Dissentience-Mask Of Pretense EP (2018)

This Ep by Dissentience from Pennsylvania really surprised me for the best. "Mask of Pretense" maybe short, but it does what it's here for. The sound is many times drum driven, and many times the guitar simply follows the double bass pedals. But this is just half of the time, and the other half is outstanding killer riffs . The riffs are a fine combination of heaviness and melody. Other than that, several solos are featured. Bassist does a great job in my opinion, and production makes sure it is heard and emphasizes its importance. As I said, there are a lot of drum driven parts. in fact, most of the songs are written half guitar riffs and half drum riffs, all of which are excellent. Screams of anger and hate turned into music. If you haven't heard them, you should really check them out and buy this EP. It's a solid release from Dissentience, and I can't wait to hear their full album. At general view, this is a kick ass EP. My personal favorites: "Maniac", "Tombstone Currency" and "Disinter". Excellent musicianship from these kids. Go and get it, they're ready to kick your ass without mercy !!
www.facebook.com/dissentienceband
Review by Paul Caravasi

Terrorizer – Caustic Attack (2018)

The newest Terrorizer album Caustic Attack, starts off like a shotgun blast, unlike it’s three predecessors which have intros or the rock and roll fade in kicking off World Downfall. New additions Lee Harrison (drummer of Monstrosity) on guitar and Sam Molina (x-Monstrosity) on bass and vocals bring new elements and make this recording very familiar sonically but with fresh twist. Fans of the impeccable blast beat drumming of grindcore legend Pete Sandoval (X-Morbid Angel) will have this in their possession already and will not be disappointed. Another line-up change would likely have an eyebrow raised, but the band utilizes the original guitar tone, dialing in the genuine first album Terrorizer sound, as well as Molina’s gruff vocal delivery ala World Downfall. They also use the pinch harmonics and dual guitar harmonies of Darker Days Ahead (2006) and Hordes of Zombies (2012), both albums which seem to take a beating for some reason but are just awesome regardless. This fourth installment of Commando and crew is another grinding, pummeling diamond in the gold crown that is the band’s anthology. Although, some purist-type fans may gripe about this or that not being this or that, repeated listens will surely change their mind. Harrison’s take on riffs, send the band just slightly askew from the aforementioned formula and a keen ear will notice the originality cloaked in the Terrorizer sound. Final track “Wasteland” is a bit of what I call Slayerizer, an insane romp you will not stay still hearing. Any booking agencies out there, a Terrorizer/Napalm Death/Carcass/Brujeria tour would be !!
www.facebook.com/terrorizergrindcore
Review by Deron Christman

Paganfire – Play Loud F*ck the Rest ( CDR 2017 )

This is a compilation of tracks from 2012-2017. Black/Crust flavored death metal from the Philippines. They have a razor’s edge to their extreme songwriting style with extra points for the screeching vocals.
Contact: paganfire13@yahoo.com
Review by Deron Christman

Old mother Hell – Self Titled (2018)

German traditional metal group Old Mother Hell take Maiden’s trad-esque power metal, and put it through an epic song filter complete with soaring vocals (But not too high of a register, he seems to know his limitations, thank goodness). Europeans/metalheads outside of the US will dig it big time. For fans of Blind Guardian and anything Nuclear Blast put out between 1998-2002.
www.facebook.com/oldmotherhell
www.facebook.com/cruzdelsurmusic
Review by Deron Christman

Invidious - Purpose Defeater (2017)

What we have here, is a live analog recording, which is an incredible performance by the band,. However, (and this seems to be a reoccuring theme this episode) the production is all over the place and it's a real brain-buster of a listen. I am in no way knocking analog recording at all, hell, my stuff is 99% analog gear. Invidious definitely worships at the altars of madness during the world downfall. Includes a "Chapel of Ghouls" cover.
www.facebook.com/Invidiosus
invidiosus.bandcamp.com
www.dirtyneedlerecord.com
Review by Deron Christman

Eternal Exhumation-The Great Conquest (2018)

The Great Conquest is an excellent brutal death metal album by the Peruvian maniacs External Exhumation. The vocals, lyrics based in the Peruvian Empire are very interesting and even the CD cover art is fkn good. Raw brutality. In many ways this is the opposite of modern death metal, while in some ways newer extreme metal has become enamored with pop conventions such as catchiness, hooks, and cleanly cyclic song structures, but this flies in the face of all this. 'The Great conquest' carries itself as almost an antagonist to the listener, daring one to try and hear this music and survive, much less enjoy it. It's a sheer face of brutality communicated at every level. Riffs are tight combinations of atonal power chords or streams of tremolo notes, and the way the riffs interchange are extremely tight with a fill erupting in the space of a breath before a new set of notes begins to grind itself out. Drums are rigid and unyielding, hammering out sequences of snapping thrash and blast beats. In short, this is exactly what I think death metal is supposed to sound like. It's not supposed to be a step further from thrash. It's not supposed to be preening and melodic, nor exceedingly technical and progressive in nature. An excellent release recommended to all death metal fans. The record starts of with the menacing Mother Killa, from there, the record picks up a voracious pace (The Invocation, Hymn To Wiracocha, Human Sacrifice), pummeling the listener with raw blast beats, heavy riffs, tremolos and intense growling that could make a zombie shit its pants!!!
www.facebook.com/eternalexhumationband
www.facebook.com/gateofhorror
Review by Paul Caravasi