom – vocals
Victor Bucur – guitars, backing vocals
John Raposo – guitars
Chris Pacey – bass
Duval Gabraiel – drums*

Guest musician
Cale Costello – drums (session)

*Drums recorded by Cale Costello.

Album Review – Vulcano / Eye In Hell (2020)

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A hellish and incendiary fusion of Thrash, Death and Black Metal blasted by an obstinate veteran squad from Brazil that loves extreme music above all things.

Forged in the distant year of 1981 under the name Astaroth in the fires of Santos, a coastal city in southern Brazil’s São Paulo state, Black, Death and Thrash Metal veterans Vulcano are back in action with a brand new album titled Eye In Hell. Produced by the band’s own guitarist Zhema Rodero together with Ivan Pelliciotti at O Beco Estúdio in Curitiba, Brazil and featuring a classic artwork by Italian artist Roberto Toderico (Paganizer, Pestilence, Sodom, Tygers Of Pan Tang), the album is a bold statement by this five-piece act comprised of vocalist Luiz Carlos Louzada, guitarists Zhema Rodero and Gerson Fajardo, bassist Carlos Diaz and drummer Bruno Conrado, proving why not only they were one of the first influences for their countrymen Sepultura, but also why they attained together with other fellow Brazilian bands like Sarcófago and Mutilator a worldwide cult legend status among some of the most extreme practitioners in heavy music, Norway’s feared Black Metal inner circle of the early 90’s.

And the band begins smashing our heads mercilessly in Bride of Satan with their old school Thrash Metal infused with Death Metal elements, with Bruno sounding insane on drums while Zhema and Gerson give a lecture in shredding. I must say this tune is a fantastic welcome card by Vulcano, and there’s still a lot more to come in the form of an avalanche of scorching riffs and crushing beats in Cursed Babylon, spearheaded by Luiz Carlos and his aggressive roars, and ending in a frantic and violent Slayer-inspired manner for our total delectation. There’s no time to breathe as they fire another bestial tune entitled Evil Empire, where Carlos’ rumbling bass and Bruno’s blast beats bring groove and rage to the musicality. In other words, it’s pure old school extreme music spiced up by the crisp riffs and solos by the band’s guitar duo; and blending the most furious elements from Thrash and Death Metal the band offers us all the wicked Struggling Beside Satan, where Luiz sounds even more demented on vocals while the rest of the band hammers their instruments with sheer brutality from start to finish.

Following the same Bay Area Thrash pattern as its predecessors, Sinister Road is a fantastic option for slamming into the circle pit like a maniac or for some sick headbanging, with Zhema and Gerson being on absolute fire with their stringed axes, whereas in Devil Bloody Banquet the band once again shows they’re never tired of delivering fast and furious metal to the masses. Not only all band members are ruthless with their respective instruments, but if you’re a fan of the early days of Slayer and Exodus you must listen to this excellent composition. Then Bruno doesn’t stop pounding his drums not even for a single second in Sirens of Destruction, another demolishing creation by Vulcano with highlights to the amazing sync between the guitar riffs and Carlos’ groovy bass punches, followed by Dealer of My Curse, a brutal and very melodic hybrid between old school Thrash Metal and contemporary Groove Metal where the amazing riffage by both Zhema and Gerson makes sure the energy level doesn’t go down at all, keeping their music absolutely far from being obsolete or flat.

Rev up your engines as Vulcano are about to kill in the berserk Mysteries of the Black Book, a demolishing aria of thrash where Luiz leads the horde with his rabid roars, not to mention the insanity flowing from their riffs and demented drumming, while Inferno sounds and feels like their personal tribute to all things Thrash Metal, with Carlos and Bruno making the earth tremble with their rumbling weapons. Put differently, don’t waste a single second and go crush your skull into the pit together with the Vulcano boys. In Cybernetic Beast the band gives another lesson in shredding and brutality, showcasing the band’s guitarists’ dexterity while maintaining their core violence intact, followed by When the Days Falls, the second to last song in the album, leaning towards classic Black Metal and sounding heavier than its predecessors (albeit not as fiery nor  as exciting), with Luiz bursting his lungs screaming. Lastly, closing the album the band offers our avid ears the title-track Eye in Hell, pulverizing our senses while Luiz sounds infernal on vocals. Furthermore, it’s interesting how they managed to add elements from Doom, Stoner and Southern Metal to their classic sound, and the final result is not only awesome but also extremely sharp and vile.

There’s an infinite number of locations where you can purchase Eye In Hell in different formats, including TargetShop (CD and vinyl), Nuclear Blast (CD and vinyl), Season of Mist (CD and vinyl), Record Shop X (CD and vinyl), Apple Music and Amazon, and don’t forget to give the band a shout on Facebook and to stream their flammable music on Spotify. One might be asking how a band like Vulcano has managed to survive for so many decades in the underground scene, against all odds, never giving up nor selling out, and the answer to that is quite simple. They love Thrash, Death and Black Metal from the bottom of their hearts, with their new album Eye In Hell perfectly depicting all that passion, obstinance and electricity, and that’s all we always ask for in heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Struggling Beside Satan, Sinister Road, Mysteries of the Black Book and Inferno.

Worst moments of the album: When the Days Falls.

Released in 2020 Mighty Music

Track listing
1. Bride of Satan 3:25
2. Cursed Babylon 2:57
3. Evil Empire 3:15
4. Struggling Beside Satan 2:56
5. Sinister Road 3:14
6. Devil Bloody Banquet 2:53
7. Sirens of Destruction 3:35
8. Dealer of My Curse 3:50
9. Mysteries of the Black Book 2:45
10. Inferno 3:14
11. Cybernetic Beast 3:29
12. When the Days Falls 2:59
13. Eye in Hell 4:07

Band members
Luiz Carlos Louzada – vocals
Zhema Rodero – guitar
Gerson Fajardo – guitar
Carlos Diaz – bass
Bruno Conrado – drums

Album Review – Konvent / Puritan Masochism (2020)

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A dark, primeval and absolutely stunning fusion of Death and Doom Metal masterfully crafted by four unrelenting women hailing from Denmark.

If you’re craving a dark and primeval fusion of Death and Doom Metal in the same vein as renowned acts such as Candlemass, Paradise Lost, Cult of Luna and Black Breath, who all unleashed the bleakest horror on mankind in the early 90’s, you’ll certainly fall in love with the “Primitive Death Doom” blasted by four talented and hardworking Danish women collectively known as Konvent. Formed in 2015 in the charming city of Copenhagen, this all-female band currently comprised of Rikke Emilie List on vocals, Sara Helena Nørregaard on the guitars, Heidi Withington Brink on bass and Julie Simonsen on drums is ready to haunt our souls with their debut full-length opus entitled Puritan Masochism, the brilliant follow-up to their 2017 demo, conjuring up a deserved revival for the whole death doom genre.

As obscure as the pits of hell from the very first second, the title-track Puritan Masochism comes ripping mercilessly, with Rikke barking the song’s acid lyrics in great fashion (“You pathetic, worthless subject / Submission keeps you erect / Ignorant as you wait / There are enemies at the gate / Slaughter the peacocks / Set fire to the lawns / Now the Queen shall hang”) while Julie sounds thunderous with her sluggish and damned beats, followed by The Eye, where Sara continues to masterfully slash her strings, therefore generating a menacing ambience complemented by Julie’s pounding drums and Heidi’s rumbling bass punches in another solid and visceral display of our good old Doom Metal. And in Trust we face a gargantuan amount of darkness, dementia and rage flowing from all instruments with Rikke being once again bestial with her she-demon growling, living up to the legacy of the genre without a shadow of a doubt.

Stygian clouds are all over us in World of Gone, with Sara and Heidi delivering minimalist but extremely sharp guitar lines and bass jabs respectively, inspiring us to break our necks headbanging in solitude while their music penetrate deep inside our psyche. Then blending elements from the grim music crafted by Black Sabbath, Candlemass and Tryptikon, the quartet fires another round of doomed riffs and beats simply titled Bridge, getting heavier and heavier as the music progresses thanks to the venomous beats by Julie, whereas the absolutely metallic and devilish bass lines by Heidi ignite the incendiary Waste, featuring guest vocals by Danish singer Tue Krebs Roikjer (from Atmospheric Black Metal band Morild), and let me tell you that Rikke and Tue make an infernal vocal duo throughout the entire song, turning it into one of the best and most demonic moments of the entire album.

Kicking off the last batch of songs from Puritan Masochism, Julie will smash your skull with her beats while Sara keeps extracting pure evil form her strings in Idle Hands, all embraced by the cryptic, poetic lyrics vociferated by Rikke (“These idle hands full of will / Go into the field / I will yield / Only dust and dew where they grew / Empty bags / Working mill / Go into the field / I will yield”). And closing the album we have Ropes pt. I, the first part of a double-the-pain extravaganza which begins in a mournful and cadaverous way thanks to the crisp guitar lines by Sara, with its ending being just as somber and captivating as its beginning, flowing smoothly into Ropes pt. II, an epic fusion of the slow and lugubrious sounds of Doom Metal with the enraged growls from Death Metal where Sara, Heidi and Julie are in perfect sync, providing Rikke all she needs to crush our minds with her deep guttural vocals. Put differently, this is what I call a breathtaking closure to such amazing album of extreme music.

In a nutshell, the girls from Konvent nailed it in Puritan Masochism, offering fans of both old school and contemporary Doom Metal a powerful lesson in heaviness and obscurity over the span of 48 minutes of music found in their newborn spawn, consequently pointing to a fantastic future for the band. Hence, go check what Konvent are up to on Facebook, including their tour dates, and of course don’t forget to show your true and honest support to those amazing metallers by purchasing Puritan Masochism directly from their BandCamp page, or click HERE for all locations where you can buy and stream the album in its entirety. The (under)world of doom will never be the same after Puritan Masochism, an album that can already be considered a new classic of such distinct genre, and albeit it has set the bar absurdly high for Rikke, Sara, Heidi and Julie in their future installments, I’m sure that’s exactly what those four amazing Danish girls wanted to achieve with the album, showing the entire world they’re among us to stay, their passion for a good challenge and, above all, that they’ll keep praising the riff and the horrors of doom for years to come.

Best moments of the album: Puritan Masochism, Trust, World of Gone and Waste.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. Puritan Masochism 4:41
2. The Eye 3:25
3. Trust 5:17
4. World of Gone 5:57
5. Bridge 6:30
6. Waste (feat. Tue Krebs Roikjer) 4:59
7. Idle Hands 5:22
8. Ropes pt. I 4:36
9. Ropes pt. II 7:21

Band members
Rikke Emilie List – vocals
Sara Helena Nørregaard – guitars
Heidi Withington Brink – bass
Julie Simonsen – drums

Guest musician
Tue Krebs Roikjer – vocals on “Waste”

Album Review – Bonded / Rest In Violence (2020)

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Bonded by old school and modern Thrash Metal, these German metallers masterfully unite the past, present and future of the genre in their debut album.

Featuring former Sodom members Bernd “Bernemann” Kost on the guitar and Markus “Makka” Freiwald on drums, as well as guitarist Chris Tsitsis (Suicidal Angels), bassist Marc Hauschild (Tauron) and vocalist Ingo Bajonczak (Assassin), German Thrash Metal squad Bonded was formed in 2018 in Dortmund, a city in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region, aiming at creating nothing short of highly versatile and hard-hitting Thrash Metal with no shenanigans nor any type of artificial elements, and let’s say they more than succeeded in that with their debut full-length installment, the excellent and pulverizing Rest In Violence. Produced by Cornelius Rambadt (Sodom, Disbelief, Onkel Tom) at Rambado Recordings in Essen, Germany, ddsplaying an obscure artwork by German artist and musician Björn Gooßes (Killustrations), and featuring very special guest appearances by vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth (Overkill) and bassist Christian “Speesy” Giesler (Extinct the Scum, Kreator), Rest In Violence will bring to your avid ears a well-balanced mix of the past, present and future of Thrash Metal, showing how much those guys love such rebellious and heavy metal style.

A Testament-inspired intro quickly explodes into melodic and vibrant Bay Area Thrash in Godgiven, where Bernd and Chris waste no time and begin slashing their strings mercilessly, resulting in a great headbanging tune to properly kick things off, whereas the even faster and more infuriated Suit Murderer is an amazing thrashing tune by Bonded bringing elements from the traditional sonority by Sodom and Destruction, where Ingo roars deeply like a maniac while Markus doesn’t stop crushing his drums not even for a single second. And featuring guest vocals by the aforementioned Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth and guest bass by Christian “Speesy” Giesler, Rest In Violence is a bestial display of modern-day thrash where Ingo and Bobby make an infernal vocal duo while the rest of the band puts the pedal to the metal armed with their instruments of mass devastation, also blasting some wicked guitar solos for our total delight.

And there’s more of their pounding and visceral Thrash Metal in Je Suis Charlie (the slogan created by French art director Joachim Roncin and adopted by supporters of freedom of speech and freedom of the press after the January 7, 2015 shooting in which twelve people were killed at the offices of the French satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo), with Marc and Markus being responsible for keeping the “kitchen” heavy and dense, providing Ingo all he needs to vociferate the song’s austere words. Then razor-edged riffs dictate the rhythm in the also furious and groovy The Rattle & The Snake, where Markus is once again bestial on drums while Ingo keeps growling loudly and rabidly, turning it into a fantastic option for slamming into the pit and with the harmonica bringing a welcome touch of finesse to the overall musicality. Although the obscure No Cure For Life is darker and heavier than its predecessors and a good choice for breaking your neck headbanging, it looses its grip after a while, though, but nothing that would harm the album. And keep banging your heads nonstop to Where Silence Reverberates, leaning towards the vicious Groove Metal blasted by Lamb of God and with the demolishing riffage by both Bernd and Chris sounding beyond awesome; followed by Galaxy M87, where bonded get back to a more berserk mode inspired by Bay Area Thrash the likes of Exodus and Testament. Furthermore, Ingo is on fire with his demented roars, while his bandmates exhale heaviness and rage from their sonic weapons.

In the deranged Arrival we’re all treated to an amazing job done by the band’s guitar duo with their incendiary riffs and solos, not to mention the accelerate pace spearheaded by Markus and his venomous beats, and it looks like their circle pit extravaganza has no time to end based on the violence flowing from The Beginning Of The End, one of the bonus tracks from the album’s limited first-pressing edition CD, led by Ingo and his enraged gnarls. The entire band blasts a lesson in modern-day Thrash Metal infused with Groove Metal nuances, once again highly inspired by the most contemporary creations by thrashing masters Exodus. But wait, as there’s still more, as melodic guitar lines ignite the second bonus tracks of the CD version of Rest in Violence, entitled To Each His Own, also speeding things up and offering us fans a very good reason to crush our skull into the mosh pit, with Markus stealing the spotlight with his infernal performance on drums. Lastly, a serene, acoustic intro kicks off the introspective and grim The Outer Rim, with Ingo’s vocals getting closer to the clean voice by Soilwork’s own Björn “Speed” Strid, while Bernd and Chirs bring tons of feeling and groove to the song with their riffs and solos, ending the album in a truly powerful way.

The year of 2020 has barely started and it has already provided us all several amazing Thrash Metal albums, with Rest In Violence by Bonded being one of the most interesting and honest of all releases hands down. Hence, go check what those metallers are up to on Facebook, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and click HERE to check all places where you can grab your copy of such killer album. As mentioned in the beginning of this review, while listening to Rest In Violence I’m sure you’ll identify all influences from the past of Thrash Metal in their music while at the same time sensing a modern and fresh sound, always moving forward and never sounding outdated or obsolete. Those German guys are definitely bonded by Thrash Metal, guaranteeing a lot of fun for us fans of violence and rebelliousness in music and, above all, of our beloved mosh pits.

Best moments of the album: Suit Murderer, Rest In Violence, The Rattle & The Snake and Galaxy M87.

Worst moments of the album: No Cure For Life.

Released in 2020 Century Media

Track listing
1. Godgiven 4:13
2. Suit Murderer 4:12
3. Rest In Violence 3:49
4. Je Suis Charlie 3:55
5. The Rattle & The Snake 4:00
6. No Cure For Life 4:40
7. Where Silence Reverberates 5:14
8. Galaxy M87 4:52
9. Arrival 3:52
12.The Outer Rim 4:42

First-Pressing Edition CD bonus tracks
10. The Beginning Of The End 4:15
11.To Each His Own 4:26

Band members
Ingo Bajonczak – vocals
Bernd “Bernemann” Kost – guitar
Chris Tsitsis – guitar
Marc Hauschild – bass
Markus “Makka” Freiwald – drums

Guest musicians
Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth – vocals on “Rest In Violence”
Christian “Speesy” Giesler – bass on “Rest In Violence”

Metal Chick of the Month – Julie Simonsen

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The Bridge of Light gives wings… Lead into the sea where you’ll be joining me…

Are you ready for some old school, dark and heavy-as-hell Doom Metal on The Headbanging Moose this month of February? If doom is what you love, I’m sure you’ll have a blast with our metal chick of the month, the badass, raven-haired Julie Simonsen, drummer for one of the most infernal and Stygian bands of the current European scene, the unrelenting all-female Doom Metal entity known as Konvent, an up-and-coming act that will surely become a driving force of primeval doom not only in their homeland Denmark, but anywhere else where obscure and devilish extreme music is properly appreciated. Having said that, fasten your seat belts and enjoy our humble tribute to a woman who albeit might be taking her first steps in her music career, has all it takes to conquer the hearts of metalheads form all over the world with her unique charisma and undeniable talent behind the drums.

Born and raised in Frederiksværk, a small town in the Halsnæs Municipality on Zealand, in Region Hovedstaden in Denmark, but currently residing in Søborg, a neighbourhood in Gladsaxe Municipality, located some 10 km northwest of central Copenhagen, Julie said she was feeling bored at school before joining Konvent. She said that after she moved to Søborg she attended some sort of “left-wing hippie music college” (which I believe is a school called Det frie Gymnasium) where she was supposed to play angry punk music, therefore getting more involved in the local punk and metal scene. After her graduation, she worked at H&M and even in the zoo where she sold ice cream, and now apart from her career with convent she is also currently working in a warehouse for an online clothing store.

Julien mentioned in one of her interviews she started playing drums when she was around 12 or 13 years old, getting her first drums from her parents and then starting taking lessons. Her father introduced her to the music by Kiss when she was a little girl, when she was only around 6 or 7 years old, and she instantly fell in love for it, saying she thought at that time Eric Singer was really cool with the makeup and everything else. As a matter of fact, that was actually the real reason that inspired her to play the drums. A few years later, after she started playing drums, Julie also started taking guitar lessons, which by the way it’s still a thing for her, but of course drums have always been her top priority.

It was at the end of November 2017 when our dauntless drummer joined Konvent, the all-female Doom Metal sensation formed in 2015 in Copenhagen following in the footsteps of Candlemass, Paradise Lost, Cult of Luna and Black Breath, who all unleashed the bleakest horror on mankind in the early 90’s, having already appeared with the band at several festivals such as Aalborg Metal Festival, Metal Magic, When Copenhell Freezes Over and Roskilde Festival. Kovent are currently comprised of Rikke Emilie List on vocals, Sara Helena Nørregaard on the guitars, Heidi Withington Brink on bass and, obviously, Julie Simonsen on drums, having released a demo in 2017 (still with their original drummer Mette Marie List), and just a few days ago their debut full-length opus entitled Puritan Masochism, via Napalm Records, a massive extreme metal highlight of early 2020 (which will obviously be reviewed at The Headbanging Moose soon) conjuring up a deserved revival for the whole death doom genre. Julie said the four girls in the band already knew each other from the Copenhagen metal scene, as the scene in the city is not actually really big, with most people knowing each other from concerts and other events. In addition, Julie said that when Konvent first got together, they didn’t want to commit to any specific genre, simply deciding to call their music “Primitive Death Doom” due to the slow rhythms and riffing combined with Rikke’s Death Metal-like vocals.

When asked about the recording process for Puritan Masochism and what lessons the band learned from their live performances that were applied to the album, Julie said that the whole recording got better and better as they got more and more comfortable with their instruments, having more control and more creativity while writing music, consequently becoming more fun, more relaxed and more instinctual. She also said it was indeed a very lengthy process at the beginning, especially due to all the concerts and rehearsals happening at the same time they were writing and recording material for the album. The girls had a very strict deadline, saying they wrote the last song for the album on the last day before the recordings, but that after all the pressure somehow contributed to their creative thinking and they were happy with what they took with them from the studio. If you want to get a very good (and infernal) taste of Konvent’s undisputed doom from their new album, with Julie smashing her drums beautifully, take a very good listen at the songs Trust and Ropes Pt. II, and don’t forget to also purchase their music directly form their BandCamp page. I’m beyond certain you’ll get addicted to their devilish creations.

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Highly influences by some of the most obscure and talented bands and artist from the extreme music universe such as Anaal Nathrakh, King Diamond, Candlemass, Mantar, Monolord, Alunah, Solbrud, Dirt Forge and Black Breath, Julie was questioned if she still feels the influence of Metallica’s own Lars Ulrich around Copenhagen and in Denmark in general. well, she said there will always be a comparison to Lars due to the fact she’s a drummer from his homeland Denmark, but she doesn’t really know if that’s a compliment. There’s this “love-hate” feeling due to Lars’ arrogance, but she still likes him and his style, saying he’s some sort of “goofy uncle” for all drummers, complementing by saying that he’s still a big celebrity in Denmark and that he’s not seen in public that often, as opposed to the guys from Volbeat who are always around town.

Julie and the other girls from Konvent were also inquired about the current state of the Danish metal scene, being asked about which bands from Copenhagen they would love to play with or see live, and their answers included several incredible bands from the beautiful capital of “Danevang” such as Dirt Forge, Solbrud, Alkymist, Møl, Afsky, Morild and Dying Hydra, among others, which by the way they said all made them feel very welcome to the scene, especially Dirt Forge with whom they had the pleasure to play with several times in the past few years. They complemented by saying the Danish scene is a very familiar one, as most bands know each other in some way and everyone is extremely friendly and helpful, also saying there are countless concerts happening everyday at different small venues and mentioning other Danish bands like Konvent that are branching out to the world and getting more and more attention such as Baest, Slægt and Møl. Hence, if you live in Copenhagen or if you’re visiting the city in the near future you should definitely try some of their best venues for some first-class underground doom and other heavy styles, including Ungdomshuset, which is the local youth house in Copenhagen, as well as the bigger venues such as Vega or Pumpehuset, also referred to as “The Bomb House”, whenever they put on metal, and Loppen, at the freetown Christiania in the middle of Copenhagen (which by the way Julie doesn’t feel one hundred percent safe as in the rest of the city), where Konvent has already taken their stage by storm.

As we’re talking about the Danish scene and venues for live metal performances, it’s obvious that Julie and the other girls love to play their music live and tour as much as they can, something that’s expected form any good metalhead. For instance, one of their biggest dreams was to perform at the biggest music festivals organized in their homeland, the exceptional Copenhell and Roskilde Festival, which they ended up doing in the same year, in 2019. Julie said it was truly unreal to be part of both festivals, saying they were extremely nervous and restless before the shows, and also mentioning that because they were supposed to play at a really early spot, at around 2pm, they didn’t think there were going to be so many people attending their concert. She also said they’re absolutely pumped for their first round of international concerts, including shows in Germany, Sweden and Norway, as well as international festivals such as Gefle Metal Fest in Gävle, Sweden, In Flammen Open Air in Torgau, Germany and the HRH Vikings – Chapter III in Sheffield, England. When asked about which countries or festivals apart from the aforementioned ones they would love to play, our stunning drummer said they definitely want to play at the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise, also citing other major festivals like Brutal Assault, Sweden Rock, Hellfest and Eindhoven Metal Meeting. In addition to all that, Julia also mentioned Konvent have been receiving tons of positive feedback form all over the world, from countries and regions like the United States, Canada, Japan, Eastern Europe and South America, with the fans from the United States and Eastern Europe being the most excited with their music so far. If you would like to witness the power and obscurity of Konvent live, go check some YouTube videos such as their performance of the songs No End and Bridge at the Kaldet Fra Dybet III festival at Ungdomshuset, in Copenhagen, in February 2018; playing the song Puritan Masochism at Copenhell in 2019; and their full performance at When Copenhell Freezes Over at Vega in January 2018, where you can enjoy Julie smashing her drums in songs like Chernobyl Child, Tracks and Squares. Also, don’t forget to check their short and sweet “tour report” from their 2018 mini-tour in Germany as a support act for the bands Monolord and Firebreather, and Julie herself inviting us all to join them at the 2018 edition of Metal Magic.

When Konvent are not doing music, the girls like to do some distinct and fun activities either by themselves or together, with their curiosity about the world inspiring them to take walks in the nature, listen to science podcasts, travel the world, spend quality time with their friends and family and read books by authors like Dennis Jürgensen, Dan Turèll, and Patty Smith. As none of the girls smoke weed, they can only recommend some traditional Danish dishes to us fans, such as their famous Smørrebrød, an open-faced sandwich made with rye bread with loads of different toppings on it, and the Danish pastry called Snøfler. And lastly, when asked if they’re worried about all the work that Konvent might generate for them, Julie said that all the girls are trying their best to align their tasks and responsibilities as a band to their non-Konvent work and studies, and that of course one day they hope they can make a living from Konvent. In my humble opinion, based on the fantastic job done by the band so far with both their demo and their newborn full-length spawn they’re on the right path to stardom, and I can’t wait to see Julie and her bandmates slamming our heads with their pulverizing doom in North America in a not-so-distant future.

Julie Simonsen’s Official Facebook page
Julie Simonsen’s Official Instagram
Konvent’s Official Facebook page
Konvent’s Official Instagram
Konvent’s Official YouTube channel

Album Review – The Spirit / Cosmic Terror (2020)

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The soundtrack to the fear of vast nothingness in the form of melodic and progressive Black and Death Metal made in Germany, beautifully dragging the listener into a musical catharsis.

As far-reaching as the literary, philosophical and psychological meanings behind the term Cosmic Terror might be, for German Black/Death Metal trio The Spirit naming their sophomore full-length album with this title opens up a world of its own. They do not want to explain anything nor to analyze their lyrics, characterized by misanthropy and social criticism, having only one simple goal in mind, which is to let their music speak for itself. The result is a bold and breathtaking album containing seven raging tracks that blend and bend Black and Death Metal, extensive instrumental passages and some of the most face-ripping riffs you’ll hear, which apparently even attracted nearby snakes to the studio’s terrace during the recording according to the band members themselves.

Formed in 2015 in Saarbrücken, the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland in the always beautiful and vibrant Germany, The Spirit are currently comprised of MT on vocals and guitars, AT on bass and MS on drums, a talented and unrelenting trio of fairly anonymous musicians who have been making a name for themselves in the underground scene since the release of their debut opus entitled Sounds from the Vortex, in 2017, being highly recommended for fans of bands like Dissection, Satyricon and Naglfar, among others. Finalized with a unique cover artwork by French artist Valnoir (Metastazis), Cosmic Terror tears the listener into a musical catharsis, with the band once again crafting their own soundtrack to the fear of vast nothingness.

The trio wastes no time and begin blasting their crisp and incendiary Black Metal in Serpent As Time Reveals, offering over six minutes of classy and vicious extreme music for our avid ears where MS is a true beast on drums, while MT growls the song’s beautiful lyrics in great fashion (“The ability to spread agony / A sick craft you truly master / The enduring thirst for power and dominion / Poison, obsessional voracity / Dangerous strength to the perverted insane / Unleash hell to enhance pathetic egotism”); and they continue their obscure and melodic attack in Strive For Salvation, with MT’s heavier-than-hell riffs and AT’s fulminating bass lines generating the perfect ambience for the enraged gnarls by MT while MS keeps pounding and smashing his drums manically. Then drinking form the same infernal fountain as renowned acts like Marduk, Immortal and Mayhem, the trio explodes our senses with the fantastic Repugnant Human Scum, a lesson in Black Metal infused with Death Metal and Melodic Black Metal nuances.

A melancholic and somber intro morphs into a mid-tempo headbanging feast titled The Path Of Solitude, where all band members are in absolute sync and with MT sounding diabolical with both his roars and riffs, resulting in an ode to darkness and solitude in the form of ass-kicking Black Metal. After such dense tune, it’s time for more disruptive and Stygian sounds by The Spirit in Pillars Of Doom, where MT sounds possessed with his demonic riffage while AT and MS make the earth tremble with their respective weapons of mass destruction. In The Wide Emptiness the band doesn’t stop hammering their instruments and consequently our heads, showcasing classic Black Metal with more contemporary nuances, not to mention how impressive it is that only three guys can generate such bold and hellish sound, with MT’s soulful solo serving as the icing on the cake. Lastly, the title-track Cosmic Terror comes as an arrow piercing our ears and minds, concluding the obscure Black Metal journey by the trio that started “long time ago” with the opening track. However, despite being an amazing display of extreme music, the fact that it’s only an instrumental song takes away a little of its rawness and energy, but that’s just my opinion as I truly enjoy MT’s harsh vocals.

In a nutshell, the excellent Cosmic Terror, which is available from the AOP Records’ BandCamp page, from the EMP webstore, from IndieMerchstore.com in CD or 12” vinyl format, as well as from several other locations which you can check by clicking HERE, not only points to a bright future for The Spirit, positioning the band as one of the most promising names of the German extreme music scene, but it’s also a mandatory listen for fans of the more contemporary wave of Black and Death Metal bands with a huge focus on progressiveness, melodies and atmospheric passages. Hence, don’t forget to give The Spirit a shout via their official Facebook page, and let the cosmic terror flowing form their wicked creations penetrate deep inside your damned soul.

Best moments of the album: Repugnant Human Scum, The Path Of Solitude and The Wide Emptiness.

Worst moments of the album: Cosmic Terror.

Released in 2020 AOP Records

Track listing
1. Serpent As Time Reveals 6:38
2. Strive For Salvation 4:34
3. Repugnant Human Scum 5:18
4. The Path Of Solitude 8:07
5. Pillars Of Doom 5:51
6. The Wide Emptiness 6:13
7. Cosmic Terror 6:32

Band members
MT – vocals, guitars
AT – bass
MS – drums