Barbaric Horde - Barbaric Hammer Fist

BARBARIC HORDE - Barbaric Hammer Fist (GODZ OV WAR - CD 2022)

Two years after "Axe of Superior Savagery" poisoned the earth, I am listening to "Barbaric Hammer Fist". And you know what? I wonder if there's anything I could add other than I have already written in the review of the previous album. I honestly don't think so, which will make this review terribly short. It may not even be a review, more like a short opinion. 

But for fuck sake, Barbaric Horde hasn't changed at all, they continue walking the path of the most raw and bestial war black metal, which I have already compared to the likes of Nightwish and Within Tempt.... Tfffu, I meant Blasphemy, Revenge, Proclamation, Bestial Raids, Black Witchery, Diocletian!!! You can imagine the sheer brutality and intensity of this music, its malicious and possessed aura. And the barbarity that comes from every sound. These guys don't waste time for intros or shit like that. From the very first second, you'll be hit with the wall of chaotic total black metal terror (as one of the song titles say). And that should be enough for you to imagine what is this band and this album like. Is it anything worthy? Damn yes, I think so. While not every band from that genre is able to convince me, Barbaric Horde easily captures my attention and everything ends in bloodshed. It isn't a nice music; it isn't something that you will play for entertainment. Yeah, but you should let this hatred and violence hit you hard. One of those “play it loud” bands. 

Verdict: 75/100  

Excoriate - On Pestilent Winds…

EXCORIATE - On Pestilent Winds… (SEPULCHRAL VOICE - LP 2009)

This is one of those reviews, which should have been written ages ago, because it’s about an album released over a decade ago. And maybe I should even shed a tear, because the band has already been dead for few years and nothing seem to determine its resurgence. But better late than never and sometimes it’s good also to remind the readers some excellent albums from the previous years, which maybe not everyone had a chance to hear. And maybe this way they will catch up and get a copy. 

For me this album belongs to the best releases from Sepulchral Voice Records - which should already be a great recommendation, if you know how many amazing albums have been released through this label. Excoriate recorded „On Pestilent Winds…” back in 2006 and it took another three years to have it released. And looking at the time when it was recorded, I cannot think of many bands, which would equally impress me. Obviously, there were some killers, like Repugnant, Invidious, Coffin Texts, Necrovation and Kaamos – they were all fantastic. But it’s still a small number. Only later more great acts appeared, to name Vorum, Ensnared, Vanhelgd, Venenum, Degial, Beyond, Necrocurse as few examples. Which is exactly why Excoriate is such a stand out and remembered band for me. 

Anyway, let's finish the introduction and dig the grave to exhume this pestilent artefact. Excoriate was a fantastic death metal band, which had a touch of that possessed black metal in their music. To me, it sounds like Morbid Angel was mixed with Sadistic Intent, Necrovore, Necrophobic, early Bathory and Nifelheim – to name just few. The result is ama-fuckin-zing. This music is dark, it’s evil and blasphemous, I love that obscure, morbid aura around it, as well as savagery and viciousness which come from every sound. Even when Excoriate brings some more melodic riffs – which they do sometimes – they have that eerie and haunting sound, which perfectly fits some of the more barbaric and aggressive parts. The music is not fast, honestly most of it is mid paced or even slow, but that again works so well for me, because that’s when the atmosphere gets deeper and more infectious. I think that „On Pestilent Winds…” belongs to those albums, which impress with everything, from the production to songwriting, atmosphere, band photographs, layout... It’s all been done properly, without looking or sounding stupid and lame. And I know that most of the people prefer to excite themselves with the 18th album from Cannibal Corpse or Obituary or whatever band. Why not. For me, the best what death metal have seen in the past twenty years came from smaller bands like Excoriate.  

Verdict: 90/100  

Vaina - Futue Te Ipsum - Angel with Many Faces

VAINA - Futue Te Ipsum - Angel with Many Faces (AESTHETIC DEATH - CD 2022)

Every time I get something new from Aesthetic Death, it is a big uncertainty. Musically there could be anything and I already learned that it's better not to expect anything. This label can release whatever they want, even fuckin country music. Well, it's exactly the case with Finnish one-man project Vaina and the second album "Futue Te Ipsum - Angel with Many Faces". Even though you will find (on the Metal Archives' description) that it's a black metal, I can assure you that it's far from the "typical" and "orthodox" black metal - so, something perfectly suitable to Aesthetic Death roster, right? 

Well, speaking of the content of "Futue Te Ipsum - Angel with Many Faces", there's an hour of very experimental and intriguing music, which takes the listener for almost a cosmic, bizarre journey. The opening song "Oppenheimer Moment" has a bit of that Dodheimsgard or Aborym fell - if you think of industrial, avantgarde black metal and all these weird melodies, dissonant riffs, sick vocals and lots and lots of electronic background. And that would be a pretty suitable comparison, but I think that Vaina goes much, much further into the experimental territory than those two bands ever did. The second song, which is called "I1", has even less of everything stereotypical, you could forget about obvious song structures or things like that. But the real fun starts with "Yksikuisuus", where Vaina basically drops every black metal leftovers (except the shrieking screams) they had before, swapping them for something like an electronic / dark ambient, other time orchestral music (occasionally reminding me Profanum). And "About:Blank" has sort of sick, techno beat alike Diabolos Rising, if anyone remembers that old project. 

And the further you will do, the more surprising "Futue Te Ipsum - Angel with Many Faces" will be. Synthesizer plays an enormous role; guitars are rather secondary in all that madness. Plus, the drum machine, some electronic effects added here and there... Yes, the music has a very cold, inhuman feel and I just start to wonder how much will it annoy some listeners hah? And if there is a room for such projects in times, when most of the extreme music listeners tend to prefer more traditional, old school metal bands? I don't know and I am not gonna even try to guess. But the point is, Vaina didn't record an album for everyone and it is a music quite hard to comprehend and assimilate to. Which is not a mission impossible. It is an interesting album for sure, I think, a real experience. Give it a chance, don’t be afraid! 

Damn, even song titles are insanely bizarre here (my favourite is “--. .-. . . -.”, hah!). 

Verdict: 70/100  

Warfist - Teufels

WARFIST - Teufels (GODZ OV WAR - CD 2022)

Three years since "Grünberger" was released, "Teufels" is in my hands and again I am happy to listen to Warfist's raw thrash metal. Yeah, they’re one of those bands, which always puts smile on my face, because their music is just traditional metal, without lousy attempts to be innovative, sophisticated or whatever. And often I love to listen to such straight forward, reckless and ferocious metal, old school to the bone and with the FOAD attitude. 

The best thing about Warfist music is that with each next album it sounds more and more like a classic and 80's raw thrash. For me it's a pure Venom and Sodom worship. And Destroyer666 and Aura Noir from slightly newer bands. These names pop up in my mind every time I listen to Warfist and with "Teufels" this band doesn't walk away from the path they chosen years ago. I am glad that they stick to the formula they’re good at and only try to make their music sound better and better. And honestly, they really succeeded with "Teufels", because it may be my favourite album from Warfist so far. You know, “Metal to the Bone” was killer, "Grünberger" was good too, but maybe not as good as “Metal...”. And now "Teufels" brings ten insanely catchy thrash metal songs – and I am all fully content.  

Everything here sounds just as it should and Warfist ticks all the right boxes. Killer riffs, so full of energy and savagery, the production is fantastic, I love Michu’s vocals too... Then, there’s the evil, satanic aura and aggression!!! Warfist doesn’t waste time for useless bullshit, gets to the business right from the first minute and even the ending cover of famous “Fire” has its rightful place. And I like that straight forward and fierce character of this music, especially when it comes with choruses, which you could scream along while shaving or emptying another beer hah!!!! And even some full speed blasts that appear here and there. One more thing is worth noticing - I can write also that Warfist takes more and more influences from speed and heavy metal, it becomes quite important factor for their music. In the beginning, people used to call them a black / thrash metal band. Not anymore, in my opinion! It's pure metal, thrash with heavy and speed influence, old school to the bone. And I like how it sounds a lot. Especially that no longer Warfist feels like amateurish band too, it's all so damn recorded and performed. 

Standout tracks: “Rise of the Incubus”, “Angel Maker”, “Behind the Walls of Keough” 

Verdict: 85/100  

Excarnated Entity - Stillborn In Ash

EXCARNATED ENTITY - Stillborn In Ash (NUCLEAR WINTER - 12" LP 2021)

US death metal seems to have almost too many exciting new bands to offer at the moment, it's almost impossible to keep track with everything what's going on there. For example, I almost missed my chance to hear this debut recording from Excarnated Entity. That would definitely be a shame, because it's another great piece of death metal! "Stillborn In Ash" is their 2019's demo and it was first released the proper old school cassette demo way, then the CD came out. But I was eager to check the vinyl edition, which came out from Nuclear Winter.  

And well, with these four tracks, Excarnated Entity really did catch my attention. They recorded some truly crushing and beastly death / doom metal here on "Stillborn In Ash"! First of all, there's really solid riffage, I love that brute force of it, with nice combination of fast paced, ferocious parts and slower and damn heavy pieces. Obviously Excarnated Entity doesn't offer anything new, but I love what I hear, whether it sounds like some old Asphyx or Incantation or newer bands such as Mortiferum and Ossuarium. There's always something great going on in the music, the songwriting is very, very solid and with that harsh, kind of primeval - and yes, old school it is - feel, which this recording holds, I can say that "Stillborn In Ash" is an excellent example for pure, underground death / doom. I can assure you that the music will roll over you mercilessly, crushing every bone and piece of meat to pulp. Even a dark, more monumental parts appear here and there, with a bit more harmonious guitar work, which is again a fine tribute to the old school death / doom metal (the beginning of the title track immediately reminded me of the good old Paradise Lost!). I really can say that Excarnated Entity plays one of my favourite styles of extreme music, which is probably why I cannot think of anything what would disturb me about "Stillborn In Ash". Each of these four songs is a killer and I am insanely eager to hear more from these gentlemen. 

Verdict: 85/100