Pagan Dead
Mors Janua Vit Æ Et Vita Janua Mortis
Self-released
Pagan Dead = Misfits + Accused
When I first received a copy of Pagan Dead’s debut album, I was a little leery, thinking, “Rockabilly? Next!” But after giving it a chance, I was instantly hooked! Relentless drumming by Jodie Hecate, demonic guitars by Jessie Demonio (no longer in the band) and the upright bass slapping and plucking from “Pagan” Patrick Muerto, all evilly complemented by his demonic vocals. Lyrically Pagan Dead is very similar to the Misfits and Samhain, concerning themselves with Christians, witches and other deviousness. The black-hearted humor and Halloweenish feel make this a must-have for anyone who sported a devilock in the late 80s.
Hell-Born
Legacy of the Nephilim
Conquer Records
Hell-Born is a band from Poland that sounds remarkably close in style to Japan’s Hellchild. This album has a definite thrash metal feel in the guitar playing, as well as the way the vocalist belts out the lyrics, but that’s as close to thrash as this gets. The rest is pure death metal. I have to admit, the vocals really stand out on this with the way the singer enunciates certain words. The guitars are also interesting, which says a lot coming from me, since I fucking HATE fretboard gymnastics, i.e., wanky guitar-playing. Don’t know what I mean? Check out Cannibal Corpse!
This review originally appeared in Butcher’s Block, March 2005, Issue 195.
Death Du Jour
Fragments of Perdition
Golden Lake Productions
With a silly name like that, you would expect these guys to sound like Lawnmower Death or something, but instead, it’s Finnish death metal, the old-school way—fucking heavy and fast. If you are into Drawn and Quartered, Mortician, Centinex or anything in between, you should own this release! Very old-school death metal, so you know it’s going to be better than 98 percent of the junk that’s out these days!
This review originally appeared in The Butcher’s Block, June 2005, Issue 198.
Malignant Inception
Black Death
Slaughterhouse Records
Malignant Inception = Malevolent Creation + Suffocation + Decapitated
Malignant Inception have everything the die-hard death metal fan needs—relentless double-bass drumming, ever-changing guitar and bass technicality and trademark dual low vocals topped off with the screeching highs that made this band notorious. Black Death is a bloody, throat-wrenching 55-minute treat. Comparisons will obviously be made to bands like Suffocation and Malevolent Creation. The band is currently working on a new album, incorporating more progressive technicality and black and death metal brutality. Watch out for them live this fall around town.
Bloody Sign
Vana Vigala Loits
Ibex Moon Records
Like their fellow death-metal countrymen Mercyless and Phazm, Bloody Sign manage to combine the speed with guttural heaviness while keeping things interesting the whole way through the disc. You might say they come across as sounding like a slightly less sepulchral and less down-tuned version of Incantation. Fuck your “freedom fries,” Bloody Sign want your death!
This review originally appeared in Butcher’s Block, March 2005, Issue 195.
Anal Vomit
Demoniac Flagellations
From Beyond Productions
The name Anal Vomit makes one expect this band to be yet another ridiculous gore-grind band—not so! Instead, you get rabid, old school, thrash-inspired war metal! And it’s damned good. Only problem: The singer likes to play live and pose in band photos with no pants. That is a problem, but just ignore the cover and you’ll be okay …
This review originally appeared in The Butcher’s Block, June 2005, Issue 198.
Terra Noir
Emperors of the Black Earth
Hellspawn Creations
Terra Noir = Mayhem + Dark Throne + Burzum
When you look up and see the gray skies of death above your head, your final thoughts will be about the haunting voice of hell that wafts through your mind … Terra Noir have a unique sound that commands one’s attention. The vocal attacks of bassist and main vocalist Lupericus Infernale are unique, ranging from tortured growls to shrill highs that would make King Diamond himself run and hide, complemented by the low death grunts of guitarist Berzerker, complete with a curtain of holocaust-pounding courtesy of Lord Necro Inferno. If you want your black metal raw and hateful (the way it’s supposed to be), then check this band out now!
Impaled
Death After Life
Century Media Records
As I scraped shredded meat off of the scalpels and saws on my block, I noticed the pus oozing from the new Impaled disc. Pathological waste in the form of oozing riffage at once encrusted my eardrums. It was at this point that I deduced the flesh-shredding addition of two different low vocalists and the high, gurgling ones that so tormented me during previous operations with this unit of medical malpractice. Slimy, infectious death metal in the vein of Carcass and Exhumed is what awaits, aside from your eventual evisceration and aural dissection. This is the fifth release from the band, which actually started when main PhD Ross Sewage quit Exhumed to start his own practice.
This review originally appeared in Butcher’s Block, April 2005, Issue 196.
Vomit
Self-titled
Vomit = Pantera + Eyehategod + Napalm Death
I hate Pantera. Ogden’s Vomit are repeatedly compared to Pantera—but Vomit BLOW them AWAY no contest!!! The music is very crunchy and heavy, and tuned down much lower so they’re more on par with Napalm Death or Eyehategod. This band is also fucking brutal live with brutal vocals, so when they make the trip to SLC to play, go see ’em! If you’re still in “Slayer mode,” then do yourself a favor and get their CD now!
Bloodbath
Nightmares Made Flesh
Century Media Records
Sweden is home to a lot of totally shitty bands these days. Bloodbath is not one of them. This band has actually existed for almost six years now. Don’t let the founding members’ more accessible full-time gigs (Edge of Sanity, Opeth) fool you—Bloodbath is a serious nod to the old school of death metal! This particular release sees more aggression, sometimes slower paced, with the great topics of death metal that we’ve come to love—death, pestilence, gore and death. Did I mention Hypocrisy’s Peter Tagtgren replaces that Opeth pussy on here? Well, he does. Peter’s low vocals are second to none.
This review originally appeared in Butcher’s Block, April 2005, Issue 196.
