Tag Archives: death metal

Concert Review – Arch Enemy & Behemoth (Rebel, Toronto, ON, 04/25/2022)

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A night of rain, insanity, blasphemy and, above all that, first-class Heavy Metal for the delight of thousands of metalheads in Toronto.

OPENING ACTS: Unto Others and Napalm Death

Despite the heavy rain that decided to hit Toronto only a couple of hours before the fantastic tour named The North American Siege 2022 took the city by storm, the venue chosen for such metal attack, the spacious Rebel, was almost packed already when the first band of the night hit the stage exactly at 6:30pm, American Heavy Metal/Gothic Rock act UNTO OTHERS, and let me tell you I feel a little ashamed for not knowing those guys before last night. Promoting their 2021 opus Strength, vocalist and guitarist Gabriel Franco and his henchmen put on a sensational show, with songs such as Give Me to the Night, Summer Lightning and When Will God’s Work Be Done inspiring all fans to dance, slam into the pit, or simply raise their horns in the name of Rock N’ Roll. It was a short and sweet performance by such talented band, and I hope to see them again in Toronto (or anywhere else in the world) in a not-so-distant future.

Setlist
Subdivisions (Rush song)
Heroin
Give Me to the Night
No Children Laughing Now
Can You Hear the Rain
Nightfall
Summer Lightning
When Will God’s Work Be Done

Band members
Gabriel Franco – vocals, guitars, keyboards
Sebastian Silva – guitars
Brandon Hill – bass
Colin Vranizan – drums

Right after a bathroom/beer break (not necessarily in this order), it was time for the iconic Barney Greenway and his Grindcore/Death Metal institution NAPALM DEATH to show Toronto what noise is all about for the delight of admirers of the heaviest and most demented side of music who attended the concert. Having released earlier this year the album Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw of Throes, the band was on absolute fire from start to finish, with Shane Embury and John Cooke hammering their respective bass and guitar mercilessly throughout their entire set. Amidst a hurricane of infernal tunes the likes of Fuck the Factoid, Contagion, Scum and the one-second masterpiece You Suffer, Barney had time to distill his opinion about controversial topics such as illegal immigration, being always of course on the side of the less fortunate. Closing their boisterous setlist, the band smashed our faces with their rendition of Dead Kennedys’ all-time classic Nazi Punks Fuck Off, sending a message of love and peace, and warning us it won’t take long for those four British noisemakers to return to our beloved city.

Setlist
Unchallenged Hate
Fuck the Factoid
Backlash Just Because
Hung
Contagion
Continuing War on Stupidity
Everyday Pox
Invigorating Clutch
Suffer the Children
Breed to Breathe
Scum
Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism
You Suffer
Smash a Single Digit
Deceiver
Dead
Nazi Punks Fuck Off (Dead Kennedys cover)

Band members
Mark “Barney” Greenway – vocals
John Cooke – guitars
Shane Embury – bass, backing vocals, noises, effects
Danny Herrera – drums

ARCH ENEMY

Precisely at 8:35pm Sweden’s own Melodic Death Metal army ARCH ENEMY (although we can say the band is now 60% Swedish, 20% American and 20% Canadian) hit the stage and delivered exactly what the crowd wanted, which was a fusion of some of their best classics with the new songs Deceiver, Deceiver, House of Mirrors and Handshake With Hell, from their upcoming album Deceivers (to be released in July), spearheaded by the unstoppable Alissa White-Gluz and, of course, by one of the best guitarists of the Scandinavian metal scene, Mr. Michael Amott. It was clear in their faces how much they missed playing in front of an audience during the pandemic, in special Alissa who always gets very emotional when playing for her Canadian “family”, which translated into sheer adrenaline for our vulgar delectation. As a longtime fan of the band I was obviously more inspired to bang my head to songs such as Ravenous, Dead Bury Their Dead and Nemesis, but I must say their entire performance was awesome. How long will we have to wait to see Alissa and the boys again in Toronto? Massive circle pits like the ones we witnessed yesterday are not created out of silence, you know. We need Arch Enemy!

Setlist
Set Flame to the Night
Deceiver, Deceiver
The World Is Yours
Ravenous
War Eternal
My Apocalypse
House of Mirrors
The Eagle Flies Alone
As the Pages Burn
Handshake With Hell
Dead Bury Their Dead
Nemesis
Fields of Desolation (Outro)
Enter the Machine

Band members
Alissa White-Gluz – vocals
Michael Amott – lead guitars, backing vocals
Jeff Loomis – lead guitars, backing vocals
Sharlee D’Angelo – bass
Daniel Erlandsson – drums

BEHEMOTH

And at 10:05pm the gates of hell opened once again and the almighty Blackened Death Metal horde BEHEMOTH emerged from the underworld with another flawless and very theatrical performance, darkening the skies of Toronto and putting a huge, devilish smile on the faces of everyone at Rebel (at least on the faces of the ones not wearing masks). Kicking off their demonic concert with one of my favorite Behemoth songs of all time, the incendiary Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer, the multi-talented Nergal, Seth, Orion and Inferno did not disappoint their fans, sounding utterly heavy, dark and blasphemous until the very last second. Their brand new song, entitled Ov My Herculean Exile, from their upcoming (and still untitled) new album, sounded amazing live, but of course there’s nothing like raising our horns in the name of evil to masterpieces such as Ov Fire and the Void, Christians to the Lions, Chant for Eschaton 2000, and the hymn to Satan himself, O Father O Satan O Sun!, proving why Behemoth are one of the best and most obscure bands of the current metal scene. And when the night was over and those Polish blasphemers left the stage, it was time for us Torontonians to keep some of that darkness inside our hearts, face the cold and rainy weather outside again, and return to our lairs waiting for the next time Behemoth come back to crush the infidels in Toronto with their undisputed music.

Setlist
Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer
Wolves ov Siberia
Ov Fire and the Void
Evoe
Christians to the Lions
Bartzabel
Conquer All
Ov My Herculean Exile
Decade of Therion
Slaves Shall Serve
Chant for Eschaton 2000
O Father O Satan O Sun!

Band members
Adam “Nergal” Darski – lead vocals, guitars
Patryk Dominik “Seth” Sztyber – guitars
Tomasz “Orion” Wróblewski – bass guitar
Zbigniew Robert “Inferno” Promiński – drums and percussion

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Album Review – Demiricous / III: Chaotic Lethal (2022)

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An epic collection of tracks exploring a dark narrative of the barbaric and grotesque, marking the return into the battlefield by an old school Death and Thrash Metal horde from Indianapolis.

Rising from the depths of the abyss in Indianapolis, the state capital and most-populous city of the US state of Indiana, Death/Thrash Metal horde Demiricous is unleashing upon humanity their most monstrous record yet, entitled III: Chaotic Lethal, following an extended hiatus of 15 years since the release of their last album, Two (Poverty). An epic collection of tracks exploring a dark narrative of the barbaric and grotesque, the album presents to the listener a revived and restored sound by Nate Olp on vocals and bass, Ben Parrish and Scott Wilson on the guitars, and Dustin Boltjes on drums, as the band have evolved into their next chapter, delving into heavier instrumentation and sinister moods while releasing a plethora of hard-hitting sounds for the delight of admirers of extreme music.

The gates of the underworld are open wide in the opening tune Unconditional Hate, with Dustin smashing his drums with endless violence while Nate roars manically from start to finish in a lecture in modern-day Thrash Metal; and it’s time to slam into the circle pit to the blazing riffs by Ben and Scott in Terminal Future, living up to the legacy of Bay Area Thrash while its backing vocals provide a spot-on support to the visceral screams by Nate, all spiced up by Ben’s devilish solo. In Smoke Chaser we face nonstop adrenaline and action in the form of Thrash Metal where once again Dustin steals the spotlight with his classic, unstoppable beats, accompanied by the incendiary riffs by his bandmates, whereas The Follow is a hybrid of old school Thrash Metal with Crossover Thrash and Hardcore that will please all fans of speed and violence, with Ben and Scott setting fire to the atmosphere armed with their guitars.

There’s no time to breathe as the quartet keeps hammering our heads with their aggressiveness and rage in Fuck The Fire, perfect for breaking your neck headbanging while growling together with Nate, followed by the title-track Chaotic Lethal, bringing to our avid ears a dark and sinister atmosphere led by the doomed beats by Dustin, and that heaviness and obscurity goes on until the very last second. Then a cryptic intro morphs into the high-octane, demolishing Merciless Slut Cult, a no-shenanigans, in-your-face Thrash Metal onrush spearheaded by the visceral riffage by Ben and Scott, blending the best elements found in the music by Slayer, Anthrax and Suicidal Tendencies; while Choke is another rumbling creation by Demiricous presenting their trademark violence amidst tons of melody and dexterity, with Nate bursting his lungs roaring. And the band generates a somber ambience one last time in Faith Crime, evolving into a nine-minute thrashing behemoth where Dustin shows no mercy for his drums, not to mention how hellish and demented the growling by Nate sounds and feels.

Like a phoenix arising from the ashes, Demiricous are back in action with the fulminating III: Chaotic Lethal, highly recommended for thrash metallers from all over this doomed world who enjoy a balanced fusion of the past and present (and even future) of the genre. Hence, let’s show our support to the guys from Demiricous by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming more of their pulverizing music on Spotify, and by purchasing a copy of their newborn beast from their own BandCamp page, as well as from the POST. Recordings’ webstore in CD or LP format, or from Apple Music. “It’s been 15 years since we’ve released a record. We are so unbelievably proud of this one, and this is the Demiricous record we’ve always wanted to make. Prepare yourselves. It’s a fucking monster,” commented the band, who won’t hopefully go into another hiatus in the nearby future, continuing to smash our senses with their Thrash Metal for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: Terminal Future, Merciless Slut Cult and Faith Crime.

Worst moments of the album: Chaotic Lethal.

Released in 2022 POST. Recordings

Track listing
1. Unconditional Hate 5:07
2. Terminal Future 3:50
3. Smoke Chaser 5:10
4. The Follow 4:05
5. Fuck The Fire 4:54
6. Chaotic Lethal 5:57
7. Merciless Slut Cult 3:36
8. Choke 3:59
9. Faith Crime 9:19

Band members
Nate Olp – vocals, bass
Ben Parrish – lead guitars
Scott Wilson – rhythm guitars
Dustin Boltjes – drums

Metal Chick of the Month – Bruna Wanderley

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Beauty in desolation, or else…

Born and raised in the city of Brasília, inaugurated as Brazil’s capital in 1960, but currently residing in the charming city of Montreal, in the province of Quebec, in Canada, our metal lady of the month of April is here on The Headbanging Moose to embellish the airwaves with her distinguished music, bringing us the joy of the spring that has just started while still sounding as metal as she can be. If you’re a fan of progressiveness, groove and experimentations in Rock N’ Roll and Heavy Metal, get ready to be stunned by the multi-talented Bruna Wanderley, a songwriter, vocalist and cellist who’s taking the world of heavy music by storm with her brand new project, entitled Kapitur. You’ll certainly fall in love for the thunderous sound of her cello, placing her among the most interesting new names of the independent scene in Canada. Having said that, are you ready to rock together with Bruna and her incendiary cello?

Drawing from a young life in Brazil, living in an environment of violence, fear and contrasting beauty, artist and multi-instrumentalist Bruna Wanderley grew up in a conservative Evangelical milieu, which has led her to tease her family’s most beloved boundaries and, since her solo arrival to infamously libertine Montreal in 2015, she has actively performed and recorded as a cellist in a wide array of contexts. For instance, until the beginning of 2019 she was part of an Art Punk Rock band from Montreal named Spectroom, before the band called it quits in February that year. Bruna played cello with Spectroom together with vocalist and bassist Angelo Carocci, guitarists Branco De Souza and Raya Traboulsi, and drummers Matisse Chan and Emixam Maxime Gaboriault, having recorded with them the 2018 five-song EP Kissing Garbage, available for a full listen on Spotify. Although not being metal at all, the music by Spectroom can indeed provide you with very nice and relaxing moments while listening to it, and of course you can enjoy each note played by Bruna on her stylish cello.

Apart from her time with Spectroom, Bruna can be seen playing live with Canadian Death Metal band Infección as their bassist (not cellist) together with vocalist and guitarist Diego, drummer Andrés, and also guest guitarist Jean Bélanger, since 2021. She might not have recorded anything yet with the band, but if you want to have a taste of their fury and aggressiveness you can enjoy their debut demo on their BandCamp page. Furthermore, Bruna was also a guest vocalist for Canadian Progressive Death Metal band Messora on their 2019 album The Door, recording additional vocals for the songs The Veil and The Tide. And if you want to see Bruna Wanderley “multiplied” by four, you can enjoy Bruna’s cover video of Making a Murderer’s full theme by composer Gustavo Santaolalla, who’s largely known for his original score for The Last of Us, with all effects on the electric cello achieved with Line 6’s Helix LT.

Before we talk about Bruna’s brand new endeavor Kapitur, it’s important to mention that, besides her career in the Arts and Culture industry working mainly as a cello instructor and performer in Montreal, where she currently resides as already mentioned, she also studied Sociology and Anthropology at UnB – Universidade de Brasília in Brazil from 2010 to 2015, Music at Escola de Música de Brasília from 2007 to 2013, and Music at Vanier College in Canada from 2016 to 2018, and has not only obtained several certifications in web programming and development such as Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3, Regex and jQuery, but she also has experience working to some companies in Montreal in that segment, as well as volunteering experience as a barista and also running art workshops for Coop Le Milieu, also in Montreal.

However, as this is an underground metal webzine let’s focus on what really matters, and that’s the fusion of extreme music with the whimsical, thunderous sound of her cello in her new project, entitled Kapitur, formed in 2020. Under the up-and-coming Montreal, Canada-based Kapitur she composes, sings, performs guttural vocals and plays the cello, while Sam Neumann’s unyielding drumming presents a strong contrast with the her unbound vocal and cello lines, also supported by guitarist Zach Dean and bassist Bruno Coe. The music is filled with soundscapes and hammering repetitions with bleak cacophony followed by heavenly melodies, being therefore highly recommended for fans of the music by Opeth, modern Swans, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Saltland, and Tina Guo, among others. Bruna and her Kapitur will release an EP of original songs in the upcoming months, and while we wait for such distinguished experiment let’s stay in touch with the band on Facebook, on Instagram, on BandCamp, and on Spotify, where by the way you can find her first-ever releases, those being the demo song Decay, and the cover version for Sepultura’s all-time classic Roots Bloody Roots (or click HERE for all locations where you can buy or stream the song).

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“Twenty-six years ago, Roots Bloody Roots pleaded for the preservation of Brazilian cultural diversity. Today, Kapitur’s distinctive revisit of the song revolves around the historical alienation of common people regarded as different, the Bloody Roots of us outsiders. It grips on the struggle of finding oneself estranged from one’s original and adoptive cultures, to the ongoing murder and colonization suffered by many people in a land that was theirs for centuries; from immigrant, racial, religious intolerance to the global, modern alien anxiety suffered by African descendants and their relationship to an inaccessible homeland. Roots Bloody Roots is about you, or someone you know and care for,” commented Bruna about her newborn beast. Recorded and mixed by Jonathan Lefrançois Leduc, Kapitur’s rendition for such undisputed metal classic will surely put a huge smile on the faces of Max and Igor Cavalera, Andreas Kisser and Paulo Jr., not just because of its rawness and aggressiveness, but also because Bruna is proudly carrying the flag of Brazilian metal to the four corners of the earth with her talent and hard work.

There are a few fun facts about Kapitur and the recording of Roots Bloody Roots that are definitely worth sharing with everyone reading this tribute to Bruna. First of all, when Kapitur’s music video for the song was still unpublished, someone Bruna knows sent a private link to it to Sepultura, and they loved it so much that Derrick Green himself contacted her to say it’s very creative, that it sounds incredible and that he looked forward to meeting her in person, which happened during their concert in Montreal on March 17 this year. In addition, Bruna mentioned that shooting the music video for the song was one of the most demanding and fun experiences the band has had so far. “It was a very cold Fall day, we set up a tent on the sandpits and unexpectedly spent 13 hours outdoors on the first day. As soon as we got there, one of the cars got stuck in the mud, and only after greatly shoving, did a guy on a tractor appear to tow the car in a few seconds. The photographer was buried naked in the sand at 5°C – he did say he liked it. For the entire time, I was cold from shooting in a thin dress and being barefoot on the sand. At night, we had to beware of the coyote sounds coming our way – it was so reassuring to have combustible material available, just in case. Finally, all the team left the site at 3 a.m., with our gear frosted by the dew and fake blood stains on our clothes and shoes. That whole night felt really special though. Will do it again next year, once we get rid of all the sand stuck in our stuff,” said our skillful cellist.

In summary, the multi-talented Bruna Wanderley can sing, play cello and bass, compose, write lyrics, act, and so on, which proves how focused and talented she is and, at the same time, showcases all her passion for music in general. I won’t be surprised if in a not-so-distant future we start seeing partnerships between Bruna and both underground and mainstream rock and metal bands, and I would love to see what she could do together with renowned bands the likes of Cradle of Filth, Triptykon and Tristania, adding her own touch of darkness, doom and heaviness to their already venomous music. Having said all that, let’s raise our horns to the “Cello Metal” blasted by Bruna Wanderley, resting assured she’ll always remain loyal to heavy music and to her roots, bloody roots.

Bruna Wanderley’s Official Facebook page
Kapitur’s Official Facebook page
Kapitur’s Official Instagram
Kapitur’s Official YouTube channel
Kapitur’s Official BandCamp page

“It’s uncommon to hear a classical instrument like the cello in heavy music that isn’t Melodic or Symphonic Metal. My intent is to explore creative ways of using my instrument in heavier contexts.” – Bruna Wanderley

Album Review – Persecutory / Summoning the Lawless Legions (2022)

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An album of sheer darkness masterfully brought into being by a Black and Death Metal horde hailing from Turkey in honor of the seven deadly sins.

Forged in 2014 in the scorching fires of Kadıköy, an older settlement than most of those on the Anatolian side of the city of İstanbul, Turkey, the demonic Black/Death Metal horde known as Persecutory will darken your minds and souls with their sophomore full-length opus, entitled Summoning the Lawless Legions, the Stygian follow-up to their 2016 EP Perversion Feeds Our Force and their 2017 album Towards the Ultimate Extinction. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Can Gelgeç at Studio Sirri, and displaying a devilish artwork by Alex Shadrin of Nether Temple Design, Summoning the Lawless Legions is an album of sheer darkness masterfully brought into being by Tyrannic Profanator on vocals, Infectious Torment and Vulgargoat on the guitars, Deathbed on bass, and Kyle on drums, living up to the legacy of the most obscure and infernal form of extreme music.

The piercing riffs by the band’s guitar duo will penetrate deep inside your psyche in As The Serpents Ascend while Tyrannic Profanator vociferates the song’s wicked words like a creature form the underworld (“Beneath the blackened seas which elder ones take breath / Their primal strength summons, the lords of Shammash / Resided in the fixed stars, infernal serpent’s pride / Burnt embers of the fire, splendor of the unholy light”), therefore offering our ears a modern but at the same time primeval form of Black Metal; and Kyle shows no mercy for his drums in Thou Abyssic Fire In Rebellion, a vicious, hammering aria by the quartet where the gnarling by Tyrannic Profanator gets even more satanic and visceral. Put differently, it’s old school Black Metal with a Turkish Death Metal twist, and the music remains acid and vile until the very last second with Infectious Torment and Vulgargoat embellishing the airwaves with their dark and very melodic guitar riffs and solos.

Another explosion of brutality, obscurity and rage comes in the form of Adorned In Primeval Seas, where the blast beast by Kyle are accompanied by the massive, thunderous bass lines by Deathbed, generating an imposing wall of sounds perfect for Tyrannic Profanator to growl like a beast. Then Deathbed makes the earth tremble with his beastly bass in Circle Of The Spirit Devourers, a darker tune with hints of Doom Metal added to its core sonority with the wicked roars by Tyrannic Profanator walking hand in hand with the inhumane beats by Kyle, whereas lastly we face more of the demented lyrics growled with tons of anger by Tyrannic Profanator (“Forlorn mistress of the circle embraced spheric daughters / Forlorn queens of suffering screamed at their presence / Forlorn servants are chained below the seas of cavities / Forlorn goddess of grief dances on seven storeyed mountains”) in The Blazing Spheres, while the music remains as hellish, heavy and disturbing as possible until the very last second.

Summoning the Lawless Legions, which is available for a full and detailed listen on YouTube, is indeed a lecture in contemporary Blackened Death Metal by Persecutory while remaining loyal to the foundations of the genre, proving those Turkish metallers are not only extremely talented, but also true servants of the darkest side of music. Hence, in order to show them your support and to join them in their quest for extreme music, go check what they’re up to on Facebook and on Instagram, and purchase a copy of their newborn beast from their own BandCamp page, as well as from the Godz ov War Productions’ BandCamp page or webstore as a CD, a blue cassette or a red cassette. Let’s all toast in honor of Summoning the Lawless Legions and of the seven deadly sins, and rest assured that while Persecutory are among us the fires of evil will keep burning our damned souls to the sound of their infernal music.

Best moments of the album: Thou Abyssic Fire In Rebellion and Adorned In Primeval Seas.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Godz ov War Productions

Track listing
1. As The Serpents Ascend 7:15
2. Thou Abyssic Fire In Rebellion 7:27
3. Adorned In Primeval Seas 7:06
4. Circle Of The Spirit Devourers 8:23
5. The Blazing Spheres 7:40

Band members
Tyrannic Profanator – vocals
Infectious Torment – guitars
Vulgargoat – guitars, backing vocals
Deathbed – bass
Kyle – drums

Album Review – Emasculated Vituperation / Rape Trauma Syndrome (2022)

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Get ready for an explosion of horror and breathtaking savagery made in Taiwan, drenched in the acidic bile of cruelty and drowning in unreasoning hatred.

Lurking in the diseased bowels of humanity since their inception in 2021 in Taiwan, the visceral, unyielding Brutal Death Metal/Deathslam outfit known as Emasculated Vituperation is ready to demolish our senses with their debut opus, entitled Rape Trauma Syndrome, an explosion of horror and breathtaking savagery, one minute dragging you through a charnel pit of rot and decay, the next subjecting you to a frenzied assault of shocking intensity. Drenched in the acidic bile of cruelty and drowning in unreasoning hatred, this is an album for the most desensitized and warped, those fatally addicted to the poisonous adrenaline rush of the brutal outer limits of slamming Death Metal, carefully brought into being by vocalist Larry Wang, guitarist Yuru Wei, bassist Matt Lee and drummer Murray Chen.

Just like the soundtrack to a horrid, gruesome horror movie, the intro Dismembered Flesh Mutilation will send shivers down your spine before Emasculated Vituperation start their inhumane attack with Live Grinding of the Fetus, a massive, truculent Death Metal feast where Larry roars deeply like a creature from the underworld while Murray hammers his drums in great fashion accompanied by the low-tuned, menacing bass by Matt; followed by the title-track Rape Trauma Syndrome, which starts with another movie-inspired intro before the demented guttural by Larry and the incendiary riffage by Yuru pulverize the minds of the lighthearted. There’s no time to breathe as Yuru continues to slash his axe in Forced Swallowing of Vomit, while Murray sounds possessed behind his drum set in a display of Brutal Slamming Death Metal with no shenanigans.

After a quick disturbing excerpt (and it’s even more disturbing if you’re a guy), the quartet will crush your cranial skull mercilessly in Penis Chainsaw Mutilation, where Larry doesn’t sound human at all throughout the entire song, therefore enhancing its violence considerably, whereas Sulfuric Acid Facial Destruction is beyond infernal and demolishing from the very first second. Not only the level of aggression and chaos blasted by the quartet is gargantuan, but guest vocalist Brandon Smith of Agonal Breathing also adds his personal touch of insanity to this Brutal Death Metal onrush for our total delight. Then featuring Xu Zhaiyu and Dongda of The Dark Prison Massacre, Rectal Prolapsing is absolutely disturbing to say the least thanks to the awesome vociferations blasted by all vocalists, while Matt and Murray keep shaking the foundations of earth with their sick kitchen. Finally, their passion for slasher flicks will haunt your damned souls one final time in Unjustified Mistreatment, inspiring us to bang our heads nonstop to the crushing drums by Murray and the always vile riffs by Yuru.

If you think you have the guts to face the pulverizing, perturbing Death Metal crafted by those four sick Taiwanese metallers in Rape Trauma Syndrome, you can stream the album in its entirety on YouTube, but of course if you’re a loyal servant of the most underground form of Death Metal you should definitely purchase the album from the Brutal Mind’s BandCamp page or webstore, as well as from the Fat Tub Of Lard Records’ Big Cartel. In addition, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and other depraved things, keeping the fires of brutal slamming burning and, consequently, inspiring Emasculated Vituperation to continue paving their path of blood, aggressiveness and insanity armed with their wicked and evil music.

Best moments of the album: Live Grinding of the Fetus, Rape Trauma Syndrome and Sulfuric Acid Facial Destruction.

Worst moments of the album: Forced Swallowing of Vomit.

Released in 2022 Brutal Mind/Fat Tub Of Lard Records

Track listing
1. Dismembered Flesh Mutilation (Intro) 2:21
2. Live Grinding of the Fetus 3:02
3. Rape Trauma Syndrome 3:26
4. Forced Swallowing of Vomit 2:16
5. Penis Chainsaw Mutilation 4:05
6. Sulfuric Acid Facial Destruction 2:29
7. Rectal Prolapsing 2:39
8. Unjustified Mistreatment 2:41

Band members
Larry Wang – vocals
Yuru Wei – guitar
Matt Lee – bass
Murray Chen – drums

Guest musicians
Brandon Smith – additional vocals on “Sulfuric Acid Facial Destruction”
Xu Zhaiyu – additional vocals on “Rectal Prolapsing”
Dongda – additional vocals on “Rectal Prolapsing”

Album Review – +MROME+ / Barbaric Values (2022)

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This unrelenting Polish group returns with a new concept album based upon the moral and ethical conflict between socially imposed conditions and primordial nature of man.

Born in 1995, dead in 2002 and evoked in 2009, always focusing on the creative process and concepts behind the music, lyrics and graphics, Andrychów, Poland-based Black/Death Metal studio project +MROME+ is back into the battlefield with a new concept album, entitled Barbaric Values, following up on their 2016 album Noetic Collision on the Roof of Hell and on their 2019 album Leech Ghetto. Displaying a sick artwork by Ataman Tolovy (featuring a trashart sculpture by Krzysztof Kadłubowski), Barbaric Values is based upon the moral and ethical conflict between socially imposed conditions and primordial nature of man, with a distinctive dark and negative vibe being channeled into a new musical direction again by Key V on vocals and guitar, LV’s on bass, and P on drums.

The sinister beats by P ignite the opening tune Heart of Hearts, evolving into an experimental beast by the trio where Key V is on fire with his riffage supported by the metallic bass by LV’s. Put differently, it’s like a heavier version of Mastodon with an European twist, and they keep hammering their sonic weapons mercilessly in Inviting Birds, sounding visceral, raw and electrifying from start to finish with Key V roaring the song’s acid words nonstop, resulting in a solid hybrid of Black, Death and Experimental Metal. Another devilish, somber intro grows in intensity until the gnarls and guitars by Key V penetrate deep inside your psyche in Vexierkasten, with LV’s and P making your head tremble with their infernal kitchen; whereas razor-edged riffs permeate the air in Mama, a galloping tune led by the neck-breaking drums by P exhaling groove, obscurity and obviously metal, inviting us all for a wicked music voyage together with those Polish rockers.

Srebrne szlaki, which features guest vocals by Ataman Tolovy and lyrics taken from Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan (with Polish translation by Anna Warso and Wojciech Góralczyk, Kultura Gniewu 2018), is even more experimental and idiosyncratic than its predecessors, exploding into an evil extravaganza spearheaded by the wicked riffs by Key V, while Penis Fencing carries a weird name for a song that keeps the album at a high level of acidity and dementia, with P dictating the song’s pace together with LV’s and his progressive bass lines. Then futuristic sounds and tones kick off their second to last experiment titled Balance of Power, before the trio comes ripping once again with their Stoner Metal-infused sonority. Moreover, Key V and LV’s are in total and absolute sync until the very last second. Lastly, the trio is ready to surprise us all once again in The Torun Horse, a melancholic instrumental tune that will bring darkness to your damned soul, featuring music based on Béla Tarr’s A torinói ló soundtrack by Mihály Vig.

It’s impressive how +MROME+ are capable of reinventing themselves with each one of their releases without selling out or sounding cheesy at all; quite the contrary, the evolution in their music is a thing of beauty, and Barbaric Values is the perfect depiction of their skills and their passion for heavy music, never afraid of pushing the boundaries and trying new things in their career. Hence, don’t forget to stream all of their creations on Spotify, and to grab your copy of their newest album from BandCamp, from Merch.is or from Apple Music, saying FUCK YOU to messengers of dread and obedience just like the guys from +MROME+ themselves like to do on a daily basis in the name of good and meaningful music.

Best moments of the album: Heart of Hearts, Mama and Srebrne szlaki.

Worst moments of the album: Penis Fencing.

Released in 2022 NRA

Track listing
1. Heart of Hearts 5:04
2. Inviting Birds 5:09
3. Vexierkasten 6:05
4. Mama 5:25
5. Srebrne szlaki 7:23
6. Penis Fencing 5:20
7. Balance of Power 6:12
8. The Torun Horse 6:42

Band members
Key V – vocals, guitar
LV’s – bass
P – drums

Guest musician
Ataman Tolovy – vocals on “Srebrne szlaki”

Album Review – Corpsegrinder / Corpsegrinder (2022)

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Long live the Corpse… GRINDER!

Co-produced by Nick Bellmore (Dee Snider, Toxic Holocaust, Kingdom Of Sorrow) and Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed), and released through Jamey’s new label Perseverance Media Group, Corpsegrinder is the debut solo project by Florida, United States-based unrelenting vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, commonly known as the ruthless frontman for Death Metal behemoths Cannibal Corpse. Featuring the aforementioned Corpsegrinder on vocals, Charlie Bellmore (Dee Snider, Toxic Holocaust) on the guitars and bass, and Nick Bellmore on drums, as well as a special guest appearance by guitarist Erik Rutan (Cannibal Corpse, Hate Eternal), Corpsegrinder offers our avid ears a 10-song effort that is chock-full of Death Metal and Hardcore Thrash, plus Corpsegrinder’s signature guttural vocals. Put differently, if you enjoyed Cannibal Corpse’s 2021 opus Violence Unimagined, you’re in for a treat to the fulminating music found in Corpsegrinder.

Featuring Erik Rutan on the guitars, Acid Vat is a pulverizing Death Metal tune with Groove Metal nuances and gruesome, austere lyrics masterfully barked by Corpsegrinder (“Silence was your promise / Trust was given not earned / No allegiance shown / Not a man of your word / In this game you failed / Where the stakes were your life / Sworn to secrecy until the price was too high”), whereas Charlie begins hammering his guitar and bass in the awesome Bottom Dweller, accompanied by the pounding beats by Nick in another awesome onrush of old school Death Metal that could have easily featured in any of the more recent Cannibal Corpse albums. Nick takes the lead with his stone crusher drums in On Wings of Carnage while Corpsegrinder continues to haunt our damned souls armed with his inhumane guttural growls; and putting the pedal to the metal the trio fires the insane All Souls Get Torn, a Brutal Slammin’ Death Metal feast that will please all diehard fans of Corpsegrinder’s other bands and projects, not to mention how demented the riffs and solos by Charlie sound. Following such high-octane song, the rumbling bass by Charlie will make your head tremble in the devilish tune titled Death Is The Only Key, perfect for breaking your neck headbanging together with Corpsegrinder (but don’t forget to respect the neck, of course).

Their shot at a more modern version of Groove Metal comes in the form of the infernal Crimson Proof, with Corpsegrinder once again barking the song’s grim words (“Bring on the bloodshed / I see from crest to crest / All the dead lay strewn / Countless souls sent to their doom / All I leave is crimson proof”), and you better get ready to be smashed like an insignificant insect by Corpsegrinder and his henchmen in the absolutely acid Devourer Of Souls, exhaling brutality and hatred in the form of Death Metal. Then it’s time for more groove and violence in Defined By Your Demise, with Charlie and Nick being in total sync from start to finish, therefore offering Corpsegrinder a visceral, neck-breaking atmosphere tailored for his trademark growling, followed by Master Of The Longest Night, their second to last blast of animosity and darkness which begins with the razor-edged riffage by Charlie and a deep roar by Corpsegrinder, evolving into a dark, massive Death Metal attack. And last but not least, Corpsegrinder will demolish our senses once again with the short and demonic Vaguely Human, with Nick showing no mercy for his drums while Charlie extracts sheer electricity and fury from his axe.

You can “sit down, relax and enjoy a soothing cup of tea” to the sound of Corpsegrinder’s debut solo effort by streaming it in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you consider yourself a true servant of extreme music you can purchase the album from his own BandCamp page or from the Martyr Hardcore Metal Online Store in different formats such as the CD + sticker + button bundle, the CD + longsleeve shirt bundle, and the cassette + sticker bundle, as well as from Apple Music. So don’t forget to follow Corpsegrinder on Instagram, to keep headbanging to his wicked music, and above all that, do not dare to try to be a “good” guy and disrespect the motherfuckin’ neck, because if you do so you’ll have to deal with the consequences in the hands of Mr. George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, alright?

Best moments of the album: Bottom Dweller, All Souls Get Torn and Crimson Proof.

Worst moments of the album: On Wings of Carnage.

Released in 2022 Perseverance Media Group

Track listing
1. Acid Vat 3:09
2. Bottom Dweller
3. On Wings of Carnage 3:45
4. All Souls Get Torn
5. Death Is The Only Key
6. Crimson Proof
7. Devourer Of Souls
8. Defined By Your Demise
9. Master Of The Longest Night
10. Vaguely Human

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Charlie Bellmore – guitars, bass
Nick Bellmore – drums

Guest musicians
Erik Rutan – guitars on “Acid Vat”

Album Review – Godless Truth / Godless Truth (2022)

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The new album by this ruthless Czech Death Metal horde will bring Armageddon to us all, sounding refreshingly clear while also sounding sufficiently nasty.

Long-running Olomouc, Czech Republic-based Technical Death Metal band Godless Truth might have been around since the early 90’s, but they have definitely gone from strength to strength with each album, imbibing influences that enhance their sound and make them more powerful and effective than ever before. Mixed and mastered by Joe Haley at Crawlspace Productions, displaying a demonic artwork by Marcos Miller at Nauseaimage, and featuring an array of very special (and demolishing) guests, the band’s brand new self-titled album will bring Armageddon to us all, sounding refreshingly clear while also sounding sufficiently nasty, therefore establishing their identity in an overpopulated scene as a band doing it with panache and grit, and being highly recommended for admirers of the infernal sound blasted by bands the likes of Death, Benighted, Decapitated, Atheist and Obscura.

Eerie sounds arise from the underworld in the uncanny intro Wheels of Entity before the band smashes our damned souls with The Decision, featuring a sick guitar solo by guest Rafael Trujillo of Obscura, a pulverizing display of Death Metal that will make your head tremble to the blast beats by Petr Mikeš. Put differently, it’s absolutely infernal from start to finish thanks to the gruesome roars by Adam while Petr Švancara and Ondřej fire sheer animosity from their guitars, flowing into the sinister interlude Glory to Desperation, where the melodic sound of their riffs will mesmerize you before they crush our senses once again with their Technical Death Metal in Scissors, with Jakub and Petr Mikeš showing no mercy for our cranial skulls armed with their insane kitchen, offering Adam all he needs to shine with his deep, venomous guttural. And in Breathe Fire the name of the song matches perfectly with Adam’s flammable vociferations, adding hints of Black Metal to their already savage sonority while his bandmates make sure the music remains as demented as possible until the very last second.

Featuring guest vocalist Petr Angelo Čuka of Dissolution, it’s time for a neck-breaking feast entitled Fortune Time, with Petr Švancara and Ondřej kicking ass with both their sick riffage and piercing solos, inspiring us all to slam into some wild circle pits if played live; whereas Jakub’s rumbling bass ignites the Death Metal onrush named Bred in Greed, accompanied by the rhythmic drums by Petr Mikeš in a great display of dexterity and rage, keeping the album at a humongous level of insanity. Then with Joe Haley of Psycroptic delivering an incendiary guitar solo, Petr Mikeš sounds like a stone crusher from hell in The Eyechain, a song that will please all fans of the most demolishing side of Death Metal hands down, not to mention how visceral the roaring by Adam sounds, and the piano by guest Peter Gábor brings an extra touch of darkness to RIP Cage while Godless Truth simply decimate their devilish instruments, sounding fast and furious just the way we like it with the band’s guitar duo being on fire from start to finish. Finally, vocalist Matt Delirious lends his beastly roars to the band in Wake Up to Obey, ending the album on a dark, groovy and violent note, therefore living up to the legacy of modern-day Technical and Progressive Death Metal.

If you want to know more about the fusion of brutality and melody blasted by Godless Truth, you can start following the band on Facebook and purchase your copy of their insane self-titled beast from their own BandCamp page or from the Transcending Obscurity Records webstore, where you can find a beautiful, natural-textured, green-coloured wooden box set with matte finish that has the band logo laser-engraved on it with the label logo on the back, strictly limited to 65 copies and packed with an 8-panel digipak CD with metallic effect and UV lamination, an autographed card, a green shaped logo patch, an album artwork coaster, a large badge and metallic stickers. In a nutshell, despite being on the road for so long, it’s with their new album that Godless Truth have reached their finest moment, elevating the name of Czech Technical Death Metal to new heights.

Best moments of the album: The Decision, Breathe Fire and The Eyechain.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Wheels of Entity 0:59
2. The Decision 4:22
3. Glory to Desperation 0:44
4. Scissors 3:44
5. Breathe Fire 3:11
6. Fortune Time 4:10
7. Bred in Greed 4:19
8. The Eyechain 3:30
9. RIP Cage 3:49
10. Wake Up to Obey 4:06

Band members
Adam B. Sychrow – vocals
Petr Švancara – guitar
Ondřej Černobila – guitar
Jakub Grunt – bass
Petr Mikeš – drums

Guest musicians
Rafael Trujillo – lead guitar on “The Decision”
Joe Haley – lead guitar on “The Eyechain”
Petr Angelo Čuka – vocals on “Fortune Time”
Peter Gábor – piano on “RIP Cage”
Matt Delirious – vocals on “Wake Up To Obey”

Album Review – Rotten Casket / First Nail in the Casket EP (2022)

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After a long time in peace and silence, this Dutch horde is ready to kill once again armed with a brand new EP of pulverizing Death Metal.

After a long time in peace and silence, the Dutch Death Metal collective that goes by the name of Rotten Casket is lifting the coffin lid and crawling back onto this planet to shed earthy rotten tunes onto mankind with their brand new EP First Nail in the Casket, following up on their 2015 EP’s Simply Rotten Death and Consumed by Filth. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Tom Meier, and displaying a raw, old school artwork by Roberto Toderico, First Nail in the Casket is not only a harbinger for the first full-length album by vocalist Martin van Drunen (Asphyx), guitarists Frank Bergesson and Yorck Segatz (Sodom), bassist Patrick van der Beek (Disabuse, Born Infected), and drummer Stefan “Husky” Hüskens (Asphyx), but also a statement that Rotten Casket are back on track again and ready to kill, paving a pulverizing path ahead of the band.

A demented roar by Martin ignites the Hardcore-infused Death Metal attack entitled Covid-119, with Frank and Yorck showing no mercy four our damned souls with their infernal riffs while Patrick and Stefan keep the atmosphere as dense and obscure as possible with their wicked kitchen. Then adding elements of D-Beast Crust to their already chaotic sonority it’s time for the quintet to pulverize us all in Caskets on Wheels, with their guitars breathing fire while Patrick continues to hammer his bass mercilessly, whereas Bonetomb Residents is another headbanger that will inspire you to slam into the pit while holding a cold beer in a display of traditional Death Metal with an European twist. Not only that, Martin’s raspy, anguished growls add an extra touch of insanity to the overall result for our vulgar delectation. Lastly, get ready for one final explosion of dementia and rage in the form of Death Metal in Coffin Birth, with Martin’s vociferations being in total sync with Frank and Yorck’s evil guitars, sounding evil and dirty from start to finish.

It’s extremely easy to enjoy First Nail in the Casket in its entirety and to show your support to the band by purchasing a copy of the album. Simply go to YouTube and to Spotify for a full stream of the EP, and grab a copy of it from the band’s own BandCamp page, from Lycanthropic Chants as an LP or as a cassette, from Supreme Chaos Records as a CD or as an LP, from Apple Music, or click HERE for multiple ways you can buy the album. Also, let’s show our admiration for Rotten Casket by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, getting to know more about the band, their tour dates and plans for the future. First Nail in the Casket might not exactly be their first nail in the casket, but it’s not their last either, proving those Dutch metallers still have a lot of fuel to burn armed with their undisputed Death Metal.

Best moments of the album: Covid-119 and Caskets on Wheels.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Lycanthropic Chants/Supreme Chaos Records

Track listing
1. Covid-119 6:06
2. Caskets on Wheels 3:54
3. Bonetomb Residents 3:59
4. Coffin Birth 4:24

Band members
Martin van Drunen – vocals
Frank Bergesson – guitars
Yorck Segatz – guitars
Patrick van der Beek – bass
Stefan “Husky” Hüskens – drums

Album Review – Klendathu / Avarist: The Beginning & The End at Once EP (2022)

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A Melbourne, Australia-based Blackened Death Metal entity returns with a new concept EP of one massive 25-minute music journey inspired by the ever-present environmental threat on our planet.

After two years since the release of Ad Nauseam, Melbourne, Australia-based Blackened Death Metal entity Klendathu is back in action with a new EP, entitled Avarist: The Beginning & The End at Once, the culmination of a year of hard work to not only improve on Ad Nauseam but to also create something of substance that the band’s mastermind Scott Masson and other people can be proud of. A concept record of just one song, this 25-minute Dark Metal journey will keep the listener’s attention from start to finish, allowing your mind to create a story inside your head. Featuring Ross Savage on drums, who by the way also produced the album, Avarist: The Beginning & The End at Once is inspired by renowned acts the likes of Behemoth, Machine Head, Gojira and Kataklysm, among others, as well as by the ever-present environmental threat on our planet and the suffering of all the poor animals that we enslave, use and discard without mercy every single day.

Like the soundtrack to a sinister thriller, eerie sounds arise amidst chaos until Scott begins hammering his bass accompanied by one of his trademark anguished roars and the blasting drums by Ross, blending elements from Groove and Industrial Metal into his core sonority. The song’s “second act” showcases a heavier-than-hell riffage by Scott while he keeps screaming manically, not to mention Ross’ beats will put you to headbang like a beast, whereas near the eight-minute mark it’s time for some dark vocalizations by Scott spiced up by his piercing guitar lines, and as the song approaches its twelfth minute it’s time for Scott to put the pedal to the metal and invite us all to crush our heads into the circle pit to the sound of his demented growls and Ross’ infernal drums in a fulminating Death Metal assault with hints of Hardcore for our vulgar delectation. We’re 17 minutes in and the music is only getting more apocalyptical and thunderous, not to mention how impressive it is that Scott’s energy level doesn’t go down not even for a single second. And our one-man metal army keeps roaring and roaring in the most demented way, with his riffs piercing through our minds and souls until the song’s obscure and terrorizing finale.

You can join Scott and his Klendathu in such distinguished, heavy and visceral musical voyage by streaming Avarist: The Beginning & The End at Once in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course by purchasing a copy of the 25-minute EP from Apple Music or from Amazon. When you think of Black and Death Metal, the first thing that comes to your mind is violence, blood and death, but with Klendathu the multi-talented Scott wants to show us all that although death is necessary and a crucial part of our lives it doesn’t have to be part of our eating habits, blending the importance of veganism and vegetarianism into his visceral music. That’s what Klendathu is all about, and that’s how it will always be thanks to the fantastic job done by our unrelenting Australian metaller.

Best moments of the album: The whole song is amazing, but its last part will pulverize your senses mercilessly.

Worst moments of the album: None, of course.

Released in 2022 Independent

Track listing
1. Avarist: The Beginning & The End at Once 25:49

Band members
Scott Masson – vocals, guitars, bass

Guest musician
Ross Savage – drums (session)