HOT GRAVES - Knights in White Phosphorous CD review

HOT GRAVES - Knights in White Phosphorous CD
Northern Horde Records
Genre: Punk/Metal
Rating: 5/5

From a personal standpoint, calling this Gainesville, Florida band's debut full length anticipated is putting it lightly. Their EPs, which I've reviewed here this year as well, are great although one is all covers and the other only lasts a few minutes. (which is exactly what a lady friend of mine said about the hipster guy she slept with) So I have no problem ruining my reputation for objectionable standards (for all of you who just fell out of your chairs laughing I'm not waiting) by saying Knights in White Phosphorous is one of the best releases of 2011. Unlike most people who came across this band accidentally while googling for necro sites. Their releases were actually sent in to SFM666 in order for me to explain to the people that yes Punk actually did start before NIRVANA. For some people in the mainstream that's a hard pill to swallow, especially when they're used to swallowing so much more. Others, like on the NWoSHM sites aka: New Wave of Shitty Hipster Music, consider it equal to being a holocaust denier. So be it because Knights in White Phosphorous sounds like 80's Hardcore (specifically POISON IDEA minus the crimson mask, the DAYGLO ABORTIONS and BATTALION OF SAINTS) with blackened vocals. For all you mainstream people who troll SFM666 for expert commentary from an experienced individual you might wanna take notes. Prior to getting this one I caught part of a review for their last EP written by someone on another site where the writer called this band's music "new and unheard of". Well maybe if you're completely new to music or just plain ignorant of it's history.

For me this is just history repeating itself but in the best possible way. I mentioned 80's Hardcore because that is the catalyst for the primal punk energy being projected. I'll listen to a song like "Bad Blood" or "Total War" and past images of Thrash bands in large halls is not what comes to mind. Instead I'm remembering Hardcore shows with slam pits in small shit ass clubs or in parking lots behind buildings with make shift stages. These are Hardcore beats and riffs being employed here. The drumming is simply fast, furious and pounding. Once in a while the band will introduce some full on metal structures but it's always going to be overwhelmed with punk filth. It's important to remember that the 80's Hardcore which conveyed violence and ugliness did not last for long because it became corrupted by outside forces. The sound and style would die back for a while until around the mid-90s which was when Scumfeast was a print zine. We were covering these bands who were not only influenced by POISON IDEA, DISCHARGE and the STOOGES but also VENOM, ENTOMBED and CELTIC FROST. No one else would give em the time of day because the weren't hardcore enough for the politically correct punk police and the metal crowd had their own bias against em. So you had an era of hard as fuck bands whose music fell on few ears because they couldn't fit into the genre specific peg holes.

Therefore when I blast the fifteen cuts on Knights in White Phosphorous not only am I impressed with this band's ability to kick fuckin ass. But I'm also hearing them influenced by great sounds of the past which this time around might not be left to bigots to decide if it's acceptable for genre peg hole classification. Of course HOT GRAVES are not the only purveyors of this sound lately. Band's like SATANIC THREAT, DISHAMMER and most of Hells Headbangers Records cadre of bands has been putting out similar styled material. So there is an audience of sick twisted individuals (most of whom I've fathered and thanks for the cards last June kids) who are now of drinking age and fighting mean who loved this stuff as well as 'seasoned' individuals like myself. They're playing with MIDNIGHT at a local club in October which will leave the place's carpet soaked with hipster blood. (and human flesh hanging from my forearm gauntlets) Some people might believe this band is being tongue and cheek when they blast "WE KILL FOR SATAN, WE SCREAM OUR CALL, WE LIFT OUR VOICES, AND KILL YOU ALL". Personally I believe that should be left up to the eyes and ears of the goat blood drinking weirdo beholder. I'm sure a band like HOT GRAVES won't mind a little BYOB (Bring Your Own Blood). In fact after listening to this on and off for just over a week I believe they'd encourage it.

Label: http://www.nhr-records.com/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/hotgraves

A BAND OF ORCS preview new song “Wyrd Of The Winter Wolf

Hey all, the almighty A BAND OF ORCS has a new song out now entitled “Wyrd Of The Winter Wolf”. Definitely a full blown metal assault, these orcs mean biz. Be aware humans, the orcs are coming…

PERVERSITY - New Album Released, New Sample And Tracklist Revealed

The new album "Ablaze" by Slovakian death metal squad PERVERSITY has been currently released via Lavadome productions. "Ablaze" contains 10 tracks of uncompromising, brutal and blasphemous death metal and was ecorded in Klakson Studio, Slovakia. A new sample, song entitled "Blood Of Hastur", can be streamed or downloaded from band's bandcamp page at the following location:

http://perversity.bandcamp.com

Album tracklist is as follows:

01. Reach Of Hell
02. Behind The Diabolical
03. Merciless Messiah
04. Hailing The Thieves Of Souls
05. Devoted To Perdition
06. Necrophiliac Beast
07. The Banished
08. Vzplanutie
09. Palace Of Skin
10. Blood Of Hastur

Total time: 34:40

The album can be obtained via Lavadome productions store. Digital version will be available for purchase through iTunes, eMusic, Amazon and other digital media stores in upcoming days.

http://www.lavadome.org

http://www.facebook.com/perversityband

GHOUL Debut Animated Video for "Metallicus Ex Mortis"

In conspiracy with Metal Injection, Creepsylvanian crossover maniacs GHOUL have just unleashed a ridiculously awesome new animated music video (created by Agalloch/Worm Ouroboros drummer Aesop Dekker and his son The Crud Wizard).

That's right AGALLOCH. Oh No what will the indie rock losers do now?

"Metallicus Ex Mortis" comes off their upcoming album, Transmission Zero, which is set for a November 8th, 2011 release via metalpunk powerhouse Tankcrimes. Extreme Responses' James Hoare praised it as "superbly anachronistic stuff - all fist-pumpingly punkish, up-tempo grinding crossover thrash, with Carcass-bothering high vocals and Massacre-like slab-battering lows." This long-awaited follow-up to their now-classic Splatterthrash features eleven corpse-ripping tracks of gory goodness. Tune to Metal Injection for some bloody good fun:

OR DON'T SINCE i GOT THE PROMO AND YOU CAN WATCH IT HERE AT SCUMFEAST METAL 666.

Preorder Transmission Zero here: http://www.tankcrimes.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Ghoul&x=11&y=9 and feast your eyes upon the "Live for Metal, DIE HARD for Ghoul" edition, which includes...
crystal skull clear vinyl
gatefold jacket
full color poster
big ass 5x7 screen printed patch
custom Ghoul 3D glasses
!!!!!!!

3D GLASSES ARE COOL

Joined by EVERY TIME I DIE, the gruesome quartet will be supporting GWAR on the first half of their Return of the Maggot North American tour and doing their best to leave a trail of bloodied corpses from sea to shining sea. GHOUL (who are rumored to contain members of IMPALED and ENGORGED) will be unleashing a slew of brand-new songs from Transmission Zero. The album was recorded by Sal Reya at Earhammer Studios in Oakland, CA, and features eleven fresh new cuts of GHOUL's trademark death-thrashing crossover mayhem.

This hooded menace will be performing a couple warm-up rituals in preparation for the carnage to come. What? You didn't catch GHOUL at Los Angeles' The Vortex with DROPDEAD on September 25th? Then swing on by the Metro in Oakland on October 1st to pay your last respects before the Return of the Maggots!

Dates and tracklisting below.

Transmission Zero tracklisting:

1. The Lunatic Hour
2. Off With Their Heads
3. Destructor
4. Death in the Swamp
5. The Mark of Voodoo
6. Brain Jerk
7. Blood Feast
8. Morning of the Mezmetron
9. Transmission Zero
10. Tooth and Claw
11. Metallicus Ex Mortis

GHOUL
w/GWAR, Every Time I Die Return of the Maggot 2011

10/18 Charlotte, NC – Amos Southend
10/19 Norfolk, VA – The Norva
10/20 Washington DC – 9:30 Club
10/21 Worcester, MA – Palladium
10/22 Albany, NY – Northern Lights
10/23 New York, NY – Irving Plaza
10/24 Cleveland, OH – House Of Blues
10/25 Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Hall
10/26 Grand Rapids, MI – Intersection
10/28 Milwaukee, WI – Rave
10/29 Detroit, MI – Harpos
10/30 Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue
10/31 Chicago, IL – House Of Blues
11/01 Sauget, IL – Pop’s
11/02 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
11/04 Edmonton, AB – Events Center
11/05 Calgary, AB – Macewan Ballroom
11/07 Vancouver, BC – Commodore
11/08 Seattle,WA – Showbox
11/09 Portland, OR – Roseland

GHOUL are:
Digestor- Guitar and Vox
Dissector- Guitar
Cremator- Bass and Vox
Fermentor- Drums and Vox
Mr. Fang- Coffins and Curios


http://www.creepsylvania.com

http://digestorghoul.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/creepsylvania

MORDBRAND Inks Deal With Chaos Records For Vinyl Release of Necropsychotic

The putrid and unsettling atmosphere of early Swedish death metal is once again set to be exhumed; this time on vinyl. Swedish death horde MORDBRAND have struck a deal with Chaos Records for the vinyl release of Necropsychotic. The album was originally by Deathgasm Records on September 6th and has since been a favorite amongst death metal purists and critics. Featuring GOD MACABRE vocalist P. Boder, MORDBRAND embodies the true spirit of the old days with unrelenting hymns to the rotten!

"This duo brings with them copious amounts of extreme musical aggression. You need this because your death gore metal life depends on it." - Scumfeast [5/5]

"It is 6 songs of awesome old school Swedish death metal with a focus on punky "dis" styled, d-beat galloping." - Teeth of the Divine

"Mordbrand has crafted a perfect example of how a band should do the mighty Swedish sound.Great work by Mordbrand and Deathgasm! ESSENTIAL to add to the collection for sure!" - MetalManiacs.com

YEAH GIVE SFM666 A PROMO QUOTE! Actually it's all TRUE!

Still in doubt? Check this out

CORMORANT Offer Up 'Metazoa' and 'The Last Tree' for FREE Download as Thank-You to Fans

San Francisco blackened heavy metal band CORMORANT are currently gearing up for the release of their upcoming album Dwellings (out December 6th, 2011) but in the meantime, have come up with a special way to thank all the fans who have supported them for so long and made their dreams a reality. The band's last two releases, 2009's triumphant Metazoa and 2007's The Last Tree EP, are now available for free download from Cormorant's Bandcamp page!

Check 'em out here: http://cormorant.bandcamp.com/album/metazoa

Definitely the first cut "Scavengers Feast", the opening sounds like it was lifted from KISS' "Black Diamond".

In other news you can listen to a brand-new song, "Junta" (accompanied by an illuminating interview with Arthur von Nagel) on NPR's All Songs Considered blog: http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2011/09/15/140504746/cormorant-follow-the-blackened-thread

Fans, take note: After a few issues with Paypal, the band is still offering limited special edition pre-order bundles for the new full-length album, which include a signed poster of the artwork and never-before released demos and jams. In addition, pre-order buyers will be thanked by name in the Dwellings CD booklet. Both the album art and the pre-order bundles can be viewed from the band’s online merch store:

http://cormorantmusic.blogspot.com/2011/09/cormorant-dwellings-limited-edition-pre.html

Regarding the pre-order bundles, von Nagel added: “We’ve always operated as an independent band. Since we depend completely on our fans for our funding, in a sense they serve as our record label. As such, the fans investing early in our music will be credited by name in the album’s booklet to thank them for their continued support.” Von Nagel elaborated on this theme of fan involvement. “We wanted our long-time listeners to feel invested in our creative process, so we’re including two rare digital collections with this pre-order: a seldom-heard selection of ultra-raw 2007 demos when we first began crafting our sound, and a compilation of never-before-released improvisational jams demonstrating a broad swathe of styles and influences. These unfiltered recordings offer a look into our writing process at its most elemental stages.” Also included in all pre-orders are a poster of the full album artwork signed by the band members, and stickers of the Dwellings cover and logo. Other combo packages include a t-shirt, a zip-up hoodie, or both at once.

CORMORANT formed in 2007 as a trio consisting of guitarist Nick Cohon, drummer Brennan Kunkel and vocalist/bassist Arthur von Nagel, recording a 3-song demo and their The Last Tree EP that very same year. With the addition of seasoned six-stringer Matt Solis in 2008, the band dove into the writing and recording of their full-length debut Metazoa, tracked and mixed by legendary producer Billy Anderson (EYEHATEGOD, MELVINS, MR. BUNGLE, NEUROSIS PRIMORDIAL, SLEEP). The album launched to overwhelmingly positive reviews, earning them an “Unsigned Talent of the Year” nod from the readers of UltimateGuitar.com and a string of successful shows alongside the likes of JELLO BIAFRA AND THE GUANTANAMO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, PRIMORDIAL, GIANT SQUID, MOONSORROW, WOE, VELNIAS, GRAYCEON, WITHERED, BLACK COBRA, WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, SUIDAKRA, WOODS OF YPRES, HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE, HELMS ALEE and SLOUGH FEG. With the imminent release of their new album Dwellings, CORMORANT are poised to continue their rise as one of the most exciting and original independent bands in metal.

Follow CORMORANT on Facebook for more news and updates!


Official: http://www.cormorantmusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CormorantMusic

Bandcamp: http://cormorant.bandcamp.com/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/cormorantmusic

SINCERA - Cursed and Proud CD review

SINCERA - Cursed and Proud CD
Abyss Records
Genre: Blackened Death
Rating: 4/5

This would probably fall under the compilation or anthology category since it's remastered material plus live tracks from a while back yet unearthed and packaged up for today's modern audiences. SINCERA was a side project started by guitarist Bjørn "Tiger" Mathisen and bassist/vocalist Thomas Andresen of the Norwegian band FESTER back in 2002 along with drummer Lars Erik Duserud from DECIPHER and Thomas Aamodt supplying the keyboards as well as guitar. They recorded a demo, Tall and Proud, back then but it was never released. Now it's finally seeing it's proper place amongst that nation's blackened musical history. For the most part SINCERA is definitely unique to say the least. Even though there's some keyboards present this is not symphonic or in the least progressive. Most of the what's going on in these first four studio cuts is black n roll. If you need a reference point think SATYRICON meets DISSECTION. I think it sounds cool as fuck especially the opener "Tall and Proud". The song "Blinded" is another standout in which they incorporate a riff I'd swear was lifted from "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by the STOOGES. The song as a whole has a varied structure which tosses in a few atmospheric breaks to give it a good full body. Obviously your so-called 'troo' or 'kvlt' fans will take a head dive right into a vat of corpse paint for a self inflicted drowning for that one. The second half of this might be more their speed which is the band recorded live with (wait for it) a 9mm hand held video camera. Although for some people that might be too high quality. Musically these four cuts are more akin to straight forward Black Metal played with aggression and abandonment. If ya compare the live stuff with the studio it's like two different bands are represented here. The final cut on here, "Byron Lawless", is an entrance theme song for that wrestler who founded the Norwegian Wrestling Federation or NWF back in 2001. Yes this release is definitely a collector's item. Now I'm gonna have to check out Youtube for NWF videos out of wrestling fan curiosity.

Label: http://www.officialabyssrecords.com/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/sinceranorway

ENTRENCH - Inevitable Decay CD review

ENTRENCH - Inevitable Decay CD
Abyss Records
Genre: Thrash
Rating: 5/5

This Swedish Thrash band has been pumping out demos since 2006 which is oddly enough around the time the whole Thrash Revival started. Now that it's history (seriously people the revival is over) we can get into these types of bands who are putting out great releases without having to toss around the retro tag line as if it were bait. Here is this band's debut and frankly no fad could contain this. First off their sound is more Euro-centric (obviously but I've heard Euro Thrash bands of late aping ANTHRAX which made me sick) with the Tuetonic influence so up front that you would swear there was a sweat soaked hesher fresh the pit at Wacken in the room with ya while this is playing. There's also some US Thrash influence but I'll get to that later. The bottom line here is that we are not talking about that tongue in cheek, 'thrash there for I am' type of funny business. This is violence and brutality. This is the kind of stuff where after you walked out of a slam pit you were now sporting a sinister grin and blood, your own or someone else's. An old friend of mine lost part of his ear at a SLAYER show back in the 80s. He was so proud of that one and if he heard this I believe he'd chance the second ear in a pit at one of ENTRENCH's shows.

Speaking of SLAYER, these Swedes do add some tech savvy and throat cutting soloing which goes far beyond what most in the past revival were doing. Add to that the breakneck speed and time signature change-ups which they employ on the basic riffs. Most of the cuts on here come at you fast and hot like a someone on fire running out of a burning building. Don't bother smothering the flaming victim but instead just wait till they collapse to the ground and start a circle pit around them. Yeah that's sick and sadistic but so are the vocals on here by ENTRENCH's guitarist/vocalist, Fredrik Pellbrink. He's got a harsh vocal style which is not blackened or bombastic instead it just sits well with the music as if he's spitting venom upon the audience. So you've got your blood, venom and the smell of burning flesh along with an extreme thrashing about attack. At times, around the mid-point of the release, these guys remind me of MERCILESS DEATH (one of the better Thrash Revival acts from the states) mixed with early KREATOR. Like I said at the beginning of this review. These Swedes were putting out demos (five to be exact) for the past few years. Obviously while lesser acts were throwing out mediocre material to labels who were in a signing frenzy in order to keep up with a fad. This band was honing their craft in order to release this beast upon you. Damm worth the wait if you're into quality. Killer Thrash from Sweden. Hell might not be freezing over but I wouldn't be surprised if California fell into the Pacific after they get a load of this.

Label: http://www.officialabyssrecords.com/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/entrench

BLACKSMITH - Strike While the Iron's Hot CD review

BLACKSMITH - Strike While the Iron's Hot CD
Heaven and Hell Records
Genre: NWOBHM/Classic Heavy Metal
Rating: 4/5

Before listening to this I read through the band's bio on the label's website and found out this was a compilation from an Albany, New York act who originally started out back in the mid 80s. Their story also followed the same script which every one of us whose been into Metal since the late 70's/early 80's knows all too well. A band starts out with a lot of promise, has a local following, gets some national/international press, does some touring, finally puts out a release and right at the cusp of that breakthrough moment they split up. That's the first half of the story. Part two starts with the one last band member, in this case it's guitarist David Smith, not wanting to see it all end so he decides to restart the band with new members. Things start picking up again as they record an album, get signed, have their songs played on the radio, tour relentlessly and just as they see that shining star up ahead waiting to be grasped the light fades to darkness. In this band's case it was the end of the 80's and with a new decade came new tastes in music, more specifically Grunge. Although Metal, aka: classic sounding stuff, really never left all together. It went underground and harnessed a huge number of cult followers to this very day. The lion's share of releases by this label as well as a few more in Europe prove that. After reading everything I shot a message to a friend of mine who is a semi expert in obscure Metal bands from the late 70's early 80's. I asked if he ever heard of BLACKSMITH and as if on cue yeah he knew about em.

Like I said at the beginning of this review Strike While the Iron's Hot (which ironically is what this band failed to do) is a compilation. It features all of their recorded material from both 80's line-ups. While listening to the first cut, a two part song titled "The Bone March/Tower of London" with the first part instrumental and the second with vocals, I'm thinking holy shit this is damm good. Their original singer was a woman named Heidi Packard aka: Heidi Black who sounds similar to Dinah Cancer from 45 GRAVE albeit with a better vocal range. Musically it's Paul DiAnno era IRON MAIDEN to the freakin hilt. Second cut the aptly titled "Rock Hard" blasts forth and I'm wondering how the fuck did this band not make it big? "Rock Hard" is pure fuckin NWOBHM strained through a MOTLEY CRUE band member's spandex pants, you pick from who. Next cut "Louder Than Hell" is the same formula and Miss Heidi Black lets loose with some righteous heavy metal vixen screams. The following cut, “The Blacksmith”, gets a little too funky with the bass and drum beat for my taste and the vocals sound too nasal. Sadly that's it for the Heidi Black era of tunes from BLACKSMITH's 1986 self titled debut EP. But once again I have to ask how the fuck did this band not make it big or at least seminal big with these cuts? Sure the music business back then was sexist and Metal was definitely a man's world but if WARLOCK and GIRLSCHOOL could do it hey the door was ajar. (Also having a hot looking front woman decked out in fab 80's slut apparel had to have been a plus in their favor) From reading their bio it seems internal problems killed em. Hmmm let me guess? Somebody was fuckin somebody they shouldn't have? Strike One!

What follows next are some cuts from the band's second era with new vocalist Malcolm Mania Lovegrove who sounds like a cross between King Diamond and the late great David Wayne from METAL CHURCH. Musically the band does move forward with the times as their sound turns to Thrash. The first cut here is "The Beast" which is from the band's debut full length from 1989, Fire From Within. The song starts out with a pseudo horrific atmospheric keyboard intro then builds up into a full on thrasher with a glass shattering Heavy Metal scream by Malcolm. The song itself is about Aleister Crowley which I believe (although I could be wrong) is only the second time he's been used as a muse in 80's Metal. Ozzy did it first with his classic "Mr. Crowley" if you've forgotten. Next up it's more thrash with the song "House" which kinda reminds me of fellow New Yorkers, ANTHRAX, albeit with better vocals. Both of these cuts could fit on any best of 80's Thrash comp from back in the day. The next cut is a re-recording of "Louder Than Hell" retro-fitted with heavy guitar crunch and Malcolm's superior vocal range. If I were to choose then I'd pick this version over Miss Black's since her version is a cool Metal song while Malcom and the new line-up turns it into a full blown anthem. "A Taste of Darkness" borrows a lot from MERCYFUL FATE to the point where one would think it's really an outtake from Don't Break the Oath which was left in the studio for obvious reasons. The re-recording of the band's earlier material continues, this time it's "The Bone March/Tower of London". Even though the guitars have a much more sinister crunch to them, the soloing is far better and Malcom's over the top vocal presence shines I still like the original with Miss Black.

Unfortunately the last handful of cuts don't quite reach the mark the earlier ones did. The eight minute "Theatres Des Vampires" does feature some great soloing but as far as the rest of it I'm thinking album closing Halloween cheese which even contains some faux vampire spoken word play. "Hell to Pay" is the obligatory 80's Heavy Metal ballad. Let me slit my wrists before you tell me there's a video of this lurking about which actually made it on MTV. The next cut “Fug It” is a half a minute speed metal joke. Finally it all comes to a close with “Black Attack”, another mediocre 80's metal repeating song title chorus cut. I bet they couldn't play this one in the city without some fool claiming it had racial overtones. Malcolm's vocals really sound too over the top silly as well. Fortunately a few not so perfect cuts don't hurt the overall greatness of this compilation. According to their bio the band did return to the studio in 1990 but as I referred to earlier their style of Metal had seen better days. Grunge or better yet, the smell of teen spirit took over. Strike Two! Ah but now it's 2011. I wouldn't go as far as to say there's a full blown revival in the works. But I will say that there's a growing new audience out there in the realm of underground who spit upon the heroin chic of the 1990's and crave the Metal sounds of the late 70's/early 80's. You might know some of the new bands influenced by those days of denim and leather like ENFORCER, IN SOLITUDE, CAULDRON and VOLTURE just to name a few. Young long haired high school kids are raiding the bins at used record stores in search original vinyl from bands of that era. Not only are they scarfing up the PRIEST and MAIDEN essentials but they're also after bands like EXCITER, RIOT and GRIM REAPER. I'm not saying BLACKSMITH should make a comeback now (although I'd bet they could get a show or two in Europe, most likely in Germany) but at least this comp is a document which some kid with a OVERKILL pin on his denim cut-off and a cheap guitar slung over his back just might want.

Label: http://www.heavenandhellrecords.com

Official: http://www.blacksmithusa.com/blacksmith2011/

AS WE DRAW, EUGLENA and HEXIS split CD review

AS WE DRAW, EUGLENA and HEXIS split CD
Throatruiner Records
Genre: EXTREME
Rating: 5/5

Every time I receive something from Throatruiner Records I give it a listen and think to myself "They're testing me. They wanna see if I'll crack under pressure or at least give me a few more gray hairs in my beard." The fact of the matter is that all of the material this label puts out should have a sticker fixed to the front of the releases which reads "In Case of Mediocrity Play Loudly". I'm certainly not a huge fan of all the bands in their cadre but they seriously wave the banner of Extreme Music quite well and forcefully. I believe if you are the type of music fan who lives for bands who go beyond the realm of your average extreme metal genres than this label has everything your exceptionally strong heart, mind and taste desires. Since the bands on here all represent a variety of musical styles I felt it appropriate to just tag this as Extreme as far as a genre description goes.

Here we have a split release with three bands with two supplying a pair of cuts each with a third giving you three, who all sound like they'll hunt you down if you don't at least say something decent about em. Don't believe me? Keep fucking reading doubters. The first one AS WE DRAW are French eclectic post hardcore, post metal and are pissed. Their first cut "Fingers To Point" sounds like a post apocalyptic accusation towards those who destroyed their future. I like how the song conveys hate as well as the sadness one would feel if placed in that situation. Then again I could be wrong and the vocalist is really standing in a bucket of sulfuric acid. Their second cut "Fingers To Stab" comes across as punishment after the judgement is rendered with some added doom riffs.

The second act on here, EUGLENA, hail from Russia and not surprisingly my favorite band on here. This is the type of band I wanna see in a small dark club setting play these three cuts to an unsuspecting audience full of hipster slobs. Their first cut "Before After" is full on, the world is coming to an end, Doom with riffs the size of boulders falling down upon you. But it gets even better when their vocalist lets out insane screams as if blood was shooting out from his eye sockets. Then it gets even better because that song bleeds (how appropriate) into "After The Before" which is when those boulders I mentioned where nothing compared to this avalanche. And it gets even better with their third atrocity titled "Renaissance" which just pushes things to the point where you don't bother calling an ambulance to pick up the wounded audience members. You call the morgue and tell them to send the meat wagon. They even finish the cut with annihilating feedback just in case anyone in the crowd still shows signs of life. Beautiful just fuckin beautiful!

Finally we have here a Danish band, HEXIS, who have the unfortunate task to follow the Russians. They do a good job at blasting blackened hardcore sludge and drone. They are not lite hearted when it comes to spreading out the dissonance or ending it with a continuous psychotic machine like riff on their first cut "Crux". They end this thing with "Nex", a song which can best be described as going far beyond the realms of extreme doom dirge. When the song finally ended I sat in complete silence for a few minutes and waited for the world to die. (Actually that's a regular occurrence with releases by this label) Obviously it didn't, although the lights flickered for a brief second which freaked me out, so I went back and played the three songs by EUGLENA over and over till blood started shooting from my eye sockets. Now that was a mess and to those nice people at Throatruiner Records I'm sending you the bill for re-painting my office. It will take a few coats too. Trust me I know how hard it is to cover up blood stained walls. As for anyone else, this is the perfect gift for someone who has everything and you want to see dead so you can get their stuff.


Label: http://throatruinerrecords.tumblr.com/

Bandcamp: http://throatruinerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/3-way-split

Here's a few videos from these bands:

ENTRAILS - The Tomb Awaits CD review

ENTRAILS - The Tomb Awaits CD
Dark Descent / FDA Rekotz
Genre: Death Metal
Rating: 5/5

Yes this is Old School Swedish Death Metal but no they are not another young band, surprised, I sure as hell was. Actually this band originally started out back in 1990 but never put anything out. If they did then their stuff would be sitting next to your DISMEMBER, ENTOMBED and GRAVE LPs right fuckin now. Also you wouldn't being reading a review of it by me. You would be reading a Scumfeast Metal Essentials column. But as the story goes the band split back in the day but one of their members, Jimmy aka: Bloodspill, restarted the band with a fresh line up in 2008 which includes former members of BIRDFLESH and DEFORMED. In 2010 they released the Tales from the Morgue full length on FDA Rekotz. Now here is their follow-up just to show everyone that their previous release was not just a bunch of dusted off demo tracks from the past and that they can stand toe to toe with any new band today. As long as they're playing OSDM of course.

Now just to be honest with ya (waitaminute I'm honest to a default) I don't have their debut so I'm only going on what I have here. The cover art was done by Daniel Devilish, obviously while he was staring at ENTOMBED's Left Hand Path. The mixing and mastering was done by, wait for it, Dan Swano. He even adds some guest vocals on here. Now maybe someone else would take all of that in, gives this a few listens and produce a cynical review. I'm not because this slab is really fuckin intense. When I typed that last sentence my veins were actually popping out from my neck. It seems that Jimmy aka: Bloodspill, this band's guitarist, will not be denied his righteous place along side the Swedish Death Metal elite even if it took twenty years to do so. Can you just imagine what it felt like for this guy whose been watching his peers get all the accolades for years on end while he's sitting on a goldmine of primo OSDM tracks? I'd shake the guy's fuckin hand for his patience alone. Then I'd shake it again just for putting out one of the best DM releases of 2011.

After the title cut, a minute plus acoustic instrumental which had me going "Whatafuck kind of joke is this", the carnage commences with "Unleashed Wrath". This is like standing of the side lines of a battlefield while you're watching two opposing armies, one Metal and the other crusty Hardcore, charge at each other like fuckin berzerkers. With the exception of some atmospheric elements and hellish screams, rivaling the battle wails of demonic spirits, this is just one onslaught from start to finish. "Crawling Death" is a full on headbanger with horned fists saluting. "Eaten by the Dead" is something ENTOMBED fans would love to hear done but never will again. Get this one instead people in fact vocalist Joakim Svensson sounds extremely close to L-G Petrov and with Dan Swano twisting the knobs you can guess how crunchy these riffs are. At times it's like the sound of multiple bones snapping. (don't you just love that sound?) Near the middle part of this release ENTRAILS gives you a second to breath with the crawling death doom of "To Live is to Rot" followed up by the more rocking slam fest of "Undead".

The second half of The Tomb Awaits does not let up one bit like there's an never ending war going on. Close your eyes while listening to "The Slithering Below" or "End of All Existence" and you can picture this band on stage with every soul in the audience crashing into one another in sickening delight. That's the coolest thing about original OSDM, you could start a pit to it and everyone would be in it. There were very few shoegazers standing in the middle of the crowds back in the day. They ran to the back of the venues as soon as all hell broke lose or else they would end up as human paste on the floor. Now within all of this war rage this band can tone it down to a melodic level like on "Remains in Red", "Collection of Cracked Heads" and to a degree "Total Death" but not to the point of that dirty word 'mello-death". When the final cut (on my first listen to this I couldn't believe I made it to the final cut without being inspired to take a flamethrower to my neighborhood) "Unspeakable Obscenities" was playing I ran over to my CD wall just to check if all of my DISMEMBER discs were there. Yes people this release has it all, riffs, vocals, great drum work and not least of all some excellent solo work which I failed to mention earlier. ENTRAILS even ends this masterpiece with what sounds like demonic creatures being pushed back into the hole from which they were unleashed. For another time obviously and yes there will be other times.

Label: http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/

Label: http://www.fda-rekotz.com/gx/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/entrailsreborn

ESKEYPE - Legacy of Truth CD review

ESKEYPE - Legacy of Truth CD
Heimathome Records
Genre: Death Metal and a lot more
Rating: 4/5

This came to me under the guise that it was going to be progressive deathcore (uh oh?) but after listening to it I'm here to tell ya that's not the case at all. OK sure there's elements which could fall into modern deathcore but this is strictly death metal and a whole lot more. First off the thing starts with a keyboard and violin led (yes there's guitars,drums and harsh vocals as well) opening "Prologue" that's texbook progressive. From that point onward it's just pure enjoyment if you like your Death Metal with an obvious European flair for the melodic as well as chunky riffs. At times there's what I hear as a pagan folk structure, like on "A New Beginning", which would be right at home with their fellow countymen (and women) ELUVEITIE. Yes this band is Swiss and their sound is not over the top progressive pretentious or in your face, baseball cap turned around deathcore. Their vocalist is responsible for the violin playing which kinda puts a damper on the whole full on deathcore thing. Can you imagine bringing an expensive violin on stage with a whole audience full of testerone junkies just waiting to smash it? Maybe that's why they have all those festivals in Europe to keep the proletariat behind the barricades. Be that as it may ESKEYPE structure their cuts with groove and atmosphere while foregoing any solos except with the violin which I actually enjoy. This is the type of DM that's made for contemplation, kicking back to relax or even blasted in the background as you perform mundane tasks but with cool music it ain't so mundane anymore now is it.


Label: http://heimathomerecords.com/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/eskeye

SORRY NO MUSIC VID FOR YA FROM THEM BUT HERE'S THIS IN STUDIO VID. AT LEAST THEY HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR.

WINDHAND - Self Titled CD review

WINDHAND - Self Titled CD
Forcefield Records
Genre: Doom
Rating: 5/5

This debut release by Richmond, Virginia's WINDHAND is so uber-SABBATH that they even start it off with a thunderstorm soundbite. Not the whole storm mind you just a few thunderclaps prior to the opener "Black Candles". Then the riffs commence, drums pound and then an off worldly voice calls to you. The rain eventually starts pouring on the following cuts "Libusen" and "Heap Wolves". The music transports you to another place in another time. Well I was expecting good things from this act ever since I heard their demo material last year. Aside from the obvious SABBATH worship WINDHAND also retro-fits everything for modern audiences by way of psyched doom in the vein ELECTRIC WIZARD. Although I wouldn't call them copycats or followers since their sound simply parallels the other on separate paths that don't cross one another. Add to that their vocalist Dorthia Cottrell has a delivery which is beautifully haunting and harmonious. It's a great formula especially with the heavy as fuck, thick as molasses riffs being employed by guitarists Asechiah Bogdan and Garrett Morris.

Along with displaying what he learned at Tony Iommi's school of a thousand riffs Morris is also responsible for the spot on recording/mixing of this slab of doom. Actually saying spot on is not enough since this is an amazing release. For all of it's down tuned power there's a hypnotic quality going on here, "Summon the Moon" and "Winter Sun" respectively, which after a dozen listens still has not worn off. Seriously I've had the release for over a week and while listening to this the world around you stops. I can't even type while it's playing because of the mesmerizing quality which I'll call the Doom Trance. Since WINDHAND is a female fronted Doom band I won't be surprised if other reviewers name drop JEX THOTH, BLOOD CEREMONY or DEVIL'S BLOOD (the prerequisite names being dropped of late) in order to once again pigeon hole another band. Frankly I think it's about time the simplistic gender association comparisons end and just let the band's music stand on it's own. In that case WINDHAND's debut is outstanding. It's the perfect release to play when you wanna let your mine go on vacation.


Label: http://www.forcefieldrecords.org/site/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/windhand

HEMOPTYSIS "M.O.D." Music Video Trailer Released

They look like they're having a lot of fun.

Arizona thrashers HEMOPTYSIS have made a trailer for their newest video available right here. The video, for the track "M.O.D." taken from their album Misanthropic Slaughter was shot earlier this month in an abandon warehouse in Vail, AZ. Production and direction came courtesy of Sean Sinerius and Robert Jaime at Big Shot Studios, who previously worked with HEMOPTYSIS on the "Shadow of Death" video. The band plans to release the video this fall.

In other HEMOPTYSIS news, the band has announced the following live dates:



Wednesday, October 5th at Chasers in Scottsdale, AZ.
Saturday, November 12th at Boomers in Las Vegas, NV

For details, visit www.hemoptysismetal.com.

The threat is real; the hype is warranted. HEMOPTYSIS' Misanthropic Slaughter is a musically accomplished, superbly written, and utterly devastating album of thrash metal extremism! The explosive Phoenix, Arizona quartet HEMOPTYSIS self-released Misanthropic Slaughter on March 8th of this year and the critics haven't stopped raving about it since. Don't believe me? Well then check out the SCM666 review at: http://scumfeastmetal666.blogspot.com/2011/07/hemoptysis-misanthropic-slaughter-cd.html

Don't feel like reading it? OK then here's a fuckin quote:

"Musically this four piece blows away the lion's share of bands that have been riding the revival wake for a few years now." SCUMFEAST METAL 666

The album was produced by Grammy Award winning producer Ryan Greene (Megadeth, Authority Zero, NOFX) and features 11 blistering tracks of unrelenting metal intensity. The European version of Misanthropic Slaughter features a bonus video for "Shadow of Death" and is available through Rock It Up Records.

Misanthropic Slaughter:

1. Misanthropic Slaughter

2. Hopeless

3. M.O.D.

4. Impending Doom

5. And The World Dies

6. Interlude

7. The Cycle

8. Blood Storm

9. Shadow Of Death

10. Hadephobia

11. End Of Sorrow

Who are they?



Hemoptysis is the unrelenting curse of the Sonoran Desert sun. Made up of a diverse group of musicians that have created a sound not heard since the birth of Thrash Metal decades ago. Often imitated but never duplication, Hemoptysis is the true embodiment of the re-birth of American Thrash Metal. From the ashes of the sun scorched earth; the Arizona desert has unleashed an entity, wielding a sound that can only come from a band that, like their surroundings, lives by only one law: survival of the fittest. Every emotion, note, lyric and breath they emit come from the essence of the wasteland that most call hell, but they call home. The unrelenting sun turns flora to ash by day, only to give way to frigid nights replete with promises of hypothermia; this is where you will find Hemoptysis. Each song delivers a unique expression of emotion that each fan connects with in their own way. Hemoptysis mix elements of Heavy Metal, Thrash, Death and Black Metal into a style that can only come from those that contend daily with an environment of hostility and hopelessness. There's no red carpet here, no Hollywood to magically green-screen you away from harm. In the desert you will find no hope or salvation except the one you create yourself. If you had to classify their music by genre then put them in their own. Desert Core. Riding high off the release of their 5 song EP, Who Needs A Shepherd?, Hemoptysis appear poised to conquer the Metal realm. The band continues to receive both internet and terrestrial radio airplay, garnering plenty of media attention, and have been dubbed the 2009 & 2010, 'METAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR' by The Phoenix Music Awards.





Who or what do they sound like and what sets them apart?



Hemoptysis start where other "Original Thrash Metal" bands leave off. They use Thrash Metal as a foundation, mix in the emotions of the desert and in so doing, move the entire genre forward in a way only they can. Whether it's Masaki's uncompromising vocals, Travis' thunderous drums, the monsoon of Ryan's solos or the heart stopping bass of Sunao,

Hemoptysis will leave you breathless.





Their shows.



A Hemoptysis show is akin to witnessing an exorcism. The raw intensity and unearthly power they emit has to be seen to be believed. No gimmicks, no laser light show, just

pure aggression and hate being set free.





Their fans.



The legions of fans that surround Hemoptysis are immeasurable. Devoted to the death, they swarm the stage as if to offering their souls to get a glimpse of what Hemoptysis

has to offer. It is their fan's unending support that has seen Hemoptysis

move past their competition in the Phoenix, Arizona metal scene.





Website: http://www.hemoptysismetal.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hemoptysis

VADER - Welcome to the Morbid Reich CD review

VADER - Welcome to the Morbid Reich CD
Nuclear Blast Records
Genre: Death Metal
Rating: 5/5


Poland's longest running Death Metal act (and that nation's greatest extreme metal act in my not so humble opinion) bring us their ninth studio full length. Now over the past few years VADER has basically been mainman band founder vocalist/guitarist Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek and whomever he can get as session musicians. Be that as it may it works to help him with his vicious vision. On here he has new guitarist Marek “Spider” Pajak along with Pawel “Paul” Jaroszewicz behind the drums. Welcome to the Morbid Reich is just another in a long line of great VADER releases. The trademarks are all here with Wiwczarek's monstrous vocal presence as well as songs with aggressive riffs and soloing which will have long time fans grinning with diabolical delight. There's not one low point on here true believers. Even the instrumentals like "Ultima Thule" which is a dark atmospheric piece by guest keyboardist Krzysztof Olos (they've gotta open up their shows with it) and "They Are Coming" (a sinister prelude to the trudging closer "Black Velvet and Skulls of Steel") lend to the massive assault which is in full swing here. As for the meatier cuts well prepare to be pummelled. Better yet when the title cut starts off it's like a hand reaching out to grab hold of your throat and squeeze till your head explodes. "Come and See My Sacrifice" is pure old school VADER fury on display. Speaking of old school there's a re-recorded version of "Decapitated Saints" from the 1993 debut, The Ultimate Incantation. "I Am Who Feasts Upon Your Soul" starts off with a movie score like epic keyboard opening but then turns into a rapid fire thrashing machine which crosses paths with SLAYER and SEPULTURA. From an interview I read that Wiwczarek and company plan on unleashing the bulk of this new material onto audiences for this tour. Yeah I can't wait to hear "The Black Eye" or "Only Hell Knows" as well as watch audiences back up from the stage when this metal tsunami befalls them. Till then I'll be blasting this one a lot.

Label: http://www.nuclearblast.de/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/vader

MORBUS CHRON - Sleepers in the Rift CD review

MORBUS CHRON - Sleepers in the Rift CD
Pulverised Records
Genre: Death Metal
Rating: 5/5

2011 will go down as the year in which various cracks in the planet's crust ruptured forth all over the world and out from them crept demon spawned filth from the underworld, otherwise known as the children of Death Metal's first wave. Seriously people the past two years were just precursors for what has come about in 2011. If you've been paying attention to the releases reviewed here at SFM666 (and frankly who doesn't) then you know that NOSDM (New Old School Death Metal) is not just a simple genre revival. (silly mainstream metal media shits) It's a full blown holocaust sweeping over continents across the globe. Also it's the usual suspects, the US and Sweden, who are responsible for most of this deju vu carnage. You'll also notice that I, your not so humble Usurper of Eternal Condemnation and Inverted Crucifiction, has been at the front lines telling you about it. Actually it's kinda easy for me since one of those fissures opened in my back yard so not only do I receive great sounding music but it also has a duel use as a grill for cookouts.

The latest spawn from the underworld is MORBUS CHRON a Swedish band who I first read about a few years ago. Besides this debut full length here they've also managed to put out a two song EP, Creepy Creeping Creeps, from last year as well as two demos prior to that. (none of which I have, fuck me) My introduction to them comes from their one track "The Putrid Smell of Hell" on the Agonia Records Swedish Death Metal compilation, Resurrected In Festering Slime. A great comp if you can find it (check Ebay and your bank account if you know what I mean or maybe Hells Headbangers still has a few left in stock) which also features such NOSDM acts like GRAVELESS, EVISCERATED, RAPE PILLAGE & BURN, etc. Sleepers in the Rift is the type of release for extreme types who have never let the dust settle upon their GRAVE, ENTOMBED, AUTOPSY or early DEATH releases. Like so many of these new school bands the members of MORBUS CHRON are relatively young, despise modern Death Metal and would sooner cut out your tongue then hear you speak of anything melodic. Not only does this band have that pure essence of the old school sound but someone must of been pumping in the stench of Satan's armpits into the studio when this was recorded.

Sleepers in the Rift is the full blown epitome of a demo from Sweden that you tape traded for in 1989. Upon my first listen to this I just thought it was a decent representation of the old school sound. After repeated plays it has now grown upon me like a putrid smelling moss which I'm not sure I wanna remove since it just might take away enough of flesh to expose bone plus it's my favorite color, black. Then again how could I deny myself, and my already pissed off neighbors, the sick joy of blasting such future classics like "Hymns to a Stiff", "The Hallucinating Dead" and a real winner in any song title contest "Dead Body Pile Necrophile". Don't get the impression that this is simply play by the numbers retro, not like the Thrash Revival ha ha! MORBUS CHRON throw enough variation from track to track in order for Sleepers in the Rift to sit next to their peers at the grown up table. They know their way of mixing in the death, doom and crusty hardcore elements quite well. Somewhere in Sweden right now Nicke Andersson, L-G Petrov and Ola Lindgren are smiling like proud parents.

Label: http://pulverised.net/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/morbuschronband

BLOODSOAKED - The Death of Hope CD review

BLOODSOAKED - The Death of Hope CD
Comatose Music
Genre: Death Metal
Rating: 4/5

For those of you who don't know, yeah there might be a few, BLOODSOAKED is the one man Death Metal act from North Carolina, that's here in the states by the way. That one man is Peter Hasslebrack and although he's not alone on the one man Death Metal act front (there's the guy from Holland in GORE OBSESSED whose pretty sick in his own right and my posts of his releases seem to be very popular with SFM666 readers) he has a worldwide following that stretches to Europe and the dark regions of South America. Strangely enough as the saying goes the messiah is never worshipped in his own home. Since I live in the same area as Peter I can tell you that I know this as fact. There's or was a Facebook page dedicated to Peter titled 'Hey BLOODSOAKED Guy Stop Flying My Car'. It would seem that not only is Peter a musical machine (he is also called a "killing machine") but is also very astute at advertising his shows. Maybe notorious is a better word for it since at one local club if your car was in the parking lot at a show then upon leaving you would find a BLOODSOAKED show handbill placed underneath your windshield wiper. Of course you didn't even need to be at the club for long to mysteriously find one placed on your vehicle. You could've just stopped by the club to drop something off and upon exiting a minute later there would be a BLOODSOAKED show handbill on your vehicle. I've heard that even pizza delivery guys find em on their windshields. Of course the Facebook page was created to be just a fun excursion although I did post that while at the airport I did see a BLOODSOAKED show handbill affixed to the windshield of a 707. A total fabrication on my part but I seriously would not put it passed Peter to do it if he had the opportunity.

Aside from all of that the mainstay here is about his music. (wow there's a novel idea) I first learned about BLOODSOAKED while at a past North Carolina Death Fest show. While some of my friends were not so impressed with a one man Death Metal act on stage that night blasting away on guitar while a machine provided the rhythm section I on the other hand was intrigued. I picked up his debut CD Brutally Butchered, released in 2007 also on Comatose Music, and thought it was pretty decent even though the programmed rhythms were a little too obvious. (Note to back trackers you won't find that review in the SFM666 archives since it was posted on the old site) BLOODSOAKED second full length release (I never got the Demand for Revenge EP from 2008) was Sadistic Deeds Grotesque Memories in 2009, also Comatose Music, and once again it was a decent release with an obvious progression with the programming back up. Now it's time for this one here and I've gotta say that this is BLOODSOAKED's best release by far. Obviously the 'third time's the charm' motive has to be employed here. There's three noticeable progressions on The Death of Hope which pushes it past the decent level.

First off is that Peter has changed or at least toned down his vocals a bit to a more early DM burned throat style instead of the cliche cavernous growl. Although he still throws in a growl here and there for effect but overall the cookie monster was left outside of the studio doors. For listeners it's the difference between being up front in your face brutality and underlying brutality. The former repels you while the latter intrigues you into really wanting to get into the music deeper. Secondly, even though I've read that Peter is now trying to make BLOODSOAKED into a full fledged band, the backing programming of the drums sounds a whole helluva lot better on here. If you didn't already know this was just a one man band then you would think otherwise. Finally the songs on here are simply damm good since Peter is not trying to shove technical aspects, brutality or old school familiar themes, as a take it or leave it sound, at the listener but instead intertwines them all. Yes I'm sure some snob will call this cosmopolitan Death Metal as they kick back with their over-priced wine and latest progressive metal fart band quietly playing on their Ipod. Fuck those types to begin with because they never looked at anything prior to DEATH's Symbolic release as being extraordinary. Peter has taken the best aspects of early USDM and just repeated them to people who still enjoy it. Also the influences are less defined as on prior releases. Sure I can hear some early OBITUARY and DEATH in the riffs as well as drumming, coincidentally James Murphy who has played for those two legendary acts adds a solo on here, but the key word here is 'early'. I'll put it to you like this. Would you rather hear some competent Death Metal with groove, aggressive riffs with weight to em and real vocals or would rather hear something by a bunch of kids with ADD. I'll take this and besides Peter looks like Stone Cold Steve Austin's brother (ok it could be Goldberg's brother as well) whose into Extreme Metal.

Label: http://www.comatosemusic.com/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bloodsoakedband

Bandcamp: http://bloodsoaked.bandcamp.com/

VENOM new album revealed

The original extreme metal pioneers themselves, VENOM have revealed their new album Fallen Angels.

The legends from the UK are celebrating 30 years since Welcome To Hell, their classic debut from 1981, with this new studio full-length on November 28 via Spinefarm/Universal, and will feature 13 new songs with two bonus tracks on the special edition. Prior to this, a double A-side single, "Hammerhead"/"Hail Satanas" available on 12" and digital download, will come out on October 31.

The band that founded metal's most evil style bringing out a new record is undoubtedly just about the best news we've heard in ages.

Cronos has said of the new record:

“When we make an album, it usually takes a few tracks to get into the vibe, although this album’s vibe was very much present during the ideas stage… everything came together so naturally.

“We all started throwing ideas together on the South American tour, and then again during the live shows of 2010, and so we knew from the start that we had some amazing new songs to make a great album.

“With any new album, you look for a few songs to put into the live set, although that is going to be very difficult with this record, as we can nail the entire album live if we want!

"Fallen Angels is the result of a band that has spent nearly two years touring and growing as a unit, and as the band grows tighter, so the songs get better and heavier, and we instinctively know what each other is thinking, and the ideas flow easier.

“This album is only the very start for this line-up; there will be many more albums and live shows to come for Venom. It has taken a long time and a lot of changes to finally deliver a Venom that can attack Black Metal the way it should be – fast, furious, tight and terrifying. All Hell Breaks Loose… Hell Fucking Yeah !!!!!!!!!”

Since we're celebrating 30 years since Welcome To Hell here it is live from 2009 in Brazil:

Complete DEPRAVITY Discography Now Available Through Dark Descent Records

Dark Descent Records is proud to announce partnering with the mighty DEPRAVITY to unleash their discography on one tremendous CD compilation! Brutal and melodic Finnish death metal with chugging, heavy riffs, pummeling percussion, eerie atmospheres and dark, guttural vocals that easily stands up against their Swedish brothers. The amazing CD will feature not only both of the Adipocere releases including the MCD and the 7" EP, but also the band's obscure yet equally brutal demography and new liner notes from bassist Petri Ilvespakka.



During their two year existence, DEPRAVITY featured members of Sigillum Diaboli,

Psychopathic Terror, Sonata Arctica and Diaboli.



This release is currently available for pre-order at http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1322&zenid=r8pgi2do81hv14au1rblq0qsh5

The release features;

Silence Of The Centuries (EP)

Silence of the Centuries

Sleepy Oceans

Remasquerade

Phantasmagoria

Vacuum of Thoughts



Remasquerade (EP)

Remasquerade

The Better Be Descended

In Death's Embrace

Undone



Phantasmagoria (Demo)

Phantasmagoria

Sleepy Oceans



Demo I (Demo)

The Harnessed Dice

Sceptic Attitudes

The Figtree

Injoutable Emphasis

Infernal Supremacy

Scepter of Oppression



Galvanizer (Demo)

The Better Be Descended

Castrated

On Arriving Home...

Obsessed by Reality (Instrumental)

Galvanizer

Creatures of the Night (KISS cover)

TOXIC HOLOCAUST and MIDNIGHT release Japanese Tsunami benefit split

Thrash titans TOXIC HOLOCAUST and blacken filth mongers MIDNIGHT have some how joined forces to release a special, limited edition split 7"er to benefit the Japanese victims of the tsunami that hit the country earlier this year. (That's putting it mildly since the goddamn ocean washed right over the freaken landscape then the nuke plant went critical, finally spewing enough radioactive material into the ocean and the atmosphere to the point that for the next few generations expect a lot of two headed creatures with fins and feet.)

Both tracks on the split, TOXIC HOLOCAUST's "A.T.O.M.I.C." and MIDNIGHT's "Destroy Tsunami's Power", are exclusive to the release. (The thing costs $8.00. Which means it will be up on Ebay for twice that amount in a short time or you can be a cheap fuck and download it for free on some file sharing site.) This 7"er is a one time pressing, limited to 1,000 copies, on vinyl coloured as the Japanese flag. All proceeds go to the Red Cross relief efforts for the victims of the disaster.(although I doubt anyone in Japan will be purchasing it for obvious reasons.)

While you're salivating for this rare gem OR opening a new window looking to see if it's available for download yet, have a listen to a cut from TOXIC HOLOCAUST's latest full length Conjure And Command, which you should have by now.

KRISIUN exclusive premiere of new track from upcoming album

KRISIUN is one of Scumfeast Metal's favorite bands so it is an honor to premiere one of their new tracks, "The Will To Potency", taken from the upcoming full length The Great Execution. The new one will be the Brazilian death metal trio's eighth. The biggest surprise in store for long time fans is that this was recorded entirely on analogue equipment. The Great Execution will in stores on October 31st in Europe and November 1st in the States. So till then enjoy this exclusive vid.

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM live at their record release party

After my not so flattering review of WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM's latest release Celestial Lineage on Southern Lord, I figured why not post some new live footage from their record release party in Brooklyn, New York City at The Bell House on September 12, 2011. Now obviously it sounds strange that a Northwest act would celebrate their CD release in fuckin NYC let alone Brooklyn. But hey there are plenty of hipster retards there. It's a freakin mecca for hipster retards. Now I'm not posting this video just to please hipster retards. I'm posting it for anyone else who is not a fuckin hipster retard but likes WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM.

ENJOY

Wolves in the Throne Room | NYC @ The Bell House | 12 Sep 2011 from (((unartig))) on Vimeo.

AMEBIX - Sonic Mass CD review

AMEBIX - Sonic Mass CD
Easy Action Records
Genre: Post Punk
Rating: 2/5

Just by accident I caught what someone (on a hipster site) had already written about this, the first all new material from AMEBIX since 1987. I stopped reading after the first paragraph since I did not want to be tainted by that writer's opinion before I heard this. Secondly I believed the next thing I was about to read was a description of some sexual solo act he performed while listening to Sonic Mass. Hey look anticipation is one thing but slobbering like a lonely teenager who has just discovered free Internet porn is ridiculous. Thankfully for you I'm here to put some reality to the subject at hand. As far as AMEBIX goes in general I have to ask since when did they become legendary let alone a cult band? Back in the mid 80's except for people who were glued to the pages of Profane Existence and MRR, they were virtually unknown here in the states. The Arise LP did come out on Alternative Tentacles in 1985 but no one really cared. Also AMEBIX used synthesizers which was something considered very "un-punk" by the self appointed punk police back then. (Hell a few years later they were calling Jello Biafra a sell out) If you asked someone about DISCHARGE or the SUBHUMANS they would have told you all the records they had. But if you mentioned AMEBIX someone would say yeah they had a patch on their jacket which they got from some anarcho punk distro. There was an exception though and that was your local college town record store clerk who was a lonely music snob anyways. Now that guy not only knew about AMEBIX but he was also into KILLING JOKE, aka: music for people who couldn't get laid. Nowadays we call these people hipsters.

Now be that as it may (because I don't wanna repeat the same thing I did with that last WITTR review aka: another anti-hipster screed) since I was around back then I can honestly say that AMEBIX was dead and gone before those few people got into them. Their Monolith LP from 1987 really didn't get a good response from your typical underground punk zine scribes since it was on Heavy Metal Records. That was also considered grounds for selling out. (Strangely enough when that same release was re-issued in 2008 it was being praised) Also the people who are going all gaga over em today (as well as the past few years in alternative circles) were not around either. As far as them being lauded as godfathers of crust punk I believe that's a load of revisionist shit. If you go back and listen to those releases (which I'm sure has crashed a few free download sites) you will hear what we called "avant garde punk". I used to think they were jazz influenced until I learned that they just didn't know how to play early on. The band who really influenced what would later be characterized as "crust" was DISCHARGE. The only thing those so-called "crust bands" (we just called things Punk or Hardcore) took from AMEBIX was their cover art style from the EPs. Musically AMEBIX were more in line with CRASS and their political views were on the same terms as well. So it is with all of that I come to this latest release by a band who is now called "one of the best-loved and most influential bands in heavy music." Really? And how high do they pile bullshit in your small world? It's one thing to be jaded about the music, which by the way I'm not since I probably have more 80's underground anarcho punk from tape trading back in the day than any modern day interweb revisionist scribe, but before I even pushed "play" my bullshit detector was screaming "beware over-hyped horse shit ahead."

So I'm listening to Sonic Mass and thinking to myself, "hmmm so when did these guys get into post punk"? If you have any of their older material (which I do including live bootleg tapes) you will be surprised how far they, aka: the Miller brothers (Rob - bass/vox and Stig - guitar) with their latest drummer Roy Mayorga (NAUSEA, SOULFLY, CRISIS, to name a few and who also produced this release) have progressed from their root sound. Sonic Mass does sound like a shoegazer release from the 90's. In fact if they had reformed back around the mid 90s then I would have not been surprised if this is what they would have done. Go back and listen to Monolith and you'll trace the path to this. Also since Mayorga was in NAUSEA back then he would've probably called them sellouts because that was the anarcho punk thing to do. Strange how things work out isn't it. Along with the drum duties and producing this release Mayorga is also responsible for the keyboards on here which brings this up to the symphonic level. To me the over production on here washes away any and all grit that this act once had. Then again it has been over twenty years so maybe by now they've learned to tune their guitars. Swallow hard for you're in for something of which is more on atmosphere and less on aggression. Imagine Britpop with an anarchist bent, although I really don't know what Rob "the Baron" Miller is singing about. As far as personal tastes go I really think this is boring but I like how these guys have simply thrown the middle finger or the backwards V for Victory bugger off sign to their roots. Even their avant garde strange is completely gone and replaced with indie rock sensibilities. In other words this is a pale comparison to what they were once doing along with their peers. Please note AMEBIX were a decent band back in the days of 80's English Punk and Hardcore. But they were nothing to the likes of the hype which has been piled about em nowadays. In the end Sonic Mass resembles the hype in that it's all hot air and that blows. But I'm sure if you're weak then you might enjoy it. Just keep staring at the cover art.


Label: http://www.easyaction.co.uk/

Official: http://amebix.net/

Myspace: http://myspace.com/amebixuk

HEAVY GLOW - Midnight Moan CD review

HEAVY GLOW - Midnight Moan CD
Self Released
Genre: Hard Rock
Rating: 4/5

When this band's manager first emailed me on reviewing this San Diego trio's debut full length he included the usual promo snippets in order to spark my interest. Now for all of you who read SFM666 (and frankly who doesn't) you will remember that I don't put much stock in what accolades others lay upon bands. So if someone from Classic Rock Magazine says nice things about HEAVY GLOW I don't really care. It's all a matter of taste. If they've been featured in a variety of international magazines or nominated for multiple awards, so what. Have you watched the Grammys lately? But when I read that HEAVY GLOW was compared BLUE CHEER I was like "really"? Well that's something I really wanna hear. Now don't get all excited because after listening to Midnight Moan I'm here to tell you it's not the second coming of Vincebus Eruptum. Actually it falls more into the style which BLUE CHEER displayed on the three LPs after it or what is commonly known as "the ones the goddamn hippies like." Personally I'm kinda glad since Vincebus Eruptum has been mined for far too long. Also I've heard a lot of bands who've been compared to BLUE CHEER for decades now and there's one thing people seem to overlook. Unless your sound is psychedelic-blues-rock than you're no where near BLUE CHEER. Well not only is HEAVY GLOW worthy of the comparison but I'm sure somewhere in the universe Dickie Peterson is smiling. But I wouldn't pigeonhole this band as just BLUE CHEER influenced since these guys wear the complete 70's blues rock bandana.

Now sure sending this band's material (they've released two EPs prior to this) to Classic Rock Magazine is a no brainer. Sending it to SFM666 might seem off the wall but remember I was born in the 60's and started getting into music in the 70's. A lot of those bands are still favorites of mine so it really pisses me off when I read some new to Doom scribe instantly label all acts influenced by late 60's/ early seventies as "stoner rock" which I'm sure this will be. Look here sure we did bongs and played heavy music in black light lit rooms but we called music like this Hard Rock or Hard Fuckin Rock. It wasn't until 1979 when Creem Magazine told us it was Heavy Metal. So while I'm listening to Midnight Moan I'm thinking this sounds like an authentic 70's LP. I don't know if it's because of budget restraints, typical promo material lasse' or done on purpose but I love the way this release sounds. The only thing missing is the typical cracks and pops you hear when playing an LP. As far as the performance goes it's all spot on. Jared Mullins has a great vocal style which is part subtle white boy blues and part modern day grungy angst. He's not overpowering which would ruin everything but instead he's got an inviting tone to his voice. Also he's a damm good blues guitarist whose not trying to be Hendrix, Clapton or Winter. The guy also plays keyboards on here as well. Who does he think he is, Mark Farner/Joe Walsh? Hah! Of course with a power trio format guitar playing is nothing without a reliable rhythm section. Bassist Joe Brooks and drummer Dan Kurtz add the perfect cohesiveness which this music needs. When they start into the "jam portion" of certain cuts is where it really shows. Note to self check Youtube for live vids of this band.

As far as the songs go well I'm not gonna hold your hand and walk you through each one but I will point out the standouts. First off the song "All My Money" is what we would've called a "FM radio friendly hit" back in the day. It's got it all as in a repeated chorus, an upbeat vocal presence and the obligatory two guitar solos, one in the middle of the song and as a closer. "Collide" is a short sixties garage psych cut which could have sat well on Nuggets. The bluesy "Slave Dance" must be the song these guys play live to get the legs of the ladies in their audience all wobbly. (if you know what I mean and chances are you don't) It bleeds into "Today is Technicolor" (One Step Closer) which can best be described as chorus heavy 70's FM Rock. This could have been played on the radio back then in between GRAND FUNK and MC5. The opener "Lose My Mind" is where the BLUE CHEER psych blues really comes into play along with the melancholy of "Purgatory Blues". The final cut "Diggin' a Ditch" kinda reminds me of AUTOMAG with it's modern Southern Metal aggressive style. Well they are technically from the South as in Southern California. OK that's a joke but this isn't. So far in the past two years there's been an upswing in bands taking the 70's Hard Rock influence and retrofitting it to modern audiences. Right now they are all floating around in the Doom Metal pool because revisionist scribes keep calling them Stoner Rock. Sooner or later the "fad" will whine down and where will all of those bands go? There's not enough biker rallies and dive bars on the outstretches of town are becoming extinct. Trust me on that because I've got a friend in a blues rock band and he ain't getting booked into the so-called "hip" clubs. Be that as it may I believe a niche should be made for HEAVY GLOW because music like this which is very good should not be regulated to the used bin in some college town's record store.


Facebook: http://facebook.com/heavyglowband

Official: http://www.heavyglowmusic.com

Bandcamp: http://xj793a.bandcamp.com/album/midnight-moan

ABSU new full length news

ABSU released the cover art of their new release Abzu. They've also released a track from the new one but it's on a hipster site so I'll wait till it comes out somewhere else.

In other ABSU news the band have already confirmed several live appearances in support of Abzu, including an appearance in Athens, Greece this week. Upon their return they have also locked down a special home-state show in San Antonio, Texas and an appearance at Aurora Infernalis Festival in The Netherlands in October, as well as an exclusive four-show upper East Coast U.S. live exhibition and a headlining appearance at Montreal’s Messe des Morts Festival November, with much more in the planning stages to be announced shortly.

ABSU Confirmed Live Rituals:
9/10/2011 An Club – Athens, Greece
10/22/2011 007 Rock Bar – San Antonio, TX
10/29/2011 Aurora Infernalis Festival – Driel, Netherlands
11/10/2011 Strange Matter – Richmond, VA
11/11/2011 Club Europa – Brooklyn, NY
11/12/2011 Reverb – Reading, PA
11/13/2011 TBA – Boston, MA
11/26/2011 Messe des Morts Festival – Montreal, QC

ABSU’s forthcoming sixth full-length, Abzu, is set for North American release on October 4th. The band’s second album Candlelight Records, Abzu is the second part of a trilogy of recordings from the band. Recorded at Nomad Recording Studios in Carrollton, Texas, Abzu finds drummer/vocalist Proscriptor and bassist/vocalist Ezezu sharing equal vocal duties and debuts the skills of new guitarist Vis Crom. The record was mixed by J.T. Longoria (King Diamond/Solitude Aeternus), and features original cover art from Polish artist Zbigniew Bielak (Watain, Behemoth, Destroyer 666, Vader).

http://www.myspace.com/absu

https://www.facebook.com/officialabsu

http:/www.candlelightrecordsusa.com

http://www.myspace.com/candlelightrecordsusa

Behind The Suit And Tie Heavy Metal Documentary Trailer

Below you'll find a preview clip from the long awaited heavy metal documentary Behind The Suit And Tie.

The two-minute 45-second video clip features segments from Alan Becker (Vice President Product Development of Red Distribution), Eddie Trunk (VHI Classic, That Metal Show, Q104.3, Sirius XM), Rob "Blasko" Nicholson, (Ozzy Osbourne), Missi Callazzo, (Megaforce Records, Al Dawson (Earache Records), Brian Slagel (Metal Blade Records), David Ellefson (Megadeth) to discuss piracy, corruption, manipulation issues and the future of a record label.

Due in 2012 on an as-yet-undisclosed European label "Behind the Suit and Tie" "pulls no punches and features some of the prime movers in the heavy metal industry drawing back the veil of mystique surrounding the music business and addressing tough questions about the industry itself, how it's run and where labels see their role in a digital future

Through a series of interviews with players from both indie and major labels, Behind The Suit And Tie will showcase the truth of how the music industry is being affected by the downward spiral of CD sales and how new and up-and-coming artists must learn to adjust to changing times.


The film will contain insight from:

* Ed Rivadavia (RCA Music Group)
* Jason Lekberg (Eleven Seven Music)
* Brian Slagel (Metal Blade Records)
* Doug Keogh (Roadrunner Records)
* Missi Callazzo (MegaForce Records)
* Carl Severson (Good Fight Entertainment)
* Paul Conroy (Good Fight Entertainment)
* Alan Becker (RED Distribution)
* Al Dawson (Earache Records)
* Burt Goldstein (Big Daddy Distribution)
* Eddie Trunk (VH1 Classic, Q104.3, Sirius XM)
* Pat Egan (Relapse Records)
* Ray Harkins (Century Media Records)
* Ralph Graupner (Indevent Music)
* Gary Susalis (Music Choice)
* Ged Cook (Demolition Records)
* Bryan Mechutan (Demolition Records)
* Lee Barrett (Ascendance Records)
* Adam Watson (Plastic Head Distribution)
* David Ellefson (MEGADETH)
* Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (Mercenary Management, OZZY OSBOURNE)

Commented creator/producer Robert Bolger Jr.: "Unlike most music documentaries 'Behind the suit and tie' will spend more time with the people behind the labels rather than the more musician-focused approach of most music documentaries."

For more information, visit: www.myspace.com/behindthesuitandtie