New Gortal CD streamed online

Get ready or die, new Gortal CD is now streamed online, so you can listen to it before its release date, 6/12/2012!!!! Cannot wait to get the CD, recommended stuff!!!!!!!!!
http://www.musickmagazine.pl/material,gortal---deamonolith,96.html

No space left to add the photos!

FUCK, I've run out of the space for the photos on this blog, so now I cannot add any, unless I start paying them... Before I find a solution (maybe someone can advice me what to do??) I post the stuff without any pics

Graveyard Ghoul - Tomb of the Mouldered Corpses

GRAVEYARD GHOUL - Tomb of the Mouldered Corpses (FINAL GATE Records - MC 2012)

Pretty quickly these German necromaniacs from Graveyard Ghoul have created the material for their first full length album, which I just got on tape that Final Gate Records has released lately. Their “Necrocult” demo was really fine piece of rotten metal of death and now I can say exactly the same about “Tomb of the Mouldered Corpses”. I definitely expected that Graveyard Ghoul would not compromise and keep their music as relentless and primitive, as it was on the demo and I’m glad that the band’s album is as I expected. Obscure, morbid, gruesome…

Some of you may feel abhorred by the completely necro sound of the Graveyard Ghoul, by the obscure and sinister atmosphere of their music and its primitiveness. At the same time some may question the sense of releasing such rehearsal recordings as full length albums, especially in times, when it is so easy and cheap to get professionally sounding, powerful sound on your demo. Well, maybe that’s the point, right? You cannot just listen to those sterile clean, sometimes too plastic and lifeless productions; it is also good to find some bands, which can take you 20 years back to the times, when death metal was only obscure, rotten and ugly. In that aspect “Tomb of the Mouldered Corpses” sounds like some of the late 80’s American and Scandinavian death metal demos…

To me this music has an incredible charm, it is a feeling like I was listening to some killer demos from the very late 80’s or early 90’s. With such production, such atmosphere and the music one can definitely have a resemblance of the demos from such bands as Darkthrone, Autopsy, Treblinka… And at times it almost sounds like an early black metal release, such as Mayhem’s “Deathcrush” MLP for instance, and thrash metal also, if you think of what early Sodom was like. And yeah, even if generally I must admit that those young German ghouls do not play anything outstanding or innovative, they have enough skills and passion to perform the archaic death metal the right way. I like the way Graveyard Ghoul rips through the flesh with their heavy riffing, creating an obscure feeling, playing mostly as fast and chaotic as it is possible (like in “Splattered Body”), but also adding some more doomy parts (just listen to the final track, “Walking Dead”! I definitely like the disturbing, horror atmosphere of this song a lot) or even more melodic ones, which would remind you Nihilist (“Tomb of the Mouldered Corpses”). Each song has a clear chorus part, where you can scream the title, what makes them all quite memorable and damn you if you won’t get hooked by such songs as “Poetry of Death” or “Violent Beast”, one of the slowest pieces from “Tomb of the Mouldered Corpses”. I cannot say bad word about them. Who cares, if it is primitive and amateurish, if there are such tracks as “Black Lagoon”, great doomy worship of demo era Asphyx or “Walking Dead”?

All in all “Tomb of the Mouldered Corpses” is available on tape, soon there will also be a CD and LP versions, so keep your eyes open for Graveyard Ghoul!

Final rate: 78/100

Undead Creep - Enchantments from the Haunted Hills

UNDEAD CREEP - Enchantments from the Haunted Hills (BLOOD HARVEST - EP 2012)

Undead Creep attacks once more, this time with the 7”EP “Enchantments from the Haunted Hills”, which Blood Harvest has just released, in very small quantity of 300 copies. Well I definitely was hoping to get some more killer tunes from those Italians, as my enthusiasm and passion for their music – which I experienced on the demo and killer “The Ever-Burning Torch” LP - were great. So I definitely wanted to get a copy of the EP, which I finally did. And I think the EP is already sold out, so if you hesitated to buy it, then it can be too late now, ha!

Well, the previous releases were nothing more but a pure old school Swedish death metal worship. The music was filled with brutal, aggressive riffing, but also with the characteristic melodies, which some of the old Swedish bands have been developing in the old days and to say that Entombed, Dismember, Carnage and Necrophobic did not influence the band would be a lie. But I loved the way those Italian headbangers and graveyard desecrators managed to recreate the atmosphere from the good old Swedish scene. And of course “Enchantments from the Haunted Hills” continues to do that, but I must say that unfortunately the material from this EP is not as thrilling as the demo and debut full length (and not only because 8 minutes of music is just so little!!!). Sure, the atmosphere of horror and creepy feeling are still there; once you hear the intro you’ll start to look around whether the dead is not coming out of the mist. But this great, classic horror intro goes by and “To be Condemned” begins. I really have nothing against this song, it is good enough, with trademark “Indecent & Obscene” era Dismember riffing and one can surely agree that this song is not far from say “Skin Her Alive” for instance, but I feel somehow that this track is more mediocre that some of the previous songs, which Undead Creep created.

And the title track from this EP is maybe more exciting, I really like the opening theme, with some killer melodic stuff in there, but then it fastens up into real Swedish brutality… Hmm, it is good definitely, but again I feel like it could have been better, maybe more memorable… I don’t know. Don’t think though that “Enchantments from the Haunted Hills” is a boring and shitty release, as definitely the fans of the old styled Swedish death metal will like it anyway and personally I also quite enjoyed it, but any complaints from my side are due to the fact that my expectations from Undead Creep were slightly bigger, I hoped to get really crushed to death, while I was only slightly injured. Fuck that, it’s good to have this EP in the collection anyway, with 300 copies it soon will be a nice rare item in my collection.

Final rate: 70/100

Lifeless / Chapel of Disease - Chapel of the Lifeless Cult

 

LIFELESS / CHAPEL OF DISEASE - Chapel of the Lifeless Cult (FDA Rekotz - split 7"EP 2012)

Once you start to think that the flood of great old styled death metal bands, which nowadays is so dominating the underground scene, is over and meanwhile yet another killer release with two new bands from this style has been released. Fuck, where do they all come from? But it really is not a problem for me to listen to some more bands from this style, especially as so many of them play killer music and make me feel thrilled. I never have enough, unless they start to repeat the same riffs all over again and you can feel the stagnancy and lack of passion and lethal energy. Here is another release, which just blew my head off towards fuckin Mars and hurt my neck totally, once I stopped banging my head. FDA Rekotz released this wonderful split 7”EP, which features two completely unknown German bands: Lifeless and Chapel of Disease. And since only recently I complained a little on the condition of the German scene, now I can say that it gets better and better with bands like Revel In Flesh, Deserted Fear, Obscure Infinity and these two, ha!

OK, the whole massacre starts with Lifeless’ absolutely amazing song “Godconstruct”. I was very surprised to see that Lifeless already had one full length LP in their discography, 2008’s “Beyond the Threshold of Death”, and that I never heard it. I must look for it definitely, as “Godconstruct” is just fantastic piece of Swedish influenced death metal. Yeah, once you see Lifeless’ logo and you know what they will play hehe! Personally I don’t care if it looks like Entombed’s or Carnage’s logo, Entrails also has used the same font… It looks old school, sick and man, I love it. But the music is just tremendously good. I mean if you call yourself a maniac of the Swedish bands – more so, if you worship “Like an Ever Flowing Stream”, “Indecent & Obscene” and “Left Hand Path”, then “Godconstruct” will hit your G-point and make scream in ecstasy as much as it did to me! I love every aspect of this song, starting with horror church bells at the beginning, plus the absolutely wonderful melodic riff which opens “Godconstruct” and the one, which is in the end… plus of course also the production, which is another very strong point of Lifeless in my opinion. Fuck yeah, those guys have collected all the best parts of Dismember, especially from “Indecent & Obscene” and “Pieces” era and brought it back to life in their own way… But you know, it’s not enough just to pick up a style of certain band and imitate it, you also must have skills, talent and idea to do it well enough to be appreciated and in my opinion Lifeless does exactly that! As I already said, I love it! Great song, especially those melodic bits in it; the one from the end sounds pretty much like that mournful harmonic riff from “Dreaming In Red”, but yeah… it did crush me.

And now Chapel of Disease. Two things first – just like when I was seeing Revel In Flesh for the first time, also here I must mention that I really love the band’s moniker and their totally old school, killer logo, which is one of the best ones I’ve seen lately. Musically Chapel of Disease is more straight forward death metal band, but still with very strong old school feeling. Their music is more archaic in my opinion, more like early Nihilist, even early Pestilence and Asphyx, plus also some recent acts like Morbus Chron, Repugnant, Maim and Death Breath. But again such sounds like those from “The Nameless City” work perfectly for me, their raw, aggressive style is just blowing the speakers off and damn, it is just awesome. Not as killer as Lifeless, but still very, very good.

Ha, this split EP was released on the day of my 32nd birthday. Even though I only just purchased my copy last week, so few months after the 22nd of June, it feels like a great birthday present and definitely a music, which makes me feel crazy and erupting with energy. Hail! I definitely wait now for the full length albums from both bands, Lifeless especially, but for this one I have to wait until 2013. But Chapel of Disease will unleash their debut “Summoning Black Gods” in December 2012 and I know that I must get a vinyl copy of it as soon as I will be able to. Meanwhile I strongly advise you to get “Chapel of a Lifeless Cult”, it is just killer release. And it is also perfectly released – in a gatefold cover, with a couple of stickers and small poster… What else can I ask for?

Final rate: 90/100

Osculum Infame - Consuming the Metatron

OSCULUM INFAME - Consuming the Metatron (BATTLESK'RS Productions - CD 2012)

I have a feeling like I travelled back in time, and it is something like 12-13 years ago. Back then I was trading tapes and CDRs with some metal comrades and one of them – I don’t remember who, I think it was Tom from Throneum – recorded for me few French black metal bands. Among them there were such acts like Diamond Eyed Princess (shitty moniker, but really good music!!!!), Noctis, Crystalium and Osculum Infame. I don’t really remember which material of Osculum Infame did I get back then and did I like it or not, as it was long time ago and I don’t even remember a single note of the music, but the name somehow stack in my mind. And when I saw that Battlesk'rs Productions releases the new material of Osculum Infame I was like “fuck, I remember them! They still exist??”!! Hehe, now seeing that this French horde released several recordings during the past 15 years it may sound slightly funny, but from the other hand there was a ten years long break in the 2000’s, when Osculum Infame seemed to be on a hiatus, and their last full length album (“Dor-Nu-Fauglith”) was unleashed back in 1997! Anyway, now the band is back in form, in 2010 Osculum Infame unleashed EP titled “Quwm” and a compilation CD and now it’s time for another new release, titled “Consuming the Metatron”. This is limited to 777 copies digipack featuring new and unreleased material, one track from 2011 called “Inner Falling for the Glory of God” and five tracks coming from their last recording session and from an unreleased album recorded early in 1999 under the title “The Serpent of the Ages”. All in all there are six tracks closed in about 30 minutes.

Well, I must say that I completely didn’t know what to expect from Osculum Infame, except that it must have been black metal, so I do must admit that I really, really like “Consuming the Metatron” and it actually turned out to be much better than I expected. I don’t know why, but I kind of thought it will rather be simple, raw and obscure primitive black metal, but no way you can say something like that about Osculum Infame. OK, the music is utterly morbid and obscure, hateful and dark. Speaking of the atmosphere this is classic black metal release and I do must admit that the French band managed to capture what I call the essence of black metal in excellent way. The mood of their music is just blood freezing and totally involving. But above all I must admit that the quality of the material from “Consuming the Metatron” is just beyond my expectations. I mean this probably may be one of the best black metal releases, which I have listened to this year. From the first listen I got drowned by this music and its atmosphere and I must admit that I really, really like it. Osculum Infame plays very much Scandinavian influenced black metal, you may be able to pick up several names to compare this French horde with, but it doesn’t really matter, I don’t think of it, but rather focus on the excellent music.

The riffing is just killer here. I did mention that Osculum Infame sounds quite Scandinavian, but they don’t just sound like one band and almost every song here is different to the previous one. Just listen to the beginning of this CD - “Dark Wickedness” is just classic black metal, at few times resembling for instance the recent Gorgoroth, Marduk, Ondskapt  and Ofermod albums, speaking of the vocals and the dark atmosphere. Then there is “The Whisper of the Witch”, which is more atmospheric, melodic and harmonious, especially in this beginning, where you can even hear some cello and quite happy, folky melody, but don’t think this is sugary shit, as the tempos are fast and uncompromising all the time through the song. Finally the third act, “Kein Entkommen”, can give you thrills with its relentlessness and straight forward attitude, as well as simple riffing, more in the old black metal traditions.

And so every song seems to be different to the previous one, but I’m not gonna describe every piece of “Consuming the Metatron” separately, listen to it yourself and discover it. It is enough that each of them has something different to offer and as the whole this MCD is as varied as black metal can only be, but within the limitations of this genre. I mean the whole basis of this music is classic BM, but there are so many extras within every track that it makes it totally involving and interesting. Like in “Kein Entkommen”, which I just mentioned, I mean this song starts with almost punkish simplicity, with the riffing, which can combine some Darkthrone, Gorgoroth and Taake, but its mid part is something totally different, it is very doomy, very melancholic, with sort of church like organs, sirens wailing in the back and almost agonising vocals, so the atmosphere is very, very gloom here. Not to mention all those things, which happen in “The Whisper of the Witch”, which as far as I can admit is the best song from the entire MCD.

A special attention must be given to “Inner Falling for the Glory of God”, a song from the upcoming second album of Osculum Infame, “The Act of Blood”. Well, let me just say that if the whole album will be like this song and as diversified and well composed / played as the whole “Consuming the Metatron” then it will be a must to obtain. Can’t wait!

Standout tracks: “The Whisper of the Witch”, “Absolute Me Not!”, “Inner Falling for the Glory of God”

Final rate: 90/100

Ectovoid vinyl out through Blood Harvest

 

Finally! Those of you, who read my blog, may remember my enthusiasm towards Ectovoid's "Fractured in the Timeless Abyss" album (HELLTHRASHER Productions). I gave a very good review to it, as well as to the band's demo and there also an interview with the band in this blog. But I've really been waiting to get the vinyl version of this full length and here it is! Finally Blood Harvest released it! Not many copies, only 300, which is a bit stupid I think, but at least I got mine this week! Fuckin killer stuff, I'll play it now and recommend you getting yourself either CD or LP, as this album just shreds! Fuck!

Dissimulation - Iškelk Ir Išniekink

DISSIMULATION - Iškelk Ir Išniekink (LEDO TAKAS - MCD 2012)

Dissimulation… Well, I hope you know this band well, and if not then let me say that they’re – together with Loits and Must Missa – probably one best Baltic (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) metal bands at the moment. I got to know Dissimulation already back in 2002, when Ledo Takas released their debut LP “Maras” and soon later the second one “Prakeikimas” in 2005. Once I listened to them they quickly became one of my favourite Baltic releases and I really felt that Dissimulation needs everyone’s support and attention. Not only their music was killer, but also quite original, so there were many reasons to get the band out from their Lithuanian woods and introduce to the European maniacs (which I actually did with a long interview with Stabmeldys – check it out here: http://panzerfaust666zine.blogspot.com/2011/09/dissimulation-interview-panzerfaust-5.html). And because I missed the third LP “Atiduokit Mirusius”, once I saw “Iškelk Ir Išniekink” in the distro, where I usually buy the stuff for my metal collection, I made the quick purchase, hoping to get crushed by the band’s characteristic blend of black and thrash again!
Well, it is definitely great to listen to this band again. As I said they’ve been one of the best Baltic bands and once you listen to “Iškelk Ir Išniekink” you realize that they are also very original, music wise. I mean surely their music is based in the classic Scandinavian and Slavonic black metal stuff, while the influences from thrash metal were much dropped on this MLP, but the way everything on “Iškelk Ir Išniekink” has been played and composed makes Dissimulation different from the average European band. It is like Master’s Hammer, if you know what I mean? It’s based on classic metal values, but played differently and in unique way, where the origin of the band clearly has a lot of influence on it. In case of Dissimulation you just must listen to their vocals. I didn’t mention Master’s Hammer (or Root) by accident, as all these bands characterise similar attempt to adopt their Slavonic languages into the metal harshness. And the results are so different to the usual English – or even Swedish / Norwegian - singing!!! Already these vocals make the music sound unique and some of you may get quite surprised with Dissimulation’s Lithuanian lyrics and also with the far from standard voice – which combines the harsh shriek with clean singing.
And add to that the music, which is way more progressive than what I remember from the early Dissimulation LPs. I mean nowadays the band – even if often they still have a bit of blackened thrash metal sound – sounds more like someone wanted Enslaved to have more direct metal approach and Lithuanian vocals. Ha, the effect is one of a kind! Obviously I must say that the band concentrates more on creating sort of dark and eerie atmosphere rather than the thrashing aggression (and sometimes I did have a feeling like I really wanted to hear something more furious, if you get my point) and some of you may find it as too odd, but screw you. I like the way Dissimulation builds the tension; their riffing definitely became unique, even with many similarities to the Norwegian bands like the mentioned Enslaved and Hades (Almighty) plus few riffs, like those from “Dievturys” remind me of Absu. But comparing this MLP to the first two Dissimulation records, I must say that the difference is quite huge and sometimes I can even say that it sounds now like completely different band. Even with the whole artwork I have a feeling like Dissimulation opted for more sort of heathen metal band, rather than the antichristian or even satanic type of act they seemed to be before. But maybe I am wrong here? Don’t know. Anyway, I can definitely say that “Iškelk Ir Išniekink” is an interesting effort. I can even say that it is quite a challenge to fully comprehend the idea of the band for their music, but surely it’s well played and composed piece of music. Check it out, if you’re looking for something more original.
Standout track: “Dievturys”

Final rate: 70/100