Trauma/Invisible Reality + Promo 1991/Deformeathing/2015 Compilation Album Review

  Trauma  are  a band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  very  traditional  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  a  2016  compilation  that  contains  their  1992  demo  "Invisible  Reality  plus their  1991  promo  which  will be  released  as  a single  album  in  July  by  Deformeathing.

  Epic sounding  synths  start  of  the  compilation  and  after  the intro  the  music  starts  getting  a  lot  more  heavy  along  with  some  morbid  sounding  melodies  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  are  all  death  metal  growls  while  the  music  also  sounds  very  extreme  for  the  era  it  was recorded.

  All  of  the  solos  and  leads  remain  very  true  to  a  death  metal  style  while  also  being  very  melodic  at  times and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  when  synths  make  their return  they  give  the  music  more  of  a horror  movie  atmosphere  and  the  bonus  track  brings  in  thrash  and  punk  elements  along  with  a  melodic  choir  while  the  songs  on  the  promo  show  a  return  back  to  death  metal  and  a  lot  of  the  songs  on  the  promo  are  the  more  original  and  raw  versions  of  the  tracks  that  appeared  on  the  demo.

  Trauma  played  a  style  of  death  metal  in  this  era  that  was  very  much  true  to  the  style  of  the  genre  was  going  into  at  the  time  while  having  more  of  a  raw  approach  than  the  better  known  bands  of  that  time, the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  serial killers,  violence  and  anti  religion  themes.     

  In  my  opinion  Trauma  are  a  very  great sounding  old  school  death  metal  band  and  if  you are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hidden  Instincts"  "Escape  Into  The  Shadows"  "The  Dawn"  and  "Human  Race".  8  out  of  10.

Moss Upon The Skull/The Scourge Of Ages/2016 EP Review

  Moss  Upon The  Skull  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  very  progressive  and  organic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  ep  "The  Scourge  Of  Ages".

 A very  dark,  heavy  and  dissident  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  clean  playing  being  utilized  at  times and  the  vocals  are  death  metal  growls  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  music  can  also  be  progressive  at  times along  with  a  decent  amount  of  melodic  riffing.

  Clean  singing  vocals  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  atmospheric  sounds can be  heard  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  stick  to  a  very  melodic  yet  progressive  direction  and  on  the  later  tracks  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  stick  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Moss  Upon  The  Skull  creates  a  style  of  progressive  death  metal  that  is  more  organic  and  dissident  than  most  bands  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Moss  Upon  The  Skull  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Morbid  Glory"  and  "Turiyan  Wrath".  8  out  of  10.  

  

Ajatus/Blood 666/Downfall Records/2016 CD Review

  Ajatus  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Blood  666"  which  was releeased  by  Downfall  Records.

  Demonic  voices  start  off  the  album  along  with  the  atmosphere  of  a  horror  film  and  after  the  intro  the music  goes  into  a  very  heavy  and  old  school  death  metal  direction  that  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  some  grim  screams  and  growls  and t he  music  is  rooted  in  the early  90's  Swedish  tradition.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized t hey  are  very  dark  and  melodic  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  there  is  also a  brief  use  of  melodic  chanting  and  the  songs  also  bring  back  a  lot  of  rawness that  has  been  missing  from  the  genre  in  years  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use of  clean  playing  can  be  heard  and  some  of  the  fast  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  on  the  outro.

  Ajatus  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  old  school  tradition  while  also  having  more  of  a  raw  edge  than  most  of  the  bands  in  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Swedish  and  cover  darkness,  blasphemous  and metal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ajatus  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  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blood  666"  "Karkass" "Assasinator"  and  "Ajatus".  8  out  of  10.

   

  

Iraconji Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Established in 2009, Iraconji is a 5 piece Death/Thrash metal band from Nashville TN. Members included Matt Chadwell (guitar), Drew Jones (guitar), Nathan Yarroll (bass), Hardy Hardison (vocals), and Kyle Caldwell (drums).

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

The album is a mixture of death and thrash metal with elements of classic metal and a drop of black metal.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

We mostly cover the subject of war from all periods of history but also cover topics like zombies, jellyfish and unfortunate one-night stands.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Iraconji'?

Iraconji is named after the Irukandji jellyfish. Box Jellyfish are the most poisonous creatures on the planet, and the Irukandji is the smallest and most venomous of all the box jellyfish. When Iraconji started in 2009, "core" and "scene" bands ruled the musical landscape. We felt a kinship with the Irukandji, a small but deadly force making it's way through the the world.

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

We've had amazing experiences opening for nationally touring acts like: Abysmal Dawn, Acrassicauda, Arsis, Mobile Death Camp, Warbringer and Warfather but some of our favorite shows ever have been with our local metal brethren here in Nashville.

Iraconji's live set is raw aggression, fast paced, no frills and very little banter. We're here to bring you brutal deathrash without beating around the bush.

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

Right now we're gearing up for our first full length release, so we're laying low getting the album pressed, restocking merch and doing a PR run. Our next show is July 31st opening for Holy Grail, Exmortis and Spellcaster (thanks to Invictim Promotions for booking us). We plan to tour regionally in the southeast in 2017.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Iraconji is very D.I.Y.. We've talked to a couple of small labels but haven't actively shopped the album around yet.

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

So far the album has had a pretty good reception. We know Canada likes it, but we've only very recently started announcing the album and sending it out for review.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Iraconji will always be a death/thrash band but we anticipate adding a little more black metal and classic metal elements on future releases.

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?

We as people are very eclectic in our musical tastes, listening to everything from metal to classic rock, prog , punk and electro. I would say bands that have influenced Iraconji would be: Kreator, Slayer, Exodus, Death, Obituary, Carcass, Mercyful Fate/King Diamond, Emperor,

Currently listening to Exmortis, Ihsahn, Ophiuchus, Antlers, 1349, Frosthelm,, Oubliette, Flummox, Demolition Hammer, Old Wainds, Leprous, and Morbid Saint

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Iraconji takes particular interest in: Cartoons, Beer, Legos, Trailer Park Boys, Airplanes, Hot Rods, Zombies and speedway cafe

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

We'd just like to thank you for taking the time to get to know Iraconji a little better. We really appreciate it.

Sorcery/Garden Of Bones/Xtreem Music/2016 CD Review

  Sorcery  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  a history  of  30  years  and  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Garden  Of  Bones"  which  was  released  by  Xtreem  Music.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  speeding  up  and  adding  blast  beats  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  the  vocals  are  aggressive  death  metal  growls  that  are  closer  to  the  mid  80's  era  of t he  genre  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  while  some  riffs  also  bring  in  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  a  brief  us e of  clean  playing  and  synths  can  be  heard  on  the  last  song.

  Sorcery  plays  a  style  of  Swedish  death  metal  that  remains  true  to  the  mid  80's  and  early  90's  tradition  of  the  genre  without  ever  mixing  in  modern  influences,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  sacrifice,  creation  and  anti  Christianity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sorcery  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  Swedish  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Holy Ground"  "Dark  Waves"  "Mass  Murder"  and  "Garden  Of  Bones".  8  out  of 10. 

Chugun Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Chugun is the result of vocalist Denise wanting to create a furious band, teaming up with guitarist Timur, and through several lineup changes reaching it's current form. After only three shows we made it to the Israeli finals of the Wacken Metal Battle, and after a year we finished recording our debut album. Recently we made our debut in Europe, playing ten shows in six countries, supporting Nightrage. With the recent signing with Sliptrick Records we are hoping that our music will reach even more people.


2.So far you have released one album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Virus is a modern interpretation of old school death and thrash- on one hand it's fast, dirty and aggressive, and on the other it incorporates grooves more typical to modern death metal, and a more advanced production. It's like early Death or Morbid Angel with today's production technology.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
The main concept in the lyrics is misanthropy and criticism of society, but there are two comical reliefs, for one of them we also made a silly lyrics video which you can find on YouTube (Evil Whiskey).


4.I know that the bands name means 'Cast Iron' in Russian, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?
Cast iron is a pretty heavy material, and that is exactly how we strive to sound- heavy, blunt, straightforward, and painful when crashing into your face.


5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
There was a show in Freaked Studio in France where we managed to kill the PA system but before that got a very warm reception and a great time, there was another in Liege where we started the craziest mosh pit with people flying into the monitors, and of course we had some great shows back home, like the album release show where we got electrifying feedback from the crowd.


6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We have several shows coming up in Israel and after that we're hoping it won't be long till we're on the road again!


7.Sliptrick Records are re-issuing your 2015 album, are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
We started working with Sliptrick Records in March and already things have started moving. One of those things is a crazy music video that we are working on and hoping to release soon.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death and thrash metal?
So far the album got many praising reviews from blogs and webzines worldwide, and a positive feedback from the crowd in Europe. There even were people who followed us on several shows on the same tour, which was very awesome.


9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We already started working on materials for the next album, and so far it seems that the music became more complex and groovy, without losing the solid base of heaviness and aggression.


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?
You can hear some old school death and thrash metal influences in the album, as well as modern grooves mixed in, like Slayer and Sepultura with some Lamb of God. Every band member likes different stuff- from old school, through folk metal, to modern metal.
Recently there's been a lot of Decapitated and Clutch in some of our band member's music players.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Our guitarist is a computer geek finishing his masters degree, the vocalist (also a programmer) is a book worm, the bassist is a booze loving faster-than-spongebob cook and the drummer has time for nothing but practicing drums!


12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Open a beer, put our album in the background and we hope to one day see you at our show!

Colosso/Obnoxious/2016 Full Length Review

  Colosso  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  progressive  and  experimental  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2016  album  "Obnoxious"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  A  very  heavy  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  a  few  seconds  alter  which  also  become  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  death  metal  growling  style  and   all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of t he  recording.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  also  getting  atmospheric  at  times  while  a  great  amount  of  prog  metal  elements  are  also  utilized  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  high  pitched  screams  and  some  of  the  fast  parts  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  as  the  album  progresses  spoken  word  samples  and  experimental  sounds  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  while  later  tracks  bring  in  traces  of  industrial  and  ambient.

  Colosso  plays  a  musical  style  that  remains  true  to  the  progressive  death  metal  style  they  have  established  and  previous  releases  while  also  adding  in  elements  of  ambient,  experimental  to  take  their  music  to  another  level,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  in  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  from  Colosso  and  if  you are  a  fan  of  progressive  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  Memoriam"  "As  Resonance"  "To  Purify"  and  "A  Noxious  Reflection".  8  out  of  10.