Into Darkness-Sinister Demise

Rising Nemesis Records
2015

Pure unfiltered death metal. There's nothing quite like it is there? I mean talk about a thirst quenching thing! It sounds so good right now doesn't it? Well, that's exactly what you get when you down a tall cool glass of Germany's Into Darkness! When it comes to skillfully-played and expertly-executed KICK ASS death metal it seldom gets any better than a fist-banging/face-crushing beast like this album! So, let's just call it like it is my friends and fellow lovers of all things loud, proud and BRUTAL! Why mince words when you can just swing on past GO and collect your prize in the form of "Sinister Demise"! Right? Exactly! Need a bit more though? OK. Formed in 1995 (which means this three-piece old school death metal band has lasted longer than my ill-fated marriage did!), Into Darkness is lead by Sebastard (Sebastian Längerer) who is not only the group's front-man and guitarist, but (from the looks of it) the sole original member left since first coming together all those years here. Despite numerous line-up changes and a scene that has had more than it's fair share of ups and downs the band Into Darkness has stayed true to their original calling and with bassist Andreas Lego (ex-Deathtrap, ex-Agoraphobia) and drummer Robert Witzel (ex-Boiling Blood) currently rounding things out this group seems set to keep the wheels of destruction rolling for a long time to come! Just released last week (!), "Sinister Demise" does feature a few special guests on lead guitar such as Hannes Grossmann, Quinho, and Alexander Siedler but as to who plays what on which particular track I can't be sure. Not that it actually matters. The only thing that really matters is heading here so that you can hear this bad ass recording for yourself! If you're a death metal fanatic then all I have to ask is why are you still reading these words when you should be looking into "Sinister Demise"? Go now! You can thank me later!!!!

Miseo-Lunatic Confessions

Blacksmith Records
2014

Unless you've spent the better part of the past twenty or so years away from society and all of it's technological advantages or you have been living under a rock (in which case I really do feel for you and you just might want to consider getting some psychological support!) chances are fairy good that (as a metalhead mind you) you are aware that Germany has a long history of producing some of the best extreme bands out there. In theory one could spend the better part of a year just listening to what this country has to offer in the way of super aggressive music and still not even get close to covering it all. Germany is simply that solid when it comes to pumping out excellent extreme bands. And now you can add another brand new name to that claim. Miseo, who were formed in 2013, are a powerhouse of a death metal trio whose sound & style draws it's strength not only from it's fellow countrymen, but also from the old-school American scene! These three German musicians made their studio debut in late August of 2013 with the EP "The Dead Will Predominate" (a release which is mostly described as being a "hasty side project") and now (with a new focus and a tighter overall feel) Miseo are back for the attack with this "take no prisoners & leave no survivors!!!" extreme full-length release! One shouldn't let the acoustic guitar piece that opens this album on "Trapped In Veil" lull you into thinking that this will be anything but a brute of an album. Not that you'd be likely to guess otherwise given the above album art and all (!), but once "Greed Kills" kicks in the door and pins you to the ground all bets are off! As a listener it would be wise to batten down the hatches and strap yourself in tight before you decide to play this one all the way through as Miseo are death metal rage and fury at it's fieriest! Even the slight elements of groove that are tossed about on "Lunatic Confessions" are not enough to disguise this band's true face. Like a violent caged animal that has been beaten and deprived of food this band comes out charging and slaughters everything in it's path! Even thrash gets it's fair share of performance time, but at their core this trio always seems to be dead-set on ripping out the ugliest DEATH out there! Of course it is one thing to simply play loud and fast. The real key is to do it in such a way that it actually sounds like music and not just random noise. I don't know about everyone else out there, but I love death metal that is HEAVIER then HELL and technically proficient. The cool thing about this trio then is even with death metal that sometimes borders on crustcore and grind (a lovely thing indeed!) the members of Miseo still keep everything in check. There's simply no denying the talent of these three as musicians seeing as the band does extreme like the best of them, but they do it in a way where everything comes across as well thought out and carefully constructed. And speaking of which, the band features Milking the Goatmachine member Fernando Thielmann on vocals and guitars and I love how his rage-filled growling voice gives this long-player an unholy presence! Thielmann, who (per the Metal Archives) also supports Carnal Ghoul on the live stage, has a lot of experience to his name as he is has played in Bloodsky, Reincarnated and Sarx. He brings that experience to the fore-front of this project and as front-man he sets the pace for this wild pack of hungry dogs! Along with Lay Down Rotten drummer Timo Claas (ex-Act Of Creation, ex-E 605) and bassist André Rink (ex-Amazing Grave, ex-Painspirit) guitarist/vocalist Fernando Thielmann constructs an album that should easily appeal to old-school death metal maniacs as well as younger fans who are out looking for another extreme metal band to embrace! This German collective shows plenty of promise for the future if they can keep the pace and build on the strengths of this LP. For a first release (or at least full-length one) "Lunatic Confessions" hits all the right notes while also showing the true potential of this trio making Miseo one band that I will be keeping an eye on! 

For band information be sure to check out any of the following links:  
ferli@gmx.de
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMiseo
https://www.youtube.com/OfficialMiseo

For label information click on either of the following links:
http://www.blacksmithrecords.eu/
https://www.facebook.com/BlacksmithRecords

Nothgard-Age Of Pandora

Trollzorn Records
2014

It has it's perks. Being a writer for this blog that is. Here we have Germany's Nothgard who are another new (as in new to me) band for which I have a PR friend to thank. This tech-minded, Deggendorf, Bavaria-based band crossed my path thanks to Markus Eck (http://www.metalmessage.de/) and while I am highly-impressed by their upcoming sophomore release I will admit that I am at a lose as to how to properly describe their sound in full. We'll get to that point in a second, but for now let's do a role-call to see who it is we are set to chat about and how it is that they got from point A (their formation) to point B (this stellar work of EPIC metal!). Founded in 2008 by singer and lead-guitarist Dom R. Crey (Equilibrium, Wolfchant) and former drummer Tonie this German band first started out under the name of Nordavind before changing to their current moniker in 2009. Along the way there would be line-up changes to go along with the name change as well as some experimentation with sound and style (by all accounts it appears as if the band's original aim was to combine symphonic metal with death metal, folk metal, traditional heavy metal and power metal). There would be a 2009, 3-track demo released followed by the well-received debut album, "Warhorns of Midgard", in 2011. Now here it is three years later and we find that this well-oiled machine of a band, which, besides skilled vocalist/lead guitarist Dom R. Crey, currently consists of Vik S. (Bass), Daniel K. (Rhythm Guitar), D. Ziegler (Drums) and Skaahl (Rhythm Guitar), is truly blessed with a high-class style all their own! On paper it's either spelled out as epic melodic death metal or melodic death/pagan metal,but the truth of the matter is it's all of that and then some! First off the use of three guitars gives Nothgard a technical skill-level all their own! We're talking double lead guitars here and the way in which they are fused together so perfectly is nothing short of amazing! Having previously read up on this band for research purposes (that is prior to being able to actually sit down and listen to this album for myself-long story short, but with family in town until this very morning it proved to be a difficult challenge (downloading promo material and then cranking it loud and proud!) finding time to be alone) I was really not expecting these German metalheads to be as well-rounded and polished as they were! Or for that matter as mature and graceful either! And yet that's pretty much what we are looking at when it comes to Nothgard's 2nd full-length release. Overall the high-class music packed within "Age Of Pandora" comes across as if it is has been orchestrated with greatness in mind. Have no fear though. As stylistic and classy as Nothgard appears to be here they are equally as heavy and aggressive! The band's insanely epic sound is still ground in METAL after-all and that comes screaming across the sky by way of those previously mentioned double-leads (one's which are fiercely speed metal-tinged at times!), sharp (as in flesh-cutting!) rhythm guitar, POUNDING bass and drums and, last but CERTAINLY not least, Dom's demonic voice! His sinister delivery is the icing on top of this prized cake and come mid-September Nothgard should be riding high atop the success of this rampaging release! While you wait for that drop-date be sure to check out Nothgard's back catalog and like their Facebook page so that you can keep track of this pagan band and their daily festivities!

Crucified Mortals/Exorcism-Split 7" EP

Hells Headbangers
2013

This 7" split EP, which features" ultra-clear vinyl with a heavy black splatter"(see cool pic below!), actually came out back in October but I'm just now getting a chance to hear it. Having covered Cleveland, Ohio's Crucified Mortals (their 2011 self-titled debut album, which I reviewed way back in the day, was also released on Hells Headbangers) I was pleased to see that the same kind of 80's Slayer/At War/Dark Angel/Rigor Mortis worship that made that album so much fun is present on their two tracks, "Crippling the Will of Faith" and "You'll Wish You Were Dead". Both cuts are exclusive to this release and keep with the band's attitude that eighties death and thrash metal was the real deal. Meanwhile Germany's Exorcism also offer two exclusive cuts to this split in the form of "Through the Eyes of the Dead" and "Failed Exhumation". And, just like Cleveland's Crucified Mortals, the past is alive and well with this German band's take on death metal. Sounding like they could have been made on cassette tape in someone's garage, "Through the Eyes of the Dead" and "Failed Exhumation" are two down and dirty, rotten to the core slabs of death metal that sound as if they could have easily slipped through the time-stream from 1980 something to 2013! In other words they are simply fantastic! And really all four numbers on this split 7" are just great. Especially if you're a fan of eighties thrash and death metal! You can pick up a copy of this one right here: http://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/crucified-mortals-exorcism-split-vinyl.asp

Incarceration-Sacrifice

F.D.A. Rekotz
2013

This short-length EP, which runs 9 minutes and 45 seconds and features the tracks "Forsaken and Forgotten", "Sacrifice" and "Cemetery of Lies", is Incarceration's first stab at a "lengthier" release. Prior to "Sacrifice" (whose title track is arguably the strongest cut of the three) the band, which was first put together in 2010 as a one man project from current Mortificy/former Dorthornion member Daniel Silva (aka: Daniel Duracell), was part of a 2012 split with Escarnium. Now, in addition to Daniel Silva on guitar and vocals, this German (by way of Brazil) brutal death metal band also features bassist Björn Freese (also formerly of  Dorthornion) and drummer Michael Koch. Other then the track "Sacrifice", which was on the 2012 split with Escarnium (incidentally titled "Decrepit Aberration"), this is new material which (presumably and hopefully) points towards a very promising (potential) future full-length release for the three gentlemen in Incarceration! Personally I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that to happen in the early part of 2014, but since I have no clue as to what these three are up to right now (Touring? In the studio? On a break?) let's instead turn ourselves around and drop a few names so you (the reader and potential future Incarceration fan) have a better idea as to what's in store with "Sacrifice". When talking about Incarceration it's best to first start off by saying that this is one band that has manged to crisscross the globe in pursuit of their own sound. Certainly there's still some Brazilian death metal flowing about in Daniel's veins by way of Sarcofago, Torture Squad and early Sepultura influences. None of which is a bad thing I can guarantee you that! But then again we are also talking about a band that (mostly) makes stops in the U.S. for their sound (early Slayer, Hellwitch, At War, Dark Angel and the one and only Death!) before heading over to Sweden to partake in everything that such a wonderful country like that has to offer like Grave, Entombed, Dismember, Afflicted, Nihilist, Unleashed and Hypocrisy! By looking at those names you might have noticed some thrash roots potentially showing up "Sacrifice" and you'd be right! Thrash metal does seem to have a way of showing up in death metal and there's no real sense of difference here. The only point of clarification would have to be that when applied to brutal death like this then it's mostly in the lead solos and it's always kept on the raw and unfiltered side of things! Naturally that just makes a release like this sound all the more punishing and to that end the band keeps the production on the low end which works wonders! Not that these three tracks here are demo quality or anything. Far from at! Everything is right where it ought to be sound-wise it's merely a case where less is more. The production is (thankfully) more restrained here and it works with the understanding that damaging death metal like this should never (as in NEVER EVER folks!) be given a shiny gloss! In fact this kind of nasty death metal should be kept untamed and unchained, free to devour whatever dares cross it's path! Thankfully that path and my path converged and now I can point all of you in the direction of this promising three-piece band! You can find out more about this German band and how to grab this three-track release for yourself at the group's Facebook page below!

https://www.facebook.com/incarceration