Belgium’s own Death Metal trailblazers return with a three-track EP that will take you on a frantic journey through the realms of brutality and violence.
Forged in the fires of Waereghem, a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders, in the distant year of 1995, but currently featuring members from Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States, the unrelenting Brutal Death Metal trailblazers Aborted have just released a pummeling new three-track EP entitled La Grande Mascarade, containing two brand new tracks plus one previously unreleased song from the recording sessions of their 2018 album TerrorVision. Produced, mixed and mastered by Kristian ‘Kohle’ Kohlmannslehner at Kohlekeller Studio and featuring a cadaverous artwork by Mitchell Nolte, La Grande Mascarade will take you on an 11-minute infernal journey through the realms of Death Metal and Grindcore ruled by Aborted, showcasing all the talent and fury exhaled by frontman Sven De Caluwe and his henchmen Harrison Patuto and Ian Jekelis on the guitars, Stefano Franceschini on bass and Ken Bedene on drums, leaving us all eager for more of their extreme sounds in a not-so-distant future.
And otherworldly voices kick off the brutal and visceral opening tune Gloom and the Art of Tribulation, exploding into a feast of modern-day Death Metal infused with Deathcore and Grindcore elements where Sven roars and barks like a true beast while Harrison and Ian are venomous with their riffs. Needless to say, this will undoubtedly be a fantastic addition to their live performances, not to mention the impact of its psychological lyrics on our minds (“Trauma sets in / Mesmerized by the hell I created / Swallowed whole by the darkness that lives within me / Architect of my spiritual undoing / Lover to misery”). Following such beautiful start they offer more of their trademark progressiveness and rage in another grim and cryptic song titled Serpent of Depravity, with Ken’s intricate and fulminating beats being perfectly complemented by the scorching riffs fired by the band’s guitar duo in a hybrid of Groove and Progressive Death Metal. And lastly, we’re treated to Funereal Malediction, a pure, hellish Death Metal and Grindcore devastation where Stefano and Ken make the foundations of the earth tremble with their respective weapons while Sven sounds absolutely berserk and demented on vocals. This amazing composition couldn’t have sounds more infernal than what it already does, with the complexity of their riffage and drums being beyond amazing and, therefore, resulting in a vile conclusion to the album.
This short but very entertaining (and obviously demolishing) display of Brutal Death Metal can be appreciated in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course, as we’re all living through such difficult times, we metalheads must stay together and provide the bands we love our true support by purchasing their music and merch, which in the case of Aborted can be done by clicking HERE or HERE. Also, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram (in case you don’t do that already), letting them know how much you enjoy their sonic devastation and inspiring them to provide us more and more albums and EP’s like La Grande Mascarade, keeping the fires of extreme music burning and, consequently, keeping us all with a huge smile on our faces (and a lot of pain in our necks due to some brutal headbanging).
Best moments of the album: Funereal Malediction.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2020 Century Media Records
Track listing 1. Gloom and the Art of Tribulation 4:38
2. Serpent of Depravity 3:21
3. Funereal Malediction 3:50
Band members Sven De Caluwe – vocals
Harrison Patuto – guitar
Ian Jekelis – guitar
Stefano Franceschini – bass
Ken Bedene – drums
Bang your head to the debut EP by an Australian one-man band with a huge focus on artistic expressionism, animal rights, veganism and the inevitability of the planet’s decline.
The name Klendathu, which means means “triangular” in the Zulu language, is the homeworld of the creatures known as the Arachnids from the 1997 cult movie Starship Troopers, while the expression “ad nauseam” is a Latin term for argument or other discussion that has continued to the point of nausea. However, when you put those two together the result is a Melbourne, Australia-based Blackened Death Metal/Dark Metal one-man project entitled Klendathu, formed in the beginning of 2020 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Scott Masson, the lead singer for Metalcore/Deathcore act He Who Seeks Vengeance and more recently for Death Metal band Apocalyptian, both already reviewed at The Headbanging Moose. With a huge focus on artistic expressionism and with its lyrical content inspired by our ecological footprint, environmental issues, animal rights, veganism and the inevitability of the planet’s decline, the project’s debut EP Ad Nauseam will surely please fans of the music by Behemoth, Gorgoroth, Cannibal Corpse, Sylosis, Six Feet Under and Sepultura, among many others, while at the same time sending a strong message to everyone who still thinks our decaying world is doing just fine.
Scott, who’s by the way a very proud vegan and animal rights activist and environmentalist, has already hinted at that theme in his previous records with He Who Seeks Vengeance (They Will Speak Of The Ghosts That We Became, released in 2019) and Apocalyptian (Citizens Of The Apocalypse, released earlier this year), but it’s with Klendathu that Scott finally has all the freedom to be himself and express how he feels about the current state of things. In addition, just to give you an idea of how personal the album is, everything in the album was recorded by Scott himself, with the exception of the mixing part which was done by an electronic producer named Kibosh, and the final result is indeed very personal, heavy and dark.
An ominous intro grows in intensity until dark and damned sounds invade our senses in Denying The Birth, where Scott fires Doom Metal-inspired riffs and infernal blast beats while screaming like a rabid beast, reminding me of old school Behemoth with some phantasmagorical background elements to add an extra kick to it. Then once again demolishing everything and everyone with his insane beats and riffage, Scott vociferates and barks nonstop in Anger Awakening, presenting hints of the Thrash and Groove Metal by Sepultura from their Roots-era while keeping Klendathu’s core obscurity intact, followed by Bargaining The New Revelation, the most vicious and devastating of all songs, with Scott doing a great job with his harsh roars and thunderous bass and drums, therefore generating a reverberating sound that will crush your skull mercilessly, all spiced up by teen activist Greta Thunberg’s famous one-liner “How dare you!” and other parts of her speech during the UN climate summit in New York on September 23, 2019. After such bold and dense tune, Scott adds nuances of devilish Blackened Doom to his already scorching sonority in The Prelude Depression, where you can easily feel all the anguish and hatred flowing from his demented screams while the song’s keys and piano notes give the overall result a touch of finesse. And last but not least, more groovy and enraged sounds permeate the air in Accepting The End, with Scott going full Death Metal on vocals and firing crisp guitar riffs and solos. Moreover, its modern-day Black Metal-like drums are the ultimate proof that this incendiary song couldn’t have sounded more austere than what it already is.
You can follow Scoot and his very interesting Klendathu on Facebook, showing your appreciation not only for his music but also for his fight for animal rights and his efforts against all environmental issues we’ve been facing in the past few decades, and of course purchase his debut opus Ad Nauseam directly from his BandCamp page, as well as from Apple Music and from Amazon, or stream the EP in full on YouTube and on Spotify. In the end, as long as you bang your head to Klendathu’s flammable music while doing your part in trying to make this world a better place, I’m sure guys like Scott will feel utterly inspired to keep crafting meaningful heavy music for many years to come. That, of course, if the world as we know it doesn’t come to an end first.
Best moments of the album: Bargaining The New Revelation and Accepting The End.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2020 Independent
Track listing 1. Denying The Birth 6:19
2. Anger Awakening 4:52
3. Bargaining The New Revelation 5:27
4. The Prelude Depression 5:52
5. Accepting The End 5:02
Band members Scott Masson – vocals, all instruments
It’s time to listen to what these four (un)dead men from Orlando, Florida have to say in their thrilling new opus.
Three years after the release of the excellent The Sin and the Sentence, the unrelenting Matt Heafy on lead vocals and guitar, Corey Beaulieu on guitar and backing vocals, Paolo Gregoletto on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Alex Bent on drums and percussion, collectively known as Orlando, Florida-based Heavy Metal unity Trivium, return with another round of their always cohesive and breathtaking heavy music in What The Dead Men Say, the ninth studio album and another awesome addition to their undisputed career. Recorded at Studio 606 West in Northridge, Los Angeles, California, engineered, mixed and produced by Josh Wilbur, and mastered by Ted Jensen, What The Dead Men Say brings forward a myriad of styles and sounds that will please fans of all phases of the band, from Melodic Death Metal to Progressive Metal, Black Metal, Thrash Metal and Deathcore. “We’ve found a really great place to exist in this world. We love Melodic Death Metal, we love Death and Black Metal, and we love Hardcore. What the Dead Men Say is everything we do on one record,” commented Matt about their newborn spawn.
Furthermore, like The Sin and the Sentence, the lyrical content on What The Dead Men Say was inspired by modern aspects of life, with the album’s title being taken from a science fiction novella of the same name written by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in Worlds of Tomorrow magazine in June 1964. For instance, “Catastrophist” deals with the theme of humanity in a crisis, “Amongst the Shadows & the Stones” is about the horrors of war, “The Defiant” was inspired by R. Kelly’s documentary and abuse-enabling, “Bending the Arc to Fear” talks about the surveillance aspect of modern society, and so on, with the closing song “The Ones We Leave Behind” being about “running over” people to succeed in life, delivering a powerful message and portraying a whole new meaning in the wake of the 2019–2020 COVID-19 pandemic. With that said, it was more than obvious that the fusion of a precise and powerful music with meaningful lyrics would result in another future classic by Trivium, leaving us eager for more of their always-evolving and never-repetitive music in the years yet to come.
As soon as you hit play, the cinematic instrumental intro IX (a clear reference to the fact that What The Dead Men Say is their ninth full-length album) sets the stage for Matt & Co. to kick some ass with the title-track What the Dead Men Say, where Alex begins crushing his drums with tons of precision and fury accompanied by the scorching riffs by Matt and Corey. Bringing elements from the Progressive and Groove Metal by bands like Lamb Of God added to their core musicality, this is indeed an excellent way to start their new opus, followed by Catastrophist, one of the previously released singles of the album, keeping the groove and electricity flowing from start to finish. Moreover, its razor-edged riffs remind me of some of their compositions from their 2013 album Vengeance Falls, while Paolo makes the earth tremble with his sick bass jabs.
Then it’s time to go absolutely mental to the sound of Amongst the Shadows & the Stones, by far my favorite of all songs, presenting their trademark riffage and solos, intricate beats, tons of breaks and variations and an endless amount of violence in a hybrid of Groove, Heavy and Thrash Metal, with Matt rabidly roaring the song’s lyrics (“Bloodied corpses, broken bones reveal / A throng of clashes crushed, our nightmare sealed / Amongst the shadows and the stones”), whereas the semi-ballad Bleed Into Me, despite the solidness of the instrumental pieces (in special Paolo’s somber bass lines), doesn’t really click and falls flat after a while, but there’s nothing to worry about as this is the only low (or maybe I should say less intense) point of the entire album. And back to their usual high-octane mode the quartet fires the also amazing The Defiant, showcasing Iron Maiden-inspired guitars walking hand in hand with the vicious beats by Alex while at the same time presenting a great balance between Matt’s clean vocals and harsh screams. As a matter of fact, could this be an “alternate” version or a sequel to their classic “The Deceived” due to the sonic similarity between both songs? That’s a question only Matt, Corey, Paolo and Alex can answer, of course.
In the top-of-the-line Sickness Unto You a mellow and melancholic start gradually morphs into a violent metal feast by Trivium, with sheer rage flowing form Matt’s vocals while he and Corey demolish our ears with their razor-edged riffs, both supported by the always thunderous bass by Paolo, whereas Scattering the Ashes can be considered a good example of how diverse their new album is by blending the music from Silence In The Snow with In Waves, once again presenting a solid instrumental and spot-on backing vocals overflowing pure anguish. Then we’re treated to more of their always cryptic lyrics (“A strain of vigilance / Deep roots that all connect / We wait so diligent / Watching you / Watching you”) in Bending the Arc to Fear, starting in a Black and Thrash Metal-ish vibe and sounding perfect for slamming into the pit to the sound of the bestial drums by Alex. On a side note, I personally love the strident and metallic sound of their stringed axes throughout the entire album, enhanced by its crisp and polished overall production. Lastly, closing the album the quartet offers us all the melodic and vibrant The Ones We Left Behind, featuring the rumbling bass by Paolo accompanied by the stunning beats and fills by Alex while Matt and Corey give a lesson in riffs and feeling, concluding the album in a powerful and effective manner.
After listening to What The Dead Men Say in its entirety for a few times, you’ll quickly notice how not only the band’s technique and professionalism, but also their synchronicity, have been growing stronger and stronger through the years, pointing to an even brighter future for Matt and his bandmates in a near future and, therefore, positioning Trivium as one of the driving forces of modern-day metal music, never sounding tiresome nor predictable at all with each one of their releases. Hence, go check what the boys are up to on Facebook and on Instagram (especially because they’re all very active users of most social media platforms), subscribe to their YouTube channel, and above all that, grab your copy of such entertaining album from the Warner Music webstore or click HERE for all locations where you can buy or stream the album (and if you have some extra money go for the Japanese Edition of the album, as it contains two very special acoustic versions for the songs “Bleed Into Me” and “Scattering the Ashes”), raising your horns, banging your head and listening to what the (un)dead men from Trivium have to say through their unparalleled music.
Best moments of the album: Amongst the Shadows & the Stones, The Defiant, Sickness Unto You and The Ones We Left Behind.
Worst moments of the album:Bleed Into Me.
Released in 2020 Roadrunner Records
Track listing 1. IX 1:59
2. What the Dead Men Say 4:45
3. Catastrophist 6:28
4. Amongst the Shadows & the Stones 5:40
5. Bleed Into Me 3:49
6. The Defiant 4:29
7. Sickness Unto You 6:14
8. Scattering the Ashes 3:25
9. Bending the Arc to Fear 4:46
10. The Ones We Left Behind 4:57
Japanese Edition bonus tracks 11. Bleed Into Me (Acoustic version) 3:45
12. Scattering the Ashes (Acoustic version) 3:04
Band members Matt Heafy – lead vocals, guitar
Corey Beaulieu – guitar, backing vocals
Paolo Gregoletto – bass guitar, backing vocals
Alex Bent – drums, percussion
Behold the rise of one of the most promising acts of the current French underground scene armed with their new album of undisputed Deathcore.
Forged in the fires of Lyon, France in 2017, Thrash/Deathcore outfit Prismeria is back in action with their first full-length album Requiem, following up on the very positive feedback received for their debut effort, the 2018 EP Lost Individual Thoughts. Bringing forth a fusion of the different influences of each one of its five members, ranging from Thrash and Death Metal to more modern sounds such as Deathcore, the band comprised of frontman Cyril Weinbrenner, guitarists Benjamin Lamy and Leny Garcia, bassist Alexandre Gros and drummer Nicolas Voydeville put a lot of effort and heart into the creation of Requiem, resulting in nine original and electrifying songs that perfectly represent all the modernity and rage proposed by the band. Produced by Convulsound Productions, Requiem also showcases a crystal clear sound quality which enhances the band’s punch considerably, again proving why they’ve been recruited for so many gigs throughout France since their inception, including opening for renowned acts like Nervosa and Nervecell.
The opening track North is frantic and furious form the very first second, or in other words, a thrashing Deathcore tune where Cyril begins his growling attack accompanied by the bestial beats by Nicolas, resulting in an amazing welcome card by the quintet to newcomers to their metal realm. Then we have Native Spirit and its rebellious lyrics (“Bang your fucking head / The battalion of mad / Crossing the swamp of the fetish / Bringing the cornerstone from the underground / The shrine of their incarnate God, was set… to become”), while Benjamin and Leny bring forward a mix of insanity, melody and industrialized sound through their wicked guitars, followed by The Ceremony, a headbanging, galloping tune by Prismeria where Alexandre adds thunder and groove to the musicality with his metallic bass while Cyril keeps barking and growling like a beast.
Blending their Deathcore essence with Progressive and Groove Metal the band fires the high-octane and violent Irkalla, with its razor-edged guitar riffs walking hand in hand with Nicolas’ blast beats and fills in a lesson in modern metal music; whereas Life is an instrumental extravaganza where the band accelerates the speed and invites us all to slam into the pit together with them, showcasing classic, incendiary riffs that live up to the legacy of Metalcore and also reminding me of the sonority blasted by Danish act Xenoblight. And Nicolas kicks things off in the high-speed Passenger with his insane drums before Benjamin and Leny come crushing our heads with their sick guitars, also presenting groovy passage where we have the pleasure of listening to the band uncompromisingly jamming, while Cyril darkly vociferates the song’s cryptic words (“Born in the nuclear explosion / Raised as nothing from the nothing / Your time here is just a perception / Stand up right now and act like a king”).
Deep Into Dementia sounds and feels like a ritualistic call to arms by Prismeria, displaying a scorching riffage by the band’s guitar duo and of course endless aggressiveness flowing from Cyril’s demented roars in an awesome feast of Metalcore infused with Thrash Metal nuances. After such demolishing song it’s time for Low Hopes of Men, a serene instrumental bridge featuring crisp acoustic guitars setting the stage for The Groovy Snake, even more progressive than its predecessors with both Benjamin and Leny firing sheer dementia through their riffs while Nicolas’ beats bring forward a huge amount of intricacy, ending the album on a dense and visceral way just the way we like it in Thrash, Death and Metalcore.
You can take a full and very detailed listen at Requiem on Spotify, but of course in order to show your support to those French metallers and to properly bang your head to their modern and vibrant Deathcore you should definitely purchase the album from their own BandCamp or Big Cartel, as well as from Amazon. In addition, keep up to date with all things Prismeria by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and by subscribing to their official YouTube channel, witnessing the rise of one of the most promising acts of the current French underground scene, and with Requiem being another solid step forward in their musical journey.
Best moments of the album: North, Irkalla and Passenger.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2020 Independent
Track listing 1. North 4:58
2. Native Spirit 3:19
3. The Ceremony 3:13
4. Irkalla 3:09
5. Life (Instrumental) 3:46
6. Passenger 4:38
7. Deep Into Dementia 3:32
8. Low Hopes of Men (Instrumental) 4:16
9. The Groovy Snake 4:12
Band members
Cyril Weinbrenner – vocals
Benjamin Lamy – guitars
Leny Garcia – guitars
Alexandre Gros – bass
Nicolas Voydeville – drums
A short and pulverizing soundtrack to the apocalypse by a ruthless Death Metal unity from Down Under.
Crafted from a mutual love for Death Metal from the late 90’s and early 2000’s by members of the underground Australian bands He Who Seeks Vengeance, Maleficium, Death Masque and Conscious Control, Melbourne-based three-piece horde Apocalyptian has been working hard since their inception to bring some first-class Old School Death Metal to our avid ear, culminating with the release of their debut EP entitled Citizens Of The Apocalypse now in 2020. Comprised of Scott Masson on vocals (who’s also the lead singer for Metalcore act He Who Seeks Vengeance, whose album They Will Speak Of The Ghosts That We Became was reviewed at The Headbanging Moose in 2019), Allan Butt on the guitars and Jacob Capper on bass, Apocalyptian are ready to pulverize your senses with the 18 minutes of classic Death Metal found in their newborn spawn, being therefore highly recommended for fans of bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, The Black Dahlia Murder, Monstrosity and Suffocation, among countless others.
The Wretchedness Within is raw, vile and berserk from the very first second, with Scott welcoming us all to the world of Apocalyptian with a demented roar before his bandmates start smashing their instruments just the way we like it in classic Death Metal, with nuances of Deathcore added to make it even more electrifying. Then we have Wage War On A Dying Planet, as sick and violent as the opening track, where Allan and Jacob are on absolute fire with their stringed weapons while Scott gets more and more demented on vocals as the music progresses, living up to the legacy of giants like Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet Under, and let’s keep slamming into the circle pit to the sound of Scorched Wasteland, with Allan delivering razor-edged riffs for our total delight while Jacob’s bass punches are in total sync with the song’s insane beats. Needless to say, Scott is once again venomous with his deep guttural barks, which is also the case in the title-track Citizens Of The Apocalypse, as devastating as its predecessors, bringing forward infernal riffs and beats and inspiring us to bang our heads to the vicious riffage by Allan, with Jacob adding an extra touch of heaviness to the music with his low-tuned bass.
If you’re searching for a good (and extremely heavy) soundtrack for the end of days that seem to be approaching us all faster than we could have ever imagined, you should definitely check what Apocalyptian are up to on Facebook and purchase your copy of Citizens Of The Apocalypse (available for a full listen on Spotify, by the way) from the band’s own BandCamp page or from Amazon. Citizens Of The Apocalypse might be short in duration, but it’s indeed a solid and pulverizing album of classic Death Metal thoroughly crafted by three talented musicians from Down Under that points to a great future ahead of them. As long as the apocalypse doesn’t happen in the coming months or years, of course.
Best moments of the album: The Wretchedness Within.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2020 Independent
Track listing
1. The Wretchedness Within 4:40
2. Wage War On A Dying Planet 4:07
3. Scorched Wasteland 5:58
4. Citizens Of The Apocalypse 3:41
Band members
Scott Masson – vocals
Allan Butt – guitars
Jacob Capper – bass
Playing a gritty kind of Melodic Groove Metal, this German squad is ready to put Stuttgart on the world map of modern metal music with their brand new album.
Hailing from the beautiful city of Stuttgart, capital of southwest Germany’s Baden-Württemberg state, Thrash/Groove Metal five-piece act Mindead plays a gritty kind of modern metal music with lots of passion and a unique flavor, having quickly established themselves in the local scene surrounding Ludwigsburg and Stuttgart since their inception in 2001. After the release of their debut EP Still Empty in 2004, followed by their first full-length album Abandon All Hope in 2008 (re-released in 2016, by the way) and more recently their sophomore opus Controlling The Tides in 2015, it’s time for Mindead to strike once again with their third installment, self-titled Mindead, a solid statement showing the band has become aware of their own self and that they are proud of what they currently stand for.
And the band comprised of frontman Timo Fielker, guitarists Pablo Mateo and Chris Lohrmann, bassist Benedikt Wagner and drummer Benjamin Hölle had a strong and clear idea of what they wanted to do in their new album, translating that into nine solid and vibrant compositions where the quintet never repeats themselves. “Let’s do something different, deeper, more intense, heavier. We’ll still sound like us, no matter what others may say,” commented Mindead about what the listener can expect to find in the album, an amalgamation of heavy and melodic styles highly recommended for fans of bands like Slipknot, Lamb Of God, Killswitch Engage, Tool, Machine Head and Deftones, just to name a few.
An atmospheric intro is gradually “invaded” by the classic beats by Benjamin and the crushing riffs by Pablo and Chris in The Edge, evolving into a modern-day Melodic Groove Metal feast and sounding neck-breaking and very harmonious from start to finish; whereas Killing The Flame is as groovy as it can be thanks to the rumbling bass by Benedikt, while frontman Timo alternates between deranged screams and darker, more serene vocals, also bringing elements from more contemporary styles like Metalcore and Deathcore. The band’s electrifying party goes on in One Last Time, presenting a similar sound as the current American metal scene and feeling a lot more introspective and melodic than its predecessors. Moreover, pay attention to the amazing job done by Benedikt with his metallic bass lines, adding more stamina to the overall result.
And the dark clouds from the previous song keep blocking any sunlight in At The Borderline while the band blasts minimalist sounds and a female voice sends an obscure message, before Timo begins roaring with a lot of anguish and rage. In the even more modern and melodic Every Second, Timo sounds absolutely enraged on vocals while the rest of the band keeps the ambience grim and pensive with their razor-edged riffs and rhythmic beats, generating a catchy musicality full of interesting breaks and variations. Then drinking from the same ravenous fountain as Lamb Of God the quintet fires the excellent The Narcissist King, an ass-kicking Groove Metal tune with Timo stealing the spotlight with his growls while Pablo and Chris continue to slash our ears with their riffage.
All That’s Left is a touching and gripping ballad by Mindead where Benjamin adds some punch to the acoustic guitars with his precise beats, while Timo delivers his most passionate vocal performance of the whole album, and distorted lines permeate the air in To Fight A Demon, igniting the most Slipknot-inspired song of the album and presenting classic and heavy-as-hell riffs by the band’s dynamic guitar duo, which provide Timo all he needs to thrive with his Black Metal-ish vocals. Lastly, closing the alum we have the obscure and groovy Tired, where Pablo, Chris and Benedikt sound at the same time aggressive and gentle with their stringed weapons. In my humble opinion, the only issues with this song is that it goes on for a little too long, albeit still dense and entertaining. Moreover, in most versions of the album you’ll also be treated to an acoustic version of All That’s Left, a beautiful rendition of what’s already a damn good song, enhancing the reach and all other details of Timo’s vocals considerably.
In summary, the talented Mindead are more than ready to put their hometown Stuttgart and the entire Germany on the map of modern metal music with their new album, breaking free from the confines of local stardom by effectively blending classic and modern-day elements in their inspiring creations and pointing to a bright future ahead of them. Hence, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook, to subscribe to their YouTube channel, to listen to more of their music on Spotify and, of course, to purchase their self-titled opus from your favorite location by clicking HERE. In case modern and very melodic Groove Metal is your cup of tea, simply give Mindead a chance and you won’t regret at all; quite the contrary, I bet you’ll end up at a concert venue in Stuttgart having a beer and raising your horns to such up-and-coming Teutonic squad.
Best moments of the album:The Edge, The Narcissist King and All That’s Left.
Worst moments of the album:Tired.
Released in 2019 Metalapolis Records
Track listing 1. The Edge 4:30
2. Killing The Flame 3:48
3. One Last Time 5:25
4. At The Borderline 4:37
5. Every Second 3:53
6. The Narcissist King 3:44
7. All That’s Left 3:13
8. To Fight A Demon 5:26
9. Tired 6:07
10. All That’s Left (Acoustic) (Hidden track) 3:06
Band members Timo Fielker – vocals
Pablo Mateo – guitar
Chris Lohrmann – guitar
Benedikt Wagner – bass
Benjamin Hölle – drums
I can’t describe in words how happy I am whenever a metal concert is scheduled for a Friday or Saturday night in Toronto, especially when the music in question is old school Death Metal. I mean, we need at least one full day to recover from all the insanity going on in the circle pits, right? And that’s probably why all fans at The Opera House this Friday, November 15 went the extra mile in terms of energy, rage and madness, slamming like it was their last night on earth to the sound of Perdition Temple, Thy Art Is Murder and my favorite Death Metal band of all time, the almighty Cannibal Corpse, pulverizing everything and everyone that crossed their path on a cold but fantastic night in Toronto.
It took forever for the concerts to start, probably because of the huge line that was formed at the door, with security even doing the checks while people were still in line and not right at the entrance. That was an indication that The Opera House was going to be jam packed (and it actually was), and after tons of non-metal songs played by the house DJ for a reason beyond my understanding (well, at least when he played Toto’s classic Africa some metalheads had a good time singing it), the first attraction of the night, Tampa, Florida-based Black/Death Metal horde PERDITION TEMPLE, finally hit the stage and began their short but solid setlist. Formed in 2009 by guitarist Gene Palubicki (from old school cult act Angelcorpse), the trio comprised of Gene together with bassist and vocalist Alex Blume and drummer Ronnie Parmer played a well-balanced setlist including songs from all of their releases, with songs like To Bleed at War, The Tempter’s Victorious and Goddess in Death already igniting some decent circle pits in the floor section. I personally enjoyed their performance a lot, and if you’re curious to know how the music by those Ameircan metallers sounds, simply check their official BandCamp page and, who knows, you might end up adding one of their albums to your devilish collection.
Setlist The Tempter’s Victorious
Plague Camp
Testament to Annihilation
To Bleed at War
Goddess In Death
Band members Alex Blume – vocals, bass
Gene Palubicki – guitars, vocals
Ronnie Parmer – drums
After a short break where most fans went either to the bar to grab some cold beer or to the bathroom to make room for more beer, it was time for Sydney, Australia-based Deathcore outfit THY ART IS MURDER to show Toronto what they got, giving a lesson in slamming with their heavy-as-hell and politicized compositions. Comprised of vocalist Chris “CJ” McMahon, guitarists Sean Delander and Andy Marsh, bassist Kevin Butler and drummer Jesse Beahler, this excellent Deathcore unity from Down Under blasted a demolishing setlist including songs from their newest album Human Target, such as Make America Hate Again and New Gods, which by the way I thought sounded amazing live, with older hits like Reign of Darkness, Fur and Claw and Puppet Master, driving the fans nuts while crushing their skulls inside the humongous mosh pit that dominated the entire floor section as soon as the band began their show. I must say CJ McMahon is not only an extremely talented vocalist, delivering his trademark deep, guttural growls and his inhuman screeches, but he’s also a very charismatic and humble guy, making it visible to everyone at the venue how happy and impressed he was with the reception by his Torontonians fans. After all was said and done, I was able to confirm Thy Art Is Murder is indeed one of the best bands hailing from the current metal scene in Australia, both in studio and when on stage, and after witnessing them live for the first time ever I can’t wait to see when those guys will get back to Toronto for another round of their unrelenting Deathcore.
Setlist Death Squad Anthem
Make America Hate Again
Fur and Claw
Slaves Beyond Death
Holy War
No Absolution
Human Target
The Son of Misery
New Gods
Reign of Darkness
Puppet Master
Band members Chris “CJ” McMahon – vocals
Andy Marsh – lead guitar
Sean Delander – rhythm guitar
Kevin Butler – bass
Jesse Beahler – drums
The wait for the one and only Death Metal institution CANNIBAL CORPSE was finally over when it was getting close to 9:30pm, and from the very first note of the opening track Code of the Slashers, from their latest opus Red Before Black, released in 2017, until the closing moments from their gruesome all-time classic Hammer Smashed Face, it was pure Armageddon in the form of ass-kicking Death Metal. The unstoppable vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher (I still don’t know how he can headbang like a beast for so long), guitarists Rob Barret and Erik Rutan (the lead singer and guitarist for Hate Eternal who is filling in on guitar during this tour due to the arrest of guitarist Pat O’Brien), the phenomenal bassist Alex Webster, and the precise drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz set The Opera House on fire with their visceral and absolutely perfect Death Metal, playing “horror classics” from almost all of their albums (which you can find on sale from their own BandCamp page), including my favorite Cannibal Corpse song of all time, Devoured by Vermin, from their 1996 album Vile, and the sensational Kill or Become, from their 2014 album A Skeletal Domain, where you could see several fans “firing up their chainsaws” together with Corpsegrinder. It was so insane I could barely take my phone out for some decent pictures.
Every single time I watch Alex Webster live I get more and more impressed with his technique, feeling and groove, proving why he’s in my opinion the best extreme music bassist of all time. As a matter of fact, how many Death, Thrash and Black Metal bands have bassists that you can actually listen to in detail while performing live? Not only that, but the band’s setlist was also impressive as already mentioned, and that’s probably one of the reasons why Alex and the guys were so brutal and awesome on stage this Friday. Songs like Red Before Black, Gutted, Make Them Suffer and Stripped, Raped and Strangled were the catalyst of some of the most demented circle pits you can imagine, while Scourge of Iron and the demonic Evisceration Plague were perfect for breaking our necks headbanging like maniacs. Another thing that was really entertaining during the band’s flawless performance were all the jokes by Corpsegrinder, showing that behind that brutal headbanging beast there’s a very kind and fun guy. When he offered “NOTHING” from the bottom of his heart to the fans we could see how excited he was with the warm and violent reception from the crowd. And what to say about his personal intro in I Cum Blood, where he dared the fans to try to headbang like him (and, of course, we would all fail miserably in his own words)? That’s what I call a frontman, my friends, never letting the energy go down and always reminding us why the band has been on the road alive and kicking since 1988. When the show was over, you could see many, many fans dripping wet of their own (and others’) sweat and beer leaving the venue without a jacket when the temperature was around -5oC, mostly due to the adrenaline still flowing through their veins, and you know what? That’s when you know there was a damn good Death Metal night in Toronto, obviously spearheaded by our beloved Cannibal Fuckin’ Corpse.
Setlist Code of the Slashers
Only One Will Die
Red Before Black
Scourge of Iron
Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead
The Wretched Spawn
Devoured by Vermin
Unleashing the Bloodthirsty
Gutted
Kill or Become
A Skull Full of Maggots
Evisceration Plague
Firestorm Vengeance
Death Walking Terror
I Cum Blood
Make Them Suffer
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face
Band members George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Erik Rutan – lead guitar
Rob Barrett – rhythm guitar
Alex Webster – bass
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums
Charlotte, North Carolina’s own Metalcore institution returns with a venomous new EP, sounding as heavy, acid and violent as usual.
Owners of the best EP of 2018 as per our humble Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2018 with their amazing release Come, Heavy Breath, Charlotte, North Carolina-based Metalcore unity Violent Life Violent Death is back in action this year with another heavy-as-hell EP entitled Sadness Rains, highly recommended for admirers of the music by Every Time I Die, Zao and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Furthermore, if there’s one thing that really helps Violent Life Violent Death sound so cohesive from one release to another is their immaculate lineup, still formed by Scott Cowan on vocals, Joseph Benham and Joey Park on the guitars, Justin Campbell on bass and David Holquin on drums, building a solid and interesting connection between albums.
A cinematic intro morphs into the band’s characteristic austere sonority in Choke, with Scott firing his infernal gnarls manically while the rest of the band blasts sheer obscurity and hatred through their instruments, not to mention how Joseph and Joey will pierce your skin deep with their riffs. And it looks like Violent Life Violent Death decided to venture through much darker paths in their new EP, as Love In Violet begins in a mournful, somber way before exploding into high-octane Metalcore led by David’s frantic beats and fills, sounding as sharp and visceral as it can be; followed by the title-track Sadness Rains, another bestial display of modern-day Metalcore and Deathcore that will inspire you to slam into the pit, with Justin’s bass and David’s drums generating a rumbling ambience perfect for Scott to roar like a demonic entity. In Hissing Tongue the band sounds even faster and more demented, with the stringed trio Joseph, Joey and Justin being on absolute fire throughout the entire song, providing Scott all he needs to thrive with his evil vociferations and, therefore, resulting in what’s my favorite of the five songs. And last but not least, Pray concludes the EP with huge dosages of brutality, rage and darkness, with Justin extracting tons of groove form his bass while Joseph and joey fire crystalline but utterly venomous riffs from their axes.
In a nutshell, Sadness Rains, available for a full listen on Spotify, might not be as impactful as Come, Heavy Breath, but it’s just as heavy, vile and aggressive, keeping the band’s core essence burning bright and pointing to a healthy future for this American band that’s already more than just a promise. Having said that, what are you waiting for to follow them on Facebook, subscribe to their YouTube channel and grab your copy of Sadness Rains from their Big Cartel page or from the Innerstrength Records’ BandCamp page, as well as from Apple Music or from Amazon (or simply click HERE for a list of all places where Sadness Rains is available)? Now after a trilogy of ass-kicking EP’s by Violent Life Violent Death it’s time for those talented metallers to release a full-length opus to blow our minds with their rage and electricity, don’t you agree?
Best moments of the album:Love In Violet and Hissing Tongue.
A high-octane fusion of classic Metalcore with Hardcore, Deathcore, Death and Thrash Metal made in Australia, inspired by the biggest names of the current rock and metal scene.
Highly inspired by some of the biggest names of the modern rock and metal scene such as As I Lay Dying, Of Mice & Men, Parkway Drive, Bring Me The Horizon, Thy Art Murder and Trivium, Australian Metalcore outfit He Who Seeks Vengeance is unleashing upon humanity their debut full-length album beautifully entitled They Will Speak Of The Ghosts That We Became, blasting a high-octane fusion of classic Metalcore with Hardcore, Deathcore, Death and Thrash Metal for the masses. Formed in 2016 in Frankston, a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, the band comprised of lead singer Scott Masson, guitarist Kye Bradbury-Flint, bassist Joel Petry and drummer Adam Vousden sounds a lot more cohesive, polished and focused in their new album than in their 2017 debut EP The Kid’s Got Alligator Blood, proving the quartet is on the right path in their promising career and explaining why they’ve already become a reference in the underground scene in their homeland.
Distorted sounds and crushing beats invade our ears in Death Mountain before Scott begins roaring deeply for our total delight in a feast of fast, furious and vicious Metalcore infused with classic Death Metal elements, or in other words, an ass-kicking welcome card by the quartet. And keep banging your heads to the band’s demolishing sound in I Know You’re out There, Demon, where we’re able to enjoy the first stint of clean vocals of the album while Kye showcases his refined guitar skills, adding a lot of groove and electricity to their musicality; whereas Screw Feet presents a rumbling sonority led by Joel’s bass jabs and Adam’s vile beats. Furthermore, this is the type of modern metal music I enjoy a lot, being violent, melodic and progressive all at once, not to mention the incendiary riffs fired by Kye from start to finish. Slowing down and getting more obscure, Ghosts brings forward a solid instrumental that lacks the same energy and impact from the previous songs, despite the great job done by Scott with both his growls and clean vocals, followed by Nothing Lasts Forever, where an enraged intro explodes into a fusion of Metalcore with Groove Metal and Deathcore and with Joel’s thunderous bass powerfully complementing the song’s crisp, razor-edged guitar riffs.
Interminable displays a more melodic and less aggressive side of the band led by the metallic, low-tuned bass by Joel, while Scott declaims the song’s lyrics in a Punk-ish/Hardcore-inspired way, sounding perfect for fans of this less bestial side of Metalcore. Then the flammable guitar lines by Kye ignite the also groovy and rhythmic Money Is God, where Scott sounds truly deranged and insane and with Adam pounding his drums just the way we like it in modern-day metal, before the band blasts a rebellious circle pit-generator spearheaded by Adam and Kye titled Mark Me with an X, with both being armed to the teeth with their respective instruments. Needless to say, it should work really well if played live, with the deep guttural roars by Scott being the icing on the cake. In Strychnine the band sounds as modern and metallic as they can be, especially Adam with his crushing beats and fills, also showcasing the band’s trademark neck-breaking rhythm and pace in a solid display of what contemporary Metalcore truly means, while in 80-20, a song tailored for being played live at rock and metal festivals, we’re all invited to jump up and down with He Who Seeks Vengeance, presenting a blazing main riff that will rip your spinal cord out, unstoppable drums and endless stamina.
Once again bringing hints of classic Death Metal and even some Thrash Metal influences to their core sonority, the band offers us Shrapnel, alternating between groovier, more melodic moments and sheer insanity. Moreover, Scott doesn’t stop screaming and roaring, bursting his lungs with his deep guttural lines. Into the Shape of a Heart keeps the album at a high level of adrenaline (which by the way is kind of a tough job as we’re talking about fifteen songs in total), bringing to our ears a great riffage delivered by Kye while Joel continues to hammer his bass mercilessly, followed by Defeatist, offering the listener a more rumbling, dense sonority infused with Djent and Hardcore nuances while its guitar riffs are in total sync with the sound of drums, generating a vibrant atmosphere perfect for Scott’s sick vociferations. Lastly, closing the album we have two very distinct songs, starting with This Is My Day, which despite not being a bad song is slightly generic if compared to the rest of the album, albeit still presenting the band’s characteristic style and vibe and with Adam delivering another great performance on drums, while Blackwater is a very unique, dark and pensive ballad, not as devastating as their usual sound but, in the end, it works extremely well, closing the album on a somber note as if it is some sort of “aftermath”.
What are you waiting for to show your support to this talented four-piece act from Down Under? Go check what they’re up to on Facebook, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and purchase your copy of They Will Speak Of The Ghosts That We Became (available for a full listen on Spotify) by clicking HERE or from CD Baby. Those guys definitely want to put Australia on the map of contemporary Metalcore and Hardcore, and based on the high quality of the music found in their brand new album there’s no doubt they will succeed, which means we can expect to hear more from He Who Seeks Vengeance in a not-so-distant future.
Best moments of the album:Death Mountain, Screw Feet, 80-20 and Shrapnel.
Worst moments of the album:Ghosts and This Is My Day.
Released in 2019 Independent
Track listing 1. Death Mountain 3:33
2. I Know You’re out There, Demon 4:08
3. Screw Feet 4:36
4. Ghosts 5:12
5. Nothing Lasts Forever 4:30
6. Interminable 5:43
7. Money Is God 3:30
8. Mark Me with an X 4:24
9. Strychnine 4:51
10. 80-20 4:40
11. Shrapnel 3:51
12. Into the Shape of a Heart 3:50
13. Defeatist 3:31
14. This Is My Day 4:04
15. Blackwater 4:27
Band members Scott Masson – vocals
Kye Bradbury-Flint – guitar
Joel Petry – bass
Adam Vousden – drums
A travel to the year of 1799 in Italy, where an elite group of rich and evil people founded a secret society called “The First Order”, in the form of incendiary Post-Hardcore and Djent.
From Post-Hardcore to Djent, including elements from Melodic Metalcore, Alternative Metal and Deathcore, to name a few, the Ancona, Italy-based band comprised of Andrea Pali on vocals, Valerio Quirini on lead guitar, Daniele Monaldi on the guitar, Diego Nardelli on bass and Enrico Rivetti on drums, collectively known as Sharks In Your Mouth, has never stopped improving their sound and style since their inception in 2010, always in pursuit of the “ultimate sound”. Now in 2019 the band returns with another round of heavy and melodic sounds with their sophomore album Sacrilegious, a follow-up to their 2016 debut opus Promises. Not only that, the album also narrates what the band calls “The Covenant” saga, bringing additional layers to their already dense and aggressive music.
Engineered by Federico Ascari and Sharks In Your Mouth, reamped, mixed and mastered by Federico Ascari at Wavemotion Recordings, and featuring a stylish artwork by Mattia Castiglia, Sacrilegious takes us to the year of 1799 in Italy, where an elite group of rich and evil people founded a secret society called “The First Order”, possessing an ancient magical book that must be burned to avoid letting them dictate the social and moral laws of the future. A young boy gets caught up in one of their rituals and “The Order” kills him, but not before painting some “black tears” on his face as their tradition. From that you can already have a very good idea of how obscure their lyrics are, which together with the thunderous sounds blasted by their guitars, bass and drums generate a dark and enfolding atmosphere that will please all fans of the genre.
The cinematic intro Black Tears opens the gates of the underworld to the violent The Covenant, where Andrea begins roaring rabidly just the way we like it in Metalcore and Deathcore while Enrico makes sure our heads don’t stop trembling with his beats, resulting in a beyond amazing start to the album. Then Valerio and Daniele shred their axes mercilessly while Diego exhales rage from his metallic bass in the title-track Sacrilegious, presenting acid lyrics that match perfectly with the music (“What we did is sacrilegious / We’ve been fighting against the odds / What we did is sacrilegious / But we had to burn that book / They will give to this world their idols and the illusion of choice / Illusion of choice / Impostors, who will rise and who will fall? / The Order is born”); and featuring guest musician Daniele Gottardo, who adds his personal touch of evil to the song with a sick guitar solo, we have another bestial Deathcore tune named Dethroned. Furthermore, it’s impressive how somber those guys can sound while at the same time being extremely melodic, with Diego and Enrico never stopping extracting low-tuned, thunderous roars from their instruments while Andrea alternates between clean vocals and demented screams.
In Sinner, an acoustic intro morphs into a crushing Symphonic Metalcore hymn led by Andrea while Diego smashes his bass chords manically, with all symphonic background elements adding a good amount of finesse to the sonority and also sounding very progressive at times, whereas R.I.P., one of the darkest songs of the album, showcases a focused and demonic duo on the guitars, supported by Enrico’s intricate drums and a berserk Andrea on vocals, and also presenting some creepy, obscure passages to give the whole song an extra infernal kick. Keep banging your head and slamming into the pit to the pulverizing As Above So Below, where you will feel Diego’s bass rumbling at the back of your head, providing the listener a fresh and vibrant fusion of more melodic lines and sheer aggression, and venturing through more modernized and radio-friendly lands, the band offers us the fast-paced This Is Gonna Hurt, incorporating elements from Alternative Metal and Rock to their more vicious style.
If Limp Bizkit suddenly turned into a heavier band, Fear Me, Feed Me is how they would sound, with its instrumental pieces being pretty solid as well as Andrea’s growls, bringing tons of rage and progressiveness for our avid ears, although his rap-like vocals don’t work as expected. Keeping their aggressiveness and dementia at a high level, the quintet fires the Melodic Metalcore tune Marked, bringing forward sick, distorted riffs by Valerio and Daniele, not to mention Enrico’s bestial drumming, while Curtain is a short and sweet piano bridge to the epic and visceral Fall (The Covenant Part II), an imposing tune where all rage flowing from drums is complemented by flammable riffs and bass punches while Andrea darkly declaims the song’s poetic lyrics (“I still hear their cry for help / While I paint my black tears on my face / Shadows in the night, trying to resist / Hunted from the ancient creed / All is lost, erased from reality / Paint your black tears / Paint your black tears”).
If you nurture a deep passion for Hardcore, Metalcore and Djent, and if you are constantly searching for new names in the market that can offer you something more than just well-crafted heavy music, you must give Sharks In Your Mouth a chance without a shadow of a doubt. Not only those guys master their instruments, but as already mentioned the theme found in Sacrilegious (available in full on Spotify) is way more flavorful and interesting than your average bands out there. Hence, don’t forget to show your support to those Italian metallers by following them on Facebook, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, and of course by purchasing Sacrilegious from their official webstore or from several other locations like Apple Music and Amazon by clicking HERE, consequently joining the band’s army known as “Covenants” and banging your head like a beast to some high-end Djent made in Italy.
Best moments of the album:The Covenant, Sacrilegious and R.I.P.
Worst moments of the album:Fear Me, Feed Me.
Released in 2019 Independent
Track listing 1. Black Tears 1:04
2. The Covenant 4:39
3. Sacrilegious 4:12
4. Dethroned (feat. Daniele Gottardo) 4:03
5. Sinner 3:29
6. R.I.P. 3:23
7. As Above So Below 4:08
8. This Is Gonna Hurt 3:43
9. Fear Me, Feed Me 3:43
10. Marked 4:36
11. Curtain 0:23
12. Fall (The Covenant Part II) 4:40
Band members Andrea Pali – vocals
Valerio Quirini – lead guitar
Daniele Monaldi – guitar
Diego Nardelli – bass
Enrico Rivetti – drums
Guest musician Daniele Gottardo – guitar solo on “Dethroned”
Forged in the fires of Waereghem, a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders, in the distant year of 1995, but currently featuring members from Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States, the unrelenting Brutal Death Metal trailblazers Aborted have just released a pummeling new three-track EP entitled La Grande Mascarade, containing two brand new tracks plus one previously unreleased song from the recording sessions of their 2018 album TerrorVision. Produced, mixed and mastered by Kristian ‘Kohle’ Kohlmannslehner at Kohlekeller Studio and featuring a cadaverous artwork by Mitchell Nolte, La Grande Mascarade will take you on an 11-minute infernal journey through the realms of Death Metal and Grindcore ruled by Aborted, showcasing all the talent and fury exhaled by frontman Sven De Caluwe and his henchmen Harrison Patuto and Ian Jekelis on the guitars, Stefano Franceschini on bass and Ken Bedene on drums, leaving us all eager for more of their extreme sounds in a not-so-distant future.
This short but very entertaining (and obviously demolishing) display of Brutal Death Metal can be appreciated in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course, as we’re all living through such difficult times, we metalheads must stay together and provide the bands we love our true support by purchasing their music and merch, which in the case of Aborted can be done by clicking HERE or HERE. Also, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram (in case you don’t do that already), letting them know how much you enjoy their sonic devastation and inspiring them to provide us more and more albums and EP’s like La Grande Mascarade, keeping the fires of extreme music burning and, consequently, keeping us all with a huge smile on our faces (and a lot of pain in our necks due to some brutal headbanging).
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 