Saturday, February 4, 2012

Maximum Oversatan- Too Evil For Hell


Maximum Oversatan reeks of old school filth. Upon first listen it should be very apparent where this New Jersey duo pulls their influence from. These dudes harken back to speed metal and the earliest days of black metal, an era that not many new bands seem to be gravitating towards. Often echoing Venom's early material (whom they also cover a track from on this demo) but never to the point where it seems like some shitty tribute band. Consisting of three original tracks and two covers the demo gives a nice sample taste of what this band is all about.

The first thing that one will notice when putting on this demo is the raw, throwback sound. Naturally early demos from bands are fairly lofi but if this were to be played with no background knowledge of the band pinpointing a recording date would be an impossible feat. The vocals are delivered by what appears to be a possessed man on the brink of insanity. Little technique is used and it fits perfectly with the stripped down sound Maximum Oversatan churns out. The three original tracks are fairly straightforward and to the point. Sure, at times some of the riffs may seem vaguely familiar but they hit the mark where it counts with this style, delivery. The thrashier moments on these tracks come with a high level of intensity and are sure to whip your neck into a seizure-like frenzy.

Overall Too Evil For Hell is exactly what the name would lead you to believe, a sinister, primitive slab of heavy metal. Satan would be proud but unfortunately he is not evil enough to listen. Given that we only get the chance to hear about ten minutes of original material here it is hard to form too solid of an opinion. I like what I hear though, and if you like the earlier bands that influenced black metal chances are you will find yourself playing this a lot more then once. Give this a listen, thrash around like a barbarian and perform some sort of bloody ritual.

Crypticus/Scaremaker Split CD


Been looking for a split that will pack your shit like no other? Look no further, Selfmadegod has put out a split featuring a double dose of that Razorback attack we all know and love. If you're not already jumping for joy just wait until you press play. If you still haven't changed your mind by the time the monstrous "Baron of the Dark" starts playing then you should break your listening device and give up on music as quickly as possible.

Crypticus kick things off with the punishing "Beauty & Deceased". There isn't much breathing room to be had from this point on so let's hope you packed a studded snorkel. Those familiar with Crypticus won't be surprised with what they hear. This is the typical badassery you expect to have delivered to you when you put on one of their releases. All the tracks on this end of the split have an outstanding flow going for them and it is difficult to play one without following with the others. Crypticus has a nice Swedish vibe going for them but even in the fastest portions of their material things remain catchy and memorable.

Scaremaker is on point as usual. This band has quickly become one of my favorites currently playing this style since they released their Burning Inquisition demo in 2010. Every single track they have put out is worthy of infinite plays and the five they throwdown on this split are no exception. "Demon Slave" might be the best Scaremaker track recorded thus far. It incorporates all the things that make the band great and even shows off a bit of Vanessa's elusive clean vocals within the project. They also dive a bit deeper into death/doom on the crushing "Mansion of the Macabre", which works as a closer for the release. Like most of the bands work the song is insanely catchy. The hypnotic groove grabs hold of your brain and rings it out over the tracks seven minute runtime.

Overall Crypticus and Scaremaker make a great match for this split. There is plenty of variety between the two but it also doesn't just seem like a random pairing of bands. If you don't like your metal raw then it's time to man up and start liking it that way, because if not you're missing out on what might be one of the best splits of the year. It may be a little early to start saying that but, fuck it. Get this, get your shit packed, and don't hold your breath waiting for something this great to come along anytime soon.