Free Metal Monday: Hellthrasher Productions-2016 Digital Sampler

Hellthrasher Productions
2016

Poland's Hellthrasher Productions has released a free digital sampler. It is available as a name-your-price download by clicking here and it features the following songs:


1. Gjendød - Evig Svart Røyk
2. Serpents Lair - Circumambulating the Stillborn
3. Paroxsihzem - Isolation
4. Ljosazabojstwa - Kamunija Ahniom
5. Desolate Shrine - Crushing Darkness
6. Desecresy - Ritual Ruins
7. Chaos Moon - Amissum
8. Endalok - Englaryk
9. Gespenst - Min Sjael Raadner
10. Decaying - One To Conquer

Free Metal Monday: New Jersey Metal Attack Vol. 1

NVNM Productions
2016

Today's Free Metal Monday feature (which was just released today!) comes courtesy of the fine folks over at NVNM Productions. Available for free by clinking on this link, "New Jersey Metal Attack Vol. 1" includes five new and unreleased songs from some of the talented groups that are affiliated with NVNM Productions  Said bands include Jaws Of Hades, Siege Column, Retaliation, Nefarious Cabal, and DSS and in addition to this name-your-price digital download there will be a limited number* of hand-dubbed cassette available in the very near future. For more information on the limited-edition cassette tape or the individual bands that were involved with this HEAVY sampler be sure to check out the link that was posted above.

*Only 50 copies will be made available!

Free Metal Monday: Appalachian Mudd-Demo

Self-Release/Independent

2016

 

"Black metal from the blue ridge mountains". That's the description given in regards to the two-man Appalachian Mudd. Apparently comprised of Kyosti and Lacrys, Appalachian Mudd plays super-depressing and absolutely bleak black metal that is blood-red raw and sounds as if it was inspired by one too many viewings of Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom! Featuring the lone number "Cradle Of Forestry/Forks Of Ivy", Appalachian Mudd's first (and possibly only?) demo has a run-time of 14:55 and it sounds as if it was recorded in some creep's dirty and dusty basement. In other words, the appeal of this Free Metal Monday offering simply cannot be understated! Released February 22, 2016, this name-your-price demo can be found by venturing over here.

Pneuma Hagion-Trinity I

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Formed at the start of 2015 by R. (The Howling Void, Hordes of the Morning Star, Intestinal Disgorge, Tethered to a Dying Animal, Serpentine Tunnels, Endless Disease, etc.), Pneuma Hagion is a one man black/death/doom band from Texas. Written, recorded, mixed and mastered by the "band" itself, "Trinity I" is Pneuma Hagion's first demo and it was actually released back on January 28th. For those of you who are keeping count at home that is indeed a remarkable turnaround time as Pneuma Hagion went from it's official formation to finished product in less than a month! To quote the old TV show of the same name, "That's Incredible!". High fives all around! Wait, what was that you said? You say you want more information before you take a huge bite out of this three-track demo? That's fair enough. How about we start from the beginning then? Good? OK. "Trinity I" was actually first sent to me back in mid-February by my good friend and fellow blogger, Metal Mark. Incidentally, Mark received the demo from the mysterious R himself and it came with the heading "Beherit meets Teitanblood". As to the question of why I didn't knock out a review of "Trinity I" back then? Who knows? I have no idea why I do the things I do anyway so who bloody knows why I'm just now getting around to this ghastly beast of blackened death doom. Besides, it's not like it's important to the story at hand. So anyway, I was told by the forwarded e-mail to "Imagine a blend of Beherit's "Drawing Down the Moon" and Teitanblood's "Seven Chalices" mixed with a touch of Coffins". So I did as the email requested and you know what? "Trinity I" is all of that and more. But, it's also none of that but rather a horrific sneak peak into the nightmare world of R. That's an odd response to this demo I realize, but "Trinity I" isn't your typical black/death/doom release. For sure it's plenty sick and twisted and main man R does a good job handling everything from the vocals & instruments to the demo's production. So yeah, "Trinity I" is every-bit the apt descriptions it's been giving. And yet there is something more here that I can't quite put my finger on. Even with it's short length the demo has plenty character and Pneuma Hagion's mixture of all things dark and oppressive produces quite the emotion response from the listener. The demo is atmospheric and most certainty evil in all the right ways. "Trinity I" is creepy and it paints the picture of a man that is being hunted and haunted by something otherworldly and assuredly unholy. It's all these things, but still I feel as if I'm missing a huge piece of the puzzle. Maybe you can find that missing piece for me? Head here
if you dare try!

N.W.O.B.H.M. Wednesday: Venom-From the Very Depths

Spinefarm Records U.K.
2015

If you do a quick subject search on the term "Venom" on our site you are likely to see that that particular word appears in plenty of our reviews. As far as being an influence on other bands (from punk metal groups to the extreme metal variety) there are few acts like Venom. Save for maybe Motörhead (a band which, along with outfits such as Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, actually influenced Venom) there are not too many bands that can claim to have such far-reaching influences and overall impact on really HEAVY metal. That being the case and all (and seeing as both Metal Mark and I really enjoy Venom's early albums) you would be forgiven for assuming that HMTM has covered Venom time and time again. After looking through our archives though in anticipation of this review it seems as if we haven't really talked about the band since our first N.W.O.B.H.M. Wednesday coverage of them and that was actually back in mid-March of 2011! For the curious I've provided the link to that article at the bottom of this review, but I still admit to being somewhat puzzled by that realization. Whatever the case, Cronos (Venom's main-man and the group's lead singer/bass player) returns with studio album number fourteen(!), "From the Very Depths". The group's first full-length release since 2011's "Fallen Angels", "From the Very Depths" features 14 tracks and has a total run-time of 51:51. Now, two further admissions before we move on. First, "From the Very Depths" is the first new album from Venom that I have heard in it's entirety since 1984's "At War with Satan". Sure, I've heard my fair share of misc. Venom songs along the way and I've had other album's from this N.W.O.B.H.M. outfit played for me. But, as far as hearing Venom's other albums start to finish and all that jazz? Well, it just hasn't happened. All of which ties into point number two. This CD is actually the first new Venom album that I have picked up since snagging a re-release of 1982's "Black Metal" on CD about a month or so back. It just so happened that I was at my local music, movies and video games store (no names please unless they want to pay me for advertising! LOL!) and on a whim I picked the group's latest release up. Quite honestly I had read mixed reviews for this album before getting it with a trade-in slip, but I had also heard one the album's stand-out tracks in "Long Haired Punks" and I figured "Why not?". As others have rightly pointed out, "Long Haired Punks" exists somewhere between the sloppiness of "Welcome to Hell"-era Venom and the music of Discharge. In no way is that a bad thing if you ask me, but it does stand at the fore-front of one of this album's greatest arguments/chief points. "From the Very Depths" is oftentimes Venom sounding more like other bands than themselves. Or if you will, "From the Very Depths" is not the Venom of old, but rather Venom just being Venom (or Cronos just being Cronos!) and playing music for their own sake with the mentality that definitive and distinct genres be damned! The very cool track that is "The Death of Rock N Roll" pays homage to that ideal as Cronos and company (guitarist Rage and drummer Danté) maximizes the impact that is punk rockin' metal by pumping it up with large amounts of heavy rock & garage metal! The result is spectacular and to me this one number makes the price of admission justified!! Meanwhile we have the title cut of album number fourteen having been made especially for old Venom fans! Insane solos combine with crushing riffs and the over-the-top vocals of Cronos for what just might be classic Venom for the new age of metal. Glorious! With "Smoke" channeling the doom influences of old (Sabbath anyone?) and Venom's ability to slip their other early influences such as Motörhead and Judas priest into this album's mix there ends up being more here to love then hate! Crushing numbers such as "Stigmata Satanas" give hope that Venom has turned the corner while the evil "Crucified" further shows how the addition of guitarist Rage and drummer Danté has really paid off! While Rage might not be Mantas his soloing is still good enough to make a speed metal track like "Grinding Teeth" truly rattle and shake! Yes, other friendly folks before me have rightly pointed out how songs like "Grinding Teeth" and "Rise" bear a slight resemblance to thrash metal bands like Testament and there are even moments when Venom might just be trying to emulate (early) Metallica and (to a lesser point) Slayer. But, for what it is (and thanks in no small part to the enduring growls of Cronos) it's not all that shabby as even a thrash metal version of Venom has a lot to offer for those willing to take a chance! Moving on, "Crucified" isn't this album's only evil-sounding track as the evilness of "Evil Law" is spelled out in the song's title! Even if it isn't all that good it's still a distinctive Venom song which nobody can deny! It's as cheesy as the Venom of old which kind of counter-balances it's overall stupidity! Of the 14 tracks here on album number 14 there are 10 or 11 that are worthwhile (album closer "Rise" being one that I happen to like even if the consensus is still out on it!) with some cuts ("Overture", "Mephistopheles" and "Wings of Valkyrie") simply screaming "FILLER"!  Had Venom trimmed a few of the weaker tracks out of their new album it would have possibly been seem as a bit of a comeback for these N.W.O.B.H.M./black metal warriors. But, even as an album where you will want to have the skip button handy it's still a worthwhile release and I for one do not regret trading for it on CD.


Metal Mark and I talk about Venom:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2011/03/nwobhm-wednesday-venom.html

Free Metal Monday: Soma-Patior

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Available as a free download at the link below, "Patior" is the latest (possibly only?) release from Athens, Greece-based Soma. And for this particular band (who should not to be confused with the long-defunct UK death metal band of the same name or the dark ambient/techno project of Australian composers David Thrussell and Pieter Bourke.) it's all about black metal. Or rather it's black metal of the an experimental nature with the two-track "Patior" clocking in at over ten minutes in length! On paper it's very likely that none of that sounds particularly inspiring or interesting (and Lord knows the blah artwork doesn't help matters much!), but there's more to this band then meets the eye. For you see somewhere in between all the black metal/experimental madness that is "Patior" one can find crude traces of traditional heavy metal and it's that little extra addition (as well as the band's choice to lean closer to fundamental black metal) that makes all the difference! Whether that ultimately appeals to your senses or not this one is free so you really can't go wrong!

http://somathathurts.bandcamp.com/album/patior

Bjarm-Imminence

Fono Ltd.
2014

Strangely it has been more than a bit of a struggle getting this review transferred from my thoughts and onto the written page. That's by no means a fault of this Russian band or their music. No, it actually has more to do with trying to get all of the proper notes about this band typed out in a somewhat reasonably fashion. As we're talking about a band that are named after a territory mentioned in Norse sagas up to the Viking Age and one that has the tempting selling point of "The perfect combination between Beauty and Violence" it is a tad hard building up the right kind of introduction for this band that was formed in 2009 and is based in the city of Severodvinsk, in the north of Arkhangelsk Oblast. Regardless, Bjarm first hit the scene in 2010 thanks to the a ten-track demo entitled "Defect". Lead by vocalist/lyricist Andrey (Garmskrik, ex-Fenrir, Splendor Solis, Vedun) and rounded out by Mikhail Shatnyi (Bass), Alexey (Guitars), Egor (Guitars) Vitaliy (Drums) and Anastasia (Keyboards and Vocals) the basic "structure" of this band is something like this-male (harsh) vocals and female (smooth) vocals are effectively employed over-top of strong (METALLIC) twin-guitar parts, symphonic (occasional black mostly death) metal orchestration and (in general) extreme metal in order to provide as physically an intimidating presence as humanly possible. Oh, and let's not forget that ambient nature of Bjarm's debut album either! Besides being well-constructed in it's execution and well-rounded musically "Imminence" is (no pun intended!) an immense emotional journey! One listen and I was hooked! I wanted to hear more and to feel more of what this Russian act had to offer and for someone who usually doesn't care for such a term as symphonic metal  this album pulled me in directly and made me open my eyes to new discoveries. Bjarm is another one of those (newish) acts trying their hands at something a bit different and off the beaten track. The thing is they are doing that while still holding firm to some of the industry's already establish hallmarks and by the Norse gods it's working for them!  Need some links? Well, here you go!

 http://vk.com/bjarm
 https://itunes.apple.com/ru/album/imminence/id889323814
 https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Bjarm_Imminence?id=Bwddmmiuarhnt7p4nz3b6v4z5va
 http://www.facebook.com/bjarmofficial

Principality of Hell-Fire & Brimstone

W.T.C.Productions
2014

Between this band's name, the album title and one CD/LP cover that looks strikingly familiar ("Welcome to Hell" anyone?)it's fairly obvious from the start where this one is heading. Blackened thrash metal hollowed be thy name! Featuring The Magus on vocals/bass (Necromantia and Thou Art Lord), El on guitars (Soulskinner, Thou Art Lord) and J. Maelstrom (Ravencult, Thou Art Lord) we have  Principality of Hell and their debut-output "Fire & Brimstone". As a three piece they certainly take a chunk or two from several well-known and notorious power trios of legend and glory (Venom, Sodom and Motörhead) along with the likes of Bathory, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, (early) Voivod and (not surprisingly) Necromantia. Alongside the band's nine tracks of filthy/vile black metal you get a bonus as the the band tackles an early Exodus cover in "Strike of the Beast" (from 1985's awesome "Bonded By Blood"!). Naturally recommended for fans of old school black metal and blacked thrash, "Fire & Brimstone" will drop in August on CD with the LP version slated for some point later on in 2014.

Despot-Satan in the Death Row

Self-Release/Independent
2013

With a trio of EPs due for release starting sometime later this year, "Satan in the Death Row", which was the first full-length release from one-man project Despot, is worth investigating if only so that it can serve as some sort of foundation/introduction to this Brazilian black metal project. The biography of Despot seems simple enough. Formed in 2008 by sole member Marcelo Murrer (formerly of Necrocult and Unholy Massacre Marcelo takes care of all of the music here incl. vocals and instruments), Despot hails from Belo Horizonte, Brazil (the same sinister area that brought us Sepultura and Sarcofago among others!) and while this might just have been the group's first full-length release it wasn't Despot's first foray into the studio as three demos were issued between 2009 and 2010! With "Satan in the Death Row" the oddity doesn't simply begin and end with the cover artwork (no idea about that one friends...) seeing as Despot enjoys a hearty breakfast featuring just about all kinds of meaty metal! There's hints of  German thrash (early Sodom and Destruction) as well as the music of Despot's hometown (Sepultura, Sarcofago and even Mutilator). There's (of course) the black metal influences (Celtic Frost, early Rotting Christ and Bathory) and even death metal influences such as Immolation, Angel Corpse and Morbid Angel. But then there's also influences and sounds that you just can't quite put your finger on. As the drum parts here are programmed, which is the (unfortunately) one of the chief complaints about "Satan in the Death Row", there's a slightly off-setting mechanical vibe to the material but even beyond that the music of Despot is just....different. Sole member Marcelo Murrer obviously knows what he wants by this point in time it's just that Despot (even for a eclectic black metal band) bring so much to the breakfast table to devour that there are occasions when it gets downright messy! Still, there's just something about "Satan in the Death Row" that makes you want to hear more from Murrer's project so I'll be keeping an eye out for the new EPs so that we can further explore the music and the madness that lies at the heart of Despot. Until then, should you feel adventurous and in need of some simple mind expansion that is, give this album a workout of your own. You never know, but you just might find yourself as keenly drawn in by the odd appeal of this Brazilian one-man project as I and many others have been!

http://despotband.bandcamp.com/

Skogen-I Döden

Nordvis
2014

Just one of several bands black metal bands to go by the moniker (because hey, that's not at all confusing or anything right?), the trio Skogen (which, in their native Swedish language means "the forest") will be dropping this (album number four since their formation in 2009) at the start of next month. On "I Döden" (In Death) the band does their utmost best though to prove that they alone deserve the title and that they alone should be heirs to the legacy that such a worthy moniker deserves! And I'll tell you what. If they don't manage to convince anyone else they've at least convinced me! This should be required listening for those who still insist upon viewing back metal as a blanket assumption (and I should know as I used to be in that exact crowd before having my frame of mind blown wide open thanks to adventurous black metal outfits like this trio!). We're talking about adventures in sound and texture, from dark and brooding passages to melodic, often-subtle interludes, as channeled from band that crawled forth from primordial slime and, upon staring upwards toward the night sky, realized their long road towards evolutionary perfection had to start with basic black metal but that it would end with a magically enchanted LP like "I Döden"! Whisper it with me, "This is perfection".    

The Infernal Sea/Old Corpse Road - Insidious Art And Serpentine Rites (Split 7")

Three Sword Records
2014

Limited to a mere 250 copies on orange vinyl, "Insidious Art And Serpentine Rites" is a spilt 7" featuring East England's The Infernal Sea (who are no strangers to splits having just released one back in 2013 with Belgium's Disinterred) and Darlington, Co Durham, N.E. England-based Old Corpse Road (same thing back in 2012 only with U.K. act The Meads of Asphodel). While I have previous experience with the first (having covered both their 2012 full-length output, "Call of the Augur" and their 2013 EP, "The Crypt Sessions") it sure seems as if this is/was my first taste of Old Corpse Road....and it was a good taste. More on that later though as let's start with The Infernal Sea. For those of you that don't know the name then let me be the first to introduce you to what is undoubtedly one of the more vile and evil black metal acts out there! The Infernal Sea, whose contribution "Tannis Root" takes it's sweet time building up the tension before finally kicking things off around the 2:04 mark(!), play (old-school, somewhat crusty) black metal with overtly satanic/demonic lyrics and an ear fine-tuned towards crushing riffs and grizzly vocals! At more then six minutes in length it's fairly unrelenting and most certainly unrepentant! Meanwhile Old Corpse Road, who come with the promise of  "folk metal leanings with epic tunes focusing on British folklore" waste no time at all with their number "The Sockburn Worm". Right from the start they end up bum-rushing the listener with UTTER-BRUTALITY disguised as music and while (as promised) there are moments of (somewhat) clarity in which folk metal comes into play, overall this is one NASTY piece of black metal violence! Of the two cuts it's most definitely the stand out number as it brings something different to the picture with it's inclusion of folk metal while simultaneously keeping the listener on edge thanks to the unnerving aspect of the song's construction! Kudos to Three Swords Records for having the initiative to stack (back-to-back) two very distinct black metal acts onto what will most certainly be a collectors item! Due to be released in April, and (as previously mentioned) on orange vinyl to boot, "Insidious Art And Serpentine Rites" is one split 7" that I will be looking to add to my own collection and one that I most certainly recommend to black metal enthusiasts!

http://threeswordsrecords.bigcartel.com/product/the-infernal-sea-old-corpse-road-split

Shroud of Despondency-Tied to a Dying Animal

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Shroud of Despondency have always been a hard act to wrap your head around. On one hand they are a black metal collective hell-bent on offering up some of the most extreme metal that you can find while on the other hand they have been known to flex their creatively into the realms of acoustic/melodic rock. The thing is that sometimes within the boundaries of just one simple number! So, when this apologetically unique act takes on a double album like this when, well, anything and everything can and does happen! Active since the later part of the nineties, with the two-hour "Tied to a Dying Animal" serving as their fifth full-length endeavor (with demos, splits and two live albums now filling out the rest of their back-catalog!), Shroud of Despondency tries their hand at (pretty much) two separate emotional releases. As such it might be better to look at these two albums as entirely different albums and split-up the time you listen to both (as let's admit it here folks, but two hours of music, black metal or not, can be a bit much to listen to in one setting!). For moments when you just want to witness angry, disconnected and jarring material be sure to plug yourself into the the first half of "Tied to a Dying Animal". For moments that pass by a bit more "calmer" then try the more acoustic side of this double-album. While it would seem to be an odd pairing (bleak and desperate, extreme black metal angst and then calm and collected acoustic material!) it does work...although perhaps better if taken one at a time at different moments of the same day. Otherwise a release like "Tied to a Dying Animal" might just leave you feeling lightheaded and faint! So, be warned....

 http://shroudofdespondency.bandcamp.com/album/tied-to-a-dying-animal-3

Tyrants Blood-Coven

Tridroid Records
2014

Back in September of 2013 I covered Tyrant Blood's excellent "Into the Kingdom of Graves", an album that, besides (eventually) being released on LP (a very cool looking piece of vinyl at that!), was also issued under Tridroid Records. "Coven", while it will unfortunately not see a physical release (this one is digital only boys and girls), is nonetheless as impressive of a release if only because it collects previously released material by Vancouver-based extreme metal act (or at least material that has seen physical release before, but never digital release!) and crafts a sort-of, kind-of, "Best Of" scenario! For the uninitiated amongst you Tyrants Blood play a fairly BRUTAL form of extreme metal that highlights all the good pieces/parts of said genre (death metal, thrash and black metal) and, after compressing them under a pile of hellfire and damnation, spits it all back out at the listener with enough piss and vinegar to make one smile all day long! Not much more needs to be said as this act needs to be experienced to be appreciated so stop whatever it is you're doing (besides reading this wonderful review!) and head to the link below to download this beauty of a beast!

http://tyrantsbloodtridoid.bandcamp.com/


Review of previously released "Into the Kingdom of Graves" album:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Tyrants+Blood-Into+the+Kingdom+of+Graves+

Endless Chaos-Rejected Arocity

Self-Release
2014

"Abrasive, energetic and chaotic" are the three words that Winnipeg, Manitoba-based Endless Chaos choose to describe their uncompromising sound. And on their upcoming EP, "Rejected Arocity" (Which is inspired by the horror movie "Re-Animator" of all things! Sweet!), those three words are more than a little appropriate! Three other words that could be used to describe this five-piece band would have to be thrash, death and black! That's what these five fine gentlemen (Vocalist Jordan Dorge, Guitarists Mike Menza & Mike Toews, Bass Guitarist Jeff Humarang and Drummer James Burton) bring to the party! So far there doesn't seem to be any artwork for this 3-track EP (hence the band photo above), but that's neither here nor there in regards to what this Winnipeg band coughs up thanks to a tantalizing blend of (influences) Kreator, Testament, Sepultura, Dissection, Carnage, Skeletonwitch and Black Sabbath! Mixed and mastered by Ryan Forsyth Recorded at Grimfrykt Media Productions, which gives this one a pure joy of an underground vibe, this EP (the band's debut release!) also stretches the boundaries of death and thrash by  incorporating other (subtle) influences along the lines of Impaled, Death, Slayer, Havok, Dark Angel, Carcass and Dismembered! Having (so far) shared the stage with not only one of their influences (Skeletonwitch), but bands such as Wretched, 3 Inches of Blood, Aborted and Kataklysm, Endless Chaos has seemingly come a long way in a very short time! Fans of aggressive thrash/death would due well to check out this EP. For now you can hear two of three tracks from "Rejected Arocity" at the bandcamp like below.


http://endlesschaos1.bandcamp.com/music 

Echelon-Vivito! Creato! Moritor!

Gravity Entertainment
2014

Austrian-act Echelon, who shouldn't be confused with the now-defunct English band of the same name (otherwise known as Radiohead's kid brother!) or the numerous other heavy metal and rock bands (both secular and Christian) who have used that moniker, are not so much a band per say, but rather they are a call towards a new philosophical awakening! First-assembled in 2013, which makes them newcomers to the their local scene (albeit it in name only as each musician involved in Echelon has nearly 10 years of experience in music!), and with "Vivito! Creato! Moritor!" serving as the group's first full-length release, Echelon presents "philosophical connections between Jacques Callot, Francisco de Goya, Éduard Manet and Otto Dix and their search for the true portrayal of war". If all of that strikes you as far too heavy to digest in one mere sitting then consider the fact that all of "Vivito! Creato! Moritor!" is presented under the cover of darkness of what is otherwise known as avant-garde Black Metal. That is the cornerstone upon which Τ.Φ. (vocals, lyrics), Φ.Ω. „Feanor Omega“ (drums, clean vocals), Μ.Χ. (guitar, vocals, programming), Δ.Ρ. (bass) and Π.Σ. (guitar) build such weighty philosophical discussions. And "weighty" is as good a way as any in which to describe the lyrical content of this recording. Quite honestly I wouldn't even know where to begin with this one in that regard as the brief time I did spend in higher education was in search of true journalistic inspiration and not some form of physiological understanding. Well, I mean other then trying to find myself through women, wine and other various vices! Still, there's no need to fret over the intellectual issues at hand here (lyric-wise and all) as there is much to be enjoyed about "Vivito! Creato! Moritor!" on just the music front! That tag above (the whole "Avantgarde Black Metal" thing) does cover the overall theme of  "Vivito! Creato! Moritor!", but even then it can be broken down to include such things as (besides the obvious black metal!) doom metal, death metal, traditional heavy metal, electronic/industrial, folk/viking metal and even post-rock and punk! So yes, you can enjoy an album like this on it's own merits without worrying whether or not you'd be lost in a physiological discussion with the members of this Austrian-based act! And enjoy it I did! Can it be a little too heavy on the black metal side of things? Honestly yes. Mostly that has to do with the black metal rasps. When you're digesting some phenomenal post-rock/black metal it can be distracting, and not to mention disheartening, when raspy vocals suddenly show up to the party. But, this is a black metal band first and foremost so it's to be expected right? Other then that bit of ironic complaining on my part this is a rather fault-free recording which offers something new with each repeated listen. And you'll want to listen to this one a few times over so that you can pick up on all the subtle nuances that you might have missed. Both adventurous and creative, "Vivito! Creato! Moritor!" is an interesting introduction to this Austrian-act which should, given further time to gel together and grow, create many more works of art in the years to come.

Apostolum-Winds of Disillusion

Moribund
2014

I don't like being lied to or mislead. Italy's Apostolum didn't lie to me, but opener "Intro (Light Into The Void)" most certainly mislead me! Imagine a grand piano intro that channels the spirits of both dark metal and goth rock. Now imagine that said intro leads into blackened doom metal with rock sensibilities. So far so good right? Well, then the vocals of one Mr. Meba kick in on "Unworthiness and Decay" and that's all she wrote. There's flat vocals and then there's Meba. Yes, they are that bad and any hope that this one might be worthwhile or salvageable are thoroughly flushed down the crapper. Granted the actual music/musicians that backs up Meba does not exactly install confidence that the black metal scene is moving onward or upward. Forget lighting up the night or anything. This group, which is at best a mediocre collective, couldn't light up a child's bedside night light! Despite ten years in the business, which is a long time in this day and age, the band sounds as if they have just crawled out of some dark hole somewhere and, after trying and failing at forming a reasonable My Dying Bride tribute band, they struck out on their own with little to no song-writing ability at their disposal. And the results speak for themselves! How anyone can combine what would be interesting elements like goth rock, dark metal, black rock n' roll, doom and black metal (while also incorporating not only acoustic grand piano/keyboard parts, but even brass!) and still make it all sound so trivial and dull is beyond me! Even if you could overlook the flat vocals, which would make you a much more tolerable man than me, how could anyone (reasonably) expect you to ignore what amounts to a glorified high school, death and despair-obsessed, band project? I can't and I would have no right telling others that they needed to. Avoid this one at all cost and whatever you do please do not encourage any new/up and coming bands to try their hand at the same thing! Think of humanity!

Thrall-Aokigahara Jukai

Moribund
2013

"Aokigahara Jukai", which is named after the suicide-plagued Aokigahara forest in Japan, is the latest release from Australia's Thrall. Formerly known as Thy Plagues (under which name they self-released a 2007 demo called "Warath Enteranl") and seemingly lead in all aspects of life these days by Tom Void (vocals, guitars, bass and drums) this Tasmanian act offers up a concept album on their third full-length release. While not exactly a new act for me, which we will cover shortly, I had a hard time recognizing the version of Thrall that stands here today. Said to serve as a "conceptual exploration of themes relating to the suicide forest" (something I'll have to take their word for as the vocals are pretty much unintelligible!) the album is slightly over 45 minutes, but it feels much longer frankly! Where is the adventurous nature of this that I remembered so well? It's not here as this release features fairly typical (read: unremarkable in every aspect) black metal. The thing is while the concept is interesting (besides the high rate of suicide associated with the area demons also factor in according to Japanese mythology) the music is anything but. Even by black metal standards this release was tough for me to sit all the way through. While it promised a "unrelenting, furious, void-ward journey from the opening track to the final deathlike strains of emptiness" it instead delivered 45 minutes of uninspiring and directionless material! As I've covered this act in the past (their last album, 2011's "Vermin to the Earth" was a real treat for my ears!) I had high hopes for this one. Instead I ended up feeling like a stretched out balloon with all of the air let out of it! Now, the promos brief notes do not make mention of a specific line-up (which is one thing that drives me crazy!) so I'm not sure if this was all Tom Void or if other musicians were brought in to share in  the "merriment". Not that it matters much frankly as either way this release is nothing special so no special credit should be given. It's not likely to send shock-waves through the black metal scene or anything. Hell, it's not likely to make even the slightest a "ping"! Sorry Thrall but it takes more these days to make it then just playing the same tiring riff over and over again. What happened to you guys? Seeing as there are likely hundreds of black metal bands creating new and exciting material as we speak (with hundreds more waiting in the wings for their chance to appear under the "spotlight") a release like this just sets you back. Thrall's latest just doesn't cut it for me. Maybe album number four will be better?

Possession-His Best Deceit

Iron Bonehead Productions (Tape)
Invictus Productions (CD)
2013

Simultaneously released on both CD and tape (with their being only 666 tapes naturally), "His Best Deceit" is the first studio recording from Belgian's Possession. The band features a couple of former members of blackened thrash outfit Dawn of Crucifixion in guitarist I. Dveikus and bassist/vocalist V. Viriakh (also has his own self-named project) with vocalist Mestema and drummer Pz.Kpfw (Must be his Christian name?) rounding this four-piece out. One look at the artwork above should give you an idea of what you're in for, but if you need a hint as to the band's two genre description then I'll toss one out. What's the "color" that really represents the utter lack of color and what's the opposite of life? Of course the answer is (firstly) black and then (secondly) death so we get black death! Coolness right? Right? Well, I guess that depends upon how cool (or not) you find raw and crusty blackened death metal. Granted, the band does pull off a Sepultura cover in the form of "Necromancer" (which was on the group's 1985 split with Overdose) so there is some "thrash" on display inside this this 4-track demo. But for the most part it's demoniacally-inclined, old-school evil taking the shape and form of a four piece black death band. It's also dramatically dire stuff which makes sense when you learn that the members of Possession tapped Phorgath of Enthroned to help them record this 4-track demo! That's a match made in hell right there! With his (Phorgath) capable hands twisting and tweaking the knobs (so to speak) Possession managed to record a promising demo that A) Gives off a cool underground vibe and B) Sounds like utter evil trapped in a Molotov cocktail and ready to blow! This is a good start for a band with some serious potential!

Darkmoon Warrior-Nuke 'Em All

W.T.C. Productions
2013

Released this past November, "Nuke 'Em All" is the latest release from Germany's Darkmoon Warrior. Formed in 1996 the band is fronted by vocalist/bassist A.Krieg (Anti, Enternity, ex-Hellfucked) and has a back catalog that features countless demos, a split, one EP and a 2009 full-length album called "Crown of Snakes". Filthy, vile and blasphemous this is crusty black metal that is foaming at the mouth and sounds as if it has been vomited up by the dark one himself! With charming song titles like "Fuck Off", "Black Tongues And Rusty Nails", "Satanification" and "Storm Of Feces" (which is one storm I would really hate to be left out in without an umbrella!) you should have a pretty good idea of what you're in for before you even hit play! Still, this kind of raw and underground metal does have it's appeal as Darkmoon Warrior relies of thick and meaty thrash lines almost as much as they do on crust-covered, pissed on by punks who has been drinking cheaper then shit booze, black 'n' roll riffs. That's when this 3-piece band is at their very best. At their worst though it just dissolves into a big heap of filthy noise. But, either way it kind of works so how can you complain?  The only way this album could have been any cooler is if it had been titled "Nuke 'Em All, Let Satan Sort 'Em Out"!

Interview with Promiscuity bassist Werewolf

For those of you who don't recognize the name, which would suck for you as you'd be missing out on one (bad-ass) three-piece, Promiscuity is an Israeli-based metal band whose music could best be described as a combination of black metal, speed metal and Motörhead. Over this past weekend I was able to shoot the shit (so to speak) with Promiscuity bassist Werewolf  all thanks to Al Gore's World Wide Web (Thanks Al!). Werewolf, who is also the owner of Israhellbanger Records and was the editor of  the fanzine "Evil's Best", dices his way through this interview just like he diced his way through the EP's 4-tracks! I want to thank him for answering my questions and for being part of the heavy metal collective that has given the world the (much-needed kiddos!) EP "Basic Instinct"!

Andy-Hey, where are you guys all at now? Are you all in Israel as we speak?

Werewolf-Yup, we are all in Israel, though I was born in Ukraine and Alex (aka Butcher) in Latvia, so our native language is Russian. 

Andy-Cool. It's weird and all. Here I am in Ohio in the U.S. and your WAY across the pond! Ain't modern technology just nifty?

Werewolf-Tell me about!

Andy (A)-Could you tell us briefly how the band came together? What were you guys up to before Promiscuity came together?

Werewolf (W)-It all started when I was writing some lyrics and bass riffs, without any special plans to do anything too specific with them. I showed that stuff to Butcher and he suggested his help as a guitar player. It didn't take too long until it was obvious that he can sing way better than me as well, so we started to work on the songs together. Butcher had the first demo of his Death Metal project "KEVER" (which had a different moniker back then) recorded by then and I was only doing a printed fanzine and running a small label/distro at that time.When we found some guy who didn't mind to help us as a session drummer - the demo tape "Infernal Rock N' Roll" was created. Now Steel from Sonne Adam helps us as a drummer, he played in the "Basic Instinct" EP.

A-Is there any story behind the band's name or did you guys simply go with the time-honored tradition of just randomly flipping through a dictionary and putting your finger on a word LOL!

W-No, it wasn't a random choice. Black humor and sarcasm were the driving force of what we called PROMISCUITY since day one and lyrics about the chick from the "Basic Instinct" movie couldn't fit more naturally to this concept, so "Promiscuity" sounded like the right title for us. I also wanted a 1-word moniker. So many awesome Metal bands have a great, effective 1-word moniker - Venom, Slayer, Sodom, Pestilence, Razor, Destruction, Massacre, Death, Darkness, Sacrifice, Slaughter, Grave etc. etc... 

A- Well I love the one word moniker you guys choose! And while I also love the EP's title, as well as the cool artwork (!), I do wonder how many kids would be able to pick up on the reference points. You know what I mean?

W- You probably mean that not many teenagers are familiar with this classic movie, don't you? Well, maybe some will discover it through this release. I think that the cover looks cool, whether you know about this movie or not. The lowest common denominator is not our aim, anyway. We just write about stuff we rely to ourselves.

A- No arguments there. Write what you know about and write what matters most to you. Of course you guys do cover a Celtic Frost number so there's more to you guys then just "Basic Instinct" right?
 

W-Yes, it's not the only movie we've ever seen. There's also... errrr.... "Basic Instinct 2"!
Seriously, though - Gilles De Rais' was quite a controversial person and I think that a song about him fits in perfectly on a such release, where the other songs are the chick from "Basic Instinct", a pedophile and our first fan ever (R.I.P.), who wasn't the most normative person ever and to whom we dedicated "Maniac's Blues". We also wanted to give CF's song our own touch and I think that it does sound like a PROMISCUITY song, doesn't it?
 

A-Yes, it sure does! Besides Celtic Frost, whose early material was nothing short of wicked, it seems as if your sound comes from some old school black metal. would that be a fair assessment?
 

W-Metal is the favorite genre of all of us and the 80's to early 90's is the period where most of the best Metal releases were made, in every Metal sub-genre. This stuff inspired us to start playing and will always have an impact on us, but it's not only "Black Metal". We like many things, from Saxon to Necrovore. We don't make any conscious decisions in the vein of "let's make a riff like this band, a solo like that band" etc.Besides Celtic Frost, whose early material was nothing short of wicked, it seems as if your sound comes from some old school black metal. would that be a fair assessment?

 A-I know you guys are currently looking for a record label. Any bites at all?
 

W-Yes, Florian / Dying Victims Productions will make the cassette version. As for CD and vinyl - time will tell. I already declined a couple of offers that I had received, but I'd rather not get this music released on any physical format than let it be wasted in the hands of those labels.
"To be signed on this or that label" has never been our main goal. The fact that we managed to record this stuff and make it sound the way it does - that's what really matters to us. Everything is mastered for every format and the cover artwork is ready as well, so "Basic Instinct" can go to a pressing plant anytime, but we worked damn hard on it and we'd only let a label that can work as hard print and sell it.

A-I'm crossing my figures for a vinyl release myself. I'm guessing that it would sound fucking fantastic on a turntable! Where do you guys go from here? Will there be live shows?

W- There haven't been any so far, but never say "never. We are writing new stuff, but we like to take our time. I hope that the EP "Eon of Cycling Death" (Butcher's Death Metal band Kever) will be released on vinyl soon, on the other hand!(Editor's note: You can find out more about Kever through a link below!)

A-Keep me posted on that one! Are there any other bands from your home country we should be checking out?
 

W-Tangorodrim, Hell Darkness, Sonne Adam, Kever - these would be my personal recommendations. Also the 2-track demo of Guiltville, sound damn promising, they published it on their bandcamp page just a week ago.
 

A-Where can fans find out more about "Basic instinct" and your back catalog then?
 

W-Our entire "catalog" consists of the "Basic Instinct" EP and the "Infernal Rock N' Roll" demo tape from 2011. Both are available for free/"name your price" download from our bandcamp page: http://infernalrocknroll.bandcamp.com The "Infernal Rock N' Roll" cassette will be available for sale later, once I have the time to make more copies of it. We have never made a single piece of merch, but some will be made in the near future. Stay tuned via our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Promiscuity.Band

A- I usually let bands have the last word. Any parting words of wisdom? Have a special drink mix that you want to share? Any bizarre B-movies we should check out? the mic is yours...

W- Beer + vodka is one Hell of a mix drink, give it a try! \\m//

A-Thanks again Werewolf! I'll be keeping an eye out for Promiscuity from here on out!

W-Thanks for the interview, it was a pleasure to answer!The bandcamp and facebook pages appear in the previous answer, but those who want to contact us via e-mail - write to contact@promiscuity-band.com.
If you like this stuff - please spread it among alcohol addicts, junkies, perverts and other scum. This music is made for the outcasts!

You can read more about the band and their latest EP at the link below. Oh, and for you young kids out there out (well, young kids over the age of 21 of course!) mixing beer and vodka is not a good idea! Werewolf was just joking around there! And that brings me to an interesting tidbit about this interview. I'll tell you what folks, Werewolf is not only a killer bass player, but an all around fun guy and this interview (as well as a lot of other back and forth messages between us) made my weekend! Promiscuity is simply a different beast all together and their music is nothing if not original! Especially art-work wise and of course the lyrics! While their music is "pay what you want" why not throw a few coins into the bucket while you are at it! Making music doesn't come cheap and while it might be a bit of a novelty that they are from Israel and all it just means that getting their music to the masses in places like Europe and the U.S. is all the more difficult. Support underground metal whenever and however you can. And, as always boys and girls, live life LOUD and PROUD!

http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=promiscuity

Butcher's project Kever ( https://www.facebook.com/MorbidTendency )