Ingurgitating Oblivion/Continuum Of Absence/Willowtip Records/2014 CD Review

 
  Ingurgitating  Oblivion  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays a  very  dark  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Continuum  Of  Absence"  which  was  released  by  Willowtip  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  minute  and  a  length  the  music  gets  a  lot  heavier  along  with  some  guitar  leads  that  have  a  very  haunting  presence  to  them  and  a  more  heavy  death metal  sound  that  brings  in  growling  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  time s high  pitched  screams  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  with  the  faster  sections  utilizing  some  brutal  sounding  blast  beats.

  When  sound  effects  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  they  add  in  more  of  a  ritualistic  and  occult  sound  to  the  bands  musical  style  which  also  gets  more  brutal  as  the  album  progresses  and  some  of  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  a  heavy  Morbid  Angel  influence  to  the  tracks  they  are  utilized  on  while  the  band  still  has  their  own  approach  to  death  metal.

  Ingurgitating  Oblivion  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  dark,  atmospheric,  brutal  and  ritualistic  sounding  as  well  as  demonstrating  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  as  musicians  and  bringing  in  a  very  epic  style  of  this  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ingurgitating  Oblivion  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  and  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Antinominion  Rites"  "Descent  To  The  Temple"  and  "Offering".  8  out  of  10. 

Heaving Earth/Denouncing The Holy Throne/Lavadome Productions/2015 CD Review

  Heaving  Earth  are  a  band  from  the  Czech  Republic  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  dark,  blasphemous  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Denouncing  The  Holy  Throne"  which  will  be  released in  2015  by  Lavadome  Productions.

  Dark  and  evil  sound  effects  start  off  the  album  which  leads  up  to  some  morbid  sounding  melodies  that  start  taking  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats,  fast  riffs  and  deep  death  metal  growls  and  the  songs  have  an  early  Florida  feeling  but  updated  for  the  modern  day  with  the  music  having  more  of  a  brutal  and  technical  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  guitar  leads  displaying  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melody  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  and  there  are  also  some  dark  and  atmospheric  parts  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  few  brief  instrumentals  one  which  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  before  returning  back  to  vocal  tracks  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  couple  of  the  songs  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Heaving  Earth  creates  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  Florida  and  Polish  tradition  but  brings  in  enough  melody,  brutality  and  technical  playing  that  also  makes  their  songs  have  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  blasphemous  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Heaving  Earth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  and  blasphemous  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Final  Crowning"  "Worms  Of  Rusted  Congregation"  "Into  The  Depths  Of  Abomination"  and  "Jesus  Died".  8  out  of  10.

      

Johansson & Speckmann/Mask Of The Treacherous/Vic Records/2015 CD Review

  Johansson  &  Speckmann  are  a  duo  of  2  death  metal  legends  that  have  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  play  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Mask Of  The  Treacherous"  which  will  be  released  in  2015  by  Vic  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growling  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  is  in  more  of  an  80  and  early  90's  traditional  style  of  death  metal  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Elements  of  thrash  can  be  heard  throughout  the  recording  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  and  the  guitar  riffs  also  bring  in  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  songs  remain  true  to  an  old  school  death  metal  sound  and  ignore  all  of  the  modern  trends  of  the  past  25  years.

  Johansson  &  Speckmann  create  a  death  metal  album  that  takes  the  American  sound  of  the  mid  80's  and  mixes it  in  with  the  Swedish  death  metal  sound  of  the  early  90's  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  violent  and  the  more  negative  part  of  everyday  and  real  life.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Johansson  &  Speckmann   and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Inhuman  Lust"  "The  Bringer  Of  Pain"  "Within  Reach"  and  "A  Grave  To  The  World".  8  out  of  10.  
    

Obduktion Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new ep?
We are still promoting “Mors Janua Vitae” EP, working on new material and rehearsing for some gigs in the near future and probably a Balkan mini tour. After that we’ll keep composing and enter the studio once again for the 4th album, hopefully released in the fall of 2015.

2. Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is present on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
It sounds 100% Obduktion for sure! We tried to keep the main elements of our tunes, the aggressive riffing, catchy melodies, brutal vocals and solid rhythm section with fast and mid tempo parts. For once more we worked hard on production, combining the old school death metal feeling with fresh sound. Compared to our past releases the new EP is a more in your face work and still has the high level standards of our previous album “Pain Chronicles”.

3. The band was broken up for a year, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?
We really needed a break at that time due to some individual personal reasons but never buried the reunion thought since our personal relations were always extremely good. Recharged our batteries, the idea of reforming came up and here we are again!

4. Some of your lyrics have covered Occultism and Masonic Rituals, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
I can’t say that Obduktion refers to occultism lyrically. Perhaps some words and phrases but not in general. The track “Lordship of Superior” of our new EP is about Masonic Rituals and scripted words and actions that are spoken or performed during the degree work in a Masonic Lodge. I was fascinated by the perceived secrecy of a Masonic Ritual and the vows and oaths that are taken but I was never really a fan of Masons or into it. Just an interesting subject and that’s all.

5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Obduktion'?
Obduktion originates from the german word meaning autopsy. Our guitarist Obduktor came up with the name since he had to changed it to that, cause at first, the name was Obduction, but already taken by other bands. I think this is what we do all these years, an autopsy of extreme metal music and then bringing out the results through our tunes. Don’t forget to mention the death metal legends Autopsy!

6. What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
I will always remember the ones supporting Asphyx, Absu and Belphegor but our first time playing in Thessaloniki was really awesome too! Crazy crowd, great gig! We try to do our best on the stage doing our job with passion, banging our heads and I believe that’s appreciated by the audience.

7. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We are planning some live shows in Greece including a special one, celebrating the band’s 20 years and preparing a Balkan mini tour in the spring of 2015.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
Considering that Obduktion is an underground Greek death metal band, the feedback we get is more than just satisfying. All the good words we receive from friends and listeners are one of the main reasons we will keep on playing.

9. When can we expect another full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
According to our schedule we’ll probably enter the studio in the summer of 2015 to record some brand new tracks of pure death metal and hopefully release a new album the fall of the same year. Our musical roots will remain the same and always close to old school death metal but as our main goal is to become better and better, as a band and musicians, we’ll never stop experimenting to achieve the best results with higher and higher professional standards.

10. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
It’s easy for someone into extreme metal music to find out our main influences when listening to Obduktion. 90’s European and US death metal scene and bands like Bolt thrower and Obituary have surely affected us but gaining experience through the years brought us to our own unique sound and musical identity. I listen to all bands that have something to offer to the metal scene and I sure dig Fleshgod Apocalypse! I also like a lot the growing Indonesian death metal scene, many kickass bands there.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?
I am a huge fan of soccer, basketball and watch lots of series and movies, mostly horror ones. Reading about any historical period or subject is one of my interests too. And drinking cold beers!

12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I’d really like to thank you for the interview and interest and wish you good luck and much success! Tones of respect to our friends out there and keep supporting the underground!
Cheers,
Takis V.O.T.
Obduktion.

Carnation/Cemetery Of The Insane/Final Gate Records/2014 EP Review

  Carnation  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  ep  "Cemetery  Of  the  Insane"  which  will  be  released  in  2015  by  Final  gate Records.

  Demonic  sounds  and  noises  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  dark  death  metal  direction  that  also  bring s in  a  good  amount  of  morbid  sounding  melodies  along  with  some  growling  style  vocals  and  the  band  goes  for  an  early  90's  style  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  being  utilized  in   certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  death  metal  sound  and  all  of  the  songs  have  a  vintage  sound  from t hat  era  and  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  during  that  time  frame.

  Carnation  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  ignores  all  of  the  modern  trends  of  the  past  20  years  as  well  as  always  remaining  heavy  and  there  is  never  a  soft  or  weak  moment  present  on  the  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  violent  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Carnation  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should c heck  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cemetery  Of  the  Insane"  and  "Rituals  Of  Flesh".  8  out  of  10. 

Abscession/Grave Offerings/Final Gate Records/2015 CD Review

  Abscession  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  Swedish  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Grave  offerings"  which  will  be  released  in  2015  by  Final  Gate  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  old  school  Swedish  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  and  guitar  leads  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  at  times  you  can  also  hear  some  high  pitched  screams  being  utilized  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  All  of  the  songs  have  a  vintage  90's  sound  to  them  and  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  during  that  time  frame  and  on  a  couple  of  tracks  of  the  tracks  keyboards  are  added  into  the  music  giving  the  album  an  atmospheric  death  metal  feeling  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals  that  are  kind  of  buried  by  the  growls  on  one  of  the  tracks  while  on  the  last  song  they  get  more  powerful  for  a  few  seconds.

   The  later  tracks  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  the  early  technical  death  metal  sound  along  with  some  clean  playing  being  added into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  being  brought  in  at  times   and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Abscession  plays  an  old  school  style  of  Swedish  death  metal  that is  on  par  with  the  elder  bands  and  their  fellow  countrymen  and  the  music  has  a  perfect  balance  between,  heaviness,,  rawness  and  melody,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  horror  and  gore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Abscession  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Where  Sleeping  Gods  Dwell"  "Cabin"  "Freshly  Dug  Graves"  and  "Engorged  With  gore".  8  out  of  10.

  .

  

Obduktion/Mors Janua Vitae/2014 EP Review

 This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Obduktion  which  continues  the  old  school  death  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2014  and  called  "Mors  Janua  Vitae".

  A  very  heavy  90's  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  growling  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  song  and  the music  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  to  mid  paced  direction  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  melody  being  added  into  the  riffing.

  The  second  song  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  old  school  death  metal  riff  and  growls  and  you  can  also  hear  some  influences  from  both  the  Florida  And  United  kingdom  bands  of  that  era  and  they  also  add  a  small  amount  of  melody  into  the heavy  parts  on  the  track

  Obduktion  remains  true  to  the  old  school   death  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  and  there  is  never  a  soft  or  weak  moment  present  in  the  2  songs,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  New  World  Order,  Pessimism,  Humanity  and  Salvation.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Obduktion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Lordship  of  Superior".  8  out  of  10.