Skeletal Spectre from Sweden were formed about five years ago by someone called Behold The Pentagram. After the band signed to Razorback Recordings, the act released the fabulous debut album Tomb Coven. The album was followed by Occult Spawned Premonitions, also done via Razorback as well as Selfmadegod Records.
Unpleasantries Abundant is a new digital release by the very productive Bukowski Family (say hi to Fats, Piggy, Mimi, Wiktor, Frank and Roman Bukowski), constructors of some rude EP’s (Bukowski Family, Dig Your Own Grave, Initiation) and contributors to a handful of samplers (compilations released via Torn Flesh Records especially).
A2aThoT are the solo project by a Portuguese guy with the very same (professional) moniker, and this mini-record (24:23 minutes for three titles) is the successor of the self-called 2012-full length. In the vein of that first album, Trust Your Ear stands for an eclectic and eccentric mixture of different musical genres. Basically, the project brings a mixture of Doom Metal and creepy Psychedelica of a highly experimental kind. The psychedelic experimentation, however, isn’t of the tech-progressive yet rather atmospheric and ambientally industrialised.
French horde Moonreich return with the second album, called Terribilis Est Locus Iste. The album comes close to an hour of duration and is worth every single minute of it, at least if you can appreciate the aural execution of misanthropy. Moonreich do stand for fast, disharmonic and merciless Black metal with a specific Nordic-alike sound, a grim atmosphere (mind the massive yet icy production!) and a nasty approach that trespasses all narrow-mindedly created borders.
One of Mother Earth’s most eerie Doom acts is this two-piece, The Body, consisting of Lee Buford and Chip King. Again the duo recorded its new material at Machines With Magnets, and additional vocal contribution was provided by e.g. Reba Mitchell (Whore Paint), Otesanek’s Leslie Weitz, and Chrissy Wolpert (of Assembly Of Light Choir).
About twenty five years ago (we’re talking about the late eighties and early nineties), a couple of Extreme Metal acts added keyboard lines to their music, not only as introduction to a recording, yet as an important ‘full’ instrument. Best known example probably are Nocturnus, but acts like Torchure, The Gathering or Sinoath are other comparable possibilities as well. This goes for Dutch act Phlebotomized too.
Pandemics and plagues, who does not like them? It is, I think (no, I don’t think so; I’m sure) one of the final solutions to save our Earth from that other sickness, called Humanity. Pest is a possibility (no further comment for this writing is a new album’s review and not my personal opinion about the detestable place of the human being within Nature and Earthly Life).
J’adore le scène de Québec – cela a toujours été le cas, et cela ne changera jamais. At least, not as long as labels like Sepulchral Productions continue releasing material by superb acts from out there. This excellent label focuses on local bands, especially francophone. A small selection: Forteresse, Utlagr, Gris, Borgne, Sombre Fôrets or Neige Et Noirceur.
Russian warriors Hagl were once formed as Darkomen and about a decade ago, they changed their moniker into the current one. Throughout the years, the band recorded two albums (Nearer To Victory, 2005, and Irminsul, 2008), but in both cases it took many years before being able to release this stuff (respectively 2010 and 2011). This time, however, things aren’t turning the slowest way.
More than twenty five years ago our beautifully smelly Earth got festered when Autopsy decided to exist. Through miscreants like Severed Survival and Acts Of The Unspeakable, the quartet injected the American Death Metal scene with their own vision of gore and terror, and undersigned was pleased. I saw it was good… Autopsy unfortunately disbanded in 1995 and some of the members continued under the moniker of Abscess, another great, and slightly comparable act with messages of love and peace, evidently.
