Entrench-Violent Procreation (2014)

"Violent Procreation" is Entrench's wicked sick thrashing metal explosion of rage, is their sharp as steel, honed to perfection exercise in precision aggression, one of the tightest yet most full barreled thrash metal assaults ever laid down in 2014. And as with other new albums, the song writing keeps pace with the savagery, the album being a nearly flawless run of memorably destructive music. "One With Agony" is perhaps the top of the heap, quality wise, but the entirety of the album is assured. The production, which captures every riff, every beat in sterling form. But the real achievement here is how Entrench have moved from a bunch of kids making the most ripping metal in their power, to a band writing some of the genre's most intense and flat our best music ever. If you own this album, Dark Angel's DARKNESS DESCENDS and Kreator's Pleasure To Kill, you can be assured that you are hearing thrash metal at it's best. It wouldn't hurt to also grab key releases by Whiplash, Sacrifice and Razor, but if you only want to hear the absolute best Thrash Metal album in 2014, Entrench's "Violent Procreation" is a must have. I bet Victor Holmström could be so proud of this album!
www.facebook.com/entrench
entrench.bandcamp.com
fullblastpr@gmail.com
Review  by Paul Caravasi

Venganza-Santo Maldito (Demo Cassette 2014)

Black metal and grindcore. Two of the most brutal genres of metal. Wait, what's that you say? There is a band which....COMBINES THESE???? Yes indeed, it is true. Venganza do just that on this Demo. And what a fucking take on the style do they pull off! This music is chaotic, raw, fast, unrelenting, and BRUTAL. Yes. Brutal. In every true sense of the word. No stupid moshcore riffs, no stupid pig squeals, no idiotic breakdowns. This is brutal as brutal is meant to be.Though this demo is fairly short, its sound and the conviction in the way songs are played makes it seem as if it were twice as long. The singer vomits lyrics in spanish as if he is puking out damned souls. Though the playing is not necessarily very tight, it makes up for that by being genuine and having an excellent assortment of riffs. Guitars grind along at breakneck speeds, and wail out solos which could raise the dead. Drumming is especially frantic, a frenetic sounding blast, though not being as overtly fast. The way all of the instruments mesh together makes the music sound barbaric, and it's interesting. What else is there to say? Personal favorite track is  "Sacrificio Guerrero".Enough of my rambling. If you are into grindcore, old school extreme metal, raw black metal, or anything of the sort, you need  this demo....Youre still here??? Get off your ass and get this Demo!
Band Contact: venganzabanda@hotmail.com
mercyfulhell@hotmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Death Invoker-Demo 2010 (Cassette)

Each Peruvian band has their own approach to the sound, but all had the same characteristics; brutal but simplistic riffing, relentless blast beats and haunting brutal metal howls. This demo begins with practically an explosion, with some of the scariest sounding vocals in metal and ugliest riffs. It's kind of like if old school death metal meets Bathory. The solo kicks in for about 20 seconds, and resembles your classic Jeff Hanneman chaos solo, and executed very well. Unfortunately every demo has its weakness, and for this demo from 2010 it's the indecipherable guitars drowned out by the drums and vocals. Though it creates a chaotic atmosphere for the album, it does eventually become a bit of a nuisance.  However this band has memorable riffs. Haunting bestial vocals that were unheard until 2010, great riffs and fantastic chaos solos throughout! I recommend Death Invoker to anyone who is a fan of black/Death metal in the old school way.
www.deathinvoker.weebly.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Morbid Macabre-Hell And Damnation

Here's the Debut album of Morbid Macabre leaded by the singer of Colombian legend MASACRE. The ambiguity that existed between death, black and thrash metal in the 80s pretty much goes here, well, this project offers  some of the most truly twisted and brutal material of this era, but we can't forget the masters on this style who were the pioneers, the one and only Sarcofago from Brazil.This release consists of long, epic, yet primative songs that embody the respective characteristics of Morbid Macabre To say that an album like this comes with a few minor flaws. For all the wild variation in tempo going on and the radically differing characteristics of each section which is loaded with hatred, the level of musicianship going on here is at least as advanced as anything that obscure death metal metal was dabbling coming with a healthy dose of complex riffing and wild shred fests, though it falls a little bit behind in terms of cohesiveness. If early Messiah, Possessed and Bathory are on the radar, Morbid Macabre definitely can be found at their border.
www.facebook.com/morbidmac
http://morbidmacabre.tk/
www.facebook.com/pages/Austral-Holocaust-Prods/250899061603703
Review by Paul Caravasi

Satanika-Satanikattack (2011)

This is nasty stuff! Satanika from Italy are quite possibly the dirtiest, rawest and blackest black/thrash band back today. This release  is a shock to the underground metal scene. This is dirty but well produced. Do I care? No! All of those factors contribute to this release's shine. There is an obvious Venom and early Sodom influences here. Satanikattack is obviously in the vein of those bands, and also it has its own little sense of originality, as with the rest of the songs on here.There are some really, really brutal songs to be found. "Atomic Curse" comes to mind first. It begins with a almost suspenseful strumming with some evil riffs over the top and then just breaks loose! With some fast blast-beats and possessed vocals, this is certainly a precursor to modern black/death metal. It's maybe the heaviest song of this release. "Morbid Priest" is also a killer. And has a similar structure for the beginning like Atomic Curse has.I don't even have any complaints for this. It's not the best release ever,but is pretty great especially for a band formed in 2009. Devastating!
www.facebook.com/satanikattack
http://satanika.bandcamp.com/
australholocaust@hotmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Profaner-Promo 2014

Profaner should really need no introduction by now, and that goes double for any death metal fan. Profaner's promo 2014 is one of the dirtier, more pugilistic death metal Peruvian band. This is an essential death metal band. The first of which, are the riffs. This promo features demos of 2008 and 2010, a virulent shit-storm of riffs, which caressed via an achingly low-ass tone splatters your innards across the wall. The bass is perfectly technical, low enough to rumble your bowels and of course highly beneficial to the music. The drummer really hits the nail on the head here. The vocals are quite obviously in the Chuck Schuldiner school of growling which is great, although I feel the vocalist sounds a little more manic and unsettling. The drums are really cool here, with a lot of obscure fills used, setting off more conventional beats, he controls tempo well and really leads everything forward, some of those double pedal crutching youngsters should take a leaf out of his book! Another of the more note-worthy elements displayed on Profaner is that the band aren't afraid to launch into brutal territory. As is normally the case with death metal the lead guitar work is explosive and relevant. On the whole Profaner stands as a disgusting, raw, and dirty ode to death metal. This is the kind of death metal sound that is actually horrifying, the production is their best friend resulting in a raw, festering, mucky sound. This gets my highest recommendation to death metal fans, but I feel this band has reasonable claim to a place in any serious metal fans collection. Essential!
Contact: profaner_deathmetal@hotmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Thanatos-Global Purification (2014)

Holy shit! This album is simply already a gem of death/thrash metal. Hardly any new albums by any metal artist can touch the intensity and greatness of this old school sound metal release. This is Thanatos doing real extreme music. It's heavy, fast, and intense, with just enough melody to hold together the depths of the evil overall sound. The album starts with a heavy mash of guitars, drums, and tortured death screams with "Global Purification".  Vocals are evil gravel growls which manage still to be intelligible, sometimes a lost art form in death metal. Well, they are the top layer of a wall of heavy, crunchy guitar sounds, with ridiculously good riffing. The riffs on this album are spectacular and probably one of my favorite things about this album and Thanatos in general. Every song has at least two major riff hooks that you will either hum or play on your guitar constantly out of habit and their cool sound. Don't mistake good riffing for melody-- there is no melodic wankery here, strictly old school-style death metal riffing that sounds like it's coming straight out of the dark of a cemetery. The very little melody that does exist is extremely subtle, but holds together the overall sound of the band quite well. However, the chugging, headbanging death metal riffs such as those in "The Murder Of Innocence" or "Infestation Of The Soul" give one a chance to bang your head around in mid-tempo death metal glory, right before the mid-tempo parts burst into blastbeats and vicious tremolo picked riffs from hell, the Thanatos  style of riffing is ridiculously catchy and great while still remaining artistic and containing an atmosphere rarely achieved by any metal bands, especially today. Get this album if you don't have it, what the fuck are you waiting for? This is a fucking awesome record. Thanatos rules !!
www.facebook.com/thanatos333
http://www.thanatos.info/
www.centurymedia.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

The Dead-End Alley Band-Odd Stories (2014)

An eclectic mix of diverse styles and influences, rock blues jazz mix, all of these aspects do reappear in places. Imagine a sunset, sitting alone looking out of a window as the world flows by. The musical mix is enhanced by piano, especially during the middle of songs.The keyboard and bass pounds, Definitely influenced by The Doors and Iron Butterfly, and this is certainly an album not for my taste. Next please!
www.facebook.com/deabperu
http://soundcloud.com/deabperu
Review by Paul Caravasi

Kalki-Almas Inmortales (2014)

The times are already changing. Metal music is changing as well, some for the better, some for the worst. Kalki from Peru comes out with their first album "Almas Inmortales", the album is decent, more like a Stoner sound with some touches of Death Metal vocals. In fact most of the songs have a semi-fast paced tempo. Most of the lyrics and themes for these songs have to deal with hallucinations and psychedelia.It's got a lot of cool riffs, and in fact the distortion on the guitar solos is very unique to their style. The drummer does a good job keeping the tempo, vocal performance is good. This isn't necessarily bad, but it makes the music sound repetitive at times. If you like Saint Vitus, Sabbath you'll like this album. If you are okay with metal bands trying to do something original, you should be fine with this album. Overall not bad, they have potential.
www.facebook.com/kalkiStoner
www.facebook.com/ToxikoProducciones
www.facebook.com/sonidoslatentes
Review by Paul Caravasi

Epilepsia-Assassin (Ep 2014)

This Ep marks a difference from every other Peruvian thrash record of this time. With this release, Epilepsia becomes, with all honours, one of the coolest and respected Thrash metal groups. They joined the first division of  thrash in 1998' and become more convincing and professional. They reached a high level, ready to achieve success and recognition among the rich Peruvian underground metal scene, which by this time, is plenty of young promising bands. If they want to survive and compete with the big of this genre, they already found their own sound, refusing to get stagnant in predictable cliches. That’s what they're doing!The music of Epilepsia evolved and developed into something more elaborated, skillful and fresh, compared to their primitive sound of the early records. The significative changes in the now more difficult arrangements, lenghtier instrumental passages and more solid riffs provide their sound of greater consistency. The song-structures are not incredibly complex, each composition avoids to focus on technique excessively, but the huge improvement is notable particularly the riffs and hooks are devastating and raw most of the time.They even attempted to increase the power and violence of these tracks by including faster loose tempos, which are defined immaculately by the raging double bass-drum beatings. Speed is constant, an essential characteristic of their new sound that give us the chance to headbang and break our necks.Frantic velocity, instrumental progression and huge killer riffing, that was the combination that couldn’t fail: The final result is a memorable masterpiece of Thrash Metal. We have here a splendid thrash masterpiece, memorable energy, attitude and passion of these 6 fierce tunes, then there’s no way you won’t enjoy them. With powerful stuff like this EP in their discography catalog, they'll reach the glory and splendor, anyway, for those who live in the past like me, for those old-school romantics that can’t find any pleasure on the modern dumb thrash sound , here you got a fucking brutal Thrash Metal band!!
www.facebook.com/EPILEPSIATHRASH
Press Contact: epilepsia_thrash@hotmail.com
www.australholocaust.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Decimation-Reign Of Ungodly Creation

The album is a must have. Let's begin with the technique, the riffs are out in full force, sheer insanity and pure creativity. For most bands on most albums, the bassist is simply an obligatory instrument which serves to fill the need for low end. It's worth mentioning that vocals performance on this album is incredible making it sound closer to the "old school" death metal vocalists like Frank Mullen. The next time you're cruising your friendly neighborhood record store, skip the tripe from the overhyped copycats of the day and buy this album, and you'll be listening to it for years after you forgot the name of that other band you were going to buy. Can't wait to hear what they can do with their next album !
www.facebook.com/DecimationTR
www.comatosemusic.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Septycal Gorge-Scourge Of The Formless Breed (2014)

As a genre, death metal is mostly appealing because of the combined concentration of technical prowess and unconventional songwriting tendencies. It’s easy to see how a number of people who are taken by the vile, atonal nightmare that is this form of extreme music might also have an affinity for obscure progressive metal or the inevitable hybrid of the two. For its time, it could be said that this band is dabbling in a progressive area, Septycal Gorge particularly cuts like a decrepit guttural ear drum assault, i considered brutal and technical by today’s standards. The inevitable changes in the definitions of terms used to describe metal music might confuse most who are looking to bands like Cryptopsy, Decrepit Birth or Necrophagist. This is much closer to what is now considered the archaic sound that is still pushed by Cannibal Corpse in the early days, although its much more potent and will probably hold some appeal for current fans of brutal death who have some appreciation for the roots of death metal. But categories aside, this is an intense listen, especially considering that its made by young metalheads. Everything about it, including the production, are endearing and only further add to an already hearty array of blood and guts. Forget about riding the haunted mansion ride at your nearby amusement park, forget about “House Of A Thousand Corpses”, just listen to this and see if you can avoid getting freaked out !
www.facebook.com/septycalgorge.official
www.comatosemusic.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Inferion-This Will Decay (2014)

Old school death metal. Start blasting away at full speed, and relies more on the impact, 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 brutal acts populating the scenes of late. Boasting some new blood on the altar, and here it works out just perfectly, added this satanic sermon voice to the Inferion experience. I must stress that the sound is in the beautifully disgust filled aural assault we all love. This young band delivers !
www.inferion.net
www.horrorpaingoredeath.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

TelochVovin-Rehearsal Promo I (2014)

Sometimes I have no real knowledge of Black metal bands , to me after the 90's they became 'tired, bored and monotonous', So I came to this band, a dependable brutal sound to pad my Metal Nights out even further. This rehearsal promo kicked my ass for my complacency with their tight-as-fuck riffage. Yup, tight, is the word. A band as chaotic as this would reek of sloppiness in the hands of a lesser band, but those guitars burn like a buzzsaw blade over the top of a drumkit being abused by a pillheaded octopus, the craziest blastbeating, double-bass driven beats, interspersed with enough shifts in gear to keep the rhythm fresh and no less evil. Everything leaps out of the speakers, and hopefully seeps through every wall in the house. I'll raise a glass to TelochVovin setting the standard for albums to come. i am not a black Metal fan but this band is fkn impressive, diverse and makes you listen the entire thing without getting bored. Good job!
www.facebook.com/TelochVovin333
Review by Paul Caravasi

Nervo Chaos-The Art Of Vengeance (2014)

This album is a must have for fans of thrash metal, death metal, or black metal. It seems nobody listens to any other Brazilian bands like the classic  Sarcófago other than their INRI album,Vulcano and all the others, especially this band goes unoticed., at least here in the states. This band has a few ups on their previous releases with a much better production quality but the music here is more technical. Every song on this album is different and every song is catchy. Think Obituary-Slowly We Rot style vocals with a little more grunt to them. Very good death/thrash style guitar work and some amazing drums. There is really no reason not to check this album out. It isn't repetative, so it doesn't get boring and the music is good (whether it is your style or not). Also the first pressing of the album includes a bonus Dvd featuring a documentation of the band's latest tour. It is enjoyable and furious!
www.nervochaos.com.br
pt-br.facebook.com/NervoChaos
www.greyhazerecords.com

Cropsy Maniac-Shear Terror (2014)

These crazy bastards execute extraordinary brutal music dedicated to the horror movie freaks, Cropsy Maniac have based an entire Ep on horror, if you ask me , i can tell their lyrics are based on the 70's and 80's stuff, slasher movies rules and this is a cool tribute to them. Metal and gore ufffffff the best.The music here is something to be appreciated. It has a very thrashy sound which reminds me of "Autopsy Torment' and 'Eaten Back to Life' era 'Cannibal Corpse'. 'Crospy' even utilizes solo's which is unorthodox for grind metal. This is an instrumental paradise. The music is catchy and is what you would come to expect if you enjoy this kind of bands like I do. Though lyrical content and vocals are the norm for death/grind I find it refreshing to actually base the songs on something that we all might relate to. I enjoy the production as it is murky and dark which helps to give the music texture and a scary aura that is befitting an outfit of the likes of 80's influenced death/grind. I hope that every listener has had the enjoyment that I have had while listening to 'Shear Terror' and appreciates it for its musical attributes and dedication from its creators. The world of the underground is upon the metal world,strong and vibrant constantly releasing surprise after surprise. The Ep also features a kick ass cover of Haemorrhage. For listeners of Impetigo, Macabre and Frightmare. Thanks to Mark Impetigo for let me know about this band and Aaron Whitsell for sending me a copy. This band is fkn awesome !
www.facebook.com/cropsymaniacgrind
www.deadbeatshop.net
Review by Paul Caravasi

Corsair-One Eyed Horse (2015)

Corsair is probably the best example of the merging of the Progressive musical approaches of bands such as Rush and the heavy metal genre as pioneered by the NWOBHM bands, their music is actually about as comparable as night and day, this group of musicians dealt mostly with mystical themes, although this album is a bit of a departure from that approach in favor of a more philosophical approach.In terms of the music, this is a kick ass release, particularly in terms of structure. Songs with all the hooks necessary to be awesome, still have highly catchy choruses and a very straight-forward structure. “One Eyed Horse”, which is my favorite track on this release, is almost a hold over of their early work, in how well it combines the sound of Iron Maiden with their own style, most fans of Progressive Metal, Heavy Metal will definitely eat this band up.It is also necessary to point out, just so that fans of more guitar driven metal aren’t overly disappointed if they choose to take this review as a recommendation to pick up this album. Corsair is not a band that is defined by their guitar solos. Although they do have rather well placed solos that are technical enough, they are in by no means the amazing technical displays that you get out of classic bands like Rush, Black Sabbath, Maiden, or Thin Lizzy. In conclusion, this is an album that is highly accessible to fans of metal outside of Progressive circles. Fans of more traditional metal will find things to like in here, and fans of melodic power metal whom don’t live and die by the cliché drum beats of the style alone might find some keepers on this gem. This comes highly recommended to all said parties. Corsair did it once again. This band is fkn cool !!
www.facebook.com/pages/corsair/179747970753?ref=br_tf
www.skykrakken.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Acid Age-Drone Shark Ethics (2014)

I got to know this band when the vocalist suggested I should listen to them. This young Crossover/Thrash Metal act was formed not so long ago and The underground Thrash Metal scene seems to be still united after all. Mike of The metal detector promotions were kind enough to send me the digital  album. Anyway, who could resist reviewing a relentless Thrash Metal album? These guys have managed to create a pretty interesting, yet totally old school mixture of iron forged Thrash Metal with Crossover touches and some fragments of old pure Hardcore/Punk music. There are times when their similarity with DRI is just amazing! The guitars are razor sharp, the pounding drumming kicks ass and the not so melodic gang vocals are bringing back memories of the old days, when Metal music was coming straight from each musician's heart and passion. That's all that has to be said, nothing more. If you are looking for some good DRI meets WEHRMACHT old school Metal manifesto, then these maniacs can surely do the work for you! The song "Hound Dog" features Felix Griffin on drums. Hold the flag of hate high you crazy motherfuckers! We are waiting for your next assault!
 www.facebook.com/acidagethrash
 http://acidage.bandcamp.com
themetaldetectorpromotions@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Cvinger-The Enthronement Ov Diabolical (2014)

Interesting,  to compare the music to prototypical death metal, as it is comparatively simple, brutally rhythmic, and extremely fast. Don't get me wrong: this isn't a 'typical' Black/death metal release, not by a long shot, as the music is not afraid to explore avenues left neglected by the mainstream death bands, and there is still enough of the cold black metal influence and they are trying to combine death metal with early Mayhem or Emperor. Cvinger have started something here that I think they would be well-advised to continue in the future - but neither is this truly ground-breaking or strikingly novel, also be aware that this is just the 'first strike' of their style, and I'm sure their next album will be more confident, and so far they have a fucking brutal sound !
www.cvinger.si
http://cvinger.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/Cvinger666
themetaldetectorpromotions@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Thrashtorno-Unearthed in the Disaster (2014)

Well known within the thrash community in Peru, but outside they are virtually unknown, which when compared to bands like Violator, seems quite silly. Few bands have stayed a true to the course as Thrashtorno have. The best part is, they stayed thrash, however, they're a standard thrash band, and this new album is the album where they play it enough, thrashing hard, and where they become something special. The album contains plenty of cool riffs, all of which are successes. It's hard to mention an Thrashtorno album and not talk about the drumming and riffs, vocals are what will either make you love or hate this band. The style of the singer is accessible, so if you're here because you've heard their successful album, you're in for a surprise.In my opinion, this is a well done album. The band delivers ferocious music that is supported by a great production job. If you want to get into Thrashtorno, this album will quickly grow on you. Good job Thrashers !
www.facebook.com/thrashtorno.peru.9?fref=ts
Review by Paul Caravasi

Vandal-Rehearsal 2013

The cover art here is wonderful. I'd also like to state that this may just be the finest hour for Vandal from Chile, this rehearsal is just so fast and fun, for the most part, quite intense, catchy riffs like a wilder, uncouth Metallica meets Destruction with wicked vocals. This band sounds as it should, razor sharp guitars playing quite fast through much of the material. Definitely a nice Southamerican alternative to the new days of Thrash Metal. Check this band out, you won't regret it. I can't wait to hear their full-lenght album soon. TOTAL MOSH !
www.facebook.com/pages/VANDAL-CHILE/211993425514768
Review by Paul Caravasi

The Black Moriah-Casket Prospects (2013)

This band featuring ex Absu member Zawicizuz can do no wrong, far as I can tell, bringing you thrash fucking metal with black metal styled vocals and plenty of headbanging in their blackened thrash. A thrash attack with an oddly timed riff that works really well and is still damn catchy, reminding you this isn't just any thrash band! A personal favorite of mine is track 3 , "Casket Prospects", which I insist is one of the greatest riffs of all time. Somewhat technical, downright evil, and pure fucking metal. Once you hear it, the horns go straight up. An intense and thrashtastic band to blast and headbang with. A band destined to become legendary, check them out right now. This album is mandatory !
www.theblackmoriah.com
www.facebook.com/Theblackmoriah
Review by Paul Caravasi

EgoKill-Destroying The Vibes (2013)

Hailing from New York, comes along this crossover band, a genre which started to take off around 85'-86'. Mixing  Accused, Minor Threat with Exodus, Slayer,and D.R.I. These young kids capture the intensity of hardcore and the aggression of thrash. Imagine the bastard love-child of "Bonded by Blood" and " The return of Marha Splatterhead" and you might have an idea what this sounds like. This album definitely got balls. The riffs are simple, catchy, and fast-paced, the drumming is typical punk. The lyrics range B-movie ultra violence to the Sickening stuff in life, a hell of a lot of fun, for some reason, I can't get enough of this. Don't expect complex songwriting or musical virtuosity. If you want to bang your head into oblivion, Attitude is what Egokill are all about. I have one major complaint about this album: I didn't get it in original format (just a CD-R). However, you owe it to yourself to check this one out: I promise you won't be disappointed !
www.facebook.com/egokillny
egokill.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Majesty In Ruin-All Light Shall Fade (Demo 2014)

There are very few traces of  aggression on this demo, voice is great...he does some singing here which includes some of the most haunting and heartbreaking moments in this band. His voice is stronger, his vibrato and range is cool, and vocal harmonies appear consistently, and he employs some interesting and highly memorable melodies, that is how good the vocalist is here. The music is equal parts excellent melodic guitar harmonies, convincing your typical doom sections which are very dark, and some great experimentation on a large protion of the songs and heavy riffs.There is also a noticeable change in the style of drumming at times,these three tracks are good and this is a band  staying true to their inherent sense of sorrowful doom. Absolutely fantastic stuff here, Doom is back!
www.facebook.com/majestyinruin
soundcloud.com/majesty-in-ruin

Review by Paul Caravasi

Edge Of Haze-Illumine (2014)

To get an idea of the mood of this album, just imagine you’re standing on a desolate plain by a very gloomy stormy night, looking in an old well filled with utterly dark water. Indeed, dark is the key word here,this sounds depressive and, the band has managed to take the best of traditional doom metal (I’m referring to early Paradise Lost) and gothic metal without forgetting the death metal touch to combine them into this unique piece of pure DESPAIR, this album so exceptional. Because this work shows an undeniable GOTHIC feeling – Almost every song begins with a lively (hell, for doom metal of course) guitar-driven verse which generally in the middle of the track turns into a very slow melodic and emotional (in the best way) part more or less interrupted by heavier growled passages. Song structures are indeed complex and exhibiting a single pattern for the whole album would be rather hard. Clean vocals (predominant), growls, short atmospheric interludes, straightforward death-metal parts, spoken passages sometimes and RIFFS alternate in the most perfect manner. Because yes, this album has riffs, both slow and raspy doom metal riffs which account for much in the melancholy of the work, and prevent it from falling into unstructured gothic/atmospheric garbage. Here might well be the secret of this genuine piece of art, the music itself being amongst the saddest you might ever imagine. Some may prefer the more direct, black-sabbath-ish doom metal of the 80’s doom bands, As far as I’m concerned I consider this album as a cool release. Check it out!
www.facebook.com/edgeofhaze
Promoter: Curtis Dewar: dewarpr@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Krow-Relentless Disease (Ep-2014)

These two songs absolutely fuckin' slays! headbangable riffage and a raw primal swagger that runs a gauntlet of styles and tones with ease -- the residual after-effect equivalent to several tons of pure cocaine, a straight-up adrenaline shot and one of my favorite musical experiences. Maybe I hold a minority opinion on this. And that there is an inherent generational bias in my abiding love for this Ep. But I truly feel it can appeal to fans of Entombed, and Autopsy and I cannot see how that is a bad thing.  And personally speaking, since i discovered this Brazilian band now, I've listened to it pretty much non-stop and will forever do so, sickeningly vicious, and heavy as hell, Krow tips the scale as a great and enduring metal band. Looking forward to hear their full lenght album soon!
www.facebook.com/krowmetalzone
Review by Paul Caravasi

Haemophagus-Atrocious (2014)

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 it 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 Slayer style which is fast guitar picked distorted soloing that lasts for a short time, 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 brutal in death metal because they are bellowed in way that is easily decipherable to the listener. The guitar work has a technical aspect to it, the riff work is superb, The drumming is nearly flawless and is very double kick bass driven with some absolutely old school style. The bass guitar is almost inaudible which is far from unusual for either death or thrash metal. It belongs in any thrash or death metal collector’s collection. I recommend "Atrocious"  to any extreme metal fan who likes technically challenging death/thrash albums.
www.facebook.com/Haemophagus
haemophagus.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/razorbackrecordings
Review by Paul Caravasi

Imperial-Chaos

Unholy black metal from Francemixed with 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 something like Venom. Comparable to Destroyer 666, but more intense - evil thrash and black riffage with just a hint of melody.The vocals are something of a throaty mid to low thrash styled yell with an occasional black metal scream over top.Though, there are a couple minor flaws. Overall these factors do not hold this album back. Like blackened thrash? Then get this.
www.facebook.com/ImperialOfficial
www.facebook.com/pages/Triumph-Ov-Death-records/133171970133853
E-mail: triumphovdeath@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Flesh Engine-Purging Existence (2014)

Not a lot of people have actually heard of Flesh Engine but they have been on the road for a while, "Purging Existence" is an example of mixing a fair amount of drumming, as Pantera and Machine Head styled riffs as well. Overall it's a good album but I think some of the greatness of this album has been lost because of the midtempos. I would say that the first three songs have a bit more of a melodic edge than the rest of the album and don't base themselves almost exclusively on heavy and fast tunes...thus making this a great start to the album as it creates a bit of variation, although not enough to make it a truly great disc. The rest of the album though prides itself almost exclusively on heavy groove riffs (although there are some hints of melody from the first three songs scattered through a couple songs). There two things that hurt this disc: 1. The aforementioned problem of many bands having this sound...especially nowadays which really doesn't make this album stand out today and 2. Not enough variety or atleast not enough defining pieces in each song. N
ot bad at all, but i prefer fast drumming and fast killer riffs than midtempos, I would certainly say that if you like bands like Pantera, Machine Head you will atleast like this disc,i could say these guys are good musicians and i'm sure they can do it better next time.
www.fleshengine.com
www.facebook.com/fleshengine
www.fleshengine.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Review by Byron Mena -Costra Records, Ecuador

Demodeus-Xeitos De Tortura Vol. 1 (Ep-2014)

The drum bass on this album is the punchiest, the riffs are rough, and the length is just right for such a show of force. I never thought highly of those twisted, jarring solos. Vocals in the vein of Morbid Angel and Immolation, It’s impressive going up and it's something memorable. There’s nothing docile about this album. It’s almost 15 minutes of death metal that’s packed tightly with a thick brutality and  it’s able to do very well, a real keeper.

www.facebook.com/pages/DEMODEUS/212312528814102

http://demodeus.bandcamp.com/

Review by Paul Caravasi

Tormenter-Prophetic Deceiver (2014)

The album opens with a clean guitar, then bam, the riffs are in full force. Catchy, not boring, original?? maybe, try not copying anyone, and crunch tone, the whole album is like that. Crunch tone guitar and killer vocals, the leads are very advanced and wicked. The rhythms just dominate, really great to have this band playing some awesome thrash! Energy stricken music with songs just dishing out pure unique thrash metal. I absolutely loved the mixing and production. Everything is just right. The bass, vocals, guitar, and drums. A superb job in that department. Nothing left out at all. This is an album that you can listen to over and over without getting sick of it. Thrash is back with a vengeance! If you're a fan of thrash metal and haven't heard this one yet, check Tormenter out ,If you think I'm full of it, then just listen and you will hear pure original thrash metal that is totally awesome. Great to have this band from California playing Thrash Metal in full force!
www.facebook.com/tormentermetal
Review by Paul Caravasi

Los Entierros-Discipulos De La Vigilia (2014)

The music of Los Entierros from Peru is so simplistic and sludgy, almost cumbersome, yet so completely appealing on multiple levels, the guitar sounds as if it's being played through a broken amplifier which fell off the back of a pickup truck one too many times, and the bass is just a plodding distorted rumble. Los Entierros possess a modicum of musical skill, creating some noisy and offensive guitar solos. Actually, when I first heard this band, I couldn't stan them because of these same solos of squawky excess, but at this point I have to slap myself because the leads actually fucking rule. There are eleven songs on offer here, completely catchy and headbang worthy. And the vocals! Man, I like it enough, he has a really melodramatic voice that reminds me, in a way, of creepy Italian horror films. It's strong and powerful, and at totally unexpected times (usually in the middle of a phrase) he'll suddenly switch from a chilly melodic wail to a demonic rasp/snarl.The vocal melody in the verses is absolutely cool and will ensure that the songs remains in your head for days. Yes, this is another metal release that conjures up a really powerful feeling in me. There are some albums which you just put on and totally sink into, totally feel that you understand absolutely and that resonate on some deep, subconcious level that goes beyond mere ideology. This is one of them. Maybe it's because i've been listening Grindcore and death metal, and my brain is already fried. It's short, but feels like a complete work as it descends gradually into the bowels of sludge and decay and leaves you there until you can pick your jaw out of the mud. There's no complexity, no technical wizardry, but the emotional content wouldn't be served by such an approach, and after all, this is Doom metal of the purest, most minimalist variety, ready to lay its burden on you and scrape your cranial layers with a trowel until you understand what it's trying to say, really has to be heard and praised, and is probably what will convert most first-time listeners into appreciators of this style of music. As a side note, anyone who appreciates Doom metal, definitely needs to check out this band, as in my view this is worth checking out!
www.facebook.com/losentierros
Review by Paul Caravasi

Sacrodeath-Condenado (Ep-2014)

Death/thrash atmosphere we can find in this Ep, comes directly from that black Chilean flame. We are not talking about happy melodies, but really obscure ones, to create a morbid, sick and gloomy sound. Fast parts, with some slower and evil; screams alternated to growls and gloomy whispers from hell in the vein of the classic band Sadism, they sound fresh and they are worthy to be promoted by the powerful, modern production. The lyrics are written in spanish, "Condenado" shows a professionally working band which is  hungry for brutality. Check it out!
www.facebook.com/sacrodeath.banda
sacrodeath-chile.bandcamp.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Reino Ermitaño-Conjuros De Poder (2014)

This is one of those albums which helped define my taste in Doom Metal. It was Black Sabbath the first time songs had actually scared me! This might sound quaint in these days of sicko extremity but back in the late 80s, only a handful of bands had the ability to give you the heebie-jeebies in their music, Candlemass for example. But here's a genuinely eerie quality to Reino's songwriting and performances on this album which set the band apart from other Doom metal bands from Peru at least, to me, can be mentioned in the same breath as Celtic Frost in terms of scariness, much more radical, leftfield, experimental, avant garde. On "Conjuros De Poder", they deal with fairly stereotypical lyrical themes of dark fantasy,ancient Peruvian history, and etc on the whole. But the songs are delivered with such panache, such skill, such emotion and such a fantastic ear for melody that you'll forgive them that. The entire album is a mourner's lament, a heart-rending ode to mortality. It will become a doom metal classic that's for sure. I say every single song on the album is amazing in its own right. You'll weep at the crushing, monumental beauty of the riffs the band come up with on song after song. Rifftastic highlights and I haven't even mentioned Tania Duarte's phenomenal voice yet! She is truly one of the greatest female vocalist metal has ever seen with a highly distinctive sound that is simultaneously so pleasing to the ears and powerful. Wonderful as his performances on the other Reino's albums might be, Conjuros De poder represents the pinnacle of his career. It is also the band's best work to date. All in all, this is definitely a masterpiece of doom. If you’re into doom at all, you’ll be into this album!
www.facebook.com/pages/Reino-Ermitaño/229687576031?pnref=lhc
www.facebook.com/ToxikoProducciones
Press Contact: ogrodoom666@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

White Empress-Rise Of The Empress (2014)

Well documented how much of an experimental band this is, this album instils that idea, contained elements of Death Metal, their music is more a kind of "Trip-Metal" than anything else, they manage to set themselves apart from the rest, and rightfully so, this band creates their daring and experimental approach to music. They create such a hypnotising atmosphere, flowing creativity and brutality. This release is filled to the brim with a powerful art. Musically, This is an absorbing album, some songs are cool but this style isn't for me.
www.whiteempress.com
www.facebook.com/WhiteEmpress
www.peaceville.com
rocha@fresnomediausa.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Mysticum-Planet Satan (2014)

I'm trying something new and different, and it made an impression on my mind. The  combination of electronics and ripsawing guitars really got my attention with its unhinged Black metal madness and aggression, hyperspeed guitar riff over booming drums, distorted roaring vocals. The tunes will get your blood pounding like little else will, and then the vocals come bellowing in to make things even more incendiary. Who needs coffee in the morning when you can just fire up this band?, and don't let its being called "industrial" fool you--this album will take your head off if you don't watch out!
www.mysticum.com
www.facebook.com/mysticums
www.peaceville.com
rocha@fresnomediausa.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

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

Aggravator-Pupulace Destructor (2014)

No song on here is boring or lacking in intensity. Derek Jones screaming goes well with the music, his vocals well suited the music in its entirety. The most amazing and original amounts of work went into constructing the music, the drumming is insane. Jesse Lopez at his best on here especially in the lead department, bass lines are fucking cool too.If you don’t own this release and are a thrash metal fan, get it right away. You’d be amazed at most of the sounds coming out of your speakers. 10 tracks and this album deserves mighty recognition for, stick with Aggravator and you’ll be fine. This album is pure thrash metal created by amazing musicians. Populace Destructor is one hell of a great release. Aggravator rules!!
www.facebook.com/aggravatorthrashmetal
Review by Paul Caravasi

Soulburner-Flames on an Endless Disease (2013)

The voice alone is the reason enough for listening to this band. Though not the only one. The guitar players do a pretty decent job here. It’s not particularly original, but at this stage of the game we know that we’re not looking for originality here. Otherwise, we should be looking elsewhere. Anyway, for this record they provide us a vast array of good ol’ headbangeable riffs and brutal soloing, and its pretty audible. Also worth mentioning is that the vocalist uses a gruffer growl, a bit lower than his predecessor. Not a big deal anyway, a small dosage of harsh vocals as well, and has always been, part of this band signature. Another change Soulburner made for this album is most evident in the production.The drums and bass sound really cool. It features killer riffs that will be forever embedded in your brain. Soulburner from Chile did a great job on this one. This album is good!
www.facebook.com/soulburner.chile
Review by Paul Caravasi

Soulburner-Blessed By Fire (2008)

Southamerican warriors Soulburner really packed a punch into this album, a punch so powerful that it really gives a huge hint to what metal from Chile sounds like. They have probably made the best album they've ever released. Why? It has a creative edge, has songs that make you want to mosh all day long, and has lyrics that are unique and pure metal. First off, the vocals are really brutal. This is a whole new spectrum in terms of vocals. It's very unique! The guitars are shred-worthy and are just heavenly, carrying out the songs and bangs the head that doesn't bang (or somewhere along those lines). The sweet and savory guitar licks and riffs make the songs really addictive and makes you want to listen to them for hours on end, the guitars kick loads of ass! The drums, like the guitars, carry out the songs as well. The beats and blasts are basically the virgin blood on the satanic cake, flawless and well-executed. They also plays along well with the vocals and other instruments. The bass guitar is well done, barely audible but you can hear the rumble. In conclusion, this album is totally worth buying and you shouldn't miss the opportunity should it cross your path. As a southamerican, I am quite proud of this band. They take the next step up and make some shit that's really productive and satisfying. To make things clear as my final verdict, I dub this Death/thrash album MOSH MATERIAL!
www.facebook.com/soulburner.chile
Review by Paul Caravasi