The Crevices Below 'Below The Crevices' review

THE CREVICES BELOW

'Below The Crevices'

(Nordvis Produktion)

Please, take a seat, pack a lunch, get comfortable, and don’t plan on going anywhere, because when you pick up Below the Crevice’s 'The Crevices Below', you’re gonna want to stay with it for a long time, like a great novel.

What we have here is an all-out masterpiece of avantgarde black metal, and even that compliment hardly does it justice. The opening track (also the title track) begins on a soft note, weaving ghostly keyboard melodies with haunting undertones. Even when the song kicks into black metal mode, the atmosphere is incredibly bleak and cold. Vocals echo tremendously, and along with the guitars and keyboards creating melancholy moods and melodies, this song is really more like being in a dream than listening to a song. A dream that’s cloudy and hazy, where everything cold and dark and so far away, yet so close. It’s surreal, and hauntingly magical.

The whole album continues with this mood, creating bleak, ghostly dreamscapes and creating mountains of atmosphere. Every song on this album is geared towards creating atmosphere, making you really feel like you’re there, in this twisted dream. “The Tombs of Subterranea” echoes eerily in its dark passages, bringing to life many emotional melodies and ghostly vocals. 

Longer tracks, like “A Grand Cavernous Awakening” and “Carrying the Cries of the Lost,” expound on these qualities even more, making good use of depressive melodies, dark harmonies, dismal keyboards, and conjures images of abysmal torment and cold loneliness.  

This is an album that really inspires you. When a band’s music can transport you to a new world, you know it’s amazing. It’s inspiring, like a touching novel, or a beautiful work of visual art. I love this album. You should love it too. [9.5] 

(Andrew Oliver)

The Crevices Below MySpace 

Cruachan 'Blood On The Black Robe' review

CRUACHAN

'Blood On The Black Robe'

(Candlelight)

Question. If I were to ask you how many Irish metal bands you could think of off the top of your head, how many would that be? Other than Gama Bomb, and maybe Waylander, not too many bands from Ireland really stick out (The lack of, at least, Primordial and Mourning Beloveth in your short list is shocking for me, Andrew! Trust me, you need to hear those two...and then investigate further into the bogs of good old Eire! - ED). Well here is one that has been around since the 90s, and has somehow eluded my grasp until now. 

I’m talking, of course, about the Celtic black metal band, Cruachan, from Dublin, Ireland. They’re known as one of the main founders of folk metal, and with the release of 'Blood on the Black Robe', they show they have as much strength as they ever had.

The album begins with a short intro, composed of marching war drums and howling wolves, before shifting gears into “I Am Warrior,” which immediately begins with the lively playing of Irish folk instruments, followed shortly by the guitars playing Celtic melodies. Despite the black metal influence on this track, it’s very interesting, and I’m very impressed with its uniqueness. I never thought a black metal song (whether it’s black folk metal or not) could be this jaunty!

The second song on the album, “The Column,” takes things a little more seriously. Powerful riffs, darker melodies, and thunderous drums make for a much deeper track. The vocals here aren’t the very best, but they’re very fitting, and are far from bad, even so, some songs, like “Thy Kingdom Gone,” have particularly phenomenal vocal performances, filled with rasp emotion. 

'Blood on the Black Robe' has its moments of extremity, moments of melody, of heaviness, and plenty of Celtic folk music. Which brings me to another point. Cruachan know how to the line between being an overly corny folk metal band, and being an awesome black metal band. They know how to use their influence of Celtic folk music without abusing it. Even the more obviously folk influenced tracks, like “An Bean Sidhe,” don’t cross that line into overt, corny territory. 

This album is enjoyable and epic piece of Celtic black metal. Full of interesting musicianship and song structure. I definitely recommend this one. [8]

(Andrew Oliver)

Cruachan 

Stinger 'Manic Depressor' review

STINGER

'Manic Depressor'

(Self-release)

Here’s a recipe for you: take a heavy dose of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, mix it with the vocals of Chuck Billy during 'Practice What You Preach', inject it with a heavy 90s atmosphere, throw in a bit of thrash, and shove some classic solos up its ass. And what you get is Stinger’s debut masterpiece, 'Manic Depressor'.

The album starts off promising, to say the least, with the opening track, “Time to Die,” an amalgamation of thundering riffs, driving force, and sonic melodies. The music in this song, particularly the vocal melodies, have a vibe similar to 90s grunge music a-la Alice in Chains, especially in the chorus. This is a theme that continues throughout the album’s duration.

The first thing to grab my attention with this release, other than initial awesomeness of the song itself, was the influence. While most metal bands that play throwback styles reach to the 80s for their sound, Stinger is preoccupied catering their sound more to 90s metal, an interesting find, considering they aren’t a Pantera rip-off. 90s thrash metal is a strong factor in this album. This is found most notably in the sound of the vocals (again, 90s Chuck Billy is the best reference point here). The riffs are also tinged with a heavy, melodic 90s thrash sound ('Souls of Black', anyone?), but also, quite interestingly and masterfully combined with 80s New Wave of British Heavy Metal melodies and driving riff force.

This attribute in particular is best shown on the title track, which kicks off immediately with some brilliant, blazing melodic riffs straight from the NWOBHM playbook, but with a hard 90s edge, complete with excellent bass and brilliant, creative drumming, all coming from an album released in 2011. This is my favorite track on the album, and it’s so good in fact, that if this was the only good track on this release, it’d be worth buying, just for this one brilliant song. But of course, this is not the only amazing song on the album, so let’s explore this masterwork a little more.

This album has so much going for it, including the many musical styles and influences, such as the previously stated NWOBHM and 90s thrash sounds, and the subtle, yet prolific 90s grunge metal influence, which is heard most prominently on the track, “Outlive the Outlaw,” which blends groove Metal, grunge, and even, dare I say, southern rock. Not a combination I would normally be thrilled about, but Stinger pulls it off with a masterful ease, which really shows what I think to be this band’s greatest strength of all: their strength as songwriters. 

Whether it be straight-forward headbangers like “Hellbent,” more complex, lengthy tracks like “12 Years,” or the slower, more emotional songs, like “Dream Revolver,” the riffs and melodies are stunning and with no filler, the solos are incredible and memorable, the vocals are delivered flawlessly, with tremendous power and emotion. So much feeling is put into the music they make, which makes the experience for the listener that much more amazing. 

I really can’t say enough good things about this album. Literally every single track is a magnificent example of excellent songwriting, tight musicianship, and fantastic awesomeness. I highly suggest you all go to Stinger’s MySpace page and support this unknown band by buying this incredible masterpiece. If you’re a fan of good music, I promise you won’t regret it. [9.5]

(Andrew Oliver)

Stinger MySpace 

Kill With Hate 'Evolution Of The Beast' review

KILL WITH HATE

'Evolution Of The Beast'

(Self-release)

Hungarian death metal band Kill With Hate seem to have something to prove with their debut album, 'Evolution of the Beast', and hey, most new bands do have something to prove, and while I’m sure most try to follow the thin line between proving their chops and over compensating, 'Evolution of the Beast' goes above and beyond any proof you’ll ever need.

The album begins with an intro of chaotic native Australian instruments sounding acrimoniously. An intriguing intro to such a brutal album.

The second track, “Birth of the Impiety”, wastes no time kicking into high gear, barraging you with vicious blastbeats and chaotic riffing before slowing down and getting real heavy, real fast. Add some keyboard for atmosphere, and finish it off with an awesome solo. All in the course of one minute and forty two seconds. 

I could tell right from the beginning that this was going to be a fun album to listen to, and I was right. The title track is barely longer than three minutes, and is also the longest track on the album. It rages forward with crushing riffs played with wild abandon and maniacal timing, highly technical (though a bit generic) drumming, and brutal, disgusting growls. Again, there is an intense and heavy breakdown section with a very impressive solo, after which, the song picks up where it left off, and smashes your face in.

Kill With Hate, while dabbling quite skillfully in 10 ton breakdowns and chilling atmospheres, really excel the most in the art of kicking your ass with sheer brutality, mostly by means of speed. The track “Family,” for example, is one of many two minute ass-kickings on this 19 minute album that absolutely destroy the listener with effortless and consistent speed and power.

'Evolution of the Beast' is not the greatest death metal album around, but the short, manageable length, coupled with its sheer force and hatred make it more enjoyable listen than most albums of its kind out today, and is able to be enjoyed again and again. [8]

(Andrew Oliver)

Kill With Hate MySpace 

Arctic Flame 'Guardian At The Gate' review

ARCTIC FLAME

'Guardian At The Gate'

(Pure Steel Records)

This, the third album of the US-Based band Arctic Flame, hardly is a surprising musical affair, consisting mostly of mid-tempo songs, along with random few speedier ones. Musically the main influences appear to be Iron Maiden and early Jag Panzer, that's to say the band has manage to cross the British and US school in their sound. This stuff isn't over the top heavy by any stretch of the imagination, which has been also reflected by the rather 'hard rock' production job, that's far removed from the usual bombastic one most power metal sports. What sets Arctic Flame apart from their peers is the somewhat epic feeling oozing from the tunes, as well as the progressive elements interwoven in some of the songs ('The Eternal', for instance), the latter resulting in fairly sophisticated song structures with various tempo changes and elegant combinations of aggressive and milder, lyrical themes. The vocals, while not exceptional, are quite effective overall, giving away slight resemblances to those of Fish, once again justifying the term 'prog' in regards to this here band. 'Guardian At The Gate' makes for a nice listening, should be a good one when one is driving the car around, given the fact it's neither too aggressive nor overly boring. After some 'pros' and 'cons' the final score comes to this: [7]

(Asen Asenov)

Arctic Flame 

 

Battle Dagorath 'Ancient Wraith' review

BATTLE DAGORATH

'Ancient Wraith'

(Grau)

Battle Dagorath hail from sunny and funny California, but in no way you should expect lame glam metal here. What we have instead is high class, cold and atmospheric, black metal. 'Ancient Wraith' is the band's second album and its six lengthy songs bear some similarities with the early works of both Emperor and Enslaved. You should know the drill – maniacal tempos abound that come down to ambient passages in the more atmospheric parts of the songs. The opening ambient track, 'Spirit Of Winter Darkness', gives way to the blood-freezing mayhem of 'Empire Of Imperial Shadows','Where Darkness And Frost Prevails' and 'Spellbound Requiem Of The Winter Night' – for those are the musical equivalent of the cruel morbidity brought along by the genuine northern frost. The closing composition, 'Ancient Spectre Of Oblivion' is yet another ambient feature, but tends to drag along with its length of nearly 20 minutes, which could be singled out as the biggest let down in an, otherwise, rather brilliant album. Fingers crossed for a slightly more homogeneous representation the next time around. [7,5]

(Asen Asenov) 

Battle Dagorath MySpace 

Heavy Lord 'Balls To All' review

HEAVY LORD

'Balls To All'

(Solitude Productions)

First off, let me just point out how awesome the name of this album is. Just take a moment to appreciate this title. Now then, cool title aside, what we have here on 'Balls to All' is filthy, dirty sludge metal with strained vocals, some screams and growls thrown in, and a very heavy doom influence. 

The first track is a nice little intro, but that’s not what we’re here for. The second track on the album, also the title track, introduces the heaviness. Thundering drums and bass pound underneath discordant, tremolo picked riffs and solos. This track also has a lot of interesting time and tempo changes. This is the most a sludge metal song has ever kept me guessing. 

Heavy Lord has done a good job combining different influences on this album. Whether it be the blatantly heavy traditional doom-influenced moments (“Kick Teeth,” and “Mare Tranquillatis”), or the more subtle 70s rock influences, found in “Fear the Beard,” the band definitely know how to keep from becoming stagnant. 

One thing that really helps to bring this album’s raw, organic sound to fruition is the vocalist. His voice is like that of a harsh desert wind, and a throat full of sand. The music itself, as a whole, is reminiscent of a long trudge through an endless desert under a blazing sun, documenting the journey, from desperation, to heatstroke, and mirages. This album does a pretty good job creating a mood here, though I feel they’re able to convey this much more effectively on their longer tracks, such as “Dieselweed,” which capture your attention and don’t drag on. 

As with most doom and sludge albums, there’s some great bass on here (“Kick Teeth”), but the guitars themselves have so much low-end that the bass often blends in, which isn’t really a bad thing, since it contribute to the boomy sound of the album. 

All in all, if you like Mastodon, High on Fire, or Kyuss, you’ll definitely enjoy this, at least to some extent, but chances are, some of the more pure doom metal fans may take a liking to this as well. Sure, some of the riffs can get a little boring, and there are some parts that really aren’t overly engaging or interesting, but I enjoyed this album quite a bit, and I would definitely recommend checking it out. [7.5]

(Andrew Oliver)

Heavy Lord 

Dementia 'Beyond The Pale' review

DEMENTIA

'Beyond The Pale'

(MDD Records)

Well, here we go. Another new thrash album for review. I had no doubt that it was going to be an amalgam of rehashed Slayer riffs, tired old tricks, and overall, a blatant rip-offery of the classics. Going into this album, I had low expectations, but after the first listen, I was, thankfully, proven very wrong.

Dementia’s 'Beyond the Pale' kicks off with a very cool thrash intro, an epic opener that sets a tremendous tone for the whole album. The intro ends, and “Reveries of Abhorrence” begins to play. And so we find that Dementia is not a stereotypical thrash band at all, but actually dabbles quite masterfully in a very thrash-influenced death metal hybrid. 

The riffs here are extremely memorable, and often quite dynamic. Solos are very impressive, and unlike most new thrash solos today, leave a lasting impression on the listener. There are even some excellent clean vocals, which showcase a more traditional thrash sound than one more inspired by metalcore. 

As you continue listening, the riffs and solos get more and more hooky, and frankly, quite awesome. This band definitely knows how to keep me interested. No matter how heavy or how fast they get, there’s always that strong sense of melody, which was laid down by NWOBHM bands, and then picked up by thrash bands in the 80s. This makes this album a blast to listen to, and quite a refreshing one as well, seeing as it fails to follow any set standards for thrash or death metal, but instead, brings forward the very best of both genres. If 80s Metallica, Megadeth, Testament, Anthrax, and Overkill were death metal bands, 'Beyond the Pale' is what I think they would sound like. And let me tell ya, it sounds damn good. [9]

(Andrew Oliver)

Dementia MySpace 

Byfrost 'Of Death' review

BYFROST

'Of Death'

(AFM Records)

Well, there’s not much to say about 'Of Death' that hasn’t already been said of many thrash albums before it, so I’ll stick to the key points and not waste your time or mine with unnecessary extraneous details.

Byfrost air on the heavier, more extreme, technical side of thrash metal; much like Artillery. This album mainly serves as a vessel for lots of cool, fast riffs, boundless energy, crazy screaming vocals, and very impressive musicianship.

'Of Death' is mostly high-velocity thrash metal with some mid-paced chugging thrown in for added heaviness. This is really not too original at all, but it’s not such a rip off that it can’t be enjoyed. It’s a quick, fun thrash album (8 tracks in under 40 minutes) and I suggest you check it out if you aren’t looking for anything groundbreaking or revolutionary. [6.5]

(Andrew Oliver)

Byfrost MySpace 

Bleeding Fist 'Devil Ferox' review

BLEEDING FIST

'Devil's Ferox'

(Moribund Records)

Hailing from Slovenia, Bleeding Fist has been a fairly busy band in the new black metal scene. Since 2007, when they formed, Bleeding Fist has released two demos, one split, one full length, and three EPs. Not an immeasurable amount, but not bad. 'Devil’s Ferox' is Bleeding Fist’s third EP, and when I saw that it was released on the Moribund Cult label, I couldn’t help but get a little excited. 

Now, what we’re dealing with here is very obvious black/thrash. Not quite as blatant as Perversor, but they definitely wear their influences on their sleeves. The first thing I noticed was how average the vocals were. Not too bad, but definitely far from interesting. The drums, while you have the occasional, brief fill, were repetitive, and pretty uninspiring, even for black metal standards. 

The next thing I noticed was a little more positive, and pleasing to listen to. On this EP, Bleeding Fist is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of black metal. One moment, you’re being immersed in a freezing, black pool of mesmerizing riffs and walls of fuzz, and then, before you have time to prepare yourself, the water is brought to a boil. The drummer kicks the song into high gear and brings it into Thrash mode, turning it from ambient to aggressive in the blink of an eye. Both 'Monuments Desecration' and the title track are prime examples of this.

But really, is this anything new? Whether it is or not would mean little to me, if at least the album wasn’t so formulated to the point of being able to predict every riff before it even happens. Atmosphere can only do so much. Bleeding Fist may have the ability to create a mood, but really, taken for what they are, these songs are a complete rehash of every early black metal band that ever recorded. They appear so scared to venture from the predictable classic black metal formula, and because of this, their music suffers from unoriginality and stagnant song-writing, just as I suffer from boredom listening to it. [5]

(Andrew Oliver)

Bleeding Fist 

Counterignition 'Spit Or Swallow' review

COUNTERIGNITION

'Spit Or Swallow'

(Self-release)

'Spit or Swallow' is a simple album. Thrash/groove metal that’s either played at break-neck speeds or with back-breaking, heavy grooves, all played with extreme aggression. We have lots of breakdowns, lots of shredding solos, and an abundance of angry growls and violent screams, that are quite similar to Phil Anselmos’s later work in Pantera.

There’s lots of brilliant heaviness and raw aggression here, and it put on a pretty spectacular first impression, but after the first full listen through the album, you realize how familiar it all sounds. Where could I have heard this before? Oh yeah! It’s called 'Vulgar Display of Power', and it came first. Tracks like “Sell Your Soul” have some really heavy, crushing riffs to flaunt, and so do most of the tracks on this album. They’re very effective in getting you pumped and angry, ready to throw a chair through a window, but really, as cool as these songs may be for the first few listens, the lack originality and generic vocals don’t warrant many repeat listens.

However, there are shining moments here, such as “Secret to You…Denied,” which shows the band can really offer some original material if they really tried. In their defence though, this album is probably the best Pantera rip off I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard a lot. There are some really cool, memorable melodies hidden in the album, the solos are kick-ass (to say the least), and it effectively gets you pumped up. It’s not too original, but it’s cool and it’s fun. Not a bad entry in the groove/thrash genre, and I suggest that you get all the enjoyment you can from this album before it inevitably gets put down and forgotten about, because there’s definitely some enjoyment to be had here. [7]

(Andrew Oliver)

Counterignition @ Reverbnation

  

Delta Cepheid 'Entity' review

DELTA CEPHEID

'Entity'

(MDD Records)

Ever feel like listening to something that just blows your mind with its technicality, as well as its extremity? Well, Delta C’s 'Entity' does all that and more! On this release, the band shows off that really crazy technical death metal with wildly sporadic time changes, intense vocals, lots of minor guitar harmonies, and plenty of complex drumming.

Now, as I’m sure you know, this sub-genre of death metal has become very common nowadays. It seems like more and more bands are becoming interested in showing off how much better they can play their instruments than anyone else. What makes Delta Cepheid different from these bands?

Well, for starters, there’s a heavy dose of prog influence here. Take for example, “Singularity”, the intro to “Evolution Part 1,” and the title track, for starters, and you’ll see that these and many more tracks on this album have some very interesting and thought provoking melodic sections, and while it’s true that the band often opts for making their music mind-blowingly complex more often than making it melodic or memorable, they often add interludes, intros, melody lines, soft instrumental passages, and melodic solos to break up the cacophony and bring a little warmth to this cold and very mechanical sub-genre of death metal, and this is what keeps me listening intently.

This cyborg fusion of spastic, complex guitar noodling and heavy riffing with Progressive, free-flowing melody creates harmony in the chaos, and as a result, an interesting listening experience. [7.5]

(Andrew Oliver)

Delta Cepheid 

Amnis Nihili 'Christological Escalation' review

AMNIS NIHILI

'Christological Escalation'

(Avantgarde Music)

Imagine being in an open, looking down at yourself, and watching your sanity slowly slip away before your eyes. Imagine observing, with a sane, conscious mind, your sanity leaving you, and being replaced with madness, paranoia, anger, and fear.

This is the mood that the Greek black metallers, Amnis Nihili, create so brilliantly on their four-track EP, 'Christological Escalation'. Hypnotizing riffs intertwine with moments of extreme aggression a chaotic, spiralling descent into madness. The music displayed here is spellbinding, showcasing swirling, atmospheric riffs swirl around in empty space, always leaving room for something else to fill it.

This EP is a brilliant display of grim despair, agonizing hatred, and hostile fury. A perfect balance, and as a result, we’re given a near-perfect black metal album that is always sure to hypnotize and entrance you for as long as this short recording lasts. [9]

(Andrew Oliver)

Amnis Nihili MySpace 

Abrasive 'The Birth...Born In Sodom' review

ABRASIVE

'The Birth...Born In Sodom'

(MDD records)

Germany’s Abrasive has really done something here. 'The Birth…Born In Sodom' is full of that extremely violent, brutal death metal you can’t help but enjoy. Filled with relentless chugging riffs with that drop-your-guts-to-the-floor kind of heaviness, and, as shown in tracks like 'Stimmulate' and 'Hungry', some of the most gruesome breakdowns you’ll ever hear.

Every song begins like a blunt weapon that bludgeons you to the ground before slicing you open with razorblade riffs and hanging you from a lamp post by your entrails. This is the kind of devastatingly heavy and brutal death metal that just pummels you without mercy.

Every musician handles their instrument very well on this album. Drums are savage and wild, riffs are played with bone-breaking force, the bass throbs chaotically (And audibly!), and the vocals are just the vile, low-growling, hell-vomit you’d want in a brutal death metal band. There are even some solos to be enjoyed! Check out 'Porn Addicted' for an example.

My complaints with this album are small in number, but I’ll state them anyway. First off, the snare drum has that really annoying wood sound that’s becoming more and more popular, and it can be pretty distracting at times. Also, there really isn’t too much that distinguishes one track from another. But on that note, you shouldn’t listen to brutal death metal bands if you crave a lot of song variety. What Abrasive does on this album is brutal death metal done right. This is a great album that I had a lot of fun listening to and reviewing. Check it out! [8]

(Andrew Oliver)

Abrasive 

Impaler (Japan) 'Nightmare Attack' review

IMPALER (Japan) 

'Nightmare Attack'

(MDD Records)

It seems that Japan has become a prime location for cultivating bands in this new thrash resurgence. With great new Thrash bands like Fastkill and Grief of War popping up and making excellent albums, my curiosity was piqued when this album was brought to me for review.

Impaler is Japanese thrash metal band that formed in 2006, and have released only this one debut album, 'Nightmare Attack'. And that’s about all the information I could find about the band from their MySpace page, due to the band’s broken English and my inability to read Japanese. But none of that really matters anyway. What it boils down to is the music itself. So let’s expound on that, shall we?

'Nightmare Attack' is an 11 track album (including intro) with only two tracks exceeding the five minute mark, meaning that this was going to be a wild ride of a thrash album, most likely fitting as many riffs and notes into a 3 minute song as possible. But I wasn’t completely right about this.

The album kicks off with a mediocre, and fairly boring, intro. The riffs are repetitive, and they don’t do much to grab your attention, but seeing as this was only an intro track, I didn’t let this set my expectations for the rest of the album, and I’m glad I didn’t, because Impaler had a lot to bring to the table. The vocals are what got me from the beginning. Shrill, maniacal howls and shrieks erupted from my speakers, and immediately demanded my full attention. This vocal style is very reminiscent of Fastkill’s Toshio Komori. What is it with these new Japanese bands and awesome vocals?

Also, it became apparent that, unlike many new Japanese thrash bands, Impaler had a knack for being able to effectively change up the tempos in their songs. This album has a lot of energy, and is full of wild, fast thrashing, but with lots of mid paced Thrash riffs and powerful grooves, including a crushing breakdown in “I’m Alive,” the pounding bridge in Dozaemon,” and many riffs in “Ash.” Impaler aren’t afraid to get heavy when they need to be, and it’s good to see a thrash band that’s not set to light speed the whole time. 
That being said, Impaler often find themselves riffing at blazing speeds, drums and bass galloping wildly below the savage guitarists, who seem to show a lot of good Vio-Lence influence on this album, such as the rapidly tremolo picked, palm muted, single string riffs in “Dozaemon.” The guitarists definitely hold their own on this album as far as speed, competence, and dynamics, but that being said, there’s really not much going on with this album to make it stand out. The solos are good, but not spectacular, or even memorable. The riffs, and even the songs as a whole, come off as mostly generic thrash with some interesting grooves thrown in. It’s nothing that you wouldn’t expect from any other new thrash band, but this album lacks the creativity and originality of even those. 

Impaler definitely has a talent in switching it up in their songs, being able to switch from wild, savage riffing, to heavy, mid paced thrash grooves, which makes their music more interesting, but ultimately, as you continue to listen to the album, it brings nothing that can really engage you. 

However, while it may not be anything new, this album is fast, fun, high energy thrash metal that can pump you up a few times before you get bored and move on, and while it may be far original, there are shining moments on this album, see “Dozaemon,” and “Junk Brain,” and while moments of real creativity are hard to come by on 'Nightmare Attack', I still found a good bit of enjoyment in its raw energy. [6] 

(Andrew Oliver)

 

Impaler (Jpn) MySpace 

Stillborn 'Los Asesinos del Sur' review

STILLBORN

'Los Asesinos del Sur'

(Ataman Productions / Pagan Records)

Despite the odd pattern of giving Spanish titles to their albums, this being their fourth since the band's inception in 1997, Stillborn do carry quite few elements in their music common to their native Polish peers. Technical prowess, massive production, blast-beats galore and blazing guitar work are all to be found here, resulting in an album that's definitely a grower. Given some time, what on first glance might seem to be hyper-intensity for its own sake, turns out into something more than just this, with quality, Morbid Angel-inspired guitar licks, old school thrash resemblances and some quite commanding,and hateful, vocal attacks. Stillborn have been wise enough to keep their songs concentrated outburst of aggression and death metal menace that doesn't tire easily, and one is convinced to believe those should go rather well in a live setting. Now, when Angel Corpse had gone dormant once again this here band is a serious contender, especially with the support they've secured from Pagan Records (who are distributing this album) and the Godz Ov War booking help. As jaded as we all have become, this is an album worth looking for. [8]

(Vladimir Petrov) 

 

Stillborn