Album review: Infernal Execrator - Obsolete Ordinance (2018)

Infernal Execrator - Obsolete Ordinance 

Singapore

Pulverised Records (CD/LP) / InCoffin Productions (Cassette)

 

Infernal Execrator is a band that lives up to its name, because their music is certainly infernal in the truest sense of the word. “Obsolete Ordinance” is their second album and the follow-up to 2014’s killer “Ad Infinitum Satanic Adherent.” It took the band four years to record a new album and they clearly did not disappoint, as the whole release is total war from start to finish. The band has kept the same style employed on the previous album, playing militant black metal with a dash of melody.
 
There is no other band that sounds like Infernal Execrator, as they have a style all their own, even though the influence of bands like Immortal, Marduk and Impiety can clearly be heard in their music. The riffing is wild, frenetic tremolo pickings, intensified by hard-hitting drumming that ranges from blazing blasts to muscular thrash beats, but mostly fast, as the drummer unleashes hell on the kit. Seriously, the drummer is fucking good and super capable. The eponymous opener “Infernal Execrator (True Blasphemous Conquest)" opens this record with furious intensity, while the follow-up track “Incinerate Halakhah Theorem” only adds insult to injury with a series of surgical riffs and machine-gun drumming. I swear the band has some of the coolest song titles. They really go out of their way to outdo every other band in terms of extremity, and I’m all for it, but I digress.
 
Many people would use adjectives like “brutal” and “extreme” when describing a band like Infernal Execrator, and while that's certainly true, there's definitely more to their arsenal than simply being heavy. The musicians in the band can play their instruments exceptionally well and it's obvious that the arrangements are well thought out, especially the way the riffs are played, which I have to say is one of the album’s high points. Every fiery riff and guitar part is spot on, backed by vicious shrieks reminiscent of Abbath from Immortal. The vocals are delivered with maximum ferocity on every track throughout the album. In addition, the guitar solos on this album will melt your face off with its power and brutal execution.
 
It’s amazing how the melody on this album offsets the brutality and yet the music never lets up in intensity. A good visual depiction of their sound is to imagine a grenade exploding in your face, followed by a scene of being mauled by a horde of demons as you enter hell. Infernal Execrator is a top-notch act from Singapore and this album solidifies their position as one of the best black metal bands from Southeast Asia. Stand-out tracks: “Incinerate Halakhah Theorem”, “Northern Superiority”, "Obsolete Ordinance" (Jim) 

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. (Jim)

Interview: A.M.S.G.

 

The following interview is with Angelfukk Witchhammer, the creative force behind Canadian black metal outlaws A.M.S.G. and formerly of Ouroboros. 

1. Infernal hails! What does A.M.S.G. stand for? (Both musically and ideologically.)

AW: A.M.S.G. stands for “Ad Majorem Satanae Gloriam,” which translates to "For the Greater Glory of Satan." Musically, it represents a dedication to crafting art that embodies the ethos of the band's beliefs. Ideologically, it is a commitment to the tenets of spiritual rebellion or anti-cosmism, associated with Left-Hand Path beliefs.

2. Black metal is now seen as this “cool” social club, which consequently attracts all kinds of degenerate scum. However, I’m pretty sure your views are on the contrary?

AW: These days it is filled with posers, backstabbers, police rats and squid goof tranny loving faggots and the whole thing needs to be nuked.

Black metal has always been the anti-mainstream, so of course the mainstream leeches onto it like a parasite trying to kill the purity if its essence, hence the nature of the beast. Mainstream society has the fundamentals to destroy the person and ideal and make it a slave, and everything it touches in that matter as well, such as Black Fucking Metal! Where black metal is an ideal of purity and higher consciousness self-devout to the darkness, embracing the conquering flame.

3. I once read in an interview that you were imprisoned for a while. For how long, if I may ask, and what was the offense? Do you regret anything?

AW: In total I was sentenced to 6 years...I did 5.

The charges I did time for was:

- Trafficking narcotics

- Trafficking guns

- Possession of explosives

- Possession of proceeds of crime

- Possession of human remains

- Assault of a deadly weapon

I regret nothing!!!! And never will.

To be an outlaw in this society is freedom.

To be a slave to the weak Abrahamic society is a slow death of dishonour of the true self

Imprisonment was an outcome of the individual self-rising above the weak and feeble society set in Abrahamic ways.

Yes, it sucks that it had to happen but such are the way of things and unfortunate. Yes, the experience made me grow a lot and taught me many things in order to become sheer iron will.

Am I sorry for what I did? Ha! Not in endless lifetimes! We are at war with this poisonous Abrahamic world order and I will fight until no air fills these lungs. I call on all true maniacs and conquerors to rise up and fight!

4. What inspired the idea to incorporate a saxophone on your debut album “Anti-cosmic Tyranny” and who plays it? It’s not particularly common in black metal, although I feel like it added a different dynamic and more depth.

AW: Ahh the saxophone...such a depraved instrument! I love it....and growing up it was the mighty NECROMANTIA that broadened my horizons there musically mixing other instruments into the usual guitar bass drum format of black metal, and also being a fan of jazz music.

Hey, this is fucking black metal! Why write in a box? Sure, some are ok like that...but it can get repetitive. For a person with an actual brain you need some stimulants and growth...adding extra layers of music would add more depth and a better outcome.

We've used saxophone now in anti-cosmic tyranny and Hostis Universi Generis and for the track that was in that 4 way split.

That saxophone player is a guy I used to go to high school with and he's a total maniac.

He was going thru some insane shit during anticosmic recordings as his girlfriend just killed herself and he came home and found her....crazy shitI We are a band surrounded by death and chaos.

We brought him into the studio and showed him what we had and he just played his parts

And every time he's done it we are blown away by what it adds to the recording. It is a great fit for what we are trying to achieve musically which brings you to more of a higher consciousness realm.

5. The drummer Kaos Abhorrer that played on Anti-Cosmic Tyranny sadly passed away in 2014, although I was never informed about the cause of death. Can you please tell us what had actually happened?

AW: Kaos Abhorrer brought the right mindset and what black metal is really about to the band for the drummer position. What a tragic loss there. A loss of a bandmate and brother, but I respect his decision.

He was a true warrior chaos bringer and friend, unlike the past drummer who was a jealous rat cop calling no good dog that needs to die, he has no honor and never will.

Kaos Abhorrer is a king and he will forever be praised as a true fucking black metal maniac and true honorable brother! I hail to you brother, I hope you are riding the crests of chaos in that next transcendence!

He hanged himself because he worshiped DEATH

6. What are some of the themes you explore with A.M.S.G., and can you cite any literature or movies that have left a lasting impression on you?

AW: Ahh well there are many influences!

And as you already mentioned Nietzsche and H.P Lovercraft are definitely in there.

For films I love:  Lars von Trier, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch,

David Cronenberg and his son Brandon are great, Zack snyder, Christopher Nolan are all great directors of films I enjoy, Amongst so many others, classic horrors Fulchi etc.

As for books well...many occult and philosophy literature I have in my collection

Such as Alistar Crowley, Current 218, Thomas Karlson and the mighty Dragon Rouge teachings, Toby Chappell's Infernal Geometry and the left hand path, The keys of solomon, The Temple of the Golden Dawn, Eliphas Levi, Diabolic Gnosticism by Christophe Kafyrfos, Marcus Aureluous, Might is Right, Promethous Rising by Robert Anton Wilson, Aldous Huxley, Carl Jung, Hunter S. Thompson, Ravenscroft Spear of Destiny, Thule Society, H.P Blavatsky the secret Docturine to name a few, if you know what I'm talking about then you know what's up.

7. Black metal means different things to different people, but what does it mean to you specifically? Does it define your personality?

AW: Black metal is a way and code of living life. As you can see it does define my personality I think as I live a true black metal lifestyle, unlike alot of poser false fukks that claim to be harsh or preach bm lifestyle but live nothing of the sort

Black metal is devoted to satan, death, chaos, no tolerance and supremacy of the higher consciousness self.

All these weak bands trying to copy the sound of black metal...call themselves black metal is a total disgrace and ripp off! (Of course there are genres of black metal, i guess how would you describe let’s say the early Enslaved albums etc.? But these aren't black metal if you get what I'm saying?) If all these new hipster goofs or tranny loving every one is welcome or commies (you all know who I'm talking about) can fuck right off, they actually need to be wood chippered from the feet first cause these fukks need to be cleansed, along with all the other scumfukk douchbags out there!

Less parasitical people out there the better, so please...do us all a favour and take all the vaccines and listen to what the government tells you hahahahahaha

What a pathetic and unreal reality we live in.

Split the atoms!

8. Do you think an internet warrior preaching the gospel of black metal from the basement of his grandmother’s house is doing any good?

AW: Well that all depends on the guy...did he live a black metal life? Contribute in anyway? Taking care of his grandmother? Or some chump squid goof that does nothing but go online in his grandmother's house about black metal weak scene shit? Woodchipper!

True black metal magic people are few from the exploits of the mass Infiltration of all these scene point fukks that take up space and breathe my air.

9. What are 10 albums you can’t live without?

AW: Tough one, 10 albums no idea!

Albums:

- Destruction - Sentence of death

- Dissection - All

- Metallica first 4

- Slayer show no mercy

- Mercyful Fate - Melissa

-Spear of Longinus - Nazi Occult Metal

- King Diamond - Abigail

- Slaughter lord -

- Morbid Angel - Altars of madness

- Infernal majesty - None Shall Defy

Bands:

Beherit, Voivod, Disciples of power, Necromantia, Bestial warlust, Bathory, Thergothon, etc.

10. Can you elaborate a little on the themes pertaining to your last album “Hostis Universi Generis”? What are songs like “The Exodus of All Life” and “Broken Chains of Cursed Flesh” about?

AW: Themes of the last album is pure devotion to the anti-cosmic gnosis and of suffering and pain and misery to exist and walking the line of superion, those who walk the line know of which I speak. This is occult music so anyone who doesn't follow, do not entry.

Hostis Universi Generis in itself is the enemy of the universe. I am your enemy.

The exodus of all life refers to a prayer song ritual to the end of humanity.

Broken chains of cursed flesh is a monument to our fallen brother Kaos Abhorrer

11. Canada has some of the most extreme bands in the world. Do you think the weather somehow contribute to this phenomenon? Are Canadians a peaceful, laid-back bunch?

AW: Extreme?! More like unextreme today and totally lame safe-space metal brotherhoods holding hands under a rainbow pride flag, losers getting their dicks cut off, tranny dress wearing faggots like local Begrime Exemious/Revolator etc., is all I see these days and people with no fucking clue what black metal is or extreme music in general.... it's very safe-space and weak-minded. A total shit film cover that won't go away. And now bands that stood the line now bend the knee for example Revenge who used to be solid as fukkkk! Walked the line, but now has a member that is a total left wing antifa supporter faggot wimp who plays in another band Black Death Cult with two trannies in it and he releases pro antifa albums on his tranny label....total weakness! Infiltrated! I never thought reality would turn out this way, but here we are.

I'll fight till death! No compromise! Supremacy thru intolerance!

There are true bands here and I hail them!

12. Are there any bands that A.M.S.G. share a musical/ideological kinship with?

AW: TRUE BLACK METAL MANIACS

The bands were in contact with know who they are

13. Your thoughts on the following:

* Justin Trudeau - One of the biggest pieces of shit to ever exist, this commie pedo scum fukk!!!! He is a traitor to Canada and to its citizens and deserves the worst!

* Kanye West - Count ye! He freed the Burzum from its cage hahaha. What a bizzare world we live in. All these mainstream celebrities loving black metal. It's also ruining black metal. Most of these people are the worst kind. A tleast he is against the Abrahamic poison it appears.

But all in all, I don't even fucking know...just fucked right up!

* Abigor - One of the best black metal bands to exist, Hail to them! Supreme Immortal art indeed!

* Sepultura - Sepultura used to good....then they went off some path and totally suck! Fuck them now...only the first four is cult.

* Sadistik Exekution - One of the most extreme metal bands to ever exist, out of Australia! All Glory and praise to these maniacs.

14. Lastly, How does the future look for A.M.S.G? Do you have anything to say to all the haters out there and people who got offended?

AW: My visions and appreciations are a swastika swirling, conquering riding the wave of chaos always! To my haters? Hahahaha those weak pathetic jealous fucks! They will never win and I will kill them when and if I can, those who have it coming! And my aim is to always walk the path of superion and strive forward into the new dawn! AMSG just re-released our first EP with live tracks and the 4 way split on Atolinga rex. As for future albums just wait and see...there will be something from the darkness and madness.

Either join us or hate us, haters can put a gun in their mouth and pull that trigger fukk offfff!!!!! Same to the people who are offended!!!! You are weak and should be eradicated from this existence.

As always, hail the end and hail the true maniacs we are in contact with!

Album review: Helgrind - Fides Celtiberia (2024)

 

Helgrind - Fides Celtiberia

 

Cuba

 

Independent / Self-released

 
 
The pagan metallers from Cuba are back with their epic third album, entitled “Fides Celtiberia.” The album was independently released, although I’m pretty sure it won’t be long before a label picks it up, as it is a masterpiece through and through.
 
If memory serves, Helgrind is one of the first bands I heard from Cuba. Their previous album “Return to Motherland” was a truly memorable experience of triumphant black/viking metal, and the new album is no less impressive with its discharge of fierce melodies, epic choruses and all-around excellent songwriting.
 
“Fides Celtiberia” strikes a seamless balance between all-out aggression and more sombre moments – which are quite captivating to say the least – although when it gets heavy, it gets HEAVY. So that’s definitely an aspect I appreciate about this album.
 
The leads and guitar work are one of the focal points of the album and convey so much emotion that you almost feel like you are embarking on a journey to medieval times, and that’s exactly what the album manages to do: it exudes an ancient atmosphere, and the clean choruses add another dimension of depth to the whole experience.
 
The black metal vocals are well done and stand out in the mix, reminding me of Werewolf of Satanic Warmaster. Sure, there are obvious black metal elements, and there’s no denying that fans of the genre might even find this appealing, although given the rather clear production and folk elements in the music, I feel that blackened viking metal or pagan metal are probably more apt descriptors.
 
The band doesn’t forget to show off their old-school side, as there are some thrash elements thrown in as well, but these guys definitely have experience when it comes to composing metal with compositional depth, as I was fully immersed for the entire duration of “Fides Celtiberia”, whether I was raising my fist to the sing-along choruses or banging my head to the heavier, more brutal moments – everything you need in a metal album is here.
 
Truth be told, I've never really been a big fan of folk-infused black metal, but Helgrind have made me a fan. “Fides Celtiberia” is a truly unforgettable experience and one of those albums you should definitely own a physical copy of. One of the greatest metal albums the underground has to offer in 2024. Stand-out tracks: “A Spanish Son” “Pride, Blood and Honor” “Great Kingdom of Ancient Land” (Jim)

DEMO REVIEW: Lein - The Call of Grief (2024)

Lein - The Call of Grief

Estonia 

Gatekeeper Records   

 

“The Call of Grief” is the debut demo by Estonian black metal quartet Lein (Estonian for “Grief”) and was released by Gatekeeper Records on cassette format limited to 100 copies.
 

The band hails from the city of Tallinn, which is one of the snowiest cities in Europe and known for its beautiful medieval architecture, so it makes sense that such a setting would produce a band whose music conjures up images of forests and snow-capped mountains.
 
The demo opens with a somber intro that perfectly sets the tone for this release, followed by “Light”, a mid-tempo track with majestic riffs and hateful vocals that are rather mid-ranged and bestial, as opposed to the higher-pitched shrieking that you often hear in black metal, though I feel like this sets them apart a bit and actually fits the music very well.
 
Production-wise, the album has a rather simple approach and feels organic, especially the drums, which are on point and eminently well-executed. The third track “Öö Langeb” goes into darker territory and features a series of deadly riffs reminiscent of Dark Fury, which are perfectly layered over the vicious screams, while “Parasite” shows their knack for more bestial rhythms, including some epic guitar solos to boot.
 
"The Call of Grief” is packed with icy riffs and a melancholic atmosphere, but also has a verily gritty edge, including some excellent leads on the last track called “Last Winter” (no pun intended). Truly, this is a thoroughly excellent demo through and through and since it’s just starting to get colder in my country, it’s a rather fitting listen.
 
Fans of bands like Dark Fury, Hate Forest and Graveland should not miss out on this release, as everything on this demo is extremely well done and shows a band with a lot of potential and a penchant for excellent craftsmanship.
 
“The Call of Grief” consists of five compositions with a playing time of 26:26 minutes and is black metal at its finest. Highly recommended.

Interview: Wrok

Black metal terror cult WROK formed in the Netherlands in the 90s. So far, they have put out some excellent releases of supreme black metal filth that will appeal to devotees of Barathrum, Bestial Summoning, Funeral Winds, etc. To gain some insight into this fraternity of evil, we reached out to vocalist/guitarist Azaghus.
 
1. Hails! For those unfamiliar with your band, can you please tell us what WROK is all about and which bands influenced your unholy sound?
 
Azaghus: The band was founded late 1995. We listened to bands like Bestial Summoning, Funeral winds, Countess, Apator, Bhaobhan Sidhe, and we felt the urge to make some real filth ourselves. Primitive, sloppy, raw and straight from the heart. To celebrate the vile rotten darkness that lives inside you. To wrench out all those things a psychologist would contact the authorities for. And for all to see.
 
2. The band was inactive for years, then you resurrected it and recorded a full-length album in 2017 called "De onheilsbode" - what prompted the decision to record new material under the banner of WROK?
 

Azaghus: We quit the band around 2001 when I felt there was not enough darkness in me any more to make honest new songs. A decade and a half later Heidens Hart records had been banging at our door to release the ´Ontgravenis´ demo on vinyl. At first I was not interested at all but after some time due to some personal rather shit circumstances I realised the darkness had returned. Mictian the drummer and I had always stayed in touch and we thought it would be a better idea to release some of the later and less wide spread songs and that simply pressing some demo and rehearsal material on vinyl with such varying levels of quality would be a cheap mess, so we decided to record most songs made after the first demo anew. We met at a rehearsal studio in Amsterdam and it was as if we never quit. We rehearsed every song once or twice and then recorded it to keep it spontaneous and in style with our 90ties vibe. One microphone on the drums, one on the guitar. And I added the bass after at home. And we knew that Wrok was awakened from its coma.
 
3. The sound of WROK is rather primitive and raw. Would a clean sounding production go against the idea of what Wrok represents musically? What do you think of black metal bands with a super polished production as if they're doing a commercial for Pepsi?
 
Azaghus: I think the INTENTION is the most important part of black metal. Sure, a filthy sound does help to make your point, but it is not really important as long as you manage to capture the right message and emotion. There are many bands who pollute the genre with a vegan, social or environmental message that may sound a little like black metal but are NOT black metal.
 

4. You are a pretty prolific musician with a history of playing in other Dutch bands like Chainsaw and Swampcult - do you consider music and recording as an artistic outlet and what inspires you to be so musically productive?
 
Azaghus: It is a way to stay sane I suppose. I immerse myself in musical projects to keep my mind occupied. When I create a base for a new song or album I listen to it all week or month on headphones and it drowns all other thoughts. I never look forward to playing live, but it does make me focus on something in a rather intensive way.
 
5. The first demo by WROK was released in 1996 - how was it perceived at the time and do you have any anecdotes to share regarding the early phase of the band?
 
Azaghus: Well back then if someone ordered your demo tape and hated it, they usually would not take the trouble to write you a letter to tell you so. I did however see a flyer that we photocopied in vast quantities and taped to the walls of every venue we went to that said: ´Wrok is the end of the human race, changed into ´Wrok is the end of the human hearing system´ It was after an infamous show we did in the nineties where the venue cut the power on stage while we were at it for about 15 minutes because of our unwholesome slide-show presentation with a variety of victims of violence. Deathcamps, Gulfwar deaths, soccer hooligan deaths and so on. And that in combination with blood, needles, dead rodents and untuned instruments was too much for them. We kept playing of course.

 
6. Whatever happened to your first vocalist Hakeldama?
 
Azaghus: Funny story. Where I stopped temporarily because I had a lack of darkness, Wrok got him really confused. He became a Buddhist and disappeared from the radar.
 
7. Is there particular reason why you sing in Dutch as opposed to English? Does it enable you to express yourself better?
 
Azaghus: Not necessarily. But Dutch is a much harsher language than English so better suited for black metal. 
  
8. How has the response been so far for your albums? I really like your last album "De Dood Roept".
 
Azaghus: People either love it or hate it it seems, and that is great because black metal is supposed to be extreme metal. When people who call Dimmu Borgir or other pop acts black metal enjoy your work you have done something terribly wrong. 

9. What's 10 albums you can't live without?
 
Azaghus: Nastrond - Toteslaut
Mutiilation - Vampires of black imperial blood
Cultes des Ghoules - Haxan
Impaled Nazarene - Ugra karma
Beherit - Engram
Bhaobhan Sidhe - Gas chamber music
Funeral winds - Screaming for grace
 
Those would be the essentials.
 
10. You are also a painter. Can you tell us how long you've been doing artwork and which bands you've worked with? Do you ever get any requests or get paid?
 
Azaghus: Nah, I do put paint on canvas, but do not see myself as a painter. I once said to a friend that his album covers looked like shit and he said: Well why don´t you paint the next one then? That was the only time I did a cover for another band haha. I got a case of beer and a bottle of whiskey. So it was definitely worth my time. The other efforts are for my own bands. And generally I just use painting much like the music to channel thoughts or to silence them.
 
11. What can you tell us about the lyrics of WROK? Do you feel like anti-Christian lyrics have become a cliché in Black Metal?
 
Azaghus: Wrok has always been about suicide and the darkness inside. The things you think about doing to the person sitting next to you on the bus but restrain from doing. But about Christianity... I think anti-Christian lyrics are an easy score yes. Sure there are people who will have a personal experience that will justify the anti-Christianity theme. And we also do have one or two songs about it, but at least where I live they do not force you to submit to their religion at gun or knife point, or even force you socially. That is a thing of the past. But I can tell you who are doing just that. And you may say: hey but YOU are preaching about death and killing and genocide yourselves and THEY are doing just that!  But think about it, they are procreating like flies on shit and for every person they kill they spawn 3 new mongrels to spread THEIR dogma. So if you really want to stand up to religious tyranny aim your arrows at Islam, if you are not a pussy that is. It is as simple as that. Christianity is not a threat like Islam is.

12. Lastly, what's next for WROK, including your other bands?
 
Azaghus: Well Chainsaw has been in a coma for many years now and will not likely recover. For Swampcult I have recorded the drums for a new album but it may take some time for the rest to be finished. With my band SPITZ, a doom band that focusses on a doctor who experimented on babies to see if they could live without affection (they could not) we are currently recording a new thing.
 
Wrok is most active at the moment. After ´De dood roept´ we recorded three songs for a compilation LP that has yet to be announced and I am working on new material. Also we have our annual two Wrok live performances planned. Both in the Netherlands in the coming months. So the future will be bloody and bleak.
 
Bedankt voor je tijd!
 
Geen probleem maat

Album review: Sammath - Grebbeberg (2023)

Sammath - Grebbeberg

The Netherlands

Hammerheart Records

Dutch barbarians Sammath are back with their seventh album, aptly titled “Grebbeberg”, released in June 2023 via Hammerheart Records.

The sound on “Grebbeberg” is no less ferocious than their outstanding previous album “Across the Rhine Is Only Death” from 2019. It's taken the band four years to record a new album, and it's obviously been worth the wait. From the very first note, the music categorically annihilates everything in its path with a barrage of heavy-hitting, warlike black metal that overlaps between ‘90s Scandinavian black metal and bestial war metal.

One noticeable change on the new recording is that the sound seems heavier and denser this time around, while at the same time sounding clear but not too polished. The guitar work is great as always, interweaving classic black metal riffs with high-octane thrash. As punishing as the music is, the band isn’t afraid to incorporate epic leads and melodies, adding a great deal of depth to their assault. Jan Kruitwagen’s vocals are suitably belligerent, as each vocal line is delivered with maximum hatred.

Drummer Wim van der Valk is an absolute beast behind the kit, with experience in prominent Dutch acts like Inquisitor and Centurian; he shows a knack for both simplicity and technical prowess with relative ease. Definitely an underrated drummer. The lower registers, while not super audible, add a layer of megaton heaviness to the chaos courtesy of Ruud Nillesen, who has been with the band since 2002.

Tracks like “Murderous Artillery” show the band at their most chaotic, which brings to mind bands like Sadistik Exekution, but with more melody added. Another highlight is “Crushed, Shattered and Destroyed” featuring some pretty incredible dynamics. In spite of its brutality, there’s never a lack of atmosphere, as Jan mete’s out a salvo of punishing riffs that’s both melodic and hypnotic. A high note is reached with closer “Stahl Und Feuer” which captures all the qualities of the band summed up in one single track.

Overall, “Grebbeberg” is just as great and relentless as everything else the band has done and shows their diehard conviction to extreme metal, even at their age. I can honestly say that this is one of the best albums of 2023, so if you haven't heard it yet, make sure you do so soon. 

Album review: Infernal Execrator - Diabolatry (2023)

Infernal Execrator - Diabolatry 

Singapore

Pulverised Records

 

The black metal tyrants from Singapore Infernal Execrator are back with their third album “Diabolatry”, which was released on CD and vinyl by Pulverised Records in December 2023.

From start to finish, “Diabolatry” hits harder than a spiked ballista bullet fired at you from a trebuchet straight out of hell. Every track on this album is ruthlessly executed, precise and showcases the band's superb craftsmanship. I was definitely impressed by the level of ferocity and high-octane aggression that this album exhibits.

Frenzied tremolo riffs are executed with relentless precision while the band maintains the pace and intensity as each drum beat mercilessly pummels the listener to dust like a hellish hammer causing multiple broken bones. The music runs you over like a tank, while Ashir’s martial vocals are spat into the mic like a demonic entity denouncing everything that is holy.

Tracks like “Infernal Storm of Oblivion” show a more mid-paced side to their sound, introducing various dynamics and haunting melodies, while “Marauders Prayers of Profanation” opens with a terrifying scream and simply obliterates everything in its path with all-out viciousness. The riffs are both catchy and blistering, but ultimately very well crafted, which also happens to be one of the focal points of this album. The music strikes a seamless balance between brutality and melody, the way it was always meant to sound, while the album’s excellent production brings out the best of the performance.

After several listens, I can confirm with absolute certainty that “Diabolatry” is the heaviest and best album the band has released to date and another excellent addition to their epic discography. The whole record is packed with incendiary songs that once again show why countries like Singapore, in spite of its small size, are no underdogs when it comes to producing quality extreme metal. Highly recommended. 

Album review: Blood Serpent - Bestial Extermination (2023)

Blood Serpent - Bestial Extermination

Vietnam

House of Ygra

 
 
Vietnamese warlords Blood Serpent have released their excellent debut album “Bestial Extermination,” which is a decidedly vicious assault on all fronts, delivering nine tracks of blackened war metal that strikes harder than the iron fist of Satan.

I can’t say I’ve heard many bands from Vietnam, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got to hear this nasty slab of caustic metal madness. The sound seems focused, with hateful vocals laid atop a wall of annihilating riffs and skull-hammering drums, making you feel like you’re being stabbed repeatedly by some malevolent, otherworldly force.

Musically, the songs are kept quite simple, but executed with rapid conviction as each track pummels the listener with homicidal intent. Those with a penchant for ruthless war metal like Diocletian, Revenge and Black Witchery will absolutely love this release. They even do a cover version of “Unholy Vengeance of War” that closes the album on a high note.

This whole album is masterfully performed, with the band delivering a no-holds-barred assault of hellish extreme metal dead set on making a statement. The production and sound are well mixed and add power to the entire performance, not to mention that each member handles their instrument incredibly well, even the bass can be heard.

Every track is deadly, but some paradigmatic examples include “Blood Defilement” with the transition to a more sinister doom passage later on, adequately mixing the faster parts with more mid-paced sections, while “Infernal Rites” features some emphatically sick guitar solo that make you go “AAAARRRRRRGGGHHHH!”

The vocals are absolutely visceral and one of the highlights of this release. It ranges from demented growls to hellish, paint-stripping shrieks that echo like a cannon in your skull.

Overall, it’s an absolute bomb of a release, and one of my personal favorites from 2023. Do yourself a favor and check these guys out, especially if you're a fan of the bands mentioned earlier.

Split review: Satanic Warmaster/Archgoat - Lux Satanae (Thirteen Hymns of Finnish Devil Worship) (2015)

Satanic Warmaster/Archgoat - Lux Satanae (Thirteen Hymns of Finnish Devil Worship)

Finland

Hells Headbangers Records

“Lux Satanae (Thirteen hymns of Finnish Devil Worship)” is an excellent split alliance between two legendary Finnish bands – both playing black metal. The artwork that adorns this release is undoubtedly one of the coolest artworks I’ve seen for a split, with Satanic Warmaster representing the wolf and Archgoat representing the goat. The tracks on this split are familiar songs from previous recordings, but appear to be re-recorded versions. Both bands deliver a colossal assault of monumental darkness as each hymn is vomited from the abyss. Obviously these bands aren’t as obscure as they once were, though the presentation of this work is utterly crude and unpolished – and a massive middle finger to the mainstream. All in all, "Lux Satanae" is an archetypal representation of Finnish black metal (and perhaps black metal as a whole) with some great artwork to boot.