Abolishment of Flesh- In the Presence of Darkness

 

Abolishment of Flesh is a death metal band from Texas. The band's first full length under the name Abolishment was much more of a relentlessly brutal affair but they've slowly dialed it back and gotten more into incorporating melody into the fold. Their past dabblings in more brutal territory give this album an interesting flair in it's approach, culminating into a pretty satisfying melting pot of death metal diversity. Some melodic tendencies, an old school semi technical leaning, and tastes of that nasty Texan brutality make for an interesting blend when all wrapped into one package. 

The guitar playing on this album is magnificent. There's plenty of moments scattered throughout featuring breathtaking leads and every solo is masterfully crafted to fit the riffs and grooves that surround them. The songwriting here displays a great deal of talent when it comes to creating beautiful melodies that blend effortlessly with the rhythmic attacks that they bounce back and forth with. The opening track starts right in with this approach which leads into a nice little clean break before transitioning to a pummeling groove that hits the spot. Early on Abolishment is dishing out some stuff that reminds me of mid era Death and that is certainly not a bad thing. 

The track "Behind Deceitful Eyes" uses vocal layering to great effect. Vocally this album is actually fairly diverse. The main approach is a standard growl with some screams mixed in. The layering is used sporadically and there's also some shrieks here and there. The title track has some unexpected cleans thrown in and surprisingly they work quite well and actually pop up on what I would consider a standout track on the album. The aforementioned layering really creates a nice, menacing tone throughout the duration of the record and adds some bite to many moments without going overboard with it. 

When "Self Righteous Regurgitation" hits with it's slam inducing opening riff the album kicks into high gear. Everything becomes a bit more sharp and dangerous for a bit moving forward. Regardless of the level of hostility Abolishment is working at the solos never fail to be masterfully crafted. The title track kicks off with some awesome tapping that paints the picture of one tumbling into a bottomless pit where some beast awaits. An epic simplistic groove follows that allows the events to play out. 

Overall In the Presence of Darkness is a pretty damn solid display of death metal goodies. These guys dish out a nice little smorgasbord of death metal variety proficiently. They nail the Death worship early on and weave in their earlier brutal death metal influences in a cohesive way that really works. Their previous albums were solid in terms of songwriting but the production typically left something to be desired. With this latest effort the murkiness that brought them down in the past has been cleared up. There's enough diversity here that the album should appeal to most death metal fans regardless of their preference when it comes to the details. It also closes out with an absolutely sick cover of a Sepultura classic. JAM IT!!!

Live Burial- Unending Futility

Live Burial is a death metal band from the UK. I nearly skipped this one because the album cover just didn't exactly leap out and scream "awesome death metal" at me, but upon listening I quickly realized what a mistake that would have been. The band features members of Horrified (whose first album I recall enjoying quite a bit) and this is their second full length offering. They manage to dish out that nasty old school sound without getting trapped into the [insert band name here] worship category. From the intro with it's soaring leads followed by a tremolo laced barrage to the near ten minute epic closer "Cemetery Fog" Living Burial are here to flex their death metal muscles and bury any weakling listening alive!

Upon first listen the main thing that stood out immediately was the mix. Everything is balanced out so perfectly here. No instrument is completely dominating and the bass isn't just following the guitar in the same old boring fashion. The two stringed instruments mesh in a way that paints a picture of a dungeon crawling battle that perhaps for the poor fellow on the cover just ended poorly. "The Crypt of Slumbering Madness" truly sounds FUCKING MASSIVE. When this track came on the album really caught my attention. The bass stands out and almost takes the spotlight on this one. Some of the songwriting here is very strong to say the least. The leads that close this track are icing on the metallic cake as well. When the band slows down with their more epic, lethargic approach everything really works to great effect. "Rotting on the Rope" is a great example of Live Burial doing this to near perfection. It's followed up by the beautiful interlude "Winds of Solace". The fretwork here is breathtaking and it works incredibly well with the pacing of the album and it's placement.

The vocals are delivered in a way that really adds to the attention grabbing nature of the album. The playing isn't overly flashy from anyone but definitely has some nice, memorable noodly passages sprinkled in for good measure. As mentioned before the bass really does add a refreshing layer to everything else in the mix and really makes a big stride in making this album stand out from the pack. Everything just comes together in a way that gives "Unending Futility" an insane amount of replay value. It's been in rotation for me for a hot minute now and anytime I find myself going to play a single track I quickly find myself playing the album in full without a second thought. With all the quality stuff that has been dropping lately this statement truly says something about how well put together this project really is.

Overall Unending Futility is a pretty killer death metal album. Upon going back and checking out the first one this is a big step up for my ears. All of the tracks here that break the five minute mark are the cream of the crop. The band does an amazing job creating a foreboding atmosphere with a lingering feeling of dread to top it off. This one comes highly recommended for anyone looking for some good mid paced death metal jams. Don't get me wrong, the album is heavy and has it's fair share of nasty, headbang inducing riffing, but, they also spend a decent chunk of time in a more subdued, crawl of anticipation lurching towards this moments of full-blown badassery. If you plan to be lazy and just skip the album, please at least hit some streaming site and give the opener "Seeping into the Earth" a shot. I feel like anybody with a single death metal loving bone in their body would be hard pressed to not dive a little deeper after hearing that epic slab of metal goodness. Very excited to see what Live Burial comes out of the woodwork next to decimate us. JAM IT!!!

Imperial Savagery- Lashing the Feral Swine

Imperial Savagery is a vicious death metal 4 piece from Chicago, Illinois. The band is chock full of vets in the metal scene and they dropped their debut album back in 2014. The debut was an amazing slab of death metal so upon seeing this released I was stoked to say the least. I got to discover this band at a small fest some years back and they dish out pure mosh inducing madness. Guitarist Flannagan rocks a stinkface that gives the impression that he might just snap his guitar in half and eviscerate some poor audience member at any moment. It's clear when listening that the band had taken that 6 year gap and honed their craft to unleash this somehow even more menacing beast of an album. Clocking in at 27 minutes of all killer no filler Lashing the Feral Swine is everything that most death metal bands wish they could be.

The album comes barreling at you like a freight train of brutality straight out of the gate and doesn't let up in the slightest. The weak will have no luck here... "Churchgate Proclamation" kicks off with a sample that sounds like blades sharpening, a fitting intro as the band quickly assaults with jagged riffing to cut the listener down to size. With most tracks lingering just above of below the 3 minute mark there's absolutely no fat to be trimmed here. The runtime flies by and the riffs come aplenty. It's hard to pick out highlights when an album is damn near flawless like it is in this case. The all out drum attack on "Frozen Ritual of Shame" springs to mind though, which on all fronts sounds like a firing squad dumping lead into your ears. The contorting riffs featured on "From Advent to Casket" are certainly no slouch either. Like many of the greatest albums in the genre this thing feels like it could derail at any moment, spiraling out of control and injuring nearby bystanders. "Claiming Dominion" is a perfect example of this barely controlled chaos at its finest.

The self titled debut was already a monster on it's own but this album expands upon the foundation they'd set and ups the ante in every way imaginable. The vocals are even more ferocious, the riffs are even more tangled and crushing, the drums are just pure insanity through and through. The bass also seems to be a bit louder in the mix, which adds to the brutality of the pummeling tenfold. With all of these elements combined each little contortion of the instruments hits the listener with an adrenaline rush that feels as though some kind of ancient power is coursing through your veins. If I were to punch a wall with "Vengeance Over Virtue" blasting in the background I assure you, the building it was a part of would be rubble in an instant.

Overall Lashing the Feral Swine is a quick demonstration of pure death metal mastery. This year has been pretty solid for metal so far but after a few listens this easily took the number 1 spot for now. I don't think there's a single fan of the genre that could possibly be disappointed in this offering. This thing is even uglier than the debut and it pulls no punches. It's rare to find an album that so perfectly incapsulates a genre pushed to its limits. There is not a single dull moment or wasted note to be found front to back. Highly recommended that anyone out there that enjoys death metal gives this at least one listen and I guarantee you, it will stay in rotation from then on. Kudos to Horror Pain Gore Death for always releasing top notch stuff and giving these guys a launching pad for this attack disguised as music! Weak death metal bands take notes, or catch the lashing like the feral swine you are! JAM IT NOW!

Jumpin' Jesus- The Art of Crucifying

Jumpin' Jesus is a very overlooked German death metal band that formed in 1989, but didn't release anything until the early 90's. With only one demo and one full-length they failed to make a noticeable mark in death metal history, but that's not to say fans of the genre won't enjoy this record. 

When the vocals kick in on "Out of the Unknown" you know you're in for an evil satanic treat. The vocalist pounds his style into your head throughout the record, his vocals aren't anything particular special, but he does have a rather wide range compared to most death metal vocalist from around this time. He mainly sticks to growls and screams, but occasionally a raspy falsetto will find it's way out of his throat, along with some more traditional thrash style vocals. 

The guitar work on the album is noteworthy. It is easy to see that this department was heavily influenced by thrash. There are some fairly complex riffs to be found here, and the distortion is set just right. For the most part the record is played at a break neck pace, but Jumpin' Jesus isn't afraid of slowing down, this is best shown during "The King of Worms" when a fairly slow, epic riff kicks in, it doesn't stay long due to it being interrupted by a face melting solo, but it plays to be one of the most effective riffs on the record, and trust me it has some healthy competition. 

This album is also one of the few death metal records where the bass is audible throughout! Sure, a lot of the time the bass is just backing the guitar but every now and then you'll hear a little jazzy bass going on in the background, when this happens it only boosts the song's level on the metal meter. Without the bass being audible the record may have came off as hollow, but with it there and firing on all cylinders the album has a nice high end, low end ratio. 

The album has some odd effects peppered in. At times it seems as though you are listening to a cheesy 80's synth filled horror movie soundtrack, but these moments are short lived, due to the low end growls intruding and the neck snapping speedy riffs that are tearing the amp to shreds. Along with these odd effect and overtones are some really cool, eerie acoustic intros. Examples of this are "The King of Worms" and "Chaingang", the intros to these songs really create a great atmosphere for the old school chaos that is about to ensue. 

The drumming actually is pretty brutal as well, it isn't just non-stop blastbeats. It definitely isn't the most groundbreaking work either but there are some complex drum patterns to be found in the albums run-time. With all that being said, every single instrument has it's fair share of time to shine. The production is very clear for it's time, which was also noticeable on their demo. 

Bottom line: Go get yourself a neck brace and find this record ASAP. It's a shame this band didn't continue after this record was recorded, it and their demo show boat loads of potential. Any fan of death metal, especially die-hard old school fans must hear this album.

Resurrection- Embalmed Existence

Resurrection was a band that formed in Florida in the early 90's and broke up shorty after releasing their old school death metal opus "Embalmed Existence". This album isn't for everyone, but it will have fans of the old school Florida scene on their knees praying to their overlooked gods. The band reformed in 2008 to release the album "Mistaken for Dead" which also failed to get noticed.

The thing that sticks out most on the album is the wicked vocals and guitar rhythms. Songs introduced by the sinister noises that come out of Paul Degoyler's mouth give the album an overall creepy feel. Resurrection created this album with one thing on their mind, to sicken the weak with some old school crushing death metal, and at that they did not fail. The production on the album is very crisp unlike some older death metal records, this gives the overall sound a great boost which is always a good thing. The guitar parts are fairly varied changing from very fast riffing to slow apocalyptic infectious riffs. The solos on the album kick mutiple asses, ranging from fast and shredding, to slow melodic solos. Both are done skillfully and would be a tear to the eye of a guitarist.

The vocals have a snarl to them, they are not quite the typical death metal growl, if compared to anyone though, it would be Malevolent Creation vocalist Brett Hoffmann. The spoken word introductions work effectively, some do find them quite annoying though due to the fact that they are used on nearly every song. I can see why some would find this tedious but it feels as though it creates the atmosphere for the song. 

The bass for the most part is inaudible, on occasion it leaks it's way into the mix but when this does happen it is brief and nearly unnoticeable, which is a shame because when the bass does creep into songs it sounds sick and would of really added to the album if it stayed throughout. The drumming on the album is also consistent, constant double bass pounds throughout the album, this style of drumming would typically become boring but on this album it is not the case. The constant pulse pounding beat blends all too well with the riffs and atmosphere. 

There really isn't one weak song on the album, none of the songs drag nor does the album as a whole. The only track on the album that has been openly complained about is "War Machine" the KISS cover song. This song gave the album a good change in pace but I don't like it's placement as the last song on the album, it would of been more fitting to put it in the middle, as a kind of break from the blistering thrash influenced death metal riffing, overall it is still a good song though. The majority of the songs do have the same structure, but each individual song manages to remain fresh sounding and entertaining.

The bottom line is if you are in need of death metal with that old school fresh into the 90's feel this is the cure for the itch, the album maintains it's fury and manages to create a fairly punishing sound, but for some reason it failed to be noticed in the death metal scene that Florida had going. While this isn't exactly the most creative album you'll ever hear, it is a damn good one and should be heard by any fan of the genre. Overall I give this album a firm 4.5 out of 5. Coming from a person who is obsessed with death metal as a whole, I can say with pride that this would most easily make it into my top 10 death metal albums of all time. Check it out now.

Scaremaker- What Evil Have They Summoned...

Scaremaker is a three piece that just recently hit the scene. Their first release was a three song demo in cassette form that was only a hint to the horror drenched death metal that their full length would deliver. Given that the band is signed to Razorback Records and that the album comes packaged with a toe tag some might already have a slight idea of what approach Scaremaker takes, but most will be surprised with the depraved sound coming from their speakers. 

First things first this record is some of the most evil sounding death metal that comes to mind in recent years. The band has a straightforward old school death metal sound that many bands have tried to capture and failed. Let them be tortured by their envy, this would please the beast known as the Scaremaker. What Evil Have They Summoned... features a fair amount of variation for a band with their "straight to the jugular" style. The tempos vary throughout and the riffing is always memorable. Backed with one of the most consistent drummers in the business there is no excuse to make avoiding this album acceptable.

The guitar tone has a mean crunchy sound that meshes flawlessly with the overall sound. Many of the riffs pumped out create an epic feel, this can be easily seen on tracks like "Nocturnal Bloodbath". There is a good amount of diversity in the playing as well, on the instrumental "Fatal Eve" an atmospheric riff creeps along in a slow and almost relaxing manner. Also the bass intro to "Nocturnal Bloodbath" is excellent. It works as a solid build up to the killer riff-fest that ensues shortly after. The vocal delivery shall leave anyone who dares to listen in a pool of their own blood. The use of dual vocalists is executed perfectly. Anyone who says Arch Enemy's vocalist is the best harsh female pipes around needs to give Scaremaker a listen, the music is proof enough. The sickening lows and wretched highs mix well with the tortured sound Scaremaker throws down. On top of all that clean vocals are used on the cover of "Devil's Son", and as to be expected they slay just as much as the rest of the album it closes out. The cover track shows that if the band decided to explore more punk oriented styling that they wouldn't have to much trouble getting comfortable.

Elektrokutioner is behind the kit for this band and that is always a good sign. He is known for his work with Festered and Decrepitaph (both signed to Razorback as well). He playing displayed on this album is just as top notch as all of his other work and he continues to show his talent as one of the most underrated drummers in extreme music today. Just when you think his precise pummeling has ended it starts back up again and proceeds without mercy. 

Overall Scaremaker brings what they intended and they bring it with full force. Armed with the sinister sound they have this band could really go places. The bottom line is Scaremaker is a band that metalheads in general should keep an eye out for. The album doesn't produce one dull moment from start to finish. They without a doubt, show some of the greatest potential out of the many bands that are trying to resurrect the old school death metal sound, hell if more bands of this quality step up to the plate this year might be one of the best for extreme music in quite some time.

Imperial Savagery- Imperial Savagery

Imperial Savagery is a nasty death metal band hailing from Chicago, Illinois. The members are no stranger to the genre given their past experience in bands like CorpseVomit, Lividity, Enmortem, and that is just scratching the surface. Not to mention a few of the members also being involved in the stellar aural onslaught that is Sons of Famine. This is one hell of a debut to say the least, it clocks in at under thirty minutes and packs more of a punch than some bands manage in their entire discography. 

The hellish opening sounds featured on "Faithless Emptiness" sum up the descent the listener is in for perfectly. The instrumental aspect of the album feels as though it could completely derail at any point and it truly gives the entire listening experience a disorienting vibe and a constant anticipation of how the band will strike next. This is something that very few death metal acts of today can pull off without it coming out sounding forced. Dalzell's vocal delivery is insanely powerful and meshes all too well with the musical assault. The level of hatred coming from the man's vocal chords cannot be ignored.  Each member plays their part equally in making Imperial Savagery the untamable beast that it is. 

Although only two out of ten tracks break past the three minute mark they all play out to their full potential. The band wastes no time on filler and within the first thirty seconds of each song you're already feeling bludgeoned beyond the point of repair. The riffs delivered from start to finish are jarring and couldn't be crafted anymore skillfully to drive home the lyrical content. Rhythmically as a whole the album is nothing short of whiplash inducing. It delves into a level of extremity that is seldom seen and doesn't give even the slightest hint of letting up throughout the entire runtime.

Overall Imperial Savagery's debut is a superb chunk of no bullshit, blasphemous death metal. These guys deserve so much more attention than they've garnered since this albums release in 2014. From start to finish this album is going to have your headbanging harder than it has ever banged before. I highly recommend anyone into extreme metal in general to give this a spin. I'd say there's a pretty strong chance that most of you will be hooked the way I am. This is without a doubt a band to keep an eye on. Also if you get a chance to catch them live don't miss it. On stage these vets were even more crushing. DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD? IF SO YOU WILL NOT FOR LONG!

Sporadic Slaughter- Thoughts on Our Significance

Sporadic Slaughter is a death metal band from the UK that formed back in 2004. This band may be young but they are armed with a solid production job and the ability to write a damn good song. This alone will take them places if they make the right moves. While listening it is by no means difficult to envision these guys rising up and slaying the majority of the competition. The main thing that jumps out upon first listen is the variety. These guys manage to dish out a whole smorgasbord of death metal stylings in an 11 minute burst. Anybody with the ability to grasp an instrument can attempt this but not many succeed. At any rate it is evident when listening that Sporadic Slaughter took the time to go about mastering these stylistic shifts enough to make them cohesive. This factor alone is very impressive and has been the driving force that has kept me coming back.

The guitar playing throughout is excellent. The band maneuvers through tremolo sections, groove filled moments and fairly chaotic explosions with ease. Even with multiple of these major transitions throughout there is never even the slightest drop in momentum. The vocal approach here is pretty standard. There's the typical bellowing low and also some raspy, tortured shrieks. Nothing too special but they are delivered in a way that will keep the listener interested for the brief runtime. The lyrical themes may be a surprise to some (considering the band name). Science, space and religion are discussed on Thoughts on Our Significance. While the lyrics are fairly thought provoking for the most part the anti-religious anthem Devolution of Consciousness caught my attention the most. I tend to find scathing religion to be a bit of a tired theme in metal, but Sporadic Slaughter actually managed to write up something that didn't come across as a pointless rehash of what we've heard from countless other metal bands.

Overall Sporadic Slaughter has brought a more than worthy EP to the table. The well thought out song structures and writing in general puts this a step above the typical bands sporting this sort of sound. It does seem that they still have some work to do in terms of finding their own sound, with that being said it doesn't prevent this EP from packing one hell of a punch. Although the band does have a slightly more modern approach it is clear that they have some roots in the old school. Recommended for all fans of death metal. It's only 11 minutes, what's there to lose?

The Gardnerz- It All Fades

The Gardnerz are back for their follow-up to The System of Nature. An album I reviewed with much praise. This time around the release is in EP format. Fortunately for all of you fans it still clocks in at a healthy 35 minutes. It is clear when listening to It All Fades that The Gardnerz are no "one trick pony". These guys all have chops with both their instruments and writing abilities.

As mentioned in my previous review for the band's full-length, for a melodic death metal band these guys sure know how to churn out some kick-ass riffs. It All Fades is no different. If anything this aspect of the band has grown. Every single riff on this release sticks with you immediately after hearing it. I also see some influence of Death possibly leaking through in some of the playing here. One of the best moments on this thing would have to be when the opening track "Don't Look Back" slows down and goes into some clean vocals. This moment just builds and builds until eventually we break back into the fast paced riffing featured at the beginning of the track.

Each track on this release is really like a journey. The EP is almost impossible to not listen to as a whole. It all comes together very nicely and flows with a vast amount of perfection. Not one track here is skippable. It seems as though the clean moments heard on The System of Nature have been added a bit more often on this EP. That being said the heavy moments have gotten much more intense and I really believe the band has found the perfect balance of all of their elements on this release.

While I hate to dedicate an entire paragraph to a cover song I really think the cover on here deserves it. The Gardnerz rendition of the Darkthrone classic Transilvanian Hunger is simply astounding. The track features beautiful female vocals throughout, not a single harsh vocal is used. The instrumental has a very clean, full sound going for it. It is amazing how The Gardnerz completely changed the overall sound of the song, but even with that fact, this very clean, beautiful version of the song still manages to hold the same atmosphere of the Darkthrone track. It's an amazing feat and a very mind-blowing listen. When I first saw the tracklist I was worried about how this would come out. Upon listening that worry is completely gone and this has become my favorite track on the album, and possibly my favorite cover song of all time.

Overall It All Fades is an amazing effort from The Gardnerz. I thought The System of Nature would be an extremely hard release to follow-up, but they really outdid themselves with this one. Needless to say if you are a fan of the previous album pick this up. Also highly recommended to fans of death/doom metal. This release is truly the definition of what I want out of a release of this nature and it is very good to see The Gardnerz always taking steps in the right direction.

Cognitive- The Horrid Swarm EP

Some may remember the review posted for Cognitive's 2011 Demo about a year ago. This was a demo that I was quite fond so it is only natural that I was pretty excited when I found out that The Horrid Swarm EP was finished. All three songs from the demo are used here and two new tracks are also used. The release clocks in at a short and sweet 15 minutes. By the time the last track finishes you'll find yourself quickly reaching for the replay button.

The EP kicks off with the extremely hard hitting track "In the Form of a Drone" (formally titled "Separation Anxiety"). The track bounces back and forth between fast paced riffing and snappy pulverizing sections that could easily throw any group of nearby metalheads into a frenzy. Cognitive pulls these transition off with an incredible amount of ease. This is one of the main things I enjoyed about the demo and it is good to see that skill is still being exercised throughout The Horrid Swarm. It's astounding how quickly a track can go from a jarring amount of heaviness and then just switch so seamlessly to something so crisp with an almost uplifting atmosphere. The demo tracks fit on this release perfectly and really mesh nicely with the new material we are hearing.

On tracks like "Falling Skies" and "Numbered and Slaughtered" the bass is used as a dominant instrument. It really adds to the impact of each note played. The bass is very clearly audible throughout the entire runtime but on these two tracks it really shines through the most. The solos are absolutely amazing. Which is something I've come to expect from the band.

Overall Cognitive's- The Horrid Swarm is yet another step in the right direction. Two out of two isn't bad. This release will definitely be enough to tide me over until the next one. As I said in my previous review Cognitive really has a knack for cramming a slew of great things into a very small period of time. This EP is another example of that. Fans of extreme metal in general should check this release out. It is hard to put this band in a box due to their versatility. If you like heavy, abrasive music that is not dumbed down than odds are you will find plenty that you will dig here.

Deathcult- Demo

Deathcult is a four piece death metal band from Chicago. The band harnesses that old school sound we all know and love but manages to avoid being lumped in with all the bands currently taking on the style. The demo clocks in at a brief eight minutes but within that time Deathcult gives a decent idea of what they're all about. They are a step ahead of most bands and are churning out tracks with unlimited replay value while still in the early demo stages.

The demo kicks off with what may possibly be the most infectious death metal tune of all time. "Born to Lose" is chalk full of catchy riffs and is an anthem in pretty much every sense of the word. The other track "Mutant Generation" is no different, which brings us back to the replay value. It isn't difficult to play this release over and over again on repeat for an hour. The tracks hold up and I can't see myself getting burnt out on them anytime soon. The vocal delivery here is definitely one of the highlights. Rather than going with the frequently used guttural a more old school raw approach is used. This is nothing new obviously but they are spit out in a vicious, evil manner. The lyrics are also extremely easy to decipher which is all the more reason to chant along.

Overall these two tracks are near perfect all around. If this is any indication of what's to come from the band then their upcoming debut topping album of the year lists wouldn't seem too farfetched. One could complain about the length but with how solid these two tracks are you'd have to be a brainless mouthbreather to even think of complaining. Until the full-length is released this disc is guaranteed to stay in heavy rotation. Any fan of death metal would be doing themselves a major favor by giving this a listen and keeping an eye out for Deathcult's future endeavors.

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.

Interview with Wilhelm Lindh (The Gardnerz)

The Gardnerz just recently had their debut full-length The System of Nature released via Abyss Records. The album definitely makes The Gardnerz a standout act in a style that is all too often filled with dull, uninspired music. Here we talk to guitarist Wilhem Lindh about the album, the history of the band, and what the future holds.

 Foul Feast: Tell us a little about how The Gardnerz came about.

Wilhelm Lindh: It all started in the summer of 2008 when I came home from a stint in Florida where I had been studying for a semester. Since I had not played guitar seriously for six months, I had to get the poison out. I got in contact with and old girlfriend about starting a band playing something similar to old katatonia but with a more death metal touch. The idea was to have female vocals but that didn't pan out. And after searching for about a year for another female vocalist I gave up that idea and went with a dude. And since then I have had some different members. But since I joined forces with Francisco Martín on bass and Niclas Ankarbranth on vocals I have had a solid foundation. The drummer situation has been the tricky part, on the system of nature Joan Pablo Donoso played session drums and now we are working with Vedran Bencic as our new drummer.

FF: I'm sure you get this often, but what is the meaning behind the band name?

Wilhelm Lindh: You are correct, that question arises often, but that is sort of the point. The main idea came from pre Socratic philosopher Epicurus, who talked about how all you need to be happy in life is a garden, some good friends and simple food. He also talked about how it is virtue to live a simple life. He was a very interesting guy. So from him I got "The Gardeners", but I thought that sounded a bit prententious and also there were many bands with that name. And also if you googled it you got something like 9 million hits. So I dropped on e and changed the s for a z for good measure. We have gotten a lot of shit for the z but I like it, it is a reminder that you shouldn't take everything to seriously. I guess I should point out that the z is taken from Swedish dance music, think mellow country music with really cheesy lyrics. In those bands it is commonplace to replace the s with a z.  Take a listen to this kick ass band http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGGum5OP_zo&feature=related!

FF: The album was mixed by Dan Swanö, how did you guys get into contact with him?

Wilhelm Lindh: Actually the album was mastered by Mr. Swanö. our bass player Francisco had been in contact with him for some reason that I don't remember but he had asked if it would be possible for him to master the album, and he said yes. So I emailed him and set it up. I must say that it was a real pleasure to work with him, he did it really fast and the result was killer.  

FF: When did writing for The System of Nature begin?

Wilhelm Lindh: It started in the summer of 2008, that was how I started the band, just writing songs. My idea was to do a demo in the fall of 2008, but since I didn't have the members I just kept writing. When Francisco joined the band he insisted that we should do a full length album instead of a demo. So that is what we did.  

FF: Did the writing process seem to flow naturally?

Wilhelm Lindh: Yeah I think so, with this band my idea was to do whatever came to my mind. Since I have always felt a bit limited in my previous bands, having had members who not wanted to do the same thing as I or had the ability to play some of my riffs. So just having myself in the band while I wrote most of these songs, I could do precisely what I wanted. And I wrote a few riffs to as exercises, writing stuff I couldn't play so I had to practice and get better. And now with the guys I have in the band I can continue doing it since I know that they can handle whatever I throw at them.

FF: How did your deal with Abyss Records come about?

Wilhelm Lindh: Dan from Abyss records wrote me after finding us on myspace. We were talking with him and another label and we decided to go with Abyss since they had better distros and such. Dan is a really great guy as well so I'm glad we went with Abyss.

FF: The sound displayed on your debut manages to maintain an aggressive feel that is typically lost when blending death metal with doom. Was this something you set out to do or did it just come naturally?

Wilhelm Lindh: Well as I wrote earlier the idea was to mix our style with female vocals, since in my mind most metal bands that have a female as a vocalist have a tendency to be really polished and kind of lame (as for most music these days). I felt that I wanted to do something dirtier, and when I had to give up that idea and go with a male vocalist (not that I'm disappointed about it, Nicke is a amazing singer and a great dude) I just kept it the same way. So Answer your question I would say it was a natural thing.

FF: What influences you most musically?

Wilhelm Lindh: As for bands the top bands are Katatonia, Bolt Thrower, Acheron, Broken Hope, Death, old Nile. I wanted to do slow and heavy stuff but to try to not do it the same as most people do it, you know a few slow power chords and the just riding those chords. I like allot of brutal bands but I have always prefer when the drumming is more down tempo. So I wanted to have some fast riffs but with a more groove oriented and doomy tempo on the drums.

FF: re there any reoccuring lyrical themes on the album?

Wilhelm Lindh: There are a few songs that are antireligious, and the rest are me venting various things that annoy me or that I think should be more talked about. We have songs about: our consumption crazed society, Sweden's sordid part in the field of racial biology, tabloid journalism.

FF: Do all of the members of The Gardnerz have previous experience in metal bands?

Wilhelm Lindh: Yes we have all played in a few metal bands, we are in or have been in Toxodeth, Tristitia, Kanatran, Vandöd, Pandemonium, Insomnis, Savage Harmony. There are more to mention, but my memory lets me down.

FF: Are there any tracks on The System of Nature that stick out to you the most?

Wilhelm Lindh: The first one I wrote was The art of suffering, so that one for sure, I also really like how that one came together, I think everyone added some killer stuff to it. Maybe it's time also turned out really good, good mix of harmony and brutality. Confusion as well, I really like the vocals on that one, and my clean guitar solo is one of my highlights.

FF: How has the album been recieved thus far?

Wilhelm Lindh: It has mainly gotten good responses, allot of people has given it really good feedback. And since we have got it officially released is a big pat on the back for me.  

FF: Do you guys gig often?

Wilhelm Lindh: We have never played live with this band. Since we didn't have a drummer for a long time we couldn't play live. But now when we have Vedran we are trying to set up some shows, but that is not the easiest thing to do. But hopefully we will do some shows next year.

FF: Has there been any thought put into the next release yet?

Wilhelm Lindh: Yes we are planning to put out a ep next year, we have ten songs written but we thought it would be better to do an ep. And the new songs are keeping with the same style as for the system, some might be bit slower and longer but, if you liked the system you will like the new songs as well.

FF: Any final thoughts?

Wilhelm Lindh: Thanks for this interview! And for those of you who haven't heard us head over to www.thegardnerz.com were you can listen to the entire album.
Cheers
Wilhelm

Resurgency/Desolator split

This split brings two up and coming old school death metal bands together courtesy of Hellthrasher Productions. Desolator and Resurgency are both in their early stages and have yet to release full-lengths. Both bands play old school death metal but it is evident that they aren't just carbon copies of one another. This split is a superb testament to the fact that the old school is still alive and kicking. Clocking in at just over thirty minutes this gives the audience just enough of a taste to have them eagerly awaiting more.

First up is Resurgency, from Athens, Greece. Their side consists of the four tracks from their debut demo Dark Revival. Influences from bands like Resurrection, Morbid Angel, and Malevolent Creation can be spotted upon first listen. While these influences may be easy to spot at times Resurgency still have a few little quirks that set them apart from the pack. These guys cater a bit more to the catchy side of things as opposed to the band joining them on this album. Riffs featured on tracks like "Psychosis" give the vibe that an impending doom is about to be thrust down upon you. During Resurgency's four tracks there are a few solos thrown into the mix. These prove to be simple but effective to say the least. The bass is pretty dominant here, creating a decent balance between a chunky and thin sound. The production here also seems to be a tad cleaner than Desolator's.

Next up is Desolator hailing from Sweden. Their end of the split completely consists of new material, and it's great to hear that these guys have improved since Gravefeast. Their section starts off with a spoken word intro that is sort of reminscent of something you would hear on Embalmed Existence. Definitely a sinister way to kick off the slab of death metal that is about to tear you to pieces. Right when "Mass Human Pyre" kicks off this much becomes evident, Desolator are in top form and have really locked in their sound. Armed with the filthy Swedish guitar tone and riffs that will never leave your memory these guys certainly brought their A game. Everything Desolator puts out has this ancient atmosphere going for it, and it just simply works. All the way down to the killer bass section in "Feeding Frenzy" these guys show their solid songwriting ability from start to finish.

Overall this split is everything one would want it to be. Old school death metal done right, no frills, just an all around memorable effort from both bands. Going into this split I had high expectations for the Desolator side. Those expectations were met and then some. Gravefeast was one of the best demos of 2010 without a doubt and hearing a follow-up just as strong is promising. This also put Resurgency on my radar and has me kicking myself for not checking out their material sooner. Keep an eye out for both of these bands because they certainly have the potential to put out some excellent material in the near future. Fans of death metal should make this a mandatory listen.

Various Artists- Rebellious Damnation Theories Compilation

Rebellious Damnation Theories is an online exclusive compilation featuring many bands from extreme metal/punk scenes all over the world. Featuring twenty five artists of various styles you are sure to find something here to your liking. All of this is packed into just over an hour of what will be new territory for most metalheads. Like all compilations there are a few duds here, or just tracks that simply don't sit right, but the final product still brings quite a few mosh worthy moments.

The compilation opens up with the monstrous Jugga from Nepal. Their track "Vultures Will Feed" proves to be the perfect way to open the compilation. It comes in, beats the listener down and flees from the scene of the crime. There are plenty of excellent tracks to be found here. One example would definitely be Dementia from Pakistan, a band that plays a healthy blend of thrash/groove metal. These guys have a very professional sound going for them and have fairly developed writing skills. Not long after Dementia's track you have the polar opposite Bvlghvm. Also hailing from Pakistan these dudes pack one heavy as hell punch with their brand of filthy, hate-filled sludge. There are also a few familiar faces to the website that we have covered before. Bands like Sledgehammer Autopsy, Death Inquisition, and Foreskin hold their own up against all the other bands crammed onto this thing.

Naturally, given the fact that the bands are from completely different regions of the world and have completely different recording situations, the sound quality varies a great deal from track to track. This may throw some listeners off but after taking some time to get used to it you adjust and it is barely noticeable. Unfortunately the production value of bands like Chillar Killer and Masturbate take most of the impact out of their music. Playing goregrind with such a flat sound just doesn't workout well, it lacks the punchy tone that this style of music thrives for. Due to this little problem a few tracks towards the middle sort of slow down the pace of the comp.

Overall Rebellious Damnation Theories is sure to introduce anyone who listens to some solid, new bands. These compilation covers touches all the major extreme subgenres. Death, thrash, black metal, crust, sludge, crossover, hardcore, groove, it's all here at one point of another. Definitely worth getting if you're a fan of metal or punk in general. There is a gigantic slew of bands out there just waiting to be heard, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Gardnerz- The System of Nature

The Gardnerz is a four piece death/doom band from Sweden. All four members have pretty solid backgrounds in the extreme metal scene. The group formed back in 2008 but this marks their first release together. The first thing about The Gardnerz that will grab your attention is their ability to incorporate doom elements but still pack a mean death metal bite. Many bands playing death/doom these days lose that impact and most of the time it makes for a dull, uninspired sounding record. Luckily that isn't the case on The System of Nature. This clocks in at one hour and has you on the edge of your seat for every second of it. Not a dull moment is in attendance, even with the lengthy playtime it still manages to leave you wanting more.

The sheer amount of amazing riffs on this release is astounding to say the least. Enchanting melodies are abundant and hard hitting riffs run rampant on every track. Tracks change direction out of the blue in a very cohesive manner making for an absolutely enthralling listen. The writing is very strong throughout and the structures vary a great deal, rather than just switching things up the same way every track in a desperate attempt to sound "edgy". Occasional "softer" moments like the intro to "Incident" really do an excellent job at spicing up the flow of the album. Said clean moments mesh with the distortion quite nicely, and during the few moments where the two clash amazing things occur (see "Confusion").

The vocal approach used on this album is much more menacing than what you'd normally hear from the average death/doom band. Ranging from gutturals to sinister screams there is a decent enough variety to keep things interesting. The production is very polished and even. On most occasions squeaky clean production bugs me but on The System of Nature it fits the sound like a glove. Having a big name like Dan Swanö handling the mastering on the album certainly isn't a con either.

Overall The Gardnerz are playing a brand of death/doom that will even appeal to those who aren't typically fans of the genre. The System of Nature is an extremely successful debut. In fact, it is possibly the best debut of the year. There is an endless amount of memorable moments to be found here and the replay value is beyond through the roof. Sure to be found somewhere on most top 20 of 2011 lists this is certainly an album you're not going to want to miss. The Gardnerz has definitely set the bar high, it will be interesting to see what their next move will be. Get.

Interview with Dave Gregor (Morta Skuld, 9MM Solution)

We are pleased to post our latest interview with Dave Gregor, former vocalist/guitarist of death metal veterans Morta Skuld! After a long period of inactivity Morta Skuld have released a compilation of their demos through Relapse Records and Gregor is looking to get back into the heavy side of music. In this interview we discuss a little of Morta Skuld's history, the demo compilation, and what Gregor's future holds in terms of music.

Foul Feast: How did you guys get into talks with Relapse about the compilation?

Dave Gregor: Well we didn't, my lawyer (Eric Greif)  was at Relapse and mentioned what we were doing and they agreed to release it.

FF: With the recent compilation getting some attention is there any chance we may see a new Morta Skuld tour or possibly new material?

Gregor: Right now it's early in the game and we really can't say. We all have commitments and jobs, it's not easy to leave a job that pays your rent and bills and child support or home payments. I'd like to see some new material and J and I have been talking about  using some songs we wrote that were never recorded, but again too early to tell.

FF: When you guys were putting out these original demos were there many other extreme metal bands or any kind of scene to speak of in the Milwaukee area?

Gregor: Oh hell yeah, the scene had some great local acts tearing it up. We all felt that something cool was happening and that we might be part of something big so to speak, in our local area.

FF: What caused Morta Skuld to quit putting out material after Surface?

Gregor: We went on the road to support that record and are drummer at the time was having his first kid and his first home. And after our opening night for Slayer we went to FL and when we got there, he got sick and just slept, we took him to the hospital and got him good and full of liquids and he just refused to play. Even two songs and he just wouldn't do it. We came home lost label and everything. We still wrote after that in hopes of bouncing back.

FF: Was there any Morta Skuld material written post Surface that never got released?

Gregor: Yeah about 3-4 songs and they were geared with a Morbid Angel type of  sound.

FF: How do you feel about the current state of metal? Do you think the scene is stronger than it was in the early/mid 90's or do you feel it has been cheapened by the Internet?

Gregor: I think it is at it's  weakest form, it's not about the music at all and the business could care less about the bands and their evolution. How can they continue and make good music and sustain the way of life to bring new music to life. I don't feel the Internet is the issue, it's people, they know to not steal music or to buy it.

FF: You recently put out a great video for the track "Prolong the Agony". Was this the first video ever done for a Morta Skuld track?

Gregor: Yes it was and after 21 years of the song being out too, I didn't really know what to do, I have been a guitar player in 9mm Solution for the last 8 years, so it was strange and now that I know the song again I wish the whole band could have filmed with me. But at that time there wasn't a line up at all.

FF: Were the demo recordings cleaned up at all for the compilation?

Gregor: Indeed they were, Jef cleaned up and we just re-mastered the rest. But I feel the original demo's still sounded good. But the outcome does sound a lot better.

FF: Is 9MM Solution still active?

Gregor: I'm sad to say no, the band broke up after a festival show in our home town. We had put out two albums and did a tour. Just like MS we took each other for granted and let the differences get between us.

FF: What can we expect to see musically from you in the future?

Gregor: I'm not sure but it will be heavy that is for sure, maybe some new MS stuff, and if 9mm ever would happen again that would be fine by me. However I'm finding my way home with the MS project.

FF: Any final thoughts?

Gregor: For sure, please support your bands go by there Cd's and go to the shows, we didn't build this by itself or ourselves, it was and always will be the FANS, thank you for this interview and go buy the album people, Cheers.

Living With Disfigurement- Thrill To The Terror Of Death

Living In Disfigurement is a three piece death metal band from Britain. They classify their music as "sickening old school gore metal" which proves to be a pretty fitting term to say the least. This is the bands first release since their debut demo in 2006. Clocking in at just under twenty minutes it still only offers up a small taste of what Living With Disfigurement is all about, but it is enough to get the point across.

You know you're in for a good time when you pop in a CD and the first thing you hear is a clip from a Hershell Gordon Lewis flick. The Wizard Of Gore sample kicks off "The Dissemination Of Human Suffering", a track that features lyrics that confront our vicious obsession with violence. Apparently Living With Disfigurement is catering to what the people want because the rest of the lyrics are drenched in gory detail.

The guitar playing on the album is solid throughout. Catchy tremolo picked riffs run thick along with the company of plenty infectious grooves. Each track features a solo that is crafted with a certain level of fret mastery that leads me to believe Spengler is a perfectionist. Also fitting in miraculously with the songs these solos prove to be one of the highlights of the EP. The band does an excellent job blending the old school vibe with their own modern twist. The pace tends to change quite a bit on each track. While a good portion of the time they are blazing a trail in your ear canal they will occasional slow things down and show some off some of their Autopsy influence.

The bass is audible the entire duration of the record. For the most part it just follows along with the guitar parts. Nonetheless it thickens up the sound a great deal. On "Grotesque Side Effects" it plays a vital role and hits particularly hard, easily making it the heaviest track of the bunch. The vocals alternate between shrill highs and bellowing gutturals. Throughout the short length of this release a healthy amount of both styles is used. The way they are delivered is very reminiscent of something you'd expect from Exhumed. The vocals fit perfectly with the music Living With Disfigurement is churning out.

Overall Living With Disfigurement have captured a sound that is impossible not to dig. It may be fairly simple but it is delivered in a way that keeps you coming back for more again and again. Due to the fact that Thrill To The Terror Of Death is only eighteen minutes long it definitely leaves you with your mouth watering, begging for more. Fans of Exhumed, Carcass, and bands alike will dig this without a doubt. Living With Disfigurement isn't reinventing the wheel by any means, but they're using the old one and rolling over the competition with it. This EP will do a good job tiding you over until Living With Disfigurement drop their next slab of greatness. Get it.

Xenomorph- Empyreal Regimes Discography

Xenomorph is a technical death metal band from Nebraska. They formed back in 1990 and released a demo and one full-length within their five years together. Sadly there discography only consists of an hour of material, but with that being said the stuff they recorded was, and still is, amazing. Named after the creature from the Alien series and sporting that very same creature on the album cover Empyreal Regimes is proof that astounding metal gems can be found in the most unexpected places.

The tracks on Empyreal Regimes are longer winded than your average death metal track, easily breaking six minutes the majority of the time. Xenomorph has a decent amount of technicality going for them, at times resembling a more controlled version of Disincarnate. The song structures vary greatly on each track and it helps the album maintain an element of surprise throughout. The sheer amount of twists and turns they managed to fit in such a short amount of time is stunning. For example "Subspecies" is trotting along sounding like a typical death metal track and then about four minutes in all hell breaks loose in a chaotic display of awesome drum patterns and odd timing.

The vocalist sticks to one style for the most part. He barks out his wicked snarl and it simply fits perfectly with the atmosphere of the album. The drumming is fairly intricate just like everything else on the album. Sections similar to the previously mentioned moment on "Subspecies" are enough to leave the listener in awe. Switching up tempos very frequently there is no time to get bored with any aspect of this release.

Also featured on this disc is the bands 1993 demo titled Subspecies. It consists of three tracks featuring a younger and slightly less mature sounding Xenomorph. The production on these tracks is very raw as to be expected with a demo from that era. Even on these tracks there is an extreme sense of variety. It just doesn't go on as seamlessly as the material that was including on Empyreal Regime. Even with these minor flaws the band still sounds leaps and bounds better than many bands did in their demo era.

Overall Xenomorph's discography may only be made up of ten tracks, but this is ten tracks of some of the best death metal being churned out at that time. Easily rivaling many of the bands we consider "classic". Luckily their material is finally being made readily available and this chunk of Omaha made metal won't just fade into obscurity. Fans of old school and technical death metal will enjoy this due to the fact that it puts most of the competition to shame. It is one of the few albums that manages to maintain the old school sound while incorporating a great deal of technicality. It is a shame the band didn't release anything after their first full-length, they were certainly doing an amazing job mastering the style. Get it now.

Rebellious Damnation Theories- Free Online Compilation Download

DOWNLOAD: GET IT

Compilation featuring Crust, Grind, Thrash, Crossover, Hardcore, Sludge, Death/Black bands from the subcontinent and other areas (Indonesia, USA, etc). Releasing on Friday. Features the following bands:

Jugaa - Nepali Hardcore/Metalcore (https://www.facebook.com/jugaahc)

Bonecrushing Unity - Pakistani Hardcore/Crossover

Sangharsha - Nepali Hardcore/Metalcore (https://www.facebook.com/shoutatsangharsa)

Moron Crew - Indonesian Hardcore (https://www.facebook.com/moron.bhc)

Foreskin - Pakistani Hardcore/Crossover Thrash (https://www.facebook.com/foreskinband)

Pataca - Bulgarian Death/Thrash Metal (https://www.facebook.com/pages/PATACA/161422916730)

Dementia - Pakistani Thrash (https://www.facebook.com/dementiapk)

Tormentstorm - US Thrash Metal (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tormentstorm/108669639241457)

Nuclear Winter - Bangladeshi Crossover/Thrash (https://www.facebook.com/NuclearWinterBD)

Hedorah - US Sludge/Death (https://www.facebook.com/Hedorah)

Mysois - Pakistani Sludge/Doom (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Myosis/181688655204576)

Bvlghvm - Pakistani Sludge

Bruxism - US Grindcore (https://www.facebook.com/bruxismbs)

Abusive Father - US Grindcore (https://www.facebook.com/AbusiveFatherGrind)

Chillar Killer - Pakistani Noise/Grind

Ha5h on Death Drive - Pakistani Grindcore

Masturbate - Pakistani Goregrind

Gorified - Indian Goregrind/Death Metal (https://www.facebook.com/pages/GORIFIED/187325001570)

Multinational Corporations - Pakistani Death/Grind (https://www.facebook.com/multinationalcorporationspakistan)

Unholy Sermon - Sri Lankan Black/Death (https://www.facebook.com/unholysermon)

Necroticon - Pakistani Death Metal

Sledgehammer Autopsy - US Death Metal (https://www.facebook.com/Sledgehammer.Autopsy)

-------LIVE TRACKS--------

Death Inquisition - US Thrash Metal (https://www.facebook.com/deathinquisition)

Takatak - Pakistani Metalcore (https://www.facebook.com/IzTakatak)

Inside 2 Stoopid Triangles - Nepali Punk/Hardcore (https://www.facebook.com/inside2stoopidtriangles)

Free music on a comp filled with kickass bands. What more could you ask for? Check it out!