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Blood Serpent - Bestial Extermination
Vietnam
House of Ygra
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.