Tag Archives: hardcore

Album Review – Phantom Fire / Eminente Lucifer Libertad (2023)

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This rebellious Black and Speed Metal duo hailing from Norway is ready to reap again to the sound of their sulfurous sophomore opus.

Hailing from Bergen, Norway, Black/Speed Metal outfit Phantom Fire includes members from such bands as Gaahls Wyrd and Krakow, but on evidence of their first public recording, the 2021 two-song EP Return of the Goat, Phantom Fire are definitely their own band. Now in 2023, little more than a year after the release of their full-length opus The Bust of Beelzebub, the band formed of Eld (aka Frode Kilvik) on vocals and bass, and Kjartan (aka Kjartan Grønhaug, or simply K_G) on the guitars and electronics, is ready to reap again with their sophomore opus, titled Eminente Lucifer Libertad. Produced, mixed and mastered by Enslaved’s own Iver Sandøy (who also plays drums in the entire album) at Solslottet Studio, displaying a sinister artwork by Per “Hellbutcher” Gustavsson (Nifelheim, Necrocurse), and featuring eerie narrations by Ferruccio Goia, the album keeps the duo’s core sound intact and yet show palpable new sides of their music across its slightly longer and daresay-stronger content, riding the lightning of all-out speed as often as they moodily march to pagan vastlands, sometimes all in the span of the same song.

Not a single second of peace is offered to our blackened souls in Bloodshed, with Eld roaring manically accompanied by the visceral riffs by Kjartan in a fast and furious Thrash Metal party with Hardcore influences, followed by the weird interlude Eminente, which sets the tone for Derive from Ash, a mid-tempo Black and Thrash Metal aria where Eld’s vocals sound inspired by the one and only Abbath, with his bass lines hitting us hard in the head supported by the solid drumming by Iver. Then back to a more ferocious mode, it’s truly exciting how the duo managed to blend the best elements from Black and Thrash Metal in their music as you can sense both styles at once in Ritual, led by the fulminating riffage by Kjartan, morphing into the devilish Satanic Messenger, where eerie vociferations are accompanied by electronic sounds and noises crafted by Kjartan. Not exactly the type of track hardcore fans of thrash would expect, but it does its job in a decent way.

Lucifer is another idiosyncratic track by the band that builds the atmosphere for De Taptes Dans, where we face almost three minutes of obscurity and violence. Furthermore, Iver is once again brutal on drums providing Eld with exactly what he needs to bark like a demonic entity; and investing in a rebellious, punk-ish attitude the duo fires the heavy tune Black Night, where their riffs and bass lines walk hand in hand in the name of extreme music. Mara is a wicked creation overflowing progressiveness, groove and rage with Kjartan hammering his guitar mercilessly, extracting pure Black Metal from his riffs, and the band offers us all another short and sweet interlude titled Libertad before kicking our asses one last time in Pentagram, the longest and most detailed of all songs where Eld’s bass and Iver’s beats bring sheer groove to the music, sounding more like a summoning of evil spirits than an actual metal song. The final result is truly compelling, though.

The insurgent duo of Phantom Fire is ready to kick your ass armed with their flammable new album, and in order to show them you’re a true servant of our buddy Lucifer you can start following them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream more of their music on Spotify, and purchase your copy of Eminente Lucifer Libertad from the Edge Circle Productions’ BandCamp page or from their webstore in the United States or in Europe, as well as from Apple Music. In the end, the album is a rowdier listen but also one that’s stoic or even ceremonial; the chill of the tundra coats all of Eminente Lucifer Libertad, and so does the burning light of Lucifer (up)rising from beneath, always in the name of our beloved extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Bloodshed, De Taptes Dans and Mara.

Worst moments of the album: Satanic Messenger.

Released in 2023 Edge Circle Productions

Track listing
1. Bloodshed 2:33
2. Eminente 0:10
3. Derive from Ash 4:58
4. Ritual 3:42
5. Satanic Messenger 3:32
6. Lucifer 0:57
7. De Taptes Dans 2:49
8. Black Night 1:42
9. Mara 2:55
10. Libertad 0:19
11. Pentagram 6:24

Band members
Eld – vocals, bass
Kjartan – guitars, electronics

Guest musicians
Iver Sandøy – drums
Ferruccio Goia – narration

Album Review – Man Must Die / The Pain Behind It All (2023)

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This Scottish Death Metal institution returns with their most aggressive album to date, once again bringing the fight but in a bigger way than ever.

Having already released four furious records and having toured with the likes of Kataklysm, Aborted, Misery Index, Machine Head, Hatebreed and Decapitated, to name a few, Glasgow, Scotland-based Technical Death Metal entity Man Must Die is back in action with their most aggressive album to date and their first full-length album in almost ten years, The Pain Behind It All, following up on their 2019 EP Gagging Order and their 2013 full-length opus Peace Was Never an Option. Known and praised for their highly energetic music style, with early releases containing elements of Technical Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal and even influences from old school Hardcore Punk, but currently showcasing much more melodic elements coupled with a Deathgrind-based sound, the band formed of vocalist Joe McGlynn, guitarists Alan McFarland and Mike Allan, bassist James Wright, and drummer Tony Corio is once again bringing the fight but in a bigger way than ever armed with their new album, always dealing with religion, murder, death, hate and warfare in their lyrics, usually written in a very violent fashion.

The sinister and short intro O.C.D sets the stage for Man Must Die to smash our cranial skulls with Patterns In The Chaos, a pulverizing display of Death Metal with Deathcore nuances with Tony going berserk behind his drums while Joe roars and gnarls nonstop for our vulgar delectation, whereas the title-track The Pain Behind It All brings forward sheer heaviness directly to our faces, with the band’s guitar duo Alan and Mike sounding visceral armed with their axes, not to mention the song’s eerie background ambience. It’s pedal to the metal with the band being on fire in In The Hour Before Your Death, a frantic, heavy-as-hell Death Metal extravaganza led by the always demolishing beats by Tony while their guitars keep exhaling absolute hatred, followed by Clickhate, another boisterous tune by those Scottish death metallers where the level of fury and animosity flowing from all instruments is gargantuan, with Joe bursting his lungs growling like a beast.

After such intense first half of the album, it’s time for a darker song entitled Enabler, a decent mid-tempo feast of Technical Death Metal spearheaded by the piercing riffage by Allan and Mike; and back to their most vicious mode, the band will pulverize our ears in Bring Me The Head Of The King, taking their violence to a whole new level while Joe vociferates the song’s catchy lyrics in great fashion. Get ready for six minutes of anguished passages, thrilling riffs and endless obscurity in War Is My Will, with James blasting his rumbling bass while Tony completes their evil kitchen with his pounding drums, followed by the instrumental interlude Alone In A Crowded Room, soothing our souls for a little less than two minutes before the band comes ripping with their final sonic attack entitled Who Goes There?/I.F.F, a lecture in Death Metal infused with elements from Deathcore, Hardcore, and even hints of Punk Rock. Put differently, it’s impossible to stand still to this venomous sonic hurricane, inspiring us all to slam our damned bodies into the circle pit.

The ruthless squad of Man Must Die is waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with news, tour dates and other great information about the band and their music, and of course you can stream all of their pulverizing creations on Spotify. The Pain Behind It All, available for purchase from the Distortion Music Group’s webstore as a CD or a vinyl, as well as from Apple Music or Amazon, is as aforementioned Man Must Die’s strongest and most obscure album to date, positioning the band as one of the torchbearers of the current Scottish metal scene and, therefore, leaving us eager for more and more of their flammable music in the coming years.

Best moments of the album: Patterns In The Chaos, In The Hour Before Your Death, Bring Me The Head Of The King and Who Goes There?/I.F.F.

Worst moments of the album: Enabler.

Released in 2023 Distortion Music Group

Track listing
1. O.C.D 0:33
2. Patterns In The Chaos 4:38
3. The Pain Behind It All 5:01
4. In The Hour Before Your Death 4:11
5. Clickhate 4:07
6. Enabler 5:57
7. Bring Me The Head Of The King 3:33
8. War Is My Will 5:57
9. Alone In A Crowded Room 1:45
10. Who Goes There?/I.F.F 4:13

Band members
Joe McGlynn – vocals
Alan McFarland – lead guitars
Mike Allan – guitars
James Wright – bass
Tony Corio – drums

Album Review – FesterDecay / Reality Rotten To The Core (2023)

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***Review by Luke Hayhurst, writer for Morbid Wings (Print) Zine, VM Underground Fanzine and Doom-Metal.com***

FesterDecay are a quartet of Goregrind fanatics who hail from Fukoaka in Japan. Since their 2016 inception the band have put together a decent list of demo and split releases, however 2023 sees the band’s first full length offering; a fourteen track opus of filth and degradation that they have called Reality Rotten to the Core. Rather appropriately, Everlasting Spew Records have unleashed this putrid beast on both CD and cassette.

Leave it to the Japanese to do Goregrind properly. Rather than simply churn out a series of breakdowns, pig squeals and audio samples, FesterDecay have given their sound a firm foundation of old school Death Metal with the inclusion of thunderous and bleak sounding riffs and a sturdy and pummeling back line of throbbing bass tones and thumping aggression from behind the kit. From there the pestilent vocal work of KK2 kicks in to add a layer of grime and detritus, whilst the riffs take on a thuggish and belligerent tone.

Sporting a heady mixture of bowel trembling bass lines and wildly erratic guitar solos, Fall in Grind starts out with a grueling and abrasive sound and only gets sicker and more devastating as more time passes. It isn’t until fourth track Disintegration of Organs that the band really unleash a fully Goregrind sounding style; meaty chugging riffs, furious and violent drum tones and a bass line you could garotte with, whilst all the while the vocals gurgle and boil away to themselves before spewing forth a hostile tirade of bile and pus!

If you want sickening song names attached to mind bending aggressive bouts of malicious, blood curdling sickness, look no further than Aborticide. Not a track for the pro-lifer brigade as I’m sure you could imagine. I like the tracks that slow things down though, the tracks that let the bass tones fester in their juices and riffs take on a deranged, predatory air before unleashing a vicious volley of blood soaked anal fluid in your face; such as the appropriately named Stench of Decay.

In the midst of all of this putridity and carnage, thuggery and hooliganism, there sits From the Dark Tomb which for the most part is a lesson in brooding, oppressive sounding OSDM that then degrades into a maelstrom of pus splattering riffs and maniacal drumming which then plays out over the next few tracks as a purge style rout of blistering heaviness and uncontrollable animosity and animalistic tendencies truly take hold.

In all seriousness, Reality Rotten to the Core is a good blend of the barbaric, the groove drenched and the needlessly silly; everything I want from a good Grindcore album. Plus the OSDM influence which so few bands of this kind utilize. Well played squires.

Best moments of the album: The infusion of an OSDM foundation to their sound. Plus, Aborticide & From the Dark Tomb.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 by Everlasting Spew Records

Track listing
1. Rotten Fester Decay 2:16
2. Hash the Tongue 1:36
3. Fall in Grind 2:07
4. Disintegration of Organs 2:13
5. Aborticide 2:17
6. Stench of Decay 3:38
7. Psychopharmacist 1:06
8. From the Dark Tomb 2:45
9. Exposing the Skin Tissue 1:47
10. Carcasses’ Revenge 2:38
11. Cryptic Wounds 1:26
12. Liquidized Gallbladder 0:44
13. Scum’s Karma 2:28
14. Reconstruction of Malignant Miasma 3:53

Band members
KK2 – vocals
Haru – guitar, vocals
⻲頭 – bass, guitar
Ryozy – drums

Links
FesterDecay Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | BandCamp | Spotify | Linktree

Album Review – Absolute Darkness / Failure Of State (2022)

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***Review by Luke Hayhurst, writer for Morbid Wings (Print) Zine, VM Underground Fanzine and Doom-Metal.com***

Failure of State is the third full length instalment from San Franciscan Death/Thrash quartet Absolute Darkness. Part album, part call to arms, Absolute Darkness’s first opus since 2018’s Disaster Awaits is a rabble rousing affair as well as a slamming indictment of modern day society and those that pretend to govern us.

Opening tracks Rounded Up and Mob Rules are anger fueled slabs of hatred that talk of sparking rebellion and standing for what’s right, and those messages are delivered through fast paced riffs and drumming on top of a bass heavy rhythm and powerful growling vocal work. This is not a band calling for a peaceful resolution, that’s for damn sure.

Some tracks despair at the state of the world, such as Sanity Is Gone whilst others come at things from a different perspective, as is the case during My Forever Rule in which the band put themselves into the shoes of a dictator and ask the question; why do the people oppose me?

A very interesting album and thematically engaging and varied. Musically the fare is direct and well performed though a little unspectacular. Absolute Darkness create music with a mainly Thrash mentality (And a few hardcore sensibilities) and then thrown in more Death Metal style vocals, as well as some meatier DM riffs. Certainly anyone of a political leaning should check this out; it will stoke the fires of your anger.

Best moments of the album: The rabble rousing stomp and ceremony of Mob Rules.

Worst moments of the album: No bad moments though the album is a little samey.

Released in 2022 by Sliptrick Records

Track listing
1. Rounded Up 4:13
2. Mob Rule 4:49
3. Sanity Is Gone 4:28
4. My Forever Rule 4:00
5. Failure Of State 4:42
6. My Assassination 4:00
7. The Republic 3:59
8. Unite! 3:37

Bonus tracks
9. Chaos Unleashed 4:33
10. Mad King 5:35
11. On My Way To Death 4:55

Band members
Ron Dorn – vocals, guitars
Douglas Vetter II – lead guitars, backing vocals
Orson Sojo – bass
Emad Dajani – drums

Links
Absolute Darkness Facebook | Instagram | YouTube  | BandCamp | Spotify

Album Review – Headfist / This New World…. EP (2022)

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A talented and hardworking musician from Chile channels all his anger in his debut EP, overflowing Thrash and Speed Metal for our total delight.

Formed by guitarist Cristóbal Perez in Chile’s capital Santiago earlier this year as a four-piece act, but currently having Cristóbal as its sole member (with the support of session vocalist Michel Hoogervorst of Dutch Heavy/Thrash Metal band KFFR), the newborn Thrash/Speed Metal entity Headfist has just released their debut EP This New World…., following up on their 2022 two-track self-titled demo. Comprised of six songs clocking at 20 minutes of pure speed and insanity, the EP is according to Cristóbal himself highly influenced by Motörhead, Overkill, Exodus, Anvil, Anthrax, Testament and Iron Maiden, among others, allowing him to channel all his anger while the lyrics deal with the adversities most musicians face in life when trying to create new music.

Uncertainty is a very melodic intro inspired by renowned acts such as Megadeth and Testament, exploding into the high-octane and rebellious This World, with Cristóbal slashing his guitar in great fashion, firing caustic riffs and solos while Michel roars manically in the name of 80’s Thrash Metal. Then pounding drums and endless heaviness are the main ingredients in What a Nice Way to Live…, another incendiary tune by Headfist with nuances of Hardcore and Punk Rock added to its already violent core; whereas the soaring vocals by Michel add an extra touch of insanity to the music in Instinct to Kill, where once again the Speed Metal riffage by Cristóbal lives up to the legacy of the genre. It’s time to put the pedal to the metal as Headfist invites us all to slam into the pit to the sound of Reign of Treason, sounding like a Chilean version of Anthrax with Cristóbal’s sharp riffs and solos bringing that welcome dirt to the overall result. Lastly, the song that carries the name of the band, Headfist, overflows electricity and rage, with Michel and Cristóbal being in perfect sync and, therefore, offering us all another hurricane of Thrash and Speed Metal.

While the EP can be heard in full on YouTube and on Spotify, the talented Cristóbal is currently looking for musicians who nurture the same passion as he does for heavy music, and who are also willing to embark on the hard and difficult (but exciting) path to create high-quality metal music. Hence, if you think you have what it takes to be part of Headfist, or if you just love Speed Metal and want to show Cristóbal all your support, go check what he’s up to on Facebook and purchase a copy of This New World…. from Apple Music. Hopefully, Cristóbal will quickly find some skillful metallers to join Headfist and become once again a full-bodied band, because the music found in his debut EP is excellent, it perfectly represents what the underground is all about, and above all that, it exhales Heavy Metal. We need more of the music by Headfist, no doubt about that.

Best moments of the album: This World and Reign of Treason.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Independent

Track listing
1. Uncertainty 1:06
2. This World 2:38
3. What a Nice Way to Live… 3:28
4. Instinct to Kill 4:10
5. Reign of Treason 5:02
6. Headfist 3:54

Band members
Cristóbal Perez – guitars, bass, drums

Guest musician
Michel Hoogervorst – vocals (session)

Album Review – My Own Fear / Violence Made History (2022)

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Let’s all have a lesson in violence to the sound of the awesome first full-length album by this ruthless Death and Thrash Metal band from France.

Formed in 2011 in Val d’Oise, a department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France, Death/Thrash Metal troopers My Own Fear have just unleashed upon humanity their first full-length opus, titled Violence Made History, enhancing the heaviness, rage and fury from their 2014 debut EP Rise to a whole new level. Currently formed of Nicolas Benloulou on vocals, Stéphane Neraud and Fabrice Darmon on the guitars, Gilles Sala on bass, and Sébastien Geley on drums, My Own Fear will inspire you to slam into the circle pit to the sound of their newborn spawn dealing with controversial topics like death, inner struggles and the horrors of historical events the likes of the Spanish Inquisition, being highly recommended for admirers of the vicious and intricate music blasted by renowned acts such as Death, Sepultura and The Haunted, among several others.

The atmospheric, cinematic intro Once Upon a Fall works as the calm before the storm, as the band comes crushing our senses in 6:1 – 8, a frantic thrashing feast where Sébastien sounds demonic behind his drums accompanied by the dirty and piercing riffs by Stéphane and Fabrice, being perfect for some sick headbanging. The quintet keeps delivering sheer animosity and rage through their infernal music in Dux Bellarum, with Nicolas roaring manically in the name of Thrash Metal; and deadly and sinister from the very first second, the demolishing Hell Fire Club (H.F.C.) brings to our ears the pounding beats by Sébastien while Gilles hammers his bass nonstop, resulting in an excellent option for their live concerts. Then we have Torquemada, which starts in a cryptic manner to the sound of acoustic guitars before exploding into the band’s vicious fusion of Death and Thrash Metal, or in other words, it’s another neck-breaking tune by those French metallers that also presents exciting and melodic breaks and passages.

Ghosts on the Warpath is a lot more obscure and groovier than its predecessors, with the bass by Gilles sounding thunderous in a lesson in modern-day Death Metal with Hardcore nuances, and it looks like the band will keep firing their most vicious form of Death Metal in Salem, where Nicolas is bestial on vocals, roaring the song’s lyrics from the bottom of his blackened heart (not to mention the song’s wicked guitar solos). After that, the “Era of the Rats Trilogy” begins with 1349 – Era of the Rats, Pt. 1, an instrumental interlude that sounds as if the band is getting ready for war, evolving into the ass-kicking Devoured by Pestilence – Era of the Rats, Pt. 2, blending the best elements from Death and Thrash Metal with European Hardcore where Stéphane and Fabrice are once again demented with their riffage and solos, and finally ending the album the band brings forward five minutes of Death Metal darkness entitled Empire of the Rats – Era of the Rats, Pt. 3, with Gilles and Sébastien being in perfect sync by adding endless groove to the overall result.

In a nutshell, the excellent Violence Made History, which is available in full on Spotify, definitely sets the bar high for My Own Fear regarding their upcoming releases, but I’m sure those talented French musicians will find a way to sound even heavier and more compelling in the future. Hence, go check what My Own Fear are up to on Facebook and on Instagram, and of course grab your copy of Violence Made History from Rock Metal Market, iMusician, Best Buy, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Record Store Day. My Own Fear are opening up our eyes to the undeniable truth that violence indeed made what we know today as History, and violence is what will keep fueling not only the future of humanity, but also the first-class music crafted by such skillful and focused band from France.

Best moments of the album: Hell Fire Club (H.F.C.), Ghosts on the Warpath and Salem.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 M.U.S.I.C. Records

Track listing
1. Once Upon a Fall 1:09
2. 6:1 – 8 5:41
3. Dux Bellarum 4:13
4. Hell Fire Club (H.F.C.) 4:08
5. Torquemada 4:20
6. Ghosts on the Warpath 4:04
7. Salem 5:09
8. 1349 – Era of the Rats, Pt. 1 1:36
9. Devoured by Pestilence – Era of the Rats, Pt. 2 3:51
10. Empire of the Rats – Era of the Rats, Pt. 3 5:02

Band members
Nicolas Benloulou – vocals
Stéphane Neraud – guitars, backing vocals
Fabrice Darmon – guitars
Gilles Sala – bass
Sébastien Geley – drums

Album Review – Imha Tarikat / Hearts Unchained – At War with a Passionless World (2022)

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Vicious and vitriolic, full of raw anger and burning hatred, the new album by this German Black Metal entity will pulverize your senses mercilessly.

Vicious and vitriolic, full of raw anger and burning hatred, yet at the same time bursting with live and lingering on moments of astonishing beauty, Hearts Unchained – At War with a Passionless World, the third full-length opus by German Black Metal entity Imha Tarikat (Turkish for “extermination sect”), announces its inherent contradictions and struggles already in the title. Recorded and produced by the band’s mastermind Kerem Yilmaz (aka Ruhsuz Cellât), mixed by Michael Zech, mastered by Victor Santura (of Triptykon) at Woodshed Studio, and displaying a sinister cover and illustration by Artem Grigoryev (with sigil and additional illustration by Next Gate Art, and additional illustration by Raul CJ Peña), Hearts Unchained – At War with a Passionless World is essentially a Black Metal album in the crackling dry and humorless German style that renounces all bombast and often folk-ish undertones of its Nordic counterparts, with Kerem Yilmaz creating new layers and expanding the dimensions of his unique compositions, supported by session drummer Melvin Cieslar (of Hexer).

Absolutely atmospheric and sinister, Intro – Deeper Within will drag your soul to the Stygian lair of Imha Tarikat before all hell breaks loose in Radical Righteousness, a song that deals with the detachment from addiction to emotional suffering, with Kerem screaming in anger nonstop accompanied by his own scorching riffs and the demented but very intricate drumming by Melvin. Touch Of Mercy starts in a serene, melodic manner to the beautiful guitar lines by Kerem, blending elements from the most primeval form of Black Metal with Progressive and Experimental Metal, whereas Brute Majesty is another song that exhales chaos, insanity and fury, with Melvin sounding bestial on drums while Kerem’s vocals get more and more rabid as the music evolves. And Flood Of Love (The Beast Trigger) will grab you by your throat and choke the life out of your body, sounding massive, sharp and caustic from start to finish, with Kerem stealing the show with his wicked riffs and vile roars.

The phantasmagorical (and a bit lengthy) Interlude – Birth Of Grandeur breaks the album in two, setting the tone for the second half starting with Dominator Proselytism Tactics, offering our ears a very dynamic, straightforward Black Metal sonority led by Melvin’s wicked beats. Put differently, it’s a truly infernal creation by Imha Tarikat, which can also be said about Streams Of Power – Canavar, presenting an incendiary Punk Rock/Hardcore vibe the likes of Misfits. It’s the less Black Metal of all songs, yet still acid and thrilling, not to mention the rumbling bass by Kerem is a thing of beauty; while Stardust Wisdom (Manifest Of The Deity To The Unkeen) is another strident, heavy-as-hell tune where Kerem’s anguished vocals walk hand in hand with the pounding drums by Melvin. And last but not least, it’s time for another obscure extravaganza entitled Beast Of Sovereignty, showcasing Kerem’s trademark vocals and riffs always supported by Melvin and his demented drums.

Kerem Yilmaz and his alter-ego Imha Tarikat are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates, plans for the future and so on, and if you want to show your full support to such talented musician from Germany you can purchase Hearts Unchained – At War with a Passionless by clicking HERE and by streaming the album in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify. In summary, Hearts Unchained – At War with a Passionless World is not an album for anyone, while at the same time it is for everyone, showing how dynamic and multi-layered the music crafted by Imha Tarikat is, turning Kerem’s anger and hatred into amazing music that will keep the fires of Black Metal burning for centuries to come.

Best moments of the album: Flood Of Love (The Beast Trigger), Dominator Proselytism Tactics and Streams Of Power – Canavar.

Worst moments of the album: Interlude – Birth Of Grandeur.

Released in 2022 Lupus Lounge/Prophecy Productions

Track listing
1. Intro – Deeper Within 1:27
2. Radical Righteousness 5:57
3. Touch Of Mercy 5:04
4. Brute Majesty 5:19
5. Flood Of Love (The Beast Trigger) 5:32
6. Interlude – Birth Of Grandeur 2:31
7. Dominator Proselytism Tactics 5:51
8. Streams Of Power – Canavar 4:50
9. Stardust Wisdom (Manifest Of The Deity To The Unkeen) 6:44
10. Beast Of Sovereignty 5:48

Band members
Kerem Yilmaz – vocals, guitars, bass

Guest musician
Melvin Cieslar – drums (session)

Album Review – Fifth Ring / Masochist (2022)

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This ruthless trio based in Taiwan and the United States will break your bones with their debut full-length monstrosity, a maelstrom where Blackened Deathcore, Progressive Death Metal and sheer bloody brutality collide and explode.

With the soul focus on creating the heaviest riffs, the sickest slams and the filthiest breakdowns, the members of Tainan, Taiwan/Atlanta, Georgia, United States-based Blackened Deathcore horde Fifth Ring have been creatively active with other musical projects for over ten years now and have come together once again to create a whole new monstrosity, entitled Masochist. Following on directly from their 2022 three-track EP Dawn, Masochist is a huge leap forward for Fifth Ring in every department, a maelstrom where Blackened Deathcore, Progressive Death Metal and sheer bloody brutality collide and explode, therefore showcasing all the talent and fury by Zachary Kepley on vocals, bass and drum programming, Christopher Williamson on the guitar and Q. Keith Brown Jr. on drums, and being highly recommended for fans of Cattle Decapitation, Bog Wraith, Sun Speaker and Katabasis, among others.

The opening tune Ten Horns is noisy, vile and brutal from the very first second, with the infernal vociferations by Zachary walking hand in hand with his own demonic bass punches in an awesome fusion of Brutal Death Metal and Deathcore where the riffs by Zachary and Christopher will pierce your skull mercilessly. The Snake is just as demonic as its predecessor, with Q. Keith crushing his drums in the name of Blackened Deathcore, exhaling groove and rage for our total delight; whereas in Crimson Mask we face sick words barked by Zachary (“Stretch out the spine / Broken neck / Barbed wire / Guillotine / Now the wound has opened up”) amidst a hurricane of metallic sounds perfect for slamming into the circle pit. Then bringing forward elements from classic Thrash and Death Metal we have Head on a Pike, where Q. Keith once again does a great job behind his drums; and switching gears to a more melodic, pensive sonority, get ready for six intense minutes in Dust to Dust, which loses its grip after a while, consequently sounding a bit tiresome in the end.

Back to a more Hardcore sound, the trio drinks form the same fountain as renowned acts the likes of Lorna Shore and Whitechapel in Maggot King, showcasing a violent riff attack by Zachary and Christopher, whereas in Waste we’re treated to another round of their acid lyrics (“Dead in the waste / By the time I was saved / I never / Prayed to a god / Who forsakes / Everyone who’s praises / Dead on cross / With no head / Upside down and rancid”) while the music brings to our ears endless savagery and heaviness. The Pit is a brutal, neck-breaking creation by the trio that will please all fans of the darkest side of Deathcore, with Zachary sounding inhumane on vocals while Q. Keith continues to kick ass on drums, resulting in the heaviest of all songs hands down. Lastly, ending the album on a demonic mode, more of the trio’s trademark aggressiveness is offered to us all in Lurking in the Open Wound, while also presenting some cryptic, somber passages until its melancholic finale.

You can enjoy Masochist and all of its heaviness and gore on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to show your support to the underground extreme scene you should buy the album from their own BandCamp page, from Apple Music, or by clicking HERE, proving you’re indeed a circle pit connoisseur. In addition, go check what the trio is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, and subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their demented music. Listen to Masochist and feel your mind forcibly expanded while your bones are remorselessly broken, and may Fifth Ring keep destroying everything and everyone that crosses their path with more first-class releases such as their new album in the coming years.

Best moments of the album: Ten Horns, Crimson Mask and The Pit.

Worst moments of the album: Dust to Dust.

Released in 2022 Independent

Track listing
1. Ten Horns 4:16
2. The Snake 4:05
3. Crimson Mask 3:20
4. Head on a Pike 4:59
5. Dust to Dust 6:02
6. Maggot King 3:39
7. Waste 3:47
8. The Pit 4:12
9. Lurking in the Open Wound 6:12

Band members
Zachary Kepley – vocals, bass, drum programming
Christopher Williamson – guitar
Q. Keith Brown Jr. – drums

Album Review – Cabal / Magno Interitus (2022)

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***Review by Luke Hayhurst, writer for Morbid Wings (Print) Zine, VM Underground Fanzine and Doom-Metal.com***

This is my first experience of Danish band Cabal and I can only describe the sound they create as weaponized music. This their third album to date, entitled Magno Interitus and released through Nuclear Blast Records, is a sort of conglomeration of Blackened Deathcore, Djent, Dubstep, Doom and Hardcore.

What the band strive to achieve is a sort of gloomy, doom laden atmosphere, and this they achieve. Underneath that atmosphere however is something far more sinister. Whilst this kind of music isn’t my thing, I can certainly appreciate what has been pieced together here. So instead of banging on about what bands this reminds me of, (None, I have very little knowledge of this style) I’ll instead try to describe how this album makes me feel and what it brings to mind.

If I were a film maker engaged in creating a movie about two warring factions, one a desperate bedraggled remnant of humanity and the other a sleek, mechanical army of robots, (Yes, I am aware I’m essentially talking about the later Terminator films) then this would be my soundtrack. For this album sounds like mechanized Armageddon, and its unstoppable unwavering post-industrial style that fuses the disjointed nature of Djent with a more scattergun Dubstep element, as well as hostile crushing Deathcore, would be the perfect fit for my soundtrack.

In my opinion, a band like Cabal defies genre boundaries. If a band can take someone like me who has no real appreciation for Deathcore and make me think about what I’m experiencing, then they have to be a very talented and creative band indeed. So whilst a true Deathcore fan would give this a higher grade, a novice to the style like me to give it a seven I think says even more about why you should listen to Magno Interitus.

Best moments of the album: The album ends very strongly with Exsanguination and Plague Bringer.

Worst moments of the album: Nothing to massively complain about.

Released in 2022 by Nuclear Blast Records

Track listing
1. If I Hang, Let Me Swing 3:14
2. Insidious 2:09
3. Magno Interitus 3:27
4. Existence Ensnared 3:25
5. Insatiable 3:26
6. Blod af Mit 4:17
7. Exit Wound 2:43
8. Violent Ends 2:41
9. Like Vultures 3:05
10. Exsanguination 3:20
11. Plague Bringer 3:45

Band members
Andreas Bjulver Paarup – vocals
Christian Hammer Mattesen – guitars
Chris Kreutzfeldt – guitars
Malthe Strøyer Sørensen – bass
Nikolaj Kaae Kirk – drums

Guest musicians
Simon Olsen – vocals on “Insidious”
Joe Bad – vocals on “Magno Interitus”
John Cxnnor – industrial noises on “Blod af Mit”

Links
Cabal Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Linktree | Spotify | BandCamp | YouTube

Album Review – Culto Negro / La Noche Oscura del Alma (2022)

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This Costa Rican horde will crush your senses with their debut opus, transforming the dark night of the soul into a first-class fusion of Black and Speed Metal.

Forged back in 2015 in the dark pits of Heredia, one of Costa Rica’s most historical cities, Black/Speed Metal horde Culto Negro (which by the way means “black cult” in English) has just unleashed upon humanity their debut full-length opus, beautifully titled La Noche Oscura del Alma, or “the dark night of the soul”, a sulfurous album of old school extreme music that exhales rage and adrenaline. Recorded by the band’s own guitarist Isak Arroyo at Orion Studios, mixed and mastered by Colin Marston at Menegroth Studios, and displaying a sick artwork by Nuno Zuki of Belial NecroArts (with additional artworks by Alan Corpse at Leprous Hands Arts), La Noche Oscura del Alma doesn’t have a single second of peace, offering our avid ears 39 minutes of a sonic Armageddon masterfully crafted by vocalist D.N., guitarists Esteban Sancho and Isak Arroyo, bassist AntiChristopher and drummer Vörago.

More than just a simple intro, Espectro Lunar (“lunar spectrum”) is already a bestial attack by Culto Negro where the riffage by Esteban and Isak is truly infernal, setting the stage for D.N. to kill in Desdoble (“unfold”), a fast and furious hybrid of Black and Thrash Metal that will please all fans of the genre bringing forward an amazing job done by Vörago on drums, keeping the music vibrant and evil from start to finish. Then it’s pedal to the metal as this Costa Rican party has no time to end to the sound of El Quinto Ángulo (“the fifth angle”), where D.N. makes his personal tribute to Hardcore and Punk Rock on vocals while the band’s guitar duo delivers sheer awesomeness through their riffs and solos, followed by Verso Adivinado (“guessed verse”), another frantic, demonic creation by the quintet where AntiChristopher’s bass punches add a touch of dementia to their scorching guitars, while Vörago hammers his drums in a true demented way. And Navajas, Cadenas y Espejos (“knives, chains and mirrors”) sounds like a hellish fusion of the music by Slayer, Motörhead and The Exploited, being therefore a fantastic option for slamming into the pit like there’s no tomorrow.

Get ready to be smashed like a bug by Culto Negro in the venomous Rojo Siniestro (“sinister red”), with D.N.’s vocals sounding more deranged than ever while Vörago keeps dictating the pace with his Punk Rock-infused beats; whereas in Caos o Cosmos (“chaos or cosmos”) the name of the song says it all, offering us all a chaotic sonority from the very first second with Esteban and Isak delivering pure thrashing riffs for our total delight. And such dynamic guitar duo revs up Culto Negro’s engines once again in Salvajes Destructores (“savage destroyers”), highly recommended for some nonstop headbanging and slamming into the pit; while Violencia Psicoactiva (“psychoactive violence”) is Black, Thrash and Speed Metal straight to your jugular, showcasing more of AntiChristopher and Vörago’s infernal kitchen. La Larga Marcha (“the long march”) can be considered the most infernal, brutal and caustic of all tracks where D.N. continues to vociferate like a rabid creature. Put differently, let’s all raise our horns to Culto Negro and their anti-religious extreme music. Last but not least, we have their cover version for Hermética’s Desterrando a los Oscurantistas (“banishing the obscurantists”), which original version can be enjoyed HERE, from Hermética’s 1989 self-titled debut album. It’s indeed an amazing rendition by those Costa Rican metallers, with AntiChristopher hammering his bass in great fashion until the very end.

If you believe you have what it takes to join the black cult ruled by such talented horde form Costa Rica, you can stream  La Noche Oscura del Alma in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course purchase it from the Godz ov War Productions’ BandCamp page or webstore, as well as from the Violence Records’ BandCamp page. Culto Negro are also waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram armed with the austere chants found in La Noche Oscura del Alma, showing us all Costa Rica is a metallic country as opposed to what most people think about it. They managed to transform the dark night of the soul into top-tier Extreme Metal in their debut effort, and may their music continue to darken the skies for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: El Quinto Ángulo, Navajas, Cadenas y Espejos and Salvajes Destructores.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Godz ov War Productions/Mythrone Promotion/Violence Records

Track listing
1. Espectro Lunar (Intro) 1:53
2. Desdoble 2:51
3. El Quinto Ángulo 2:52
4. Verso Adivinado 3:29
5. Navajas, Cadenas y Espejos 3:38
6. Rojo Siniestro 3:57
7. Caos o Cosmos 4:02
8. Salvajes Destructores 3:43
9. Violencia Psicoactiva 4:29
10. La Larga Marcha 5:29
11. Desterrando a los Oscurantistas (Hermetica cover) 2:15

Band members
D.N. – vocals
Esteban Sancho – guitars
Isak Arroyo – guitars
AntiChristopher – bass
Vörago – drums