progressive metal

dark ambient

post rock

shoegaze / psychedelic

symphonic doom

grindcore

alternative / metal

dark ambient

indie rock / pop rock

punk rock

rock / blues

funeral doom / black metal

noise / drone / spoken word

heavy metal

death metal / black metal

Serge

crust / grindcore / hardcore

For this review we are going to travel back to the roots of our modern civilization, Italy. Not to admire the ruins of Ancient Rome nor to look at beautiful Italian women, but to figure out how the once great empire came to its downfall. Archeologists gave us several reasons: attacks from outside of the empire, the role of Christianity… Never have they told us about what really happened. The empire, the culture, the cities, they were all brought to ashes from within. Loud noisy guitars and an eardrum breaking voice caused the collapse of an entire civilization.

I am talking about Thrownness, an Italian band, and their music can be placed in the genres grind-, hardcore and crust punk. The album ‘The Passage and the Presence’ will be released on 24 December. Yes, that’s right, Christmas Eve. And what does that tell you? Of course, the birth of little baby Jesus. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Quite a few interesting references to religion and philosophy are made on the album. Firstly, the name of the band is ‘Thrownness’, a term introduced by the German philosopher Heidegger. Secondly, the last song is called ‘Fragment of a Crucifixion, 1950’ referring to a painting of the painter Francis Bacon. I can go much deeper into all this stuff, but than I am afraid that I will forget to talk to you about what really matters, their music.

Personally, I think it is not easy to write reviews about hardcore (or grindcore) albums. This is not an exception. All songs are very similar in sound and rather short in length. If you don’t really pay attention to each track individually you might think that the album is just a 20-minute song. The first seconds gave me a trip down memory lane. The high tone lasting for a couple of moments made me almost scream ‘All hail the dead’ by Walls of Jericho. Instead of the big drop that you would expect you will be confronted with rushing guitars with by loads of distortion and drums accompanied by a strong and recognizable voice. What comes next are enjoyable energetic tracks but overall with little variation. My personal favorites in this album are ‘Unclean Lips’ because of the nice switch in pass at the end which brings some variation and ‘Thalassic Regression’. This last one has a particular moment at the end in which you, or I, can recognize the guitar riff from ‘In a Gadda Da Vida’ (In the Garden of Eden) by Iron Butterfly. Finally, with ‘Fragment of a Crucifixion, 1950’ the album ends with a bang.

​If you like breaking stuff, letting yourself go or just to scream your lungs out, this album is the perfect soundtrack.

​Michiel

black metal / crust punk

symphonic metal

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funk / alternative

synthpop / electronic

post punk / alternative / indie

hard rock

black metal / shoegaze

grunge / alternative rock / punk

rock 

bandcamp

post punk / alternative rock

alternative rock / noise rock

hard rock / heavy metal

facebook

grindcore

bandcamp

With Travis Ryan of Cattle Decapitation on vocals, San Diego grindcore outfit Anal Trump comes up with a short and vicious assault. The longest song on this album is eighteen seconds long and I had to listen four times while writing this thing. So yes, this is sick, gore grindcore in perfect Anal Cunt / Napalm Death tradition. It comes with a lot of shit that someone named Donald Trump has been spewing out, like 'I'd Date My Daughter', 'Build That Wall' and 'Breastfeeding Is Gay'. So if you miss Seth Putnam, hate Donald Trump, think music should be torturous and have no problem with the fact that downloading this release will last longer than actually playing it, you need this.

black metal / thrash metal

black metal

punk / alternative rock

doom / sludge

​Serge

Here's something for the fans of the extreme corners of the metallic musical spectrum. 'Paul's Grindings' are another series of Brieviews, written by Paul and blasting out his opinions about some pulverizing thrash, death and grind recordings. So get your battle vest, loosen your hair and prepare to dive into this moshpit of musical vulgarity. You know you want to...

progressive / technical death metal

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Well, started out a bit pretty for my liking but a few seconds later I felt like I was in hell being brutally murdered by an upside down cross, awe felt great! Marduk and Nagelfar come to mind (older stuff) when they are in the groove of the blackness. But it doesn’t stay real long, some technical riffs with some clean singing break it up a bit, luckily it’s more on the blackened side more often than not. The band is based in Florida but has very little sound from what you’d expect to hear from Florida, shit I might fly down for a show in the winter (shit that’s a few weeks away), some of this I would live to see them pull off life, some slick musical shit going on here! The artists that they list they like on their facebook I don’t like so much luckily they don’t sound like any of them so don’t be scared

death metal

Guttural Slam Insanity! They sound more American then Italian but that’s ok! Apparently they have been on hiatus for a bit so they’ve had plenty of time to get this sick puppy together! Since Comatose Music released this then you probably got a pretty good hunch what’s going on here! Brutal blasphemous beatings to be had. These dudes are a bit more technical and creative then most slam bands so I’m into it! Get your slam on and worship Satan, or not…

thrash / death metal

So for 45 plus minutes I was in tune with what Krepitus has going on and really intrigued with them. Best part is I can’t accurately classify them ha! They are basically death metal, droning at times and very aggressive at others! Lots of thrash stuff going on throughout and some seriously tricky riffs. Every track is very memorable and each has its own identity which seems fairly rare anymore! They represent Canada very well and proud, I’m sure! Hopefully they will make there way south into the US so I can catch them live sometime! Seek it!

death metal

Well for those that know me already now Finland is where my favorite tones come from! The vocals are so freaking deep, they always are from Finland ha ha! But these dudes do add some crusty elements vocally and musically to the sick death metal that they are! So you will hear almost Dbeat style and screeching higher pitched vocals of pain here and there. What sucks the most about this is it’s an ep, not enough songs, I want to ban these guys from every doing that again, give me full length Satan’s sake!

death metal

Hey, it’s one of my old school Pals from back in the day when you had to swap cassettes and real live letters ha ha! I still have all his early projects on cassette UNEARTHED for one! So Fetid Zombie reminds me of everything from Morgoth to Death to the guitar solo licks of Suicidal Tendencies (think 'How will I laugh Tomorrow'….). All kinds of elements here (including clean guitars and such), obviously Mark has been around and he shows a lot of old school underground classic styles from bands like Morbius, Impetigo, Maimed, and so on!  So everyone reading this is now challenged to go get this, actually I demand you to or I hope you suffer the bloody shits for eternity.

death metal

It’s a pretty sick listening experience, if you’re into the The Faceless’s style movement that’s been happening last few years. These Swiss lads can jam, very tight, very well written, very interesting stuff. There is plenty of brutality and plenty of fancy things going on. Funny some parts remind me of old school Maiden! Not much else to say so just dig it up if your into the Faceless/Fallijiah ect….  

death metal

One of my favorite labels releasing a great band from Iran. Musicianship is off the charts, Technical progressive death metal! Gorguts, death, Sadus all come to mind when I listen to this…. And with some nice guttural vocals. The rhythms are catchy so they don’t let their technical ability ruin a good song if you know what I am trying to say! Production is nice! IF you listen to this a few times you’ll surely get hooked, I enjoy the bass lines not always following the guitars and I like how dominant the bass is!  Has an old school feel overall and even some blackened style tones and riffs! I’m not going to tell you what to do but you need to go ahead and seek this out if your into any of the aforementioned bands.

grindcore / death metal

Ok first off I don’t believe in supergroups, when I read info saying “This is a “supergroup”I almost always expect too much and my expectations are never met. I get it though, it’s a selling point. I’d much rather just hear members from and keep the supergroup bull off the bio and advertisings please J Soooooooooooooooooooooo ok it sounds like John Zorn meets Gorguts…. Some of it is too happy for my tastes but the brutal parts are sick, lots of them parts too, just too much of the happy stuff, Look don’t try and make me happy! You can hear all the famous vocal singers parts throughout without needing to know names. IF you want to know names then google it......
 
If you like John Zorn and you like Death metal, well then go seek this bad boy out

grindcore

It’s noted in the bio they are Grindcore legends from India…….maybe? I mean I’ve never been there, as good as these guys are I got to think there is more there before them but what do I know……. but based on what I can find out they’re first release was 2012, takes more than 4 years to become legends in my book J - wait am I rambling about nothing again? Ok on to the release! Well it’s more hardcore/Punk to me then grindcore, I guess the blast beats throughout make it official grindcore, Vocally they are varied from old school hardcore yells to Brutal Truth style screams. Musically they remind me of Old Lady Drivers meet Birdflesh meets some DRI, Cro Mags, and Crumbsuckers. Well varied, I’m into it, I’d like to catch these dudes live, if they can come close to the chaos I hear then it’d be a sick sick sick experience! Favorite Track “Pussy Bun” – starts out S.O.D. style and runs into O.L.D. then a sick ass breakdown even Jesus would elbow you in the cock.

thrash

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I knew nothing of the band prior to getting a link to the album. Apparently was released on vinyl & Cassette and funded by a Kickstarter campaign, looks like they raised $2286.00. Not too bad at all. Anyways these Canadian fellows Thrash out early 90’s style Thrash/Heavy Metal (I even heard some alternative stuff on here - shhhhh). It is powerful, catchy, and well played riffage. Parts remind me of early Metallica/Megadeth/Heathen-type stuff as I’m sure plenty will agree after a few listens. Lyrically this is said to be about some Alien abductions from 1976, I’m not familiar with Alien abductions but the lyrics are interesting and you can clearly understand every word so no lyric sheet needed. I spun it twice and that’s a pretty good sign from me of what I think of it (good thing).
 
Anyways you’ll get 30 plus minutes of traditional Thrashing madness that is legit so check them out!

Paul

Webzines likes us usually pay a lot of attention to bands but not that much on labels, which is a shame if you ask me. After all, the people behind those labels often work very hard to get their releases to the fans and quite sometimes under pressure from bands with high expectations and demands. So when English label Sepulchral Silence contacted us about their releases, I decided that this was the perfect time to do something different with our 'brieview' series. Sepulchral Silence was founded at the end of 2015 and already has some interesting albums on their bandcamp page. Let's get into a nice overview, shall we?

doom metal

Stoner doom from Venezuela with Spanish vocals and fingerlicking riffing, I guess there are worse way to start this brieviews-series. The intro is promising, diving right into the fuzzed-out groove of the stoner doom scene, and the rest of the songs follow that example, highlighting in songs like 'Testigos de la Miseria' and 'Fragmentos de la Nada'. Yet, something I absolute love about this album are the apparent influences from grunge rock. At least one of the band members has spent the nineties listening to Alice In Chains and company. Also, at least one of them has been a sludge-fan, presumably the vocalist. In all, this is certainly a must-have for fans of groovy stoner doom. 

blackened death metal

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American horde Dystehist drags this review series into the extreme underground with their twisted but controlled chaos. Blending often industrial sounding death metal with some furious blast beats and strange, haunting musical passages, these guys created something mesmerizing and intense, something scary even. The tempo rarelyt stays the same for more than a few seconds. The thick, dissonant riffs punch, kick and gnaw and the deranged vocals bash on your conscience. Then there are the drums, which are fucking sick. For fans of technical death metal, this definitely is an excellent addition to their collection. For others, this will definitely destroy your nerves...

death metal

This French horde wrote the perfect soundtrack for the lawnmower scene from the Braindead movie. What you get on this ep is nothing short of brutal annihilation, loaded with thrash riffs, a frenetic tempo and insane growls and screams. The intensity is suffocating, often balancing on the edge between death metal and grindcore. The songs are also quite short, resulting in a tremendous assault of death metal blitzkriegs. Finally, there are some electronics being used, perhaps to enhance the atmosphere of the record but they're always suppressed by the massive beatdowns of the rest of the music. Only recommended if you like your extremes extreme...

black metal

Right, on to that other extreme, black metal. The cover tells me that this is quite an atmospheric album but once the music kicks off, I'm engulfed in the old school of the genre. This act from Michigan, US, comes up with a sound that is quite similar to the glorious acts from back in the days. Inspired by the likes of Immortal, Lord Belial, 1349, Dimmu Borgir and Mayhem, this one-man act certainly impressed me. Although bleak, eerie and at times quite brutal, this album is well-varied (even in the vocals) and definitely worth banging your head to. My favorite track here is 'The Necromancer' but all tracks are well-written and highly varied. Certainly recommended stuff...

black metal

Brazilian bands sure know a thing or two about extreme metal, and with this ep they prove exactly that. No intro, no dreamy atmospheric elements, just bleak riffs, blast beats and haunting screams. However, it does feel like these guys have been listening to some ancient heavy metal bands as well, as they know quite well how to perform epic instrumental passages with brilliant guitar solos. Yes, I was quite surprised by that aspect, especially since most of the music here is fierce old school black metal. 'Faceless' is my absolute favorite here, a massive blackened anthem, ferocious, clawing, scratching. If you're a fan of black metal, you have to listen to this thing, for sure!!!

death metal / grindcore

An unreadable bandname, skulls covered in blood and a title that doesn't predict a lot of pleasantries, we must be dealing with some brutal death metal here. And yes, this Argentinian quartet smashes some thick riffs, brutal growls and punishing drums through our throats, obviously inspired by acts like Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation and Obituary. The whole thing begins with quite disturbing samples before blasting out in an asphyxiating tempo. The vocals contain an array of growls, screams and pig squeals while the horrifying riffs beat you down quite effectively. Here and there you can find a bit of melody, but don't get distracted by that little bit of friendliness. This thing is out to destroy you. Consider this a warning...

death metal

The intensity never ends on this edition of brieviews, as we return to the US (Milton, NH to be exact) where we check out the untitled debut of melodic deathcore act The Last King. Now, on a personal note, I'm not really a fan of deathcore but I do respect the tremendous amount of vicious energy these guys produce. This has all the right elements to get the deathcore youngsters engaged in a sick, deviant moshpit. This is pure aggression, pure insanity and pure power. I'm going to stop listening to it because I'm slightly going mad. Yes, that is a compliment, I guess. I need a smoke now....

black metal

Wow, this is something interesting, a one-man black metal act from France, coming up with somewhat melodic yet still raging black metal. Obviously, there are plenty of one-man black metal acts but for some reason this one stands out for me. The music is quite repetitive, but in a good way. It makes the whole thing pretty damn immersive, almost hypnotic at times. I always find it fascinating to see that one man can produce (mix, write, record...) such an epic album and for that Koldkrypt definitely earned my respect. So if you're in for bleak, minimal, somewhat melodic and atmospheric black metal, you have to give this a chance. You definitely won't regret it...

Well, time for a little breather, a moment of peace and quiet, a relief from all the sonic violence I've already been through today. Because, my god, some of you people can make vicious music, how the hell can you keep up with all of that? Where does all that energy and aggression come from? 

Not that I mind by the way. In fact, I kinda like doing this, which is why I am still writing even though there's currently no music playing. Only the sounds of birds, wind and an occasional passing car float through the air right now. It's alright, we'll get back to the madness soon...

sludge / post-metal

This one is probably my favorite release in this edition of 'brieviews', mainly because I'm a fan of everything slow and heavy. This album sure is slow and it sure is heavy. Massive riffing, efficient drums and harsh vocals make up the majority of this album. The rest consists of psychedelic passages and tiny little breathers. You might need those to keep up with the intense energy coming from the whole thing. Fans of acts like Conan, Yob or Dopethrone can't go wrong with this one. So yes, I urge you to dive into the thick, muddy and fuzzed-out sound of these Italians. After all, they're Italians and we all know that some of them have pure doom running through their veins...

black metal

These Mexicans claim to create "possessed black metal" and, judging from what I hear on this bizarre piece of work, that might be spot-on. After a strange intro, the evil quartet treats us to some of the most chaotic, deranged and frightening pieces of black metal I've ever heard. They are influenced by everything between King Diamond, Sodom, Emperor and Darkthrone but what they make is harsh, noisy and ritualistic. "True black metal" as some may say, directly honoring the intensity of those old school releases. Even the production quality comes very close to those old, obscure albums with it's sharp and pungent sound. Recommended? Yes, but only for the true die-hards in the blackened scene.

black metal

I can't find a lot of information about this act and that's a bit of a shame because this album is a stunning piece of work. I've been a fan of atmospheric and depressive black metal back in the days but this album tops a lot of those old releases. From the very beginning, this act takes the listener on a journey through a strange, eerie world. I know, most depressive or suicidal black metal bands do that but they rarely sound as deeply emotional as this one. Besides, by dragging in elements from doom, punk sludge and post-metal, as well as coming up with original melodies and almost gothic orchestral arrangements, this act created their own identity, more varied, more haunting and bleaker than ever before. 

sludge / stoner / doom

Nope, this is not the famous sculptor and painter, HR Giger, this is a torpid and sluggish doom band, coming up with three monolithic tracks. On this ep, they slam a decent amount of fuzzed-out, downtuned and immersive guitar riffs in your face, add an array of battery rams and top it of with harsh, rough vocals. That being said, the whole thing comes with enough variation to keep you balanced between stoned head nodding and fiercely headbanging. Finally, there seems to be some kind of garage rock attitude to the whole thing. I can't really grasp it, I don't know where it comes from but it definitely sounds like these guys had a lot of fun recording this...

black metal

bandcamp

Again, we're facing an obscure but highly interesting black metal release, a one-man act from Norway this time. If you're a black metal fan, you absolutely need to check this one out. It's a awesome blend of depressive or suicidal black metal with the black 'n roll from bands like Khold or Abbath's I, topped off with some brilliant atmospheric passages. The long tracks on this album have an excellent drive. There's no need to lose himself in continuous blast-beats and that I quite admire. Besides, the level of variation is perfect, leaving plenty of room for hypnotic headbanging sessions. I have no favorite track here, as I'm nominating the whole thing to go into my best-of-2016 list...

death metal / thrash metal

Four guys from Valencia, Italy, who play a gore induced mix of death metal and hardcore, I'm not sure that this is going to be my cup of tea. On the other hand, I always quite enjoyed the aggressive, short outbursts of brutal death metal in the past and this album kinda reminds me of that era. True, the music is quite elementary, influenced by thrash metal but the old school feeling of the whole thing is highly enjoyable. Besides, I'm quite that songs like 'Day Of The Dead', 'Burn Away' or the punky 'hard times' are perfectly suited to start some moshpits, even in your living room if you're into that stuff. Perhaps I should just call this "party death metal".

black metal

American acts often have a different approach to certain musical styles and black metal doesn't escape that trend. Hailing from Corpus Christi in Texas, Votan comes up with twisted, often chaotic black metal, interlaced with elements from pagan metal, thrash metal and death metal. The result is simply epic, constantly balancing on the edge between melodic and fierce and easily keeping the listener in its grasp. There's a certain greatness coming from this album, probably caused by the concurrence between the keyboards and the riffing. Yet, it still sounds somewhat experimental and that's a good thing. I surely want to see these guys in Europe soon...

punk rock / garage rock

I admit, I was completely wrong about this album. To be honest, I was expecting some lame ancient Iron Maiden rip-off, probably from looking at the cover and band logo. However, what I got was something completely different, something that made me turn up the volume immediately. Swedish rockers Nightmen come up with an infectious blend of garage rock and punk, reminding me of a mix of Ramones, Sex Pistols, Blondie and The Cars. This is a tremendous throw-back in time and an absolute must-have for fans of sweet but raunchy rock 'n roll. I promise you'll be quickly singing along with songs like 'I Only Want You', 'Go Go' and 'Tonight Is The Night'. Awesome stuff...

electro

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Since we're dealing with strange music, let's introduce this electronic dance single by Morgane Lhote (ex-Stereolab), A.K.A. Hologram Teen. Yes, strange, because even though the whole thing reminds me a lot of a blend of French house music and acts like Add N To X or even Kraftwerk, there is a great deal of joyful experimentalism in here. It also reminds me a bit of the acid house and new beat scene in the late eighties and early nineties, two scenes that I secretly loved back then. I still love them today and I quite like this single too. So check it out, get your rave-pants on and prepare for a little party with Hologram Teen. It'll be fun, I promise you.

ambient / experimental / neoclassical

Eilean Records

øjeRum is Copenhagen based musician and collage artist Paw Grabowski. Since 2014, he released several albums but this is his first one on Eilean Records. The compositions on this album somewhat reach the avant-garde scene, but are still gentle, calm and quite immersive pieces of minimal music. With this minimal and often repetitive approach, these tracks are very interesting to explore. They show different sides each time, sometimes reaching out to classical music, sometimes almost medieval folk and sometimes calm and soothing ambient. So yeah, like most of Eilean's releases, this is a highly recommended piece of work, one I will be listening to quite often from now on.

avant garde / experimental / ambient / noise

Eilean Records

Another odd and quite varied album from Eilean Records, this time by German sound artist Florian von Ameln. And this album should be seen exactly like that: sound art. Some of the track on 'Rvvr' could barely be described as music. I mean, 'The Last Before Settlement' partially consists of bleeps, bird sounds and minimal drones until the real musicality fades in. Yet, that doesn't make this album any less interesting. It remains an adventurous journey, loaded with weird noises, strange electronic and acoustic passages and a mystical atmosphere. The more you listen to 'Rvvr', the more a map of an otherworldly, imaginary universe opens. Truly recommended material...

black metal / crust

It looks like these will the most varied brieviews yet, from punk over experimental ambient to electronic music and now a fierce slab of blackened crust punk, courtesy of Minneapolis, US residents Feral Light. Yet, it isn't just brutal and aggressive crust you get here. These guys are obviously inspired by the ancient Scandinavian hordes, judging from the awesome riffs. Yet, they also bring in the layered sound from today's post-black metal scene, turning these little pieces of extremity into hypnotic metal songs. As far as crust is concerned, these guys are well on their way to become my favorites in the genre. Try it out, you'll be pleasantly surprised, if you survive the trip...

avant-garde / experimental 

Merdumgiriz

Controversial, weird, angsty, insane. Those are words you can use to describe this strange album by Turkish experimental act Viranesir. The former extreme metal act has been banned from facebook and bandcamp for their often questionable content. This time, they deliver a firm kick in the nutsack of the metal industry by combining technical death metal drums with spooky synths and a massive avant-garde attitude. That way, this album reminds me more of acts like Virgin Prunes, Sex Gang Children or Alien Sex Fiend. It feels like this album was meant as a pop-induced middle finger to one industry, but unintentionally it has become an interesting piece of dark cult album. Yep, that's talent, no matter how controversial it is...

death metal / thrash metal

Headbanging time again, right now with Italian quartet InAllSenses. This ep has been released awhile ago but for some reason it escaped my attention. If you're a fan of strong but melodic metal, this should not escape yours. This is a great crossover between old school thrash metal and the melodic death thrash of the Swedish scene. A little In Flames, a little Testament, a dash of Arch Enemy and a hint of Fear Factory, but all perfectly fitting in with today's metal scene. I'm absolutely sure that songs like 'The Anthem Of Revolution' will cause massive moshpits wherever these guys play this stuff live, moshpits where young and old extreme metalheads will have the time of their lives...

grindcore 

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Well, here's another album that is completely void of musicality, not because it consists of a bunch of field recordings and noises but merely because this is raunchy porngrind, goregrind or whatever you like to call this stuff. Hyperspeed drums, thick riffs, screams, squeals and other torturous noises will continuously blast through your speakers until your sanity is sick of it and leaves that deranged body of yours. Don't worry, you don't need your sanity to enjoy this album. All you need is a bunch of good friends, a mouthgag and plenty of sick bondage equipment and you're ready to go. Have fun being tortured by this shit. And yes, in this case that's probably a compliment...

doom / folk / ambient

One long track, about forty minutes, divided into four pieces of gloomy, highly atmospheric music, blending elements from doom metal, folk, classical and dark ambient ànd featuring an appearance by Thomas Helm (Empyrium), that's what this strange gem delivers. Created by Iranian one man act The Unknown (Aria Moghaddam) and aided by Kevin Pribulsky from US band In Search Of, this album is a brilliant piece of work. There aren't even so many doom metal elements present. The majority of the music is orchestral and symphonic ambient and quite immersive if you ask me. It fits perfectly in today's post-metal/rock scene too with its elaborate soundscapes and hypnotic riffs . Beautiful stuff...

stoner rock / psychedelic rock

This album by Berlin, Germany stoner rockers Samavayo is their first one as a trio. There used to be more members but apparently, three is enough to make a blast of an album. 'Dakota' is a groove and fuzz-loaded riff-beast which will undoubtedly get your wasted ass shaking. Yet, these aren't simple in-your-face stoner rock tunes. These are quite complex pieces of work where psychedelic rock meets alternative rock, grunge even. They show a great deal of musical craftsmanship and songwriting abilities.The more you listen to the album, the more layers of fuzzy bliss you will discover and the more you will like it. I have no favorite songs, as I simply like to play this thing loud and ride along with the grooves. Awesome...

indie / punk

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Hailing from Cambridge, UK, indie punks Grieving throw a few energetic pieces of lo-fi rock music in our faces.And quite frankly, sometimes that is all we need. Their influences include Guided By Voices, Fugazi, Television, The Lemonheads, Bob Mould and Wolf Brigade, which could explain the varied sound of their songs. Sometimes they're emotional, coming close to indie pop while on other occasions they blast out of my speakers with a severe punk attitude. My favorites on this ep are 'Ownership' and 'Warmest Jets' but I also really dig the noisy and somewhat creepy 'Little Armoured'. In all, this stuff will certainly reach the many festival goers wherever Grieving do their stuff...

stoner rock

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Fuzz yeah, this is the shit. Well, it is if you're into bands like Mastodon, Baroness and Red Fang. Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, USA, Howling Giant comes up with some infectious stoner rock, nudging towards psychedelic rock and doom.  The trio seemingly consists of nerds who combine their love for comics, space travel and downtuned, fuzzed-out guitars. Personally, I am more than ok with that, certainly if they keep on blasting out their massive sound in stunning songs like 'Mothership' or  'Exodus-Earth' and even in noise faceslaps like 'Dirtmouth'. My favorite is the doom track 'Clouds Of Smoke' but I have to recommend this stuff to any psychedelic stoner doomer out there.

doom / black metal

Give Praise Records seems to have a flair for interesting split 7" releases. This time, the label invited Ukrainian horde Moloch and Polish blackened doomers Gurthang. Moloch got the opportunity to open the split with an atmospheric intro and a massive track where funeral doom meets sludge metal. I really dig this song, but as far as I'm concerned, it could last for about twelve minutes instead of (barely) three. More haunting doom metal comes from Gurthang, who deliver another piece of crushing metal, not as raw and primitive as their colleagues but still damn immersive. The keyboards give the whole that awesome nineties sound. Yep, I'm a fan...

black metal

Iron Bonehead

Iron Bonehead is another one of those labels who somehow always succeed in coming up with strange and obscure gems to please the filthiest of ears. This harsh, chaotic yet melancholic tape by Finnish black metal duo Celestial Grave is a perfect example of that. The three songs on this ep are not loaded with blast-beats (except for closer 'Burial Ground Trance' but still contain the necessary elements to make this a fierce competitor in the raunchy underworld of the blackened scene. The music is primitive but at the same time shows a great deal of musicianship and songwriting skill. The whole is not so much a performance, more like a dark ceremony or a nocturnal ritual, driving on vintage riffing and powerful drums. For collectors of obscure blackened gems, this certainly is a must-have. For others, well, I guess a lot of fans of extreme stuff will like this. So check it out and allow yourself to dwell in the thick sound of Celestial Grave

black metal 

Into Dungeons Records

More obscure blackened filth, this time as a tribute to the 7" releases by German label Sombre Records. On this 7" we get some harsh, raw and primitive black metal, courtesy of four bands from the German underground. Intempestus opens with a grinding, punk induced song that will rip your head wide open. Antares comes with 'Revelations', a lo-fi piece of work that sounds as grim and haunting as this genre should be, and a well varied one too. Necrohell delves right into the old 'World Domination' compilation with their thick, grinding sound and relentless punk induced riffing. At the end, Vent comes up with a delightful piece of doomed and blackened audio-filth, my favorite one on this already impressive split.

Hardcore Punk / Powerviolence / Grindcore

'Boak' is Scottish slang meaning vomit or feelings of excessive nausea. That should already explain a thing or two about this ep. With four songs, in all not even seven minutes long, these Scottish canaille throws old school hardcore, grindcore and powerviolence in one massive heap of musical extremity. Yet, the whole thing is quite catchy if you're into this stuff, certainly because it's also loaded with weird samples. These songs can easily cause moshpits, walls-of-death and crowdsurfers wherever Boak decided to plan their next assault. My favorite is the last track, 'Pamplona' but the whole thing is so destructive that 95% of humanity will never be able to withstand the other tracks, HAH.

sludge / grimecore / grindcore

Our local weather service predicted a massive thunderstorm today, with loads of rain and hail balls but at the moment the sky is wide open and the sun shines. What a disappointment. Luckily, I found another raging storm and I'm letting it blast through my speakers at this very moment. A bunch of extremities, thrown into a concrete-mixer, played loud and with attitude, that's what this band is all about. And I quite like that.

Their name is Hungry Like Rakovitz and they've been around since 2008, although the initial idea started back in 2004. Since then, they have been touring, recording & rehearsing. They shared the stages with bands like Godflesh & Eyehategod and with good reason too. These guys are intense and heavy as fuck, blending elements from death metal, grindcore, black metal, sludge and hardcore into one massive aural punishment.

The album opens with and intro ('Under A Wolf Skin We Lurk'), followed by one of the slowest songs, and quite frankly also one of my favorites. 'Dissident' reminds me somewhat of doom icons Winter with its grinding sound and its raunchy atmosphere. Both elements remain throughout the whole album but here and there the tempo goes up, way up. 'Inevitable Return To Darkness (Obscuritate I)' comes up with the blast beats and the blackened screams.

'With Death In Our Hearts' seems to nudge towards old school death metal with a chaotic and strangling sound. 'Trophies, Not Prisoners' repeats that recipe, be it in a more industrial way. So, where's the sludge, you might ask. Well, it's everywhere in this thick, vicious sound, and especially in 'Wildweed' and 'Refusing Light'. In all, this is a tremendous slab of extreme metal, created solely to torture and eliminate your very soul. I guess that's a compliment. 


​Serge

death metal / industrial / avant-garde

Sometimes, not often, but on occasion, it happens. Lina, our cat, sleeping as ever, suddenly hears the music I'm trying to review, looks up to the speakers and then starts staring at me, as if she wants to say "what the hell is this". I can tell you, she is already used to a lot of musical extremities, from harsh noise over grindcore to free jazz and industrial. But all at once, plus avant-garde weirdness and eerie soundscapes? Nope, that's quite new to her. She seems to like it too, since she isn't walking away.

Skin Drone, founded in 2013, aren't interested in mainstream sounds, MTV appearances or groupies. At least, that's what I can make up from their biography. All they care about is extreme metal and being one of the most surprising acts on earth. In that, they certainly succeed. After hearing three songs, I'm already calling them "the extreme version of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum", and that is a compliment. 

Other bands that come to mind include Fantomas, Gorguts, Ministry, Fear Factory, Necrophagist and Cephalic Carnage. Brutal death metal alternates with pounding, repetitive pieces of industrial audio terror, horrifying ambient and noise passages, obscure samples and almost gothic horror music. At times the listener will be torn between fiercely banging his head and crawling under a rock in absolute terror. 

This just might be what would have happened if Tim Burton were an extreme metal fan instead of a movie director. Skin Drone created unique worlds for their music to demolish. The level of variation is so immense, it really feels like a free-jazz album on steroids. Besides, these guys are damn good musicians too, convincingly performing progressive passages, calm folk melodies and extreme outbursts. They can handle it all.

My advice? Well, if you're an extreme metalhead who isn't afraid of the weird and unexpected, this certainly is something for you. If you're a grindcore freak who equally loves Nile and Atari Teenage Riot, you should check this out. Oh well, if you breathe and have ears, you should check this out. This is probably one of the wickedest, most bizarre and extreme albums you'll hear this year, certainly one of the most varied ones...


​Serge

death metal / drone

I know it's the first of April and that we're supposed to make some jokes every now and then on this date, but this album is no joke, on the contrary. This is a massive monster, created only to beat you into a bleeding pulp and rip your intestines apart. Of course, we were prepared after reviewing their first album last year (read our review) but now the project returns with an album that goes further, deeper and harsher. 

The recipe is basically the same: brutal, suffocating death metal, accompanied with harsh ambient, drones and soundscapes. Yet, where the unnamed debut felt more like an experiment, this one clearly shows the experience L.F. gained over the past year. Divided in eight chapters, this album feels like a concept, an almost neverending hell to crawl through, and I mean that in the best possible way.

When I listened to this album for the first time, I was thinking 'this is Dismember with distortion'. Now, I know, Dismember's guitars have already been distorted (would have sounded pretty weird otherwise) but still, this is grungy, noisy and comes very close to some of the fiercest grindcore acts you have encountered in your live, enhanced by those throat snapping drones and the deep, guttural vocals of David Bailey.

I also really dig the drums on this one. In fact, at first I didn't even know it was a human doing these. I expected programmed drums but somehow Autokrator found a beast who slays the drums with sheer precision. In the slow parts, they sound firm and straightforward while they add a touch of mesmerizing chaos to the up-tempo passages. They sound mechanical, repetitive and hypnotic but still somewhat organic.

Even the dark ambient passages have been improved and fit better with the grinding doom the rest of the album is loaded with. 'Chapter VI' might indeed have been a track from one of those obscure Cold Meat Industry acts back in the days. It only proves that L.F. is a talented musician with a decent flair for originality and personal growth as a musician. I can only applaud that of course, just like I can only applaud this brilliant album.

I absolutely loved their previous album and I definitely like the hell out of this one. It feels right, not a blind copy of the previous one but a step further in exploring the unique dark and haunting sounds of Autokrator. So I'm recommending 'The Obedience Of Authority' to any death metal and grindcore fan out there. If the first one didn't overwhelm you, this one surely will, perhaps you'll even survive the experience but I can't promise that...


​Serge

grindcore

Controlled Chaos, dirty hymns, guttural and screaming insanity are just a few things that strike the mind listening throughout this release.What is this shit you ask? Well it's a fine little dose of Powerviolence, a tab of crusty insanity, and some good 'ol fun grindcore. Can't wait to see these mofo's rock at the MD Deathfest this year!

My mind is thinking about getting these dudes a gig in a nice dirty location so I can see them in the fine raw glory they should be playing in! Anyway, my mind gets off track sometimes when I get this pumped over the first time hearing an awesome band..... anyway what? Oh shit yeah, I need to start the bandwagon and you all need to get on it, for fans of Nasum and old school Pig Destroyer for sure bitches. I give MD Deathfest some street cred for allowing these dudes to come over and pummel faces.

Yeah so what I didn't talk about the music that much, it needs to speak for itself and you need to support these dudes so just buy it and tell them your 'ol Uncle Paul from Merchants Of Air sent ya!!! 


Paul

punk / grindcore

These guys are from the home state of, I believe, Slipknot but let's not get anymore comparison to them then that. These guys are angry, dirty, ugly, insane, and twisted as fuck. The music reminds me of a long time ago when I first heard O.L.D. (Old Lady Drivers), it has that chaotic catchiness going on.

They are more punk than metal but still metal as fuck in parts. They are a breath of fresh (well dirty) air in a clogged up music scene of "the same ol same ol"...The last track "Hit & Run" starts out groovy and continues the trend like they are a spacerock weed burning stoner rock band with the sick as vocals to boot!

Traffic Death - They are more fun than dying of mercury poisoning!


​Paul

black metal / grindcore / avant-garde

There's always a bit of tension in the air when a biography mentions the words "rooted in black metal but...".  The result can vary tremendously, ranging from anything post-metal to incomprehensible noise.  However, intensity is almost always a constant with these bands, often raging on in a murderous tempo and with crushing guitars.  In this particular album, there's plenty of intensity and I would not recommend this to anyone who isn't used to extreme metal.

Dendritic Arbor was formed in Philadelphia (USA), somewhere in the year 2012.  Since then, they have been perfecting their form of sonic torture and seeking for new extremes beyond the black metal genre.  Black metal still is present on this album, mainly in the form of blast beats and eerie screams.  Yet, there is just as much room for elements from grindcore, mathcore and every metallic extremity that still has to be invented.

Highlighting in the bizarre, chaotic and immensely harsh track 'Keratoconus', this ep truly demands the listener's attention, along with his soul, common sense and probably some limbs too. Closer 'Latex' finished the job in a highly destructive way, almost industrial at times.  Yet, before you even reach those torture devices, you'll have to sit through two equally punishing tracks. in ' Cotard Delusion​' and 'Failed Manifestation'

This ep simply is a twenty minutes slap in your face, pounding and drilling on your skull with fierce riffing and sick vocals.  There's hardly room for anything slower than blast beats and the whole thrives on sheer intensity.  In all, 'Sentient Village / Obsolescent Garden' is the sonic equivalent of everything that can possibly kill you, all at once.  Enjoy, if you dare...



​Serge

death metal / grindcore

Well, since we're playing some extreme and strange metal, let's throw in some more uniqueness.  We're going on a sick, twisted and grinding trip with this UK-based band, which is formerly known as Fetal Incest. So get your latex and bondage gear and join me in the deepest and creepiest cellars of the metal industry.  Grunt is waiting there to tie you up and torture you with furious industrial grindcore until your brain implodes.

Yep, I mentioned 'Industrial'.  Even though this is a brutal and ferocious piece of death metal and grindcore, there are loads of samples, keyboards and twisted electronics present.  However, for the most part of course, this is just flesh ripping grindcore, often driving on continuously rolling bass drums and a pounding tempo.  Yet, the combination of both genres, gives this album something extra, something unusual in this scene.

What it reminds me most of is a blend of Samael and Last Days Of Humanity, or Ministry and Haemorrhage or The Kovenant and Regurgitate.  In 'Vassalage Grotesque' that combination reaches a stunning highlight, not only on this album but also in the grindcore scene.  On the other hand, there might be a slight chance that true grindcore fans will frown upon the massive amount of electronics, but that's their problem, I don't think Grunt cares.

Besides, they shouldn't.  This album is more death metal than the much hated 'Illud Divinum Insanus' ever was.  If Morbid Angel would have recorded this 'Codex Bizarre', it would have been called a masterpiece.  I liked 'Illud Divinum Insanus' a lot but I like the blasting chaos of this work by Grunt even more.  It perfected the combination of death metal and industrial and for that I'm positive this album will become a classic in the evolution of extreme metal.

I perfectly understand why some people would disregard this album as being a betrayal of a genre ('ieuw, keyboards'), but those people should keep their narrowminded mouths shut.  Stuff like this keeps a genre fresh and alive and it certainly helps to put Grunt on the map.  Perhaps they now invented the new extreme metal trend of the near future.  So check it out, as my good friend Paul would say, 'this is fucking sick and it fucking deserves your fucking attention'.



Serge

death metal

Grrr wghrre grrrrooooo wrrrrrrrr gggggggggaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgh wwwwwrrrr wwwwwwwrrrr wwwwwwwwrrrr hhhhhhhhaaaa rrreeaaaahhhhgghaaaarerr wwaaarrrrrrggghhhaaaa aaaaargghhtt

Brutal slamming death metal from India, yes, India.  Kama Sutra Corpse (get it?).  Energy, intensity, deep growls, massive blast beats, nuts-crushing riffs. This has everything you need  No, seriously.  This is damn epic stuff which you should not ignore if you're into grindcore or slam death. If you buy any death metal album this year, buy this one. 

Now if you'll excuse me, wwwrrhhhhh graaaaaaaaaahhhh rrrraaaawwwwgh hhaaaaa iiiieeeeehhhhaaarg  hrrrreeegggraaaaaa wwwwuuuuuuuuurrght aaaarght ftpyaaaaaaaaaaaarg.


Serge (in deranged-mode)

grindcore

Aah, a band named 'The Mild'.  That has to be some nice modern classical or maybe some listener friendly shoegaze music, right?  Perhaps even a touch of ambient, calm, soothing music to relax to.  I can already imagine the beautiful soundscapes floating gently through my speakers and lighting up the room.  What else could this be, right?

Wrong!

Imagine a massive bulldozer with spikes everywhere coming at you at 160 kilometers per hour, rolling over you, stopping, driving backwards to roll over you again while ripping out your intestines and splattering your fleshy remains allover the place to rot away and being eaten by vultures with herpes.  Better?

That sounds more like it yes.

So yes, The Mild is an Italian grindcore band with ferocious speed and an intensely aggressive sound.  Influenced by everything that is sick, gore and hardcore in the world, this trio demolishes your sense of decency in mere ten minutes. This ep is a swift but damn painful kick in the nuts.  New? No! Original? No? Recommended? Fuck yes.


Serge

death metal / grindcore

Technical Slam is what you get here, plenty to sink your teeth into and plenty to keep you on your toes.  There's a lot of pig squealing going on, as well as guttural death yells from hell. This is nothing original or groundbreaking but there's plenty of talent and execution included throughout every track.

m I a fan? After one listen No, after two listen No, after the third listen YES. This album totally grows on you and you miss so much with just a few listens. There's lots of brutal slam going on with some slick ass riffs

"Milkstreet Mass Collision" is definitely the standout track for me.  I listened to that track a hundred times, interesting title as well!  Anyway these are some talented dudes so do check them out if your into technical slam.


​Paul

grindcore

​'Chaos', that seems to be the ultimate keyword on this album.  Of course, we're dealing with a grindcore album, which is usually quite chaotic.  Furthermore, these are actually four releases, pressed into one. The result is a sonic punishment in fifty-two extreme pieces of music with influences from death metal, thrash metal, hardcore punk and this f*ed-up society.  Welcome to the sick, twisted and deranged world of Educated Scum.

The band hails from Moskou, Russia and have been around since 2000.  Since the very beginning, Educated Scum has been adding different elements to their music, including metalcore, deathcore and hardcore but the focus has always been on pure musical aggression.  If you're into old Napalm Death, this surely is your thing, as most the songs are extremely short but definite asskickers.  In four chapters, this vile band shows us what they're capable of.

Chapter one is the re-recorded version of their album 'Chaos Reborn', including sixteen tracks and six karaoke (instrumental) versions.  This album reminds me a lot of 'Scum' by Napalm Death.  Short, fierce outbursts of brutal grindcore with here and there a real song like 'Stop The Madness' or 'Educated Scum'.  I know, the term 'song' isn't really suited for these pieces of music but still.  'Where Is the Justice' or 'Technical Progress' could actually be seen as their versions of 'You Suffer' or 'Death', lasting only a few seconds.

Chapter two is their first demo, 'The Origin Of Chaos', recorded in 2000 and remastered in 2003.  Chapter three ('Chaos Rehearsed') is a live studio recording from 2003 and chapter four ('From Chaos To Disorder') contains all the songs from their 2003 promo CD.  The latter contains more or less the same tracks are the first chapter but that's ok.  There's isn't that much variation to be found on the entire album to begin with.  In fact, this is just one huge set of grindcore songs, capable of causing moshpits in your living room. 

Grindcore fans should absolutely buy this album.  For them, ignoring this would be a shame and maybe even an insult to the genre.  There's no way you can go more grind than this and you'll rarely find an album packed with filth, sickness, gore and political criticism like this one.  Now if you'll excuses my, I have to shout at something...


Serge

death metal / grindcore

'Homicidal Parasites', I can't help but think he's talking about mankind.  After all, let's face it.  We do indeed show the behaviour of parasitic beings and viruses.  We are as destructive as a cancer cell, not only towards the world around us but also towards ourselves.  So in a way, there's nothing left for us to do but to await our macabre demise.  

Macabre Demise is a one-man death metal act from Landshut, Germany.  Andreas Rieger plays guitars, bass and vocals and he programmed the drums.  Now, if you think this stands for stale, unimaginative and one-sided extreme metal, think again.  This project has been around since 2007, so he has had plenty of time to perfect his skills and he is an experienced songwriter and musician.

What we get on 'Homicidal Parasites' is brutal extreme metal, balancing on the thin line between death metal and grindcore.  That does indeed mean: thick, crushing riffs, pounding drums and sick guttural vocals, all brought with plenty of variation and a severe intensity.  Highlights are songs like 'Perverse Torture' and 'Back From The Dead'.

Yet, this is simply an excellent death metal album, loaded with punishing songs and with almost constantly rolling bass drums.  These provide the tracks with a tremendous and horrific chainsaw-atmosphere, a murderous tempos and loathful hammerings, all of course in perfect death metal tradition.  That being said, it's hardly noticeable that these drums are programmed, they sound quite human to me.

I do indeed recommend this album to any death metal fan out there.  'Depth Of Horror' or 'Bloodbath' come very close to some of your favorites, including Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus or Suffocation.  So what are you waiting for?  Get your hands on this massive piece of extreme metal and bang your head into tormenting infinity.


Serge

grindcore / death metal

Indonesian slamcore and grindcore mayhem. This album has the riffing and the guttural vocals like you'd expect from a band in this genre. ! It's a pretty solid piece! Is it a breakthrough album ? Nah. Is it good? Yes! 

Unfortunately there isn't much I can write about 'The Mask Of Sanity' It's typical guttural slam with all the breakdowns and blast beats you expect.  It's highly recommended if you want your brain smashed in get it!


Paul