Blind To Faith-Under The Heptagram 12" EP

A389 Recordings
2013

"Lawless", "violent" and "pure". Those are the three distinct words that this Belgium-based band uses to describe themselves and/or their "art". Formed in 2008, and featuring members of Rise And Fall, Reproach and (reported) Dutch "cult legends" Insult (I say reported as I have no idea whether Dutch band Insult is actually a "cult legend" or not), it would be the 2009 full-length "The Seven Fat Years Are Over" that would serve as a sort-of  "How ya doing folks?" moment while it simultaneously raped and pillaged it's way into the hearts of metal maniacs and punks alike. That slab of vile "unadulterated metal punk" (their words not mine) would be followed in 2010 by a split with San Diego's Gehenna and, having slashed, bashed and thrashed many more heads along the way,  all of that brings us back to this three-song, 12" EP. Now, as the band's influences come across as quite deadly themselves (Discharge, Repulsion, Celtic Frost, Eyehategod, Gehenna, Darkthrone, Entombed, Today Is The Day, etc), this short little offering from Blind To Faith comes with a warning. Or at least it should. And no, I'm not talking about some stupid, utterly P.C. shit of a warning label from the ghostly leftovers of the P.M.R.C. Screw that. What I'm talking about is this folks-any band that name checks both Celtic Frost and GG Allin in their promo material is already WAY FAR LEFT of heavy metal's center! And that's just weird on paper right? Now imagine a band that embraces the challenge of combining the elements of punk hardcore, sludge, thrash, street metal and death metal into something new. A new drug for the damned perhaps? Or is it just more music that sets out with the goal to paint the town red by using the blood of the innocents? It's probably all of the above as well as a carefully-crafted play list all about the band's anticipation of the inevitable apocalypse. If you're not prepared ahead of time for the band's "art" then when you get to the title cut, which sort of sounds like Motörhead and Eyehategod getting into a knife fight with Discharge and The Exploited, it's quite likely that your head could explode like a gigantic pimple! Well, either that or you might be left saying "What happened?" after their brand of hellfire, punk-n'drunk, heavy metal kidnaps you and then dumps your bloody and naked body in some back alley.  All signs point towards one or the other happening. So be fair warned brothers and sisters. I close with that warning and a further observation. Blind To Faith embraces the roles they've been offered, which include being doomsday rockers and engineers of metal madness (as an art form no-less!), as is all too evident by the "Under The Heptagram" 12" EP. If you choose to ride along then by all means buckle up!

The Lurking Corpses-23 Tales of Terror (Re-Release)

 

Hells Headbangers

2013

With the countdown to Halloween already starting for all the lovely little ghouls and goblins out there, which is understanding as I'm all about the customs and candy myself, what better way could there possibly be to celebrate the occasion then this limited edition 2LP re-release of "horror metal*"? I can't think of any myself as we're talking about Fort Wayne, Indiana's own The Lurking Corpses who, having formed in 2001, originally released this sample-heavy (it sounds like mostly old horror films clips), tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek album back in 2003. Serving as their debut-album/introduction to the masses (as well as their first potential recordings since having just escape from the insane asylum LOL!!!), the ghoulish "23 Tales of Terror" was a naughty little collection of tracks that were as much about sex and violence as they were a showcase/celebration for the band's obvious love of old-school and new-school horror films. Up front on the mic was (and still is) Lord Vladimir Von Ghoul whose ghoulish, Danzig-like delivery could easily switch over into a death metal growl at the snap of two boney fingers! While the group, whose latest release, 2012's "Gross Encounters of the Sacrificial Rite", was a split with Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's The Beyond, has struggled through their fair share of line-up changes (among the changes in this group has been the use of 5 different guitarists since 2001!) they are still at it and when you listen to this re-mixed and re-mastered double LP it's easy enough to see the appeal they possess. Even though the band tips the scales between death metal and horror punk there's more than enough "straight-down-the-middle" heavy and trashy metal to keep this one well grounded. Early on it's obvious to tell that the group has a love for The Misfits, but if you're also a  fan of bands like Samhain, Grave Robber, The Undead and Vladimirs then this is an album you might want to listen to. And then there's the obvious reference of solo Danzig as well a thrashed-over Schoolyard Heroes or a much more talented and twisted form of First Jason! All told there's just so much ghoulish rock going on here that for someone like me, who is most definitely leaning towards the weirder side of life, it's just too much fun to pass up! As it is a llimited-edition double-LP, available on both colored vinyl and traditional black vinyl, you'll want to snatch your own copy a.s.a.p. as it's sure to sell out.

 

* The Metal Archives claims that the band refers to their style of playing as "Horror Metal".

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