ALBUM REVIEW: Kill - Horned Holocaust (2004)

Kill – Horned Holocaust

Sweden

Worship Him Records (LP) / Invictus Productions  (CD) / Death Propaganda Records (Cassette)

 

Gothenburg’s Kill emerged in the late ‘90s as a raw black metal act that quickly cemented a name for themselves within the underground with various demos leading up to their debut album, “Horned Holocaust”. The style employed on this album is very much a product of its time with its demonic vocals, primitive riffs and old-school approach, and yet there is so much charm behind these songs that it is simply hard to resist if you’re a diehard fan of the genre.
 
With a running time of 29 minutes, the band succeeds in delivering a straightforward, sinister black metal album seething with evil that takes us back in time to the glory days of bands like Darkthrone, Gorgoroth and Bathory, and while those influences are quite evident, there is certainly more to the band’s arsenal than simply “worshipping” their influences.
 
There is a certain element of chaos emanating from these compositions that is a trademark of the band and inextricably woven into their sound. You can put on any album by Kill and instantly recognize their sound. It’s that simple.
 
The energetic riffs often emit a sort of “groove” (albeit in the most hellish way imaginable) that brings to mind classic bands like Discharge and Celtic Frost. The whole sound consists of bass, guitar, drums and vocals. It’s a simple approach, but extremely well-executed and effective. The music is far from technically proficient, but when it comes to old-school black metal, the most important aspect is the intensity behind the execution, and in this case, there is no single instrument that stands out more than the other, as the performance is about as flawless as it gets for this style.
 
The rhythmic interplay of drums, bass and guitars is absolutely excellent and bolstered by the scathing vocals of Carl Warslaughter. Drummer Getaz pounds the kit like a drunken hillbilly beating his mistress on a Saturday night, while guitarist Black Curse metes out some truly disgusting riffs that would make even Jeffrey Dahmer vomit. The bass is audible and has been a staple of their sound since their formation. There are certainly some punk sensibilities interweaved into their sound, whether it was intentional or not, the energetic and simplistic nature of the music draws parallels to hardcore punk.
 
Every song on this album kills (pun intended), but some personal favorites include “Virgin Sacrificed”, “The Devil” and “Fields of Devastation”, as these tracks give off an eerie atmosphere that elevates them above the other tracks. The band would go on to release more excellent albums, evolving their sound and taking a slightly different approach with each album, but always staying within the framework of their crude sound.

ALBUM REVIEW: Deconsekrated - Ascension in the Altar of Condemned (2024)

 

Deconsekrated - Ascension in the Altar of Condemned

Chile

Iron, Blood and Death Corporation (CD) / Alkolik Holocaust Records (CD) / Ancient Sounds of Madness Productions (Cassette)  

 

Deconsekrated's debut album “Ascension in the Altar of Condemned” is a downright crushing slab of blasphemous death metal raised straight from the depths of the Chilean underground.
 
The powerful production on this release adds a layer of venomous potency to the music that translates well into the performance. Musically, there are some similarities to bands like Morbid Angel, Dead Congregation, Mortem, et al., although Deconsekrated seem to have found a niche for themselves with this style – even if it is somewhat familiar – the music on this release is nothing short of excellent.
 
Songs like “Ancestral Voice” and “Spectral Rites” are instant bangers and convey a feeling of pure darkness. The brute force of the compositions hits you like a ton of bricks as each track is executed with merciless vigor. The bestial vocals are excellently employed, backed by intense drumming and uncompromising riffs that will peel the skin off your face. Everything feels well-orchestrated and delivered with conviction, even if some of the songs are quite lengthy, the music never lacks depth.
 
Overall, this is a pretty strong debut from these Chileans that I found myself listening to several times. The only gripe I have with this release is the fact that it’s a little on the short side for an “album” (28 minutes), but other than that there are no real flaws to speak of. Fans of dark and bestial death metal à la Dead Congregation, Azarath, Slaughtbbath, should check it out.

INTERVIEW: Blinder (Cuba)

 

The following interview was conducted with Eric Domenech, frontman and vocalist of the Cuban Death Metal band, BLINDER.  

1. Hails! Can you tell us something about the formation of BLINDER and which bands influenced your sound?

BLINDER is a Melodic Death Thrash Metal band originally from the city of Santa Clara, Cuba, it was formed in 1998 after the disintegration of Medium, one of the most prestigious and energetic Cuban metal bands in those years. In reality, we have been influenced by several bands and different genres, not to mention that each of us has our own references that have benefited us when creating, although we always try to be ourselves.

2. How's the scene in your city Santa Clara? Do you feel like it’s hard to get noticed as a band due to being from Cuba?

Santa Clara is known as the metal city of Cuba for its relevant history within national rock, especially within metal. It is also known for organizing the oldest and most important rock festival in the country called Ciudad Metal, of which I was the organizer for 15 years. It has been quite difficult for Cuban bands to make ourselves known both outside and inside the country and more due to the limitations and obstacles of the system we have, however we are persevering and have made discrete progress.

3. How would you describe the sound of Blinder to those who have never heard you before?

We are a band with 25 years of existence with a sound characterized essentially by a Death Metal base and over time we have been incorporating influences from Melodeath, thrash and technicalism as well as elements of Afro-Cuban folk in search of a certain identity.

4. I listened to your album "Syncretic" from 2016 “and I really enjoyed it. I feel like this album has a unique sound and the underproduced sound gives it an organic feel. What can you tell us about the recording of this album and looking back on it now, are you happy with the result?

In reality, the sound achieved was not intentional, our aspirations were to obtain a high-level product but we did not have a decent recording studio or an experienced producer, so we had to make do with the few resources available, but the most important thing was show our music and in my opinion the objective was more than achieved despite everything.

5. Can you tell us about your lyrics and what kind of topics you explore?

I am quite open when it comes to composing lyrics as long as it identifies with the music we make, Cuba is a quite atypical country and it serves as a source of inspiration for me without fall into social or political issues.

6. How is life for the average metalhead in Cuba? Would you consider music as a form of escapism? I have noticed that people in Cuba are really passionate about music and very supportive of local bands, regardless of the restrictions in your country.

The desire to release and perform the music that we feel and that runs strongly through our veins plus the support that we have constantly had from the public that has always been and will be a great source of inspiration, all of this revitalizes you and gives you energy to face the future and it encourages you to continue composing more songs, make recordings and continue playing as long as we can.

7. What are 10 albums you can't live without?

There are many albums that have marked my life, they are:

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

Van Halen - Van Halen I

Mercyful Fate - Don't break the Oath

Slayer - Reign in Blood

Metallica - Master of Puppets

Metallica - Ride the lightning

Death - Spiritual Healing

Entombed- Left hand Path

Morbid Angel - Altar of Madness

Dream Theater - Images and Words

There are many more but remember these have been the most important.

8. I like the cover art for Syncretic! It has an underground aesthetic and appeal. What was the idea behind it and who did the artwork?

I am a graduate of the professional art school so I am in charge of all the design and graphic concept of the band, I had made the cover some time ago as part of a series of drawings that I made and we were given the opportunity to edit the album spontaneously and it seemed like the right one to reflect the idea we were looking for with the album.

9. What albums have you been listening to lately? Do you have any favorite albums from 2023?

I listen to a lot of music and different genres of metal, I liked the latest ones from The Halo Effects, Aborted, In Flames, Orbit Culture, Cannibal Corpse..., and from 2023 one of the albums that impressed me the most was Cattle Decapitation – Terrasite.

10. Does the environment influence your outlook and inspire you to be creative as a musician?

Exactly as I mentioned before, my lyrics reflect the environment that surrounds me and the same thing happens with music in the creation process, Cuba is a very different country and what better reason to make brutal music, haha.

11. Do metal bands in Cuba support each other or is there a lot of competition in the scene?

The Cuban metal scene has always been united and there are no differences, you can see a show with metal, punk or grunge bands at the same time, this unity has allowed us to form a solid movement that is very necessary to confront the prejudices and obstacles we face subjected.

12. Thank you for your time! Before we end this interview, can you tell us something about your future plans and when you will record your next album?

At the moment we are immersed and working very hard on new songs with the idea of recording a new album by the end of the year, in fact we are already handling special guests and we come with a more technical, fresh and aggressive sound. I just have to thank you for the interview and for your great support.

ALBUM REVIEW: Ancient Malignity - Dehumanization Dawn (2024)

 

Ancient Malignity - Dehumanization Dawn 

USA

Inhuman Assault Productions

 

Ancient Malignity is a trio from Reno, US, playing bestial black/death and “Dehumanization Dawn” is their second full-length and follow-up to their self-titled album from 2020. The group features members from other extreme black/death bands like Ritual Genocide, Triumph, and Blasphemous Creation, which are all respectable in their own right.
 
Musically, Ancient Malignity takes cues from bands like Revenge, Goatpenis, and Abhorer, but with more death metal sensibilities woven into their sound. It’s a winning formula for the band, paired with an organic and crisp production that only accentuates the hellish feel of the music.
 
Tempo-wise, this is mostly a mid-paced listening experience, sounding like a slower Revenge at times, albeit interspersed with some faster parts. Everything can be heard clearly in the mix, and the sharp bass adds an extra layer of venom to the assault. The military-style drumming is on point and offers a variety of inventive fills and tempo changes. You can tell that some thought went into the arrangements, as the whole album feels well-orchestrated.
 
Despite all the instruments being comprehensible, there is a certain rawness to their sound that is all-too-fitting for this style, and honestly, I think an overly polished production would have ruined this release and taken away many of its qualities.
 
This album succeeds in conveying an atmosphere brimming with hatred and blasphemy, and the more I listen to it, the more I like it. As mentioned before, the music is mostly a mid-paced affair, but always murderously heavy and aggressive. The morbid vocals are absolutely diabolical and bolstered by an array of searing riffs, energetic drums and repulsive bass riffs.
 
The length of this release is quite satisfying at 36 minutes, which is refreshing as most war metal bands these days release albums at around 25 minutes or so, which is more of an EP length in my opinion. I advise all maniacs into underground and blasphemous, bestial black/death to check this band out as it has everything that you are looking for in the style. For fans of Kulto Maldito, Abhorer, Ritual Genocide.