TRIBAL CONVICTIONS 13 (2017)

April 2017, 44/A4, printed, limited, Polish, inteviews: SLUDGEHAMMER, CHIMERA, ABERRATION, SPEEDWHORE, WOLF SPIDER, MORBID CREATION, MINOTAUR, ARMA CHRISTI, NEVERHEARD DISTRO, NOCNY KOCHANEK, CRYPTIC REALMS, TERSHA, MORBITORY.

It’s seems to be some kind of unwritten law here in Poland: another year, another Tribal. Yes, Robert doesn’t intend to rest on his laurels and infects the underground with his rotten poetry once again. That’s good, that’s really good in these digital times. The issue doesn’t bring anything new in its general content once intended: I got interviews with old crews like Wolf Spider or Minotaur, and with completely unknown rookies holding one title in the discography. He decided to put the good thing with heavy oriented Nocny Kochanek as well, at least controversial for some metal circles, so there’s almost everything as the metal music is concerned I guess.

Well-dressed in white and black, it looks really gorgeous. With ease I follow the reading content decorated by a proper size of the font, it helps the old zine veterans. I wrote nothing had been changed, yep, we have questions concerning music (yeah, pretty obvious), books, sports (handball and oarsmanship  still rules in Robert’s life) and ‘what do you think about these five albums’ on the end of each chat. As compared to the previous TC, I can’t indicate the intie that blew me fuckin’ away, on the other hand, there’s no a lame one. The whole seems to be very solid and done in a just good way. Some answers are longer and complex (Chimera, Arma Christi), with many details (Aberration, yes, it should be, as the Robert’s label is going to release their old stuff on cd for the very first time).  In turn, the Polish legend Wolf Spider should provide better answers, there are many interesting stories to talk about, I guess. The Minotaur intie is far better if we’re in Jurassic Park. Then, with full of animal spirits, Morbid Creation and Morbitory (what about the answer on Islamic refugees?), it smells passion for metal, passion for killing old-school the way I like the most. Robert follows the path of examining label’s owners and here Kager Balazs, the chief of Neverheard distro gives a good talk with many apt remarks referring to nowadays underground scene. As for sport dimension, Robert and the guys from Tersha amazed me a bit. Namely, they didn’t make mention on speedway in Gdańsk, especially when two riders from my Gniezno score for the team of Wybrzeże… Shame on you!   

116, the number of reviews isn’t a corker, as Robert accustomed to such numbers. It contains also those old stuff from “Made in Poland” section with 11 reviews of demo tapes, ‘little-known, little-played’ based on archeological investigation and five albums (“Into the Pandemonium”, “Angel Rat”, “Heartwork”, “Soulless” and “Somewhere in Time”) with different opinions coming from both professional critics and common metal fans. And if Robert is right writing about four first mentioned ones, I can’t agree with notes about sixth album of Englishmen, simply I didn’t find anyone claiming that this was a weak thing in their discography. Anyway, I liked this formulation and Robert’s arguments served in such a precise way – good brave work. Another positive is books part where he describes various titles, not only connected to the metal scene. The real ‘pearl’ is “The Art of Farting” written in 1751 by Pierre-Thomas-Nicholas Hurtaut. The section is quite surprising as the Robert wrote twelve reviews and only six pieces of paper zines – and that’s absolutely sad tendency, unfortunately…

To sum the whole up – I cannot write about any disappointment in the case of Thirteen. Not as hot as Remy Hadley, but the pages smoothly pass my mind with maaany bands to check out in future. The zine has got a clear vision and I always buy it sight unseen. As always, with awareness, humor and experience. That’s the most important. 

7,5/10

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in July, 2017)   

SAVIOR - Panów pan (2017)

A. T. R.: And Thrash Rises (In the City of Gniezno)

This is absolutely uncommon thing that in the first capital of my country, in my mother town full of churches, banks, pharmacies and second-hands, there is a room for such a creature like Savior. Well, after many years of living with metal music, I can say: finally! Although Metal Archives informs about two other bands having any connections with Gniezno, this band is the first one executing thrash metal genre in its purest form. Formed three years ago, they attacked the scene this year with cd Ep entitled “Panów pan”. Yep, applause for the guys they managed to release it in such physical  format, not on Bandcamp or other digital way only. The debut didn’t coddle me up, yet those almost fifteen minutes are pretty enough to know what is Savior all about. The music itself isn’t a surprise for me, as I saw their live show on 10^th of June 2016, and believe me, it was much more interesting and exciting than the first match of Euro 2016 between France and Romania. Of course, fast glance at the band’s picture in the booklet and Jordan’s t-shirt may mislead. Yes, luckily, Savior has nothing to do with Laiho’s crew and I really prefer vocalist’s Akróasis motive t-shirt…

…all right, let’s leave the world of fashion alone, as the beginning of “A. T. R.” and the rest of it I guess, is another thing that might be something different in menu, not only that the lyrics are written in English: the song starts off with slow marching pace reminding me of newer performance of Testament, then Savior shows its murderous face bringing a real thrashing madness till the end of this shortest song. Thinking about possible influences and knowing the main two thrashing schools, Savior heads for American one mostly, however German tunes are present here as well. After many meetings with this stuff, I can declare that “Panów pan” has been deeply rooted in two albums: “Darkness Descends” and “The Morning After”. Conscious or not, the mixing Dark Angel’s heaviness, sonic insanity (“A. T. R.” is the best example, taking my memories to such killing classics like “Perish in Flames” or “Hunger of the Undead”)and technique and Tankardish speed, catchiness and youthsome passion brings really interesting and unexpected musical result. Big names are served, but am I wrong hearing Slayer-like powerful riff starting at 1:45 in the title track? No, I am not! And yes, it comes from the mighty eighties!    

But! Do not treat the thing as a brainless copy. No. The whole flows very smoothly, with no yawn signs. For sure a proper sound realization helps: tunes are clear but not polished and artificial, maintained in rather underground vein, especially when it comes to rhythm section. Skills are audible without any doubt, each track is a potential live highlight determining all-time banging one’s head with the best title song. It contains everything I need from thrashing killer: very catchy riffs and memorable leads, tempo changing, blasting-like unmerciful drums (it really works here!), mentioned Hanneman spirit and chanting chorus. And what a start with air-ripping shriek very similar to the beginning of “Gukumatz” from the Mictlan debut! Yep, a real visiting-card of the band. The changing speeds make the songs run very fast, but of course the speed itself isn’t a main key. There are some broken parts (beginning of “Ciemne ludy”), but the most important the musicians can control the sound avalanche.

If the quartet know how to handle their instruments, the last role should be called. Yes, you’re right, the vocalist. Jordan uses the middle range mostly, some parts are filled with more aggressive touch and it sounds really good (“Ostatnia wieczerza”), some has more melody, especially when he ends the stanzas. I know he is at the beginning and there are some messy words (“A. T. R.”), although I have impression this kind of voice really fits to the current offer of Savior. Mentioned “A. T. R.” (no idea what does it mean: “All the Rampancy”, “Abolish Tabernacle Righteously”, “All Tissues Redefined” or just “A teraz rozpierdol”?… no, I give up…) is written in English and… let Jordan write lyrics in Polish, it looks and sounds much more interesting and complex. What’s more, if the English text refers to the society in general, the rest is braver and describes important aspects of Christianity. It’s neither stupid insight nor Satan praising and hell devouring all the sheep cliché. And I do hope Jordan’s vision in last part of “Ciemne ludy” won’t come true, no matter which religion he is talking about…

That’s true Savior is yet another young band being a part of the hugy thrashing avalanche that seems to have no end. But in this case I’m a bit surprised and amazed with the final product. Of course, I do not expect Mr. President Budasz shouting on the next city council meeting “Yes, we can!”. No, the truth is Savior recorded really promising piece of metal, just a classic stuff, where I didn’t search for originality, but I found a competent and dexterous mix of the things once intended. There is no one-dimensional song, nothing is calculated and the band has an obvious formula for their upcoming doings, just take a listen to the last three words spoken by the oldest fan of the band. I hope they will follow those words all the time.

And Poznań beware! You have got Saints, but Savior comes from Gniezno…       

  

72/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in June, 2017)

HAEMORRHAGE / GRUESOME STUFF RELISH - Hospital Thieves / Horror Will Hold You Helpless (2011)

Spain Right Now: Hospital Abduction or Zombie Devouring

This split is a kind of alliance of autonomous community of Madrid (Coslada) and Asturian (Mieres) part of Spain. “Hospital Thieves / Horror Will Hold You Helpless” has fourteen minutes only, yet it’s enough to tear me into bloody pile of pieces. But let’s start off with Gruesome Stuff Relish as it is completely new band for me. And believe me, even if I was conjoining Asturia with coal mines, as of now I have to reconsider the facts and start to put zombies into Asturian scenery. Why? Because it is full of zombies and it emanates the stench of the living dead from the front cover to the lyrics and music itself. Well, the musical offer is simple, without any broken structures, pointing the main influences to their comrades from Haemorrhage (but with no these insane fast-paced parts) and some old acts like Autopsy or Necrony. Yep, paces are varied, just like the vocal lines, however blackish-like screams should be replaced by more growling style, especially in “They Follow Your Scent”, because it can’t convince me fully. The rest is beyond reproach, even keyboards in mentioned song and “Become a Zombie”. And even if I definitely prefer medical issues than horror themes, this band lands on my never-ending ‘must-have’ list. Damn, they have recorded three full-lengths so far…

And my Spanish gods… They didn’t surprised me and I’ve just got three absolutely perfect shots. The opening title track is perfectly known high-light from “Hospital Carnage”, so I focused my attention on two new clinical cases and… I’m speechless once again. How do they do it? Mad, deranged, tissues and cells grinder - to put it briefly, their essence. The covered song is also better as compared to split with Dead for example. They love punk bands and “Necrophilia” fits to the whole. “SelfMedication” has really… reality-based lyrics, yes, overdose of pharmacology, I know this and all the Polish patients quite well. What else I can add? For sure both productions has very good sound realization, it works here bringing annihilating force of sick music in two different dimensions. And wondering about the future, I do not know what to choose: to be kidnapped by gory bandits with surgical masks or be devoured by blood-thirsty zombies? It means it won’t be nice event, but there’s no other way I guess…   

75/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in April, 2017)         

MORBID FLESH - Embedded in the Ossuary (2014)

A Night in the Ossuary

These 23 minutes are my first meeting with Spanish Morbid Flesh. And what? This country doesn’t stop to amaze me and still it spits many interesting and promising bands out. And I confirm, Morbid Flesh is definitely one of them.  Since a long time their music has been on my ‘must-have’ list, and I bought it couple of weeks finally. Musically the Spaniards do not discover any new territories… and I’m going to bethink myself how many times I wrote such words lately. Anyway, “Embedded in the Ossuary” is nothing but a variation on the sounds recorded many years ago. Sounds that I don’t have enough. Never. I mean, the late eighties, the first half of the nineties and such scenes like Swedish or English, however with Javi Félez as the producer and sound engineer, they didn’t follow the Swedish tone blindly and gained massive, powerful wall of sounds, a bit similar to Graveyard’s “The Sea Grave”. A coincidence?

The first song is a kind of introduction or, better to write, an invitation to the ossuary and if there aren’t usual Vali performance, some (sampled?) three different vocals line can be heard, however, my rousing applause goes to both guitarists creating absolutely splendid melodies and believe me, I am willing to put it into “Icon” or “The Angel and the Dark River” content. There are moments I listen to this first song many times in a row forgetting about the rest… Well, of course I exaggerate a bit, this album hasn’t been built on it only and with the beginning of “Charnel House”, the deathly breath of morbid flesh is present in the room. The English sorrowful parts are gone, yet some Icon recollections come to my mind while the longest guitar lead appears. But from then on, the Spaniards give a sincere smile to the Scandinavian area.

The music doesn’t shock with an uncontrollable portion of speed. Maybe “Rising of Shadows” has it served in faster way, yet preceded by very slow beginning. Anyway, the base here is to give different paces in the songs and it is done really skillfully with the best example in the closing one which is just a total crusher with paralyzing doom parts. Each track contains of catchy rhythms, riffs and such well-known slowdowns – I really love the way they use it and I cannot choose the leader. Mentioned “Rising of Shadows” and “Under Ragged Hoods” have really interesting leads after those slowdowns, and I haven’t to say how it works! And yes, there’s a need to make a mention on Vali’s vocals – good, audible, but not so deep and guttural. So, if all of the elements of the puzzle fit altogether, is there anything to complain about? No, there isn’t, I confirm. Three long years have passed since publishing the title by Unholy Prophecies, fortunately this April will be a hot month for the band, as their second full-length has been scheduled for releasing. Personally I can’t wait.    

   

  

85/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in April, 2017)

DISGORGE - Gore Blessed to the Worms (2006)

The Disgorging Formula: Gore Blesses Us All

As compared to the first two albums, „Gore Blessed to the Worms” is about severe cold, rheumatoid arthritis and glaucoma. As compared to the “Necrholocaust” revelation which is one of my best death / grind albums, it’s like a necrstorm. So, what do I really mean? I mean the fourth offering of Mexicans isn’t so sick, repugnant and senses slaying like mentioned Big Trinity. Thus, can I say they’re not in fine fettle? And, does it mean Disgorge recorded a weak album and I’m going to write about average, ordinary portion of boring death metal?

No.

But from the beginning: as for production side, the discussed album lies between vile brothers and “Necrholocaust”. Again with Carlos Padilla behind the engineering table, they did the rotten sounding alive, however this time they made great play with bass parts. On the other hand, vocal lines should be a bit louder, in turn cymbals are often too loud and sometimes drums are missing in the storm of sounds. Yes, vocals have been called. As the founding member Antimo left the band in 2004, Egdar took care of it and did it without any bungle. Differences? Practically imperceptible. Edgar met vocalist’s obligations just splendidly with the best example in “Chronic Corpora Infest”. As regards the music itself, for sure it is quite different than predecessor and only two songs “ Beneath the Lugubre.....“ and “Deepest Blood Devour” have been served in extremely fast way. And comparing the whole effort to it, the band slowed down in many fragments, not only playing such great tunes known from “Raise the Pestilence”, not only serving some breathers for Willy, the Skullcrusher, but bringing something new and untypical for them in “Next Mortuary Division” which I liked a lot, or something I did not: slowdowns supported by keyboards in “Cadaveres”.

I push the button play and after one minute a nice guy tells me: THIS IS NO LIFE. Then I drown in… absolutely beautiful sounds deriving from old Swedish school. Believe me, it could easily be a part of “Indecent and Obscene” and next “I Watch Myself Rot” is maintained in such a manner. But do not get me wrong, these Querétaro boys don’t try to be another Swedish star. Their musical face has been sewn by Carcass masters years ago, but Disgorge, combining mentioned influences wisely, with their touch of morbid pathological genius carries all the tunes to another better level. This time, with all Disgorging elements in the air, some technical and broken rhythms are present as well, in fantastic “Pest.Blood.Metal”, “Chronic Corpora Infest” or ending “Necro.March” with many tempo changes. Yes, putridity freshens up. The band rather courageously opens ‘the progress’ small door, and that’s good in such hermetic genre. Not another introductions, not another samples, not false extending of running time. Only music counts.

The album seems to be the most ‘easy to listen’, friendly (however it’s impossible to be swallowed without a choke by vast majority of metal freaks) and elegant in form in the Disgorging family, but it doesn’t mean the band starts to leave its sick musical territory, the suffering lady on the front cover will confirm my words, I guess. The musicians still have no mercy and deliver rotting murderous blows all the time, no matter if I admire riffs, bass passages, frantic drums or sounds produced (all right, disgorged!) by Edgar’s larynx. This album has new colors but it’s not a bastard in home. Or in mortuary, if you like. But one thing really eats away at me, namely “Gore Blessed to the Worms” is the last one so far, recorded in exact three-years interval, so… where are the albums from 2009, 2012 and 2015? Short “Morgue Metal” from 2011 isn’t any kind of answer, right? You said almost nothing to me through all these years. Did you lock your rehearsal up? Did you stop disgorging process? I hope not…  

85/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(totally excreted and pyosissified in Necro.March, 2017)