Album review: Slaughtbbath - Alchemical Warfare (2019)

Slaughtbbath – Alchemical Warfare (2019)

Chile

Hells Headbangers Records

Slaughtbbath, hailing from the depths of Chile have released numerous demos, splits, EPs, and a debut full-length with a pretty consistent output since their inception in 2002. Their second full-length is fittingly titled “Alchemical Warfare.”

Musically, their style is rooted in the bloody sounds of Blasphemy, Sarcofago, and Bestial Warlust. Having said that, you can expect nothing but a high-octane dosage of supreme darkness from this Chilean horde. The album is a tour de force from beginning to end, featuring 8 tracks and 34 minutes of infernal black/death steeped in vitrioloic poison, which is enough to satiate your need for all things morbid and chaos-driven. Each track is stacked to the brim with blasphemous riffs, savage vocals, hard-hitting drums, and heavy bass lines, including the fact that the whole thing is boosted with an excellent production (at least by black/death standards) which allows all the instruments to be heard and distinguished from one another. Listening to this album will plunge your soul into the very depths of Hell. “Alchemical Warfare” is a more than worthy follow-up to “Hail To Fire” and comes highly recommended to fans of well-executed bestial black/death. (HT)

Album review: Abhorrot – Abysmal Echoes (2019)

Abhorrot – Abysmal Echoes (2019)

Austria

Morbid Chapel Records

Formed in Vienna, the Austrian black/death duo released their debut full-length “Abysmal Echoes” back in 2019 via Morbid Chapel Records. 

The sound that pervades this debut is exceedingly cavernous and gives the impression that the music was recorded in some underground cave somewhere, although that was probably the idea. Musically, it’s probably somewhere between Irkallian Oracle and Embrace of Thorns, with extra emphasis on rusty-cage raw production. An indecipherable array of grim vocals are belched out atop a hypnotic discharge of distorted, heavy guitars, while pounding drums propel the chaos. Indeed, those with a penchant for murky, chaos-driven, low-fi black/death metal will certainly indulge in the miasmic darkness of Abhorrot. 

The only flaw is perhaps the production, since a better sounding recording would’ve given the music a bit more life and amounted to a more powerful sound overall. Nevertheless, it’s still good for what it is. “Abysmal Echoes” straddles the line between cavernous and bestial, but with a noxious atmosphere all its own. The album features 8 songs in total, clocking at 37 minutes. (HT)

EP REVIEW: Voroth - Voroth (2019)

 

Voroth – Voroth – EP – 2020

Russia

Independent

Voroth is a four-piece death/thrash act hailing from the depths of Nevinnomyssk, Russia, and the self-titled EP under review is their debut release. Upon listening to these songs, I have discovered a band with the ability to write interesting and well-crafted material that doesn't border on sounding like your typical death/thrash fare. The music is actually very forward-thinking and executed with vigour. The production brings out the solid performances and I appreciate the presence of the bass in the mix. I also like the fact that the band opted for singing in their native tongue, as the music always sounds more expressive that way. (Definitely an approach more bands should opt for.) The band seems to have a penchant for writing epic songs, since most of them hit the 5-minute mark and are packed to the brim with instrumental support. Overall, I would rate this as a pretty solid EP, but like most releases, there's always room for improvement; in this case, I feel like the band should try to add a bit more depth to their craft, as the songs have a tendency to sound a little monotonous at times. Other than that, a good first entry from a promising band. (HT)

Album review: Goatsmegma - Demonic Goat Smegma Eating Ritual (2019)

Goatsmegma - Demonic Goat Smegma Eating Ritual - Full Length (2019)

Estonia

Morbid Chapel Records

Goatsmegma from Tallinn, Estonia, unleash their ravaging debut album entitled, “Demonic Goat Smegma Eating Ritual,” and was released by Poland's Morbid Chapel Records. The release in question offers 8 tracks of absolutely murderous War Metal that feature some of the crudest vocals I've heard in a while. The production has a rehearsal-like quality to it, which gives the music a very raw and intense feel, coupled with the band's propensity for violent overtones. Every song is injected with a copious amount of blasts, hellish vocal lines, and severely discordant guitar riffs. The music remains simple yet thoroughly well-executed and enjoyable. The energy emitted on “Demonic Goat Smegma Eating Ritual” reminds me of Antaeus' "Cut Your Flesh And Worship Satan" in terms of its raw intensity, although the style is quite different. The artwork for this release is totally profane and cult, which I absolutely support. Those of you looking for some truly menacing bestial Black/Death – particularly fans of bands like Morbosidad, Blasphemophagher, and Black Witchery – should definitely check these guys out. Highly recommended. (HT)

https://morbidchapelrecords.bandcamp.com/track/demonic-goat-smegma-eating-ritual

Demo review: Maze of Terror - Death Worshipers (2019)

 

Maze of Terror – Death Worshipers – Demo (2019)

Peru

Independent

Peruvian death-thrashers Maze of Terror released an absolute scorcher of an album back in 2016 titled, “Ready To Kill.” I loved the aggression and ballsy attitude of that album. Fast forward to 2019, after a split and two EPs, the band released this killer demo called “Death Worshipers.” The four songs on this demo are very well composed and contains absolutely no filler at all. The music can be described as thrash metal, although in the most uncompromising sense imaginable. They also incorporate some black and death metal elements into their sound. The vocalist is a maniac and sounds like he is hell-bent on murdering someone. All instruments are well played and blend together nicely, coupled with a solid production that enables you to hear everything. The guitarist's penchant for solos is impressive and it definitely sounds like he knows what he's doing. I must say, for a thrash metal band, Maze of Terror sounds more extreme than a lot of black and death metal bands. The music on this demo is raw, unapologetic, and fierce. I love the sample on the first song, 'Incubus,' which is taken from the cult horror movie The Entity. Anyway, if radio-friendly “pizza thrash” is your thing, then stay far away from Maze of Terror. These Peruvian maniacs will skin you alive. (HT)

https://mazeofterror.bandcamp.com/

Demo review: Roudansirppi – III (2019)

 

Roudansirppi – III – Demo (2019) 

Finland

Hessian Firm

Raw black metal would be a good place to start when describing Roudansirppi's music. Their latest demo features four lengthy tracks of mournful, atmospheric black metal that takes us back to the old days. Each song is comprised of despondent screams, buzzing guitars, and an atmosphere that conjures images of vast and barren landscapes. The music is decidedly primitive, but also cohesive, supplemented with a low-fi production that is sure to please diehard fans. You basically have all the hallmarks of classic black metal written all over this, but minus the Satanism. The band also incorporates some keyboards and clean vocals here and there, which is a nice touch and adds depth to the music. Overall, the material on this demo is quite strong, as “III” is a release that will find its appeal among fans of the most cult and austere type of black metal. The CD can be obtained through Hessian Firm. (HT)

https://roudansirppi.bandcamp.com/album/iii

Album review: Sammath - Across The Rhine is Only Death (2019)

Sammath - Across The Rhine Is Only Death (2019)

Holland

Hammerheart Records

The Dutch warmongering hate-cult, Sammath, return with their sixth album, "Across The Rhine is Only Death," released under the banner of Hammerheart Records. The music presented on this album is a confession of rage captured in the form of blisteringly fast, caustic black metal that takes no prisoners. An apocalyptic atmosphere permeate this album all the way through, with songs comprised of hard-hitting drums, menacing screams, and a chainsaw guitar that constantly release explosive blasts of noise and insanity-inducing violence. The music of Sammath will leave you feeling dazed and battered, like a weapon directed at the senses. Compared to the previous album, I would say that Across The Rhine... is slightly more “punk-based” in terms of riff structure, which I personally don't mind since I like hardcore punk. Every song hits the listener like a ten-ton brick wall, never letting up or toning down in intensity. It wouldn't have hurt for the band to add a few guitar solos here and there, but then again, nothing's perfect. "Across The Rhine is Only Death" isn't just any album, it's a collection of songs that perfectly embodies the oppression of war, and by unequivocally capturing that essence on disc. Recommended to fans of Revenge, Nocturnes Mist, and Angelcorpse. (HT)

https://sammathhhr.bandcamp.com/album/across-the-rhine-is-only-death

Review: Trench Warfare - Hatred Prayer (2019)

 

Trench Warfare – Hatred Prayer (2019)

USA

Transcending Obscurity Records

For some reason, Trench Warfare's "Hatred Prayer" flew under my radar last year and I am absolutely kicking myself for it. The album was released in 2019 by Transcending Obscurity Records; a renowned label from India with a reputation for putting out killer stuff. From beginning to end, "Hatred Prayer" is a tour de force and shows the band execute fast, raw and relentless death metal in the vein of heavyweights like Rebaelliun, Perdition Temple, and Nocturnal Vomit. The music is absolutely crushing, with a vocalist belching out furious barks, backed by a salvo of sick riffs and maniacal solos that attacks the senses with maximum ferocity. The drums are fast-paced and well balanced in the mix, retaining a certain rawness, paired with a sharp, throbbing bass that makes for an emphatically heavy sound. Numbers like 'New Lord' shows their capacity for slower segments; however, the focal strength of the band is without a doubt their knack for fast and bludgeoning songs filled with over-the-top aggression. The band also has a predisposition for substance and atmosphere, which is one of the reasons for why this album is so enjoyable. "Hatred Prayer" is like a palette of multiple death metal styles merged into one, and it works surprisingly well. Essentially, this is a death metal record that often borders on war metal due to the high-octane and aggressive nature of the music. Songs like 'Axiom' and 'Blood Cleansing' perfectly demonstrates what the band is about. Overall, the music is fairly straight-forward in its delivery, but executed with a lot of depth. If you have a penchant for militant and bestial death metal, then definitely check it out. A highlight from 2019. (HT)

https://trenchwarfaremetal.bandcamp.com/album/hatred-prayer-black-death-metal