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: Kaeck – Het Zwarte Dictaat (2021)

Kaeck – Het Zwarte Dictaat

The Netherlands

Folter Records (CD) / Hessian Firm (Cassette)

The Dutch trio Kaeck strikes again with their second album "Het Zwarte Dictaat" featuring two members from the mighty Sammath. Those with a penchant for second wave black metal will undoubtedly find solace in the hellish overtones of "Het Zwarte Dictaat" as the band churns out a series of hefty riffs and scornful vocals. The atmosphere conjured on this album brings to mind something profane and utterly malevolent, coupled with a simplicity that is true to black metal. There is nothing overly technical on this album, though everything is executed exceptionally well as the band shows their knack as songwriters. Keyboards are used sporadically throughout the album to add an extra layer of ambiance, giving it a rather sinister twang. At its best, "Het Zwarte Dictaat" is primarily a black metal album, somewhat reminiscent of war metal with its volatile and crushing atmosphere. The music manages to incorporate a variety of dynamic tempos while maintaining a good balance. The bass is prominent and adds to the heaviness of the album, while the drums are mostly mid-tempo but well executed. I have always been of the opinion that music sounds better (and more expressive) when performed in one's native tongue, and that's exactly the case here, as the vocals are performed in Dutch. If you are a fan of good black metal, then you should listen to Kaeck! (HT)

Interview: Chainsaw (2021)

 

Hailing from The Netherlands and formed in 1996, the tyrants known as CHAINSAW has since been scything and slicing posers with their very own brand of malodorous Thrash Metal and spreading the message of ‘Blood, Meat, and Metal’! The following interview was answered by founding maniacs Don and Aike.

Alcohol-drenched hails! As far as I know, Chainsaw formed back in 1996. What have been some of the highlights regarding this whole journey and how do you reflect on your achievements as an underground Speed/Thrash Metal band?

Don - Oh dear. I’m way too sober to answer this question. Let’s drink some of those hails. Yes. Yes. Better now. Let’s reflect. 1996. That’s 25 years. That’s a lot of highlights. And lowlights. Well some of the weirder gigs I remember as being highlights, like the musical high tea party where we played our full bloodsoaked show in front of an audience of people with an average age of 75. Some ran, well strolled out of the venue, but then other oldies cheered us and at the end of the gig an 80 year old lady came up to us to share that she enjoyed it thoroughly. Playing at a party in Bonaire where the theme was ‘The independence of Surinam’ and most people were in original Surinam attire was quite the highlight too. First everybody ran again, then they came back and starting dancing to our crazy thrash metal. We like to take metal where it originally shouldn’t go. We feel like we are missionaries in that way. We also played quite a few vegan parties and the more we explained that all of our songs are basically about meat, the more they loved it.

Aike - One time we played in a somewhat religious neighbourhood Where we replaced another band the last minute for an afternoon show. We were surprised there was no backstage beer and no alcohol at the bar in the venue, but luckily we brought some ourselves. So we do our show, and so I was preaching to the audience about fucking your pets, fucking minced meat, killing people and things like that.. and then after the show there were some very angry people and it turned out it was a special heavy metal afternoon for children. Well we did notice there was an above average amount of kids but what the hell, if you BOOK Chainsaw you GET Chainsaw. And later we got a message from the city council that due to our ‘tasteless and amoral act’ had banned Chainsaw for life haha. Many years later someone in that same city wanted to book us for a festival but the city council had not forgotten about us and we were not allowed to play. I think that is our greatest achievement!

According to the metal archives, there are 11 bands bearing the moniker Chainsaw. Did you ever consider opting for a different name or were you never that fazed about a name that’s shared by others?

Don - We are generally not easily fazed. Dazed, crazed, yes, but fazed, no. Our music just fit the style of a Chainsaw and we so aptly named the band as such.

Actually at one time we wanted to organize a festival or a small tour with other Chainsaws, we almost got there with the Polish Chainsaw, but it didn’t work out.

Aike - The Polish Chainsaw even changed their name the ‘THE Chainsaw’ and suddenly stopped communication while we tried to plan a tour for the combined Chainsaw’s

Can you elaborate a bit on the philosophy behind Chainsaw?

Don - Yes indeed, we are great philosophers. The philosophy behind Chainsaw is that thrash should be raw and bloody, like a steak still on the cow.

Aike - Straightforward violence without any moral nonsense. And for the stage part we use all kinds of theatrics to enhance the metal experience and when you wake up the day after you went to a Chainsaw show even though you are hungover you still remember.

Who and what is the meat locker?

Don - YOU are the meat locker, but so am I.

What’s some of your favourite albums in the eternal relics of metal?

Don - Judas Priest – Painkiller, Swampcult – The Festival, Spinal Tap – Smell the Glove

Aike - Necro Schizma – Live in Zwolle, Manowar – Black wind fire and steel, Celtic frost- Morbid tales, Bathory- Blood fire death to name a few

Which bands influenced the sound of Chainsaw and what can you tell us about your themes?

Don - In the early days bands like Venom, Kreator influenced us. Later on we made songs and decided if it sounded like Chainsaw, haha, then it was a Chainsaw song, but that is what happens when you’re in a band for 25 years.

Aike - The songs are mostly about meat but also about necrophilia, traffic jams, bestiality, killing bugs. I just let my mind wander without restraint about some normal day to day stuff and it gets automatically drenched in some crazy sauce.

What can you tell us about your blood-soaked photos and live performances? Is it part of your aesthetic? And can you share with us any crazy anecdotes about shows you’ve played?

Don – Yes, but it just gradually happened. We didn’t use any blood in the beginning. Then 1 time at easter, we thought it was a good idea to slaugher an easter bunny. It was a stuffed toy with some blood inside, but it was fun. Then we expanded the idea to do the same, but to a stuffed pig toy during ‘The Butcher of Bagdad’. One of our fans, an ancient guy in a wheelchair told us afterwards that he really enjoyed that, but the pig was way too small. We decided that he was very right. Aike then created a bigger than life size pig and since that time when we play ‘The Butcher of Bagdad’, the pig comes out and gets slaughtered. It is a great bloody mess. When we first started doing it, people stepped back, but later on, people got real close and wanted to get splattered. If people are not already in a fantastic mood during our shows, they become ecstatic when the pig comes out.

Aike - We usually start the show with me rushing through the venue with a running chainsaw, so there was this time I decided to run out into the crowded street and chase some people shopping. Besides the chainsaw I also had this huge dagger strapped to my leg for later during the show were we drag a plastic wrapped body onstage, hoist it up on a pole and cut it open and blood and entrails come out. There was an elderly lady who came after me who called out to me: ‘excuse me mister, but you have dropped your knife.’ and returned it to me. haha that was awesome.

How would you respond to someone attending one of your shows that complained afterwards about getting blood on them?

Don - It hasn’t happened very often, but sometimes we do hear afterwards that some people ran out. One unfortunate girl started crying when some blood was spilled on her neat white blouse. I don’t think she was paying a lot of attention to us, even though she was close enough.

Aike - Some years ago when we opened for Goddess of desire, they prepared their fireworks for their show before the doors opened so they could start playing without delay when we would have finished our set. Only to discover that our blood had ruined most of it. However they remained calm any said: ‘well, we should have known better than to play after Chainsaw.’

How has the overall response been towards Chainsaw and how is your following in the Netherlands?

Don – Some people got quite fanatic and followed us around, we often saw a lot of familiar faces. Especially in Germany people got absolutely nuts. We’ve got a nice following in the Netherlands, but we haven’t had many gigs lately, so when we do perform again, we will have to wake them up with a bang.

What’s the current status of the members and what do you keep yourself busy with nowadays?

Don - We’re all still alive sort off. I mainly keep myself busy with another thrash band called PPTA.

Aike - I am active in several other bands, amongst them are a doom band: Swampcult that turns the short stories of H.P. Lovecraft into an audio experience, together with Don who does the guitar and bass, I play the drum and do the vocals. We’re working on the 3rd album now but we take our sweet time. And SPITZ vile doom rock where I play bass and vocals.

And our bass player Leon plays guitar in a death metal band Cacatory and also in PPTA

Are there any bands from recent years that you’ve taken a liking to, or are you mostly jamming old classics? What’s on your playlist lately?

Don - I have been listening to a lot of Shining and Gama Bomb lately. But also classics such as Darkthrone – A Blaze in the Northern Sky and random songs of Decapitated.

Aike - I usually play a few albums on over and over for months. at the moment that is ‘A baneful choir’ by Teitanblood and ‘Latexcult’ by Impaled Nazarene, Not a lot of thrash or speed as someone might expect from someone in a band like this.

What are some of your biggest pet peeves with people in the metal scene?

Don - I used to have A LOT of pet peeves, but I think I’m getting too old for that shit, haha.

Aike - Bands promoting themselves as female fronted. Nothing wrong with women in bands, but if you promote your band like that, especially when there is no clean singing, you basically say: ‘Hee, come look at the tits of our front woman!’ And another thing is bands that have names that do not fit the music. Take Annihilator for instance, brutal name, but they don’t sound like they are annihilating anything. very, very annoying.

You haven’t put out a new album since 2013. Will there be any new material in the future, and will you resurrect the chainsaw to slay the posers once more?

Don - Yes there will be! We basically have enough songs for another album and we will definitely resurrect the chainsaw when the time comes to release those upon an unsuspecting world.

Thanks a lot for your time!!! Long live the Chainsaw!!!

Don - Thanks for the interview!! Long live Death by Hammer!

Album review: Crypta – Echoes Of The Soul (2021)

 

Crypta – Echoes Of The Soul

Brazil / The Netherlands

Napalm Records

Last year, Fernanda Lira (bass, vocals) and Luna Dametto (Drums) decided to leave Nervosa and pull out a new project called Crypta. It has the participation of Taina Bergamaschi (Ex-Hagbard) and Sonia Annubis (Ex-Burning Witches, Cobra Spell) on guitars.

Since its announcement the band has generated quite a fuss, and now that they’ve recently released their debut album, let's take a walk through the slimy and gloomy corridors of CRYPTA!

I advise you to put on your headphones, because the intro to this album, "Awakening," reflects perfectly the album cover and will transport us at once beyond the mortal realm and towards the concept proposed by the group. The tombstone is opened wide, and from it arises an onslaught of pure soul-crushing brutality, like feral beasts emerging (as if Pandora's box were being opened). Fernanda's screams (a little deeper than usual) emanate deep from within the grave, as demonstrated on the first track, "Starvation," which is self-explanatory in how it talks about death due to lack of food. Admittedly, I’m quite fond of the structure and theme, which gives the impression that it was barfed out by some hideous creature. The vocals are profoundly aggressive, high-pitched, and pleasant to listen to. Fast riffs and drums slam into your ears like a hail of bullets. References like Morbid Angel and Sinister comes to mind in terms of the precision and speed they play their instruments. All this is supported by a rather stellar production. It’s forceful and fierce like the infernal shadow of death! I will point this out though, as a fan of classic death metal (the most repulsive kind) this album does sound a bit modern (and by this I mean that the melodic parts are clearly more modern than the moments of sick fury) but maybe that’s a good thing for the genre – to bring something fresh for all the death-maniacs to sink their teeth into. (Catacombs Walker)

Album review: Sammath - Across The Rhine is Only Death (2019)

Sammath - Across The Rhine Is Only Death (2019)

Holland

Hammerheart Records

The Dutch warmongering hate-cult, Sammath, return with their sixth album, "Across The Rhine is Only Death," released under the banner of Hammerheart Records. The music presented on this album is a confession of rage captured in the form of blisteringly fast, caustic black metal that takes no prisoners. An apocalyptic atmosphere permeate this album all the way through, with songs comprised of hard-hitting drums, menacing screams, and a chainsaw guitar that constantly release explosive blasts of noise and insanity-inducing violence. The music of Sammath will leave you feeling dazed and battered, like a weapon directed at the senses. Compared to the previous album, I would say that Across The Rhine... is slightly more “punk-based” in terms of riff structure, which I personally don't mind since I like hardcore punk. Every song hits the listener like a ten-ton brick wall, never letting up or toning down in intensity. It wouldn't have hurt for the band to add a few guitar solos here and there, but then again, nothing's perfect. "Across The Rhine is Only Death" isn't just any album, it's a collection of songs that perfectly embodies the oppression of war, and by unequivocally capturing that essence on disc. Recommended to fans of Revenge, Nocturnes Mist, and Angelcorpse. (HT)

https://sammathhhr.bandcamp.com/album/across-the-rhine-is-only-death