ALBUM REVIEW: Agalariept, "“Desde el Supremo Reino”

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 03/01/2023
Label: Independent

 
“Desde el Supremo Reino” DD track listing:
 
1. Inframundo
2. Cirugía Macabra
3. Miasis
4. Putrefacto
5. Festín
6. Lobotomía
7. Inútil Fe
8. Averno
9. Desde El Supremo Reino
 
The Review:

Chile has given the metal world a number of great things; Tom Araya, Anton Reisenegger, Procession… and that’s the tip of the iceberg. Lurking much further underground than the aforementioned are Agalariept.
 
This is technical death metal, with lots of thrash leanings and melody through the lead work. Nine tracks in total, with impressively concise playing times (generally three to four minutes). This is reliably weighty and also riffy- the blasting sections never get too much and are counterbalanced with thrashier pacing. It’s all in Spanish, so to understand any of the song titles or lyrics you will need to translate it. That hasn’t spoiled my enjoyment of this at all, though.
 
Agalariept definitely have that Latin flavour that means that genres are crossed with each other a fair bit (kind of like the way earlier Sepultura was thrash, but had death metal in there and even black metal at the very start).The leads are superb, the playing is great and the production really suits this type of music. It’s extreme, of course, but it is also very listenable and easy to bang your head to.
It’s all very consistent and hard to pick stand outs. I liked the pacing of “Putrefacto”, but equally the opener “Inframundo” is just as representative of the band’s vibe. There are no bad tracks, they are all well-paced and don’t outstay their welcome and if you like whatever you hear first… you’ll like the whole thing!
 
“Lobotomia”, “Averno”… all stellar tracks. Quite simply if you do like your death metal with a South American slant and melting pot of styles, this should be right up your street. Whether Agalariept garner the kind of attention they should on an international level remains to be seen, but at least the internet (and bandcamp in particular) allows people from anywhere in the world to at least have the opportunity to hear their music. The album absolutely rips all the way through, so give this a go and hear for yourself. Superlative South American Savagery!
 
“Desde el Supremo Reino” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Born A Ghost, "“Stairway To An Empty Room” [EP]

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: EP
Date Released: 02/01/2023
Label: Independent

 
“Stairway To An Empty Room” DD track listing:
 
1). 43
2). Halls of Disrepair
3). Stairway To An Empty Room
4). When The Last Light Fades
 
The Review:
 
Twenty minutes of death doom with some post metal thrown in. That’s what you get here. But you also get more; there are synths (I assume?) and droning guitars. These guys are out of Tacoma, Washington and sound very bleak indeed. Their bio lists Cult of Luna and Neurosis as reference points, but I can certainly here some early Paradise Lost in here too- at least in terms of the bleakness and the kind of slow dm vibe.
 
This is, it almost goes without saying, very heavy stuff. Opener “43” is dynamic and dark- impossibly so, at times. “Halls of Disrepair” is just as weighty. The band have captured a pretty cool sound- a fair amount of dynamic twists and turns and layering of guitars. The experimental soundscape vibe is certainly Neurosis-esque and most welcome.
 
This EP rounds out with the title track and “As The Last Light Fades”. Again, both are in keeping with the blueprint established in the first half. This EP is weighty, full of despair and very, very good. If you like any of the bands mentioned here, definitely check this out.
 
“Stairway To An Empty Room” is available HERE 

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Blunt Horse & Grilth, "Split"

By: Peter Morsellino
 
Album Type: Split
Date Released: 16/07/2021
Label: Independent

 
“Split” CD//DD track listing:

1). Blunt Horse, “Nuke The Blow”
2). Blunt Horse, “Radiation Poisoning”
3). Blunt Horse, “No Reprise”
4). Grilth, “Foul Beast Head”
5). Grilth, “Crooked Back And Broken Spirit”
 
The Review:
 
Washington DC/San Diego based Blunt Horse teams with Buffalo NY’s Grilth on their new split EP to deliver a genre mashing head trip of epic proportions.  These two groups complement each other excellently, making for a superb listening experience for any listener with a taste for sludge inspired grooves. 
 
Blunt Horse crashes through the gate first with a fury of vintage riffing in “Nuke the Blow”.  The pace is frantic to begin with, but quickly falls into a leveled but energetic groove.  Riffs are filled with psyched out prog vibes.  Guitar and bass tracks intermingle with each other beautifully as an aggressive, yet dutiful rhythm carries the beat throughout the songs ever escalating fever pitch.  “Radiation Poisoning” offers the briefest of interludes before “No Reprise” fills the listener’s head with a continuation of the sonic assault.  “No Reprise” features a bit more of a varied sound than its predecessor, with a hard soft dynamic carrying the song through the genre hopping psychedelia of vintage tinged riffing and theatrical vocals. 
 
Next up comes Grilth, with trippy and hypnotizing riffs enveloping the listener on “Foul Beast Ahead”.  Heavy repetition with slight variation encompasses the early minutes of the track, creating a mesmerizing experience that really grips the listener.  The mix sits pretty with the band’s instruments all intermingling wonderfully with the vocals.  The second half of the track takes on a more frantic pace while adopting the same elements of hypnotic riffing.  This formula holds true for Grilth’s second offering, “Crooked Back and Broken Spirit”.  Sludgy riffing dominates the sonic air, while restrained grooves provide a thoughtful backdrop for the pained moans of the vocals. 
 
Grilth and Blunt Horse provide an excellent look at opposite sides of the same coin on this EP.  Blunt Horse taking their epic and theatrical approach to the sludge genre while Grilith provide a heavy as lead, trance inducing stupor.  It creates a listening experience filled with long play dynamics that make for a very pleasant half hour of heavy ass music for your listening pleasure.  I like to take this one in as a solid piece, which is not something that always works out on a split EP.  I absolutely recommend it. 
 
“Split” is available HERE

Band info: facebook

REVIEW: Supreme Conception, "“Empires of the Mind” [EP]

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 06/08/2021
Label: Independent
 

“Empires of the Mind” DD track listing:
 
1). “Beyond the Antediluvian”
2). “Harboring The Fractured Transcendence”
3). “Transgression I: The Underlying Identity”
4). “Transgression II: Self-Discovery”
5). “On The Path To Divinity”
 
 
The Review:
 
Technical death metal is surely a divisive genre- incomprehensible to many, pointless to some and to others... godly. Godly, that is, when it is done well. Fortunately, Supreme Conception are excellent. The production of these five tracks is crystal clear, the playing razor sharp, the vocals growling. Indeed, the vocals remind me- perhaps somewhat incongruously of a certain Glenn Benton in many places. 
 
From the opener “Beyond the Antediluvian” to the closing “On The Path to Divinity”, this is a technical tour de force. It is fast, furious, and pretty relentless. This Czech two-man project have put out only this and a release back in 2009; it is not a problem when the music is this good, though. If you are a fan of tech-death in all its forms, you will find what you like about the genre here in this five track stormer of an EP.
 
“Empires of the Mind” is available HERE 

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Chestcrush, "Vdelygmia"

By: Peter Morsellino
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 14/07/2021
Label: Independent
 

“Vdelygmia” CS//CD//DD track listing:
 
1). The Ingester
2). Different Shepherd Same Sheep
3). Grudge
4). Theocracyst
5). Burden
6). Let Them Crawl
7). Skullcrush
8). Vothrodoxia
9). Vaptizetai O Doulos
 
 
The Review:
 
 
With their first full length album, “Vdelygmia”, Edinburgh’s Chestcrush set out to stake a claim to the throne of the Blackened Death Metal world.  Meaning abomination, filth, or repulsion, “Vdelygmia” is the perfect title to describe what it is the listener is about to hear. 
 
Chestcrush come out the gate strong.  A very creepy ambient introductory track gives way to the bludgeoning punishment of proper opener, “Different Shepherd, Same Sheep”.  This track provides a solid thesis for the album, acting as an overture towards what is to come.  We are presented with an incredibly heavy sound, combining elements of Death Metal with Black Metal and Grindcore.  Tempos shift from a sludgy grind to passages of blistering speed with ease.  A strong sense of dread is present throughout each track, creating an unsettling atmosphere that pairs perfectly with the darkness of Chestcrush’s lyrical themes. 
 
Other stand out tracks include “Theocracyst”, with its slowly picked introduction lulling listeners to a false sense of security before beating them over the skull with the pounding rhythms that the young band will certainly become known for.  “Let Them Crawl” is a positively evil sounding track, that I am sure could summon the devil himself with its swirling dynamics and crushing grooves. 
 
Chestcrush presents its own unique brand of Death Metal to listeners at the breakneck speeds that are to be expected from the genre, but that is not that the sound is without heart.  Each track brings together a range of emotion, preventing the songs from falling into the cold trappings of soulless blast beats and guitar soloing.  Each note is presented with purpose here, creating a musical experience that will last long after the first listen.
 
“Vdelygmia” is not an album for the faint of heart.  This falls securely into the range of music that can peel the paint off of walls.  It can crush skulls (and chests, I suppose,) and lay waste to the surroundings of your sound system.  But if pounding rhythms and searing leads are what you are looking for, then you will not want to sleep on Chestcrush.  Give it a listen.
 
 
“Vdelygmia” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Flesh of the Stars, "Mirror / Vessels"

By: Peter Morsellino
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 05/03/2021
Label: Independent

 
“Mirror / Vessels” DD track listing:
 
1). Mirror
2). Mirror (Electronic Realization)
3). Vessels (Single Realization)
4). Vessels
 
The Review:
 
Crafting a sound all their own, Flesh of the Stars excite on their newest release “Mirror/Vessels”. A unique blend of styles come crashing together to create something fresh.  Idiosyncratic in its powerful dynamics, Flesh of the Stars takes listeners on a journey with this release, inviting us into the darkened depths of the human psyche to take a good look at ourselves.
 
Emotionally stripped bear, “Mirror/Vessels” is a rollercoaster of a release. From soaring highs with gorgeous ethereal melodies to crushing lows or crunching chords, Flesh of the Stars crafts a sound that is designed to transport listeners to a different place. Hypnotic rhythms carry you off into the albums narrative and put you into the opportune headspace to bear witness to the emotional web that is being weaved. Eclectic musical arrangements feature prominently alongside an authoritative hard/soft dynamic that creates a cinematic feel to the music.
 
I have to take a moment to offer specific praise to the guitar work of the album. The tone is incredible and sits perfectly inside the mix, never overpowering the arrangements, but taking center stage when need be. Emotionally poignant lead work is a standout of the release for me, with moments of “Vessels” quite literally taking my breath away with their beauty. Honestly, bravo.
 
This is not a release that we can expect to gain universal adoration. Fans of heavier music may shy away from the ambience that flows throughout the tracks, yet it would be difficult to claim the album was lighthearted in any way.  The true heart of the album lies within its multilayered intensity; Its emotional weight; Its varied instrumentation. It's a release that demands the listener's full attention, and from the perspective of this reviewer, that attention is absolutely well deserved.
 

“Mirror / Vessels” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Kråkslott, "The Witchhammer" [EP]

By: Peter Morsellino
 
Album Type: EP
Date Released: 27/02/2021
Label: Independent

 
“The Witchhammer” DD track listing:
 
1). Ritual of Lies
2). The Witchhammer
 
The Review:
 
In a hailstorm of Sabbath inspired riffs, Kråkslott unleash hell on “The Witchhammer”. Soothing in its chaos, this quick release encapsulates a bygone era of the doom genre while modifying the formula with modern flairs.
 
The release kicks off with the ever morphing “Ritual of Lies”. A track rich with variety as ever there was one, “Ritual…” kicks off with a slow procession of riffs and pained cries before blasting off into chaotic solos and hard rocking energy and lulling us back to the original somber tones to close things off. The eclectic styles presented here make quick work of the tracks near eight minute time span.
 
The title track is up next to finish things off. “The Witchhammer” keeps a more consistent pace for most of its run time, with a sludgy riff fest dominating the early parts and the track dissolving into a downtempo solo of the blues persuasion. This track really sets a mood for the listener and as such connects a bit deeper on an emotional level.
 
The Sabbath influences are hard to ignore on this release and may end up being a deciding factor for some listeners. Its classic vibes might prove to be a bit derivative to modern fans of the genre, while endearing to purists. Personally, I think the songs presented here are a wonderful mix of vintage blues inspired doom with the chaotic lilt of modern sludge.
 
While the entire release clocks in at only just under twenty minutes, being spread between just two tracks provides a more epic feel. The longer run times of the tracks should not be a deterrent, as the songs move at a quick pace and are varied enough to maintain the listener's attention throughout.  Definitely a must listen for any fan of the doom genre.
 
“The Witchhammer” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Dirt Church, "Self Titled LP"

By: Peter Morsellino
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 05/02/2021
Label: Independent

 
“Self Titled LP” DD track listing:
 
1). Cicada
2). Psalm 4
3). Husk
4). Days From Land
5). Sirens
6). Less Dead
7). Zephyr King
8). Teeth
9). Hours
 
The Review:
 
Three years after Dirt Church made their claim for sonic supremacy with the release of their 2018 demo, their long awaited Self Titled debut has been unleashed upon the world. A filthy amalgamation of low tuned sludge riffs and pounding hardcore fury, Dirt Church assails listeners with a brutal, yet toe tappingly catchy release that will be sure to please the most discerning of metal heads.
 
Conceived in the bowels of New York's rust belt, Albany's Dirt Church spawns a sound that while uniquely their own, encapsulates the region perfectly. Its dirty, its angry and it's not going to take any shit.  Atmospheric melodies swirl around their music like a fog pouring in, only just obscuring the massacre hidden within. 
 
Violent riffing gives way to mournful, dirge like passages throughout the release as Dirt Church press their rage on display, with a hard/soft dynamic often taking center stage. Vocals morph from pained cries and frenzied howls to feverish spoken word pieces,  adding extra dimensions to the album's storytelling. Despite this, the album is full of ear catching melodies, with songs like “Sirens” clinging to your brain and all but demanding repeated listening.
 
The mix of the album must be noted, as the sound remains crisp and clear despite the chaos contained within. Instrumentation shares real estate perfectly, with no particular sounds battling for space. Vocals maintain a prominent place in the cacophony yet never at the expense of the big picture.
 
Dirt Church presents listeners with a much needed sound with their debut full length. We're all sad, we're all angry. Dirt Church remains empathetic to this fact while granting an escape. It's good time sludge. You can hum it to yourself long after the album reaches its end.  Give this one a listen. I think you'll like it.
 
“Self Titled” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Day of the Jackal, "Day Zero"

By: Chris Markwell
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 15/03/2021
Label: Independent

 

“Day Zero” DD track listing:

 
1). On Your Own
2). Belief in a Lie
3). Rotten to the Core
4). Secrets to the Grave
5). Coffin Fix
6). Riskin’ it All
7). ‘Til The Death
8). Afterburn
9). Deadfall Trap
10). Rock n’ Roll Deathride
 

The Review:

Just beyond the kingdom of Sludge sits the Mountain of Hard Rock: an immovable edifice of majesty, it is the magical, ever-present spire, whose shadow touches all the lands of music. From the deep mines of Heavy Metal, to the cloud-topped towers of Prog, all know and feel the touch of Hard Rock upon their territories.

Carved into the face of Hard Rock are names of power: AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Guns ‘N’ Roses, to name but a few. All names are known and respected among all the lands that surround Hard Rock. But, look closer… A new name has been etched into the foot of the mountain.

Day of the Jackal, spell out the jagged letters. And when a new name is etched, it stands to reason to seek them out. So I did.

Leeds’ Day of the Jackal have, on 15^th March 2021, released their debut album “Day Zero”, and, if it were any more balls-out hard rock, it would be charged with indecent exposure.  

Recorded in Gentlemen’s Pistols James ‘Atko’ Atkinson’s Station House studio, the rock runs through every inch of this record like a stylus runs through a record’s groove.  In fact, the entire album was recorded live: no click tracks required, kids.  Because of this decision, each one of the ten tracks present on “Day Zero” retain that raw energy you’d normally expect to feel in the sweaty confines of a gig venue. 

Ten tracks, zero bullshit.  If you want ballads, experimentation, or odd time signatures, move along.  This album is designed specifically to give you a rock ‘n’ roll injection straight to your heart.  Palpitations, shortness of breath, and a desire to bang your head uncontrollably are common side effects, so don’t worry. 

From the first blast of electric riff-raffery of opener ‘On Your Own’, to the bar-room brawl of a closing song ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Deathride’, Day of the Jackal make statement after brash statement with each track that pummels and pounds your eardrums.  The quartet have forged a beautiful, whiskey-stained ode to the gods of hard rock, their love for their genre shining through with each hi-hat snap and every power chord struck. 

Personal favourite of mine from this album has to be ‘Til the Death’, with its slamming riffs and Bon Scott-esque lyrics (“I’ll be your best mistake, but I won’t be your man” is delivered almost with a knowing wink audibly heard in the mix).  You can envisage baying crowds of people knowing every word, and singalong in turn.  I want to be part of that crowd and, after listening, you will, too.   

Day of the Jackal are not reinventing the wheel with “Day Zero”.  Rather, they’ve stolen that wheel, affixed it to their cherry-red hot rod, and are riding it down the road to the hallowed mountain of hard rock mythology.  Best get on board and join them on their journey. 

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Mordhau, "Immaculate Massacre"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 06/11/2020

Label: Independent

“Immaculate Massacre” CD track listing:

1). Temporal Insanity

2). Bereft of Rotting Flesh

3). Pig Society

4). Born of Celestial Blood

5). Where Sunlight Goes to Die

6). Cascade of Flames

7). Immaculate Massacare

The Review: 

Nottingham noisemongers Mordhau bring some serious death metal grit to the road to hell here. It's their debut album and one that is full of distorted bass, chainsaw guitars, vocals with a hint of black metal and a rough and ready sound that is both very clear and noisy at the same time.

You get seven tracks of the finest deathly vintage. The band are clearly in thrall to the original Swe-death masters- in particular Dismember (to these ears) and why not? If you are going to play in a specific genre, why not try to emulate the best of the genre you choose?!

Across the seven tracks, there are plenty of riffs, plenty of thrashing drum beats and variety to the sound- this isn't just endless blastbeats or mindless brutality; the likes of “Pig Society” have great riffs and changes, opener “Temporal Insanity” is a solid breath of fetid air and there are some atmospheric passages here and there throughout the album.

It's hard to pick a stand out as the seven tracks are uniformly strong. A little of this type of music can go a long way. “Left Hand Path” and “Like An Everflowing Stream” were not long albums- they were razor sharp and effective in their economy, as is the case here. I might pick “Where Sunlight Goes To Die” as a highlight for me- great riffs and I really like the changes- but that said, the rather epic title track is also an untamable beast.

You cannot go wrong in picking this CD up direct from the band- or sampling their wares via bandcamp for a good flavour of what they are about. Ultimately, this is excellent old school death metal done right- and there are not too many albums or bands you can say that about these days.

“Immaculate Massacre” is available HERE

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Empress, "Premonition"

By: Zac McCune

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/07/2020

Label: Independent

“Premonition” CD//CS//DD track listing:

1. A Paler Wanderer

2. Sepulchre

3. Passage

4. Trost

5. Hiraeth

6. Premonition

7. Lion’s Blood

The Review:

Empress’ debut full-length release “Premonition” is somewhat confusing and, in this case, that fact is absolutely not a pejorative. Yes, it is understood that most armchair doofuses would describe something as ‘confusing’ in order to nonchalantly exhibit their full neck-bearded disdain. But we need to move on from this sort of stupidity and accept that all things are capable of defying comfortable genre notions of what music is or isn’t, and start critically analysing things for what they are and not for what they sound similar to. Does it even need to be remarked upon that people hoping for bands to sound more similar, from doom record to doom record, are hatefully stupid morons? From a perspective that dimwitted, are we to assume that bands who sound more familiar are “better”; which would propose that bands pushing weird sonic boundaries are (somehow) lesser because they don’t fit in? Fucking gross.

So, despite being a Sludge and Doom and Post-Metal band, it sounds like Empress takes more cues from 90’s buzzbin heroes à la Shiner or even Failure than they do from contemporary clean-production doomers like Conan or Torche or even Khemmis. Empress’ impressive ability to transition between and around these lines is especially present in Peter Sacco’s (Seer) vocals. At times his vocals are big broad ethereal clean-singing overtones which take on synth-like quality. At other times, he conjures familiar screeches that really push Empress’ riffs to their limit.

This is no more obvious than in “Premonition”s second track, “Sepulchre”. As it fires off in one direction with snare-driven marching style bursts of essential 90’s alternative smoothness, it quickly pivots into harsher realms with high timbre screaming and tritonal chugs, gaining access to the familiar domains of Conan, Torche, Floor, and Black Cobra. Helping this chameleon of a song dip between contrasting sonic temperatures, the riffs and drumming shift ferocity. From what feels like only a little bit, but, from what causes a seachange in Empress’ tonal focus, they yank the gloomy atmosphere from once place to another, but without tearing it. To maintain momentum like this is what most would call ‘songwriting’. And Empress has it. Unlike far too many in the extreme music categories, Empress’ focus is on songwriting. They accomplish this by way of artistic flexibility. Where others drone and “crush” and monotonously repeat hard hitting anti-riffs with endless guttural slurring, Empress utilizes a whole helluva lot of stylistic impulses ranging from Rock, Alternative, Psychedelia, and Doom to get their message across, even if it is a potentially confusing one.

With touches of celtic-fantasy via song titles like “Hiraeth” or the religiously oriented content vis-à-vis “A Pale Wanderer”, and coupled with yet another anciently derived European word for a specific mood like “Trost”, it would appear that Empress want to explain themselves or their music in old languages. This may be enough to understand a possible interpretation of humanity that through all eons and all experiences, not much has really changed in regard to the ways in which people experience death and gloom. They are final. “Premonition” becomes a much more knowable title when listening to the album through this lens, as do Empress’ tonal choices.If that sounds a little emo, well, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it sure as hell ain’t a dog. 

More importantly, the way Empress crosses genre lines sounds like an encouragement as if to prove Doom does not need to sound like it (contemporarily speaking) in order to better embody it. You can find doom anywhere you’re willing to look or listen.

“Premonition” is available to order HERE 

Band info: facebook || bandcamp