Tag Archives: heredia

Album Review – Inhuman / Prerogative Of The Unborn (2024)

Posted on by
Reply

A Death Metal beast hailing from Costa Rica returns with its fourth studio album, a sonic pilgrimage that explores the darkest corners of the human psyche.

Formed in 2011 in the city of Heredia, Costa Rica, the ruthless Technical Death Metal squad known as Inhuman is unleashing upon humanity their fourth full-length album, titled Prerogative Of The Unborn, a descent into the abyss of Death Metal with newfound echoes of melody that defy the norm. Displaying a sinister artwork by Phlegeton (aka Jose Luis Rey Sanchez), the new album by vocalist Gabriel Martinez, guitarist Jonathan Sanchez, bassist Andrés Maroto, and drummer Juriel Barquero is a manifesto of rebellion against the mainstream, a sonic pilgrimage that explores the darkest corners of the human psyche highly influenced by Decapitated, Lamb Of God, Behemoth, Decide, and Cannibal Corpse, among others, being therefore recommended for fans of the most visceral yet technical side of Death Metal.

The evil riffage by Jonathan and the sick drumming by Juriel ignite the mosh pit feast titled Columbarium, sounding infernal and violent just the way we like it in old school Death Metal, whereas the title-track Prerogative Of The Unborn brings forward six minutes of heaviness and savagery by the quartet, showcasing all their dexterity and passion for extreme music, with Gabriel roaring like a beast nonstop. Juriel then blasts some demented, intricate beats in In The Name Of The Father, adding an extra dosage of violence to their sound while Jonathan and Andrés hammer their stringed axes manically; followed by Poetry Of A Decaying Soul, a visceral, more direct tune showcasing the band’s incendiary Death Metal essence, with Gabriel once again taking the lead with his raspy vociferations.

The second half of the album begins with six minutes of darkness titled Dreadful Existence, offering our avid ears some ass-kicking breaks, variations, and the band’s trademark aggression, with Juriel sounding bestial on drums, while Worthless Skin is one hundred percent inspired by Death Metal titans the likes of Cannibal Corpse and Vomitory, as the band brings forward a gruesome sonic attack perfect for some sick headbanging. Their second to last onrush of insanity and obscurity is entitled Deathless Crave, where Andrés blasts his bass furiously accompanied by the always classy beats by Juriel, flowing into the closing tune I’m Staying Inside You, where the band delivers another solid display of Death Metal, sounding groovy while at the same time ruthless, albeit not the most electrifying option for putting an end to the album.

This beast of an album is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you want to show your utmost support to the Costa Rican underground you can purchase a copy of Prerogative Of The Unborn from the GrimmDistribution’s BandCamp page, and don’t forget to also check what the guys from Inhuman are up to on Facebook and on Instagram, or simply click HERE for all things Inhuman. Proudly carrying the flag of Costa Rican metal, those talented musicians will crush you to the sound of their new album, a Death Metal machine that will surely fuel them to keep moving forward and releasing more insanity in the form of music in the coming years.

Best moments of the album: Columbarium, In The Name Of The Father and Dreadful Existence.

Worst moments of the album: I’m Staying Inside You.

Released in 2024 GrimmDistribution/Sanatorio Records

Track listing
1. Columbarium 3:48
2. Prerogative Of The Unborn 6:22
3. In The Name Of The Father 5:03
4. Poetry Of A Decaying Soul 3:31
5. Dreadful Existence 6:08
6. Worthless Skin 4:08
7. Deathless Crave 3:21
8. I’m Staying Inside You 5:17

Band members
Gabriel Martinez – vocals
Jonathan Sanchez – guitars
Andrés Maroto – bass
Juriel Barquero – drums

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

Posted on by
Reply

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