Mondocane - Gloria

MONDOCANE - Gloria (FALLEN TEMPLE - CD 2022)

Last year I had a pleasure of hearing "Dvala" by Mondocane and as I expressed in the review, it was a fantastic album. I am very glad then that Gorm (the man behind Modnocane) didn't let us forget about his project and quickly ejaculated "Gloria", a second album. And again, my feeling for his music is super positive. Maybe even better than I expected. But damn, "Gloria” is such a great album, so I am not gonna complain. First thing you need to know here it that it's rather easily-listenable black metal. While the music certainly keeps the dark, cold atmosphere of the Scandinavian BM style, somehow it sounds insanely memorable and catchy. Riffs are often quite mesmerizing, whether the music is fast or slow, it puts in sort of trance-like state. There's a lot of aggression and viciousness like in "Hydra" for instance, but at the same music can be melodic and almost sorrowful, speaking of the atmosphere. Generally, Mondocane sounds grim, cold and monumental, but the balance between all the styles of playing and ideas Gorm incorporated is perfectly balanced, resulting in an album, which is dynamic and interesting all the way through. 

Yeah, definitely variety is a strong aspect of "Gloria". It starts with a fast, aggressive "Rats of Nimh", sort of 90’s black metal monument. Then "Via Dolorosa" brings some of the most amazing tunes off the whole album, it especially catches attention with some clean vocals, making an unforgettable and simply wonderful music. As third comes a song titled "Demons", which turns out to be some sort of variation of "Personal Jesus", played in the black metal vein. With that sort of stuff you can be sure that Mondocane is not your typical black metal band and also it will never sound dull. Sure, Mondocane do remind me some other bands. With all these dry vocals alike to Sanrabb from Gehenna and Gard from Khold / Tulus, these three bands immediately come as a reference point for me. I may even add Satyricon here and that wouldn't be far from the truth. But Mondocane is good enough to defend itself and not be treated as a copy of bands X and Y as they managed to find its own way of expression within the black metal sound. I am really astonished and strongly recommend this album to everyone, not just black metal listeners. 

Verdict: 85/100

Outre Tombe / Skelethal - Split EP

OUTRE TOMBE / SKELETHAL - Split 7"EP (CARBONIZED Records 2022)

This is yet another recently released split 7" EP, which I just had to get. I didn’t even think twice about it, I just got a copy and I am very happy for having it in my collection. You know, both bands – Skelethal and Outre Tombe – are strong and worthy and seeing a collaboration like that is simply a fantastic idea. 

Without further ado, Skelethal kicks off with the song titled "Carnal Deceivers" (OK, I started with side B, but it doesn't matter). And it is a real death metal banger, a great, monstrous tune which will make your ears bleed. It shouldn't be a surprise for me, because I follow Skelethal music since the release of "Deathmanicvs Revelation" EP, but I am just glad to hear that they keep that great quality from earlier recordings intact. Shit, they even get better and better. Stylistically "Carnal Deceivers" is like Loudblast meets Dismember meets Grave and that combination sounds excellent. Skelethal comes with a crushing, brutal sound, murderous riffs and bestial growls. It's a fierce and relentless song and it’s just a perfect old school death metal. In this one song Skelethal has everything what you want to hear from this style of music and if you don't like it, then it means you're just a Wham! fan, not a death metal maniac.  

With Outre Tombe it is a little different story for me, because I did hear some songs from them and obviously liked them, but somehow I just never managed to get any of their three albums. Yet! I am working on it and I hope they will all join my vinyl kollektion one day. On this 7”, Outre Tombe brings a song titled "Sacrilege" and I obviously like it. The production may be a bit harsher and not quite as crushing and powerful as with Skelethal song, but it has a great, raw and obscure feel, which I like a lot. Musically, "Sacrilege" shreds too, I love some of these riffs and quite few melodic parts (like the one in the beginning), I like that this song is a bit more atmospheric, it’s dark and sinister, yet it is just brutal and ravenous death metal in the old vein. I feel almost sorry for myself that I still do not have more stuff from Outre Tombe, but this song obviously made me hungry for more. I will get the albums soon, I promise myself. Meanwhile, I enjoy "Sacrilege". And I enjoy "Carnal Deceivers" too, because both songs are great and this split 7" is just a wonderful piece of (blue) wax. I recommend it, get it before it is sold out, because later you will have to pay some silly money on discogs. 

Verdict: 80/100

Culto Negro - La Noche Oscura Del Alma

CULTO NEGRO - La Noche Oscura Del Alma (GODZ OV WAR Productions - CD 2022)

Culto Negro is a new band for me, but I have to admit that they quickly bought me with their great music. This is the kind of sound that catches your ear quickly, blows your mind with its aggression, energy and savage nature and just provides pure, ruthless speed / black metal without giving a fuck about sounding nice or polite. Sometimes it is such a relief to hear such straight forward, vulgar, fuck off kind of music. No compromise! "La Noche Oscura Del Alma" in many ways has an attitude of punk mixed with thrash metal aggression and black metal atmosphere. It's maybe nothing new, but it all turned out great anyway. 

From the very beginning, Culto Negro kicks hard with their excellent thrashing riffs. The musicianship is very good, but what can you expect from guys, who're also in bands like Corpse Garden, right? Riffage is top notch, I love how sharp and fierce it is, always on the fast tempo, with many blasts, that will make your head explode! Actually, Culto Negro hardly ever really slows down, so you won't have much time to take a breath within these songs. These are some insane 38 minutes, believe me. At the same time, I have to point out some brilliant vocals. Well, they may be a bit controversial to some listeners, due to their rather original sound – as they’re between scream and sick, maniacal singing. And on top of that, there are Spanish lyrics, which do not help at all. That gives the music even more unique and certainly bestial, almost demonic character and really distinguishes Culto Negro from other similar bands. Surprisingly, the result is brilliant. I didn't expect to hear anything like it and personally I just feel like yet again a South / Central American band has more to offer than a lot of US or European acts. 

"La Noche Oscura Del Alma" is an album, which you will play loud. You will let all neighbors hear it and hate it, while you will bang your head like a crazy punk and do not care about anything. Good job. 

Verdict: 75/100

Invultation - The Wolfstrap

INVULTATION - The Wolfstrap (FALLEN TEMPLE - CD 2022)

The artwork for this album - which I think resembles Satanic Warmaster's "Nachzehrer" quite a lot - putted me in good mood right away. Somehow, I knew under my skin that it's going to be a killer record. Although I never heard about Invultation before, I also don't know any other projects, which its creator (and sole member) Andrew Lampe participates... but I just had a feeling that "The Wolfstrap" will rip my fuckin head off. And as it turns out, I was right. This is a crushing album and Invultation caught my attention for good, I spent some crazy few hours with this band. 

All that despite the fact that "The Wolfstrap" is not the most original (it doesn't have to be) or impressive (it doesn't have to be neither) album of the year. As always, I just want to hear some killer riffs – and that, Invultation delivers with no problems. With this music, you’re under the relentless bestial black / death metal attack, the music is savage and just as much aggressive and vulgar as you want. There's not even one melodic fragment present, everything is focused on the brutal, fierce riffage and pounding, fast drumming. Even if "The Wolfstrap" is rather simplistic, speaking of the song structures and everything else, it has a great, powerful vibe and the music meets my expectations for such style of unholy death / black metal. You will really get crushed by the wall of fierce riffs and demonic growls, I love that bestial atmosphere, also the production is great. Luckily Invultation is far from sounding like your old Blasphemy demos... Speaking of which, I can assume that the likes of Archgoat, Diocletian, Black Witchery, Vassafor sometimes even Incantation, will be your reference points. And with songs like “Ritual Lupine Savagery”, I can assure you that it is a great feast. So, add this band to your must-have list and do not hesitate to obtain "The Wolfstrap". 

Verdict: 80/100

Anatomia / Morbific - Split EP

ANATOMIA / MORBIFIC - Split 7"EP (LYCANTHROPIC CHANTS - EP 2022)

I don't know how many times I already paid my total respect and admiration for Anatomia music. I do know though that every time I review their music, I just keep repeating the same words, the same sentences - because Anatomia always delivers that same ultimate high quality, crushing doom / death metal and never disappoints. It doesn't matter if I speak of their full albums or splits. It is always unbelievably fantastic. It's exactly the same with the song titled "Ghastly Grave" on this newest split 7" with Morbific. It's a brilliant piece, this track kills with massive, heavy riffage, slow, devastating tempo and sick, terrifying atmosphere. It doesn't reinvent the Anatomia formula for doomy death metal even a little. It doesn't stand above everything else they have recorded before. But I just love it. I have no idea what's in Takashi's and Jun's sushi that their music is always so fantastic. I bet they eat some slices of human meat wrapped in nori and rice, which makes them record all these nasty killer doom / death metal masterpieces. Normal people would never be able to achieve that quality. By the way, this is a third split, which Anatomia did in 2022 (after splits with Druid Lord and Undergang). I have them all and they all shred. 

When I started listening to Morbific on the B-side, I was initially very disappointed with their songs. I am honest. When compared to Anatomia, Morbific sounds thin, weak and just sloppy... Almost like amateurs. Oh, that guitar tone... They don't stand a chance against the Japanese corpse molesters. Only after some time my impression has improved, but I am still far from feeling fully enthusiastic. Don't get me wrong. I think that Morbific are a solid band. Their debut album "Ominous Seep of Putridity" was pretty good, then the second LP "Squirm Beyond the Mortal Realm" was not quite as good as the first one, still decent though. And these two songs are good also, sure, quite in the vein of the mentioned second LP. Morbific plays sick, harsh putrid death / doom metal, quite diverse in the riffage style, as there are even some faster parts and keyboards along vicious doom monolith. The songwriting is quite solid, but the production lacks a lot. I don't like the guitar tone and how messy it all sounds at times. I used the word amateurish - and that's exactly how I feel towards the sound of these songs. Death / doom metal should crush every bone in your weak bone, it should cause your ears bleed and brain evaporate through the nostril. I don't feel that here. So, I will call it a decent effort, but I am simply far from being truly enthusiastic for Morbific. They lack that spark, which such Anatomia has. Next time maybe. 

Verdict: 70/100

Harvest Gulgaltha - Ancient Woods

HARVEST GULGALTHA - Ancient Woods (GODZ OV WAR - CD 2022)

Another day, another band, which was introduced to me. What a joy. This time we’re going to bloody Arizona, which is where enigmatic Harvest Gulgaltha resides. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this band before – but probably I should if earlier they released some stuff under the NWN! banner. This time though it’s Godz ov War responsible for the release of Harvest Gulgaltha newest album titled “Ancient Woods”. And I have to admit that it took me some time to get into the music. Honestly, when I first heard the album, I wasn’t much impressed and I just didn’t care for what I hear. Luckily, “Ancient Woods” is one of those albums, which grow and get better with another spin. After a while, my impression was just good and positive. What's funny though is that Harvest Gulgaltha doesn’t play anything unimaginable, so I don’t even know where did my reluctance come from.  

Their musical style is kind of combination between death, black and doom metal, I think, but the music mainly focuses on the atmosphere and it’s about bringing that dark, sinister vibe of extreme metal. Don't expect then full straight forward, uncompromising attitude from Harvest Gulgaltha music, even if obviously it does keep a necessary dose of aggressive means intact. The guitar sound for instance is so massive and thick that riffs almost feel like are echoing in the chamber, crushing with its heavy tone. They sound savage and vicious, without focusing on melodic aspects of the genre. Tempo wise, the music is mostly slow, almost like it crawls from the darkness, what really helps to capture that sepulchral, ominous aura, especially with all these ghastly, malicious sounding vocals. Hmm, I think that everything has rather harsh and almost primitive character, but in a good sense of these words and at the moment I don’t even have any idea what other bands I should compare Harvest Gulgaltha to. Not that it matters. The most important is that “Ancient Woods” turned out to be rather enjoyable and interesting voyage into the obscurity. A bit dull in the beginning, but really captivating after a while. Good album, in my opinion. 

Verdict: 70/100

Soulrot - Revelations

SOULROT - Revelations (DARK RECOLLECTIONS Productions - CD 2016)

This is another Soulrot release I want to write few words about and it is a short, but damn sweet MCD containing four studio tracks and three live recordings - all compiled on CD thanks to Dark Recollections Productions. It was released back in 2016, so shortly after the "Horrors from Beyond" demo and yet before "Nameless Hideous Manifestations" debut album.  

"Revelations" four studio tracks are the main dish, obviously, and it is absolutely great piece of death metal. When compared to the "Horrors..." demo, you could spot how much has Soulrot music developed and changed. All for better. The production - still quite raw and obscure - is just more heavy, more powerful and hasn't got that "primitive" feel anymore. Both proper songs (I will exclude two tracks because they are just intros) are very good, bringing an old school death metal slightly towards the Swedish school, but there are influences from other European 90's scenes as well, like Dutch for instance. Riffs are great, surprisingly some keyboards appear in “Ectoplasmic Revelation“ for darker and more morbid atmosphere... Yeah, shame there are two studio songs only, I would like to hear more instead of the useless intros, but well... I bet these songs would do awesome as a 7" release. 

Speaking of three live recordings, they obviously sound very raw, luckily not terrible and you can hear pretty well how is Soulrot doing on stage. And they sound tight and aggressive, bringing death metal ferocity to people gathered under the stage. I usually am not big fan of live recordings, but this recording sounds not bad at all and works pretty good for a bonus to the main songs on the CD. 

Verdict: 75/100