Monday, November 1, 2021

FOSSILIZATION - He Whose Name Was Long Forgotten (2021)

 

I Can Feel My Bones Eroding

That's true, I read a couple of very positive opinions on the debut stuff coming from this duo, but I have to admit for a start: the absolutely fantastic front-cover was the thing that caught my attention immediately. The title was waiting on my shopping list and I bought it few weeks ago eventually. The genre for Fossilization is quite extraordinary: they come from Brazil and I face with a mixture of death and doom. I'm rather not accustomed to such a style from this country, as death and thrashing madness reign definitely in my collection. My copy has been released by Everlasting Spew Records in clocking time of 25 minutes. And you know what? These five tracks pound and devastate straightaway.

The music is simple and sincere to the bone, it's been played without any innovations and complexity, being deeply rooted in Incantation dimensions and more modern offers from Finnish death/doom scene. What's more, I can find an interesting touch of My Dying Bride (the era of their second album mainly) influence in closing track, probably with most melodic guitar parts disrupted by short blasting drum outbursts. For sure the work of three recording studios helped to get a proper sound – there is no accident, it's massive, obscure, full of no-light emanations. And sepulchral – this adjective depicts the music and lyrics matter in a perfect way. The concept is clear: only one song has got fast demolishing pace on the beginning, the rest starts off a slower manner, building a tension of gastness before the senses fossilization. Musicians knowingly and successfully change the tempo, serve addictive melodies (especially in „Caronte” and mentioned „A Deplorable Epoch”) and deep growls with incidental use of blackish-like screams in „Blight Cathedral”. It doesn't fatigue but pulls into something eerie, ominous and long forgotten. And there's no chance to turn back, as the tombstone is closed...

Even if I mentioned about simplicity, I needed over a dozen meetings to appreciate this effort and fully grasp its richness. All here fits: from front-cover to music and lyrics, from ravaging speeds ripping my head off to monumental and crushing heaviness that compresses my organs. Really, I cannot say a bad word. And I do hope this Ep will not turn out to be the only title in their discography.

85/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in October, 2021)



Sunday, August 1, 2021

ABOMINATED - Decomposed (2021)

Denying a Life, Welcoming a Rot

The method of meeting this band was simple: buying a zine (Tribal Convictions 17), reading an interview and enthusiastic review, writing a message, getting a copy of tape. That's how the underground works. And I am lucky a bit as this version is now sold out, but I tell you, Life After Death label did a really good job, all looks and sounds perfect, as they promised in their motto: resurrecting dead formats. Anyway, let's write something on the first title of Abominated: cover art resembling the ancient demos and Vader-stylized logo – nobody can be wrong, the band is a time machine and with very first sounds of „Blasphemous Convocation” it catapults me into the cusp of the eighties and nineties. The Swedish scene is the key here, especially Nihilist halcyon days, the classical HM-2 buzz saw guitars dominate (however the sounding effect not maintained on maximum level), yet some influences from the American scene („Scream Bloody Gore”) are perceptible too.

Clocking in almost ten minutes, there are three short tracks preceded by an intro, no surprise... And to put it briefly there's no any eye-opener, but even if the structures are somehow predictable, the whole keeps me listening all the time. It's been served in fast frantic paces mostly without guitar leads and only first thirst-six seconds of the last „Merciless Aggression” become a rest for the drummer. But „Stench of Life” is a real highlight in this decomposed menu due to its catchy riffs – it should be a great song for the crowd. It is worth to mention Greg's vocals as well, he uses several methods and it sounds really interesting. Yes, I know this is only the beginning of Abominated rotting way through the bowels of the underground, yet I'm able to smell a potential here. And hope to hear new stuff soon: they have splendid patterns.  

75/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in July, 2021)

 

Monday, May 10, 2021

LAST DAYS OF HUMANITY - Horrific Compositions of Decomposition (2021)

From Cannibalistic Protocol: Mankind Is Doomed

Quite unexpectedly, without any causeries in breakfast televisions, fifteen years after „Putrefaction in Progress” was out, the fourth album of these Dutch defenders of filthy musical decompositions became the (putrid) flesh this year and started to rot on the off-guard scene. As compared to the previous early offerings, front cover might mislead a bit... Yes, it contains two living persons, however this screaming woman doesn't look happy being there. What's more, for the first time seeing that, I thought: what the hell Mortiis was doing here? But wait, I see, that nose is wrong... Phew, anyway, the band composed thirty-three songs clocking in 22 minutes with most of them falling under one minute, thus the mean has been maintained. This time under the wings of Rotten Roll Rex label and this time with absolutely best sound realization to date, especially when it comes to drums ferocity. They sound really great even during guitar and bass splattering rampage.

And as for musical side, the album is the most accesible in the whole band's catalogue. However, such a comparison of this adjective and Last Days of Humanity's music is like a saddle on pig back. The opening track which is, in fact, the longest one lasting 2:07 (?!), starts pretty sluggardly becoming a kind of sick doomish monster, then turning into speedy insanity, the thing the tigers like best, with „the pain is unimaginable” somewhere in lyrics. Yep, they can't be wrong. The blasting paces dominate to fulfill goregrind formula requirements, yet as mentioned above, there are songs like „Molecular Shutdown of the Hematopoietic Cells”, „Roots of Pathos” (13 letters, the shortest title in this deranged family), „Molecular Pathological Epidemiology of Colorectal Neoplasia” or „Ciotus Analis and Defloration” where catchy guitar parts squash my internal organs. But one of my favourites is „Mass Chromatography”, for me just a good piece for headbanging and going crazy in the mosh-pit. And am I facing some Gutulax influences? Yes, I am! On a final note, while working on some chromatographic lessons during pharmacy studies many years ago I didn't expect to hear such a great song about it. Anyway, it's good time to mention Hans and his vocal decompositions, as they're out of this planet definitely. Well, I'd imagine myself on lost spacecraft somewhere in GN-z11 galaxy with all the crew already mutilated, getting away from a hybrid of alien and the worst ever nightmare that is barking, raving and spitting the green venom all around to get my poor body. A total madness there is no escape from. That's Hans vocals sound.

What else? The album consists of several short intros taken from horror movies: sometimes I am a bit scared (e.g. in „Coagulative Necrosis” or „Distinguishing Between Validity and Utility of Psychiatric Diagnoses”), sometimes I agree („Examination of Reeking Putrefying Organs, Tissues, Body Fluids”), sometimes I find it to be a near miss in the opening for „Running Through the Blood (Fear of God)” which sounds like King Arthur coming up with all his suite to Camelot. But the most important in the case is that these tunes don't disturb the whole atmosphere. So, summing the thing up, this album is awesome on the one hand, and absolutely offensive and repugnant on the other hand. Guitar work avoided falling into noise anti-contruction and provided songs that everyone may choose to be its favourite every single day. All supported by bass lines avenging force and Hans belting out make those 22 minutes run extremely fast. And nice. Well, my private 2021 music chart started to decompose... Mind you, these are last days of humanity.  

90/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in May, 2021)

 

Thursday, April 29, 2021

LAST DAYS OF HUMANITY - The Complicated Reflex and Depraved Scent of the Retrograde Reflux in Formula (2019)

Operating Theatre Depraved Scent

My precious... yes, this is kinda unique in my collection. Released through Bizarre Leprous Production as 3-inch disc, it features six songs clocking in 4:28. It means that Last Days of Humanity infects abdominopelvic cavity of the underground once again. The front cover may mislead: no blood, no cuts, no guts, no decaying human flesh, just one surgeon ready to act (by the way, is this one of the guys from Haemorrhage „Obnoxious” cover?). And writing about it, there's a need to mention 2006 year when their third album „Putrefaction in Progress” has been presented. That year also, the band managed to put instrumental tracks for this Ep and split up eventually. Luckily the break lasted not so long, four years only, the band returned to those songs, remastered them and put vocals lines in 2014.

And there're are no musical surprises as the band still continues extremely insane piece of goregrind. As compared to the mentioned full-length with snare drums overbalance, the Ep has got bass drum advantage in turn. And going forward, sometimes the guitar wall lost its ravaging power. Of course, all served with Hans pipes madness and distorted bass lines. In those putrid two hundred and sixty-eight seconds I got one short opening intro (nine seconds) in first track and great slowdown lasting seven seconds in best „The Dishonourable Features of Rigid Saturation and Cruel Misfortune” (that damn title, prescribing it takes more time than listening to this highlight!), being the longest in the family (1:07) at the same time. In turn track 4 which is the shortest one (0:09) tries to explain that mix of catalepsy and sewage is quite possible. Yep, it's goregrind in full content. And that's all folks, the newest album is on my operating table ready to be dissected.

70/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in April, 2021)


 

Sunday, February 7, 2021

SARCASMO - De Ocultis (2000)



Death Is Just a Beginning...

I did not plan to write this review. I mean, not right now, in future, maybe distant... You know, that's pretty obvious for such a music: impressive and important to me. Nevertheless our life always does its own thing, whether we like it or not... Well, February 2nd is a very special date for me, not only that my daughter was born on that day fifteen years ago, but due to the death of Mario Medina, the founder of Sarcasmo and Amabilis Insania, the guitarist, the vocalist. The friend of mine. As usual, such a piece of news is kind of a shock. It's completely incomprehensible and unexplainable! Being in constant contact with Mario since ages (to be more precise since the ending period of the nineties) I still cannot believe it, even in January I sent him some pictures showing Polish winter. He was just curious...

How did I come to know about Sarcasmo? Not sure now, probably I saw a flyer in some zine. Or was it a single flyer that arrived to me in one of the countless envelopes at the time? The rest was simple, I wrote a letter, and soon I got the tape with „Searching the End from My Past” demo released in 1998, however it didn't come with original cover art. Mario recorded it by himself and it became something spectacular in my collection shortly thereafter. The first side consisted of mentioned four Sarcasmo demo tracks and a half of „Prehispanic Beg” from Xipe Totec, the b side with some songs of The Chasm coming from their „From the Lost Years...” album and three songs from debiut of Dies Irae „Etherial”. And even if I knew perfectly The Chasm back then, I went nuts for Sarcasmo and Xipe Totec as well. Sarcasmo prepared four exciting songs, rather long kept in Mexican death metal standards with gloomy doom passages, yet some melodic fragments were present too. For sure „Depression Moments” and the closing „Unconscious of My Lost Identity” were the evidence that the band didn't want to be limited in any way...

...and after two years another title has been thrown into the underground depths. I wasn't surprised seeing „De Ocultis” tape in my letterbox as Mario promised me that. Originally it was released by Portuguese Luci Dist, yet something went wrong and the band decided to turn to Joel from American Line to run a small limited edition for American distribution. And such a version I own still working to this very day. The band prepared nine new songs clocking in 46 minutes with Mario lyrics based on psychology topics written entirely in Spanish. As for production, this time I got a bit softer sound of guitars and drums lacking its power sometimes, especially during faster fragments. Yet it is raw, rough and slicing. But it isn't the most important thing, as Sarcasmo executed their own visions a different way. For certain they became more matured musicians and „De Ocultis” is just a better stuff to listen to. It is complex, even progressive I'd say and technical at times. But first things first, „Afectos inplacenteros” opens abruptly without any mercy providing two kinds of vocals: typical gutturals (however „Inconformidad y duda” with deeper kind of it reminds me J. Karlsson from Gorement's debut) and more in the vein of Chuck Schuldiner and blackish shrieks, full of passion and emotions. Such combination is a definitely added value to the whole. The song is divided by quite surprising subtle rock-like part and then at 2:40 the guitarists perform absolutely amazing leading parts reminding me a second part of the title track from Xipe Totec „Prehispanic Beg”. Similar emotions, similar feelings, really awesome after so many years...

As compared to the mentioned demo, the band slowed down. Yep, there are faster parts in „El retorno”, „Viscisitud” or „Disolucion de ideas”, but the main musical key is to fill this offer with many great balanced ideas at the expense of furious speed. The riffs are rather catchy yet they do not let name the genre melodic, but leads are... Yes, there are fantastic leads! And there are plenty of them, for example the only instrumental called „La relacion inexistente” has got five such guitar explosions, what's more, the fourth in the running order is simply beautiful, I'd say even fabulous, full of immaculate pleasant warmth and giving a new hope for... something better? In turn, „Disolucion de ideas” comes with lead performance lasting over two minutes where tension is created with every single second, in „Fuga de dudas” leads got quite strange sound. For sure Sarcasmo liked to bring nasty surprises: just take a listen „Inconformidad y duda” with experimental guitar sounding and two kinds of clean vocals, the second part of „Escape a la verdad” when the music turns towards art rock dimension supported by jazzy licks or breathtaking parts that start at 1:40 in closing „Intentos”. It is hard here not to mention about rhythm section. The bass had its own place in previous demo and during „De Ocultis” there is a room for its thumping display as well. The drums are far from standard patterns, as they split the silence a perfect way (with the best example in „Intentos”, probably the most broken in the family). The progress between the demo and „De Ocultis” is noticeable but I repeat: they should be louder in the final mix.

To summarize the words I may write that this title, just like the previous one, stood the test of time. Absolutely no second included has been devaluated, moreover, „De Ocultis” belongs to one of my favourite releases ever heard, not only while speaking about Mexican scene. And I am not writing it to gain any empty plaudit. Also I am not writing it because of our longtime friendship. No. Mario perfectly knew my opinion on Sarcasmo work and considered me a true and sincere supporter of the band. The review is a kind of modest elaboration of my thoughts once sent to him resulting from one thing: only music counts. I realize that Sarcasmo is still unknown crew in the undergroud, especially now when there is no single day without a new band established, but I'm just a lucky man knowing it, probably by heart and by soul. It still exemplifies all I need from metal recording and it's pity I cannot say it to Mario personally. In 2001 I wanted to visit Mexico and all was planned in detail. Unfortunately it fell through for various reasons, but during those sixteen days I had on my must-see list few archeological sites (Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Mayapan, Coba, Bonampak, Tikal and Palenque) with one day reserved for Puebla time and meeting with Mario. Yes, we failed, but as we wrote in our correspondence: what goes up must come down. And now I think about it positively, however our meeting will be in completely different circumstances...

RIP my brother, I really do hope you'll find peace you deserve for...


97/100

- Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in February, 2021)



Sunday, January 31, 2021

CRYPTS OF ETERNITY 7 (2020)

 



August 2020, 72/A4, printed, English, limited, interviews: EXHUMATION, ATARAXY, MATHIAS FRIBORG, DARIO DERNA, RESONANCE SOUND STUDIO, QUESTION, VASTUM, TUNJUM, ASTRIFEROUS, BLOODSOAKED NECROVOID, CEREBRAL ROT, ROTTEN TOMB, DEATH DIVISION RITUALS, KRYPTS, EVIL PRIEST, CALIGARI RECORDS, ANASTASIS VALTSANIS, UTTERTOMB, CENOTAFIO, DEATH OVER MEXICO, THULSA DOOM, OATH OF CRUELTY, ANGELCORPSE, SPECTRAL VOICE / BLOOD INCANTATION, JULIO VITERBO.

Beside the worldwide interminable covid madness, the past year was pretty interesting when it comes to the underground zine titles. Surely, the newest Peruvian Crypts of Eternity with the number 7 is definitely one of them, being the first meeting with the works of Ricardo Lucas. The evocative front-cover invites into the crypts of death... Yep, this zine is completely dedicated to the death metal genre. So, what we've got here? Layout is computer made with some really compelling graphics, not eye-burning fonts and both white and black backgrounds. The whole is pretty clear, however it would be better to see some inties (questions / answers) separated in a clearer way. As for bands content, Ricardo did really fantastic job featuring many exciting names with rather comprehensive answers, although Ian from Cerebral Rot treated it a bit laid-back and for sure I expected more from the last Mathias answer on Black Mass Pestilence tour and Mexico in general. Either way, it's hard to choose the absolute leader as nobody has failed as a matter of fact. Of course, my heart started to pump the blood much faster while reading Julio Viterbo chat and his role in the mighty The Chasm, being for me one of the best musical acts ever emerging from the underground. Anyway, absolutely absorbing piece to read, from Julio's beginnings in Tormentor and Shub Niggurath to his last so far activity in Cenotaph and Heavens Decay.

All right, let's carry on, those interviews belong to the highlights of the issue as well: Ataraxy (this is my first reading meeting with the Spaniards if I well remember, both musicians gave interesting and long answers, just like the music they create), Dario Derna where Ricardo asked about many acts he has been / is involved in (Threnodist, Infester, Evoken, Funebrarum, Drawn and Quartered, Ritual Chamber), completely unknown for me Peruvian Tunjun or Paul Riedl concentrating on Spectral Voice and Blood Incantation. It's worth to mention a commemorative while with Gene Palubicki, as Ricardo build an altar for „Exterminate” album his home. It's hard to believe this album is 23 years old... All the inties runs quite smoothly, the editor is an experienced devoted death metal freak with questions related to music, lyrics, recording gear and death in general. As it's has been published in August, 2020, coronavirus is an unwanted hero between the verses too: several topics deal with Death over Mexico gig that took place in March last year, being one of the last festivals before the pandemic lockdown. Great that Ricardo managed to ask Gerardo Lugo about it. And I found one small sport trace, Ricardo hails Roma and Francesco Totti in Thulsa Doom chat.

Amid these pages, there are merely 31 reviews of music. Ricardo's method of dissecting is rather perfunctory, just like the stuff written by his collaborators, yet they give a proper guidance and informations, I really had a hope to read about more titles though. But the baffling thing is: no zine reviews included! And if we are still in 'describing section', The New Blood from the Uku Pacha should be mentioned, where Ricardo gave a place for three young Peruvian bands: Hell Trepanner, Arkhon and Antropomancia, more complex than the reviews itself, with the news, line-up and the like. Two more bands (Disburial, Archaic Tomb) got such a space too, reminding me a method from the old zines – I like it a lot. On the end one can adore the only live report from... 1990 with Morbid Angel that is written with unconstricted passion by Eduardo Slayer. Summing it up: this issue is yet another very fine title in my paper collection, however I'd like to see less advertisements next time, yet the whole is really enjoyable, it smells underground, it smells death metal to the core. Yep, exactly, next time... Who knows what future will bring because Ricardo announced a break (interview from Necromaniac 11) in his zine / label activity. Hm... I do hope Crypt of Eternity will open once again and infect the bowels of the underground.


cryptsofeternity@outlook.com

9/10

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in January, 2021)