It’s that time again where Mr Forbes lets loose on the bad bands and raises his metal fist high on the good and great ones. As always these are just my opinions on these bands and that’s all. There might be some that I am not a fan of and that you love. Good for you. Listen my word is not the gospel to everything. When something touches me in a good way I’ll praise them and tell you I think it might be something you interested in. When a band is just playing 3rd rate death metal, I’m going to let my feeling be known how I feel about that too. Enjoy my reviews and take them for what they are worth and thanks for checking them out and till next time, keep banging that head and raising that fist high:
HYLIDAE/Unbreakable Curse (Sangue Frio Produções)
This a death/thrash metal band and they fail at the death metal end of things. The vocals are terrible. They have the low growls, which aren’t convincing at all and then go into annoying screeches, which also don’t make the cut. I just didn’t feel it from or from whoever was singing. The music is thrash metal, which actually isn’t bad, it is that wicked razor-sharp riffing and speed and power, but the vocals are horrible. To me, it isn’t easy mixing thrash and death metal and this band is a prime example. To me, if this band lost the death metal growls they be 100 times better
DEIQUISTOR/Humanoid (Dark Descent Records)
This is typical death metal that sounds like Immolation a lot way down to the vocals of Ross Dolan. The band aren’t doing anything new and to me, if your new to the death metal scene this might be something up your alley. It was just ok to me and didn’t do much of anything for me one way or another. Straight forward death metal with no gimmicks.
REVENANT MARQUIS /Below The Landsker Line (Inferna Profundus Records)
Ha Ha, this has to be a joke. One of the worst black metal bands I have heard in quite some time. This is just like a wall of senseless noise with some clown wailing and moaning in the background and I’m sure he will say he is “true black metal”! No how about true complete junk. This I’m assuming is a one-man band/project as the promo picture is some dude with corpse paint on within some dark cellar or house somewhere. This is like some cheap, bad horror movie and doesn’t waste your time or money on this and it is not any good trust me.
ANIME TORMENT/Void Terror (Slovak Metal Army)
Just what the underground metal world needs, another generic death metal sounding band with a trigger like drum sounds. The music is a mix of Suffocation and Cannibal Corpse. In other words, bands that have had their sounds copied to death and then some. There is a mix of fast and slower sounds. The vocals are low growls and then those screechy annoying sounds I hate, almost like Phil from Pantera at times. This is pretty much junk and garbage and bands like this, should just go away and find something else to do.
MARASMUS/Necrotic Overlord (Transcending Obscurity Records)
I don’t know what it is with a lot of these death metal bands as they can’t write a memorable or catchy song to save their lives. Here is another such band as the songs just fly by with useless speed and nothing catchy or memorable at all. Just generic death metal that after it is over, you remember nothing about the band. As I have said, I need a band to bring something to the table and this is another case of a band that doesn’t at all. Just generic-sounding Cannibal Corpse Jr.
HORRIBLE EARTH/Discography 2013 – 2019 (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)
This a comp of the band’s debut album, a split 7” and a GG Allin cover too. These are short blasts of speedy death metal with some great vocals. Now, this is how is done death metal bands. Crushing riffs and wicked speed along with some great growls and screams by the singer had me loving this. I do wish the songs were a bit longer, but that’s just me. This is a good find by Mike and this is well worth checking out if you like speed and aggression and not many slow parts haha.
OMEGAVORTEX/Black Abomination Spawn (Invictus Productions)
Holy shit is this one wicked and devastating death/black metal release. 30 seconds in I was hooked. The sound, the feeling, the speed, the intensity, the vocals, and of course the music are all wrapped up into one total pounding over the top metal release not to be missed. This brings back the old days of Possessed, Necrovore, Incubus, older Morbid Angel and just that feeling those band had. This band will just blow your fuckin doors off and knock you out of your seat. This band brought the Thanksgiving dinner to my dinner table. Wow, I love it.
MONGREL’S CROSS/Arcana, Scrying and Revelation (Hells Headbangers)
Oh now, this is what the doctor ordered for my headache from all these bad bands. A ripping attack of death/thrash that should not be missed. Razor-sharp riffing and awesome vocals that sound like Mille from Kreator. This is a pure old school riffing attack with speed and power that should not be missed. An old school production too that just makes this that much more deadly. A total devastating release that belongs in your collection.
MERCYLESS/The Mother of All Plagues (Xenokorp)
This is the band’s 7th album in 33 years and it is solid death metal with singing like Martin van Drunen. Mostly faster side death metal with crushing riffs and songs that are a lot better than a lot of the other generic crap out there. This band just deliver the goods and deliver them good and hard. There are 11 tracks of balls to the grave death metal and if you grab the CD version you get cover tunes the band does by Hellhammer, Motorhead, Possessed, and Venom. Pick this up if you want some real death metal
BLASPHEMATORY/Depths of the Obscurity (Self Released)
A US 2 piece death metal band and not a bad one. The band rely more on mid-pace with their death metal and break it into some speedy parts and slow almost doom parts at times. The 2 guys in the band, their music isn’t far off the Death “Leprosy” path of death metal and I must say I did enjoy this a lot. Just bone crushing riffing with some impressive death metal vocals courtesy of Joe Aversario, who also plays the bass and guitar on this. I wouldn’t call this a clone band of Death, but yeah they sound like them at times and it’s fuckin enjoyable to my ears , haha
UPON THE ALTAR/Absid Ab Ordine Luminis (Putrid Cult)
Bone crushing, no-frills, take no prisoners death metal with blazing speed and power. Rip-roaring riffs and just fast pounding to take you to hell and back. This doesn’t let up one bit and will have you smiling and grinning if you love it fast and played with feeling and intensity. The band slow it down here and there, but for the most part, they rip you into shreds with speed and the tunes are a pure death metal journey of a ride that you won’t want to get off, I can tell you that. I didn’t that I can tell you. A must-have for any fan of death metal.
COFFIN MULCH/Septic Funeral (Redefining Darkness Records (N. America) | At War With False Noise (Uk/Europe)
Low tuned death metal that wasn’t bad, but is nothing to do a victory dance over. Fast pounding death metal with some nice growl vocals over it. The tunes fly by and this is far from senseless noise, they have that Swedish death metal sound big time and if that is something you love and crave this is your band. I have heard worse time and time again, but this just misses getting like an 8 out of 10 from me and I’d give this a 7 if I would be grading it.
DETRITUS/Myths (Embryo Industries)
This was some very weak progressive thrash (the label’s bio) that is so far from thrash it isn’t funny. Slow, plodding tunes with no power behind them whatsoever. Kinda like the last few Metallica releases, which are beyond bad. This just lacks any kind of power punch and has nothing to do with thrash whatsoever. Mid paced metal that went nowhere fast at all. The singer and production were good, but I’d have liked to have heard a bit more crunch and power within the tunes and I got nothing.
SLABBER/Apocryphal Diary (Punishment 18 Records)
Groovy heavy metal that lost my interest rather fast. The singer doesn’t have a bad voice, but I hate groove in my metal and this also had that happy sound to it, so this didn’t work for me at all. I’m sure some people will dig this, but it’s just not something I like at all. This is like a normal heavy metal band with groove thrown in the mix
FUNERAL STORM/SYNTELEIA/The Ancient Calling – split 7″ EP (Hells Headbangers)
Funeral Storm starts things off and their one track is some decent death metal that started off slow and built till they went into speed action for about half the song. The singer was good too as he sang the tune with feeling and conviction. Synteleia kinda bored me as the song just plodded along with no direction and the song was just like a limp, wet rag. Nothing good about it at all. The solo part about 5 minutes in couldn’t even save this band on this track.
LUCIFUGE/Infernal Power (Dying Victims Productions)
This is just some down en dirty early style power metal mixing in the sounds of Running Wild, Exciter and Warfare as well. The vocals are actually more in Cronus from Venom style too. The tunes are very catchy and memorable too and very different and not like all this generic crap making the rounds. This is like raw as fuck early 80’s metal with a deep and dark production and this is nasty too. I also could detect a bit of Razor in their music as well. This is just so good on so many fronts and brings out the good ole memories when the underground was king. You can also throw a few early punk sounds in their music too.
NEKROMANTHEON/Visions of Trismegistos (Hells Headbangers /Indie Recordings)
Some pretty nice down and dirty early style 80’s thrash with some solid vocals by the singer. This will take you back to the days of Violence, Dark Angel, Kreator, etc. This is fast and punishing and I was loving it. This is the way thrash needs and should be, not that Pantera shit that kids think is thrash. These guys are the real deal and I love the underground like a production that reminds me of the debut album by Kreator. Pure headbanging delight all the way and order this, your neck will thank
WHARFLURCH/Shitslime (Personal Records)
A wicked 4 song display of death and doom metal that I quite liked. Speedy riffs and music mixed in with crushing doom like parts with some great low growls of death made this a winner in my book. I love the guitar sound on this as well and the speed parts have you banging away and the slow doomy parts will have you on your knees crying. Great release here for sure. Wish it was a full length dammit.
WARRIOR PATH/The Mad King (Stormspell Records)
Simply godly heavy metal with insane vocals by singer Daniel Heiman. He is so spot on it’s not funny and he sings the songs with such passion and such style I was totally taken in the minute his vocals came in. The music is a mix of some Dream Theatre at times mixed in with traces of power metal. Oh, this album could easily be one of the best releases of 2021 hands down and yes it is that good. Everything on this is perfect.
LADEN SAINT/Same (Stormspell Records)
Apparently, this band was formed in the mid-’80s and never released anything and here they are back in 2021 with an album on Stormspell. Now most bands who record new material that was back in the 80’s suck, but this band, no way. This is classic balls to wall old school power/heavy metal in the vein of say a Liege Lord. Also doesn’t have that new sounding production, which I also liked. The singer has a thick, powerful voice and he fits right in the band’s music that they are playing. This is straight ahead wrist studded, fist banging, heavy metal at its finest.
HECATOMB/Horrid Invocations (Invictus Productions)
Crude, raw as fuck (demo sounding production baby) of some punishing death/thrash with those razor-sharp riffing and death metal screams that sound like King from Deceased. This will just blast you into hell and back with the power and fury it has. Those screams will tear into you and a combo of death and thrash on these just rules. Reminds me of those great days of the ’80s with the demos coming out left and right. If your old school then this is right up your alley, you old motherf*cker.
WHIPSTRIKER / ICE WAR/Self Titled Split (Helldprod Records)
Whipstriker offers up 3 tunes of old school metal mixing in some early Venom and Motorhead and some mixes of 1st album Slayer. It’s nothing super great, but it is kinda cool. Ice War are more like an early punk band sound and the singer is terrible. I don’t think he fits the music at all and I didn’t feel it when he was signing. The music sort of is like the Sex Pistols at times as well and it didn’t grab me upon a repeated listen. You can listen for yourself at the below link
WITCHFUCK – Black Blood Baptism (Godz Ov War Productions)
Ripping thrash/black metal, the vocals and at times the music, that was catchy and powerful. This band has the old school sound too and it’s sort of like old Venom as well. The band mix in some slower parts and faster parts too and the songs are memorable and catchy too. The singer sings his heart out as the hate spews out with a fury too. The band also tears through a Behemoth cover tune called “Pure Evil and Hate” and they crush it. A great release by this band
SYMBTOMY/Demo #1 (Immortal Souls Productions (Europe)/ Frozen Screams Imprint (USA)
Total old school Swedish death metal on this. This is like how death metal was in the ’90s and the riffs will tear through you and the vocals are pure delights of death metal all the way. The guitar sound is totally crushing and I love the production and just everything on this. 3 tracks of death metal the way it should be
WITCH HUNT/Rock n´Roll Possession (Dead Center Productions)
Let’s first get things sorted out. This is not the Witchunt from the US, who were death metal years ago. This does not speed metal as the label claims, but I’d say more in the power metal vein. I’d throw them in the same breath as Agent Steel with all the high pitched vocals going on. I wish the guitar sound was up more as the bass is way up there and takes away from the thrashing riffs. The tunes are old school in nature and are catchy and the vocals are solid as well. He doesn’t have an annoying sound to him and if you like Agent Steel, Savage Thrust, Hades, etc you’ll enjoy this too.
REAPER/The Atonality of Flesh (Iron Bonehead)
Simply played heard it all before and then some black/thrash metal that I am really starting to get sick of hearing. It’s that simple mix of old school thrash/death and some black metal vocals and sorry but I have heard this done about 200 times over the past 2 years and I’m about done with bands like this. Can you bring something to the table to eat and not just the same stuff over and over?
