Written by: Blackie Skulless On Hallow’s Eve, the newly formed label Wise Blood Records, based out of Indianapolis, dropped one of the hottest albums in the occult rock circle. Vexing Hex summons phantoms from the rural graves of Illinois, and their first full-length record Haunt is as strong as it is captivating. Though the cover may lead you to expect something extreme, this is actually a full-plunge into the calmer world that bands like Ghost have been dishing out. With that in mind, you can expect everything to be injected with spooky instrumentation and clear vocal articulation. The classic horror film auras surround the keyboard and electric organ passages, which are built around rather mean riffs. To top it off, your vocals get a layer of howls and moans to back up what already feels very concise, getting a bit operatic at times. What helps Vexing Hex’s approach stand out is the suspense factor that doesn’t lead into anything overly intense. Instead, drops of doom metal influence come in.
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Written by: Blackie Skulless
Earlier this year, I touched on Thirsty Demon’s debut demo from 2019 titled Waning Death, which was a pretty exceptional taste of death/thrash that fits the Chilean scene. This year, they’ve brought forth a full-length record, something I’ve been anticipating for a bit. Titled Unconscious Suicide, this one mostly does away with the thrash influences and focuses on death metal crisp. To go along with that, the songwriting itself is tightened up regarding clarity in guitar leads, and overall it’s less chaotic in delivery. Pretty normal moving from the demo stage, but all three of the main tracks from the demo made it here (hold the interlude track). “Sadistic Desire,” “Waning Death,” and “With Them You Will Rot” blend in very well, and the grueling touch to the vocals and a different production significantly boost this. If there are any real signs of the thrash roots showing, they’re gonna peak out here.
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Wow, another one from Dark Descent Records that grabs me to this degree? Last year, around the finish of the year, they gave us Oath Of Cruelty, which was some solid Morbid Angel worship. Enter Chile’s Invincible Force. They grow from a harsher thrash soil that seems to be bigger in their country. However, the sophomore album Decomposed Sacramentum sprouts branches aligning with OSDM, coating the aforementioned Morbid Angel vocals over Deicide-oriented riffs. From front to back, Decomposed Sacramentum loses almost no momentum, maintaining speed and abrasiveness throughout its entire runtime. Not a single track breaks the four-minute mark, allowing little room for play anyway. Literally, the only track that slows things down is the title track at the beginning and end. The majority is flattened, simplistic riffing with mean barking vocals overtop, causing a chorus that absolutely rules. It would have worked as a strong closer due to its exit strategy, so it’s a shame that “Hopeless Mortality” wasn’t dropped before it, rather than after. Written by: Blackie Skulless Wolf was a blip on the NWOBHM radar that came and went before they really had a shot at any kind of fame. The discography includes one demo in ‘82 and a full-length in ‘84, and that's all she wrote. The latter is what I’m here to discuss, because it’s an incredible gem that was not only overlooked, but also could have been huge if the spotlight was kinder to it. Edge Of The World is the name, and it falls on the warmer edge of the NWOBHM spectrum. I say “warmer” simply because of its calmer delivery and overly welcoming vocals. The first thing that comes to mind is Def Leppard’s On Through The Night, but with guitars that are way undercooked. Melody dominates the entire disc, with concise vocals that latch themselves onto a vibrant scale of rhythms. I wouldn’t say that there’s much in the vein of mean riffs, but the production gives them a firm ground to reflect back the solid leads. This certainly allows for loads of bounciness, much like the faster but steady picking behind the chorus of “Shock Treatment.”
Written by: Blackie Skulless
I’m not really sure how I missed this one, as Dark Descent Records is a label that really doesn’t get much past my radar. But here we have a striking discovery of mine by a striking new band from Denmark called HAD, translating to “hate” in English. Not too many other words could fit any better for the way they sound. Simply titled Debut EP, this is a horrendous and chaotic ride through a death metal roller coaster. Underneath a muck-filled ocean of marshy atmosphere lies an extremely solid mass of death riffs that work as more of an experience than anything. Because of this production, nothing jumps above the surface save for the constant blasting of the drums and the occasional wail on the guitar. Repetition is the key ingredient to keep everything stable here, looping horrendous rhythm patterns with cavernous vocals that invoke the feeling of being stranded in such a place. Written by: Blackie Skulless Stryper have made a name for themselves over the decades, and in later years actually took on an even more metallic sound than their earlier glammy roots. That said, the last record God Damn Evil was a huge let-down to me, the first by Michael Sweet and co. that I flat out disliked (“Take It To The Cross” and “Sorry” being the worst offenders). Michael’s latest solo effort Ten from last year was pretty solid, however, and actually gave me better hopes. This brings us to Even The Devil Believes, which is a rather mixed bag. On one hand, I’m absolutely thrilled that they’ve made a step up from before, despite not reaching the magnitude of Fallen. You can basically sort every song here into one of three categories: sturdy, strong, and rubbish. This also means that the flow is a bit awkward, but easy enough to work with. By “sturdy,” I’m mostly talking about the songs that are exactly what you saw coming. Opener “Blood From Above” is a well-written, heavy banger with strong falsettos thrown in, all polished with a clear production. Truth be told, this approach makes up at least half of the album, which is fine albeit somewhat samey.
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Lately, I’m noticing a resurgence of death metal bands that really slam that “caveman” description deep into the molding foundations of the once stiff walls. More often than not, you’ll find that in many a doom/death release. Finland’s Proscription consists of band members who have been around for a while, touching many projects in their time. This one paints horrific, drawn-out doomy vocals over music that’s far more blackened death metal oriented, and the outcome is Conduit. Before diving in head first, you need to know it’s an album that requires the right setting and mood. No distractions, little light, and the hunger for riffs that drag you deeper into the murky depths of unlight. A bit dramatic? Probably. But Proscription are all about the feeling and less about the musical makeup. The entire foundation relies on layers of tremolo picking backed by rumbling bass that can only be felt. The drums are utilized to take precedence when the guitars whine and screech, using agonizing wails to breathe out and force the rhythms behind the kit upward.
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Skeleton are another one of those bands we get a couple of per year that blow up seemingly overnight. Hailing from Austin, Texas, they bring forth a common but solid brand of death/thrash/black metal that touches many a fanbase. Pairing this with the fact that they’re (apparently) big in their local scene, they’ve caused a lot of hype. More often than not, this leads me to disappointment, but thankfully that isn’t the case with their debut record Skeleton. Getting it out on the table now, this band is all over the place. Certain things can be picked out to observe each style. The riffing aesthetic is from a thrashier standpoint, the drumming and rhythmic integrity comes from the death metal ideals, and the vocals cast blackened mold that seeps into the foundation everywhere else in small doses. But even with that rather stable construct, the songwriting jumps all across the spectrum, running into hell and back. Admittedly, this is Skeleton’s only flaw, seeing how often the mood jumps around. The lack of flow forces the blackened feel to act as the only adhesive.
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Nothing like a good ol’ slice of death metal from an area not far from me. Spesimin are an upcoming act out of Philadelphia, PA, and their debut EP Born In The Crypt is an instant burst of in-your-face discomfort. With only thirteen minutes of runtime, they certainly gauge a healthy idea of what they’re all about, as they waste zero time opening on such a harsh kick. Composition wise, Spesimin injects a surprising amount of thrashier elements. It’s quite riff oriented in that sense, boasting plenty of bounce and energetic life under a harsher mix. This allows for a solid balance between melody and chaos--the former being lesser in quantity. Most of this comes from a crustier, punk-like push that can be heard especially in “Violent Sanctification.” It’s your perfect moshpit banger with plenty of sharp leads breaking the buzzing rhythmic surface. Written by: Blackie Skulless It’s always fun going back and covering albums that never got close to the spotlight, but deserve loads of it. It’s especially fun when all of the promos you’ve gotten in the inbox have been boring as hell, so you’re forced to dig up some old fossils. Enter Saint, a Christian heavy metal act hailing from Salem, Oregon in the ‘80s. They only had two records before splitting and reforming a decade later. Too Late For Living was their second, and most important record dropping in 1988. Standing out immediately is how close Saint comes to sounding like Judas Priest. Simple rhythm patterns that hook the ear covered in dual guitar attacks make up the base structure, as hoarse but concise vocals with chant-like choruses lift things to new heights. Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it? What’s even better is how incredibly this thing is produced, particularly with the way the guitar passages have a hint of echo, and stand apart from each other. There’s then room for drums to click harder as well. |
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We provide thoughtful reviews of music that is heavy, gloomy...and loud enough to wake us from slumber. Written by a highfalutin peasantry!
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