London's underground Metal scene has definitely improved in the last years. Especially taking into account that most of the biggest extreme Metal names coming out of the UK by the end of the eighties and beginning of the nineties were not from the capital. But in the last ten years or so, out from the deepest pits of the city’s underground, a small but very active circle of obscure and violent bands, sharing members between them and including a few musicians coming from different countries of the southern part of Europe, Poland and Finland, has invoked some of the most interesting releases in the Death/Black Metal field.
Although when it comes to this mysterious four headed beast called Qrixkuor we will be focusing on, I can’t really tell you if they share members with any of those bands as, at least so far, the identities of the four musicians behind this name have not been revealed. Despite forming in 2011, it wasn't before 2014 that they released their first official recording, a demo entitled 'Consecration of the Temple' featuring two long tracks, which was succeeded by a rehearsal tape in 2015 (including a Demoncy cover, which should at least give you some hints about their music). Not too long after that, Invictus Productions announced the signing of the band and a new recording in the form of a mini album or EP (the discussion is open, as it's thirty eight minutes long, which means ten more than 'Reign in Blood'), that was released in April 2016 on CD but made us (vinyl lovers) wait until September. The first impression on 'Three Devils Dance' is obviously caught by the artwork Mr. Daniel "Desecrator" Corcuera (Slaughtbbath and Ponzoña zine!) created for the cover, who once again surprises us with is amazing skills representing the most wicked and devilish scenes after that incredible triptych he created for Temple Below, with a majestic piece of blasphemic art that looks like the inverted version of some sacred painting, which perfectly fits Qrixkuor. Not only that cover is amazing, as when you pull out the vinyl, instead of the usual paper sleeve you find a cardboard one with an amazing spiral-like lyrics design and layout on one of the sides which was done by SahSahhu (Sinister Emanation Art) and IV (Ill Omen, Temple Nightside …) and that reminds me quite a lot to Timo Ketola’s work. Being this three tracks my first exposure to Qrixkuor's sound, but knowing in advance more or less what I would find, I must confess I was still impressed, especially on the very first listen, given the suffocating and sinister effect their compositions hit you with. ‘Three Devils Dance’ brings back that diabolical and ritualistic side of Death Metal that has taken by force the style in the last decade since bands such as Necros Christos, Grave Miasma and Dead Congregation conquered the new throne, drowning us into a majestic and fiercely intense cavalcade of three long tracks (between nine and fourteen minutes, so forget it if you like three minute Death Metal songs) mixing the somber and atmospheric side of the genre with a big dose of intensity and technique (yes, that forbidden word for old-school maniacs, oh my … !). I would say these Londoners are the closest thing I could imagine, in terms of style, atmosphere and composition complexity, to Dead Congregation's view on Death Metal, departing from the lessons masters of the genre such as Morbid Angel, Incantation and Immolation taught to this new generation (Mr. Vigna is actually very present in the guitar arrangements), and giving it a new twist in terms of malevolence (thanks to the Black Metal hints one can find in the arrangements) and an atmospheric and highly suffocating sound. Although Qrixkuor manage to show their own face and soul thanks to an even more drowning atmosphere, which gives you the impression of swallowing all light around you into their malestrom of sonic devil worship. This last part is actually what defines the most Qrixkuor’s sound, as all and everything is focused to be a small part of the voraginous whirlwind of shadows ‘Three Devils Dance’ represents. If I had to mention one detail that specially stands out, this would definitely be the guitar lines, as they are absolutely diabolical and intrincate, perfectly combining feeling, aggression and technique at the same level. Imagine an inexorable machinery of the heaviest riffs (the type you can remember and not just listen to and forget) destroying everything on its passage while a chaotic amalgam of dissonant melodies and screaming leads fill the air with and absolutely devilish and poisonous stench of death. Obviously, those guitars wouldn't feel the same without the help of the amazing job of M. does beating the skins like a savage, with a very precise and technical pattern that blows a lot of energy into their music. And, ending with the vocals, which remain on a very deep and reverb -laden tone, they obviously remind me of some of the bands mentioned above, but they also make me thing about Nile's use of the vocals, in the way they do not stand-out too much from the music. All I previously mentioned is encompassed by a really suffocating production, which was obtained by recording the tracks at Robannas Studios (where Napalm Death, Benediction or even GBH recorded some of their latest stuff) and then, and here comes the important part, sent to Mr. VK (Vassafor, Temple Nightside) to do his amazing job on the mixing and mastering of the album. And I say amazing job because a very important part of how (again) suffocating and surrounding this record sounds is due to, first and obviously, the amazingly twisted wall of riffs and unstoppable blastbeats Qrixkuor deliver, and second, to the way VK turned it into the thick and dense mass of shadows devouring everything on their expansion. This year's Death Metal poll will be incredibly tough, but no one could say Qrixkour do not deserve their place on it. If you were already possessed by the likes of Irkallian Oracle, Ritual Chamber, Grave Miasma and Temple Nightside, well, here you have a new addition to your list of the heaviest and darkest records of 2016.
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I really liked Myrkr; when they came out Black Metal was not in such a good moment as it is now, and they cast some good and strong releases. But I would lie if I said I miss them or I'm sorry they stopped their activities, because that made Mr. Joseph Deegan focus on his other project, Slidhr, which has proved to be an even more interesting and personal entity. Their first demo and EP may not have been that groundbreaking, even if they contained some very dark tunes, but from their split with Rebirth of Nefast, and especially on their first album, 'Deluge' (when Bjarni Einarsson from Wormlust/Sinmara joined the band on drums), they've turned into a whole new and more interesting entity.
'Spit of the Apostate', which was released around a year ago (although the vinyl came out just in April 2016), is the natural progression we could expect from such a monumental release as 'Deluge' was. They keep the path taken on that album, with a brand of Black Metal that is as ferocious as introspective and atmospheric, set in a harsh and drowning ambiance where we can find traces of several branches of the genre (from Swedish and French dissonant waves to some rawer approaches) and which can show similitudes too with some of the other bands that have emerged from the Terratur Possessions roster; also some slight Death Metal leanings show their face and have some impact on the intensity of the three new songs, which are probably the reason why I've found myself several times thinking about such bands as Hate Forest, Ellorsith or even Grave Miasma. All in all, the differences between this EP and their first album are more in the details than on the basis of their sound, but affected the result is such a way that the progression is quite remarkable. And that, the sound, is actually the point that distinguishes this recording the most from its predecessor. Slidhr managed to deliver something that is even more sinister, maybe due to their compositions progressing more naturally and generating an improved overall entrancing effect, and also more organic and striking. On the later, I definitely think Mr. Bjarni should get some recognition, as his job on the skins is very well crafted, not due to being the most technically or brutally impressive drummer I've ever heard, but for how well he chooses his parts, no matter if what is needed are blastbeats or a slower and groovier part. He's actually very present on the mix, and blows a big amount of energy into Slidhr's cold sound. The vocal lines of Joseph are quite intense and varied as well (without going too far from what's usual in the genre), especially on the first song on face B, where he combines his powerful and deeper tone (just as a sonic representation of the wolf on the cover) with some screaming voices coming from the depths. I would also add, in addition to the previous mention to the more organic sound of this release, or maybe as a result of it, that they turn out a bit less cold and dehumanized in comparison to 'Deluge'. They still make you feel like being in the middle of an icy storm, but in a slightly more brutal and lacerating way. Maybe it's the change of studio (although it's the same guy taking care of the recording, Mr. S. "Wann" Lockhart, aka Rebirth of Nefast), maybe it's something else, but when I put the vinyl on the turntable I get a way more intense feeling in comparison to the cold and slightly mechanical atmosphere I got from 'Deluge'. This is without the shadow of a doubt the best Slidhr recording so far, they have found their personality, their sound and their form and they have refined it until they got the most polished and raw core of what they aim for. And these three songs end up being just too short, as the ideas they represent could have very well been explored further in order to form a fantastic album. In case you didn't know, they recently released a split EP with another Black Metal monster as is Acherontas, although I still haven't had the chance to give it a proper listen.
When Alaric’s self-titled first album came out in 2011, under the auspice of 20 Buck Spin, the resurgence of Death Punk was still not as palpable as it is now, and it was a tremendous surprise and pleasure to discover an album that could take you back to the golden days of the genre and keep that combination of Punk anger and Post negativity and desolation while sounding fresh and contemporary. But here we are now, five years later, and I thought they had stopped their activities after sharing another 12” vinyl with their neighbours from Atriarch; but these experienced guys (let’s not forget they played in bands such as Cross Stitched Eyes or Noothgrush, just to name the ones closer to their sound and style) suddenly release a new second full-length, this time under none other than Neurot Recordings.
The return of Oakland’s is not only that, it’s something else. It’s a big evolution in terms of composition, personality and sound. Because, despite ‘End of Mirrors’ keeps the essence of Alaric’s sound (the influences of Killing Joke, Crass or even Amebix are still very rooted in their sound) they do not stop there at all. It’s actually quite a step forward, a huge one, event if it’s in a delicate manner. Because those atmospheric and very percussion driven parts are mixed now with way heavier ones, something they were already announcing on that previous split. The guitars and bass combine those ethereal and most intimate parts with punishing ones, even having some catchy cavalcades. And, all in all, it’s a jump of their sound into a lot denser and darker territories than their debut, but this doesn’t mean they’ve completely gone into Doom laden ambiances and suddenly increased low distortion to drown themselves into heaviness. It’s actually a way more subtle process, as the basis of their sound is still pretty clean and Punk related, both in the way they wrote the songs, with simplicity and rawness distilling all along the record and being their flag, and how they execute them, as you could think they’re just in front of you given how naturally they develop, sometimes in an almost ethereal and improvised way, as the beginning of the second side of the vinyl. It's actually a jump in terms of production too. Mr. Skot Brown (¿Altar de Fey someone?) did an enormous job capturing their purest essence, which was afterwards empowered by the infallible Brad Boatright, getting a perfect ballance for their already polarised moments. The biggest change one feels when listening to the record for the first time, as mentioned above, is actually those few moments where they decide to unleash their most extreme feelings and go for slightly more metallic and doomy sounding riffs. If I had to think about some comparisons to describe that side of ‘End of Mirrors’, it shouldn’t sound so strange that they have been signed to Neurot Recordings, because there’s something from the softer and more atmospheric Neurosis vibe in their music, probably because they share a few influences, but still very similar. On the angriest parts, the ones that bring them to clear Amebix shores, they wouldn’t be too far from the first Morne album. But that's just one small part of it, as it’s in the details where one finds the best improvements and evolutive signs. No matter if it’s in the progressions from those angry riffs to Post-Punkish atmospheres. Or if it’s in the beautifully simple and repetitive rhythmic patterns the drums and the bass draw in the same way as a painter magically delineating a sketch. They actually have somewhat of a seventies Prog touch in that sense. And it's definitely those softer parts that I enjoy the most from Alaric’s compositions, because they are simply perfect for moments of solitude and negativeness. I can actually find a lot more despair and devoid of hope in some of these songs than in a lot of more extreme and darker bands. Alaric manage to sound terribly sad, sometimes even empty; but, on the other side, they know very well of to sound full of energy and ready to fight too when they want, they just need to introduce some of those warlike almost Bolt-throwerish riffs and break the chains that were retaining them. And let’s not forget Mr. Shane Baker, who delivers here what’s without the shadow of a doubt his best performance, with a lot of different vocal nuances when the songs require them, while keeping his tone sober and very emotional. I've said enough, no more words needed. "This is the end of mirrors, this is the end. That's right, get what you came for", which is obviously Alaric's new album.
Out from the always fertile Canadian Metal fields, more precisely from the city of Ottawa, arose in 2012 this three piece gang called Occult Burial, including ex-Iron Dogs drummer Dan Lee. They first self-released two demos, then contributed with one track on the 'Evil Spells Volume I' compilation next to such beasts as Throaat, Swamp or Possession (among others), and finally released a new demo (or promo) tape through Stygian Black Hand before signing with Irish Metal stronghold Invictus Productions in order to release this piece of wax I will be speaking about.
The first thing that caught my attention when I read about this record was it's cover. And you know that proverb saying "Do not judge a book by it's cover"? Well, in this case it's absolutely false. What I saw on the cover of this nicely presented vinyl (no news here when it comes to Invictus releases) was mostly clichés; clichés of eighties darkest Metal bands. Spiked armbands, skulls, inverted crosses, chalices, demons, witches, darkness all over, guys closing their hands with their palms upwards like if they had arthritis in their fingers ... All the good stuff. Indeed, when I first played 'Hideous Obscure', it was just as if I had travelled back in time to the first time I played a few records, and especially two of them: 'Sentence of Death' and 'Bathory'. Same kind of sloppy sound (you know I do not mean it in a negative way), same angry Punked dose of primitive Metal that still reeks of Motörhead and GBH, same groovy Rockin'riffs and same raspy voice which sometimes tends to higher toned screams (this was actually very Teutonic). Nothing new, at all, but man, how much have I missed this kind of raw and deep sound, this unstoppable energy and this dark atmosphere in every Thrash Metal record I've tried to listen to in the last ... 15 years? When I say nothing new I really mean it, as I could find a lot of very straight resemblances to those two albums and others of the yesteryears of the genre, but this tome I mean it in a positive way (do not takes this as a habit); just take a listen closely to the opening track "Blasted Death", it's pure Destruction, no matter if it's the riffs, fast and savagely aggressive, or the vocals, which are pure Schmier in his younger years. "Occult Burial", the last track of the record, could very well have been a long forgotten recording of the Germans too. On the other hand you have "Ancient Returns", which is pure Bathory devotion, groovy and evil as fuck. "A witch shall be born" is absolute Venom devotion, so I understood why they get compared to Midnight from time to time too. They can go from quite fast and violent songs to more mid-paced and catchy ones, without breaking the great eighties devoted writing aesthetics, using cool rocking guitar leads, some double bass drums to infuse some more heaviness when needed, and a good dose of reverb on the vocals to make them sound more evil. And yet, does this mean we can't give Occult Burial any mention to anything that isn't bringing back the past? Shouldn't they if I ended playing their record on a daily basis and never got tired of it? If I've been singing their great riffs and choruses after the vinyl stopped turning? Definitely not. 'Hideous Obscure' has everything you need if you want a good dose of ol'Black Metal, maybe not in such an original way as Malokarpatan's first album, and definitely a lot more straight-forward. But it still contains great compositions, and it's definitely well presented on the production side, with the kind of sound you would expect for their style, raw and slightly dirty yet quite distinguishable (in opposition to the dirtier recordings of later Black Metal bands), and not some crappy digital sound ruining it all. They actually sent it to the Enormous Door Studios for the mastering, and it's without any doubt the best decision they could have made for an old-school and punkish sounding record like this one. You want some evil Metal? You miss the old times? Let some youngsters help you remember instead of listening to the new super-produced records of all those reformed grandpas in search for money. Despite following the Crepusculo Negro bands since more or less their beginnings, I missed 'War Cry Lament' when it came out, so I didn't listen to Shataan until their appearance on the fantastic 'Desert Dances and Serpent Sermons' collaboration album with "Caminando del destino / Desert Smoke / Wells Run Dry", a long eleven minute track where they showed a tremenduously varied and personal vision of Black Metal, which ended up in making me doubt which track I preferred from that record, Volahn's or theirs, although "Chamalcan" was a great competitor. Fortunately for me, just one year later Iron Bonehead Productions released the first full-length of this California based three piece, which by the way includes Mr. Volahn on the bass duties (and in charge of the layout too) and Mr. Murdunbad, from Arizmenda, Dolorvotre and Kuxan Suum, on the drums. And I say fortunately because I couldn't stop playing to their previously released track and impatiently needed more from this band, and because 'Weigh of the Wolf' is like an improved and even more interesting version of what Shataan offered there. In the eight tracks included on this LP, divided between "Awaken" and "Burial" sides, Shaatan give us their very personal vision of what Black Metal should be, with a departure from the place where Nordic Black Metal (where most of the Crepúsculo Negro bands found their main inspirations) would cross its path with as different styles as could be Prog'Rock, Folk (obviously, I'm not speaking about pseudo-Celtic or Viking stuff here) or even slight hints of Post-Punk/Psichobilly (not many, but the first track has definitely some of that). Including, as obvious as it may sound, but just in case you still don't know the musicians behind this, astonishing performances by the three men behind the instruments, and most especially from Volahn, who shows here what a great axeman he can be outside of playing violent stuff. Nevertheless, the production of the record is probably what first surprised me when I put it on the turntable, with a very subtle distorsion which might shock a bit when one expects some darker and maybe rougher sound, but definitely helps distinguishing every detail (of the many) the guitar and bass lines depict, something that would definitely become more complex given how twisted they can get sometimes; as an example, the last part of "Release", where both instruments together with the drums fall into an amazing sonic spiral. 'Weigh of the Wolf' was recorded at the Black Twilight Studio and then sent to Arthur Rizk (who has been working with such different artists as Power Trip, Prurient or Inquisition on their new record) to mix and master it at Solomon's Gate studio. And the result can only be described as perfect for the very atmospheric yet raw and sharp sound Shataan draw with their music, making the songs reach some kind of ethereal/floating texture without ever loosing their rabid core. The second part of the surprise came from the unusual way to manage the vocals, at least for most of the Black Metal bands one can see nowadays, because they are clean and, most of the time, slightly high-pitched, mostly reminding of Bathory (especially on 'Blood On Ice', and the best example would be "Chamber"), maybe being one of the reasons the limitation of the man behind the voice reaching the higher notes, which I do not mind at all as he still performs them with a notorious feeling. In some very few cases I could think of the cleanest voices used in Borkanagar in their older albums too. And that main voice is most of the time supported by another whispered vocal track with a good dose of reverb, which makes the ambiance a bit more ghostly. On "Night Comes Along", the last track of the album, thoguh he shows us what an amazing tone he has when going into lower regions, reminding me a lot of Mr. Cowgill of King Dude, maybe due to the use of acoustic guitars too, and being this the most different song of the record, with quite a different vibe but still having its place. Above that, there are two more things that differentiate Shataan from any other Black Metal band, and it's the use of a flute, in a very Western/desert kind of way (makes me think of the Kung Fu series for some reason), which as weird as it may sound, has an amazing and very original effect, and secondly and maybe even more important, the use of whistles, which is even more rare, probably for the first time in the story of Black Metal, and very (very) chilling (their appearance, in "Stand Apart", makes the song even more surrialistic than the already strange feeling of listening to a Rush cover). I should complain to Mr. Shataan for not using them more often though, as there's plenty of place for them. But this two differentiating details, as well as the ones commented sooner on this review, would obviously not be enough to make this album as astounding as it is if it wasn't for how majestically these guys bring you back to those golden years when bands such as the already named Borknagar, Ulver or Ved Buens Ende painted their own vision of the genre with a different palette and yet manage to sound as Shataan and no one else thanks to the still personal brush-strokes they've thrown on the record, for how superbly the progressions are developed from the most meditating mid-paced parts, where the drums still keep a very dynamic pace, to the faster and yet quite technicaly inextricable ones, with a lot of ingenious twists and tempo turnovers from all three musicians (and here I must say again, and very honestly, congratulations Mr. Volahn), and last but not least, for the mystical soul-tripping music they released in order to offer us a unique voyage to the other side. This is the kind of record proving Black Metal has stilll a lot to offer in terms of progression, so if you're searching for something far from the most usual topics of the genre nowadays, but keeping the feeling and mysticism of the essence attached to it, get a copy of 'Weigh of the Wolf'.
I first listened to these Finnish maniacs in a pretty unusual way, as their first album ('Valkoinen jättiläinen') was sold-out when I sent an order to Norwegian label Gravplass Propaganda, so I picked a live tape they had from them. That tape, despite being only a raw and chaotic recording of their show at North Karelian Black Winds II, helped me get an idea of how Oksennvs didn't care very much about styles and labels.
Oksennvs is one of those weird bands you find from time to time who break the usual barriers or limits established by music genres and purisms, and just give you a totally different approach to something you are used to. In this case, call it Death Metal, call it Black Metal, call it even Doom Metal. As the way these guys understand their music is definitely not easy to define according to the parameters one would usually use when reviewing a record. Sure they play extreme and dark Metal, with both fast and slow parts. Are they old-school? Are they technical? Are they primitive? Or maybe more modern? Well, in some way they are all os these adjectives, and even some more. The point of departure is definitely some sort of obscure, twisted and even kind of demented/obscene form of Death Metal. And it's definitely influenced by some of the initiators of this sub-genre. But if you just check the first track of this tape, "Madon Sanat" and its five minutes and a half where you can find as much Death Metal rythms as Norsecore melodies mixed with a very Proggy development of the bass, then compare it to the short second blast of "Waltijan Sanat", with its slowish Tech'Death approach, just to be drowned into the dark and entrancing monotonous guitar lines of "Kaikki kalmat kadotcon", third four minute and a half delirium of 'Musta Kirja', you might end up thinking what the fuck crosses the minds of this trio when they hit their rehearsal place. And there's where they probably recorded this EP by the way, as it sounds just straight from their amplifiers into the tape, with no polished details nor overdubs. In some way they could have similarities to such different bands as Diskord (and, therefore, obviously Auptopsy), Karnarium, Demilich, Teitanblood, Swallowed or even with those other crazy Finnish guys from Cause for Effect, because of the weirdness of their compositions, but at the same time they sound as Oksennus and no one else, especially because of how well and uniquely they transform very basic and raw ideas and resources into a twisted mass of evil invocations. On side B of the tape we find a very nice surprise as, in addition to their three own songs, these maniacs have recorded "Warmetal", which is obviously a cover of the cult (but not as frequently remembered as Beherit, Archgoat and Impaled Nazarene) Finnish band Barathrum. And it's simply a superb reprise of that already cool song, raw and filthy as fuck, heavy and catchy as only Barathrum know, and with an amazingly powerful vocal interpretation by K.K. If you like your Death Metal dark, ugly and crazy, make sure not to miss these Finns. They have a big potential, which I'm sure they can still explore a lot. They've actually just released a new album, so it's a great idea to jump onto it right after this EP finishes.
This is one of those awesome ideas you find from time to time searching for interesting records, among dozens of uninteresting and repetitive shit that floats around in the Metal underground. And it comes from none other than two of the labels who with time have shown how much they deserve their position in nowadays extreme Metal world.
When Iron Bonehead Productions and Nuclear War Now! Productions announced the release of a compilation of covers paying tribute to Cold Meat Industry, I couldn’t be excited enough, as the Swedish label had a very important role in my first explorations of the darkest sounds of the underground, showing me very well that not always Metal had the most sinister and extreme answer to that. Having some of the best bands in nowadays Death Metal scene, five of them from Australia and New Zealand and the other from Canada (which is not a simple coincidence), was even better to discover. But the best of it all was listening to it for the first time and finding something above my expectations, as the most interesting part of it all is how well each of the bands has adapted each cover to their ow sound and (sonic) aesthetics, resulting in the fact that this record could be listened to as a compilation of new songs from each of the artist participating in it. Actually, I didn’t know all of the songs that have been covered on this LP, not even had listened to all of the Cold Meat Industry artists, but this didn’t make me enjoy it less. The record starts with Sinistrous Diabolus covering Aghast with “Sacrifice”. Being the Norwegians one of those bands I’ve frequently read about but never achieved to drown into, it was great doing it through the new New Zealanders prism, as their sinister and highly atmospheric brand of funereal Doom Death drowns into the Dark Ambient fields with a naturalness that is simply amazing. It actually sounds not that far from what one could find on their amazing ‘Total Doom//Desecration’, but that’s a discussion I actually already had with mr. NKS, as the first album of Sinistrous Diabolus had a very big Ambient influence. It’s only that here that vibe is pushed to the limit even more, getting them a bit more away from the Death Metal that still infects their usual compositions. A great track all in all, and without any doubt the most atmospheric of this record. Following ones on the list are Australians from Spire, covering “Death, Just Only Death...” from the first album of In Slaughter Natives, who were without any doubt my favorite Industrial/Martial band back in the day when I discovered their label (together with The Protagonist first album). Oddly enough, in this case the band I barely knew was Spire, as I’ve only listened to a few tracks on some of their label compilations, but their majestic, highly atmospheric and kind of orchestral sound definitely suits the opulent composition of the Swedes. It’s actually one of the covers that most perfectly carries the feeling and ambiance of the original, with martial drums resonating above the open cords and reverb layered vocals in a very rhythmic way, keeping the monotonous and extremely cold feeling of In Slaughter Native’s sound. Closing the first side of the vinyl we have Temple Nightside with “Winds of the Lost Soul”, a song taken from ‘… The Last Embrace”, the third album of Arcana (the Folk/Ambient band of ex-Crypt of Kerberos and Macrodex guys). This was to my judgement probably, at least a priori, the strangest and most complicated of the covers included on this record, as Arcana’s folkish sound is far from the heaviness of Death Metal and maybe not as dark as the rest of bands covered. But the Aussies prove me wrong with a superb adaptation of the Swedes to their doomiest side, including great melodies with a very melancholic vibe, great vocal choruses and a very well achieved overall ambiance, even including some faster blastbeat/growl decorated parts which do not break it at all. The last part of the track, with an amazing rise of energy and tempo, is specially epic and soul catching. The second side starts with what we could label as a perfect marriage. Grave Upheaval are one of the most terrifying and inhuman Death Metal entities to have been summoned from the Australian territory, with a demo and a first album that are among the heaviest and darkest recordings Death Metal has ever bred. And their decision to cover Brighter Death Now’s “Necrose Evangelicum” can only be defined as perfect. The result is, just as in Sinistrous Diabolus case, surprisingly fitting in the fact that one could have expected this track on a new Grave Upheaval album, with their usual chilling melodies and ultra-slow pace, and with the difference of using some speech samples and very atmospheric background clean vocal parts before introducing the usual infra-guttural tone. Maybe the result is slightly less sickening and perverse than Brighter Death Now’s brand of Death Industrial (which is simply unmatchable), but it’s definitely the darkest and most suffocating song of the six presented on “Ancient Meat Revived”, as well as mandatory for any fan of the band, as I am. Antediluvian are the only band on this compilation that is not coming from Oceania, but the Canadians sound is not far from their peers, and just as most of them, they are one of the bands that have revived the flame of Death Metal for who is writing this. They take care of covering Raison d’Être, the other band I’ve never come to listen to from Cold Meat Industry’s roster, with “Sephiroth”, the first song on their ‘Within The Depths Of Silence And Phormations’. And I have to say this is the strangest and most experimental song of the whole, and maybe the most directly influenced by Cold Meat Industry in terms of execution together with Sinistrous Diabolus. It’s strange though to see how they generate a very Industrial Ambient kind of feeling with some very primitive and aggressive Death Metal resources, as the fastest first part of the song is very influenced by the first dark Death Metal bands, turning later on into a doomier and more atmospheric part, just to end up again into an explosion of violence and primitive evilness, without breaking at all the aesthetics of the song. The final part of the record is starred by the immensely choking Vassafor, who decided to cover the band that approached most closely the extreme (Black) Metal world from Cold Meat Industry’s roster, which is none other than MZ.412. Their track is somewhat a mix of “Infernal Affairs II” and “Legion Ultra” if I understood it well (re-baptized here as “Infernal Affairs II Doom Legion Ultra”) , and given it their own twist must definitely have been nothing, easy given the already extreme and maniac sound of Henrik "Nordvargr" Björkk’s beast. The cover is surprising in the fact of how good and closely (again) Mr. VK reproduces the feeling and atmosphere of the Maschinenzimmer, with a beginning driven by a huge Industrial rhythm above which samples of marching men and radio speeches develop, after which an almost silenced stop lets us breath before jumping into a Black/Death procession of diabolical Nordik battle riffs. On the other side, despite the track is great, I must say this is maybe the less personal and surprising of all the covers included here, first because it more or less follows the patterns/flow of its creator and because it doesn’t match the overshadowing brutality of Vassafor’s last creations. No matter what, a great conclusion for this awesome idea. So, only to repeat myself, get this no matter if you were a Cold Meat Industry fan who likes Metal or just enjoy these extreme Metal maestros. It won’t disappoint you. Irkallian Oracle's second album was one of those records that some of us, followers of the most obscure sounds within the Metal realm, expected the most out of 2016's release vault. And it is because of the impression the first album of the Swedes left on us just three years ago. Although beating 'Grave Ekstasis' seemed like a pretty hard task for this young combo, given the perfection acomplished on their personal view of the darkest and heaviest paths of (ritualistic) Death Metal. And, if I had to stick to the first time I listened to 'Apollyon', I would define it as a complete failure in comparison to their debut record. Thus this was more due to the fact that I chose the wrong format to do it, as this record is definitely not done to be listened to on digital format. Why? Because of it's heavily bass driven production, which is one of the big changes and maybe the major surprise when one goes through it for the first time. Once you adapt your ears to their sub-sonic tones and the incredibly suffocating atmosphere this generates (after getting the goddamn vinyl), then you start discovering and enjoying the record bit by bit. But rest assured, production is not the only different/interesting point you will find over these fifty seven minutes in comparison to their previous recording. It is simply the one that stands out the most because it has been pushed to the limit, I would dare to say on the fringe of going over it, and the one that has the biggest fault to make it as hard to listen to as it may be. Although that claustrophobic and highly entrancing result on the technical part of the recording is simply the means to an end, this being represented by six new songs which bring Irkallian Oracle to a whole new level too in terms of ambiance/feeling or, as they would definitely prefer to say it, ritual. They actually come closer to other recent Death Metal bands who have been exploring the magic possibilities of mixing the old paths and forms of the genre in terms of obscurity and brutality (which they already brilliantly captured on their debut) with a more modern approach on both the writing and production of their tracks, and an absolutely incredible evilness that festers from its beginning to its end. That's why I can understand they have been compared a lot more this time to bands such as Portal, Grave Upheaval or Vassafor, especially on the production side, although Irkallian Oracle remain a unique entity due to their exploration of much deeper and atmospheric forms. In fact, despite the form still ties them strongly to Death Metal, I would say they are quite far from the usual violent and hateful forms the style offers, if it wasn't for those inexorable walls of drumming which from time to time make you come back from the other plane and smash you to bits with their ferocity. 'Apollyon' is actually a very slow progressing record, not in a Doom vibe, but more in an Ambient/ceremonial fashion (not to mention again the ritualistic adjective), with very monotonous and trance inducing guitar patterns and all the necessary spaces on the percussion they need not to get into too much groove or aggressiveness; the drums in fact stop playing very frequently, and this creates an amazing effect in terms of atmosphere, apart of distinguishing them from other bands of the same type. But when they do play, they actually use a lot of double bass to increase the sense of repetition on a mid-pace, and it works very efectively. This doesn't mean either that all the record evolves around slow or mid tempos, as one can find such brutal and assaulting parts as the beginning of 'Elemental Crucifixion (Or, "The Instantiation Of Death")', with hyper-fast blastbeats, very twisted guitars and a massive vocal delivery, which help a lot to better draw the flow of such a drowning and devouring sea of shadows. But, if one looks at the bigger picture from the distance, going back to that slow progression I mentioned above, no matter those bursts of diabolical energy, despite any detail or arrangement I could mention here and there, what really makes this record stand out is how in the end everything is so brilliantlly tied out in order to draw a monumental piece of art that perfectly represents the bottomless pit it receives its name from. Which is finalised by the monumental and nineteen plus minuted 'Unto the Graveyard of Gods', gathering all the trance-like void the record may have and representing the summum of what 'Apollyon' strives for, with a very absorbing pace where looping guitar undertones play a crucial role by hypnotizing the listener, while drums drive the rite with a martial tempo and the growling vocals mantra gets repeated by a far from negligible part of reverb. This picture develops in an almost imperceptible manner until it suddenly ends up in pure ambient layers for several minutes. So when the needle drops from the vinyl, you are abruptedly forced to come back to your mortal shell. If records like 'Obsidian Codex', 'Transient', 'Unholy Congregation of Hypocritical Ambivalence' or 'Through the Cervix of Hawaah' are the kind of Death Metal you look for to travel out of this plane of existence onto the darkest pits, you definitely need to experience (and not just listen to) 'Apollyon' and be blessed by Irkallian Oracle. Open the gates and walk into the sonic shadows. www.nwnprod.com If bands like Bone Awl and Akitsa, following the primitive steps of others such as Ildjarn, opened the doors to a whole new vision of how Black Metal and Punk could converge into some of the most hateful and raw results the style has ever seen, the reaction to that was that a small new wave of younger bands followed that vision and started to create their own response to the genre. Amongst them we may find better and worse results, given the simplicity of the music and the ability of the musicians which, in all honesty, sometimes is pretty weak. But if I had to pick one of the best successors to those two bands mentioned above, that would definitely be Malphas (the Canadian ones, as there are at least six bands with that name), a very recently formed duo emerging from somewhere in Toronto, in the Ontario province of Canada, with a very short recording history consisting of a first demo from 2015, which they entitled 'Pre-Demo', and this new recording I'll be speaking about. The title of this tape is 'La Terre Disparue' (The Disappeared Land), including 6 tracks (one of them being some popular nationalistic song which I must honestly say I found quite cheesy, probably due to my lack of interest on those matters) and an amazing dose of pure energy flowing, no matter if it is to puke their disgust for the modern world and society, to show their melancholy for the past times or to chant their love for nature. The fact is they let you perfectly feel it, with an angst and a viscerallity that only two styles can matche so incredibly well. Because of their uptempo beats and their straight to the face razor-like rythms, which confirm the clearest part of their Punk roots together with the spitted vocals, they may get close to the last recordings of Raspberry Bulbs, almost grazing Hardcore Punk, although they have some very clear hints of that Oi energy their neighbours from Akitsa manage so well. On the other side, when Black Metal hits their songs with its darkest pulse, they jump into some really fast and savage parts which blend very well aggression and melancholy, creating a great balance/contrast, which gets you instantly hooked. Actually, they may sound a bit more brutal than most of the bands that blend both styles, as on "A tout prix" they could remind me the first Antaeus, but they also advance some meditative Burzum-like repetitive rythms in the last part of the demo. Great tape, it shows the big potential of these guys and makes you expect a lot more. Hopefully they will be releasing some more stuff soon. knifevision.bigcartel.com soundcloud.com/knife-vision
It was probably past year when I sold my copy of 'The Cosmic Carnage', the second demo tape of Austrian Black Metal band Kringa. I didn't find it bad, but simply not that special or personal sounding, it simply didn't catch me. Strangely enough, just after that I read about their following recording, an EP entitled 'Total Mental Desecration', and my curiosity drove me to their bandcamp profile and made me check it. Well, that one was a whole new experience. I actually bought the 10” version after that first listen and enjoyed it quite a lot more every time I put it on the turntable.
So, when this year Voidland Shelter, Daemon Worship Productions and Terratur Possessions announced the new release of the Austrians, I knew I had to get it as soon as possible, because I was too curious to see how Kringa's sound had metamorphosed during these two years of studio inactivity. I must add that, as unimportant or superficial as this may sound for some people, their new pictures captured my attention a lot, and surprisingly carried/anticipated the idea/feeling of what was to come of the musical level. What we find in the three tracks contained in 'Through the Flesh of Ethereal Wombs' is without the shadow of a doubt the kind of progression one would like to expect from their previous recording and, to a wider extent, on every Black Metal record. It's how I understand evolution managed in the correct way, a continuation of the more atmospheric and kind of hypnotic/transcendental sound they developed on 'Total Mental Desecration', brought to a whole new level of 1) feeling, 2) rawness and 3) execution, although keeping the original spirit of Kringa's sound, very deeply rooted on the rawest side of the second wave of the genre. It's, to sum it up, a more in-depth and (compositionally) polished step on their way to absolute darkness. The first song, “Vibrant Walls”, starts with a very doomy part which drives you to a kind of mid-tempo meditating vibe, with an amazing vocal job by Vritra and Berstuk over a simple but very effective guitar work based on monotonous melodies and drum lines. A trance-like progression they suddenly break in order to jump into a fast chainsaw guitar driven ascension to madness and, on the top of it, drown you back into a more hypnotic and repetitive finale which kind of closes the circle. While the second one, “Pearly Gates, Abhorrent Ascent”, has a rougher and colder approach, yet still manages to drown you, thanks to a more complex structure and arrangements, into its icy and kind of necro ambiance, with a perfect combination of slow and catchy rhythms and faster melodic/disharmonic guitar lines, crowned with some very Csihar inspired vocals. They close this record with “Sanguine Painter”, a more haunting and violent track, with a great initial vocal duet over furious blastbeats and razor sharp guitars. It has some cool bass lines too in the middle of the track which actually make me wonder why they didn't emphasize this instrument a lot more all along this recording, and get him a better sound too. I know comparisons might not always be fair or simply too subjective, but I would compare their sound on this new EP to how a band like Urfaust could have sounded if they purely sticked to the teachings of records like 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas', 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' and 'Transilvanian Hunger'. Anyways, Kringa do have their own sound and spirit. And this is a very haunting, almost phantasmagorical, record, with an absolutely majestic atmosphere that will very easily transport you to other planes of conscience every time you spin it. theblazeofkringa.bandcamp.com terraturpossessions.com www.voidlandshelter.com daemonworship.org |
About ...Gia Thanatos is a webzine dedicated to music for the apocalyptic times. No matter the scene or genre it comes from, and mainly chosen according to its author's taste. Archives
June 2018
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