HAEMORRHAGE - Obnoxious (2014)

The Obnoxious Files: Anatomizing the Past

Primarily released as a part of double vinyl split with Christ Denied in February, 1995, it has finally landed on my (operating) table in the month of April, 2019. Unfortunately it isn't the old version, I've got cd re-issue made by Mexican Diablos Recs in gatefold cardboard and finally disgorged in 2017, which is yet another „Obnoxious” title as Power It Up label gave it a vinyl life once again in April, 2014. What's more, the track order has been put on „Haematology” compilation from 2007 with all the content remastered at VRS Studios. It's not the end with sound play, it has been remastered for the newest releasing at the House of Grind once more with two bonus songs added. As Luisma once commented, it has been released as an advance for the upcoming debut album under the banner of Morbid Records. Each „Obnoxious” track had its place on „Emetic Cult”. Then, front cover from mentioned „Haematology” compilation was supposed to be the artwork for the split, yet nobody knows why it didn't happen. As compared to the first edition, 2014 has a bit different cover. Obnoxious title disappear from the right side and appeared down below with no eyeballs and written in capitals. Such a change.

All right, let's leave this historical overview. I perfectly know all the songs and there's no any surprise for me. That's true, „Reek of Putrefaction” and „Symphony of Sickness” albums were absolutely known for the Spaniards and if the general impression has got a lot of common things with the Liverpool gorefathers, however I would lie claiming „Obnoxious” is a piece of brainless copy. No, absolutely no. The idea is to keep it simple, brutally honest, and with overwhelming pathological touch. What's interesting, the music is served in rather slow or moderate paces, even meteoric shots like „Cadaveric Metamorphose” with some headbanging rhythms or „Anatomized” has got a room for breather. Those slowdowns really smash the organs especially on the beginning of „Expectorating Pulmonary Mucupurulence” and on the end of „Fermented Post-Mortem Disgorgement”. Such a skillful dosing of different tempo when the blasting speed isn't a key factor, makes this release very absorbing since the first seconds of „Nekromantik” prelude, and putting it a bit laconic, Haemorrhage just managed to create sick atmosphere. For sure, a round of applause to the realization of sound with new remastering, definitely it helps here, especially rhythm section lines has its place in the morgue. I don't care if „Emetic Cult” contains the whole of „Obnoxious”, for me as a kinda psycho fan of the band since the ages, this issue is a real pathomusical banquet: seven gore tools in twenty-two and a half minutes, being extremely good start on their medical crusade. Summing it in one sentence: it's an uncontrollable proliferation of goregrind. Lusciously!

85/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in June, 2019)

SAVIOR - Podział (2019)

The Salvific Convention

After two years since the first debut Ep has been thrown to the underground, Savior strikes back and tries to save some souls with its visions of metal. For starters, it's a good piece of news that beside digital versions, there's a physical format released simultaneously, given in a rather modest form with lyrics, wrong track order and grim band's photography. Yep, that's right, joke is over now, as Savior simply got matured in every aspect as compared to the previous „Panów pan”. First of all, still keeping sound realization in the underground frames, they got it more organic, maybe at the cost of first Ep rawness a bit, yet the result is pretty satisfying, especially when it comes to drums. Secondly, the first words alert it won't be a nice excursion. That's true, two years of rehearsals, gigs and countless drops of sweat should be a drayhorse to reach any progress and the opening song called „Ty” confirms this natural way of development. And if „Ciemne ludy” had some broken rhythms, here I have a real feast of tunes in the vein of Artillery, being fantastic mix of „Cybermind” and „Khomaniac”: catchy riffs, not easy for headbanging arythmic driven paces, gentle guitar passage in the middle and agonizing Jordan's vocals. One shot, one kill and one wonder at the same time... Only two and a half minutes run extremely fast, leaving me with an 'I want fuckin' more such a mutilation, guys' impression...

The Ep contains of three songs clocking in twelve minutes, and it's a clever measure. Each track has something different to offer and so is the next „Obywatel”. Preceded by horror-movie introduction... wait, wait, no, I need to hold my horses, too much goregrind stuff lately. All right, once again: preceded by short talk about the main colours in Polish society, it becomes a song with less thrashing vibes and more clean Jordan vocals, based on fast memorable theme, with changing tempo and furious lead. But the best is yet to come. I mean, the closing and the longest one is a kind of twist ending for sure, being an obvious evidence the band doesn't want to be a slave of any limits or constraints. Despite Vektorish-like portions of riffs, Savior tries to sneak out the thrashing formula, providing both calmer acoustic sounds with melodic chanting and all-consuming drum cannonades that hook death metal domain. And in contrast to this controlled sonic speedy disruption, the second part seems to be a couch potato: very, very slow pace dominates and when it doesn't want to go fast, Jordan changes his voice to more guttural. Yes, these slowdowns in the vein of Dying Fetus or Ingested really smash all the organs without any mercy! That is completely unexpected, yet it sounds absolutely perfect to me. Believe me, I listened to many thrash slabs for years and such a method of sonic execution is given for the first time in the genre, I guess. What's more, „Nam B(Jaro)sław” has a chorus no one can miss. Simply, a highlight!

In a deep sorrow I must avow I missed their last gig this June during the next editon of „The Massacre of the Innocents”, as my son didn't share my enthusiasm and preferred to slaughter me during FIFA 19 game to listen to any metal noise. You know, priorities. Anyway, it's not a challenging task to summarize „Podział”. I am very pleased with the final effort, even if the short adjective aspires to be one of the most important word on the board. Well, as mentioned above, there is a progress, vision and off the chain youth. The holy trinity that will lead them to a full-length, I hope. I'd like to write all the doors are open for them... but unfortunately I have to quote Tadeusz Sznuk 'not exactly' right now, as due to the whole lyrical content, Savior won't be invited on PiS convention, however I've got a strange feeling the band will handle the issue.

80/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in June, 2019, in searing heat)

NASTY SURGEONS - Exhumation Requiem (2017)

At Surgical Cafeteria: Human Flesh Is Also Food

Writing that Spanish death metal scene is really interesting these days seems to be a cheap slogan. There are many bands worthy of note and Nasty Surgeons are one of them beyond a shadow of a doubt. Directed by Raúl Weawer, it has been created to bring more brutal and rotting sounds after twenty years of activity in his previous melo-death Mistweaver. This, in turn, led Burgos surgeons to exhuming the old death-gore-grind flesh. With no tape demo or even digital single, they signed a deal with Xtreem Music and „Exhumation Requiem” saw the light of January day in 2017. But I didn't buy it because they are from Spain. No, it was great Juanjo Castellano's front cover, the first thing that got my attention in the case.

The opening song „The Resurrectionists” is on the table and everything is clear for me. After ominous introduction, Spaniards strikes with sounds that defines its style without any problem. Yep, I know, Carcass was on the beginning of the road, yet the Surgeons are another killing offshoot. Two various kind of vocals, varied pace, a dose of catchy melodies with leads (the latter reminds me of Entombed's debut, superb!) and razor-sharp riffs slicing the tissues. To simplify the thing, there are many musical and lyrics influences from gods like Haemorrhage or Exhumed, yet the final conclusion is they are rather a bit slower. It means the band is definitely more death than grind, but still gore.

As I read in some interview, the music has been created in one month. Not sure if something like this can determine the sounds to be good, but „Exhumation Requiem” is an example that such kind of realization works here really fine. All is fresh, without calculation, yet splendidly kept in the genre frames. Even if the front-cover may mislead a bit, the lyrical content is mostly related to surgeries. As for production, both studios Undead and Sinergia gave it a proper vibe for the old-school, I mean, it's neither old-fashioned, nor too modern, it sounds just great especially bass line got the room. Then there is a space for short opening introductions (in four tracks to be more precise) that don't disturb at all, with the best one in „Nasty Surgeons” song: after gentle speech which seems to be kinda surgical credo (and later all the lyrics for the track), nice relaxing and idyllic-like melody is given to the audience to become one of the best medical tool on the album immediately afterwards. There is no filler track, each song has something interesting to offer, no matter if it is really solid and bone-crushing portions of riff cascade in „Human Flesh Is Also Food” and „Autopsy's Protocol” or mostly slow mincing paces in „The Creation of the Monstrosity” and „Devoured Alive”. For sure I have to mention all guitar leads, they're very interesting, compelling, perfectly fit to the sick structure and simply make this album better. Just take a notice on „Burnt with Sulfuric Acid” with two fantastic lead explosions, the first lead in mentioned „Autopsy's Protocol” or total leading madness in the ending title track that opened by the theme based on Chopin's Funeral March.

This promising band offers good music level in all forty minutes. Even if inspirations are quite obvious for them, the performance is more than decent with every aspect of the release, not ignoring memorable song titles and lyrics as well. But... wait, there is only one moment that made me a bit wonder: pretty strange guitar work in „Antemortem Dissection” lasting a dozen seconds (2:02 – 2:26) that suits better for groove or metalcore style, I think. Anyway, while writing these words, the new album has been ready since July, 2018, oozing its infectious stench and invading the underground air. It seems there's no time to rest for nasty surgeons... so, let the operation begin!

90/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in June, 2019)