Album review: Cambion - Conflagrate The Celestial Refugium (2021)

Cambion - Conflagrate The Celestial Refugium

USA

Lavadome Productions

“Conflagrate The Celestial Refugium” is the debut album from these Texas based maniacs and is a profoundly hard-hitting and militant slab of Black/Death. The musicianship on this album is as tight as it gets, including the fact that the music is utterly ferocious, with the bulk of the music consisting of blazing fast drums, shredding riffs, and evil vocals that are more akin to black metal. Essentially, the output has more in common with death metal (at least musically), although there is a fair amount of black metal in their veins, at least in terms of atmosphere. In my opinion, anyone who likes bands like Angelcorpse, Force of Darkness and Infernal War will go absolutely nuts over this, as this album delivers the goods. I'm not saying the band sounds like the aforementioned bands, but they are definitely on par with them in terms of intensity. The music is truly fast for the most part. But not in a bland sense, as each track is peppered with tempo changes and solos that make the music way more interesting than the usual "fast-all-the-time" brutal black/death band. There is enough variety in the songs to maintain a consistent flow and not become repetitive. Slower parts are well interspersed and used to break up the intensity a bit while still keeping it relentless and crushing. I have read a few comments comparing Cambion to Angelcorpse, which is fair enough, though they are far from being called "Angelcorpse worship" as they have a sound all their own that is easily identifiable when you actually listen to their music. There are a myriad of interesting and razor-sharp, flesh-piercing solos, and it's even more impressive considering the band only consists of three members, and considering all the chaos you're being subjected to literally comes from one guitarist backed by a maniacal battery, incendiary drumming and hate spewing vocals. The bass is also very involved in the mix and makes a valuable contribution to the execution. It's a thorough and well-executed display of bludgeoning and vicious black/death that deserves to be heard and is a prime example of proper American black/death. Cambion fucking slays! (HT)

Demo review: Hedonist - Sepulchral Lacerations (2021)

Hedonist - Sepulchral Lacerations

Canada

Unsigned / Independent

I was about to review another demo until I came across this one and the violent ecstasy generated by the unmatched sound of old school Death Metal with melodies from beyond was enough to get me to work. It's not Melodic Death Metal, it's a style that in my opinion seems to fuse the melodies and brutality of Swedish extreme metal with some elements of the old Finnish school Death Metal. A brutal mix of two undeniable forces that have emerged in music over the years. It's one of those bands that, as I have mentioned before, seem to come from the 90s because they either lived through that era or perfectly understand what metal was like during those times. It sounds like an excellent production to me. While the instruments are high and well defined, the vocals seem to come from an abandoned catacomb, it's like they come out from behind the instruments, from the guts of the band. Of course, I understand that this was intentional, to give it that cavernous touch that always remains bestial in this very particular type of death metal. And boy, there are different styles to make Death Metal! And I don't mean Thrash/Death, Death/Doom or whatever. I am talking about the particular style of playing Death Metal, that every band is imposing on themselves right now, which in turn seems to be generating a new subgenre. These guys knew where they wanted to go with their music, and they felt an affinity for that side of Death Metal, which I honestly like the best. It's their first release since the birth of the band and they started with all the necessary rotten feeling needed for a band like this! They have demonized my mind! The lyrics are available on Bandcamp, so you can check them out and read what's going on in the minds of these maniacs. For now, it's only been released digitally. Hopefully there will be news of a physical release soon. I highly recommend you get your head on straight with these maniacs, and enjoy it as much as I did! Aaaarrrrgghhhh !!! (Catacombs Walker)

Album review: Kalmo - Gehinnom (2021)

Kalmo - Gehinnom

Finland

Sliptrick Records

Kalmo is a Finnish one-man project playing a kind of Black/Doom with a very distinct Finnish vernacular, especially with the vocals, which are thick and expressive. Neither a growl, nor a clean vocal. The music overall has a pretty dark feel to it, and the songs are mostly slow as the riffs create patterns that do not really pick up speed and mostly stay the same the whole time. The vocals definitely take some getting used to, and I think if the vocals were more aggressive, or if they were actual tortured screams, the project would have sounded 10 times more interesting. However, one should not disregard the fact that the band is still in its development phase. And I can even find some enjoyable elements in their sound, especially with the riffing style, which I think if the band continues to develop, they can really come up with a strong effort and sound of their own. The total length of this album clocks in at 27 minutes. If you have the patience to sit through such a length and endure such a slow style of Blackened Doom music, then you should definitely give it a listen. Not bad, but I think the band has the potential to improve. (HT)

Album review: Nexwomb – Exegesis of Nihility (Reissue 2020)

Nexwomb – Exegesis of Nihility

USA

Morbid Chapel Records (CD) / Nihilistic Noise Propaganda (Tape)

 

This is the first album from Oregon's Nexwomb, which embodies nothing and nothing less than pure Black/Death savagery spawned from the very depths of hell. The songs on this album can be characterized by its immensely cavernous production, complemented by a series of explosive and well-played riffs that keep you interested while constantly bombarding you with caveman violence from beginning to end. There is a hint of dissonance in the riffs that adds an extra layer of murk to the overall experience, while the drums constantly pound your skull with brute force. The vocals are so incredibly feral that you wonder if it's even a human and not some mutant cave beast behind the mic, though metal archives will confirm that it's a human who goes by the name Vardlokker and who is also behind killer projects like Witchbones and Conduit of Chaos. “Exegesis of Nihility” is an extremely ferocious pursuit of barbaric Black/Death that is both impossibly primal and viscerally enjoyable for those who dig this kind of stuff. Some idiots on the internet will attempt to sound lofty by calling this "caverncore", but you should never listen to them, because most of those who use these terms are usually self-absorbed hipsters who have nothing better to do than spout pseudo-intellectual nonsense on the internet all day. This is violent and bestial black/death metal. Simple as that. (HT)

Interview: Skognatt (2021)

Skognatt is an excellent one-man project from Germany, playing atmospheric black metal with a sound influenced by bands like Burzum, Katatonia, Gehenna, etc. The latest EP, "Rain Eternal," was recently reviewed on this blog. Jim talked to composer Danijel to get some insight into the project and his influences.

Greetings Danijel! For those who don't know Skognatt yet, can you tell us a little about your music and your journey so far?

Greetings Jim! Well, I started Skognatt in the winter of 2014 because I wanted to see if I can come up with interesting material within the Black Metal realm as I always wanted to do this since I was a teenager. In the beginning I wanted to just compose the music and find a suitable singer but as all the people I asked were too busy with their own projects one day I tried it on my own, so the first EP was finished.

Can you tell us a little bit about the feedback so far for your latest EP "Rain Eternal" and whether you are content with the end result of the recording?

I had mostly positive feedback but some reviewers also felt that it was quite mediocre and lacked in originality and fresh ideas. I think the EP is quite reduced and I know, no matter what you release there will always be people who like and those who don't, so I don't care too much to be honest. I'm happy how the songs and the overall feeling of the EP came out and that's why I released it. So at the moment I'm still happy with the end result but that might change in the coming years.

I read in an interview where you stated that you prefer writing EPs to full-lengths. Why is that and what are the chances of seeing a full-length manifest?

Yes, that's true. I have released quite some albums with other projects and bands and as I'm a freelance musician I find it quite exhausting to work on full-length albums. Also, I have the feeling that the album format has lost it's appeal except for some bigger bands of course. I have released an album with Skognatt in 2018, it's called 'Ancient Wisdom' but I don't think I will release another album in the future...time will tell.

Can you tell us about some of your biggest musical influences and what bands got you into metal and how your tastes have evolved since then?

Well, it all started with Metallica in 91 and then soon discovered the second wave of Black Metal through a friend. I have always been more into the atmospheric and melodic bands like Gehenna, Arcturus, Ulver, Fleurety and such but also loved stuff like Emperor, Mayhem, Enslaved and Burzum. Very important to me were also bands like My Dying Bride, Anathema, The 3^rd and the Mortal, Katatonia, Opeth and Empyrium. I'm trying to follow some of the bands and also like how some of them evolved but the feeling of the 90's albums is mostly unmatched. Apart from metal I'm really into Queen and some scandinavian Prog bands like Anekdoten, Landberk and White Willow. I'm also very much into ambient music and instrumental guitar music but I could go on for ages here. ;)

How would you classify the music of Skognatt? Would terms like atmospheric black metal be accurate? 

Yes, I think Atmospheric Black Metal is quite fitting because my music is very atmospheric and has influences from Black Metal. I'm not one to think that I'm reinventing the wheel with my music, so I'm focussing on the atmosphere and the feeling I would like to portray with it.

Do you find that an environment can have an influence on the artist's psyche that somehow seeps into the music? Does your environment inspire you?

I think that's absolutely true. I live in Bavaria and have grown up here and in my hometown you could always find lots of green and many woods surrounding it. I try to spend lots of time in the woods and find nature to be very inspiring and healing and I think I'm quite a laid back person which can also be heard in the music I think. It would be strange if my music would be super aggressive because that's just not me. On the other hand I think my music is also pretty inspired by the second wave which came from Scandinavia, that's why I chose the name Skognatt.

What kind of themes do you explore with Skognatt?

The main theme has been nature from the very beginning! The first EP has explored winter and the last two are quite autumnal as I think. My album 'Ancient Wisdom' is a bit of an exception as at that time I read quite a lot about indigenous cultures and how their view on nature and life was. I found it very interesting to read that for example some tribes thought of three past generations and seven generations ahead when they had to make important decisions.

Do you find playing this kind of music liberating and therapeutic in a way?

Easy answer: Yes! I think, I'm quite a sensitive person and as I said earlier, quite a laid back person but sometimes everything gets too overwhelming and I just need to let it out and as music has always been a big part of my life this is just my way to cope with it.

What are 10 albums you can’t live without?

Opeth – Blackwater Park
The 3^rd and the Mortal – Tears laid in earth
Queen – Innuendo
Landberk – Indian Summer
Gehenna – First Spell
The Cure – Wish
Dead Can Dance – Toward the within
Katatonia – Brave Murder Day
Deine Lakaien – Kasmodiah
Espen Jorgensen – On the great alkali plains

Lastly, what are the future plans for Skognatt and how can people get in touch if they are interested in obtaining your merch? Thank you very much for your time!

Well, at the moment I don't have any concrete future plans. I guess there will be another EP when I have enough new material but I just released an EP, so can't tell when this is going to be. For people who are interested in my music, it's available via Bandcamp as well as a CD-R version of the new EP. (https://skognatt.bandcamp.com/)

Thank you as well for taking the time to do this interview, it was a pleasure to me!

EP review: Ancient Tome - Final Tomb (2021)

Ancient Tome - Final Tomb

USA

Transylvanian Recordings

A cosmic portal emerges, breaking through the fabric of reality that transports us into a dark, chaotic and suffocating vortex. Such is the experience of this magnificent 4-track EP and the band's second release since their formation in 2020. This time they have managed to summon their art from the hands of Transylvanian Recordings as the first release was independently produced.

These void worshippers immerse us in the haunting vortex of their thoughts with this great performance of Blackened Doom Metal.

"Choleric" opens the album in a quiet manner. A clean guitar that seems to foreshadow what will come next, as bass and drums follow in gloomy synchrony. From one moment to the next, the distortion is present and begins to spread its noisy essence in all directions, occupying all of your attention. At a certain point the song picks up speed and I must say that it sounds massive, even though they could still have kept going with their super slow tempo and it would not have been a problem. They know how to take the listener down dark paths and still keep us informed of what's happening around us.

"Sycophants" continues in the same vein, throwing an avalanche of blows and screams coming from the bowels. The screams on this album are really tortured and a pleasure to listen to.

"The Ancient Crucht" has the best clean guitar, melody and drum percussion. It sounds really formidable, solid and ritualistic. It's like a long trance that conjures ancient and savage entities. The first 3 songs are over 6 minutes long and that's a great length (although we are used to much longer songs in this subgenre). It stretches out violently to express the darkness within.

"To Come To The End Of A Time Of Anxiety And Fear" is the last song on the album, which does not reach 2 minutes in length and is more of an outro which left me very curious as to what will come next in terms of production, rather than the feeling of an ending. Definitely recommended! (Catacombs Walker)

Split review: Thecodontion / Vessel of Iniquity - The Permian-Triassic Extinction Event (2021)

Thecodontion / Vessel of Iniquity - The Permian-Triassic Extinction Event

Italy / England

I, Voidhanger Records / Dead Red Queen Records / Bad Moon Rising 惡月上昇

Well, holy shit! The material on this split is great. I have never heard of either bands before listening to this release. Admittedly, I really like splits as it's always interesting to hear how bands represent themselves, and often times splits have great songs from bands that are not always featured on their other releases. The split in question features two pretty awesome bands: Thecodontion from Italy and Vessel of Iniquity from England.

Thecodontion is up first, presenting two tracks that reach the 6-minute mark each. This band has a sound rooted in pure black/death metal, but with an experimental touch, including the fact that the music is quite atmospheric. Now the term "atmospheric" can often times be misinterpreted as music with soothing melodies that bring tears to your eyes or bring a warm smile to your face. This is not the case with Thecodontion, as the music emits a deeply sinister tone that evokes a sense of utter horror, and yet the music is so incredibly catchy that it is impossible to resist. They have some of the best bass playing I have heard from a new black/death band in a long, long time. The bass is a driving force in the music and reminds me of Swedish death metal band Karnarium, as they employ it in an almost similar way. References could be made to bands like Antediluvian, Mitochondrion and Chaos Echoes as they have a similar approach to songwriting and atmosphere. The drums are very adequately played and even quite technical in a kind of straightforward sense. The drums and bass definitely have a good chemistry on this release. Thecodontian has a wholly unique sound and take on black/death metal and all I can say is that I will be listening to more of their music.

Vessel of Iniquity is the far more chaotic entry of the two bands and assaults the listener with a terrifying 11 minute piece of frantic black metal with some harsh noise elements. I think the overlapping elements make this a really interesting and enjoyable split. I am not sure what state S.P. White was in when he recorded this madness, but it certainly sounds like he was in a murderous trance or something. It seems like the track "The Great Dying" is split into two parts but stitched together as one composition, which is interesting because there's a bit of a breather from all the chaos about halfway through when the listener is subjected to a rhythmic percussion with an eerie ambience in the background, followed by more hyper-blasting madness and screams coming straight from hell. The riffs, percussion and vocals are all exceptionally well put together as the music shows a heightened sense of atmosphere that will transport you to another realm.

Overall, it's a very interesting and enjoyable split that I will certainly be coming back to, considering the quality output of both bands. Props to I, Voidhanger for putting out such a harrowing and abstract piece of aural sickness. (HT) 

Album review: Rottenbroth - Necroceremony Vomitorum (2021)

 

Rottenbroth - Necroceremony Vomitorum

Brazil

Awakening Records

What a way to start a death metal album! Just listen to the opening riff of "Necroceremony Vomitorum" and tell me it does not blow you away! It's the fuel you need to get into their sound and get a sense of Rottenbroth's potential.

No one can deny the musical quality that a country like Brazil possesses. We all know the reputation of this country and it's impressive how this quality has been maintained over time and how Brazil continues to produce a great number of incredible bands. Here is proof of that.

When you see cover art like this, the first thing you imagine is that it's a Slamming Brutal Death Metal band or a similarly cataloged subgenre, though you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that this is not the case. In fact, I'd say it's a rare breed of death/doom, influenced by bands like Asphyx and Autopsy. At first the vocals may sound a bit strange, but after a while you will get used to it and realize that the singer is a real beast with a very well mastered technique. He can shape his voice the way you want him to. But what I like most is how he screams those high notes. They are insane! As always, not everyone will like it (I even found people making fun of it), but they can go to hell! Or wherever they want. He has a way of singing that seems to spew slime and vomit in every word. It is truly disgusting and brutally nauseating with all the creeping undertones that characterize his style.

As for the rest of the band, I like the sound they have achieved. It's decent for what they are proposing. All the instruments can be heard at the same level. It's very well balanced and the fetid smell of death metal can be detected in every aspect They have a distinct old school style. I did not find one boring track on this album. Even my favorite "Carcass Epidemic" had me raving. I think it's the fucking hymn on this album. Excellent for letting the listener's mind wander.

If you want to hear some truly putrid, yet heavy as fuck mid-tempo death metal, this is the band for you! I assure you it will be a great experience! (Catacombs Walker)

EP review: Garden of Eyes - Boomhammer (2021)

Garden of Eyes - Boomhammer

England/UK

Ancient Entity Records / AHPN Records 

Garden of Eyes is a one-man project from England playing rotten death metal and "Boomhammer" is their latest work – a short 2-track EP clocking in at 8 minutes. The music has a thick buzzsaw sound reminiscent of Swedish death metal, although I can also hear a bit of Finnish death in their sound. You could say the sound is like a mix of the two. There's a lot of distortion on the guitar that gives the music quite a vicious feel, coupled with the evil vocal effects. The two tracks on this demo are rather brief, but have a resounding impact in terms of their execution. I would say that Nattskog has a good knack for composing solid death metal that is loaded with an array of crushing riffs. The music is decidedly straightforward and simple, but well structured and quite dark. There's definitely a bit of early UK doom to the sound as well, especially during the slower parts. The raw production suits the music and the simple approach works for the band. I noticed that the drums are programmed, although they do not sound overbearing, as the attention is mainly on the riffs and vocals. Overall, this is a solid slab of morbid death metal and recommended for fans of the old Swedish and Finnish scenes. (HT)

Album review: Riexhumation – The Final Revelation of Abaddon (2021)

 

Riexhumation – The Final Revelation of Abaddon

Italy

Lavadome Records

RIEXHUMATION is an Italian death metal band formed in 2009. “The Final Revelation of Abaddon” is their debut LP and fourth overall release in the band's 11 year life span.

This record most certainly does not follow the modern trend of non-stop slowed down old-school death worship – this stuff is blisteringly fast, heavy production, high gain tremolo riffing, and hate-filled gutturals on top of everything. This is a solid straight-forward death metal album with an evil occult touch to it. This album sounds like a mix between Swedish and US old-school death metal, which is quite prominent during some parts, giving the whole thing a very distinct sound. The album has a very evil atmosphere inspired by the Stockholm school of death metal, but with an American-sounding production, especially with the vocals.

A mix between slower, mid-paced, and ripping blast-beat sections is quite evenly spread out. The tempo changes feel fresh every time they do occur. Though this brand of death metal has the feel of death metal from 1990 to 1998, it does an excellent job of being its own master. This is a worthy release for any death metal connoisseur to listen to as it brings a well-rounded and sinister listening experience to the table, with competent musicianship and songwriting throughout. (AR)