Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Molder "Catastrophic Reconfiguration" (Review)
2024 Prosthetic Records - CD, LP / Headsplit Records - Cassette
www.prostheticrecords.com / headsplitrecords.storenvy.com
BADASS TRACKS: Pulped, Bursted Innards, Corpse Copulation,
Nothing Left to Ooze
BADASS SHORT DESCRIPTION: Real fucking death metal
I don’t think I remember a record in the last handful of
years that I was as excited about as this one, with the exception of the last
Nunslaughter full-length, since they’ve been my favorite band for almost the
last 25 years. Molder has now become a contender for that throne, and although
they’ll never unseat the Devil Metal Masters in my hierarchy of favorite bands,
they’re a strong second. Yes, they’ve surpassed Obituary for me, and Cannibal
Corpse, as well as Immortal. I love all of those bands, but not like I love
this band now. I’d grabbed their first two records on cassette from Headsplit a
while back and was blown away, so when I learned a new Molder release was imminent
I was truly excited.
Let me tell you, I was fuckin’ rewarded for hitting
play. From the opening salvos to the final notes, this is a real death
metal record of the sort that doesn’t really rise out of the scene much any
more. I can probably count on two hands the records that smashed my skull like
this one in the last few years (Torture Rack, Nunslaughter always does, Mutual
Hostility, maybe Blastomycosis, and a few others come to mind). I listened to
it three times through, checking song titles the first time, and then just
letting it happen. Some of the goddamn stress went away that I’d been laboring
under recently. Thank you, fellas. I needed it.
Some of the riff structures remind me very much of what
Nunslaughter does, while Molder does it in their own way. The solos, in many
songs, have what my brother used to call a “dead air” quality, which is how he
described the solos on “Cause of Death,” when he heard that album. That’s a
compliment. He meant morbid, scary, and evil with that phrase, or haunting. They
have the same feel. I can hear the history of death metal in Molder’s sound,
with Autopsy coming to mind as well here and there. In the vocals I hear
Possessed, Asphyx, Obituary. I hear much of the early Florida sound (very
early, mind you) in the structures and sound, while being less focused on technicality
than some of those bands. I can hear some demo-era Swedish influence just here
and there, maybe Nihilist coming to mind at times. Don’t think that makes Molder
derivative at all – it’s as fresh as the day death metal was born. They simply wear
those influences loud and proud, and that’s no problem. When you’ve heard as
much death metal as me, and I’ve been listening to death metal since I was 11
years old in 1991, you tend to be reminded of other bands when you hear a
record, and that’s inevitable.
The vocal delivery itself is excellent, standing out for me
on the record. Some of these songs sound like fun to sing – I like rhythmic
deliveries, and Molder delivers on that front, with the occasional rapid-fire verse
and excellent lyrics. “Nothing Left to Ooze” sounds like a lot of fun to sing,
and it’s how I would write lyrics for the same riffs. The entire album is strong
in the same way, across all of the instruments. The rhythm section is
excellent, as well, with the bass player doing more than just following the
riff. He’s behind the music but audible, adding low end but is also clearly a
great player. The drums are right there in the pocket but have plenty of time
to shine as they carry the tempo forward – always forward, and never stagnant. Headphones
revealed a lot of interesting cymbal work, also. There is no weakness in any of
the playing, and it’s clear Molder could play much more intricate music if they
wanted to, but they clearly love this style like I do, and they do it so well.
They’ve got an uncompromising aesthetic, and weak-ass pretend death metal doesn’t
fly with them. They’re too busy making good death metal – and at the
heart of all good death metal is excellent heavy metal, and I’ve got a
feeling they’re aware they have an excellent heavy metal album on their hands here.
Konkhra "Sad Plight of Lucifer" (Review)
2024 Hammerheart Records / CD, LP
www.hammerheart.com
BADASS SONG TITLES: Sad Plight of Lucifer, Seven Plagues,
Resurrection Machine, Tentacles of Madness
BADASS TRACKS: Sad Plight of Lucifer, Seven Plagues, Nothing
Can Save You, The Lesser Key of Solomon, Artificial Sun
BADASS ONE-WORD DESCRIPTION: Consistent
Konkhra, from Denmark, has been around a long time -almost
as long as I’ve been listening to metal. I first encountered their work at a
local record store in my old hometown in Ohio in the late 1990s, and I remember
liking those albums. Then I just didn’t really follow them for whatever reason,
but when I encountered this new release, I felt like I should give it a listen,
because of liking those older records. I was right to do it. All the key Konkhra
elements are there – groove-laden, chunky-as-fuck death metal riffs, mid-range
vocals that aren’t a full growl but aren’t weak, and lots of double bass. The
song writing is still good, too, and not out of line with how they used to
write. They know exactly where to lean on thrash-filled intensity or back it off within the song structure. I won’t bore you with an analysis of all the songs and other things,
because if you are an ardent adherent of the metal of death like myself, you
will at least be tangentially familiar with this band.
The guitars continuously crank out heavy-as-fuck riffs and
morbidly melodic solos, and these gents know how to write a groove without
over-relying on it, with almost all the songs being catchy, memorable, and
diverse musically. I love that there’s a ton of double-bass work in the drums,
and that the drums aren’t over-produced. In fact, the entire album isn’t
over-produced. It’s warm-sounding, thick, but clear in every respect. It gives
the songs extra character and personality, letting performances shine through. There
are only a couple of songs I thought they could drop to make the album
stronger, like “Revolution” and “Resurrection Machine” (although the latter has
an awesome title). I just didn’t think those were as good as the rest of the
record, like they’re just missing a certain something. Otherwise, this album is
quite strong, consistent, and heavy, just like their early records (which I
revisited before listening to this). It will likely wind up in my collection at
some point.
Konkhra has always been a bit different than other
Scandinavian bands by not leaning on the trends of their time, sound- or
recording-wise. They’ve done their own thing, and I think they’re stronger for
it. As far as my assessment of whether it’s worth your time to check out if you’re
a fan of death metal, yes. It is. In fact, a lot of young fans of the bands
that are popular now that are using a lot of groove in their sound (200 Stab
Wounds, Sanguisugabogg, and the ilk) could learn a thing or two about the
history of this music by checking out Konkhra’s work. It appears what’s old is
new again in the scene, and that’s only a good thing as far as I’m concerned.
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Deceased "Children of the Morgue" (Review)
2024 Hells Headbangers / CD, Cassette, LP
www.hellsheadbangers.com
BADASS SONG TITLES: Terrornaut, The Reaper Is Nesting, Eerie
Wavelengths, Skull with the Vacant Stare
BADASS TRACKS: Terrornaut, The Reaper Is Nesting, Eerie
Wavelengths, Brooding Lament, Farewell (Taken to Forever) – yes, I like the aggressive
shit the most.
This is one band I don’t need to spend time describing. They’ve
been around since the original wave of death metal, weathered all manner of
storms between then and now, and came out the other side stronger and ever more
focused. If you don’t know who Deceased is, you can chuck your fuckin’
backpatch right in the trash, because you’re not a metalist at all.
Along the lines of their classic record “Supernatural
Addiction” comes this new masterpiece of the metal of death, “Children of the
Morgue.” It’s a damn fine record by a damn fine band. I can’t think of another
band that has had as many different stylistic leanings as them over the years
that has kept me as a fan, and I think that’s down to Fowley & co.’s
understanding of what makes something metal. I tend to gravitate to bands that
don’t throw me curveballs, but every one that Deceased has thrown me has been a
positive one. They’ve been playing in this style for a while now, and I think
it suits them well. I got into them back in the Relapse days with “Blueprints
for Madness”, back when I was finding my footing in metal (when that came out I
had turned 15 that summer), and I’ve loved them ever since.
Melding classic heavy metal with what we normally associate
with death metal was a stroke of genius on their part years ago, and continuing
in this vein was a great decision. There are all sorts of Possessed-style
moments on this record, but there are also elements of the heavy metal greats
of yore, with melodic leads and excellent riff-work. Just listen to the
beginning of “Eerie Wavelengths.” It’s got it all! Deceased is not all
brutality, but it is all death metal. I think you’ll understand what I’m trying
to say. The chops on display, musically, are on par with the best musicians in
metal. But all of it, and I mean all of it, makes you bang your fuckin’ head.
And the lyrics are up there with King Diamond for storytelling. Each song is
like a short horror story. Not to mention King Fowley’s vocals are as strong as
they’ve ever been, and they still have that nasty edge to them.
I can’t recommend this album highly enough. None of it
disappoints, sonically it's perfect, the short instrumentals add to the feel of the album, and the
ghostly childrens' voices here and there on the record are totally fucked, they’re
spooky as shit. Every song is different and memorable, and a little sonic journey all its own. I hope these gents continue to make music and keep Deceased going
as long as they can. We are the ones that are rewarded, as fans, when records
this good come out.
Mutilation Barbecue "Amalgamations of Gore" (Review)
2024 Maggot Stomp / CD, Cassette, LP
maggotstomp.bandcamp.com
BADASS SONG TITLES: Hive Mind Homicide, Carcass Compost
BADASS SHORT DESCRIPTION: Heavy shit!
From the well-regarded (or much-hated, depending on who you
talk to) Maggot Stomp label comes another young band, Mutilation Barbecue. Personally,
I like the attention to simpler, heavier bands that the Maggot Stomp label
tends to bring us. This album is thoroughly in the vein of the greats from
Florida with some added groove and the occasional heavy-ass breakdown, this is
a group of talented musicians that can both write a song and keep them heavy as
fuck. They fit right in with their label-mates, and that’s not a bad thing,
especially where tours are concerned.
The guitar tones are extremely heavy and nicely produced,
the bass is very audible, and the drums are entirely natural sounding, with a
tiny bit of “ping” in the snare, but not a lot. In their songs they sometimes
rely a bit too much on slower grooves, and I’d like to see them utilize speed a
bit more. A little could go a long way. The same in the vocal department – I’d
like to see him vary his patterns a little more. However, the vocals are very
strong, deep, and they come from the deep gut, from where my own vocals used to
emanate. I know how he’s getting those strong tones, and it’s all diaphragm
work.
I didn’t care for a few of the more dissonant riffs and the
heavy use of harmonics in some songs, and they’re heavily used in both Abortion
Ambulance and Auto Anthropophagy. They grated on my ears a little, but if the
listener just waits a little, the band will veer into something absolutely masterful
to follow that stuff up. They have real chops, too, with the sort of
divebombing solos I like to hear in death metal. They pull from across the
death metal spectrum in their influences, but I can absolutely tell “Tomb of
the Mutilated” was a huge influence here, with the “Cannibal bounce” they have
in many of their riffs and with the harmonics being present at the tail end of
some riffs. You can build on worse songs than “Hammer Smashed Face,” of course!
Don’t let me nit-picking things fool you into thinking I don’t
like this band – I do. They’re not a favorite, but I’m not turning it off,
either. With about three years, an EP and an LP under their bullet belts, they’re
young and most likely are still experimenting with their sound and personality
as a band. Not everything comes out of the gate as finely-honed as the
classics! I’d venture to say this band is on their way to nailing down what
makes them special, though. That’s one of the reasons I like the label they’re
on. I can watch the literal de- and re-evolution of death metal. A lot of their
(very young) bands have stripped things back to an earlier decade’s sound and added
back in a few of the things they want to hear in metal as well. Everything on
this record is meant to induce hair-windmilling and banging heads, and they
succeed in that. Just dial up that intensity a bit next time.
And a bonus: a later-season Trailer Park Boys sample at the
beginning of Spontaneous Human Combustion really made me laugh. J-Roc giving
someone the business is always a delight.
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Blastomycosis "A Feast for the Tasteless" (Review)
2024 CDN Records / CD
cdnrecords.com
BADASS SONG TITLES: Magmatic Muff, Testicular Bludgeoning,
The Good Ole Choke and Poke, Brute Force Intercourse
BADASS SHORT DESCRIPTION: Tastefully technical
Blastomycosis is a band that leans in firmly to the cartoonishly
violent brutal death metal subgenre, and then takes it to the next level with
obvious humor in their song titles, and, I would assume, lyrics. While I’m not
the biggest fan of that approach, for certain bands it works, and this is one
of them. Titles like “Testicular Bludgeoning,” “The Good Ole Choke and Poke,”
and “Something Something Ruptured Anus” definitely made me laugh. They missed
an opportunity on “Let Us Eat a Fetus,” though, which should have been titled “Feed
Us a Fetus.” See what I did there?
Stylistically, they’re firmly in the brutal death metal camp,
and surprisingly more on the technical side, with some incredible musicianship,
especially in the rhythm section. The bass player is a monster. All the cymbal
work really shines through and adds things as well, especially during the
otherwise straight-ahead moments. A fine bunch of players here. Likewise, the
vocals and guitars are strong. There are loads of excellent riffs here that’ll
have you wrecking vertebrae as soon as you hear them. And it’s not so technical
as to turn me off, either. Some bands I think just say “look what I can do,”
and that’s fine, but can you write a fucking song? No, they can’t. These guys
can, and they’re really good at it. The vocalist adds to this horrid mélange,
with varied patterns and varied tones, and he doesn’t get stuck in toad- or
pig-vocals too often, and if he does use them, it’s an accent that shows his
range. It’s a diverse, strong, sometimes downright evil fuckin’ performance in
the vocal department.
As a for-instance, on “Brute Force Intercourse,” there are a
ton of different riffs, wild bass work, non-stop technical drum playing, and
all sorts of vocals, but it’s still a cohesive, recognizable, interesting song.
They know when to chill the fuck out and change it up, but tie it all together
with good songwriting, and even – gasp – a melody or two. They keep the guitars
producing memorable riffs and let the wild shit happen underneath that while
still showing off their prowess as well. I know, crazy. I wish more brutal
death metal bands did this sort of thing. Like, if a simple riff fits and makes
the song better, USE THE MOTHERFUCKER. Too often it’s all tech, all slam, or
all grind. This band does a bit of everything, but manages to sound like Blastomycosis
and not five million other bands playing a style like this. The talent shines and
so does their craft. I’m now a fan. I hadn’t heard any of their previous
material, oddly, but I’m probably going to go find it now to see how it
measures up. This one’s a monster, dear vomitees (I being the writer am the vomitor,
so that makes you readers the vomitees, of course), and worthy of your hard-earned
or at least craftily-stolen death metal dollars.
Antidemon "Convergence" (Review)
Antidemon “Convergence”
2024 Vision of God Records / CD
www.visionofgodrecords.com
Yes, Ominous Vomit will also cover the Christian bands. They
believe in their music just as much as the Satanic bands, so why wouldn’t we?
And the metal scene would miss out on some gems in the process, if we relegate
them to their own corner. I don’t care about your convictions or lifestyle as
long as you aren’t faking them and you’re making good metal. Those of us that
grew up in more strict Christian households during America’s Satanic Panic who
liked metal were forced to turn to Christian metal, at least when our mothers
were watching, since heavy metal itself was being vilified (incorrectly, mind
you, but that’s the nature of a panic, isn’t it?). That’s how I found out about
bands like Deliverance and Mortification, and when I kept digging I found
Sacred Warrior, Bloodgood, and bands of that nature. I still like them to this
day. My mother was the one who gave me the “Ultimate Metal Volume 2”
compilation tape with Deliverance’s “If You Will” on it, and was one of the
releases that sealed my fate for being into extreme metal in general.
Which brings us to Antidemon from Brazil. They’ve been
around forever, for almost as long as I’ve been into metal, with their first
demo being dated 1994. I’m the first one to admit, their early material was a
bit rough on the ears, and I had not counted myself a fan at all. This seems to
have been mostly resolved. It’s been a full 12 years since their last full
length, which I can barely remember liking a bit. On this record they lean into
the mid-paced thrash and focus less on the grind, but this is a pure death
metal record from start to finish. Even if I had no idea who they were, I would
be able to probably tell theyr’e Brazilian, since bands from Brazil seem to
have a certain stamp musically that shines through, a lot like Krisiun does, or
Sarcofago, Vulcano, Mystifier, Sepultura – the list goes on and on. You can just
tell. I don’t know if its their respective rhythm sections or what. They have
that “Brazilian sound.”
The music itself here is excellent. I like the doom
influence on “The New Covenant,” and the brutal grinding thrash of “The Battle
of the Kingdoms,” which has a ton of Slayer-esque elements to it. The opening of
“Worthy Is the Lamb,” with its full-on 1990s style death metal attack held my
attention nicely as well, and that’s the story for the entire record, really. The
NY-style hardcore punk riffs in “The Spirit of Truth” were also excellent, and
a welcome change of pace. It’s solid musically, if not outstanding. The only
criticism I’ll have is the same one I’ve always had with this band – the vocals.
While they’re not unlistenable, they’re strange, and they don’t vary in pattern
much – it’s like the singer is stuck in the same song, and I wish that wasn’t
the case. They’re clearly powerfully performed, but I’m not sure how the sound
he’s getting is being made, whether it’s an inhale-based approach, or something
else. I’m truly at a loss to describe it. It’s just not my favorite style of vocal,
and there’s just such a weird quality to it that I can’t describe fully. However,
it doesn’t make or break the record for me.
While this album didn’t crush me completely, it does a good
enough job of being interesting enough for repeated listens. I can see myself spinning it once every so
often. It’s not earth-shattering stuff, but it’s not bad in any way, and is often
quite good. If you can get past the strange vocal tone, that is – but I’m someone
who also listens to goregrind, so I obviously can. I’ll be interested to hear
what they do next, since they’re clearly on the right track.
 |
| I couldn't help myself but to add this. |
Friday, December 6, 2024
Death Structure "Le Deni" (Review)
2025 M&O Music / CD
m-o-music.com
Here's another forthcoming M&O Music release. Let’s get my negative criticisms out of the way before I begin to pick this apart.
First, the spoken vocal parts. I didn’t think I’d
hear this return in any real way since so many of the popular 1990s black metal
bands and gothic metal bands did it, but here it is. I still hate it, and
it’s in almost all the songs. Sometimes it’s in significant portions of the
songs, like whole verses. Ugh. Second, this band calls itself “modern” death metal. There’s no
such goddamn thing. You’re either death metal or you aren’t, or like this band,
they blur the line. This band is more along the lines of deathcore, but they lean
far more toward the death metal end of the spectrum, which makes them more listenable for me. However, the songs “Made for Nothing” and “You Know You Have
To” are real clunkers, just not good.
The rest of the stuff on this record I have very little problem
with. There’s a super-heavy At the Gates influence to the vocals, to the point
where I thought the singer even sounds like Tomas Lindberg more than just a
little bit. The singer doesn’t have an easy job, either. He’s spitting vocals
rapid-fire most of the time, using a lot of words at a fast clip, and that shit
is hard to do. I know. I’ve done it. The instrumentation absolutely impeccable,
and these are world-class musicians, for sure. I’d go so far as to say the
guitar playing is virtuosic in some ways. The melodies remind me more of late ‘90s
melodic death metal than anything else.
The building melodies and harmonies toward the end of “Insidious”
are wonderful – until the deathcore style chug-a-lug takes over, however. And I
find that’s mostly the case on this record, where the band will show these glimpses
of amazing death metal, only to cut away to something that doesn’t emphasize
that strength at all. At least the small amount of singing on the record
actually sounds good. For instance, the singing on “Le Deni, Part 2” is highly
atmospheric, almost exactly like something Mikael Akerfeldt would do (not that
Opeth is a death metal band at all, it’s just not offensive to my ears). I
usually don’t like singing infecting death metal records, but in this case I
didn’t mind. It’s the spoken shit that’s gotta go. I did find one gem of a song
- give me more stuff like “Stupid Paradise,” I’ll take a whole record of that
for sure. Easily the best on the album, and it had none of the things I didn’t
like. It really leaned into the melodies (which I feel is their strength), and
built to a strong climax with the aggressive end of the song. Do more of that and
you’ll have my full attention.
I do know that progressive-heads or fans of djent will like probably
like this due to the amazing musicianship on display, but real deathmaniacs like me
will pass on it, like I’m doing, but not without acknowledging these
motherfuckers can play their collective asses off. But in the end, good playing
does not always a good death metal record make. If they shed the deathcore and
the spoken-word stuff and focus strictly on the death metal, even in the
melodic way they do here, they may well turn out something I’d listen to often,
or at least would get more positive marks from this old death metalist. But
otherwise, I remain in the “these guys can play like madmen, but it’s not a
style I want to hear” camp. And throw some solos in there, since it’s obvious
the band is talented enough to do it. Lean on your strengths, and the playing
here is indeed a strength. They would benefit from real melodic heavy metal style solos.
Crimson Butchery "Violence by Design" (Review)
2024 Independent / Digital
crimsonbutchery.bandcamp.com
BADASS SONG TITLES: Defleshed and Shredded, Sodomized to
Insanity, Sacrament Excrement
BADASS ONE-WORD DESCRIPTION: Inertia-driven.
This album is one badass motherfucker, a bastard mix of
Floridian death metal, Bay Area style thrash, and chunky, slamming brutality. Violent
riffs, well-programmed sampled drums (every bit as good as what Infestdead used
to do), vicious vocals, and incredible songwriting are on display here, and the
guitars in particular have a razor-sharp tone and there are finely crafted,
divebombing solos all over the record. This is real death metal for headbanging
deathmaniacs!
Punctuating all the thrash riffs are brutal slams, and this
is a band that knows how they should be used – sparingly, tastefully,
impactfully, and kept extremely heavy. It adds to the inertia of each song, and
exponentially increases the violence of the music. They remind me just a little
of Exhumed when they trade high and low vocals in “Henny and a Plan B,” which
is a song that almost seems a tiny bit out of place on the record, but after I
read the lyrics I see what the intent of the song really was, and it made much
more sense. I could do without some of the excess bass drops here and there
throughout the record, but I have a feeling this was also a conscious decision.
I think the band’s sense of humor can be a little tongue-in-(ass)cheek, and I
dig that.
Another track of note, “Evolution of Malice,” has a Cannibal
Corpse-style bounce to it, tempered with those brutal slam riffs, which on this
track remind me of the excellent Amputated from England, and absolutely perfect
solo guitar work. By this point, I was thinking that this mix of thrash and
brutal death metal is really refreshing, and not many bands are successfully
grafting these two styles together. In “Nightmare Blunt Rotation,” there’s even
a solid guitar harmony, which is a rarity in death metal. They close the record
with a cover of Morbid Angel’s “Cleansed in Pestilence,” and it absolutely
destroys the original, mainly because the guitar-playing is superior on Crimson
Butchery’s version and their guitars don’t sound like an angry beehive. I
thought it was a brave choice of covers to do, especially since that record is
only a fair entry in Morbid Angel’s catalogue. They truly polished a turd and
made it shine.
Aside from the nitpicky criticism of the bass drops, there’s
nothing bad I can say about this record. It’s a great record and every song is
outstanding and memorable. The only other thing I would suggest to the band is
to get this out in a physical format of some kind. It’s only a two-man
operation, so there’s no shows to speak of to sell the record at, but I have to
believe that a fair few people would buy it through Bandcamp, since I
definitely would. From the comments left on their page, it seems I am not the
only one that really likes this album, so I think the band should seriously
consider it. Run 100 cassettes and see what happens! Sign me up for a copy when
it happens.
Skelm "Death's Eternal Call" (Review)
2024 Independent / Digital
skelm425.bandcamp.com
BADASS SONG TITLES: Red Mist, Piss Nazarene
When I saw on Metal Archives that this band was classified
as “Death Metal/Hardcore” I was shocked, since I didn’t hear any of that in
their actual sound. To my ears this is just straight up death metal that pays respect
to the originators of the genre. I heard a mix of grooved-up Incantation,
Cianide, and perhaps Embalmer in the faster parts. Some of the simpler riffs
give this a barbaric feel, just like Cianide has, and each song gradually
builds texture, even adding evil-ass melody here and there.
The drum sound is especially nice, not overly digital-sounding,
with live-sounding kicks and snare. The vocals are strong and deep, almost in
the style of (old) Grave or, once again, Cianide. The heavy-ass first verse
riff of Absymal Descent almost reminds me of “Vulgar Necrolatry” era Amorphis.
I definitely want to hear more than the 4 songs on offer here, and I would like them to
get a physical version of this out – I cannot stress enough to bands that
physical copies matter, especially for generating cash at your shows and through sales on Bandcamp. Most real
metalists still buy music. Fuck streaming. Buy or die.
This is simple yet very effective death metal that reminds
me of the old guard, from a young band that may not have come to this music in
the same way that us old fucks did. But I’m glad they’re here. I just have one
question for the band, though, and that is: “What the fuck is a Skelm?”
Atlas Ashes "New World" (Review)
2025 M&O Music / CD
m-o-music.com
From Switzerland comes Atlas Ashes, a melodic death metal
band with a forthcoming release on M&O Music. Stylistically, I hear a clear
mid-period In Flames influence (which causes me to hesitate to use the words
death metal to describe this at all), with perhaps some influence from the
Finnish scene with melodies overtop riffs like earlier Amorphis (circa “Tales
from the Thousand Lakes” or even their more heavy metal-oriented records after
that) brought to the fore.
That said, that’s about the most remarkable thing about this
record (other than the interesting cover art). From the traditional and
predictable song arrangement to the at-times rather pedestrian riffs and
just-adequate vocals, this album was a struggle to get through. The recording
is clear but sterile, with no real personality to it, and I haven’t found a
truly memorable hook on the entire thing that grabbed me. All the songs just
seemed to blend from one to another, not because there was no variation, but the
songs just didn’t interest me at all. “Slaughter of the Soul” this is not.
There’s also some annoying metalcore-style moments here, which makes sense for
a band like this, since modern melodic death metal and modern metalcore share
some ancestral musical DNA.
This seems to be commercial metal for commercial palates.
Perhaps Arch Enemy fans or In Flames fans might take a liking to this, but it
surely isn’t for the underground death metalist. I just found it boring and
nice-sounding with no real aggression or heaviness.
Monday, December 2, 2024
Mutual Hostility "Inhuman Anguish" (Review)
2023 Lethal Scissor Records / CD
www.lethalscissor.com
BADASS SONG TITLES: Black Vault, Faces in the Walls
BADASS TRACKS: Every. Single. Fucking. One. All killer, no
filler.
Mutual Hostility is a band born of death metal pedigree,
with Dan Gates (previously of Ohio wimp-smashers Ton, and also having served
time in Fully Consumed, as well as currently performing in 72 Legions) on
guitars and bass, and a couple of badasses I’m not as familiar with, Eric
Frabotta and Adam Rogers, who handle drums and vocals respectively, who appear
to have been in Stresslord (which is a band whose name I recognize but I have
not heard).
Mutual Hostility is musical fuckin’ C4. I’m pretty sure they
picked the cover art to explain what’s going to happen to your feeble metalized
ass when you begin your journey through the record – it’s gonna leave your
brains on the goddamn walls and just smash that gray matter to bits. This is
real death metal for real death metalists, and fuck you forever if you can’t
hang with it. Every song is unique, every song is well-written and memorable
and distinguishable, and the recording itself doesn’t have the over-digitized sterile
and cold feel of a lot of nowadays death metal records. There’s feeling
underneath the brutality, which is a hell of a lot more than I can say for
about 90 percent of the brutal bands today.
If I have to describe it stylistically, it reminds me of the
essence of the Florida or New York greats with Gates’ signature riffing style
(often swirling and turning faster than you can wrap your head around what just
happened). A heavy-ass drum sound pins down the time perfectly, and absolutely
ferocious (and understandable) rhythmically focused vocals anchor it
all. Tie all of that together with actual good songwriting, memorable riffs,
and a thorough understanding of what they’re good at as a band, and you have a
brutal death metal record that doesn’t waste time taking prisoners – it executes
its captives instead. There’s no let-up in its intensity and no mercy in its
heaviness. Even the intro and outro aren’t wasted space, since even those have value
musically here, and aren’t just some stupid-ass horror movie slop tossed on the
record (and honestly, if you’re not Mortician, please fucking stop). Mutual
Hostility smokes most of what’s selling on the big labels today, period. Your popular
slam bands, deathcore, and “look-what-I-can-do” tech-death can all go get
fucked, because this record annihilates them all.
I’m not going to pick the album apart by song because there
is no weakness to be found here. I don’t need to tell this band that anything
sucks, because nothing on this album does. It reminds me of when I started
buying death metal records in the first place in the 1990s and I was getting thoroughly
destroyed by records again and again. I got that feeling again with this album,
which doesn’t happen often. That level of excitement, when I hear a record, is
rare and I do not mention it lightly. Maybe
a handful of records each year give me that goosebumps-on-the-arms feeling,
since most records are just fair-to-good, and in the end are nothing truly
special. This album is that sort of special, however, and I’ll be spinning it
over and over again.
Thursday, November 28, 2024
Fuckhammer "Scorched Earth Prophets" (Review)
Fuckhammer “Scorched Earth Prophets”
2024 Independent / CD
fuckhammer.bandcamp.com
BADASS SONG TITLES: Curse of the Crimson Altar
BADASS TRACKS: Crisis Generator, Irregularities (perhaps the
best one), Unmerciful Sisters, Curse of the Crimson Altar
I was delighted to see this band does have a limited CD
version of this album. Digital-only releases never made sense to me if you’re
an active band. So many metalists buy physical formats still that you really
need to have it available in some physical format if you’re a serious band. But
on to the music.
Fuckhammer from Ireland and Northern Ireland plays a deft
mix of sludge, crust, and death metal, but with their own unique sound and
approach, perhaps a bit reminiscent of later Carcass in their more death metal
moments. The vocals are mostly in a savage mid- to high-pitch growl, a bit like
Jeff Walker. I also hear a bit of perhaps Amebix or Axegrinder in their sound. There
are samples scattered about that really add to the record, as well. Each song
is well-written and well-structured, and clearly they’ve spent quite some time
together as a band honing their craft. All the sources I see say 2011 was their
first release, with a full-length in 2013 and now this one in 2024, with plenty
of singles and a split in between.
Interestingly, there is some almost psychedelic playing on
display during the interlude of Curse of the Crimson Altar while the film
sample is playing. A very nice touch, as was the doom-laden ending to the soon,
using repetition to great effect. The album overall is a well-recorded
performance with melody in some unexpected places, but not out of place. I
liked the record, and I’ll be watching to see what they do next.
Aberration / Diabolic Oath "Divinations" Split (Review)
2024 Sentient Ruin Laboratories / 7”
On this split we get one 6-minute track each from Aberration
of Minneapolis and Diabolic Oath from Portland. It’s a nice split, suitably
underground-looking, with cool logos and nice gray and black art. Dismembered
skeletons hanging from chains are always rad. Each band uses the word “divinations”
in their track title, with “Divinations of Flesh” from Aberration and the
mighty “Divinations of Wrath” from Diabolic Oath.
Aberration gives us a track of solid death metal, very much
in the vein of Incantation and doomier Autopsy perhaps, but with a haunting
sound, for some reason reminding me of Von, of all bands. I have no idea why
that is, but it does in fact remind me of the Satanic Blood demo. It’s not nearly
as repetitious as that, but it might because of the cave-like recording (and
that is not an insult – it gives the song its own personality). It’s more
intricately played than that, of course. While good, it didn’t reach out and
strangle me and I felt it could be shorter, but doom-influenced death metal
tends to longer compositions, of course. I’ll be looking forward to hearing more
from Aberration to see if they step up their attack, because I’m definitely
going to pay attention to them, but I have to hear more to decide for sure if I’m
a true fan.
Diabolic Oath gives us a real treat on the B side, and they
have a bit more of a black/death inclination, especially in the way the drums
come across. This is easily my favorite of the two tracks on this split. Parts
of it made me wish I still had hair to windmill! Possibly due to the drum sound
or the reverb on the vocals, it reminded me a little bit of Demolition’s
portion of the Heralds of Oblivion compilation from 1993 (hunt that sumbitch
down if you can, it’s worth it!). Early to mid-period Necrophobic also came to
mind during some of the more black metal-styled riffs. Stylistically, of course
it’s different than those two bands, with almost a war metal vibe in certain
parts of the song where the snare pounds away and the vocals echo malevolently,
but the general feel is there. The Gorguts-like (or even Blasphemy-like) grunt
with reverb right around the 3 minute mark made me a fan immediately. Badass
creative choice there, and it built the intensity of the riff to follow
perfectly. I just can’t say enough positive things about this track – it’s a good
song. It made me a fan, so I’ll be actively trying to track down their other
material for sure.
The Dawn Razor "In Sublime Presence" (Review)
2024 M&O Music / CD
I won’t pick this album apart like I normally do, due to it
not being what I look for in a death metal record. It’s only tangentially a
death metal record, having more in common with progressive metal and black
metal than death metal in my estimation, other than some of the vocals and
riffs. It’s marketed as black/death, and I don’t think that’s off-base. It
makes sense. That said, I’ll explain why I don’t like it much. Let’s dig into
this solo act from France.
First, the vocals. They’re passable, but not great. And the
clean singing must go. Get rid of it. My heart just dropped during the first
track when I heard the clean vocals. They’re not great, and they don’t fit with
the aggression of the rest of the music. The last thing I want to hear on a
death metal record is clean singing, with very few exceptions. That shit’s for
metalcore acts, not real death metal. Thankfully the actual singing doesn’t
make too much more of an appearance throughout the record, but just when it
should not, it does. I also don’t like the subject material of the album. “Inspired
by the ideas and paintings from the sublime movement of the romantic era” is a
tag-line from the promo material, and it’s accurate, but this metalist sees
that as pretentious pseudo-intellectualism. I don’t give a fuck about art. I
want DEATH METAL. Death metal and black metal are ugly, disgusting, anti-art
forms and ought to be kept that way. They should be unpleasant to the
uninitiated. That’s what drew me to this style of music in the first place.
Those criticisms aside, the musicianship on display where
the guitars are concerned is magnificent. Sylvain Spanu can fucking play. He’s
a great guitarist. Nobody can dispute that, and his talents are highlighted
very well here. I’d love to hear him play in a traditional metal band, since I
have a feeling he can fuckin’ smoke many of the guitarists in that scene
without breaking a sweat! Serious talent there. The rest of the instruments are
ok, nothing insane on display, nothing terrible.
I wouldn’t go looking for this if you’re a serious deathmaniac like me, but if you’re a shred-head or a fan of progressive music, you might do worse than trying it. It’s just not what I want to hear at all when it comes to anything related to death metal.
Sunday, November 17, 2024
Aberrance "Son of Dirt" (Review)
2024 Silent Pendulum Records / LP
www.silentpendulumrecords.com
aberranceband.bandcamp.com
BADASS SONG TITLE: Kiss of the Rat
BADASS TRACKS: Pretty much all of them!
ONE-WORD BADASS DESCRIPTION: Omnivorous.
Aberrance, on their third record, is playing a mix of technical death metal and perhaps 1990s Florida-style death metal laced with tasteful grooved-up riffs and thrashing hardcore, and even a touch of black metal and deathcore here and there. These gentlemen are clearly metal omnivores, and it shows on their record. The songs are extremely well-written with lots of hooks and variation, showing off the band's musicianship and writing and arrangement skills. It really is a harmony of technicality and catchy songwriting.
"Flaying the Tyrant" starts the record with an almost Suffocation-like riff, until the dual high/low vocals hit and they begin to mix it up. The grooves hit hard, alternating with blasts, punctuated with those same strong high/low vocal tradeoffs. Then comes "Fish Hook," which leans into thrash immediately, and breaks down into an absolutely brutal hardcore-style (vocals and all) interlude, and then right back into the deaththrash. If you're going to sprinkle in hardcore and other genres into death metal, this is the way to do it, goddamn it. The third track, "The Silent Enemy," does something similar, but has an almost Gothenburg/Swedish melodic death metal styled structure and riff that ties the track together, but drops in another hardcore-style interlude. The songs are consistently the perfect length and leave me wanting more. That's the mark of good writing. Short, to the point, but leaving me hungry.
They slow things down in the fourth track, "In the Throes of Neuropathy," with a tinge of black metal influence. "Son of Dirt" keeps this slow-down going, but with a Forced Entry-style thrash riff that the song is built on before they introduce a bit more black metal-influenced riffing in the faster sections, which even infects the vocals here. You see here what I mean by metal omnivores. If these guys have an influence, they utilize it. I like that a lot. People may think I'm a death metal purist, and for the most part they're correct (my favorite band is Nunslaughter, after all), but when I hear a band utilize this many influences and still turn out a cohesive effort that sounds like it was played by the same band, I'll support it. These guys are clearly creative and talented musicians and songwriters. I'll be interested to check out their back catalog and future efforts, for sure.
Abductions "Failed Humanity" (Review)
2024 Acid Vicious / CD
acidviciousfanzine.wixsite.com/shop
BADASS SONG TITLE: Bastards to the Abyss
ONE-WORD BADASS DESCRIPTION: Swarming.
This Brazilian death metal band's debut album has some good moments, but also some serious flaws. I'll explain. After the requisite ominous intro, we're treated to an explosion of speed and blastbeats, reminding me a little of Angelcorpse, Krisiun, or perhaps Mental Horror. The guitar tone is nice and heavy, and the vocals are especially strong and vicious. Where this album falls apart is the drumming. I don't know if they had issues while recording, or if the drummer is new to the instrument, or what, but they seem off-time in many places in a lot of songs, like the drummer can't keep up or falls behind in transitions, especially on slower parts after the blasts slow down. I don't know what caused the issue, but the issue is clearly there. It affects the entire album, and the looseness there causes the entire record to wobble on its foundations. That being said, his blastbeats are fast!
Occasionally the songs get to be a bit repetitive, spending perhaps a bit too much time on each riff. However, there are some real standout moments, like the divebombing leads beginning "Manipulated," or the excellent heavy breakdown in the second track, that also has a badass name, "Bastards to the Abyss." The songwriting itself isn't bad, and some of the riffs are quite memorable. As I said, there are some excellent moments on here, but the flaws with the drums are a huge problem, especially with this style of death metal where they need to be tight as can be. I'd recommend this only if you're a Brazilian death metal completist that needs to hear every band. Otherwise, wait for their next effort and see how that goes.
Dead Earth "From the Ruins" (Review)
Dead Earth “From the Ruins”
2023 M&O Music / Pro-CDR Digipak
www.m-o-music.com
BADASS TRACKS: Never Forget, Blazed (Raging Fire), Evolution
of Evil, Closer to the Grave, Hatred Is My Enemy, and The Hanged Man.
ONE-WORD BADASS DESCRIPTION: Merauderish (I know it’s not a word, fuckface).
Even though this is not a death metal record, I felt it
deserves inclusion on this site because Dan Gates (formerly of the mighty
fuckin’ wimpcrushers TON) lent his musical talent to this album. Immediately,
some of the riffs reminded me of one of my favorite hardcore acts, Merauder. When
I mentioned that to Dan he told me about their guitarist Ernesto Colon doing
time in that very same band! Dead Earth plays a mixture of heavy-ass hardcore
and thrash, with a few leanings toward more extreme types of metal. It should
appeal to deathmaniacs the very same way Merauder does with their heavy grooves
and mid-paced thrash. This isn’t stupid
“pizza thrash,” with the pretentious lyrical content that stuff usually
contains. This has real-world-based lyrics and room-wrecking riffs, all
channeled through the angry, hardcore-style shouted vocals and aggressive
songwriting.
Physically, this pro-CDR comes as a sturdy-ass digipak, with
some of the thickest cardboard I’ve ever encountered for a cover, with a glossy
finish. The large writing on the spine makes it pop right out of my collection,
and for old-ass metalists like me, that’s a plus. Other than that, the layout
is no more or less than you’d want from a release. The record was recorded at
Noah Buchanan’s Mercenary Studios, and I love his work – he always makes things
sound almost analog, with none of the digitized sameness that a lot of records
have today. There’s plenty of bottom end in the recording with its thick guitar
tones and body-rumbling bass. When the bass drums start galloping during
several of the songs, they hit like a machine gun without being clicky, and the
toms sound deep, the snare heavy.
A few musical moments truly stood out in my first pass
through the record. First, the heavy-ass riffs in the breakdowns of most of the
songs (and they’re not the sad-sack breakdowns of modern hardcore – these are real
breakdowns) adrenalized me and made me want to destroy the room and slam my
head against the stage! Second, I was surprised toward the end of the record
when some black metal-style riffs appeared in the song Evolution of Evil,
especially the opening riff. They don’t sound out of place on this record at
all, they fit. The album flows extremely well, also, and clear thought was
given to the song order. I appreciate that. Dead Earth even pulled a classic
metal move with their last song, “Burn with Me” (a slower, epically-riffed tune),
much like Ripper Owens-era Judas Priest did with the final songs on those two
records (I just listened to those, so it came to mind). I thoroughly enjoyed
the record, and I’m sure I’ll spin it more than just this once. It’s nice to
see that Cleveland can still turn out a band like this.
Mass Killings "The Coed Murders" (Review)
2024 Rotten Music / CD
2024 Deathstare Records / Cassette
www.rottenmusic.net
www.deathstarerecs.com
BADASS TRACKS: Relentless Clawhammer Bludgeoning, Maniacal
Descent into Necrophilia, Leg Flesh Casserole, Scattered Disposal of Spirit
Wives to Avoid Detection
ONE-WORD BADASS DESCRIPTION: Barbaric!
This two-man international project (one of these fellas
lives in the UK, the other in Austria) caught my attention due to the subject
matter – it’s a sort of biographical concept album all about the serial killer
Ed Kemper, who interests me quite a bit. I’ve read several books on the sick
fuck. As with most serial killers, he was basically an impotent douchebag who
killed all kinds of women except the one he really wanted to kill, which was
his abusive bitch of a mother (but he finally did, eventually, which helped to
end his criminal career).
Musically, this is barbaric brutal death metal, in the vein
of the old US Midwest scene, bringing to mind acts like Fleshgrind, sometimes
Broken Hope, Brodequin, and Lividity. However, other influences from across the
death metal spectrum can be picked out, which makes for an interesting listen. The
instrumentation is more than adequate, being both polished and skilled, and
they don’t over-rely on slam riffs like so many throwaway bands today. There is
a nice balance here between speed and heaviness. The vocals are deep, guttural,
and mostly unintelligible, with the occasional toad croak and pig squeal, but
they’re varied enough to keep my interest. It’s not just one trick and done.
There are clearly lyrics being sung and words being imparted. The drums are
programmed, but skillfully done. I honestly wouldn’t have known if not for a
few sections of Mortician-style ultra-blasts that sound mechanical. Other than
that, they sound real enough, right down to good cymbal tones.
I can tell Mass Killing worked quite hard to make memorable
songs here, and while hooks can easily be lost in brutal death metal, they
preserved enough of them in their songwriting to create a standout record that
positions itself at the head of the pack, having enough variation in tempo,
riffs, and writing for the songs to worm their way into your brain. “Leg Flesh
Casserole” is a good example of using mid-paced heaviness to create some
variation on the record, with the slower parts having an almost Morbid
Angel-like sludginess. The slam riffs, when they do happen, are completely
barbaric, hair-windmilling affairs, owing in large part to the heavy-ass guitar
sound and by not leaning on repeating them too often in the songs. I recommend
this monster of a record to anyone who is sick of all the throwaway “bedroom
slam” bands and wants to hear some real brutal death metal that’s properly
played.
Friday, August 9, 2024
Welcome to the Tomb...
I've resurrected the name Ominous Vomit to review and interview death metal bands, lend a kind word to the good bands, and drop a deuce on the ones that aren't. With the explosion of death metal in recent years, of all sorts, I felt it was time to do this again, and do it well. Just honest opinion, no bullshit. If you're a label, know that I'm not going to just jack you off for promos to review, and I don't give a shit if a band "needs" interviews if I don't like them. Also, I'll always tell you what I think, good or bad. If you're in a band and you send me stuff, I'll tell you exactly what I like and what I don't (if there's something I don't like). I won't just tell you that you suck. I'll tell you why you suck! Please have thick enough skin to realize that I'm just one person, and if I don't like something it doesn't mean anything, really. If you have the guts to get on stage and jam some death metal, you have my respect no matter what I think of the music. One thing that I will remark upon: I will always, always make sure to cover a death metal release if it's sent to me physically. All promos are pretty much in the digital realm today, so if a band wants to stick out from the crowd and wants to make sure I don't miss their record, I'll reward that extra effort and investment by making sure your record, CD, or tape gets covered if it's physically sent for review. I appreciate the old-school approach, and I will always return that favor.
Vomitations,
AP
So you get an idea of my tastes, my six favorite bands of all time are: Nunslaughter, Molder, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, Judas Priest, and Immortal. Nunslaughter has been my favorite band for almost 25 years, and no one's going to unseat them.
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