KERASPHORUS – Cloven Hooves at the Holocaust Dawn 12” EP review

KERASPHORUS – Cloven Hooves at the Holocaust Dawn 12” EP
Nuclear War Now Productions

I really get off on hateful music, seriously I do. In a world that operates like a clown car and places a happy face on everything from politics to toilet paper it’s refreshing to sit back and relax to the sound of something hateful. I’m not talking about one-sided meanness, that’s for losers. I’m talking about the all consuming supersonic hate fuck. I actually listen to this stuff at night when I shut everything down to crash out. Not that the music is sleep inducing but it’s just comforting like a warm glass of milk. The man who fronts KERASPHORUS, Peter Helmkamp, knows all about hateful music and its power to calm those of us who look at humanity and mostly see maggot infested meat. This man’s past endeavors include such favorites as ORDER FROM CHAOS and ANGELCORPSE. His newest project does not let up one bit in fact this session of torture hasn’t even reached its full potential.

Cloven Hooves at the Holocaust Dawn has just four songs but its four cuts of pure unadulterated blackened grind. Guitar, bass, drums and vocals combined to become an audio assault of brutal proportions. The first cut “The Abyssal Sanhedrin” starts out slow as if the holocaustic doom is descending upon the world and then suddenly explodes to rip it to pieces. The blast beats are like a hundred M-60 machine guns firing at once. The guitars and bass are like tanks rolling and crushing bodies to pulp. The best part is that it bleeds into the next cut “Aesoth Paradigm” which continues the relentless assault. What follows is simply more of the same as in punishment. “Disturb the Furthest Stars” is obviously my favorite cut on here out of the four fuckin monsters. It’s the shortest song coming in at just over three minutes but every second is all out war which never lets up for anything. In fact it just gets more intense till the final seconds when everything around you erupts into a fiery explosion with just you and this release left unscaved and there’s still one more song to go which is “Swarm Intelligentsia”.

Cloven Hooves at the Holocaust Dawn is black, death and grind combined to create the ultimate destructive release of carnage upon unsuspecting listeners. How great is it that I’m reviewing this on the night of a full moon, coincidence I don’t think so. Peter Helmkamp on bass and vocals along with J. Read on drums and B. Wolaniuk on guitar have created something that’s pure war metal. Yeah I know a few other bands that have that claim to fame placed upon them. Be that as it may once you listen to this then you’ll see others as armchair generals. I’m going to sleep well tonight.

www.nwnprod.com/

MYSTERION – The Sacral Chamber CDEP review

MYSTERION – The Sacral Chamber CDEP
Karge Welten Kunstverlag

Sometimes I’m asked where do I find all these sick twisted bands from places so far out of the mainstream norm not even the Twilight Zone has an address for em. Well ya know sometimes you’ve gotta look deep inside those dark crevasses like this band from Germany. The Sacral Chamber is their debut release and even though it’s an EP there’s still alot on here to excite even the most jaded of black metal fans. First off this release is separated into three parts each having a short intro then followed by two cuts. The opening “Chapter 1 – The Beginning of the End” starts off with the sound of a thunderstorm breaking overhead and the guitarist enters in by playing a somber passage and then you’re hit by lightening as in the first actual cut “Death in the Circle of Candles”. Right off the bat MYSTERION lets you know that they’re not your typical German black metal army. These guys are looking north to their Scandinavian dark brothers. This chapter ends with “The Cold Mist” which mixes pagan choir choruses over a depressive lead vocal.

“Chapter 2 – Only the Dead Know the Secret” is another somber intro with keyboards laying on a melodic drone for two minutes until MARDUK walks into the room. “The Eye of the Devil” is a pure Panzer Division Marduk knockoff that even sticks within the regulated time limit of those Swede’s previous masterpiece. The vocalist even sounds like Legion which might tick off some people but hey these guys are German so cut em a break. The next cut “Deadly Silent” balances on the brink of Eastern European Post black metal and more of the melodic variety. Do you recognize a pattern here? “Chapter 3 – Walk Though the Open Gates” is short with monster growls and atmospheric keys and then MAYHEM steps through the door on the cuts “Battle with the King of Dead” and “The Truth is now Revealed”. This time the vocalist, Nephilim, hands us a dead on Atilla Csihar imitation while the rest of the performers play their parts well dropping out of character just enough to keep everything from sounding too copycat.

You outside the box nose in the air too kvlt to know your ass from a hole in the ground types might say that MYSTERION sounds like a band caught in the undertow of black metal’s second wave. If certain circumstances were also at hand like if The Sacral Chamber was being pushed by a more mainstream label with full page ads and magazine quotes then I’d agree to a point. But that’s not the case and secondly the way this was crafted together in the chapter’s sequencing shows the minimalist theory is far from true. What I do hear is something I already mentioned. This is a balancing act by a band trying to place as much of itself onto an already worn template. I give em credit for not following along like sheep since the slaughterhouse is already full with bands like that.


www.karge-welten.de/

SABATON – Coat of Arms CD review

SABATON – Coat of Arms CD
Nuclear Blast Records

Swedish power metal that’s obsessed with war, yeah right, when was the last time Sweden declared war on somebody? Whatever the case this band’s brand of warrior themed metal does not contain any battle axes, swords or pole axe weaponry. SABATON are into modern weapons and twentieth century battles especially World War Two. They root for the allies of course. This is their fifth full length so they’ve been at war for some time now. Obviously they’re very good at it, power metal that is. I’m not a huge fan of the genre but I do own some stuff and SABATON’s approach is different then what I’m used to. Joakim Broden’s singing style is not your typical higher pitch, operatic voice (cue Heavy Metal scream) but instead is a deeper “real guy” type of voice. He could front a pub rock/Oi band as well as this. Another difference is that these guys have a more classic 80’s metal sound. “White Death” could’ve been on Headbangers Ball along with the song “Metal Ripper”. The rest feature standard power metal genre fair with heavy keyboard use as a backdrop on the songs. There’s plenty of galloping rhythms to bang your head along to. If anything, Coat of Arms is catchy especially the title track which opens this thing. Power Metal fans, yes all of you in the back row with your fake, dull, flea market bought swords, will like this.

www.nuclearblast.com

DARKWOR – Foederati CD review

DARKWOR – Foederati CD
Self Released

When American black metal bands/artists are at their best is when they are not trying to full on copy the past greats from Europe. DARKWOR is one of those bands and although it’s impossible not to be influenced in your sound by someone else from black metal’s waves atleast they’re trying very hard. This is not your typical post black metal which is kinda getting old of late nor is it black floyd or some other black progressive seventies hard rock hybrid. If I were to give a reference point it would be that DARKWOR lean more towards black metal’s late nineties period when bands were starting to break free from the confines of the genre’s orthodoxy. What this CD represents, atleast to me, is a band trying to break away from the modern day orthodoxy within black metal which is in my not so humble opinion the marriage of indie rock and black metal. Yeah I still hate that crap.

Don’t let the atmospheric intro “Dawn of Adrianople” seduce you into thinking this is more of what you’re used to hearing. Once the title cut hits you then you’ll be like “Wow that’s interesting”. Instead of the typical DARK BORGIR you get corpse painted graduates from classical music appreciation class. What’s even better is that you can hear the bass and the drummer knows alot more than a blast beat. “Renaissance Apocalypse” is grinding death circling within a blackened industrial centrifuge. “III” opens with a battle horn (?) and from there it pillages to the point of a doom blast then goes straight blackened thrash. This guy’s vocals (Skullbliterator) vary from the satanic frog to angst ridden punk rocker to this is the last thing I’m going to do in my life so I’ll scream till I vomit blood. Their guitarist (Agnar) is fuckin great as well since he mixes alot of death metal leads along with no holds bar thrash rhythms.

There’s a somber sounding ambient cut which for this release is needed but after three minutes of that we go into territory which has been tread before badly by many USBM bands. “Curse of Atreus” is probably the closest that DARKWOR comes to being symphonic on here but they rape it with a sonic dirge of doom and then commence to grind it to pieces. The background keyboards are much more like scenery then a boring soundscape. The final cut “Desecrating the Remains” is when all reality and extreme metal genres are thrown out the fuckin door. Years ago I once read the term “kitchen sink black metal” used to describe a release. This song is it; better yet this whole release is it.


www.myspace.com/darkwormetal

BLASPHEMOPHAGHER – For Chaos, Obscurity and Desolation LP review

BLASPHEMOPHAGHER – For Chaos, Obscurity and Desolation LP
Nuclear War Now Productions

Can you imagine what REPULSION would sound like if you added some black metal into their death grind mix? Well after listening to this I don’t have to ponder that question anymore. Actually listening is not the right word to use in the case of this Italian band’s second full length. This release qualifies as an endurance test to see how many songs you can bare before your nervous system shuts down. I obviously have a high tolerance for this kind of audio abuse because I can still function, albeit I am a little sore. Although I do believe anyone with weaker constitutions would be on the floor twitching uncontrollably. Nuclear War Now Productions is not a record label. They’re merchants in sadomasochism with a cadre of bands who make the torture artists of the Spanish Inquisition seem tame in comparison. BLASPHEMOPHAGHER’s brand of blackened death grind is not music, its punishment. If you are still sitting in the kindergarten class of brutal (brootal) death metal extremism, it’s time for you to graduate up to this. That’s if you have the tolerance level of course or a good supply of pain meds.


For Chaos, Obscurity and Desolation starts off with a death doom type of intro which is inviting and then all hell breaks loose ala “Descending into Extermination”. From that point on you are strapped down upon the table for continuous torture. Your deliverers of torment are Atomic Incinerator of Necronuclear Collapse & Plutonium Winds on guitar, R.R. Unholy Bastard & Phosgene Wargus on bass and vocals plus Necrovomiterror on drums. Not only is the music punishing but I’m guessing playing it would be self flagellating as well like in bloodied and blistered hands. The key to their sound is simply loud, fast and angry. The vocals are cavernous and gruff as if being sung from someone with a maul instead of a mouth. The drumming is incredible and I have to wonder how the guy’s kit, especially his snare head, can even take that type of punishment. Not one moment of trigger drums; this is pure old school beating. As far as bass, what fuckin bass? Last but not least the guitar sound is like having your head inside a hornet’s nest with someone slapping it with a stick to stir up the buggers. This is one of the best releases of 2010 if you can survive it.

www.nwnprod.com/

VASAELETH – Crypt Born and Tethered to Ruin CD review

VASAELETH – Crypt Born and Tethered to Ruin CD
Profound Lore

Holding a position somewhere between TEITANBLOOD who I like and PORTAL who drove me insane, stands this US blackened death band. There’s an epidemic going on with bands who sound like they’ve tunneled their way out from the bowels of Hell. Profound Lore seems to find alot of them as well, hmmm? It wouldn’t be the first time it was suggested that the Profound Lore records HQ was situated upon the gates of Hell. Either that or every time a sink hole appears the label sends out a representative to the location to sign up anyone or thing that climbs out from it.

Their latest find, VASAELETH, is a duo consisting of drummer Antinom from the Texas black metal outfit DAGON and Oa who handles everything else and is from parts unknown ala Georgia. Together they create a sound that roars forth from the depths leaving your ears scarred and burned. Except for some keyboards which add a little atmospheric touches to a few cuts this is pure old school death metal left in the fire too long. It’s burned almost beyond recognition with no tech death wizardry to speak of. The lion’s share of metal fans will run screaming from this like it was sulfuric acid, as they should. As for me my hot tub is filled with molten lava so I like it alot.

There are eight cuts on here all of which are volatile and will hold you in a suffocating grip. I really can’t emphasize specific tracks since that would be a disservice. Crypt Born and Tethered to Ruin should be taken as a whole as if a soundtrack to your eventual demise.

www.profoundlorerecords.com

ELFFOR – Frostbitten Pain CD review

ELFFOR – Frostbitten Pain CD
Self Released

Northern Silence has been reissuing ELFFOR’s early material for a while now, so seeing this as being a self release was a surprise. ELFFOR is the side project of Basque keyboardist Eol who also does time in the bands NUMEN and SUFFERING DOWN. Basically Eol handles the keyboards, vocals and some drum programming while bringing in session musicians to handle everything else. What we have here is brand new material from Eol and if you’re into medieval influenced symphonic black metal than this should be an extreme treat for you. Before I go on it needs to be emphasized that you must remove what prejudices you have towards symphonic black metal prior to an attempt at listening and enjoying this. What most people think of when confronted with modern day symphonic black metal is a bunch of guys (and a girl who plays the keyboards) all decked out for Halloween playing essentially gothic hard rock with some blast beats thrown in. This ain’t it but if you’re a fan of the Norwegian band TARTAROS then this will excite you.

What Eol does musically is bring forth a landscape for the listener to imagine while the music flows through the senses. His use of samples and effects coupled with the various synthesizer sounds gives you the feeling of being in a natural amphitheater out in the forest with Eol as conductor. From that position you can just close your eyes and allow the atmospheric sounds overwhelm you. Frostbitten Pain contains five long songs which makes it more of an experience than a listen. “A Cold Funeral Breeze” has a majestic quality as if you were accompanying a fallen warrior on board the ship to their final resting place. “Instinct Enslavement” opens with some depressive black metal guitar strumming slowly turning towards tremolo picked blasts matching the drumming. The sadness put forth by Eol once his keyboard playing comes in is overwhelmingly haunting even when the pace quickens. Midway through it all slows down to an ambient mood to let one catch up but then the early structure repeats. Female choir vocals give it the added longing.

“Ancestral Spirit” is the longest cut on here and the most gut wrenching. Eol’s death-like scream breaks out from an almost Gregorian keyboard driven melody. As the song progresses his vocals are like that of a tormented spirit. At times they’re harsh whispers and at other times painful shrieks. Best part is when they come in when you least expect it. “Chaos Moon” is close to BURZUM but with vocals that are cries of agony instead of shrieks of anger. The song flows as if one were being carried along on the wind, never ending. By the time the final composition “Icewind” emanates from the speakers you can consider yourself drained but ready for the final deathblow. “Icewind” is very majestic sounding that creates a feeling of standing at the mouth of an ice chasm. The song dwarfs the listener with echoing keyboards and timpani cadence drumming until the acoustic guitar slowly strums the song to a close with Eol’s spoken voice the last we hear before the cold puts you to rest. Excellent!

Elffor.com