Sinister/Legacy Of Ashes/Massacre Records/2010 CD Review

Sinister are a band from The Netherlands that has a long history which goes back 20 years, with a style that I would describe as being brutal death metal and this is a review of their 2010 album "Legacy Of Ashes" which was released by Massacre Records.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast with alot of brutal blast beats that sound very powerful, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound very powerfukl.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast death metal riffs that are very heavy and brutal, while the lead guitars are a mixture between chaotic and melodic death metal guitar solos.

Vocals are all deep death metal growls with a smalll amount of spoken word passages being used on a couple of songs, while the lyrics cover hateful themes with a touch of occultism, as for the production it has a very powerful and heavy sound to it.

In my opinion this is another great album from Sinister and if you where a fan od their past recordings, you should enjoy this release. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Into The Blind World" "The Sin Of Sodomy" and "The Living Sacrifice".. RECEMMONDED BUY.

Omission/In The Shadow Of The Cross/Chaos Records/2011 CD Review

Omission are a band from Mexico that consists of may veterans from the Mexico/California underground and play raw and evil sounding in the old school vien and this is a review of their 2011 album "In The Shadow Of The Cross" which will be released by Chaos Records.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast playing with alot of brutal blast beats, while the bass playing has a very dark tone which is mixed down low in the mix and seems to follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars, as for the keyboards when they are utilized briefly they have a dark ritualistic feel to them.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast raw and brutal death metal riffs in the classic vien, while the lead guitars are very dark and evil sounding death metal classic solos in the early 90's vien.

Vocals are all deep death metal growls which are very easy to understand and on one song there are some ritualistic chants being utilized, while the lyics are anti christian/catholic with a satanic edge, as for the production it has a very and raw sound to it.

In my opinion Omission are a very good raw,evil, and anti christian death metal in the early 90's vien, and if you are a fan of this style, you hould check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "In The Shadow Of The Cross" "Assault In The Vatican" "wont Be Saved" and "Fallen Angels". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Undead Creep Interview

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

David: Hi there! Ok, after the release of the album in June we haven’t had any important activity, but we’re getting a very good feedback from both people and ‘zines.

2. How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the album and how it differs from the demo?

David: We’re pretty satisfied for the sound on the album, it’s heavy and boor! It’s also very natural, I mean we didn’t use effects or triggers on the drums, so maybe you can also hear some mistakes in the playing, but our goal was to get exactly this. I think the album differs from the demo ‘cause of the great mastering by Damian Herring from HORRENDOUS with which the sound became really tight and blown.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the music explores on the new release?

Giorgio: We've been dealing with some of the classic death metal topics of course, but in some of the songs we felt like we could push ourselves a little bit further. Of course there is a zombie-inspired tune, which is "Surrounded by Tombs"; another one's about drowning and meeting an excruciating end, and it's called "Frozen Asphyxhiation"; while the closing number is a weird tale about Lovecraftian rites of darkness and blasphemy ("Forbidden Cult"). In spite of that, we also wanted to try and come up with something more personal or even"earthly": I'm talking about "Eradicated Memories", my personal favorite lyrics-wise, which is about the feeling of deprivation and anguish caused by the loss of memory, and the bleakness of a world without shape. Funny stuff indeed, ahaha! Moreover, "Survive the Aftermath" features some rude anti-war lyrics. It's the closest we've ever got to a real declaration of intents. We wanted to summon the image of a world eventually turned into a charcoaled battlefied to make everyone realize what we believe is total "hate's tremendous price". The "warlike propagandas" you can read about are being shoved down people's throats even as we talk, so this is tremendously serious. But I'd like to mention "Swallowed by the Chasm" as well: Sandro wrote some quite obscure stuff for that one!

 4. Your sound has a Swedish feel for it, what made you decide to go for this sound?

David: Since I started to listen death metal I always loved the most famous Swedish bands like Entombed, Dismember or Hypocrisy, but after I read the Daniel Ekeroth’s book “Swedish Death Metal” and I started to discover all those underground bands, I wanted to have a band with that sound, just for fun, and with the plan to do only one demo…

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

David: So far we have been playing just three times in Sicily and they have been not that bad. While we play we don’t look for any particular visual effect since we rather like to impress the audience with the gloomy atmosphere that the music inspires.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

David: Not at the moment, but we hope to organize something soon.

7. On a worldwide level how has your new album been received by death metal fans?

David: The feedback is going really beyond our expectations, lots of people are writing to give us enthusiastic review and opinions, so we are of course very pleased and surprised about that.

8. What is going on with the other projects these days?

David: We have just finished our first HAEMOPHAGUS european tour together with canadian grinders MESRINE , which began at Obscene Extreme Festival. It was awesome, really a blast even if we ran into the usual troubles you can experience during a d.i.y. tour. For what the new releases are concerned, the LP version of our first album “Slaves To The Necromancer” and the split CD with the scottish death metal act BONESAW are out now. A split 7” with swedish REPUKED and the LP version of the BONESAW split will be available at Bloodshed Festival in Eindhoven on 14^th and 15^th October. Speaking about MORBO, we’re still working on the songwriting for the first album.

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

David: It’s evident that the music of Undead Creep is strongly influenced by old school swedish death metal like old ENTOMBED/NIHILIST, DISMEMBER, CARNAGE, GRAVE, UNLEASHED, GOD MACABRE, NIRVANA 2002,AUTHORIZE, MEGA SLAUGHTER, SORCERY, MERCILESS, old EDGE OF SANITY and so on… even if it’s pretty clear that Autopsy, best death metal band ever, are the main influence. Personally I’m listening very much the new AUTOPSY album, BURIAL INVOCATION from Turkey,

10. What role does Occultism play in your music and how would you describe your vies on this subject?

Giorgio: We kinda know that it's no new topic at all, not for metal at least, but we wanted to embrace it nonetheless. Needless to say, we kept it real primitive and the references we included in some of the lyrics sound hazy to say the least (just read the lyrics to the aforementioned "Forbidden Cult" or the ones to "Summoning the Abyss Lord", a demo track included in the cd version of the album). We only needed that atmosphere and we tried to create it much like in the vein of an E.A. Poe tale. Personally, I'm a "long-time beginner" in occultism: I've tried to read Cavendish's "The Black Arts" four or five times but always got stuck in the numerology-related chapters, which to me are way too boring and complicated, ahaha! Anyway, Undead Creep are much more EXoteric than ESoteric: our sonic rite is public and every good motherfucker can get as close to it as we can...

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

David: Watching old movies, reading books and playing games, and managing d.i.y. activities but when I’m so bored I like to spit outside the windows on the walking people hahahaha.

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

David: Thanks for your time, we really appreciate your support. And thanks very much to all the people who struggle to keep the real death metal alive and to legalize marijuana.

Deicide/Scars Of The Crucifix/Earache Records/2004 CD Review

Deicide are a band from Florida that has been around since the mid 80's and are one of the pioneering bands of satanic death metal and this is a review of their 2004 album "Scars Of The Crucifix" which was released by Earache Records.

Drums are mostly fast with alot of brutal blast beats while the bass playing is all rhythm bass and has alot of fast riffs being played, as for the piano when it is utilized it has a very dark avant garde feel.

Rythym guitars are a mixture of midpaced riffs mixed with alot of fast death metal playing that is very 80's death thrash influenced while the lead guitars are mostly fast guitar solos and on some songs they contain alot of melody.

Vocals are mostly low pitched death metal growls that are easy to understand with some high pitched screams while the lyrics are mostly anti christian themes with a touch of satanism, as for the production it sounds very professional and every instrument has a very good sound.

In my opinion this was a really good album from Deicide and it was probably their best album of the 2000's, all Deicide fans probably have this album.

STANDOUT TRACKS INCLUDE "Scars Of The Crucifix" and "Fuck Your God". RECOMMENDED BUY

Deus Otiosus Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Henrik: "We’ve just recovered from water flooding our rehearsal place. But now we have re-built the band headquarters at a new location and are back on track rehearsing new songs. We are working on the music for a second album."

2. How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the new album?

Henrik: "I’m not too fond of rigid genres, but obviously it’s death metal. We call it old school death metal to avoid being mistaken for the nowadays typical death metal bands who aim to play as fast or technical as possible. But I think we are old school in the way that we try to concentrate on good, lasting songs, like the ones we know from the classic bands of the genre. Not that we try to sound as close as possible to the sound of any classic bands. I don’t think our sound is narrow and maybe we have parts that some would categorize as black or thrash metal, but it doesn’t really matter. I believe in creativity more than rigid borders."

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?

Henrik: "Our music explores all the sinister phenomena of the world, and some beyond. Some of the themes on the "Murderer"-album are violence, hell, torture, Armageddon, the undead and, naturally, murder."
4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
Henrik: "Deus Otiosus means withdrawn God, and the bandname is simply our concept: All the horrors among an orphaned humankind in a godless world, like I mentioned in the last answer."

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
Henrik: "It’s not that we have played that many yet, but I think most have been very enjoyable. Our first gig was a bit shaky perhaps. But since then it’s been all mayhem all the way. There is really no stage show or image at these concerts. We just play and go berserk. Sometimes there’s been naked people and things flying through the air, but that has been courtesy of the audience."

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?
Henrik: "No real tours are planned. But we will do more concerts and hopefully we will also figure out some dates abroad."

7. The album is coming out on both FDA Rekotz and American Line how did you come in contact with both labels and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far?

Henrik: "We sent American Line a promo, and FDA Rekotz contacted us. Both labels have been very trustworthy and have delivered what we agreed on. That is far from something you can say about every label, as we witnessed in the process of finding a label for the "Murderer"-album. But all is well that ends well and we’re very happy with the support we’ve gotten from these two labels."

8. On a worldwide level how has your music been received by death metal fans?
Henrik: "Many good reactions and reviews, and some people really seem to understand what we’re doing. owever

However I am sure, that there are still a lot of death metal fans out there who have not yet heard our music, so there is a long way to go yet!"

9. Are there any side projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?

Henrik: "I also play in another band called Exekrator, which has a quite unique black/heavy metal sound. Some of the other guys used to play in a band called Hideous Invasion, but that is on ice, so I’m the only one actively involved in another band, and I think for all of us Deus Otiosus is the most active band."

10. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

Henrik: "Where ever creativity takes us. It’s just a matter of making the best possible music, so hopefully it will get better and better, but beyond that I can’t say. However we have new songs ready for a second album, and they tend to emphasize the strengths on "Murderer" further. Each song is in itself stronger and more worked through, and at the same time there is more variation in the dynamic and character in between the songs. More of everything, you could say."

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Henrik: "I have been playing this kind of music for many years, so it’s hard to find conscious inspirations. I suppose I am generally inspired by the old classics both death metal acts such as Death, Morbid Angel and Pestilence, but also metal in general. For example Mercyful Fate, Slayer, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath. I can easily be inspired by music quite far from what we’re doing, and I think that is the way it should be. If we were inspired solely by bands that are musically close to our own, we would probably just sound too much like something that’s already been done. I still listen to classic metal like mentioned earlier, Cirith Ungol, Master’s Hammer, Deicide etc. I must admit that even though there are many cool, current bands there are few that are really great standouts to me. Among bands that are fantastic today would be Absu, Macabre, Morbid Angel (contrary to everyone else it seems, I like the new album), Melechesh and Grand Magus."

12. What role does Occultism play in your music and how would you describe your views on these topics?

Henrik: "Like all other sinister sides of life and history, occultism is a topic for our music. For example the song "Kult of the Horned Snake" from our demo is inspired by the mystery cults from centuries ago. That does not mean that I hold any supernatural beliefs though."

13. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Henrik: "Philosophy, history, religion, classic architecture and arts. But that does not mean that I am an expert in all those things. I actually don’t have much time to spend on such interests at this point. Perhaps when I’m retired."

14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Henrik: "Thanks a lot for the support, John. Much appreciated! And good luck with Hatred Means War ‘till we speak again."

Deus Otiosis/Murderer/FDA Recotz/2010 CD Review

Deus  Otiosis  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  old  school  death  metal   with  a  thrash  edge in  the  early  tradition  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2010  album  "Murderer"  which  was  released  by  FDTA  Recortz.

  Drums  range  from  midpaced  to  fast  drumming with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  being  thrown  in,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  sound  very  powerful.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  midpaced  to  fast  death  metal  riffs  that  are  also  influenced  by  thrash  with  some  melodies  being thrown  in  at  times,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  old  school  death/thrash  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  all  deep  death  metal  growls  with  some  samples  being  thrown  in  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  cover  murder,  death,  violence  and  occultism,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  heavy,  powerful  and  professional  sound  to  it  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Deus  Otiosis  are  a  very  good  old  school  style  death  metal  band  with  a  thrash  edge  and if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECEMMONDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I  Have  Seen  Him  Slay"  "Whore  Limbs"  and  "No  Life".  RECEMMONDED  BUY.

Undead Creep/The Ever Burning Torch/Dark Descent Records/2011m CD Review

Undead  Creep  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  Swedish  style  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2011  album  "The  Ever  Burning  Torch"  which  was  released  by  Dark  Descent  Records     and  also  contains  their  self  titled  demo.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  midpaced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  being  thrown  in  at  times,  while  the  synths  when  they  are  utilized  briefly  on  the  first  song  bring  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  edge  to  the  music,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  midpaced  to  fast  Swedish  style  death  metal  riffs  that  are  also  melodic  at  times,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  distorted  and  melodic  sounding  Swedish  death  metal  sounding  guitar  solos  and  at  times  they  sound  very  powerful,  as  for  the  classical  guitars  which  are  only  used  on  the  instrumental  and  the  intro  for  the  demo  they  bring  a  dark sound  to  the  music.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  deep  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  gore  and  violence,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Undead  Creep  are  a  very  good  Swedish  style  death  metal  band  with  a  more  dark  and  occult  take  on  the  genre  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECEMMONDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Immolated  For  Reincarnation"  "Swallowed  Bu  The  Chasm"  "Forbidden  Cult"  and  "Ritual  Slaughter".  RECEMMONDED  BUY.