Pseudogod 'Deathwomb Catechesis' review

PSEUDOGOD

'Deathwomb Catechesis'

(Hells Headbangers)

Listening to 'Deathwomb Catechesis' from Russia's Pseudogod it's hard to believe it's the bands debut release. Eight songs of bass,guitars heavy with equally heavy,fast pounding drums combined to make a very noisy,angry style and sound. But don't write the band off as just another death metal band as that would be a mistake. Just when you least expect it the band slows down to more controlled mid-paced death/doom style similar to older Incantation or Cianide, then speeds back up to the darkened,heavy style Pseudogod is crafting to perfection. The vocals are just as angry and heavy as the music itself,deep growls that add another layer to Pseudogod's already heavy sound. Fans who enjoy straight forward death metal with touches of old-school mixed in should not miss this album.

(Patrick)

Pseudogod at Hells Headbangers 

Witchtrap 'Vengeance Is My Name' review

WITCHTRAP

'Vengeance Is My Name'

(Hells Headbangers)

After six years of silence the masters of black/thrash'n roll return with a new release for all headbangers to bang their heads to. The band does the hard job of mixing old-school thrash/black metal but also mixes in some mid-paced rock'n roll guitars that are catchy and mixed very well in the bands metal style. The drummer does a good job keeping up with the changing tempos, going from faster beats to the more mid-pace rock styled ones, and the guys are always keeping the music tight and catchy which will keep the riffs,solos and beats in your head long after the CD is shut off. Vocals are old-school gruff,screams that you can understand what is being said. Fans of 1980's thrashy/speed black metal mixed with some rock influence will love Witchtrap and their latest metal gem. 

                                                                                                             (Patrick)

Witchtrap at Hells Headbangers 

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Ritual 'The Resurrection' review

RITUAL

'The Resurrection'

(Funeral Rain Records)

After a long silence the US black metal band Ritual returns with a new release for the fans. Some of you might remember Ritual from their beginnings in the mid 90's ('The Summoning' 1995, 'Demonic Winter Metal' 1997 and 1998's 'Soldiers Under Satan's Command)...well present day,main man Ian Flemming (vocals,all instruments) returns with 'The Resurrection'. Ritual's music is definitely within the black metal genre but Ian is not afraid try and use some really well creative guitar structures to keep the listener's attention and to give each song a life of their own. Musically Ritual stays within the mid-paced almost doomish black metal specter and overall the newest release is a good one of quality black metal. Maybe not the most violent,extreme sounding band out there but still gets the point across.

(Patrick) 

Ritual MySpace 

Profanatica 'Sickened By The Holy Host' review

PROFANATICA

'Sickened By The Holy Host/The Grand Master Session'

(Hells Headbangers)

If you consider yourself a "fan" of raw,dirty and blasphemous black metal you will want to get this new double LP from the masters as soon as possible. This is not a new album from Profanatica but a double12 inch. The first side entitled 'Sickened By The Holy Host' includes 5 new tracks in the grim, Profanatica style at it's finest, among other re-recordings of past classic songs. The second side/part entitled 'The Grand Master Sessions' was originally recorded in 2008. The songs on this release are still grim and filthy but also seem to have a thrashy element within the thin guitars that cut through your speakers and eardrums like sharp knives. Fast drums that pummel your senses and keep your head banging to their rhythm. Truly demonic,sick blackened vocals spew out some of the most blasphemous lyrics ever written. Profanatica have stood the test of time through all the trends and bullshit that infected the black metal scene over the years. Now get this great double LP and hear why!! Mandatory for fans of fans grim, filthy black metal from this legendary band.

(Patrick) 

Profanatica at Hells Headbangers 

Nunslaughter 'Hells Unholy Fire' review

NUNSLAUGHTER

'Hells Unholy Fire'

(Hells Headbangers) 

Damn! Hells Headbangers have been busy this year releasing great,quality metal. This time re-releasing the legendary 'Hells Unholy Fire' originally released in 2000 this was the debut full-length (even though the band has countless bootlegs, EP's, demos etc.) from the band. I would guess most reading this have at least heard one release or one song from these guys but if no? Well then you are missing out! NUNSLAUGHTER embrace and embody all that made death metal great in the first place - mid-paced,heavy guitars with some catchy riffs/solos,drums are equally as catchy going from slower to mid-paced even moving to the fast paced for a few songs. And of course the sick growls. This era of death metal (early/mid 90's) is probably my favorite in the metal scene's history due to the fact that bands didn't try to out play each other with over the top complex,technical riffs or blast a million beats into one song. They just played from the heart and what they loved, not what others were doing or what the labels were pressuring them to. So to end this review before I bore the hell out of everyone - if you are a NUNSLAUGHTER fan you will want this for two reasons : no.1 it has been out of print for many years, and no.2 the label and band were kind enough to add a bonus disk (for the CD version unsure about the LP, sorry) 'An Evening At War Live'. Recommended to metal fanatics!!!

(Patrick) 

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Legions Of Crows 'Stab Me' review

LEGIONS OF CROWS

'Stab Me'

(Funeral Rain Records)

This is a duo that mixes fuzzed out black metal and doom together. Musically the band keep it in the slow to mid-paced doom range. The band does have some faster black metal guitar moments but they are few and far between. The vocals use a lot of effects, which I am not a fan of, trying to create a darker, demonic effect on their voice (I assume) but doesn't really work for this band. In fact I think it hurts, as the music is OK but the vocals totally ruined this release for me. I do respect the band for trying to be creative or whatever but it failed pretty miserably on 'Stab Me'. Hopefully they will try a different approach on the next release.

(Patrick)

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Morta Skuld 'Through The Eyes Of Death' review

MORTA SKULD

'Through The Eyes Of Death'

(Relapse Records)

It was kind of cool to see this show up in my mailbox. As soon as I read the band name it brought up memories of the early 90s death metal scene and me tape trading for Morta Skuld demos and shit. And no, just in case you were wondering as I did, Morta Skuld have not gotten back together (though I hear whispers of some reunion gigs). This is a compilation type release of both of their 1990 demo tapes combined on one disc. An interesting tidbit from the bio for you is the demos were produced by Death’s manager Eric Grief back in the day, he had recently finished working on the 'Spiritual Healing' album. The vocals especially on the second demo even remind me of Death a little bit. I am not sure how much work Relapse did with this as far as possibly remixing and I am sure remastering it. But the sound on here is absolutely fantastic, you can every bit of everything, loud and clear and crushingly heavy. I think people have to remember that these were demo tapes and were recorded in 1990. It was a time when death metal was such a new entity on the scene and kind of still figuring out what it was as a genre to some extent. So the music on here at times is not as intricate and a little less technical than what we are used to with modern extreme death metal bands. I mean in contrast Morta Skuld may even sound a little more doomy and slower paced. But that is what a lot of death metal sounded like back then and I was a huge fan of it. You know what I am still am too, because I enjoyed the hell out of this brutal death metal compilation. You even get a bonus Metal Church cover song that was never released. Morta Skuld had their shit going on as far as I am concerned. I think this is pretty cool Relapse put this out, it shows how big of fans they still are of death metal, as Morta Skuld was not even one of their bands back in the day, as the band released most of their albums on Peaceville Records. Check this out all old school death metal fans, if you missed it the first time around you will not be disappointed!

(Dale Roy)

Morta Skuld Facebook 

Morta Skuld Bandcamp 

Harpoon 'Deception Among Birds' review

HARPOON

'Deception Among Birds'

(Seventh Rule Recordings)

 

Harpoon is a three piece band hailing from Chicago, Illinois. I immediately thought of the band Cavity when I hit play. Though Harpoon are far more polished sounding, more controlled and their use of feedback on the guitars is more subtle than those maniacs. The songs are well crafted and there is actually a lot going on, despite not sounding cluttered. The vocals of Toney Vast-Binder are harsh, pissed off sounding yells with a lot of conviction and energy put into the delivery. The pacing of the music is nice as well, it has some speed at times, but also is painfully slow and grinding sludge drone at other times, creating some nice dynamics and emotion. I was skeptical when I read they used a drum machine, but I must admit this is one of the finest examples of hiding that fact I have come across. 'Deception Among Birds' is the type of album that you will keep finding new nuances you missed previously upon repeated listening. The album is not bogged down in a million time changes or far too busy for its own good. No, Harpoon have really mastered a balance between intricacy and subtlety on here but never forgetting the emotive quality of their music, which is what gives it its real personality. Controlled chaos thinking metal is what I would call it, this is my first experience with the band and I am pretty impressed.

(Dale Roy)

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Entrench 'Inevitable Decay' review

ENTRENCH

'Inevitable Decay'

(Abyss Records)

Entrench from Sweden play violent "classic" thrash metal. The band seems to be influenced mostly by the early German gods of yesterday. The musicians of Entrench have a lot of good musical ideas to keep the music both fresh and memorable while keeping the pure thrash sound and attack alive within Entrench's songs. Chaotic fast guitars that while being played at insane speeds also have some complex structures and solo's that are pulled off flawlessly. It seems their are a lot of thrash metal bands coming out of nowhere in the scene but Entrench have a lot of great ideas added within their thrash that makes this band definitely one to stand out and above the endless sea of others currently flooding the scene. Fans of intense, raging thrash definitely get a hold of Entrench's 'Inevitable Decay' today!!

(Patrick)

Entrench MySpace