When I tell you I saw this band play live at the first Heavy Sound Festival in Bruges way back in 1983, that probably tells you something about my age. Being one of the first Belgian metal bands to gain some name outside of our little country, it was with great interest I started listening to this album, their first new official release since 1987!
I’ll keep this introduction very short. Manes hail from Norway and released quite differing / different stuff in the past. I was truly obsessed / possessed by the debut Under Ein Blodraud Maane (1998), but the other recordings showed another side of etc… You know, or you do not, but there’s the .net to help you out.
There has always been a love-hate relationship in between Punk and Metal. About the ‘hate’-part I can be very short: f*ck it. Short enough? About the ‘love’-angle, well, just notice that there are, and always have been, hundreds of bands combining both styles, or members being involved in groups from both genres. And don’t forget to think about all those ‘fans’ that do appreciate at least a part of both styles.
FINALLY!!! This is one of my most-wanted releases to come. I just adore Empire Auriga’s debut album Auriga Dying, and when Moribund did re-release this material for a second time in 2011 (it was self-released in 2006 and re-released a first time in 2008), it was announced to be some teaser for the upcoming album that would see the unlight later that very same year. Well, f*ck it!
Desdemonia are one of the (very) few bands from Luxembourg, formed two decades ago. Throughout the years, they played live on stage a lot with some ‘big’ names, such as Dying Fetus, Fleshcrawl, Soilwork, Enthroned, Mayhem and many more. In 1998 they released a first album, called Same (independent), but my first acquaintance was in 2001, when this band released their second studio full length, called Paralyzed (September 25th 2001).
Well, I did know the label Nulll Records, so when I heard about a band called The Nulll Collective, a voice in my head, one of the many ones, started shouting around: ‘pay attention! pay attention!’. Next step, seeing this project being signed to Aesthetic Death… Okay, this cannot be a coincidence anymore… This must be something Stijn Van Cauter being involved with! And indeed, this great Belgian musician is one of the guys behind The Nulll Collective.
Serpent Seed are a pretty young Polish act (formed in 2012), with e.g. former Iugulatus and current Slain-drummer Wojtass in their ranks. They debut with Debris Of Faith, an album that lasts for thirty eight minutes, and that gets released by two Polish labels, The End Of Time Records and Under The Tyrant’s Banner Prod.
Anthems For The Easily Offended is the first official recording for Austrian act Progeria Buffet, if I am not mistaken. Seen the band’s logo and the band’s moniker, I had an idea what kind of lullabies they would create. And then, if you see the lay-out (cover painting, drawings inside the booklet, and especially the body-like pictures), I’m even more sure.
J Orphic are an Italian solo-outfit of Marco de Marco, hailing from the city of Milan. Under this moniker, Marco released two albums before (Sulla Terra via DNA Productions in 2009, and Cum Ipse Gratia one year later, via Ufa Muzak), as well as a split on SkullLine (2009) with French act Jörvallr (the latter did release material via Castellum Stoufenburc before as well, by the way).
Grindhead Records have proven before to have a good nose for signing pretty nasty and ugly combos (evidently often from Australian soil). Recently they teamed up with young Australian five-piece Infested Entrails (now with a new bass player). Shortly after they were formed, Infested Entrails recorded and released an EP, and Defiling A Piece Of The Deceased is their debut full length studio recording. This album clocks just over half an hour and has some of the EP-tracks being recorded again.
