Master/The Witchhunt/FDA Rekotz/2013 CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  album  from  Master  which  continues  their  death/thrash  sound  which  they  are  known  for,  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "The  Witchhunt"  which  was  released  by  FDA  Rekotz.

 "The  Witchhunt"  begins  with  some  powerful  drums,  rhythms  guitars  and  bass  which  leads  to  the  growls  kicking  in  before  going  into  a  slower  direction  for  awhile  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts  and  after  awhile  guitar  solos  start  kicking  in  a  few  parts  of  the  song.
 
  "Plans  Of  Hate"  begins  with  some  heavy  drums,  bass  and  regular  guitars  which  lead  to  the  song  going  into  an  old  school  direction  along  with  some  growls  and  mid  paced  sections  and  after  awhile  guitar  leads  start  making  their  way  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Another  Suicide"  begins  with  a  heavy  guitar  riff  which to  some  drums  and  powerful  bass  playing  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  vocals  kick  in  which  leads  to  the  song  going  into  a  slower  direction  for  a  bit  before  returning  to  the  faster  parts  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  fast  and  slow  parts  as  well  as  mixing  in  guitar  leads.

  "Waiting  To  Die"  begins  with  a  very  heavy  sounding  death  metal  guitar  riff  which  leads  to  some  powerful  drumming  and  as  the  song  moves  in  it  mixes  in  some  old  school  thrash  elements  and  growls  and  after  a  few  minutes  the  song  goes  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  adding  in  a  brief  guitar  solo  before  ending  the  song.

  "The  Parable"  begins  with  some  heavy  death/thrash  guitar  riffs  which  leads  to  some  drums  and  growls  as  well  as  adding  a  s mall  amount  of  melody  in  the  riffing  while  focusing  more  on  being  heavy  and  after  a  minute  guitar  solos  make  their  presence  known  briefly  before  returning  to  the  rhythm  parts.

  "God  Of  Thunder"  begins  with  some  old  school  style  thrash  guitar  riffing  which  leads  to  some  powerful  drums  kicking  in  as  well  as  some  vocals  and  after  a  minute  the  song  goes  into  a  slower  direction  and  adds  in  some  powerful  bass  playing  before  returning  to  a  mid  paced  direction  and  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  guitar  solos.

  "Remove  The  Clowns"  begins  with  some  primitive  guitar  riffs  which  leads  to  some  bass  and  drums  kicking  in  setting  for  the  mood  for  some  vocals  as  well  as  adding  in  a  variety  of  different  riffs  while  remaining  heavy  all  at  the  same  time  along  with  some  old  school  death  metal  guitar  leads  in  certain  parts  but   focusing  more  on  rhythms  and  as  the  song  moves  on  you  can  hear  some  melodies  being  utilized  for  some  riffs.

 "Raise  Your  Swords"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  leads  to  the  song  goin  more  into  a  fast  thrash  direction  along  with  some  powerful  bass  and  vocals,  as  the  song  moves  on  it  starts  mixing  in  many  different  heavy  riffing  styles  along  with  some  melody  as  well  as  some  brief  guitar  solos.

  "Wipe  Out  The  Aggressor"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffing  and  drums  and  after  a  few  seconds  vocals  start  kicking  in,  as  the  song  moves  on  it  starts  adding  in  some  melodic  parts  and  short  guitar  solos  which  also  enhance  the  heavier  aspects  of  the  music  along  with  the  bass  getting  a  little bit  heavier.

  "Manipulate  To  Exterminate"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  spoken  word  parts  before  adding  a  little  bit  more  fast  parts,  bass  guitars  and  vocals  and  after  awhile  the  riffs  start  utilizing  a  small  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  a  variety  of  many  old  school  style  riffs  along  with  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  before  going  into  a  bass  lead  which  closes  the  song.

  "The  American  Dream"  begins  with  a  bass  riff  before  going  into  the  guitars  and  drums  along  with  some  growls  which  lead  to  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  mixing  melody  into  the  riffing  while  remaining  heavy  all  at  the  same  time,  as  the  song  moves  on  it  starts  adding  into  slow  death  metal  sections  while  keeping  the  faster  elements  around  as  well  as  bringing  solos  into  the  mix.

  Song  lyrics  cover  the  corrupted  side  of  politics,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  album.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Master,  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Witchhunt"  "Waiting  To  Die"  "Raise  Your  Swords'  and  "The  American  Dream'.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.      

  

Merciless Terror/Vile Extinction/Devil's Clause Records/2013 CD Review

  Merciless  Terror  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Vile  Extinction"  which  was  released  by  Devil's  Clause  Records.

  Omnicide"  begins  with  some  sound  effects  and  horror  movie  sounds  which  leads  to  some  heavy  and  dark  riffing  along  with  some  drums  and  powerful  bass  and  serving  as  an  intro  for  the  album.

  "Doctrine  Of  Malevolence"  begins  with  some  death/thrash  style  guitar  riffing,  blast  beats,  screams  and  growls  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  more  into  a  mid  paced  direction  before  returning  to  its  more  fast  and  brutal  sound  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts.

  "Circle  Of  Contempt"  begins  with  some  heavy  riffs  and  drums  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  setting  up  the  mood  for  some growls  and  screams  before  slowing  down  a  bit  which  leads  to  music  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  adding  in  melodic  elements.

  "Enraptured"  begins  with  some  heavy  riffs  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  growls  which  lead  to  some  screams  getting  mixed  with  the  growls  shortly  after  that  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  chaotic  sounding  death  metal  guitar  solos  which  takes  the  music  into  a  more  slow  yet  heavy  direction  before  heading  back  into  a  faster  direction.

  "Baptized  In  Blood"  begins  with  some  fast  guitar  riffs  and  blast  beats  which  set  up  the  mood  for some  growls  and  screams  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  getting  slower  and  mixes  in  melodic  elements  along  with  some  shouts  and  spoken  words  which  leads  to  some  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  before  going  back  to  the  riffing  and  growls  before  getting  fast  again  and  adding  in  a  more  chaotic  solo  briefly.

  "Hateful Abomination"  begins  with  some  primitive  guitar  leads  before  the  drums  and  heavy  riffs  kick  in  leading  to  some  blast  beats,  screams  and  growls  before  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts.

  "Process  Of  Eradication"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats,  growls  and  screams  and  after  awhile  the  song  switches  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffing  getting  more  diverse.

  "World  Desolation"  begins  with  brutal  guitar  riffs,  blast  beats  and  growls  which  leads  to  the  song  going  into  a  faster  direction  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  bringing  screams  into the  mix,  around  the  2  minute  mark  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  solos  which  mix  in  with  the  riffing.

  "Imminent  Death"  begins  with  a  heavy  guitar  riff  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  and  mixing  in  blast  beats,  growls  and  screams  which  leads  to  the  song  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  mixing  in  some  guitar  leads  at  times.

  "Dystopic  Visions"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  which  utilizes  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  after  awhile  guitar  leads  start  making  their  presence  known  with  the  song  serving  as  and  instrumental.

  "Existence  Denied"  begins  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  powerful  drumming  which  leads  to  some  growls and  after  awhile  screams  make  their presence  known  before  going  into  a  more  fast  and  brutal  direction  along  with  some blast  beats  before  slowing  down  a  bit  and  adding  in  some  guitar  leads  which  start  mixing  in  with  the  fast  parts  for  awhile  and  then  the  song  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  leads  coming  in  and  out.,  as  the  song  moves  in  it  starts  adding  in  some  acoustic  guitar  playing  along  with  some  melodic  leads  which  also  closes  the  album.

  Song  lyrics  cover  violent  and  hateful  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  while  the  bass  playing  is  still  mixed  down  low  in  the  mix.

  In   my  opinion  Merciless  Terror  are  a  very  great  sounding  death/thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre, you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Doctrine  Of  Malevolence"  "Baptized  In  Blood"  "World  Desolation"  and  "Existence  Denied".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

  

Ferocity/The Sovereign/Deepsend Records/2013 CD Review

  Ferocity  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "The  Sovereign"  which  was  released  by  Deepsend  Records.

  "And  The  Rest  Is  Silence"  begins  with  some  sound  effects  which  leads  to  some  blast  beats,  brutal  guitar  riffing  and  deep  growls  which  leads  to  some  melodies  kicking  in  while  remaining  brutal  all  at  the  same  time  and  after  awhile  the  music  slows  down  for  awhile  leading  to  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  before  going  back  to  the  fast  and  mid  paced  parts.

  "Chain  Of  Command"  begins  with  some  heavy  riffing  and  drums  which  lead  to  some  growls  to  kick  in  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  the  song  goes  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  before  slowing  down  and  adding  in  melody,  powerful  bass  playing  and  melodic  guitar  solos  which  are  around  briefly  before  reverting  back  to  the  heavier  parts.

  "Human  Game"  begins  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  growls  and   after  a  couple  of   minutes  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  solos  as  well  as  some  powerful  bass  playing  before  returning  to  the  heavy  guitar  rhythms.

  "Son  Of  Sam" begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  drums,  before  getting  heavier  and  adding  in  some  growls  along  with  some  guitar  solos  mixing  in  with  the  heavy parts  which  leads  to  the  music  getting  more  brutal  and  after  awhile  the  song  goes  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  while  still  focusing  more  on  growls  and  adding  in  more  melody  which  leads  to  more  solos.  as well  as  the  song  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts.

  "XII  Legion"  begins  with  some  brutal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  leads  to  some  growls  along  with  some  melody  getting  mixed  in  with  the  heavy  parts  along  with  some  powerful  bass  playing and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  music  gets  more  brutal  with  some  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  making  their  presence  known.

  "Abrupt  Desolation"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  sound  effects  as  well  as  serving  as  an  intro  for  the  next  song  along  with  some  guitar  solos.

  "The  Sovereign"  begins  with  brutal  blast  beats,  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  growls  which  leads  to  the  song  switching  back  and  forth  between  mid  paced  and  fast  as  well  as  mixing  in  some  screams  and  after  awhile  melodic  guitar  solos start making  their  presence  known  briefly  before  going  back  to  the  brutal  rhythms  as  well  as  returning  the  solos  at  times.

  "Blind  Disciple"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffing  and  drums  before  heading  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  growls  while  also  switching  back  and  forth  between  the  slow  and  fast  parts  while  remaining  brutal  at  the  same  time.

  "No  Rest  For  The  Wicked"  begins  with  some  melodic  and  heavy  guitar  riffing  and  drums  which  leads  to some  growls  and  blast  beats  before  going  into  a  slow  and  brutal  direction  and  mixing  in  some  guitar  leads  briefly  and  as  the  song  moves  on  it  starts  mixing  a  small  amount  of  powerful  bass  lines  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  fast  and  slow  parts  along  with  the  leads  returning  at  times.

  "Blood  Trophy"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  drums  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  brief  guitar  solos  before  going  in  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  growls  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  the  slow  and  fast  parts  and  returning  the  leads  at  times  and  the  album  closes with  some  sound  effects.

  Song  lyrics  cover  violent  and  dark  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  brutal  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Ferocity  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy  and  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "And  The  Rest  Is  Silence"  "Son  Of  Sam"  "Blind  Disciple"  and  "Blood  Trophy".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.      

Nephren-Ka Interview

1.      Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Well, after releasing Revenge and Supremacy on Great Dane Records, we had many gigs in France over the last 2 years to promote the EP, at the same we've also worked real hard to come up with new tracks. To release our latest album, we decided to sign with Kaotoxin Records, a very hard working label when it comes to promotion and whose boss Nico is really dedicated to Extreme Metal.

The Fall of Omnius was recorded and mixed by Geoffroy Dury and then mastered at Hertz Studio in Poland and it will be available on 3 September, and to be perfectly honest with you we're eager to have people listen to it.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how
it differs from the previous recordings ?

Though it is the logical continuation of Revenge and Supremacy, The Fall of Omnius is somehow different, we still play fast and rather brutal Death Metal but you will find more old school parts, heavy bits that add a little atmosphere and give the music a darker side, with also a few Black Metal structures aiming in that direction.

Actually, the main difference now is that the musicians really immersed themselves in the universe of Dune for the writing of the songs. If I dare put up the following parallel: Nile's debut album had a few Egyptian elements here and there but it's only on Black Seeds of Vengeance that their Death Metal transpired Egypt. I sincerely think that the end result is more personal and that our influences have been incorporated, that we did finally come up with the Nephren-Ka sound, at least so I hope…

3. The song lyrics are based on the Frank Herbert Dune novel, can you tell us a little bit more about in your interest in this saga and also do you have an interest in the film adaptations  of the novels'?

I did bring the Dune virus within Nephren-Ka, but Sébastien, our guitar player became so infected with it that he now knows almost more about the whole saga than I do...

Everything about it interests us, be it the 6 books written by Herbert or the works by his son on the genesis of Dune and its prequels, and a good part of the concept of The Fall of Omnius is based on his works. I still must get Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune written by Brian Herbert and which end his father's saga.

I am also unconditionally a fan of David Lynch's movie, which is just as strange and mystical than the original books are, even though it may have a few weak points and also by today's standards some kitsch feel to it, it has it own charm: just like Darthrone's approximative sound is actually their main strength.

4. The band was named after a demon in the Lovecraft novel's, what are
the things that interest you about this author?

Lovecraft's world is an evil universe where reigns crawling terror mixed with paranoia, the Chtulhu mythos is particularly brilliant in the genre. Nephren-Ka simultaneously pays tribute to Lovecraft and his black sorcerer and to Nile (a band we all appreciate) who used the name in their debut album.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and
how would you describe your stage performance?

Opening for Napalm Death brings very nice memories, also the gig with Cephalic Carnage, Exhumed and Diluvian (hail Trivette and Bubu!) was also a fantastic concert. Besides those, we enjoy each and every time we're on stage and we give it our all, it's on stage that you can see which band has bollocks, not hidden behind an array of effects that make them sound better than how they actually sound.

When it comes to stage performance, it's not our place to judge ourselves but rather that of the audience. Anyway, we're not here to deliver the same exact song with each note rendered just like on CD, live gigs should have a soul and be the vector of power most and foremost.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

We will play “home” in Clermont on 5 October as a release party for the album together with local and young Death/Black act Lyreside as well as with fellow label mates Antropofago. For the future, a few dates with other bands from the label are being looked on as well as some other things that I will talk about when they actually come true.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by
fans of death metal?

We were actually really surprised, reviews were almost always positive with R&S, and the only negative feedback we garnered was about the drumming being too snappy and the fact that it was too easy to pinpoint our influences, which I can logically accept but which will not be as blatant on The Fall of Omnius. There are still some people stuck in old school Death Metal for which our Death Metal will always sound too modern, but overall fans of Blood Red Throne and Bolt Thrower should enjoy it just as much as fans of Hour of Penance and Hate Eternal. Anyway, otherwise I wouldn't want to be in the band any longer,ha ha ha…

8. Are there any other musical projects going on these days/

Alex (bass) plays in many Jazz bands, Sébastien writes Doom/Stoner songs once in a while but our main project remains Nephren-Ka.

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Who knows? Still don't expect Deathcore or German Power Metal at all....

Nephren-Ka is a Death Metal band and shall remains so because it wasn't created to be original at any rate or to come up with a nice label just like advertisers do when they want to draw your attention rather than trying to sell you a quality product.

Still, everything tied to Black / Thrash / Doom may be incorporated in Nephren-Ka's sound, speed and violence are our main interests but our concept also requires darkness, atmospheres and heaviness to convey Dune's mystical universe.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your
music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We could cite Hate Eternal, Origin, Behemoth, Incantation, Angelcorpse, Immolation and Hour Of Penance as important references of our common background.

On a more personal level, Alex (bass) and Thibaut (drums) listen mainly to brutal and/or technical Death Metal acts. Sébastien and I (mostly I) are more into old school Death Metal, that's also the singular thing about our music since we mix up all of these influences.

Nowadays I listen a lot to old Heavy Metal (or more recent Heavy Metal just played old school) like Manilla Road, Atlantean Kodex, Magister Templi, Running Wild, etc… When it comes to Extreme Metal, the latest releases by Blood Red Throne, Wormed and Suffocation really kicked my ass but I could also tell you about Infinity, Master, Evildead, Horna, Skepticism, Azarath or Polluted Inheritance, to which I listen regularly.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

My wife and kids, my job, alcohol, gigs, football/rugby, a lot of things to manage…

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Yes: thank you for your interest in Nephren-Ka. Be ready, the Butlerian jihad will sweep the universe and purify it. You can buy the CD here: http://shop.kaotoxin.com/product/nephren-ka-the-fall-of-omnius-cd

Cleric/Gratum Inferno/Tofu Carnage/2013 CD Review

  Cleric  are  a  band  from  Dallas,  Texas  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  satanic/occult  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Gratum  Inferno"  which  was  released  by  Tofu  Carnage.

  "Gratum  Inferno"  starts  off  with  some  avant  garde  sounds  and  synths  before  going  into  the  heavy  death  metal  guitars,  drum  blast  beats  and  deep  growls  which  take  the  music  in  a  Swedish  style  death  metal  direction  along  with  some  powerful  bass  in  the  background  and  after  a  minute  the  music  goes  into  a  slower  direction  and  introduces  some  dark  sounding  melodies  for  awhile  before  returning  to  the  faster  direction  and  towards  the  end  a  primitive  guitar  solo  makes  its  presence  known  in  the  song  before  the  end.

  "Through  The  Starless  Abyss"  starts off  with  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  deep  demonic  growls  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  blast  beats  and  higher  pitched  growls  mixing  with  the  lower  ones  which  leads  to  the  music  switching  back  and  forth  between  the  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  "From  Womb  To  Tomb"  starts  off  with  some  heavy  Swedish  style  death  metal  riffs,  powerful  bass  and  blast  beats  which  leads  to  the  growls  kicking  in  and  the  music  going  into  a  faster  direction  and  as  the  song  moves  on  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  along  with  some  higher  pitched  screams  which  leads  to  the  music  slowing  down  and  going  into  a  darker  direction  before  closing.

  "Satanic  Dimensions"  starts  off  with  slow  drum  beats  which  leads  to  the  heavy  guitar  riffing  and  growls  and  after  a  minute  the  music  goes  into  a  more  fast  and  primitive  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  before  slowing  down  which  sets  up  the  mood  for  a  dark  guitar  lead  and  the  song  closes  with  some  satanic  style  noises.

  "Into  Death  And  Far  Beyond"  starts  off  with  some  evil  horror  movie  soundtrack  elements  before  kicking  into  heavy  guitar  riffing,  powerful  drumming  and  deep  growls  which  in  return  leads  to  some  melody  mixing  in  with  the  heavy  parts  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  more  fast  and  brutal  direction  along  with  blast  beats  and  the  song  closes  with  powerful  bass  lines  and   old  school  guitar  solos.

  "Left  Hand  Wrath"  starts  off  with  horror  movie  synth  sounds  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  kicking  in  after  a  few  seconds  which  leads  to  the  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  growls  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  music  goes  into  a  faster  direction  with  the  brutal  blast  beats  and  after  awhile  the  song  goes  into  a  slower  and  darker  direction  along  with  some  morbid  melodies  and  powerful  bass  playing.

  "Faith  In  Debauchery"  starts  off  with  avant  garde  occult  noises  and  heavy  distortion  before  kicking  into  the  drums,  guitars  and  vocals  which  sets  up  the  pace  for t he  faster  riffing  and  drums  which  also  utilize  some  blast  beats  as  well  as  mixing  in  powerful  bass  and   slowing  down  which  also  leads  to  some  high  pitched  screams  and  distorted  guitar  leads  and  the  song  closes  with  Gregorian  chanting.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Blasphemous  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Cleric  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy  and  old  school  satanic/occult  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gratum  Inferno"  "Satanic  Dimensions"  and  "Left  Hand  Wrath".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.   

Unaussprechlichen Kulten/Godless/Iron Bonehead Productions/2013 Split Ep Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  7  inch  from  Chile's  Unaussprechlichen  Kulten  and  Godless  2  bands  which  play  ancient,  occult  death  metal  which  was  released  by  Iron  Bonehead  Productions  during  the  year  of  2013  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Unussprechlichen  Kulten.

  "Azathoth,  Azazel,  Azoth"  starts  off  with  some  dark  clean  guitar  playing  before  going  into the  heavy  riffs,  powerful  drums  and  growls  as  well  as  mixing  in  some  dark  sounding  melodies  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  with  some  blast  beats  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  fast  and  slow  parts,  after  awhile  their  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  mixing  with  the  rhythm  sections.

  Song  lyrics  cover  H.P  Lovecraft  and  Demonology  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  with  the  bass  being  mixed  down  low  in  the  mix.

  In  my  opinion  Unassprechlichen  Kulten  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  death  metal  band  with the  best  music  on  the  recording  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the split.  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Godless.

  "Ontomorsophia"  starts  off  with  blast  drums,  fast  and  heavy  death  metal  guitar  riffs  and  guttural  growls  before  slowing  down  and  adding  in  some  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  more  growls  and  screams  and  the  song  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  shortly  after  that  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  fast  and  heavy  parts.

  Song  lyrics  cover  occult  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  with  the  bass  playing  being  mixed  down  low  in  the  mix  as  well  as  the  song  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Godless  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  the  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of t he  recording.  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  anf  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  occult  death  metal.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.        \      

Nephren-Ka/The Fall Of Omnius/Kaotoxin Records/2013 CD Review

  Nephren-Ka  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "The Fall  Of  Omnius"  which  was  released  by  Kaotoxin  Records.

  "Butlerian  Djihad"  starts  off  with  a  powerful  blast  beats,  brutal  death  metal  riffing   and  deep  death  metal  growls  while  also  mixing  in  high  pitched  screams,  melody  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  the  slow  and  fast  parts  while  also  mixing  in  some  technical  elements  and  as  the  song  moves  on  a  powerful  bass  riff  comes  in  which  leads  to  more  blast  beats  and  brutal  sections  while  also  mixing  in  some  chaotic  sounding  death  metal  guitar  leads.

  "Mastering  The  Voice"  starts  off  with  slow,  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  powerful  drumming  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  the  deep  growls  before  getting  faster  and  mixing  in  some  blast  beats  as  well  as  the  back  and  forth  switch  to  the  slow  and  fast  parts  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  screams  start  making  their  presence  known  in  the  song  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  more  blast  beats,  and  brutal  riffing,  as  the  song  moves  on  a  brief  guitar  lead  makes  it  way  in  for  a  few  seconds  before  going  back  to t he  brutal  elements.

  "Legend  Of  Selim  (Part  1 The  Seeds  Of  Discord)"  starts  off  with  powerful  drums,  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  the  growls,  screams  and  blast  beats  with  this  song  focusing  more  on  being  fast  and  brutal  while  still  utilizing  melody  at  times  as  well  as  some  guitar  solos  and  leads.

   "The  Rise  Of  Omnius"  starts  off  with  powerful  and  melodic  death  metal  riffing  as  well  as  powerful  drums  before  the  vocals  kick  in  and  the  song  goes  into  a  faster  direction  with  brutal  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  and  as  the  song  moves  on  there  is  some  switches  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  heavy  parts  and  starts  the  end  a  powerful  death  metal  guitar  lead  makes  its  presence  known.

  "Feydakins  Sword"  starts  off  with  brutal  death  metal  riffs  powerful  bass  and  drums  before  going  into  blast  beats,  faster  parts  and  adding  in  the  deep  growls  while  also  utilizing  some  melodic  and  technical  elements  and  as  the  song  moves  on  their  are  switches  back  and  forth  between  fast  and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  mixing  in  some  screams  which  sets  up  the  mood  for  a  melodic  guitar  solo  while  also  retaining  the  rhythm  sections,  towards  the  end  movie  samples  make  their way  into  the  song.

  "The  Cymek  Revolution"  starts  off  with  powerful  blast  beats,  brutal  death  metal  riffs  and  deep  growls  before  mixing  in  high  pitched  screams  and  mid  paced  sections  while  also  reverting  back  to  the  heavy  and  brutal  parts,  as  the  song  moves  in  a  powerful  guitar  solos  makes  it  presence  known  as  well  as  some  powerful  bass  playing  which  combine  with t he  slower  and  mid  paced  elements.

  "Legend  Of  Selim (Part  2:  The  Return  Of  The  Worm  Rid"  starts  of f  with  technical death  metal  guitar  leads  and  blast  beats  before  going  into  mid  paced  parts  and  adding  in  growls  as w ell  as  some  high  pitched  screams  while  also  reverting  back  to  blast  beats  at  times.

  "Praise  Shai  -  Hulud"  starts  off  with  powerful  drums  and  technical  death  metal  riffing b efore  kicking  into  the  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  which  lead  the  music  switching  back  and  forth  between  the  mid  paced  and  fast  sections  while  remaining  brutal,  as  the  song  moves  in  a  powerful  bass  lead  makes  its  presence  known  for  a  few  seconds  before  returning  to  the  more  brutal  elements.

  "To  The  Golden  Path"  starts  off with  drum  beats  and  death  metal  guitar  riffing  which  sets  up  the  mood  for  the  growls  while  staying  in  a  more  slow  and  mid  paced  direction  before  a  scream  comes  in  and  fast  parts  start  showing  and  leads  to  powerful  blast  beats  and  more  brutality while  also  returning  to  the  slow  and  mid  paced  parts  at  times,  a  few  minutes  into  the  song  powerful  bass  playing  makes  it  presence  known  and  combines  with  the  brutal  parts.and  after  awhile  a  powerful  guitar  solo  makes  its  way  into  the  music  towards  the  song's  end.

  Song  lyrics  on  the  albums  are  post  of  Frank  Herbert's  Dune  Saga  novels,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong  ,powerful,  heavy,  brutal  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Nephren-Ka  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Butlerian  Djihad"  "The  Rise  Of  Omnius"  "Feydakins  Sword"  and  "Praise  Shai  -  Hulud".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Monsterworks/Earth/Eat Led And Die/2013 CD Review

  Monsterworks  are  a  band  from  New  Zealand  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  combines  thrash,  power  and  death  metal  together and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Earth".

  "From  Dust  And  Gravity"  starts  off  with  sound  effects  then  the  drums  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  kick  in  with  the  music  getting  heavier  along  with  some  high  pitched  power  metal  vocals  which  also  mix  in  some  deep  death  metal  growls  before  going  into  a  melodic  guitar  solo  and  back  to  the  rhythm's  for  a  few  seconds  as  the  song  moves  on  some  clean  classical  guitar  playing  makes  it's  way  into  the  song  as  well  as  the  return  of  the  guitar  leads  which  leads  to  the  music  getting  heavy again  and  closing  with  the  softer  parts.

  "Late  Heavy  Bombardment"  starts  off  with  some  heavy  alternative  metal  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  the  vocals  combine  power,  thrash  and  death  metal  together  before  going  into  a  psychedelic  sounding  guitar  solo  while  retaining  the  vocals  and  rhythms,  as  the  song  moves  on  acoustic  guitars  make  their  way  into  the  music  with  the  heavy  parts  being  on  top  of  it  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  thrash  style  guitar  riffing  and  death  metal  growls.

  "The  Last  Universal  Ancestor"  starts  off  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  which  uses  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  before  going  into  heavy  guitars,  drums  and  death  metal  guitars  which  lead  to the  power  metal  vocals  combing  with  the  growls  along  with  melodic  riffing  and  semi  blast  beats  and  as  the  song  moves  on  hard  rock  style  guitar  leads  and  regular  clean  singing  make  their  way  into  the  song  before  going  back  in  a  heavier  direction  which  after  awhile  mix  in  the  solo  parts  along  with  some  powerful  bass  playing  before  the  closing  part.

  "Oxygenation"  starts  off  with  some  clean  blues  rock  style  guitar  playing,  drums  and  clean  singing  which  leads  to  the  music  getting heavier  along  with  some  death/thrash  metal  growls  and  power  metl  vocals  before  returning  to  a  clean  direction  with  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background  which  keeps  the  heavy  parts  and  goes  into  a  guitar  solo  along  with  distorted  effects  for  a  few  seconds  while  also  mixing  in  the  rhythm  parts.

  "Powered  By  Fate"  starts  off  with  heavy  guitar  riffing,  drums ,  deep  death  metal  growls  that  combine  power/thrash  screams  and  after  awhile  the  bass  playing  gets  heavier  and  melodies  make t heir  way  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  regular  power  metal  vocals  start  combing  with  the  growls  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  a  guitar  solos  and  towards  the  end  the  song  goes  in  a  cleaner  direction  and  mixes  in  classical  guitars.

  "Bookended  By  Extinction"  starts  off  with  some  soft  effects,  before  the  blast  beats,  faster  guitar  riffs  and  death  metal  growls  kick  in  which  also  mix  in  power  metal  parts  before  slowing  down  and  going  in  a  softer  direction  and  back  to  being  fast  again  after  that  the  song  slows  down  but  stays  heavy.

  "Aeon  Of  Man"  starts  off  with  sound  effects  before  the  drums,  bass,  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  singing  kicks  in  and  then  the  music  gets  heavier  with  power  metal  vocals  and  growls  making  their  way  in  along  with  some  dark  guitar  riffing  which  sets  up  the  pace  for a  70's  style  metal  guitar  solo  which  in  returns  brings  back  the  softer  elements  while  retaining  the  heavy  parts.

  "Earth"  starts  off  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  which  utilized  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  which  also  sets  up  the  pace  for  the  bass  guitar  and  drums  before  getting h eavier  and  mixing  in  a  guitar  solo  and  clean  singing  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  heavy  and  soft  parts  as  the  song  moves  in  some  psychedelic  sounding  synths  and  sound  effects  make  their  way  into  the  music  which  in  returns  takes  the  music  into  a  more  progressive  rock  direction  and  after  awhile  the  song  gets  heavy  again  before  closing  with  the  softer  elements.

  Song  lyrics  cover  a  concept  on  the  evolution  of  the  planet  and  environmental  issues,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  with  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Monsterworks  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "From  Dust  And  Gravity"  Bookended  By  Extinction"  and  "Earth'.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Pest Records Online Compilation Vol. 16/2013 Compilation Review

  This  is  a  review  of  the  16th  volume  of  the  Pest  Records  Online  Compilation's  and  we  will  review  the  songs  one  by  one.

  Austerymn  from  the  U.K  brings  us  "In  Death...We  Speak"  a  very  old  school  sounding  Swedish  style  death  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Bifrost  from  Italy  with  "Ashes  Of  An  Endless  Embrace"  a  very  atmospheric  sounding  blackened  doom/death  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Blasphemation  from  U.S.A  with  "Vomit  Spray"  a  more  blackened  death  metal  sounding  song  with  elements  of  harsh  noise.

  Next  up  is  Caedes  Castus  from  USA  and  Poland  with  "Heathen  Dreamlands(The  World  Where  i  Belong  a  very  melodic  and  atmospheric  sounding  pagan  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Garden  Of  Grief  from  Austria  with  "Initial  Command"  a  very  fast,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  black  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Horus from  Romania  with  "The  Osirieon  Tomb"  an  atmospheric  Egyptian  themes  blackened  death  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Inferna  from  Mexico  with  "Of  Blood  And  Death"  a  very  raw  and  primitive  sounding  old  school  black  metal  song.

 Next  up  is  Lordsephemy  from  India  with  "Infernal  Winter  Sermo0ns"  a  very  dark  sounding  black   metal  song  with  evil  keyboards  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  clean  singing.

  Next  up  is  Napalm  Christ  from  U.S.A  with  "Idols  Of  Evil"  a  very  dark  and  blasphemous  sounding  death  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Neka  from  Italy  with  "The  Diamond"  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  sounding  death  metal  song.

 Next  up  is  Oath  Of  Sin  from  USA  with  "Satan"  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  black  metal  song  with  modern  elements.

  Next  up  is  Outright  Resistance  from  Uk  with  "Friends  Will  Betray"  a  song  that  combines  groove  and  death  metal together.

  Next  up  is  Secretpath  from  Italy  with  "And  So  I  Return  To  The  River"  a  very  avant  garde  and  melodic  sounding  black  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Selbst  from  Venezuela  with  "Veritas  filia  temporis  II"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length    black  metal  song.

  Closing  the  compilation  is Unsouled  from  Spain  with  "Melting  People"  a  more  melodic  power/thrash  sounding  metal  song.

  In   my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  compilation  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  thrash,  death,  black,  atmospheric  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED

Pest Records Online Compilation Vol. 15/Pest Records/2013 Review

  This  is  a  review  of  the  15  volume  of  the  Pest  Records  Online  Compilation's with  this  one  being  released  in  2013  and  we  will  review  the  songs  one  by  one.

  Bloodington  from  the  U.k  brings  us  "Speed  Freak  Clubbing"  a  very  heavy  and  old  school  sounding  punk/thrash  crossover  song.

  Next  up  is  Bukowski  Family  from  the  U.S.A  with  "Flayed  Skin  Tapestry"  a  very  heavy  blackened  death  metal  song  with  a  touch  of  grindcore.

  Next  up  is  Hak-Ed  Damm  with  "Nekrowristfucked"  a  very  fast  and  heavy  sounding  black  metal  song  with  some  death  and  modern  day  metal  elements  to  it.

  Next  up  is  Immortal  Empire  from  the  U.K  with  "Lucifer  Rising"  which  is  a  more  symphonic  sounding  black  metal  song  which  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Next  up  is  Karonte  from  Spain  with  "Falaris"  a  more  traditional  and  heavy  sounding  death  metal  song  with  powerful  blast  beats.

  Next  up  is  Midian  from  Italy  with  "Time  To  Die"  a  very  straight  forward  and  heavy  sounding  thrash  metal  song  in  the  old  school  vein.

  Next  up  is  Mormant  De  Snagnov  from  Finland  with  "Detrimental  Edict"  a  very  modern  day  sounding  black  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Mortuorial  Eclipse  from  Argentina  with  "At  The  Gate's  Of  Marduk's  Shrine"  a  very  heavy  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Path  Ov  Amok  from  Canada  with  "Destroyer  Of  Happiness"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  black  metal  song  that  utilize  a  very  different  vocal  style

  Next  up  is  Shellshock  from  Italy  with  "Game  Over"  a  very  heavy  sounding  death/thrash  metal  song  with  blast  beats.

  Next  up  is  The  Beyond  from  Italy  with  "Mass  Lobotomy"  another  old  school  sounding  death/thrash  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Valinor  from  Poland  with  "Requiem"  a  very  symphonic  and  melodic  sounding  death  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Velm  from  Hungary  with  "Water  From  The  Earth"  a  very  epic  and  melodic  sounding  black  metal  song.

  Next  up  is  Vivid  Remorse  from  Spain  with  "Imaginary  Actress"  a  very  old  school  sounding t hrash  song  with  elements  of  hardcore.

  Next  up  is  Vrag  from  Hungary  with  "Temetetlen"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  grim  sounding  black  metal  song.

  Closing  the  compilation  is  Witcher  from  Hungary"  with  "Nema  Gyasz"  a  very  long  in  length  atmospheric  and  epic  sounding  black  metal  song.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  compilation  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  thrash,  death  and  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED.  

Debauchery/Kings Of Carnage/Massacre Records/2013 CD Review

  Debauchery  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  death  metal  mixed  with  rock'n'roll  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2013  album  "Kings  Of  Carnage"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  "Coming  Of  The  Dragons"  is  the  intro  to  the  album  and  starts  off  with  a  melodic  guitar  solo  behind  some  clean  playing.closing  with  a  slow  drum  beat.

  "Demonslayer"  starts  off  with  a  thrash  style  guitar  riff  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  semi  fast  drumming  before  the  death  metal  growls  kick  in  that  have  a  thrash  feeling  to  them  as  well  as  back  up  shouts,  then  a  melodic  guitar  lead  kicks  before  speeding  up  with  faster  drumming  and  guitar  riffs  before  switching  back  to  the  opening  parts  for  awhile  then  the  guitars  start  sounding  all  clean  with  some  80's  style  power  ballad  playing,  which  leads  up  to  some  clean  singing  before  getting  heavy  again  towards  the  end  of  the  song.

  "Let  there  Be  Blood"  starts  out  with  some  powerful  drumming  and  mid  paced  death  thrash  riffing,  before  the  heavy  bass  playing  and  growls  kicking  in  which  lead  to  the  guitars  adding  in  rock  elements  as well  as  some  melodic  leads  and  high  pitched  screams,  which  leads  to  music  back  to  the  opening  riffs  which  remain  the  same  way  through  the  rest  of  the  song.

  "Killerbeast"  starts  out  with  a  slow  heavy  riff,  powerful  drumming/bass  lines  before  the  growls  kick  in  which  leads  to  a  more  mid  paced  feeling  with  the  vocals  switching  from  shouts,  growls  and  high  pitched  screams,  shortly  after  that  a  blast  beat  starts  kicking  in  combined  with  the  music  switching  back  and  forth  to  slow  and  fast  towards  the  end  of  the  song.

  "Kings  Of  Carnage"  starts  off  with  some  soft  and  clean  playing  from  the  guitars  before  the  drums  start  kicking  in  which  leads  to  the  heavier  metal  guitar  riffs  coming  in,  2  minutes  into  the  song  the  death  metal  screams  and  back  up  shouts  make  their  presence  staying  in  that  direction  for  a  minute  before  the  song  reverts  back  to  clean  playing  which  only  last  for  a  few  seconds,  shortly  after  that t he  growls  return  along  with  some  screams  setting  up  the  pace  for  brief  rock  music  style  guitar  solo  before  hitting  the  heavy  rhythm's  and  closing  the  song.

  "Man  In  Blood"  starts  off  with  some  melodic  riffing  before  the  drums  kick  in  and  the  guitars  go  into  hard  rock  mode  which  leads  to the  growls  and  shouts  as  well  as  some  hard  rock  style  singing  staying  the  way  for  before  speeding  up  along  with  an  Ac/Dc  style  guitar  lead  kicks  in  for  a  few  seconds  and  shortly  afterwards  the  song  ends.

  "Blood  God  Kills"  starts  of  with  a  hard  rock/heavy  metal  guitar  riff  before  getting  heavier  and  introducing  the  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams,  after  a  couple  of  minutes  some  hard  rock  screams  and  guitar  solos  start  kicking  in  before  switching  back  to  the  opening  riffs  and  throwing  the  wah  wah  pedal  in  the  guitars  towards  the  end  of  the  song.

  "Victory  Awaits"  starts  of  with  a  melodic  guitar  lead  before  the  slow  death  metal  rhythm's  and  growls  kick  in  before  switching  to  a  more  melodic  direction  while  still  using  the  opening  riffs  staying  that  way  for  a  couple  of  minutes  when  the  guitar  leads  start  kicking  in  before  switching  to  the  chorus  and  then  the  song  ends.

  "Murder  Squad"  starts  out  with  powerful  drumming  and  melodic  guitar  metal  riffs  while  also  getting  more  heavier  as  the  song  goes  forward  which  leads  to  the  growls  and  screams,  and  the  song  keeps  a  simple  approach  till  the  end.

  "The  Last  Crusade"  starts  off  with  a  low  and  heavy  death  metal  riff  along  with  some  powerful  drumming  and  growls  before  switching  to  a  more  melodic  direction  while  still  keeping  the  heavier  elements  for  a  few  minutes  before  the  melodic  guitar  lead  kicks  in  for  a  few  seconds  which  in  returns  leads  back  to the  heavy  and  melodic  parts  along  with  the  song  closing  with  a  powerful  death  metal  growl  and  war  samples.

  "Debauchery  Mother  Fucking  Family"  starts  of  with  a  melodic  riff,  slow  drumming  and  powerful  bass  lines  before  speeding  up  with  a  blast  beat  which  leads  to  some  melodic  thrash  riffing  and  some  death  metal  growls  before  the  real  ones  kick  in  before  speeding  up  and  mixing  in  power  thrash  screams  with  the  growls,  around  the  4  minute  mark  the  riffs  start  getting  more  diverse  before  the  guitar  solos  kick  in  as  well  as  the  return  of  the  blast  beats  and  the  song  closes  off  with  the  death/thrash  riffs.

  Lyrics  on  this  album  cover  dark,  metaphysical  and  violent  topics,  while  the  production  has  a very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  album.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Debauchery  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Demonslayer"  "Killerbeast"  "Blood  God  Kills"  and  "The  Last  Crusade".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.