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Pest - Rest In Morbid Darkness |
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Written by Philip
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Tuesday, 08 September 2009 18:45 |
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Season of Mist
In their 12 years as black metal juggernauts, Pest have always kept it true. Here, with Rest in Morbid Darkness, they continue to keep it true with the sounds of raw and violent black metal from below the depths of Earth. Having always taken much from the likes of Darkthrone, Bathory, Nifelheim, and other pioneers of this grim, dirty and unpolished form of Scandinavian black metal, Pest have made a name for themselves in the underground and it's their mission to keep it simple, ugly and harsh. This ritualistic killing spree from 2008 has Pest's brand of hateful black metal written, or rather carved, all over it. As soon as the guitars, vocals and drums all strike in 40 seconds into the first track, it's clear this is still the same band, the same black metal warriors not trying to reinvent a genre, but they're keeping the tormented and untamed spirit of black metal alive with guitars that (I know it's cliche' but it is so glaringly true, here) buzz like chainsaws in a subterranean den of beasts. The guitars often find themselves accompanying the drums, it seems, for the blasting can go on for what may seem like a small eternity and overpower what is going on with the guitars. But this is not typical, and often the riffs alone become the focus. The riffs are simple enough to accent the music whenever it needs it, as Necro's roars can carry this music to the level it wishes to reach - bestial, if such a level can be attained or even described. |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 10 September 2009 20:52 |
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Read the full review [Pest - Rest In Morbid Darkness]
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The Gathering - The West Pole |
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Written by Liu
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Sunday, 23 August 2009 16:43 |
Psychonaut Records
The Gathering without Anneke van Giersbergen. It's an idea I still can't quite wrap my head around. My adoration for the band's former angelic songstress is such that I haven't even bothered to check out the two albums The Gathering released prior to Anneke joining the band. But Anneke's split in 2007 forced my hand, realizing that sooner rather than later, the band will have to find a replacement for someone who I still think is irreplaceable. Now in 2009 they have done just that, recruiting former Octavia Sperati vocalist Silje Wergeland into the vacant spot and The West Pole is the band's long awaited return.
The West Pole furthers the ongoing musical evolution of The Gathering. If you're still hoping that the band will go back to their earlier doomy metal sound, then you'll just be disappointed again. The Gathering is long past the point of catering to those who wish to pigeonhole them into any narrow definition and in my opinion, they weren't ever all that "metal" to begin with. Sure, they had their heaviness, but their nuances, atmosphere and emotion really elevated them from everyone else in that genre. The Gathering is a rock band and always have been.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 23 August 2009 17:49 |
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Read the full review [The Gathering - The West Pole]
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Written by Philip
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Sunday, 23 August 2009 08:02 |
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Pulverised Records
2009 has been a relatively good year for metal, I'd say. Tribulation's debut album The Horror is another example of this. They play a blend of old school thrash and death metal, and deliver it fast and direct. The fact that they hail from Sweden could come as a surprise, as they don't play the traditional style of Swedish death, rather opting for this more volatile concoction. Guitar solos are prominent, and headbanging-inducing thrash-infused death metal fellates your eardrums in a dark and bloody dungeon paradise.
Stylistically and dynamically, there's not a ton going on. It's nothing complicated or intricate. It's merely heavy as hell, fast as fuck, and violent as shit. The album barely runs over half an hour, but that's all the time you need. Were it to run much longer, you may be liable to be compensated for damages from Pulverised Records due to whiplash-related injuries as a result of headbanging too long. This album is a riff spectacle, a dazzle display of what makes men men, and what makes metal so fucking destructive. There's no lollygagging or time wasting. Almost every second is utilized to achieve maximum delivery of pulverisation. The production is muddy enough to give The Horror the feel of 90's death metal, neglecting anything too modern sounding. Yet, the guitars are thick and chunky like a good soup of human meats. Vocals are standard death/thrash, ugly and harsh. The title of the album must surely come from the brief intros and interludes scattered through the album of eerie keyboards, which add little to the whole package, but make for nice mood-setting bonuses. |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 August 2009 05:20 |
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Read the full review [Tribulation - The Horror]
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Flesh - Worship the Soul of Disgust |
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Written by Philip
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Tuesday, 11 August 2009 18:32 |
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Pulverized Records Flesh is the one man band of Peter Karlsson, who perhaps you know from Maze of Torment or Deceiver, or even Thrown. Worship the Soul of Disgust is Flesh's first release on Pulverized Records. I'm gonna cut to the chase right now - what you get here is old school Swedish death metal. Nothing more, nothing less. This is a throwback to early 90's death metal, even finding influence in Morbid Angel. Nothing about this album screams originality or new ideas, nor does anything set it apart from plenty of Swedish death metal records. This works both for and against Flesh. While originality is nowhere to be seen (heard), that is not what this band exists to create. Flesh is a tribute to the legends that put Sweden on the map for extreme metal. You'll hear your fair share of Entombed and Dismember, here. For what he wishes to accomplish, Pete can proudly say he succeeds. Every riff and vocal line sounds lifted from some 10-20 year old Swedish death metal album, which is not to say that he has not written some truly great riffs. Those would be the highlight of the album, easily. Produced in Abyss Studios, which is the home of sometimes overproduced Swedish metal, this recording doesn't sound too terribly polished, but not quite rough enough to give it the edge that is essential to death metal of this style.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 23 August 2009 08:13 |
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Read the full review [Flesh - Worship the Soul of Disgust]
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