Well, here I am again with my 3rd set of reviews for the year. You know I have been doing reviews since 1986 and yeah at times it does get to be a grind, but I still love doing this and it is fun discovering new bands, and if I like them enough, I reach out to them for an interview to be published on this website. I enjoy helping out the new and upcoming bands as well as the more established ones as well. There are plenty of great bands and some not-so-good ones for this round. Now remember this is my opinion only and in as many cases as possible I try to include a link to a sample song so you can judge for yourself. Keep banging that head and playing air guitar and look for set # 4 soon. Please also enjoy my interviews here I do with old bands, new bands, fanzine editors, and record labels.
WOUND COLLECTOR/Begging For Chicxulub (Self-Released)
A 4-track EP of some cool death metal. This hits hard and fast and with plenty of power to boot. Vocals are crushing growls of death metal and even though I was not a fan of the screechy one-liners here and there, but that is just me. The band even uses a saxophone and it sounds great as well. This is something I think you’ll enjoy.
GJENDØD/Livskramper (Osmose Productions)
Some decent black metal that isn’t just a wall of noise and vocals that aren’t just high-pitched generic screams. Yes, there are pick riffing guitar sounds and this is fast and I like my black metal fast too. This just didn’t come across as a wall of noise and had songs and melodies that I remembered after the tune was over. For a black metal band, this was solid stuff.
TSATTHOGGUA/We Are God (Osmose Productions)
This band is back after 20 years of not releasing anything and OMG does this release crush. A perfect mix of death metal with touches of black metal. The vocals are more in the black metal, while the music I would say reminds me of Angelcorpse at times. This is fast, take no prisoners to shit my friends. Fantastic production and this just wipes the floor with the weak I can tell you that. Excellent comeback for sure.
TRUE BLACK DAWN/Of Thick-circling Shadows (W.T.C.Productions)
A crushing display of death/black metal is your ticket here. The vocals are very good black metal style and not a bunch of screeching. The music is speedy black metal, but with touches of death metal mixed in and it is not just a wall of noise. The music is controlled with memorable riffing and music behind it. A solid production tops this off, making it something worth checking out for sure.
LUCIFERICON/Sabatraxis (Invictus Productions)
I feel like I’m listening to old Kreator/Sodom/Destruction and that my friends is a great thing. This band brings back the feelings of the old days when early German thrash was king. Ripping thrash riffs and Mille like vocals won me over in no time. A speed metal attack and I loved life and this band. The band just oozes out that feeling of the mid ’80s and if you like the 3 bands I mentioned, you’ll love this band as well. 3 studio tracks and 3 live tracks to celebrate the band being around 15 years old. Congrats on that, Awesome release
KRYTOS/Decimator (AFM Records)
This band is straightforward metal like Saxon or Raven with a singer like Lips from Anvil. The songs are denim and leather fist-banging tunes with no Pantera, groove, or nu-metal crap. Just fist-pounding, straightforward metal tunes. The tunes are solid and memorable and I enjoyed this.
CULT OF ORPIST/Attack of the Zombie Cans (Brutal Records)
Straight forward nothing special death/thrash metal that pretty much bored me. The music is just “blah” and nothing sticks out and it grows old fast. Nothing catchy riffwise and nothing the band does makes me stand up and take notice. Just another metal band in an already overcrowded death metal scene.
D.F.C. Skate Inferno (Give Praise Records)
A total mid 89’s crossover attack. The guitar gets buried too much in a couple of tunes and all you hear is bass and drums and singing. The music is fast and a mixture of thrash and punk of bands like Sick of It All, DRI, Agnostic Front, etc. It’s a total old-school attack and I thought it was 1987 again, which is a good thing in my book. Great hardcore vocals as well.
ROYAL RAGE/Evolve (Sliptrick Records)
Boring thrash metal with forgettable tunes. No catchy riffs that would get your head moving or air guitar playing. The singer is decent as is the production, but the weak tunes leave a lot to be desired.
INTOLERANCE/Waking Nightmares of an Endless Void (Godz Ov War Productions)
Punishing razor-sharp riffing with death metal growls that I enjoyed a lot. The band has a Swedish death metal sound to them and the music just will pound you into the ground with its power and nonstop mercy. The production is perfect and that guitar sound just crushes me. Excellent release.
TORTURERS’ LOBBY/Deadened Nerves (Caligari Records, Ixiol Productions)
Holy shit did this knock me for a loop. This goes for the throat with its speed, power, and intensity. The feeling this band oozes just owned me. The singer has an incredible voice too. The band mixes death, thrash, and even some industrial sounds and it works perfectly let me tell you. Check out the sample track below and this band rules.
CARNIVORE DIPROSOPUS/RISE Of The Insurrection (Comatose Music)
Just what the world needs another groove death metal band with recycled riffs that have been done to death and then some. Same tired growls and when you mix it with god-awful groove death metal this makes me want to throw this down into the toilet. No thanks.
DESULTORY/Darkness Falls (The Early Years) (Darkness Shall Rise)
Here is a blast from the past. I reviewed these guys’ demos when I was doing my print zine Metal Core and I interviewed them I think for issue # 11 and they made the cover as well. Well lo and behold here are the band’s 3 demos being re-released and I think that is awesome. Prine time Swedish death metal and that goes for all 3 demos too. The band would go on to release 5 albums in their career as well. The production, for being demos sounds damn good and this is just all in all great death metal. Check this out and sample track below:
REVERSED/Wildly Possessed (Invictus Productions)
This label destroys me with their bands ha ha. Here comes another to blow me over with a total old-school attack of power, speed, intensity, and feeling. Just a ripping display of crushing metal played at the highest order. An attack of old-school death and thrash that is not to be missed dammit. Vocals from hell and this will punish and hurt you I can promise that. This crushes all wimps.
L.M.I./Failed To Feel It (H.P.G.D.)
Some decent and at times sort of weird death metal within the song structures, which is a good thing. This isn’t just some run-of-the-mill we sound like every other death metal band out there. Vocals are solid growls of death metal and the production is good and solid as well. A band worth checking out for sure.
ANVIL/One And Only (AFM Records)
I was hoping this was going to be a kick-ass album and the single I heard before this I liked a lot. Well, this is a good album, not mind-blowing like the 1st 3 albums, which would be hard to top, but the band came up with plenty of catchy up-tempo tunes that had me smiling at times. A couple of the slower-paced tunes I wasn’t a fan of but for a band on its 20th! release, this gets the job done. The production is solid and Lips still sounds good as well.
PESTKRAFT/Ancestral Sounds (Folter Records)
A devastating attack of black metal that I liked. One good point was the vocals weren’t just a wall of noise and I could feel the pain and agony as this played on. The music also wasn’t a wall of noise and is to me controlled black metal with some tunes that I could remember after the tunes were done. Good band.
MOTIVIK/Renouncement (Roxx Records)
Having spent their teenage years in the early ‘90s immersed in the hard-thrashing sounds of Tourniquet, Believer, Sacrament, Mortification, and many more, multi-instrumentalist Ryan Roebuck and vocalist Courtney Simmons put together Motivik. Well, you ask, how is it? Pretty damn good I’d say. Wicked and catchy thrashy riffs that will have your head banging and plenty of power also in this. Courtney shines on vocals on this as his voice sounds great and this reminds me (not sounds like) of the debut of Forbidden all those years ago. Fantastic production on this as well. Great thrash metal is the ticket on this.
BLOOD FEAST/Infinite Evolution (Hells Headbangers)
It took me a minute or so to get used to original band member Adam Tranquilli as the new singer (he also plays guitar), but he was good and had a solid voice, and from then on I was hooked. This is thrash the Bloodfeast way and it was quite enjoyable. No nu metal crap and no tough guy singing either. Just thrash the way it should be played. Vicious and speedy with plenty of power. Nice solid production as well and this just totally kicks ass in my book. The riffs had me banging my head in my bed as this plays on.
SKELETHAL/Within Corrosive Continuums (Hells Headbangers)
While this is far from original, this Swedish death metal band gets it done. Brutal as fuck riffs and a speed attack that had me smiling. Vocals from hell and this just pumped out power and feeling too. Do you want Swedish death metal? Oh, you will get it and then some on this. This packs a ton of lead and will not let go until the last note is done. Prepare for a death metal onslaught, my friends.
MAGES TERROR/Damnations Sight (Invictus Productions)
A total destruction attack of 80s-like speed/thrash metal that will dull your senses. Vocals like Mille and power and speed to match. Razor-sharp riffs ripped into me and brought a smile to my face. A pounding attack to dull your senses and knock you into tomorrow. It’s the razor-sharp riffs that easily won me over and this was the mid 80’s German thrash attack all over. I love the production as well and this band brings back so many memories of the older days of the underground. Love it.
KAIVS/After the Flesh (Brutal Records)
This band was ok. They have the Swedish guitar sound down, but the songs aren’t as good as say Entombed or Dismember. The singer was pretty good and the production is solid, but they are like a generic-sounding Swedish death metal band as this has been to death and then some. I wish the songs were stronger cause it seems the potential is there. Maybe with the next release.
IGNOBLETH/Voidspawn Sacrifice (Masked Dead Records/Sulphur Music)
This is an EP from this death/black metal band and it is pretty good. The vocals are totally good and solid death metal and the music is rip-roaring fast death/black metal that I was tapping my feet and nodding my head too as well. The band gives off that old-school vibe as well. The music isn’t a wall of noise and the tunes are memorable as well. For a young band, they deserve the horns being up for this release.
DD VERNI/Dreadful Company ( M-Theory Audio)
OMG is this such a cool release? Most should know of DD as the bass player of Overkill and this is his 2nd solo album. This is more along the lines of punk rock and not thrash metal and the DD bass sound shines through and this I would say reminds me of The Ramones. DD has a good voice on this and this just kicks major ass. Top-notch tunes that are catchy and strong as well. Love it. Great punk rock.
INNER STRENGTH/Daydreaming in Moonlight (Divebomb Records)
I am not the biggest fan of progressive metal, but when it is done right, it is really good. Well, this band is really good and I’d say they are awesome. The songs may be long, but they are so damn catchy and sucked me in and kept me hooked. The singing by singer Scott Oliva is off the charts as well. This band started as a crossover band back in 1986, but 3 years later Scott got a new line-up together and went into the progressive metal area. The band released some demos and an album before breaking up. Here they are 30 years later with all 4 original members and this album is fuckin brilliant. Heavy-as-hell tunes, catchy riffs, and godly vocals make this an A-plus release. This is one of the best albums of the year bar none.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM/I Am The Weapon (AFM Records)
“A New Kind of Weapon” opens this release, the band’s 15! It is a wicked up-tempo thrash track with some tasteful vocals from Eric “AK” Knutson. Sorry to say not all the tunes on here are thrash metal, which is a shame to me. Listen not every tune has to be an all-and-out thrash, but a fuckin groove tune as in ” Beneath the Shadows”! For the most part, this is a good solid release by this long-time band and the production is fantastic Eric’s vocals are fantastic as well.
