Liquid Flesh - Chair Liquide

LIQUID FLESH - Chair Liquide (METAL IS THE LAW Productions CD 2020)

Few days ago I've found a package in my mailbox from France, which was weird, because I didn't expect to receive anything from there. It came from Metal Is the Law Productions and brought an album titled "Chair Liquide" from Chair Liquid. Well, I never heard of this band before, but after giving several spins to their album I can say that it's a great new discovery and one of those bands, which I can sincerely recommend. 

Chair Liquid plays that sort of death metal, which sticks in my mind immediately. Their music has that grotesquery, horror feel, disgusting and dirty vibe... And it can give you resemblance to several very different bands, from Celtic Frost (just listen to "Vide-Ordures"), through Autopsy, Carcass, Master, Repulsion, Entombed... So, you can be sure to find a lot of diversity in this album. There are fast, slightly grinding songs, but also slower, more groovy and vicious pieces. And they all really sound great, I like how memorable Liquid Flesh music is, because these riffs do stick in mind, especially that the music isn't complicated and the song structure is quite simple. But that gives a more straight forward and aggressive character to the music. Obviously these fastest songs like "Morbide Divination" rule, they are brutal, but with that very good and quite clear production they are like an old school death metal, but with a bit of a modern touch. Which is really cool. In that particular song I really like that part, when they slow down into a pure Autopsy worshipping doomy riff. What a killer stuff. Surely the best song on the album. On the other side we have "Twin Freaks", which is quite experimental, instrumental piece which sound a bit odd on the whole album. Nevermind that though. There's plenty of good music to enjoy. And that's the thing - Luquid Flesh music sounds fun. You open a bottle of beer, sit you ass down on a sofa and just enjoy some cool death metal. What else do you want? Oh, sure, beer must be cold. 

Standout tracks: "Morbide Divination", "Vide-Ordures" 

Verdict: 75/100   

Carbonized - For the Security

CARBONIZED - For the Security (THRASH Records - LP 1991)

Carbonized's "For the Security" has never been the most influential among the Swedish death metal albums from the early 90's. It is even slightly forgotten nowadays. But for me personally, it was one of the favourite records at the time, when as a kid I was discovering all these new death metal bands. I had a Polish bootleg cassette, which I really played intensely through the years. Carbonized had everything to get attention. They had some great demos and 7"EP (I didn’t know them back then, I do admit that), and Matti Karki did vocals for them! But Carbonized was mainly Lars Rosenberg's (Entombed) project and for "For the Security" he was joined by Piotr Wawrzeniuk and Christofer Johnsson, both from Therion. Well, Therion also belonged to my favourites back then haha. 

Line up and well known musicians aside, but another important reason why "For the Security" should get your attention is the music, as it's one of the most original and weird death metal releases from Sweden. As such, I could put it aside to such Pan-Thy-Monium, Afflicted or Therion, speaking of the unique and often progressive death metal. On one hand you'll hear here plenty of traditional death metal, with its brutality and heaviness. There's also a bit of insane grind core, full of rage, mad fast tempos and furious screams, which all erupt with huge energy. But here and there you will find almost jazz or psychedelic patterns, some weird ideas and arrangements that normally would not find its place on the extreme metal record. They sound bizarre, almost like someone was making a joke, as one minute you hear a pure death metal riff and next there's a twisted and uncanny piece that can make your eyebrow go up... There’re many surprising fragments, you could think that some of it doesn’t just fit together and someone made a mistake and took a song from a different band, but somehow there’s a method in this insanity. 

And with Christofer's screams over the music, the result is as interesting as it is mad. And as always with such musical experiments, there will be people, who will loath it and those, who will love it. For me, this bastard child of death metal, grindcore, Voivod and fuck knows what else, sounds absolutely brilliant. I love the production from Sunlight Studio, I love the intensity and energy of this music. And there are just many awesome riffs that kick ass brutally. Sometimes it’s close to the edge of insanity, “Third Eye” can be a good example here. Next on the list, “Purified (From the Sulfer)”, is another song that runs away from the death metal standards as much as it only can, delivering extreme forms of psycho-grinding avantgarde right in your face. But it works and I think that “For the Security” is a great album. Weird, but just great. Sadly, I simply hate the other two Carbonized albums, they are unlistenable and annoying. They are crap. But I still love the debut as well as the demos and 7”EP,  

Standout tracks: “Monument”, “Recarbonized”, “Blinded of the Veil”, “Reflections of the Dark” 

Verdict: 85/100

Interment - Where Death Will Increase 1991-1994

INTERMENT - Where Death Will Increase 1991-1994 (NECROHARMONIC - CD 2010)

They seem overlooked by many, but for me Interment belongs to the very best Swedish death metal bands. Their beginnings are in the early 90’s, when three truly killer demos were released. Sadly, Interment split up in 1994, which is probably why they seem so underrated now. But the band came back from the dead in 2002 and did so in great form, releasing awesome albums and few splits. 

But going back to the early 90's, these three demos which Interment did then belong to my all time favourites. They are all absolutely fantastic and for me they are just as good as a lot of the recordings from more recognised acts from that era. And if you want to find out yourself what these demos are like, "Where Death Will Increase 1991-1994" is where you should look for. This CD (LP also) has all the 90's recordings from Interment, so it's a perfect opportunity to listen to some great Swedish death metal. 

"Where Death Will Increase" from 1991 was the first demo from Interment. There are three songs, recorded at the famous Sunlight Studio. 1992's "Forward to the Unknown" and 1994's "The Final Chapter" were on the other hand recorded with Dan Swano in his Gorysound Studio. Well, musically this is straight forward, traditional Svensk DödsMetall. You could easily put it next to Dismember, Entombed, Centinex, Nirvana 2002, Carnage, Uncanny, God Macabre and so on... They are all amazing bands and Interment would be no pussies in that company. Their music was brutal, vicious, it was dark and savage, yet there's plenty of more melodic or slower parts to get an interesting and enjoyable result. Even though it was nothing new or revolutionary for their native scene and you could admit that Interment were just doing what Swedish death metal scene was most famous for, it doesn't mean their stuff was any less exciting.  

Especially the first demo is a real highlight for me personally. Partly because I always preferred the Sunlight sound over Swano's. But also because these three earliest tracks sound the most aggressive and harsh, most uncompromising and fastest. Especially “Infestering Flesh” kills. I love the riffs, vocals, that dark, evil vibe and everything else. Which is also why "The Final Chapter" is my least favourite demo, as it lacks a bit of really good vibe, you could feel like the band wasn’t emotionally there anymore. It is still a great demo, don't get me wrong, but Interment used to be better! It lost that spark and feeling, which characterized the band in their earlier recordings. 

While listening to the CD, it is mandatory to check fantastic booklet, where you could find a lot of old photos, graphics, lyrics, some liner notes. This is exactly how I like such demo compilations to look like and Necroharmonic belongs to those labels, which are doing it right. Check similar releases from them of bands like Crematory, Gorephilia, Mastication, Exmortis, Rottrevore, Phlegm... they are all godly and fantastic demo compilations with a lot information and full musical content on all these bands. I recommend them all, as well as "Where Death Will Increase 1991-1994" obviously. Someone could say that it’s a shame that Interment split up in 1994. But they lost interest in this band and all and members played in some other projects, so I guess it was better to end something if the motivation was not there. I am glad though that Interment came back, as all their 2000’s recordings are brilliant. Top band. 

Verdict: 90/100

Gatecreeper - Sonoran Depravation

GATECREEPER - Sonoran Depravation (RELAPSE Records - LP 2018)

Some of you may think that the whole existence of 387th band, which does sound like Entombed or Swedish death metal in general is simply pointless and boring. Well, you have right to think so, sure. But think twice before you cross off bands like Gatecreeper and especially if you do so before giving them even a small attention and at least one listen. The thing is, there are many bands, which play this sort of death metal nowadays - some are better, some are worse. Hardly any of them discovers anything new, but I personally don't expect them to do so. What I want to hear is killer, crushing and fierce death metal in my most favourite style. And here comes Gatecreeper from Arizona (Sick!) and this band simply fuckin kills. 

I'm not gonna go much into details what the music on "Sonoran Depravation" is like. There's not even much point to do that, as it's enough to say that it is an old school death metal in the vein of Entombed, Dismember, Carnage, Bloodbath, Grave, etc. If you dig this style of music, you will love this album. Gatecreeper rivals the best in the contest for the catchiest and most fun Swedish riffs ever. Really every song is filled with that shit that hits my head like crazy and makes a bloody mess with my brain. All their songs are memorable, but they are also aggressive and vicious, while the production is properly clean, yet very powerful. It's one of those albums that are impossible to be played quietly. You just want to turn the volume up and let all your neighbours feel this noise! Gatecreeper comes with crushing riffs, some melodic parts, everything sounds like a perfect soundtrack to the mosh pit... It really is an album, which hooked me in from the very first listen. And that fuckin vinyl won't leave my turntable for a whole week! 

Grreeeeaaattt! If I had anything to complain about at all, then I may say that I am not the biggest fun of this sort of screaming vocals, which Chase H. Mason uses. I am a fan of more traditional growls, rather than screaming vocals (alike to Tompa for instance). But as you could notice, they do not disturb me so much anyway and I like the final effect a lot. "Sonoran Depravation" is just a great record and another example for how strong and impressive young US death metal scene is nowadays, with such a shitload of killer bands. Gatecreeper belongs to my favourites, yes! 

Standout tracks: "Craving Flesh", "Rotting as One", “Stronghold”, “Lost Forever” 

Verdict: 80/100  

Morbid Angel - Kingdoms Disdained

MORBID ANGEL - Kingdoms Disdained (SILVER LINING MUSIC - CD 2017)

Morbid Angel are the band, which recorded the best death metals album of all time, which in my opinion are both "Altars of Madness" and "Blessed Are the Sick". These two amazing records are perfect in every way and even though I love also many other death metal classics, these two albums reign on the throne supreme. That takes us to 2011 and the failure, which was titled "Illud Divinum Insanus". Such a disappointment, such an unexpected hitting of the bottom of misery - it's an album, which should never happen for this band. Already "Heretic" was mediocre, but when compared to “Illud...” it sounds way better anyway. Few years later David Vincent leaves Morbid Angel. Well, in his early days he was the best death metal voice for me, I loved what he did until the "Covenant" LP. Later his voice was getting weaker and weaker, lost its depth and strength. Steve Tucker comes back to the band and that's the best choice Morbid Angel could have done really, as both albums Morbid did with him earlier on were very, very good. And in 2017 "Kingdoms Disdained" comes.  

Well, in the beginning I felt again let down by it. I wasn't much convinced by these new songs and the production I felt was horrible. I was happy that Morbid Angel came back to the pure death metal record, without all these useless and crappy experiments with industrial. But it had to take some time, until "Kingdoms Disdained" really clicked for me. I still think that the production is not that good, but you could get used to it. Songwriting on the other hand is fairly good for the Morbid Angel standards and even if "Kingdoms Disdained" will never belong to my top three albums of this band, it isn't that bad at all. Actually, 99% of all death metal bands would love to get that quality and perfection in their songwriting.  

Musically "Kingdoms Disdained" is a classic Morbid Angel. Right from the first seconds you will get hit by these beautiful riffs of Trey Azagthoth, which are so characteristic and so much worshiped by the fans. I always loved how fierce and vicious they sound, sometimes getting almost a mesmerizing feel, while remaining aggressive and brutal. Songs on "Kingdoms Disdained" are some of the most brutal and often fastest from Morbid Angel ever and they really break necks with ferocity and mightiness. Such "The Righteous Voice" or "Garden of Disdain" are spot on for me and exactly what I wish to hear from this band more often. Someone could say that they play a safe game and follow what people really want to hear from them. Yes, they do and that's good, I have enough of experimental or mediocre Morbid Angel albums. "Kingdoms Disdained" will never get the same status as "Blessed Are the Sick", but I think it has a rightful place in this band's catalogue and its quality matched such "Gateways to Annihilation" easily. I need to say also that I like Steve Tucker's work here, his vocals are great, they sound way, way better than Vincent did for many recent years. The fact that there's no Pete Sandoval in the band anymore also isn't a problem for me, because Scotty Fuller's drumming is great, it's tight, fast, precise... Very, very good. 

I did mention that it had to take me a while, before I really started to appreciate this album. I had to get used to the production of this album, maybe I was also too sceptical and negative for Morbid Angel in general, all because of what was going on within this band in past decade. But now I can only admit that "Kingdoms Disdained" is a great album and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. It has everything I love Morbid Angel for, so nowadays it appears in my stereo quite often. 

Standout tracks: "The Righteous Voice", "Garden of Disdain", “For No Master” 

Verdict: 80/100