Tag Archives: extreme metal

Album Review – Morkesagn / Where The Darkness Never Ends (2015)

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These ruthless Ukrainian metallers will take you where the darkness never ends to the sound of their raw and aggressive Black Metal.

Rating4

frontDo you want to know where the darkness never ends? Based on the cataclysmic music brought forth by Ukrainian Black Metal act Morkesagn in their debut full-length release Where The Darkness Never Ends, I should say it’s definitely the city of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Those corpse-painted metallers are capable of blending the most refined techniques found in heavy music with the infernal aggressiveness of raw Black Metal, resulting in a must-have album for fans of Emperor, Dissection, Satyricon and early Norwegian Black Metal.

Morkesagn, whose name was taken from the Norwegian language and means “Dark Legends”, was formed in the year of 2013 in Kiev by lead vocalist, guitarist, composer and songwriter Ekvil, and although there have been significant changes to the band’s lineup since then, their music surely evolved to a much more robust and lancinating form. Add to that the content of their lyrics, based mostly on the mythology of Greece and partly on Scandinavian mythology, and there you have one of the most promising bands hailing from Eastern Europe in recent years.

Dungeons, with its smooth and sinister intro suddenly exploding into over 8 minutes of darkness and sulfur in the form of brutal Black Metal led by the demonic growls by Ekvil, presents lots of melodic elements and a somber atmosphere which end up preventing it from being too crude; whereas primeval drums set the tone for the infernal opus Heart of Darkness, the first of their three “hearts”, where Ekvil and Farn burst undistilled Black Metal riffs and solos while Lev Kurgansky (the session drummer for the album) is an unstoppable demon behind his drums.

IMG_5457-Edit_newThe following “heart”, entitled Heart of Poison, starts as very obscure and heavy Doom Metal before becoming a venomous blast of the blackest form of Extreme Metal you can think of. In addition, the devilish way Ekvil declaims the lyrics is at the same time threatening and captivating, enhancing the song’s morbidity. Heart of Flame, the third and last “heart”, will lacerate your soul with its burning Black Metal inflamed by the traditional blast beats and fills by Lev, as well as the piercing riffs by Ekvil and Farn, solidifying this complex tune full of variations as if there were three or four songs in one.

And there’s no place to hide from their blasphemous metal music, as you’ll notice in the solid and vile tune Temple, where beautiful guitar lines flourish amidst sheer carnage, and the rumbling bass lines by Heydvald simply confirm darkness will prevail after all is said and done. Finally, as hazardous as a frostbite we have Frost, an amazing “tribute” to Norwegian Black Metal that lives up to the tradition of Scandinavian extreme music, from its cold name to its hypnotizing rhythm, darkening our minds before the ominous instrumental outro Throne of Doom brings this enraged album to an end.

In conclusion, Morkesagn can undoubtedly take you on a tenebrous journey through the forbidding world of Black Metal aboard the skeleton ship portrayed in the album art of Where The Darkness Never Ends, which can be purchased at the band’s official BandCamp page. It’s just a matter of knowing if you’re brave enough to face the band’s grim musicality and, above all things, if you’re willing to accept infinite darkness into your heart.

Best moments of the album: Heart of Darkness and Heart of Flame.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Farn Black Productions

Track listing
1. Dungeons 8:20
2. Heart Of Darkness 7:19
3. Heart Of Poison 7:07
4. Heart Of Flame 7:15
5. Temple 7:31
6. Frost 4:43
7. Throne Of Doom 2:57

Band members
Ekvil – vocals, guitars
Farn – guitars
Heydvald – bass
Heisenbeard – drums

Guest musician
Lev Kurgansky – drums (session musician)

Album Review – Dendritic Arbor / Sentient Village // Obsolescent Garden EP (2015)

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Follow the exploratory path of madness by a talented five-piece band whose main objective is to provide us distinct extreme music from multiple perspectives.

Rating5

“Different music from multiple perspectives.”

Dendriticarbor_Svog_cover-page-001If you visit the official Facebook page by American Progressive Black Metal quintet Dendritic Arbor, that’s the short and sweet description you’ll find about the eccentric music by this band hailing from the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States, and let me tell you there couldn’t be better words to describe their challenging and lunatic creations and experimentations. I myself consider labeling them as “just” a Progressive Black Metal band a limitation to their unique scope and creativity,  but that’s something I’ll leave up to you to decide after you take a listen at their brand new EP entitled Sentient Village // Obsolescent Garden.

Formed in 2012, the band composed of Maxwell Beehner (guitars, vocals), Adam Henderson (guitars, vocals), Thomas Bittner (bass), Chris McCune (drums) and Kyle Lambert (responsible for the “noise”, or whatever that’s supposed to mean) is on a hot streak since their inception, releasing high-quality extreme music no matter if it’s just a single, a full-length album or an EP like Sentient Village // Obsolescent Garden. Featuring a more-than-unusual album art designed by Hannah MacAulay and Maxwell Beehner (Ageless Christian Records), this avant-garde four-track album will demolish you like a wrecking ball in its 20 minutes of psychedelic rage.

The weird noises in the beginning of Cotard Delusion (a rare mental illness in which an afflicted person holds the delusion that they are dead, either figuratively or literally) might deceive you a bit, making you think the music by Dendritic Arbor is not as heavy as promised, but as soon as the sonic carnage arises with an explosion of blast beats, absurdly demented guitar riffs and disgruntled howls and barks by both Maxwell and Adam, sounding like there’s a horde of hideous trolls making noises behind the band, you’ll realize these guys are not fooling around. However, things get even more demonic (and therefore better) in Failed Manifestations, a top-notch mix of Black, Death and Thrash Metal, all at once in a powergrinding turmoil, not to mention the “trolls” who keep vociferating their evil spell against mankind. In other words, it’s a complex, progressive and totally destructive nightmare for the faint of heart.

Dendritic Arbor band pictureKeratoconus, which by the way is the name of a degenerative disorder of the eye in which structural changes within the cornea cause it to thin and change to a more conical shape than the more normal gradual curve, offers the listener brutal slamming Black Metal with no shenanigans, with drummer Chris McCune simply crushing everything with his inhuman beats. And what the hell are those wicked lyrics about (“Ruby moonlight harvesting the growth. / golden fishbone, lodged into the throat. / guess whose eating from the trash again?”)? Anyway, Latex, the most progressive of the four tracks, is an eldritch canticle forged in the pits of hell, where the whole band focuses all their strength and vileness to generate an idiosyncratic sonority until it becomes just a fading eerie noise to put an end to the album.

In a nutshell, Dendritic Arbor are not among us to provide us relaxing or charming songs, but a disquieting tsunami of Extreme Metal aiming at your ill-fated soul and your filthy heart. And with Sentient Village // Obsolescent Garden, available at their BandCamp page, they continue their exploratory path of madness that will send to your ears, as aforementioned, distinct heavy music from multiple perspectives.

Best moments of the album: Failed Manifestations.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Cotard Delusion 3:44
2. Failed Manifestations 3:25
3. Keratoconus 6:08
4. Latex 7.37

Band members
Maxwell Beehner – guitars, vocals
Adam Henderson – guitars, vocals
Thomas Bittner – bass
Chris McCune – drums
Kyle Lambert – noise

Album Review – Kult Mogił / Anxiety Never Descending (2015)

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Surrender to all the darkness and derangement bred by this very talented Eastern European cult of graves, one that will definitely not make dying any easier for you.

Rating4

Kult Mogil album cover finalEstablished in October 2014 in the city of Tarnów, Poland (around 300km south of the capital Warsaw), Blackened Death Metal miscreants Kult Mogił are making a significant impact on the Polish metal scene with their idiosyncratic synthesis of all things evil, dark and disturbing into their compositions, provoking the rise of a cult that will surely grow in the coming years. And that cult makes total sense as per the band’s name, which according to Kult Mogił themselves means “cult of graves”, or a “burial place with or without tombstones”.

After the release of their first demo K+M+B in the beginning of 2015, which generated a lot of heat to Kult Mogił, the band returns now at the end of the year with their first full-length album, entitled Anxiety Never Descending, a bold and ambitious praise to darkness and death that will unsettle your soul from start to finish, if you’re brave enough to listen to it in its entirety, of course. “This record will not make dying any easier for you”, the band commented, and I guess that pretty much summarizes what Anxiety Never Descending will do to you.

Although the title-track Anxiety Never Descending might sound extremely raw at first, you’ll notice it’s at the same time very technical, especially its riffs, increasing its overall impact, not to mention singer Karmiciel Wszy Zdrowych vociferating his blasphemous lines like an evil troll. The following track, named Threnody, provides the listener top-notch Blackened Doom with a disturbing ambience and lyrics leaning towards the occult (“I am at war / With anxiety / Between the centuries / Cursing my eyes / Lifeless orbs”), with drummer Kalkulator Chronometrażysta dictating the song’s rhythm, alternating from sluggish beats to Black Metal blasts. Put differently, this is a highly recommended opus for diehard fans of the most devilish forms of extreme music available.

Kult_Mogil_foto_001In the also excellent Serene Ponds, Kult Mogił fire another wicked junction of Black and Doom Metal, with highlights to the eerie guitar sounds by both Karmiciel Wszy Zdrowych and Thisworld Outof, turning it into a demented aria of despair, and by the time the song is over I bet your heart will be a lot heavier than usual. Początek Wrażeń, which I believe would translate to “first impressions” or something similar to that, is a menacing version of the Blackened Death Metal played by Behemoth sung entirely in Polish, therefore sounding as creepy as possible if that’s not one of the languages you speak fluently. To be fair, instead of just singing, Karmiciel Wszy Zdrowych is darkly declaiming the lyrics. And no matter what he’s saying, it shouldn’t be good.

The Width of a Forehead provides such a wicked intro, which by the way goes on for almost two minutes, it’s hard not to feel stunned before it becomes the slowest and most disturbing Doom Metal you can think of, a sonic representation of a descent to hell with no return and no hope in sight. And finally, if you know the song called “Black Snow” by Triptykon you’ll love Palliative Messiah, an ode to the heartless and pitch-black kingdom of Doom Metal with a chaotic ending that will leave a scar on your soul forever, energized by its cryptic lyrics (“Then I met the palliative messiah / I see this meeting / In the greenness of a stunted scrub / Somewhere on a slope / I asked: / What is the sex of death?”).

In order to purchase this Extreme Metal extravaganza entitled Anxiety Never Descending, you can go to the Pagan Records BandCamp page or official webshop (the album is still in its pre-order stage, becoming available on December 24). And then, just then, surrender to all the darkness and derangement bred by this very talented Eastern European cult of graves, one that, as mentioned before, will definitely not make dying any easier for you.

Best moments of the album: Threnody and Początek Wrażeń.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Pagan Records

Track listing
1. Anxiety Never Descending 5:10
2. Threnody 6:51
3. Serene Ponds 6:59
4. Początek Wrażeń 6:24
5. The Width of a Forehead 5:20
6. Palliative Messiah 8:34

Band members
Karmiciel Wszy Zdrowych – vocals, guitars, bass, accordion
Thisworld Outof – guitars, bass
Kalkulator Chronometrażysta – drums

Metal Chick of the Month – Dr. Mikannibal

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mikannibal01

I Live You Die… Your Life Is Mine.

If you have never, ever in your entire life heard or seen anything about the jaw-dropping, unusual and skillful Japanese goddess Dr. Mikannibal, the saxophonist and also one of the lead singers of Japanese Black/Avant-garde Metal band Sigh, you have no idea of what you’re missing. Furthermore, nothing that you will read here is fake or made-up: Dr. Mikannibal is indeed a unique performer, and I dare you to find another woman so off-the-wall in music, even in the weird realms of Industrial, Gothic and especially Black Metal. For instance, she loves to record topless, has the odd habit of eating bugs and also enjoys drinking blood. Do I need to say more?

Our electrifying Asian bombshell, whose real name is Mika, was born on January 23 in the city of Sendai-shi (also known as “The City of Trees”) in Miyagi, Japan, located around 350km from the capital Tokyo. Dr. Mikannibal is in a long-term relationship with Sigh’s multi-instrumentalist Mirai Kawashima, and although she suffered a miscarriage three months into pregnancy in 2013, in April 2014 she took the stage of Inferno Metal Festival in Oslo, Norway with “Baby’s In Here” written on her belly. I wasn’t able to find anything online about her pregnancy after that, so let’s hope that Mika and Mirai had a beautiful and healthy baby together (which is probably what happened) and are now enjoying their parenthood to the sound of heavy music.

Named one of the “Sexiest Women in Metal” by Revolver Magazine, the title of Doctor added to her stage moniker is far from being jest, as she actually has a Ph.D. in Physics and still finds time to work as a scientist at her home in Florida, where she has been living for the past few years. Moreover, as expected from any person that’s at the same time a scientist and a black metaller, Dr. Mikannibal is an atheist (as well as Mirai) and whenever the band sings about hell she said in one of her interviews there’s no religious meaning behind it. It’s simply a representation of human beings going through hell, describing those scenes through their music.

In regards to her music career, Dr. Mikannibal has been playing saxophone since she was 12, being able to play the alto, tenor and baritone sax. She mentioned all are basically the same and she does that to add more power to her music, although it’s more difficult than playing just the alto sax, of course. However, it wasn’t until she joined Sigh that she took her saxophone skills to the studio and on stage at a professional level. Before joining Sigh she only did vocals for different metal bands, starting with indie Japanese Melodic Death Metal band 29Jaguar, with whom she recorded the demo 29Anger in 2005, and Japanese Melodic Thrash/Death Metal band Providence.

Dr. Mikannibal joined Sigh back in 2007, having already recorded with the band the following albums: A Tribute to Venom EP (2008), Scenes from Hell (2010), The Curse of Izanagi EP (2010), the split album Swine of Hades (2011), and more recently In Somniphobia (2012) and Graveward (2015). From all those releases, the only one where our metal goddess did not play her wicked saxophone was A Tribute to Venom EP, but anyway you can enjoy her devilish vocals in their cover versions for the Black Metal classics Countess Bathory, Black Metal and Witching Hour. If you want to take a listen at her skills as both the vocalist and saxophonist of Sigh, a few suggested songs are The Transfiguration Fear and Far Beneath The In-Between and Kaedit Nos Pestis. Lastly, after joining Sigh, she recorded sax and vocals in the 2012 album Worms in the Keys by international Avant-garde Rock/Metal project Self Spiller, and was also a guest saxophonist on track Boiled In Hell Broth & Grave Dust (Intro), from the 2010 album The Murder of Jesus the Jew by British Experimental Black Metal band The Meads of Asphodel, and on A Hollow Bridge, from the album Mapping the Moment with the Logic of Dreams by Romanian Progressive Black Metal band Bloodway. Apart from her career as a musician, Dr. Mikannibal has also ventured in the world of journalism, as for example her interview with At The Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg in Tokyo, Japan on August 5, 2013 for the Metal Moment podcast.

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Nonetheless, it’s on stage that our sexy doctor really stands out with her lunatic vocals and ferocious saxophone playing, her skimpy lingerie, skirts and dresses, and of course her infamous hot wax bath. Yes, that’s exactly what you have in your mind right now: a provocative Asian girl dripping hot wax from candles all over her attractive body. Check these two videos on YouTube where you’ll be able to see how wild she’s when performing live, the first playing the song The Soul Grave at the Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands in 2013, and the second showing you her hot wax bath in Taipei, Taiwan in 2012. Isn’t she adorable?

But wait, there’s still a lot more to talk about our fearless diva: because she loves her pet lizards (or geckos) and was really curious as to what they eat, she started to gather more details on bug eating, attended a “bug eating party”, learned how to cook roaches and other bugs properly and voilà! There you have a sexy bug-eater woman! Oddly enough, Dr. Mikannibal explained everything she does is not meant to attract the attention of anyone. “Some people in Japan traditionally eat grasshoppers. In the north part of Japan, they eat bugs. Eating roaches is not common in Japan, but it’s not a made-up story to get attention. It’s just something I do.”, she said in one of her interviews.

Obviously, a woman like that who wears such revealing see-through outfits in front of thousands of people has to be very comfortable with her body and appearance. She accepts and embraces the idea of being a sex symbol, although such distinction is not one of her main goals in her career. Not only that, when our gorgeous Nipponese lady is about to record anything new at home or in the studio, she does that topless (yes, topless!), simply due to the fact that she feels a lot more comfortable that way as she hates sweating a lot. She mentioned once the first thing she does when she arrives home is taking off her clothes, saying that’s something very natural and pleasant for her. Well, I guess there are lots of people who would love to attend the recording sessions by Sigh and be face-to-face in the studio with Dr. Mikannibal, one of the most remarkable women in contemporary Extreme Metal.

Dr. Mikannibal’s Official Facebook page
Dr. Mikannibal’s Official Twitter
Sigh’s Official Facebook page
Sigh’s Official Twitter 

“I do wear sexy costumes, and I wear less clothes than other metal chicks do in other bands. It’s not intentional. I don’t do it to try and get attention from men. I just wear what I wear because I like it. I love myself, my looks and my body, and I like to show it off on stage. That’s the whole idea.”  – Dr. Mikannibal

Album Review – Tod Huetet Uebel / Malícia (2015)

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If you let the infernal and malevolent music by this amazing Portuguese duo reach your heart, there’s no coming back.

Rating4

Cover_CDLet’s end this week on a high note with the flammable Black Metal by the talented Portuguese duo Tod Huetet Uebel, and I must assure you that you won’t be the same after listening to what they have to offer. By the way, the name of the band is the German for “death guards evil”, a more than suitable caption for the disturbing music you’ll find in their debut full-length album, entitled Malícia (the Portuguese word for “malice”). If you had no idea of how demonic music can be in Portugal, you better get ready for the heartless war found in this album.

Created from the very essence of hatred in 2012, Tod Hueted Uebel define their music as “a post-traumatic Black Metal experience” that “will leave mental bruises and scars in those who dare listen to the torments that dwell within”. Well said, guys. That perfectly summarizes Malícia, an album that will please fans of the darkest Black Metal you can imagine. Featuring an amazing 6-panel digipak with artwork by French artist/musician Valnoir (Metastazis), the level of wickedness and laceration in the album is not for the ordinary metal fan, making it a demanding listen for those who are not used to the atrocities of extreme music.

In the opening track, eccentrically named XIII (and get used to that, because all songs have names based on Roman numerals), a sinister intro flows into a diabolical sounding built upon modern Black Metal but without losing its traditional viciousness and speed. Multi-instrumentalist Daniel C. is responsible for crafting the music in all tracks, offering singer Marcos M. the perfect ambience for his anguished growls, and let me tell you this dynamic duo will darken your spirit already on the first track of the album (which is always the main goal in Black Metal, of course). And darkness is here to stay based on the nonstop violence and vileness delivered in I, where Marcos M. keeps disgorging his putrid snarling, unnerving your mind in a disquieting 9-minute first-rate aria of malignancy for lovers of classic Extreme Metal with a desolating and melancholic ending that obviously gets back to a sonic havoc before the song is actually over.

Their anger just grows in XII,  where Daniel C. is simply bestial on drums and guitars, delivering sick riffs and demonic beats and fills perfect for the harsh vocals by Marcos M., with another short break for the listener to take a deep breath before diving back into the musical twilight engendered by Tod Huetet Uebel. Moreover, their lyrics in Portuguese are as evil, poetic and awesome as possible (“Quero morrer, ser inverso ao amanhecer / Quero perecer, na demora da tua obra / Sinto-me leve, disperso ao corroer / Do sentimento que vos mantém / Amantes a ninguém”, which would translate to English as “I want to die, be reverse at dawn / I want to perish, in the lateness of your work / I feel light, scattered as I corrode / From the feeling that keeps you / Lovers to no one”), increasing the impact of their music.

XX VIII XXI is an instrumental tune that feels like a fiendish entity penetrating our flesh, working as an intro to the barbaric IX, where the initial scream by Marcos M. sounds inhuman while the instrumental parts continue their onslaught of darkness. It’s sheer Black Metal that will please all fans of the genre, making it extremely easy and interesting to feel all the pain and grief stemming from their ghoulish vocals. III might be the shortest of all tracks, but it surely delivers everything a good Black Metal chant needs, being precise, berserk, melodic and lugubrious, with Marcos M. with his growls and howls and Daniel C. with his lancinating riffs generating an ode to hopelessness and evil.  Besides, when they sing in English their lyrics are no less complex and beautiful, proving how talented this duo is (“Blood Libels of regal contempt / Dichotomy of essence and paragon of woe / The face of things to come / Burn this flesh oh dying light / In thy untold furnace of quintessence / Aether of malignant perfection”). Lastly, presenting elements from Doom Metal and Blackened Doom, the hindmost opus in Malícia, entitled V, is definitely the most nerve-racking of all. This time, Daniel C. focuses on mesmerizing and grievous notes while Marcos C. sounds like he’s being dragged down to hell, and I dare you to survive its 8 minutes without feeling totally uncomfortable or distressed in the end.

In summary, if you consider yourself a genuine adorer of the most perverse and heinous forms of Black Metal, I highly recommend you go after the music by Tod Huetet Uebel, available at their BandCamp and at the Caverna Abismal Records BandCamp. This sharp and impressive duo from Portugal is brilliantly cementing their dark path in the world of Extreme Metal, and in case you let their infernal music reach your heart, I must warn you that there’s no coming back.

Best moments of the album: I, XII and III.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Caverna Abismal Records

Track listing
1. XIII 5:49
2. I 9:00
3. XII 7:20
4. XX VIII XXI 1:15
5. IX 7:05
6. III 5:30
7. V 8:00

Band members
Marcos M. – vocals
Daniel C. – all instruments

Album Review – Gateway / Gateway (2015)

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May the world come to its tragic end to the sound of the barbaric and inhuman Doom Metal by this promising one-man army from Belgium.

Rating5

C03What does it need for a person to sound so savage, heavy and depressive, to the point you can’t tell if it’s just a regular human being or a grotesque creature of darkness that’s responsible for that eerie and sluggish resonance? If you really want to know the answer for that difficult question, I suggest you take a listen at the self-titled debut album by Belgian Medieval Doom/Death Metal one-man army Gateway. But be extremely careful, because once you start listening to this ode to horror influenced by the likes of Autopsy, Mortician and Evoken there’s no turning back, it’s a one-way journey down to the pits of hell.

Hailing from Bruges, Belgium, the talented musician Robin Van Oyen, who’s by the way responsible for vocals and all other instruments in Gateway, brings forth a concept album inspired by his hometown, offering the listener some depraved tales of ritualistic horror, torture and pain, blending the most obscure and mischievous elements from Death, Doom, Black and Sludge Metal you can think of. The final result, like what we witnessed last year in his three-track demo Aeternae, goes beyond the boundaries of inhumanity and suffering, grinding your body and mind like a genuinely repulsive torture device.

While listening to the wicked intro Prolegomenon, it’s more than obvious that what’s about to come is going to be disturbing, which is precisely what happens in Vox Occultus, a merciless parade of Occult Doom Metal supported by its reverberating riffs. In addition, as per the “unofficial” guide of old school Doom Metal, its drums are there with the unique mission to make the whole thing even more diabolical, and I’m not really sure what to say about the subhuman growls by Robin Van Oyen except for the fact that they won’t let you sleep well at night. Are you still breathing? Because in the following track, Kha’laam, Gateway forged a mystical Doom Metal aria by masterfully blending elements from Tryptikon, Black Sabbath and Celtic Frost, with its primeval rhythm contributing to its mordacity and elevating it to a whole new level of darkness. It doesn’t matter how intricate this tune is, it remains utterly loyal to the foundations of Doom Metal.

Gateway - white logoDon’t expect to see any bright light in the music by Gateway, as the ode to despair continues with yet another grim composition entitled Impaled, where Robin keeps howling like an ancient demon amidst a lugubrious atmosphere that will compel your heart to grow darker and darker; followed by Corrumpert Interludium, a song that will break your fuckin’ neck in a solid display of extreme music, with its riffs giving you goosebumps so demonic they are. I love the name of the next track, Vile Temptress, it transpires darkness and flawlessly connects with its spellbinding rhythm, as if the witch herself wanted to hypnotize us and take us all to her evil kingdom (“I am a witch… AND I CURSE YOU!”). This tune proves that extreme music doesn’t need to be fast at all times to be frightful, don’t you agree?

In the excellent Hollow, it looks like Robin’s plan is to drag us all to hell to the sound of his torture-inspired musicality, this time slightly faster and with an even more enraged growling, growing in desperation until the song’s fiendish ending; before The Shores of Daruk closes the album with almost ten minutes of hatred and occultism, guiding us into the unknown. I don’t know where those shores are exactly but it’s definitely not a happy place, getting even more supernatural halfway through it and evolving to a sorrowful ending. Thus, if you survive this tormented feast of Extreme Metal, you’re indeed a true doom metaller, but if you still want more you can enjoy the brutal and extremely well-engendered Portaclus, an amazing gift to fans who get the physical copy of the album, and of course a visceral exhibit of what Gateway is capable of.

Are you willing to keep having your body and soul tormented by this promising Belgian one-man band? Simply check out Gateway’s Facebook and YouTube, and in order to buy your copy of Gateway go to the band’s official BandCamp page, to the Hellthrasher Productions BandCamp or to their official webstore. When the gates of hell are open and gruesome bands such as Gateway arise from darkness, you know that if the world is actually coming to an atrocious end, may that be to the sound of the rawest and most demonic Doom Metal imaginable.

Best moments of the album: Kha’laam and Vile Temptress.

Worst moments of the album: Corrumpert Interludium.

Released in 2015 Hellthrasher Productions

Track listing
1. Prolegomenon (Intro) 1:08
2. Vox Occultus 6:16
3. Kha’laam 3:43
4. Impaled 6:58
5. Corrumpert Interludium 2:38
6. Vile Temptress 5:07
7. Hollow 5:00
8. The Shores Of Daruk 9:27

CD bonus track
9.Portaclus 3:32

Band members
Robin Van Oyen – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Tsar Bomb / Exterminans IX:XI (2015)

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…and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the ungodly Blackened Death Metal cast by a demonic duo from Spain.

Rating3

CD100_outTsar Bomb, or “Царь-бомба” in Russian, might be commonly known as the nickname for the AN602 hydrogen bomb developed by the Soviet Union, the most powerful man-made nuclear weapon ever detonated, but for the past few years it has also become a synonym to the cataclysmic music by Spanish Blackened Death Metal band Tsar Bomb. The force of impact of their compositions is immeasurable, crushing your soul inhumanely, but at the same time leaving you avid for more destruction and chaos after their extreme music raid ceases.

After the release of their debut album Neowarfare in 2012, this Málaga-based hellish duo is ready to scathe our society again with their brand new record, entitled Exterminans IX:XI, an album fundamentally inspired by the Book of Revelation, with even the writing of its lyrics being attributed to some sort of “help” by St. John the Apostle. Moreover, Tsar Bomb managed to merge in a very technical and aggressive way the esoteric side of the biblical scriptures with their belligerent and occultist vision of the world, offering the listener a wide spectrum of blasphemy, havoc and desperation.

Exterminans IX:XI begins with a nightmare-ish Intro where the smooth piano notes by guest musician Carmen Robles Jimenez bring some peace to our hearts amidst the song’s sheer ravage, before Ad Maiorem Legio Gloriam (“the greater glory of law”) comes bursting a brutal onslaught of Black, Death and Blackened Death Metal for our total delight. In addition, the band’s intricate instrumental artillery provides lead singer Ocram the perfect environment for his demonic growls, and although all drums are programmed, the music sounds very organic and alive at all times, which will make you simply forget about that minor detail.

The title-track, Exterminans IX:XI, is more than “just” a song about Abaddon, also known as the Destroyer or the Angel of the Abyss as portrayed in the Holy Bible (Revelation 9:11), it’s an even more vicious and intense tune, where six-string master Ivan does a superb job with his piercing guitar riffs enhancing its dark atmosphere and apocalyptic vibe; followed by Septem Tonitrua (“seven thunders”), an expression that also appears in the Holy Bible (Revelation 10:4), and obviously in the song’s lyrics (“Seven thunders burst, the angel has spoken / Under the oath, resounding horns / The Book of Initiation devoured by Leviathan / Inexorable storm, storm of ashes and fire.”). Their barbaric demolition goes on with another feast of blast beats, complex guitar lines and harsh growls boosted by some special voice effects similar to what Dimmu Borgir and other extreme bands usually do. Put differently, this killing tune will auspiciously dilacerate your mind before reaching its climatic and desolate ending.

In Armada (Mari Bestiam), which refers to the Spanish Armada of 1588, Tsar Bomb translated the monstrous power of the armada into a dark and robust tune, with highlights to the hints of progressiveness and modernity added to this technical Extreme Metal composition by Ocram and Ivan; while Caustic Blessing is a high-speed violent chant where yet again drums do not feel like they’re programmed at all. Can a human drummer replicate this sonority live? Anyway, this is a very good example of how amazing the band sounds no matter if they add symphonic or progressive elements to their music or if they’re as raw and direct as possible like in this case.

TSAR BOMB band photo (1)In the excellent …And Spill thy Fire Upon the Earth, prepare your neck for a lot of pain from headbanging because Tsar Bomb sound like a wild beast attacking you directly in the jugular, offering a multi-layered infernal Black Metal exhibit where vocals by Ocram get even more diabolical and in sync with its scalding lyrics (“The reign of chaos spits its fire / With hall and blood scorching the life / With flaming soil the waters died / And Spill Thy Fire Upon The Earth!!”). And finally, Mikaheylel reminds me a lot of the sonority found in The Satanist, by Behemoth, especially the blasphemous aura surrounding the music. You can feel hatred and despair emanating from its riffs, which ends up being frightful but mesmerizing at the same time, reinforcing this extremely well-crafted chant that perfectly represents what Blackened Death Metal is all about. There’s still time for a disturbing Outro to close this marvelous album, with the piano by Carmen returning in a very melancholic pattern, turning it into the soundtrack to a desolated war field after the detonation of a deadly nuclear weapon.

In case the sonic detonation ignited by Tsar Bomb helped release your inner demons, you can find more about their work on their official Facebook page and SoundCloud, and also find Exterminans IX:XI for sale at their BandCamp page or at the Cimmerian Shade Recordings’ BandCamp page. There’s an interesting excerpt from the Bible, Revelation 9:2, which states that “And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.” Replace the smoke of the pit with the disturbing Blackened Death Metal by Tsar Bomb, and there you have a suitable depiction of how vile this Spanish duo can be.

Best moments of the album: Ad Maiorem Legio Gloriam, Exterminans IX:XI, Armada (Mari Bestiam) and Mikaheylel.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Cimmerian Shade Recordings

Track listing
1. Intro 3:01
2. Ad Maiorem Legio Gloriam 5:13
3. Exterminans IX:XI 4:58
4. Septem Tonitrua 6:19
5. Armada (Mari Bestiam) 5:01
6. Caustic Blessing 3:07
7. …And Spill thy Fire Upon the Earth 4:14
8. Mikaheylel 5:43
9. Outro 2:58

Band members
Ocram – vocals, drum programming
Ivan – guitars, bass, drum programming

Guest musician
Carmen Robles Jimenez – synth, piano

Album Review – Fjorsvartnir / Mzoraxc’ Forbandelse (2015)

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Loyal to the foundations of Black Metal, this talented one-man army from Denmark offers an action-packed album that, above all things, sounds fresh and unique at all times.

Rating4

FJORSVARTNIR - 'Mzoraxc' Forbandelse' , front cover 2015Fans of Scandinavian mythology, Vikings, battles, drinking and atmospheric extreme music, behold the brand new opus by Danish Melodic/Pagan Black Metal one-man army Fjorsvartnir, the excellent Mzoraxc’ Forbandelse, or “Mzoraxc’ Curse” in English. Not only the album took three years to be concluded, but it’s also the first of the band’s three full-length releases to be fully in Danish, and by that you can imagine how organic it sounds and how connected to the themes proposed the music is.

Founded in 2007 in the stunning city of Copenhagen, Denmark by multi-instrumentalist Fjorgynn (who’s supported by three other musicians when it’s time to materialize his music during the band’s live performances), the music by Fjorsvartnir can be at the same time a demonic onslaught and a melodic aria of melancholy, depending on the topic chosen by Fjorgynn when composing his songs. If this is not enough to show you the depth of Fjorsvartnir’s music, maybe the explanation for the name of the band can help you understand that. Fjorsvartnir is another name for Rimfaxe, the black horse that runs over the sky carrying the moon in its chariot, driven by a giant woman named Nat. With that said, are you ready for battle now?

Pagan and nature elements kick off the opening chant, entitled Ravneskrig Og Ulvehyl (“The Raven Scream And The Wolf Howl”), which after a brief acoustic intro becomes a powerful and symphonic exhibit of Scandinavian Black Metal. In addition, it’s impressive how Fjorgynn is capable of crafting such organic and imposing music all by himself, where not only his vocals sound truly demonic but his riffs are also exactly what good extreme music demands. The following tune, Nordens Genopstandelse (“Nordic Resurrection”), is more inclined to traditional Black Metal, with the incorporation of symphonic elements in the background creating a beautiful melody that supports the sonic havoc presented from start to finish. Besides, Fjorgynn delivers desperate vocals mixed with deeper guttural growls, sounding violent and harmonious at the same time.

Embraced by a very solid instrumental, Fjorsvartnir offer us an epic and ominous tune forged in the fires of hell named En Rejse Igennem Fortidens Riger (“A Journey Through Past Kingdoms”), where its keyboards act like a melancholic ray of light in the middle of all the darkness generated by the other instruments, reminding me of some old songs by Dimmu Borgir. Moreover, its last part feels like an ode to anguish, only making it even more enjoyable to fans of Black and Doom Metal. The Viking/Pagan instrumental tune Riget (“Empire”) is a pleasant surprise after so much despair, with Fjorgynn doing a superb job showing his music is more than just pure Black Metal, before Mzoraxc – Mødet Med Underverdenen (“Mzoraxc – Meeting With The Underworld”) rumbles the earth with a creepy intro and a somber rhythm led by its guitar riffs. It has those mesmerizing blast beats found in traditional Black Metal boosted by the harsh growls by Fjorgynn, and although I (unfortunately) do not speak Danish I’m absolutely sure the story told during the song is complex, intense and gripping.

FJORSVARTNIR - promo photo 2015Tailored for fans of complex Extreme Metal, Krigssat contains elements from the most obscure Black Metal from Norway, the more melodic lines from Sweden and the symphonic vibe found in bands from Norway, Finland and the UK, with the gentle and operatic female vocals being a welcome touch of beauty to the song, followed by Det Sidste Slag (“The Last Battle”), a highly recommended soundtrack for an epic battle. I love how the song keeps changing its rhythm and emotions; for instance, you can enjoy sheer brutality through its sick blast beats or feel enfolded by its ominous passages, as there’s excellence for all types of extreme music fans (especially if you are a true black metaller, you’ll go crazy with this incredible composition). Once again, Fjorgynn sounds like a demon incarnate on vocals, which only adds more wickedness to the song. And to properly wrap things up, the melancholic outro Valkyrie provides the listener the sensation of a sorrowful aftermath in a precise and passionate way.

Fjorsvartnir, the Norse creation by the talented Fjorgynn, can be reached through their Facebook page, YouTube channel and ReverbNation, and the energetic Mzoraxc’ Forbandelse can be purchased at the band’s official BandCamp page. Loyal to the foundations of Black Metal, Fjorsvartnir created an action-packed album that, above all things, sounds fresh and unique at all times, even amidst so many other extreme music bands available worldwide.

Best moments of the album: Ravneskrig Og Ulvehyl, Nordens Genopstandelse and Det Sidste Slag.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Grom Records

Track listing
1.Ravneskrig Og Ulvehyl 6:35
2.Nordens Genopstandelse 6:52
3.En Rejse Igennem Fortidens Riger 8:42
4.Riget 2:40
5.Mzoraxc – Mødet Med Underverdenen 6:42
6.Krigssat 6:20
7.Det Sidste Slag 7:48
8.Valkyrie 2:00

Band members
Fjorgynn – vocals, all instruments

Live
Fjorgynn – vocals, lead & rhythm guitar
Helgarm – lead & rhythm guitar
Onslaughter – keyboards
Arent – drums

Album Review – Display of Decay / Dust of Existence (2015)

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After being infected by this deadly Death Metal virus from Canada, you’ll pleasantly suffer from brutal headbanging, deep growling and an impetuous urge to slam into the pit.

Rating5

display of decay artworkThere’s a deadly virus spreading from Edmonton, Canada to the rest of our rotting world since 2007, which major symptoms include brutal headbanging, deep growling and especially an urge to slam into some sick circle pits, similar to what happens when we listen to Death Metal icons such as Deicide, Cannibal Corpse and Cryptopsy, commonly known as Display of Decay. This five-piece infection truly knows how to bring forth pungent and coarse Death Metal tunes intensified by the addition of elements from Thrash and Doom Metal, making sure all songs from their brand new release, entitled  Dust of Existence, have something unique to offer to the listener.

In addition, Dust of Existence is not just a new album, but a direct epilogue to their 2014 EP named Outbreak of Infection, telling what happened to mankind after the horrifying events caused by the devastating virus presented in the EP. That’s also portrayed in the artwork of the new album, showing how focused the band was during its writing and composing period, and therefore adding an extra layer of complexity to the final result. However, don’t expect to find any gentle passages or progressiveness in the music by Display of Decay as you would in most “concept” albums, but pure malevolence with a raw attitude that will get inside your brain and relentlessly crush it.

The opening track, Created to Kill, needs less than ten seconds to show how visceral the band’s musicality is, presenting crude riffs enhanced by rumbling and intricate bass lines. Not only that, the demonic vocals by Jessy Leduc, supported by the harsh backing vocals by Sean Watson, create a truly evil atmosphere that perseveres until the end of Dust of Existence, which in my opinion provides a good consistency to the entire album. Relentless Reprisal also offers an intense sounding where its belligerent lyrics (“Shadows in the night, New plight of terror / Seeking revenge, Silent abduction / Eye for an eye, I take your life / Revenge prolonged, calculated”) and the blustering bass guitar by Jacob Maisonneuve turn it into a delight for all types of death metallers, followed by the pulverizing High Voltage Castration and its “cute” lyrics, so morbid I’m not going to add them to this review. Regarding the music itself, it is catchy and intense, and I’m sure you’ll start banging your fuckin’ head to its kick-ass riffs while Jacob continues his “ode to Alex Webster” through his sick bass lines. Besides, the special sound effects halfway through the song are truly “electrifying”, giving life to its lyrics.

The next song, Maruta, has a very interesting name which I’m not quite sure if that was the inspiration for the band to compose it. Maruta is the name of a special program of experimentation on human beings at the Imperial Japanese Army’s Unit 731 (a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit), and it makes total sense taking into account the concepts and ideas of the album. Maybe the band can confirm that? Anyway, it showcases such a brutish rhythm as if giant trolls were playing the instruments instead of humans, presenting one of the sickest versions of Death Metal you can think of (but, of course, with the talent of the musicians involved elevating its overall quality). Cellar Goreatory is yet another solid display of traditional Death Metal, with highlights to its vile vociferations, headbanging riffs and nonstop violence, but it’s in Messiah Complex that the band takes bestiality to the next level. It’s that always interesting variation of Death Metal where speed gives place to gore and heaviness, with kudos to rhythm guitarist Jeremy Puffer for his amazing performance delivering tons of melody and violence through his unrelenting riffs. Moreover, Jessy sounds so inhuman with his growls it makes me wonder how his actual voice is, and how hard it’s for him to switch it to this extremely rough mode.

Display-of-Decay---2015---PNyctophilia means a love or preference for night or darkness, which is perfectly depicted in its lyrics (“Blinded by light, Darkness arise, / From the tomb, I revive! / Last of my kind, Ancient sacrifice, / Empty carcass , Cloak of darkness!”). It’s more of the band’s old school Death Metal for us, with its instrumental being as dark and heavy as the name of the song demands. And although one might say there’s no creativity in tunes like this, who said good Death Metal needs that? Closing this poisonous album, the title-track Dust of Existence, also the longest of all songs, showcases some interesting melancholic moments that end up supporting this excellent Death/Doom Metal chant of desolation and despair. The whole band proves they can also craft metallic compositions from other subgenres of Extreme Metal, with the rawer than usual production becoming essential for the music to work in this demonic tune.

What are you waiting for to get infected by this talented Death Metal act? Follow them on Facebook, check their YouTube channel and SoundCloud page for more of their music, and also purchase Dust of Existence at their BandCamp page. I’m sure you’ll pleasantly suffer from all the aforementioned symptoms after listening to this solid album.

Best moments of the album: Created to Kill, High Voltage Castration and Messiah Complex.

Worst moments of the album: Cellar Goreatory.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1.Created to Kill 3:41
2.Relentless Reprisal 2:53
3.High Voltage Castration 5:16
4.Maruta 4:21
5.Cellar Goreatory 3:26
6.Messiah Complex 4:30
7.Nyctophilia 3:23
8.Dust of Existence 7:10

Band members
Jessy Leduc – vocals
Sean Watson – lead guitars, vocals
Jeremy Puffer – rhythm guitars
Jacob Maisonneuve – bass
Avery Desmarais – drums

Album Review – Hateful Warfare / Scenarios Of Execution EP (2015)

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It’s time to be executed in a heartless and gruesome way through the music by this vicious Death Metal band from Brazil.

Rating5

11329653_839212942837134_1148590419_nFounded in the beginning of 2015 in the city of Joinville, located in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, Death/Thrash Metal band Hateful Warfare are set to crush your souls and show you how good Brazilian extreme music is with their debut EP entitled Scenarios Of Execution. Discussing controversial themes such as religion and war through their lyrics, this talented power trio knows how to mix harmony and aggressiveness to make their message sharper and more scathing, characteristics that always add significant value to Extreme Metal.

Not only Scenarios Of Execution represents total devastation in a little less than 25 minutes of music, but the band’s cohesiveness becomes even more outstanding if we keep in mind the band members have been together in this project for less than one year. Perhaps their main influences, which range from old school Death and Thrash Metal the likes of Kreator, Exodus and Death, to the traditional Heavy Metal by Iron Maiden, to the Punk Rock/Hardcore attitude by Misfits, to the fierce sonority crafted by their fellow countrymen Sepultura, Krisiun, Korzus and Ratos de Porão, is what makes the music found in Scenarios Of Execution sound so strong, and therefore a delight for fans of the genre.

An eerie and devilish voice in the diabolical intro Ready for Disaster introduces the listener to the band’s nightmare-ish and raw musicality in Welcome to My Nightmare, which starts in an epic and imposing way before all hell breaks loose and the band begins firing their nonstop metallic aggression mercilessly. In addition, the vocals by lead singer/bassist Andrei sound truly inspired by the early days of Max Cavalera with an extra touch of despair added; and how can their riffs be so dirty, dark and melodic at the same time?

Put the words “infernal” and “war” together and you’ll obviously get a feast of blast beats, tons of shredding and violent growls, which is exactly what you’ll find in the excellent Infernal War. Drummer Denis showcases his technique by adding some interesting breaks amidst his sick beats, and kudos to guitarist Norba for another excellent job done on guitar, enhancing the song’s ferocity. Blending the acid music by icons such as Exodus, Slayer and Dark Angel, Slaves of Christ offers four minutes of brutality and blasphemy the way only good old Death Metal can: it’s simply perfect for a destructive circle pit, and you gotta love how Andrei screams the chorus with so much anger and hate. Moreover, although they’re (still) an underground band, you’ll notice how professional they sound in this song, keeping up with the music by well-established names in the global metal scene.

1500 (2)Following that blasphemous tune, prepare your neck for another headbanging massacre, this time inspired by Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel, named Addiction to Kill. Its riffs and drums will undoubtedly put you to “dance” and slam into the pit together with Hateful Warfare, but save your energies because the havoc is not over yet, as the heavy and technical tune Bloody Night will provide you some catchy riffs and a thunderous atmosphere, also flirting with raw Black Metal and Doom Metal to give it an even darker taste, keeping you electrified from start to finish. And lastly, making sure they smash everyone that crosses their path, Hateful Warfare close this visceral EP with another old school song named Fuel for Infernal Disgrace, discharging riffs that are even heavier than before, therefore guiding the musicality to a higher level of carnage. An awesome ending that leaves the listener eager for more of their hellish music, if you ask me.

Hateful Warfare are waiting to pulverize you on their Facebook page and YouTube channel, or if you prefer you can find all details about the band, their debut EP and their concerts at the official Sangue Frio Produções website. If you want to be “executed” in a heartless and gruesome way through the music by a vicious Death Metal band, these Brazilian guys definitely have what it takes to satisfy your inner desire for brutality.

Best moments of the album: Welcome to My Nightmare and Bloody Night.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1.Ready for Disaster (Intro) 1:43
2.Welcome to My Nightmare 3:34
3.Infernal War 4:23
4.Slaves of Christ 4:07
5.Addiction to Kill 3:42
6.Bloody Night 3:21
7.Fuel for Infernal Disgrace 3:55

Band members
Andrei – vocals, bass
Norba – guitars
Denis – drums