Sungayan-Garud nin Metal (Demo 2016)

Fast, furious blackened thrash driven by a minimalist punk approach to the concept. The two songs on this demo are just pure hate with a dirtier production. The drumming drives the riffs along with dedicated simplicity. The riffing is the highlight. It contains an usual quotient of thrashy headbanging fun. If you're new to Thrash Metal this is as good a place to start as any, just be forewarned that the production isn't clear but it deserves a listen because it is fkn cool. Can't wait to hear their next demo or full lenght album.
sungayanph@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/dethronerecords
Review by Paul Caravasi

Comatose-Thy Mighty Conquest (Demo 2015)

A brutal display of extreme metal. The swirling guitars, howling barks that pass for vocals and the heavy-handed drumming all spin together to create a massive vortex of violence. For me, this is awesome, they hammered in a black metal styled bashing in the vein of early Sodom and Slayer and why not early Sepultura ( Bestial devastation era). It works well to bring forth the entire concept of chaos that is Comatose. If you consider something worthy of being titled "metalhead", or like anything that has to do with the word "rule", then get this demo.
www.facebook.com/666comatose
www.facebook.com/dethronerecords
Review by Paul Caravasi

Militant Attack-Attack, Kill & Thrash (2015)

This album rocks, plain and simple. Highly effective. Attack, Kill and Thrash carries more visceral intensity than your average brutal band. This band does not relent from tearing bodies to pieces does not hurt matters one bit. Militant Attack doesn’t seem to posses tremendous instrumental abilities, but what they do posses is the talent to craft one hell of a memorable riff. Throughout the entire album, 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. This album is highly recommended. The only few flaws are perhaps the lack of variation. After seven songs of the similar formula it can lapse into slight tedium. There is also a certain lack of originality, all the riffs appear vaguely familiar. Also, perhaps Militant Attack could be criticized for being nothing more than a brainless thrashing exercise; but who cares! Nevertheless, purchase this album, especially if your just getting into metal.
www.facebook.com/militantattack
www.facebook.com/dethronerecords
Review by Paul Caravasi

Legion-Righteous Killing (2015)

Legion holds true to the Death Metal formula on this album, the drums are played so quickly as well as the guitars that you just can't help it. The evil atmosphere seems most prevalent on this album as well. This is a sinister, brutal record with delightfully unconventional arrangements and soloing, something not very common and noteworthy in death metal. They create a raw but clear sound that is easy so each instrument is actually heard. They have succeeded, as this sounds very heavy and crystal clear, without the clinical sound that so often comes with modern death metal of today. It's very difficult for me to pick album highlights as every song is worthy of praise and the album should definitely be listened to in its entirety. All hail Legion!
www.facebook.com/dethronerecords
Review by Paul Caravasi

Dreaded Mortuary-Vulgar Way To Die (2015)

Here is a band from Philippines with a female on vocals with a sound reminiscent of D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies, and a lot of the more straight razor US 80s thrash/speed metal acts, they sound like they're having a blast. I'd say they are a little less riff oriented than a Municipal Waste, but it's still that same, fun style. There are 10 tracks, a pastiche of good old 80s thrash topics are covered in the lyrics. Gang shouts, alcoholic lyrics, it's all here, so if you have a fetish for Violence, Tankard, and all the wild beer crazed thrash and punk of that amazing decade, you may really want to check this out. I had a fun enough time listening once through the album once. The riffs and solos and energy are perfectly adequate for the style. However, if you just want a good time, or something to skate or shred to, and you're riding this recent nostalgic wave of crossover bands, then this is for you.
www.facebook.com/DreadedMortuarythrash
http://www.rockstakk.com
www.facebook.com/dethronerecords
Review by Paul Caravasi

Funeral Hymn-The Meaning Of Destruction (Ep-2016)

Uncompromising Thrash Metal from Mexico ready to tear everything apart. Anyway, who could resist reviewing a Thrash Metal album? These guys have managed to create a pretty interesting, yet totally old school mixture of Thrash Metal with Crossover touches as well. 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 Hirax meets Exodus and D.R.I, then these Mexican guys can surely do the work for you! Hold the flag of Thrash high you crazy motherfuckers! We are waiting for your next assault!
www.facebook.com/FuneralHymnOfficial
funeralhymn.bandcamp.com/releases
Review by Paul Caravasi

Swine Infection-Culinary Ritual (Cassette 2015)

This cassette possesses a very unique and distinctive sound, featuring tons of schizophrenic death riffs, it possess an absurdly gloomy and horrific vibe, managing to sound intense, expressive and consistent supported also by a pretty fucking sick guitar tone, totally unique even for death metal; also there’s a strong tendency to vicious punk up-tempos. Tom Richards sounds exactly like a fucking sadistic maniac escaped from a maximum-security sanitarium, hungry for fresh blood of young female victims, and his voice fits perfectly the music, things sound almost like he’s manipulating the music itself, turning it into a schizophrenic mess; there’s something “magical” about it, but it’s undoubtedly the blackest kind of magic. This is pure extreme metal rawness, the experimentation with horror atmospheres that the band is pursuing is a weird and unique opus made of majestic musical constructions, excellent taste for creepy/morbid melodies, some obvious hints of dark/sadistic humor and, most of all, a lot of inspiration and focus on a certain musical vision. I really highly recommend this band : brilliant and genial. If you're a fan of bands as Necrophagia you'll enjoy this release !
www.facebook.com/Swine-Infection-156316651177447
www.facebook.com/crushing.humanity
Review by Paul Caravasi

Gaf-Gore 'n' Feast (2016)

A lot of fast hardcore punk into the realm of grindcore. And they do it well!  But, there are not really blast speed drums as we know it. Not with the snare on the first beat that is Gaf blast speed still follows the Hardcore beat rules. And personally, I quite like this approach. I makes the fastest parts still sound tighter than other grindcore bands these days. This album is, indeed, Raging Hell! The average grindcore fan will know what I’m talking about. It’s pretty hard to come up with a final score for killer records such as these. It would be easy to say “this album is enormously important so here’s 99 points”. I could do that. But in 2016, how does an album stand out. Compared to most modern day grindcore this album sounds extreme, brutal, refreshing and especially energetic. And fortunately Grindcore is a subgenre in which having a better production isn’t always a good thing. This album does not suffer from its old school sound and in fact only gets better with very listen. Yes, this album is sheer class!
www.facebook.com/gafgrind
www.splatterzombierecords.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Wombstomp-Passion to Abort (2016)

An album with excessively schizophrenic riffs and growls that would make basement-dwelling, chronic masturbators sneer in disgust. This album is an intriguing mutation of Grind and some Death Metal riffs and it's quite charming to see a band take a 'same but different' approach to a genre that is up to it's tits in generic copycats. It has all the qualities required for this style of music and even has a sense of humour (the artwork for example). I recommend "Passion to Abort" because it's a balls out extreme metal album. Give it a listen !
www.facebook.com/Wombstomp
www.splatterzombierecords.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Vhs-Screaming Mad Gore (2016)

What an amazing mix of styles and genres including death, grind and thrash Vhs has created an awesome fucking album. There is so much diversity here that literally anyone can enjoy it. Nothing ever sounds out of place. Grind/death and then goes right into a thrash attack. Sounds weird but it flows so well and sounds so good and that really give the album replay value. The vocals are really good, but nothing new or different. Got your growls and screams and all that. Fits with the music well. What do you expect from a goregrind band? Everything played on this album is really good but for my the guitars are the highlight for me. I could listen to it all day, it's still stuck in my head. To sum up this album... BUY IT! It is well worth your money. The songs rule, the musicians who play them rule and even the lyrics rule! They're all about slasher flicks and brutal stuff. That's just good clean blood splattering fun. If you want a good listen, this is the right place to find it. I highly recommend this to anyone who just wants to hear some good Metal. You should get this album, just get it!
Guest appearances:
Nev (vocals on Stomped)
Kam Lee (vocals on Hairspray and Bloodspray)
Kevin Reece and Aaron Whitsell (vocals and lead on Demons)
Stevo (vocals on Island of Death)
www.facebook.com/vhsthunderbay
www.splatterzombierecords.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

Paralysis-You Can't Win (2016)

The cover art here is fkn cool. I'd also like to state that this may just be the finest hour for New Jersey speedsters Paralysis. The later Ep had some memorable tracks, but this new Ep is just so fast and fun, for the most part. Quite intense tracks, catchy riffs like a wilder, uncouth early Metallica meets Whiplash. You can't win sounds as it should, razor sharp guitars playing quite fast through much of the material. Energetic Thrash Metal, as most of the songs are quite good. Definitely a good American young band, makes it absolutely irresistible if you like your music fast fast fast. The simplicity is scandalous and truly effective!
Special guest appearances:
Gerre (Tankard): Vocals on Track 1 ("You Can't Win")
Josh Christian (Toxik): Lead Guitar on Track 3 ("Transgression")
Bobby Gustafson (Satan's Taint, Ex-Overkill): Lead Guitar on Track 4 ("Scars")
www.facebook.com/paralysisnj13
Review by Paul Caravasi

No Salvation-Defiling Verses (2015)

You will be hard-pressed to find a more menacing piece of death metal than No Salvation's Defiling Verses. By menacing, I do not mean to say alienating or disturbing, emotions conjured up by Morbid Angel's Blessed Are The Sick for instance. No, by menacing, I mean this is an authentic attempts to convey in a death metal album the feeling that you are about to be crushed by a tank. No Salvation 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. Defiling Verses must stand as their great achievement, this is intense, significant  formula of calculated brutality that is on display here. Listen to this album and tell me that you do not feel like killing someone...by rolling over them with a fucking tank.
www.nosalvation.pl
facebook.com/nosalvation666
www.metalrules.pl
Review by Paul Caravasi

Sakrilejist-Malum In Se (2016)

This album doesn't becomes repetitive. This album has a crude production which is cool, it keeps the true vibe of what metal is all about.. and flows flawlessly with it's raw riffing. However, this album could have been better with two guitars. It could sound like a real onslaught though it's still doesn't sounds bad at all. Some highlights includes 'Calling The Void' with it's blasting riffage and dark vocals and chorus, ''Born of Night" for it's fucking catchy chorus and overwhelming riffs "Bile of the God" for being the most aggressive track with the most brutal riffs, and the closer 'The curse of Lucifer' for it's great sstructure and marvelous rhythm. Overall, get this. This is a total riffing ownage which can't be ignored by any true Metalhead. It's a cool album which sounds pretty unique for this time, and one kick ass debut of Extreme Metal. Wel done guys !
www.facebook.com/sakrilejist
aaroncelsus@gmail.com
Review by Paul Caravasi

INTERVIEW WITH STEEL BEARING HAND

Interview with Steel Bearing Hand by Japan Nick (Nick Perkel) took place outside of New York City's The Acheron on March 14th 2016.

Can you each introduce yourselves and tell me how your songs come together?
Matt Preston(Drums)
It's just me and him, We write this shit together. We have had a lot of different members in the past. I'm Wyatt, Burton I play Guitar and do the vocals.  We pretty much do all the songwriting on the album. Me, Matt, and another dude started the band under a different name. We ended up parting ways with the other dude and named ourselves Steel Bearing Hand. It's pretty much just been me and Matt, with lineup changes along the way.

You guys are from the DFW area in Texas which birthed some really amazing legends, what is it like being in an extreme metal band down there right now?
Wyatt-The metal scene down there right now is really amazing. It made a pretty strong comeback.  There are a few really cool venues like Blitzen, Reno's Chop Shop. It's getting better. Matt- There was pretty much nothing  when we started our band. We came out of the punk scene. A lot of people were saying, "Why are you starting a metal band that isn't going to do anything." There was a big following since we started towards our band and a lot of other bands in the DFW area.

How often do you get to hear about the stories of legendary shows with bands like Rigor Mortis, Gammacide, and Watchtower?
Wyatt- Truthfully, not a whole lot. Most of the people that go to shows now are much newer and there is a lot of younger kids now. We don't see too much of the old guard.  We did play with Wizards of Gore (aka Rigor Mortis) once or twice. That was pretty cool.

So what's the score with you guys these days?
Matt- We got two band members, a new guitar player, and a new bass player. Alex he plays in another great band called House of Harkonen. Chris he plays in a band with Wyatt called Tolar. He used to play in Wild Tribe and Unit 21. Those guys rip. Aside from teaching those guys the new tracks, we have been working on some new stuff.
Wyatt- Mostly it's been getting them up to speed to be ready for this tour. As soon as we get back we will start working on new stuff.

Your most recent release was a 5 song ep which included some older songs of yours that were rerecorded and a few new ones I am not familiar with, can you tell me about some of the changes you put into the older songs like Usurp the Hidden Throne?
Wyatt- We didn't really do a lot of changes to any of the old stuff. It was more like a rerecording of it. That two song ep that was just a tour demo we did where we went through the whole country. We just wanted to get a new release out for that so we went into the studio because at that time we had an ep out and we wanted something else.
Matt- We wanted it to heavier than the demo.  Disenchant is more like the 1st wave of new stuff that we started writing.
Wyatt- It was the one from that 2 song tape and we just redid both of those. I think the way we rerecorded it for the album sounds much better on both sides.

With Kneel Before the Steel that song is about how some of the old guard bands have turned their back on the initial inspiration of metal and lost sight of the hunger and integrity toward it.
Matt jumps in Or super popular bands like Megadeth and Metallica.
Wyatt- Even Darkthrone to an extent because they talk about how they don't like playing live. Really they say that is because they don't want to be worshipped as gods. No musician in metal is the god. Metal is the god. That is what we trying to say. Metal is the secret force. We wield that force with many others. We kneel before the steel. We hope that everybody else that likes metal kneels before the steel as well.

Tell me about what studio this was recorded at and the staff that were involved in putting this release together?
Matt -Our buddy Travis in Austin, Texas.
Wyatt- The studio is called the Diamond Factory.  It is pretty much just him that set everything up. He ran the board, and was super easy to work with. He was a really cool guy.
Matt- We took a trek out there for a weekend and just recorded it.
Wyatt- It was about 5 days, we spent a week out there.
How did your song the Charnel God come together?
Wyatt- That comes from our love of Swedish death metal. Internment, Crematory, even  Harmony Corruption era Napalm Death, We like death metal, so that is our ode to that song.  It is based on this Clark Ashton Smith story of the same name. It is called The Charnal God. There is this setting called Zothique. It takes place in the far and distant future where technology is eroded and it goes back into a fantasy type setting. It's about this god Mordiggian in this city, Zul-Bha-Sair.


I'd say I liked Tyrannical Shadows the best, since it is so monstrously long, and I really miss a real vicious long ass song. What kind of imagery do you want to invoke in people when they hear that song?
Wyatt Today we live in a world where we are ruled by select elites that are super duper uber rich that are so rich...
Matt- There are people that have nothing to do with the style of life that we are living...
Wyatt- They are obscured in tyrannical shadows.
Matt- These are also the people that are controlling everything.

When it comes to DFW and Texas as a whole what are some cool radio shows as well metal zines and newspapers that are friendly to the extreme music scene by you?
Wyatt-There is KNON, they have a bunch of different blocks they do. They have a Black/death/metal show called the Dungeon. They have been real supportive of us. The main dude is this guy named Raven, it runs Saturday night midnight to 4am.  There is also Thrashing Alan but he does more of thrash and groove.  The only zine I know of is Under the Sign of the Lone Star.  It's run by this guy Jake, he plays in this band called Plutonium Sword. He is a really cool guy. He knows every band in Texas. It is solely dedicated to Texas Metal.
http://underthesignofthelonestar.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/underthesignofthelonestar/

Final Words
Matt New York was fun as fuck. We had a good show tonight.
Crush Shit. Fuck Shit up. All Day All Night.
Wyatt- Kneel before the steel!
www.facebook.com/steelbearinghand666
Interview by Nick Perkel