Tag Archives: hardcore

Album Review – Beyond The Styx / Sentence (2022)

Posted on by
Reply

An unstoppable French outfit offers us all ten rip-roaring tracks of ruthless Metalcore, manifesting an authentic desire to open minds to the evils of our most decadent modern society.

Riding across Europe since 2011, Tours, France-based Metalcore outfit Beyond The Styx is inspired by a dark and violent musical universe, embodying the flapping of a butterfly wing, and becoming a part of the storm of change. At the crossroads between Hardcore, Heavy Metal and Thrash Crossover, the French quintet comprised of Emile Duputié on vocals, Arnaud Morfoisse and David Govindin on the guitars, Yoann César on bass and Adrien Joulin on drums is ready to kill with their newborn opus Sentence, incarnating themselves as a musical chimera. Recorded, produced, mixed, mastered and engineered by Christian Donaldson at Studio Pôle Nord, and featuring a kick-ass artwork by AMMO Illustration, Sentence is indeed a metal beast ready to be unleashed upon us all by Beyond The Styx, proving why they have successfully been on the road for over a decade.

The band’s sonic attack begins in full force in DC, with Arnaud and David crushing their stringed axes mercilessly while Emile roars like a demonic entity in an awesome fusion of Metalcore with classic Hardcore, and the band keeps delivering rage and violence in the form of music in Collateral, where Adrien showcases all his talent behind his drums firing vicious and groovy beats nonstop, supported by the thunderous bass by Yoann. Then featuring Luis Ifer (Teething) on guest vocals, the band brings forward the massive New World Disorder, where the riffage by Arnaud and David is in perfect sync with Yoann’s bass punches, or in other words, what a demented display of modern-day Metalcore. In ESC XIX the band continues their path of devastation and groove, with Yoann and Adrien stealing the spotlight and inviting us all to slam into the circle pit, and there’s no time to breathe as those French metallers keep hammering our heads in Self Hatred, showcasing another round of Emile’s wicked vociferations amidst sheer aggression and fury.

Get ready to crack your neck headbanging like a true metal bastard in Chain of Life, with Adrien dictating the song’s puissant pace while the band’s guitar duo keeps slashing our minds with their wicked riffs, and more of their insane Metalcore is offered to our ears in Overload, with Emile screaming and barking manically just the way we like it in the genre. With guest Guillaume Duhau (Final Shodown, Happy Face) blasting deep, guttural roars it’s time for Scorch AD, the most pulverizing of all tracks presenting hints of classic Death Metal in its already devilish essence, and let’s keep banging our heads to the sound of Machination, bringing forward the band’s trademark screams and frantic beats with Arnaud and David being on fire with their guitars. The last guest on the album is Vincent Peingnart-Mancini (The Butcher’s Rodeo, Aqme), who roars like a beast in Cyclops, also showcasing piercing riffs and rumbling bass jabs in a beyond visceral way to conclude the album.

Sentence is available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to show your appreciation for the band’s undisputed Metalcore you can purchase a copy of the album from their own BandCamp page or Big Cartel, from Season of Mist, or click HERE for all locations where you can buy or stream the album. In addition, don’t forget to also follow Beyond The Styx on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel, and to stream their incendiary creations on Spotify. Is our history an eternal beginning? That’s the challenge Beyond The Styx undertake, and through the ten rip-roaring tracks found in Sentence the band manifests an authentic, incisive desire to open minds to the evils that have been gnawing away for too long at this most decadent modern society.

Best moments of the album: DC, New World Disorder and Scorch AD.

Worst moments of the album: Overload.

Released in 2022 WTF Records/Diorama Records

Track listing
1. DC 2:47
2. Collateral 3:03
3. New World Disorder 2:38
4. ESC XIX 2:44
5. Self Hatred 2:40
6. Chain of Life 3:58
7. Overload 1:57
8. Scorch AD 3:38
9. Machination 2:37
10. Cyclops 4:03

Band members
Emile Duputié – vocals
Arnaud Morfoisse – lead guitar
David Govindin – rhythm guitar
Yoann César – bass
Adrien Joulin – drums

Guest musicians
Luis Ifer – vocals on “New World Disorder”
Guillaume Duhau – vocals on “Scorched AD”
Vincent Peingnart-Mancini – vocals on “Cyclops”

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

Posted on by
1

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

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

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

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

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

Worst moments of the album: None, of course.

Released in 2022 Independent

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

Band members
Scott Masson – vocals, guitars, bass

Guest musician
Ross Savage – drums (session)

Album Review – VVORSE / Kurjien Elegia (2022)

Posted on by
Reply

This demented Finnish Neo-Crust and Hardcore quartet will smash your skull mercilessly to the sound of their sophomore album, diving deep into dystopian and existential levels.

Forged in 2014 in the bitterly cold fires of Jyväskylä, a city and municipality in Finland in the western part of the Finnish Lakeland, the venomous Neo-Crust/Hardcore four-piece outfit that goes by the stylish name of VVORSE will smash your cranial skull to the sound of their sophomore album, entitled Kurjien Elegia, or “evil elegy” from Finnish. Comprised of Jussi and Lauris on vocals and guitars, Jaakko on bass and Topi on drums, the quartet is on absolute fire throughout their newborn beast, blasting a high-octane fusion of metal and punk while diving into dystopian and existential levels. In other words, if you’re craving some dissonant, infernal music made in Scandinavia you must take a shot at Kurjien Elegia, with the additional fact that all songs are in Finnish and not in English making the whole experience of listening to the album even more unique.

A wicked intro explodes into a metallic Hardcore feast titled Kenen valta? (“whose power?”), where Jussi and Lauris bark manically accompanied by the vicious drums by Topi, not to mention their incendiary, Slayer-ish riffage as the icing on the cake. Then drinking from the same Punk Rock fountain as renowned acts the likes of The Exploited it’s time for the quartet to hammer our heads with Käännyn hiljaa pois (“I turn quietly”), showcasing piercing riffs and a headbanging rhythm while alternating with somber, sluggish passages to the evil bass by Jaakko, followed by Varjoaine (“contrast agent”), another frantic, demolishing creation by VVORSE where their demented screams walk hand in hand with their own Neo-Crust riffage, always supported by the thunderous kitchen by Jaakko and Topi. I have absolutely no idea why the title for Nevar tā blakus līdzi just (“you can’t feel it next door” from Latvian) is not in Finnish; anyway, musically speaking it’s another onrush of Hardcore sounds blasted by the quartet played with tons of rage, therefore keeping the album at a high level of acidity.

Get ready for a sonic attack blending the dementia of Punk Rock with Hardcore elements in the title-track Kurjien elegia, all of course spiced up by their wicked vocalizations in Finnish and with their guitars once again penetrating deep inside our minds, making an instant bridge with the demolishing Luovuta (“surrender”), where the quartet needs less than three minutes to decimate our senses, spearheaded by the razor-edged riffs by Jussi and Lauris. It can’t get any more Hardcore than this, whereas in Haluan kuolla rauhassa (“I want to die in peace”) the band carefully adds hints of Black Metal to their core sonority, resulting in what’s perhaps the darkest and heaviest of all songs with Jussi and Lauris roaring nonstop, while Jaakko keeps punching us in the face with his bass jabs. Finally, ending such infernal album of Hardcore we have 1990, which starts in a much more melodic way thanks to the guitars by Jussi and Lauris; however, it’s not as electrifying as the rest of the album despite its more atmospheric vibe.

Kurjien Elegia can be enjoyed in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but if I were you I would certainly purchase a copy of the album from the band’s own BandCamp page, from Record Shop X, from Apple Music, or from Amazon, to properly show all your support to those Finnish rockers. In addition, don’t forget to follow them on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on. The band might be called VVORSE, but they’re in fact getting better as time goes by, with Kurjien Elegia representing a huge step forward in their sound and, therefore, leaving all doors wide open for another round of their demented music in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Kenen valta?, Varjoaine and Luovuta.

Worst moments of the album: 1990.

Released in 2022 Off Records

Track listing
1. Kenen valta? 4:05
2. Käännyn hiljaa pois 6:32
3. Varjoaine 3:29
4. Nevar tā blakus līdzi just 4:00
5. Kurjien elegia 5:07
6. Luovuta 2:34
7. Haluan kuolla rauhassa 4:01
8. 1990 4:44

Band members
Jussi – guitar, vocals
Lauris – guitar, vocals
Jaakko – bass
Topi – drums

Album Review – Through The Noise / Tragedies EP (2022)

Posted on by
1

This talented Swedish Post-Hardcore and Nu Metal outfit is back in action with an inspiring three-track EP, pointing to an exciting musical direction prior to their next full-length album.

Vocalist Jowl Nyberg, guitarists Victor Adonis and Marcus Skantz, bassist Martin Lingonblad and drummer Peter Liwgren, collectively known as Lund/Malmö, Sweden-based Post-Hardcore/Nu Metal outfit Through The Noise, are back in action now in 2022 with a brand new EP entitled Tragedies, following up on their highly acclaimed 2019 album Dualism. During the Covid-19 lockdowns the band was unable to tour; however, there was plenty of time to write new material and they wrote a bunch of new songs, and after some careful consideration they decided that it would be best to release an EP before a full-length album, so they tracked three songs which make up Tragedies. Produced by Robert Kukla at Obsidian Recording Studios, Tragedies showcases a more sinister and heavier side of Through The Noise, appealing not only to the band’s current fanbase but also to anyone in search for fresh and vibrant heavy music.

The quintet arises from the underworld with a fusion of Alternative Metal and darker elements in Tantalus, bringing forward poetic lyrics rabidly declaimed by Jowl (“Perpetually trapped / Lost sense of time / Eternal damnation / Cursed with temptation”) and an amazing job done by Peter with his crushing drums, while Victor and Marcus add tons of heaviness to the music with their refined riffage. And Peter keeps hammering his drums in Aktaion, with all whimsical background elements making a thrilling paradox with the metallic bass by Martin and the raspy roars by Jowl, being therefore perfect for banging your head and jumping up and down with the band in the name of heavy music. Lastly, in Lamia we’re treated to another round of their wicked words (“Aggression bottled up from past transgressions / Disfigured, tormented by the pain / Forever haunted by my heinous actions / A victim, forced by godly hands”) supported by the visceral hybrid of Alternative Metal and Hardcore blasted by the quintet, making us eager for more of their music in a not-so-distant future.

You can get in touch with the talented guys from Through The Noise and know more about the band, their tour dates and plans for the future on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their music and videos, steam their entire catalog on Spotify, and of course purchase your copy of Tragedies by clicking HERE, showing your utmost support to the Swedish underground. Nobody truly knows what will happen to the world of music in the coming months due to this never-ending Covid-19 madness, but at least we can rest assured the fires of heavy music will keep burning thanks to hardworking bands like Through The Noise, and based on the heaviness and melodies offered to us in Tragedies I can’t wait to see how their next full-length album will sound. It will be awesome, no doubt about that.

Best moments of the album: Tantalus.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Eclipse Records

Track listing
1. Tantalus 3:55
2. Aktaion 4:41
3. Lamia 3:24

Band members
Jowl Nyberg – vocals
Victor Adonis – guitar
Marcus Skantz – guitar
Martin Lingonblad – bass
Peter Liwgren – drums

Album Review – 4 Kings / The 2021 EP (2021)

Posted on by
Reply

Get ready for 13 minutes of a fast and loud fusion of Thrash Metal, Punk Rock and Hardcore made in Germany.

Playing a fusion of Thrash Metal, Punk Rock and Hardcore as fast and loud as those styles demand since the band’s inception in 2015 in the city of Köln (or Cologne, if you prefer), Germany, the five-piece act known as 4 Kings is back in action in 2021 with a brand new EP, simply titled The 2021 EP. Currently comprised of Seth on vocals, Martin and Jannes on the guitars, Marino on bass, and Marcel on drums, 4 Kings (and yes, I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense for a band of five musicians to be named like that) will smash your cranial skull with the four heavy and visceral tracks from their new EP, inviting us all to slam into the pit and, consequently, to develop that severe neck pain we all love so much after some good headbanging, leaving you absolutely eager for more after the EP’s 13 intense minutes are over.

Martin and Jannes begin slashing their stringed axes in Tantrum, being quickly joined by the raspy roars by Seth and the classic Hardcore beats by Marcel, resulting in an old school and straight to the point tune that kicks things off in style. Then adding hints of Death Metal to their core Thrash Metal sound, the quintet delivers the fulminating Winter’s Back, with Marino’s bass jabs and Marcel’s beats generating a massive atmosphere perfect for the crisp riffs and solos by the band’s guitar duo; whereas Bay Area Thrash riffs ignite the circle pit celebration titled Braindead, where Seth sounds even more enraged and demented on vocals supported by the classy backing vocals by his bandmates. It’s undoubtedly the most dynamic and diverse of all four songs, pointing to an exciting direction for the band. And last but not least, sinister sounds permeate the air in Under my Skin, with Martin and Jannes cutting our skin deep with their razor-edged riffs, sounding less intense than the other songs but absolutely vile and brutal just the way we like it.

If you want to give The 2021 EP a try you can find it in full on Spotify, but in order to properly support the underground you should purchase a copy of it from Amazon, and don’t forget to also give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel to stay updated with all of their future releases. As aforementioned, The 2021 EP will offer your metallic ears a very good dosage of Thrash Metal infused with Hardcore and Punk Rock nuances, proving 4 Kings (or maybe I should say those five thrashers from Germany) are back and ready to rock no matter what for years to come in the name of heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Winter’s Back and Braindead.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2021 Independent

Track listing
1. Tantrum 2:32
2. Winter’s Back 3:53
3. Braindead 3:20
4. Under my Skin 3:41

Band members
Seth – vocals
Martin – guitar
Jannes – guitar
Marino – bass
Marcel – drums

Album Review – Infected Chaos / Dead Aesthetics (2021)

Posted on by
Reply

 Behold the new opus by this ruthless Austrian-South German Death Metal outfit, by far their most intricate, obscure and dynamic album to date.

Holding a giant mirror right in front of the rotten, perverted part of humanity, the ruthless Austrian-South German Death Metal Commando Infected Chaos returns to action with the follow up to their 2015 debut effort The Wake Of Ares and their 2017 sophomore opus Killing Creator, the pulverizing Dead Aesthetics, combining the brute force of contemporary, complexly poured death lead with a touch of the North American new school. Mixed by the band’s own guitarist Matthias Mayr at DC-Records, mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound and displaying a Stygian cover artwork by Wildan Slam Artwork, Dead Aesthetics is highly recommended for admirers of bands the likes of God Dethroned, Hypocrisy and Kataklysm, showcasing all the fury, talent and passion for extreme music by Christian Fischer on vocals, Matthias Mayr and Martin Hartmann on the guitars, Ronny Lechleitner on bass and Matze Wilhelm on drums.

Ominous sound permeate the air before Infected Chaos smashes us all mercilessly in When Yonder Calls My Name, a dark and melodic tune led by the classic drums by Matze, also presenting hints of Hardcore to make things more frantic; and Chirstian roars like a gruesome creature form the abyss in Hollow Chars, accompanied by the rumbling bass by Ronny and the sick riffs and solos by Matthias and Martin, resulting in an infernal creation that lives up to the legacy of old school Death Metal. A brutal, slammin’ and utterly awesome Death Metal raid comes in the form of Eager Breed the Gods of Pestilence, with Christian once again vociferating the song’s dark words manically, and there’s no time to breathe as the quintet pulverizes our souls with the demented Gehenna, a lesson in savagery and harmony where their guitars sound piercing and caustic, supported by the metallic jabs blasted from Ronny’s bass. Then Matze and Ronny make the earth tremble in Iron Nights, an infernal Death Metal extravaganza bringing to our ears another round of Christian’s inhumane gnarls.

Are you tired already? Because Infected Chaos will keep hammering our damned bodies with their brutality in And Thus I Fell, where the band’s guitar duo does an excellent job with their sharp and strident riffage, followed by Death Metal Shock Prayer, a straightforward, in-your-face metal feast spearheaded by the thunderous beats by Matze, sounding as hellish as heavy as it can be. Pitch-Black Fever is simply demonic form start to finish, or in other words, a bestial depiction of classic Death Metal by the band with Matze once again stealing the spotlight with his vicious and fierce drumming; whereas bringing elements from classic Norwegian Black Metal added to their core sonority, in special to their riffs and blast beats, the band fires the fulminating Away, keeping the album at a high level of violence and obscurity. Following such demented tune, a beyond sinister intro quickly explodes into a lesson in violence by Infected Chaos titled Lethargia, with Matthias and Martin slashing our ears with their razor-edged riffs, and closing the album it’s time for five minutes of darkness and heaviness entitled Of Death and Birth, not as electrifying as the rest of the album but still presenting Christian’s otherworldly growls.

The infected world of Death Metal crafted by Infected Chaos in Dead Aesthetics can be better appreciated in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but as usual if you consider yourself a true supporter of the underground you should grab your copy of the album from their own BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon, and don’t forget to also follow them on Facebook and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their sick creations. Dead Aesthetics is by far the band’s most intricate, obscure and dynamic album to date, showing not only the evolution in their musicianship and fury, but also that Austria, and of course the southern parts of Germany, are indeed an amazing source of musical brutality.

Best moments of the album: Hollow Chars, Eager Breed the Gods of Pestilence and Pitch-Black Fever.

Worst moments of the album: Of Death and Birth.

Released in 2021 Independent

Track listing
1. When Yonder Calls My Name 5:43
2. Hollow Chars 3:22
3. Eager Breed the Gods of Pestilence 4:04
4. Gehenna 4:28
5. Iron Nights 4:40
6. And Thus I Fell 4:52
7. Death Metal Shock Prayer 3:56
8. Pitch-Black Fever 3:36
9. Away 5:22
10. Lethargia 4:58
11. Of Death and Birth 5:20

Band members
Christian Fischer – vocals
Matthias Mayr – guitars
Martin Hartmann – guitars
Ronny Lechleitner – bass, backing vocals
Matze Wilhelm – drums

Album Review – Nunslaughter / Red is the Color of Ripping Death (2021)

Posted on by
Reply

Cleveland, Ohio’s own infernal squad returns with another bestial display of their trademark “Devil Metal”, their first album in seven years.

3.5rating

nunslaughter-red-is-the-color-of-ripping-death-2021Cleveland’s own infernal squad Nunslaughter requires no introduction. Since their inception in the distant year of 1987, those Ohio natives have prolifically perfected their own brand of what they like to label as “Devil Metal”, an evil blend of classic Death and Thrash Metal with Hardcore Punk, and now in 2021, at long last, the band is back in action with Red is the Color of Ripping Death, their first album in seven years. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Noah Buchanan, the album is a lesson in savagery, speed and sulfur by vocalist Don of the Dead, guitarist Tormentor, bassist Detonate and drummer Wrath, proving Nunslaughter are far from calling it quits even after so many years on the road. Furthermore, many are still mourning the loss of legendary drummer Jim Sadist (RIP), and while Red is the Color of Ripping Death is their first full-length without him playing on it, some of the 14 songs contained herein are unfinished or unrealized music that Jim and founding frontman Don of the Dead wrote years ago, giving the whole album an even more special feel and taste.

Wrath begins hammering his drums manically in the opening tune Murmur, a lecture in fast and heavy Death and Thrash Metal by the band to properly kick things off, not to mention how vile Don’s growls sound, whereas in Broken and Alone they speed up their pace and add a good amount of Hardcore and Punk Rock to their core sonority, with Tormentor treating us with his incendiary, slashing riffage. Then it’s time for a darker and more venomous tune by the quartet named To a Whore, once again inviting us all to slam into the pit to the Stygian riffs and bass jabs by Tormentor and Detonate, respectively; followed by Banished, not as infuriated as its predecessors but still showcasing the band’s trademark heaviness and spearheaded by the deep roars by Don, and the title-track Red Is the Color of Ripping Death, a hurricane of Death and Thrash Metal tailored for admirers of that beautiful sound from the Bay Area, with Wrath once again hammering his drums nonstop. Tormentor continues to extract sheer violence from his guitar in Eat Your Heart, while Don vociferates rabidly amidst a very melodic but at the same time brutal sonority, and in Annihilate the Kingdom of God the unrelenting Don beautifully declaims the song’s austere words while his bandmates keep delivering endless aggression, with Detonate and Wrath sounding bestial with their evil kitchen.

Living up to the legacy of old school thrash the likes of Slayer and Overkill, the quartet fires the absolutely infernal Beware of God, with Don leading his demented horde with his sick growling and screams, whereas another round of deranged roars, classic blast beats and flammable riffs comes in the form of Black Cat Hanging, keeping the album at a high level of animosity for our total delight. And are you ready to be smashed like an insect? Because that’s what will happen to you in Dead in Ten, spearheaded by the fulminating drums by Wrath and the wicked riffage by Tormentor in a superb display of extreme music by Nunslaughter. Then let’s all “calm down” a bit and enjoy a headbanging extravaganza entitled The Devil Will Not Stray, where the band adds hints of Black and Doom Metal to make things even more devilish, while they get back to a more ferocious sonority in The Temptress, with Wrath kicking ass on drums once again supported by the metallic bass jabs by Detonate. Casket Lid Creaks is another slower-than-usual song that albeit displaying the band’s heaviness and obscurity, it doesn’t really take off. Detonate still showcases a great job with his low-tuned bass, though. Lastly, less than one minute is everything the band needs to crush anyone that’s still alive in Below the Cloven Hoof, putting a beyond demonic ending to such awesome album.

nunslaughter-2021In case you want to join Nunslaughter in their quest for metal, depravity and evil, you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and other nice-to-know details about them, stream more of their savage creations on Spotify, and above all that, purchase the awesome Red Is the Color of Ripping Death from their own BandCamp page or from the Hells Headbangers Records’ webstore in CD or cassette format. As Jim Sadist would say, “red is the color of ripping death,” and I’m sure he’s truly proud of his bandmates for their new album. Long live Jim Sadist, and long live Nunslaughter.

Best moments of the album: Broken and Alone, Red Is the Color of Ripping Death, Beware of God and Dead in Ten.

Worst moments of the album: Banished and Casket Lid Creaks.

Released in 2021 Hells Headbangers Records

Track listing 
1. Murmur 1:33
2. Broken and Alone 1:50
3. To a Whore 2:34
4. Banished 2:48
5. Red Is the Color of Ripping Death 3:34
6. Eat Your Heart 2:41
7. Annihilate the Kingdom of God 2:48
8. Beware of God 1:49
9. Black Cat Hanging 2:13
10. Dead in Ten 3:39
11. The Devil Will Not Stray 2:51
12. The Temptress 2:01
13. Casket Lid Creaks 3:04
14. Below the Cloven Hoof 0:52

Band members
Don of the Dead – vocals
Tormentor – guitars
Detonate – bass
Wrath – drums

Album Review – Primal Age / Masked Enemy (2021)

Posted on by
1

One of the trailblazers of Hardcore and Edge Metal in Europe returns with another furious album, again dealing with animal rights, vegetarianism, ecology, denunciation of overconsumption and abuse of power.

3.5rating

primal-age-masked-enemy-2021Bringing forward a furious mix of Heavy Metal and Hardcore since 1993 and still going strong, always with a lot of energy, passion and determination, and relentlessly presenting a strong critical view on the ugliest parts of our rotten society, Évreux, France-based Hardcore/Edge Metal unity Primal Age is back with more of their furious music in their new opus entitled Masked Enemy, the follow-up to their 2017 EP A Silent Wound. Refusing to hold back on themes like defense of animal rights, vegetarianism, ecology, denunciation of overconsumption and abuse of power, the band comprised of Didier on vocals, Benoit and Florian on the guitars, Dimitri on bass, and newcomer Miguel on drums goes once again straight to your jugular in their new album, with the crisp recording and mixing by Guillaume Doussaud at Swan Sound Studio, the awesome mastering by Alan Douches at West West Side Music, and the ass-kicking artwork by Visual Injuries (who have been working for the band for several years and know how to translate their music and lyrics into images), turning it into a must-have for fans of extreme music with a meaningful message.

Their political feast of heavy music begins with Intro & Wise Old Man, featuring an excerpt from 12-year old Severn Suzuki’s speech during the United Nation’s Earth Summit Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 (see the full video HERE), with sinister sounds growing in intensity until Didier comes growling manically supported by his bandmates, generating a sick atmosphere that lives up to the legacy of classic Hardcore. Then it’s time to slam into the pit to the vicious beats by Miguel and the always melodic but extremely austere riffage by Benoit and Florian in The Devil Is Hidden In Shadow, not to mention Didier sounds even more demented on vocals; followed by Adolescent Humanity, a fusion of Metalcore, Hardcore, Heavy Metal and classic Punk Rock that will invite you to crush your skull into the circle pit, with Dimitri and Miguel being on fire with their hellish kitchen. In The Two Heads Monster we’re treated to the acid lyrics barked by Didier (“Control of the living became an economic stake / Sectors collusion promises us the best / But it’s a dark future’s conjuring / Chemistry and Nature are not getting along”) amidst sheer violence in the form of old school Hardcore, whereas the title-track Masked Enemy reminds me of the music by The Exploited with hints of the Thrash Metal played by Slayer and Exodus, which obviously translates into pure awesomeness, while Miguel dictates the song’s visceral pace.

The frantic beats by Miguel, the intense riffs by Benoit and Florian, and endless electricity are the main ingredients in I Warn You, another excellent creation by Primal Age that will please all fans of the genre without a shadow of a doubt, while the semi-acoustic interlude The Downside Of Progress will capture your soul before the band comes ripping once again in Who Dares Wins, a smashing, in-your-face tune led by the infuriated roars by Didier displaying no shenanigans nor any artificial elements, just our good old Hardcore to make you crack your neck headbanging like a true beast. And get ready to be dragged into a hurricane of Metalcore and Hardcore to the incendiary guitars by Benoit and Florian in the high-octane tune Passion vs. Fashion, while Dimitri keeps hammering his bass nonstop. What a pulverizing composition, I might say, whereas the second to last explosion of their politics-infused metal music, entiled Blinded By Cruelty, brings to our ears another round of their wicked riffs and beats, all of course spiced up by the deep growling by Didier, before all comes to an end with the instrumental outro Awakening Of Consciousness, putting a serene, melancholic and climatic ending to the album.

primal-age-2021Masked Enemy is available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to properly show your support to Primal Age and join them in their fight against everything that’s wrong with our decaying society, you should definitely purchase the album from their Big Cartel in CD or vinyl, from the WTF Records webstore also as a CD or vinyl, from Coretex Records, from Apple Music, from Amazon or from Discogs, or simply click HERE for the digital version of the album. In addition, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook, on Instagram and on YouTube to stay up to date with all things Primal Age. Those French trailblazers of Hardcore and Edge Metal nailed it once again with their new album, and may their powerful message reach the four corners of the earth in hopes that we can all make the world a better place to live to the sound of their first-class music.

Best moments of the album: The Devil Is Hidden In Shadow, Masked Enemy and Passion vs. Fashion.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2021 WTF Records

Track listing   
1. Intro & Wise Old Man 4:24
2. The Devil Is Hidden In Shadow 3:12
3. Adolescent Humanity 2:22
4. The Two Heads Monster 3:16
5. Masked Enemy 3:14
6. I Warn You 3:14
7. The Downside Of Progress 1:09
8. Who Dares Wins 3:58
9. Passion vs. Fashion 3:16
10. Blinded By Cruelty 3:48
11. Awakening Of Consciousness 2:00

Band members
Didier – vocals
Benoit – guitars
Florian – guitars
Dimitri – bass
Miguel – drums

Album Review – Terrordome / Straight Outta Smogtown (2021)

Posted on by
Reply

The new album by this unrelenting Polish squad will hit you hard right in the head with their fusion of Thrash Metal, Hardcore and Crossover Thrash with beyond acid lyrics.

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Tomasz “ZED” Zalewski at Zed Studio and featuring an old school artwork by Marcin “Biały” Białkowski, Straight Outta Smogtown is the third full-length installment by a Thrash Metal squad formed in 2005 in the city of Kraków, Poland that goes by the in-your-face name of Terrordome, following up on the violence and adrenaline of their 2015 album Machete Justice. Highly recommended for fans of the sickness blasted by renowned acts the likes of Nuclear Assault, Slayer and Cryptic Slaughter, the new album by vocalist and guitarist Uappa Terror and guitarist Paua Siffredi, together with session musicians Simon on bass and Friggi Mad Beats (Chaos Synopsis, Attomica) on drums, will hit you hard right in the head with their fusion of classic Thrash Metal, Hardcore and Crossover Thrash, with an array of guests including Frank Blackfire (Sodom, Assassin) and Manu Joker (Uganga, Sarcofago) bringing even more electricity to the album’s metal thrashing madness.

Featuring an atmospheric guitar solo by guest Konrad “Destroyer” Ramotowski (Untervoid, Hate), the intro Terrorizing the Nation as the Best Way to Thwart Shameful Schemes warms up our bodies and minds for the Exodus and Nuclear Assault-inspired tune Possessed By Blyat, where Friggi Mad Beats crushes his drums mercilessly, being therefore perfect for slamming into the pit right away, whereas Worried Again sounds even heavier and more menacing, with Uappa’s visceral roars adding an extra touch of animosity to the music while Uappa himself and Paua extract pure Thrash Metal from their sick riffage. And their sonic attack has no time to stop, as they keep delivering hatred and madness in Steel on the Road, with their thrashing riffs and blast beats elevating the song’s insanity through the roof, not to mention how demented Uappa sounds on vocals.

The rumbling bass by Simon kicks off the Thrash and Groove Metal feast Plastic Death, where Uappa invests into Tom Araya-like vocals while his bandmates exhale heaviness through their sonic weapons, and it’s impressive how they managed to sound even faster and heavier than before in Your Personal Comfort Versus the Global Disaster, a brutal Thrash Metal assault showcasing razor-edged riffs by Uappa and Paua and the always wicked beats by Friggi Mad Beats. Then featuring guest vocals by Manu Joker and Jairo Vaz (Chaos Synopsis), get ready to be smashed by Terrordome in Desordem e Regresso, a sick display of extreme music and a “tribute” to the political nightmare that haunts Brazil these days; and Friggi Mad Beats hammers his drums in great fashion in the berserk Into the Void, a pulverizing Crossover Thrash extravaganza led by the vicious riffs and solos by the band’s relentless guitar duo. After such demented tune, their thrashing party goes on in the also electrifying Ego-Boost Downfall, drinking from the fountain of Bay Area Thrash and, therefore, offering our ears piercing riffs and thunderous bass jabs nonstop.

Money Kills carries a great title for another solid, straightforward Thrash Metal tune where all band members are on fire from start to finish, with Uappa stealing the spotlight by rabidly roaring the song’s acid words, while Demolition, featuring a slashing guitar solo by guest Frank Blackfire, offers more of their European thrash spearheaded by the machine gun-like beats by Friggi Mad Beats. Put differently, it will work perfectly when played live to an avid moshing crowd, and firing some Gary Holt-like riffs and infernal beats the quartet brings forward another humongous dosage of animosity and rebelliousness in I Don’t Care, where Uappa is once again demented on vocals. Then an atmospheric intro evolves into a headbanging tune titled Conspiracy, where Uappa and Paua invite us all to dance like a monkey into the circle pit, albeit not as intense as its predecessors; whereas an intro taken from the 1968 cult movie Night of the Living Dead, directed by the iconic George A. Romero (R.I.P.), explodes into what’s in my opinion the best song of the album, The Day They Left Their Graves, a lecture in Thrash Metal with Friggi Mad Beats sounding utterly infernal on drums, presenting the perfect combination of old school thrash with tales of the living dead.

You can get caught in the frantic mosh crafted by Terrordome in Straight Outta Smogtown by listening to the full album on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you consider yourself a true thrashing trooper you should definitely purchase the album from the band’s own BandCamp page and webstore, from the Selfmadegod Records’ BandCamp page and webstore, from Apple Music or from Discogs. In addition, don’t forget to follow those sick thrashers on Facebook and on Instagram, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their awesome creations. After all is said and done, Terrordome proved us all with Straight Outta Smogtown that Thrash Metal is more than alive, especially in the underground, solidifying their name in the local and international scene and, of course, proudly carrying the flag of Polish extreme music wherever they go.

Best moments of the album: Worried Again, Steel on the Road, Desordem e Regresso and The Day They Left Their Graves.

Worst moments of the album: Conspiracy.

Released in 2021 Selfmadegod Records

Track listing
1. Terrorizing the Nation as the Best Way to Thwart Shameful Schemes 0:48
2. Possessed By Blyat 2:41
3. Worried Again 3:24
4. Steel on the Road 2:38
5. Plastic Death 3:32
6. Your Personal Comfort Versus the Global Disaster 2:50
7. Desordem e Regresso 2:45
8. Into the Void 2:25
9. Ego-Boost Downfall 2:57
10. Money Kills 3:49
11. Demolition 2:43
12. I Don’t Care 2:49
13. Conspiracy 3:41
14. The Day They Left Their Graves 3:09

Band members
Uappa Terror – vocals, guitars
Paua Siffredi – guitars
Virious – bass*
Rob Sixkiller – drums*

Guest musicians
Simon – bass (session)
Friggi Mad Beats – drums (session)
Konrad “Destroyer” Ramotowski – guitar solo on “Terrorizing the Nation as the Best Way to Thwart Shameful Schemes”
Słoma – additional vocals on “Worried Again”
Kosa – additional vocals on “Worried Again”
Syru – additional vocals on “Worried Again”
Frank Blackfire – guitar solo on “Demolition”
Manu Joker – additional vocals on “Desordem e Regresso”
Jairo Vaz – additional vocals on “Desordem e Regresso”

*Bass and drums recorded respectively by Simon and Friggi Mad Beats

Album Review – Wojtek / Does This Dream Slow Down, Until It Stops? EP (2021)

Posted on by
Reply

Bang your heads in total isolation to the sound of the new EP by this Italian Sludge Metal entity, offering us all four austere songs born from the boredom and frustration of two lockdowns.

Wojtek is a basic, Polish male name. Wojtek is also a Syrian bear who fought in the Battle of Cassino, during World War II, carrying crates of ammunition and roaring at enemies. And Wojtek is also a Padua, Italy-based band born in May 2019, playing a heavy and raw fusion of Sludge and Doom Metal, and who have just released their third EP curiously titled Does This Dream Slow Down, Until It Stops?, offering fans of heavy music four austere songs born from the boredom and frustration of two lockdowns. Comprised of vocalist Mattia Zambon, guitarists Morgan Zambon and Riccardo Zulato, bassist Simone Carraro and drummer Enrico Babolin (who was also the producer of the album), Wojtek dig deeper into their favorite topic, that being human misery, in each of the four tracks of the EP, with the mixing and mastering by Mattia Bonafini, the cryptic artwork by the band’s own guitarist Riccardo Zulato and the logo by View From The Coffin adding an extra touch of darkness, rage and despair to the band’s venomous metal music, therefore living up to the legacy of the most primeval form of Sludge Metal.

In the opening track Catacomb we’re treated to wicked lyrics growled by Mattia (“Grow my fears / Is this town real? / Drill my ears / Endless pain I feel / Whenever you whisper I break / Every inch of my muscles will shake”) while his bandmates blast their instruments with tons of rage and aggressiveness from the very first second in an infernal display of contemporary Sludge Metal, and Enrico continues to add his share of animosity to their rebellious music through his Thrash and Death Metal beats in Desensitized, with Morgan and Riccardo slashing their strings mercilessly. Put differently, this is a neck-breaking, violent tune that reeks of progressiveness and obscurity. Then an instrumental and absolutely atmospheric horror movie-inspired interlude entitled Rednetrab (or “bartender” backwards) will send shivers down your spine before those Italian metallers come crushing one last time with their dirty and Stygian sounds in XX Years, a beyond disturbing creation where the bass punches by Simone will hit you right in the face while Mattia vociferates rabidly à la Mike Patton, bringing to our ears a flawless hybrid of Hardcore and modern-day Stoner and Sludge Metal tailored for admirers of the genre.

If you’re curious to know more about Wojtek and their wicked creations, you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram right away, and grab your copy of Does This Dream Slow Down, Until It Stops?, which is by the way available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, from several locations including the band’s own BandCamp page, the Ripcord Records’ BandCamp page, the Teschio Dischi’s BandCamp page, the Violence In The Veins’ BandCamp page, and Apple Music. In the end, it looks like this never-ending pandemic has been extremely fruitful for the guys from Wojtek, inspiring them to turn their inner darkness and frustrations into first-class doom and, consequently, offering us all another good reason to keep banging our heads while in total isolation from society.

Best moments of the album: Desensitized and XX Years.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2021 Ripcord Records/Shove Records/Teschio Dischi/Fresh Outbreak Records/Violence In The Veins

Track listing
1. Catacomb 4:37
2. Desensitized 5:02
3. Rednetrab 4:08
4. XX Years 5:31

Band members
Mattia Zambon – vocals
Morgan Zambon – guitars
Riccardo Zulato – guitars
Simone Carraro – bass
Enrico Babolin – drums