EP review: Aempyrean - Fireborn (2018)

 

Aempyrean - Fireborn

India

Cyclopean Eye Productions

Aempyrean joins the ranks as one of India's better extreme metal acts with this pretty solid debut EP titled "Fireborn". Four tracks packed to the brim with odes to hell and old-school black/death/thrash can be heard on this release. The band unleashes a barrage of throat-cutting riffs, frantic solos, feral vocals and pounding thrash beats. The atmosphere is permeated with a rather rancid stench, with a sound reminiscent of early Morbid Angel, Possessed, Destroyer 666 and the like. There's no doubt as to the prominence of the musicians, as the music bombards the listener with a series of pungent riffs and solos that drill right through your fucking skull. In other words, riffs are in abundance. The production is suitably raw, giving this EP a profoundly menacing feel. The cover version of Morbid Angel’s "Chapel of Ghouls" is a nice surprise and quite well done, doing justice to the original. "Fireborn" is a must for fans of killer Black/Death. Especially if you're one of those maniacs with a penchant for discovering obscure bands from the hellish depths of the underground. Aempyrean delivers. For fans of: Weapon, Bestial Mockery, Communion. (HT)

EP review: Antt - Esoteric Misanthropy (2021)

 

Antt – Esoteric Misanthropy

India

Independent

Annt is a black metal duo hailing from the infernal depths of Assam, India, and “Esoteric Misanthropy” is their debut EP.

The title feels appropriate for this release, as this whole thing radiates pure darkness from start to finish, with a sound firmly fixed between the second and third wave. The music is relatively straight-forward and well-executed for its duration. The band employs melody in a clever way, without compromising any hostility. Musically, their sound is characterized by harsh, croaky vocals, apocalyptic riffs and fast, hard-hitting drums, as well as incorporating a good dose of melody into the mix. Vocalist Telal Xul’s harrowing groan brings to mind Hoath Torog from Sargeist/Behexen fame, while the guitars are pretty much par excellent and replete with sombre textures. The material is quite strong and further enhanced by a verily excellent production. 

Their sound is something of a mix between Sargeist, Thunderbolt and Babtism. That being said, I don’t ever recall hearing a black metal band of this magnitude and quality from India. The band display a level of professionalism and craftsmanship that most bands are unable to pull off so early in their career. All in all, “Esoteric Misanthropy” is a stellar EP through and through. Recommended. (HT)

Demo review: Mesmeric Revelation (2020)

 

Mesmeric Revelation – Demo 2020

India

Black Cum Productions

You know you're in for a treat when a band's music gets dubbed as "Kolkata Gutter Grind" by their label. The story began when I logged into facebook one day and saw that all my friends had posted this. So after listening to it I immediately purchased the cassette and had no regrets. The music can be described as blackened noise-grind in the same vein as their label peers Methgoat. The guitars on this EP are tremelo picked, backed by a massively thick, raw production filthy enough to stain the horizon. Strangely enough, for this style the lead guitars will pop up throughout the mix several times, mostly strummed high notes, brief and fitting for what you're being subjected to. The drums will stay on constant alternating blasts with the tempo not changing much except for a few short, slower parts here and there. Lastly, the vocals are drowned in reverb and echo, which gives the music an immensely evil effect, making the vocalist sound like a descendant of Kali herself. This has been on my playlist regularly since it was released. If you're a fan of Nyogthaeblisz, Chaos Cascade, or Methgoat, this will be right up your alley. Special thanks to Kolkata Inner Order Propaganda and War Vellum for all the sick music lately. (LR)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IyydtuFwL8