Sodomic Baptism/Black Fire Pandemonium/Iron, Blood And Death Corporation/2017 CD Review

  Sodomic  Baptism  are  a  band  from  Belarus  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  satanic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Black  Fire  Pandemonium"  which  was  released  by  Iron,  Blood  And  Death  Corporation.

  Ritualistic  spoken  words  and  demonic  voices  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  using  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while t he  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  with  a  few  screams.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  remaining  very  true  to  an  old  school  style   and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  words  are  also  added  briefly  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  horror  movie  style  keyboards  and  clean  playing  can  be  heard  as  well  as  a  couple  of  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,

  Sodomic  Baptism  plays  a  style  of  satanic  death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's while  also  adding  in  a  creativity  that  was  rarely  used  in  the  9's,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sodomic  Baptism  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  satanic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Angel  Of  Death"  "Legion  Noctis"  and  "Rex  Stachus".  8  out  of  10.   

  

Asylum 8/Repressed/Inverse Records/2017 CD Review

  Asylum  8  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  industrial  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Repressed"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Inverse  Records.

  Industrial and  ebm  elements  start  off  the  album  while  also  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  as  well  as  some  power  metal  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  David  Hasselhoff's  "True  Survivor".

  Asylum  8  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  industrial,  ebm  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  a  touch  of  power  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Asylum  8  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  industrial  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Disarray"  "Passing"  and  "Deliverance".  8  out  of  10. 

  

Dehydrated/Resurrection/Immortal Souls Productions/2017 CD Review

  Dehydrated  are  a  band  from  Slovakia  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Resurrection"  which  was  re;eased  by  Immortal  Souls  Productions.

  Synths  start  off  the  album  and  give  the  music  an  atmosphere  of  a  horror  movie  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  when  guitar  leads  are utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  Some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  high  pitched  screams  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  symphonic  elements  can  be  heard  on  a  track  and  they  also  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Massacre's  "Dawn  Of  Eternity"..

  Dehydrated  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  old  school  and  brutal  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  pathology,  gore,  and  human  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dehydrated  ate  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  and  old  school  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Don't  Laugh  Your  Dying"  and  "Dying  And  Asking".  8  out  of 10.

  

Jumpin Jesus/The Art Of Crucifying/Vic Records/2017 CD Re-Issue Review

  Jumpin  Jesus  where  a  band  from  Germany  that  played  a  traditional  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "The  Art  Of  Crucifying"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  November  by  Vic  Records.

  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  small  amount  of  horror  movie  style  keyboards  before  going  into  more  of  a  darker  and  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  screams.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  chaotic  fashion  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  at  times  the  riffs  also  bring in  elements  of  thrash  which  is  also  mixed  in  some  of  the  vocals.

  A  small  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  onto  some  of  the  later  tracks  along  with whispers  also  being  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  songs  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Jumpin  Jesus  played  a  style  of  death  metal  that  was  very  different  for  the  time  it  was  released,  the  production  sounds  professional  for  a  recording  that  was  released  in  the  early  90's  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Jumpin  Jesus  where  a  very  great  sounding  traditional  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS INCLUDE  "Out  Of  The  Unknown"  "Cloning  The  Future"  "Important  Gain"  and  "Lost  Yourself".  8  out  of  10.  

Annihilation/The Undivided Wholeness Of All Things/Nice To Eat You Records/2017 CD Review

  Annihilation  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "The  Undivided  Wholeness  Of  All  Things"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Nice  To  Eat  You  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  demonstrating  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  while the  music  also  has  a  very  modern  approach  to  the  genre  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  angry  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Annihilation  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  brutal  style  of  death  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  writings  of  David  Icke,  Omniverse,  and  Nagas  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Annihilation  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Universal  Dismal  Collapse"  "Emptiness  Defiled"  and  "Nagas".  8  out  of  10.    

Ashen Epitaph Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

Hi bro, thanks for the opportunity.
We started recording 2 years ago. Our recording sessions are always very slow and this occasion was no exception. But finally we made it and it will be kickass stuff.
We had a couple of live shows till last year’s summer, but after that, we made a long break (over a year long). We needed time and freedom to finish the new album, and now we think that it was a good decision concerning the band’s future. But now, Ashen Epitaph has awoken and is stronger than everyone else. :)


2.You have a new album coming out in October, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Yes, we have a new album which will be released by a Serbian label “Grom Records”.
The music genre isn’t different, but maybe a bit faster than the older albums. This time we tried some instrumental things we haven’t done before – faster skank beats / ultra slow beats, dual vocals in classic Carcass style, different kinds of solos and stuff like that.
Regarding the sound, this is a big step forward. Big thanks for our studio guy – Árpád Deák.  He also progressed with us, both in knowledge and studio gear.
It’s a natural progression anyway.

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

We don’t have any changes on the lyrical side. The singer/guitarist – Attila Boros – wrote the lyrics about casual problems in the world spiced with religious criticism... Old school thrash metal themes. :)

4.I know that the band was named after a Benediction song, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

Our name has no specific message or anything like that. We always liked Benediction, especially the Ashen Epitaph EP, so we didn’t have a better idea... Still better than Infernal Deathvomit or Unmerciful Godslaughter. :D
And what could be better for a good death metal band name than an old, rotten grave?!

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

Hmmm… It’s very hard to pick just one. Every single show is equally important for us. We had a blast with gigs in major cities like Belgrade, Budapest, Skopje, Novi Sad and also in the small towns/villages.
On the stage we always want to do a 110% show full of energy, headbanging, and blasting. But sometimes have problems, like the sound guy is not the best, the size of the stage, or somebody in the band is unfit... Or a hangover! :D

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

Yes of course, but unfortunately not tours, just simple shows. Actually, we’re doing a big return/album release/ 14th birthday party with 3 awesome bands in our hometown, Senta. After that, we will play some gigs in Novi Sad, Belgrade, Szeged, Budapest. For the next summer, we’re invited a couple of festivals. I hope to add some shows in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We really like Czech festivals but never played in the country. Maybe on Brutal Assault, on the Jägermeister Stage, after a Deicide show. Hahahahaha. :)

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

Sincerely I have no idea because I’m not really into that kind of investigation! :) I just know that the metalheads like our music. Of course, I always read reviews if we have something exclusive, a new record or a show. But I’m not a big searcher.

8.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Not really. Our guitarist – Norbert – has a project called Jane Dark with our studio guy. But they only made bedroom album recordings. :) There were only two Jane Dark shows, and I was the session drummer.
I played a few shows with our buddies, the legendary beer thrashers M.A.D. Goya a few years ago. I also got a few calls from bands to do something in the studio or helping them live, but I’m a redneck and I don’t like to learn the songs. :) For me, it’s better to practice and jam in the rehearsal room, cleaning up blastbeats or footwork and trying out some non-typical metal parts.
In the early days, our bassist Mihajlo had a crusty grind project but nothing serious.
And from 2002 to 2004 (the other) Attila and Norbert played in a thrash metal cover band. They played songs from Slayer, Sodom, Motörhead, Venom, etc.

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

In my opinion, the music will be the same in the future, much like in the last 14 years. Maybe more or less complex; a perfect mixture of the American and European styles of death metal. We aren’t planning to use insane classic keyboard rounds like Stratovarius, and also not clean vocals like Dream Theater. Just shitty, powerful death metal!!! Hahaha! :)


10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We don’t really listen to many new bands. Of course, sometimes we discover something new, like Mgła, Dead Congregation, Wolves In The Throne Room, Mithras, Ne Obliviscaris, Vallenfyre, etc. But for example, I don’t hunt for new bands. We still listen the same music as 15 years ago – Carcass, Gorefest, Morbid Angel, Edge Of Sanity, Dismember, Death, Malevolent Creation, Kreator, Vomitory, Slayer, etc.
To make a long story short, the classic scene of death/thrash metal and naturally these bands’ new albums; and much more, from Aerosmith to punk music and dark rock, from Soundgarden and Billy Idol to Cryptopsy.


11.What are some of your non-musical interests?

Hmm, that’s a nice question but I don’t have any special interests or hobbies. For me, the best way to “turn my brain off” is playing the drums for 2-3 hours daily.
I’m a big fan of Bud Spencer &Terrence Hill. Sometimes I play games on my old Playstation 1 like Resident Evil 2, Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid. Also, drinking beer and partying till dawn in my workplace which is a blues rock pub. Classic rockstar life! Hahaha! :)
I (and also Norbert) love good horror movies. The classics are the best in this genre as well – Hellraiser, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Alien, Predator, Fly, THE THING, etc.
And Mihajlo is a very big fan of fishing! It has happened before the he didn’t come to rehearsal because he caught a big carp or some huge beast, and he stayed on the riverside under the influence of victory. :)

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

Thank you for this interview, and thank YOU, everyone who read these lines.
We hope to see you soon during a concert somewhere.
Listen to our new stuff “The Formed Filth Enigma” because it kills... And also the older records.
Thank You! Keep grindin’!!!

Ditheist Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
.Ditheist is a Death Metal band from Chicago IL here is what others think about us :

When you go to McDonald’s, do you want your Big Mac to taste different every time? Hell no, you want a Big Mac. Same with Ditheist. You want some solid death metal, these are your dudes.

DITHEIST - Eternity of Nothingness
These guys are 100% legit. They blast out metal steeped in the great tradition of old school death metal while never sounding dated and boring. The drums are fucking amazing and the heavy riffs are deep dark and brutal.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
2.Me & our drummer Narcyz were heavily influenced by bands like Atheist, Death,Morbid Angel, Nile,Vader, Krisiun, Behemoth, Decapitated so what you hear on our records is a death metal written by big death metal/extreme music fans plus some progressive/jazzy passages .

3.The band has been around since 2006 but so far has only released one ep and full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps in between releases?

3.We released only one EP & LP because for many years we couldn't find a vocalist even when recording Seduction of Demons EP we had to ask Erik Pertl to handle the vocals .
For the very same reason we didn't play shows for two years.

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

 4.Our lyrics focus on : Sense of existence , History,Anti-Christianity, Blasphemy,Black Humor.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ditheist'?
5.Ditheist  It's a doctrine that maintains the existence of two coequal gods or powers of good and evil , like in Manicheism(dualism).
Manichaeism taught an elaborate dualistic cosmology describing the struggle between a good, spiritual world of light, and an evil, material world of darkness.


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?

6.One of my favorites was a show with VITAL REMAINS! & VALE OF PNATH
how often do you get to play with death metal pioneers? They destroyed that night!
We had a set with lots of very fast songs we had a blast.
Our first show ever in 2006/07 was also very cool we played with couple rock bands they couldn't believe how fast & technically sound we were ,that experience encouraged us to play more shows.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
7.We had an opportunity to tour Europe but we we're all busy working  at that time .
No touring plans for 2018 as of now

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
8.The feedback has been amazing!
We get emails Brazil ,Russia ,UK people really like our music .

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
9.Jarek Badzioch our bassist is playing in a melodic death metal band called Inner Decay he also in a rock band now.

10.When can we expect another recording and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. We already have about 10 new songs but we need to get tight playing them,it's hard to tell when we will enter the studio all I know is that we will probably record at Bell City Sound with engineer Chris Wisco (Gorgasm, Jungle Rot,Broken Hope, Michael Angelo Batio).