Showing posts with label Grom Records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grom Records. Show all posts

4 Feb 2024

Album review: Bombarder - Sa Dna Groba (2024)


Bombarder - Sa Dna Groba

Serbia 

Grom Records

Death & Thrash Metal Promotion
 

Legendary Speed Metal Titans Bombarder are back with their eighth album “Sa Dna Groba” (which translates to “From the bottom of the grave”) and deliver another album chock-full of banger tunes infused with punk sensibilities. This is emphatically old-school Speed/Thrash Metal, so you can expect to be bombarded (no pun intended) with an array of barbed-wire riffs that are both catchy and heavy as a Sunday hangover.

Per "Hellbutcher" Gustavsson (Nifelheim, Necrocurse, etc.) makes an appearance on ‘Bombarder III,’ which is an utterly savage track made even more savage with Hellbutcher’s vocal lines. Vocalist Nenad Kovačević, who has been with the band since its inception in 1986, belches out some verily maddened, hollering vocals in Serbian, giving the whole album a very personal touch. I have always felt that metal bands sound better when they perform in their mother tongue and “Sa Dna Groba” is a testament to that. It’s amazing how the singer, who is sixty-one years old, can still deliver such an energetic and passionate performance.

Each member contributes to the collective excellence of this album, as the whole performance is tighter than a camel's arse in a sandstorm and accentuated by a crystal clear production fitting to their sound. The riffs really hit the spot and are masterfully executed on every track, with tempos ranging from mid-paced to more rapid, neck-breaking sections, including some eminently adept guitar solos as heard on the eponymous title-track and “Bezubi Osmijeh” (Toothless Smile).

Every composition on this album kills, even “Na svoju vagu život stavi”, with its absolutely brilliant interplay of violin and sweltering guitar shreds. Furthermore, the rendition of Kreator’s "Flag of Hate” ends the album on a high note with the lyrics again performed in Serbian rather than English. As far as I know, the band relocated to Serbia sometime in the 90s during the Bosnian war. So I am certainly grateful for their longevity and tenacious metal spirit, because the band has endured a lot since its formation. You simply cannot get these dogs down!

Overall, Bombarder is a band that has stayed true to their old-school roots, as “Sa Dna Groba” is an absolute banger of an album that maniacs of true Speed/Thrash metal should not miss out on.

26 Oct 2020

Album review: Angelgoat - Primitive Goat Worship (2017)

 


Angelgoat – Primitive Goat Worship - Full Length (2017)

Serbia

Grom Records


"Primitive Goat Worship" is Angelgoat's second full length, and was released by Grom Records in 2017. I like all the band's releases, but this is my favourite from them. This is also their heaviest and most evil sounding record in my opinion. If you look at the band's song titles and imagery, it's quite evident that the band is about one thing and one thing only: the adoration of Satan and darkness. Now to the average person this might seem like some cheap gimmick, although I can assure you, the band is deadly serious about their craft. Fortunately, the music also speaks for itself, as "Primitive Goat Worship" offers a style of no-frills black metal that's about as true to the genre as it gets. A very raw and apocalyptic atmosphere permeate this album, with songs comprised of heavily distorted guitars, maniacal screams, and an incredibly menacing bass tone. The drumming is also very well-performed and vigorously drives the music at militant speeds, but also switches it up enough to keep it interesting. This is master-class black metal and while there's nothing really “innovative” about it, the music has a propensity for sounding deliciously and fiercely evil. Musically, Angelgoat can be compared to bands like (old) Darkthrone, Maniac Butcher, (old) Mayhem, Goat Semen, Archgoat, etc., without actually sounding like those bands. Sure, there's a commonality as far as playing black metal, but Angelgoat has a distinct sound that also borrows a lot from classic speed metal and thrash. I love the guitar tone on this album. Worth mentioning is the fact that all instruments were performed by one sole maniac known as Unholy Carnager. That being said, he definitely did a terrific job. All in All, this is an essential album and recommended for maniacs into primitive and ugly black metal. (HT)