Suppressive Fire-Bedlam (2016)

Sheer, breakneck speed with catchy riffs and harsh vocals, shouted and pushed almost to the point of death-metal gruffness, and his razor-sharp guitar tone slices through the riffs. Bassist is surprisingly agile -the bass lines are supportive without being merely doubling, and he knows exactly when to throw in a good fill, drummer is a human whirlwind, and keep up the pace admirably. 11 tracks, mix and mastering by Joel Grind of Toxic Holocaust. A very solid record in its own way, amusing, aggressive, pretty fast. Impossible to put in the same level of other new thrash metal releases. I’m sure you know which I mean. Undoubtedly a memorable work, bestiality and rage of “Bedlam” that make me appreciate this one a lot, because this is the genuine Thrash Metal sound: unadulterated, scruffy and insatiable. I wish they will release more albums like this, where the true old-school magic can be found. A masterpiece !
www.facebook.com/suppressivefire
jrbursey@gmail.com
facebook.com/clawhammerpr
Review by Paul Caravasi

Mutilated By Zombies-Decimation Sentence (2015)

Menacing piece of death metal. By menacing, I do not mean to say alienating or disturbing, emotions conjured up by Morbid Angel's Blessed Are The Sick or Demilich's Nespithe, for instance. No, by menacing, I mean that "Decimation Sentence" attempts to convey in a death metal album the feeling that you are about to be crushed by a tank, and by album's end, to have been crushed by said tank. Mutilated by Zombies achieve this sense of menace in every track by resorting minimally to melody (and even in the guitar solos, melody is not the primary consideration), and instead focusing on simple, aggressive, downtuned riffs frequently played at high tempos, backed by viscerally audible bass and fierce drumming that alternates between blastbeats and slower rhythms, and gutteral yet discernible vocals that complement the music perfectly. There are ample time changes and transitions in each song to prevent a sense of familiarity from setting in with the listener, which consequently prevents any dilution of aural menace that this band so successfully conveys. Intense and significant to the formula of calculated brutality that is on display here. Listen to "Maggot Bath" and " Mock The Sun" and tell me that you do not feel like killing someone...by rolling over them with a tank!
www.facebook.com/MutilatedByZombies
mutilatedbyzombies@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Witchery-Next Victim (Ep-2015)

Witchery embodies everything inherent in thrash metal. It's not merely enough to buck the trend, it has to be violated. Rediscovering that magic that Metallica lost more than 20 years ago, but add to it a much needed dose of sheer, unadulterated adrenaline. And when I say adrenaline, I mean a literal needle right to heart resulting in a massive surge of energy. Rapid paced chug riffing and super-smooth lead guitar tone.This Ep mostly rests comfortably in the upper echelons of high octane thrashing, conjuring up images of the insanity that typifies Slayer and Kreator, occasionally tempered with a gallop happy approach more in line with Jon Schaeffer. Mid-tempos before launching into that familiar bombardment of unfettered mayhem. A must have for anyone looking to send his own head flying into a sea of moshing lunatics at the behest of the almighty riff. Be sure to check out the brutal yet faithful "Demolicion" (Los Saicos cover). Get a taste of where these crazed Peruvians Thrashers got to offer !
www.facebook.com/witcherythrash
Review by Paul Caravasi

The Everscathed-Scars To Bare (2015)

Most of this album is steeped in the slower grooving character mixed with maddened frenzies of thrashing beats and tremolo riffing. The intermingling of slower grooving sections with pummeling chug riffs vs. the faster, mid 80s Slayer-inspired thrashing is marked by a somewhat moderated sense of build up through mid-tempo bridge sections. as well as some midpaced riffs that are absolutely crushing. "The Grand Leveller" is most reminiscent of the band's fellow countrymen (and woman) in it's creeping, midpaced mayhem but the title track here shows off the band's ability to go at much faster tempos and it sounds good. Vocal performance here adds a darker atmosphere to the sound. The drumming on here does it's job just fine so no complaints here. The bass is pretty good throughout, thumping along audibly while also providing some nice fills. A cool death metal record, so if you haven't heard these guys then you now have some homework to do.
www.facebook.com/TheEverscathed
www.THEEVERSCATHED.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Inverted Serenity-Integral (2015)

Speed with loud, ear-splittingly heavy snare drums and torrential blast beats, brutal voice, guitar chops and solos, and you get intimidating songs. One of the reasons I fell in love with death metal many years ago was because right from a very young age I’ve had a thing for no-holds-barred, unapologetically violent music. That’s not to say I like brutal music just for the sake of its brutality, or the gory lyrics; there are countless brutal death metal bands as lacking in shame as in talent doing just that. But when the violent tone is subordinated to quality songwriting, and innovations in sound engineering subordinated to musicianship, out comes a rare album this deserving of praise and preservation. Death metal today is better than it ever was. Inverted Serenity testifies to the validity of that statement. "Integral" is the album I’ve been waiting for !
www.facebook.com/invertedserenity
AsherMediaRelations.com
ashermedia@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Silent Line-Shattered Shores (2015)

What impressed me the most is the music, vocals, production and mixing as well as the lyrics. I can't see myself writing off this release to just be total crap because I wouldn't be being honest, but I'm not. So keep in tune to what I have to say here, there are heavy guitars, talking more about the music,melodic death and groove metal. They also throw in some thrash sound into it showing their influences of genuinely. This I think is good. and made the music so much more desirable. I like every song on here. I think the rhythm guitars show their brutality even though they're not playing at fast tempos much. The riffs here are thick, but they still have that melodic feel to them. They're expressing art-work with this one.  Definitely worth checking out. Don't just consider though what I think or others think of this album, consider what you think. I don't think that I'm totally off on this, I think that this album is a "A" to me, but it's just what I think. Think "melodic/groove/thrash" and you'll have all of those styles in here. Silent Line put out quality music!
www.facebook.com/silentlinemetal
AsherMediaRelations.com
ashermedia@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Synapses-Devoutness (2015)

It actually surprises me that I like this so much. Yeah, this might happen to be a death metal album, the obvious industrial influences are here. This album is pretty awkward, very clumsy and perhaps a bit compromised in its weirdness, but it still manages to hold up well against more obvious death metal sounding.Yes, you read it right though, "Devoutness" is a death metal album, and a very unique one at that, but there's also the obvious industrial elements that characterize the band's sound, but what's arguably even more unique is that there's actually a healthy dose of early grindcore found here as well. Vocalist does a nice job at imitating Napalm Death's vocals. I have to say, the brutality actually works pretty fucking fantastic. Sure, this album is unintentionally somewhat pretentious and awkward as a result, but again, it's that charm that keeps the majority of the album very enjoyable and most of the time the result is great no matter what.Technically, this album gets the job done. It's not anything special as it's somewhat basic for death metal riffing standards, but these italians made full advantage of their supreme knowledge of how to make simplicity work by creating what is hands down one of the catchiest death metal albums in 2015. It's obvious that this doesn't need stark technicality or complexity to be good, as this isn't really a riff-dependant album, the fact that the riffs are pretty catchy is a nice bonus, but I feel the complete package of a band mashing as much as they could into basically every song here is largely responsible for what makes this such a joy to hear.This is a work of immense depth, songs are somewhat clumsy but it's obvious that a lot of thought and care went into making each song awesome in its own right.I urge basically everyone to give this a spin, this album is just well-rounded and doesn't really lack anything it shouldn't lack. It's clumsy, awkward and probably not very self-aware, but it doesn't hold the album back more than strictly necessary. This is one of the most diverse death metal records ever, succesfully combining brutality, and it sounds awesome. This is Synapses,experimentation done oh so right.
www.facebook.com/Synapses.official
synapses.death@live.it
cimmerianshaderecordings.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Caelestia-Beneath Abyss (2015)

Caelestia are not that impressive to say the least but their music is beautiful enough to keep me interested for another listens. Well at least they sound hell a lot better than Lacuna Coil of today.This record shows significant originality. Dimmi V exhales some of the most enchanting yet powerful melodious air of noticeable talent. Yes. She is gifted with quite a decent vocal that fits for this type of music that borders between extreme and melodic metal. Instruments wise, there is a remarkably sound for the fact that band members use quite one-dimensional approach to their sound in general. Thankfully, Caelestia are able to add some spices to their offering, employing decent amount acoustic plucking. For a young band from Athens to play in this style, it may not really take much to create a fairly standard art. The vibrant production allows enough room for each member to breathe in life to their weapons. Drums are quite in the mix, so do the cymbals and the guitars. Everyone is on top of their game here, which is a plus as well. keyboards are performed well. The primary instruments are so powerful that keyboard got quickly drowned by the enthralling cacophony. Well, that again is good thing for me because a lot of purists tend to assault Keyboards as mere faggotry driven by nothing but excessively cheesy sound to cover up band members’ lack of talents. Again, this record is not entirely keyboard driven. As I said, I am not sure where the keyboards are anyways 'cause the guitars and drums are powerful. Most tracks are good and memorable. Decent performance. Each song provokes visual hallucinations to those who can actually appreciate minimal but in-depth works of art. An overall enjoyable release by this band that incorporated hard rock elements into their extreme outlook. If you like straightforward, fuss-free, simplistic approach to Gothic metal / rock, extreme metal go and buy this full length.Track highlights? None in particular. Each song is good enough for repeated listens. This means the band had invested all their best to produce this decent record. Check them out !
www.facebook.com/caelestiaband
caelestiaband.com
www.facebook.com/clawhammerpr
clawhammerpr@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Nuclear-Formula For Anarchy (2015)

With the thrash metal resurgance of late a lot of old bands have been coming back to party one more time. Original thrash metal stahlwarts like Kreator, Death Angel and Testament are releasing up to par new albums and newcomers such as Havok, Hatchet and Toxic Holocaust are carrying the torch for the next generation. Nuclear from Chile belonged to a small new wave of thrash bands that never really broke through yet who released a decent album that unleash their thrashing metal upon the world...and the world is better for it! There was a sense of concern when first sliding the disc into my cd player. Those concerns where immediately blown away however by the stellar riffing of opening number "Offender". Pure f'**king thrash metal!!! The main influences here are no doubt Exodus and Kreator. The backwards type of riffing ala Gary Holt is vicious and the aggression of mid-career Kreator is ever present. The vocals however remind me of the mighty Schmier (Destruction) at his angriest and most vile. The album is absolutely jam-packed with anthemic tracks. The slaying riffs and the catchy chorus make this an immediate classic! The songs are ballcrushers for the books but it doesn't stop there. There are no weak points to this album. I think anyone into true and honest thrash metal will enjoy this disc immensly. No matter if you're into the "old school" or the "new school" this oughta please your urges from start to finish. Southamerican Thrash Fkn Metal direct to your skull !!
www.facebook.com/nuclearcl
www.nuclear.cl
www.facebook.com/clawhammerpr
clawhammerpr@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Sonick Plague (2015)

From the late 80's, Sonick Plague bring the classic Thrash Metal sound. Sonick Plague have finally managed to re-recorded a consistent thrash metal album that is well produced. Overall this album is not "amazing", but is certainly great! By point of fact, just about every song on this album is worthy to be heard, the drumming on this album is rather impressive, especially in the double bass department where the drummer delivers speed and power. This album also seems to be aggressive in the lyrical department, as its "in your face" type of record. Check out the tracks "My Gun" and "I don't wanna relax".  Lyrics definitely lean towards a rebelious realm and the message is lound and clear...Fuck You! This album is actually very heavy, both in terms of songs as well as the production, and that's definately a good thing. Overall a decent Thrash metal album with some very memorable tunes.
www.facebook.com/sonickplague
www.facebook.com/clawhammerpr
clawhammerpr@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/Pavementent
Review by Paul Caravasi

Paralysis-No Turning Back (Ep-2015)

Each song on this Ep is a drive-by ass kicking, rarely lingering around long enough to repeat riffs. It is this sheer intensity that makes this band interesting. The band does a hell of a job making it work here and I’m quite content with the final product. There's always the subject of originality to ponder with these new Thrash metal bands, but I say fuck it, enthusiasm and attitude are much more vital to this stripped-down style of thrashing fury. And the band somehow manage to keep the pace frantic through all this teenage vio-gression. Subject matter? violence and more violence. No deep sentiments to ponder here, just straightforward, juvenile thrash lyrics yelled over delightfully juvenile speed anthems, nasty guitar tones reminiscent of mid to late 80’s bay area bands. In short, this is heavy, catchy, fast, and fun. It's kind of retro-minded in it's execution. Fans of this style, past or present, should very well have heard it by now.
www.facebook.com/paralysisnj13
www.facebook.com/paralysisnj
Review by Paul Caravasi

Hatchet-Fear Beyond Lunacy (2015)

The quiet melodic intro shouldn’t fool you, because what you will find here will blow you out at once! Hatchet make an outstanding display of complex raging thrash from the first song to the last. With no exception, the incredibly consistent riffs and hooks attack without compassion during the whole record. Each composition is an admirable exhibition of inspired riffs that build a strenghtful wall of sound, along with the constant velocity of the tempos. The aggression with exquisite technical arrangements. They don’t get stuck in the same riffs at all, they prefer to modify them into several alternative sequences that create skilled instrumental passages, with lenghty brilliant pickin’ parts and unpredictable rhythm changes. The result is totally professional, complex, competent. These guys definitely reached next level with supreme cuts like “Living In Extinction”, “Lethal Injustice”  and the epic “Tearing Into Hell”. The quality and power of the riffs are extraordinary, I must insist. The very convincing skilled ways to vary the riffs during the songs demonstrate that the musical basis of this material was intended to be direct to your skull. No simplicity, no primitive patterns. This stuff is the culmination of the previous release, so the merciless sonic violence and brutality of the last album can still be found here. Although, now that relentless aggression is more polished, cleaner.The stunning quality of these numbers prove their splendid abilities, virtuosism and inspiration. This record makes a difference and Hatchet should get more attention and recognition. If you like bands as Destruction and Kreator don't hesitate to get this. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED,
www.facebook.com/hatchetofficial
www.facebook.com/theendrecords
Review by Paul Caravasi

Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus-The Child Must Die (2015)

Ok, right off the bat there is something that I can say, I like the production quality. There is no hissy noise to drown everything out. You can actually hear every instrument, yet it still has that hazy black metal atmosphere. I could somewhat compare the sound that I'm talking about with something that would be found in many albums from Norway. So that is a plus. On this one, everything is audible (with maybe the exception of the bass). That being said, everything sounds pretty great, especially instrument wise, it kinda makes me feel like I'm outside in a forest. So there's a great start here. The drums on here are outstanding, as there are tons of blast beats and rapid fast playing. The cymbals are used very effectively along with it in many parts, and overall sounds incredible. The guitar work is great too, and hey, I can actually hear it really well! It has riffs that are surprisingly melodic, maybe melodic isn't fully accurate, but more so than a lot of black metal. This album is dark and evil, don't get me wrong, but it isn't ugly or even grim in the slightest bit. The evilness that this work conjures is more of a gothic, seductive, sorrowful or beautiful type instead of traditional black metal's use of minimalism and brutality to get the evilness done. No, my dear friends, this is evilness set about due to complexity and the beauty of evil. This is utterly sophisticated black metal art. Basically, the album starts off rather fast and brutal hits its peak around the middle then gets more beautiful and complex towards the end. I don't normally like Black Metal,but Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus from United states set the standards. If you've never heard black metal before, and need a starting point, this album would do you good. Not bad at all !
www.facebook.com/nihilistinenbarbaarisuus
Review by Paul Caravasi

Yana Raymi-Guerreros Del Sol (2015)

I was curious about this band,and when I put the disc in my CD-player, the surprise: probably the best definition for Yana Raymi's well-crafted music is "Peruvian folk death/thrash. With this album, Yana Raymi is able to blend influences of Thrash and Death metal from the 90's adding elements of Peruvian folk music. The result is impressing. We have here some vigorous metal, that is heavy and extremely well played. The vocals are aggressive and melodic in some parts. There is another interesting facts about this album: The guitar sound is perfect for the kind of music this band plays, as it is solid and heavy, but still clear enough to allow the listener to feel all the details of the riffs and solos. The quality of the recording is perfect, it's important to mention. The bass and the drums are heavy, solid and creative too. But what really calls my the attention in this album are the typical instruments from Peru. I mean the flutes, Charangos  and all the others. These amazing instruments add a great atmosphere to the songs and are very well placed too. Songs like "Resistencia Andina","Donde los dioses aguardan",and the epic piece "Guerreros del sol" are 100% flawless, pure genius. Wait until strange folk-laden instruments and death metal influences softly stroke this typical sound, making it what these Peruvian shredders are all about. If you have the opportunity of buying this, do it. this band is fkn good. Definitely this album already have a special place in my collection along with "Testimonios" of the legendary Kranium. Fantastic !
www.facebook.com/yanaraymi
www.pentagramrecs.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Tsar Bomb-Exterminans IX:XI (2015)

It must say that this band from Spain is trying to perform brutal and blasting death but maintaining their identity. Sure their music is as wicked and gruff as death metal has any right to be, but it’s also (un)blessed with eerie structures, memorable anti-melodies, and an ever present, nearly tangible sense of doom and desperation. It's obvious these guys understand how to write songs well. The riffs come up with high caliber. It's something that every old school death metal enthusiast should be familiar with, and something that might carry appeal to a younger crowd that craves the rabid minimalism of brutal acts populating the scenes of 2015. This is brutal as fuck !
www.facebook.com/tsarbombofficial
cimmerianshaderecordings.com
csrecsinfo@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Cemetery Lust-Orgies of Abomination (2014)

Supreme unholy devastating thrash. The production here is very thin and high end. The drums favor the thrash style, but you will find plenty of blastbeats as well. The songs overall are a bit faster than your average thrash however. There are a couple gallop beats here and there as well, the drummer does a good job of keeping it fresh, yet staying aggressive throughout. The guitars are pure Hellish riffage. Sounding dementedly brutal an insane , and at other times a thrashy, fast-forward version of Venom but more intense - evil thrash and black riffage. The vocals are something of a throaty mid to low thrash styled yell with an occasional black metal scream over top. Songs like "Malice in the Morgue" and " Sexually transmitted death" will demand that you bang your fucking head till your neck is sore. Just great stuff. Like blackened thrash? Then get this !
www.facebook.com/CemeteryLust
hellsheadbangers.bandcamp.com/album/orgies-of-abomination
Review by Paul Caravasi

Wakas-12" Ep (2015)

Sweet thrashing riffage is seasoned with tremolized ambiance and blackened Heavy metal vocals. Goddamn, this rules. Gallops with convincing fury and melodic riff that will stick in your head like an axe. The bass is strong and high in the mix – something you'll rarely find in this style, guitars have a perfect tone. This isn't any crazy technical shit – it's just riff after riff of awesome riffery. At least that's what I think. Drums swing between groovage and speed with ease, tying together the whole package nicely. Raunchy vocal tones, traditional and deliberate guitars, and lyrics right out of a book of Peruvian tales.Hope Wakas will get the credit they deserve. You need to dig a little deeper. Do so and you might just find this cool band. You’ll be glad you did !
www.facebook.com/wakasperu
wakasperu.bandcamp.com/album/wakas
Review by Paul Caravasi

Lectern-Fratricidal Concelebration (2015)

This is a Death Metal album, start to finish, awesome vocal performance, and the riffs and atmosphere are in abundance, drumming is excellent without being over the top, and I really think Marco Valentine does a killer job. Straight up brutal ass-kicking death metal. Anyway, this is a pretty damn good album over all. Personally I think this album is one of those albums where the appreciation of the album goes down if you listen to it every single day. Once in awhile listen for intense headbanging recommended for this album.  I must warn you though, all of this album is pure hate against christianity and it's worth buying if you're into bands like Morbid Angel or Deicide.
www.lectern.in
www.facebook.com/lectern666
Review by Paul Caravasi

Never To Arise-Gore Whores On The Killing Floor (2015)

There is a point where shock value becomes redundant and bands need to be judged on their musical merits. In keeping with this, it is important to note that Death Metal tends to be blacklisted as being “a threat to the children”, and have been decried by culture warriors the world over for more than 3 decades. Some might argue that those crazy Norsemen who took to church burning are the real outcasts, but this style of music tends to have much more name recognition amongst prohibitionist enthusiasts, though I’m sure Mayhem and Burzum might enjoy similar infamy should they become better known to these sorts. But for someone like me who just simply likes good metal, it is little more than poetic aesthetics, and ones that don’t really demand a look at the lyric sheet despite the words not always being clearly enunciated from death metal vocalists throat. Anyway, Let's talk about this band and their album. Each riff, each combination of deep and slightly higher pitched barks, every blast and breakdown comes in exactly where it’s expected, leaving very few wow moments. Within this somewhat overly limited collection of brutal possibilities lays a few really good songs that lend themselves more to individual obsession,  There’s a few intercessions into slower, sludgy sounding riff work before the high tempo pandemonium ensues, also has a couple of nice punchy yet dissonant grooves to change things up amidst a mess of shorter songs that fly at brutal speed. At the end of the day This is death metal by the numbers, putting the pedal to the metal, and frontloading the vehicle with the usual assortment of dissonant and chromatic goodness. Guitar solo enthusiasts will find a better version of what Cannibal Corpse attempts on every single album, something that actually might be close to as memorable as the brilliance normally heard out of Trey Azagthoth circa “Blessed Are The Sick” or even Santolla’s own work on “Individual Thought Patterns”. Nevertheless, a good pickup for fans of old guard death metal before the pig squeals and ham slamming shit. Basically, this album is packed full of memorable songs that are simplistic and to the point. It may not be the most technical, brutal or slamming death metal ever but this is a great achievement in brutality.
www.facebook.com/Never-To-Arise-117489404980631
facebook.com/CimmerianShadeRecordings
csrecsinfo@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Spirits Way-Brainless Puppets Are Enslaved (2012)

I Can described Spirits Way from Poland as a monumental proclamation of hatred through music. Done with a burning passion, simple as that. You could argue that other have done the same, and you would more or less be right. But that does not mean there is nothing to be found here. In fact, Spirits Way pretty much gave everything they had here, and the result is nothing less than a colossal and behemoth of a death metal album. So let us dig in a little deeper, what is going on here? The guitars are dense and slow moving like thunder shaking the sky apart, but as for being technical, the guitars instead focus more or less solely at creating a thick barrier of shifting riffs and build up momentum, that usually leads to a neat lead. The bass guitar however, is very much tangled into the guitars, being somewhat difficult to entirely discern between the two. But if paying attention, it is heard, and while not doing anything noteworthy, it does add another layer of density to the music. As for the drums, they play out in a fashion typical for bands like Immolation, mostly following the guitars, but that is not bad, so to say. The proficiency of the overall drumming is very much vital to creating the heavy atmosphere of the music. As for the vocals, they are deep and commanding, yet easy to decipher. They do lack a little in terms of variety, but can still be enjoyable, though a little weak. And then comes the mixing and production, which is all in all pretty good. The issues found are the entanglement between the bass guitar and the guitars, but it ultimately is a rather miniscule issue. As for the music itself, the instrumentation is well executed, with all of the songs feeling very well composed, all directed in a great way, being very easily an album to be heard again and again. Every song flows into the next one brilliantly and each captures the band members in their elements, with some intense riffing, fast drum work, monstrous vocals and bass lines, all of which is captured by a crisp production job. I recommend this to absolutely everyone who enjoys an immensely varied display of death metal done properly.
www.facebook.com/SpiritsWay
Review by Paul Caravasi

Necrocosm-Damnation Doctrine (2015)

Necrocosm is a mix between death and thrash metal, most of the riffs and leads are played more in a thrash manner while the drumming, vocals, and solos are more firmly in the death metal style. In essence you could call "Damnation Doctrine" an extreme thrash album, with a technical edge. First off the songs themselves are mainly played at very high tempos and the solos are almost entirely played in the Morbid Angel, Slayer style which is fast guitar picked distorted soloing that lasts for a short time. Slayer seems to be a big influence on this band style which uses a lot of Slayer’s techniques. Fortunately most of the songs are very entertaining and filler is almost non existent. Even when Necrocosm slows it down to more mid tempo parts the songs are still very entertaining. The band’s playing is very tight which shows they are highly capable musicians who exhibit incredible skill since most of their songs are played at very high tempos. The vocals are quite unique in death metal because they are bellowed in way that is easily decipherable to the listener. The guitar work and riffs are insane and to the point. The drumming is nearly flawless and is very double kick bass driven with some absolutely pummeling rhythms considering its 2015 and every drummer nowadays are fkn beasts. The bass does a killer job as well.  Necrocosm brings a brutal chaos with this album and belongs in any thrash or death metal collector’s collection. The best songs are "Disavow", "Necrocosm" and " Forcefed Progeny" ( insane vocals on this one). I recommend this album to any extreme metal fan who likes technically challenging death/thrash albums. Insane !
www.facebook.com/Necrocosm
necrocosm666.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/clawhammerpr
clawhammerpr@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Runa-Bullets Of Annihilation (Ep-2015)

Runa completely fufilled my expectations. Very aggressive give this ep a kick ass old school sound, but still original at its core. I am also glad to hear better production and more varied drum work on this release, not that there was anything wrong with these things on the previous tracks i heard on you tube, but it gives it a much better sound. Featuring Diego Porturas (Zavotage/Kraken) on drums and Giovanni Lama (Epilepsia) on Lead guitars and bass for the recording of this Ep. First I will say that this band is absolutely amazing in both songwriting and overall riffs. While I actually enjoyed Runa at Lima Metal fest, I must say that these tracks rule. As mentioned before, the production on this ep is also a big step up from the previous songs on you tube. It has much more bass added and creates some great stuff for this one. The guitar sounds killer, the drummer rips, and Alex's vocals sound more full of hate. This is definitely a new sound while still retaining most of what made Peruvian metal what it is.If you enjoy savage, raw blackened Thrash metal, I have no doubt that you will enjoy this. You might sense that I'm getting a bit excited about this recording, but its an Ep worth getting excited about. If you see this band on stage you will understand what i'm talking about. While I can't necessarily say that it is my favorite release of 2015, I can definitely say that it is at least as good as anything the peruvian metal scene has done before. Cheers to that Runa !!
www.facebook.com/runa.deaththrash
Review by Paul Caravasi

Dogbane-When Karma Comes Calling (2015)

Dogbane does not disappoint, this album is somewhat Iron Maiden, Sabbath, Saxon, Queensryche styled metal with a much darker twist. There is good twin guitar work with a lot of leads, simple but effective drum playing with a small trace of double bass, and the powerful vocals of Jeff Neal, then concentrating on a riff/solo/instrumental splendour kind of approach, Dogbane typically aims for overall song melody and atmosphere, sometimes enhanced by tasteful clean guitar parts within quieter passages - brings out the lyrical ideas perfectly and vice versa. Most of the songs here are pretty enthralling and show a good sense of variation for the most part, creative drumwork and a solid backbone for the vocal and bass drum driven chorus. Very nice, good things to come for this group.
www.dogbaneband.com
www.facebook.com/Dogbane
www.facebook.com/clawhammerpr
www.heavenandhellrecords.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Withering Soul-Adverse Portrait (2015)

This gem, it’s packed with old school Blackened Death metal excellence. What really sells me to this output is the that the music retains the beautifully captivating atmosphere that I fell so much in love with this sound. "Vestige" opens with heavy riffs enough to hypnotize the listener.This song is a great example of metal at its perfection, the melodies are outstanding, and the synth and guitar work as one to create a very memorable song. A notable aspect about this cd is that there is no use of clean vocals. The gutturals are deep. No complaints there. Adverse Portrait is a very fine slab of old school school metal for those who can’t just get enough of this kind of material. I would say that the songs on here are masterpieces, and so I would recommend this release to any extreme metal fan and anyone who is looking for some great atmospheric death metal. The way it used to be done. I can only congratulate and continue to let this record spin once again and in the end over and over again!!
www.witheringsoul.com
www.facebook.com/witheringsoulband
Review by Paul Caravasi

Dawn Patrol-Democracy Delivered (2015)

Dawn Patrol is pure aggression, the music reflects attitude and their desire to rebel against society. "Democracy Delivered" does not try to surprise or trick the listener with flashy time changes or experimental songwriting. I don't want to make the band sound simplistic, but I believe the power of their music lies in their ability to get in and out of a song in between 3-4 minutes. Dawn Patrol has a straight forward Thrash style, and what they lacked in technical ability they more than made up for in energy. Songs like "1984", "Democracy delivered" and "Toxic Avenger" thrash it out, It has riffs that leads into a heavy speed that will make your neck sore by the end of each song. Highly recommended!!!
www.facebook.com/wearedawnpatrol
Review by Paul Caravasi

Habamal-Tributo Thrash and Death (2015)

The intensity level is consistently high throughout this CD. Every song is delivered with reverence and power, and in some cases heavier than the original. And the production is pretty good too, with an incredible dark, saturated guitar tone that dominates the proceedings, though the drums have a little more of a garage ambience than you'd expect. "Slowly we rot" (Obituary): A powerful run-through with toe-curling intensity and a heavy foot on the gas pedal. Some shredding wah-wah leads rear their heads as well, but the female vocals sounds more angry and evil. "Agent Orange" (Sodom): This version is, again, both faster and tighter than the original (and I love the original, so that ought to tell you something). Frenzied leads again tear it up with a vengeance, evil-sounding black screeches on the chorus. "Phobia" (Kreator): They're driving the song along with amazing power. This is not for the weak of heart and Habamal do this tune justice.

"Evil Dead"(Death): The song that gave a whole subgenre a name is tackled with enthusiasm and you can tell that they're enjoying themselves on this one. Lita's roars Eviiiil Deaaaaad!!! are especially convincing! "Suffer the children" (Napalm Death): Navigates the various tempo changes. I'm amazed that the rest of the band can keep up with the drummer at times. "Nemesis" (Arch Enemy): Lita's vocals are better and more appropriate than the new singer in Arch Enemy.This benefits from a better guitar sound than the original as well as better leads  and  bass tone is warmer and deeper than the original too. Guitar sound and solos are a nice surprise! "Slave new World"(Sepultura)" Habamal manages to pull it off. The guiitar tone is better than most Sepultura wannabes and they have a good feel for the tune as well. This is such a covered tune that they do well. "Raining Blood"(Slayer): Drummer again handles Dave Lombardo's daunting drum parts, fast and flesh-ripping version.  Cool tune, this is the most surprising cover choice here. I am a die hard Salyer fan and I have to say this is my  favorite tune here on the CD. I give Habamal credit for having the balls to cover these classic tunes like this and doing something really good. Lita rules! Habamal from Ecuador stands out with a highly remakes with the originals, keeping the original thrill and also making it abit updated. Cool tribute !!
www.facebook.com/pages/Habamal/1481542415401768?fref=ts
Review by Paul Caravasi

Holocaustum-In the fields they Bled (2015)

Holocaustum play some insanely downtuned, slow death metal featuring a female vocalist,  the music here kicks ass. The production on this album is killer. Everything sounds incredibly heavy and gruesome. For the record, Shawna Silvers is one hell of a vocalist and some of her growls are deeper than most male singers. What's cool is that the illustration in the cover art goes hand in hand with the themes, as you can imagine yourself standing there in war witnessing the corpses arising from the field. Heavy guitar riffing enters the picture as the songs unfolds into a dark symphony of fucking death metal. The tracks remains at a brutal pace almost to the very end as the drummer uses  heavy double bass destroying everything in his path. So if you're into slow, crushing old-school death metal, then this is most definetely recommended. Definitely this has to be in the pages of death metal history. Brutal as fuck !!
https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-fields-they-bled
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Holocaustum/111402152349839
Review by Paul Caravasi

Stonecutters-Creatio Ex Nihil (2013)

Riffwise, this album is packed with aggressive, pounding, wrenching, and turbulent tons of kick and a fun loving atmosphere while still remaining a very dark piece. catchy, bouncy tunes charged with cut-throat choruses, hammering verses, and buzzsaw riffs properly coated with a deep sense of eradication and guidance. Brian Omer's voice follows suit properly, as well. He usually yells with his hoarse voice.The quality of this album is rich all around, Double bass from the drums are thick and mighty as they attack in full force. Bass support rummages in the background, but give extra strength to the guitars, helping fill any gaps in the air as to prevent a thin atmosphere. After that, I think we’re good from here on out. The sound is dignified in the beginning; each song carrying it’s own exclusive rhythm and groove. In conclusion, this band deserves a hell of a lot more credit for their work these days. Interesting Thrash Metal!
www.facebook.com/stonecuttersky
Review by Paul Caravasi

Deathblow-The other side of Darkness (2015)

They are angry, devastating and pounding. The riffs are truly pissed off and simple but extremely catchy. ”Beyond Obsession" and “Headless Throne” are just amazing in their schizophrenic, relentless tempo, they do a great guitar work here as well. precise, quite inventive and most of all total impact, the speed is unbelievable. Tremolo picking united to the palm muting riffs and fast bass drum parts united to up tempos. The violence in the vocals is unbelievable and this time none can stop Deathblow from destroying our poor ears. All in all, this Ep is violent and a lesson in heaviness to all those “no more thrash bands” of this era. Deathblow are here to stay.
http://deathblow1.bandcamp.com/album/prognosis-negative
www.facebook.com/dethblo
Review by Paul Caravasi

INTERVIEW WITH FUNERAL WHORE

Funeral Whore was created in 2006. The first official release of material throughout a records label (Godeater Records) was made in 2010 on pro-tape. Also a “7 inch split was released with Profanal from Italy through Blasphemous Art & Unholy Domain. In 2011, the first full length album was released worldwide through Chaos Records (Mexico). Now Funeral Whore has signed with FDA REKOTZ. Here's their interview.

Hello guys, Can you introduce us to your band and give some history for the readers of Soulgrinder?
Kellie: Hi there Paul and Soulgrinder readers! First of all thank you for this interview. FUNERAL WHORE was created in 2006 by Roy and me (Kellie). The band had various changes in lineup; drummers and bassists. Since 2013 this band has a steady lineup consisted of Roy Grimreaper, Nick the Hammer, Van Dune and myself Kellie Chopper

How would you describe the sound of Funeral Whore?
Roy: Rude, dark and aggressive but powerfull as well. There's always some sort of groove going on in every song. Unlike most Old School Death Metal bands, we do not have melodic, refreshing parts. We concentrate fully on the dark aggressiveness of the music. The eternal search for a more sinister and deeper sound in general, seems endless. Maybe we throw the whole fucking thing in A instead of B tuned, who knows in the future.
Arjan: The way I would describe FUNERAL WHORE is old school death metal to the bone. We consider ourselves as old school death metal fundamentalists. And our aim is to create an evil sound that grooves and one can easily bang the skull on. Also, no technical bullshit because that would take away the evil and blunt feel, in my opinion. We usually go by the phrase, Not for trendy ears! Too much of that these days!

What made you choose the name Funeral Whore?
Roy: It just sounds brutal, that's all, nothing special. Our name made some turmoil for some people. We have been refused on Killtown Deathfest and at one gig in Braunschweig because our name did not fitted with the organizer's ideologies. But hell, who cares.
Arjan: Roy came up with the name. I myself can relate to the name cause death, rituals and graveyards are common themes in our music, next to a lot others!

Is the band playing any live gigs?
Roy: Absolutly, but mainly outside our own country. Dedication and death metal enthousiam must be found at our neighbors. There's a very good underground scene in Germany and most of the Funeral Whore gigs take place upthere.
Arjan: Hell yeah! We love to play live and do that quite often. We play across Europe mostly but also did a tour in Mexico in 2013. This year we got some shows in Germany and Holland for a change.
Kellie: Yes of course! We like to play gigs! And we like to party! We do the most of our shows in Germany, but also we did shows in Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, Mexico and our own country The Netherlands. We still have some upcomming shows, but when the CD is released later this year there will be more shows to promote our album of course!

What got you interested in extreme metal and who are your favorite bands?
Roy: The darker side got my attention in the 90ties, especially death and black metal. One of the first death metal albums I both was Dismember - Death Metal. That was back in 1997 or 1998. I have no favorite bands, only favorite albums. Bands come and go and especially change dramaticly in many cases and most of the time in a very bad way. There are too many good albums. It is impossible for me to choose.
Arjan: I don't think there is a particual reason for it. As far as I can remember I was always drawn to rock and metal. Started listening rock and metal when I was about 10 years old and doing that ever since. My interest is very wide and I can respect almost all types of music.
I could sum up the usual known bands but I would like to point out some bands I listen to a lot lately and think they are very good. First that comes to mind is OBSCURE INFINITY, they released a new album this year called PERPETUAL DESCENDING INTO NOTHINGNESS and that's a jewel! Well written album and has great atmosphere, you should check it out.
Also listening to AHAB which is also a German band. Very slow and fucking HEAVY. It's doom metal, which I usually don't like that much but these people are found regularly on my playlist these days for some reason. Great music.
Next to the above German bands I like the Frence band SKELETHAL. I've seen them om IN FLAMMEN OPEN AIR 2015 in Germany and they kicked ass. Also MORBID FLESH from Spain I like a lot. They have a great HM2 sound live on which you just can't stand stand still. We did a small tour with them and are also great dudes!

What are your favorite horror films? is horror your favorite movie genre?
Roy: A good old 80ties slasher movie is nice to watch but I prefer true shockumantaries and realism. But horror is definantly not my favorite genre. Movies based upon true stories or facts are for me a good choice If I give myself the time to watch a movie.
Arjan: Like with music, my interest in movies is also very wide. I like horror movies, but mostly the older ones. These days it feels like they don´t take the time to build up the suspense. And that´s what I like especcially in horror-  and thriller movies. here's a list of my favorite horror movies: THE SHINING, ALIEN, JAWS, THE EXORCIST, HALLOWEEN, EVIL DEAD, THE OMEN, DRACULA, CUBE, THE HITCHER, THE THING and PSYCHO!

Can you tell me about the death metal scene in your hometown ? Any other bands you can recommend?
Roy: There's nothing in our area from our genre. Even worse, there's nothing decent in the whole fuckin province. In Holland itself there are a very view bands that honestly deserve attention and these are Rotten Casket, Massive Assault from the east. Nailgun Massacre from Leiden, sadly broke up recently and Entrapment, a true old school death metal killer band from the north.If you are really into vintage death metal without bullshit, you can order their music immidiatly because this is absolutly first class terror.

Which fanzines do you like to read in these times? Do you remember back in the day the tape trading and stuff? Do you think Internet helps better?
Roy: Internet is execellent for contacts, gigs, tradings and promotion. The rest is just a bunch a crap for lame and lonely people. There are some underground Funeral Whore dvd that have been brought up by ourself throughout trading so it is not something from the past, it is still going on for us.
Arjan: To be honest, I mostly do not read them. One comes to mind and that's http://zephyrs-odem.de/ it's a good quality, german, webzine. I can remember the good old days with the tapes ofcourse! Good times, but times change and now the world is smaller and that gives opportunities too. The internet has it's use for sure. A lot of bands and people in general I would not have met if it wasn't for the internet.

Who will release your second album? Did you ever begin the recording or where will it be recorded? You already have an idea of the title? but what about the cover artwork? The song titles and lyrics? There are any other infos to share?
Roy: FDA Rekotz, the biggest underground label in Europe will release our second album later this year. It has been recorded, mixed and mastered by Sven post (Retaliation Audio), close friend of the band and stand in musician. He did a great job. We have a titel but it will not be announced until we have a official release date. I'm currently working out the whole artwork concept and also that is almost finished. It will contain 11 tracks, I can give you that.

Do you think Death metal nowadays needs some part of originality, personality and own deeper ideas, or does it become too hard to be really personal while the most important would be the MOTORHEAD/ ACDC side of things: Throw the energy, the morbid feeling and it will work?
Roy: That is something that a band has to discover by it's own. In this scene you have to find your own way to fix and overcome problems and figger out what you want to be. It's seems simple but its an extremely difficult task. Do you wanna play for your own or just for the bigger crowed? Do you know what you wanna play in general? is death metal for life or do you think it's just for fun. It is very complicated and with different people in a band with different mindsets, it will be a failure for sure If you are not afraid to be honest with yourself... Energy and morbid feeling are just a few elements of a much bigger concept.
Arjan: That's a tough question and not easy to anwser. I don't think you can make some kind of magic formula. And you don't want that. I think best to do is make the stuff you want and get good at it and enjoy. Music is not made in a lab in my opinion. Just pick up your instrument and kick some ass. By doing that you could get all you mentioned above I guess... Heck, I dunno man. No more difficult questions!! haha

Any chance you’ll be adding some North American dates, soon?
Roy: ow men, I wish I could attach here a fuckin concert list or tour schedule of 14 days but we do not have much contacts with the US scene. I hope this will light up later on, with the release of our new album.
Arjan: That, my metal brother, would be fucking awesome! We never did a show in North America unfortunatly, but I can speak for all that would like to do that! Nothing planned though, let's hope it will happen one day!

Thank you so much for you time! I can’t wait to hear the second album and I hope I’ll be watching you from the pit in the near future. Cheers guys!
Kellie: Paul, thank you so much for the support!!! And I hope so too, and after that show I'll join you in the pit! ;-)
Roy: Haha, you're not the only one. And you better watch out for mrs. Chopper because she enters the moshing pit without mercy like no other.
Arjan: You're welcome! And thanks again for this interview. Hail metal brothers and sisters! See you in the pit one day!

www.facebook.com/FW.OldSchoolDeathMetal
www.reverbnation.com/funeralwhore
Interview by Paul Caravasi

DEXEREBRATTOR-"Toxic Nea" (Ep/2015)

This Ep rocks, plain and simple. Simple  DEXEREBRATTOR is in their approach and yet of course, highly effective. This young band from Argentina carries more visceral intensity than your average brutal band. DEXEREBRATTOR doesn’t seem to posses tremendous instrumental abilities, but what they do posses is the talent to craft one hell of a memorable riffing. Throughout the entire Ep, we observe the band pumping one flesh-shredding riff after another. These riffs are indeed your typical open string to power chord relief thrash riffing, but what makes them so effective is a certain, uncanny sense for melody. What makes each riff highly addicting is in their ability to unveil attention grabbing hooks. Each riff is more memorable than the last, and one will find themselves constantly returning for more thrashing.There is rarely a dull moment, only ball thrashing intensity.This Ep is highly recommended, purchase this album, especially if your just getting into metal !
www.facebook.com/pages/Dexerebrattor/306101852879332
Review by Paul Caravasi

Nervous Impulse-Time to Panic (2015)

This band is unlike any other grindcore band that I've heard. Since this is the first album I'm listening to from this band, I have to say they have a very creative imagination with the brutal edge they deliver on this full-length album. A good aspect of this album is the fact that, although it may sound repetitive at most points (which is usually the case with most grindcore acts), it never fails to aspire creativity and originality in a genre that by most people's standards don't expect much from. Another great thing about this release are the shredding riffs that are found scattered throughout the whole thing. The music is exactly what its name implies but no band can get away with a great release without adding some chorus within each song an example is Napalm Death's first two albums which are executed very well in the riffing department. This album is heavy as fuck, the tracks are sure to annoy the hell out of anyone who has primitive knowledge on metal or is simply disgusted by grindcore, this is a rampaging destruction of your ears. So if you enjoy primal yet intelligent grindcore, or any extreme music for that matter, this album stands as a flagstaff middle finger to all that is holy and good, I think it kicks ass, so if you're a fan of grind and are seeking a new twist to this genre consider picking up this album right now.
www.facebook.com/NervousImpulseGrind
Review by Paul Caravasi

VHS-Hi-Fi Horror (Uncut edition) Demo 2015

VHS incorporates a lot of fast hardcore, punk, Thrash crossing the border into the realm of Death metal. And they do it well! personally, I quite like this approach. I makes the fastest parts still sound tighter than other extreme metal bands in these days. This demo is, indeed, Raging Hell! Screams? hell yeah, And good ones too. Like i mentioned of course there are still a lot of hardcore punk moments on this demo.And obviously the backing gang-shout-vocals and incidental lead make this band sound more brutal than one would expect from a band like this. The subgenre was just discovering itself in those days so expecting some experimenting and more than just blast speed and grunts is advised to anyone still studying their heavy metal history lessons.It’s pretty hard to come up with a final score for a killer demo such as this one. It would be easy to say “this demo is so cool so here’s 99 points”. I could do that. But in 2015, how does a demo stand out? Compared to most modern day metal bands this demo sounds extreme, brutal, refreshing and especially energetic. And fortunately Metal is a genre in which having a better production isn’t always a good thing and Yes, this band will easily kick your ass!
www.facebook.com/vhsthunderbay
www.soundcloud.com/vhshorror
Review by Paul Caravasi

Kabexnuv/Dol Guldur-Wings Of Black Holocaust Split Cd (2015)

Black Metal was never what I would consider my thing, but there were some bands to come from Norway that impressed me a lot back in the day.Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Immortal, Emperor and Enslaved. Well, we're talking about this split here. While so many of the mentioned bands seemed to be carrying the torch of old school black metal, while adding their own vision, Kabexnuv brings this dark atmosphere, but there does appear to be some attempt to follow in the footsteps of Nocturno Culto, Fenriz and Zephyrous. From the fast-paced tremolo riffs to the old school rhythms and raw sound, this sounds heavily inspired by the bands mentioned above. Dol Guldur brings a different approach. Influenced by "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" sound. The production is fairly raw and that is what i can say about this, the guitar has a razor-sharp sound, which suits the first track more than the others. This sounds rather decent for a Black metal band.If you truly feel that you must have this, go for it. This definitely is for followers of the atmospheric and sinister Black metal sound.
https://kabexnuv.bandcamp.com/album/wings-of-black-holocaust
avitas66@hotmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Yellowtooth-Crushed by the Wheels of Progress (2015)

In my opinion this is a  good stoner metal album. There are 8 outstanding songs on here, with absolutely killer riffs, that will have you headbanging, or in other places just nodding your head. It's actually pretty aggressive for a stoner album. The whole album has a cool atmosphere, like this band just went into the studio and had a blast. Drummer, bassist guitar, and vocals does a great job, his voice fits the music perfectly, some memorable riffwork. If you like massive 70's influenced guitarriffs with plenty of aggression and great hooks, as well as catchy songs, you need to pick this one up.
www.facebook.com/yellowtoothband
www.orchestratedmisery.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Vulcano-Bloody Vengeance (Cd/Dvd 2015)

There was an amazing era in Brazil for extreme metal (84-89). To name a few: Sepultura, Sarcofago, Mx, Mutilator, Chakal, Holocausto and many more..attacking with their sinister overtones and brutality, and there's Vulcano crushing and pancaking everything on their path with their fearless-barbaric attitude. The first difference is this has more attention paid to evolve and expand a song than nearly blazing right through.The music on 'Bloody Vengeance' sounds more inherently thrash, of course with touches of ambiguous '80's death and chaotic black metal in the likes of Blasphemy, Beherit, Impaled Nazarene and others who mixed a heavy-handed sacrilegious outlook with what's been established musically at that point in death and grind. Though it's like Sarcofago were so ahead of their time on their debut "INRI" still maintained a tone that is dingy and devious sounding through other musical outlets but by Vulcano standards the guitars here are technical in a way. They take advantage of the lower strings and use more rapidly played open and closed riffs that would be recognized and related to thrash techniques, crunching, they can be simultaneously aggressive and catchy. To get a closer idea of Vulcano's mind-set here, their lyrics bring evil, witches and Vengeance and their music further unravels the rest of their abuses in particular motions and actions. The music delivers the unbalance that the everyday person doesn't need: too much of this or that might kill you. In some of the delivery, they treat the moment like it might be their last breath by screaming in a tortured way or pound the drums as if comets are going to come crashing down and take out the populace, never to be there again. So if I have to relate ''Bloody Vengeance" to "evil," it is essentially evil along the lines of cruelty, barbarity, sadism, selfish excess, and of course vices, where would this release be without those temptations that they give into at every chance and are just dripping with them? I don't know exactly but I can't imagine a better experience without them, and in turn it does give this recording a certain feel and atmosphere. A must have !

www.greyhazerecords.com
www.facebook.com/VULCANOMETAL
Review by Paul Caravasi

Mystifier-Goetia (2015)

Another great Re-issue by Greyhaze records. This classic album was released in 1993. The music is not what one may expect from a black metal album that was released in 1993. This sounds quite unique when compared to what was going on in Norway and Sweden at that time. The guitar riffs, often, take on a secondary role and join the percussion and vocals to create a wall of sound. There are moments where the savage melody is utilized to drag the listener toward the infernal gates of hell; however, in general, the guitars are heavier and more violent. The legacy of Sarcofago and Blasphemy remains a strong part of this music, yet Mystifier has taken it even further, such a barbaric approach while also creating a truly dark and evil atmosphere. The fast-paced, chaotic parts are still there, but now accompanied by mid-paced riffs, making the entire experience the equivalent of a Satanic ritual. That is really what this feels like, and the demonic vocals add to that as much as anything else.The quality of the sound is pretty clear and far better than the garage atmosphere that is found on the demos. While the guitars do not stand out very much, it seems that this is exactly how the band wanted it, as it suits the music well. The guitar tone is very thick and kind of muddy. "Goetia" is highly recommended for those seeking truly evil black metal. This is neither beautiful nor depressive. It is ugly, primitive and consumed with darkness and fkn hate. To get the full effect, one should listen to this with only the light of black candles and a cold breeze coming through the window. Remove all distractions and simply offer yourself to the malevolent spirits that this music conjures up. This digipack features 3 live bonus tracks. Buy it or dieeee!
www.greyhazerecords.com
www.facebook.com/mystifier666
Review by Paul Caravasi

Impurity-Into The Ritual Chamber (2015)

Originally released in 1996. Now reissued by Greyhaze Records.Brazilian black metal Combining the speed of grindcore, the hardness and grit of first wave death metal, and the evil of early black metal (such as Mayhem – Deathcrush), "Into the ritual chamber"  showcases Impurity’s unique take on extreme metal in its rawest, most unrefined form. This is  an undeniable classic. The vocals are heavily influenced by the old school black metal style, fast-paced grunts and snarls that will remind the listener of Blasphemy, Beherit and why not Marduk; however there is also a bit of a more typical black metal rasp to them. The lyrics are the best kind of black metal lyrics, songs about genocide and satanic rites. Impurity is not to be missed, this album is still a great offering that not only rises above nearly every black metal album, EP or demo released back in the 90's, but its influence can be heard in nearly any black metal album these days. Instead of thinking like everyone else seems to “Wow, I wish I could find another band like Beherit/Demoncy/whoever,” you need to check the brazilian bands first. This is pure evil !
www.greyhazerecords.com
www.facebook.com/impuritybrasil
Review by Paul Caravasi

Wintercoffin-Forest Of Blitzkrieg (7" Ep)

Recorded in the basement of the Armory on 4 track, mastering by Röckel Science Aüdio Memphis TN. This is the side project of Rob Evil (evil army)and Jimmy Blitzkrieg  (jay passed before he and rob could reactivate wintercoffin), so this is their only recording by them. These guys took the rawest of black metal and fuses it with an intense "thrash metal" style of playing. The result was something extreme and violent to a point that it would start it's own trend. The song set the stage for what would be typical for a black metal band. Brutal beats, thrashing guitars and a suprising and subtle amount of variety in the playing style. When they blast...they BLAST...when they thrash...they fkn thrash There is no doubt that these boys take their metal as seriously as they do their brand of world-hatred. If you can find this 7" ,buy it! This is high quality face-thumping at it's best.
blackskulrecords@gmail.com
robevil83@yahoo.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Ecthyma-Necromancia (Demo 2014)

The opening charge of the first track really had me excited for this demo, because it showed more energy than anything, violent black metal.There are still some real blazers here, and while there are several things to admire about this, it's the return to insanity in metal."Necromancia" is just a straight attack, with female growling. I will say this: Ecthyma sounds fairly amazing, with a punchier tone. The brutal attitude is here and this demo can be equally good, looking forward to hear their full lenght album. Cheers to that!
www.facebook.com/pages/ECTHYMA/497235776988285
www.facebook.com/pentagramrecs
Review by Paul Caravasi