Deliver your soul to this nine-track immersive Black Metal experience that will guide you through the inherent utter darkness of human condition and the cathartic search for enlightenment.
“SIC ITUR AD ASTRA”
On the shores of Portugal, deep in the north of the country, a creature lurks in the shadow. Forged in the fires of Barroselas, Viana do Castelo in 2019, Vøidwomb are a Black Metal quintet who’s back to the light after three years in the shades with their first full-length opus, titled Spiritual Apotheosis. Mixed and mastered by Diogo Santana at Noise Portrait Studios, with a cover painting by prolific painter Daniel Hermosilla of Nox Fragor Art, the follow-up to their debut EP Altars of Cosmic Devotion is a record about understanding darkness and sacrificing self to reach transcendence, a nine-track immersive Black Metal experience that will guide you through the inherent utter darkness of human condition and the cathartic search for enlightenment, all carefully brought into being by vocalist M.S.Vøid, guitarists Lord and Fractal, bassist F.S.Void, and drummer Noctvs.
Ominous and grim from the very first second, the extended intro Exordium will darken the skies before the band begins their vile black mass in Metempsychosis, featuring guest vocals by Diogo Santana (Fustilarian, Necrobode, Raw Decimating Brutality), offering us all five minutes of absolute darkness and hatred spearheaded by the Black Metal beats by Noctvs, while M.S.Vøid distills his venomous gnarls nonstop together with Diogo. Black Putrescence feels even more primeval and demonic than the opening track, with the guitars by Lord and Fractal piercing our damned souls mercilessly; whereas Liberation keeps the sulfur flowing majestically in the album, with the vociferations by M.S.Vøid matching perfectly with the massive, Stygian sounds blasted by his infernal bandmates, flowing like an uncontrolled, vile beast from the underworld until the very end.
The band then offers a cryptic (and way too long) interlude simply titled Interludium, once again blackening our minds and souls before those Portuguese metallers attack our senses with Vesselvoid, bringing forward seven minutes of sheer despair and void, with M.S.Vøid roaring from the depths of the underworld while F.S.Void and Noctvs sound thunderous with their respective bass and drums, resulting in a lecture in Black and Death Metal by the band. Then the atmosphere switches from the epicness of longer tunes to the violence of a short and devastating one titled Azoth, where the entire band sounds evil and tight during its less than three minutes of savagery, with of course Noctvs sounding beyond brutal on drums. Lastly, they blast our ears with another six-minute feast of Black and Death Metal entitled Coagulation, with their strident riffs and rumbling bass generating a menacing atmosphere perfect for M.S.Vøid’s eerie growls and gnarls, morphing into the outro Epilogus, presenting three minutes of desolate passages, grim sounds and tones, and an absolute sense of nothingness.
As mentioned, Vøidwomb will guide you through pitch black darkness in their excellent new album, and you can get to know more about such promising name of the current Portuguese scene by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming more of their eerie creations on Spotify or on any other streaming service, and above all that, by purchasing Spiritual Apotheosis from the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp page, from Sound Cave, or by clicking HERE. In other words, let the Black Metal darkly crafted by Vøidwomb in Spiritual Apotheosis reach deep inside your rotten soul, joining them in darkness for all eternity. And so we go to the stars.
Best moments of the album:Metempsychosis, Vesselvoid and Azoth.
UK’s most hardworking Brutal Death Metal and Deathcore entity is back with their eight studio album, showcasing a band willing to expand its creativity without sacrificing the ferocity that made it one of the most impressively destructive names of the current scene.
Not many top-tier Death Metal bands can record and release an album a year and follow it with an extensive tour. That’s hardly ever been the case for Manchester, England’s crushing, visceral Brutal Death Metal/Deathcore entity Ingested. Since the release of their fifth album Where Only God May Tread, in 2020, the band has been on a creative tear that has produced almost a full record every year – even through the COVID pandemic – but has resulted in the kind of musical growth that only comes from constantly practicing, playing, and writing. Now in 2024 the band formed of frontman Jason Evans, guitarist Sean Hynes, and drummer Lyn Jeffs returns with their eight studio effort, titled The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams, sounding as innovative and brutal as their latest opus, the bleak, firestorm Ashes Lie Still, released in 2022. Displaying a stunning artwork by David Seidman, the album showcases a band willing to expand its creativity without sacrificing the ferocity that made it one of the most impressively destructive and technical Death Metal bands on the scene.
The opener Paragon of Purity is insanely slamming and brutal from the very first second, with Jason already sounding inhumane on vocals while Lyn hammers his drums without a single drop of mercy, whereas he keeps smashing our skulls in Endless Machine, another perfect depiction of modern-day Brutal Death Metal highly recommended for some mosh pit action; and an eerie start gradually evolves into another demented display of the band’s trademark sound in the form of Where No Light Shines, this time sounding more Deathcore than ever, with Sean kicking some ass with his devilish riffs. Then featuring guest vocals by Josh Middleton (Sylosis), it’s pedal to the metal in Expect to Fail, with Lyn taking the lead with his fast-paced beats while Jason and Josh make an infernal vocal duet sounding like two demons roaring to each other. After that, their fusion of Death Metal with Deathcore brings to our avid ears another bestial creation titled Starve the Fire, where Jason’s vocals reach a new level of insanity (similar to the latest creations by Ov Sulfur, by the way).
After an overdose of pure hatred and heaviness, the band brings forward an ethereal, enfolding (and a bit too long) interlude titled Numinous, soothing our melancholic souls before all hell breaks loose in In Nothingness, featuring guest vocals by Mark Hunter (Chimaira), with Mark adding his share of dementia to the overall result supported by the massive drums by Lyn, while Sean’s riffs are tailored for some brutal slamming. Pantheon is simply an ode to violence, blood and insanity by Ingested, with Jason proving why he’s one of the top voices of the current Brutal Death Metal and Deathcore scenes worldwide, and I can’t wait to witness the band delivering this wicked tune live; and Jason and the boys continue to deliver first-class aggression in Kingdoms of Sand, where Lyn’s drums sound insanely heavy and groovy. Put differently, this awesome song couldn’t have sounded catchier and more devilish. Finally, the last song of the album, A Path Once Lost, is also the longest and most intricate one, a sinister musical journey spearheaded by Jason’s introspective vocals while still presenting Ingested’s trademark violence, also showcasing a more melodic side of the band.
The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams is proof that once Ingested sniff out a trail of musical blood, they ravenously follow it until they’ve uncovered a festering feast. Hence, if you want to show your support to one of the most hardworking bands of the current extreme music scene, you can check what they’re up to on Facebook, and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel and also check them out on Spotify for more of their savage music, and above all that, purchase the venomous The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams from the Metal Blade Records webstore or by clicking HERE. I bet it won’t take long for Ingested to deliver another blast of their first-class fusion of Brutal Death Metal and Deathcore in the next couple of years, but it will certainly be really hard for them to beat the quality found in their newborn beast. I said hard, not impossible, because Jason, Sean and Lyn seem to be on an absolute roll in the past few years, and we can always expect the utmost excellence from those amazing musicians.
Best moments of the album:Paragon of Purity, Expect to Fail, Pantheon and Kingdoms of Sand.
Worst moments of the album:Numinous.
Released in 2024 Metal Blade Records
Track listing 1. Paragon of Purity 4:22
2. Endless Machine 3:37
3. Where No Light Shines 4:31
4. Expect to Fail 4:17
5. Starve the Fire 4:06
6. Numinous 3:50
7. In Nothingness 4:39
8. Pantheon 3:30
9. Kingdoms of Sand 5:23
10. A Path Once Lost 6:51
Band members Jason Evans – vocals
Sean Hynes – guitars, backing vocals
Lyn Jeffs – drums
Guest musicians
Josh Middleton – vocals on “Expect to Fail”
Mark Hunter – vocals on “In Nothingness”
Thomas O’Malley – bass (live)
There’s one online article that says that spring is “the season during which the natural world revives and reinvigorates after the colder winter months,” and after reading that I thought the whimsical sound of the harp would be ideal to represent the beauty of the spring bloom and the warmth of the sun. Having said that, our metal lady of the month of April obviously had to master the art of harp playing, but beware of her incendiary moves, as she’s also a very talented dancer who loves to play with fire. Hailing from the stunning Bavaria (or Bayern if you prefer), in Germany, she’s the harpist for The Dark Side Of The Moon, a performer and dancer with Feuerschwanz, an art director and filmmaker with Dream Film Factory, and a photo designer with Aurora Photography. I’m talking about the multi-talented Jenny Diehl, a woman who will hypnotize you with the soothing sound of her harp before burning you in flames with her moves and charisma.
Having just released their debut album called Metamorphosis in 2023, The Dark Side Of The Moon is a fantastic metal quartet formed back in 2021 by members of Feuerschwanz, Amaranthe and Ad Infinitum (as a matter of fact, the band was formed after a bet between two of the band’s members), who together love to explore unseen lands and dive into the adventures of worldwide heroic characters. Currently comprised of Hans Platz (of Feuerschwanz), Morten Løwe Sørensen (of Amaranthe), our metal lady Jenny Diehl (also of Feuerschwanz), and one of our previous metal ladies Melissa Bonny (of Ad Infinitum), the quartet aims at revisiting and transforming the greatest themes of cinematography, TV shows and video games in addition to a few songs of their own, taking the listener on a musical quest, from the depths of Moria up to the Iron Throne.
Blending the powerful and gripping sound of Symphonic Metal with classical and orchestral elements, the band offers to fans of the genre a mix of original and cover songs, always dedicated to their favorite warriors, books and movies including the likes of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Here is where things get really interesting for Jenny, as the unique sound of her harp adds a fragile layer to the heaviness of the overall sound of the band, something really hard to find in the heavy music scene worldwide. All songs from Metamorphosis will darkly embrace you thanks to the charming sound of Jenny’s harp, as well as the sounds crafted by the other band members, of course, plus guest musicians Charlotte Wessels (Delain), Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie, Illumishade), Rusanda Panfili (Hanz Zimmer Live) and Tom S. Englund (Evergrey).
Furthermore, you can enjoy all of the band’s beautiful official videos on YouTube, including the songs The Gates Of Time, Legends Never Die, New Horizons, First Light, Double Trouble/Lumos!, and their cover version for the Game of Thrones song Jenny Of Oldstones (as well as a very cool making of for it), among others. Perhaps the best song to depict the talent by our beloved Jenny armed with her harp is Legends Never Die, where her harp intro sets the tone for the rest of the song, embellishing the airwaves in a majestic way and, therefore, making the song stand out as one of the most amazing ones of the past few years in the Symphonic Metal universe.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
However, as aforementioned, if you think Jenny is just a delicate flower in a sea of heaviness, you must see what she has been doing since 2012 alongside Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany-based Medieval Folk Metal/Rock project Feuerschwanz. Of course, there are a few of their albums which include contributions from Jenny as a harpist, those being their 2016 album Sex is Muss on the songs Ein Schelm, wer Böses dabei denkt, Taugenix, and Nachtlied; their 2018 album Methämmer; and their 2020 album Das elfte Gebot, all of them absolutely worth a full and detailed listen, by the way, but Jenny offers even more as a member of such distinct Teutonic group. Jenny also performs as a dancer during Feuerschwanz’s live performances under the alias Myu Mieze, with countless online videos offering you a chance to witness her contribution to the band’s live shows, including their performance at Wacken Open Air 2022. Furthermore, you can also enjoy this very relaxed and fun video of Jenny taking us all on a journey through the homes of all members of Feuerschwanz, showing what the band is doing while they’re not on tour or in the studio, as well as a little bit of backstory about the band.
Jenny also holds a Bachelor of Arts, which led her to found Dream Film Factory alongside Russian cameraman and photographer Artem Selennov, and Alexander Dannhauser a few years ago. The trio offers a full-scale production service, from concept to finished film, creating an original film with its own distinctive look from any idea using modern, unique and tried-and-tested film techniques. They also offer individual services which include camera and image design, set design and prop construction, editing and color grading, conception and marketing, and stop-motion puppet construction, and you can check more of their work by visiting their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Linktree; for instance, simply visit their project page on their official website and you’ll see their work with several bands the likes of Burning Witches, Subway to Sally, J.O.E., Feuerschwanz, The Dark Side Of The Moon, Destruction, Goath, Nothgard, and more, with all videos being stunning, detailed and truly unique, like Was Ihr Wollt, by German Folk Metal band Subway to Sally, and Dissolving Flesh Redemption, by German Black/Death Metal horde Goath.
Lastly, Jenny also started to work as a freelance photographer under the name/brand Aurora Photography back in 2018, but as the project’s official Facebook page hasn’t been updated since mid-May 2021 I wonder if she has gotten way too busy with her bands and her film company to the point she can’t find enough time to focus on photography. Anyway, all photos available on Facebook are beautiful and deserve our attention, and maybe one day she’ll reignite her work as a photographer and keep delivering more awesomeness to our eyes. For now, I think there’s enough Jenny for us to enjoy with The Dark Side Of The Moon and with Feuerschwanz, with the sound of her harp and her fiery dance moves making the world of heavy music a much better place for all of us metalheads who love a good combination of music and images with a great storyline.
One of the must-see bands of the current Death Metal and Deathcore scene worldwide opens their demonic vault of horrors to bring brutality, gore and evil to our damned souls.
Since their unholy inception in 1995, Belgian Death Metal/Grindcore miscreants Aborted have been one of the pioneers of the genre and have annihilated friend and foe with relentless intensity and an uncompromising mix of flawless technicality and raw emotion. Now in 2024 the band currently formed of frontman Sven De Caluwé, guitarists Daníel Máni Konráðsson and Ian Jekelis, and drummer Ken Bedene, plus bassist Stefano Franceschini (who left the band in 2023) and guest musician Spencer Creaghan on synthesizers, returns with a worthy follow-up to their 2021 album ManiaCult, a sonic beast entitled Vault of Horrors. Produced, mixed and mastered by Dave Otero at Flatline Audio Studio, and displaying a sick artwork by Dan Goldsworthy (who has already worked with titans the likes of Corpsegrinder, Accept, Alestorm, Cradle of Filth, Gloryhammer, and many more), Aborted’s twelfth studio album dives deep into the vaults of VHS cassettes and stories that have been haunting us all for decades, with each song paying tribute to a horror cult classic ranging from obligatory cuts such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (to be found on Death Cult) or Halloween (The Shape Of Hate) to the more recent The Mist (to be discovered on Malevolent Haze), and with each one of its ten ferocious, gut-wrenching Death Metal slashers featuring a very special guest vocalist to add an extra touch of brutality and gore to Aborted’s trademark sound.
Featuring guest vocalist Ben Duerr (of Shadow Of Intent), the opener Dreadbringer offers our putrid ears sick lyrics (“Awake, bringing forth this disease / Multiply to dominate, your soul I’ll penetrate / Corrupt, contaminate, and imitate, eradicate / Your path leads right through us with no way to circumvent it”) and endless savagery in a beautiful fusion of Death Metal and Deathcore, followed by Condemned to Rot, with guest vocalist Francesco Paoli (of Fleshgod Apocalypse) barking like a beast, another lesson in brutality by Aborted with the insane drums by Ken bringing sheer aggression to the music; and featuring guest vocalist Johnny Ciardullo (of AngelMaker), Brotherhood of Sleep leans towards modern-day Deathcore, where Sven and Johnny make a demented vocal duet while Daníel and Ian keep slashing their axes in the name of violence. Then get ready to break your neck headbanging like a maniac to Death Cult, where Sven and guest vocalist Alex Erian (of Despised Icon) roar manically while the rest of the band doesn’t leave a single space left in the air with their first-class, inhumane instrumental parts; whereas Hellbound is another explosion of violence where the band’s Technical Death Metal side is boosted by the sick vocals by guest Matt McGachy (of Cryptopsy).
The pulverizing Insect Politics, featuring guest vocalist Jason Evans (of Ingested), might have less than two minutes in duration, but the music is as infernal and intense as its predecessors, resulting in a fantastic tune for hammering our skulls into the circle pit; and Aborted show no mercy for our putrid souls in The Golgothan, offering more of their trademark violence and dexterity, with Sven once again leading his horde with his deep, visceral growls supported this time by guest vocalist Hal Microutsicos (of Blasphemous and Engulf). There’s no time to breathe as The Shape of Hate is another blast of dementia and Death Metal by the band, where guest vocalist Oliver Rae Aleron (of Archspire) offers his trademark rap-like guttural, making the whole song even more insane and vibrant; and there’s still time for another thunderous, inhumane tune titled Naturom Demonto, featuring guest vocalist David Simonich (of Signs of the Swarm), with the rumbling bass by Stefano and the blast beats by Ken making the earth tremble. Of course the album wasn’t going to be complete without a massive dosage of sulfur, courtesy of guest vocalist Ricky Hoover (of Ov Sulfur) in Malevolent Haze, another feast of slashing riffs, crazy drums and demonic vociferations to end the album on a beyond violent and Stygian note.
In a nutshell, with this deadly alliance, Vault of Horrors is an epic journey where listeners are thrust into a world of intense brutality, characterized by lightning-fast guitar riffs, intricate, pummeling drum patterns and monstrous vocals that leave no room for respite. “As usual, the guest vocalists were all chosen out of friends, people we’ve known for years or got to know in the last years, toured with, or have a connection with. Hal from Engulf was also picked since I did a guest spot on their record and loved his vocals. The guys from Ingested, Carcosa, Ov Sulfur were people that we toured with last year. We also go way back with Archspire, Despised Icon, Fleshgod Apocalypse and Cryptopsy. Being able to collaborate with all these great artists is such a privilege and made the process all the more exhilarating since each of them bring their own flavour to the mix. The enthusiasm of everyone involved definitely shines through to the final product and adds yet another layer of depth to the listening experience of the album,” commented Sven, and if you want to show Aborted your utmost support and admiration you can check out what the band is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, stream more of their music on Spotify, and of course purchase the imposing Vault of Horrors by clicking HERE or HERE. In other words, let’s see if you have what it takes to face the brutality, gore and evil found inside the vault of horrors by one of the leaders of the current extreme music scene worldwide.
Best moments of the album:Brotherhood of Sleep, Death Cult, Insect Politics and The Shape of Hate.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2024 Nuclear Blast
Track listing 1. Dreadbringer 5:30
2. Condemned to Rot 2:56
3. Brotherhood of Sleep 3:55
4. Death Cult 3:40
5. Hellbound 4:47
6. Insect Politics 1:44
7. The Golgothan 4:19
8. The Shape of Hate 4:17
9. Naturom Demonto 4:03
10. Malevolent Haze 4:53
Band members Sven De Caluwé – vocals
Daníel Máni Konráðsson – guitar
Ian Jekelis – guitar
Stefano Franceschini – bass
Ken Bedene – drums
Guest musicians Ben Duerr – vocals on “Dreadbringer”
Francesco Paoli – vocals on “Condemned to Rot”
Johnny Ciardullo – vocals on “Brotherhood of Sleep”
Matt McGachy – vocals on “Hellbound”
Jason Evans – vocals on “Insect Politics”
Hal Microutsicos – vocals on “The Golgothan”
Oliver Rae Aleron – vocals on “The Shape of Hate”
David Simonich – vocals on “Naturom Demonto”
Ricky Hoover – vocals on “Malevolent Haze”
Alex Erian – vocals on “Death Cult”
Spencer Creaghan – synthesizers
Life is flesh on bone convulsing above the ground.
It’s time to spread absolute fuckin’ evil all over the world here at The Headbanging Moose, courtesy of our multi-talented metal lady of this month of March, and trust me, as soon as you know more about her, about her music and her art as a photographer, you’ll get addicted to everything surrounding her, musically and visually speaking. Owner of a fantastic voice, placing her among the best female growlers of the new generation, she’s the frontwoman for one of the rising forces of the metal scene in her homeland Portugal, inspiring us to raise our horns anytime she hits the stage with her incredible charisma, her looks, and of course her she-demon roars. Her name is Beatriz Mariano, the mastermind behind Portuguese Blackened Death Metal horde Okkultist and a fantastic freelance visual artist, and she’s ready to drink your blood and reap your soul to the sound of her devilish, furious creations. Having said all that, are you ready to face our demonic diva in this humble tribute to her music and her art?
Born on September 9, 1994 in the charming and always cozy Portuguese capital Lisbon, Beatriz has lived and breathed music since she was a little kid. “I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun! If this makes sense,” commented our talented growler in one of her interviews, complementing by saying what her family thought about it when she founded Okkultist. “When I told my family I was in a band they were accepting. They don’t understand the music though. When I first asked ‘do you wanna listen to it’ the first reaction I got was a fat ‘no’. But as long as I’m happy, they’re supportive.” In addition, her passion for the occult also started at a very early stage of her life. “I’ve been in love with the horror, occult and macabre aesthetic since a very early age. My favorite cartoon as a kid was ‘Courage, the Cowardly Dog’. I was hypnotized by the first horror movie I ever saw. I just fell in love. It just felt right. It was a calling.”
It was back in 2016 when Beatriz founded her infernal sonic cult Okkultist together with guitarist Leander Sandmeier (Toxic Room, Toxikull), making sure they were bringing into being something truly evil. “I remember us all sitting down and just saying ‘this shit has to sound evil. It had to bring people chills to their spine. Let’s make them hallucinate about Satan when our shit plays.’ We wanted a pit to hell to open up as soon as you started playing our album.” Currently formed of Beatriz and Leander alongside bassist David J. Rodrigues and drummer Eduardo Sinatra (Aramaic, Godiva, Heavenwood), Okkultist released their debut EP titled Eye of the Beholder, in 2017, followed by the full-length albums Reinventing Evil, in 2019, and more recently O.M.E.N., in 2023, all available for streaming on Spotify or on any other streaming platform. One interesting fact about their two full-length albums is that both were released under the label Alma Mater Records, whose founder and owner is the iconic Fernado Ribeiro of Moonspell. “It started when Fernando and I were discussing some visual ideas and then I presented him to this project I was involved in, and he immediately sounded interested in us, even though we only had a few demos out,” said Beatriz about her partnership with Fernando.
Apart from being a sensational vocalist and performer, as aforementioned Beatriz is also an extremely talented visual artist who loves to focus on the most obscure side of music and arts in her work in general. For instance, she was responsible for the photography of the 2014 demo Hellbreaker – Demo XXIV and of the 2014 full-length album Midnight Steel, both by Portuguese Heavy Metal squad Midnight Priest; for the design and layout of Okkultist’s 2023 album O.M.E.N.; and for the photography of the 2016 album Black Sheep, by Portuguese Heavy/Speed Metal band Toxikull; and you can take a look at her entire portfolio by visiting her official Facebook page or her Instagram, or click HERE to get access to all links related to our amazing artist. “Actually, photography is my main activity. And not the band. I am in complete control over the band’s visuals. It just made sense. I first started working with self-portraiture when I was 15. I’m 25 now. And when I first suggested it to the band they immediately accepted it, also because they enjoy my work. There wasn’t even a question. I just took over,” she commented in an interview four years ago, as she’s now 29, about her life as a photographer and as a musician at the same time, but in my humble opinion I believe today Okkultist became her main activity (or maybe she’s able to magically handle both, who knows).
Her life as a photographer definitely deserves a more detailed look due to everything that impacts her as an artist, her creative process and so on. “I’m constantly researching visuals. Anything! From movies to pictures, comics, illustrations, nature. Even sounds and textures. I’m especially attracted to the experimental field,” she said when asked about her inspirations as a photographer. Furthermore, she mentioned that she works with both pre-arranged shootings, when she already has an idea and concept in mind, and more spontaneous photography. “Usually when it comes to editing, I always end up picking the pictures where the model is not posing. Those are the most beautiful and appealing shots to me, and will certainly turn out to be the best and more impactful images.” Also, although she doesn’t think there must be a story behind each picture, she ended up admitting that almost everything that she does has a meaning, a story or a concept involved. Her opinion about having to study photography or not to be a successful photographer also goes in line with her passion for what’s more spontaneous. “To be really honest, the best way to learn is through experience. Schools, classes, or whatever, will never be able to teach you something that only you can go through. You will only get the full experience by doing it, and getting to it, and that’s the most fulfilling and complete way to learn! I’ve done that since I was a teen, and things like that can never be taught. Sure, studies can give you a hand in it, but no one will ever be able to ‘teach’ you something that only you can live and absorb pure and raw knowledge from! I’ve learnt that way, and with all the memories and living experiences it’s more than useful, it’s priceless!”
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
An admirer of both analogue and digital photography, which according to Beatriz herself is necessary to go through the full photographic experience, she used to work with a really nice gear containing a 7D, and a 50mm f/1.4 lens, which she used the most, plus of course Photoshop, but I’m sure right now she might have advanced to an even better gear and maybe an updated software. She’s always been passionate for photography, pictures and filming, but it was when she was in high school and one of her teachers, named Ana Paula Xavier, assigned a project using photography and Photoshop to her class that things changed, becoming an obsession for Beatriz, and she couldn’t let go off the cameras ever since, being highly inspired by French photographer and grand couturier Hedi Slimane, therefore helping her find her own artistic identity. And regarding her idols and influences in general, not only in photography, Beatriz considers herself a very weird person, quoting Beetlejuice to describe herself (“I myself am strange and unusual”). She loves everything around creativity, being able to express herself through something she can make with her own hands, and of course being a Heavy Metal fanatic with an unusual and bizarre taste. For instance, she’s a diehard fan of horror, mentioning Clive Barker, Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento as some of her inspirations, but of course she said she’s the type of person that enjoys building their own stuff.
As already mentioned a few times, Beatriz is an amazing vocalist, delivering sheer malignancy and evil through her harsh growls in the best Black and Death Metal style. She used to be a lot more active on her official YouTube channel and on Vimeo before going all-in with Okkultist, but you can still enjoy a lot of amazing videos, cover songs and so on featuring our Portuguese she-wolf. For example, you can enjoy her covers for Summer Wine, by Lee Hazlewood, Texas Sun, by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, and Scavenger Of Human Sorrow, by Death, as well as countless videos about fashion, make up, music and so on, including an amazing one called Creepy Nun/Valak Inspired Halloween Make Up where she teaches how to make the perfect make up inspired by the mysterious nun character from The Conjuring universe.
Beatriz also mentioned once that she would love to travel the world with Okkultist and blast some “evil fucking music” everywhere, although she knows it’s really tough for any smaller band to tour financially speaking. “We are doing the best we can to tour. But as a small band that barely makes any profit, it makes it extremely difficult for us to finance big projects. But things are on the move!” I believe right now if you want to experience the fantastic music and performance by Okkultist you have to visit their homeland Portugal, which might not be a big country, but I’m sure you’ll get fascinated with its strong heavy music scene. “Portugal is really small, so you can imagine the size of our community, but we’re tight. I see a lot of support from bands to bands, from fans to bands, from everyone,” commented Beatriz, who truly loves her country for its beauty, proudly saying some of the most beautiful places in the world are in Portugal, while on the other hand she thinks the Portuguese music industry doesn’t have the slightest idea of how many great artists Portugal has, with those artists being crushed because the local industry will only give you your due value if you’re coming from another country. “I could go on and on and on about this, but I should probably shut up now. It’s sad, but it’s the truth.”
Last but definitely not least, our beloved diva of darkness is also a tattoo aficionada (or aficionado, as I never know if this term has male and female forms), and she loves to talk about all the amazing ink she has all over her body. “My favorite tattoo has to be the Pinhead portrait. Hellraiser is my favorite movie, Doug Bradley as Pinhead was my ultimate man crush as a teen. No joke. It was also done by my favorite tattoo artist Hollie Pryce Jones. She did it in a 12-hour sitting, with a one-hour break total. She’s a killer artist, and an amazing human being. Love that girl to death,” commented Beatriz about her all-time favorite ink, but life is not all roses and flowers when it comes to tattoos. She mentioned that any tattoos on her hands are the most painful without any doubt, and that her least favorite tattoo are the three coffin nails on her right wrist, albeit not due to the quality of it. “Don’t get me wrong, the tattoo is beautiful and done by an amazing talented artist called Bela Hilário, but the placement I picked is fucking dumb. Blocks the whole arm now that I’m trying to build a sleeve.” Having a Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon prism on the back done by Pedro Santos, she said she’s certainly getting the Okkultist symbol tattooed somewhere in the future (if she hasn’t done so already); and that her list of favorite tattoo artists include Hollie Pryce Jones, Maksym Yakubchyk, Anrijs Straume, Felix Seele and Diogo Nunes. You should definitely check the work of those five amazing artists online, and who knows, maybe get inked with them just like Beatriz. Just be aware that it’s not going to look as good on you as on our screaming diva, of course.
“I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun!” – Beatriz Mariano
A New Jersey-based Technical/Avantgarde Death Metal outfit takes things further still armed with their dissonant and impactful third full-length offering.
After having smashed prevailing standards for the style with their unique approach on their highly lauded 2021 album Malignant Reality, New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Technical/Avantgarde Death Metal outfit Replicant takes things further still with their new full length, entitled Infinite Mortality, finding ways to make their music even more convoluted and impactful while retaining their trademark dissonant and catchy sound. Mixed and mastered by AJ Viana at AJ Viana Productions, and displaying a sensational artwork by Alli Tuttle, the new album by Mike Gonçalves on vocals, bass and guitars, Pete Lloyd on guitars, synths and high-frequency transmissions, and Itay Keren on guitars, vocals and void channels, supported by session drummer James Applegate, is a must-listen for fans of Norse, Resin Tomb, Ulcerate and Terra Builder, among others, setting new standards for others yet again, giving more than what could be expected from Replicant having already established their identity.
Dirty, visceral riffs kick off the six-minute dissonant feast titled Acid Mirror, with James sounding like a stone crusher on drums, therefore offering Mike all he needs to roar like a mad entity in a very technical yet experimental and obscure aria. Their experimentations and eerie noises continue to pierce our minds in Shrine to the Incomprehensible, where the guitars by Mike, Pete and Itay once again bring forward a mechanized, wicked vibe to the music, not to mention the metallic bass by Mike, resulting in a lecture in Dissonant Death Metal; and the band shows no mercy four our damned souls in Orgasm of Bereavement, offering an overdose of heaviness, insanity and complexity where James once again blasts his drums in great fashion supported by the thunderous bass by Mike, albeit a little less detailed than the other songs. After that, Reciprocal Abandonment offers us all an amazing fusion of Technical Death Metal with more modern, avantgarde and groovy sounds, with the band again exploding our senses with their electrifying, demented riffs and Mike’s trademark brutal vocals.
Then ethereal, otherworldly sounds permeate the air in the interlude SCN9A before the band comes crushing our souls one more time with the infuriated tune Pain Enduring, where all band members are on absolute fire, blasting an amalgamation of harsh and intricate sounds tailored for lovers of the genre. Moreover, their guitars match perfectly with the fury delivered by James on drums, resulting in one of the strongest songs of the album; whereas Nekrotunnel presents nuances of the old school Death Metal crafted by Cannibal Corpse, which adds endless savagery and gore to the band’s trademark demented music while also showcasing rumbling, pulverizing sounds flowing from their guitars and bass. Then we face Dwelling on the Threshold, the shortest of all songs (excluding of course the interlude), perfect for banging our heads nonstop like savages while Mike keeps roaring and vociferating rabidly and the music remains as dense and disturbing as possible. Lastly, one final onrush of vile Death Metal, high-frequency sounds, wicked passages and the always massive drums by James is offered to us all in Planet of Skin, a full-bodied, utterly enfolding creation by Replicant, putting a beyond dissonant and vibrant ending to the multi-layered Infinite Mortality.
You can show your support to those amazing musicians by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their music on Spotify, and of course by purchasing your favorite version of Infinite Mortality from the band’s own website, from their BandCamp page, or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ regional webstores by clicking HERE, HERE or HERE, including the wooden CD box, the wooden LP box, the regular LP, the digipak CD, and the full body print cassette, as well as some amazing combos with albums form other bands like Maere and Resin Tomb, and you can also click HERE for all things Replicant. Infinite Mortality is dissonant yet melodic, obscure yet visceral, and old school yet innovative, turning it into a must-have for admirers of the most experimental and unique side of extreme music.
Best moments of the album:Shrine to the Incomprehensible, Pain Enduring and Planet of Skin.
Worst moments of the album:Orgasm of Bereavement.
Released in 2024 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing 1. Acid Mirror 6:37
2. Shrine to the Incomprehensible 5:58
3. Orgasm of Bereavement 3:31
4. Reciprocal Abandonment 6:03
5. SCN9A 1:00
6. Pain Enduring 4:50
7. Nekrotunnel 4:07
8. Dwelling on the Threshold 2:48
9. Planet of Skin 9:10
Band members Mike Gonçalves – vocals, bass, guitars
Pete Lloyd – guitars, synths, high-frequency transmissions
Itay Keren – guitars, vocals, void channels
Branded with the mark of the beast, this French Blackened Death Metal horde returns blacker than ever with a magnificent opus dedicated to the Islamic Antichrist.
Formed in 2008 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Vlad in Valence, a city in southeast France in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with the revival of old school Death Metal while always branded with the mark of the beast, Blackened Death Metal entity Necrowretch has just opened the most ambitious chapter of their career with Swords Of Dajjal, their three-years-in-the-making fifth album. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Francis Caste at Studio Sainte Marthe, Swords of Dajjal isn’t just named after the Islamic Antichrist, but a statement of the devotion to Satan by the aforementioned Vlad on vocals and guitars alongside guitarist and bassist W. Cadaver, and drummer N. Destroyer, being highly recommended for fans of Possessed, Dark Angel, Dissection, Necrophobic, and Merciless, or to anyone who sold their whole souls to the devil just like this French horde. Represented on the cover of the album (masterfully brought into being by Stefan Thanneur, also known as Manifeste) with his double-edged sword and bathed in the same kind of reddish and orangey mesmerizing lights one can experience when the sun sets on wind-beaten deserts, all eight songs on the album are prophecies, past and future, where Dajjal plays the leading role.
The Stygian guitars by Vlad and W. Cadaver ignite the opening tune Ksar Al-Kufar (describing a dark and forbidden land characterized by disbelief and ominous imagery), offering us all pure evil in the form of Blackened Death Metal; whereas N. Destroyer hammers his drums in the name of absolute darkness in The Fifth Door, living up to the legacy of the genre and being tailored for admirers of Behemoth, Belphegor and Septicflesh, while Vlad vociferates rabidly in a pure Black Metal style. Then obscure riffs and menacing vocal lines set the tone in Dii Mauri (or the “Mauran gods” mentioned in Latin inscriptions of the third century in North Africa), a phantasmagorical creation by Necrowretch that should sound insane live, summoning all creatures of the netherworld to their feast of blackened music. And the title-track Swords of Dajjal is a lecture in extreme music, blasphemy and hatred, with the harsh roars by Vlad walking hand in hand with the strident, piercing riffage by W. Cadaver while N. Destroyer keeps demolishing his drum set with endless dexterity and anger.
It’s time to bang your heads nonstop to the visceral sounds blasted by Necrowretch in Numidian Knowledge, another song where their passion for the darkest side of music becomes even stronger, whereas speeding things up and sounding more venomous than ever we have Vae Victis, which is Latin for “woe to the vanquished”, where Vlad is inhumane on vocals, barking and roaring like a beast from the crypts of Hades in a must-listen for admirers of Blackened Death Metal. The second to last burst of sulfur by the band is offered to our ears in Daeva (a supernatural entity of disagreeable nature, an evil spirit, or demon in Zoroastrianism), a more melodic composition, or an instrumental interlude that’s not bad but doesn’t add much to the album, flowing into the cryptic closing tune Total Obliteration, bringing forward six minutes of classy, energetic and grim Black and Death Metal that will haunt your damned souls for all eternity, all spearheaded by the visceral screams by Vlad supported by the always sharp riffs by W. Cadaver.
Armed with the biggest, most complex and intense album of their career, Necrowretch are about to yield their sword of destruction and exterminate everything in sight. The result is, according to Vlad, “our most black metal record, with splashes of death metal here and there. Whereas on the previous album all tempos were pushed to the extreme, there’s far more variety here to be found. It also gave us free reins to reach a more mystical, Biblical if you will vibe” fed by his experience living in Turkey in the late 2010’s. “We choose to focus on the Dajjal character, basically the antichrist in the Muslim religion. The Coran says that he’ll appear as a false prophet only to bring doom to this world, with an army of demons coming from the east.” Hence, if you’re also willing to sell your soul to the devil alongside the guys from Necrowretch, you can stream Swords of Dajjal in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and grab a copy of the album from their own BandCamp page, from Season of Mist, or by clicking HERE, and don’t forget to also give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram. Necrowretch are sounding blacker and more sulfurous than ever, bringing doom to our already decaying world just like Dajjal with their new album, and I’m sure you’ll have a blast listening to such masterpiece of darkness.
Best moments of the album:The Fifth Door, Swords of Dajjal, Vae Victis and Total Obliteration.
Worst moments of the album:Daeva.
Released in 2024 Season of Mist
Track listing 1. Ksar Al-Kufar 4:21
2. The Fifth Door 5:29
3. Dii Mauri 5:06
4. Swords of Dajjal 4:55
5. Numidian Knowledge 4:11
6. Vae Victis 4:18
7. Daeva 2:49
8. Total Obliteration 6:13
Band members Vlad – vocals, guitars
W. Cadaver – lead guitars, bass
N. Destroyer – drums
A gripping journey into the dark abysses of human psychology in the form of first-class Death and Thrash Metal madei n Germany.
Taking the listener on a gripping journey into the dark abysses of human psychology, leaving you hardly any time to catch your breath, Gelsenkirchen, Germany-based Death/Thrash Metal squad Smorrah Is unleashing upon us all their first full-length album, titled Welcome To Your Nightmare, following up on their 2018 EP The Evil Within. Produced, mixed and mastered by Michael Streckbein and Smorrah at Vyrah Studios, and displaying an 80’s and 90’s-inspired artwork by Timon Kokott Artwork, the new release by vocalist Marius Wegener, guitarist Daniel ‘Pumper’ Hartmann, bassist Christian ‘Kraje’ Krajewski, and drummer Raphael Swierczynski is a hard-hitting thrash and groove beast highly recommended for fans of Pantera, Sepultura and Exhorder, among others, representing a huge step forward in their career.
Like a scene taken from a horror movie, an obscure intro suddenly explodes into a visceral sound led by the harsh and piercing roars by Marius in Welcome to Your Nightmare, while his bandmates bring an avalanche of Groove Metal to the song. Then investing in a more direct thrashing sonority, it’s time to slam into the pit to the sound of Dead Snake Eyes, with the nonstop drums by Raphael and the slashing riffs by Daniel taking the song’s animosity to a whole new level; followed by Age of Decay, even more demented and vile than the previous songs, once again showcasing the infuriated Death Metal riffs by Daniel and the always sick growls by Marius. The band slows things down a bit while sounding heavier and more obscure in Killing Spree, with Raphael smashing his drums supported by the low-tuned, menacing bass by Christian; and maybe Hope Dies Last, but Thrash Metal will never die, with the band offering us a furious and incendiary attack that should ignite some fun circle pits during their live concerts.
Get ready to bang your head nonstop while raising your horns to Buried Underneath, an old school, 80’s-infused Thrash Metal extravaganza spearheaded by the classic riffs by Daniel where not a single space in the air is left empty; whereas once again blending the heaviness of Death Metal with the rebelliousness and austerity of Thrash Metal the band brings forward Death Awaits, with Marius deeply vociferating like a demented beast while Daniel kicks ass as usual armed with his riffs and solos, flowing into Evil Betrayal, another modern-day Death and Thrash Metal attack by the quartet reminding me of some of the most recent creations by bands like Nervosa, Torture Squad and Sodom, with Raphael showing no mercy for our necks with his crushing beats. Lastly, let’s enjoy over six minutes of darkness, introspection and insanity in When the Tide Comes In, where the harsh vocals by Marius transpire rage and fury, always accompanied by the unstoppable, violent sounds brought into being by his bandmates while also alternating between more melodic moments and pure savagery until its epic finale.
If you have what it takes to face the unstoppable mosh pits generated by Smorrah in their new album Welcome To Your Nightmare, you can grab a copy of it directly from the band’s own BandCamp page or from the Sick Taste Records’ Big Cartel, and don’t forget to also start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, and to stream more of their music on YouTube and on Spotify. The guys from Smorrah are eagerly waiting to welcome us all to our worst nightmare with their new album, and if you consider yourself a true lover of contemporary Death and Thrash Metal, I’m sure you’ll have a very good time even with the psychological torment you’re about to endure.
Best moments of the album:Dead Snake Eyes, Hope Dies Last and Evil Betrayal.
Worst moments of the album:Welcome to Your Nightmare.
Released in 2024 Sick Taste Records
Track listing 1. Welcome to Your Nightmare 4:51
2. Dead Snake Eyes 4:45
3. Age of Decay 5:54
4. Killing Spree 3:58
5. Hope Dies Last 3:45
6. Buried Underneath 5:40
7. Death Awaits 5:00
8. Evil Betrayal 5:19
9. When the Tide Comes In 6:25
Band members Marius Wegener – vocals
Daniel ‘Pumper’ Hartmann – guitars
Christian ‘Kraje’ Krajewski – bass
Raphael Swierczynski – drums
The best thing about a show being scheduled on the same night as Super Bowl is that traffic is pretty much nonexistent, turning the lives of all metalheads who don’t really care about American football a lot easier when it comes to getting to the venue in time to see all bands playing. That’s exactly what happened last night in Toronto at the always cozy Lee’s Palace, when the fantastic bands INHUMAN CONDITION, ORIGIN and VADER brought to the city a true celebration of extreme music during their 40 Years of the Apocalypse Anniversary Tour 2024, another incredible event organized by the unstoppable Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. As usual, my friend Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi (as well as other photographers) were there to register some wild moments of all three bands, but honestly I don’t know how they managed to stay alive and keep their cameras intact during the sick circle pits going on the entire night.
The first band to hit the stage was Tampa, Florida’s own Death/Thrash Metal beasts INHUMAN CONDITION, who were by far one of the best and most electrifying opening acts I’ve seen at any concert in the city in the past few years. Spearheaded by the incendiary frontman Jeramie Kling, the band put on a beyond entertaining show, playing songs from all of their albums including their 2022 release Fearsick and their 2023 EP Panic Prayer, with songs like Panic Prayer, Euphoriphobia and I’m Now the Monster inspiring all concert goers to slam into the pit like there’s no tomorrow. As expected, the two songs that generated the wildest mosh pits were Godzilla and Tyrantula, with everyone at the venue, including the band, acting like wild beasts on stage and in the floor section. Jeramie also had some words of wisdom to share with everyone last night; first of all, he said that a true metal concert needs three things, those being the headbangers, the circle pits, and the crowd surfers, and of course bodies started flying around as soon as he mentioned that. Also, that everything we’ve ever heard about Florida, all rumors and so on, are all true, which was quite funny as it’s usually people outside of Florida who make fun of the state. Well, one thing I know for sure, and that’s that heavy music in Florida is phenomenal, with bands like Inhuman Condition showing everything they got on stage anywhere they go, and if you know nothing about those guys, go check their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, as I’m sure you’ll love to get caught in their mosh.
Setlist Recycled Hate
Panic Prayer
Euphoriphobia
The Neck Step
I’m Now the Monster
Killing Pace
Civilized Holocaust
Godzilla (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
Tyrantula
Band members
Jeramie Kling – vocals
Taylor Nordberg – guitars
Terry Butler – bass
Colton Zietler – drums
After a quick break, it was time for Kansas City-based Technical/Brutal Death Metal veterans ORIGIN to keep the circle pits moving frantically to the sound of their vicious, intricate and demolishing creations. Having released the album Chaosmos back in 2022, the band formed of vocalist Jason Keyser (and by the way, if you haven’t listened to it yet, go check the album Inferno by his brand new project Arborescence of Wrath as it’s a killer album), guitarist Paul Ryan, bassist Mike Flores (one of the best bass players I’ve seen in a while), and drummer John Longstreth showed absolutely no mercy for our necks and souls during their demented performance, blending Technical and Brutal Death Metal with nuances of Grindcore just to make things even more infuriated. The band was ruthless, savage and beyond technical, sounding absolutely insane with songs like Chaosmos, Panoptical and The Aftermath driving everyone at the venue simply insane inside the pit. Jason also had some words to say to the crowd before playing the song Decolonizer, where he showed his pure old school vein by demanding everyone to not take any pictures or record any videos of the song, but simply to go nuts inside the circle pit and collect bruises and black eyes as the memories of that moment (although they kept checking their phones due to Kansas City Chiefs being one of the teams playing the Super Bowl). Needless to say, it was intense, as well as the wall of death he organized before even playing one of the songs, trying to make their show as 90’s-inspired as possible. Origin are one of the coolest bands of the underground scene, and in case you still don’t know them go check their infernal music on Spotify, and don’t miss their live concerts whenever they take your depraved city by storm.
Setlist
Expulsion of Fury
Chaosmos
Accident and Error
Panoptical
Saligia
Decolonizer
Portal
The Aftermath
Unattainable Zero
Band members Jason Keyser – vocals
Paul Ryan – guitars, backing vocals
Mike Flores – bass, backing vocals
John Longstreth – drums
It was getting late (and cold) in Toronto, but nothing that could stop Poland’s own Death/Thrash Metal institution VADER to crush everything and everyone that dared to cross their path at Lee’s Palace last night. The band formed of the iconic Peter on vocals and guitars, Spider also on the guitars, Hal on bass, and Michał Andrzejczyk on drums was flawless throughout their entire set, celebrating 40 years of existence for the delight of all lovers of extreme music in Toronto. Their setlist was a thing of beauty, including songs from their 1992 cult album The Ultimate Incantation, like Vicious Circle, Dark Age and The Crucified Ones, plus several other classics like Black to the Blind, while closing their setlist with a newer song, Shock and Awe, from their latest opus Solitude in Madness, released in 2020, and the response from the fans in Toronto was brilliant, with the circle pits moving majestically until the very last second of their performance.
It’s impressive how they can still sound to tight, vicious and heavy after so many decades on the road, showing their utmost passion for Death and Thrash Metal, and of course as we all know how much they love to play for us, that inspired us to send our love back to them by headbanging nonstop, raising our horns, and getting wild in the pit. The only “issue” was that their official photographer doesn’t seem to be a big fan of crowd surfing, but that was fine as all crowd surfers quickly learned that show was not the best place to practice such metallic art. Anyway, apart from that, and from the same two guys that almost got into a fight with each other countless time (please, be adults and behave next time, alright?), everyone had an amazing time together with those Polish metallers, and hopefully we’ll also have the pleasure of hosting in Toronto the celebration of their 45th, 50th, 55th and so on anniversaries, keeping the fires of Death and Thrash Metal burning forever in the city.
Setlist Macbeth (Laibach song) Decapitated Saints
The Wrath
Chaos
Vicious Circle
Dark Age
The Crucified Ones
Silent Empire
Sothis
Black to the Blind
Carnal
Wings
Cold Demons
Epitaph
Dark Transmission Para Bellum
This Is the War
Helleluyah!!! (God Is Dead)
Never Say My Name
Come and See My Sacrifice
Triumph of Death
Shock and Awe The Imperial March (John Williams song)
Band members Peter – vocals, guitars
Spider – guitars
Hal – bass
Michał Andrzejczyk – drums
This Los Angeles-based Brutal Death Metal outfit will crush you with their sophomore opus, an eleven-track beast that delves into the disturbed minds of those falling into psychopathic tendencies.
Known for their massive and impactful delivery of extreme brutality, Los Angeles, California-based Brutal Death Metal band Stages of Decomposition is unleashing upon humanity their highly anticipated sophomore studio offering, titled Raptures of Psychopathy, threatening to burrow into your brain like a death metal worm and liquefy it with brutal riffs, chaotic blast beats and adrenaline-invoking time signatures that convey the terror and psychological aspects of the stories told. Recorded by the band’s own guitarist Marco Aromatario, mixed and mastered by Manuel Acevedo at Beatcrusher Recording Studio, and displaying a horror-fueled artwork by Tony Cosgrove (with design by Sidjimbe Art), the album is an eleven-track beast that delves into the disturbed minds of those falling into psychopathic tendencies, with each song encapsulating the murderous essence of true crime, drawing inspiration from infamous figures like Vaughn Greenwood, Richard Ramirez, Jeffrey Dahmer, and more, all brought into being by Salvador Rodriguez on vocals and bass, Cesar Barajas and Marco Aromatario on the guitars, and Daniel Smoo on drums, highly influenced by the raw intensity of Dying Fetus, the brutality of Suffocation, and the slam-infused chaos of Kraanium.
Offering a glimpse inside the mind of Jeffrey Dahmer, the opening tune Drilling of the Cerebellum presents an initial narration full of gore and horror that evolves into a feast of bestiality led by the demented drumming by Daniel, kicking off the album on a beyond violent mode; and Cesar and Marco show no mercy for their stringed axes, extracting bloodthirsty riffs in What Lies Within while Salvador barks and roars like a maniac nonstop. And Salvador continues to haunt our souls with his avalanche of “bree breee breeeeees” in Beast of Jersey, while his bandmates make sure the atmosphere remains as gory and visceral as possible in a fun and vibrant onrush of Brutal Death Metal. Then we have Killing Under Possession, sounding absolutely infernal from the very first second, with Daniel sounding inhumane behind his drums, therefore inviting us all to slam like true metalmaniacs inside a blood-drenched circle pit; whereas there’s not a single second to breathe as Stages of Decomposition will mercilessly bludgeon your cranial skull to pieces in Murder by Proxy, again showcasing the slashing riffage by Cesar and Marco.
Skid Row Slasher is another headbanging extravaganza spearheaded by the deep, visceral roars and barks by Salvador, who also makes sure the earth trembles armed with his rumbling bass, and just when you think the quartet couldn’t sound more demented they will decimate your senses with Carve Out the Eyes, a fast and no shenanigans Brutal Death Metal assault that should sound amazing if played live. After such demonic onrush, the band adds elements from the Thrash Metal played by Slayer to their core Death Metal, resulting in a high-octane, mosh pit party titled Fetal Devourment, with Daniel once again stealing the spotlight with his pulverizing beats and fills; whereas Crawl Space Burial is a solid creation by the band where Salvador keeps vociferating like a rabid beast in the name of gore and extreme music. Then enhancing their animosity to a whole new level we have Human Extermination, a well-balanced, demonic fusion of classic Death Metal with Brutal Death Metal, followed by Mass Psychosis, offering us all two intense minutes of evil Death Metal for our vulgar delectation, hammering our souls with their crushing drums, venomous riffs and the always vile guttural by Salvador until the very last second.
Get ready to be swept away by the savage and brutal Death Metal blasted by Stages of Decomposition in their new album, available for purchase by clicking HERE (and for streaming on YouTube and on Spotify), delivering an onslaught of ferocious guitar work, pounding drums, and guttural vocals, creating an atmosphere of unbridled aggression, and you can also show your support to their undisputed violence by also following the band on Facebook and on Instagram. The band’s brand new opus of real-life horror-infused Brutal Death Metal will be the perfect soundtrack for your lone night walks through desert streets and obscure alleys, but I’m pretty sure if you’re listening to it at top volume or sporting a Stages of Decomposition shirt you’ll be one hundred percent safe, as no serial killer will dare to attack you after noticing your amazing taste in music.
Best moments of the album:Drilling of the Cerebellum, Carve Out the Eyes and Fetal Devourment.
Worst moments of the album:Crawl Space Burial.
Released in 2024 Gore House Productions
Track listing 1. Drilling of the Cerebellum 4:59
2. What Lies Within 3:10
3. Beast of Jersey 2:42
4. Killing Under Possession 3:36
5. Murder by Proxy 3:26
6. Skid Row Slasher 3:36
7. Carve Out the Eyes 2:37
8. Fetal Devourment 3:04
9. Crawl Space Burial 3:12
10. Human Extermination 3:46
11. Mass Psychosis 2:09
Band members
Salvador Rodriguez – vocals, bass
Cesar Barajas – guitar
Marco Aromatario – guitar
Daniel Smoo – drums
“SIC ITUR AD ASTRA”
As mentioned, Vøidwomb will guide you through pitch black darkness in their excellent new album, and you can get to know more about such promising name of the current Portuguese scene by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming more of their eerie creations on Spotify or on any other streaming service, and above all that, by purchasing Spiritual Apotheosis from the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp page, from Sound Cave, or by clicking HERE. In other words, let the Black Metal darkly crafted by Vøidwomb in Spiritual Apotheosis reach deep inside your rotten soul, joining them in darkness for all eternity. And so we go to the stars.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 