One of the most mysterious projects from Spain lately is this one: Hic Iacet, known from quite an interesting demo (Hedonist Of The Death, released on vinyl too), and the 7”EP Prophecy Of Doom. And now this project returns with the first full studio album, which lasts for thirty eight minutes (six tracks).
Since Xtreem Music did climb up to the ultimate top of the worldwide (Death) Metal scene since a couple of years (I can list up some hands full of fabulous albums that have been released by this Spanish label in 2013 and 2014), I am always excited when I receive or buy a new album via this label of David ‘Rotten’ Gonzalez. This time it’s Swedish combo Dråp I am referring to: not the defunct Black Metal commando, but a Grind / Crust / Hardcore four-man army from the northern city of Sundsvall.
He’s quite a productive guy, this Dirk Serries, and quite experienced since he’s active within the spheres of Aural Art for several decades. His best known outfits might be vidnaObmana and Microphonics, but he created many other things under different monikers, or in collaboration with same-minded artists. Very recently, on June 8th 2015, we did upload the review for the album Buoyant, which was a collaborative work in between Dirk and Dutch colleague Rutger Zuydervelt.
This band surely does not need any introduction anymore. It’s them who made the whole Black Metal scene more accessible to an ignorant audience, with both positive and negative aspects in consequence. My personal opinion – no, I won’t go deeper into this subject. Let’s say that, despite the catchiness and commercial aspects, this band created a handful of acceptable compositions in mean time, especially during the earlier years. Lots of pulp too, unfortunately, but – no, I promised myself to censure…
One of the things I do appreciate when talking about Cold Raw Records is the fact that they do re-release many stuff that otherwise never would have the opportunity to reach an audience that might appreciate that material. Several of their releases are demonstrational material, previously released on tape or digitally by the band, or distributed only locally. A couple of examples: Nocturnal Sacrifice, Uluun, Chaos Altar, Milicia Oscura etc.
There are a couple of (German) bands with the moniker Todgeweiht, but this one deals with the duo from Thuringia, Grimwald and BluothArn. They started more than a decade ago, but didn’t release but two demos (one was even never officially distributed) as well as one full album. That album, called Pestilenz, was initially supposed to be part of a split with Winternight, nowadays known as Wintarnaht.
My first acquaintance with Belarussian act Exegutor was when I heard the Dive Sessions EP, the band’s first release via Satanath Records (review updated on September 21st 2014, by the way, so check it out). Apparently they did release an album before, Cure For Dull, but I still haven’t had the opportunity to check that one out.
In case you want some additional information about this solo-outfit of NitroAtmosphericum’s label owner SiN, I’d like to refer to the reviews I did for Wyrm Of Melancholy and Atenvx, on November 11th 2014 and December 1st 2014 respectively.
I was sort of pissed off when I received this album. It has nothing to do with ‘not liking’ the sh*t, because I was sure I would appreciate this material. The reason for that ‘liking’ was the demonstrational recording Demo MMXI, which I did review somewhere in Spring 2014 (check the site on the March 5th 2014 update). But apparently ZOM did release some of this material too on vinyl and I was not aware of that. What a [censorship]!!! So you can imagine my frustration.
Once again a quick one: Sorcery Of The Damned, the debut-EP by Chilean act Oraculum. It’s a nasty experience, lasting for twenty one minutes, bringing nothing but pure, honest, morbid and old schooled Death Metal, rooted in the Eighties vein.
