Written by: Blackie Skulless
Five years ago, Caligari Records put out the debut EP by Pittsburgh’s death metal outfit Ritual Mass a little after their debut demo. To this day, the EP entitled Abhorred In The Eyes Of God is one of the most horrendous, disturbing, hateful, and completely void-of-life releases I’ve ever heard. It worked for its short dose of getting that unlovable feeling more than anything else, and I predicted a full-length might need a little more to it than just sheer over the top brutality and unrelenting weight meant to crush every bone in the listener into ashes. Unfortunately, I’ve been proven correct with the first album titled Cascading Misery, this time presented by 20 Buck Spin. Don’t get me wrong, as I’m pretty certain that Ritual Mass have done everything they set out to do, with not only a fitting album title but also a bleak and harrowing album sleeve. For all six of their tracks, they’ve tightened up their hateful sound into a more streamlined package, adding in clearer guitar shifts that are worth acknowledging from time to time as well. Much of this is chewing everything up and regurgitating explosive cavernous vocals a la Spectral Voice, guitar chugs that move from reverberating atmosphere to almost blackened tremolos, and pummeling walls of drum-gradients not too dissimilar to later Deicide. As great as all of this sounds, it’s void of anything that isn’t just “we want to make you uncomfortable.”
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Written by: Blackie Skulless
The Norwegian extreme metal act Nithe took formation a few years ago, but never saw themselves with label representation until their third outing appearing on Caligari Records, my favorite tape slingers. Their catalog already consists of a demo and an EP, making Funeral Death their third outing. The truth is, I think all three of them could have been labeled either or. The band is rather tough to label other than somewhere within the black and death realm, perhaps with a thrashy attitude. Much of this is due to the fact that the coarse and mean production with such attitude in presentation somewhat dances all over the place, but those very things help keep it together. Consisting of four songs, we start on a blistering note with “Chains Of The Abyss,” loaded with blast beats and harsh shrieks before breaking into a punkier stomp. “Primordial Ooze (Mother Of Woe)” follows up with a thrash driven approach, not only sneaking some clear leads into the main riffage, but even allowing some gang chants in the chorus. It’s rather unorthodox amidst the ugly and unforgiving atmosphere, especially with the tremolos worked in, but I can’t complain (especially with that slow bass bridge connecting everything). 
Written by: The Administrator
If this all looks very familiar, it's because it is. About a month ago, we slumbering scribes premiered the title track and lead single to Hellscape, the forthcoming third and (presumably?) final Through Mists album of 2024. Today, we're back with the whole damn thing. In said premiere, I said the track "wouldn't go amiss as a soundtrack looping through the busted speakers of a funhouse deep in the bowels of Tartarus," and closed by stating that "I can only imagine that demons frolic to music like this." As it turns out, this description also applies to the album at large. This is an abrasive yet exciting ride, chock full o' weird noises and oddities. Hellscape is hellishly fun, but is also a supremely weird and disconcerting listen. Which, in a sense, makes it even more fun. If you are aware of the Through Mists playbook, you have an inkling of what to expect. If this is your first exposure, prepare thyself accordingly. In that spirit: Hellscape will be released on Dec. 6th, but you can listen to in full a day early. Get a head start on that release day listening marathon below! As always, we'll catch you on the other side. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Just before the world was taken by storm with a pandemic, Skumstrike blew my mind with their comprehensive brand of black/speed/punk. On 2020’s Execution Void EP of only fifteen minutes, they managed to sell me instantaneously. With a newer love for extreme music, I found the Canadian duo to touch close to the powerviolence side of things due to the unforgiving delivery. Now, they’ve solidified this into the form of full length with Deadly Intrusions. The debut album is every bit as intense as what we were given before, with just a slight hint of clarity amongst the extremely coarse finish. The noisy gradient over the guitars and borderline fuzzed vocal delivery is still ever so present, coating the metal oriented passages with the blackest tint. But the leads themselves stand out higher than they ever have before, be it the solos or the riffs. This is helpful, especially because some of the songs move right into the next, further bridging the already overwhelming songs. |
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