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: Cadaverous Odour - Corpus Inhumation (2024)

Cadaverous Odour - Corpus Inhumation

USA

Independent

 

The one-man project from California known as Cadaverous Odour (named after a Treblinka song) has released its first demo, aptly titled “Corpus Inhumation.” The three songs on this demo are absolutely slimy, putrid and nauseating death metal reminiscent of bands like Autopsy, Abhorrence (Finland) and Necrovore.
 
I wouldn’t call this typical old-school death metal, as the music actually has a kind of "necro" sound if you will, evoking a rotten atmosphere that both sickens and excites me… this is a good thing, and we need more of it. The vocals are absolutely guttural and maniacal, so much so that I even wondered if the person singing was human… let’s not kid ourselves, this is how it’s done, folks. True death metal is meant to disgust you, and Cadaverous Odour fully embraces that philosophy as their music is designed to do just that.
 
There's also a hint of doom in the music, as tracks like “Mercurial Erethism” start off rather slowly before picking up the pace at 2:18 and plunging you into the bottomless pit with blasphemous riffs and a searing guitar solo at 3:29. There are certainly plenty of frenzied leads in the songs, adding a chaotic element to the music and reminding me of war metal. Cavernous vocals are barfed over a wall of guitars so dirty they block out the sun. The entire demo is inspired and brimming with absolute darkness and decay. The drums are well played, despite the simplicity of the music. You could argue that the music is pretty rough, which it is, but it’s also well-arranged and not to mention the guitar solos sound pretty wild.
 
The Autopsy influence can be heard a little more clearly on the second track “Corporeal Blasphemy". There are some pretty nasty riffs and frantic vocals here that would probably give me a heart attack if I heard such sounds unexpectedly in the middle of the night. The last track is basically an outro with a movie sample and a creepy piano interlude, although I’m not quite sure from which movie (probably some obscure Italian horror movie), but it fits the atmosphere quite nicely.
 
All in all, Cadaverous Odour's first demo does a lot of things right, and I can’t criticise it too much, because it should be taken for what it is: sick and disgusting death metal from a promising prospect, and this is just the beginning of their slimy path. I hope we will hear more music from Cadaverous Odour in the future, as they are off to a good start. Worth checking out. (Jim) 

ALBUM REVIEW: Shrine ov Absurd - Monotony (2020)

 

Shrine ov Absurd - Monotony - (2020)

Cuba

Independent

Shrine ov Absurd is the sole manifestation by Conspirator (Skjult) and the second feature from a Cuban band on this blog. The musical endeavor in question sounds quite different compared to Skjult and seems more inclined towards melancholia. Atmospheric and well-executed Black Metal is what Shrine ov Absurd is all about. Each song is fierce and murderously intense, featuring some excellent harmonies and dynamics that should keep the listener interested throughout. Conspirator handles each instrument exceptionally well, as nothing really sounds out of place. There are some truly captivating moments, especially the slower, more brooding passages paired with Conspirator's penchant for textures that radiates pure somberness. The song writing is par excellent and contains much depth. It's quite interesting for me to hear bands of such immense quality from countries like Cuba who are not that well known to the world in terms of its contribution to metal. However, as my review can attest, they definitely contribute. All in all, those looking for some bona fide, atmospheric black metal, will thoroughly enjoy this. “Monotony” is all around a very solid effort. (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)