Overdose Support-Drink And Drive (Ep Cassette 2014)

There’s a peculiarly fascinating aspect to the ugliness of certain bands, something that can’t quite be done justice with a string of words. A lot of it hinges on what sort of things one likes with their horror movies, as the music tends to either seek elaborate ways of telling tales of either human or mystical notions of terror, or just go straight for the jugular and be content to watch a few violent moments before the impending demise. The sort of old school, thrashing, and disgusting brand of grindcore that this band from Finland brings to the table is an extreme version of the latter category, this EP actually provides an uncharacteristically clear and discernible alternative to the static-drenched contents of earlier grindcore. While the songs tend to range from being short to being way too short, there’s a few solid brutal riffs meshed in with a short-lived assortment of blast beats and breakdown beats, a real brief fit of crusty crossover with morose, twisted guttural sounds. Having said all of that, my chief gripe about grindcore  is fully on display here, but it is a very fitting way of implying that while a single column is a necessary element in the construction of a palace, temple, or whatever, it is not much to look at in itself. It’s solid for what it is, but anyone looking to blow some spare change on an auditory slaughter fest is best advised to stick to this band’s sound. Raw and brutal grindcore!!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Overdose-Support/653140611412279
ovrdsspprt@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Desaster-Angelwhore (2005)

This album doesn't give a fuck about your feelings, it doesn't give a fuck about your pains or your joys, this album just wants to see you get thrashed, crashed, and violated in an endless mosh pit. Listening to this album is like overdosing on synthetic cocaine after getting the shit beaten out of you by rabid Grateful Dead fans. This album is like getting fried in the electric chair while tripping on PCP. There's not much variation on this CD, but who gives a fuck about variation when riffs like this are featured in this cd, vocalist wants to kill everyone. Holy shit, is this dude pissed off! very interesting and sounds fucking awesome. While this is not Desaster's greatest album, it's no doubt a huge standout in the  death metal scene and deserves to be mentioned alongside classics like "Altars of Madness", "Slowly We Rot", and "Leprosy", as well as massively underrated. Posers beware!!!! YOUR RECKONING HAS COME!!!!!
www.btrodmag.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Decayed-Unholy Demon Seed

Infamous black metal band inspired by the raw sound of Venom and the brash sound of Celtic Frost or Mayhem, morose vocals, the sound of the album pretty much set the bar for any straight up black metal bands that did not feel the need to mess around with symphonies nor clean vocals, using flurries of lightning fast tremolo picking, crazily speedy blast beats, is very dark and has a raw feel to it but instead of the guitars being inaudible over the frenzied drumming, every instrument is perfectly audible with some great tones to them. I recommend this to anyone looking for three quarters of an hours worth of raw, brutal black metal.
ibdclabel666.bigcartel.com
ibdcorplabel.blogspot.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Evilheart-Storm Of Annihilation (2007)

The technical side of these Mexicans is here but hidden beneath the tons of power. However the song structures are simple and similar in all songs but in a very nice way, drumming is awesome, with everlasting double-bass patterns moving towards some blast-beats that kill. The toms sound low and powerful in one of the best sounds i've ever heard in a long time. On the other hand, the bass is deep and effective, supporting all the heaviness of the music. The riffs are cool and headbangeable. They're sometimes dark, sometimes catchy and sometimes both. Also, they're based on heavy palm-muted tremolo picking and create a double 6-string attack that slashes and destroys every opposition, the vocal patterns are brutal. It is difficult to tell any highlights on this beacause it's very consistent brutality and riffing are the best of this.
http://evilheart.com
www.btrodmag.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Weaponizer

For people like me, who love semi-sloppy, primal old school metal, it doesn’t get much better then this band. Some complain about the shitty production and mixing, others complain about the band’s lack of musical efficiency, but both of which are things that I welcome with open arms. In my eyes, I would not want this cd any other way. The guitar could be louder, but I think its lowness in the mix actually adds to the chaotic, thrashing cacophony the band is going for, the recording itself actually has a pretty clear sound that could have been indubitably put to full use given the proper mixing job. The drums hold the most power and prominence in the mix, which is actually something that tends to bother me as well as most others in a lot cases, as you may have gathered. However, here, I do not find this to be an issue, and in fact, I like it this way. So if your ears have been tainted and pussified by today’s digital, crystal clarity, then this album’s production will without a doubt irritate you to no end, but I’m perfectly okay with that, because in that case, you probably shouldn’t be listening this anyway, relentless and ripping black/thrash-oriented sound (emphasis on the thrash part), or the other way around. The guitar never ventures too far off though, as it does always find its way back home quickly after getting off track. In this sense, the guitar being low in the mix is not necessarily a bad thing, and in the end probably saves more irritation for the modern-metal kiddies who can’t handle a little sloppiness then the production already does for those who need everything polished, pristine, and squeaky clean. Vocals are raspier, croak-like shriek, which is just radiating with menacing evil, to a more mid-range, semi-growled-yet-intelligible recitation that a lot of the time don't follow any particular rhythm, ripping blackened thrash metal, and it works very, very well, a damn fine piece of black/thrash. I’d go as far as to say it’s easily one of the best albums of its kind from this era, ranking it up there with the classics: Necrodeath’s ‘Into the Macabre’ and Sodom's Ïn the sign of evil". Everything from the artwork, to the music itself, and yes, even the production, is awesome, and all live up to the standards it takes you to the old 80’s black/death/thrash era. Features a killer cover :Sodomy and Lust by the legendary Sodom.
www.facebook.com/Weaponizer
btrodmag@hotmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Deconstructing Sequence-Access Code (Ep 2014)

Though you could quite easily accuse this album of being a little bit of a mess stylistically, I think the daring nature of Access Code is what makes it work best. One thing's for sure: the technicality associated with death metal is here, and there are some harsh vocals, but really this is an altogether different kind of thing. An impressive blend of fusion and progressive music tied together with technical metal and brutality. Bands such as Atheist, Death and Pestilence had been experimenting in the same way for many years, but these guys are arguably the most "far out" of these excursions, these guys are really kick ass musicians  dabbling in fusion influences. The musicianship on display here is absolutely stellar, mindblowing yet tasteful. No wank to be found. The vocals are the one thing that is likely to put off some listeners,there are bits of whispering and clean vocals used sparingly at other moments, and though the death vocals are quite firmly in the style, they do fit the songs very nicely and give it a bit more of a sharp edge. The lyrics are mysterious yet relatable, concerned with personal and cosmic themes. I really like them. The production is solid, allows everything to be heard nicely and I can't really fault it. Though it may not click for everyone at first, and may never click for some, Access Code is a unique gem in extreme music. Interesting!!
www.facebook.com/deconstructingsequence
dsprogart.bandcamp.com
dsprogart@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Zavotage-Frenesi De Agresividad

These young band Zavotage is an assault of sonic violence of thrash, extremely bestial and merciless. This killer songs will make thousands of thrashers break their necks. These  metallers show no mercy and made clear that Southamerica is a  place where the most fierce thrash is made. "Frenesi De Agresividad" already is a solid promising debut, featuring that pure noisy thrash sound of the middle-80’s,the outstanding aggression of massive riffing and insatiable velocity of Zavotage is gonna blow you out, relentless and incredibly harsh. A lot of emphasis is put by the band on, basically, the powerful exhibition of riffs, hooks, uncontrolled pickin’ parts and, of course, frantic velocity and blast beats. No melody, no sophistication, no time for games; this is total neck-breaking thrash. I admit some of the arrangements might sound primitive, simple, and the instrumental performance is not particularly technical nor advanced (at times chaotic). As long as their music achieves certain consistency and decent solidity, I don’t mind perfection is not reached, though. However, these guys concentrate also on the many lenghty instrumental passages, not only on the riffs. “Vomitron” or “El Principio Del Final” demonstrate the efficient skills of the group, including several inspired riff series that vary and progress along with the many rhythm changes, defining convincing breaks, bridges; creating rich instrumental sequences. So as you can see, they didn’t let everything hanging on a couple of easy riffs and speed. On other hand, they don’t really make something amazingly technical here. I doubt that was their intention. Their ambition is rather focused on making something heavy, brutal, not necessarily complex. Zavotage rules!
www.facebook.com/zavotagethrash
zavotage@hotmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Kraken-Ep (2014)

The glory days of thrash are back- this is the REAL  thrash. Never before had a band taken their hatred and violence to such an astounding level. Fast, brutal, and above all, skilled musicianship in this 2014 monster. There's no shortage of menacing riffs and shredding solos, the drumming suffocates, and the guitar and bass obliterate. All of this is possible due to a truly crushing production job. The vocals in particular destroy everything in their path. Deyner is Hell's equivalent of Jesus; he can be no other than the Devil incarnate. He's at his most demonic here, purely blasphemous. His growling is made all the more frightening by the fact that one can still decipher the lyrics - which are, by the way, evil at its best. Each and every song is worth a listen (hell, they deserve WAY more than that), and no track is weaker than any other. The most memorable may be ,"Blood, Fire, Death, Pain",  the new version of "Memories of Pain" and "Zombie". The guitar solos are somewhat atypical for shredders; they are actually highly memorable. Some are fairly long, which in this case is a huge plus. They're extremely intricate and equally deadly and effective. This Ep's solos are some of the best thrash has to offer, which is saying a lot in a genre known for its solos, they play fairly loud and independently, sometimes rivaling the guitar itself. The drumming is also great. Always precise, always powerful, thew drummer redefines just how fast and how well one can play the drums. The instrumentation along with Deyner's Satanic vocal delivery adds up to a completely devastating listening experience. Kraken marks a trend of nearly perfect brutal thrash metal and they would make a name for themselves as the head of the Peruvian death/thrash movement along with Necropsya, Epilepsia, Zavotage and more, for now they are at the top of their game. Cool artwork made by Mortus as well!!

www.facebook.com/kraken.thrash.1
krakenthrash@hotmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Necropsya-Toward Insanity (2013)

Necropsya already reached their status of a Peruvian cult thrash band, after a few albums of pure brutality and aggression. Every thrash or death fan must have listened to this band reached a higher level of musicianship and technique. The album title may suggest another display of sonic bestiality, like the killer stuff on the first couple of releases, but this time you shouldn’t judge this material by the record name. I don’t mean that violence and speed can’t be found on these songs, clear energy, velocity and aggression of Necropsya remain omnipresent, essential to define their sound. On other hand, now these guys are not so focused on brutality as before. When you listen the stratospheric atmosphere and guitar harmonies for instance, you can easily guess the intentions of the band. The song-writing, in particular, is more elaborated and these thrashers have put more attention on the structures and the progression/alteration of the riffs during the compositions. Primitive hooks and simple ways are avoided to reach an instrumentally complex result, featuring progressive passages, incessant rhythm changes, lengthy breaks and more prepared pickin’ parts. The band were determined to follow the technical patterns of the previous album, but putting much more emphasis on melody. The musical basis of these compositions is obviously thrashy and harsh, although the several harmonies, with Gustavo and Walter synchronized ideally, give more attention to melody now. That doesn’t mean their sound got weaker or cheesy, simply more sophisticated. And hey, there’s a lot of tremendous relentless riffs here! Guitar lines are as solid as usual: straight, fierce, merciless, showing no inconsistency or mediocrity. Gustavo and Walter demonstrated they were one of the most professional defiant  thrash combos, rivaling with King & Hanneman pretty seriously. They made a true display of talent, creativity and abilities in this record. So Necropsya definitely seemed to find their own stunning sound, getting distant from the cliches of the subgenre. Their attitude hasn’t changed, they really refused to sell out or follow any stupid trend.They demonstrate that in each cut, all plenty of intensity, power, skills and inspiration. I can’t find any clumsy moment, lack of continuity, any tedious number in this pack, a super guitar work on this cd and great live performances. The humble efficient Cesar-Paul rhythmic section is as fine as always, refusing to make an impressing display of skills, just defining the tempo properly. So as you can see (and hear), everything worked out in this amazing record. Their music would evolve into something even more remarkable and greater in their next release as well all know...but that’s another part of the story. Fucking brutal!!
www.necropsya.com
www.facebook.com/necropsyaperu
Review by Paul Caravasi

Whore Of Bethlehem-Upon Judas Throne

Well Morbid Angel and Deicide influenced a lot of bands, I'm often surprised that the American death metal scene  still strong after all these years. Though I'm a huge fan of the old school bands, some of the new ones held very little of interest to me but very often i'm surprised with bands like Whore Of Bethlehem. When their cd "Upon Judas Throne" arrived, I was hesitant to take the plunge, What is this?? well i can tell it's complex death metal with memorable songwriting, dense riffing and infernal drum battery into a realm of sadistic grooves and sinister tones. Opener "Upon Judas Throne" is a blasting frenzy which suffers from a slightly dull verse but makes up for it through its bridge and chorus thrashing and sick leads, vocals are incredible on this album: truly dense and brutal, the songs are simply phenomenal with its deep, apocalyptic levels of double bass, and its simultaneously anti-Christian lyrics. I should also note the amazing guitars work on this album ( swedish style), both the rhythms and leads are among the best constructed in the death metal sound. The atmosphere and production on this album is kick ass, I'm not sure a lot of fans of the old school sound who were expecting another new band with lack of originality quite understood. The thing is, it's  a blast fest, but the cohesive and sludgy groove of the material makes it truly stand out. There are one or two tracks which slack behind as far as memorable writing, at least in part, but the rest of the album is surely the stuff of cosmic cult brutal death metal!!
www.facebook.com/wobethlehem
Review by Paul Caravasi