DISGORGE - Chronic Corpora Infest (1997)

Querétaro Clinical Reports

„We are like a deadly virus, slow, but fucking virulent”. These words are taken from one of Polish zine called Messerschmitt. Their author, Antimo Buonnano, was very excited because his band released the debut album. Words are brave, but are they real? The author seems to be sane, but is he conscious? Two main questions concerning this Mexican slab I have to answer…

When you take a look at the front cover, it is well known that “Chronic Corpora Infest” isn’t a story about dragons, warriors and next true satanic warriors. No, it is not, because Mexican freaks prepared some stories about something real, about our flesh. Unfortunately this tale isn’t nice or pleasant, as the flesh condition is not the best: with music and lyrics Disgorge shows the charms of medicine and pathophysiology. In one sentence: welcome on gore/grind board. This album is a flat denial of good taste and sensitivity. It isn’t thing for ‘usual’ metal fan (you know, Maiden, Metallica, Nightwish…), though the processes Disgorge is trying to describe are taken from our poor life. For sure this rotten trio knows very good the band called Carcass, for sure their second offal “Symphonies of Sickness” is like a bible for Mexicans, but as compared to all the Liverpool things, Queretaro boys reached another (better!) level in gore/grind execution. I think the difference gets out of this incredible sickness and morbid, pathological atmosphere, even describing this putrid music as ‘climatic’ gore/grind is not a mistake here. It sounds unbelievably, but musical Disgorge side is just better in overall perception. Simply sicker stuff… so, did the student surpass the master? The answer isn’t one-valued though…

The first version of “Chronic Corpora Infest” consists of nine tracks (my reissue has additional four bonus songs), but their names aren’t easy stuff to remember or shouting on the gigs, just take a look on the songs number one or two and try to say it without stammering. Fortunately the music itself is more come-at-able and easier than medical lyrics. I wrote earlier about this putridness in surrounding atmosphere which was the first feeling concerning the album. The first award goes to Antimo who sings here. Hm, “sings”, is it a correct word? Of corpse not! And what is more, he proposes many ways of it. I have an impression that he tries to show the sounds from every human hole. I can hear growls, shrieks, gutturals, vomits, yawps, grumbles, or melanemesis, copremesis and cholemesis if I’d like to write it in pathological Disgorge way.

Beyond doubt “Rancid Bowel Sarcoma” is the best track here because of two reasons at least. Firstly, this is the only song with no introduction or horror movie samples, secondly, it contains absolutely great Swedish-like slow-down about third minute lasting circa thirty seconds. Similar thing is shown in “Lymphatic Orgy in an Ulcerated Incubation”, but it isn’t such characteristic. As I wrote about horror movie introductions, Mexicans really exaggerate with it. The basic version of the album lasts about 41 minutes while introductions almost nine! Take a listen to the eight highlight “Gribbled Maggotized Pregnant Inside into a Fetid Renal Sarna”: two minutes and twenty seconds wasted on useless intro! This is the main and only complaint that refers to this album and has a big influence on the final mark, however the last track “Pedophilamorphia of Excreachollemical Endolapse” (man, I love these fabulous titles!) has really nice ending tunes, it is like an alleviation after forty minutes of unspeakable medicine horror. Writing about realization of sounds, it must be declared: expect no sterile or even clear tunes, yet everything is definitely audible. Disgorge walks the underground way, though the guitars lines should be recorded a bit louder I guess. Fortunately, during such a violent show, the music doesn’t become a shapeless pulp. In general, the production is a solid base to succeed. I mean, to call this album as ‘sick’. The second component part is the music itself of course. And what is shown on the stage? A full musical range, indeed, as these worshippers of medicine deliver torture of all kind: from slow, heavy, crippling almost doomish whiles to fast and frantic pace decorated by unmerciful blast beats. The guitar works are supported by Antimo’s polite bass and it is a good complement to the sound wall that falls down on my senses. Of corpse, writing about the devastation caused by this album, it is absolutely necessary to make mention on Guillermo and his instrument. I love his performance a lot, as he doesn’t offer boring blasts only. He play is very irregular and arrhythmic, mostly it is served in mid-paced or just fast manner. Brain death guaranteed.

I haven’t first press of this album, my version re-released by American Line has also four bonus tracks as mentioned above: two of them are taken from a split with Squash Bowels, the remainder is the rehearsal stuff with very poor quality. All in all, I treat it as a good and interesting part, causing next pleasant illness like balanoblennorrhoea or pylethrombophlebitis. Sounds pretty gorgeous? Yes, exactly. And to cut it short: in the world of gore and pathological releases, “Chronic Corpora Infest” is a better kind. I know about its legendary status in some circles, especially in Mexico, and I have to admit the right such a statement: the album is decorated (is it a proper word?) by memorable front cover and murderous music as well. The sounds emanate an unique kind of rotten and mortuary atmosphere, it is easy to feel, indeed. And it is truly exploit to reach such things not using keyboards like in doom/death or gothic bands. Only guitar, bass and vocals. Simple explanation?

Well, can I now confirm Antimo’s words and write about “Chronic Corpora Infest” as a deadly virus? Yes, I can. Surely. This clas-sick gore slab is definitely worth of checking out… of corpse if you’re brave enough!         

90/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written on March, 2014)

NECROSCOPE 27 (2014)

February 2014, 144/A5 pages, xeroxed, English, interviews: GRAVEYARD, MORT DOUCE, CHAPEL OF DISEASE, FESTERING, HYPNOS, INSEPULTO, NECROVORUS, ATOMWINTER, NETHERMANCY, ESCARNIUM, ENRAGED, TYRANNIC, TYRANTS BLOOD, MORBID CARNAGE.

27th issue and the twenty years of hard working. I think these numbers says it all! Adam strikes the bowels of underground once again with his monster. And since the year dot, nothing has been changed… Luckily! The same size, the same large quantity of pages, over 200 rather long not sketchy reviews (192 with music, 23 with press), the same poor, minimalist layout and quite so-so English. Undoubtingly, it looks like a brick. And believe me or not, I needed many hours and murky nights to get through this seemingly countless pages of pure underground essence. So, you got it? Do you want an explanation how to define an underground product? Or how should everything be served? Then, check Necroscope out at once.

If we are talking about the zine’s essence: as compared to the previous issue, I cannot find in 27 such a lousy person like Morbid Yell ‘metaller’. Of course, the Adam’s way of making interview with in-depth questions is the thing I like most, and fortunately each band rose to the occasion and simply gave good answers. Yep, that’s true, some of them are laconic or not enough informative, but it is a standard, luckily this situation is very seldom. For sure the Enraged crew is a surprise because of melodic death metal genre amongst many bestial deathly acts, yet the interview is pretty good. This time not pure heavy metal enclosed, but I cannot write it as a drawback. Best conversations? Graveyard (but in the case of the Spaniards, I am accustomed to find it always very interesting), Mort Douce , Insepulto, Chapel of Disease just to name a few.  The next thing makes my blood runs faster is the “Pearls from abyss” section. As the name tells you, Adam is like a mad archeologist digging his abysmal collection. Those mentioned treasures come mainly from the 80’s or from the beginning of the 90’s: Retrosatan, Maceration, Schismatic, Ghost from Poland, Infestation from Mexico and many, many more. In addition he decided to complete this Necroscope part with another piece called “From the stories”, thus he gave fascinating stories about forgotten (?) bands: Num Skull (in ‘25), Messiah (in ‘26) and finally Swedish Epitaph in this actual issue.

Writing about less pleasant things, Adam didn’t avoid typos or demons of misprints, however their number didn’t piss me off, contrary to the adjective orthography. Obstinately he uses a lowercase letter in ‘Polish’ adjective in reviews predominantly. It’s a serious spelling error, and it definitely should be changed next time. Next time? Of course, as the new 28^th attack has been announced.

Anyway, this underground dinosaur feels fine, still it has something to say to the thirsty maniacs. Written by a damn experienced editor, Necroscope is like another release of Motörhead – you perfectly know what the next Adam issue will bring. No bullshit, no advertisements, only fucking metal. So, what are you waiting for? Address is shown below. Buy and drown in the metal gulf…  

ADAM STASIAK

BATALIONOW CHLOPSKICH 18/5

81-415  GDYNIA

POLAND
necroscope1@wp.pl

9,5/10

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written on March, 2014)

95/100

TIERRA SANTA - 1997-2007 (2007)

One Knight Banneret and the Two Armour-Bearers

 

 

Compilations. Do such releases of a metal band make any sense? By this title “1997-2007”, Tierra Santa wants to sum their decennary scene activity and six full-lenghts. Fortunately it is not a best-of album and the Spaniards serve three new (previously unreleased) songs with additional DVD disc containing all the TS videoclips, live performances and some extras. The band decided to create this compilation by not re-recording of the old material, on one hand it’s a pity, but on the other hand? Everyone can compare their first efforts and these later killing heavy shots like “Indomable” or “Apocalipsis”. Also one thing has been confirmed: the “Mejor morir en pie” album is the Tierra Santa’s weakest release. Just let’s peer at the end of the first cd, where penultimate “Otelo” is between two crushing road rollers “La armada invencible” and “Indomable”. Although “Otelo” isn’t a crap, but meeting the killers from their previous albums, simply it’s out of the running. The similar thing is with the rest tracks of this wretched album.   

Musically “1997-2007” is a survey of all the albums that have been recorded since the beginning of the band. Thus, “Medieval” has two songs, “Legendario” three, “Tierras de leyenda” five, “Sangre de reyes” seven, “Indomable” six, “Apocalipsis” five and mentioned just above “Mejor morir en pie” four representatives. All the songs are totally mixed, I can’t see any logic here. It looks like a decisive factor in track order choice was a ‘random’ button. Fortunately the unreleased songs are put on the end of the second cd disc and this is a good time to write something about it. It’s an obvious thing for the supporter of the band like me, who knows the old stuff by heart, that the most important is this final trinity: “Volver al edén”, “Que nunca acabe esta noche” and “Tú vas al norte y yo al sur”. And to put it briefly, the first of them is the essence of Tierra Santa style, as it is maintained in the “Indomable” style and without any hesitation I could put it into the track list of this masterpiece. The Spaniards deliver really good riffs and this unique chorus form. For sure the song isn’t a refuse from “Mejor morir en pie” session or something like that. In turn, the rest of tracks is a bit weaker, but still I cannot throw them away before the face of the sixth album. Both given in a calmer way, like quasi-ballads, conquer my mind with simple melody lines, but I cannot forget about this killing “Volver al edén”…  Anyway I treat it as a really good thing, and the reason I still keep it in my collection.   

Taking an account on all pro et contra, I can state that releasing just an Ep instead of compilation only with these three mentioned songs would be definitely a better idea. For me as a long-time fan of the band, the rest is simply needless. And my final mark refers only to it. The most important is that the added new songs are really worth the trouble. Especially “Volver al edén”…  And probably it was a good material for a greenhorn entering the world of Tierra Santa, but now? It has no sense.

 

65/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written on March, 2014)

DAWN - Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy) (1998)

The Slaughtering Dawn

It’s hard to believe but I discovered this album for the second time few months ago, listening to it at least once a day. And I cannot get off it… At one time, shortly after first listens, I considered this album as another bastard son born out of Dissection womb and another good stuff of the next pretenders to the throne. The album wasn’t noticed enough by me, now I know that was a horrible mistake. Nowadays “Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy)” glows at full splendor in my collection, giving its slaughtering rays without any mercy. And even if it is not as catchy and famed as “Storm of the Light’s Bane”, Swedes know how to conquer my senses. I don’t know if the album truly caught the attention it deserved for, but I guess that “Slaughtersun” didn’t get a satisfactory applause in the past.     

I made mention on the second Dissection album but the Dawn’s offer isn’t a cheap imitation of Nödtveidt works, that’s for sure. But two first albums of Dissection are some kind of determinant for the things to come. Dawn managed to clock in here six compositions (plus one instrumental piece) in almost sixty minutes so it’s challenging task not to be a bringer of boredom, as the songs have eight minutes at least! Musically they deliver an essence of black aggression, based on unmerciful riffs, destroying performance of Jocke Pettersson on drums and typical for this genre Henke Forss vocals. And by their skills and metal passion, they avoided dullness moments, even if some parts seem to be a bit monotonous (“Ride the Wings of Pestilence”, but I don’t treat it as a blame in this song). Each track emanates a morbid-like melancholy fed by melodious layers (and here Dissection shades are heard most) that I cannot forget about.  All is done by simple means, without any technical and progressive arrangements, but supported by very good sound realization of Abyss studio. The musical basis here is to tame relentless ideas raging through the avalanche of slaying sounds. And they managed to do it, controlling unbridled fury that attacks the listener from every corner. Of course, the adjective ‘melodious’ is nothing unknown in the case of this album, as every song has its own, let’s say, catchy moments, sometimes even epic and melancholic. I think “The Aphelion Deserts” is a good example of such destroying track, when Swedes mixed extremely fast tempo and memorable guitar tone. It seems to be the most violent song here, what is more, it became the best one during my first meetings with the “Slaughtersun” beast. Putting this song on the fourth place of the track order is a very good move. Let me explain: “The Aphelion Deserts” are preceded by “Ride the Wings of Pestilence”, the slowest piece here, even with some smashing doomish parts. But the most significant thing, the stifling atmosphere that girdles the mind, is one of the best moments on the album. And the confrontation of these two killing songs in the middle of the album, is a real manifestation of Dawn’s power. Two different tracks, two different emotions…

And except for instrumental “To Achieve the Ancestral Powers”, the rest is built in more varied form. I mean, Swedes juggle the songs tempo, from slow, almost melancholic parts to the moments of savage fury and unmerciful stark madness. Two last songs “Stalker's Blessing” and “Malediction Murder” have quite long openings, based on slow peaceful riffs that bring a breathing space with strong monumental guitar works… but it is simply an introduction to the musical insanity. And I think that an apogee of “Slaughtersun” comes during the last “Malediction Murder”, it lasts eleven minutes and contains everything I wrote above. And I arrive at a conclusion: this song is the best here and makes a splendid ending of the album. I have no choice, I press the play button once again and greet the first sounds of “The Knell and the World”…

 Summing all the things up, the second album of Dawn is a real treasury of superb compositions. With these bestial sounds, I can easily forget about any Dissection comparisons. And for certain the music isn’t outdated and even if it’s melodic, as the sounds are executed in lethal form. I can see a clear progress in composing as compared to the debut. Unfortunately the “Slaughtersun” album was the last one in full length activity of the band, however, according to Encyclopaedia Metallum, Swedes are still active after some years of break, but there is only an ominous silence in the kingdom of Dawn. So, if you don’t know this band, check their albums immediately out, especially the second full performance: great feelings guaranteed. One of the best blackened albums I have ever heard in my life. 

90/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written on March, 2014)

REMAINS - ...of Death (2013)

Death... the Traditional Way

The old school death metal avalanche seems to have no end…  And it’s fucking great as the promising bands infect the scene day-and-night and with no any mercy for thirsty metal freaks. Therefore I’d like to take a look on another piece of rotten metal called Remains coming straight from Mexican land. Although it was re-released officially by Suicide Nihilist on cd last year and decorated by nice and stylish front cover, I bought it on February only. Of course, better late than never, and, to put it briefly, I am just raptured with this Ep that consists of five songs and one Dismember cover (“On Frozen Fields”) with almost 23 minutes of running time.

The style: pure traditional death metal played with simple means only. And the realization of the sound is the first thing worth writing about it: for sure it is given with a modern touch, but fortunately it doesn’t devastate the overall impression. Simply, it is not artificial and I treat it as an added value. Thanks to Miguel Angel (producer and engineer) who is also vocalist and guitarist in the band, each single sound is audible, even bass lines have its own part (just listen to the opening of the “Wounds” song!) and I can speak courageously that it perfectly fits to the whole musical killing show. Musically, the first sentence of this paragraph says it all. This band is one of many young metal crews bringing the powerful spirit of 80/90’s to the world underground scene, although in the case of Remains, I can only praise the effort, forgetting utterly about cloning or fake imitation. With ease this Mexican baby sucks the Swedish (mainly) breast. And as all we know, such milk is the best for the youngster definitely. I wrote ‘Swedish’, yes, Sweden… with such names as Dismember, Edge of Sanity, Unleashed (especially in “Psychopathic Release”), maybe some admixtures of old Asphyx and old Benediction with old American flavor (Autopsy, Incantation). Everything is well known, there are no any undesired surprises, and this is the death metal way I love most...

Listening to this piece and thinking about possible influences as an obvious thing in such a genre, Dismember comes to my mind first, not only because of the “On Frozen Fields” cover, but also by reason of the song structures. Just take a listen to the Dismember’s “Hate Campaign” album and songs like “Bleeding Over”, “Thanatology” or “Suicidal Revelation”. They are some kind of determinants for Remains. Fast, brutal and not with these well-known Swedish melodious leads. Of course, I don’t state the Mexicans cannot create, let’s say, catchy tunes, because it is not, as the memorable parts are rather hidden amongst the wall-crushing guitar layers and the perfect vo-kills (really good sort of growling!) done by Miguel Angel, reminding me a bit of Dan Swanö’s pharynx. And I think their main goal is to strike the listener with brutality and crude, obscure atmosphere, though the sounds are balanced and given in a well-thought-out way (being in perfect annihilation? Yep, absolutely!). Of course it’s great they are able to ladle the inspirations from big names and they use it profitably for their own devastating music, giving it a recognizable quality stamp. With classic instrumentarium, without any needless and vain intros, but with the tempo changes and proper level of death metal aggressiveness, Remains offer the music with no boredom or yawn moments… so, do I need more?

Unfortunately, amidst many whiles of pleasures during listening to this material, I have one reason for complaint. It’s hard to believe, but this is the closing track “On Frozen Fields”, taken from the third Dismember album. This song belongs to the more melodic part of it and as I have written already, such ‘obvious’ catchy tunes don’t fit to the “…of Death” entirety. All right, just take a look on the content of this under discussion “Massive Killing Capacity” album: there are songs like “Crime Divine” or the title one which are definitely better to be covered in this instance. It would make Ep coherent and more impressive.

To cut it short, this band gives me really great moments with their second material. First five authorial songs are incredibly equal and it’s very hard to choose the leader. The overall impression is somehow strengthened because I can feel like these crushing undertones were written and executed especially for me. I mean, I’ve been with such music for almost 25 years, I’m still worshipping it, and I will be doing that by all means. This band is a proof that traditional death metal way is infinite, even if there are no any signs of originality. But who cares, by the way? If you’re old-school maniac, you understand it. And I wait for the next release, as it is planned to be out this year. I’m as silent as the stars, because it seems Remains won’t disappoint me. 

88/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written on March, 2014)