Goatfyre - Goatfyre (2022)

If you've ever wondered what the missing link between, say, Venom, early Slayer and Motorhead may have been with female vocals, look no further. The shouted vocals, seriously dark and grim atmosphere, lyrical concepts of war and killing, the aggression and overdriven basslines, it's all here. Goatfyre took the power of Motörhead and Venom, the lyricism of Slayer and combined it with their own hardcore punk background and created extreme music. Goatfyre easily can be listened by a thrash, grind, black metal, hardcore punk and dozens of subsequent genres followers. How can any fan of extreme music resist the chainsaw guitar sounds? No matter your depth of metal knowledge and history, if you don't know and respect Goatfyre you know nothing. Loud and ferocious music, All of these songs for the most part are the best representation of youthful energy, anger when it's dealt with properly and productively, this is a must-have album for any self-respecting metal head, or fan of extreme music in general !!

jawbreakerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/goatfyre

jawbreaker.se

Review by Paul Caravasi

Blasphemaniac - Bestial Occult Ceremony ( 2022)

This is ther first full length from Brazil's finest extreme metal band Blasphemaniac. Though the band has gained notoriety for their most recent demos and compilations, this eight track chunk of rabid raw old school worship set the tone for Blasphemaniac's career to come. Raw and savage in all of the right ways,  plain and simple. While Whipstriker also from Brazil brought Hellhammer tone to Motörhead these maniacs brought thrashing, blackened, bastardized thrash metal. Despite being quite raw and rambunctious, the album is extremely listenable. Everything is remarkably clean and surprisingly upbeat. The guitars deliver punkened heavy metal riffs loaded with tons of classy double stop fills and blazing solos, vocals are delivered as a cleaner, raw shout instead of the deeper growl, "Bestial Occult Ceremony" is basically a homage to classic southamerican metal with a bit of metalpunk flair: Motörhead; Tank; Warfare; Venom; you name it. The music is catchy as hell and all but requires the listener to headbanging. The album's lack of polish only serves to enhance it's charm, this is pure savagery debut album. Any fan of the style owes it to themselves to find this brutal gem!!

blackheartsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bestial-occult-ceremony

jawbreaker.se

Review by Paul Caravasi

Armory - Mercurion (2022)

The 80s was a great time for metal. Judas Priest, Helloween, Maiden were all releasing career-defining work, and alongside death, thrash, black and hair metal, speed metal emerged with good bands all forming and gaining fame. It is for this reason that upon first hearing - and indeed seeing - Armory you'd be forgiven for thinking you were in the 80s. This band sounds like just the sort of fast-paced, gritty metal you'd expect from such long-haired, denim-wearing metalheads, and this is no bad thing. The band wear these influences on their sleeve  full-length "Mercurion" is an excellent homage to one of metal's most crucial time periods. 'Message from the stars' sets the scene for much of the album, both in name and sound. It's Judas Priest style double-guitar assault is a metalheads dream, while the loud pounding drums and screeching vocals complete the Armory sound. The 80s may have been great for metal, but let's not pretend there isn't a ton of high-quality metal around today. In Mercurion Evil Invaders combine these two truths to emerge with a strong-as-hell album. It's dirty, thrashy and in-your-face, it's also pretty brilliant.  Essential listen, especially if speed/thrash are your forte!!

armory417.bandcamp.com/album/mercurion

jawbreaker.se

Review by Paul Caravasi