Tag Archives: experimental death metal

Album Review – Replicant / Infinite Mortality (2024)

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A New Jersey-based Technical/Avantgarde Death Metal outfit takes things further still armed with their dissonant and impactful third full-length offering.

After having smashed prevailing standards for the style with their unique approach on their highly lauded 2021 album Malignant Reality, New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Technical/Avantgarde Death Metal outfit Replicant takes things further still with their new full length, entitled Infinite Mortality, finding ways to make their music even more convoluted and impactful while retaining their trademark dissonant and catchy sound. Mixed and mastered by AJ Viana at AJ Viana Productions, and displaying a sensational artwork by Alli Tuttle, the new album by Mike Gonçalves on vocals, bass and guitars, Pete Lloyd on guitars, synths and high-frequency transmissions, and Itay Keren on guitars, vocals and void channels, supported by session drummer James Applegate, is a must-listen for fans of Norse, Resin Tomb, Ulcerate and Terra Builder, among others, setting new standards for others yet again, giving more than what could be expected from Replicant having already established their identity.

Dirty, visceral riffs kick off the six-minute dissonant feast titled Acid Mirror, with James sounding like a stone crusher on drums, therefore offering Mike all he needs to roar like a mad entity in a very technical yet experimental and obscure aria. Their experimentations and eerie noises continue to pierce our minds in Shrine to the Incomprehensible, where the guitars by Mike, Pete and Itay once again bring forward a mechanized, wicked vibe to the music, not to mention the metallic bass by Mike, resulting in a lecture in Dissonant Death Metal; and the band shows no mercy four our damned souls in Orgasm of Bereavement, offering an overdose of heaviness, insanity and complexity where James once again blasts his drums in great fashion supported by the thunderous bass by Mike, albeit a little less detailed than the other songs. After that, Reciprocal Abandonment offers us all an amazing fusion of Technical Death Metal with more modern, avantgarde and groovy sounds, with the band again exploding our senses with their electrifying, demented riffs and Mike’s trademark brutal vocals.

Then ethereal, otherworldly sounds permeate the air in the interlude SCN9A before the band comes crushing our souls one more time with the infuriated tune Pain Enduring, where all band members are on absolute fire, blasting an amalgamation of harsh and intricate sounds tailored for lovers of the genre. Moreover, their guitars match perfectly with the fury delivered by James on drums, resulting in one of the strongest songs of the album; whereas Nekrotunnel presents nuances of the old school Death Metal crafted by Cannibal Corpse, which adds endless savagery and gore to the band’s trademark demented music while also showcasing rumbling, pulverizing sounds flowing from their guitars and bass. Then we face Dwelling on the Threshold, the shortest of all songs (excluding of course the interlude), perfect for banging our heads nonstop like savages while Mike keeps roaring and vociferating rabidly and the music remains as dense and disturbing as possible. Lastly, one final onrush of vile Death Metal, high-frequency sounds, wicked passages and the always massive drums by James is offered to us all in Planet of Skin, a full-bodied, utterly enfolding creation by Replicant, putting a beyond dissonant and vibrant ending to the multi-layered Infinite Mortality.

You can show your support to those amazing musicians by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their music on Spotify, and of course by purchasing your favorite version of Infinite Mortality from the band’s own website, from their BandCamp page, or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ regional webstores by clicking HERE, HERE or HERE, including the wooden CD box, the wooden LP box, the regular LP, the digipak CD, and the full body print cassette, as well as some amazing combos with albums form other bands like Maere and Resin Tomb, and you can also click HERE for all things Replicant. Infinite Mortality is dissonant yet melodic, obscure yet visceral, and old school yet innovative, turning it into a must-have for admirers of the most experimental and unique side of extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Shrine to the Incomprehensible, Pain Enduring and Planet of Skin.

Worst moments of the album: Orgasm of Bereavement.

Released in 2024 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Acid Mirror 6:37
2. Shrine to the Incomprehensible 5:58
3. Orgasm of Bereavement 3:31
4. Reciprocal Abandonment 6:03
5. SCN9A 1:00
6. Pain Enduring 4:50
7. Nekrotunnel 4:07
8. Dwelling on the Threshold 2:48
9. Planet of Skin 9:10

Band members
Mike Gonçalves – vocals, bass, guitars
Pete Lloyd – guitars, synths, high-frequency transmissions
Itay Keren – guitars, vocals, void channels

Guest musician
James Applegate – drums (session)

Album Review – Resin Tomb / Cerebral Purgatory (2024)

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A remarkably cohesive mix of Dissonant Death Metal, gravelly Grindcore and somehow even thick Blackened Sludge crafted by an up-and-coming squad from Down Under.

After releasing their 2020 self-titled debut EP followed by their 2022 EP Unconsecrated // Ascendancy, Brisbane, Australia-based Sludge/Death Metal band Resin Tomb has perfected their sound for their highly awaited debut full-length album, entitled Cerebral Purgatory, and it’s everything you’ve come to expect from them and more. Recorded and mixed by the band’s own Brendan Auld at Black Blood Audio, mastered by Arthur Rizk, and displaying a fantastic artwork by Mitchell Nolte (who’s by the way responsible for all cover arts for Baest and Werewolves), with layout and graphic design by Mitch Long, the new album by vocalist Matt Budge (Consumed), guitarists Brendan Auld (Descent, Feculent) and Matt Gordon, bassist Mitch Long (Consumed), and drummer Perry Vedelago (Siberian Hell Sounds) is highly recommended for fans of Terra Builder, Replicant, and Vermin Womb, just to name a few, offering our avid ears a remarkably cohesive mix of Dissonant Death Metal, gravelly Grindcore and somehow even thick Blackened Sludge.

The opening tune Dysphoria is absolutely devastating and infernal, not recommended for the lighthearted, with Mitch and Perry generating a venomous wall of sounds with their respective bass and drums; and featuring additional vocals by guest Scott Tabone (Burial Pit), Resin Tomb show no mercy for our damned souls in Flesh Brick, a dissonant, violent onrush of Sludge and Death Metal with hints of Grindcore where the guitars by Brendan and Matt will darkly pierce your mind. Then the metallic, sulfurous bass jabs by Mitch will smash your skull in Scalded, a lecture in brutality and insanity by Resin Tomb that should sound amazing if played live on their shows, whereas the title-track Cerebral Purgatory is another heavy bass-infused tune by the band, with the guitars by Brendan and Matt once again cutting our skin deep (albeit a bit too repetitive).

It’s then time for a dark and sinister composition titled Human Confetti, offering the band’s dissonant sounds while Matt vociferates rabidly until the very last second. Needless to say, this song will darken your thoughts without a shadow of a doubt, followed by Purge Fluid, a disruptive, groovy and melodic chant where their guitars and bass sound absolutely heavy and evil, while Perry keeps hammering his drums in a fusion of classic Death Metal and Experimental Death Metal. Their second to last explosion of madness and heaviness is offered to us all under the name of Concrete Crypt, one of the most devastating songs of the album, if not the most, thanks to the visceral screams by Matt and the always thunderous drums by Perry, flowing into the closing extravaganza titled Putrescence, demolishing everything and everyone that’s still standing after all the violence presented in the album, also showcasing an amazing guitar job done by the band’s axe duo as usual.

If high-quality Death Metal is your cup of tea, then you must spend some time Down Under to enjoy the pulverizing new album by Resin Tomb, which is available for purchase from the band’s own BandCamp page of from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp page or webstore as a digipak CD, a gatefold LP, a cassette, or a special CD + shirt combo. Furthermore, don’t forget to also give the guys from Resin Tomb a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream all of their sick creations on Spotify, or simply click HERE for all things Resin Tomb. Cerebral Purgatory is an untamed, noisy beast of death, sludge and doom, positioning the band as one of the must-see acts of the year hands down, consequently leaving us eager for more of their wicked sounds in the coming years.

Best moments of the album: Flesh Brick, Scalded and Concrete Crypt.

Worst moments of the album: Cerebral Purgatory.

Released in 2024 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Dysphoria 2:39
2. Flesh Brick 3:09
3. Scalded 4:20
4. Cerebral Purgatory 4:20
5. Human Confetti 4:20
6. Purge Fluid 3:06
7. Concrete Crypt 2:46
8. Putrescence 4:20

Band members
Matt Budge – vocals
Brendan Auld – guitar
Matt Gordon – guitar
Mitch Long – bass
Perry Vedelago – drums

Guest musician
Scott Tabone – additional vocals on “Flesh Brick”

Album Review – Fathomless Ritual / Hymns For The Lesser Gods (2024)

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Behold this one-man project from Canada and his striking debut opus, offering us all a technical and brutal form of Death Metal for sacrifices and caverns fully dedicated to the prehistoric gods.

With manic glee, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada-based Technical/Brutal Death/Doom Metal creature Fathomless Ritual recreates the maddening, unhinged kind of Death Metal created by the likes of Demilich, Chthe’ilist, Dead and Dripping, and Mortiferum, among others, and give its own ugly, grime-ridden twist to it, which is exactly what you’re going to get in the project’s debut opus Hymns For The Lesser Gods. Displaying a stunning artwork and gouache paintings by renowned Brazilian artist Marcio Blasphemator, Hymns For The Lesser Gods offers a darker, murkier, cavernous sound, being labeled as “Death Metal for sacrifices and caverns”, but all the same has a denser quality and a sense of modern urgency about it which livens up the proceedings, with the project’s sole member Brendan Dean (or simply B. Dean), of bands like Gutvoid, Fumes and Pukewraith, making a conscientious effort to make the sound more extreme and relevant in his own way without attempting to dethrone the gods.

Pure insanity and heaviness flow from all instruments from the very first second in Hecatomb for an Unending Madness, where Brendan’s deep, inhumane gnarls add an extra touch of obscurity to the music, also showcasing infernal, demented riffs not recommended for the lighthearted; and our lone wolf keeps hammering all of his instruments in Exiled to the Lower Catacombs, resulting in a Neanderthalic, grim Death Metal attack with the bass sounds reverberating deep inside our heads. Those drums keep pounding our cranial skulls in Gorge of the Nameless, not to mention the acid electricity exhaling from Brendan’s riffs and bass, feeling like he’s dragging us deeper and deeper into his Stygian lair. Then get ready for six minutes of demented groove in the form of Grafted to the Chambers of Mirth, where Brendan follows his own “Cavern Death Metal” formula in great fashion, blasting his stringed axes mercilessly while also barking like a demonic entity.

There’s no limit to the level of insanity and darkness blasted by Brendan and his Fathomless Ritual, resulting in another onrush of brutal, dense and headbanging sounds titled Wielding the Bone Wand, while our ears keep being invaded by his devilish roars. And Brendan shows no sign of slowing down; quite the contrary, he keeps slashing his stringed axe like a beast in Cosmic Reflections from the Basin of Blood, another solid creation venturing through the realms of Experimental Death Metal. It’s then pedal to the metal as Brenda’s Death Metal attack will leave you absolutely disoriented in Gelatinous Being of Countless Forms, where the song’s demented but very intricate drums walk hand in hand with his devilish gnarls and rumbling bass punches, and Gifts for Aranaktu is one final onrush of demonic, ruthless metal sounds that will hit us hard in the face. Furthermore, it’s truly impressive how Brendan managed to keep his guitar and bass work so vibrant throughout the entire album without sounding repetitive or stale.

Be prepared to sacrifice yourself and win the favour of the forgotten ones with Hymns For The Lesser Gods, an album that should delight any fan of underground Death Metal, and that you can purchase from Fathomless Ritual’s own BandCamp page, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ webstore as an 8-panel digipak in the US or in Europe, and as a very special CD + shirt combo also in Europe. Don’t forget to also give Brendan and his Fathomless Ritual a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, because not only he’s embellishing our lives with an album chock-full of riffs and jangly hooks with escalating song structures culminating in cranial implosions, but it’s also a fierce and pulverizing tribute to the prehistoric gods, all embraced by that murky, twisted and engrossing form of Death Metal we all love so much.

Best moments of the album: Exiled to the Lower Catacombs, Grafted to the Chambers of Mirth and Gelatinous Being of Countless Forms.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Hecatomb for an Unending Madness 2:32
2. Exiled to the Lower Catacombs 4:55
3. Gorge of the Nameless 4:15
4. Grafted to the Chambers of Mirth 6:11
5. Wielding the Bone Wand 4:45
6. Cosmic Reflections from the Basin of Blood 4:01
7. Gelatinous Being of Countless Forms 4:58
8. Gifts for Aranaktu 6:54

Band members
Brendan Dean – vocals, guitars, bass, drum programming

Album Review – Djinn-Ghül / Opulence (2023)

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An uncanny duo from the US and Venezuela will attack your senses with their third full-length opus, flitting between full-on Death Metal brutality and jaw-dropping futuristic and mechanized sounds.

Less than two years following the release of their critically lauded EP Mechalith, industrialized Experimental/Brutal Death Metal/Deathcore unit Djinn-Ghül unleashes their third full-length album, entitled Opulence, building on their previous material while taking things to new levels of extremity. The international duo formed of Venezuelan vocalist Junior “Pat” Patiño (Voraraephilia) and American multi-instrumentalist Grant Nachbur (Auricular Insemination, Nephrectomy) has been evolving and perfecting their sound with each consecutive release since their inception in 2016, with their new album effectively flitting between full-on Death Metal brutality and jaw-dropping futuristic and mechanized sounds with impressive cohesion. Mixed and mastered by Pat himself, and displaying a sick acrylic painting as the album’s artwork by Chinese artist Guang Yang, Opulence showcases a dynamic slab of industrialized Death Metal with a crushing power that will debilitate as much as adrenalize you, resulting in their most chaotic yet refined material to date.

Haunting and atmospheric, the opening tune God Lymph will pierce your soul with the band’s hybrid of several extreme styles, with Grant’s crushing drums and phantasmagorical keys permeating the air until everything explodes into violence and insanity with Pat roaring like a demon, whereas the hammering bass and caustic riffs by Grant will demolish your senses in Xobek, a lecture in Blackened Deathcore with some industrial and electronic elements in the background to give it an even more venomous vibe. Their industrialized vein keeps pulsing in Ghola, with Pat’s inhumane growling complementing the infernal atmosphere crafted by Grant, followed by the title-track Opulence, featuring Jordan James of Disentomb on vocals, bringing forward the demented beats and scorching riffs by Grant while the song’s background elements will beautifully darken your soul. Then featuring guest vocalist Alex Marr, the duo’s horror-inspired sounds keep disturbing the minds of the lighthearted in the pulverizing Pseudosapien, where Grant’s bass and drums generate an avalanche of sheer heaviness until the very end.

Sara Crow lends her voice as a guest in Mother, another short and sweet blast of their Experimental Death Metal sounds infused with Deathcore and classic Death Metal nuances; however, it never really takes off, sounding more like an interlude of sorts. Their next guest vocalist is Phlegeton of Wormed, with more of their mechanized, futuristic keys being offered to us in Fruitless Grasp, before the music turns into a demonic feast of devilish screams, piercing guitars, infernal beats and rumbling bass lines. There’s still more from such talented duo to haunt your damned soul for all eternity in Garden of Jaws (It Sees Too Much), blending the most violent elements from Brutal Death Metal with their more experimental and industrialized vein, and with Pat sounding absolutely evil on vocals; flowing into the closing tune Grave Vessel, where the duo clearly sends a message of chaos and darkness through their electrified sounds and noises, not to mention Grant is once again ruthless behind his drums, ending the album on a beyond somber mode.

The vicious Opulence, which is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, is certainly not recommended for the lighthearted, which is exactly what such ruthless American/Venezuelan duo wanted to achieve with their music. Hence, don’t forget to give Djinn-Ghül a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel, and above all that, to purchase a copy of their newborn beast from their own BandCamp page, from the Vicious Instinct Records’ BandCamp page, from Apple Music, or from Amazon. In other words, Opulence is heavy, caustic, futuristic and melodic, all at the same time, effectively cementing Djinn-Ghül as one of the most interesting names of the modern extreme music scene.

Best moments of the album: Xobek, Pseudosapien and Garden of Jaws (It Sees Too Much).

Worst moments of the album: Mother.

Released in 2023 Vicious Instinct Records

Track listing
1. God Lymph 3:47
2. Xobek 2:13
3. Ghola 2:49
4. Opulence 3:13
5. Pseudosapien 3:21
6. Mother 2:40
7. Fruitless Grasp 4:29
8. Garden of Jaws (It Sees Too Much) 3:25
9. Grave Vessel 2:37

Band members
Junior “Pat” Patiño – vocals
Grant Nachbur – all instruments

Guest musicians
Jordan James – vocals on “Opulence”
Phlegeton – vocals on “Fruitless Grasp”
Sara Crow – vocals on “Mother”
Alex Marr – vocals on “Pseudosapien”

Album Review – Snorlax / The Necrotrophic Abyss (2023)

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An Australian one-man Blackened Death Metal entity strikes with his sophomore album, an overarching story that flows throughout, each song a chapter depicting a world so vile its own death is forced by the hands of nature.

Born in unexpected circumstances during an experimental recording session in mid-2017 at Black Blood Audio in Brisbane, Australia, when recording engineer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brendan Auld was trialing new recording techniques, Blackened Death Metal outfit Snorlax (and before you ask, that’s indeed the name of a famous Pokémon) is unleashing upon humanity its sophomore opus, entitled The Necrotrophic Abyss, the follow-up to the project’s 2020 debut album II. Recorded and mixed by Brendan himself at Black Blood Audio, mastered by Arthur Rizk, and displaying a wicked artwork by Blasphemator Art, The Necrotrophic Abyss clocks in at just under 30 minutes, delivering a concise, ruthless display of sonic violence and despair. In addition, the album is presented as a concept, with an overarching story that flows throughout, each song a chapter depicting a world so vile its own death is forced by the hands of nature.

It’s always impressive how just one person is capable of crafting a demented wall of sounds the likes of Reawaken, a furious hybrid of Blackened and Experimental Death Metal where Brendan’s riffs sound scorching, followed by The Repudiation ov Disharmony, even more demented and thunderous, with Brendan delivering both deep guttural roars and obscure clean whispers, uniting the most venomous elements from contemporary Black and Death Metal. Fortification is another dense and Stygian aria by Brendan and his Snorlax, firing his trademark riffs and intricate beats and, therefore, keeping the album as caustic as it can be; whereas investing in an even darker, more demonic sonority it’s time for the pulverizing Book ov Serpents, where Brendan growls and gnarls like a creature form the underworld.

Brendan shows no sign of slowing down nor sounding mellow at all; quite the contrary, it’s absolute chaos and madness in the form of Eternal Decrepitude, where he hammers his drums and extract razor-edged riffs from his guitar nonstop, and the title-track The Necrotrophic Abyss sounds blacker than its predecessor thanks to the hellish screams by Brendan, who also crushes his drums in the name of evil, resulting in the perfect depiction of how insane the music by Snorlax can be. After that we have Regenesis Arrival, the most experimental of all tracks, working more like an instrumental, noisy interlude and sounding a bit weird (albeit it makes sense to be placed where it is in the album), flowing into the grim The Bastard Seed ov Terraformation, starting in a sluggish, doomed way before exploding into one final Black Metal attack by Brendan where his beats and riffs once again sound infernal.

The multi-talented Brendan Auld and his Snorlax are waiting for you on Facebook with news and other details about such interesting project, and don’t forget to also stream all of Snorlax’s heavy and visceral creations on Spotify. Above all that, you can purchase a copy of The Necrotrophic Abyss in different formats and from several locations, including Snorlax’s own BandCamp page, the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp page, Sound Cave as a digipak CD or an LP, the Brilliant Emperor Records’ BandCamp page or Big Cartel (as a CD, an LP, or a very special LP + long-sleeve shirt bundle), Sound Pollution also as a CD or an LP, Barnes & Noble, and Head Records, among others. The planet painted by Brendan in the album is laid to waste for eons, resulting in a desolate baron abyss only creatures of the undead have a chance of surviving, showing a slight glimpse of hope at the end as the story eludes to an unlikely rebirth of evolution and a potentially inhabitable future after all. If that means such awesome album will have a sequel, no one really knows for sure, but we can all rest assured whenever Brendan strikes again with his Snorlax, if it’s just half as good as The Necrotrophic Abyss, we’ll all have a very good reason to keep raising our horns high in the darkened sky.

Best moments of the album: The Repudiation ov Disharmony, Book ov Serpents and The Necrotrophic Abyss.

Worst moments of the album: Regenesis Arrival.

Released in 2023 Brilliant Emperor Records/Unorthodox Emanations

Track listing
1. Reawaken 3:09
2. The Repudiation ov Disharmony 2:50
3. Fortification 3:13
4. Book ov Serpents 2:45
5. Eternal Decrepitude 5:03
6. The Necrotrophic Abyss 3:38
7. Regenesis Arrival 2:09
8. The Bastard Seed ov Terraformation 5:41

Band members
Brendan Auld – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija / The Hunting Boar! The Hunting Tyrant! (2020)

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A solitary man on a mission seeking self-emptying and seeing the violent animal within brings to our ears his brand new experimental musical journey.

“You can kill it, but you must see it.”

If you throw  the expression “Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija” into Google Translator just out of curiosity like I did, you’ll see the app recognizes it as Swahili, translating it to “Come on in, take a look and enjoy yourself!” I have absolutely no idea if that was the intention of the mysterious American vocalist and multi-instrumentalist R.P. when he originally named his Experimental Death Metal project Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija, a solitary man on a mission seeking self-emptying and seeing the violent animal within, but just like its name, this extreme music entity offers a weird, uncanny and absolutely experimental musical journey to the listener in its second studio album, beautifully entitled The Hunting Boar! The Hunting Tyrant!, following up on all the madness found in the project’s 2014 debut EP 82121 and its 2017 full-length opus Hheoalle. In addition, as you might suspect based on the uniqueness of the project, absolutely everything in the album was done by R.P. himself, giving it an additional touch of lunacy and rawness and, therefore, sounding very organic from start to finish.

A mix of Industrial and Avantgarde Metal kicks off the album in the wicked intro Ripped Apart Under Glimmering Constellations, before R.P. slashes his raw, dirty guitar and crushes his drums like a maniac in the excellent Christ’s Descent Into Hell, and let me tell you that the song’s lyrics couldn’t have been more insane than what they already are (“Words accursed: mutational and eclipsed / Iron disc, zwarte zon / Coma of the soul from death to death / I wring the neck! It’s finished. / Poison diplomacy”). You better leave your mind and ears wide open as rumbling bass punches, cryptic vociferations and a sense of hopelessness and despair permeate the air in Vision Of Spinning Golgotha, uniting the sickness of Industrial Death Metal with the finesse of Progressive Metal, whereas R.P.’s demented riffs and beats are the main ingredients in Predator Reconfigured As Prey, another disruptive, dissident metal extravaganza that will make your head tremble throughout its less than three minutes of intense obscurity. And extracting sheer rage and insanity from his razor-edged guitar, R.P. offers our ears more of his Experimental Death Metal in Lycanthrope Before God, resulting in a headbanging tune tailored for admirers of the genre.

Then eerie noises ignite three minutes of industrialized sounds and tones in the instrumental (and lengthy) aria titled Entry, setting the stage for R.P. to roar venomous words (“If they can see me, I will kill them”) nonstop in They Can See Me, while the music remains as paradoxal to anything that can be called mainstream as possible, making an instant bridge with the also eccentric Murderer Swings The Censer, one of the most progressive of all songs, taking his innovative Death Metal to a whole new level of heaviness and fury and ending in a truly sick manner before R.P. comes ripping once again with his austere riffs and low-tuned bass in Scent Trail Under Arched Sconces. Blending the most visceral elements from Death, Groove and Industrial Metal with tons of feeling and darkness, this is one of the best songs of the album hands down. Lastly, are you ready for another round of sick guitars, pounding drums and wicked background noises? That’s what you’ll get in Do You See Over That Mountain?, sounding like an industrialized and instrumental version of the progressive madness blasted by Mastodon, and morphing into the idiosyncratic Epektasis, starting in an atmospheric and ethereal way before becoming a Progressive Rock and Metal exhibit by R.P. until all fades into the void.

I guess after all is said and done, the aforementioned translation to the project’s name, “Come on in, take a look and enjoy yourself!”, makes total sense, as if R.P. is indeed inviting us all to enter his wicked realm of experimentations and violence, take a very good look (or maybe I should say listen) around, and have a good time to the sound of each one of his multi-layered creations. Hence, in order to do that and show him your support and admiration for the underground, you can start following R.P. and his Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija on Facebook and purchase a copy of The Hunting Boar! The Hunting Tyrant! From the project’s own BandCamp page. As R.P. himself likes to cryptically say, “you can kill it, but you must see it”, or in the case of his newborn opus, you can kill “it”, but of course you must listen to his entertaining new album first.

Best moments of the album: Christ’s Descent Into Hell, Predator Reconfigured As Prey and Scent Trail Under Arched Sconces.

Worst moments of the album: Entry.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Ripped Apart Under Glimmering Constellations 1:09
2. Christ’s Descent Into Hell 3:20
3. Vision Of Spinning Golgotha 1:55
4. Predator Reconfigured As Prey 2:45
5. Lycanthrope Before God 2:14
6. Entry 3:00
7. They Can See Me 1:30
8. Murderer Swings The Censer 3:23
9. Scent Trail Under Arched Sconces 4:03
10. Do You See Over That Mountain? 3:13
11. Epektasis 4:33

Band members
R.P. – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Target / Deep Water Flames (2019)

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Let’s all dive into the incendiary deep waters of Technical and Progressive Death Metal ruled by one of the most talented and innovative names of the South American metal scene.

Ladies and gentlemen, get ready to be absolutely stunned by the music crafted by four extremely talented guys hailing from Santiago, the beautiful capital of Chile, who seem to have mastered the art of blending sheer aggression and tons of progressiveness infused with atmospheric and melancholic passages. I’m talking about a Technical/Progressive Death Metal four-piece unity that goes by the name of Target, who released earlier this year their sophomore full-length opus, the amazing Deep Water Flames, one of the best metal albums of 2019 so far without a shadow of a doubt, and I’m sure you’ll agree with that after listening to such imposing and dense album of extreme music.

Formed in the year of 2002, the band now comprised of lead singer Andrés Piña, guitarist Luis Soto, bassist Rodrigo Castro and drummer Rodrigo Arias put on a lot of hard work, passion for heavy music and talent into the making of Deep Water Flames. Recorded and mixed in Santiago by Erick Martínez at Orange Studio, mastered in Sweden by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Recording Studios, and featuring dark and flammable artwork, design and graphics by Dehn Sora, from Paris, France, Deep Water Flames sounds and feels like a tribute to all things Progressive and Death Metal, captivating all your senses from its first notes until its climatic grand finale, therefore positioning Target as one of the best and most innovative names of the underground scene in South America.

The intro Immerse is absolutely eerie and atmospheric from the very first second, reaching deep inside your soul and warming up your mind for the bold and crushing Inverted Gloaming, featuring Juan Escobar (Aphonic Threnody, AstorVoltaires, Tetractys, Mar de Grises) on vocals. Sounding utterly wicked and experimental, this excellent tune is led by Rodrigo’s insane beats and fills, while Andrés screams in a deranged and visceral way, resulting in a lecture in contemporary Progressive Death Metal. Then once again offering madness in the form of music, the band brings forth No Solace Arises, where Luis is on fire with his razor-edged strings, or in other words, this is a neck-breaking tune where the band’s “Rodrigos” shake the foundations of the earth with their beats and bass punches, making it feel like we’re listening to three or four songs all at once.

As obscure and atmospheric as its predecessors, Oceangrave is a flawless fusion of intricacy and rage, sounding as if Lamb of god went full progressive, showcasing ominous passages blended with Luis’ evil guitar lines and Rodrigo Castro’s damned, thunderous bass roars; followed by Surge Drift Motion, which begins in full force with both Luis and Rodrigo Castro shredding their strings mercilessly. Put differently, it’s a heavier-than-hell version of classic Progressive Metal spiced up by Andrés’ roars, with the piercing guitar solos by the band’s stringed duo being the icing on the cake. Submerged is a futuristic and melancholic instrumental bridge that will mesmerize you and prepare you for the pulverizing Drowned in an Everlasting Mantra, starting in a purely experimental mode before Rodrigo Arias begins exterminating his drums beautifully. Furthermore, sheer violence emanates from every riff and beat, with the deep, bestial growls by Andrés seeming inspired by Deathcore while the instrumental pieces remind me of the gripping music by bands like Gojira and Opeth.

Target Deep Water Flames Digipak

The following song, entitled Blackwaters, couldn’t have started in a more demented way, with its eccentric notes morphing into another brutal feast of progressive sounds where Rodrigo Castro’s bass lines are more imposing than ever. Hence, it’s highly recommended for either slamming into the pit or simply witnessing the band playing it to perfection on stage; and get ready for over nine minutes of the most devastating and intricate form of Progressive Death Metal you can think of in Random Waves, featuring Jeronimo Ruiz (Entrefuego), who brings insanity to the music with his vocals, remaining completely wicked, vile and cinematic until the very end. And lastly, the band offers us the serene outro Emerge, where its piano notes and background elements will embrace you and make you feel comfortable in darkness.

You should definitely take a very good and detailed listen at this magnificent album of Technical and Progressive Death Metal made in Chile on YouTube and on Spotify, and after being hypnotized by Target’s heavy and complex sounds you can purchase Deep Water Flames directly from the band’s BandCamp page, from the Australis Records’ BandCamp page, from Apple Music, from Amazon or from CD Baby. Furthermore, if I were you I would go for the digipak version of the album as it’s simply fantastic. I got it from Australis Records, and let me tell you those guys did a beautiful job producing the physical CD format of such distinct album. Also, don’t forget to follow Target on Facebook and to subscribe to their YouTube channel, and let your body and mind dive into the incendiary deep waters of progressive and heavy music ruled by those extremely talented Chilean musicians.

Best moments of the album: Inverted Gloaming, Oceangrave and Drowned in an Everlasting Mantra.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2019 Australis Records

Track listing
1. Immerse 2:15
2. Inverted Gloaming 6:11
3. No Solace Arises 5:28
4. Oceangrave 5:21
5. Surge Drift Motion 5:42
6. Submerged 2:14
7. Drowned in an Everlasting Mantra 5:24
8. Blackwaters 6:31
9. Random Waves 9:13
10. Emerge 3:59

Band members
Andrés Piña – vocals
Luis Soto – guitars
Rodrigo Castro – bass
Rodrigo Arias – drums

Guest musicians
Jeronimo Ruiz – vocals on “Random Waves”
Juan Escobar – vocals & instrumental arrangements on “Immerse”, “Inverted Gloaming” and “Emerge”

Album Review – VHOD / Dreamcleaver (2015)

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A must-listen experimental and rapturous Death Metal album presented by a long-serving Canadian metaller.

Rating4

VHOD_DREAMCLEAVER-album_coverConceived by sole member Chris Shaver in early 2014 in the city of Armstrong, located in British Columbia, Canada, as a merger of Chris’ past bands Godcursed (2004-2014), Morbid Darkness (1989-2014) and Worms Of The Birth (2011-2014), what you will find in the music by Experimental Death Metal project VHOD is a metallic torrent of different genres and subgenres of heavy music, blending elements from all his past works with new concepts and a substantial amount of progressiveness. If you’re already familiar with the music Chris is capable of crafting, you’ll undoubtedly love VHOD, and if you’re a newcomer to his 25-year old metal kingdom, get ready for an amazing sonic experience.

It took Chris a few months at his own studio (Artery Studios) to finalize VHOD’s first full-length album, entitled Dreamcleaver, featuring exclusive artwork by artist Jeni Fitts (Provoking Drama), and the result couldn’t have been more ferocious and harmonious, which makes me wonder how satisfied Chris might be right now with his newborn “creature”. Although this isn’t his first release under the VHOD banner, having already recorded a considerable amount of singles and EP’s, including a four-piece concept EP for his Tor-saga, it’s now in Dreamcleaver where Chris was able to showcase all his abilities as a musician, also pointing to the direction his music will most probably follow from now on.

As soon as you start listening to the opening track Still The Blood, with highlights to its truly metallic sounding and the primeval growls by Chris, you’ll find yourself in the eye of a Death/Thrash Metal tornado. This is indeed a progressive and at the same time visceral tune, with nice guitar solos at the end to provide it some extra fuel, followed by the less progressive and extremely destructive The Spectre’s Behest, where Chris puts the “pedal to Death Metal” and multiplies his offensive abilities, reaching an incredible level of devastation in an more than exciting chant. And again bringing elements of Thrash Metal, On The Tree Of Woe presents our multi-instrumentalist warrior vociferating his lines while instrumental parts create an atmosphere of evil and bestiality. Despite its piercing guitar riffs and endless electricity being the most important elements of the entire song, its second part also deserves our attention, when Chris focuses on a more introspective and apocalyptical vibe.

The next track, So Pass Away/Locus Mortis, is not only a solid tune where progressive lines and pure hardcore riffs are perfectly blended, but the bestial growling by Chris (especially during its chorus) makes it feel like the Death Metal played by Cannibal Corpse when they slow down, but still as heavy as hell, with its somewhat anguished ending increasing its impact. And in the Death/Doom Metal song Dragon Sand, a “solitary” beat kicks it off before melancholy and hopelessness begin emanating from its riffs and rhythm, with that dark energy going on until the end of the song in a great display of musicianship. Focusing on a more traditional and faster musicality, we have Reap The Harvest, offering a good mixture of blast beats and heavy riffs and solos, and if Chris puts together a band for live performances I believe this is one of the best songs to be added to the setlist.

5In Now Underground,  “forget” about the devilish Death Metal offered so far, as there’s a switch to a completely different sounding the likes of Opeth, or in other words, a darker version of Progressive Metal. Chris delivers high doses of experimentations and a somber ambience in a surprisingly enjoyable break from the previous madness, but that’s just until the high-speed Flesh For Our Swords begins: this tune proves that VHOD can provide an infinite mix of genres and subgenres of heavy music with its Melodic Death Metal vibe boosted by the old school growls by Chris. Moreover, it doesn’t actually feel like “just” a one-man band due to its organic sounding and infinite electricity, not to mention its awesome bass lines punching you in the head all the time. Lastly, Obsequies is only an eerie instrumental “intro” (which could have been slightly shorter, by the way) to the title-track Dreamcleaver, an amazing exhibit of fast and furious Death Metal, including elements from Punk Rock, Hardcore, Thrash Metal and more. It’s the best song of the album in my humble opinion and a lesson in how to transform guitar riffs into endless fuel for the sonic havoc proposed, as even with almost eight minutes the music never loses its grip. In addition, Chris’ vocals remind me of Johan Hegg from Amon Amarth, giving the song a more pugnacious approach.

To sum up, VHOD might be considered just a project by many, including its architect Chris Shaver, but the quality of the music presented by this one-man infantry in Dreamcleaver is so impressive it becomes a must-listen for lovers of extreme and multi-layered metal. All things VHOD can be found at the band’s Facebook page and YouTube channel, and you will soon find Dreamcleaver for purchase at VHOD’s BandCamp page or at the Inverse Records webshop, if you consider yourself one of those death metallers who carry that passion for progressiveness in your black heart.

Best moments of the album: The Spectre’s Behest, So Pass Away/Locus Mortis and Dreamcleaver.

Worst moments of the album: Obsequies.

Released in 2015 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Still The Blood 5:07
2. The Spectre’s Behest 3:36
3. On The Tree Of Woe 7:09
4. So Pass Away/Locus Mortis 6:56
5. Dragon Sand 7:23
6. Reap The Harvest 4:37
7. Now Underground 5:21
8. Flesh For Our Swords 5:20
9. Obsequies 3:23
10. Dreamcleaver 7:49

Band members
Chris Shaver – vocals, all Instruments

Album Review – Benevolent / The Covenant (2014)

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Get ready for some really interesting extreme and experimental heavy music from the Middle-East.

Rating5

Benevolent_The CovenantAt least from a music perspective, Globalization doesn’t seem as disastrous as we all think it is: when in our lives would we ever imagine we could one day listen to an Experimental Death Metal band from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with just a few clicks? Not only that, the band is actually good and goes by the “friendly” name of Benevolent, and their first full-length album, The Covenant, deserves a shot.

As expected in any experimental or progressive band, most of the songs are long, usually surpassing the 6-minute barrier, and are not easy to digest if you’re not absolutely crazy for innovation or “weird voyages” in the world of heavy music. Right after the atmospheric intro Void, the band already offers us a very good example of their chosen path for creating music: the excellent Asphyxia is a really experimental and at the same time brutal song, maybe something in between Progressive and Death Metal, with a good mix of guttural and clean vocals by brothers Fadi and Hadi Sarieddine, respectively. This song is almost 10 minutes long, which means if you can reach the end of it and enjoy all its variations and breaks, then this album is for you.

The following tracks are The Seeker, another totally experimental track the likes of Opeth and Tool showcasing all the talent of the musicians involved, with a nice guitar solo by the end of the song; Radiate, an instrumental song with focus on the piano/keyboards lines; and Illusion, a pretty good song with an acoustic guitar intro, heavy riffs and melancholic rhythm, and that sounds a lot like what Dream Theater would be if they had guttural vocals.

Another one of my favorite songs is Heathen, a very progressive song with hints of Blackened Death Metal and excellent instrumental parts in general, especially the keyboards. Then we have The Collector, a more Death Metal track with an interesting duo of guitars and drums, with a very nice job done by session drummer Andols Herrick; Dissipate, which is another instrumental “bridge” song; and Metamorphosis, the longest and more progressive track of all, with awesome bass lines by Mohammed Gad and a continuous “tone” that gives the song a freaky sensation, reminding us of many songs by Tool.

BenevolentThe last two tracks in The Covenant keep up with all the progressiveness and obscurity of the previous tracks: Ascension begins with an eerie electronic intro before becoming a very progressive tune, while Rebirth is a very “melancholic” ending to the album, with a nice work done with the riffs in order to give the song (and the whole album) that “fade away” feeling commonly used in many movies.

In addition, the emblematic album art, which was professionally done by artist Edidong Udo, positively consummates the objective of Benevolent with their music. So why not give this complex band from the Middle-East a try, especially if you’re a huge fan of progressive heavy music? You can listen to all tracks and buy The Covenant HERE, and by doing so you’ll support those talented guys to keep the fire of heavy music alive in that part of the world.

Best moments of the album: Asphyxia, Illusion and Heathen.

Worst moments of the album: The Collector and Ascension.

Released in 2014 Independent

Track listing
1. Void 1:39
2. Asphyxia 9:41
3. The Seeker 7:02
4. Radiate 2:40
5. Illusion 8:40
6. Heathen 6:04
7. The Collector 4:29
8. Dissipate 2:15
9. Metamorphosis 9:47
10. Ascension 7:49
11. Rebirth 2:59

Band members
Fadi Sarieddine – vocals
Hadi Sarieddine – guitars, clean vocals
Mohammed Gad – guitars, bass
Andols Herrick* – drums

*Session drummer