Music Reviews of Metal, Grindcore, Death, Prog-Rock
Band Spotlight
Chiodos
Perhaps no one can explain the sheer ferocity and timid quietness it is better than when vocalist Craig Owens says “we don’t want to let the kids down” when discussing the group’s intense vocals live at shows. Well they never let a single kid down with their vicious assault on the ears and grip on the jugular...
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03.09.2007 by J-Sin
Music Reviews of Metal, Grindcore, Death, Black, Thrash, Progressive Rock
Destructo Swarmbots — The Mountain EP Buy it at Amazon
Three inches. Sometimes that’s more than enough. Just ask your mom. Three inches is also how big of a CD this release was put out on. How many duos do you know that can rock your socks off as hard and as brashly as Destructo Swarmbots? I don’t know of many. Imagine if doom, industrial, and noise merged for one joyous occasion of soundscape; the resulting album would be “The Mountain” for sure. The result is creepy and dives under your skin to make your entire body itch like you’re infected with a severe rash or hives. Their music is extreme to the very T and unbelievably cerebral, resulting in a hallowed tunnel approach to infecting your body’s vortex. They will get inside—it’s only a matter of time and sonic creation.
- J-Sin
Ingurgitating Oblivion — Voyage Towards Abhorrence Buy it at Amazon
This German death metal band destroys your ears with blistering drums and stupendous guitarwork. Furious riffs comprise much of the album’s interest but you’ll be stunned when you hear how disgustingly raw their vocalist rips his throat’s vocal cords. Lyrically it’s the typical death metal fodder but they make up for it with imaginative cuts and their talented chops.
- J-Sin
Insidious Decrepancy — Decadent Orgy of Atrocious Suffering Buy it at Amazon
Death metal bands shouldn’t own thesauruses or dictionaries. Song titles include “Enraptured by Sickening Visions of Perverse Debauchery”, “Deplorable Stench Reeking of Treacherous Deceit”, “Rancid Cesspool of Unimaginable Splendor by Ritualistic Butchery”, “Insatiably Craving Abhorrent Denouncement from the Confines of Flesh”, and of course the album’s title track. If only I was making this shit up…
- J-Sin
Prostitute Disfigurement — Embalmed Madness Buy it at Amazon
Nice band name. This death metal outfit is amazingly brutal and slams you against the wall with no sense of mercy, only an urgent desire to destroy your ear drums with maniacal screeches and blast beats. Niels, their singer sounds one step removed from Mortician with his sickly pig snorts and snarls. The riffs are tight and smoothed over nicely with some ridiculously fast percussion—I can’t remember the last time I heard such amazing footwork by a drummer. And if the lightning fast death metal doesn’t get you, the disturbing samples will. This isn’t for the timid metal fan.
- J-Sin
Bloodchurn — Ravenous Consumption Buy it at Amazon
While listening to Bloodchurn’s “Ravenous Consumption” I realized something—I don’t listen to nearly enough good death metal. I think what I like about Bloodchurn is that they don’t prescribe to the typical death metal formula; instead they opt to craft nifty songs that have a million changes in them. Honestly I don’t know how they remember how to play their songs they’re so seemingly complex. But who would have guessed they were from Mississippi? But save your Southern hospitality—these guys would gladly rip off your head and show it to your grandmother.
- J-Sin
V:28 — SoulSaviour Buy it at Amazon
Take black metal, stir in some industrial, and add a sprinkling of futuristic apocalyptic visions. Cook on high for a few minutes and you’ve got yourself one hell of a meal named “SoulSaviour”. Hailing from Norway, an extreme metal paradise to be sure, V:28 tend to the garden of heavy with salty and rusty instruments. The percussion punctuates the thin cold atmospheres of the album with precision and an equalizing pummel. Vocally it’s more death metal than anything else but the added soundscapes and electronic tones give it a more visceral depth than you’d imagine.
- J-Sin
Terrorist — Mata O Muere Buy it at Amazon
I’ve always liked Terrorist, but “Mata O Muere” makes me obsessed with them. Songs like “Estado Brutal” and “Ossama” make my skin crawl as they heave disturbing evil death metal songs over the wall of heavy. The percussion is simply stated: fucking brutal. They throw in some wicked breaks to get the pits feverish but when they blast beat their way into your skull you’ll be forced to ask for mercy. Amazing.
- J-Sin
Holocausto Canibal vs. Mixomatosis — Morbosa Carnosidade Putrefacta (Split CD) Buy it at Amazon
Spain’s Mixomatosis and Portugal’s Holocausto Canibal combine forces to put together one of grind’s most brutal splits ever heard. Violently both bands rip and shred some amazing beatdowns put to gore-grind. Purely speaking both of these bands are fucking sick and twisted with a great knack for writing perverted opuses of mighty grind. Considering it is grind, there’s actually some pretty decent production done here.
- J-Sin
Oxidised Razor / Autophagia — Split Buy it at Amazon
Two of grind’s international stars join forces on this new split CD available from Deus Mortuus Productions. Who would have thought that Mexico and Greece would have such great grind bands coming from them? Incredibly heavy on the sampling, Oxidised Razor write some pretty twisted songs with superb blast beats and guitar grind. Autophagia’s vocalist literally sounds like he’s vomiting the entire time and would give Mortician a run for their money in sickly dank vocals.
- J-Sin
Iommi — Fused Buy it at Amazon
Fronted by the man himself, Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, duh!), Iommi also features vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple) and drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp). “Fused” is a hard rock adventure that licks up the remainder of heavy metal’s starry eyed riff rockers and covers its tracks with mind-boggling note tinkling precision. The album is stronger than you might imagine with grungy and sludgy riffs emanating like a college in the hallowed halls of rock-n-roll. Place your metal signs high over your head for this one.
- J-Sin
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